WG: The Great Hunt Options

[Rohirrim]

This is the thread for Khan, Hjalbir and Lycus' hunt in the Great Forest. If anyone want's to drop in, now would be the time.

This post has been edited by Rohirrim: Sep 4 2013, 12:52 AM

[Uleni Athram]

Just when Hjalbir was consulting the map and their supposed quarry, there was suddenly an eerie silence from the volunteers and the Nord felt aggression exhuming from a presence to his side. He looked to the source and found the eyes of a hostile Khan.

What followed next was simply too confusing for Hjalbir. Not only did he threatened the Nord with violence, it seems he was berating him for 'not trusting' his judgement. This change of moods was so swift, so unbidden, that it took even Hjalbir offguard.

The Nord held his ground and simply stared at the Khajiit.

"Your judgement," the Nord rumbled, this time his voice truly cold, "is flawed. A child's whim at best, and it could get us killed."

He looked at the paw on the sword hilt.

"Are you truly a Tribune of the Legion? With this shameful display," here he looked Khan straight in the eye, "you seem to fit with the Stormcloaks instead. You call me out for pointing the obvious mistakes in your attire and choice of men, thinking in some that I'm undermining your authority, and for that, you'd iniate violence against me?"

The Giant shook his head at the Khajiit, utterly disappointed and disdainful.

"Lay down your arms, Khajiit. This wuld only waste time when we could spend it carefully planning instead."

[Rohirrim]

Khan stood his ground. "You're a Nord, correct? Well, I challenge you to a duel, just like your precious Ulfric Stormcloak!" Khan pulled his greatsword from its frog and drew a line in the dirt between him and Hjalbir. "Now, he said, in the same voice he had use with Lycus, will you let me explain, or will you let my blade do the talking?" The last part of the sentence was punctuated by a soft snarl.

This post has been edited by Rohirrim: Sep 4 2013, 01:10 AM

[Uleni Athram]

It seemed to Hjalbir that Khan truly wished violence. Or for him to listen to the Khajiit's explanation. The Nord didn't comprehend what waqs broilling inside Khan. but he figured he couldn't be too careful.

He took a step close, but not too close to the line, to neutralize the reach advantage of the greatsword. He had his body tense, ready to avoid any pre-emptive strike that might explode.

"Explain then."

The volunteers shuffled awkwardly on their feet or just stared at the spectacle before them.

[Rohirrim]

Khan planted the sword in the ground at his feet and smiled grimly. "Very good. Now, as I was going to say, I am trained in the Discipline of Heavy Armor, and I do not carry several sets with me to mix and match at my whimsy. That is the reality. As for these men," he gestured vaguely to the volunteers. "Not all of them are fit, and that's what I was about to sort out. "Mages, Nords, sober up or ship out. Redguards, strap on some furs of hides, otherwise shove off. I know you said you have some up in your room, yes? Good. Orc, that hammer better shoot arrows or be on a twenty-foot pole. Bosmeri, you're good. Priest, make sure you bring along potions and bandages, as well as some splints. You never know. Now, levies, be careful out there, don't shoot your friend, or you acquaintance for that matter, and if you don't have the kill, don't go in." He turned to Hjalbir. "Better?"

[Uleni Athram]

HJalbir held his face with one hand. He held his growing annoyance in check. In truth, he would've left a long time and abandoned this nonsense for any other fool, but he can't deny that he would need the rewards this 'hunt' offered. What happened right now was ... well, it was a step in the right direction at least.

"Khan," he said after a moment. "Why don't you just trade some of the unnecessary equipment you got from your shipment? I see no reason why you can't."

He then looked at Lycus. It was clear he would want no part of this hunt anymore. Hjalbir returned his eyes to Khan.

[Rohirrim]

Khan stood there for several moments, reading Hjalbir's face. Well, at least he hasn't outright left. It's Lycus I've got to worry about. I've seen his type in the Legion. Want to kill someone, anyone, it doesn't matter. I'll have to watch that one.

"You know what? I have an idea. Since you take issue with this, I want your guidance. What will have to happen to make this work? I don't want the festival day soured with such petty squabbling. This goes for you as well, Lycus, anything you ask, I will take into consideration. Think on it for a few minutes, and come meet me at the smithy. I'm going to sell the excess gear."

Khan, with the help of one of the levies, began carrying the chest over towards the smith's workshop.

[Darkness Eternal]

After Khan had his emotional breakdown and the Nord sellsword by having a show of display with his sword and his over-commandeering grandeur, the former decided to agree with the Nord and sell the excess gear that would weigh them down. Why he had so much weapons was beyond him.

Khan decided to keep some of the other volunteers and explained he was open to suggestion from Lycus or Hjalbir. With that he parted for the smithy with a crate.

Lycus's jaw tensed as his teeth slowly grinded each other. He was in thought now. Was all this drama just so that the tribune could show away his statue and reach the notion that he was the leader? If so, then small wonder the empire was crumbling. With footsoldiers under the command of men like Khan, there wasn't telling how bad things would go.

Soon after Khan left, one of the mages who Lycus already had issues with put on a grand smug grin on his face that seemed as if it were stretching to great proportions. He looked at his companion and smiled. "We're not off the hunt yet. Better sober up, otherwise we'll burn the forest down."

There was something in his tone that dripped with sarcasm and when he passed by Lycus, the imperial grabbed the man's collar and held it, bring him closer so he can whisper. "If any of those damn magic blasts come near me I'll have you strangled by your own entrails."

The spellcaster, still undoubtedly drunk, only managed a girlish "Oooh!"

The Imperial brushed past him, still feeling bitter and dissapointed about the entire trip. It would be much better, far much better if he or at least Hjalbir was in command. He wouldn't be surprised if Khan led them into an ambush.

Lycus couldn't trust this man with his life but he did put things into consideration. Such as getting rid of the mages and everyone else entirely. He looked at the large Nord and shook his head.

"A child, that one," he said. "Next thing you'll see is the Legion putting little girls in the front lines."

[Rohirrim]

Khan had decided on his apparel. He wore a fur kilt, a leather cross-strap with a steel boss, a green half-cloak, and hide boots and bracers. He had elected to keep the helmet, as it would've make that much noise and he also rather liked the way it looked. He also remove the armor from his horse, and decided his sword would be enough, even if there were ogres...he had killed giants, after all.

He was considering whether to take the horse at all when the two mages walked up to him. "Er, Mr. Khan, Sir, we're ready." They both smiled like the idiots they were. Khan grinned, almost a snarl. "Right then. Hit that weather vane on top of the inn." "Erm, what?" "Prove you can be trusted. Shoot an icicle at that weather vane." "Um..haha! That's, um, easy." Both would-be wizards charged the requisite spells, and loosed. "Well, not only did you miss the weather vane, you managed to miss the roof of the inn completely. You're out." "Oi, we had a deal! This is discrimination, this is! Hey, get back here, cat!" Khan froze, then walked back to the mages, and with one swift motion swept their feet out from under them. "Don't. Call me. Cat." He was about to leave when the Nords approached him. "We're good." "Prove it, then." Without prompting, all the warriors promptly performed a perfect handstand. Khan smiled. "Well, at lest someone's with the program. How did you get over it so fast, I must ask? Mm-hmm. Horker WHAT?! Oh, so the fat counteracts the...oh, I see. Your grandmother's recipe? Very nice, I'll have to try that next time the wife buys a new dress." With than, Khan made his way back to the hunting party, walking slowly and whistling an old song.

[Uleni Athram]

Hjalbir seated himself at his borrowed stool, watching the festivities around him with no interest whatsoever. He was like the mountains of his homeland; grand and majestic, burning cold in aloofess, and supremely glacial in his sheer indifference. His star-metal eyes had the iron glint.

He turned to Lycus.

"The Legion's standards had fallen low, obviously," Hjalbir rumbled, his voice cold and ruthless like a Skyrimese avalanche.

"Gone were the days where every nation quaked from the marching steps of the Empire's red warriors. Now... no use ruminating upon this matter, Lycus. Are you still along for this hunt or will you strike off on your own?"

[Darkness Eternal]

Lycus returned the look to Hjalbir, running his hand over his beard. He spotted Khan a few feet away walking ever so slowly and whistling jolly tune, dressed in much lighter clothing.

So, he has learned something afterall.

"Temptation has me willing to go off on my own with another capable hunter," he says. "But I might consider otherwise."

It was obvious now that the two mages would not be going. That was good. He'd rather not have those bumbling spellcasters burn the entire forest down in search for a panicking deer.

The others, however, would be going along. Lycus angled his spear tip just above his shoulder as he stood up, craning his neck back and forth to loosen the muscles. He would need all the comfort his body could offer, for he wanted to be as agile and efficient as possible. With that thought, he looked at the unarmored horse.

Khan wanted to ride to the hunt, Lycus realized.

That is something he could not do. He hadn't rode a horse since he last arrived, and the last horse was under the command of a bosmer who found a manner to tame the beast lest it sensed the true nature hidden beneath Lycus' muscled flesh. He'd rather walk than try to ride a horse. And quite frankly he was doubting to even join Khan in the hunt.

But the fruits of the trip outweight the company. He would do it for the sport, and for the food.

As soon as Khan got closer, Lycus looked over at Hjalbir and back into the forested area.

I'll oblige. Just this once.

[Rohirrim]

Khan stopped whistling and sat cross-legged on th ground. "Right then lads. What've you got on your minds? Me, I think we should skip fish and fowl entirely, but that's up to you."

[Darkness Eternal]

“We fish.”

Lycus didn’t wait for a reply. He got his spear ready, and his other weapons, and walked off into the wilderness.

Away from the inn, the road gave way to the tall forests that clothed the land; trees of pine, fir, spruce and oak. Soon it would give way to blue rivers filled with fish. The lowland yielded many other animals. It was swarming with the dark antlered deer surely grazing on the grass at this fine hour.

Lycus marched over the road and into the green forest, away from the sight of those participating in the festival.

Skip fish and foul, he says.

The savage-looking man stopped beside a large tree and crouched down and picked up a handful of dirt. He sniffed it, licked part of it and then let the remains crumble to the ground once more.

Nothing here.

The wind blew, rustling his long hair about. The sights, sounds, and smells had almost overwhelmed his senses when he concentrated. His instincts were driven by a deep visceral knowledge that prey was just about everywhere. The terrain was fine. The weather was perfect. The hour was great and the odds were not against him.

There were only two things that would work in his disfavor.

One he could find a way to deal with. The other however . . .

The wind that blew would carry his smell to the nostrils of game, and they would be long gone before he could even reach them. True, he could try and brave that possible situation by using his speed to pursue his prey. But with the Nord and the tribune, he wouldn’t raise the possibility.

The only thing he could do is mask his scent, which is precisely what he did. The average deer could smell a hundred times more than a normal man, and Lycus was no ordinary man.

He plucked a vial from his pocket, and opened the tip and poured all of the contents into his hand. He began spreading it throughout his body; his face, under his arms, his chest, his legs, his groin and his feet. The oils neutralized the scent, or at least minimized the chances of him being discovered.

The Imperial hunter pulled ferns, leaves, shrubs and dirt and rubbed it all over his body, creating a new smell that would stick to his body in the duration of the hunt. Better to smell like the native land rather than an invasive predator.

A true hunter relied not only on speed no strength, but guile as well.

The wind that blew to him carried something; the smell of prey. It told him they were in the opposite direction of the wind’s course, and thus they wouldn’t be able to smell him. The other hunters, however, might still risk being detected.

Evening came and night soon to follow. He was sure he would be camping outside in the wilderness. The other hunters were fortunate it wasn’t a full moon otherwise they’d join the ranks of the deer and boar.

The Imperial stepped further into the forest, expecting the other hunters to be following him. He took a path to a nearby stream where a small waterfall poured fresh water into a large pool.

There was fish there.

There's a herd of deer three miles from their location to the south. But Lycus didn't tell the hunters that he smelled them. Instead, he said in a whisper not to spook the fish: "There might be deer to the south. They tend to graze around that area this season."

[Rohirrim]

Khan smiled at Lycus' swift departure. "A strange beast, that one. Well, it seems that by gruff wildman decree, the planning phase is over, so I imagine we should get on the road, so to speak." He began walking alongside Hjalbir, occasionally making small remarks.

After an hour or so, they stopped. Lycus then informed them that he thought there may be deer nearby. Khan's nose soon confirmed this. He had spent nearly all of his early life scenting the beast of the Jeralls. What worried him, though, was that he could also smell the faint musk of a mountain lion in heat. "You have either very good smell or very good intuition, Lycus Dessilius. How shall we approach them, then?" Khan breathed the late summer air. It spoke to him of wheat fields golden, sunsets of orange and pink, and of Frostfall ale soon to be had. His spirit reveled in it. It was a glorious night, and Khan's blood nearly boiled with anticipation at the chase that was soon to be had.

This post has been edited by Rohirrim: Sep 10 2013, 01:25 AM

[Uleni Athram]

When Lycus left with the haste of an alpha wolf, and Khan followed after him, Hjalbir took his two bows, readied his quievers and quaked after them. Living with an infamous company of wanted mercenaries for a time, he was used to sudden bouts of rushing off to one or another. He kept pace with the two, and soon they were in a stream leading towards a body of water fed by a fall.

It was night when they got there. The other hunters, wheezing, had to rest their bodies from the gruelling pace, and a little more louder and they could've broke the sacred silence of the night.

Night.

With the stars on the sky, Hjalbir was at his element. His eyes, glittering like flecks of chipped silver in daylight, glowed like two silver balls of blue and white iron in the night, and this was the period of time when his sight was at its strongest.

He climbed a nearby tree with surprising agility for a man of his size and scouted the hunting grounds beyond.

Lycus' almost supernatural intuition and Khan's sharp nose picked the scent of the deer, and Hjlabir's unnatural starsight all but confirmed it.

"A large group, indeed," the Ginat whispered. "We will come home with a feast that would last for weeks, at the least. The only problem I see is carrying those carcasses-,"

Hjalbir suddenly went quiet and his eyes snapped into pure concentration. His eyes saw a glint of golden metal, and a pale roundabout shape that could only be a face.

When Hjalbit preened further for confirmation, that vision was gone.

Hjalbir rubbed his eyes and looked down at his fellow hunters. It could've been a trick of the eyes, after all.

"Best be careful, nonetheless. Anything can happen at anytime."

[Darkness Eternal]

Lycus agreed with Hjalbir's warning. Anything could happen. They could come across ogre territory or face an ambush of minatours or worse. He was ready for just about everything.

The Imperial hunted pulled the fish from the spear's tip and turned to Hjalbir. "Aye, there is no way to carry the game without a carriage." He turned to the other hunters. "If any man who is tired already I say go back to the Goblet before we go any further. There are carriages for rent for a cheap price."

"But," one of the hunters said, "we'll miss the hunt."

Lycus shrugged. "If you hurry, you might make it back in time with the horses doing all the walking for you."

Turning to Khan, Lycus scratched his black beard. "We'll set the hounds on them. Flush them out of the field."

He gestured toward the group of hunters by his side. "The deer will run into a single direction. Me and Hjalbir will remain in the forest just in their path of escape."

"You can chase them toward us," Lycus told Khan. "The archers in the tree can pick off the rest."

It wasn't his wisest of hunting decisions, he had better. But the number of deer were more than enough. He just hoped these men would be light-footed in their approach.

[Rohirrim]

Khan nodded. He pulled Bran beside him, and began stalking in the long grasses, until he had arrived downwind, at the herd's flank. He moved on all fours, silent as midnight. When he was satisfied in his position, he released Bran, and charged them himself. He tried to create as much confusion as possible, whooping and shouting, running parallel to Bran, leading the herd toward the others. He skidded to a halt, spent for the moment. the deer bounding down over the stream, into the woodland. He hoped the others were ready.

[Uleni Athram]

Hjalbiur had to instruct the less-adroit archers on how to properly scale their respective trees. The Bosmer archer pointed out some additional tips, all the while looking at the Giant with a mixture of curiousity and slight awe. Teaching them how to perform archery on the branches of a tree, however, was different matter altogether, for that was the province of the Wood Elves, and the one they had now was hardpressed on teaching this lot.

In the end they got the gist of it, more or less, and once the deer sprangled up into view, the volley of arrows they loosed were... more or less adequate. Hjlabir himself got a deer in the throat. The first volley cleared a third of the fleeing prey; the second one netted them several more. The third, miraculously, gave them half of the deer before they fled from their grasp.

Hjalbir jumped down and the earth rumbled a bit from the impact.

"Knives out," he bellowed to the hunters as he approached the carcasses.

[Rohirrim]

Khan had come over to the slain deer, surveying the carcasses. The men weren't trained, to be sure, but they had given a good account of themselves. Picking out a young buck, he raised his voice. "Does any man lay claim to this?" When nobody answered, he began skinning the animal. It had been awhile, and his knife skills were not what they used to be.

It took awhile, but he eventually skinned it from head to hoof. He deposited that in a leather bag on Bran's back, and cut several steaks and a haunch, which he hung from his belt with some fishing hooks one of the men lent him. He dusted his hands, then went to the stream, washing the gore from under his finger nails and his torso. He cut the antlers off, and tucked them in the bag as well. Shame he could not take the head. Well, he hadn't killed it, so he figured he and the universe were even.

He stood, and put his helmet back on. "Well, I suppose ogres are the next order of business, then?"

[Uleni Athram]

The Nord looked up from skinning the deer he killed and spied the form of Khan and Bran. He resumed his work, cutting out meats, antlers and organs and storing them, then depositing the unneeded meat inside the skin. He wrapped the skin around the unnecessary innards, shaping it like a ball and grimly smiled; it could be used as bait for particularly hungry prey or predators, and considering that they were up against ogres and minotaurs, Hjalbir reckoned it could be used as distractions.

Thus, he was like that for a while, going from carcass to carcass, demanding unneeded skins and meats for ammunition from the hunters. Some of the men protested, but eventually acquiesed to the Giant.

He then turned to Khan.

"Aye. As long as we're coordinated like earlier, we shan't have too much problems with those beasts. Lead the way, Tribune."