[closed] INTO THE WOODS.
At Ramir's request, Hellboy has accompanied her into the jungle, looking for clues as to this rising cult of Ryba. It's dangerous stuff, cults, particularly when those cults have a penchant for sacrificial mutilation: missing villagers can only spell disaster for the recruits themselves down the line, so it's best to nip this in the bud as quickly as possible.
Hellboy is worried about the missing half of their team, but until the storm dies down, there seems to be no better way to pass the time than walking around in creepy jungles looking for possible cannibals.
THE RESCUE.
After Hellboy's warning and the necessary preparations, it's time to rescue King and Ramir -- and as many captured Nalawi as you can. The camp is by one of the largest estuaries on Pu'ulai, camouflaged by native flora and hidden in the shadow of the volcano Nalalona. The cultists have removed King and Ramir's magitek jewellery, but the tracking beacons are still active, making it easier to find them than without.
The well-hidden camp is creepy, filled with ramshackle tents and poorly-made effigies. There's a pool in the middle of it all, filled with brackish, murky water. Ramir, King, and a small number of terrified-looking Nalawi are all bound, kept on the far side of the camp.
The cultists are all dressed in hooded black robes, doe and stag alike. They are all without their Gifts, but that does nothing to temper their ferocity at intruders into their camp. Despite their diminutive size, they know the forests better than any ALASTAIR recruit, and are suited to blitz attacks on any would-be rescuers; they may pop out of the underbrush in small, seemingly endless waves. They also have sharp hooves and the stags' horns are dangerous, capable of goring anyone who doesn't get out of the way of a charge.
The cult is surprisingly large, so it may take some time to defeat them all. Whether you want to spare them or destroy them is up to you -- but it's clear that the cult has no plans for mercy whatsoever.
EXPLORATION.
Now that the cultists have been dispatched (one way or another), the camp is free to explore.
If any cultists are captured for questioning, they'll speak in gibberish and violently lash out at anyone who comes too close. The only thing they'll say that makes any sense is that Ryba is hungry -- Ryba the devouring one has eaten all the lesser gods in the world long ago, and now she needs more.
All around the camp are various effigies (poorly crafted from dried kelp), shark's teeth, and other junk of the sea. There are tents scattered around that may be explored; they are filled with mundane paraphernalia such as books, combs, and other trinkets of sentimental value. If one didn't look at the horrors outside the tents, it might be confused for a refugee camp.
The pool in the middle of the camp is filled with black water and disembodied Nalawi eyes, its concentrated magical energy more potent than even the water out in the ocean. There is a single doe in it, floating face down, the latest sacrifice before the cultists were interrupted; not dressed in their black robes, she is one of the missing villagers who was not so lucky. If she is turned over, it can be seen that her eyes have been gouged out.
The surviving kidnapped villagers are badly shaken up but have no answers as to what happened other than they were captured by what they refer to as a "death cult." Apart from some slight hunger and dehydration, none of them are injured. They're just glad to be alive, and ask to be escorted back to the Pu'ulai temple.
|
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hellshaped) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
epidemiology2016-05-09 06:34 pm
rescue!
Hilariously enough, she had gone through the woods to find the cultists to assist others, walking into their camp and finding herself slightly exasperated.
She was hoping to be a little more stealthy, but Alice was never one for good direction, sadly. ]
Oh, for goodness sake.
[ There's no use backtracking and her immediate reaction is to withdraw the vorpal blade, just in case.
And, of course, he had to show up, didn't he? Alice whipping her head around to see him, her face growing sour as she saw him. Well, she's not unarmed. ]
Just my luck, it's you.
no subject
As little as he liked her, Alice was still one of the few good people he had ever met. She took care of the little kids of Chantes without hesitation. Her getting run through with a stone spearhead hardly constituted his idea of repayment, even if he'd joke about it.]
The hell are you doing here!?
[His composure flew apart, or so it seemed, as he made an effort to be loud and distracting as hell. He wanted to alarm them and give him a chance to make a move. Ban wanted to keep those spears away from her--]
Get back outta here!
no subject
A poor mistake, but Alice vowed that she wouldn't be taken down so easily and wouldn't need his help. And, well, getting out of this situation was going to be trickier than she cared to admit. ]
You first.
[ Of course she won't listen to him, just to be contrary. And given the effect of the knightmare, Alice wastes no time to swing at one of them, just to make an example of him of what the knightmare can do. ]
no subject
Ban stepped aside from it and leaned back as the Nalawi tried to finish the thrust by dragging the tip of the spear across his throat. Ban knew that would be the next move, so he made his distance without sparing a moment.
The molotov he found was lit. Ban didn't hesitate in hurling it over the heads of the Nalawi. The end result was a bright, hot carpet of flame that took over the roof of one of their huts. The guards gasped as they realized what Ban had done. Before they could act on it, though, the spears were out of their hands as Ban stole them away with his magic.
The guards that had been the closest to Alice, anyway. Ban disarmed them, allowing Alice a chance to hit them, as the tip of a spear buried itself in his side. He didn't so much as grunt before he broke the spear with a twist of his upper body, shoving the butt of the spear into the stomach of its owner. Fortunately, the other bottles hadn't been damaged.]
no subject
Of course she wouldn't stand around for fire. ]
I am not staying here while everything burns!
[ Fire would spread quickly and Alice didn't even want to look at it, taking off with the knightmare over her shoulder leaving a few panicked cries of fear. ]
What were you thinking?! Do you want to burn?!
no subject
Alice ran. That was good. She knew where the real danger was. If Ban dropped his torch or if it came too close to the woven pack on his back, he'd burst into flames without any hurry. Ban knew as much, figuring it would be smarter to throw cocktail after cocktail to lighten that chance.
He did have a plan, really. Fortunately for the cultists--if they won, the alcohol fire wouldn't burn long enough to do lasting damage. Alcohol burned hot, but not indefinitely. Ban didn't have enough for it to be a lasting problem. He had enough to scare them, though.]
Good! Get your skinny ass outta here!
[Another bottle was lit and it was hurled towards another hut. The roof of it went up in a flash and a painful shriek.
Would Ban end up burning?
He thought he might have. Even so--Ban knew the sensation better than most. The Weird Fangs helped Ban realized quite a few pains he hadn't experienced much in his life, before. In the end, unfortunately, it had all amounted to simply killing some time.]