[Bounty] Terror in the Trees [Moderate/Easy]

[Xarkly 17299]

 

"There's nothing there, Fabrian, you're wasting your time."

Fabrian ignored the chide. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and squinted through the labyrinth of tree trunks and shrubbery. The Aleksandrian greatrees were impossibly tall, with their broad, leafy canopies completely obscuring all traces of the sun but for a few chinks in the leafy armour that permitted a few fractured shafts of light down into the forest, and their massive trunks were ringed by dense foliage and plants. Anything could be hiding amidst the greenery, and Fabrian was convinced something was, though his examination yielded nothing. 

"Come on, Fabrian, let's go home," the voice behind him grumbled impatiently. 

Fabrian ignored him for another moment, before he finally sighed, and turn from the small, muddy ridge from where he had examined the woods. He had his supple, redwood longbow clutched in his hand, while his other hand ghosted by the quiver on his belt, and it was with great reluctance that he looped the bowstring around his shoulder, and joined his companion on the forest floor. Perhaps there really was nothing noteworthy hiding out there, he thought to himself as he tightened his knitted-wool cloak around his shoulders. The forest was full of widllife, from rabbits to dears, and even boars. Yes, boars - *** must have been a boar that he had heard stomping around. However, a small, nagging whisper in the back of his head left him unconvinced.

"Good haul today," Fabrian's companion Santar intoned merrily as the two of them turned and began to trek back along the meandering path they had trodden for themselves. Similarly to Fabrian, Santar clad himself in the attire typical of a local Aleksandrian hunter, from his deerskin chaps, his woolen tunic and his cloak. The morning's chill had prompted both Fabrian and Santar to favour slightly heavier cloaks than was seasonal for the First Seed.

"Not bad," Fabrian concurred half-heartedly as he glanced down to the rabbits that hung from his belt by their bound paws, swaying and bouncing against the hunter's leg as he walked. Four rabbits in total. Parts of their grey-white fur were matted with blood where Fabrian's arrow had struck them dead. It was by no means a bad catch - for Fabrian, at least - but he simply could not shed his concern. He had heard something out amidst the trees, something that was not normal.

"I'll have the missus make her seasoning tonight, and we'll have a proper feast," Santar said dreamily as they walked, and a broad smile split his round, pudgy-featured face. "You should come by and join us. Kids would love to see you again." 

"I could do," Fabrian mumbled absently mindedly as they continued through the woods, back towards Aleksandria, with twigs and leaves stomped beneath their boots. "I don't have much else to do this evening."

"Well, then come on around!" Santar exclaimed. "You could -" Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks. 

"Santar?" Fabrian pivoted on his heels, and fixated him with an alarmed frown. "What is it?" 

"Shh." Santar's voice was scarce more than a whisper. "Do you hear that?" 

Fabrian stilled his breath, and listened carefully. Then, suddenly ...

... Santar made a farting noise with his tongue. As soon as Fabrian realised what had happened, Santar burst out laughing. "Blood and ashes, Fabrian, stop being so paranoid! Paha! You should have seen your voice!" 

Fabrian exhaled slowly through his nostrils, and softened his frown. His heart had began to pound in his chest, as if trying to beats it way out of his body, and it seemed to refuse to quieten. "Very funny," he grumbled bitterly.

"Honestly, Fabrian, how long have we been hunting in these woods?" Santar went on. "At least eight years, if not longer, I reckon. And you still are as jumpy as -"

Something moved in the shadows of the trees behind Santar. "Santar!" Fabrian exclaimed hurriedly. "Look out!" 

"Eight years, Fabrian, and -" Santar never even registered the warning. A boulder twice the size of Fabrian's head sailed through the air like a bird, before it plummeted into Santar. Fabrian felt the colour drain from his face as his friend became one with the boulder in a shower of blood and stony splinters. His blood turned to ice, and his throat seemed to close up voluntarily. In the distance, from where the boulder had descended, there came a deep roar. Fabrian could feel himself begin to shake as he watched a hulking, brutish form move among the shadows of the titanic trees. He cast one last wayward glance to Santar, his corpse half-hidden beneath the boulder, before he turned and ran, faster than he had ever ran before.

 

Before the sun had set that day, a bounty appeared, plastered along a number of Aleksandria's walls, and spread throughout the nearby settlements.

 

-=-

 

TERROR IN THE TREES

 

Wanted:

Slayers, adventurers and mercenaries alike who do not balk in the face of beasts of great size and strength.

 

Threat level:

Moderate/East ((This will depend on the choices made by participants during the Event.))

 

Suggested party number: 

3 - 6

 

Description of beast:

"I couldn't rightly see it properly, but I know it was huge, and mighty strong - it threw a boulder halfway across the bloody forest!" 

 

Location:

The forest outside Aleksandria

 

Rewards: 

300 Mina split among participants, and a number of trinkets and treasures to be picked up along the way.

 

-=-

 

(( If you feel like giving this bounty event a shot, just get in touch with me by messaging me on my forum profile or by adding me on Skype -- the username's Sparklexarkle, and just mention you're interested in this bounty in the contact request. Following that, we'll schedule a time to do it at. Any interested individual should do this, so we can arrange a time that works for everyone. Also bear in mind that this is not necessarily a conventional 'go and kill this monster' bounty. For example, you may not even end up fighting the monster detailed in the poster at all, but something entirely different, pending the choices of the participants throughout the event.

 

Happy Hunting. ))

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Xarkly 17299]

 

 

This bounty has been completed.

[Elad™ 560]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.

 

If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.