Venomous Desire(Porne)

[porne]

Having finished what practicing I can, I nod to Ruby, and let her know that we're heading back to the elves if she wants to switch back to her four legged form. I also ask if she's strong enough to carry me, as I want to try and cultivate while on the way if she's willing to try.

[Sallin_Kari]

She is... but it's not that simple. She is much smaller then even a donkey in height so your feet and ankles would be dragged against the floor and her wider frame means rolling off is a major concern, only amplified by the lack of any sort of saddle. While all of this could be possibly rectified by a tight grip, you fear that may indeed hurt her using that much force.

[porne]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I thought she was closer in size to a horse like her father.

Darn, oh well. I shrug at that, still getting used to my new physique and it's remarkable durability and endurance. I take off jogging toward the elven village.

[Sallin_Kari]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Legs aren't as proportionally as long. Even if you scale up a wolf doesn't mean it'll be as tall as a horse. She's also not quite full size. Just like people continue grow a bit after they turn 18 and are an 'adult' they don't finish growing until around 24. Same with her. It's not insurmountable problem, but you need a custom saddle, and one that will keep your legs held in a bend position comfortably.

You arrive at the forest as you start getting the appetite for lunch. The guards find you again as you eat before guiding you back to the village. Yuna seems to have been waiting for you and she pulls you into private room. "It looks like the elves have not been faring much better. They've been under siege by the centaurs and their allies for a century, but they have not yet figured out a method to pierce through the enchantments protecting the forest. However they have been attempting to destroy and burn the forest through multiple raids. This has breed extreme paranoia among the elves, and they view everything as potential ploy to destroy their forest. Honestly many of them want to forsake our treaty and cast us out, if not out right kill us. Gaining their support will be a hard road, but they are incredibly powerful, and they could be instrumental in pushing the centaur's back... I just... don't know what the correct play is here."

[porne]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

So, she's a racing motor cycle you say?

I stop and think on it for a bit, eventually deciding that a few of the 'water balls' might be worth it as emergency fire fighting gear. Unless I run across some kind of rune spell that would let me attack fires directly. "I think it would be best if we could form a tentative alliance based on securing aid from the dwarves as well. I suppose we could also engage in a few raids on the centaurs as well, or possibly trade some of their weapons for study?" I ask, unsure of what we might have to offer beyond raw resources.

[Sallin_Kari]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Yeah, that'd be right general proportions. The problem is that you don't got a foot rest and the ride still moves up and down all with no proper seat. As mentioned nothing that can't be remedied, but requires some custom made stuff.

"That might certainly work," Yuna sighs, "As it is we're going to have a long road ahead of us. As I figure we got three primary methods of gaining the elves favors. One we can help stay here and help them with what ever issues they have while I play politics. Two, we can find other enemies of the centaur and form an alliance to take them down. Three, we can directly engage them independently, using the forest as a base of operations."

[porne]

"We can give the issues a try, at least temporarily. If we can't do anything soon enough, we can move on to the areas you said were dwarven territory and try something similar. But, if I spot some targets of opportunity, there's no reason not to hit them. If the elves know of any nearby centaur camps, give me the locations, and I'll see about performing a raid."

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

It occurs to me that Suku would be a brutal guerrilla fighter, as just sneaking into the cargo/supplies area could wipe out a huge amount of them since they just disappear.

[Sallin_Kari]

Yuka nods, "Alright, from what I've gathered they're lacking war materials. As well as minerals and metals. As they are isolated in their forest, they don't have mines to get fresh metal, and while they have been recycling what they can, it's reaching a critical point where they won't have enough to equip everyone. They've been raiding any bases they've found, but as any scout that leaves the forest's protection would be picked off by the centaurs, they've not pin pointed where the raiding camps are currently. They'd probably be able to narrow it down to a region though."

[porne]

"Well, that does open up the option of playing delivery service if we can open good relations with the dwarves." I mutter, still thinking out loud. "It's hardly glorious, but I recall something about wars being won by pack mules. I can also do some scouting, and we may get the chance to raid them as well. See about getting the regions locked down today, I'm going to head to another resource cache. I do have a water orb for you, just... don't pop it willy nilly." I mention, giving her one of the orbs to barter with. Hopefully, the next cache will have more usable resources in addition to more runescript for me to apply. I glance up at the sky, gaging where the sun is after my conversation and if I can reach the next resource cache before nightfall. It's close to lunch right now, and while I wouldn't turn down free food, I do want to get there so I can rest and take care of anything that might pop up.

[Sallin_Kari]

"In addition if the dwarves are under siege as the elves are they might very well be needing things from the elves," Yuna points out, "Keeps our options open to be sure." Taking the orb she rolls it around in her hands, examining it intently, before she mutters, "I wonder if we could replicate this?"

While any unclaimed cache is outside your range for today, there is the offer of free food. Somewhat disappointingly there is a massive lack of meat, almost entirely being fruits and vegetables... However the spice work is amazing. You never knew plants could be this appetizing.

[porne]

"Best of luck on replicating it. Still, I'm going to make a pass at trying to reach the dwarves, but I'll also go out of my way to find a few Centaur caches if I can. Maybe, I'll even leave a few elven arrows or something around if they want to seem more menacing." I shrug to Yuna before I return to getting food. I devour what they've got, enjoying it a great deal, and setting some aside to take with me later, maybe some spices as well. Otherwise, I suspect I'm ready to go unless someone else thinks of something.

[Sallin_Kari]

Before you go, Yuna brings you to talk with some elven officers who explain the patterns they noticed in the centaur's movements, and theories on where their camps are located based on that, showing you on the map. There seem to be three or so raiding camps based on the movements, but none of them are on the easiest path to the dwarves. One is closest, but you'd either need to take a detour to get back on the main road or backtrack after you hit it... Assuming you find it, which could be a problem. The officers do take to your suggestion of leaving elven arrows behind as a threat, and offer you a few dozen for such purposes.

[porne]

Awesome on the arrows. I sling the package for now, planning to dump it into my space at a later time. I decide to detour to get back on the main road after the fact before I see about setting off.

[Sallin_Kari]

Roll 17
As luck would have it, the centaurs apparently decided they didn't need to do anything beyond moving outside the elves patrol range, and left it uncamouflaged out in the open. It's pretty big though. Several hundred strong at least, though with any luck most of those won't be in the camp proper. Still how to deal with that? You're not one of your stronger cousins who could nuke it from afar with impunity.

[porne]

Yes, if I was a fire dragon or a few centuries older, I could probably just toss a heavily reinforced fireball into the middle of their camp and turn it into a massive crater, or suck it into a personal space and drop a pile of heads out.

But, I'm not, and I have to work on this as is. So... what can I do with this camp? If they've got a limited number of cooking pots, I could hopefully sneak in and poison them all. If they've got their supplies in one large area, I could sneak in and steal a bunch of them as well. Thinking on what I'm seeing of the camp and what jumps out at me, I begin coating the arrows with a thin mixture of paralytic and neurotoxin.

[Sallin_Kari]

Unfortunately the camp has a wooden wall surrounding, which, while doing little to stop you from entering, does block your view of anything but the top of the tents poking over it, 'lest you risk flying above it and increase your risk of being spotted.

[porne]

I sneak closer, looking to possibly get more intelligence before I make a decision. Hm, I should probably have a few rocks as well that I could coat, it would be much easier to handle if I tossed a rock into a boiling pot rather than trying to fire an arrow.

[Sallin_Kari]

Roll 13 You have some issues finding any hole in the wall that isn't guarded by a pair of centaurs, but there is clearly not enough busheling inside to have multiple hundred strong, meaning a lot of them are out on patrol... Good news in that you have less to deal with, bad news in that if you cause a ruckus or when destroy the camp, there will likely be more centaurs heading here to check what's going on. Still, you could easily climb the wooden palisade, but you would be going in with only your ears indicating the way is clear.

[porne]

Hm, I wonder if I could dig any ankle breaker trenches with my ability? Worth a shot. I look for any unguarded paths if I can find them, implementing that plan. If I can't find them, oh well, time to hop a fence.

[Sallin_Kari]

Unfortunately, while the incredibly open position of the fort means that they can and appear to approach from nearly every direction, so short of trying to make a massive ring which will almost certainly get you spotted, you don't see a good way of doing it... not to mention it's not exactly the most quiet ability.

Roll 7

You jump over to find yourself in some sort of training area, with targets and even a circular track... and you're in the open. Well not completely, there is some cover, but it is sparse to get to the tents. At least there is no one currently using the grounds.