RETURN OF THE MIST

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There is an eeriness to the lands - an unknown chill that seemed to hang across the air, threatening to consume more than it already had. The shift is undeniable and, evidently, had already garnered its fair share of attention, as lions flocked in an attempt to rectify the disappearance of their kin.

Here, the fog seemed to thicken abruptly, occupying thr area as a swirling mass of white smoke and fading, hungry clouds. Listen close enough, however, and one may catch a sort of strange echo — indiscernible, mostly, other than the waning tremor that it left behind. There is almost no denying that there is someone in there, caught amongst the maze of wispy tendrils and omnipotent barriers.

And although the sound of approaching footfalls was beginning to grow louder, the question still remained - will they be able to find them?

---

INSTRUCTIONS
Searchers: @Roan @Faelyn
Lost Lion: @Jai
Next Round: 3/26

Dice Sum Needed For Success: 24
Trade Boost: Pathfinders

All participants, include the following at the bottom of your post:

Code:

<center><b>Search Roll:</b> [roll=1d10]
<b>Trade Boost:</b> if your trade received a boost, as indicated above, place their level in that trade here. otherwise, place “n/a”</center>

All participants must reply to this thread by the listed date, otherwise they will be removed from the search party. When replying, all participants must include the search roll and any specified trade boosts at the bottom of their post. There is no posting order.

pixel credit to strobelast

She was admittedly getting a little desperate in her search for their son, considering she was wandering around the badlands now when he'd gone missing near the shore. She hadn't had any luck there though, and so here she was.

Faelyn startled as a jet of smoke rose up beside her, not doing any harm except to her already high strung nerves. "Jai honey? Are you out here?" she called, straining her ears. She thought she could hear something, but she knew it could just be the noise of the smoke stacks around her.

"I hope he's okay," she said softly to Roan, knowing her mate wouldn't be far away.

search roll:

Rolling 1d10: 8

trade boost: N/A

The mauve lion followed dutifully alongside his wife, though his posture was fairly slackened in defeat already. Roan was growing more and more hopeless with all their searching. Even if they had managed to find one child, it was not their own. It wasn't even a child they knew, let alone one from the pride. Just a stranger that now posed the task of finding the boy's home while still needing to search for their own family members. Still, the father and mother were not ready to give up as they set out in search once more.

When @Faelyn stopped with a start, the masked lion halted beside her as well, picking his head up from its drooped position to investigate the sudden movement. "Jai?" Roan called out alongside his wife, though he didn't know why he thought his son would be out here of all places. Then again, who really knew how the mist worked. Maybe it could take lions far away from where they had originally disappeared. Moving closer towards the pale woman, Roan would aim to press his head into that of his wife's as she spoke softly. "He will be. We'll find him, Fae," the Hodari sought to reassure her thoughts, not wanting her to worry anymore than they both already were.

Search Roll:

Rolling 1d10: 2

Trade Boost: n/a

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Base

RETURN OF THE MIST

---

They gather, finding some sort of unity and camaraderie beneath their common cause, bodies and minds working as once to try and find those that they had lost. The echo continues for a while longer, buzzing beneath the surface of the mist as if trying to break free — though it would find no avail. At least, not yet, anyways.

For it was abruptly that there was another shift, the air growing taunt as a small gust of wind pushed out across the landscape, demanding the attention of those present.

An Asian bear lumbered through the mist, unable to really pin point where he was going. He was just gathering berries a moment ago and now he was here. There were voices calling out for someone and the mist seemed to lighten in their direction. So the white chested bear came upon a pair of lions. Someone else lost? The bear asked despite looking very confused and lost themselves.

---

INSTRUCTIONS
Searchers: @Roan @Faelyn
Lost Lion: @Jai
Next Round: 3/31

Dice Sum Needed For Success: 24
Trade Boost: Ambassador

All participants, include the following at the bottom of your post:

Code:

<center><b>Search Roll:</b> [roll=1d10]
<b>Trade Boost:</b> if your trade received a boost, as indicated above, place their level in that trade here. otherwise, place “n/a”</center>

All participants must reply to this thread by the listed date, otherwise they will be removed from the search party. When replying, all participants must include the search roll and any specified trade boosts at the bottom of their post. There is no posting order.

pixel credit to strobelast

She nodded slightly in agreement with his words, wanting to believe they were true. She needed to believe they were true. It did occur to her that someone else might have found him, but if so then surely they would have returned him by now. Unlike the cub they had found, their son was old enough to say who his parents were and where he lived.

Her attention snapped to the form she spotted coming towards them, one that was far too big to be Jai but was big enough to be a concern. She backed away slightly when the bear came forward, but she relaxed somewhat when it spoke. Surely if it meant them any ill will it would have attacked already, right?

"Yes, our son," she replied. "Have you seen a little white cub in the mist?" She felt for the bear being lost in that but clearly it had just found its way out so it would be fine, right?

search roll:

Rolling 1d10: 7

trade boost: N/A

Roan held the same thoughts as his wife. If Jai had been found by another party, he would know where he belonged. He could tell them who his parents were or where he lived at the very least, and surely those who might have found the boy would return him, right? Unless... he fell into enemy paws. The masked man shuddered at the thought. What if someone from the Rainforest found him? Or a Rike known to be a cub-killer? The Hodari tried to steel his mind away from traveling down such dark thoughts. Luckily, the mist was keen to distract his attention once more.

A small gust of wind blew threw his thick coat only to then lessen slightly as something moved through the fog. It was too large to be their son, but maybe another missing member? That suspicion was quickly lost as a strange form eventually took shape from behind the mist. Roan had never seen a bear before, but just by the size of it, he knew it could become a threat to them. As Fae backed up, the mauve lion aimed to move in front of her, just in case, but yet the strange creature didn't lunge at them like the lion that had attacked Avana right before they found the other cub. This one actually spoke to them, not seeming hostile at all... yet. "He has little pink scars on his legs, back, and forehead," Roan sought to add along with Faelyn's description. While the scars were something he wished their son had never had to endure, they might actually be a benefit at the moment, something to distinguish him from the mass of white fog around them.

Search Roll:

Rolling 1d10: 10

Trade Boost: Ambassador - Level 3

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Base

RETURN OF THE MIST

---

The bear's big round nose twitched in the air, his features rounder and droopier than a lion's sincerely looked sad to hear that they were looking for a child. Big eyes focused on @Faelyn for a second longer even while @Roan began to describe the boy. I've seen a child like that. He said after some thought and a good scratch of his chin with a long foraging claw. Come. Despite not looking like he was built for speed the Asiatic bear turned from the lions and managed to pick up a pretty good pace back the way he came from, and after maybe a mile or so trek he slowed and lifted a paw, pointing out into the mist with his eyes squinting. That him?

---

RESULTS
Searchers: @Roan @Faelyn
Dice Sum Needed For Success: 24
Final Dice Sum: 30

Success!

The search party has managed to successfully locate a lost lion!

A random roll has been conducted to determine whether or not they have located who they were originally searching for, or if they have found someone else by chance.

Locator Roll:Lion Looking For
Found Lion: @Jai

The found lion can now post to this thread, and all participants can continue or conclude the thread as desired. There is no posting order.

pixel credit to strobelast

He had taken a nap with Grandpa Dero. He had fallen asleep under the protection of the older lion but now he was waking up and well, Grandpa Dero was not there anymore and it freaked him out. His tiny form began to shake as he began to glance around, Grandpa!! He would squeal out as he looked around. Ears twisting as his breathing became heavy. He was freaking out, but then a breeze came and he heard a noise. It was a voice. Red jewels glanced around as he saw a bear coming towards him and he would squeal in freight. Where was he now?

@Roan @FaelynSpeech.

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Lineart

When the bear seemed friendly enough, Roan allowed his defenses to relax some. Dark tipped ears tipped forward when the strange creature affirmed that he had seen a cub as they described. Before he knew it, the amicable ursine took off through the badlands. The Hodari was a little worried to head in the direction the bear had just arrived from, not wanting to get caught up in the mist themselves, but if the stranger had seen Jai, then Roan was ready to take the risk of getting lost.

Much to his relief, the mist seemed to give way to the trio as the bear lead the way. Pointing a clawed paw ahead of them, Roan's minty gaze followed it's direction, peering into the mist until a small form could be picked away from the surroundings. Realization settled slowly until the Hodari was willing to believe that they had indeed found their son and not just some other child like last time. The squeak was really what sold Roan on believing. It was unmistakable, just like when he first found the boy. "It's him," the king spoke breathlessly as he looked to @Faelyn. "Jai!" The father called out ahead of them before another thought came to him, remembering his manners for a brief moment. Head looked back to the bear with a happy, tearful expression. "Thank you, sir. Thank you.. so much." While it could not be said enough how much they owed to this bear for taking them to their son, Roan could also not contain himself any long as he finally took off running towards @Jai. "Jai! You're safe!" The mauve lion would aim to quickly wrap the boy up in his forelimbs, tears of joy dampening his fur. He had never missed someone so much as he had missed his son.

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Base

Her heart lurched into her throat when the bear said that he had seen someone matching their description. Who else could it be? She didn't let herself even consider the idea that it might be another. So, she was right on the pair's heels as they moved through the badlands. She cursed her short legs causing her to fall slightly behind, but she was quite sufficiently motivated to keep up.

She saw the little figure there on the ground and could only pray that he was alive.

"Thank goodness," she breathed as she too raced forward with Roan. She too flopped down beside the child, but she let Roan take him up in his arms since he had gotten there first. "Yes, thank you," she said to the bear, for they might not have stumbled across the boy without its help. "If you ever need a place to stay you are welcome in Obsidian Hollow." She had never met a bear like him before (or ever a bear at all to be honest), but he was now highly well regarded in her book.

"Jai, my baby, I'm so glad you're safe," she breathed in relief.