• Graded • Fox Hunt

36th of Ymiden 717

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Nauta F'mos Geey
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Fox Hunt

36th Ymiden 717


"Time for me to go play the hero..."

That was the excuse F'mos had for his ward when he articulated his intention to subdue the Hyx which was tearing up the Underground. She was worried enough the first time he suggested it and questioned his reasons. Collecting materials, the mutagens responsible for Padfoot's Freakshow specifically was not going to be good enough, he knew. That was the reason why the Aukari decided to give the excuse he did as it played on Lizzie's impression of him as the first time they met, he was kind of her hero as he saved her from those detestable Shadows.

In any event, F'mos would not be alone. He would be with another 'hero' who was none other than the famous or infamous Doran, depending on who was asked. Doran too was interested in the Hyx and the bounty of alchemical material it provided. Somehow the man located the Aukari after their meet in the festival and the subject of the Padfoot which terrorized the Underground came up in their conversation that followed. Eventually both found they had a mutual interest and goal with the creature because of their mutual practice. A joint effort was also an appealing idea as there was more than enough Hyx for the both of them. There was no problem with that suggestion.

The only problem if any which the Aukari could think of was why him? One of the greatest swordsmen would definitely be able to subdue the beast as he would have no problem finding others to join him with his fame in Etzos. F'mos concluded in the end, that Doran probably wanted to test his usefulness after the way their conversation at the festival concluded, or maybe the man just wanted to keep their deed quiet. Either way, F'mos was in as long as he had a share of the Hyx. That said, it was a dangerous endeavour as he had learnt from both patrons at the Kettle and his peers in the Hare. The Hyx had already racked up quite the body count and F'mos was not about to add himself to that number which was why he had asked Doran to wait so both would be able to make preparations.

In those few trials, F'mos had what he felt he needed. One map of the Underground he had bought from the Smarter Charts although it was obviously incomplete as there were many rooms and passages there where no civilian was allowed into. Fortunately there were some at the Hare which were able to fill in the blanks but not that much either, as they were confined to what the members of the Fence knew. Even so, the Aukari knew the map he had was better than nothing in order to make a plan of action. Something he would show Doran so they would be able to plan where they could get the jump on the Hyx.

For the others, it was much simpler as there was nothing more for F'mos to prepare than the usual he would have made anyway should he have to face any dangerous quarry. Smoke bombs for a quick escape if he needed to, a firebomb if they ran out of options although the Aukari hoped it would not have to come to that, and a debilitating amount of Frostbite. He had considered making some Scarf Rot as well as a sleeping Hyx would be one unable to fight back but F'mos knew it would be too slow to act and time was not a luxury any had against a cornered beast.

All geared up, the Aukari was waiting at the meeting spot for Doran ready to share what he had learned and what he had prepared. He had no problem leaving it up to Doran to plan their attack and methods. After all, Doran was the hero to successfully wound Xiur. The Hyx did not have a chance.
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Last edited by Nauta F'mos Geey on Thu Nov 02, 2017 9:13 pm, edited 13 times in total. word count: 702
But I don't want to cure cancer. I want to turn people into dinosaurs.
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Doran
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The Mortalborn had made Nauta’s acquaintance a while before when he had been watching one of the plays about his so called heroic deed. He did not trust the Aukari completely and maybe never would. The man had complimented him on his bravery only to sudenly start talking about a reward. Nauta, it seemed, was the kind of man whose loyalties shifted according to who paid him the most. He possessed some sort of connection to Syroa, the Immortal that had had marked him though, and he claimed to have certain skills, and thus the Mortalborn had decided to track him down to find out more about him.

During their conversation that followed the Aukari had mentioned the Hyx that was currently causing trouble in the Underground. Normally the Mortalborn was not particularly interested in killing wild animals or saving mortals that were too weak to save themselves, but this particular animal would provide him with a number of valuable alchemical reagents. Besides, their shared adventure would most likely give him a better idea of who he was dealing with and whether he would be useful in the long run.

During the trials that followed their second meeting Doran had acquired some equipment of his own as well as done a bit of research to find out more about the fox-like creature that they would be hunting. The fact that the Hyx were slowly becoming extinct made him pause, but only briefly. Every animal, every man and every woman on Idalos would die eventually. If they killed the Hyx they would only speed up the inevitable.

When he arrived at their meeting place, he noticed that the Aukari was already waiting for him. He looked at him for a moment and observed his surroundings to make sure that there were no unwelcome surprises waiting for him, and then he walked up to him, inclined his head in a greeting and asked, “Are you ready? Do you know where we will find the creature?”

If Nauta looked at Doran, he would find that the Hero of Oscillus was dressed very differently now. He was no longer garbed in a fine suit, but wearing masterwork leather. His sword was in its sheath at his belt for now, and he also carried a pack that contained, among other things, some of the poisons that he had taken from the Naerikk swordmistress that Yana and he had killed in Oscillus, a rope and medical supplies, although he was not sure if Nauta was somebody that would be worth saving yet.
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word count: 450

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Nauta F'mos Geey
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Doran was all business it would seem. Except for that brief pause after he arrived, something which had the Aukari believe Doran may have second thoughts about their hunt until he remembered it was the "Hero of Oscillus" he was with- the same man he saw with no shame in admitting he stabbed a weakened man in the back Immortal or not. It was not an act which would fit Doran's boast of being one of the greatest swordsmen in this part of the world but if that boast held any truth in it, the man's enthusiasm may be something F'mos could use. The extent of this method was something F'mos intended to test during their hunt though he doubted its effectiveness; Doran was a lot smarter than he looked.

Although F'mos may have overestimated the man this time. Though Doran came prepared to hunt the Hyx from what he brought with him, the Aukari had expected the famous hero to have some other information about their quarry they could use. It was regrettable that the man had not been able to use his fame in Etzos to tap into his resources and make their hunt easier, but it was obvious to F'mos now more than ever what role Doran would play in that trial which made it even more important he was one of the greatest swordsmen in this part of the world. Not that it would change the plans F'mos made already.

It was only a "maybe" that his plans were any good or that he was any ready for the hunt. It was hard to rely on him for the whole thing. He promptly took out the map he obtained in response to the question, laid it flat out on a nearby crate and gestured for Doran to approach. There were a few markings on the map in red, to make sure they stood out. F'mos brought his partner's attention to them as he explained, "Hyx was seen here, here, here and here. Looks like moving there. Will probably come around...there soon!" which was the large area he circled round and round with his finger until he got some sort of acknowledgement from Doran.

If questioned on his assessment, the only answer F'mos had was "they not going there until Hyx gone" although who they were was not elaborated any further. Instead, Doran was given the map and told to take the lead. Unlike the famous hero, F'mos did not consider himself an accomplished fighter. The Aukari in the lead would definitely mean easy prey for the prey for the Hyx even before he had any chance to fight back! Doran with a sword at the hip stood a better chance and to express that point, F'mos drew his bow instead of the rapier he had with him as soon as the map left his hands. What good would a rapier be against a gigantic wolf monster anyway?

Whether or not Doran accepted his new position, it would not stop F'mos to give his input on the direction they were headed to as he filled the man with bits and pieces of his plan. He had his poisons which he would apply on his weapon, no doubt a method Doran would be well familiar with. As the Underground was the water supply of Etzos, there were also various points where the chambers could be shut to trap the water, or Hyx, in- or so he was told. These points he pointed out as well and were of course, the spots where he would like the pair to set up their ambush unless the leader of the group had any better ideas.

Nevertheless, no matter the method and the length of time it took for the pair to reach their destination, F'mos had no doubts that sooner or later they would run into the Hyx and it would that moment which would prove the effectiveness of his- their plans.
word count: 676
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As Nauta opened his map, the Mortalborn approached. He stood a step behind the Aukari as he looked at it, furrowing his brow slightly as he did so. “This is where we will go then”, he decided as Nauta pointed at the area where he expected the Hyx to show up next. He took a look at the equipment that the mortal had brought to see how useful it would be in the coming fight, nodding approvingly as he noticed the poison, and then he gestured for him to follow.

It was a good thing that Nauta did not insist on taking the lead, he thought. Wielding a bow, a weapon that was as good as useless in close combat, he would be easy prey for the beast.

There were a few things that he was still wondering about, he had to admit – who ‘they’ were for example, and what ‘they’ had to do with Nauta and the Hyx – but those questions were not vital and could thus wait, he decided. He had also, briefly, considered the possibility that the mortal had decided to lure him underground in order to try and kill him, but then dismissed the chance of that being the case as highly unlikely.

The man was too talkative and too enthusiastic about the coming fight.

He moved quietly, and when he talked to Nauta about his plan, it was so in little more than a whisper so as to not alert the Hyx or any other creatures that dwelled in the Underground to their presence any earlier than it was necessary. As the mortal applied poison to his weapons, he asked him if he could possibly spare two doses of Frostfire. That particular poison seemed especially useful to him since it was only lethal after the fourth dose.

Two doses would slow the beast down though.

While he still considered the reagents gained from the Hyx to be his priority, keeping the creature alive to be studied for a while had some potential as well.

“We will try to lure the beast into one of the chambers that you told me about”, he informed Nauta and swiftly moved around a corner. It was slightly darker here, below ground, and cool, but that bothered him little. If anything, the atmosphere reminded him of the laboratory under the Tower where he spent countless breaks on his experiments.

Soon they had reached one of the chambers, and the Mortalborn gestured for Nauta to step inside before he did the same and turned to face him. “I will wait next to the entrance and attack the beast the moment it comes our way”, he informed him. “I want you to stay near the back wall and shoot the moment I hit the beast. Perhaps, if we both attack at the same time, we will be able to end this quickly.”

With that he drew his blade and positioned himself next to the entrance, in a way that his body would be hidden by the wall. For several bits nothing happened, and the only sounds that they would be able to hear were the sounds of their own breathing and their heartbeats. And then, suddenly, there was a low growl in the distance. A bit after that they could hear the sound of paws, moving across the stone floor. The Hyx was coming!

The Mortalborn placed a finger on his lips, thus letting Nauta know that he ought to be quiet, and then he turned around again. For a moment the sounds stopped, and then the beast growled again, more loudly this time, as if it had noticed the presence of the intruders. It was running now.

The moment that it reached the chamber, the son of Ziell quickly raised his sword and brought it down on the Hyx’ torso where the most vulnerable body parts were located. At the same time he jumped back and slightly to the side so that the beast would not be able to reach him with its paws and immediately readied himself for another attack.
word count: 680

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Nauta F'mos Geey
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If the hunt turned out a failure at least it would not be a waste as it should allow F'mos the chance to evaluate Doran for himself. A man who seemed quite cooperative unless for Doran... it was only an act. Though the thought was briefly in his mind he tried to refocus it on their task quickly. He may be right to be suspicious of everyone, especially the Doran whose greatest act and triumph was to backstab one unsuspecting victim. However, it would not get him anywhere to be distrustful of everyone for no reason either. Doran's infamy aside the man was justified in his actions, or so he convinced himself. It cannot be helped Dotan was right when they first met. Given the same opportunity, F'mos would have taken it too.

Hopefully the same enthusiasm Doran had at Oscillus would be present in their current hunt. The Hyx only needed to be wounded once in their plan for them to succeed and unlike Xiur, the terrible beast would not have anyone else trying to preserve its life the moment the poisons were introduced into its system. Thank the immortals Doran actually agreed to the aukari's plan and before the man had a chance to change his mind, the aukari quickly applied the two doses of Frostbite to the man's weapon. Two doses. That was all which was needed to slow down the Hyx long enough. An equalizer for the greatest swordsman in the world to go against the beast's natural abilities no mortal could hope to match up with.

And if Doran was still unable to beat the Hyx despite the poisons, F'mos would still have the other half of the batch he made for the hunt. That would be another two chances to get the poisons into the beast. To make it easier for the pair to capture their quarry or, to kill it if necessary. Not something which the aukari wanted to let happen if he could help it. At least they had a plan with a good chance of success now. Doran despite taking the lead had no problem with following through with the plan and did as a leader ought to do; keep those under him, like F'mos, in line. As the man's ordered, the aukari headed right for the back wall and hid in a suitable spot with plenty of debris and garbage. Disgusting, but it gave him a great view of the only other entrance into the chamber.

With himself silenced by Doran's reminders, F'mos could only wait until the Hyx made its appearance. The beast announced itself with its growls and its approach. Probably the method it used to ward off the lesser prey present in the Underground. However the pair were only there for it and were, prepared. Nothing would drive them off, or at least F'mos unless Doran was to fall to the beast. As the sounds of the Hyx increased in intensity an strength to the point the Hyx may as well be in the chamber with them, F'mos had his bow out and poison arrow strung; aimed right at the entrance. However the first to act was Doran as the man immediately struck out at the Hyx as soon as it showed itself. The beast tried to back out of the blow but it as already too late as Doran had already dug deep into it an bugged out.

And then an arrow flew right into it as well as it never thought to move towards the side, only aware of the one opponent it was against. F'mos knew it was only because it was an easy shot to make that he succeeded, his ally much smaller than the large beast had already gotten out of the way as well. That should be three doses of Frostbite right in the beast, unless Doran's strike was barely in the creature long enough to only give it a lesser amount of the poison. Nevertheless it was done and F'mos yelled for Doran to "keep Hyx busy and tire it out!" it should give the poison more time to do its work on the Hyx until it finally succumbed. The question was whether the Hyx would even give them enough time for that to happen?

While he had his other poisoned arrow ready, F'mos instead had another one of his tools in his hand. As he already hit, another arrow would mean the death of the beast from the Frostbite. A step backwards to their intent of studying the terror of the Underground. Instead he had one of his bomb triggers, without the bomb itself, ready. The moment Doran stepped up to face the beast and had his back to the aukari, he would toss it towards the pair. Doran would not be affected unless he somehow ended up looking at the aukari's direction but if the was lucky that the Hyx was still facing his direction, the beast would be blinded. Surely, Doran would be able to end it then. Hopefully. Otherwise they might as well have brought with them an army.
word count: 871
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The beast was much larger than the Mortalborn had expected – it made him, who was considered to be of above average height among the people of Idalos, look small, weak and insignificant. Compared to the Immortal that he had confronted on the frozen plains of Oscillus, a being of nearly unlimited power, it seemed like a laughably foe though. The Hyx had no magic to defend itself, it had no allies of nearly equal power that would save its life, it only had teeth and claws, and it was unlikely to miraculously recover from a blow that should have been fatal.

His first attack had found its target, and he was pleased to note that Nauta had followed his command and fired his bow at nearly the same time. The beast roared in pain and anguish and tried to shake the arrow that was stuck in its side and irritated it beyond measure off. A moment later it turned to face the two men in front of it again though, ready to pounce. Three doses of the poison had been spent, but it seemed as if it would take some time for them to do their work. The Hyx had barely slowed down at this point.

The Mortalborn did not say anything, and neither did he acknowledge Nauta yelling that he should tire the beast out. That would distract him from the task at hand and make him lose his focus, and he could not allow that to happen if he wanted to subdue the beast. There would be enough time for them to talk later on. Instead he deftly moved towards the Hyx again and struck the paw that it had just raised, about to strike before he quickly moved back to avoid its claws. Blood immediately began to flow, and the beast let out a terrifying howl.

After a while he noticed movement behind him – it seemed as if Nauta had decided to use another one of the tools that he had brought – but he did not turn around to take a look which was fortunate, considering what the Aukari did, but continued to concentrate on the massive creature in front of him. As the bomb exploded, the beast let out a loud cry and began to falter. Its attacks were uncoordinated now due to the fact that it was temporarily blinded. It could barely make out the two men in front of it anymore.

The Mortalborn did not waste any time, but took advantage of the Hyx’ weakened state. He immediately moved in for another attack and then another one and a third one in quick succession, until the beast the beast’s massive legs finally gave way, and it let out another cry and broke down.

He paused for a moment then – he was breathing a bit more heavily now – the fight against the beast had not left him entirely unaffected – and then he called out to Nauta, “Come quickly if you really want to capture the creature alive! We’ll need to make sure that it won’t be able to attack again once it has recovered from the poison!”
word count: 525

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Nauta F'mos Geey
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Even with the Hyx blinded from the flash he just used, F'mos did not allow himself to get careless. As he already had someone more than willing to be his shield, the aukari decided to maintain his only advantage, his distance from the creature and remained crouched in his hiding spot. It would be a useless gesture if his intent was to remain hidden as the Hyx no doubt would have already known the source of the two attacks which weakened it but for F'mos, it was a form of comfort. While it was no good to hide him, it was still adequate protection. Enough to protect him from a rush from the beast and the natural weapons it would employ or at least, that was what he hoped.

Fortunately it did not have to come to that as Doran took the opportunity to continue his offensive against their quarry. His attacks effectively forced the Hyx back away from the door which was what F'mos wanted. Had the creature remained at the doorway, any other shot by him may very well cause it to back out and flee but now with Doran in between it and its escape, the aukari had no reservations. He fired one shot and then another, each as a follow up to Doran's own attacks. The monstrous Hyx's size used against it, it was unable to defend itself properly from the attack at different levels and that one moment it lapsed its judgement, Doran struck.

And then the beast was down with nothing but a defiant yet useless cry of pain.

Doran's urgency was understandable, especially if he knew nothing of the poisons which were used in the fight. Leisurely, the aukari left his hiding spot and approached, his bow aimed at the Hyx but only as a precaution. It was an unnecessary action as he explained to his partner, "the poison has set in and Hyx won't recover soon" or soon enough as he meant. "There's enough time to decide what to do with it" he said and it is only if Doran pressed him enough that he would actually reveal his reluctance to use the other poison too soon because it would mean less time for the pair to deal with the creature.

Eventually the other poison would be used and hopefully closer to the time the aukari judged the paralysis from the prior would wear off. At least this would not be the first time he had to use his poison on a creature of a significant size and, he will not be caught off guard by how soon the poison would wear off. The matter of subduing the Hyx alive was no issue with the cooperation of the greatest swordsman in their part of the world along with a poisoned blade into it. That result was of no surprise to the aukari. The issue was it turned out was what they were going to do with the Hyx after it was all said and done.

The celebrated hero of Etzos probably had more resources at his disposal that F'mos assumed and he only suggested "I may have a few places to keep it for now..." although he did not want to owe anyone else any favours. It probably would not be an arrangement Doran would prefer either as "might be hard for you to get to it" whenever he wanted. That information, he gave freely in hopes it may persuade his partner to how their prize was to be managed. After that, it was anyone's guess what the pair would use the Hyx for. The aukari's mind was already running with ideas and as far as he was concerned, as long as he could use the Hyx as he needed to, he could care less of the designs Doran had with their prize.
word count: 652
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Grading Checklist
Thread List Up to Date?Yes
Skill Point Ledger Up to Date?Yes
Money Ledger Up to Date?Yes
Fame Ledger Up to Date?Yes
Solo or Collab?Collab
1500 words or more?Yes
Number of Posts4
No. of Skill Knowledges Due9
[/color]
Rewards
Nauta

Skill Points: 15

Knowledges:
  • Skill
    • Leadership: Evaluate a partner through action
    • Leadership: Come prepared to inspire competence
    • Tactics: A plan of attack based on collected information
    • Deception: Suggesting a course of action based on the appropriate tool
    • Blades (Longsword): Strike and jump back
    • Poisons: Size of the target may affect effectiveness of dosages
    • Ranged (Longbow): Aim high
    • Blades (Longsword): Strike low
    • Tactics: Spread out an opponent's defences for easy hits
Loot: N/A

Injuries/Overstepping: N/A

Fame: N/A

Magic EXP: N/A
Grading Checklist
Thread List Up to Date?Yes
Skill Point Ledger Up to Date?Yes
Money Ledger Up to Date?Yes
Fame Ledger Up to Date?Yes
Solo or Collab?Collab
1500 words or more?Yes
Number of Posts3
No. of Skill Knowledges Due8
[/color]
Rewards
Doran

Skill Points: 15

Knowledges:
  • Skill
    • Research: Researching the animal you are going to fight
    • Stealth: Moving quietly
    • Poisons: Frostfire Poison
    • Poison: Applying poison to weapons
    • Tactics: A plan of attack based on collected information
    • Tactics: Taking advantage of a temporary weakness
    • Blades (Longsword): Aiming for the vulnerable body parts
    • Blades (Longsword): Making several attacks in quick succession to tire your target out
    • Endurance: A long fight
Loot: N/A

Injuries/Overstepping: N/A

Fame: N/A

Magic EXP: N/A
Short and sweet, these two certainly make a good team! Doran has all the fighting ability and Nauta has plenty of brains. Doran wouldn't have been able to take the Hyx out without Nauta's helping hand, except with a serious struggle, I suspect but there's no way Nauta could ever have gone it alone. Nauta probably got the better deal of the two because there was no way he had very little to do in comparison.

Nauta: Please deduct the expenses (125GN) from this thread. Additionally, be sure to deduct your Zi'da expenses. Given that this thread is set earlier and you were up to date for that, I've given you a grade.
Doran: Please deduct the expenses (24GN 4SN) from this thread. Additionally, be sure to deduct your Zi'da expenses. Given that this thread is set earlier and you were up to date for that, I've given you a grade.
Don't forget to edit your request as having been graded, here and mark it with this stamp!
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