[closed] 🐗 hakuna matata, what a wonderful phrase

[oathkeeper]

Who: Plus Ultra crew members!
Status: Closed.
Where: All over Eltrut and surrounding islands.
What: Crew Quest! Feral Hog Problem!
Warnings: Tba. lots of dumb teenage boys



🐖 There are several islands requesting help against some feral hogs that have grown in population and are damaging local village crops and homes. The situation is also not as clear cut as it seems—the appearance of the hogs is a mystery as they are not native to some of these islands. The locals also speak of seeing boarheaded people with spears, making them believe there are boarfolk among the animals, perhaps even leading or directing them. There is now a concern that a tribe of boarfolk are attacking small islands, perhaps to expand their own territory by destroying the smaller, weaker villages and force them to leave.


🐗 Aiding villagers. From protecting to rebuilding, there are a number of ways to help affected villagers. Some may also need help with any injured.

🐗 Culling hogs. Due to the aggressive and destructive nature of these hogs, especially as they are invasive species to these islands, is to exterminate them. Some could be spared, but they are hard to domesticate and relocation will only perpetuate the issue. But they are tough to kill, with many growing as large as oxes. Beware their tusks as they are quite sharp and they will not hesitate to use them.

🐗 Salvaging. Fortunately, every part of the boar can be used for something, and while the locals will keep a larger share to sell, those who help will also be allowed to take whatever they want to sell off or use. Boar meat will especially be favored and markets and restaurants will gladly purchase any.

🐗 Dealing with Boarfolk. The boarfolk are fearsome warriors, so talking and negotiating with them may be difficult. They speak mostly with their spears, earth magic, and fighting prowess. However, they are not all brutes and could be negotiated with. Their main problem is they need more land and because the world is made of islands, it's difficult for them to find larger areas suitable for their population. Perhaps if a solution could be made for them...

🐖 All who help will receive generous monetary compensation and whatever the local villagers are willing to reward. Failure to save a village will mean the island will have been completely overtaken and will either need to be abandoned or cleared out so that the locals can reclaim their land.

Comments

[seasaltkeys]

[A - Rebuilding; Well I can tell you what we weren't doing]

[So, it's fair to say that Roxas doesn't entirely know what he is doing. He has the idea, certainly. A person uses hammer and nails and wood to fix a house. But where the wood goes, how many nails he needs, even the kind of hammer, those are all a little beyond him.

But he can figure this out, right? After all, they're here to help.]

It's just hammering some wood to cover the hole, right?

[B - Fighting; What Kind of Animal has Tusks?]

[It's probably not all that surprising to find Roxas in the thick of it. He's facing down about three hogs, all with an angry light in their eyes. And it's one that is probably mirrored by Roxas. He's been needing to blow off some steam.

There's a loud grunt as one of the hogs charges and Roxas swings his keyblades up to block it, and setting up an impressive stalemate. His shoes dig into the ground as he faces off against this hog.]

[C - The Boss Hog; I thought I told you to stop making up animals]

[It's probably about mid-way through this particular task that Roxas gets the idea. There has to be a Boss. Maybe he doesn't refer to it in that way, but there's always at least one enemy, in his experience, that is a lot bigger than the others. And that's the guy that you're going to want to really take out.]

So that's the guy we're gonna want to take out. And I'm going to find him.

[D - Sayanora, Space Cowboy]

[The thing is, Roxas doesn't come back from that.

If the Boss Hog has been defeated, there isn't really a way to know.

Roxas did find the Boss Hog, and they did fight, and it's just, one of those rifts opened up during the fight.

So Roxas is okay. He just. Doesn't know where he is exactly. He'll find his way home eventually. But for now...

See you space cowboy...]

Rebuilding

[dawnshore]

[ Seems there's a lot of rebuilding this month. He doesn't know if it's normal, but maintenance is something Riku's done before. From where he's working, he looks over at what the blond is doing. ]

There's a little more to it depending on the hole. Do you want to learn?

[seasaltkeys]

[See, now, here's the problem. The thing is, people need help, and Roxas is definitely going to do that. And he does want to learn these skills. The problem is very much who he learns that from. And Riku is not the person he wants.]

I think I can manage.

b 🐗🐗🐗

[oathkeeper]

Yeah! Go, Roxas! Go!

[Sora isn't in the thick of things (yet) but he is watching Roxas face off with the feral hogs from where he's standing higher up on the hill. Sora is busy trying to herd the hogs in the right direction, which might be right towards Roxas so he can show them a lesson or two.]

Watch out on your right!

[seasaltkeys]

[Roxas hears the shout and pushes off against the hog he's facing off with. It stumbles back into oncoming one, causing a small pile up. But that gives him enough space to catch his breath for a moment and be ready for the next assault.]

[oathkeeper]

Head's up! Here comes some more!

[No rest for the wicked! Sora smashes his keyblade at another set of boars that go rampaging down towards Roxas!]

B

[ohwowzers]

[The one boar may be pinned up against Roxas's block, but that leaves him open to the other two. They let out a loud squeal as they charge, aiming to attack Roxas's exposed flank...]

Dragonite, Extreme Speed!

[A bursting sound echoes, then a loud roar erupts as Dragonite rushes in, roughly tackling into the charging boars. It may not be enough to cause serious damage, but it'll stop the two boars from rushing Roxas.]

Re: B

[seasaltkeys]

[It's relief enough for Roxas, who is able to shove the currently boar back and follow that up with a fire spell, to hopefully take that boar out of contention.]

Thanks! I needed the back up!

[ohwowzers]

No problem!

[Between Dragonite and Roxas's efforts, that boar gets taken right out of commission. But that still leaves the other two, who charge Roxas with a squeal.]

Roxas, look out!

[refantasma]

1 - Culling Hogs

Out of the options given to them, this is the one Nico's most suited for. Fighting is in his blood as a demigod. And he has an advantage over the others.

Standing before a couple such hogs, Nico lets his power flow out of him, grass drying out and dying at his feet. He can't do this indefinitely, so he has to act fast. The hogs don't stand a chance against him. Not when he has them frozen in fear.

2 - Negations

Okay, this isn't a task Nico's suited for. The boarfolk might not all be brutes, but Nico's patience is finite enough to make him one. He growls and makes a rude hand gesture as he tries to reiterate that no, they just can't take over an island with people on it.

His hand goes to his sword, he'll fight them if it'll convince them to back off if he has to. And he knows he's good enough to take on more than one at a time. He could take on the whole group if needed. Someone might want to stop him...

Negotiations

[dawnshore]

Luckily, one of the new crew members seems to have a relatively cool personality. While he hasn't done much negotiation before, Riku is used to helping Sora keep a cool head. So he steps on up to where Nico is trying to talk to the boarfolk when that hand goes to the hilt of his sword.

"How about the two of us take on two of your finest warriors? If we win, you agree to only expand on uninhabited islands, we can even help you scout some out. If you win, we'll let you do what you want."

Riku does agree that these boarfolk are rather rough and fighting them would get the point across, he's just putting terms on it with the confidence that he and Nico won't lose. While the boarfolk consider the deal, he looks at Nico.

"How's that sound to you?"

[refantasma]

Nico looks at Riku. He's not sure what to make of the new guy yet. He seems more mature than the other new crewmate, which isn't hard because it's Percy.

"Being a bit unsporting," Nico said quietly to Riku, crossing his arms and looking at the boarfolk as they decided what to do. If he summoned his zombies, he could take them all by himself, but this would probably get the point across faster. Hopefully. "Taking two out in a few seconds might make the rest jump us."

[dawnshore]

Consider him the 'Annabeth' of the Destiny Islands trio, Nico. He smirked at the quiet remark about it being unsporting.

"Not from their point of view," he replied just as quietly. While the two of them might be able to take on large groups of fighters alone, the boarfolk are proud warriors. It's possible they felt offended by the thought of one-against-many - no matter if Nico could have taken them all. "If they do, then we'll deal with it. We're aware it can happen, they won't catch us by surprise."

1 🐗🐗🐗

[oathkeeper]

[Sora is also here to help out. He knows how hard it is to deal with feral monsters and if these hogs don't get dealt with then there could be a lot more innocent animals getting attacked by them or more damage to the islands done.

He swings his keyblade. But he stops for a second when he feels the shift in the energy. He looks over his shoulder at Nico to see what he's doing! This being the first time Sora's ever see Nico's power work.]

Huh? The hogs stopped in their tracks?! [Cool...]

[refantasma]

Fear of death has paralyzed them.

[Nico reached out to one boar that was braver than the rest that charged at him. The moment he laid his hand on it, it stilled, then fell over dead. At his feet, the grass turned black.]

1

[ohwowzers]

[Kieran doesn't entirely like the fact they have to cull these monsters, but there seems to be no other way to deal with them. He's got a Pokeball in hand, ready to call out one of his partners to help deal with the boars. However, seeing that aura around Nico makes Kieran falter.]

W-Woah..! Nico??

[refantasma]

[Nico looks over at Kieran.]

Careful, boars have a nasty temper and don't need much to attack.

[Another boar starts charging, but Nico looks at it and his aura flares, bringing it to a halt.

Nico makes quick work of it.]

1

[judoflipped]

[a fight? ohhhh, Percy's so in!

he grins as he catches up with Nico, wiggling his fingers on one hand as he uncaps Riptide with the other.]

Son of Hades stuff, huh? Been a while since we've fought together.

[since all that shit with fighting the dirt goddess...]

[refantasma]

[Nico gives Percy a glance, then a nod, and shoves his sword through a boar's skull through the jaw.]

Not that long. It's been, like, not even a year.

These shouldn't give us too much of an issue.

[The boars were just angry animals, their minds consumed by rage.]

[ohwowzers]

Aiding the Villagers
[Hard work is something Kieran is definitely used to, so when it comes to rebuilding some of the damaged fences and homes Kieran has no problem lending a hand. He's no carpenter, but he knows his way around woodworking, and he's helped his grandpa before, so this should be easy, right? But as he looks over the damaged fence he spent the better part of the afternoon building, he frowns, looking over the rickety build.]

...this'll hold, right?

[Of course, when he's not building anything, he can be found walking around town with any of his Pokemon at his side, helping to keep guard against any wild boars. Come by and say hi!]

Culling Hogs
[While he's not exactly happy to having to cull the monsters, the damage they've cause is more than enough to encourage him to go help deal with them. He can be found out with the wild beasts, any one of his Pokemon out and in a fierce showdown with the creatures.]

C'mon, Incineroar! Hit 'em with Brick Break!

Salvaging
[Another part of boar-culling Kieran wasn't expecting, but being rewarded with fresh boar meat is quite a nice surprise. Once the local butchers have taken their share, Kieran will happily take the heavily-wrapped packages with whoever he'd gone with to trade in the boar, a grin on his face.]

Boars're kinda like Lechonk, right? I wonder if I can remember how to make my gradpa's tonkatsu ramen with this...

Dealing with Boarfolk
They can... talk?

[That's honestly the strangest part of all this, at least in Kieran's mind. But while talking to the gruff-looking boarfolk, who remind Kieran of big, angry-looking Emboars (but without the flames), he brings up a hand to his chin in thought.]

But isn't helpin' 'em gonna affect the townspeople? Aw man, I'm no good at stuff like this...

Wildcard
[Got an idea for a prompt? Feel free to write your own starter, or send me a DM so we can plan something out!]

[emberized]

A.) Get up on the Wild Boar's Back!
[With negotiations finished and what hogs that could be spared having been spared, the group catches wind of another band of monster hogs, several rogue highly destructive ones that have broken away and formed their own dangerous pack. The last anyone had heard, the giant beasts were said to be hiding out atop the mountain. Liable to run another village down, if someone doesn't do something.

With Plus Ultra on the case, one team has gone up to scare them into action, while several other crew members strategically place themselves throughout the mountain pass to keep the stampede on track. Add in a final group waiting to confront the beasts at the bottom and they'll have the advantage!

Axel raises the shellphone to his ear, making his way up the steep ground to his own checkpoint.]

"Everybody in position?"

[Plus Ultra Team, sound off!]

B.) They'll be Comin' Round the Mountain
[After finding a suitable place to hide alongside his checkpoint partner, the assassin stays high up on his perch, nestled between the foliage on thick branches, and keeps his senses alert for signs of any of the approaching stampede.]

"Ever done anything like this before?"

[Axel grins, sharp in his element. It's not that he misses the "icky jobs" per say but there is something to be said about feeling useful after being knocked down time and time again. The Nobody isn't a fish out of water in this scenario, he knows he is the right man for the job, and he watches like a hawk waiting to swoop in for the kill.]

C.) Requiem for the Space Cowboy [Reacting to Roxas]
[Things were going well! They successfully got the hogs out of the forest, managed to stop them from destroying the village and seemed to be holding up in battle so far. Axel makes his way down the hill to join the fray. Now where is his battle partner?]

"Hey, anyone seen--?" [Axel twists, trying to locate his friend. Oh, there's Roxas.
Aaand there he goes!]

"Roxas!"

[Axel watches as the former Nobody falls through the rift, right alongside the mighty beast he had been dueling; he turns to give chase. The redhead won't make it the portal, as it is already closing, but you should probably stop him, before you lose him to the second one forming in its place!]

get up on the wild boar's back! 🐗

[oathkeeper]

[This is ten times better than trying to rescue his crewmates off a weird dead crystal whale. Working together to try and take down some pesky monster boars is exactly the kind of work that Sora likes to do. He wants to make sure these areas stay safe, and that means dealing with these mean boars. And hey- maybe they'll get a lot of bacon out of it in the end... Hmm. Bacon.]

Sora! In position! Ready when you are!

[Sora is lower on the mountain waiting for Axel to start his cue. Once he's got the boars running his way, Sora will do his part and keep the train of boars going... Like a good old Lion King rampage. But very controlled this time!]

[emberized]

[Oh yeah, their island is definitely gonna be chock full of bacon by the time they're done with all this. Definitely a welcome change from the usual fair.]

"All right sora!" [Axel beams, that's the confidence he likes to hear.]

"Sure you got what it takes to handle crowd control? It's not too late to switch."

[No sign of their quarry yet, but it won't be long now..]

a

[stillarhino]

[As soon as they devised the plan, Beat immediately knew that he would be signing up for taking down the hogs. It was like he was made for this job, having done similar to the pig noise he's dealt with back in Shibuya. He looks up the mountain, waiting for any sign of the stampede coming his way—whether it be noise or plumes of smoke, kicked up by the hogs—cracking his neck from side to side as he answers on the shellphone, voice far louder than it needs to be.]

Hell yeah! These boars ain't gonna know what hit them.

[Literally. Between his fists and the powers he has, they might end up with enough pork meat for their island for weeks. A few might even be cooked when he's done with them.]

Any sign a' 'em yet?

Heck yeah, time for a Boar Beatdown

[emberized]

"Not yet~" [Axel lilts, the picture of confidence, as he climbs into position. A thick low hanging branch should keep him out of the way as well as provide a fair distance that he can look ahead with-- not that the assassin expects an oncoming stampede will hard to miss.]

"Give it, five, I'd say."

[Time enough to waste on the airwaves.]

"What are you planning on hitting them with, anyway? Don't tell me it's just your hands."