Expedition

[TheDarkPsycho]

Tom stood by the group as they made preparations. He of course needed to stay near the town, but he kind of wished he could be going with the group. Least he could do though was help them gather their things and head out. He eyed the heavy duty pack Grog would be carrying. He had just filled that with a good amount of gold from the town's Treasury. Tom wasn't totally convinced it would be necessary, but could see the point that having shinies to trade with could be helpful for the expedition.

Trade. That word had dominated discussion around the expedition. The town was doing well with the resources it had nearby, but to keep growing it would need things they didn't have. Copper was high on that list, as some of the engineers among the town said they could start working on some technology with it. But who knows what resources they could find on this alien world they all called home.

"Grog ready" he said as he trudged up and picked up the heavy gold bag as if it was nothing, and slung it onto his back.

((Honestly, I have no plan for this, just an adventure for adventure's sake. Who's with me?))

[Swix]

There was also another human there. Savannah was dressed in cloth clothing, lightweight and cooling in Anas heat. Beside her was the mount she'd chosen to bring along for the expedition-a Spinosaurus. Said Spinos scales had a very light grey colouring to them, whilst the sail above possessed a beautiful light indigo colour that paled at the top tips to a delicate pink. The Spino walked on four powerful, clawed and webbed feet and possessed a huge crocodilian resembling jaw that was more than capable of holding two people in its mouth, it was so long. However, this Spinosaurus was tame, and Savannah had named it Beauty, much to the confusion of anyone who'd come over to the zoo she called a home and seen it. It had taken her a while to settle on Beauty as her mount for this expedition. First she'd thought of taking a Bronto, but they were quite slow and not so quick at healing should anything happen. Carnivores were quick at healing, and Utahraptors were fast, but they had a tendency to chase anything that posed any sort of threat relentlessly and disappear off after that. Not so good for an expedition. Dilophosaurus would have been ideal-they couldn't run off after quick threats fast enough to get lost that quickly, and in any case it was usually succumbing to their poison spit by that point. But they were slow enough and unable to travel difficult terrain enough that they'd just stop where they were and wait for her to come back for them. Which brought her to her T-Rex Bloodmoon. Bloodmoon had stamina to spare and could withstand an easy paced journey over land for a long time, but it had to be over land. Any rivers or swamps that they would encounter would stop the rex dead in her tracks. And Lucas was just far too unpredictable to introduce to strangers. So she'd gone for Beauty, who was fast but large enough not to lose, had enough stamina to easily keep pace, and was well equipped to take on difficult terrain. She'd even move better over steeper areas due to walking on four legs, and she had no trouble pushing trees over in forests. Plus, Beauty was a fish eater, so just a tad less scary than a meat eater with a slightly faster ability to heal. Savannah stepped up from the ground onto the saddle that sat in front of Beautys sail but behind her head at the base of her neck. "We're ready, right girl?" She said, to an answering call from the Spinosaur.

She sure hoped the students and helpers she'd left in charge of the animals at her home and shop were up to the challenge. She'd be corresponding with them and The Encampment by tying messages to the Dimorphodon she had perched on her shoulder. A black one with a white face and a red tuft on the end of its tail she called Greyskull.

[Jent]

While conflicted between his habitation with a nest of 'spiders and birds' to his duties involved with Grathon and the Knights, this homunculus felt he needed a break. Sergius, currently dwelling in his Crobat form, hung upside down from a tree. "Normally I'd say you guys need more muscle to venture that far into Ana... But I'm certain we will be fine," he thought out loud.

[BoltAscendent]

"I'm sorry, did you think we needed muscle?" a familiar voice rang out loudly. Zerexe had actually been preparing for her own trip, so this killed two birds with one oversized arrow. The woman had a tougher, but still revealing and small outfit on, carrying a couple bags. Beside her was the Floran Xola, her purple 'skin' and wig standing out as she adjusted a large gun over her shoulder before checking on a couple knives.

"I think we're good."

[Jent]

"Eh?" Sergius never really interacted with these two either, though heard of the golden woman's performance. "... Not now between everyone here."

The crobat lightly fluttered his wings. He didn't want to get in the wrong path of Zerexe if it came to a brawl from some bandits, or whatever what might interrupt the expedition... And the Floran, he couldn't make heads or tails over. Seemed more prepared than Thorn-Dancer. Probably more experience in the vein of what her companion dealt with.

[TheDarkPsycho]

Tom stepped back "Safe travels, everyone"

With that the group started their journey, at first folowing the familiar path out of the town eastward, heading towards and past Au'Marui's Temple

[Swix]

Savannah raised an eyebrow at the 'muscle' comment, then patted Beauty on the back of the head as she began to direct the semi-aquatic creature. "Don't worry girl, you've got a lot of your own muscle" she told it, before heading off with the group.

She *really* hoped that Lucas didn't play up whilst she was away. Oh well.

[Swix]

Once the party had travelled quite a long way away, past the known edges of the planet, they'd come across a welcome sight. There was a settlement here made entirely out of, well, what appeared to be nests supporting above wooden and straw housing, all delicately linked by platforms from one building to the next. One single outlying building betrayed the small towns presence until they pressed further in and then the town exploded in habitation.

Long ropes connected the platforms to the floor, and they passed by the beginnings of a farm.... on the ground.

The creatures that lived here, however, scampered up the ropes when they heard the partys approach and peered at them from above through hoods with glowing yellow eyes.

That was the other odd thing-though Ana was hot, these creatures wore thick hooded cloth that almost entirely concealed them, and the windows of the houses had been similarly tacked down. They were also only about four feet high-when they elected to stand on their hind legs. Right now, they were on all fours, staring at them.

[Jent]

Sergius kept to the skies, demonstrating greater mobility in flight than if he swerved around tree from tree. That, and of course the Homunculus could observe things from a farther distance. "Huh? Another settlement already?" he said aloud to himself, easing downward to merge back with the party.

[TheDarkPsycho]

Grog looked in fascination at the people of this village. All of it seemed so strange that his limited intellect had trouble processing it all

[BoltAscendent]

Zerexe silently stared at the place, slowly wandering around as her hair drifted through the air. The woman was thinking and contemplating, but her body clearly was preparing for, and likely wanting, a fight. Back to internal arguments. Business as usual.

Meanwhile, Xola Mooneater had refused to touch the ground, riding instead on her beloved weird birb things, taking a couple with her just in case she needed to do a quick evac. This was absolutely not actually an excuse for her to fly around with them and be able to claim she was being useful. Nope. She'd never do that.

[Swix]

meanwhile, Savannah noted down the area, which direction it was, and various other details after halting Beauty before tying the paper to Greyskull and sending the Dimorphodon flying off.

The creatures above blinked at them, and chittered between themselves.

One of them who was perhaps less aware than the others-or perhaps just too busy, since it was currently trying to construct a cart out of wood-had its hood down. It was reptilian, from the back. That was until it jumped and turned around, showing a more doglike snout and that their eyes possessed slits, whilst it had a doglike nose, its hands were clawed, and its prehensile tail was scaly. "Gah!" It squeaked "Surface dwellers! Don't hurt us!" It put its hands over its head whilst standing upright and cowered.

[Jent]

Surface dwellers? Weren't we all technically living above ground?

The confused Homunculus kept his distance from these strangers, hanging upside down near Savannah. Must be a weird bunch of goblins. Perhaps they drank a few too many shroom brew? ... Wait... Don't goblins tend to possess more of a boar or primate skull in design, not canine? Grathon likely knew the proper term. Sergius himself kept quiet, expecting himself causing more problems by either talking as is. Or even just transforming to a humanoid build.

[Swix]

The little cowering creature kept it up shivering, until it slowly put its clawed hands down and then cocked its head at them, finally realising that this group wasn't going for it. It then looked up and called up to the others "It's okay! These ones aren't meanies!" to the rest hiding up in the treetops News spread, and they started nervously climbing back down the ropes with an agility akin to rats. The one at the cart then pulled its hood back up over its head, muttered 'Stupid sunlight' and went back to work.

Each one of the party members drew a large, curious crowd of the creatures, who stared at them all and pointed.

[TheDarkPsycho]

Grog stared back at the creatures, and only one thing registered.

"Grog not meanie. Grog punch meanies!" He said while Flexing his arms to show how strong he was