The Wastelands

[[Brand_Name]]

Kylie chopped the tentacle from her ankle, grateful that it hadn't made any more advances on her besides light rubbing. When its blood sprayed the two of them, her mind filled with images of her on her hands and knees and her savior behind her, plowing into- "disgusting," she thought to herself. I'm an elf, for god's sakes, and that is absolutely abhorrent." She gave a very quick thank you to Alaric before rolling away from him to gather up Porkchop, ashamed of herself for such vile thoughts. "Certainly, this is not my best idea. I was fine, at home, away from ex-crazed monsters but now there's absolutely no way back." For the first time in her life, she was undoubtedly homesick. She looked out upon the docks and the sea (?) longingly, forgetting entirely about the lodging.

[Nobudi]

As soon as the beast had gone back under, Sidra double checked if the beast had truly gone or just hiding.
When it was apparent that Bill was gone, she immediately dropped her rope and ran straight for the guild hall.

[Hazard1325]

Rayle pants swimming as hard as she can toward the shore before eventually grabbing the rope. She fears she will briefly be the center of a tug of war between the rope and the tendril when it lets go and the monster retreats to the sea. She lets the sailors do most of the work pulling her up, she's to tired after all the swimming. She makes sure Binky is on her shoulder before thanking the men and wandering off into an alley to recuperate. Shivering from the cold water she realizes the sweet taste in her mouth and grimaces, it had defiantly been a mistake to let that thing in her mouth... but that gave her an idea. She took out one of her spare bottles she used for alchemy and captured any of the slime that might be left, it could make rather potent lust drafts if there was enough left. After capping any that might be left she realized she would need a place to stay. She checked to make sure all of her gear was still there and started searching for an Inn with vacancy.

[Zender_Solarheart]

Well, Dana knew it wouldn't be easy, but did they have to make the crank on this ballista so damn heavy and stiff? Yeah, she can crank it back all the way and load a bolt all by herself...but a heavy grunt of exertion is heard each time she does it. Thankfully, it seems she managed to pull all that off just in time, as the terror from the deep rears its very ugly head.

"Aim for the head, and the heart shall follow." Dana mumbles that mantra as she lines up a shot, which nails the bad boy right in the kisser. It already seemed to be aching from that ship's blessed wood, but her headshot there's got it reeling even more now. The sight of its distant reaction makes her blood rush, allowing her to load the second shot up a little faster than before. The good thing about it being pissed is that she hurt it real bad there; on the downside, though, it's gonna be more determined to drag more people to their doom now, so she has to move fast. Aiming for the head, her second shot impacts near the gills...eh, close enough, especially seeing how the thing has now either retreated, died, or both.

And there's the sound of victory. Her fellow mercs roar into the air triumphantly, and she's happy to raise her fist and join them, distant as she may be. "BOOYAH! Don't mess with the mercs!!" she shouts with enthusiasm, having scored her first kill of the day. There are even a number of sailors who salute her, whom she is happy to salute right back. Oh man, she can't wait to tell the old man back at the Guild Hall about...wait a minute...

...oh son of a bitch. Free room and board is probably all filled up now. Oh well, not much Dana can do about that now, and besides, this was a good new experience for her. First time firing a ballista, as well as what's basically the biggest target she's ever struck down. Not a bad day's work, if you ask her. For the time being, though, she does what most of the mercs are doing, and heads for the Guild Hall...but not before delivering some words of encouragement to the nearby Radamis priestess: "Thanks for letting me use your ballista, hun. If you need me again, just ask for Dana at the Guild Hall, alright?"

[Grape_Drink]

Butterfly Pheromones. When active, an encounter is forced.
Current enemies that pheromones will attract given location (on a 1d100)

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

• 1-10 Giant Butterfly
• 11-20 Killer Hornet
• 21-30 Eyestalk
• 31-40 Breeder Hornet
• 41-50 Blue Slime
• 51-60 Death Spindler (Male)
• 61-70 Green Slime
• 71-80 Passion Vine (reroll if stationary)
• 81-90 Death Spindler (Female)
• 91-95 Troll
• 96-100 Wailing Wendy (Only if travelling. Revert to troll if stationary)

Elenwe/Shura

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Butterfly Pheromones; Forced Encounter (1d100) = 48
# of Enemies (1d6) = 2
GM Roll; Fortitude- 14 and 5 respectively

Stuck in the field of butterflies, you watch as your fellow mercenary goes on her merry (if not cautious) way, a butterfly on her back as she leaves you to whatever fates await you... You'll want to keep that Human's face in mind in case you happen to come across them back in town. Without all the sudden movements, it seems the butterflies have returned to their trees for now.

It's only been a few minutes and your luck has gone from modest to poor, to now downright sour. Looking into the distance, you spot two blue slime about the size of a light mace each beginning to make their way towards you. Why now of all times? You watch in horror as your doom approaches only slightly faster than Shura is capable of running right now. You both know about slime on the mainlands and how they digest their prey alive. This is surely the end!



Squish... Squish... Squash... Squish... they slither at a... Surprisingly slow rate for slime. Even out of water slime aren't supposed to be that slow. You both likely assume that it just means they're just that more deadly!

Here it comes... The begining of a long, slow, painful death at the hands of the blue menace. All your hopes, all your dreams crushed by a pitiful slime as you can't escape its grasp!

They both take a host, latching onto your legs individually. You notice something strange about these slime- Slime back on the mainland seemed to just be consistent of acidic goo. These things seem to have some hardened resin at their centers about the size of an avocado pit. You expect to feel a burning sensation as it begins the process of eating you alive...

Gurgle, squish, ppppppfhfhfhfhftttt. The one passes gas on Elenwe's leg. They make no attempt to do anything further as they kinda just... Sit there on your shins. So the great and powerful slime monster feared by adventurers far and wide in other lands just likes to cuddle in this place... Wherever you are. It's almost laughable.

Elenwe begins to regain basic control over her limbs. She is now considered slow. Shura is still slowed.

Posts to wearing off: 1.

Marjory

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Butterfly Pheromones; Forced Encounter (1d100) = 76
# of Enemies (1d4) = 1
GM Roll; Perception- 12
GM Roll; Reflex- 8
GM Roll; Knowledge- 10
GM Roll; Strength- 5
GM Roll; Resist Poison- 5
GM Pity Roll; Sheer Luck- 16

You continue to walk along unabated for a few minutes. The buzzing in the distance gets softer, and you only see forest ahead of you, at least for the distance you can see.

The butterfly on your back suddenly takes flight. Peculiar... Huh, what was that rustling noise? You think it came from up above-



Gah! Assassin vines!? Your bow is knocked out of your reach before you even have a chance to react as the heavy vines topple out of the tree and onto you. Their weight is too much for your frame to bear as you fall onto the ground. Wait a minute... If this was an assassin vine you'd be done for already, or at least you'd be feeling quite a bit of pain from its thorns... These vines aren't covered in traditional thorns- their own lack as sharp of a point and feel almost bumpy, and you swear there's some sort of fuzzy growth covering the vines as they slowly and gently run over you.

Just as you're about to let them trail off (or perhaps just push them off), you feel one of the vines slip underneath your shirt. Oh, well it's not like plants are sexual. Surely it was just an accid-

That is definitely no accident! The vine seems to know exactly what it's doing as it begins to knead and caress your bussom! You feel the slightest pinpricks delivering some sort of lust poison from the mostly rounded thorns directly into your fleshy mounds as your cheeks flush. The giant butterfly from earlier seems to be sitting in a tree watching (for now) as you note it's releasing small dust particles into the air. While the other ones were cyan blue, these ones seem to be a pinkish coloration. Seemingly by sheer luck, the vines haven't bound your hands and you could reach your dagger. A small part of you almost doesn't want them to stop, it's not like they're causing any harm to you, but at the same time... It's not natural, vines aren't supposed to be doing this!

Darius

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Seduction- 7 + 3 = 10

"I've meet dozens of hybrids but most of them aren't as interesting as you or have your looks. Part siren and the daughter of the guildmaster? That's one hell of a story."

The beastgirl shrugs at this, seeming to not consider her story all that interesting, and looking a bit embarrassed about the whole thing.

"Well... Thank you. I prefer to go around with this spell activated, it keeps people from staring as much. I'm glad others enjoy it too." She smiles warmly.

"I bet you have tons of stories above this place and your dad. I wouldn't mind hearing some of them, especially if they keep me alive longer. The name is Darius by the way, calling me Mr. Priest makes me feel holy and I have bad habits just like most men."

"Heh, sure do, especially if it keeps folks like you alive. And doesn't everyone?"

"Now that I'm registered I'm guaranteed a free room? I'd really like to scout the area out before they get picked clean by overeager greenhorns."

"Oh. Of course... Well, it's more of a living arrangement... The Inn was never meant to hold this many people, so they set up five of the larger rooms with additional beds and cots when they heard about the influx." She holds out a key to you. "I wouldn't suggest scouting too far out after the sun goes down though... See you around town hopefully!"

She taps the counter ever so lightly before looking back up.

"Wait, before you go. About the stories... Come on by later. We have a tavern in the private journeyman areas of the guild for regulars, I'll give them the ok to let you in and we can maybe talk some more?"

She grins sheepishly, though given her teeth it looks kinda creepy honestly.

One of the mercenaries slaps down a hornet's head (a rather gargantuan hornet's head compared to any you've seen before) on the counter as she counts out fifteen talons. Well son of a sea biscuit, fifteen talons for a single hornet head? You thought it was just rumors, but if the church really is paying that much, they must want to seriously exterminate everything on this accursed island. It's no wonder so many greenhorns showed up. Ten of those babies and you could live high on the hog for a month or two! Judging by the half-siren's outfit though if its any indicator, you notice that none of these mercenaries are locals. One would think the local populace with all their knowledge would jump at an opportunity like this. Strange...

"Creepy fish bitch..." The mercenary murmurs as he passes by you out the door.

Sidra

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Seeing that the beast is gone, you ignore the cheering around you as you make a mad dash into town!

You barely make it to the guild when you spot a couple adventurers heading that way and deduce that it's the correct building. You find yourself at the back of a line, some girl filing paperwork at the front with... Hold on a second, that can't be right. Does that receptionist have blue hair, gills, and thin incisor teeth? You aren't sure if that's horrifying or cute as she quickly works through the crowd.

"Looks like you're the last one, miss! I'll just need you to sign these papers, and we'll get you your key. As a member of the guild you'll of course have access to a pocketbag, and we'll assign you a number to use. Just stick the head inside the bag when you kill a creature, and we'll do the book keeping back here at the guild! You can even send any interesting items you find, though we only pay out a portion of its price on such things."

Acharnel and Dana

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Heroics- 16
"Thanks for letting me use your ballista, hun. If you need me again, just ask for Dana at the Guild Hall, alright?"

The priestess nods quietly as you go to descend towards the guild, a dark elf greets your gaze.

"Nice shots. Nicely timed too."

Before either of you can say anything more though an old woman has hobbled up the stairs towards you both.



"My son was on that boat, one of the crew... He says if it wasn't for a Dark Elf and Warrior firing that ballista up above, he, he'd be..." She croaks, sniffling "If there's anything you need, anything at all- food, shelter... Come stop by my home. It's the third house facing the sea. We don't have much, but it's the least we can do. What's ours is yours."

Rayle

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Circumstance- 15

When the sailors pulled you out of the water, the green ichor floating along the sea clung to your skin like an egg to a house. As you make your way into the back alley, it still seems to be affecting you, images running through your mind of ingesting more of it, though you know that's probably a bad idea and can ignore such thoughts easily right now since you actually have time to think. You begin to scrape and bottle the stuff, knowing that if it already induces lust, refining it would only make the effects even more potent. Something in the back of your mind tells you that this stuff probably has a horribly limited market, but could be used as a reagent in various devilish spells, and just as likely could be sold to the right people for a lot of money given the rarity of devils that powerful...

Acquired 3 flasks worth of Greator Devil's Ichor. Approximate Worth: ???

You go through your pack, sorting through your belongings as you find that the pamphlet isn't even wet, as if protected by minor enchantments against such things. With this much church contraband, you decide it best to go looking for a place to sleep for the night before looking into it any more.

Just as you expected, the Inn is full. It seems that mercenaries swarmed what few available rooms there were left after the Rastanite soldiers and Mercenary guild.

You decide that perhaps the economy inn isn't sounding that bad, but as you check there, you find once more that they might as well be full. They have a single room available, but it would cost you 10 talons and doesn't come with breakfast even. An outrageous fee considering you might as well be sleeping in a barn with how dirty and uncomfortable the bed appears. No one should pay more than 3 talons for such an establishment, honestly. Someone mentions checking at the house of white roses. That sounds like an excellent idea! Approaching the door, you notice a sign above the door featuring Serenith's symbol and a bottle of wine, and that all the windows are covered with red cloth on the inside. You quickly deduce what this particular establishment is known for. There are a few warehouses down at the docks and you could potentially sneak into one assuming no one else has thought up that smart idea yet, but there's no telling who might be hiding in such a place... Honestly if push came to shove you could just set up camp outside of the small port town. It seems you have options as you notice your stomach growling.

Kylie

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

You look out over the sea, the sun beginning to set in the distance, but it doesn't matter right now... Thoughts of your parents fill your mind, their loving nature, how you'll never see them again. You remember the night you fled Kvadish and set off for Mercenary Town. It seemed like an amazing idea at the time- get rich and get away from there at the same time. It's hard to believe how fast it all happened, how what little fortunes you could stuff in your pockets were so quickly drained on the way in... Your faithful companion nuzzles into your lap as the waves carry out what remains of the green ichor.

Kylie and Alaric

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

A sailor approaches the two of you, you recognize him as one of the men Alaric helped out earlier as he approaches the Orc with an ahem.



"Sir... It's... Hard for me to just say it, but I owe you my life, and there's no way I could ever repay that... If you'd like to come stay at my hovel up the road a ways, my children and I would be honored. Your gal over there is more than welcome to come along as well. Besides, it's getting dark..."

((If I happened to forget something/anyone, as always, feel free to yell at me!))

[MiscChaos]

Nel is rather surprised when an old lady makes her way up the ballista station and begins to speak. What she hears, though, brings a smile to her face even if she's once again assaulted by unfamiliar feelings. She could get used to this, the people coming to her in gratitude instead of revenge. It brings a warm feeling to her heart, warmer than the blood she used to have splashed over her and she doubts the feelings will get cold like the blood did. Well that was morbid. Anyway, she decides to answer the woman.

"I'd like that. I really would. Thank you for your gracious offer." She says, beginning to follow the woman. She wonders if the ballista girl will be coming along and kinda hopes that she does since if this does turn out to be a trap, at least she'll have backup.

[Urhr93]

The water seems clean and so without thinking about it anymore Ruby begins to drink it, and the she doesn't have words to describe how good it is. Definitively the best she's had in a long long long while. Really, if only there wasn't this stink of feces and wet dog it would be all the more enjoyable to drink this.

Satisfied, the girl decides that it's time to free herself and so begins to search for something sharp with which she can damage and snap the rope binding her hands. She thought that it would take a lot more to find something, or maybe she'll have to use the wood pillars, but luckily for her almost immediately she finds a nail sticking out of one of the wood pillars. A grin appears on her face as she proceeds to free her hands, and not so soon she doesn't have anything anymore around her wrists. It took a bit of time, but in the end she's free. But now comes the hard part. As she doesn't find anything useful to unlock her chains, she decides that the only remaining option is to break the whole thing. Well, this option is there only because of the oldness and bad state of the dungeon.
Ruby picks up the chain, takes a big breath and then pulls. Pulls hard, but with no result. Well, after all strength is not her strong point. She comes near the wall, puts her right feet on the wall to give herself more strength, and then she begins to pull again. This time without stopping, and doing waving movements so that the point where the strength is applied is not uniform and, with a bit of luck, a weak point will be touched, breaking it all. Well, the waving motion brings result, but not the ones she's expecting. In fact, as the brick holding the chain receives the effect of the undulating motion, it starts to move between the gaps in the wall and after a while it just come off from the wall, leaving a empty spaces behind.

Ruby looks amazed from what she's been able to do, but she doesn't have time to celebrate as she notices the wolf looking at her. Well, with all the noise she's been doing it wouldn't be strange for him to take notice of her. They stare at each other for some seconds, and the first to move is the wolf. As if understanding that the objects in it's cage are hers, he scoots them away from the bars, and then return his eyes on the girl, starting to make some strange sounds. She encountered wolfs a lot of times before, but she never heard this type of growl. Or better, she heard something similar, but in situation completely different from this.

Well, she doesn't have time to understand what that growl means as a realization comes to her mind. If he starts to bark or howl and there are bandits near, it's without a doubt that they will come to see what's happening, so she has to pacify that animal first. As she think of this, her own stomach makes some sound, reminding her that she didn't eat anything for a while. Exactly, didn't eat. Could it be that this wolf too didn't eat for some time? Could it be that he thought that she is in his same situation, captured by those thugs and locked down here? Since he seems to be smart, it's not impossible, just like it's not impossible that he, seeing how she got free, might think that if he hide her things inside his cage she could open his cage, freeing him in the process.

As those thoughts spins in her mind, a plan is also devised. Even if she can escape, if she's alone and they manage to reach and surround her, she's not confident to be able to fend them all off. Instead, if she manages to get this wolf to be her companion things could be better, or at least he could act as a diversion.
She is no hunter, so she doesn't know the sure way to tame a beast, but as she's lived most of her life in the wilderness she's come to know that, if she has something they want, she could form temporary collaborations with animals. Usually giving food could work, while in a fight with a stronger foe a more intelligent animal would ally with her for the time begin.
It's not sure, but if she can manage to give him what he wants he could follow her at least until she gets away from the bandits.

First of all she slowly goes near her items, and from there she takes some fruit and some meat from her rations. It's not much, or better, she doesn't take out much. For now she doesn't do anything to free herself from the shackle and brick, as she has to form some sort of bond with the wolf.

As she's approaching the cage, Ruby puts up the most naive, the most innocent expression as possible (Skill: Innocent Submission). Well, being naked the final outcome is not exactly a complete naive one, with her chest in the open and all, but it should be enough to give him the impression that she doesn't have any hostility towards him. Once she's near, always maintaining her innocent face, she brings the meat near the iron bars as a sign of peace and retires her hands, starting to eat the fruit.

Once she'd done, she would once again approach her belongings, and from there she'll take some iron threads and wires of various length and shapes, and then she'll return near the cage. Here, she'll point the lock of the cage to the wolf, and then the lock of her chain. She'll do this a pair of time, trying to make the wolf understand that they are the same. If the canine is as intelligent as it seems, he would have already picked up on her intentions, and that is her hope. If the wolf is stupid, then even if she frees him he won't understand that she's his chance to get himself out of there, and that would make her plan useless.

For now she has to believe him, and so begins to work with the iron strings on the lock of her shackles, continuing to do so til she finally opens them, and when they finally comes off she'll try to make the wolf understand that she'll now free him, and so will begin to work on the cage lock.
Even if the wolf doesn't understand how useful she could be to him, she has to open the cage anyway so she can take her clothes and weapon, but as the wolf seems smart he'll probably follow her, or at least pretend to follow her until he gets free, and then decides to continue to follow her or otherwise. After all, as long as each other has something the other wants their collaboration could continue. For Ruby, that thing she wants is a companion, or at least temporary one, so that she won't be outnumbered. For the wolf she doesn't know what could he want, and for now she's guessing food and freedom, and if her reasoning is right he could remain at her side until they get out of there, and once they are both free he will probably go his way. Well, if he'll want something else he might continue to follow her around, but that's not of her concern, at least for now.

[LoneWolf]

Alaric finds himself staring at the elf for a moment, watching her breasts rise and fall as she breathes. He can't help noticing how easy it would be to claim her here; to strip the armour off that lithe body and.... He pulls his mind back from that train of thought. That's not going to give the kind of first impression he wants. Not here; not now; and - the thought burns in his mind - not because of the influence of some devil's blood. My will is my own, beast. I dance to no-one's tune - especially not your kind.

The thought distracts him somewhat as Kylie thanks him then quickly rolls away - though not enough to completely blunt his offence at her lack of gratitude. You don't like orcs then, girl? You were quick enough to call for my help a minute ago... Fortunately, a distraction arrives in the form of one of the sailors he'd pulled from the water earlier.

"Sir... It's... Hard for me to just say it, but I owe you my life, and there's no way I could ever repay that... If you'd like to come stay at my hovel up the road a ways, my children and I would be honored. Your gal over there is more than welcome to come along as well. Besides, it's getting dark..."

Well, at least some people know how to react when you save their lives. The man's offer reminds him of the need for accomodation, though, and what Ser Ethan had said about free rooms. No doubt those were long gone by now - and given how fast the crowds were thinning, probably every other room in town as well. Still, he'd make the same choice again without hesitating. Anyone who thought the price of a free room was worth getting a reputation as a mercenary who'd run away from a fight was an idiot; any 'mercenary' who needed a free room - given the bounties the Church was offering - should probably start looking for a new profession immediately - something like turnip farming would probably suit him better.

"I will, thank you. The inns are probably full by now." Alaric pauses for a moment, thinking. He does want to speak to Ser Ethan about that red-head, since it seems obvious that she was involved in the attack somehow. It's not like he has much information, though - what he can pass on might be useful, but it's unlikely that waiting till morning will change much. He nods to the sailor. "I don't think I've got anything else to do tonight."

He deliberately doesn't do anything to include or exclude Kylie: it'll be interesting to see how the elf handles the suggestion that she's 'his gal'.

[Shura]

“What the? I can’t move?!” Noticing that his movements have become sluggish, Shura is rightfully alarmed. Was it a side effect of the teleportation, or was it something else? Perhaps it had something to do with the unusually large insects surrounding them. He had been able to get up off of the ground with little difficulty, but now he had trouble moving. Shura hadn’t realized that he and his “teammates” upset the butterflies, causing them to release their scales into the air. Though he may not have necessarily been their target, he was guilty by association, and found himself caught in the crossfire.

Hmm? Although the cries of the greater devil in the distance caught his attention, they did so for only a moment. He could not discern what it was beyond some presumably large and unfriendly creature, if he could even discern that much. He had his own, more immediate problems to deal with at the moment.

While he had been slowed, the woman he was holding earlier seemed to be completely paralyzed. The other member of their group seemed unaffected, and upon seeing the predicament of the other two, started to back away gingerly. As she left the clearing, it was clear what her intentions were. She had left them in the lurch, and prey to whatever the rolls of the dice might bring. Shura couldn’t exactly blame her for abandoning them like that, but he sure as heck didn’t have to like it.

As the butterflies return to the trees, Shura struggles against his invisible restraints to no avail. Whatever was hindering his movements would just have to run its course and wear off. Provided of course that he lived long enough for that to happen. The sudden appearance of two slimes was not very reassuring. He chalked it up to bad luck however, not realizing that the pheromones from the butterflies had forced the encounter. Damn that bitch for leaving us... Shura was pissed, and if given the chance, would fuck the deserter six ways from whatever passes for Sunday in this god-forsaken place.

Despite their slow stride, Shura was unable to escape the slimes. When one of them took hold of his leg, he braced himself for the worst. Needless to say, Shura was more than a little surprised when there was no blinding hot pain coming from his leg. As the slime on his companion let one fly, Shura almost wanted to laugh, but was far too tense to do so. As their impending doom from the slimes seemed less and less likely, his apprehensions started to subside.

While the slimes meant them no immediate harm, Shura wasn’t terribly fond of having one latched onto him. When he movements returned, he would attempt to peel the thing off of him and set it down on the ground. He did not want to attempt doing so in his current state, least he lose use of his hand by getting it caught in the slime.

[Zender_Solarheart]

As Dana waves good-bye to the priestess, she's greeted by a Dark Elf, whose armor is...well...a bit on the goth side is one way to put it. Oh well, don't judge a book by its cover, as they say. The compliment on her shooting is pretty nice, too...and isn't that the girl she saw being paraded around by the mercs down below?

Before Dana can get some social time with that Dark Elf, however, they're both greeted by an old woman. Apparently, their handiwork saved her son's life, which brings a soft smile to Dana's face; one of the perks of her job is hearing about the lives she saves, not due to the "debt of honor" that many find appropriate for it, but because it saves another family from suffering the way hers did. No one should have to go through that, and she does all in her power to reinforce that belief.

That being said, the elderly woman does see fit to offer shelter at her home, which to Dana is a nice bonus in its own right. It saves her the trouble of paying for a room at the inn, certainly. "Why, that's very kind of you, ma'am. I'm going to be busy for much of today, but I'd be very grateful for some shelter later this evening, if you'll have me. It'd be nice to meet your son too, hehe!" Dana can't help but giggle lightly as she says that last part; she is kind of curious about what sort of young man she saved, after all...though come to think of it, she does still need a map, and that aged merc from the ship probably made it to the Guild Hall by now. She'd probably better get over there, too...

Deciding that the Dark Elf is going to be headed the same place she is, Dana bows her head respectfully to the elderly woman, trades the appropriate farewells, then walks over to her partner in devil-fighting. "I didn't get to say it earlier, but you were pretty good with a bow back there, too." Extending her hand in an offer for a handshake, she politely adds: "My name's Dana. What's yours?" Between her own swordplay and ingenuity, the Dark Elf's keen aim, and some good vibes they both seem to give off, she can see the start of a quite enjoyable partnership here...if the "partner" in question will have her, of course.

[MiscChaos]

"You can call me Nel. My full name is a bit of a mouthful, so I always go by Nel." She says, a smile on her face as she introduces herself to the ballista girl, now know as Dana. Well, it's not like she's lying when she gives her explanation about her nickname, but the true reason she doesn't give out her full name, while she didn't exactly share it with the general populace while she was a murderer, it's still possible that someone, somehow, knows it. On second thought, it'd be just so much easier to go with her birth name since absolutely no one alive knows that. Something to consider for the future, but for right now, her attention should be on Dana. She gets the feeling she'll need all the friends she can get while she's in this place.

"So is there any particular reason you decided to join this adventure? Or was it just for the fun of it?" A pretty meaningless question, but it should give her a little more insight on how Dana thinks at least.

[[Brand_Name]]

Kylie gives Porkchop a short pat on the head and a rub behind the ears as he rubs closer into her lap. "You're all I have left my little man. Don't leave me." She stares into the distance, separating herself from her current location, and almost missing the sailor's kind offer.
"Yes, yes, we'd appreciate that very much! Thank you for your compassion. But he's not- I mean I'm not... His 'gal.' We're just, ehm, friends." She waited for the sailor to turn the other way then approached Alaric. "I didn't thank you properly a few moments ago. I was just... Embarrassed, I guess, by what was in my head from that beast's blood. I'm sure it caught you too. So... Thank you. I can't begin to imagine what would have happened had you not come along." Taking a step closer and reaching around him in a warm embrace, she told him "like I said on the boat, we gotta watch out for each other, alright? You already did, so I guess I owe you one , huh?"

[Phoenixcz]

When butterflies doesn't do anything to take advantages of impaired movement they caused, Elenwe calms herself again. As she sees butterflies disappearing into the trees, she concludes it must've been some sort of defense mechanism caused by her sudden movement. She hopes it will wear off soon, Elenwe doesn't want to stay here as a bait for some wandering monsters, especially when she's heard that most of the Wasteland's inhabitants won't give their prey a quick death...

Elenwe is surprised she doesn't feel anger as she watches the other woman walk away, knowledge that her own kin would propably do the same and the fact she can't do anything anyway leaves her with only resignation.

When the two slimes appear, however, she react with growing horror. As the causes od death go, being slowly digested alive and not being able to do anything about it is in the top ten least desirable ways to die, especially as this one isn't big enough to engulf her whole, so it'll digest her slowly from legs up. She desperately tries to force her body to move with all her willpower, but to no avail. As the slime gets closer and closer, her fear and desperation grows, and when it's almost touching the tip of her boot, she just closes her eyes in expectation of the inevitable pain. When pain doesn't come, she opens her eyes in surprise to look at the creature on her leg. Her mind is filled with mix of confusion and relief, but she certainly won't protest against staying alive for a while longer.

She's surprised and elated when the feelings in the rest of her body returns, but first try at walking only causes her to stumble and fall to her knees as her body doesn't fully obey her wishes. Scared, she turns her head back towards the trees, to check if her sudden movement haven't caused another butterfly attack.

[Nobudi]

Sidra breathed out a sigh of relief as she made it, if just barely.
With her hood still high up, the girl would only probably see a small smile flash across her visible features.
She quickly filled out the required forms, but across each line that needed a name, she filled out her Human name, Roxanne. As for any indication of age, she'd just remove 50 years off her actual age.
"T'ank ya lass," she said, adding a roughness of a human girl's voice to her voice, as she had done so in human settlements for the past 30 years.
Her father's rough speech also helped throw people off her "Sidra" half.
Now, if only she had a ribbon or some twine to hide her ears, she though as she returned the completed forms.

[berserkerhorn]

Marjory's left hand finds her way towards her knife. She holds the handle just in case and she holds it tightly to prevent it form being knocked out of her hand again. However she does not draw it from the sheath on her pants. Her right hand finds it's way under her shirt and towards the tentacle vine kneading her breasts. She gently wraps her fingers around them and tries to get them gently off of her bosom. She looks at the butterfly and tilts her head curiously as to why this one was so... discolored and seemingly allowing the plant to do stuff like this to her. Then she realizes the butterflies wanted nectar and they were going to sacrifice her for the juices... or at least that was her hypothesis.

Marjory pouts a bit at the butterfly and looks at the vines. She then looks at the butterfly again and sighs. Hopefully if she went through with this the butterflies would remember and owe her one later on. She looks around for any more butterflies that were waiting for the nectar. the only thing she could think of in her mind was "at least the plant hasn't tried to eat me yet... maybe it only needs to be loved...maybe the butterflies will remember me... after all i am in strange lands..."

She removes her right hand off of the vine and lets the vine do its work and gently begins taking off her shirt. Hopefully Myn would treat her better than what she saw in the slave camps. She reaches for her pants and pulls them off. She then reaches for the vine again and strokes them teasingly urging them to release the nectar that she was expecting to come out after some loving.

[Reaver]

Darius took the key, turning it over in his hand before sliding it into his pants. "Thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind." He wouldn't mind hanging out with the siren girl more. She had stories, advice and connections to the guild and unlike other people, Darius didn't find her repulsive at all. Sharp teeth might not be appealing but Darius would never hate a sentient being based on it's looks. She had been the first person to show him kindness in this desolate land so he'd return it any chance he got. He still planned on doing a little reconnaissance tonight, better to know what he would be dealing with at night to prepare for when he was unprepared. He gave the receptionist a respectable nod as he turned to leave but he didn't get far before he heard her voice.

"Wait, before you go. About the stories... Come on by later. We have a tavern in the private journeyman areas of the guild for regulars, I'll give them the ok to let you in and we can maybe talk some more?"

"I'd like that. I could even share some of my own stories, hell I got enough of them to keep you up all night. Of course if we're going to tell stories to each other perhaps I should learn your name before I leave." For more than a second it crossed his mind that perhaps she was luring him in to possibly eat him. She was part siren and she did say she had a taste for flesh. Being the guildmaster's daughter would give her enough power to get away with eating the occasional human and blame it on the dangers of the land. It sounded plausible but Darius wouldn't accept idea unless given undeniable information. For now he put the morbid thought from his head, he knew he was better than that.

He watched the mercenary come in after him, dropping a huge hornets head on the table and being paid an immense amount for it. He was about to compliment the man on his catch but he heard him mutter "Creepy fish bitch" as he passed Darius. Myn taught to love not just humans but all races, creatures and anything else that Loranna made on this earth. To see outright hatred for a race just based on their looks infuriated him like nothing else.

Moving quickly behind the man, Darius grabbed his shoulder spinning him around to face his fury. "What right do you have to talk and treat her like that?! Do you think your better than her just because you happen to be a pure human? She's a wonder of nature, perfection hidden behind sharp teeth and gills. What's your deal man!" He tried to keep his voice even but found himself getting angrier and his voice louder.

[Grape_Drink]

((I'll respond to folks as their "groups" they're in respond, so solo folks might get slightly faster responses. Kind of a trade-off since they're also in a lot more "danger" should the beasties come out as can be seen with Marjory right about now.))

Sunset will finish/it will be considered civil dusk ("twilight") at the end of everyone's next post (at the end of your current scene for folks taking actions/in "combat")


Ruby (posts remaining until bandits show up: 2)

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Perception- 8 + 1 = 9
GM Roll; Empathy- 18 + 2(I.S.) + 3(reasoning) = 23
GM Roll; Open Lock- 15 + 3 - 2 (low light) = 16
GM Roll; Open Lock- 19 + 3 - 2 (low light) = 20
GM Roll; Reflex- 4 - 3(reasoning) = 1


It's a bit tough to move around with a block of stone dragging behind you, but you manage well enough as you reach your pack, pulling out some rations. Your hand slowly and steadily holds out the meat as the wolf quickly snaps it away from you, scarfing it down. The wolf sits down for a few moments staring at you before walking into the corner (away from your clothes) and doing his business in a small pile of dirt and rubble as you notice they're a he. You have a feeling this particular wolf was bred by the bandits in captivity as he seems rather domesticated, and he seems friendly enough after giving him food. He looks back up at you, making small whining noises as with a few minutes of tinkering in the low light you manage to pick the lock on your shackle. Freedom!

The wolf's whining grows louder until you approach the cage. He begins circling his prison, panting with a small look of joy as you begin to open the lock. You think you heard him puke something up, but you're too focused on the lock to worry about him. You have a feeling it's going to be too dark to pick it if you don't hurry up.

Success! The lock is undone with relative ease as you open the cage door to be greeted by the wolf jumping up and placing their paws on your shoulders, liking your cheeks with a playful growl. Seems you've made a friend. A small feeling of relief washes over you as he hops off of you and-

Seems you've really made a friend! Without warning the wolf's nose presses against your crotch as you let out a gasp. You feel its tongue stretch over your flower's outer folds as you instinctively go to push your new "friend," who seems all too eager to continue, away from you. What have these bandits been teaching this poor animal!?

He lets out a small growl as once more he goes to stick his head between your legs as you have time to react this time and go to stop his advance, hands pushing against- Oof!

Where did that ice come from? It's not even cold enough right now for ice to form! You land on your elbows and knees with a small thud as the wolf begins to lick your face, specifically your eyes. He's not stopping and his tongue is surprisingly cold... Did he form that ice? Perhaps with some magic? Magical animals are a rarity, but it wouldn't surprise you too much given this animal's intelligence.

He's still licking your eyes as you keep them closed. You think you remember reading (or hearing) somewhere that this is how wolves tell each other they're friends, and that he's not going to stop until you open your eyes. It's a weird feeling, but one or two licks later he stops, sitting down in front of you.

The wolf begins to whine. You've given him food, freed him... What more could he want? Even as naive as you are, you probably remember when the dogs would get frisky with one another back in your rural village. You happen to be in a position quite similar to those moments, but are conflicted about this wolf's intentions as he doesn't take any action (for now). Does he want you to be his companion or mate? You aren't entirely sure... You notice your arms starting to get cold from the melting ice underneath them. A lukewarm evening sea breeze blows through the stairway and passing over your body as- Oh right... While your eyes have adjusted so far, it is starting to get darker.

Thoughts begin to race through your head as the wolf seems to read your mind, his soldier springing to life in front of your face as you notice he's particularly well endowed.

Kylie and Alaric

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"I don't think I've got anything else to do tonight."

"Yes, yes, we'd appreciate that very much! Thank you for your compassion. But he's not- I mean I'm not... His 'gal.' We're just, ehm, friends."

The sailor shrugs, turning to make his way back into town. "If you say so. Seemed to like each other more than friends back on the ship when we walked in on yah topless in his lap, but that ain't none o' my business." He smirks, beginning to walk off. "I'll be waitin' down by the town gates when you're both ready to head out. Should try and get back before it gets too much darker though. It's a bit of a walk and I'm sure the girls are getting worried since I promised to be back this evenin'. Not to mention the guildmaster locks up the docks after nightfall to keep the grubfish out of town."

He proceeds up the ramp towards what you assume to be the gates into the small port town of maybe a few hundred people, leaving the two of you to whatever it is you're talking about. Sure enough, the sky is barely getting a purple tint on the horizon. The two of you would notice the strange (and decently sized) statue of Rastan ((page 2, second post under Sidra/Elspeth)) when you head up the ramp.

((When the two of you are ready to head out, feel free to read the rest))


He leads you past a number of small hovels and sheds set up outside the town walls to a modest home. Tapping on the door with a certain pattern, a peek-hole opens up, a pair of bright red eyes looking through it. The door swiftly opens and two young girls, twins you suspect, jump onto the sailor with huge grins on their faces. They appear to be wearing dresses sewn out of the local flora, and seem to be mute as they nuzzle their father lovingly, but more notably...



Leaves and small vines seem to cover the twins. They don't seem to be human like their father in the slightest. He returns their hugs and kisses, lifting them into the air with a chuckle, but when the one girl looks over and freezes in terror, the other seems to do so as well, as if the two were telepathically communicating.

You stand outside the hovel, looking at the two plant girls.

"It's alright Sophie, Silla. They're just guests who helped daddy out with some chores back on the ship." He looks to you both with a "don't tell them what happened" look. "I'm going to be spending some more time at home and down by the docks for the next few weeks, I trust you were good for grandma?"

The two young girls grin at this new revelation, nodding to the sailor as he smiles warmly. "Glad to hear. Lets get inside, I think we still have some potatos and such laying about, we can probably make a stew of some sort... Silla, can you go pull out the extra quilt? Sophie there should be some cloth bolts down in the cellar they could use as pillows, could you go down and get those while I prepare dinner?"

The two girls nod quickly, skipping off as the sailor sighs with a content look. He doesn't seem to be older than his early twenties, and those two girls appeared to be in their very early teens.

The hovel itself doesn't have a lot of space. The floor is dirt with thatch portions, a large cooking pot on top of a cobblestone fireplace in a corner. There's a few stools laying about in a corner that you assume to be chairs, and notably only two small beds built out of wooden frames and filled with hay, a sleeping roll inbetween them that you assume to be the sailor's. A ladder seems to lead to a wooden access hatch onto the roof. It's not much, but it's relatively clean and warmer than outside. A poor man's home by any standards, but a good one built solidly, and better than a tent in the rough by all means.

Dana and Acharnel

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"I'd like that. I really would. Thank you for your gracious offer."

"Why, that's very kind of you, ma'am. I'm going to be busy for much of today, but I'd be very grateful for some shelter later this evening, if you'll have me. It'd be nice to meet your son too, hehe!"

The old woman nods once. "Well, like I said, third house facing the sea. I got a big wooden bear out front, can't miss it. There's a little bit of time left 'fore I'd suggest getting some sleep for the evening... I still got some crab traps to round up before calling it a night. Otherwise the grubfish'll get ahold of them this evening. Come on by whenever."

She goes to hobble off, it seems even with a giant monster having just attacked town, people still have work they've got to do.

Sidra

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"Well miss Roxanne, here's your key. Your mercenary number is 0872, don't forget it! We track your kills that you stuff in that bag by numbers rather than names, keeps things simple, according to Paps- Erm... I mean the guildmaster. You'll be rooming with those last three folks in line."

Those last three folks had notably been two ill-prepared looking adventurers and a priestess of Myrdur. Fun.

You notice a man in robes picking a fight with a brutish looking mercenary.

Darius

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

"I'd like that. I could even share some of my own stories, hell I got enough of them to keep you up all night. Of course if we're going to tell stories to each other perhaps I should learn your name before I leave."

"Oh! How did I forget to introduce myself?" She sighs, smiling warmly. "My name's Mia. A pleasure to meet you, Darius." She's been filling out papers this whole time as she finishes registering a woman names Roxanne.

You turn around the heavy set merc, not seeming to care about his size as you get in his face.

"What right do you have to talk and treat her like that?! Do you think your better than her just because you happen to be a pure human? She's a wonder of nature, perfection hidden behind sharp teeth and gills. What's your deal man!"

He looks you over before scowling, shoving you a good couple feet as he continues towards the door.

"Pike off, Green. If you'd seen some of the things I've seen, you wouldn't trust any of these beastfolk. You can domesticate 'em and put 'em in some clothes, but they're still just as much a monster as any you'll find in the wastelands... Moreso since they've got the lust and the brains."

He opens the door, pausing for a moment as he places a hand on his chin, tossing the coin purse in the air and catching it. You look at Mia out of the corner of your eye and notice she's busy with paperwork. She can definitely hear what's going on, but she seems to be ignoring it, or at least pretending to.

"Speaking of which... The White Rose house should be opening up soon. I got better things to do than talk with a Green like yourself."

Elenwe and Shura

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Rolls; Perception- 5 and 7 respectively
Elenwe's fall didn't seem to cause the butterflies in the trees to stir, though you now take note that they seem to be watching you. Dozens of beady bug eyes stare down at the two of you as if waiting for something. You hear a rather feminine moaning coming from the direction that woman ran off, a number of the butterflies taking flight in that direction. It doesn't sound too far away- a few minutes walking, a minute at most if you hustled.

Whatever affected you seems to have worn off. Should you try to pry the slime off first instead of investigating the sound, you will find its outer body will have hardened into a sticky resin that's almost utterly resistant to tugging and prying (your hands and/or weapons likely getting stuck temporarily). You'll likely need to get more creative if you want to remove these creatures. Whether you head towards the moans or go your own way, this clearing seems to be frequented by monsters, and it's probably not safe to stay here as the sun continues to set in the distance.

((Note: If you decide to investigate the moaning, you'll happen across her somewhere near the middle of her section if you don't bother with the slime at the moment, or end of her section if you do, and can RP accordingly.))

Marjory, Corruption: 20

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

GM Roll; Control- 1, critical failure

You try to gently remove the vines as they lift up and off of you... Only for other parts of the entanglement to take their place. It doesn't seem like they have any intention of stopping their ministrations as you pout. You notice a number of butterflies beginning to encircle the area for now, their bright beady eyes watching you from afar, as if judging your reaction... You begin to remember tales from sailors who hadn't left the port with the vessel of men and women disappearing after spotting the "flying behemoths of the wastelands" only to return days (sometimes weeks) later with much looser morals and sometimes-

You let out a small moan as the vines continue their ministrations, small flowers seeming to grow out of the chitinous (if not fuzzy) surface as they latch on gently to your teats. You feel the lightest pinch as if something were nibbling on them as the vines continue their work. You notice that this pink dust in the air is making you super sensitive right now as you begin to remove bits and pieces of your clothing.

The gentle vines wrap over your form, engulfing you in sensual bliss...

The fuzzy, chitinous material of the vine runs gently through your hand as you encourage it on. You try to keep some control of the situation, as you feel it quiver in your grasp. You likely could have easily defeated this monster before, but now all that comes to mind is mating with this being, thoughts of what it would feel like inside of you flooding your mind as whatever toxin this thing is secreting into your skin has made you quite flustered. The vines show no sign of stopping as you feel the smallest trickle of mass down your stomache towards your rosebud. Even if you might have prevented things from going this far before, your mind is far too flustered between the toxins and butterfly's pheromones as you lay there panting. You're surprised at how much its simple administrations to your breasts are causing, likely due to whatever toxin it's releasing. Despite the toxin, you note that this plant, this... Thing, seems to have no desire to harm you, and while you can't seem to get it to stop or simply get it to release its nectar, you note that it's been like a gentle lover ever since you submitted... Nothing like any of the acts you've seen as it seems to be entirely focused on you for now. While the vines hold onto you, you seem to have been given free reign to move about as you please in order to readjust yourself when you grow uncomfortable. You look over to see one of the vine's appendages beginning to lift up into the tree again as you wonder what it might feel like to be hanging in mid air with this monster pleasuring you...

As the passion vine moves further down, you feel it ever so gently rub against your pleasure spot, its fuzzy girth moving lower, trailing circles over your outer lips. Even this slightest touch seems to send an almost electric shock to your pleasure centers as the sounds of your enjoyment rebound through the surrounding forest, likely to your two adventuring pals even given the distance you put between them. It seemed foolish to go out into the wilderness alone without a plan, thinking back on it now, but if you hadn't, you wouldn't have ever have met your excellent stress reliever here. It hasn't even entered you yet as you feel your climax approaching, a pressure building deep inside of you.

As if detecting that you're ready, the vine moves ever so slowly over one thigh, down across the other as it begins to spread your legs- not that you wouldn't have willingly done so. It lightly flicks over your opening as two smaller appendages spread your outer folds. Ever so slowly, teasingly, the small vine begins to tunnel into you, the soft fibers covering it seeming to send the lightest trickles through your sense of touch, making your arch your back as a heavenly feeling washes over your body. You feel your lips convulsing, back arched as you cry out, wrapping your arms around your plant-lover as it pushes ever deeper inside of you...

The butterflies that were flying around you begin to land, tickling your body ever so lightly as they cover your thighs, their proboscis unraveling as they begin to drink the sweet nectar of your love making. The light suckling feeling of half a dozen butterflies hits you like a deer looking at headlights, one of them tenderly giving your clitoris the attention it deserves. One of the vines seems to have shed its chitinous exterior revealing a soft wet white material that ever so lightly traces over your lips. Another vine begins to lightly trace over your other entrance, lightly wiggling its way in, though it's only about as thick as a finger. Thoughts begin to go through your head of what your doing, how these butterflies are likely to just continue to follow you as an easy meal, but the gentleness of your lovers, and possibly other sorts of beings you might run- Oh...

The vines begin to tense up as you feel a warmth flood through you. Did it? You feel another orgasm pass over you, almost a bit sad as you expect that this being will likely head back into hiding. You begin to wonder though... What if you get pregnant? Can you even get pregnant from a being like this? This is the first plant you've ever seen (or for that matter heard of) that does this, and what benefit does doing this serve for it?

Your mind doesn't have time to comprehend all this though as you feel it pushing ever further into your depths. It seems your gentle lover hasn't finished yet, pressing ever so lightly against your second barrier leading into your womb...

((I... think I got everyone. Did I miss anything? Will go back and edit with pictures as always with the post coming first to keep things moving along.))

[Hazard1325]

When it came to money Rayle happened to be particularly cheap... she started heading toward the edge of town to make a small camp. She glanced around to see if there were any other nearby camps, wanting to at least be in shouting distance should something bad happen. She started a small fire and heated up her rations and unfurled her bedroll. Hopefully nothing got to wet from her swim... She handed a few scraps to her cat and glanced around at the surrounding terrain.

[Grape_Drink]

Rayle

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Circumstance Roll; 13
You make camp a little ways out from the town, there seems to be a number of small camps set up along the road, so you seem to be in shouting distance of quite a few people, though it's impossible to tell if any of them would actually heed such a shout. It's going to be rather uncomfortable, and your supplies are still a little damp, hell, your clothes are definitely still damp. It's still bright enough to see the others around you as they too start up their campfires. You could probably socialize a bit. Or you could tuck in early for the night, either way...

A little ways out is the sea as you see a number of folk on minuscule fishing vessels coming to shore. Even with giant monster, it seems people have to eat and you guess that fishing is rather common commodity. Speaking of fishing... You notice your cat dragging something towards your camp- Seems he somehow caught (or perhaps stole) a modestly sized crab from somewhere.

To the west is a small forest, and to the east is the road and plenty of camping space. You note a number of corpses hanging just outside the town gates, bandits from the looks of it, and likely a warning to anyone thinking of banditry near Mercenary Town. You honestly didn't expect the Rastanite presence to be so powerful here in merc town, but it seems that the church is letting them call the shots, a first in a very long time...

You shiver slightly from a sea breeze that passes through. Your clothes aren't going to dry like this, and you aren't in the best of situations, but at least you have a fire and it's not raining?

A man who's set up a tent and firepit a little ways away approaches your bedroll, a bottle of whiskey in hand as he speaks.

"Mind if I take a seat? Seems we're camping buddies"

Motioning to his own encampment, he sits down next to you without even awaiting a response.

A stranger sits down next to you... He seems genuinely worried in his own sort of way.

"You looked a little cold there... Couldn't help but notice that damned beast got ahold of you a few hours ago, I'm sure you're still a little damp. That's really not safe out here, you could catch something, or get frost sickness... Care for a sip? The name's Card."

Though he says this all quickly and casually, you catch the slightest hint of worry in his tone as he speaks. You notice a spiked shield in front of an anvil shaped symbol on an amulet around his neck- a follower of Myrdur it would seem, though you doubt he's a clergy-level dedicate given the bottle of whiskey in his hands.

[Urhr93]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Sorry for the wall of text XD Somehow this RP give me much inspiration to write

Giving food to the wolf seemed to be the right idea. It was a bit hard to move around dragging the brick, but it was worth the effort as the wolf seems now calmer and is going around and sitting into a corner far from her things. She observes him for a while, to see if he might be hostile after she'll free him, but it doesn't seem so. Rather, he seems to have been well tamed, and while this means that he won't easily attack her, it also means that he won't easily rebel against the thugs without a significant reason, and food and freedom shouldn't make an enough big reason. Why? Simply because, just as she gave him food, they also give him his meals, and even if she freed him since he seems to be tamed he shouldn't be able to attack them. If they treated him bad then freedom could be a big enough reason to follow her against the bandits, but she since she doesn't know for sure she can't take the risk.
Summarizing, even if he seems friendly to her, she has to find and give him something that would, for sure, make him take he be by her side during a fight with the thugs.

Continuing to look at him, eventually her eyes wanders on his private areas, noticing his gender, and quickly move her eyes away. It doesn't seem that he'll give her trouble, and as time is passing she decides to proceed with the lockpicking. First her shackles. She goes at it for a while, and under the curious stare of the wolf she finally freed herself. Almost understanding that the girl is able to unlock his cage, as she approaches the iron bars the wolf too comes near, whining, and as she works on the lock he seems quite happy.
After the warm-up with her shackles, now unlocking the cage seems like a child play, but all the while she remains focused, so focused that she doesn't even give any attention to the sounds the animal is producing.

Soon she's done and, as the lock comes undone and the cage is open, the wolf jumps up on her, evidently happy for her work, licking her cheeks. Yes, he definitively seems to acknowledge her as a friendly figure. Ruby smiles, and when he hops off she's about to pat him when, without prior warning, the wolf put his head between her legs, burying his muzzle in her crotch. Ruby gasps in surprise, trying to understand whats happening, when she feels his tongue on her lower lips.
Her hands go towards his head, pushing it away, but just as she separates him from her flower, here he goes again, sticking his tongue where it doesn't belong. Just what those bandits have been teaching him to act like this?

This time she saw it coming and readily stops him, with her hands on his mouth when... cold. Some ice crystals forms on her hands, and from the surprise she stumbles. Where did this ice come from? She doesn't have time to worry about that since the wolf is now licking her eyes. She's a bit confused, when finally in her mind a voice from somewhere tells her about the habit of wolfs, licking the eyes when establishing friendship. She's not sure if she read it somewhere of heard it from someone, but listening to it she open her eyes, just in time as the wolf distances himself.
Thinking about it, his tongue felt quite cold. What if the ice from before came from the wolf? Magical animals are quite rare, and even her only heard about them and never met one, but it could be quite possible for the wolf to be one of them. After all, he seems to be quite intelligent, even for a domesticated wolf, and it could be the reason for his captivity.

Eyes open, Ruby now notices that she's on all four, just like a dog or, given the situation, like a wolf, and the animal in front of her is whining, almost pleading with his eyes for something. Her mind wanders, trying to think about what he could want, when suddenly an image appear in her mind, followed by similar others. Memories from her years in her hometown. Memories in which there are dogs going at it like... well, dogs. As she's lived and played in the wild, sometimes it happened to see animals in heat, and the dogs were particularly common. Thinking about it, in those the male was behind, while the female was... just in her position, in the exact same pose as the one she's in now.

Her face blush, realizing the intentions of the wolf. Seeing how she was taken here and how she was bounded, he probably thought of her as a similar being, someone in his same situation, and following this train of thought he probably deduced her to be the same as him. The only difference was that she was a female, and probably his instinct is now regarding her as a female of the same species, and as the only being of the same kind near also the only possible mate for him to breed.

Ruby's face goes even redder as she emulates the mind of the wolf, and suddenly another old memory appears in her mind. It was some years ago, and as she was hiding from something or someone she doesn't remember, she heard some moaning in a near shack on the outskirts of the village, far from the houses. She peeked inside to see what was causing it and what she saw was stunning. An old spinster, or at least old for her village (she would be thirty in a couple of years at that time), was being licked down there by a dog, and she seemed to enjoy it. At that time she just blushed and dashed away, but now it came to her mind, together with what happened just some seconds ago with the wolf.

While this goes on in her mind, her eyes wander towards the male parts of the wolf and, to her surprise, his member slowly swells, reaching an impressive size, making her panic a little. And following the panic, also the solution to the problem previously mentioned. As per her reasoning, even if she gave him food and freedom, it wouldn't be a sure fact that he would help her against the thugs, but if he sees her as a mate, then things change. As said before, collaborations with animals could be temporarily formed with the principle of give and take, and now she found something enough to give so that the wolf for sure would help her. That, at least, in theory, while in the reality the thought of being an animal mate is not exactly to her liking.
Conflict goes on on her head, when she begins to shiver from the cold. The ice is melting under her arms, but is still cold. In the meantime a breeze blows in, end even if her eyes have adjusted to the light, it's gradually becoming darker and darker, and that means that the bandits could come at any moment. That probably would mean death. As she's too naive, the thought of them playing with her body before killing her doesn't even come, but it's probably better like this since that could be even worse than just being killed.

She has to make a choice, and she has to make it fast. Being killed is out of question, and since she's freed the dog she could at least use him, even if the price for that could be unwanted skinship with him. However, this isn't the place for that. First, she has to escape. Getting up, her hand point towards the stairs, trying to get the dog attention <When we go outside> she says, in a soft voice as to not be heard by the thugs, if they are near. The dog is smart, so he probably will understand. Using her hands to try to make him understand better, she continues to point to the stairs, trying to make him understand that when they get far enough then she may follow his wish <Not here, outside. Far, far away outside> she tries to use simple words, and hopes that the wolf will understand. Till now he's been quite intelligent, and if he's really a magical beast then there is a high probability that he understand human language or, at least, is able to somehow interpret the concept of what she's saying.

After her "talk" with the wolf, Ruby moves towards her clothes and weapon, and then begins to wear them, or at least tries to do so as she doesn't know if the wolf will allow for it. If he interferes she'll just put on what's simpler to wear, like the jacket and boots, and put the rest in the bag with her other things. Obviously the weapon will be equipped anyway as she has to have a way to defend herself.

Once she's done, she'll make a gesture to the wolf to follow her and will go towards the stairs, going up and, after confirming that there won't be any interference, she'll try to lockpick the door until it opens and (if she manages to open it), she'll try to make a run for it, probably followed by the wolf.