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Following up on the talk from the townsfolk, the area they pointed you to and whatever tracks you might have found, you have headed north. Due to the tracks being somewhat hard to miss due to their sheer size, you also encounter a few large dead predators along the way such as bears. Because of the size and strength of a bear, and the state the body seems to be in, it seems to have been picked up, beaten around a few times and was eventually thrown to its death. Doing your best to identify what might have done it, and where it might have gone next due to the kerfuffle having caused quite a bit of track, scratch and drag marks all over the place, you are set upon by a band of hungry Wargs who consider you to be a threat that seeks to take away their dinner; otherwise known as the dead bear.
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[attr="class","shadowsSub"]Details
Maximum Number of Players: 2 [break]Minimum Word Count: 2500 [break]Location: The Fringe [break]Special Requirements: Having gone far enough north to where you’ve left the forsaken realm and ventured into the fringe, the bear you needed to inspect and the battle which killed him has attracted hungry wargs. Either kill them or send them running to their dens with their tails between their legs, but remain wary. If you destroy the surrounding area, you risk destroying the tracks, meaning you made your way over here for nothing. As such, using spells that would destroy the surrounding area equals automatic mission failure, so be clever about it.
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]NPC Information
What NPCs are in this mission? Please fill out the template for any notable NPCs. While those you have to socially interact with during the mission are not required, any enemy that is presented in the mission must be listed here.
Health Limit: Intermediate [break]Physical Speed: 15 m/s [break]Physical Damage: Intermediate [break]Magic Element and Types: - [break]Combat Style: As is the case with the average wolf, wargs fight in packs by drawing their attention one way while another attacks from the blind spot in an attempt at ripping out their target’s throat and finishing the fight. Unlike wolves, however, their physical strength is greater, capable of using their weight and speed to knock one over with a tackle. [break]Additional Information: Unlike the wargs found within the forsaken realm, the wargs in the fringe are slightly taller, a bit more slender, faster and more clever. Having larger enemies and prey that they need to contend with here whereas they are considered an apex predator within the forsaken realm, they evolved to be more cunning and resilient. Don’t take them lightly.
Health Limit: Senior [break]Physical Speed: 20 m/s [break]Physical Damage: Senior [break]Magic Element and Types: - [break]Combat Style: The alpha fights along with the rest of his pack, utilizing diversion tactics with speed and striking power, not to mention its ability to breathe flame. Capable of spitting fire in an outward cone-shaped manner, it can quickly set up to five meters of space on fire. Funny enough, this is also what it uses to prepare its meals for consumption. Being both faster and stronger than the average warg, this is the one you’ll want to look out for. [break]Additional Information: This scarred, older looking warg is the leader of his pack, which is saying something as wargs constantly contend for leadership, doing so at least once or twice a month. Because of its age and having been saturated in natural mana in a nearby strong magic region, this particular one has gained more than just a fiery temper. It can actually spitfire!
Post by Franklin Stein on Dec 13, 2021 16:18:37 GMT -5
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[attr="class","hansname"] FRANKLIN STEIN
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"Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done!"
Although the citizens of the Forsaken Region hadn't been as much help as he was hoping for ultimately with the aid of Griswold they were able to locate some tracks at a nearby farm. Though his own miscommunication he was pretty sure Griswold had been aware of all this and had even told Frankie so, but the mad mage had been lost in his musings and likely completely missed it. Whether his ignorance had soured Griswold's appraisal of him didn't seem to be apparent just yet. At least, he was treating him no differently in the small time since they had met each other. The tracks that they had found had very quickly pointed them northward and it had taken them no time at all after following them that they had left the Forsaken Region and entered the Fringe. Frankie should have suspected that any unidentifiable new creatures would have been lurking in the Fringe. The place by all accounts had become a hot bed for both the strange as well as those seeking a new life outside the kingdom. For all anyone knew the weird had always been out there. It was only becoming known as more and more people fled to these lands and either came back with stories or spread them through merchants and the like brave enough to visit. Frankie had not had many opportunities to visit this region previously and he was quiet pleased to have the excuse to finally get a real chance to investigate it.
As it had turned out following the tracks hadn't been exactly difficult. The tracks themselves were rather huge and whatever had made them hadn't been working too hard to hide its trail. "Have you had opportunity to travel in the Fringe before? I am not familiar with the sort of predators that might exist out here. I find the behavior of whatever abducted the livestock confusing. It was intelligent and careful enough to abduct animals without killing the animal on accident or without causing much damage to the surrounding area. However, it makes no opportunity to try and hide its tracks or do anything that might better its escape. Predators who hunt through stealth and ambush are usually more keen about disguising their trail." As Frankie's experience was considerably limited, having only left his laboratory recently, he was curious if Griswold might be able to enlighten him more on the Fringe. He was assuming that the other man likely had more information on the Fringe in general. Having any sort of extra knowledge could directly impact their odds of success. Especially so since he thought he remembered Griswold mentioning he might even have an idea of what was the beast in question that they were tracking.
Even as they spoke Frankie would have just kept on following the tracks. While they walked along they wouldn't have just seen the prints and other markings of the creature's passage. There were of course broken branches and crushed bushes and the like. However, as they went further into the Fringe they would have run into signs of other wildlife. In some cases it might have just been the passage of other animals. Perhaps things that had either traversed the area shortly before or after the thing they were following had come through. However, in other instances they could start to make out the sign of conflict. Judging from what was being left behind this wasn't the creature finally having enough with the livestock it had abducted. From the remnants that had been left behind several predators had likely been attracted to all the noise and had ultimately been killed for their curiosity.
The culmination of all this was a struggle that must have happened with a large bear whose corpse had been left in area where the most of the fighting must have been. Frankie let out an impressed whistle at the destruction the creature was clearly capable of. "You wouldn't be particularly talented in tracking would you? This is going to take me moment to figure out the specifics of the fight and where the creature's tracks resume afterwards." Frankie questioned his partner even as he began to walk around the area and inspect it all. Eventually they would pick up the trail again, but it was going to take a moment or two in order to sort out the sheer devastation that had occurred. A lot of the ground the creature had walked on had been damaged in the assault meaning picking up the trail would require a little more effort. Hopefully, Griswold would be of better assistance in this.
[attr="class","hansheader"]N O T E S
Frankie asked some questions about the Fringe while they followed tracks and stopped once they foudn the dead bear to work out their next step.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for hundreds of years. Abilities:
Passing through the Fringe was usually a pretty peaceful time for Griswold, as it could be for others if they knew what signs to look for. One did not need to run into a bunch of monsters or carnivorous animals if they knew more than just the basics of what he came to know simple as the trail. It was a simple word for something that was perhaps more elaborate than he made it out to be, though it was quite simple at its core. By looking at the branches roughly at knee height, one could tell if some of them were bruised or snapped whether or not another beast had passed by recently. By moving against the wind, it would be easier to not be confronted by predators once you knew from which direction they might come. By hiding ones scent by frequently passing through water and applying some mud from time to time, one further reduced the risks of pulling in unwanted attention.
But all of these things were among the ones he had learned from his mother and her huntresses, elven warriors who were tasked with protecting their enclave against threats posts by the same carnivorous creatures they were now trying to avoid while following a rather specific one. Luckily, he had learned the art of tracking when he was roughly nine years old, with his time as a wandering mercenary and now Black Bull only further refining those skills. Besides, with his basic senses being similar to that of a bloodhound, his nose could pick up scents, his eyes could spot tinier details and his ears picked up noises from further away. Hell, even his tongue could pick up tastes like the paws of a wolf on the side of a leaf, though he’d rather not go around licking anything that might have been peed on. And then there were still his magically attuned senses to boot, making tracking fairly easy.
“Tracking just so happens to be one of my specialties. Give me a moment and I’ll be able to figure out most of the things we need, I’m sure of it.”
Sounding rather certain as to being capable of doing this and figuring things out, he walked up to the bear carcass and began his investigation. At first, he was just looking the creature over, trying to find anything that might have been out of the ordinary before looking around. Seemingly figuring some things out as he looked it over, he took a few steps away from the dead animal and brushed a few leaves aside. Spotting what could only be described as the hooves of a cow, it turned out that the culprit had put the animal down so that it could defend itself against the bear. With the trail found, he returned to the bear to make sure of some things. Running his hands along the spine, he gripped it tightly at the base of the neck to make sure one of his assumptions checked out.
“From the look of things, our target was approached by a territorial bear, prompting it to put the cow down, which wandered away in a fright during the turmoil, heading due north. Before chasing it down, it would appear our culprit managed to snap the bear’s neck and kill it on the spot, proving only that we’re chasing after a very powerful creature.”
Thinking out loud as he let Franklin in on his findings, he sniffed the air, inhaling deeply as if picking something up that was rather out of the ordinary. Returning to the tracks, he wandered away from the carcass to a point where the tracks of their target met with those of the cow, after which the cow hooves were no longer anywhere to be found. Clearly having snatched the cow back up, it was not that hard to believe that something capable of lugging around a whole cow would not have any trouble when it comes to snapping a bear’s neck like it were a twig.
“It picked the cow back up over here and continued moving north some time ago, though from here on, the tracks are clear. That said, we might not be alone here for much longer.”
Turning his attention due east, he listened closely as he heard something rapidly approaching, making no attempts at remaining hidden. Judging from the sound, it couldn’t have been wolves, as they were too small and did not trample the ground, though it was clear that this was a pack of some sort. Continuing to listen until the creatures got into the range of his Ki, he could tell the outline of the animals in his mind, even though his actual eyes were incapable of seeing them. Hearing the panting and the low rumbling howls as they approached, he knew now that they were wargs. The larger cousins to the wolves that were often encountered in the forsaken region, these creatures were bigger and badder than wolves in just about every way. Possessing powerful jaws, thick hides and powerful legs, they could maneuver and coordinate their attacks in such a way that it would easily allow them to take down prey larger than themselves.
“Back up and be careful... these are not your every day wolves... Stay close and slowly move towards the north. These wargs likely came to feed on the remains of the bear, and right now... we’re in the way, meaning they see us as contenders for their meal. If we stay calm and back away, they might leave us be...”
Speaking in a calm and hushed tone of voice, Griswold made sure to spell things out in the extremes so there could be no misunderstanding what he meant. Not knowing Franklin or his knowledge when it came to the creatures of the wilds, it seemed wisest to inform him of the things he knew to be true based on earlier experiences. And experiences with wargs were something he could unfortunately claim to have had more than plenty of. On the other hand, it had made him into somewhat of an expert on the subject, an expert not born out of reading and re-reading books, but one that had felt the creature’s teeth and nails and knew better than to underestimate them. While they were no match for most forms of higher level magic, to anyone other than at least a senior knight, these creatures could certainly spell out Death.
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Last Edit: Dec 23, 2021 20:03:58 GMT -5 by Griswold
Post by Franklin Stein on Dec 24, 2021 18:07:03 GMT -5
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[attr="class","hansname"] FRANKLIN STEIN
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"Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done!"
Frankie had been relieved to hear that Griswold was in fact experienced when it came to tracking. He had worked with Griswold long enough to trust that he would not call something his specialty lightly. If this was an area he was particularly talented in, then Franklin would believe it and trust the other man. Not wishing to interrupt or make the task harder than necessary Frankie opted to hang back and simply watch Griswold work as the other man slowly made his way around the trail and took in all the information he was clearly finding. The mad mage knew better then to interrupt Griswold while he worked and although following him around might have been illuminating for Frankie the Green Mantis honestly couldn't be all that bothered. He was a firm believer that the mind only had so much room for information. Eventually, if it was filled to the brim it would have to forget some things to make room for others. Frankie had no desire to add tracking to his limited memory space, he'd much rather use that real estate for information on forbidden curses or secrets regarding dungeons. No, this was why one worked in teams. So that other people could take charge of those areas and he could focus on what he was good at.
"A creature that can dispatch a bear in a single moment, but chooses to remain stealthy and simply abduct farm animals? Why would it go through all that trouble if it was that powerful? It doesn't make a lot of sense, but also the evidence seems to be clear. It also explains why the tracks don't lead terribly far away. The cow likely started to try and flee, but the creature killed the bear so quickly that it caught up to the cow before it could even begin to get away. Had it taken any longer it would have likely needed to chase the cow to recapture it." Frankie mused to himself over the findings that Griswold delivered, his brain making a futile effort to try and picture whatever this creature might be. It clearly wasn't something natural, not even another bear could have so easily killed another of its kind. Whatever this was it must have been some sort of Mana Creature or other animal that had been altered by magic. Something that could help explain its change in behavior and its features.
It actually took a second or two for Frankie to realize there had been something additional at the end of all that exposition from Griswold. Something about how they wouldn't be alone for much longer. He lifted his head to ask what might be coming when he saw Griswold facing the East. The mad mage strained his eyes trying to see whatever Griswold was watching for, but simply could not make anything out in the distance. Still, Frankie didn't ignore the other man's warning and simply waited. It didn't take terribly long before he could just manage to make out the panting and growls of some sort of lupine. At first he thought it might be wolves, but when they did eventually come into sight they were clearly simply too big to be wolves. He's seen and dealt with wolves previously and none of these were even close to those. As if reading his thoughts Griswold explained what these animals truly were and even made some recommendations on what their next step would be. Wargs?! He had only read about such creatures in his literature. Fascinating beings that he hypothesized might have been evolved wolves guided and changed by magic over generations. However, perhaps he would get some firsthand knowledge now that might help him developing that theory.
"Understood, I can always perform a dissection of wargs later. I am fascinated on how their anatomy might differ from their smaller cousins, but we have greater priorities. I'll take your lead." Frankie whispered the words to Griswold, already showing that he would do what he could to follow along. He took careful steps back, taking great care to not only back away from the kill, but to try and also put space between he and the approaching wargs. From what he could see there were approximately seven wargs. However, one of which was clearer larger than the others and based on body language must have been their alpha. It was the alpha that approached the bear carcass, giving it a few sniffs as it watched the pair threateningly. Despite the fact that the two were making some headway in backing up the alpha made a low growl and as if on command the other six wargs began to spread out as if to encircle the two of them. Frankie watching this spoke in a hushed tone, "I think they have decided that they could just settle for a bear, or they could give themselves a feast by adding us to the menu." As if in agreement the wargs growled even longer, their drool emphasizing their hunger.
Although all this was quiet fascinating, but Frankie had no desire to become a meal for these creatures. "Earthen Raptors." Frankie spoke the words aloud, the command phrase causing Carbon Matter to flow from his grimoire and take the shape of four large eagles. At the sight of their creation the wargs began to bark, clearly surprised by their sudden appearance. Alarmed by the birds of prey none of the wargs immediately charged in nor did they retreat though. Frankie took that hesitance to mount one, but didn't immediately take off. He felt confident that he could do so without disrupting the tracks below, but from the sky he wasn't sure they could easily follow said tracks. "You are welcome to mount one of the eagles, but if we are to keep on the trail we might either have to dispatch or make it clear to the wargs that we are not prey. Perhaps if we make it clear that we are also predators they will decide that eating us isn't worth the fight. I don't have any flashy magic that would scare them off. However, I could summon more golems? Perhaps if we show them that our own pack is larger than theirs they will back off? You seem to have more knowledge of them then I though, anything you think you can do that would scare them without destroying the tracks you uncovered?" Just as before Frankie would let Griswold make the call. He simply didn't have enough data points to feel confident in a decision, but he would be ready for whatever Griswold might decide.
[attr="class","hansheader"]N O T E S
Frankie wonders about the nature of the thing they are hunting and then offers some ideas on the wargs when it is clear they aren't simply going to let the pair go.
Name of Spell: Earthen Raptor Spell Element: Carbon Matter Spell Rank: Intermediate Mana Cost: 20|10 Type of Golem: Balanced Applicable Perks: Ease of Creation Description: To activate this spell Frankie will merely call out the name of the spell. Upon doing so Carbon will pour out of his grimoire. The Carbon Matter will gather until a 6m in size eagle has been crafted. Per the Golem rules additional Golems can be created when using this spell based on Frankie's Control to the maximum based on rank of the spell, 4 being the max at Intermediate. These eagles will often serve as a way to keep Frankie airborne and away from ground based enemies. As well as serve as dangerous predators that will swoop in to assault with claw and beak. Each Golem can serve as transportation if necessary, but are limited to 2 passengers each and can only move at 10 m/s while serving as such.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for hundreds of years. Abilities:
It was true that a beast that could kill a bear in an instant was fairly unique, especially since it had used what were likely some sort of hands to do so as no teeth or claws had been used to injure the creature. While there was still the chance that it might have been done by some kind of tail or constrictor-type body like some of the snakes he had encountered in the sunken temple, that did not seem to add up to the ability to lift and carry a cow across the Fringe as it’d have no limbs to do so with. Truly, it was a rather interesting situation if it weren’t one that could get them into a metric ton trouble so easily. For as they were tracking the thing, Griswold did not fail to notice exactly where it was that they were headed, which was the direction of the Witches’ forest.
And with these wargs rapidly speeding up the process of “getting into trouble”, Franklin likely did the right thing as this particular pack seemed quite famished. And if there were one thing that might get a wild enemy downright hostile, it was either being cornered or starving, so it seemed as though they would not be able to get away from this without laying down some hurt. Not overly enjoying the idea of these wargs being dissected as that meant they’d have to kill them, he understood that a display of strength and dominance would be in order. Choosing to leave his weapons where they were, Griswold decided that it would be best to rely on his physical attributes and perhaps even a spell that might aid in increasing said attributes when dealing with these hungry animals.
“Head on up and keep an eye out, if everything works out as expected, this should only take a moment.”
More or less telling Franklin to take off and stay out of range, at least for the wargs, Griswold imagined the best way to go about this would be to use the large birds as a means of distraction and adding to the confusion. Because most landlocked animals did not understand flight and often feared those predators that came from above, and for good reason. Once Franklin had taken to the sky, that was when Griswold would make his move. Walking towards the nearest of the wargs with a calm and steady stride, he released a vibe from his body that resonated out far enough to where even Franklin would be able to feel it. An ability some had come to call an aura of intimidation, it caused some of the animals to cower and back up, particularly the one he was moving in on. Showing a level of dominance that would not be undermined by some overgrown dogs, it seemed only one of them still dared.
This older looking warg that seemed like he had seen his fair share of battles, given the rugged and scarred pelt showed it’s fangs to the black knight, releasing a low growl as it prepared to seemingly lash out. Ready to dish out a solid backhand once it did, when the creature opened its maw to release a torrent of flame, it was safe to say that it had caught Griswold entirely off guard. Crossing his arms in front of his face as the flames bashed into him, it was a good thing that his mana skin was as dense as it was, or this might have actually caused some second or even third degree burns all over his body. As soon as the torrent of fire died down and Griswold could see what was happening in front of him again, he saw how the beast had already lunched at him. Leaving little time for him to move out of the way, the sheer difference in speed gave the knight the edge in this situation.
As the beast passed him by due to him stepping to the side, Griswold pivoted on his feet, sending a powerful jab of his fist against the elder wargs’ jaw. Hitting it so hard it almost fell to the ground when it landed, it violently shook its head as if it had been dazed to some extent, which was good. This, together with the intimidating aura he had built around himself made the other wargs back off even further, as they were most likely not used to any kind of prey standing up to their alpha. Starting to circle him as soon as the beast had regained his composure, Griswold started moving in the same manner as it did, meaning the distance they kept between one another did not get any bigger or smaller as long as they both kept pace. Realizing that its “tactic” was not working out the way it had planned, the warg started barking loudly and angrily like a massive hound before charging at him again.
Breathing fire as it approached, Griswold braced himself as he ran straight towards the beast, keeping his fist at the ready. As the fire obscured his sight while his mana skin kept the flames from touching his skin, he closed his eyes and relied solely on his Ki to keep track of exactly where the beast was. Creating a mental imagine in his head that served as a sight without sight, when the warg alpha got close enough, he once again struck the beast against the side of the jaw with the same fist. This time however, it appeared as though the damage was sufficient, causing the creature to collapse into an unconscious state. Exhaling deeply as he stood op straight, brushing some of the soot off of his clothing. With their leader floored, the wargs backed off even further, allowing the two to go to where the cow’s trail ended and the footprints of their mystery beast continued.
“Let’s get going, they’re not going to be following us.”
Post by Franklin Stein on Dec 27, 2021 18:07:09 GMT -5
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[attr="class","hansname"] FRANKLIN STEIN
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"Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done!"
Frankie didn't have to be told twice to leave it to the more experienced and likely stronger Magic Knight. He was all too comfortable leaving things like violence to others. Not that he was opposed to it. As he said earlier he would be perfectly happy to dissect the lot of them in the pursuit of knowledge. One couldn't dissect animals that were alive, that was a vivisection and required considerably more work. However, getting his hands dirty was always something he was best to avoid if he could. It was likely why his magic had developed in such a way as to use golems. With the help of his golems he could deal with any threats while staying comfortably away from the fray. Both his Restraining magic and Hexes also allowed him to put some measure of distance between himself and any foe while limiting them so that his golems could be the ones that finish the enemy off. No doubt as his magic developed it would continue down that route and he didn't see it changing any time soon. However, the world was filled with countless possibilities and there was always the chance that something might come up that would catalyze such a change in his approach to combat. For now though, he directed a mental command at his mount which caused the eagle to take off into the sky, putting him safely out of reach of any of the wargs below. At the same time the rest of his golems also lifted off from the ground and circled around, forming a defensive barrier just in case the wargs could surprise him by attacking from a distance in some capacity.
"Understood, I'll remain up here. If there is a change in plans just call out and I can send one of the eagles down to pick you up or send the flock down to assist." Frankie highly doubted it would come to that, but he offered nonetheless. Of course, even as he took to the skies the wargs had begun to bark and growl with more ferocity so he practically had to shout to be overheard. It was always possible that Griswold wouldn't be able to hear him, so he was prepared to intervene if it absolutely came to that. In the sky Franklin could take in the entire field. The wargs had shifted at the flight of his eagles and were now torn between watching the target that was still on the ground and keeping their attention on the aerial threat. It was clear based on their posture that they understood the large birds of prey could pose a threat to them, but were at a loss for how they could deal with the eagles. It was part of the reason he had made sure he had golems capable of flight. There were not many creatures who had easy ways to deal with flying adversaries and the mobility it provided made dealing with threats that were land bound considerably easier.
As they kept an eye on the eagles Frankie watched as Griswold calmly approached. At some point he had let loose an aura or sense that found its way all the up to Frankie. His body got chills as it reached him and Goosebumps began form. "Fascinating..." Frankie mumbled to himself as he tried to analyze whatever the other man was releasing. Some form of killing intent that he could manifest perhaps? Frankie had heard talks of people who could use some sixth sense known as Ki. Supposedly it originated from another country and was brought over to Clover. Perhaps this killing aura that Griswold had unleashed was some form of that? An expressive adaptation to Ki rather than the version more commonly rumored about that involved being able to taken in senses beyond what was the norm? Once this was all over he'd have to ask him more about it. For now though he understood that any interruption could disrupt whatever Griswold was trying to achieve.
Although the lesser wargs had been suitably impressed and struck with fear by whatever Griswold had done it did not seem that the alpha would be so easily cowed. If they worked like some pack predators did then Frankie could understand why the alpha could not simply back down. To do so might be seen as a show of weakness and could invite those within his pack to challenge him for dominance and leadership of the pack. Still, Frankie expected the alpha to perhaps charge Griswold, not launch a gout of flame at the man. The mad mage prepared himself to order his eagles to descend and provide cover for Griswold, but as the flames subsided Griswold looked to be perfectly fine. Frankie had thoroughly studied the phenomena that was Mana Skin so he understood why Griswold had remained unharmed. However, even then he would expect a level of concern after losing so much of that protective barrier. From what he had seen of the attack had it been directed at Frankie all of his Mana Skin would have been disrupted in that one attack. He would have been left relatively defenseless for future strikes. Griswold didn't look remotely phased.
What followed next was probably the purest expression of violence. Frankie simply continued to hover above the battle, getting a literal bird's eye view of the entire spectacle. The Green Mantis had figured the Bull was more experienced then he, but it was clear that the man was simply on another level. The fact that he could take not one, but two direct blasts of fire and shrug both off as if they were nothing was evidence enough. However, from what Frankie could gather he had also fought the alpha with nothing, but his raw physical power. The mad wizard had not noticed any use of a spell, nor did he detect the manipulation of mana in any capacity. Griswold had in fact subdued the alpha warg, but it had been only with his own martial prowess and nothing else. It was impressive sight, even for Frankie who put no real stock in violence.
The fight clearly over, Frankie directed his mount and landed just next to the Black Bull. As he did so, he dismissed all of his golems. Their mana leaving them, they quickly broke down into what must have looked like dark dust. Their physical bodies no longer solid they were easily carried off in the wind. "I suppose I will still have to leave dissecting a warg for another occasion." Frankie lamented a little, having noticed that Griswold had purposely left the alpha alive. However, if that was the man's will he wasn't about to go against it. He wasn't the one who fought the thing after all. "Do you believe the pack will guard their alpha until it regains consciousness? Some research I've read states that they are commonly more vicious then their smaller cousins. One of the more entrepreneurial of the group might decide to try and finish it while its defenseless so it can take their place as alpha?" Frankie had his own thoughts on what might occur leaving them alone as they did. He also wondered on the possibility of some other predator coming and killing the lot of them, attracted by the same bear carcass that had brought the wargs. However, he was curious on the mindset of his partner and what sort of man was he? Optimistic? A realist? Or just someone who moved on a whim? "Whatever the case, hopefully we will find no more distractions until we have reached the creature that has made these tracks." Frankie mused to himself as he continued along with the tracks, curious of what they would ultimately find.
[EXIT]
[attr="class","hansheader"]N O T E S
Frankie watches the brawl from the sky before landing and continuing with Griswold to exit the area.
Name of Spell: Earthen Raptor Spell Element: Carbon Matter Spell Rank: Intermediate Mana Cost: 20|10 Type of Golem: Balanced Applicable Perks: Ease of Creation Description: To activate this spell Frankie will merely call out the name of the spell. Upon doing so Carbon will pour out of his grimoire. The Carbon Matter will gather until a 6m in size eagle has been crafted. Per the Golem rules additional Golems can be created when using this spell based on Frankie's Control to the maximum based on rank of the spell, 4 being the max at Intermediate. These eagles will often serve as a way to keep Frankie airborne and away from ground based enemies. As well as serve as dangerous predators that will swoop in to assault with claw and beak. Each Golem can serve as transportation if necessary, but are limited to 2 passengers each and can only move at 10 m/s while serving as such.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for hundreds of years. Abilities:
For as far as he could care, it was a good thing that Franklin had been dissuaded from dissecting the beast, as he had left it alive for a reason. Even though interaction with nature was bound to happen from time to time due to how far civilization reached these days, if it were at all possible, Griswold did not want to be responsible for messing up the natural cycle by too much. If something wandered into a town or if something big and angry came down from the mountains to snack on people, that’s when he wouldn’t be able to do anything but intervene. But even then, he would prefer to do so by scaring the creature off or beating it into submission, but killing it would always be a last resort. Strangely enough, he was far more lenient with animals and monsters than he was with people, and truth be told, he had a very good reason for that.
To anyone who would ever ask, he would always bring up how animals acted out of basic instincts and to protect their territory, which was exactly what made them animals. But humanity had “evolved”, so they got to choose what they would or would not do because they wanted to. It meant that if someone chose to attack you with the intent to kill, that they had thought it over and chose this course of action. Whenever someone came at him with the intent to kill, he would not mourn the loss of that person when they bled out on the floor. For when someone had made the willing decision to kill someone, they put their own life on the line to do so, opening them up to the possibility of getting killed. And humans knew this, or they wouldn’t choose the option, as no one who did not want to die should come at someone else with killing intent. It was really that simple in his book.
“That is a possibility to be sure, though we have to let nature run its course. I imagine most of them might be cowering back for a while, so I don’t think they’ll even think of eating for a while, let alone usurping their alpha. But if it does happen, the pack’ll be all the weaker for it.”
Due to the ability to breathe fire, which likely meant the alpha had been in contact with a lot of natural mana to the point of it soaking into it and turning it into a mana beast in every sense of the word, it had some unnatural means of protecting itself and the pack. Imagining the others lacked such abilities, it seemed unlikely any of the others would ever realistically manage to beat it in a fight of succession. It was like pitting a regular swordsman up against an archmage who could just destroy the swordsman and the general area he stood in with a mighty spell. This was very much like that, as an oversized wolf with the ability to breathe fire was quite the gamechanger. In a way, he hoped that when they returned, the bear would have been dragged away and the alpha would be fine, continuing to lead its pack for at least a few more years. Whether that would be the case though, only time would tell.
Continuing to follow the trail, Griswold could see that the tall trees up in the distance were getting ever closer. Surrounding the witches forest, or rather, their capital city, which was a place he had personally never seen before, he did have a pretty good idea as to where the whole place was located. But that was about it. He had been in the outer forests many times before, mapping the place out for a third party, fighting defensive structures put up in times of old, looking for rare and special herbs to help cure a woman of her early stage of vampirism, but that was about as far as his knowledge went. Depending on how far this creature moved on north, the greater the danger they might be in. While he did not exactly fear the portents of witches, as he had beaten beings far more powerful than that, it was the looming doom of demons located within the capital of witches that worried him, both for his sake, and that of Franklin.
“From here on out, we’re going to need to be a lot more careful. As of recent, it turned out the queen of witchkind happened to be an archdemon in disguise, which makes their realm that much more dangerous. Even before the place began swarming with demons, the witches’ forest was off-limits to men, so you could say the place is twice as dangerous for the two of us now.”
While it seemed unlikely that they would be running into any of the otherworldly monstrosities, the idea of them being there was enough to keep even him on his toes. As his current level of power was starting to gradually be counted towards being one of the strongest knights in the country, he knew that if push came to shove, he might be able to take some of them down. But if there were one thing he had learned in the battle tower, it was that even those counted as an “average demon” were more than capable of killing even some of the more powerful knights if they set their minds to it. After all, they could go in and die, going out in a blaze of glory and come back after a while. But when a knight died, that was it as there was no coming back for them. So if it were at all possible, he’d prefer it if neither of them died today.
