Party 1 Beginning: Lost Woods to Clock Town

((I know you two are online at the same time a lot, but you have GOT to go slower. Limit yourself to at least one full page of posts a night, or else the others won't be able to keep up.))

Quint woke up the following morning after after going to bed after agreeing to accompany Ruul and Reodip to the great bay. He got out of bed as usual and headed downstairs.

The previous night Jaruzak had stayed outside after going back and talking to Ruul briefly about what he planned to do, he then slept thinking about the decisions he would make. in the morning he went back to the Lazy Possum and saw Quint in there so he walked up to him and said "I wont be joining you to the Great Bay" before turning and leaving the inn and flying off.

Ruul didn't have time to say anything, "Well that was abrupt... Morning, Quint. Got any plans for while we wait for Reodip to recuperate?."

"Uhh Ok..." Quint replied to Jaruzak then he turned back to Ruul "Nope not really Im just going to explore around town some more since there is nothing much we can do. i'll be back around lunch time if you need me, Seeya." Quint said goodbye to Ruul and exited the Inn and started wandering around again.

Rickamaru walked over to the innkeeper. The bar was mostly deserted. Any sailors would be at the port doing work on the ships. "I am looking for information on the pirates that operate in this area. I have some business with them. Any information you could give would be appreciated."
Rickamaru placed some money on the counter but didn't take his hand off of it until he heard what information was given.

The plump innkeeper complied without seeming to give it much thought, "Sure. The pirates are a secretive sort. They only keep to themselves, and the only way to get into their fortress is either underwater or over the wall around it. You could go in the main gate, but they'd see you for sure. But these aren't usual pirates, they're Gerudo. All female, and they hate most non-gerudo women, and all men. The Zora have been feuding with them for a long time, too. People don't often communicate with them, but as I hear it, the Zora managed to steal an important artifact from them. Some sort of magic item, but I don't know for sure what. I also heard that a male that was born to them left recently. Midgard, I think his name was. Said he wanted to conquer more than just the coast. Nobody knows what happened to him." He handed a customer a mug of ale and turned back to Rickamaru, "So is that all you need to know?"

Ruul finished his breakfast and sat for a while, wondering what to do. He then remembered what he had read about the Fierce Deity mask in the library. As he had nothing else to do, he decided he'd see what else he could find out. He left the inn and headed towards the library, hoping he still remembered how to get there.

After going at it for about an hour, Fist decided to take another break. "Good, let's stop for a little while." She said as she walked over to the side of the building and sat down on along the edge.

Meanwhile, Chaos had found a forge where he was allowed to use the equipment. He sat down on the grindstone and began sharpening his blade. He moved the edge against the spinning stone with great delicacy.

Reina gratefully sat down beside Fist. She was panting and sweating and she couldn't remember the last time she had pushed herself like that. "Thanks, Fist." Her body was sore and tired and she was really feeling her injuries after pushing her body so hard but she couldn't seem to stop smiling.

Fist was pleased with their progress. "It sure beats sitting around doing nothing and you catch on pretty quick. You'll be able to string moves together fluently in no time." She stretched her arms above her head as she felt the wind blow against her.

"Can you tell me more about this magic item the Zora took? If not maybe direct me to them so i can ask them myself?"

"I don't know anything about the artifact, but the Zora can be found a ways off the coast, in the Zora Hall, a big rock that you can see from the beach." He handed another alcoholic beverage to a different customer.

"Is there a boat that will take me there then? Or is there some other way to get there?"

The innkeeper grabbed a handkerchief and started cleaning a plate as he answered, "There's a ferry that goes between twice a day. You could also swim there if you know how, since it isn't far off, but I wouldn't advise you to do that unless you're really desperate, since it's real tiring."

"Thank you for the information." Rickamaru reached into his money pouch and left some more coin in addition to what he left already. He then left for the ferry. Sitting at the dock, he waited for the ferry to take him across to the zora settlement. This magical item could be the mask and if it's not, it could provide leverage in obtaining the mask.

Ruul was greeted by the comforting light of the library's fireplace. He stepped up to the desk again, "Hello again, I'm looking for something to read on the Fierce Deity Mask."

The librarian's huge tome fell forward onto the desk just in time for Ruul to see his feet hitting the ground. The bespectacled librarian trotted back towards the historical section, "You seem to be quite an enthusiast for old legends. Or maybe just masks."

Ruul followed him slowly, "Well, I was running an errand last time, but it's true that historic legends do interest me."

The librarian climbed a ladder on a bookshelf and pulled out another tome, thinner than the one on Legends, but thicker than the one on the masks. "You'll find what you need to know on its origin in here."

He dropped the book into Ruul's waiting hands and slid down the ladder. He then slid the ladder farther along the bookshelf and selected another tome, the thickest so far. "This one has a list of various masks. The Fierce Deity's mask is somewhere in here." He handed this one to Ruul and scuttled off back to his desk, where he resumed his 'light' reading.

Lugging the two huge tomes, Ruul sat down at the same spot he was at before and flipped through the second book. He found the Fierce Deity's mask and set to reading.

The Fierce Deity's mask was created when a magician sealed the injured Fierce Deity inside a plain wooden mask. The mask contains the sealed, but awake spirit of the Fierce Deity. On its own, unlike its mortal enemy, the Majora's Mask, it is powerless. Its power can only be kindled when it is worn. When worn, the Deity's consciousness will either control the wearer if its willpower is weak, or be controlled if the wearer's willpower is strong enough. A sufficiently strong will is rare, and it is advised to not wear the mask, except in only the most dire of situations, where desperation may account for lacking will.

Upon putting on the mask, the wearer's body will warp to one more similar to the Fierce Deity's, but retaining some of the wearer's features. Common results are increased height, lack of irises and pupils, white hair, tattoos, altered weapons (or added weapons if the wearer has none), and changed/added armor.

While in this state, the wearer's strength is immensely increased, and they gain the ability to shoot beams of malevolent energy from their weapon, which may possibly be used in place of arrows if it is a bow being replaced. Physical endurance is also increased, as well as pain threshold. A being wearing the mask is near unstoppable, and only the most powerful of magical artifacts stand a chance at damaging it.

A strange sort of enmity exists between this mask and the Shards of the Ancient Dragon (see page 402) that is not seen in other Spirit-containing masks. This is probably due to the enmity between the Dragon and the Fierce Deity prior to their sealing. Although the Shards have more overall power, the Fierce Deity's mask contains more combat power. Its location is unknown.

The article ended there, so Ruul closed the book and pushed it aside. He opened the other book and flipped to the page speaking of the Fierce Deity.

Long ago, before time began to flow, Termina was ravaged in a battle between two beings. K'lodo'nn, the Fierce Deity, and his foe, a nameless Dragon. Their enmity ran deep, and whenever they clashed, the land would be torn to shreds. Their battles always ended in a draw, with both retreating from grievous wounds. This had always been, and- people thought- always would be. A traveler came to K'lodo'nn after one of his battles. Exhausted from fighting the dragon, the Fierce Diety spared the wanderer and lay down to rest. As the Deity slept, the traveler produced a wooden mask and set it over the Deity's chest. He began to chant, and gradually the malevolent Deity was absorbed into the mask, sealed for what the traveler hoped would be forever. He took the mask with him, and kept it hidden.

With his enemy gone, the Dragon established Termina as his territory, until his days, too, were ended. Soon after his death, the Fierce Deity's mask was stolen from the traveler, and it remained missing ever since.

They say that one who wears the mask will gain an incredible power...

Ruul closed the book there, as he had already read about its powers from the other book.

Jillian sat on the secluded beach. She looked off at the distant Zora Hall, her destination. It would be impossible to ferry over there undetected. She was going to have to sneak in. "looks like I'm gonna be swimming today." She sighed. She began stripping off her usual clothes and changing into a more waterproof skin-tight suit she had made herself. She tucked a little knife into her sleeve. As she did she couldn't help but run two fingers over the little scar on her palm. Sera had made that scar, the night they became blood sisters. "This one's for you girl." She smiled a little and headed slowly towards the water.

Reina smiled excitedly. "You really think so?" she felt quite proud of herself for being able to receive such praise from Fist.

Feeling impatient, Rickamaru asked around the dock for when the ferry would next depart. He was this close to one of the masks and he wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers like majora's mask ahd.

The only person around was a Zora sitting on the edge of the dock. "It only comes twice a day, so you've got to be patient. It should come in under an hour."

Beneath the dock Jillian was treading water, she waiting trying to make sure no one was looking. When she was sure the coast was clear she took a deep breath and dove to the bottom. She only resurfaced when she was twenty feet away from the shore and in a patch of sunlight where she would be harder to spot. After a quick gulp of air she was back down again, keeping the process up until she was sure she was far enough away from the shore before pulling up into the breast-stroke.

"Don't get too happy just yet. This is the easy stuff. It'll only get harder from here," Fist said as she tossed Reina a pouch of water. Fist decided this would be a good time to learn more about this girl and what she could do. "So, do you have any other useful skills in a combat situation?"

"I'm a great shot with my bow." She gave a little nod to her fairy companion, "Aren here helps with that though. I also used to have a couple knives but I lost those not to long ago. I've had very little training before now though."

Fist was a little alarmed at the fairy that appeared from seemingly nowhere. She'd never had experience with fairies before. "What good is that thing in a fight?" She said as she peered at it through her mask.