RWBYFanon v5
RPG World of Remnant => The Vale Region => Topic started by: Kingnoname1 on January 04, 2019, 01:33:10 AM
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As the team makes their way to their destination in a durable but hardly flashy four-wheel drive a briefing plays through their scrolls. It is read by reasonably well known Mistrali Huntsman, Sam Copper, who has more or less been given charge over the extended operation to find the Dustsmith. Sam has been trailing the Dustsmith for years now and has a considerable well of experience for the matter. He stays on the line for any questions.
++++++++++++’We think we have the Dustsmith penned in an area of several thousands of square miles. It’s smaller than was it could have been but it’s still a lot of ground to cover and it will need to be done subtly. The area you will be operating in is full of thick rolling savannah grasslands, hardy trees hardier people. They don’t like outsiders who haven’t proven themselves but that rage is somewhat justified, it’s hard to defend against Grimm in these areas so they keep their communities small hoping to slip unnoticed by the roving packs. When that fails, as it often does, they can only rely on each other. Semi-nomadic these groups slowly make their way around the savannah eking out a living and meeting up with them would be a good start. It might be worth keeping your true goals hidden, for now, pretend to be from one of the other groups instead. As well as the whole issues with outsiders I mentioned before this is a time-sensitive mission and although it may be difficult to ignore pleas for help we should try to treat the disease, not the symptoms.
As I was saying there is a large Grimm presence in the area, nothing that should trouble you guys too much but it is always worth being on the lookout for. But more importantly, of course, is the Dustsmith themselves, a confrontation is not unlikely but they are unlikely to be alone, fanatics they have recruited or constructs they have made are going to be dangerous to go up against and you are authorised for lethal force, I’ll deal with any fallout. It is also possible that the Dustsmith has gifted weapons to these tribes in return for favours, it’s imperative that these weapons are destroyed as quickly as possible, if they fall into the wrong hands there is no telling what damage they could do. I know it may seem unfair to strip these people of their weapons but they are far more likely to make them a target for far more organised threats than the Grimm.’+++++++++++++
The large but consistent hills are eaten up quickly by the four-wheel drive ensuring a relatively smooth ride. Early in the morning, the heat hadn’t picked up too much but it would become very oppressive and little relief was in sight with not a single cloud in the sky. There didn’t look like there was any life on the planes but the occasional rustle in bushes and pairs of red eyes glowing from the trees warned of the danger that lay just beneath the surface. To emphasise this not far in the distance a thick smoke cloud started rising, wrong time of day for a bonfire and even then the thick black smoke wouldn’t come from any kind of wood.
The smoke was drifting from somewhere within the search area and although it’s unlikely for the Dustsmith to remain behind even if they where there at all there still might be clues or something to make the teams disguise more convincing. Further in the distance more plumes of smoke came into view, as it became increasing clear that the situation was worse than expect and was rapidly getting worse.
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The cloaked huntsman had spent the majority of the trip in complete silence, potentially asleep. He only seemed to stir once information started coming in on his scroll.
"So in short, try to disarm any hostiles and don't let anyone know why we're here?"
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Siu wore her trademark robes, the one made of silk and that have big long sleeves, making her look just like a mage out of a children's fantasy book. It is also quite comfortable, with little airholes allowing it to 'breathe' which is consistent with the advertisements, perhaps surprisingly. There's only one problem: it is kind of very noticeable.
She did bring her other set of clothes, and those would have been just fine for blending in, and she had no qualms just changing into it on spot, but it is thicker and thus hotter and she figures this wouldn't be a short mission despite being on a clock, so conserving stamina is important.
The summation made by her teammate is not entirely accurate, but she's sure Sam will correct him on that. Instead, Siu plays her usual role of scouting ahead. "Should I send a dragon ahead to check that out?" She asked pointing at the pillars of smoke.
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When she first heard she’d be undertaking a mission alongside two fully-licensed huntsmen, Aurelia couldn’t help but be a bit excited. She’s still only in training, after all, so she jumped on the opportunity to work in the field on an actual mission like this. However, when she heard the words “authorized for lethal force”, she realized just how dire this situation might be. This isn’t a vacation, nor is she here to “shadow”. She can’t afford to be a burden here. But will she be prepared to take a life if the need arises?
The huntress-in-training shakes her head. Now’s not the time for doubts, she’ll have to rely on her training.
Clad in shining silver armor, Aurelia is also very noticeable, and that’s a huge understatement. She practically glitters under the sunlight. If Siu looked like a fantastical mage, then Aurelia was the knight to go with it. If she summoned Noble Steed, she’d probably stand out even more, so subtlety is probably out of the question.
Though, if the people of this savanna valued strength, the cavalier is more than confident she could earn their trust. Looking about, the horse faunus can see why she was picked for this mission in particular: an open plain is ideal for her style of battle. Frankly, while she knows overconfidence is deadly, Aurelia would consider herself a match for any huntsman in this environment.
Now’s not the time for hypotheticals, though, and as plumes of smoke come into view, Aurelia begins to steel herself for the events to come. ”If you can scout the area, please do. We may already be in for a fight,” she responds to Siu. In the meantime, she switches Dusk into its rifle form and scans the area for anything that might pop out at them.
She debates channeling her semblance now, but Aurelia ultimately decides to wait until the team is approximately 20-30 seconds out from the first plume of smoke. The horse is fast, but the vehicle is probably a bit faster and she’d rather not fall behind this early.
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’The main objective is to find and isolate the Dustsmith but yes if you are able to disarm and remain unnoticed it would be beneficial to future missions. Of course, if you are capable of capturing the Dustsmith here and now we won’t need future missions.’ Sam Copper responds coldly. ’Your line to me is encrypted but no encryption is perfect and even the existence of an encrypted communication line could cause suspicion so I would recommend keeping your calls back to base to a minimum. Now, unfortunately, there are other briefings I need to run so best of luck out there and keep your eyes peeled. The Dustsmith is a dangerous threat so don’t be cautious about bringing in backup.’ With that Sam’s voice cuts out leaving only the dull droning of the car and the occasional tune hummed by the driver.
’There are some thick robes in one of the cases back there, might be a bit uncomfortable in the heat but they actually do a lot to keep the hot air from reaching you as well as protecting you from sunburn. Honestly, it’s the sunburn that would dehydrate you more than sweat as well as it will also keep the sun off your armour Aurelia.’ The driver pointed out as she turned around to face the other members of their impromtu team, Aurelia could immediately recognize her. Saffron was wearing a dark blue saree (https://images.kalaniketan.com/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/B/1/B13095_13103.jpg) as well as a fair amount of gold jewellery but rather than her normal fire dust fractals to deal will Atlas’s cold there was light blue frost dust to deal with the heat. ’So I’ve ran into Aurelia before and although I’ve read both of your files it’s still polite to introduce yourself, My name is Saffron nice to meet everyone, what is everyone else's name?’ Saffron remarked as she turned back around to keep her eyes on the road. It was still reasonably open but there was no reason to take unnecessary risks and it allowed her to turn towards the smoking wreckage.
If Siu did end up sending one of her dragons out to scout the surroundings the dragon would find small pockets of Grimm in a pretty wide radius around the vehicle but they seemed to be keeping their distance for now. When it gets closer to the source of the smoke that isn’t the case any more. A caravan, former caravan more precisely had been completely guttered by the creatures of Grimm with some still stalking around the ruined and burnt out shells trying to force their way inside. The remaining Grimm forces numbered around a couple dozen and don’t look like they would put up a considerable threat to the huntsmen. Saffron does her best to accelerate towards wreck caravan unless one of the other members of their impromptu team says anything but it still looks like they would be a couple of minutes away.
’So, what’s the plan?’ Saffron asked. Normally a leader of her own team Saffron would normally be expected to come up with the plan but she was unexpectedly happy that obligation was no longer hers. With two far more experienced hunters, Saffron would be comfortable letting them take the lead even if it only looked like one of them just woke up. Obviously, she wanted to help anyone she could but her Atlas training had encouraged her to look at the bigger picture, they needed infomation. It would do more good than saving a few lives but it was going to be a difficult topic to bring up given Atlas’s negative reputation and Saffron didn’t want to add to it. For now, she kept her opinions to herself and focused on the road. The shrubbery and trees were getting more sparse leading to a mostly open forest plain.
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"Yeah. that'll fucking happen." Cerulean muttered under his breath with a smile at the comment about calling for backup before casually pocketing his scroll.
"Names Cerulean Steel." he responded to the comment from their driver. Under the asumption the scouting effort had been done and relayed he would relay his plan.
"shouldn't that be obvious? we go and help them. we're huntsmen aren't we? Also if we're lucky they could be locals and we can earn some trust."
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"Siu. Siu Ceong." She gave what the driver asked for, clear and concise. Well, not as concise as possible-which Siu noted and makes the effort to maximize information accuracy in her scouting report, which has actual significance to the mission.
"A caravan in the aftermath of a Grimm attack. packs encircle the caravan at range and then another pack hovering around the wreckage. Numbers in the dozens." Siu said as she swiped her hand upwards, directing her dragon upwards to get an overview for the Grimm composition and a guess at the origin of the convoy. That information might be useful in deciding wherever their attack is linked to anybody, especially when matched with the testimony of the survivors. If there are any survivors.
"If we're unlucky they'd be too dead to provide enough information. But just the prospect of having anyone there makes it worth going. Not only because they need saving, but also because of their familiarity with this turf. At worse, we can take a look at their remains and maybe call in the cleanup team to give them a proper burial." Siu took a guessed at Saffron's concern and spelt out an explanation hopefully convincing enough for her. Now she waits after retrieving her dragon, she can't afford to waste Aura for no reason.
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Aurelia rummages through the cases at Saffron’s suggestion, donning the robes as soon as she finds them. There’s an almost immediate difference in the amount of light as the shiny armor is covered, reducing glare considerably. On top of being able to blend in a bit better, her compatriots might be able to look at her now without squinting. ”Most appreciated, Miss Saffron” she nods in thanks.
As she listens to Siu’s scout report and the group’s intention to help the caravan, Aurelia chimes in, ”It seems we’re all in agreement. In that case, I have a suggestion. You said there were dozens, correct? That number shouldn’t be a problem for us, but it will be a problem for any survivors. It’ll take us a bit of time to mow through them all, and any time we waste means less chance of survivors. Our first priority should be to divert their attention.”
Aurelia waits for a bit to make sure that A) she hasn’t said anything the hunters disagreed with and B) she hasn’t lost anyone in her explanation before continuing, ”Of course, to divert the Grimm, we’ll need bait. That’s where I come in.”
She continues, ”My semblance allows me to create an aura construct in the form of a horse. It’s very eye-catching, and simply summoning it will probably grab a few of their attentions. My plan is to charge into the fray and force the Grimm to chase after me. Once I’ve gotten the majority of the pack to follow me, we can use both this vehicle and my mount to herd them into a small ball, turning them into little more than fish in a barrel. Any stragglers still harassing the caravan should be few in number and easily dealt with by a single person.” Her plan does pose some risk to herself, but Aurelia’s certain she can force her way through with brute strength, then keep out of harm’s reach with Noble Steed’s natural speed. Besides which, she may still be a student, but neither of the fully-trained hunters are wearing heavy armor. Thus, it simply makes the most sense that she be the one who charges in first.
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Saffron opened her mouth to respond but decided against it. She had floated the idea that they would save more people staying focused on the mission but it was clear that she was the only one, however sick it would make her feel, willing to push that to it’s the logical conclusion. Still, it didn’t seem they would be diverting too much. Not knowing exactly how Aurelia’s semblance operated, although she had seen it in action somewhat, Saffron slowed down their car a little bit and opened the door closest to Aurelia to let the horse Faunus jump out without slowing everyone else down. She was also a bit worried about Cerulean’s comments on calling for backup but if things came down to that Saffron was sure someone else with a more level head would step up.
As Aurelia got close to the ruined caravan it was clear that her mount was definitely drawing the attention of the Grimm. Howls and snarls accompanied the thunderous rain of hooves, claws and legs as a whole host of different kinds of Grimm charged after Aurelia and her particularly sparkly unicorn. As fast as the horse Faunus and her unicorn could move it only took a minute before the first of the Grimm reached Aurelia. As the huntress-in-training had said before they weren’t in large enough numbers the truly threaten her at least before the rest of them arrived and the horde knew this. Targetting the unicorn Grimm threw themselves at it with characteristic ferocity, blindly focused on bring Aurelia down to their level and pinning her until the rest of the pack could get there.
Saffron gritted her teeth as the first wave of Grimm hit Aurelia, she had seen the horse Faunus in action before and was confident she could handle herself her but it still didn’t sit right with her letting someone else risk their life and not her. ’I’ll start hemming the Grimm in from behind, how close do I need to get for every to get some hits it? I need to get pretty close myself but we could hang back further if we wanted to play it safe.’ Saffron asked holding up her shotgun/hatchets and they quickly picked up speed, racing ahead of Aurelia and behind the advancing Grimm. There were a lot of targets and it’s not like the car had any aura protection of its own but as long as the team remained focused they shouldn’t have any trouble dispatching the waves of Grimm.
Several loud blasts went off as Saffron let her shotguns bark into the writhing swarm of Grimm, ice and wind dust blossomed after each impact doing what they could to keep the horde at bay while also clearing a path for Aurelia to continue her distraction. Free from their attackers the impromptu group of hunters could see a few survivors making their way out of the wreckage, carefully watching the fight unfold to see if it was safe to stay or if they should get a start on fleeing. ’So… er… has anyone thought of a good cover story?’ Saffron asked significantly out of breath as she saw the survivors. Driving was not usually such an exhausting activity but all these hairpin turns dodging Grimm and getting into position for her own shots were taking a toll.
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Cerulean listened in on the plan presented. "Sounds good to me. I'll deal with the stragglers. I fight better solo anyway."
As the battle started Cerulean put Takif together in it's halberd form and climbed out the side of the vehicle one hand gripping Takif and the other gripping the car with his feet braced against the door.
"Forget about me for now and focus on yourself." Cerulean responded to the question about effective range. He did however put the reach of his semblance to use, an aura clone of Cerulean would appear before any Grimm that seemed to be getting too close to the vehicle and with a quick thrust of Takif would be dealt with before the clone would dissappear to reform before another foe seconds later.
As the vehicle got close to the emerging survivors Cerulean turned to Saffron. "Huntsmen who were passing through? I'm sure I'll figure something out."
With that Cerulean kicked off the vehicle and rolled in the sand, popping to his feet he made to dash towards the survivors ready to help with any Grimm still in their vicinity.
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"Then I will do coordination." Siu picked her own role as everybody else did as much. "In that case, please keep our ride from being targeted by the horde. Ten or twenty meters out should do. I trust the shotgun is still accurate at that range?" The reason being that the figurative aircraft carrier and command center should naturally be in unquestionable safety. The other reason is that the driver could clearly use some breath-catching.
As the vehicle hopefully got some distance from threats Siu summoned three dragons into existence, feeding them Dust she poured on her palm like they are her pets. Another gets sent straight out and high up in the air getting an overview of the position. She can start from there.
First is pinging everybody with her scroll to establish communication. Then she can get started on reporting Grimm presence to Cerulean, species, number and distance from survivors. For Aurelia, she can report her surroundings to her and she can decide on the best path to move around herself. She does remember that they need to actually grind the horde down, so once her dragons finish feasting on Dust they can start grinding them down.
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It seemed everyone agreed with her plan, which made things simpler. And in a crisis situation where people’s lives are at stake, simple was best.
As the vehicle approached the engagement zone, Aurelia moved to the side and started channeling her semblance. A soft glow would begin to emanate from just beside the four-wheeler, slowly growing in intensity over the next few seconds. Then, as the glow reached its brightest point, Aurelia leans and falls out of the open door. However, instead of the sounds of tumbling and falling, the group would instead hear the sound of thundering hooves and the whinny of a triumphant horse. Beside the vehicle, a glittering golden horse—nay, a unicorn—gallops alongside the band of hunters with a cloak-clad knight sitting atop its back.
With a nod, Aurelia breaks off from the rest of the team, leading the charge into the field of battle. Even from this distance, the cavalier can tell her plan to attract the Grimm had worked. The bony plates of the monsters had perked up at the light, and a few had already diverted their attention towards the charger. Underneath the hood of the cloak, a thin smile spreads across Aurelia’s face. Everything was going according to plan.
Switching Dusk into rifle mode, Aurelia takes aim at the oncoming horde and takes rapid-fire shots, hoping to thin the herd before she’s engaged in melee. As the inevitable collision draws closer, she raises her rifle high in the air and squeezes the second trigger, causing Dusk to shift again. However, instead of reverting back into saber form, the weapon extends. Through a series of clicks and whirs, the tip of the weapon crawls further and further into the sky, until finally, Dusk reveals its most powerful form—a twelve-foot long lance!
With its transformation complete, the tip of the skyward lance falls, its motion akin to an executioner’s axe falling onto the neck of the guilty. As Aurelia couches it, Dusk extends outward towards the onslaught of Grimm, the tip beginning to crackle and spark with energy as the cavalier begins to channel fire and lightning dust. Likewise, Noble Steed, too, lowers its head in preparation for the melee, its horn sparkling in the sunlight.
For a moment, all that Aurelia can hear is the sound of hooves pounding the dirt beneath her and the snarls and growls of the enemies before her. She can see the mixture of blacks, whites, reds, and yellows that make up the menagerie of monsters, as well as a collection of sharp white teeth and claws.
*Th-th-thump*
A set of hoofbeats draws the horde closer, and Aurelia can begin to make out the individual markings of red on the Grimm masks. She adjusts the lance so its tip points at the leader of the pack, a Beowolf baring its fangs as it charges at the huntress.
*Th-th-thump*
Another set of hoofbeats, and the horde draws closer still, close enough now that Aurelia can easily distinguish the shapes among the mass of black and white that spread beyond her peripherals. Her grip on her weapon and shield tighten. The battle is less than a step away.
*Th-th—
The sound of hoofbeats is overwhelmed by the sounds of battle as the lance pierces its first prey. Between the dust effects and the amount of momentum Aurelia is carrying, the Beowolf practically explodes on impact as the unicorn charges its way through the mass of Grimm, forced into disintegration before it could even get within striking distance. The lance, uncaring, continues its foray and pierces the next Grimm in line, leading to similar results.
Any Grimm that manage to slip past the lance tip is greeted by the tip of the unicorn horn, and while it may not have the same destructive power of Dusk, Noble Steed nonetheless sends black bodies flying as it hefts Grimm into the air with its own “spear tip”. Of course, any bodies that manage to slip past that still have one more weapon to face in Aurelia’s charge, and that weapon comes in the form of the four galloping hooves of a stampeding warhorse.
Unfortunately for the Grimm, charging is Aurelia’s specialty, and while Noble Steed might have taken a few nicks and scratches, and, with the timely help of the rest of the team, the cavalier crashes through the horde of Grimm and comes out the other side unscathed, the mount’s stride unabated. Of course, that was only the first phase of her plan. Using the few seconds of breathing room she had, Aurelia took a quick look around to confirm how the much of the pack and taken her bait. If she can, she’ll try and pick up as many stragglers as possible before rounding up the horde into a neat little ball.
Pulling the trigger again, Dusk shrinks back down to a sheathed sword, which the knight draws to cleave through the horde one by one as Noble Steed and Saffron’s driving corral the Grimm into a tight little ball of death.
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’Slugs are always an option and I appreciate the concern.’ Saffron responded to Siu’s question, there was an undercurrent to the Faunus’s words as she didn’t appreciate the concern, in fact, she unappreciated it… Deappreciated? Depreciated? No one else was questioned would they be able to fulfil the task they had given themselves and although Saffron was sure the Siu meant nothing by it if anything it was a kindness but it still caused Saffron to bristle silently. Or not so silently as her shotguns barked like thunder, throwing razor sharp shards of ice and great gales of wind into the oncoming Grimm hordes. It was an impressive display but there was no doubt the car would have been overrun if it wasn’t because of the intervention of Siu and Cerulean filling in the slowly appearing gaps in Saffron’s defences. The three dragons and aura clones made quick work of the Grimm horde rapidly whittling it down. ’Part of the mission is to keep a low profile if we are on the trail of the Dustsmith the last thing we want is for them to know huntsmen and huntresses are in the area.’ Saffron responded to Cerulean, having the yell loudly over the sounds of fighting.
Although there might have never been much of a chance of that. Saffron thought to herself sadly, seeing it as a personal failure on her own part. With Aurelia on her golden unicorn, a trio of dragons… small dragons but nevertheless dragons and even Cerulean’s clones were quite eye-catching among the growing turmoil. Everyone stood out not only because of the flamboyant nature of their abilities but also their skill at applying them. Quickly Aurelia and Saffron manage to press the Grimm horde together from opposite sides crushing them against each other even before they have a chance to fall before shotgun or lance respectively. A slaughter which is only surpassed by Siu and Cerulean whose strikes, in the former’s case her dragon’s strikes, left the Grimm with little option but to crumble against their might.
A cry of joy erupted from the survivors as the Grimm were completely wiped out, some looked like they would attempt to walk over to the Huntsman and Huntresses before being called back by someone out of sight. Saffron drove smoothly around to Aurelia and offered the horse Faunus a lift if she would prefer it or simply ensure that they would continue their travel together. ’So what now?’ Saffron asked. There was still plumes of smoke erupting ahead of them, which Saffron did assume was other caravans under attack, other caravans which need their help. Helping others was what huntsman and huntresses were supposed to do, as Cerulean had said, but they needed information and they needed to move quickly. Others may see it as cowardly to constantly offset the choice making responsibilities, she was the driver after all if anyone should know where they were going it should be her but she couldn’t step up to the plate…. Or wouldn’t.
If the group decided to stop at the closest lot of smoking wreckage they would find eight or so survivors scavenging what they can from the different wreckages trying to put together one working vehicle as well as saving what small trinkets they could. Despite there rather wretched state they were clearly happy to see a band of huntsman and huntresses, as who else could have dispatched the Grimm so easily, and looked willing to offer any information that could be helpful, they had precious little to offer in gratitude for their lives. If the group decided to continue on they would find the terrain slowly getting tougher and the sounds of engines accompanying the sounds of fighting and rending metal. The groups, further along, seemed to be holding out better than those the huntsman and huntresses had just rescued and perhaps could survive a little longer without assistance.
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Being close to the group already Cerulean strode up to them as they were salvaging their vehicle, though he was aware of further plumes of smoke indicating further fighting.
"Do you think you'll be ok from here on? Looks like there are other traveller's like you in need of help but I'm not abandoning you if you won't be ok alone."
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"Did you hire any huntsmen? Did they die? Well, I could ask you the same questions regardless." Siu started gathering information from the survivors.
"Are there anything unusual about this attack? Their type, numbers, location, time of day- are they at odds with what you usually encounter?"
"Do you have any idea who would want to see you in harm?"
"Heard any rumor about Grimm attacks being more frequent or more dangerous than usual?"
"You probably got this already, but remember to hire more escorts next time." Siu left a last remark after asking those questions and hopped on their four-wheeler.
"Two options. A, we go and help out each of them, but that means we won't be tracking anybody down by the time we're done. B, we head straight to the shortest plume and hope we can catch the attackers in the act."
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As the last Grimm finally falls and begins to dissipate, Noble Steed trots over to the rest of the party as they question the survivors. Aurelia merely listens as the fully-trained huntsman and huntress probe for information. If the Dustsmith was responsible for all of this, then odds were the survivors would volunteer that information themselves.
It’s only after the group separates from the caravan that she finally speaks up. ”A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. We know there are people in trouble, and we don’t know the whereabouts of our target. That’s not to mention the area we have to search in. Ignoring the plight of people right in front of us in favor of mere possibility is unacceptable,” Aurelia says, though she brings her hand up to her chin as she does so and pauses for a brief moment.
She then continues, ”However, our mission is top priority, and any deviations from that goal increases the chance our target escapes. That is also unacceptable.” She thinks for a moment more, weighing all of the options in front of her as her (and her semblance’s) tail idly flicks. She has an idea, but it carries a substantial amount of risk. That being said, there doesn’t seem to be any other way to solve the current conundrum.
With her decision made, the cavalier speaks up once again, ”I believe our only option in this case is to split up. The three of you in the vehicle can continue after the Dustsmith while I break off and assist the other caravans.” Yes, the idea is for her to run off on her own, but there’s a reason for that. ”Given what I’ve seen, my semblance is the only way for any of us to have a hope of catching up to a vehicle over the course of a long distance. Furthermore, the more civilians we talk to, the more information we can get, and the narrower our search field will be.”
”Furthermore, don’t forget that part of our mission is to destroy any of the Dustsmith’s weapons that we come across. If one of the caravanners have one, then it’s our duty to destroy it. Besides which, finding a weapon would be a huge lead, would it not?” she finishes explaining, looking to the party as she rides alongside them.
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Although the survivors were pleased enough to be rescued by the gathered Hunters and Huntresses when they returned to the wreckage of their lives which had been left behind by the Grimm there was a definite air of desperation and fatalism. This wasn’t buoyed by the questions Cerulean and Siu leapt into. ’I feel perhaps what my friends are trying to say to say….’ Saffron began trying to calm down the crowd but it was a losing battle. Grief and loss had made them vulnerable; children had lost parents and vice-versa, lovers had lost their partners and everyone’s home and only real means of survival on these open planes where left in ruins. Now, these strangers drove in barraging them with questions and reminding them to hire escorts while they were still pulling loved ones from the wreckages, no matter how reasonable these questions and suggestions where that grief quickly left through to lashing out.
’Oh no we had no idea if we had more fighting men would have given us a better chance against the Grimm.’ An old man who had forced himself to the front of the crowd called out in response, sarcasm dripping off his words as thick as the blood, dirt and tears lay caked on his face. ’Oh forgive us, mighty Huntsman, we’ll just starve because of our incompetence if Grimm or scavengers don’t pick us off first.’ The old man continued fighting off grabs from his fellow tribespeople to calm him down, no one contradicted him however and even a cursory glance to the crowd would reveal that the old man’s opinion was not in the minority. ’I sided with you lot you know, when that golden man came and said we could change the world ourselves, I said the Huntsman had always protected us before, I said life was hard but good and we didn’t want any part of his new world order and look where that got us. Where were you then? Where were you before? Where were you when...oh Chester...when they took him from me.’ The old man finished, his questions screamed at the gathered Huntsman and Huntresses but eventually gave way to loud wracking sobs as new tears continued to steal what little strength the old man had left. Collapsing to the ground, his neighbours formed a shield around him with there own bodies, it was clear the team would get no more help or answers here unless they were willing to take them.
Saffron didn’t say a word as she drove Siu and Cerulean away to meet up with Aurelia and let the poney girl finish before adding in her two cents. ’I must confess I don’t feel splitting up is the most sensible move here, we dealt with that wave of Grimm easily enough but what if the ones ahead are tougher or those with the Dustsmith’s weapons aren’t willing to hand them over so easily. That being said if you find a caravan in better condition they might be able to help those guys out, I fear that old man might be right that without transportation there is little hope for these nomadic tribes.’ Saffron added, annoyed with herself that she wasn’t really helping that much when it came to decision making. These people couldn’t be brought back like how the Dustsmith could be captured another time if they missed him here but there is no telling if that would save more lives. Still at least for now, Saffron drove them all towards the closest plume of smoke, that seemed to be the closest thing to what everyone had agreed on. It was difficult for Saffron to keep her eyes ahead as visions of what could be happening to the nomads flashed before her eyes and the review mirror showing the destroyed caravan didn’t help much there either. Out to the side, however, on their right, the thick grasslands seemed untouched by all the damage around them, no dissolving carcasses of Grimm, no burning wreckages and no heavy trail probably leading back to where the destroyed caravan had fled from.
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"real tactful" Cerulean muttered under his breath as his companion launched into a series of questions for the survivors. He then stood there and accepted the justified tirade that came from them.
"I'm terribly sorry for your loss." was all Cerulean added before leaving to rejoin his group and listen to Aurelia's plan.
"I agree that splitting up seems like the only way we can capture dustsmith and also help these people but I also don't like the idea of sending a student off on their own. At least take one of us with you."
-
Even in the vehicle, Siu heard every word the old man lauched at her. When he was done ranting, she lifted her leg, and then pointed it at the door. She do not take well being in the wrong. Not when she just knew she didn't do anything to deserve that.
And after a moment put her leg back down. Instead, she gently open the door, and walk back out to meet all of their resentful stares, and return with one of her own, flaring all over with self-righteousness.
"Oh I had all the ideas how you pepole will be attacked by an extra dangerous force of Grimm. Is it so hard to see your escorts will be as powerful as the toughest packs you expect and then some? You think this is a one-off attack? No it's not, you might think this is an isolated incident, but that is going to last."
"Nobody except maybe yourselves would think this is your fault to be attacked by the Grimm. No it's their fault." Who is meant by this 'their' is left ambiguous on purpose.
"Have we not protected you? Had your escort not stave them off for you? Did we ever say we'd leave you on your own? No. You think that golden man is doing this to you for charity? You are just pawns in his plans and you knew it." Then her voice suddenly turns soft, "We will never abandon you, we will always be here to protect you, from Grimm, from people who want to use you, even if it would take our lives to do it."
With the counter-rant finished she just went back to the group. Nodding in agreement of their evaluation, she opened the comms to Sam and requested for a clean-up team to help them to a city and cover their tracks, since she was told to use them liberally.
-
When the civilians didn’t immediately out the Dustsmith as the cause of their caravan’s destruction, Aurelia quickly realized the people weren’t going to respond well to the barrage of questions. However, by the time she realized, it was too late to stop, else she risked undermining Cerulean’s and Siu’s authority. The only thing she could do was listen as the elder ranted and grieved over his lost family and friends, doing her best to read between the lines of what was said.
Fortunately, the man, in his grief, wasn’t hiding anything. In his tirade, he revealed two important details. First, the Dustsmith did visit them, but it doesn’t seem like he was directly responsible for the Grimm attack. Second, the Dustsmith is actively attempting to recruit more people to his cause. It’s not exactly revolutionary information, but it’s probably all they were going to get out of this group for now.
Unfortunately, Aurelia was too busy compiling her thoughts to notice Siu marching back towards the civilians, and by the time she saw and half-made her mind up to stop the huntress, she had already launched into her own counter rant. Pointless. Utterly Pointless the horse faunus thought to herself when Siu finished and came back to the vehicle.
It’s not that Siu was wrong. Quite the opposite, her assessments were correct. For whatever reason, this caravan had been caught unprepared for this attack and paid a heavy price for it. If the team hadn’t arrived when they did, who knows how many more would have perished? But telling that to a bunch of grieving victims does little for their predicament, and ultimately solves nothing, as evidenced by the people’s reactions.
And, as the group leaves the caravan and the citizens are no longer in ear-shot, Aurelia speaks up, ”With all due respect, Cerulean and Siu, but the next time we encounter a caravan and need to probe for information, would you allow me to take the lead? While I make no claim to be a politician, I do have some degree of experience regarding public relations.” That was about the politest way she could think of to say “Let me handle this”, but, given the disastrous results of their first attempt, the knight felt it was necessary to propose a different approach at the very least.
Regarding the prospect of splitting up, Aurelia gestures to the back of her horse and says, ”Well, one of you is welcome to sit behind me, but I can assure you that it will be very uncomfortable.” Noble Steed is indeed long enough to carry one more person, however, the (purely decorative) barding and lack of saddle would indeed make the ride very bumpy, to say the least. If a passenger lacks horseback riding experience, one can just imagine how painful riding on (simulated) metal will be, especially at full gallop for an extended period of time.
”I understand your reluctance to let me travel on my own, but unless you have a strong distaste for your posterior or some other method of travelling at speed, I don’t see any other alternatives, unless you wish to abandon either our objective or the people in danger,” Aurelia concludes.
-
"All I did was ask if they were ok. But be my guest." Cerulean responded to the comment about the villager's reaction.
"I'll handle discomfort if it means not risking the life of a student. Besides, I've ridden on mounts before. It wasn't a horse but a Donkey can't feel that different can it?"
With that Cerulean moved to mount up.
-
[Because the party seems to have been split for the moment thread cycles will change slightly with the Aurelia and Cerulean party going Reaper->Arcus->me and the Sui and Saffron party going Sui->me.I’ll try to sign post it as clearly as possible and it should also be clear from content but if I can make it clearer or you have any questions feel free to ask]
[Everyone]
’Charity? We aren’t after free things you self rightious mercenaries. We want protection and not to be insulted when our protection fails, despite all you claim you are still abandoning us anyway, aren’t you? It’s easy….’ A younger voice yelled back quickly getting faint and drowned out as Saffron stepped harder on the accelerator as much to get them away from the crowd as to get them to their new destination. The whole experience so far had been a rather soul-crushing one for Saffron, getting information from people who had recently gone through was a precise task but seeing both the more experienced Hunters fail so blatantly was worrying, doubly so as it seemed she would have to deal with one on her own now. Cerulean had offered to join Aurelia in scouting out the other caravans to search for the Dustsmith’s weapons and clues of their targets whereabouts as well as obviously rescue any survivors they could. That left her and Siu tracking the Dustsmith with little more evidence from when they started but it was something, perhaps backtracking through the ruined caravan’s path would help them find some answers, or maybe even some survivors. ’I guess It’s decided then, take care Cerulean and Aurelia. Remember to keep in contact with your scrolls but I’m sure we’ll all meet up soon enough.’ Saffron remarked as she slowed the car down to a stop for Cerulean to get out and unpack anything he needed before Aurelia whisked him away, she even managed to sound upbeat having a lot of experience putting on a brave face before her team when she didn’t have any answers paying dividends here.
[Aurelia and Cerulean]
Departing the ruined caravan and the rest of their team Aurelia and Cerulean quickly ate up the distance towards their target. Although Noble Steed was fast it wasn’t as quick as the four-wheeler, although the difference wasn’t much, but the lack of suspension and windows would definitely make it feel much faster. The terrain didn’t change much initially regardless of how much rougher the ride made it feel until the pair made it to a thickish forest and they were once again welcomed to the sounds of fighting. It sounded a lot more balanced, with the regular and unmistakable booms of dust cannons being fired. A shell even flew through the forest and exploded at Noble Steed’s feet, not close enough to do damage but close enough to make it rear up. The roots weren’t clustered heavily enough to trouble a well-trained horse much less Noble Steed so the trees were only really a visual impairment.
As the pair of Hunters made their way through the forest it did take long to get a visual on the Grimm horde and the caravan it was attacking. It was clearly more deadly than the previous wave with several large Beringel’s taking the place of Beowulf as the core of the horde. As such the Grimm were using the surrounding trees to great effect; using them for cover from fire, stealth to assist their approach as well as leverage to throw themselves even higher on top of the fleeing wagons. But regardless of their strategy the Grimm were all kept at bay by a single cannon built into the truck playing rear guard. There was someone sitting behind the gun, locked into a linked cockpit with the weapon and the speed, rate of fire and power of the weapon was unlike anything the pair of hunters had seen of that size. It had gotten to the point that the Beringel had started looking for easier targets and the blazing golden steed wasn’t exactly hard to see through the green undergrowth. Five split off from the rest of the horde to bring their fury hard against the intruding Hunters, to use the tree to their advantage these Grimm would be very difficult to hit until the got close and each started the fight by throwing themselves at their targets and flailing around once they landed.
[Siu and Saffron]
It took a short while for Sam to respond and by that time Siu and Saffron had already driven a far distance away. ’Understood Huntress Ceong, we’ll see if one of the other teams can swing by and check up on them but… nevermind it’s not relevant. Best of luck out there,’ The veteran Huntsman replied briefly before cutting off communication completely, although he was clearly pleased to hear the team was making progress he clearly didn’t relish the idea of spending even more of his resources rescuing this tribe. It would be a long time driving before anything more interesting happened and Saffron had more or less accepted to let the time pass in awkward silence, she hadn’t been able to get a good read on the older woman but there was one question that her thoughts kept coming back around to and it got to the point that if she didn’t ask she felt like she might explode. ’So...er, sorry but… why did you act like that? Surely you didn’t think you were going to defuse the situation. Like…um no offence and everything but just trying to get in your head, if we are going to fighting together we should get a better read on each other.’ Saffron asked softly, not taking her eyes off the road.
There was a reason beyond Saffron not wanting more of a confrontation than her question would broach in isolation for which she kept her eyes in front of them. The terrain had gotten a lot rougher, rocky outcrops and still burning wreckages surrounded them and Saffron had to keep dodging them to remain on course, following the tracks of the destroyed caravan. Keeping a trained eye on the burning wrecks for survivors Saffron wasn’t able to see anything promising and the telltale claw marks of Grimm punctuated the carnage. The caravan had clearly been running for a while before the eventually succumbed which did seem strange to the two Huntresses, being caught while you rested would be normally but for a Grimm pack to manage to keep up with a caravan over long distance suggested something strange afoot.
Regardless of the increasingly dense wreckage and rocky outcrops, Saffron managed to get herself and Siu to the start of the trail. It would have been an impressive structure intact but it was clear that while some of the Grimm had chased the fleeing Caravans enough stayed behind to destroy the rocky fortress. The walls looked naturally formed reinforced by thick stone bricks, some of which still remained including what looked like a keep or central building looked mostly intact. The ruined fortress looked deserted although that didn’t mean much, both Grimm and scavengers liked to hide in darkness to ambush their prey and to Saffron at least there didn’t look like there was another option than to Saffron parked their car out of sight from the fortress and turned to Siu. ’I think we should at least give it a look before we call the others. What do you think?’ Saffron asked as she performed a basic weapons check on her shotguns. You can never be too careful.
-
If you had eyes, you wouldn’t have needed to ask she mentally scolded Cerulean. Maybe she’s being a bit harsh; checking the status of survivors is fairly standard in crisis scenarios. But considering the scale of the damage to both the population and the caravan itself, it just came across as a dumb question to ask. Still, she keeps her thoughts to herself, as Cerulean has acquiesced to the horse faunus’s request to handle diplomacy.
That doesn’t stop Cerulean from getting a face full of aura-simulated horse tail as he compares the knight’s unicorn to an ass, which earns quite the indignant snort from said Steed. That being said, since he’s dead-set on accompanying her, Aurelia helps him up on to her mount behind her. And as they begin to set off in different directions, she responds to Saffron, ”Will do. If you find anything, let us know.”
As Noble Steed races through the savannah, Cerulean will quickly find himself in more than a little discomfort. Much more. It’s not due to any purposeful action on Aurelia’s part, by any means; it’s simply due to riding a horse without a saddle. And since his only way of securing himself is holding onto Aurelia or the back of her saddle, his seat bones feel every single step along the way. He should be thankful for the existence of aura, otherwise he would feel very numb in the nether regions.
At the very least, they still make good time as Noble Steed dashes through the savannah into a forest, where the two soon here the sounds of battle and the snarls of Grimm. A stray cannon round blasts the soil in front of them, and Noble Steed was forced to rear to avoid the blast. ”Looks like they’re still putting up a fight,” the knight commented as she urged her mount onward.
It was only a short while later before they saw the battle itself, and while the resounding cannon fire assured her the civilians were still fine for the time being, the forces they were up against gave her great cause for concern. ”We’ve got Beringels!” she warned her passenger as she neared. Beringels are much tougher opponents than Beowolves and Ursae, It’ll be a massacre if they get to caravan. Fortunately, whatever weapon they’re using seems to be keeping them at bay.
Because of the cannon, though, a few of the Grimm decided to look for another target, and the glittering, golden unicorn stands out amongst the greenery. ”They’re coming!” she shouts at Cerulean, slowing down the construct slightly to combat speed, adding a bit of maneuverability and agility in exchange. It will also give Cerulean an opportunity to hop off to either fight or try to move closer, if he so chooses. He’ll almost certainly stand out less than the cavalier and her shiny semblance.
In the meantime, Aurelia tries to gauge how many of the Beringels are coming at them as well as guess when they’ll finally leap from the trees to strike. When the first monster jumps out to strike, she kicks Noble Steed back into a full sprint and makes a sharp turn to avoid the impact. At the same time, Aurelia draws her sword and reaches out with her free hand to a tree as she leaps from the saddle. Using the trunk of the tree to redirect the momentum from her unicorn, she spins around and launches herself right back at the Grimm, aiming for a brutal stab with Dusk at the creature’s head before kicking away.
However, that move was simply to get the Grimm’s attention. As she lands and dons her shield, she forces the Beringel to turn it’s back on Noble Steed, who is in the process of looping back around to set up a charge with its horn at full speed. She only has to defend for a few seconds before her semblance crashes into the Grimm. Even if the charge doesn’t kill the beast outright, it will almost certainly knock it to the ground, where it will face a combined, relentless assault of sword thrusts and hoof stomps until it dissipates.
-
Cerulean simply grunted as an annoyed spectral unicorn whacked him in the face with it's tail and mounted up, opting to grab the back of the saddle to secure himself.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The ride was more unpleasant than Cerulean was expecting, he figured his riding experience would have helped but the big issue was the lack of styrups to help keep balance.
It was probably worth the pain though as all hell seemed to break loose around him. Cannon fire and Beringels. Time to go to work.
Cerulean opted to remain on Noble Steed's back utilising Takif's Halberd form to try and deal with any leaping Grimm. Catching one coming at them Cerulean raised Takif in an attempt to intercept the path with the wide blade and simply allow the grimm's own momentum to cut it in two upon the blade.
This effort however was interrupted by the horses sharp turn causing the Beringel to miss but also Cerulean's attempt to counter it.
"Dammit." Cerulean barked out at himself for missing his shot as he moved to turn his attention forward and saw that his companion was no longer there and the unicorn was seemingly traveling unguided.
With this in mind Cerluean quickly moved forward in an attempt to take the reigns and bring it back, only to find the unicorn wasn't following his efforts to steer it at all.
So much for that plan then Cerulean thought to himself grimly as the unicorn turned and charged a Beringel on it's own.
Not one to miss an oportunity cerulean decided to use the momentum to his advantage pointing Takif forwards like a lance hoping to let the horses momentum carry the blade straight through the Beringel's midsection, unaware that an ally was on the other side of it.
-
[Aurelia and Cerulean]
Finding their initial attack missed its mark the Beringels quickly spread out to cut off any chance of escape as well as maximise the effectiveness of their numbers. The simple but effective displays of tactics common among the more advanced forms of Grimm still had it’s vulnerabilities however as the solitary Beringel advancing on Aurelia was in turn quickly surrounded by the Noble Steed and Cerulean. From the combined might of Aurelia’s semblance and the older huntsman’s lancing thrust crashing into it’s back, the unlucky Beringel was thrown forward, possibly crashing into Aurelia if she didn’t move. The Beringel was heavily wounded, thick black smoke exhaled from its wounds and it let out an interrupted whimper as the attacks collided but it was still alive and still hungry. Slowly the wounded Beringel tried to wrap it’s huge arms around the two Hunters trying to pin them in place and crush them under its still impressive strength.
The other four Beringel weren’t idle however and had collapsed tight around the pair forming a solid line wall of Grimm flesh between the Hunters and safety. Two had claimed large sticks from the forest around them, another a large boulder and the last still only relied on its hell given claws and fangs. Approaching quickly the Grimm feel upon Aurelia and Cerulean regardless of how effective the wounded Beringel had been in snaring the two up and let loose a crushing volley of attacks not at all slowing down for their fallen brother. From the distance, cannon fire can still be heard and the sounds of cheering, the caravan was still in healthy condition. Indeed at the moment, the caravan seemed like it was in a much safer position than Aurelia and Cerulean.
(So I’ve been in and out on the idea of providing battle data for npc fights so I guess I should ask you guys if you would find it helpful to have a more explicit summary of how each enemy is looking, what weapons they are wielding, what actions are they taking as well as guesstimations of their damage?)
-
"Yeah, I get what you mean. I never really intended to diffuse the situation. I... just didn't want to be put in the wrong. Unprofessional, isn't it?" Siu answered Saffron's probe into her with a self-deprecating but accurate answer.
With the snap of a finger, three dragons are conjured at in front of her. This is one of those situations she has practiced countless times before. She can just do this still sitting in the car, she obviously prefers to just scout into the construct just like that, but she still needs to coordinate with her squadmate first. "Simple plan, we figure their layout out then see if we need to call backup, call Cerulean or just clear it out ourselves."
(Yes, absolutely. Without that scouting is pretty useless lol)
-
Aurelia wasn't planning on Cerulean staying on her horse, considering it would only follow her commands, but she does see him as she mentally commands her mount to turn around and charge the first Beringel. Since she knows when the attack is coming, she easily dodges out of the way of the stumbling monster as it crashes forward from the impact. It looks heavily wounded, but it's still kicking.
Unfortunately for it, that wouldn't be the case for much longer. As the Beringel reaches out to try and pin the hunters down, Aurelia shouts a quick warning to Cerulean to hold on before Noble Steed rears up. Beringels may be big, but the unicorn is bigger, and the hooves come crashing down on the Grimm's skull, hopefully putting it down for good.
In the meantime, though, the other Beringels have moved to surround the three, some of which had armed themselves with weapons in the forms of branches and boulders. They needed to get out of there. Thinking quickly, she hopped on to Noble Steed's stirrup, landing on Cerulean's foot, and wrapped an arm around the horn of the saddle. "We're breaking the encirclement!" she shouts at her partner as Noble Steed's muscles tense. The next instant, the Beringels begin their charge, and Aurelia forces her semblance to respond in kind. But before they clash, the unicorn leaps into the air, up and over the monstrous Grimm. With her shield at the ready, Aurelia braces for impact from the branches, holding on to her semblance for all she's worth, doing her best to keep her mount from dissolving itself.
Unfortunately, she can only block one side, and the other branch smacks into Noble Steed's head, doing significant damage. It's face is now cracked, and gold light peeks through the scar on the armor, demonstrating the barding is simply for show and nothing more. Still, it's still standing for the moment, and while the attack did damage, it did little to deter its course, and as the construct landed its hooves races across the forest floor to put a bit of distance between them and the snarling beasts. "Any ideas? it'd be one thing if we only had to deal with one at a time, but I've never seen them en mass like this before," she asked Cerulean.
-
[Sui and Saffron]
Defusing the situation is part of our role as Huntsman, Grimm are attracted to emotion and therefore calming people down reduces the Grimm threat in the area. That should be our number one concern even beyond specific mission parameters and professional ethics. Saffron thought to herself in response to Siu's answer. Her partner took fault to some degree so there didn't seem to be any point to continuing to voice her complaints but there was something in the casualness that took Saffron off guard. Being from Atlas she didn't have much experience with Hunters and Huntresses but she always imagined them a more idealist version of the Specialist core, a path she would never choose but a path she understood. It's just one interaction with one person, not enough to make judgements. Saffron reminded herself before shaking the thoughts out of her head. It was clear that Siu didn't want to talk about it any more and focusing on it anymore from her end would only damage their team dynamic.
Nodding as Sui explained what she thought they should do Saffron mostly agree but simply asked a few clarifying questions. 'If it's not too personal a questions will you be aware enough of your surroundings when you are scouting the complex out? It seems to me that splitting up and me taking the exterior and you the interior would be the most reasonable, if there is a trap inside we only lose the dragons but anyone outside might need to be dealt with more... smoothly.' Saffron tried to put as diplomatically as possible. Sui's dragon drones would definitely have the edge on her in raw speed and surveillance capabilities but in stealth, they are still sorely lacking and their annoying buzzing sound was already getting on her nerves. Saffron waits patiently for Sui's response as she lets her drones fly off, from a distance the sound isn't as bad and they were fast enough that Saffron hoped anyone present would dismiss it something to do with wind blowing off the various destroyed buildings.
Manoeuvring through the keep Sui quickly found it was more expansive than she was probably expecting. Not only was their underground tunnels dug through the hard rock but the entire structure was made up of these large rooms clearly designed to be a meeting place more than a fortified position. All over the familiar sights of claw marks and dried blood covered much of the rooms but no bodies, someone had been through here to try to clean up or at least pay respects to the dead. Given the amount of blood, it must have been a big job. The before mentioned underground tunnels had some sort of carved wood trap door blocking the tunnels but they had been torn away. The pitch black of the tunnels may or may not be difficult for the drones but it wouldn't be an issue for long. Not long after the tunnels flatten out they end in a series of large imposing metal doors free from the scratch marks which litter their surroundings.
-
"Uhh, I would prefer if you are here to guard me. I'm not completely drawn to my character's feed, however if someone approached with stealth I'm not confident I can spot them."
Siu reports her finding with her dragons as she searched, "Big, empty room. Blood stains and claw marks everywhere. No bodies. There's an underground tunnel... Still blood claws and lack of bodies... and we hit a dead end with no claw marks somehow. Big metal doors." Siu reported in earnest.
"Looks like we can just stroll in ourselves. Unless there are people still hiding outside, which I can try to lure out with the Dragons. Can you please help me with that?" So now she needs help.
-
Hearing the call to hold on and lacking anything else to grab Cerulean gripped the saddle tightly as Noble Steed reared back. Keeping his grip he shifted back as his companion mounted up. As the mount went to break the encirclement Cerulean decided to thrust his weapon downwards and get one last shot in as they went over. A blade wedged in the shoulder of a Beringel did however make it hard to remain in the saddle and the force of his weapon effectively kept him in place as the mount went on without him. Despite losing his companion he still yelled some instructions to her. "rally with the caravan. Remember why we're here!" Leaving the front end of Takif embedded in the Beringel Cerulean hastily pulled the rear blades from the shaft and smiled to himself. "Now this is more my speed." He stood ready for whatever was going to come next.
-
[Siu and Saffron]
Saffron was a little surprised that Siu insisted that she stay around to guard the older huntress as she piloted her drones. She supposed it made sense that focusing on your surroundings would distract you from however the visual information was relayed and vice-versa. Nodding Saffron stepped out of the car quietly, she wouldn’t be doing either of them any favours in the close confines of a car and kept a sharp eye out for any intruders. There wasn’t any she could see. Nodding along as Siu reported back her findings Saffron had to bite her tongue so she wouldn’t ask questions before her partner had finished their report. It was an unusual experience for Saffron, not being able to see the flow of information herself and it was frustrating getting everything second hand on top of basically having nothing to do. ’So the door could have been replaced since the attack, but if the caravan we ran into was fleeing from the attack here that wouldn’t give however is behind all this much time for repairs.’ Saffron suggested quickly, although it was clear from her downward cast expression upon further thought she didn’t think very highly of that idea upon rethinking about it. ’Or maybe they managed to hold the Grimm off from the door… or maybe the door was left open to allow survivors through.’ Saffron continued suggesting more ideas but clearly not happy with any of them.
‘But yea we can think about that stuff later, I’ll go on ahead as I’m probably the less conspicuous of us two.’ Saffron remarked as she pulled her thick cloak around herself and flipped the hood up over her blazing red hair. Now covered almost entirely by the brown cloak Saffron looked very similar to the survivors of the caravan Siu had seen as she set off positioned low to the ground, dashing from cover to cover. Saffron’s eyes kept frantically searching for any clues she could find but she still tried to limit her movements to avoid attracting attention and moved smoothly when she had to. As well as searching for clues with her eyes Saffron kept a sharp eye out and even took breaks to smell(?) the air as she leads Siu through the ruined keep, gesturing her partner to follow whenever she felt it was safe. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around but out of the corner of her eye Saffron and Siu could see a shadowy figure out of the corner of their eyes but whenever they got to where they thought they had seen it there was nothing other than soft sand. ‘There doesn’t seem to be any electricity or other signs of human activity above ground here or… people… but there is something off here. I think there is something out there.’ Saffron reported back clearly a bit shaken, her eyes looking down clearly searching for something.
‘Whatever it is it’s stalking us, I think it’s looking for a chance to strike when we are alone. We should move as a pair from now on, it’s already seen us so stealth isn’t that important now. I’m not sure if that means we should continue though. Saffron continued as she set herself up for the combat that was probably about the come, temporally stripping herself of her cloak Saffron placed several armoured plates across her body which all expanded to a full set of armour. Recovering herself with her cloak Saffron drew two of her hatchets and held them lightly in her hands as she walked towards the keep. If she was being honest with herself Saffron was desperate for whatever was out there to show itself as the fear of the unknown was starting to get to her. Force the fight on your terms. Identity. Analyse. Neutralise. Saffron repeated Atlas strategy maxims in her head. Saffron was clearly trying to use them both as bait to draw this new foe out as it was clearly not looking to engage straight away so the best Saffron could think of was ensuring the most advantages position when the fight inevitably erupts.
[Aurelia and Cerulean]
The small whine as the fallen Grimm starts to collapse into black ash is quickly overshadowed by the remaining Grimm roaring loudly as Noble Steed matches their charge crouching down low to maximise the crushing impact of their sheer weight. It was all for nought however as golden unicorn managed to clear the Beringel with considerable ease as the ape-like Grimm lowered its position. That was not all of its worries however as Cerulean’s blow hits home, his crescent blades slicing cleanly under the Grimm’s armoured shoulder plating leaving the creature injured but not dead. Having quickly broken the encirclement the four surviving Beringel’s resort to hurling whatever they can at Aurelia, Cerulean but most of all at Noble Steed resulting in a mass of dirt, tree trunks and boulders being flung at the three in quick succession.
Using the resulting chaos as a distraction two of the Beringels sort to outflank Aurelia and her semblance by using their superior mobility in the semi-dense forest to get around their targets. Just as before using their massive arms to swing through the branches these two Beringels catch up to Aurelia and lunch towards the huntress in training while in mid-air roaring loudly as they did. Cerulean, on the other hand, was left with the other two Beringels, including the one he had injured. They advanced slowly keeping up the barrage until then got within arms reach of Cerulean and continued trying to pummel the hunter into the dirt. Out of sight, the sound of cannon fire fell silent leaving the only sounds of snarling Beringels filling the forest.
Battle Data
Enemies
Beringel 1: Health, Leaping at Aurelia.
Beringel 2: Health, Leaping at Aurelia.
Beringel 3: Health, Advancing at Cerulean.
Beringel 4: Health, Advancing at Cerulean.
Attacks
Barrage of debris: 10% at all targets.
Mid-air collision: 8% at Aurelia.
Ground pound: 10% at Cerulean.
-
Aurelia cursed under her breath as Cerulean was knocked from her horse, but, on the bright side, she has her saddle back. That being said, his instructions did not go over well with the knight. What, and leave you on your own? Not a chance! she thinks to herself. That being said, she's in too much of a bind to actually be of much help at the moment.
The Beringels start chucking whatever they can find at her steed, forcing Aurelia to focus her efforts on dodging. Fortunately, Noble Steed is no slouch when it comes to agility, and it has the outright advantage in raw speed, so evading the debris is more than doable. Unfortunately though, falling rocks and branches aren't the only thing she has to worry about, as two of the four remaining Beringels have climbed back into the trees and started swinging themselves from branch to branch in order to catch up with her and her steed, their powerful arms providing the locomotion necessary to catch up with the unicorn's raw speed.
Thinking quickly, she sheathed her sword and pulled the trigger to convert Dusk into rifle form and flipped the switch to feed lightning dust into the rounds. Trying to aim while simultaneously dodging debris is a bit of work, but if she can trip up one of the Beringels mid leap, it'll make her life considerably easier. Taking aim at the beast to her left, she waits for it to make another jump to another branch before taking a shot. It probably won't do very much damage, but that's not the point; Aurelia's hoping the force of the impact and the accompanying dust will throw the monster off balance and force it to crash to the ground, thus stopping it from continuing its barrage of debris and create an opening to escape once the other Beringel makes its move.
And make a move it does. The Beringel leaps out at her, forcing her to bank left to dodge. Hopefully, her plan works and the other Grimm is at least temporarily incapacitated, but if it isn't, she'll have to project an aura shield to protect her mount and keep from being knocked off herself.
Regardless, while she may be doing a good job of avoiding damage for the moment, she's not in a position to return any significant damage, and she won't be able to keep up this deadly game of dodge ball forever. She needs a way to put these Grimm down fast without exposing herself to danger, but unless they stop moving, she's gonna have a hard time doing that. She spares a quick glance in Cerulean's direction to check on his situation, only to see the other two monsters advancing on him slowly while pelting him with their own debris.
wait, slowly?
Aurelia spies an opportunity as Noble Steed's bank becomes a U-turn. She pulls the second trigger on Dusk, causing the rifle to begin shifting into its lance form, and begins barreling back towards Cerulean, aiming to take out one--if not both--of the Grimm attacking him. Honestly, she couldn't have setup a better opportunity if she tried, she just hopes she bought enough time from her own pursuers to get the lance-charge off.
Combat Data:
Aurelia: 85%
Noble Steed: 15%
Dusk:
Rifle Rounds: 9/10
Fire Dust: 15/20
Lightning Dust: 14/20
Ice Dust: 20/20
Attack Log: 1 Lightning Dust round at the Beringel on the left flank, preparing a lance charge.
-
Cerulean couldn't really do much against a barrage of debris except cover up and try to be a small target. However, he could do something as they reached him and swung, from here he could do a lot. He opted to take advantage of his semblance. As the swing came Cerulean hopped slightly into the air and under his feet appeared the arms of a clone who lifted and vaulted him into the air above the Beringel's swing just as the swings crashed down and destroyed the clone, causing it to explode. With his first clone destroyed Cerulean was open to create another, which he did. That clone appeared in the air above Cerulean who rotated in mid-air to meet his clone foot-to-foot. Bracing for a moment Cerulean and the clone kicked off each other sending the real one hurtling back towards the ground, Cerulean twisted once again to be facing upright as he impacted and slashed down the healthy Beringel's chest with the momentum of the fall. Barely pausing he turned and lashed a kick into the wedged portion of Takif intent on using the leverage to rip the weapon free and hopefully deal a lot of damage in the process.
Cerulean Battle Data
Aura level: 90%
Clone explosion, both aggressive Beringels.
Falling attack, healthy Beringel.
leverage kick, Beringel with weapon embedded in shoulder.
-
[Aurelia and Cerulean]
Luck was with our huntress-in-training as although Aurelia's fire bounced off harmlessly from the thick bone plating of the Beringel, the two Grimm who had tried to catch the horsewoman alone crashed into each other as she banked left. For a few precious moments, Aurelia was without her demonic escorts and it was just enough for her to right noble steed and set off on her charge just as an outstretched paw stanched out behind the knight. Cerulean, on the other hand, had managed to trade well with the two Berignel's, the combination between the clone exploding and the fully-fledged huntsman wrenched his weapon free finally felled the creature. Even as the red lights faded from its eyes and it started to dissolve quickly into nothingness it's pack mates seemed to impossibly grow even more furious with the mostly healthy Beringel roaring and rearing up for a massive downward smash.
Only to be intercepted by Aurelia's charge. Lance hit hard bone but the sheer force behind the blow pushed it through into the Grimm's soft flesh. Managing to keep itself balanced as the Grimm's immense mass quickly managed to absorb the impact of the charge the newly pierced Beringal lowered it's head to be in line with Aurelia's and roared loudly in her face, showing the knight with a red liquid probably best left to the imagination followed by a chomp. The wounded Beringal's arms tried to wrap around both Aurelia and Noble stead to keep them close for the Grimm's coming feast.
Cerulean wasn't ignored either, however, the remaining two Beringal's who had been chasing Aurelia had seen the hunter kill one of their fellows and they were quick to try to avenge it. Learning from the moves Cerulean had already shown one went high and another low with their massive arm span outstretched hoping to limit the hunter's horizontal movement before stomping down hard with their feet curled up into fists. They weren't going to stop there, however, regardless whether they hit or missed the Beringal's would then launch themselves up into the canopy, watching the unfolding situation for a time with the home ground advantage if anyone tried to attack them.
Battle Data
Enemies
Beringal1: Health, Watching Cerulean for the canopy
Beringal2: Health, Watching Cerulean for the canopy
Beringal3: Health, Currently impaled on Aurelia's lance and trying to bite her head off.
Attacks
Chomp at Aurelia: 8%
Double stomp at Cerulean: 16%
-
Aurelia clicked her tongue when her bullet bounced off the Beringel, knowing that her best chance to avoid the pincer attack was rendered futile. Still, she wasn't going to do nothing, and as the Beringels make their move, Noble Steed sticks to the plan and banks left. In the meantime, the knight prepares a shield of aura with her hand ready to at least deflect some of the coming onslaught.
However, luck seemed to have other plans. The Grimm, mostly mindless beasts that they were, did not seem to accommodate for Noble Steed's agility, and instead of slamming into Aurelia, they instead slammed into each other. That bought Aurelia the precious time she needed to get away and prepare her charge. Pressing the trigger on Dusk to switch forms, she galloped straight for the beast about to try and pummel her companion as Cerulean takes down a Beringel of his own.
Just as the lance fully extends to its 12-foot length, Dusk collides into the bone plating of the monster, shattering it and impaling the Grimm's soft flesh. However, the monster's hardiness goes beyond its thick armor, as evidenced by its continued existence despite Dusk literally running it through. It's weight forced Aurelia to lower her lance, which only helped the Grimm line its mouth up with her head. The creature let out a savage roar, splattering the knight with viscera and gore, before going in for a chomp as its arms try to wrap around both the knight and her Noble Steed.
Unfortunately for it, Aurelia's armaments don't stop at Dusk. Instead of finding helmet, the teeth of the Beringel are batted away by Dawn, Aurelia's shield. At the same time, Aurelia begins feeding lightning and fire dust into the lance. As the lance becomes energized, the constant stream of electricity courses through the Grimm as well, causing it to lose control of its limbs. That's not all, though. The heat from the fire dust would quickly boil the insides of the Beringel, causing its body to expand as its insides heat up. For a few seconds, the Grimm would experience excruciating agony as the dust concoction works its magic. Eventually, the energy running through the creature will overwhelm it, causing it to pop like a balloon. Aurelia almost feels sorry for it. Almost.
Combat Data:
Aurelia: 85%
Noble Steed: 15%
Dusk:
Rifle Rounds: 9/10
Fire Dust: ??/20 from 15
Lightning Dust: ??/20 from 14
Ice Dust: 20/20
Attack Log: Blocking the Beringel's attack, feeding lightning and fire dust into it until it pops (however much is necessary).
-
The moment his weapon was free Cerulean snatched it up and was ready to keep going, good thing he had too as the Beringel's removed his opportunity to dodge by penning him in and attacking from above. That's my move. he thought bitterly as he Brace Takif's staff on the ground with the blade up in order to catch the Beringel's feet before they came crashing down on him. When they jumped up into the trees he was thankful for the space back and immediately capitalized by creating a clone behind him. That clone then held Takif's staff like a Javelin and through it at one of the two Beringels as hard as he could in the hopes of catching it with the wide front-facing blade and have the flying weapon act like a sideways guillotine, regardless of whether the weapon connected the clone would dissapear shortly after the attack
-
[Aurelia and Cerulean]
The Grimm Aurelia was fighting had little choice other than taking the full brunt of the knight's assault directly. It's attacks deflected and it's armour pierced the Beringel let out a loud howl that quickly died as it's insides filled with dust. In a living target, their insides would be immediately destroyed by such exposure but the Grimm was not conventionally alive, maintained by dark energy, and despite the massive damage, it had sustained it kept up its assault at least for now. Aurelia's shield was hard pressed to keep the creature's maw getting any closer as it repeatedly beat down on the knight's defences each movement sending shockwaves through Aurelia's shield arm. Unfortunately for the Huntress in training, the Grimm had other avenues of attack. Its huge black arms reached up and sort to wrap up Aurelia's head into its strong grip. The Beringal's body had been filled with so much dust that the combined electric and fire dust was spilling out of its mouth onto Aurelia's shield and Noble Stead below but still, the creature kept coming.
Once again the forest was rife with the sound of cannon fire, far more rushed and regular than the pair had heard before but it wasn't something Aurelia and Cerulean had to deal for long as after the sounds of a larger and far less controlled explosion the forest once again fell quiet except for the local conflicts. The two Beringel's watching Cerulean from the trees howled as the final explosion erupted and it sounded almost gleeful. Almost casually swinging around the branch they where holding on to the Beringals managed to easily dodge Cerulean's javelin and even catching the weapon as it sailed above them.
With that those two Beringals departed through the canopy towards the sounds of the explosions, leaving the Grimm fighting Aurelia to fend for itself. If the departure of its fellows bothered the creature much it didn't show it if anything it only served the enrages the Grimm further leading even more strength to its already furious blows.
Battle Data
Enemies
Beringal1: Health Fleeing towards the caravan.
Beringal2: Health Fleeing towards the caravan, holding Cerulean's weapon.
Beringal3: Health Impaled by Aurelia but doing ok all things considered.
Attacks
Crushing Grip around Aurelia's head: 10%
Spewing Dust(eww) over Nobel Stead: 6%
-
With the Beringel impaled on her lance, there's nothing it could do to avoid the onslaught of the dust pouring into it. Its demise is only a matter of time at this point. However, so long as it persists, it's free to do as much damage as it pleases. And since one of Aurelia's hands is busy holding up the lance while the other is holding the shield keeping the beast's maw at bay, the cavalier is likewise unable to stop the Grimm's attack.
Despite being impaled, electrocuted, and boiled from the inside all at the same time, to the point that it is literally vomiting dust onto her semblance, the Beringel tries to mash Aurelia's head into paste with its meaty hands. Despite the situation, she can't help but admire the creature's resilience. That being said, she isn't going to let it have its way for much longer if she can help it.
With what vision she has left, she looks for something to ram her opponent into and crush it once and for all, and spies a particularly thick tree. Noble Steed, in accordance with its summoner's whim, charges toward it at full speed, seemingly unaffected by its slowly shattering form. As it grows ever closer, Aurelia braces for an impact her prey can't possibly see coming and rears back her shield just as the Beringel rears its head back for another attempted bite. At the last second, Noble Steed swerves hard to slow itself down while preserving as much momentum as possible for the attack.
What follows are X collisions: the first is the lance tip against the tree, which results in splinters going flying as Dusk impales the tree like a hot knife going through butter. The second is the Beringel's back against the tree, which causes its limbs to jerk back as inertia catches up to it. The third collision is the the Beringel's head against the tree. At the speed it was going, if it had a skull it would crack under the force of the impact. Unfortunately for it, the Grimm's head faces another collision. This time its Aurelia's shield flying into the Beringel's face, as she returns the favor and tries to crush its head between Dawn and the tree.
Finally, there's the last collision: Due to Noble Steed's own momentum, it and Aurelia also collide into the tree. Aurelia (and Noble Steed) was braced for it, as it was part of the plan, but nevertheless the knight slams into the bark, causing a bit of damage to return to both her and her semblance. It was a small price to pay to finish off the Grimm, but it had to be paid, nonetheless.
Combat Data:
Aurelia: 70% (10% from Beringel, 5% additional from ramming tree)
Noble Steed: 7% (6% from Beringel, 2% additional from ramming tree)
Note: Noble Steed looks like a sculpture about to fall apart, multiple cracks with light shining through
Dusk:
Rifle Rounds: 9/10
Fire Dust: 12/20
Lightning Dust: 11/20
Ice Dust: 20/20
Attack Log: Ramming the Beringel into a tree and crushing its head between a literal rock (her shield) and a hard place (the tree)
-
The reaction of the Grimm to the sounds of explosions did not inspire much hope and the Grimm leaving to the new group painted a pretty clear picture to Cerulean that the nearby groups defenses were starting to fail and the fear was drawing every nasty thing in the area to them. Dammit. Time to make a call. A quick glance to his companion revealed that she was handling things pretty well and with that a decision was made. Cerulean broke into a run to follow the fleeing Grimm. They would likely lead him to the most desperate group and hopefully he could inspire enough hope to make them less of a magnet for Grimm. As he broke into a run he leaped into the air and once again a clone appeared beneath him to vault him into the trees. As Cerulean gave chase the clone turned and nodded to Aurelia before dissapearing.
-
With a roar, the Beringal Aurelia was fighting finally succumbed to its injuries as the monsters head was crushed under the knight's furious attacks. The other two Beringal quickened their pace through the forest, using their massive arms to avoid most obstacles by swinging tree to tree the Beringal were able to keep ahead of Cerulean or even Aurelia and Noble Steed as they joined the chase. Luckily the Grimm were hardly quiet and their snarls and growls could be heard even when they themselves couldn't be seen which were occasionally accompanied by more volleys of debris. The growls and even the chase itself wouldn't last for long for as the Beringal's found the caravan a duo of blasts rocketed out and then a high pitched whine and then nothing as the Grimm were dissolved by cannon fire.
As the Huntsman and Huntress-in-training move to investigate the blasts and the caravan, in general, they find it in much better condition than the last caravan they had passed. No obvious fatal casualties and teams of people working to restore functionality to their vehicles. The largest team by far was working on the singular large cannon. A great golden weapon with various animals carved all around still gleaming in the fading sunlight despite the mud and grime which almost complete encased it. This was obviously the weapon which had been laying waste to Grimm including its latest two victims Beringals who were fleeing the Huntsman as much as they had been attracted to the fear of the Caravan. Although given the destructive powers at their disposal perhaps the fear wasn't that justified.
Even looking at the people it was rather clear the people were dealing with the attack better than the last caravan, no wailing or accusatory stares and the Hunters approached and instead they were more or less welcomed with open arms. 'Hail, you must have been what drew those blighters away long enough for us to get the cannon back and running again. She may look pretty but she can take a beating apparently but... maybe not that much of one.' A loud female voice boomed out of the crowds working on repairs who quickly parted to allow the woman space to move towards Aurelia and Cerulean. They did need a fair bit of space, she was a very large woman with messy black hair, dark skin and eyes hidden behind a heavy visor who was carrying as much fat as muscle and plenty of both but the scorch marks on her heavy clothing and grime stains throughout her hair and skin made it clear she was as hard at work as the others before the Hunters arrived. 'I am Elder Rose and despite our circumstances, we are still obliged by our ancient customs to offer travellers welcome, travel with us for a bit. The blighters have stirred up a real tempest and it's no time even to be travelling in pairs.' Elder Rose called out again not quietening her voice as she continued to walk closer to Aurelia and Cerulean, that maybe just be how she talks.
-
There was definitely a bit of relief when the form of the Beringel began to dissipate into mist, but Aurelia doesn't have time to dwell on it. Retracting Dusk back into a sword and sheathe, she wrenches her weapon free from the tree and whirls her semblance around to assist Cerulean with the remaining two Grimm. However, it seems he's handling himself quite well, forcing the beasts into a full retreat. Well, they were either retreating or heading to--
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the forest. To be more accurate, she finally noticed that a particular sound had disappeared while her attention was focused on the fight in front of her. The caravan! she thought worriedly, driving the crumbling unicorn into a gallop as quickly as possible. There's something else that can draw Grimm away from a fight, and that's an abundance of negativity. If the caravan's defenses fell and panic set in, then--
Aurelia's shocked out of her thoughts again by a thunderous duo of blasts, and she watched as the Beringels she and Cerulean were chasing after were obliterated in short order. Stunned, she unconsciously slows Noble Steed to a canter, then to a trot, then finally to a simple walk as she closes the rest of the distance to the caravan. They're fine? she can't help but wonder to herself. The caravan undoubtedly faced a larger threat than the pair of Hunters did, yet the number of casualties seemed to be minimal, if not outright zero.
Yet, despite seeing it, she still had trouble believing it. Taking down a single Beringel can be an ordeal on its own: they're fast, they're strong, and they're durable. They're not like the standard Creeps and Beowolves that can be killed in one or two shots and only dangerous in numbers. Yet this caravan managed to fend off--nay, kill an entire troop of them.
Aurelia's eyes were drawn to a gleaming golden light, which revealed the apparent source of the cannon fire that resounded through the forest only moments before. Looking at it, the only word she could think to describe it was "beautiful", even caked as it was in mud. Was that it, though? Only one cannon fended off all of those Grimm? She recalled how quickly the Beringels floated through the air amid the trees, easily outpacing even her semblance. And yet, a single cannon nailed both of them one after the other, killing them in a single shot. That's not technically an impossible feat, but it's still...
"...Incredible," Aurelia mutters softly. Too incredible, almost. She recalls what Sam had said at the mission's start, that the Dustsmith may have gifted weapons to some of the caravans. Wordlessly, Aurelia pulls out her scroll and (making sure the flash is off) takes a photo of the weapon and sends it to Sam with a quick message.
ALumen: Please tell me this isn't what I think it is.
It was then that she heard a booming voice amidst the crowd, and she turned to see a large woman approaching them. Looking to Cerulean and giving a quick nod, Aurelia retracts her helmet and has her semblance step forward. "Hail," she begins, using the same greeting as her counterpart, "We're just glad to see your people managed to get out of that relatively unscathed."
After Elder Rose introduces herself and makes her offer, Aurelia quickly responds. "A pleasure, Elder. I am Aurelia, and this is Cerulean. We appreciate your offer, however, as you said, the Grimm have been rampaging across the savannah. Unfortunately..." a brief memory flashes in her mind, the sight of the previous caravan, torn asunder by the horde of Grimm, "your caravan was not the only one attacked. There are others in need of aid, and we can't afford the luxury of safety right now."
"That being said, we're severely lacking in information. This may be a bit direct, but could you tells us everything that happened before the Grimm attacked?"
-
Keeping to the agreement he made with Aurelia, Cerulean opted to let her do the talking and instead begun patrolling the immediate area, keeping an eye out for any more potential attacks or signs of other caravan's in need of help.
-
Rose was clearly annoyed at Aurelia's refusal and muttered something under her breath about young people and how they don't respect the old ways. She almost immediately turns around to head back to her caravan but stops when she hears Aurelia ask a question, with a long drawn out-breath turns her head to respond, to Rose Aurelia may have shirked her responsibilities as a guest but that doesn't mean Rose could shirked her responsibilities as a host. 'We were having our Tribesmeet, a gathering of all the caravans to discuss things that affect all of us, important that shouldn't be discussed through communicators. There were... arguments... disagreements... emotions rose. Next thing we know the blighters are there in numbers we had never seen before, held them back for a night but we knew we wouldn't survive another.' Rose began, physically sagging as if the retelling of the story leeched her energy away. A younger man came out of the crowd and unfolded a chair for Rose to sit in. She did so in a huff as if to imply she didn't need the assistance at all.
'I don't know which caravan tried to make a break for it first but I don't blame them. Not only because I think anyone of use would have done the same if we had thought about it first but they didn't get very far but they did create a gap so us coming after had more of a chance. It didn't take long for the blighters to catch up with us but thanks to a few recent upgrades we got at the start of the tribesmeet we got out. But like I said the roads have gotten more dangerous since then, so tell us where you are going? Perhaps it is on our way and these lands have seen enough blood for a while. Rose finishes with another heavy sign, there is a distinct aspect to the exhaustion which Rose is experiencing which Aurelia and Cerulean quickly recognize, her aura is completely drained.
There is no response from Sam at least for the moment.
-
Aurelia listened quietly and respectfully as Rose told her story. This may be the biggest source of information they'll get on this mission, and Aurelia wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by. That being said, it was clear that even retelling the tale was taking its toll on the elder. In order to put her more at ease, Aurelia dismissed her fractured and crumbling Noble Steed, so that the two may converse on equal footing.
On the surface, the story was, frankly, relatively mundane as far as Grimm attacks go. A large group of people with negative emotions flying about attracting a horde of Grimm that they're unprepared for is not necessarily an uncommon tale to hear. There may even be a few students at Beacon who went through very similar experiences. However, leaving Rose's story at that would be terrible investigative work, and there's more than a few discrepancies that need to be addressed.
The biggest discrepancy is the timing of the attack. This "Tribesmeet" was a scheduled event taking place at what Aurelia would assume to be a preordained location. If that were the case, then the caravans would have most likely had preliminary patrols around the area to wipe out the Grimm. If they did that, though, then there shouldn't have been any Grimm in the area, and any attack should have been seen from miles away in the savanna, which would have given the tribes plenty of time to evacuate. Yet instead, they were overwhelmed.
Then there's another timing issue: Rose said the caravan received upgrades at the start of the meet. While she didn't exactly say what those upgrades were, but after glancing over the great, golden gun, Aurelia could probably hazard a guess. Furthermore, Rose specifically attributed those "upgrades" to her caravan's successful survival. That's really convenient timing, as far as Aurealia thinks.
Aurelia recalled the last caravan and the elder's words as they departed. That group hadn't accepted the gift of the "golden man", and they were nearly annihilated. Yet this group had survived, relatively unscathed at that, and they had something the other caravan didn't.
Could the attack have been staged? If the Dustsmith knew about the Tribesmeet, it's theoretically possible. He could have offered his weapons to the tribes, posing as a benevolent force, and stirred up controversy. That controversy could fuel negative emotions and resentment, which would draw the Grimm. If a massive horde came, then the caravans who didn't have the proper firepower would get wiped out, while the ones that accepted his "gifts" would be spared. It'd be an incredible way to ensure loyalty, as it would both wipe out opposition as well as ensure the loyalty and continued support of those who accepted his gifts. After all, they wouldn't have lived without his interference.
Of course that theory has a few holes in it, namely how the horde came into existence. She can only hazard guesses at the moment, but perhaps further examination into Rose's story might yield more insight.
"Could tell us more about what happened during the Tribesmeet? A horde of that size is generally drawn towards large amounts of negative emotions. Most of the time, its the fear of the horde itself that draws them, but from what you've told me, it was something else that called them," she asks the Elder, carefully considering her words. Aurelia is concerned with the origins of the Grimm attack, of course, but her true objective and mission is still apprehending the Dustsmith and the destruction of his weapons. If her suspicions are correct and the Dustsmith was at the Tribesmeet and was the source of the unrest that drew the Grimm, then perhaps she could figure out which other tribes took the Dustsmith's "gifts". Of course, asking about the cannon outright might tip them off, and that's not a hand she wishes to play just yet.
When asked about their travel plans, Aurelia responds, "We intend to travel to the next plume of smoke, where another caravan may still be fighting the Grimm. I can't exactly stop you from travelling with us, but I can hardly recommend it. Even I can tell that last battle exhausted you."