[PQ+] [SE] ahead of the carve

I carried my own ashes to the mountains

Sometimes it was a relief to see things standing the test of time. The Oasis was much the same as when he’d been there before; wilder, perhaps, more carefree, peaceful, and subdued. The Spire still loomed in the distance. The water still trickled. The rafts nearby were a new expanse, meaning people frequented here, rather than leaving it to become shrouded in enigmas and pieces of the past.

And for all that nostalgia, some sentiments came back to bite – in this case, the telltale signs of vampire gourds, and a new variant. Once he’d received information from a variety of sources, all addressing the issue, he’d taken time to gather his things, send out messages and notices across various regions, and then wind his way here – ready and eager to do what was necessary.

Maul. Maim. Puncture. Tear. Destroy.  A common semblance on days like these – but something about the potential of a hunt stirred more.

He didn’t intrude upon the heart of the land yet, standing along the outskirts, outfitted with himself (a weapon of many varieties), Belial soaring overhead, Zuriel alongside, and his bag of holding filled to the brim with necessities. There they’d wait for their other compatriots to arrive, and go from there.

--

Welcome to the PQ+/SE and Monster Hunter’s Guild hunt for vampire gourds and possessed vampire gourds! Please have your character arrive and list out what they’ll be bringing. No post order! This must be completed by December 1st.

1. Deimos
2. Sah
3. Thalassa
4. Noah

DEIMOS

yet my blood renders me a King

When Sah had received the notice from Sah, he'd swiftly packed a bag. On lightning and new wings, he made his way to the oasis in record time. In a flash of magic, he appears further from the edge than Deimos. With a roll of his shoulder, the Wild Thunder jogs over to the man's side.

"It's been a long while since these gourds showed up." Adjusting his bag, he sighs, "Can't say I'm happy that we have purple ones to deal with too." Normal vampire gourds were already a hassle to deal with. Although more of a nuisance, their numbers made them a menace.

~
Sah arrives with his hunting bag (water skin, rope, knives, etc.) and everything on his profile, minus the panther claws and his companions.

Sah

noah

I feel the pages turning, I see the candle burning down before my eyes

Noah was used to the glade, to the oasis. When Vi placed him in the Hollowed Grounds the hunter made sure to familiarize himself with every part of this place. Although coming back felt like taking a ragged breath, so he stayed mostly silent as he and Vi’dore walked in step together. Eira flew overhead, keeping keen eyes out in places that Belial wasn’t already monitoring, as they had done on hunts hundreds of times now. Adorned and equipped with his magic, his weapons, and a mind to destroy anything that was endangering others, Noah was ready.

”Did we get any word on how void-touched ones differed from regular ones?” Noah asked, lifting a brow towards Deimos as they stepped through the thick foliage.

—

Noah has all the profile things(minus coat and cloak), a quiver with 12 arrows, and his companions.

code by odd

Fool me once, fool me twice
Are you death or paradise?

The oasis lived up to its name, although it wasn't because of the colorful leaves of the trees, the soft trickling of water, or the gentle brush of a Leafchange breeze. For Thal, it was the opportunity to step out of her own thoughts for a bit. A chance to ignore the tumbling of shifting emotions and ideals. It gave her distance from everything and everyone that caused a physical pang in her chest. 

She made her way through the long grasses towards the Glade's opening, spying the others before she heard them. Her eyes were drawn to the plethora of companions milling about. It made her wonder about the benefits of such a bond, but she quickly dismissed it as she took in the others. Thal got the harsh feeling that she was majorly outclassed among these men. Perhaps coming had been a mistake. 

Sah was a familiar face that had her dipping her head in greeting, much less broody that their previous visit, but no more talkative. The other two weren't people she necessarily knew, but one turned out to be a fleeting encounter she'd had almost a year ago. Not one for faces, she would have usually forgotten such a momentary event, yet being spun through the air by a stranger with magic only to be left humiliated and disoriented in the freezing cold was hard to forget. It immediately had her scowling in his direction, further reconsidering her decision to come. 

---

Thalassa arrives with travel clothes and her set of daggers.

Now you'll never see me cry
There's just no time to die

Thalassa

I carried my own ashes to the mountains

He didn’t need to wait for long; familiar faces (even would-be thieves) broadening across the surroundings with equal aplomb and questions. “Thank you for coming," he prospered on a rumble, before the questions began. His brow arched at Sah ’s initial response, shrugging his shoulders at the first, neither surprised nor bothered. “They are seasonal,” so Leafchange brought forth the gourds once more – and though he generally considered them more of a nuisance than anything else, the variant could be interesting. Noah ’s inquiry gave him somewhat of a pause, mind revolving through the information gathered and sent his way. “Supposedly they can levitate and potentially conjure illusions, though only if we get close. So anything long range will be best.” His brow quirked towards Thalassa, but when she was silent, he simply turned and began walking towards the open terrain.

“We will not need to draw them out – our presence will be enough.” True to his word, there was already a rustling sound coming from a nearby patch of greenery to their right, and similar sentiments near some rafts by the water. Belial screeched overhead to indicate much the same; and Noah’s griffin would be able to signal the telltale signs to its bonded as well.

Gesturing with his jaw towards the shifting grass and grumbling noises bounding towards them, he smirked. “I say we start here,” and unleashed a torrent of fire towards the incoming horde of five basic gourds.

--

The gourds are here! Please post which gourd(s) your character will be attacking, along with any movements, companion assaults, etc. No post order!

Vampire Gourd 1: 25/25
Vampire Gourd 2: 25/25
Vampire Gourd 3: 50/50
Vampire Gourd 4: 50/50
Vampire Gourd 5: 100/100

DEIMOS

sah Sah nods, "True. But I don't recall seeing any last year." Were there any even the year before that?  Maybe he'd just been lucky in avoiding them. Noah and Thalassa arrive, and the Wild Thunder gives both a nod. It's always nice to go into a fight with familiar faces. The gourds arrive quickly, and the hybrid lets his newest shift come to the surface. It's only his second time with it, but Sah slides into the form with relative ease. Molten rock coats his skin, and within moments, a fyrhund takes his place. He sends Deimos as amused of a glance as he can in this form. You were right about one of them. Thankfully, his second shift isn't a gore crow like the Sword had suspected. The gourds approach and Sah turns on the first one. He gets in as close as he dares to keep the creature in range. With a lick of his lips, Sah opens his jaw and sends a splash of acid at it. It's his first time trying this with a moving target but he's hopeful. ~ Sah shifts into a fyrhund and sends acid at Vampire Gourd 1

Fool me once, fool me twice
Are you death or paradise?

Even as her nemesis turned to lead the way, he might feel the heat of Thal's glare against his back. She momentarily considered making a stealthy exit (after an accurately placed dagger) as the others started forward; however, those wishful thoughts were cast aside by the sudden appearance of a horde of floating gourds. She'd never seen them before, but Thal's first reaction was a tired sigh. Once that was over, she let the thrill of battle push through, a small grin peeking out from her stoic expression. 

Sah's shift almost distracted her enough to throw confusion on her actions - had he always been able to do that? Then she was feeling the heat of flames from the massive stranger's magic, drawing her back into the fight. Using her instincts, she drew from his fire for her own magic, throwing it against the (hopefully flammable) Vampire Gourds. 

---

Thalassa uses her fire magic to attack Vampire Gourd 3.

Fire Manipulation: Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Dark | Rank: Upgraded

Now you'll never see me cry
There's just no time to die

Thalassa

noah

I feel the pages turning, I see the candle burning down before my eyes

Happy to see that Sah was part of this endeavor as well, Noah extended his arm to greet his friend with a pat on that back. Friendly enough as he was, Noah extended a gentle smile and a nod of welcome to the ancient he did not know. "I'm Noah." He said, extending his other hand to offer a shake in introduction. Nodding then to Deimos' response about the gourds, Noah took that in. He agreed with the Warden's strategy of using ranged attacks based solely on the fact that so far any close proximity to any void flora or fauna only gained negative -- emotions, memories, feelings. The pink skin of new scars beneath his long sleeves reminded him of just that.

Noah knew of the vehemence with which the typical gourds moved in, so he was not surprised at all when their mere presence drw the curiosity and vitriol of the gourds. Though it had been years (six) since, he and Deimos together had destroyed some of these seasonal invaders before. At that time, Noah had only his shifted skins to use as an assault against the creatures. Now, he had a plethora of magic and even weaponry to add on to the bear that laid ready beneath his human form.

He pulled at the magic in his soul and sent his spirit stag off, chasing down the incoming gourds.

--

Noah uses Spirit Stag and attacks gourd 4.

Magic: Spirit Stag | Can summon the spirit of a mighty stag; an echo of Noah's former shift. This will last for 1 post per thread and appears to be made of pure sunlight. Noah can direct the stag to charge at a target, dealing fire damage and causing disadvantage on their next roll.
Type: Light | Rank: Upgraded

Magic: Wise Hunter (FEAT) | Animals roll with disadvantage against Noah.

Regional Score bonus: +9 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +9 should be included)
Type: Light | Rank: Basic

code by odd

I carried my own ashes to the mountains

And so it began – with a cluster of incantations, stags, and shifts. While Deimos snorted at Sah’s newest shift (one adequate prediction), his concentration relied solely on the task at hand. Belial divebombed from overhead, snagging at Gourd 2 with ease and delight – picking it up and sending it plunging into the nearby water. The Sword’s fire unfurled, drenching both grass and gourds, sending Gourd 5 into grumbling and whining hysterics.

Whether because the fyrhund was new or it was merely happenstance, Sah ’s acid spray missed; landing upon some nearby grass and leaving it wilted, withered, and decimated. The gourd responded by rolling towards him, and unless Sah moved quickly and out of its vines’ range, he was likely to be snagged and bitten.

Thalassa ’s snagged flames erupted and contorted over her designated Gourd 3 with aplomb. It roared and seethed, running around frantically, perhaps in efforts to alleviate the high threshold of pain, but she wouldn’t be threatened by its current tactics.

Noah and his spirit stag, a familiar outline, brandished quickly and efficiently towards Gourd 4 – and while it too roared and rumbled, it didn’t have any way of shielding itself the sprinting deer. Rather than collapsing and uttering defeat, much like its brethren, it surged ahead, determined to grab ahold of the demigod.

--

Deimos and Belial have struck Gourd 2 and Gourd 5.

Sah missed Gourd 1 and it’s coming in to settle the score.

Thalassa has hit Gourd 3. It does not try to attack and instead seems to be panicking.

Noah has hit Gourd 4 and it is attempting to attack him as well.

No post order!

Vampire Gourd 1: 25/25
Vampire Gourd 2: 0/25
Vampire Gourd 3: 20/50
Vampire Gourd 4: 12/50
Vampire Gourd 5: 30.5/100

DEIMOS

noah

I feel the pages turning, I see the candle burning down before my eyes

As Belial dove to attack, Eira screeched overhead but kept her eyes scanning for any more threats she could point out to Noah. Vi’dore held back as the assaults began, making sure to keep the mages, the ancient, and the demigod between him and the gourds.

Noah turned just as the burned, twisted gourd came hurtling toward him, its vines writhing with aggressive intent. Without hesitation, his instincts took over, and he lifted his boot in a single, fluid motion. He wanted to feel the gourd’s thick skin crunch under his heel as he stomped it down, the force splitting it open with a sickening squelch, with pulp and seeds scattering across the ground.

The familiar rush of battle coursed through him, sharpening his senses as he readied himself for whatever the gourds would throw next. Bringing desolation and destruction had become second nature to him. Interesting, perhaps, for the demigod of the god of life, but sometimes bringing death was the best way to preserve life. In Noah's mind, Vi's breath of life in living beings held more value than Rae's breath in flora and fauna.


--

Noah curbstomps  gourd 4.

Magic: Wise Hunter (FEAT) | Animals roll with disadvantage against Noah.

Regional Score bonus: +9 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +9 should be included)
Type: Light | Rank: Basic

code by odd

sah Sah snarls as his attack misses. He's about to attack again when the gourd closes in on him. It's rolling surprisingly fast and he's unsure of the range of its vines. There isn't much time to strategize, so he leaps backward, sending another wave of acid. Hopefully, if it reaches for him, the acid will stop the gourd from getting a grip. Spitting acid itself felt strange. It reminds him of some of the strange lizards that he's seen in the Wilds. If it lands, he'll finally be able to discover how caustic it is and how cautious he'll need to be if he ever uses it in a spar. ~ Sah leaps back to avoid the gourd and sends acid out in front of him as an extra precaution. (Gourd 1)

Fool me once, fool me twice
Are you death or paradise?

Before the chaos hit (what are timelinesliness anyways?), Thal gave the other man an appraising look, feeling shorter than usual given current company. He didn't strike her as unkind or threatening, and she found herself softening the scowl on her face as she nodded politely. "Thalassa."

But then the action was commencing and she didn't have time for more pleasantries, entirely focused on the attacking gourds. The smell of charred pumpkin reminded her of overcooked pie, making her nose wrinkle and contorting the vicious smile spreading across her face. She kept moving around the field, scanning the progress of the others enough to be aware that Sah seemed to be struggling. If he didn't need help, she was content to let him demolish the floating creature, but if he missed again, Thal kept her fire at the ready to assist, prepared to divert it from her own target. 

---

If Sah misses, Thalass will attack Vampire Gourd 1, but otherwise she'll finish off Vampire Gourd 3 with her fire magic. 

Fire Manipulation: Can manipulate flames. Must be within a 30ft radius. Control is excellent
Type: Dark | Rank: Upgraded

Now you'll never see me cry
There's just no time to die

Thalassa

I carried my own ashes to the mountains

It was another rush of the inevitable, but that was what they’d arrived and ventured for. Belial soared back overhead, glancing towards other aspects of the area around them, while Deimos encouraged more molten traces over Gourd 5. There wasn’t much left to grumble when he was through; ashen, and decrepit.

Sah ’s act of leaping back and then spraying the acid from his throat had the desired effect. It burnt and coated the creature, and its vague screams and screeches echoed amidst the rest of its destroyed brethren. Yet another left unsuitable for future baking.

Ordinarily, Noah and his stomping should’ve contorted Gourd 4 into pieces. This one was either more wily than its co-conspirators, or simply very lucky, as it slipped around the heavy-set boot, and entangled its vines around the demigod’s shoe. Given the pragmatics and ridiculousness of it all, the picture was actually quite humorous – one pumpkin striving to dangle and bite from the man’s toes.

And Thalassa, given that Sah didn’t require her further aid, was able to massacre Gourd 3 with ease – searing and sealing the deal of desecration. Also a bit of the grass. They’d probably have to do some restoring of the land before they were through.

Deimos arched his brow at the current display over by Noah – hiding and smothering a laugh. “Do you need help?” Thereafter, shaking his head, he figured the rest of them could pause while the Forsaken dealt with his current situation. “We can clean up this mess. Maybe pile up the ones that cannot be salvaged for pies.”

--

Deimos has hit and killed Gourd 5.
Sah has hit and killed Gourd 1.
Noah has missed Gourd 4 and its currently trying to bite through his boots.
Thalassa has hit and killed Gourd 3.

Clean up the current pumpkin mess while Noah deals with his issues. No post order!

Vampire Gourd 1: 0/25
Vampire Gourd 2: 0/25
Vampire Gourd 3: 0/50
Vampire Gourd 4: 12/50
Vampire Gourd 5: 0/100

DEIMOS

Sah

The Raven must be sent
before the Dove

As his attack lands, Sah lets out a pleased grumble. It's not a vocalization he's familiar with yet, and it sounds almost like scraping stones in his ears. The majority of the gourds also fall. Noah's hangs on with a nearly admirable pettiness. It's clearly at death's door.

Trusting Noah to ask if he needs help, Sah turns to the pumpkin carnage. There are quite a few that are still smoking, and the smell dimly reminds him of a bakery. He almost picks up the first chunk but then realizes that the acid lingering in his mouth might just make a worse mess. Given the brief lull that they have, the Wild Thunder shifts from fyrhund to raven. With the keen eyes that it grants, he begins to meticulously sort the gourd remains.

~
Sah shifts into his raven form and begins to sort the remains.

ominous controversy must precede
peace and the olive wreath