Changer's Granddaughter (Summer 1243)

I like what you're doing.
I'd have scrapped the flame breath (cooked meat is a very human thing), but I like your reasonning, so let's say it holds.

The next few days are difficult for Vibria. She manages to scrounge what to eat, but barely, and the nights are cold and difficult to bear. Yet, she endures, but for how long? The Berry supplies she found won't last forever after all.
The hunger isn't far, and is troubling her méditations, spoiling her reflexions. More and more, when she tries to think of being a dragon, she finds herself thinking about food, or warmth instead.

On the other hand, her exploration shows her all kind of tracks, although she can't quite read or follow them. The countryside is as beautiful as on that first morning, the source clear and pure, and the berries still as delicious. But all of that can't assuage her feeling of vulnerability, especially in the daylight, when anyone can see her.

Vibria sets aside a full day, from sunrise to sunset, meditating in her cave to try as best she can to put the cold, the hunger, and the thirst from her mind.

Meditation roll: -3 + die roll of 4 = 1.

After, she continues to explore the countryside Perhaps the reason the berries don't sate her appetite as well as they should is because berries aren't really dragon food?

She will try to follow the tracks, and find a good place to set up and catch whatever she can.

Survival roll: 4 + die roll of 6 = 10.

For the berries, there's that (Humors!), but also the fact that there isn't a whole lot of them available, and her stock is dwindling. Maybe I failed to convey that, but several days have elapsed. Since you've got a whole season of initiation, I paint by strokes, I don't want to play out every day.

Trying to meditate does little to calm vibria's appetite, sadly. So when she sets out to find food, it is with the urgency borne of hunger. She hasn't known this state since she became an apprentice, and she realizes how the luxuries of life as a maga have softened her, without even her realizing it.

It takes her some time to identify what looks like a regular passage, a little less so to find a suitable trap. The tracks are easier to follow in the forest, and, at one point, they seem to wiggle through a bush, which should both slow her prey and allow Vibria to hide.

And then, she waits. All around her, she hears the forest's noises, and she feels an outsider again, She feels watched again. Several times, it feels like something is gonna come through the tracks, yet her hopes are doused. It would be so ironically stupid if the rumbling of her stomach gave her away!
So it is with great hope that, suddenly, Vibria sees a rabit enter the path, hopping toward her... pausing, sniffing the air, looking around... Wait, what's wrong with its eyes? They are slitted, draconic pupils!
And that's the moment that the rabbit chooses to go through Vibria's trap. Surprised, she almost misses it, but still manages to catch it, barely. She can feel its warm body, so delicious to eat, and she's been waiting for so long!

What do you do?

  • Look at the rabbit
    [spoiler]It looks totally normal, save that it has dragon-like eyes. Without it, it would be a totally mundane rabbit. Is this a magical creature? Is this the result of warping? No idea.[/spoiler]

  • Talk to the rabbit
    [spoiler]It makes all kind of cute, rabbity noises, but it doesn't answer in anything looking like a human language.[/spoiler]

  • Release the rabbit
    [spoiler]It doesn't fool around, and quickly départs, leaving Vibria even more hungry, until she find some roots to eat. Good grief, who would have thought surviving in the wild would have been so difficult! She manages likewise the following days[/spoiler]

  • Burn the rabbit and eat it
    [spoiler]This is the best rabbit she's ever eaten, as long as she remembers. She wants more. And in one way or the other, she manages likewise the following days[/spoiler]

  • Eat the rabbit raw
    [spoiler]This is the best rabbit she's ever eaten. Who thought raw meat would taste so good? She manages likewise the following days.[/spoiler]

Plans for the next week? And yes, I'll be asking for a lot of survival rolls, because that's what she needs to do, whatever may otherwise be happening.

(I've been thinking that you may be lost an all. Rest assured: What you say, what you roll, has an importance. There are 2 axis there: The transformation, and the survival. But you don't have to sweat either: transforming is mostly taken care of by the mists, and there are plenty of ways, some of them I have not foreseen, that you may "score points". The most difficult part is survival, but that is also the less difficult to picture.

Also, funny: I was castigating myself for not checking on this thread yesterday, thinking I was holding you back, and I come and you haven't posted, which holds me back since I had a scene and some questions for you :laughing: )

(Sorry the delay. I read it, meant to reply, then thought that I had, then kept putting off while I was working on other projects.)

[color=red]Success! Vibria cheers to herself when she grabs a firm hold on the rabbit, constantly shifting her grip as it tries to get away. She holds it up and stares into its eyes. [color=red]Damn. I can't eat this, she thinks. Then her stomach voices its opposition to her decision, in no uncertain terms. [color=red]Not yet, anyway.

She looks at the draco-bunny curiously. [color=red]"Who are you?" she asks.

reads spoilers

[color=red]"You win," she tells her stomach as she deals the coup de morte on the rabbit. She uses her flame-breath to cook it quickly, and devours it hurriedly, which gives her more time to scrounge up her next meal.

She spends the next few days as she has the past few, but keeping a sharp eye for more dragon-eyed bunnies (or dragon-eyed anything, really).

Continuing her regular rolls.

Meditation roll: -3 + die roll of 9 = 6.

Survival roll: 4 + die roll of 5 = 9.

Days and days have passed since Vibria went out of the cave.

She seems to be getting a little better at the wild life, hunting and scrounging, although this is tough. Due to the Stream she found, she doesn't suffer from thirst, but she's lost weight, become a little more scrawny. The necessities of survival are still imperious, but she's getting to know the place. The feeling of nakedness hasn't disappeared also, if any becoming stronger. Sometimes, it almost feels like someone is watching her, but she sees nothing save animals. Some normal ones, some mutated in one way or the other, more draconic-looking than usual beasts.

She still dreams, although most of the time, these escape her. Sometimes, she wakes up in the middle of the night, without knowing why, her senses alert, her heart beating for a long time, before being able to find sleep again.
Sometimes, she gets this feeling from her meditations too. There were a few moments when these felt almost as if there was this huge thing she was supposed to see, but couldn't.

The full moon rises, and Vibria dreams.
And this time, the dream is clear, clearer than it's ever been.

But what does she dream?
Is she a mighty wyrm, her thick skin impenetrable by steel or fire, burrowing through the hardest stone? Is she a drake, fierce in battle, stronger than any beast of any land? Is she rather a wyvern, her swift body flying through the skies? Or is she a serpent, graceful yet bigger than any ship, undisputed over or under the seas?
What sets her apart from similar dragons? Is she stronger, sturdier, faster? Are her senses more acute, is her aim more precise? Maybe she's so much better on some aspect that she's weaker on another. Which ones?
Does she have a secret trick? Does she has the hydra's blood, poisonous through and through? Does the has the sharpest ear, can she see in the dark?

Whatever it is, the dream is vivid, powerful, joyful and invigorating. Maybe it is different from what she thought she wanted, maybe it isn't, but, in that moment, Vibria realizes it: This is what she is, this is what she wants to be.
Yet, as Vibria revels in her new form, a shadow falls over her, overpowering her, making her feel small and vulnerable. There is something bigger than her, stronger than her, hunting her.

She awakes (specifics up to you) in the middle of the night. She isn't alone, she just knows it. Something is there, watching her.

Vibria wakes up in the middle of the night, her body cold with sweat as she gasps for breath. The sound of her heartbeat is almost deafening,

She closes her eyes and focuses on the dream. It felt more real, more vivid than any dream she ever had, but she can feel it starting to slip away, and she tries to grab it securely and sear it into her mind before it fades away entirely.

It's then that she feels it. She thinks she might have heard something, but isn't sure. But she knows she's not alone in the misty wilds. She can't tell what it is, but whatever it is can't be far, and she can feel its eyes on her.

Vibria very slowly and quietly gets to her feet ([color=red]why do I only have two? Grrr!). She strains her ears and peers into the darkness to try to see whatever's out there, and moves as quietly as she can in whatever direction she feels like the stranger is lurking.

She doesn't call out just yet.
[hr][/hr]
Rolls

  • Hearing: Per 0 + Awareness 3 + Sharp Ears 3 + die roll of 4 = 10.
  • Seing: Per 0 + Awareness 3 + Keen Vision 3 + die roll of 3 = 9.
  • Stealth (to get up and approach more silently): Dex 0 + Stealth 0 + die roll of 7 = 7.

If you may, you've missed what is, to me, the most important part (sorry, this is my amber background resurfacing)
Of course, you're under no obligation to think about this, I just thought this would be a chance for you to further define Vibria and her nature. This is something where player and character may diverge, with Vibria's dream being something other than what she usually thought she wanted when thinking of herself as a dragon.

As per the rest:

Cold sweat running down her body, Vibria searches, all senses alert.
Was it just her dream, or was someone really there? A ruffling in the nearby forest alerts her. Turning her head, she sees 4 reddish eyes, one pair above the other, looking at her for a brief instant, before, with another ruffle, they disappear in the forest.

Vibria's dream.

[hr][/hr]
Vibria knelt at the side of the stream, scooping up handfuls of ice-cold water. But this time, it didn't slake her thirst like it should. Rather, every gulp caused sharp, crushing pain in the pit of her stomach.

She clenched her eyes closed against the pain as her hands dug into the dirt. She started to cough. When she opened her eyes again, her vision was obscured by smoke. She continued to cough, and realized that the smoke got momentarily worse with every cough. She held her breath for a moment, and watched the smoke disippate in the gentle breeze. She coughed again, and the smoke reappeared.

Vibria leaned forward and looked at her reflection in the water. She saw that her face was covered in green scales. She looked at her hands, and saw that they, too, were green and scaley, and were turning into claws. She smiled and said something, but her words came out as a deep, menacing growl.

She grinned, ran, and leaped for joy. She didn't come back down, though. Wings she didn't know she had unfurled and were carrying her upward into the clouds.

Her shadow, far below, showed that she was no longer Vibria. At least, not the Vibria she knew. Gone were the familiar curves, the long flowing hair, the sturdy legs. Instead, she saw a wide, powerful body that reminded her vaguely of a barrel; strong bat-like wings that beat vigorously (and, she felt, could cause gale-force winds if she put her mind to it), and thick long tail that trailed behind her.

As she flew, she realized that she was starving. She searched the ground below, her eyes sharper than ever, and smiled as she saw a flock of sheep that were relatively unprotected; one or two shepherds that fled in terror as she began to stoop with her wings tucked against her body. She spread her wings wide to brake herself as she grabbed a sheep easily with her rear talons, its spine snapping at the impact. She carried it away and found a secluded clearing to land and tear into the mutton greedily. It was gone far too quickly, but it was the best food she had ever had in her life.

When she was finished with her meal, she stretched cat-like and curled up in the sun, knowing that nothing would dare molest her in this body, and drifted off to sleep, only to wake up in her human form with a sense of longing.

I love this story :slight_smile:

Keep it going whilst I take time to recover.

Thanks, Marko. But you're sick? Not injured, I hope. Take care.

I hope it suits peregrine too, as it's giving me a hard time. In part because of our different play styles, I think, so I hope it ain't too frustrating for you, Peregrine. Tell me if it is.

So, trying to put this back on track.

Vibria had this dream, in which she was a flying, fire-breathing wyvern. It soon turned to nightmare, when something overpowers her. She awakes in sweat and nightly terror, only to see something with 4 reddish eyes disappear into the forest.

What do you do?

Vibria blinks in surprise, then springs to her feet and follows the beasty through the woods, trying to make as little noise as possible while not losing sight of it.

Her Stealth roll is Dex 0 + Stealth 0 + die roll of 4 = 4.

Her Vision Awareness roll is Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 0 (and a botch check of 0 = botch. Blech.

If Vibria thought she had become a creature of the wild, she's in for a disappointment, as she soon realizes the forest is a VERY different place at night.

Despite all her efforts, she can't help but walking on twigs, rustle branches and, generally, feel like a big oaf. It's not that she's bumbling, but she's just very bad at being stealthy.

But the worst is yet to come. For despite trying, not only does she loses track of whatever she was following, she also loses track of her path.

Alone, naked, in a forest at night... What could go wrong for a dragon? Yet, despite herself, the thought, and the fear, sinks in: She is not a dragon.

This goes on and has been the sole pulse keeping this game alive. Three points of Fortune for each of you. Carry on :smiley:

Thanks, marko.

I've had other things on my plate, and, to my shame, had forgotten this game.
Sadly, it appears I'm not the only one.

Peregrine? You still here? Willing and able to go on?

I'm here. But a combination of other projects soaking up all my creativity and things not going so well on the home front have kind of put this on the back burner. I keep meaning to post something, but never get around to it.

Take as much time as you need. I am in no hurry. I cannot keep up with the rapid pace we once had. Maybe I am getting old? I also have many plates spinning. I want a game to be low pressure and relaxed. So go at your own pace with all of this :slight_smile:

Vibria continues bumbling through the woods, refusing to give up until she's too tired to go any farther. Disgusted and furious (both with herself and with her situation) she leans against a tree and wraps her arms around her kneed, drawing in on herself. She tries to beat down the doubts that she's starting to feel, but they keep returning, like rats to a trash heap.

[color=red]Maybe I'm going about this all wrong, she thinks. [color=red]Maybe I'm trying to hard to force it. Maybe instead of making myself become the dragon, I should let myself become the dragon.

She gets to her feet and starts wandering, trying to find one of the places where she saw the mutations before*.

If she finds it, or something that looks and feels "right", she will sit and meditate, drawing up every memory she has that has made her feel "dragony"**, trying to focus on those memories and feelings to the exclusion of everything around her.

** Int 1 + die roll of 9 = 10.

Aaaargh! Sorry for the late reply.

Vibria stumbles in the dark, which doesn't help making her feeling of unease doesn't disappear. More than once, she thinks she sees the eyes again, and the feeling of being watched doesn't quit her.

Tired, hungry and sore, she finally settles against a tree, feeling it's that or dropping from sleep or worse.

At first, she doesn't seem to calm down, but her meditation helps soothe her thoughts. Without she noticing, it turns into dreams. Dreams of dragonflight, dreams of hunger, dreams of fire. Dreams that come crashing down again, a shadow dropping over her. Hunted, she isn't a dragon, she is a prey.
She wakes up screaming in the middle of the night, frightened, cold and hungry, and it is a long time before she slips into sleep again.

The morning light finally breaking through gently rouses Vibria from her slumber. She feels nice and warm and doesn't feel like waking up.
She opens her eyes, raises herself, which is when, with a shock, she notices the blood. On her hands, arms and then torso and mouth. A quick check reveals it's not hers, though, as evidenced by the semi-scaly "rabit" whose devoured remains lie next to her.

Vibria looks at the 'rabbit', a grin spreading across her face as she adds the rabbit's corpse to her dreams. She then woops and does a happy dance.

The dance is cut short when she remembers the rest of the dream, and realizes that even though she (hopefully) was able to become the dragon in her sleep, there was something even bigger in the skies, something that may be after her, something awesome enough that it sees a fledgling dragon as prey.

She spends the rest of the day pushing herself just as hard physically as she did before, while she goes everything in her mind, looking for clues, anything she might have done differently, while hoping that being bone-tired isn't a requisite for becoming the dragon.

Being stuck in the woods sucks. Being stuck in the woods naked sucks even more. Her feet hurt, and she's scratched just about everywhere.

While the impression of being watched does disappear with the day, Vibria finds signs that something was close to her during the night. Broken branches, and even a few tracks of... something that looks like a hoof, but longer.

When the night begins to come, the fear comes with it again. More than once, the forest becomes dead silent, yet Vibria sees nothing special when she looks around.

What do you do?