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Day 1: The caravans are all packed and ready to cross the plains just as soon as the Aptonoths return from grazing and drinking. I don't know why, but this trip feels like it'll be special.
Day 1.5: We had to delay because we had an emergency request from the guild to bring a researcher with us to explore some ancient ruins that have opened up between our trading routes. I'd rather have started already, but I was informed we'd be fairly compensated, and we couldn't turn that down.
Day 2: An earlier than usual start to compensate for our new researcher guests, so the mood of the others has been irritable. Doppler, one of the hunters escorting the caravans, lost his temper when an Aptonoth nudged him just a little too hard and knocked him over. I'd never heard such words from him before, and I'm pretty sure some of it was even in Wyverian.
Day 4: A minor event happened when we passed a herd of wild Aptonoths that were running amuk on the road and wouldn't back down till Lemur fired a shot from her bowgun, scarring them off. Something must have really freaked them out to be acting as standoffish, but looking around no signs of large monsters were found, so we carried on.
Night 6: The novice researcher Bismuth started complaining about the sleeping arrangements being tents and not getting to sleep in the caravan, despite it being repeatedly explained by Dinictus that it's too dangerous to do so as the Aptonoths sleep next to them, and it's not uncommon for one to be grabbed and flown away with by flying wyverns. He seemed to get it in the end, though.
Day 7: We are making good time. Dinictus informed everyone and we will be taking a break at the plains lake, which delighted Kiwi the Hunters muscles as they love fishing, and Bismuth perked up after hearing from the back of the caravan after sulking from the previous night.
Day 8: We arrived at the lake, but everything seemed awfully quiet. There were only a quarter of the wildlife that usually uses it to drink and bathe. The hunters decided to check the perimeter before we settled down for the night, with Lemur and Dinictus going with Kiwi and Doppler to stay with the caravan in case.
Night 8: It was late when Lemur and Dinictus returned with Tinkerbell being the first to greet them before settling down around the fire to tell us what they had found. There were multiple large herbivores entirely drained of blood and drag marks on the waters edge with a thick slime like substance they say it must of been a leech wyvern but as no one had seen the creature no positive I.D could be made till then no one goes anywhere alone!
Early day 9: We were awoken by the sound of Tinkerbell barking and the awful sounds of one of the Aptonoth being dragged off under the water by a large black shape all the hunters could do was cut the saddle from between the Aptonoth and it's caravan to save the food from going with it!
Mid day 9: It was decided that we would continue to our first destination and report to the guild while the hunters would stay behind and subjugate the beast as Dinictus put it "This creature clearly has no fear of the caravan and is a risk to other traveller's we will take responsibility" so with a heavy heart we split ways leaving them and 3 Palico's with whatever supplies they needed and we would go ahead with Tinkerbell the Boggi and Pharaoh the Palico.
Night 11: You almost forget how open you feel without hunters by the carts to escort us it brings back all sorts of fears and memories from when we couldn't afford the escort and the terrors that can befall the caravans but tomorrow we should be safely in the wall of the outposts.
Day 12: Arriving at the outpost, we quickly noticed that it was bristling with activity and trade was rawring more than usual till Bismuth noticed artefacts all around later to find out that they were from the ruins he was supposed to investigate, but we had to report to the guild about our brave hunter staying behind and send a party to pick them up and physicians to tend to them.
Midday 12: We set up our stands to sell our wares, usually herbs and trinkets made from monster parts. While Bismuth sneaks off to the local guild to talk about the artefacts being sold out in the open and how they shouldn't be selling such finds, he will be in for a shock when he finds out this isn't unusual for these remote outposts.
Noon day 12: I, with a sulky Bismuth, finally got to have a look around the other stands with Tinkerbell and Pharaoh following along, which was handy as people tend to move put the way when seeing this strange raptor walking about. We saw many things, from old coins to strange mechanisms and strange armour, but the strangest was a giant-looking Boomerang, which seemed to call to me, and Bismuth noticed it; he says it fascinated him, and he couldn't let just anyone have it, so after 30 minutes of haggling, we bought it with Bismuth happy, running back to get his tools as he insisted on cleaning it, disassembling it, and rebuilding it himself.
Day 13: Bismuth spent his day tinkering with the Giant Boomerang like a madman, trying to learn all its secrets, even with it suddenly collapsing together, almost crushing his arm! Luckily, a wrench was in the way, taking the brunt of the force. While we supplied the caravan to go on the next journey of the trip, unfortunately we might have to go before even seeing if our hunter escort was alright. The guild said they'd provide a replacement in case they didn't make it back in time, which no one was comfortable with. For now we just need to focus on resupply and hope for the best.
Day 14: Bismuth made a realisation about the Wyvern Boomerang it had powerful magnets in it but this came with its own issues they all the were the same magnetic poles he theorised that it was missing a part to propel it and retrieve it as it would be to bulky to go far without another magnetic to propelling it and so we set out to find the man who sold it to us hoping he would have the missing pieces.
Characters
Lemur 5.8 is a dark-skinned, spunky mid-20s female hunter whose speciality is bowguns constantly having playful banter with Doppler. You'd think they were siblings also the glue that sticks everyone together.
Doppler Male 5.9 early 30s, the team smithy and maintains the equipment and is always up for friendly competition with Lemur Sword and Shield expert.
Kiwi, a 6.2 Late 20s a Tank of a person silent and strong, will always put themselves at the front to protect others as everdent by the scars they carry. Weapons Lance Gunlance and Great Sword
Team leader Crone Dinictus late 60s 5.11, but you wouldn't think it with how graceful she moves with Duel Blades; she used to use a hammer back in the day but always says it used to hurt her back, which is why she changed weapons, even if no one believes it after seeing her hunt has a Boggi named Tinkerbell.
Palico's Pharaoh full of itself but has a eye for rare materials refuses to get its paws dirty thinks it's the leader and we all just play along
Palicos Do, Ray and Me are the backbone of the hunters with their unrivalled support they always seem to know what you need before you do whether it's ammo or antidotes they are always there. They were found orphaned by Pharaoh how took them into the caravan
Tinkerbell the Boggi is the caravans night time lookout and early warning warning system despite its cowardice it is unwaveringly loyal to Dinictus
Novis researcher Bismuth passion for ancient civilizations and technology's never traveled before and prefers everything brought to him but eventually everyone has got to do field research also very good at reverse engineering mentored by his master who saw his potential after taking a charge blade apart and putting back together.
Coralline caravaner and novice monster researcher spent most of their life travelling with the caravans buying and trading but the hobby is the ecology of the creatures that most people fear monsters