North Watch (215)

Drackos

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North Watch

North Watch, or better known as North Watch by the Sea, was an outpost constructed by a lone village in the landmark bordering the Hokubu Ocean. After the reappearance of Tiamat they thought their millenia-ling duty fulfilled. Their eyes, though not as focussed as they once were, still remained fixed on the North. They didn't see the threat rising out of the Western waters until it was far too late. Now the watch lies buried beneath layers of Scarlet Rot, it's duty both fulfilled and failed.
 
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Ushiro

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Coming from here

The moon was casting its pale light on the Comet’s billowing sails when one of the merchants rushed outside. Shivering in his fur-lined coat, he stumbled across the swaying deck scowling as he looked for a particular person. He found her lying on her back in front of the unmanned steering wheel, fingers intertwined, stock-still. He clicked his tongue.

“Akane, what are you doing!? Bring us down already! Most of us aren’t as hardy as you and your cohorts. I can feel my fingers going numb. ...are you listening?”

Akane, Astra’s first Star, had her gaze fixed on the sky. She’d been lying in the same spot ever since they took off from Last Bastion. Exposed to the elements, her body was rigid and her skin ghostly white. With a bit of effort she turned her head, took a breath and spoke.

“Hoo… You’re absolutely right, Vincent. Gods forbid your fingers fall off and you can’t count Ryo all day. Trust me, i didn’t bring us here just to sight-see. Get back inside and let everyone know we’re coming down.”

While Vincent ran below deck Akane concentrated on manipulating the wind currents holding them aloft.

Kogami was watching the Comet drift gently on currents of air toward the sea when a bright light illuminated the ship. Above a wide gate several guards stood watching them and shining spotlights at them. Another approached, apparently a scout of sorts. Astra’s third Star leapt from the Comet and landed in front of him. Shortly after, The Comet splashed down near the shore, causing a wave to crash against a wooden pole partially submerged in the water. It had lines carved into its surface denoting measurements. The pole was tilted somewhat so the guard rushed over to right it, completely ignoring Kogami for a moment.

“So you already know. That’s good. It makes things easier.”

The guard turned and narrowed his eyes at the giant ship and suited man. He'd never seen a ship flying through the air before.

“You aren't from around here. Who are you people? What's your business?”

He seemed surprised by their presence but wasn’t aggressive in his questioning. Kogami smiled and brought his hands together.

“Business, exactly. We aren’t too late I hope? Since you’re aware of the rising tide, you should know very well what it signifies.”

The guard’s face darkened as he looked toward the mist-covered ocean.

“We’re not entirely sure, but many of us believe it to be an omen. A sign of…the Calamity’s return.”

Quite a dramatic name for a sea monster, Kogami thought. Astra had heard of the superstitions surrounding North Watch by the Sea and were of course skeptical. Even so, this role requires them to play along. Kogami nodded solemnly.

“That's exactly what brought us here. We're a group of traveling merchants with all sorts of goods for sale. More importantly, we know of the very real threat you face and so we've brought with us special items made to combat sea monsters, and possibly the Calamity.”

The guard thought about the offer, unsure if his words were true. Why were westerners so eager to help them? What could they have to use against a creature that already ravaged humanity once and could do so again? At this point they could lose nothing by hearing them out. Perhaps there was more to them.

“We could use some supplies to prepare. Then please, come through and show us what you have.”

“You won't regret it.”


After shaking the guard's hand, Kogami got back on the ship and began collecting merchandise.
 

Ushiro

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This post marks the beginning of my mission using these storyboard elements:

- Scam people for profit (2)
- Ease the fears of the local population (3)

Summary: Astra takes advantage of a village’s irrational fears to sell some overpriced goods. Although they are swindlers, they try to help in their own way.




Walking up a creaky set of stairs, Astra’s 2nd S.T.A.R, Kogami, entered a cold room at the top of the watchtower and found a weary guard diligently scanning the horizon. He didn’t react to Kogami’s presence so he called out to him. “Shay, I've got something for you.” The guard peeled his gaze from the ocean and saw a grinning Kogami holding two small glasses half filled with amber liquid. “Rum or whiskey? I barely managed to grab these samples before those savages snatched them up. Didn’t want anyone to miss out.” Shay frowned and turned back to the window. “I appreciate the thought but i have to stay sharp. I can’t afford to shirk my duties as a Watcher, not when there’s a chance...” He raised a pair of binoculars to his face to stare intensely at an empty patch of mist-covered ocean. It was something he’d seen him do before and it was worrying.

“Hey, relax. Have a drink. The stress is making you hallucinate. If a sea monster was about to stroll on down to Tobusekai, I'm sure you’d be able to tell WAY before it got to your doorstep.” Shay responded firmly without turning from the window. “I prefer to err on the side of caution. There are people counting on me.” Kogami walked over to set a drink beside Shay and saw the corners of his mouth curled into a weak smile. “Who would have thought that after all this time it would make its return in my generation?” Seeing someone so tormented by some imaginary sea creature made Kogami wish the delusions of North Watch weren’t just legends, that some giant creature would come out of the water right that moment. At least then his anxiety could be justified.

Shay quickly snapped out of his daze when he noticed Kogami staring and scrambled to change the subject. “Is alcohol all you people have? Are you going to inebriate the Calamity into submission?” “Ohh, that’s not a bad idea! I have to write this down!” Kogami started to run toward the stairs and stopped. “Sorry, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning. We’ll be ready then.” When Kogami left to join the guards and merchants in their merrymaking, Shay looked down at the glass next to him and picked it up, swirling around the liquid inside. The aroma coming from it was strong but pleasant so he took a sip. “Huh, this is good.” With warmth spreading through his body he felt a shred of comfort he hadn’t felt in a while.
 

Ushiro

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Nothing could possibly go wrong, Astra thought, unease setting in as the waiting crowd grew larger. Last time they had an audience Star-2 went berserk catching a violent dissenter and got innocent people killed. Surely the villagers of North Watch had no reason to protest? Astra’s band of merchants provided supplies they would need to survive the impending disaster they so deeply believed in. One could say it's in bad taste to see their desperation as a chance to milk them of every last ryo. They wouldn’t need money if they died. Everyone gets what they want; who cares what method is used? Star-6 posed in front of the crowd, showing off the cloak he was wearing. It was a sea-green hooded cloak with silver trim that ran across the entirety of the garment and connected to a circle on the back. The center of that circle held a symbol resembling a closed eye with three lashes. “Now we will begin our demonstration of the ‘Warding Cloak’!” he announced, the silver pattern of the cloak gleaming in the light as he shifted to increasingly dramatic poses. “It may appear to be just an ordinary coat, but the Warding Cloak truly shines in the presence of a sea monster! It isn't enough just to hear of it, witness its power for yourself!”

He turned his back to the crowd and gestured toward two people facing each other in a field some distance behind him. One of them, Star-1, was wearing a cloak with a similar silver pattern as Star-6’s but the cloak had a different style and color to his. She was standing across from Star-4, who had taken on the guise of a seasoned, middle-aged man whose rugged appearance and extensive supply of gear gave the impression that if he was suddenly dropped in the wilderness he would do just fine fending for himself. He pulled a scroll from one of many pouches on his person, unrolled it, and began a complex summoning ritual that was reality just a way to increase the suspense. At the end of his ritual he clapped his hands and a large plume of smoke appeared in the field. Watching with bated breath, the crowd gasped when multiple loud shrieks arose. Then they saw not one but six serpentine heads emerge from the smoke, and were even more surprised to see them all connected to a single reptilian body. The giant beast observed its surroundings menacingly and when it laid its eyes on the villagers they couldn’t help but cower at the thought of its dagger-like fangs piercing their flesh.

“Do not fear the Hydra’s wrath, as intimidating as it may appear.” Star-6 assured the crowd to keep them from running back to the village. “Our Beastmaster has tamed all manner of feral creature, sea monsters are no exception. Watch closely this great beast does his bidding.” Star-4 proceeded to command the Hydra to attack Star-1, and it did so without complaint. It stomped toward her, fangs bared and dripping with deadly venom, all while Star-1 held her hands held out to her sides and closed her eyes, leaving herself totally vulnerable. The villagers thought she was crazy, that she was welcoming death by just standing there when even they could feel the rumble of the beast’s heavy footfalls as it got ever closer to mauling her. When the Hydra got within range and lunged savagely at the doomed woman, the villagers could hardly believe what they saw. The Hydra, with all its power, couldn’t get near Star-1. In fact, all its attacks collided with an invisible barrier surrounding her that flung the beast away every time it struck it. Star-1, meanwhile, never moved. She was busy maintaining the sphere of gravitational force around her. But of course, the audience was told something very different. “Behold! The Warding Cloak’s power! No sea monster can hope to penetrate the cloak’s field of protection! As you just saw, it only covers a small radius around the wearer and repels attacks, but be warned! The Warding Cloak’s power is not infinite! The cloak is infused with enough power to protect you for just a short period of time, enough time to escape unharmed. Furthermore, it only protects against sea monsters. It does nothing against sharks, wolves, or any other predatory creatures.” As he spoke the Hydra stopped its futile attacks and disappeared. The demonstration was over.

Afterwards, Astra made sure to credit the merchants from Degarashi with the creation of the Warding Cloak which in reality was just some ordinary clothes with a pattern added on. They were happy with the result. The villagers wanted cloaks for everyone and Astra had plenty prepared. They hadn’t spent all their time on the ship working for nothing. The clothes were fairly cheap before and after their modification, but by giving them imaginary qualities the villagers couldn’t possibly test the validity of, the merchants could price these items as high as they wanted. What price is too high for peace of mind knowing you’re prepared for the future?

It wasn’t long after the demonstration that Astra found a child happily recounting the demonstration to a bunch of others kids of various ages. He was apparently one of the only children at the demonstration and had to describe what a Hydra looked like with his limited vocabulary, which terrified some of them and made others jealous that he got to see it. He was soon admonished by an elderly woman who looked like she could be his grandmother or even great-grandmother. Some of the younger kids were crying and she tried to calm them down to no avail. What else are they supposed to do when they think a sea monster - that Astra might as well have confirmed the existence of - could come to kill them at any time? Sneaking up behind a bawling boy, Star-5 pulled a cap over their head. Looking over, the other kids’ eyes lit up while the little boy just looked around confused. It was one of those knitted caps one would wear in the winter months with tassels hanging down the sides but this one in particular was a little different. It was a greenish yellow color with stitching that nearly looked like scales if you thought of it that way. Three tassels vaguely resembled a tail and two dangling arms with little claws at the ends. Right on the front, a small face made of nothing more than a few black lines and dots looked back at you with a cute expression of triumph. Other bits of fabric sewn on like reptilian spines completed the Hydra look. When the kids immediately began fighting over it, Star-5 produced two more and gave them out. One was a sleepy squid and the other a sort of toothy whale. He tried to tell the kids that the hats tricked sea monsters into thinking they were little sea monsters while they wore them but they were too busy playing with them like toys. At the very least, no one was crying anymore.

The elderly woman thanked him and said she was willing to pay for the hats but he refused her offer, saying they were a courtesy. Astra had made them in their spare time and wanted to see if they would sell before making more. Instead, he asked her about the prophecy and if the Calamity they spoke of had anything to do with the Mother Cult. She apologized, explaining that the prophecy of the Calamity’s return had been told for many generations and by now much of it was lost including the monster’s name. She then suggested that there may be records of the prophecy found in ruins or sacred sites on the continent, one of which may be nearby. He thanked her and walked off with much to think about.

During the day, the merchants sold a lot of supplies, cloaks, and alcohol. With the crew’s assistance, Astra was able to produce more sea monster hats - dubbed “Hokumon” for their proximity to the Hokubu Ocean and their monster theme - which had become very popular among the village children. The atmosphere around the village was pleasant for a time until a sudden earthquake put an end to that. The sea turned to a repulsive muddy substance and an enormous pillar of light towered over the ocean. Everyone immediately knew what it meant, especially the Watchers who prepared the villagers for an evacuation. With the desire to see the Calamity with their own eyes and find someone to complain about it to, Astra summoned a giant crab to monitor the shore while the rest got on their ship, yanked it out of the mud with wind, and flew it over the ocean toward the beacon, leaving all of the crew, merchants, and cargo behind.

(Kuchiyose no Jutsu) - Summoning Technique
Rank: B
Type: Defense/Attack/Suplementary
Range: N/A
Chakra Cost: 20
Damage points: N/A
Description:
To summon the creature the ninja will wipe blood on his hand, perform the Boar → Dog → Bird → Monkey → Ram handseals and then touch the ground or another object, where a sealing formula will appear. Though it appears that as long as significant pressure is placed against the blood in some form, the summon will be complete, most summoning uses use a solid surface, though in some cases it can even be done mid air. There can be variations to the summoning steps, some ninja like Temari will wipe blood on her fan, then by swinging the fan the animal is summoned. Other ninja like Orochimaru wipe the blood across a snake tattoo on their arm first, then touch the ground. Others will clap their hands directly like Nagato through the use of his Animal Path. The user must have signed the contract with the creature he wants to summon but the technique can be used to summon a generic creature of that contract (B-Rank) which will have no special traits or abilities beyond those normal to the rest of the animals in the contract. The animal is always summoned on the mark that appears upon slamming the users hand or, if not the case, always in short range of the user.
( Shinra Tensei ) - Divine Punishment
Type: Supplementary/Defensive/Offensive
Rank: S
Range: Short
Chakra: 40 ( +20 per extra range )
Damage: N/A
Description: Using the Deva Paths abilities to manipulate gravitational forces, the user will repulse and push away anything around him up to a given range, in all directions, producing an omni-repulsion effect. The force and repulsive effect is absolute, affecting both energy and matter alike. The technique itself can be used with different ranges/sizes, depending on how much chakra the user spends for the technique and can even, in its smaller form, be sustained, forming a static defensive field instead of a wave-like effect.
Shōkibo - Small Scale: the user will push away anything around him up to short range. The offensive power in this size is not that high as it hits opponents but can still do severe damage. It isn't, however, fatal, boasting a physical 40 damage. If the user focuses this ability with the help of his hands he can sustain a defensive absolute repulsive field around him. He can't, however, do any technique while he is sustaining it and he can only sustain it for 2 turns. Once used, takes one turn cool down to use gravitational related techniques again.
Chūkibo - Medium Scale: the user will push away anything around him up to mid range. The offensive power in this size is severe, sending opponents flying backwards with enough force to, if not defended properly, leave near fatal physical damage. Although not directly fatal, the technique boasts a physical damage of 80. If the user focuses this ability through one or both hands, he can push away a specific target or technique alone, instead of producing the normal omni-repulsive wave. Once used, takes 2 turns cool down to use gravitational related techniques again.
Ōkibo - Large Scale: the user will push away anything around him up to long range. The offensive power of the technique is devastating and anything in its path that doesn't manage to defend properly is left obliterated. Its fatal if unguarded, boasting a physical damage of 160. Using this techniques poses a great deal of danger to the user as he damages his chakra pathway itself to be able to mold sufficient chakra to perform it. Once used, the user loses the use any gravitational related techniques for the remainder of the fight and is unable to mold chakra for techniques above A-Rank for 5 turns.
Note: The technique is immune to normal Elemental Weaknesses and Strengths and as such can't be blocked or stopped. However, the enemies can still use techniques that prevent or reduce physical damage to their bodies to survive its effects or escape its range through a fast enough technique. This means that in the large scale, while the technique can't be stopped or directly countered, enemies can still manage to survive if the logically counter.
Note: can only be used by Rinnegan bios with the ( Tendō ) - Deva Path active
(Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Kyokan Kani) - Summoning Technique: Giant Crustacean
Type: Supplementary
Rank: A-Rank
Range: Short
Chakra Cost: 30
Damage: N/A
Description:
The user will summon a Giant Crustacean creature, similar to a crab but somewhat different. The creature has several piercings that link its own chakra with that of the user, a feature that makes it so that the creature manifests the Rinnegan and as such, has its vision shared with the user. The crustacean can, as well, use up to A-Rank Water Techniques that don't require handseals and are spit from the mouth. Its hard shell is impervious to B-Rank and below techniques but if cracked, the animal reverse summons away from the battlefield.
Note: can only be summoned by Rinnegan bios with access to Animal Path
Note: can only be summoned once
(Fuuton: Henka no Kaze)- Wind Release: Winds of Change
Type: Attack/Defense/Supplementary
Rank: S
Range: Short-Long
Chakra Cost: 40 (+15 each turn active)
Damage: 80
Description: The user forms 3 handseals to generates and control wind currents throughout the battlefield that can vary in strength from a breeze to wind capable of lifting large buildings. The user must keep the last hand seal held to maintain precise control of the currents and continue the jutsu.However a fire technique of A rank or above can cut the control of the wind currents
-Usable twice per battle
-No A-rank or higher wind jutsu for the next 2 turns
-Can only be taught by Shin-Akira

~Mission End~

~Leaving Landmark
 

Serpent

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Coming From: Hokubu Ocean

The ship arrives to North Watch with the crew in good health. The ships damage was minor. After arriving to shore Hei's Yang state will end, and his clones will disperse. His stamina will feel drained and his body will ache. His chakra being reduced to half its normal reserve. It was harder to cross the ocean then ever before. With his journey's end, Hei will thank the captain for his reward and make his way to the nearest place to rest.

@Howard Thanks for the bounty. I really enjoyed it. Having mercenary work like this is a nice improvement for the RP.
 

Howard

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Coming From: Hokubu Ocean

The ship arrives to North Watch with the crew in good health. The ships damage was minor. After arriving to shore Hei's Yang state will end, and his clones will disperse. His stamina will feel drained and his body will ache. His chakra being reduced to half its normal reserve. It was harder to cross the ocean then ever before. With his journey's end, Hei will thank the captain for his reward and make his way to the nearest place to rest.

@Howard Thanks for the bounty. I really enjoyed it. Having mercenary work like this is a nice improvement for the RP.
Paying @Serpent 2500 kumi for a NW bounty.
Issued by: Merchants and seafaring vessels that want to traverse the Hokubu Ocean ( 257 )
Special Classifications: S-rank, PvP/PvE, Mercenary work
Name(s):
Sea Beasts of Tiamat

Orders: Protect a merchant vessel that travels through the Hokubu Ocean ( 257 )

Wanted For: Protection against the Sea Beasts of Tiamat that plague the Hokubu Ocean.

Bounty: Merchants are willing to offer 2500 kumi to anyone who can make sure they traverse the Hokubu safely.

Special Information: The deadly Hokubu Ocean is still one of the main means of trade among merchants so it is only common sense that it would still be used even in it's decimated and dangerous state. The task is simple, ferry a merchant's vessel and it's crew safely across the Hokubu Ocean. This bounty is a bit different than a normal bounty. It will require you to link @Howard before starting, and attempting, before arriving on the Hokubu Ocean. This is so that he can set up a trial of some sort for you. This could be a massive Kraken, or some other creation but will be extremely difficult to complete and will require a back and forth for at least 3 posts in the Hokubu from each participant and @Howard to create an event worth a 2500 kumi payout.

This bounty affects an entire landmark so it can be done by up to 2 shinobi but cannot be repeated by the same individual.

It can only be attempted by 1 individual at any given time and must be started in a landmark adjacent to the Hokubu Ocean.

When completed relink @Howard for payment

Rendezvous: Any landmark adjacent to the Hokubu Ocean.​
 
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Zatanna

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Feeling a pull inwarda, Strix rode her summon towards the continent of Tobuseki to find herself approaching the North Watch, famously a part of the landscape that had ties to the ancient history of the world woth Tiamat and the Gods.
Had her core oulled her here, or was she imagining things? Setting down within a a town square, Strix began to meditate on her situation once more, feeling for any surge from the core inside her. Looking inwards, she carefully monitored her body and level to see what would happen.
 

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Coming from: https://animebase.me/threads/owatatsumi-214.768208/page-3#post-22060456

Mission Start

Elements:

  • Gather resources from the land
  • Set up Camp
  • Perform a moderate workout routine



As Leda arrived at her next stop, she surveyed the cool breeze village. She had come prepared and donned a similar overcoat that Sasuke Uchiha wears. It seemed nice and calm here... She needed to clear her head after the events that had just taken place. So she decided to stay here and explore her physicality and spirituality... Leda had grown old... And wasted a lot of time overthe years... But more time wasted was bringing her family and clan's name to shame... That was a sad burden Leda chose to no longer to bear... She has always been capable of changing this... She just chose not to. Today, that changes. After her dream, Leda thought long and hard about who she wanted to be... Her purpose... She had gone without an identity for so long. Maybe it was time to make one. She wanted to become great... Like her mother. Although, she only saw her combat capabilities once, that was more than enough motivation for the aging Leda. That paired with the fact that Lola was perhaps the best mom one could dream of...

After surveying the cold and somewhat empty area, Leda had thought about having not eaten in days... It was time to find some food and set up shop somewhere near... There were plenty of trees. And the sea was quite near. Perhaps a healthy mix of fresh fish and fruit would do the trick. She was bordering the sea as is so she took off her equipment, keeping it within eyes' sight and walked up to a tree to cut off a branch. She then carved it to a point with a kunai to form a makeshift spear. A sturdy one, might we add. She trudged into the sea, waist deep and started to closely pay attention for signs of fish.

Not able to hear or see anything, she started to focus her chakra around her ear drum to perform a special jutsu to help hear where the fish may be swimming... Being the sound specialist that she is, she did this with relatively ease and kept it passively activated.

Rank: D
Type: Supplementary
Range: Short-Long
Chakra Cost: 10 (-1 per turn)
Damage Points: N/A
Description: The user will enhance their hearing by infusing his ears with sound chakra. Then, by utilizing chakra and enfacing his lungs, the user will be able to control the frequency and intensity of the sound emitted from his simple breathing. This low frequency, inaudible sound is passively emitted and has no effect other than emerging from him and bouncing off of objects. Using the enhanced hearing, the user is able to know where everything is around them, effectively creating a sonar effect through the rebound and reflection of sound waves. The hearing and the sonar effect is precise enough so that one can effectively use it to substitute one's vision in battle if needed. Despite being very effective, specially if the user has any of his other senses hindered, it also leaves the user vulnerable to sound genjutsu or sound attacks which will be much more drastic in its effects.
Note: Lasts 6 turns

After this, it was not hard to tell where the fish were swimming. She can hear the movement under water. The cool, relaxing swishing... "Two... Two should be enough..." Leda calmly said to herself. With great speed, she plunged the spear into the shallow water, piercing through a fish of quite decent size. "Gotcha." Leda said a little playfully and smiled. She too the fish off the spear and threw it ashore, close to where her belongings were. "One more..." Leda thought to herself. Again, easy to hear the sounds of the nearby fish, Leda plunged her spear into the water once more with great success. Catching a marginally larger fish than the last one. "Perfect." Leda said to herself as she didn't bother with throwing this one ashore and walked back to her belongings from the water. Strangely enough... Leda seemed to be at peace with... All of this. Nature, herself. It was marvelous. She set the fish down, still on the spear and walked to a nearby tree. She only had a few katana with her. Not meant for cutting trees, but she had to make due with what she can. She planned on training before bed time, so this had marked the beginning of her rigorous training. She unsheathed a blade and started to chop immensely at the tree. Chopping off multiple branches and eventually the tree itself. Which was hard, but not too hard as the tree was not that big. Whatever an average size tree was like, that was it. She needed the extra wood anyway for fire and overhead shelter.

"Three thousand and thirty-five... Three thousand and thirty-six..." Leda counted as she kept chopping, switching arms as she goes. No doubt she was tired, but she didn't stop. After cutting down five trees in the nearby surrounding area and numerous branches, the blade eventually broke in half after the five thousandth and eighty-eighth swing... No matter, her work was done hours ago... Before building a camp, though, Leda went to venture out a little further to find fresh fruit. Again, an easy find. The surrounding area was full of lush trees carrying them. Not many bushes, though. Which considering the surrounding area, that was understandable. Bushes wouldn't do well in this extremely wet area. Not wasting any time, Leda started to pick a handful of wholesome fruit off of the trees, only the ones she knew how to identify as to not eat anything that might harm her internally. She picked a good six or so apple-sized fruits and headed back to her camp as the sun started to set. On her way back, she was humming to herself in a lovely tune. A tune her mother would hum to her sometimes before bed time at a very young age. The same song she sang to her brother, however it has been so long... Leda tried not to dwell on that too much...

Making it back to the camp with all her materials gathered, it was time to get the fire started and start cooking. She gathered a few branches and weaved a few hand signs wild molding her inner chakra and breathing in. Lightly breathing out, she blew out a small stream of fire that perfectly lit the campfire. "Perfect!" Leda said happily.

Type: Offensive
Rank: D
Range: Short-Mid
Chakra: 10
Damage: 20
Description: The user will release a small but powerful flame of fire at their opponent from either their limbs (through movement) or exhaling it. It can produce fire balls or fire streams or simply aid in taijutsu.

She had yet to set up the shelter, but in due time. She still had a few hours left. She went to wash off the fish in the near ocean and impaled the fish she caught on the spear along with the other. Going back to the fire, she propped up two sticks and put the spear on them over the fire, propping a slow roast over the fire. While these cooked, Leda still had to do two things, one: build her shelter and two: finish up her training. The shelter was first as she could train at night close to the fire for light. The shelter had to be done now. With no time to waste, Leda started to slowly but surely make her shelter. Pieces up stick by stick, and leaf by leaf, eventually before nightfall, Leda was able to put together small but sturdy shelter for her to spend the night...

"The fish!" Leda exclaimed, forgetting about them during her laboring. She dashed up to them to find them a little burnt but no matter, still good to eat. She took them off the fire and placed them onto one of the big leaves she had gathered and sat down to eat... She dug into her pouch to find two things... A small bottle of water and a small vial of hard liquor. Naturally Leda went for the liquor but quickly stopped to think... After pausing for a moment, Leda grabbed the water instead and cracked it open, taking a huge sip and nodded afterwards, granting herself approval for making the better choice of the two. She was indeed an alcoholic. But it was time she became a recovering one. In minutes, she devoured both fish to the bone and three whole fruits. This was surely a hardy enough meal for Leda to continue on.

After resting for a few moments after eating and letting her food settle, Leda continued with her training. She noted what she did so far: cutting the trees and sweating and burning calories to build the shelter, which she surely needed... All of that prior alcohol had to exit her system. She needed to do one thousand pushups, one thousand sit ups and one thousands squats...

Three hours later, fire slowly fading...

Welllll Leda was slowly dying... She was only able to complete three hundred of each... All the drinking and pissing about she did for a decade or so took a toll on her body... Nonetheless, the training was heavy enough for Leda and she did well for the shape she was in which wasn't bad, but definitely not her best... Slowly but surely... She would become the butterfly she was destined to be... She would camp here for the night, or two nights... And eventually leave to her destination...



Mission end.
 
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Flying with confidence as her jet fuel, Lilith was on a path to bash her knuckles into some baka people who prayed on the weak and defenseless. Looking down on the ground, she saw some action on the southern west border of the landmark which would probably indicate that it was the bandits that the elder had pointed towards. She flew closer and closer and was now able to see that they carried weapons and light weight armor too. It was a decent flock of people, around thirty men strong. She took a deep breathe and prepared to land to face them. On her descent, Alucard spoke to her through his mental link again. Her concentration was yet again shattered to pieces...

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup?

Lilith's descent went from a linear pattern into a tumble and she eventually crash-landed infront of the group of bandits, just shy of mid-range away.

BAKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaYAROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

To Lilith's ignorance, she didn't realize she shouted the words rather than just thinking them. This would make her appear like a crazy girl falling from the skies. In her mind, she could hear Alucards faint chuckling noises as he made the same sound as before, the noise of a phone being hung up. Lilith's patience could only be stretched so thin.

..Boss, who's this demonic lass then?

One of the brutes out of the bandit gang scratched his head as he asked those words. At this point, Lilith had dusted off her body and graciously started to inspect the folk infront of her. Her expression was somewhat cheerful even though her landing had been everything but graceful. If only she knew how to disconnected her mind out of Alucards reach..

Anatawa bandits?

..What?!

*Ahem*, are you the bandits..?

The straight-forward kind eh, got a death-wish young'in? Not surprising with your looks, did your dad **** a wasp or something?

The men cheerfully laughed in unison to the apparent leader of the group. Lilith wasn't sure how to respond to his words, she didn't understand most of the things he said but it was apparently funny so she nervously chuckled along as well.

Who'd ever wish to die anyway? Aren't we blessed to be in this world? I've come to bash your faces in so you can stop harassing the free folk of the lands south west of here. Oh, maybe that's what a death-wish is.. The fact that you chose this line of work..

She pondered to herself as the men grew largely annoyed by her last statement. The head of the gang nodded towards one of them in the front who acted upon this command and charged towards Lilith with a spear risen high in his right hand. Lilith simply jumped upwards and used her wings to fly above the charging man and kicked him with her right leg, knocking him out cold as it hit him right in the neck with full force. A moment of silence followed and Lilith remained airborne and pressed her index finger to her violet lips.

..Whoops.. I didn't mean..

KILL IT WITH FIRE

Haha, bakayaro, fire won't wo-

GROAAHHH

The men were actually possessing means to mould chakra too. Five of them would remain stationary and let out a large burst of flames towards Lilith while the rest would flank her and throw shurikens and kunais towards her from under.

(Katon: Gōka no Jutsu) - Fire Release: Hellfire Technique
Type: Offensive
Rank: A
Range: Short-Mid
Chakra: 30
Damage: 60
Description: The user will manipulate their chakra and breath out from their mouth a large fireball that travels at the opponent. As it reaches the opponent it bursts into a maelstrom of fire engulfing them in flames.

Lilith's eyes widened as she retaliated by using her own chakra and aimed her right hand towards the flames to absorb the chakra entirely with little to no effort and at the same time release the chakra into dark flames that would not only deflect the incoming kunai/shurikens too but also create a large maelstorm of flames that would hit a large portion of the bandit gang.

Meiton: Kyūketsukō usabarashi) Dark Release: Inhaling Diversion
Type: Offensive
Rank: A rank
Range: Short-Long
Chakra: 30
Damage: (Technique dependant) (80)
Description: This is an advanced method of using the technique Inhaling maw. Instead of storing the foreign chakra the user instead redirects it back at the opponent. The way this technique works is by increasing the flow of chakra to Inhaling maw causing it to absorb chakra twice as fast as the regular inhaling maw. While this happens the user links his top and bottom square chakra network creating an arc between the two from which chakra can travel. As the user absorbs chakra it is sent into this new link and has Dark chakra added to it, once the chakra is added the technique is fired back at the opponent. From using this method the original attack is strengthen and more potent. This method is fairly fast, as it release chakra at the same time it absorbs leaving little window for opponents to react.
*Note* Any technique redirected gains plus 1 rank to its original power(I.e A rank becomes S rank)
Restrictions:
Can only be used 3 times per battle
Jutsu Follows Dark release's absorption rules
Can only be Taught by Delta

The ironic part was that the first ones that went under the fire was the ones thinking they were smart enough to surround Lilith in a tactical strategy. Their bodies were decaying into the dark chakra that consumed them like normal flames would but with a much darker tone. The remaining men grouped together next to their boss who turned into a frenzy. Never before had he seen such power as this demonic angel possessed and his guts told him to flee for his life but Lilith was far from over. She was going to punch their faces in before they had the chance to scatter, hell the whole reason she left Alucard was to train her combat experience. As the men fled north, Lilith easily caught up with some of them and put them in a coma by slamming their heads with her claws. In her mind, she was already extremely bored with this chore, but it atleast she helped others by taking care of the bandits. When she had spent almost an hour hunting down the remainder of the chickens she found herself in a one v one against the boss who was the last man standing. Turning his gaze towards her, his portrayal was not that of fear but a smug face.

I must thank you little girl. You've single-handedly taken out the trash for me and this whole charade can now end. I was never afraid of you, you know.

Lilith came to a stop, mid-range away from the boss who, to her surprise, seemed to get ready for battle.

The power that radiates within me is well beyond reach for any average-joe cutthroat. You shall see this for yourself, mwahahaha. I possess all of the five elements. Imagine that!

..There's five elements? Sugeeee

The opponent opened his mouth and formed a large array of senbons out of water that came raging towards Lilith in high velocity.

(Suiton: Tenkyū) - Water Release: Heavenly Weeping
Type: Offensive
Rank: A
Range: Short-Mid
Chakra: 30
Damage: 60
Description: A technique in which chakra is kneaded in the user's body, transformed into water and then shaped into senbon in the mouth before finally being expelled at a high velocity. The needles are shot in an attempt to catch the enemy off guard, while also aiming at their vitals.

Following up, he would then surge earth chakra through the ground and created a set of jagged spikes that would all protrude from the ground around Lilith and angle themselves to pierce through her body's vital areas.

(Doton: Dosekidake no Jutsu) - Earth Release: Earth and Stone Bamboo Shoot Technique
Type: Offensive
Rank: B
Range: Short-Mid
Chakra: 20
Damage: 40
Description: The user of this technique condenses the soil and rock in the area to sprout out in the form of four large spikes which attack the target from four separate directions to make it harder to evade. However, it can be easilty avoided by escaping upwards.

Lastly, he would knead his chakra and unravel something that looked like a war-fan out of his belongings. Using this tool in conjunction with his wind chakra he was able to create a large tornado that would form above Lilith only to drop down and cause serious damage.

(Fūton: Sebeti Otoshi) - Wind Release: Tornado Drop
Type: Offensive
Rank: A
Range: Short-Mid
Chakra: 30
Damage: 60
Description: The user will create a tornado of wind to trap their target/s and then by controlling with their fan cause the tornado to crush them down into the ground.

Note: Must have a Fan

Just by looking at the nature itself, Lilith had to determine what to use in order to counter it. Unable to harness pure water release herself, she did possess two elements that were of liquid in nature just like water. She formed a single handseal and created a thin wall of sub-zero liquid of krypton between her and the opponent, catching the senbons in the thin barrier and having them frozen solid instantly.

(Kuriputon: Feruinta | Liquid Krypton Release: Felwinter)
Type: Offensive/Defensive/Supplementary
Rank: D-S (B)
Range: Short-Long
Chakra: 10-40(-10 per turn when sustained)
Damage: 20-80
Description: Felwinter is a multi-ranked technique that serves as the basic, jack-of-all-trades technique of the Krypton release. It can be created from existing sources(air) or from the user directly. Depending on how much chakra he/she spends it amps the technique further and thus produces more liquid Krypton. The force of the torrent of the ultra cold liquid will also become greater the more chakra is spent into the technique. But even so, small amounts of liquid Krypton may be enough for some occasions too. Through this technique, the user will be able to create small or large torrents of the liquid Krypton, create a huge "sea" of the ultra cold liquid or manipulate pre-existing liquid Krypton to form into huge hands or small flying liquid bullets. Even though the possibilities are essentially endless, since the release is indeed liquid it cannot maintain any lasting functional structures unless chakra is used to sustain the releases state. Sort of like water which can be formed into a dragon but needs chakra to sustain its form in such case. D, C and B ranks can be used indefinitely while B-ranks will require one handseal; Hare. A rank variation can be used up to 4 times, but will start to require two handseals; Hare - Ox. S-rank variation requires three handseals; Hare - Ox - Rabbit - and can be used up to 3 times per battle.

Note: B-ranks require a single handseal, A ranks two handseals and S rank three handseals.
Note: A rank version can be used 4 times per battle, S rank 3.
Note: No Krypton Above A-rank after using S-rank version in the same turn and next.

Ahaha, so that's how it works afterall. Wait if water turns into ice when it's cold why does krypton not..

However, this was only getting rid of one of the techniques. As the two jutsus collided, Lilith felt a shiver in the ground underneath her. Nothing indicated that an attack would origin from the opponent themselves. Her instinct told her to fly away to avoid the attack but the man had already seen her flying.. he knew that she could do that, was this technique something that flight wouldn't matter against? She only had a brief moment to retaliate and the second the spikes would protrude from the ground - Lilith would cover herself in a liquid barrier of molten metal.

(Bisumaton: Kamigami no umi | Bismuth release: Sea of gods)
Type: Offensive/Defensive/Supplementary
Rank: D-S (D)
Range: Short-Long
Chakra: 10-40 (10) + 10 = 20
Damage: 20-80 (20) + 20 = 40
Description: Sea of gods is a multi-ranked technique that serves as the basic, jack-of-all-trades technique of the bismuth release. It can be created from existing sources(earth) or from the user directly. Depending on how much chakra he/she spends it amps the technique further and thus produces more liquid bismuth. The force of the torrent of the liquid metal will also become greater the more chakra is spent into the technique. But even so, small amounts of liquid bismuth may be enough for some occasions too. Through this technique, the user will be able to shape the land infront of them and create small or large torrents of the liquid bismuth, create a huge "sea" of the molten metal right under their targets or manipulate pre-existing liquid bismuth to form into huge hands or small flying liquid bullets. Even though the possibilities are essentially endless, the bismuth will stay on the field until destroyed and does not require chakra to stay on the field. However, since the release is indeed liquid it cannot maintain any lasting functional structures unless chakra is used to sustain the releases state. Sort of like water which can be formed into a dragon but needs chakra to sustain its form in such case. D, C and B ranks can be used indefinitely while B-ranks will require one handseal; Hare. A rank variation can be used up to 4 times, but will start to require two handseals; Hare - Ox. S-rank variation requires three handseals; Hare - Ox - Rabbit - and can be used up to 3 times per battle.

Note: B-ranks require a single handseal, A ranks two handseals and S rank three handseals.
Note: A rank version can be used 4 times per battle, S rank 3.
Note: No Bismuth Above A-rank after using S-rank version.

The metal remained but the stone spikes crumbled in contact with the bisumaton technique. But even if the bisumaton technique remained, it had become damaged in it's state and the tornado that formed above Lilith would not be protected from by it. The very force of wind chakra seemed to turn the bisumaton chakra into powdered flakes of garbage. Alucards voice would then suddenly be felt inside Lilith's mind.

From the ashes, the phoenix is reborn infinitely.

The wind was about to crush Lilith. She was now down on her knees with the man laughing at her.

Your incompetence and power is not a good fit at all.. You're just a divine child afterall. Succumb to my power!!

Lilith tilted her head towards the man as she asked him even though her skin started to get ripped by the wind.

What's divine?

Oh god please kill me i can't stand this shit.

Lilith's eyes flickered from the pain she started to feel on her body as she was being crushed down by the tornado. A burst of Yang would infiltrate her body as she began to scream in pain. Her physique grew monumentally in strength and she would feel no more pain from the tornado whatsoever let alone have her wounds heal instantly.

(Yoton: Ken'i) - Yang Release: Power of The Sun
Type: Supplementary
Rank: S-Rank
Range: Short
Chakra cost: 100 (50 per turn)
Damage points: N/A (+40 to Taijutsu)
Description: The user will reinforce his own body with Yang natured chakra, empowering his physical abilities to the outermost limits. This allows him to become physically very strong (beyond the normal levels of chakra enhanced strength), increases his resistance to physical damage (decreasing 60 damage from any physical contact), his speed (boosted to 3.5x his normal speed), and grants him a passive healing of all minor wounds at 30 damage per turn. However, by infusing himself with the Yang Nature, he becomes unable to use Yin Release techniques or Yin/Yang Release techniques; he cannot use Genjutsu or non elemental Ninjutsu of any kind (including special fields like Fuuinjutsu).
Note: Can only be used twice per battle and lasts 4 turns per use.

She rose up from the ground and dusted off her shoulders. Her entire outlook had changed slightly.

Show me the remaining elements, Mr. I bet i can take it..

Don't think you have the upper hand just yet. Combining the elements as you have already done probably without thinking about it creates new elements.. Watch and learn punk.

As a last effort, the man would utilize what seemed to be an advanced form of wind and earth for the very ground would start to crumble around the two of them forming into large banks of iron sand. Two gigantic chunks of iron sand formed into lions heads on Lilith's left and right side.

Behold the power of the desert!

(Jiton: Satetsu Sousou) - Magnet Release: Iron Sand Burial
Type: Offensive
Rank: S
Range: Short-Mid
Chakra: 40
Damage: 80
Description: This technique encases the enemy with iron sand and then crushes them to a pulp within seconds.
Note: Can only be used by Third Kazekage and custom Iron Sand bios.

Lilith followed the sound of the collapsing sand on her flanks. Her new speed gained from the powers of Yang made her able to escape the clutches with relative ease as she flew up into the sky and avoided the technique entirely while heading down towards the opponent in speeds that he could not track. As a matter of fact, he did not even seem to realize she had escaped his technique as she landed right behind him and tapped his shoulder to knock him down too with critical damage given to him. Her karate chop carved through his neck with such force that it broke his neck bone and killed him instantly. Not just that, but his entire head was separated from his body. Lilith phased out of the situation, grossed out by the amount of blood that streamed out of his neck. She felt dizzy, her powers slipped away and she fell down to the ground. It was her first kill..

....

Hours later, Lilith woke up. Her head was spinning but she knew exactly where to not look and flapped her wings to fly away from the scene. She would fly straight towards the Port of Innovus.

LLM.
 
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This post marks the beginning of a mission using the following storyboard element(s):
-Reminisce about childhood.
-Do some moderate meditation to improve focus




The day was almost here, when Celestine would be accepted as a warrior within the village and could join the ranks of defending heroes that stood eternally that guarded the village. She was nervous, there was a lot of weight on her shoulders as the first female warrior within centuries, however since she was the firstborn and she had no other siblings, the duty to defend the lands fell on her. It was tradition that each house in the village would have one member of household join the defences, usually falling to the firstborn son. However since her mother and father had been unable to conceive another child since Celestine, it fell upon her as she reached adulthood. Celestine had spent a year training and mentally getting ready for this honour, her firm duty and belief that she would carry on the legacy.

Celestine looked to the mirror brushing her dark red hair out of her face as she threw it over her shoulders and took a brush to begin untangling the knots that had built up over the past week of training. Her skin was now a tanned light caramel, once a normal pinkish hue, weeks of training in the sun had caused her to change in many ways as her body toned up and built muscle as she worked with armour and weapons week in week out. Cuts and small scars had been left on her body from training accidents and pushing herself as hard as she could, and while her pain tolerance grew, she felt the heavy weight she couldn't shake or learn to carry through training. They didnt prepare the chosen for the burden and the responsibility, they only physically trained, after all it was a great honour to be chosen and to defend the village but centuries had passed before another woman was a defender. Celestine needed a break, she had to prepare herself before the ritual tomorrow where she would don the armour and become a fully fledged warrior of the Adepta.

'I'm going out for a bit, Ill be back later' she called out, picking up a jacket and walking out the front door, not wanting to wait for her mothers reply about not wearing warm enough clothes or how she needed to brush her hair some more. It was a quiet day for the village, no current festivals going on, only the preparation of the 10 new warriors joining the cause that had reached adulthood during the year. Taking a short walk, Celestine reached the shoreline of the lands, and began to stroll along the beach with nothing but the waves lapping at the shore to listen to. It was soothing, reassuring that it still was the same beach she had grown up next to as a child, he mother taking her for walks along the beach to get out of the house. It was a nice calming walk as she reached the rocks where she and her mother used to play hide and seek around the boulders. It was a pleasant nostalgia of memories helping distract her from the big day tomorrow where figuratively her childhood would be no more. Climbing atop one of the rocks, Celestine sat down looking at the ocean waving back and forth, its constant motion almost a consistent law about the worth. The ocean will always come back and forth, eternal, always there, always moving.
Closing her eyes and remembering spending time with her mother, Celestine closed out all other emotions, calming herself and reminding herself of who she was fighting for. Unsure why, but words of wisdom came to her mind, from her mother on the last time they came here together a few years ago.

"Arent you worried with your life? Arent you filled with anxiety? Its ok, live your life how you want and remember how a ship sails. Right now you may feel like nothing is changing but the wind is helping us to move forward with great speed. It is our friend, you have to feel it, dont look for it, just feel it, feel by your heart. So from now on, feel everything by your heart."

Celestine smiled to herself, remembering her mothers wisdom from all her years of sailing, being a fisherman for the village. Although her mother might not have been the most philosophical person, she was passionate and lived her life to the brim. Chuckling to herself, Celestine remembered how she, her mother and her father would often go for walks and just camp outside the village pretending they were off on some grand adventure. Well it was time now for the real adventure to begin, as the Induction to the warriors was tomorrow, and after a day of relaxing and meditating, Celestine would be ready. She would prepare to become a fully responsible adult in her village.
 
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This post marks the beginning of a mission using the following storyboard element(s):
-Go on your first mission
-Reach the camp undetected



The day had come for her first day as a proper defender of her people where she would be fully recognized as a warrior and member of her community. It had been a long year of training, many hard long nights of aching body and bruises from injuries sustained while learning. However now it was over, and she would be going out on missions and trails along with her other fellow warriors. She had taken a lot of disdain and sideways looks at the thought of a female warrior, but if the elders said she was ready, then no one would question them. A village full of tradition and honour, they were all a close family, despite not being related by blood. Her first mission today was to go out and scout ahead to the south east, along the borders of the Fist of the First Men where reportedly some Thieves and Bandits had been camping striking travellers and merchants. Celestine and two others would look for signs of the camp and report back how many numbers would be there. Some reports said 20, others said there was more like 100 and without an accurate assessment the village couldn't prepare accordingly to give them time to set up defences or plan counter measures. There would be no point preparing for a full on assault of 100 men if there would only be 10 that could slip into the village and attack from within. Conversely should they double the guard looking for suspicious men, their defences would be overwhelmed should a full force attack. These were the tactics and reasoning part of Celestine's training that was given when she had begun her journey.

Just after dawn Celestine along with two other donned their light armour and packing some supplies prepared to head out into the dimly lit morning outside of the village. The senior scout Lysander was a leader among the warriors and had often prevented many overwhelming attacks with his expertise and years of experience. The other scout with them, Marnius, was a thin but capable man who had seen many years but still was as fit as a young warrior. Celestine felt safe and protected by her brothers in arms and knew that she would have to show the same confidence as they were showing on their face, determined to complete this mission. She knew that should it come to it she would never abandon her brothers and try as hard as she could to support and fight along side them.

First mission right? Nervous?

Lysanders voice caught her off guard as she was in her own head thinking about impossible scenarios that could unfold.

A little, but they taught us to always prepare for the worst and you can never be surprised.

Lysander let out a little chuckle.

Yeah, I remember my grunt training too, but the problem with that is if youre preparing for the worst, youre not thinking about the other opportunities that could work out for the best.

Just make sure not to slow us down is all...

Marnius chipped in with a gruff voice.

Lysanders wisdom was shining through putting her at ease with his smile. As they proceeded south east for an hour, Celestine, Lysander and Marnius weaves through the forest and lands till they came across a river. Stopping for a quick breather they took some water and reassessed their goals and mission plan. Lysander pulled out a map of the local region looking at where they could potentially be.

Right now, our main objective is to take a look at the camp that has been reported here.
He said pointing at the map.
No doubt, they will have sentries and defensive scouts to report an incoming scouts like us, so we will have to be careful about where we go in to take a look. Celestine, I want you to stick behind me, Marnius, you take the right flank, keep about a 20 meter distance between us to watch for incoming attacks, and watch our backs.
Nodding at her instructions, Marinus just stayed silent.
If it comes to it, I know that you will be just as capable as Marnius or myself in combat, youve trained for this.
Lysander put his hand on Celestines shoulder.
You are a warrior now, and you will do us proud.

Celestine couldn't help but smile, the rousing plan had given her confidence, and she would not let him down. Packing up their things, the three scouts set off again aiming to reach the camp before sundown and slowing their pace not to get caught off guard and to look out for any traps or scouts they encountered. It wasn't long before Lysander stopped short under a tree, pulling Celestine back with him.

Look ahead, what do you see?

Celestine peers ahead barely poking her face around the tree. To her, it all looked ordinary, but looking a little further on looked like an oddly shaped branch sticking directly up from its parental branch.

Its that tree there, with a scout on it. Just in front of him with a huge pile of leaves to give away our position and to alert him.

Celestine hadn't even considered the leaves on the ground below, and indeed there was a massive pile of dead leaves, a large pile too many to be so coincidentally fallen at that spot.

Alright, go left, and follow my lead. We are going to creep up, and then take him out silently.

Nodding and sneaking out left, Celestine stood about 10 meters away from Lysander as they both begun to creep towards their target. Going into his bag and pulling out a knife and rope, he showed Celestine silently before pointing towards the scout, still unaware of them. Reaching a few meters away suddenly like a flash Lysander threw the rope to Celestine where she almost fumbled it. Lysander was already dashing forwards and as he ran so too did Celestine. The scout barely knew what was happening before Lysander and Celestine pinned him against the tree with the rope, tying him up against its trunk. Taking the knife to the scouts throat, Lysander interrogated the enemy asking for the camp. Unwilling to die for his bandit brothers, the scout immediately gave up where the camp was, just a few hundred meters behind him, where they were travelling in the right direction. Celestine was curious why the bandit would give up on his allies so easily, it was a foreign concept to her not to be loyal to your family, unaware of the loose connections that bandits and thieves have, where the only reason they join together it to make more money and ultimately your own personal life trumps all gold. Shaking her head and brushing it off, Celestine and Lysander made sure the scout wouldn't be able to escape tying and gagging him to the tree.

Moving forwards and sure enough after a few hundred meters, Lysander and Celestine along with Marnius on their side came to the crest of a hill where they could see the whole campsite where the thieves and bandits were staying. Old campfires, shoddy tents, chests and bedrolls littered about the opening. Looking to Lysander for guidance, he held and arm back to Celestine making her stand her ground.

Our mission was to just scout the camp, only to report the numbers. We would not last to take them all out right now...

Celestine nodded, a bit frustrated that these lawless thieves and brigands were able to pillage the nearby villages and settlements so easy. She had to respect the chain of command and stick to the mission though.
 
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