Chapter 1: Forgotten Empire

The left hand opened to reveal... bread! "You guessed it right! What a winner you are."

When Lootbox opened his right hand, however, the coin was sitting there plain as day. He then closed his hand and reopened it quickly, the coin vanishing into thin air. "Well, maybe food isn't the only prize to be won. Are you keen enough to figure out where I've hid the coin?"

"Hmm... maybe it's in here!" Lootbox crouched down a bit to the bird's eye level, opening his cloak to reveal a small, two-foot tall doorway. A traditional mimic hunting tactic; imitate a furniture object and nab whatever goes to investigate. In this case, however, he'd be using the doorway as a means to secure Murkrow as a member of his vanguard.

With magic key in hand, Lootbox opened the door and awaited Murkrow's curiosity to get the better of it.

Guile for Tricking Birb: 16

The bird eyes Lootbox's key with great interest and scrutiny. The promised treasure, however, was both round AND shiny. It knew it was being played, but the Mimic was right. Murkrow disappears into the door.

(Lootbox adds a Level 10 Male Neutral Nature Murkrow with Insomnia to his Vanguard.)

That went well! The mimic quickly regained his posture, 'door' disappearing under his robes as his height returned to normal. "Let's be off before it's flock comes looking for a missing bird, assuming it HAS a flock. This is an investment that's sure to bring in dividends."

Yaksha comes and goes without molestation, the darkened skies and dubiously sleepy villages coming and going like passing ships in the night. It was difficult to discern time of day, but the country's borders were quite clear.

Exhausted, the trio arrived at the border to Cragspur, finding it to be far into the night. Dawn would not be far off, and the broken stone land lay before them, looking barren by the starlight.

Lootbox looked forward towards the horizon. Dust, rocks, hills, and barrens. Behind them forests, lairs of shadows with enough distance behind that none within could sneak out without great risk for little reward. No civilization in sight, nor wildlife to speak of. Just... nothing.

No place was truly safe, though in terms of effort this is about the ideal camping spot. Just far enough from Yaksha to avoid ambush, without going needlessly far into Cragspur and wasting valuable energy. "Probably clear enough." The mimic eventually responded. It was the best they could do with such few resources.

"Well, rest up. I'll take first watch; figure I might as well experiment with tapping into these shadow god powers while its still dark. One of you can take over at sun-up." As to HOW Lootbox was going to tap into said power... he didn't really know. While he himself knew nothing of supernatural arts, what WAS under his belt included a mastery of Valoran martial training. One learns to be strong by withering themselves to the point of breakage many times over, thus tempering resolve into strength.

That didn't quite apply here, but a similar method could be extrapolated. He was simply going to think REALLY hard about using god powers while at the brink of collapse by exhaustion. And maybe, MAYBE, something might happen.


Lootbox's Focus for INTENSE GODHOOD MEDITATION: 25

Sandile's Perception for actually watching out for danger: 7

Lootbox closes his eyes, rests his hands on his knees and... just... *pop*. He's a tiny green and black specter with blazing red eyes. His figure is far less imposing then it was, cute and almost comical compared to his much taller compatriots. First watch passes without incident.

(I need to know if there is a fire being built, or any darkvision going on, then I'll roll for second and third watch.)

Waking to Lootbox's prodding, Iwakashi does spend a few seconds thinking of snapping the twig but drops the matter. Standing with a grating sound he says, "Just a simple word would have done. You needn't fear a rock slide if you don't provoke it."

He brushes some of the dust from his body as he takes position to watch over their small band. It wasn't something he'd done in a long while, his eyes weren't as keen as some. And this dark didn't help matters. He'd feel anyone prowling up on them once they got to close. He wasn't worried about ti though. None knew they were here.

Perception of 4 to peer into the dark

The sleep is nice, although being out in the open like this irks her. She's tired enough to not care much, though. When it comes time for her own watch, she's surprised that Lootbox seems to have disappeared... then realizes that it's rather true to its name, as the mysterious chest in their camp.

It's cold and it's wet, but at least it isn't the swamp. So, that's something. Even more than last night, though, she feels alone. The sprawling emptiness around her drives home the fact that she's lost her hive once more...

Someone - or something - is coming, Crimson is sure of that. Quickly, she moves over to the sleeping rockman, and attempts to wake it up, hissing as well as projecting directly into its head. "Quickly, arise. Others approach." It lives - well, lived - here, so surely it would be their best chance at coming out unharmed should there be too many to handle. Because, most unfortunately, she does not yet feel the power of the gods flowing within her veins. A shame.