Some Stories Are True

Season: Rebirth. Day: 10
Reaching the nearest Nishurin, who is lying on the deck unable to move, Star Wolfess grabs him by the feet and strains to move him toward Oorvid. Once Astrid arrives to assist her, the two are able to drag the body over to aid their friend.

Despite the unanimous urging against it, once she lets go of the body she is dragging, Star Wolfess moves, following the departure of the escaping enemies. Each stone structure is designed in a quad formation with an open breezeway bisecting the whole in two directions at right angles, crossing at the center. The entrance to each quad is on the inside left of each breezeway, while facing the center. Star has to pass an opening on her left, because the fleeing enemies passed it to turn right at the center intersection.

Rather than running headlong, she steps into the intesection, stops moving forward, and jerks back, wanting to see if the enemy is still in sight. It is not fast enough, as the enemy is set for an ambush. Not only can one of them be seen, but he releases a ready arrow as soon as Star is seen. The arrow misses her face but buries into the chest just below the left clavicle, very near a major artery. As she is already hurt, the second arrow causes her to lose her ability to function. Fortunately the Nishurin had planned for only the single shot, before continuing to follow his friends. As soon as she falls backward, Maka and Astrid grab the collar of her jerkin and quickly drag her back toward where Oorvid is lying.

With the enemy unable to defend himself, at a touch, Oorvid recovers almost half of his injury and whispers to the party, “We need to back off, perhaps into some trees, and regroup before taking this expedition farther.” After siphoning life from an enemy, he is able to rise to his feet and walk. Because of the difference in size, Astrid, who is a head taller than anyone else in the party, can physically carry Star Wolfess should the party decide to move away.

Wrenn and Maka will cover the party's retreat into the trees. Their mode of attack (if that happens) is the same as before.

Since Oorvid is now able to stand and walk, Astrid motions for him to help her with Star. She may be taller than anyone else but Oorvid is, by far, the heaviest member of the party and can more easily carry Star. She will bend light to obscure the three of them as they move.

Star Wolfess will absorb all the energy that is left from the thug she recently dragged with Astrid for Oorvid.

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72

Maka motions to the mature fig trees. "The figs will provide better cover. Come." He motions for the rest of the party to run ahead of him and Wrenn, both of whom follow up the rear, guarding the party's retreat.

Season: Rebirth. Day: 10

Oorvid holds onto the injured Nishurin he was touching for another three seconds then picks up Star Wolfess and kneels down with her next to one of the other fallen foes. Both he and she are able to restore themselves to full health but become instantly hungry. The need to regroup is still imperative as if food is not soon consumed, both Oorvid and Star will lose consciousness.

Instead of having to carry his friend, Oorvid picks up the enemy he had drained, while Astrid collects the one that Star had drained. Maka and Wrenn together are able to carry a third. This fig grove is native to this particular environment but evidence that it had once been managed can still be seen, though it has been growing wild for many Cycles, now. While the trees are not very tall, in this season they have more of a start of putting on new leaves than the plums showed. While not completely hidden within the grove, it will be difficult to be noticed without a deliberate search and much easier to out from within. The party feels relatively secure in the location.

Dried meat is being carried on each of the retrieved bodies, along with three pieces of lighter pine. Their clothing and bows are not worth taking, but their arrows have Ularin heads, the same as those of Maka and Wrenn. It seems strange that they would be so, but it is an extra 21 arrows. One of them is adorned with a rodent skull, another a lizard skull, and the third a snake skull. A Sunstone, a Milkstone, and a Nightstone are also discovered, along with three ingots of Magnesium.

Star Wolfess will keep devouring figs until her stomach is completely full and she's unable to eat even one more. Then she'll pack as many of these delicious fruits as she has place for left in her bag without throwing out other food.

Astrid gives the extra satchels of collected foo to Star and Oorvid. She moves away from the main party a few strides and takes a comfortable position upon the ground, keeping an eye toward the floor of the valley, should any people emerge.

Season: Rebirth. Day: 11
Each of the skulls is discovered to harbor a minor mystical proclivity, the rodent skull for overall wellness (Health +1), the lizard skull for physical strength (Strength +1), and the snake skull for movement (Motility + 1). As these were so minor, anyone in the party can make use of them. The curious stones and the ingots of Magnesium were also determined to harbor minor proclivity. The magnesium can be used by any of the party to enhance the mystical aspect of rendering physical aid (Mend x2). The Sunstone will augment the physical appeal of its carrier (Persona +1) and can be sacrificed to enhance a positive outcome of conversation (Muddle x2). The Milkstone is found to augment the metal strength of its carrier (Will +1), while the Nightstone is found to augment the inexplicable reason for autonomous life (Adhesion +1).

To the north of the party’s current location, about the same distance as the previously visited to the west, is another of the stone structures. Waiting within the trees to observe the area for a while, it is discovered that Nishurins occupy this structure as well. A party departs the structure from its left side and heads farther north. The group returns shortly, carrying a few rodents, obviously collected from snares. Since they are now facing the hidden location of the party, it is suspected that everyone will likely be seen as soon as one of them looks up, and they do appear to be warry. The distance of separation is about 50 strides.