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>>32882121
"Even still, those were what my Mother used before I was born." you say, "and I can reload this in the same time it takes you to reload one."

"Aye Miss, but your average nitor oik fresh outta River's Crossing ain't got the skill you do." McCain says looking up from the pack he was working on tying "Bullets are a bit of an expense and its a matter of wasting one round or seven, or fifteen. Lotta focus on principles over combat."

You grimace, "I didn't expect you to take his side."

"That was him taking my side?" Keel says, "I'd hate to see him not."

A mood of general good humor pervades the camp as you pack up your things, and help catch daisy, who has apparently enlisted dahz in her current quest to avoid the training lead. You eventually catch her through Veles, who bribes the dog with some smoked meat.

>Plan of action? Its 3-5 days travel back home and you have roughly 5-6 days worth of rations left.

>>32882142
We've not got many baubles left at all. And not really enough time on the timetable to visit the established villages, like we wanted to. How far away are they? Do we have maps?
Our best course of action might be getting a few local maps for reproduction and returning home to plan expedition 2, to the towns. Also to check on our hands. Also also, ask keel to tell you a bit about the "procedures" he mentioned a while back for meeting a new people. That's apparently a thing they have.

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>>32882287
Maps appear to be in short supply, sans a massive one in the Ataman's tent made of stained leather and littered with little figures of what you assume to be encampments you have yet to see one. Keel's been drafting a rough map of the area from memory when you turn in for the night, but outside that, this city appears to be on the northwest edge of centaur lands proper. Closest Folwark you know if is Bralin, though you imagine that something affiliated with House Krasick should be nearby, if the light load of the Hussars you saw earlier is anything to go by.

You do have the backup nitor officers encamped near the tunnel entrance on your property with more supplies, but that would take some time to go there and back again.

>>32882568
Well, put maps on the list of things we need to trade with these guys. We can reproduce 'em right quick back at home, once we get an accurate one.
On that note, I guess let's spend our remaining free day copying down the massive map and asking the locals about traveling hazards and politics. With a side benefit of looking for those guys who robbed us during that time.

After the free day is up, go back, get food and supplies, and try to visit the village. But damn does this place need roads for wagons.

>>32882627
And by the village, I mean bralin. Seems like a not-too-hostile place.

I don't wanna visit krasick's place, as they seem to not like us.

Got here late. Posting to let Chemlab know he has another reader and in support of this (>>32882627 >>32882819) plan.

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Lacking a map, planning much of anything is going to be a hassle. Though banking on the favor of the Ataman, you spend the better part of the day vetting the guards of the longhouse to let you in to see the map. One gestures for you to leave your stuff before he is stopped by the other, who explains that given the breach of security last time, the Ataman has instructed them that you are allowed to store your things inside. Grateful, you enter to see Elim and explain to him that you are simply here to make a map of the area, a request he grants. Between you and Keel you get a rough map of the area down, noting down the encampments, though the script accompanying them is so obtuse that even Veles can't rightly make out what it means. You do note that there appears to be a vast expanse off to the west further beyond, but your inquiries only lead to them referring to it as the forsaken lands and state that it is beyond their limits. Veles says that the only ones who dare dwell near it are the loners, and those are few and far due to the near inhospitable climate, and the fact that the number of degenerate trolls near there seem to only increase. The boundary of the badlands are all they've felt the need to push into, with the kozaks providing a wall between the folwarks and the forsaken ones, a fact that the Kozaks seem to both resent and take pride in.

Having spent the day acquiring information, you turn in for the night, ready to head back tomorrow

>Need a 1d20 travel roll

Rolled 13

>>32883455
Hope we'll have enough ammo to get back home.

Rolled 16

>>32883455
Sure, let's travel fast. Just getting supplies and all. We need to work out a centaur-based resupply area.

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>13

You wake from another myriad of images that seem to be your dreams lately and set out at first light with the rest of your party. Veles leads the way back, citing previous trips out this way, and it seems like a good idea. That said, the way is a hair steep, and the rough terrain plays hell on McCain and Keel, their horses having to go the long way, and despite the advantage of knowing the land, you don't seem to go much faster than when you were with the centaurs. Veles is apologetic, but you tell him its fine, and that you'll just have to blaze your own trail. You do manage to make it past your old campsite, and Ursus is but a speck in the horizon when you finally do make camp. The silence of the badlands, far cry from the teeming life in Ursus, reminds you of home and you quickly fall asleep.

>Travel 1/3 completed no time lost yet
>1d20 travel roll here.

Rolled 19

>>32884187
Sure sure, more rolls.
Keep an eye out for trolls and crap. The badlands are most likely, you know, bad.

Rolled 18

>>32884187

Rolled 9

>>32884204
>>32884187
I am not sure if I should take a second roll or not, as that's pretty bad.

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>>32884258
I do best of three, would prefer it to be three unique, but you can't have everything.

Anyway, writing.

>>32884395
Fair enough. Standing by.

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>9

Your dreams take a different focus this time, you see a beach and a dock with a man working near dock. You see a child run to the man, who points off to the beach, and watches the child run off before returning to his work.

Woken from this by the dawn cresting the distant mountains, you and your associates manage to make some noticeable progress today. You opt to continue to use Veles' as pathfinder, not wanting to get lost in these lands, but keep your eyes peeled for ways that would make it easier on the horses. You pass the site of the last battle where Veles' pyrotechnics came in handy, and note that sans some ash, there is almost no trace of the trolls that were slain. Keel in the meantime, having naught much better to do, has spent the better part of the day transcribing the larger map into his notes. Before you retire for the night, he shows it to you and get a feel for the size and shape of the majority of the southern continent. Moreso than anyone else thus far you imagine.

>Travel 2/3 completed, still on schedule
>1d20 Travel, you know the drill.

Rolled 19

>>32884676
Huh. Probably not to scale, but cool.

Rolled 3

>>32884676

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>3

Your dreams take you somewhere familiar this time, the cave in the mountains that you've seen before, and you see the snake you saw looking older, slightly more haggard, pelts of fur on his back. You see it go into and out of the cave several times. First with what appears to be a nest, next with a small ball of fur, and the last, a sack bulging with plants, mosses, stones, and other curiosities. The entrance to the cave seals, and you watch as moss begins to grow around it.

You wake to Veles talking animatedly, it would appear that he's gotten his bearings, and that it should be a straight shot from here to the tunnels on relatively flat land. Supplies still at comfortable levels you decide to double time it regardless, not wanting to get caught on the flatlands with no concealment from the trolls whatsoever. Moving at breakneck pace and keeping time with Veles, you are hard pressed to keep up with Keel and McCain who, for the first time, are leading the way once Veles points them in the right direction.

you reach the valley, and manage to find the entrance with relative ease, ushering through it and exiting the other side. You are greeted by the sight of four of the nitor soldiers encamped just over the ridgeline.

"Sah." The sergeant says by way of greeting, throwing a stiff salute to Keel, who reciprocates, "Everything all right?"

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>>32885522
"Just resupplying sergeant. We've made contact, disposition is positive. This is big." Keel frowns as he looks at the assemblage, "Where are Caine and Jackson?"

"We've got 'em down at the ranch to stop whatever is after the cows, Sah."

In the deadly quiet that follows, McCain is the first to speak. "You wanna run that by me again, Sergeant?"

The man looks like he is about to say something, but whatever his indignant reply would have been is stifled by Keel, "The man asked you a question sergeant."

"Well, the 'arpy gel came up here about two days ago, said something got one of their cattle. I sent Corporal Caine and Private Jackson to take care of them, sah."

>?

>>32885593
Any idea -what- got the cattle? If some horrible thing is coming down from the mountains harassing our ranch, I don't feel safe for our farmhands.

Have you guys gotten any word back from the two you sent off?

>>32885647
Well, other than asking questions, I should give some actual inputs.
>>32885593
We should return to our ranch for a bit to inspect what happened to the cow. If it got taken by rustlers, the two reinforcements will be good. If it's horrible mountain things, we need to get some military men up on the ranch side of the mountain using keel's clout, due to increasing incidence of wandering monster, before going back out to explore.

>>32885593
Let's ask Veles if we can take his portal back to the ranch. The sooner we're there to see, the better.

>>32885722
Good memory skills!

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"Any idea -what- got the cattle?" You ask the man.

"No idea Miss, your bird didna say."

"How about word from the two you sent?"

He gives you a reproachful look. "Miss, it takes nearly more 'n a day for us hoofin' it to get there in these woods given how big they are. The 'arpy looked pretty tired, she was leadin' 'em back. They prolly just got there."

You don't relish the thought of Tai alone handling whatever horrible thing came down from the mountains, or worse a return of rustlers.

"Its imperative we head back to camp, Veles, can we impose on you?"

He catches on quickly and frowns a bit. "Well, it'd be a tight fit for the horses up those stairs."

"No matter, we need to get there now. Someone can look after the horses here while we check on things."

Leaving the horses in the capable hands of the sergeant and a hapless private, Keel takes the other two and follows you and Veles into the tunnels. You preempt keels questions by telling him you will explain later, and you see him almost reflexively reach for his notebook upon entering Veles' living area. You see him focus particularly on the shining metal book Veles told you was written by his 'sire' as you pass. Leaving Dahz in the antechamber, and Daisy in the rookery, you pass by unmolested by the myriad of falcons, though note that the look on the two privates flanking Keel suggests this is something far above their pay grade.

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>>32886183
Entering the portal chamber, you open the portal with Veles, who continues channelling after you finish opening. Apparently to sustain the portal long enough for all of your to get through. Heading through the portal, you are greeted by the balmier weather of the lowlands... and not much else. You're home is how you left it, and you see the cattle off in the pasture. What you don't see however is your hands. Marie is not lazily circling the herd as she is apt to do, nor do you see Tai from your current position.

The telltale whirr of the portal ceases as the rest of the group heads through, the soldiers instantly readying arms.

>Action?

>>32886213
Get investigating for our hands. Our cows are here, but they aren't. They wouldn't leave them unless it was something important.

Check all the houses and buildings first, then outlying areas.

>>32886213
Quietly sweep the area, arms ready.

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Drawing your rifle, you take point as you head around the house toward the front, still no sign of anyone. Keel and his men head toward the barn while you check the house, leaving the bunhouse to McCain. Inside you find nothing amiss, and head up to your room and your late fathers study. Finding nothing awry, you are about to head back down when you hear the crack of a nitor rifle. Barreling downstairs like a demon on scales, you head toward the bunkhouse where the shot originated, seeing Keel and his men advancing from the barn, thankfully, you note Tai with them. Rounding the corner, you draw your rifle, but lower when you see that McCain has a man in a nitor outfit in a wicked looking headlock. Laying on the ground you see one of the carbines, the smoke of its latest discharge wafting from the barrel.

Captain Keel rounds the corner and appraises the situation. "Stand down Private." he calls, to who you presume is Private Jackson.

The man ceases his struggling as McCain releases his grip and stands back, picking up the rifle.

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>>32886670
"Mind explaining the use of your weapon, Private?" Keel says, face remaining impassive.

"Mean looking bugger comes in where you're standin' guard not makin' a noise and grabs you. What was I supposed to do." Jackson responds.

"Not shoot someone you saw before we left?" Keel counters. "Regardless, are you injured Mr. McCain?"

"I'm fine, fella did the right thing, warning shot for his partner. Textbook, right?" Your foreman says wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Speaking of, where is Corporal Caine?"

As if on cue, another Nitor uniformed man rounds the corner rifle in hand. He freezes in spot before dropping into a salute. "Sir." He says, sweat running down his forehead as he stands at attention.

>Action?

>>32886697
Ask Tai what the situation is, and where Marie is at.

>>32886697
Where is everyone?
What got at the cows?

>>32886697
>>32886767
After finding our what's going on, either be relieved or go inspect the incident of horror. Depending on what happens.

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"Tai, what's going on. Something got the cattle? Where's Marie?" The questions pour out as you focus on your hand.

A faint cough is heard, and you turn to see Marie standing at the door to her side of the bunkhouse. She looks pale. "Ran myself a bit hard Miss Masterson." She says weakly. "Nothing big, I'll be fine."

"With respect Miss Sasha, Marie is full of shit." Tai says, walking over to the harpy. "She about killed herself flying to the Nitor and guiding them here. They arrived last night. Went out without food and precious little water. I had her here resting and this man making sure she got rest." He says, gesturing to Jackson. You watch as he herds her back into her room despite her feeble protests and emerges a short while later.

"Anyway," He says quietly, "Something big hit the cattle a few nights back. One of ours was killed and dragged toward the fence, whatever it was made enough noise to wake us, but bolted when we fired. Screeching bloody murder out there. It hit again this morning."

"I can confirm." Corporal Caine says, "We heard it and headed out. Whatever it was straight up pulled a cow to the treeline. We followed the blood trail, found the dead animal UP a tree. Unearthly roaring the whole time though" He says. "We've been alternating posts since. Staggered shifts two guns on the animals at all times."

>?

>>32887274
Now that we're back, this isn't the Nitor's problem anymore. So, we should ask Keel if he has the time to help us out stopping this thing.

Next we should consult Veles. He probably has an idea of what this is, he and Dahz may be able to track it down if we had to. Otherwise, continuing to alternate watch should work fine.

>>32887274
Think it's one of them trolls?
We need to go find that thing and figure out what the heck it is so the authorities know how to react. And also kill it, probably. If it's not like a werewolf or something.

Set a trap for the thing and see if we can lure it out. A cow tied out in the fields or something.

Failing that, gather a party and investigate. Whatever method of tracking works, do it.

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"Think it is one of those trolls?" You say to Veles.

"A wha-" Tai says, before being cut off.

"Not likely. Even if they did get through mountains, I don't imagine them being in such few numbers. They get weaker further from deadlands they get."

"Right, well any ideas what it could be?"

"A couple, but I would like to look over site first." The old snake says.

Here you turn to Captain Keel. "Captain, I know you're not obligated to help us with animal attacks, but I'd much appreciate it if there was something you could do."

He looks to see if you are serious before responding, "Miss Masterson, you've got the only known pathway into and out of a place we've spent years trying to get into. Even if I wasn't a gentleman I'd be remiss if I didn't give you assistance." He says smoothly.

You look to McCain, who is checking his revolver before looking up at you and nodding.

You slither out the door with a veritable posse at your back. Whatever this thing is, you're damned sure you're going to find it and put it in the ground.

>Good enough time to pause here. Will try and start up tomorrow before the thread dies, but I have a couple early morning obligations and don't want to pause at a crucial point.

>Feel free to posts plans of action or conjecture about anything, I'll try and keep it in mind.

>>32887919
Thanks for running, chemlab. I'll try to bump the thing a few times, but you know, sleep and all that.

Well, it's late. Here's hoping we find out what the monster is tomorrow.

I'm off to sleepsville. If I'm not awake in time, be sure not to split the parties up too much. Don't want anyone alone in a monster scenario.

>>32887919
Hopefully, we can feel with the varment without issue

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Rolled 18, 7 = 25

>And we are back, apologies on the delay.

Heading to the pasture, you can see from here where whatever it was go the cow. The dark stain of dried blood on the ground creating a trail that heads to the back corner of the fenceline gives that away. Reaching that area, you see the damage where something very heavy was hauled over the wire. Following the trail, you start heading toward the treeline and not ten yards in, you find your unfortunate animal. You can see where whatever it was snapped branches off the tree hauling the cow up it, and you can also see that a good portion of the animal was eaten.

McCain lets out a whistle, "I can see why Marie and Tai got the soldiers. That's what, a half ton animal?"

Veles in the meanwhile, is inspecting the trunk of the tree along before elevating himself up it and looking at the animal.

>Give me a d20 roll to look for anything of note.

Rolled 19

>>32898503
Rolling

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Rolled 10, 12 = 22

>18
>19
>7

Veles spends a good while looking at the scene, going over the claw marks on the trunk of the tree, the way the animal was placed in the tree, and the bite marks on the cow itself. You on the other hand busy yourself with the ground, focusing on trying to find any indication of what this thing is. It takes some searching, but on a low patch of ground between the tree and the treeline proper you find a print. Not just any print but a massive one.

You call out and the jumpy Nitor soldiers are the first there, followed by Veles who regards the print before nodding. "I believe I know what it is."

"And what is it exactly?" McCain says, patience visibly thinning.

"I know not term you might have for it, but loose Casimiran translation translation is Lion of Mountain." He says.

"You mean a cougar?" Tai pipes in.

"Maybe, I know not. Is large animal though, walking stomach really. Not having my notes, I would have to say given claw marks and print size, something like a quarter my length."

"So something like ten or eleven feet?" You say.

At his nod, Keel interjects. "Big cat that large has to be upwards of nine hundred pounds. I can see how it could grab a cow."

>?

Rolled 1

>>32899462
"So we are cat hunting. Any one know any thing about that?"

>>32899462
Can Veles and Dahz track it down? Organizing a hunting party would probably work out.

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"So can you track it down? With dahz perhaps?"

There's a hiss of breath as he grimaces. "Not something I have experience in unfortunately. Even Casimiran have hunting parties for these, and they usually do it when it isn't in a forest. From what I understand, they run the animal ragged before killing it."

You frown, "Does anyone here know about big cat hunting?"

Tai speaks up, "I remember stories my uncle would tell of hunting tigers with dogs, that was in the old country though, and there usually was a pack of them."

The nitor soldiers shake their head, "Not something we are used to Miss Masterson." Keel says, "That and I don't fancy chasing ghosts in their home territory if you catch my meaning."

>There's got to be some what to do it, but no sense standing around here. Lets regroup.
>Plan?

>>32899981
Well, so long as we have people to watch our cattle, they should be safe. To avoid anyone getting hurt unnecessarily, we should look for a hunter or someone qualified to hire in town. Maybe Keel can take care of finding one, maybe we'll do it ourselves.

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>>32900215

What we really need are lion dogs - trained to track cougars, specifically. If you want to save a buck, you have to wait for it to strike again - it will either come back to its kill, or bed down near it and take a nap before coming back for seconds. If you have a good tracker, you can follow the blood trail of a recently-fed cat. Best if you can run it up a tree, or into a box canyon.

So that's my vote - hire someone with the right kind of hound, and our peeps can blast the cat when they catch it.

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"As long as we have people watching the cattle, we should be okay for now." You say after a moments deliberation. "Though lets get things situated before we decide what to do."

Heading out the woods you head back toward the ranch, you send Veles, McCain and Keel off back towards the gateway, reasoning that leaving the sergeant and his man out in the woods with something like this on the loose is a bad move, that and to get your horses back. You wager they will be back at least faster than the soldiers that came on foot. Keel places Caine in charge of the soldiers, who promptly move to cover both the cattle, and the ranch. You head to check on Marie, and find her fast asleep in her bunk. You can see that even asleep she is exhausted and pale. You've half a mind to tell her not to work so hard next time she wakes up.

The rolling rotation works for now, keeping three people on watch through the night as you wait for the rest to return. Being relieve from first watch by Tai you find yourself unable to sleep, and keep looking through the window at the darkened woods where the cougar must be laying in wait.

>Focus on something to get your mind off things
>Go over the candidates for the colt again.
>Balance the books again.
>Other?
>Just focus on getting some rest.

>>32900898
>Just focus on getting some rest.
It's what we have most trouble with.

Rolled 11

>>32900898
> Go over the candidates for the colt again

>>32901001
>just focus on getting some rest

aaand I'm awake.
>>32900898
Let's rest tonight. And, speaking of the colt, make sure it's inside, or has a protective herd of cattle between it and the forest.

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You head in to your father's, correction, YOUR study intending to take your mind off things, and ease into the big chair in front of the desk. You take a look at the dossiers Serrak provided you intent on trying to do something if sleep continues to prove elusive before opting to dim the lamp and just easy back in the dim light and try and clear your mind. It isn't easy though, between the passage to the centaurs, this cougar business, breaking and training the wild horses, Serrak's dubious offer of assistance, the minerals you know are there but are too deep to access, the hot spring ideas, the rustlers supposedly under the employ of that other orc, McCain's identity, Veles, the smugglers you encountered, and the myriad of other things you've done in the months since your fathers death prey on your mind. You really ought to go visit his grave at some point.

When you wake up you find that you've managed to sprawl yourself across the desk and chair, partially encircling the warmth of the dim lamp with the tip of your tail. Extracting yourself from your predicament, you pick up the few papers you knocked on the ground, and place them back on the desk. Turning up the wick and moving to the windows, you pull back the heavy curtains to see just the faintest hint of sunrise on the horizon. Looking to the corral, you don't see the horses you left with the sergeant, so McCain must not be back yet.

>Action?

>>32901824
You know what, grave visiting might very well be on the docket. Check around for any signs of horrible cow slaughter tonight. Failing finding any, well, how far away is that grave?

Maybe visiting the ol' pa will help us sleep better.

>>32901861
His grave is on a hill near the treeline, near a small pond to the east. Its about a five minute slither.

>>32901992
Yeah, let's make some time before everyone gets back to visit 'im.

Heck, if we're lucky/horribly unlucky, we might find the giant cat in the process.

>>32902017
Though, I don't really have anything to do with him. Just go, drop off a flower, sit around. Maybe mention that land he got us is keeping us really busy. Busier than a sack of cash would have, that's for sure.

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Rolled 1

You head to your room, changing out of the wrinkled day old clothes and attempt to freshen up before slithering down the stairwell. In the kitchen you can see Tai and a veritable mountain of uncooked beef. He starts when he turns around. "Oh, Miss Sasha, I didn't notice you there. You're up early."

"Just wanted to get something off my mind." You say, still thinking. "Planning on making a quick trip to my father's grave."

"Oh."

In the silence that follows, you grab your rifle and make your way outside, bearing east and keeping away from the woods. No sense tempting fate. Regardless, you soon see the hill, and in the grey morning light you find yourself heading up the slope to the simple plot marked Lionel Masterson.

>Anything you wish to say?

>>32902520
Just that we miss him. Maybe mention that because of him, we're the first folk to investigate the other side of the mountains. He'd probably be proud.

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Rolled 8

>>32902520
Right, lemme just check something real quick.

I swear these dice spoil you buggers.

>>32902621
huh, wonder what that means.
Oh well. I've never been very good at memorials.

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Rolled 8

"Hey dad," you begin, "I'm not sure if you intended it, but the land you got me has kept me busier than the cash its worth. Just like you said."

You move and sit next to the tombstone, "On the bright side, we've got a way into the inner part of the continent, and there are people there. Just a bit different, you know? It's made things interesting to say the least. Thanks for showing me all the things you did, they really helped in the long run."

"I miss you."

You sit like that a while, watching the sun rise over the eastern highlands. The silence is deafening, and you find yourself falling back to memories of your childhood. You are snapped out of memory lane by the sight of movement near the pond. Some internal predatory instinct forcing you to drop low as you watch something emerge from the woodland. Barely visible among the underbrush you watch as it moves towards the pond, eventually breaking through the high grass and on the far side of the pond proper. That... is a big cat. It doesn't seem to have noticed you.


>?

Rolled 8

>>32903455
Take the shot. If it charges us afterwards, we have got claws, fangs and mass on our side.

>>32903455
See you later, dad. Business calls.

Then move off to a good vantage while staying as low behind cover as you can, and start watching the thing. We'll see where it goes- I don't want to tackle it right now while all the soldiers are out. Watch very closely to see if it actually drinks from the pond. If this is that thing's water source, we can stake it out later.

>>32903557
>>32903554
darn, a problem occurs.
Can we let it get a bit away from the water before we take our shot, if we're doing that? So it doesn't associate this easily trappable water bank with gunfire, if it happens to get away?

>>32903557
Why? We take the cat now, we will not need to stake Pitt anything.

>>32903743
yeah, sure. We can take the shot, if we're reasonably certain we can.
Be prepared for it to flee.

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>Unaware animal, marksman bonus

Slowly, carefully, and without giving your position away, you bring your rifle up and sight in on the cougar. Its a positively massive, and judging by the red on its face, it has been feasting on the cow in the tree. Controlling your breathing, you focus on lowering your heart rate and steady your aim. You are only going to get one chance at this. Aiming for the vitals, you force yourself to pull a little away from the shoulder, not wanting to risk the bullet hitting bone and just spooking the animal.

"Thanks Dad." You think as you bottom out your breath between heartbeats.

You take the shot.

The crack of the rifle echoes through the early morning air as you watch the animal flinch as the round connects. It barrels off into the grass, and you can follow its trail as it heads further east, away from you and into the grasslands. You watch as it slows over its three hundred meter sprint, before it collapses at the base of an incline.


>Calling the thread here. Made some good progress today, apologies I can't run longer, especially since you guys kept the thread alive, but I figure I crammed a goodly number of stuff in it this time. Thanks again for reading. Will try and set up again next week.

>>32904598
Thanks for running, Chemlab! I hope you'll be back next week.

>>32904598
All right, we'll see you next time. Good show!

Also, dag, dad taught us well.