Destiny Doesn't Wait Pt. 2 [Travel/Open]

[Ikki Ko]

Genkaku Kousei, although more commonly known as Ikki Ko, made her move through the desert of Kaze no Kuni. The wind whipped her long blonde hair, causing it to frenzy behind her, and occasionally around her as well. Typical of travel traditions, she was dressed in a blue T-shirt with the action movie star Maeda Zelos on it, and a pair of faded blue jeans with black sneakers. Long sword at her left hip, quiver of arrows on her back with her bow, and bag full of various goodies, she was ready to travel. Grenades that stunned, burned, stung, and even smoked. Darts for minimal damage to buy some time, binoculars with x-ray, even two auto-injectors that contained nothing. She had her maps, caltrops, special concussion arrowheads, as well as exploding tags and a ritual book that she still had no idea what to do with it. A couple large flagons, one filled with Stiltrassa, and a medical unit that she left with Kenjiro; she couldn’t carry that around in her field pack.

Whistling a little tune, both hands on the straps of her backpack like a kid walking to school, Ko made her way toward the Kuma no Kuni. According to her map, that was the best way she was going to get to Tsuchi no Kuni. According to the markings on her map, the place had a fairly diverse environment, and it was fairly wild with a single city. She would need to follow the river that ran through Kaze no Kuni to the branch and then go left, following that branch into Kuma no Kuni, and from that it would lead her to Mitsubachi. She had no idea what the city would be like, tucked in the mountains like that, with a population of mostly individuals with Kekkei Genkei, but perhaps she would learn more about her own self as well. Her only lead had been a record that her father had spliced DNA with something called an Airontoku, although she had never seen another. She hoped she was not the last. Reaching the river, she crossed over to its west bank, then began to follow it north and northwest as it wound, heading toward Kuma no Kuni.

{Move to Bear}

[Christoff]

*Moved to Bear*

[Madame Loki]

link

It seems that you have arrived in the middle of a snow storm. How odd, it makes no sense for such weather here. You will need to find shelter, quickly, before it get's too bad. You may need to wait out the freak snow storm before you can move on.

(You can take it from here, or I can make things more interesting for you. There isn't any guidelines for how to handle this situation.)

[Ikki Ko]

(You have full creative license on how you want to run these Random Rolls, so feel free to make it as wild as you would like. The real posting will begin from here. haha.)

The Land of Bears, where crazed animals roam, and a vapor the retards the senses can be seen lulling about the hills and valleys. It is though this dangerous land that Ikki Ko must travel, wits at high alert, if she is to make it to the Iron Citidel. She will need to keep her brain from being addled, at least as much as possible without a mask, and so she rips cloth from her shirt bottom to wrap over her mouth and nose. Just in time it seems, as the snow begins to fall, or better, begins to blanket. A better tracker than most give her credit for, she begins to search the ground for animal prints that will lead her toward a cave, looking only for the bigger prints that would take longer for the snow to bury [Tracking: 35].

[Madame Loki]

With the snow building, it was a simple matter to find some tracks in the snow. The print you find is rather large and clawed. However, you really don't have much choice, but to follow it if you want to get out of the snow before the storm hits in force. Will you follow the tracks or try you're luck searching for another, less imposing print to follow behind. You still have a little time before the storm hits, but not much. What will you do?

[Ikki Ko]

Wind and snow whipped about her in a maddening frenzy, growing in fury with every passing moment, and she knew that soon the complete white hell of a full blown blizzard would come crashing in around her. Yet young and keen eye picked out the tracks in the snow with ease, perhaps too much ease, but it did not matter. Something large had moved to escape the blizzard as well, making its way through the land, heading toward its own type of shelter out of this frozen evil. Ikki Ko made the only choice she could make, considering her age and circumstance, and followed those menacing tracks toward their den. She would not, however, go there unarmed, pulling the bow from her back and an arrow from the quiver. Who knows what fresh hell would await in that underdark? Without a knowledge of it, her body began to heat as well, protecting her from the cold, increasing her temperature little by little so that she would have complete reflexes unhindered by that stopper known as snow. [Temperature Control: C- Rank]

Temperature Control
Rank: C, B, A
Skill: Supplementary Ninjutsu
Effect: Allows the user to effectively control their body temperature.
Special: ---
Drawback: Skill rank must be one below, or higher than the jutsu rank desired. Ex: A B rank may learn A rank temperature control, however a C rank may not.
Description: Upon reaching the age of 5, all children of the Airontoku are taught the basics for manipulating and controlling body temperature. A key essential for all members of the clan, such a technique has various stages which allow higher temperatures to be used. Both B and A rank are strictly reserved for those who enter the military however. At C rank, the user may control his or her body temperature only to twice the average human body temperature. (97.6 degrees F., aka up to 195.2 degrees F.) Upon entering the military, they may be taught B rank which allows use other more offensive techniques (3 times the average human body temperature). Only the most skilled are able to master A rank, which opens a wider variety of techniques (4 times the average human body temperature). The higher the mastery, the higher placed in society one is considered.
Limit: Must be of the Airontoku

[Madame Loki]

The prints that you follow will eventually bring you to a cave. It is a glorious sight, and looked pretty sturdy enough to protect you from the in coming storm. However, the closer you get to the cave the louder the sounds of low growling become. Whatever is inside, you can not see, nor can it see you. This could turn from a promising situation, to a very deadly one. Stay on your toes young one, there's not telling what could be wait for you inside. Hopefully it would be something you could handle.

[Ikki Ko]

Breathing. Deep and heavy breathing, the kind from something big, and more than likely the owner of those footprints. [Observation: 33] There were a few things that she could tell just from those footprints themselves and the size of the yawning mouth of the cave. The first was that this creature was bigger than she was, maybe twice as big, which could be a problem for her to take down but made the bow the best choice. The second was that it had claws and claws like those always meant fangs, so it was more than likely a meat eater, and she was definitely meat. The last was that it was land based, because if it wasn’t, then it would not have left tracks all the way to a cave. Beyond that, though, she was completely left in the dark on how this creature might function. She could not see into the cave and, as far as she could tell since she wasn’t fighting for her life, the creature could not see out of the cave to her; at least not yet. She pulled out one of her Stun Grenades [1/3], but did not pop it, placing it in her mouth so that she could access it quickly should she need to. Attempting a light step, she made her way forward, hoping the snow didn’t crunch too loudly and aiming off to her right hand side of the cave to try and get a better look.

[Madame Loki]

As you get closer, your obversational skills are not good enough to hear, or see the creature approach from the cave's darkness. On the other hand the creature seemed to get a clear view of you from the shadows. It sprang out of the cave and stopped at it's edge. The light from the sun lighting through the snow filled sky, revealed it's form, as it bellowed out a roar. You would know be able to get a clear look at it. It was a Cave Bear. It was use to tropical temperate climates, not this snow that had come out of no where.

He stares you down, and lets out another mighty roar. He knows why you have come, and he is not willing to share his den with you. One of you will be safe in his cave, the other? The other will be dead in the snow. The bear snorts, and growls, seeing if his roar would be enough to drive you away. He is not use to this weather, and with the storm approaching, he is not willing to go further out into the snow. 


Cave Bear

SPOILER: Click to show

Bear, Cave
Rank: "C"
Type: Uncommon, Large, Animal
Effect: Similar to common bears, but dwells primarily in caves. Powerful claws and jaws, to protect itself, and kill prey.
Special: Preparation: --; Duration: --
Drawback: ---
Description: Bears come in many varieties and dispositions in the world. From Omnivorous Black and Grizzly bears to the large, carnivorous Polar Bear and the monstrous Poisonous Bears of the Swamplands, these creatures are not for the faint of heart. With dense fur protecting them from the elements, powerful claws protecting them from other animals and mighty, fang-filled jaws protecting them from starvation, bears are the true rulers of the animal kingdom. Cave Bears are larger than grizzly bears, but smaller than Polar bears. Their fur tends to take on a reddish-brown tint. They also have long, sharp claws and are some of the most ill tempered bears in the World. With a claw strike they attack doing 21 Armour Points of Damage, the Cave Bear can also hug for 16 Armour Points of additional damage. Caves will continue to fight 1-6 melee rounds after being brought down to Dying condition. Cave Bears are quite aggressive and are willing to attack well-armed parties without provocation. Cave Bears are found in caves in tropical and temperate zones.
Yields: Bear pelts are worth.
Diet: Omnivore; Intelligence: Semi; Activity: Day; Alignment: Neutral; Organization: Family; Number Appearing: 1-2; Region: Forest/Grassland/Hill/Mountain; Identification: Average; Cultivation: Average; Skills: ---; Innate Abilities: Low-light Vision. Scent. Natural Armour +7.
Limit: Must know Animal Lore for Forest/Grassland/Hill/Mountain Regions. 50% chance in finding.
Cost:

[Ikki Ko]

Ikki Ko made her way toward the cave as smoothly as silk, yet it had not been enough, although that had never occurred to her. From the depths of that wretched darkness the beast had watched and waited, until she was at least some twenty meters from his home, and then had leapt out at her. Anti-climactically, the beast had fallen short of a leap and it had been more of a hop, stopping at the mouth of the cave, the miniscule light revealing to her the form of a bear. Huh. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, considering this is the Land of Bears and everything. Its mighty roar peeled through the trees and landscape, yet it did not charge, as Ko had been expecting; which diminished a great amount of fear that had been rising. It seemed to be avoiding the snow, keeping away from the powder, although it really wasn’t as bad as she had heard it could be. While she felt a bit sorry for the creature, she absolutely needed that cave before the snow showed her exactly how bad it could get, and so there was only one way she was getting it.

The Stun Grenade was forgotten in her mouth for the moment as she brought the bow to bear, on the bear, and knocked an arrow. Aiming the bow directly at her foe, she drew the arrow back, prepared to fire. Releasing the arrow directly toward the creatures face, as close to dead center as possible, and it was very possible, Ko knocked another arrow and fired again. She repeated thise two more times after that, releasing a total of four arrows in rapid succession, taking time to aim each one, which was trivial from this distance. The first had been aimed toward the dead center between the eyes of the large bear, but the next three had been placed a bit more outside of that area, aimed for the shoulders and the beasts back. The cave itself would provide the perfect bull’s eye outline, making shooting her target all that much easier and at this close distance, the wind would not be much of a factor at all. Doubtful was she of bringing the bear down so easily with these shots, but perhaps she would scare it out, or even show it who was boss.

Bow, Recurve: 80 lb. Draw (Overview)
Rank: "B"
Type: Main, Marksman, Bow, Recurve
Effect: A Tier 2 Bow. A bow with the tips curved away from the Archer to give strength for range while reducing the size.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: A recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is strung. By definition, the difference between recurve and other bows is that the string touches a section of the limb when the bow is strung. A recurve bow stores more power and delivers energy more efficiently than an equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a greater amount of energy and speed to the arrow. For that it may not have the exact range increment that of a longbow, however the size is significantly reduced, and thus may be used in Mounted Combat while still delivering the bow at a long distance. The Range Increment of this Bow 30 is meters.
Limit: These types of items may be bought inside any Hunting Shop.

[4/70]Arrow (Overview)
Rank: "C"
Type: Secondary, Weapon, 10 per Quiver Slot, Arrow
Effect: A shaft sharpened at the front and with feathers or vanes at the back, shot from a bow as a weapon or for sport.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Picture An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. An arrow ranges between 18 inches to even 5 feet. However, most modern arrows are 75 cm (30 in) to 96 cm (38 in). The Range Increment of an arrow depends on the 3 parts that make up an Arrow. Every Arrow must have 3 part: an Arrowhead, a Shaft, and a Fletching. The Range Increment Adjustment with this item is dependent on the 3 parts.
Limit: These types of items may be bought inside any Hunting Shop.
Cost: 1,000 Ryo per Quiver Slot, or 100 Ryo Each

[Madame Loki]

The Cave Bear let out a roar, as it saw the arrows drawn on it. It instincts told it that this was the moment. As she fired off the first bow and Bear swatted the arrow away, and then began to charge at the young girl in front of her. It's mighty body shuffled awkwardly through the snow. The Next to bows their mark, and caused the bear to fall over and slid in the snow. It's slide would come to a stop several fight in front of the archer. The Arrow that went in through it's back, would have pierced it's lung. You could here the labor in his breathing as the his lungs filled with fluid. Basically drowning on his own blood the creature would not give up.

It would try to bring itself up to it's feet as blood dripped from it's mouth. The shoulder that was hit, was injured and could not fully bare the weight of it's great size. It would try to wobble it's way over towards you, to use whatever strength it could muster. It tried to swipe, but it's vision had already began to blur, and it had not relieved it was still several feet from you. It's swipe would miss and it would fall to the ground into the snow. It was not dead yet, it would not die for several more minutes. It's low gurgled growls would indicate the pain it was in.

[Ikki Ko]

The first swipe had surprised her, the bear proving more intelligent than she had expected, and it brought a pang of guilt to her that would stay with her always. Even so, the beast was dangerous, as the charge toward her had proved after another mighty roar. Ikki Ko would stand her ground as the bear rushed, confident in her ability, and she was rewarded as the creature fell and slid to a gurgling halt. Still it fought on, a powerful gladiator, and she gained much respect for the creature in that moment. Even while it was dying, unable to even pull itself up and blood dripping from its mouth due to filled lungs, it still tried to fight her. What could be in that cave that it was fighting so hard to stop her from seeing? Pulling her blade free after placing her bow on her back, she moved in and performed a coup de grace while keeping clear of those swiping claws, aiming to put the bear out of its misery by pushing to point of the blade through its skull. This would feed her for a long while yet. If successful, as it should be, she would move toward the cave next, knowing that the cold would keep the meat from spoiling for a time. Once that was cleared, she could pull the bear inside and begin to harvest its meat.

[Madame Loki]

The bear would be put out of it's misery, and you would be free to enter into the cave without much trouble. Inside of the cave you would find the Bears' din, with a freshly killed stag inside. It would appear as if the beast was simply guarding it meal to take it through this strange bout of cold winter. Regardless, you had find yourself self a safe place to ride out the snow storm, and between the Bear and Stag meat, you had plenty of food to get you through the storm. There was still a little time before the storm would hit in force, it should provide you enough time to hunker down.

((OOC: You can proceed how ever you like from here. This random encounter is complete.))

[Ikki Ko]

It took a small bit of effort, but she managed to drag the bear inside, having found only the dead stag in the cave itself, and marveled at all of the food she had. As she did not possess a field knife, she began to work on the meat with her blade, cutting the hide away from both animals as the storm hit in full force outside of her cave. She found it odd that it was so warm in the cave, but thought nothing of it for the most part, simply setting to work removing the antlers from the stag and then the good meat from each carcass. Once she had the meat, she used one of her darts to shave the salt deposits from the walls of the cave, salting the good meat in preparation to be cooked and preserved. Using the bones of the animals and some sticks and leaves randomly strewn about the cave, due to the bear dragging its kill in, she began a fire to cook the meat. The smell was mouth-watering, but she could not start in on it yet, or she would get sick. While she waited, she sharpened her blade again with a whetstone her father had given her, making sure to take special care of his blade, and her thoughts traveled to him just as she traveled toward the Iron Citadel.

Houkou stood next to her, although he was Sora at the time, and without a full control of the new and yet old body he was given. They sat before a fire and he held out the blade in both hands, presenting it to her the night before he was to leave on his own journey, and she hesitated to take it from him. It would mean that she might not see him for a very long time. “Take the blade, Kousei,” Houkou said, “It will protect you as it has me. Besides, it is one of the few gifts I can give to you.” She took the blade from her father then, with trembling hands, as he had told her to do. She could never tell him no, just as he could never tell her no. It was then that she vowed to take care of it until she could get a blade of her own and return his, the blade of her other father long dead. She never thought it weird to have two biological fathers and only one biological mother, but neither did she ever tell anyone. Life was strange, she guessed, and stranger things could be happening all the same, so why worry about something so minor. That morning, her father was gone, but she did not cry and just made her way from Kusa no Kuni. It was time to find her heritage.

The meat had finished cooking, the smell of it drawing her from her thoughts, and she removed it from the fire. Making strips and salting it again, she placed the jerky in her travel backpack for safe keeping, as well as the hide of the deer, the antlers, and the hide of the bear. Once she reached town, she would have these made into something for her, new clothing for colder climates and perhaps a hunting knife out of the antlers. Since the blizzard would probably rage throughout the night, she drifted to sleep by the fire, the light sleep of a hunter and survivalist ready to spring to action at any unfamiliar sounds. The cave was warm and cozy.

[Ikki Ko]

Stealth
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: The user is skilled at avoiding detection, allowing the user to slip past foes or strike from an unseen position. This skill covers hiding and moving silently.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Action Needed: Usually None. Normally, the user makes a Stealth check as part of a movement, so it does not take a separate movement; however, using Stealth immediately after a Ranged attack (see Sniping) is a movement. User can hide, move silently, create a diversion to hide, hide behind creatures, and snipe. If the user has 25 Skill points in Stealth they may reduce the Stealth penalty from sniping by 25. If the user has 50 Skill points in Stealth; Stealth check penalties for moving quickly are halved including the ability unlocked at 25 Skill points, moving at full movements, reaching concealment after creating a distraction, and etc. Each time learned user gets 1 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

[0/5]

She couldn’t sit around at the entrance of the cave forever, hoping for it to thaw out, so it was time to move. Ikki Ko turned the opposite direction, deeper into the cave, and gazed into that darkness. It seemed that the cave moved downward, further into the earth, but that was the only direction in which she could follow, so she took a breath and began to move forward.

[Training]

Ikki Ko crept along the path down the cave, slowly, letting each footfall caress the grounds first before placing her weight. Every step deliberate, silent, as she peered through the darkness. She made sure to hug the cave wall, but not to touch it with anything more than her fingertips, hovering in stealth lest something in that darkness hear her. A steady decline let her know she was continuing downward, her hands questing the walls let her know the path was narrow, and she moved softly as she crept, ever so softly. Where was she? Where could she be? No sounds. The most powerful beasts stay in that darkness.

Down and down and down again, darkness her only companion, silence her only champion. Not a breath escaped that rasped, not a sound escaped that scrapped the earth, but only the soft pad of her sneakers. That padding, she could hear it pounding in her head almost, echoing in that black expanse, filling that miniscule hallway. She tried to silence it more, to step lighter, to glide, but she was not so skilled. Not yet anyway. A bit of rock chipped away from her fingertips, grazing the walls, and it clicked like explosions down the rocky barrier to her right. She cursed in her head, hoping nothing woke up.

[Ikki Ko]

Stealth
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: The user is skilled at avoiding detection, allowing the user to slip past foes or strike from an unseen position. This skill covers hiding and moving silently.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Action Needed: Usually None. Normally, the user makes a Stealth check as part of a movement, so it does not take a separate movement; however, using Stealth immediately after a Ranged attack (see Sniping) is a movement. User can hide, move silently, create a diversion to hide, hide behind creatures, and snipe. If the user has 25 Skill points in Stealth they may reduce the Stealth penalty from sniping by 25. If the user has 50 Skill points in Stealth; Stealth check penalties for moving quickly are halved including the ability unlocked at 25 Skill points, moving at full movements, reaching concealment after creating a distraction, and etc. Each time learned user gets 1 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

[0/5]

[Training]

Slowly but surely, the decline began to level out, becoming flatter ground and easier to tread upon. Her feet tried to glide, but she struck the stone earth hard with a loud thud, her foot placement poorly chosen, as the ground bulged just a bit before her. Another curse in her head, or was it under her breath, too loud to tell, to silent to know. Her hands could not feel the wall any longer, groping in the darkness for purchase, but it would seem the hall was widening. Soon she would be in an antechamber, moving slowly but ever forward, quiet and soft, she knew this to be true. Just how far would this cave go? She would have to sneak the entire way in order to survive.

The chamber opened wide in the darkness, but it wasn’t really darkness, as there were things clinging to the rocks glowing. Slowly, softly, she crept into the chamber, careful not to disturb the rocks or soil that was within the cave, less those loose pebbles cause her undue duress. This chamber was wide, too expansive to see the other side, and riddled with holes and long crevices that clearly meant that she was in a room of natural bridges of a sort. Softly she tread up to the largest central bridge, her footfalls making as little sound as she could, but what she saw was absolutely a shock…

[💀]

+10 tp and +14 sp

[Ikki Ko]

[Hunter Heritage Trait: +1 per die roll]

Observation
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: This skill focuses certain powers of observation - sight, smell, hearing, and touch.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Can be learned by an Animal. A failed check indicates that the character is oblivious until the thing is pointed out to him. This skill is important for ferreting out advancing enemies or ambushes, generally real-time events and actions occurring, versus scrutiny, which covers static objects or areas. A Game Master may roll an Observation skill check for a Character any time there is an NPC, monster, event or happening that a character might notice, even if he did not specifically state that he is monitoring his surroundings. Characters are capable of noticing any event within their perception. Observation reveals only facts, not motivation. Each time learned user gets 1 die roll to increase the skill. If you are Schooled in Anthropology you gain a +10% synergy bonus with Observation checks that involve noticing disguise checks.
Limit: ---

[0/5]

[Training]

As her eyes adjusted to the glow, she began to use them to explore the antechamber, and what she saw both amazed and terrified her. Observing the bridge first, she found there to be handguards, carved out of the stone, but ornate with rope between the posts. She began to count them until they vanished into the darkness, nearly twenty, all of them the size it would take for a normal human sized person to reach over and grab the rope perfectly. Both sides of the bridge was like this as well, moving out into the darkness, and it meant that something lived down here. Something at least human-like.

Perhaps it was old, the rope worn away and aged like those ancient artifacts that her father would find on occasion, and that would ease her heart a bit. She got closer to the rope, leaning forward to observe the hemp, see how worn or old it may have been. To her dismay the rope was rather fresh, perhaps only a year old, with the wear of only a few strands frayed in any given location. Who could have been down here to do this? The thought made her skin crawl, but that wasn’t the only thing that did. No, it began to send shivers down her spine when she noticed the tracks in the fine rock dust. They led deeper into the darkness, but she would worry about those in a moment, first she would have to find out what those glowing things on the walls were that lit the room in a strange, glow in the dark green.

[The Bearer of Bad News]

+5 rolls inc

[The Bearer of Bad News]

narutoforumrp.proboards.com/post/1030109/thread

+3