A Lonely Journey

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

((This thread takes place sometime in Heultrios. If you wish to join please send me a PM and do not join randomly. This thread starts in Morith, cuts through Skaraptica, and hopefully will end in Viktoria.))

It had been too long. Too long since a response from his sister or any of his family for that matter. It had also been far too long since he had seen either of them. Sure, he was known to disappear from time to time, but never for this stretch of time. Maybe a month at most, but it had been nearly three. Jorkahn had accomplished so much, met more people than he ever thought he would. Sure, his journey had had its ups and downs, but overall he had enjoyed the latest excursion. Perhaps, this time, he would stay away from home for good.

Unfortunately not for the reason he wanted. The length of time he hadn't talked to his sister had never been this long before. On his previous trips outside of Viktoria the longest she had gone without returning his letters was two weeks. It had been three months. The boy had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, one of the reasons he decided to leave so suddenly. He had left a note for Tyr and anyone else who may have needed to know his whereabouts. But that was about it.

The Champion of Jewels left Morith by horse. His horse, Libby, galloped across the open ground towards Skaraptica with ease. It wouldn't take long for them to get to the forest, after all it nearly bordered the town he just left. This is where his journey would really begin.

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

As was already anticipated, Jorkahn had made it to the edge of the forest in no time flat. He was still amazed at Libby's speed, she was a well-bred horse. He reared back her gallop ever so slightly to look for a clear entrance into the trees before giving a swift kick to her sides. They broke in easily and the foliage passed in a blur.

The boy breathed in deep as his surroundings passed him by. The smell of the forest was one he much preferred to the stifling stench of the city. While this area smelled fresh, green, and free, the cradle of civilization had a stifling aroma. The stench of sweat, blood, horse manure and stone grated on him after a while. It was uplifting to finally be back to the forest he considered his home more than even Viktoria. The young warrior had spent a lot of time by himself in Skaraptica, rarely this far north, but it was all the same to him.

--

The time passed rather quickly, the only breaks the pair would take would be to rest both man or horse. Libby was a bit more graceful of a ride than most, but the force of her gallop and the length of time he would be riding would make even the most seasoned equestrian sore. Looking up through the overgrowth the Champion could see the sun indicating it was midday. Since they had been riding for hours Jorkahn decided to bring Libby to a stop for now. They would take a longer break than usual, drink some water, eat, and otherwise refuel and reenergize. Normally the boy rode a bit lighter than this, but he had to bring a lot of food and water on this trip despite the fact he knew how to hunt and that they would be coming to a river for most of their trip. It was always better to be safe than starving. A funny saying that his father once told him.

The lone traveller was vigilant, but alas nothing eventful happened.

--

They had been back on the path for hours now and the daylight was becoming scarce. Before the visibility of the forest was drastically affected he would make camp for the night. Jorkahn could also tell that his horse was getting tired and she needed to conserve her strength if they were to make it to Viktoria. The budding rider would dismount his horse and attempt to set up camp and a fire.

---

K(25)+Easy(30)= 55 Threshold. 87 Roll, fail.
fe68i2Zc

---

And he fell on his face quite disgracefully. If his horse could speak the lad was certain it would be laughing at him. If a novice rider falls on his face in the forest and no one is around, does he make a sound? Yes, a very loud one. Jorkahn rubbed his tender face and cursed under his breath before resting his feet from the saddle and attempting to set up camp. There was plenty of kindling and tinder around and enough open space to set up a tent. Hopefully it wouldn't take him long to make camp.

---

K(25)+Camping I(5)+Easy(5) ((Going to assume easy)= 60

Success!

---

Even with his bruised face, and ego, the lad was able to quickly set up his tent, his camp, and the fire. He prepared a nifty area for his horse to graze and be protected from the elements. Overall it was a massive success! Now to go to bed, hopefully the night would be uneventful, as would the rest of his journey.·

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

Jorkahn had slept soundly and the fire outside had burned down to a few fading cinders. It seemed Libby had also fared rather well in the night. Uneventful, he preferred this. The young warrior gathered a bit more kindlings in order to start the coals into larger flames. Eventually, he got the fire up to cook his breakfast of meat, fruit, and some bread. It wasn't the most luxurious of feasts, but it was nutritious, filling, and full of energy. Meals like this were often underestimated to the average traveler, which, admittedly, would lead to the average traveler's demise. A good meal is just as important as a comfortable night's sleep in the wilderness.

The boy fed some grains from his pack to his horse. For the length of time they would be traveling, he felt grazing wouldn't be enough. Libby was just as important as he was for getting from point A to point B, she would need to be in tip-top shape for their journey! After both man and horse had had their fill of food and water Jorkahn would put out the fire and kick dirt over it to make sure it couldn't light the forest ablaze. He would then pack up his tent and sleeping bag and attempt to mount his horse and be off his way.

---

K(25)+Easy(30)= 55
Bc9ElfxJ
Success!

---

It wasn't the most graceful of mounts, but, at least he didn't fall off his horse this time. The boy would lightly scratch the Mare's neck before giving it a light kick in the sides and setting off from his makeshift camp. They would ride for a while unless interrupted.

--

It was around midday when the Champion would stop again. One reason was to stretch and, just like yesterday at around this time, take a longer break for him and his horse. The most important reason, however, was to hunt for wolves. He hadn't forgotten Tyr's demands for a wolf. In exchange, the Shaper would hopefully upgrade his armor now that the half-breed had grown stronger. It was time to get off his horse again. Hopefully, he would be a bit more graceful this time.

---

Success!

---

He slid off like a seasoned pro! The angels themselves were singing his praise! At least, in his head they were, it would be quite terrifying if he suddenly heard people singing from the heavens. But now was not the time to be proud of his novice riding skills, now was the time to look for tracks! Wolves were the ideal target, but maybe he would find something more interesting out here?

---

K(25)+Easy/normal?(30/15)+Hunting II(10)= 65/50
··

[Azuloth]

At that point Jorkahn stumped upon a creature of the wood. It was there nibbling on some clover, minding it's own business. A poor little bunny. It had no name. It was furry, brown, and its head shot up when it finally heard Jorkahn. It froze in terror, clover dropping from its mouth.

---

Bunny
Hp: 1/1
Agi: 4

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

Well, it wasn't what he was looking for, but the rabbit was a good opportunity to fill up his food stores. And as he has already said, you can never have too much food. It seemed like the bunny was frozen in terror as it noticed him, attempting to take advantage of the small creature's hesitation, the boy would grab the two daggers from his waist, one in each hand, and throw them at the rabbit. They weren't meant for throwing, but the rabbit wasn't too far away from him, may as well give it a shot.

---

Jorkahn Wealddir
All: 25
HP: 500
SM: 123/125
MP: 328/333

Two attacks with daggers. 10 damage each. No daggers/throwing knowledges.

---

If he didn't hit the rabbit it would be no big deal to him. It would only serve to show him how badly he needed a proper ranged weapon. Besides, the bunny wasn't the goal here. Jorkahn was hunting far more deadly prey.

[Azuloth]

Battle Data

SPOILER: Click to show

Initiative
-Jorkahn
-Bunbun

Jorkahn
-Attacks: 1D100 => 12 (Dmg: 10, Bunbun killed.)
-Attacks: 1D100 => 10

Results
-Bunbun killed.

---

Jorkahn brutally murdered the bunny. The dagger that hit it impaled it completely through the chest. His aim was impeccable for having never thrown a weapon before. The bunny fell over from the force, its life suddenly over. It didn't even twitch.

---

Drops
-Raw rabbit meat

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

Jorkahn's eyes widened at how accurate his throw had been. He had never really tried throwing a dagger before, had only seen some of the mercenaries employed near his house do it, from time to time. He felt rather proud of himself but was quite certain this was simply beginner's luck. Trying to actively replicate that kind of a throw would likely be met with failure a dozen times before he was that spot on again. It seemed like fate did not smile upon this poor rabbit.

The boy walked over to the bunny's corpse and quickly harvested what he could from its body. It had been rather small, and the hole from the dagger rather deep, so the skin was unusable and the meat was sparse. But, it did have enough for about one ration worth of food. The boy would sprinkle a bit of salt from his pack upon it and wrap it up in a bit of cloth before placing it within his bag. May as well save this for later, perhaps he could make some stew or a steak of some sort?

Now it was time to see if fate was on his side, after all, his true prey had yet to show any signs of being near and he intended to change that. Walking further along the planned route to Viktoria, his horse just behind him, the Champion searched for more tracks.

---

K(25)+Easy/normal?(30/15)+Hunting II(10)= 65/50
Af6fR2Rn

[Azuloth]

Though Jorkahn's skills were on point. He found nothing but a multitude of tracks running this way and that. It would be difficult for him to discern where those tracks were going, and what kind of creature had made them without more than a cursory glance. The forest around him had the usual noise of animal life. Birds calling, insects chattering, beasts growling in the distance.

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

Jorkahn let out a drawn out sigh before scratching his head and taking one last look around. No particular set of prints stood out to him, and even if they did the sheer cluster of prints in the undergrowth made it impossible to determine direction. This simply wasn't the place to look, this much was obvious to the boy.

"Very well."

A quiet statement made under his breath. With the same breath, he let out a sharp whistle and gave a tug on his horse's bridle. Libby sauntered forward obediently and waited patiently for the lad to mount. With a small pat, the novice equestrian would place one foot in the foothold of her saddle and attempt to lift himself up on her back.

---

K(25)+Easy(30)= 55
dB8aXHWZ
Success!

---

His leg was a bit shaky and he nearly failed at lifting himself the first time around, but with a bit of extra effort, he brought his leg about and tucked his free foot into the empty foothold. Snug as a bug in a rug. What a terrible analogy. Libby shook her head in anticipation, and with a slight crack of her bridle, and a soft kick to the sides, they were off. The pair started off slowly before finding a clearer path and progressively picking up speed, they would stay on this course for quite some time, only taking the occasional break now and again like they had been the past two days. The trees and other bits of green would fly by after awhile.

--

Midday came along and it was time for their extra long break. Nothing out of the ordinary, a few snacks and some water for him and his horse. A bit of rest and stretching was to be had. As was taking in the sounds, smells, and sights of the forest. That part never got old.

Back to the journey.

--

The sun was barely visible past the trees anymore, it was starting to get dark. Normally Jorkahn would stop and set up camp, but he could smell the river as well as see it. Any time now there would be a break in the trees and the bank of the river would suddenly come forth. A few more minutes of riding, he could feel it!

As he should have, the river was but a few minutes away from where he initially wanted to make camp. They not only wouldn't have to worry about running out of water but now it would likely be easier to gather food if it was needed. Of course, it was also much more difficult to get lost at this point, but that much was obvious. For tonight the lone wanderer would set up camp, he could find a way to cross the river in the morning. He looked for an area not too close to the river but not too far either. It would be just outside the break of trees to offer him some concealment and enough open ground to set up camp. When he found a suitable area, he would dismount his trusty steed.

---

K(25)+Easy(30)= 55
-Initial roll was 43, was placed in the wrong area.
Success!

---

Like before the dismount wasn't particularly graceful, but at least he didn't fall flat on his face this time. Now, it was time to get to work.

The same methods as before were used and the same process followed. He would gather kindling and tinder, and some larger fuel to keep a fire going. Not only that but some uneven or even rocky ground would be cleared for his tent and sleeping bag to be set. Sleeping on a rock does not do a body good. When everything else was set Jorkahn would clear a small area for his horse near the fire so she had a place to graze and stay warm.

---

K(25)+Camping I(5)+Easy(30)= 60

Failed

Everything is awful! Nothing had gone right, everything had fallen apart the moment he tried to put it together, the wood he had gathered was far too wet to light, heck he even broke a nail while trying to remove the rocks from under his tent! May as well try this all again, with feeling this time!



Rinse and repeat


Success!

---

That took much longer than it needed to. Once everything was all set up and the fire was going, Jorkahn thought he may as well try his hand at some campfire cooking. He took the raw rabbit from his pack and began to cook it over the fire. Now, what did he want to make to eat for breakfast in the morning?

---

K(25)+Normal(15)=40

Failed

---

It seemed he was a bit more exhausted than he thought as he had fallen asleep while cooking the meat. When he woke up he pulled it out of the fire, but too little too late. It had been burned to a crisp and was mostly inedible. What a shame, although he supposed this is what he got for trying to cook this late.

Well, it was obviously time to go to bed. Jorkahn threw some dirt on the fire and poked at it until it mostly died down. If it were too large there was a good chance something could catch fire overnight. He didn't want to put it all the way out, though, otherwise it would be difficult to light again and wouldn't keep the wildlife away from his tent and his horse. When preparations were completed, he would crawl into his tent and fall asleep.·····

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

The boy had slept quite soundly, barely dreaming throughout the night. He had awoken early morning and, after a bit of stretching, left the tent and brought the fire back up to a small blaze again. Upon feeding himself and his horse, he began to tear down his tent and packed it up along with his sleeping bag and anything else he wanted to bring along. It seemed as if something had made off with the charred bit of rabbit meat in the middle of the night. Hopefully, it didn't make the poor creature sick.

When everything was packed and put safely away Jorkahn looked around at his surroundings, taking it all in and keeping an eye out for landmarks. It was always a good idea to know where you are for future reference. Maybe one day, if he ever got lost, he could happen upon this place and recognize it. There was one large landmark, in particular, Tower Rock. Somehow he hadn't seen it last night, perhaps because it had been so dark when he happened upon his campsite? More likely it would have been due to the large overgrowth of trees and other flora. It, at least, meant he was heading in the right direction, along with the river.

Speaking of the river, it made him stare, lost in thought. The Champion thought back to his childhood where he and his siblings had played in the water outside Viktoria. The world seemed less chaotic, back then, even if he knew it wasn't. Sure, fighting seemed to be breaking out everywhere, and strange creatures were roaming the lands, but he felt like these things had always happened. If not, surely all the conflict was being built up, until now.

Once the childhood nostalgia had come and gone the young explorer thought it would be time to get to work. He still needed to find a wolf or two for his friend. Since he was already deep into Skaraptica, now would be the best time to look. The lad pulled his hood down and began to search the ground for tracks, listening for any other signs of wolves or other creatures. May as well start here.

---

K(25)+Easy/normal?(30/15)+Hunting II(10)= 65/50
IgwNpgXW







····

[Azuloth]

What he stumbled upon was not a wolf. Or anything that was as innocuous as bunbun from before. A twelve foot lizard was just hanging out in the brush, eating some berries off a different bush. Then it smelled him, turning around and growling. Its fangs and razor sharp teeth showing its intentions. It wanted to eat something heartier. This Salamander was definitely not domesticated like some of its other brethren.

---

Salamander
Str: 10 Vit: 8 Agi: 9 En: 5 P: 5
HP: 160/160
Sm: 16/16
MP: 33/33

Dmg: 30 (Piercing)
DR: 15
MDR: 0

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

Certainly not what he was looking for, but it was better than nothing. Or perhaps it wasn't? He could just let it go, he didn't mean to be a menace to nature. But the prospect of Salamander meat was appetizing. Jorkahn took one last look around to see if the lizard was accompanied by any more of its kin, but alas, it seemed to be alone.

The young hunter pulled his weapon from his back and readied it in his hands. As morbid as it may sound to others, the creature would prove to be great practice, and the lad was wont to take the opportunity when it was presented most of the time. Besides, what trouble could this Salamander really prove to cause him? He jolted up suddenly, feeling a tingle in his spine. He felt like he shouldn't have thought something like that.

Jorkahn shrugged and moved in to attack the Salamander, wanting to get the first blow before it could react. With a swift movement forward, only a few steps his opponent wasn't too far away, the warrior would bring his large battle ax down from above his head into the creature's own. He aimed right between the eyes. His next course of action would be to knock away any attempt at an attack or to dodge out of the way.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

Jorkahn Wealddir
Str: 25 Vit: 25 Agi: 25 Ch: 25 ST: 25 T: 25 D: 25 EN: 25 P: 25 K: 25
HP: 500/500 SM: 119/125 MP: 328/333
Active Statuses: None
Armor: Head DR:(Head, face, Heavy)55; Armor (Chest, Back, Abdomen, Medium, Ring) 35; Feet (Feet, Lower Legs, Plate, Heavy) 29; Hands (Hands, Forearms, Plate, heavy) 35; Belt (Groin) 60
Primary Wep: Battleax 40 (ARMED) (2H) Back/Thighs Shortsword/War ax 20 Two Daggers 10
Pack: Turkey Leg, Sleeping Bag, Glass Bottle Milk, Rez Scroll, Tin Lantern, Tent, 3 Dragon Fruit.
Belt: Med Bag attachment, Bloodstone, Emerald/Diamond/Obsidian

Actions: 1. Close distance between opponent. 2. Attack opponent in head with battleax. 3. Dodge/block

[Azuloth]

Battle Data

SPOILER: Click to show

Initiative
-Jorkahn
-Salamander

Jorkahn
Move
Attack: 1D100 => 58 Hit! 325 total dmg.
Dodge

Salamander
-Dead.

---

As Jorkahn buried his axe in the Salamander's skull it let out a loud shriek along with the crunching noise. Blood dribbled the ground as it died. Violent spasms wracked its body long after it was already dead. The forest ground became slaked in the blood of the salamander.

---

Drops
-Salamander flesh 3
-Salamander tooth 2
-Lizard scale 2
-Bone 1

[Jorkahn Wealddir]

His ax landed upon the skull of the salamander making a satisfying, though admittedly grotesque, crunching sound. The animal let out a haunting shriek of what he could only assume was pain and twitched around a bit before growing still. It was always a bit of a harrowing experience when something didn't die right away. It brought up a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach when he was younger and had gone on hunting trips with his older brother. His brother was never the best shot, so he would often miss vital organs and other fatal areas of the animal's body. One particularly traumatising event was when he was attacked by a bandit just outside Viktoria. The brigand and a friend had set up an ambush for a wagon or lone trader but seemed to believe that Jorkahn would serve an easy bounty from his family. It was the first time he had ever killed a man.

The duo of criminals had not expected the boy to be trained in the use of weapons, so when he somehow managed to take one of the men's weapons and ran it through his heart, it scared the other one off rather quickly. It took him nearly two weeks before he could work up the courage to speak, let alone leave the house. But he had grown from this experience, and had trained harder every since.

But that was neither here nor there, it was time to "loot" the kill. The young hunter would take his dagger from his thigh and began to skin and gut the creature. After a small while, and once everything was prepared, he would pack the spoils away into his backpack. Then he would take hold of Libby's bridle and lead her over to the river to clean his weapons, hands, and wash off any blood that had gotten on his gear and apparel.

The lad still needed to find those wolves, and maybe the Salamander's blood would attract them. But, just to be safe, Jorkahn took him and his horse a ways down the river, downwind from the kill in order to wait. While he waited he would scout for more tracks, just to be certain there wasn't anything else nearby.

---

K(25)+normal?(15)+Hunting II(10)=50
1Prqkd_Z
Looking for more tracks/signs of anything. Wolves in particular. Using the Salamander blood on the ground as bait? If that works?

[Azuloth]

Alas, his superior tracking and hunting skills yielded no information in regards to any predators or monsters. However, there were plenty of deer and rabbit tracks. Skaraptica apparently was a wealth of game animals. The wind shifted directions, and the temperature started to get higher.