Graded [Clockhaven - Widersia] A Rowdy Construct

[Maxxob]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Clockhaven, capital of Widersia

The usual hustle and bustle could be seen and heard in Clockhaven. Factories worked at full speed, their rhythmic clanking and whirring machines creating a constant industrial symphony. Dark smoke billowed from their chimneys, filling the air with the acrid smell of burning coal and hot metal. Humans and some of the smaller Fae, such as halflings and gnomes, went about their business, the sounds of their footsteps and chatter blending with the mechanical noises. Yet, the organic residents of the capital were far outmatched by the mechanoids populating the city. From security to cleaning, every task that could be automated had been. The country was a testament to what could be achieved using only the mundane means of science and technology, relentless technological pursuit at the expense of the environment. Among those who pushed technology to new heights were the Burke brothers, owners of Burke Mechanical Solutions.

A job had been posted in the Widersia Adventurer's Guild by both brothers. The request was notably vague, merely stating that those interested should be 'well-equipped' and have combat experience. An unusual request, suggesting the brothers had paid a premium to the guild to keep the job details under wraps. The adventurers were informed that they would receive the specifics from the clients themselves and could choose whether or not to accept the task. Curiously, the meeting location was the brothers' residence, rather than one of their factories in the industrial sector.

The Burke brothers' mansion was located in the heart of the capital. It was a large estate, gated by see-through iron fences about 8 feet high. Security was heavy, with humanoid constructs of metallic exterior, armed with a multitude of guns, patrolling the inner perimeter. Yet, as soon as the adventurers approached the gates, they opened without apparent intervention. The mechanical guards halted, their photoreceptors tracking every movement, and the path to the front door of the mansion was unobstructed.

As the adventurers neared the front door, it opened. Before them stood another construct, distinct from the guards in its Victorian-esque attire. This construct, clearly designed for a different function, provided a stark contrast to the patrolling units, which lacked any adornment.

????

​

"Welcome to the residence of Master Sillanus Burke and Master Octavius Burke. May I have your names, sirs and/or madams?" The construct's voice was male, robotic, and devoid of emotion or warmth. Its photoreceptors adjusted slightly as it patiently awaited their introductions. Behind the construct servant, glimpses of the luxurious interior of the mansion could be seen, describable as ostentatious.

 

[Crescent King]

Kite Vanzanth


Clockhaven - Guild - Burk Brothers Mansion
After the completion of his first job Kite collected his earnings from the Adventurers Guild outside the Capital of Ryken and made the decision to travel to Windersia. He heard tale of their advanced technology and thought it was time to explore the world beyond, embarking by carriage to the technological civilization. After a few days of travel he arrived and was in awe of the factories and buildings of Clockhaven.

He exited his transport and decided to check in at the local guild, stepping up to the counter. “Hello there, I'm new in town and wondered if you had any jobs.” Kite was greeted with a smile and the clerk pulled out a few jobs for him to choose from, laying them out on the counter. He read through each of them and noticed a vague request from the Burke Brothers. Though he wasn't as experienced as he would like, Kite decided to take this job in hopes it would help him reach greater heights of prowess.

He offered a polite bow to the clerk before stepping back out onto the busy streets, looking around and feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the hustle and bustle going on. The sight of so many automated beings was a little off-putting, but he shrugged and made his way toward the location listed on the request.

A sense of unease overtook Kite as he approached the heavily guarded mansion, though he resisted the urge to place his hand on his sword for fear of being gunned down in an instant. He stepped through the gates and made his way up to the door which opened before him. As he stepped into the not so humble abode he was in awe, a stark contrast to the dingy old manor from his previous job for sure. Even Giuseppe’s meeting place wasn't as extravagant as this.

As he was greeted by the robotic butler like robot Kite lifted up the flier from the Guild and offered his introduction. “Oh, uh, Kite Vanzanth. Here about this job.” He stuffed the flier inside his coat pocket after folding it up, next to the one he had from his previous job. He planned to keep all his future job fliers as a little reminder of his adventures so far.

 

[Lolory]

KURO NEKOMATA | Beastkin-Cat | Eccentric
​

"Now remember, we're only here for a month because my boss needs help with a job in Gambler's Row, got it?" Kuro's uncle Saldana reminded her as they walked down the streets of Clockhaven. Kuro was not listening at all, however, her eyes were drawn the towering sky scrapers and floating steam blimps up above. The city of steam lived up to it's name of splendor and technology certainly! It was nothing like Azuran at all!

"Wow! Look, Uncle. The noble's here dress totally different than in Azuran city, don't they?" She pointed a thumb at the fancily clad people who milled about in the rich venues of theatres and shops.

"Listen kid, you wanna fit in with noble's one day, right? Well you won't get there by gawking at them like they're animals in a zoo..." Saldana sighed at her antics as she continued to ignore his warnings. The two of them stopped outside of a back alley that was as sketchy as any other. Saldana crossed his arms and looked at her seriously."I obviously can't tell you to come along with me, my job's too dangerous. So! You're gonna have to figure out payment this month yourself!" That got her attention quickly. Kuro slouched at his words, all of the excitement of this trip to Clockhaven leaving her. Saldana smiled.

"Oh come on, old man! Your job can't be THAT harrowing! Let me in on it, please!" She clasped her hands together and begged, but Saldana wouldn't budge and shook his head.

"I know you're not apart of the guild, but you can still take odd jobs here in there...why don't you go to their offices and see what they've got around town, yeah?" Saldana patted her shoulder and told her "Good luck!" as he left. Good luck? Yeah right, like I've ever been lucky in my life before...Despite the news of needing to fund her own trip here in Clockhaven, she decided to make the most of it anyways and took her Uncle's advice. She headed straight for the Clockhaven's only guild hall, and asked around for any job openings. There were a lot, considering what a huge city it was. But the one that caught Kuro's eye the most was the one posted by the elusive Burke brother's. It was vague and it didn't seem to say much, but it held quite a hefty reward. Hm...this one looks promising! The Burke brother's sure lead private lives...but what's the worst that can happen? It seems easy enough. So she headed straight for their manor, but not before putting on her noble attire.

The clothing she wore was very different from the usual Clockhaven noble, she noticed it immediately. But that just made her stand out all the more! The manor was heavily guarded, and for the first time in Kuro's life she'd seen weapons other than a sword and dagger. With a suppressed shudder, she made her way to the entrance, and was greeted by an even more amazing sight. Wow! It's just like in the stories! A real robot! She could hardly contain her giddy excitement as she cleared her throat to speak. "Lord Kuro Nekomata, at your service! I've come about the job posting Sir Sillanus and Octavius advertised." With one hand elegantly behind her back, and the other in front of her, she gave a short bow.

She noticed the man next to her, and nodded at him welcomingly as well. "And a good day to you too, sir." She said to Kite.

---

 

[DarkKitsune]

𝙺𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚢[𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚝], [𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛] , [𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: 𝙳𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝙻𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚢]
𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚝
Maxxob Crescent King Lolory

Keircey’s luck had been quite awful. And…he had no idea why he came back all the way to his place of creation…

Widersia.

The place where he was built, constructed, whatever you want to call it, in a sense, was his birthplace. But no doubt a place of pain. Though not as nearly as painful as the memories from his time in the Duchy. This was where he and his creator had stayed in a more ignorant time before Keircey recognized his creator as anything else besides a performance-obsessed inventor.

Killer. His creator was a killer. But was he any better? He recalled the difficult events of his last…’adventure’ which ended up with someone being executed for trying to enslave someone from the group he was with. He could have rationality for abandoning his group in the adventure before that—those guys literally all got themselves arrested in some shape or form and the fire mage basically asked to be arrested anyway— but in his latest experience, someone died even if it was an official execution, and someone made him feel guilty for shocking the circuit's of his ‘brother’. For his sanity, he hoped his creator wouldn’t guess where he went this time.

Now he was back in Widersia, black fog covered the skies and, most of all, he apparently had the gall to accept another Adventurers' guild job despite how terribly it went the last time. Maybe he should use his alternate identity?

‘But against security it would be suspicious in times like these. That and I don’t know what to expect. And my disguise is not the best'

Requirements for this job were low. Combat experience? That he did have. When meeting up at the Burke Brother’s mansion there were other two interesting people. He just had to hope they weren’t self destructive. But in this world it was hard to stay hopeful. After the construct introduced himself Keircey replied in Analog.

%My name is Keircey, I came here for a job from the Adventurers guild. Pleasure to meet you..what is your name if you don’t mind me asking?%

—
Language Keys:
“common” %analog%
—

 

[slifer37]

Rowan Thorn
(Pic to be placed later)
​

Once again, Rowan Thorn was looking for work, having stretched her savings pretty far. She had a little left, but the burn for money lead her to look for work. So when she saw the Adventurer's Guild sign, she decided it was a good idea to join up. She had loads of combat experience, and she had new magic she wanted to try out.


A combat based job...perfect for her line of work. Then again, most combat based jobs were good for her, as she had one goal when taking this work- make sure everyone survived while gaining cash monies. Also house and influence, but those came with time and more bodyguarding jobs for more important people. Doing combat work was a step in the right direction for her goals. Maybe after this they could write her a reference letter for the merchants.

"My name is Rowan Thorn." Rowan stated calmly, after the others had spoken. She could probably make sure Kiercy, Kurt, and Kite all stayed alive. As long as nothing objectionable happened....though objectionable meant different things with a case by case basis. If their employer or if any of her other fellow employees tried to screw them over she had no qualms with murdering them. Otherwise, she tried to do good, and would do right by her companions and by Burke & Burke.

 

[Crescent King]

Kite Vanzanth


Burke Residence - Rowan, Keircey, and Kuro
As the others soon arrived Kite offered a polite bow and a soft smile, adjusting his clothes for comfort. He looked them over and thought to himself that they seemed to be a good group, but couldn't help but wonder how they would compare to his last set of companions. It did not matter in the end because he would do all he could to support them regardless.

He thought back to his previous adventure and wondered how the group was getting along. Though their interactions were limited he couldn't help but feel some comradeship with them, especially Marcus who seemed to resonate with Kite on some strange level. He hoped to meet him again one day.

Kite snapped back to the here and now and figured he would offer a glimpse into his skill set, so the others had a better idea of his style. "You may call me Kite. I'm a close quarters spellsword who uses flame magic with my blade to slice and burn foes. This is just my second job with the guild but I will do my best. I look forward to working with you all."

Though the sounds coming from Keircey were a little off-putting, Kite simply shrugged and chalked it up to Windersia just being a strange place.

 

[Lolory]

KURO NEKOMATA | Beastkin-Cat | Eccentric | Conversation
​

Kuro smiled at Kite, "Since it is just your second time working for the guild, I implore you to rely on me if you need help." Her face became slightly smug as she boasted. "You're looking at a Ryken Adventurer's Guild Investigator." Never mind that the title was only recently given to her, but it certainly sounded impressive when she put it that way. "Not to blow my own horn or anything, but I'm practically a hero back in Azuran City! So if you ever have questions, or need to talk to someone a bit higher up to get the really good jobs with the guild, I'll always lend a hand to new recruits."

Most of that (all of it, save for the title) was completely untrue but none of these folks had ever even met Kuro, and she certainly didn't see them around the docks where she lived. She figured that being in a whole other nation meant she could be a bit more liberal in the stories she spun. Just to make things a bit more interesting.

Kuro chuckled lightly, but her confident smile faltered a little. "I have a...condition, however. It involves my magic. I don't have proper control over it just yet, BUT I am very well equipped in a fight! Just uh...don't stand to close to me, okay?" She warned the others. If things got really bad, she'd opt for just using her claws to handle the scuffle, that was something she could do at least.

---

mentions: Crescent King | DarkKitsune | slifer37​

 

[Maxxob]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Clockhaven, Burke's Estate
Crescent King | Kite
Lolory | Kuro
DarkKitsune | Keircey
slifer37 | Rowan

????

​

After each introduction, Kite, Kuro, Keircey, and Rowan noticed the construct's eye turning from a pale, soft blue to a strong, crimson color. As the color changed, a visible red light scanned each of them from head to toe. They all knew the robotic servant was using Appraisal on them, gathering information. When it came to Keircey, there was a brief pause before the scanning began, prompted by his question.

"%This unit is called Cosworth by masters Sillanus and Octavius.%"

"This unit is called Cosworth by masters Sillanus and Octavius."

The construct answered in both analog and common simultaneously, having detected that some of them were not proficient in the former language. The mechanical, cadence-less voice highlighted its lack of individual identity, contrasting with Keircey's own sense of self. "Sir Vanzanth, Lord Nekomata, Sir Keircey, Madam Thorn, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintances." Curiously, the construct retained the title 'Lord' for Kuro, despite not finding such a title during its scanning.

"Please, follow me to the living room." Cosworth moved aside, allowing the group to enter the residence and closing the front door behind them. As it walked, the clinking of metal echoed with each step. Soon, they found themselves in the living room, centered around a low coffee table made of dark, polished wood. A velvety red rug lay beneath it, surrounded by couches of the same wood, upholstered in matching fabric. Two marble busts on nearby stands depicted unknown figures.

"Make yourselves at home while I notify the masters of your arrival." Cosworth gestured towards the couches. It then moved to a wall-mounted device, removing a curious cone-like object and holding it where a human ear would be. It began speaking about the arrival, but the conversation was quickly drowned out by another set of metallic footsteps, accompanied by the sound of a wooden cart being rolled.

A second metallic servant appeared, this one with a slightly more feminine appearance, dressed in a black and white maid outfit. It pushed a cart bearing two metallic teakettles and an assortment of pastries and porcelain teacups. The maid set the pastries in the center of the coffee table, then organized the teacups. Meanwhile, Cosworth returned, announcing, "The masters will be here shortly. Meanwhile, enjoy their hospitality." The construct then moved to a corner, inserting a cylinder into a device with a speaker.

Fascination - Lies of P

A melody began to play from the device, in some odd language that didn't sound like anything that was native to the continent. The volume was low enough as to not disturb any conversation that the group might have been having. And, by then, the maid-mechanoid had already finished also setting up the teacups, one for each of the group, as well as setting two extra ones which, for now, were left empty. On the cart, however, there seemed to be extra ones in case there were new arrivals. The sweet scent of the pastries, scones and biscuits, mixed with the one of the green tea.

Cosworth had moved back to stand at the foyer and near the entrance of the manor. The maid-servant stood near the cart, not uttering a single word or sound.

 

[DarkKitsune]

𝙺𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚢[𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚝], [𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛] , [𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: 𝙳𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝙻𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚢]
𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚝
Maxxob Crescent King Lolory slifer37

“Pleasure to meet you both Kite and Kuro! And thanks for the warning Kuro…”

Keircey said trying to hide his worry, last time he had met a magic user who didn’t seem to have any control of their magic, which resulted in a church and a few other buildings catching a flame in a particularly small village. The rest of the party got arrested and investigated. Because of that, he was the only one who didn’t get taken in. Due to the fact he left before the association could be made. The warning was nice though, regardless.

“How many feet should I stay away from you, Kuro, in the case of an attack? Wait…I spoke in Analog…my Name is Keircey. I’m an electric magic user.”

He did look at Kuro curiously. Although he was suspicious of her previous claims, there was something that stuck out about her.

“Hmm…not many beastkin come to Widersia. Most aren’t fond of it here, seeing one come here is quite new to me.”

He only got to see beastkin in The Duchy, Ryke and the Republic. Usually they didn’t like constructs that was the case with most. But it was still bizarre to see one all the way in Widersia. When Rowan introduced herself she seemed confident enough. Although Keircey wouldn’t be the most trusting of these people at the moment, working with them was a given.

And if she could keep Kuro from harming the party or causing property damage…bonus points he supposed, he turned to Cosworth. He couldn’t do anything regarding the use of appraisal. He just had to hope his creator had a [Murder] title and that him being wanted by Diago wasn’t met with harsh questions and scrutiny. It did seem like Cosworth probably lacked some sense of individuality.

They were different.

Keircey was sentient.

Cosworth…Keircey would assume was not.

Following the construct, Keircey made the choice of not drinking the teacups, or grabbing any of the pastries. He didn’t need them [Resistance - Fatigue [F]

—
Language Keys:
“common” %analog%
—

 

[Lolory]

KURO NEKOMATA | Beastkin-Cat | Eccentric ​

Free food right off the bat!? Man, Widersian noble's are something else! Kuro immediately went for some tea and biscuits, making sure to not spill any in her excitement. Next to her, Keircey had spoken, and Kuro thought for a moment. "Probably around....hm let's say....15ft from me? But don't worry, I won't be using any of my magic around you guys!" She realized she'd spoken to casually and cleared her throat. "Uh, I mean, I'm very cautious of when I use my magic, so don't worry. I would never endanger the lives of my acquaintances." Truthfully, however, she'd never had to use her magic on an adventure at all. Sure, there was that one time she'd used it to stir up trouble temporarily in Azuran City, but that wasn't nearly as dangerous as letting loose entirely.

Kuro heard him talk about Beastkin not coming to Widersia that often, and she shrugged. "I'm an Azuran noble, a lord at that! I don't concern myself with the prejudice of other nations, let alone ignorant ones about Beastkin." She said with an eyeroll. She had noticed she'd gotten more dirty looks and hesitant stares here then in Ryke, however. But she was used to it, since most people in Ryke looked at her like that as well, albeit not for the same superficial reason. "I'm here on vacation you see, but I get bored easily so the Adventurer's guild serves as a venue of entertainment! Clockhaven's nice, but it's got nothing on the parties and elegant night balls thrown in Azuran. So I've got to find something to keep myself busy while I'm here!" That wasn't entirely untrue, she did need something to fill her time with while she was here. She just kept out the part where this job would help fund her stay in Clockhaven all together. The others didn't need to know that she was actually pennilless with no coin to her name. As long as she could fulfill her role in the party, there should be no issues.

---

Mentions: DarkKitsune​

 

[Crescent King]

Kite Vanzanth


Burke Manor - Living Room
Kite followed the others through to the living room and removed his sword from his person, leaning it against the wall next to the exit. He listened to the others talk back and forth while finding a comfortable place to sit and taking a cup of tea. Everything was so fancy and he looked around the room with curious eyes, examining from floor to ceiling.


Kite was too use to the rough roads, dark woods, and dingy inns and being in this fancy manor made him feel out of place. The others seemed to settle in well despite the decor, and it made Kite feel even more uneasy in such a place.

As the music filled the room Kite was quite amazed as he had only ever seen live performances in the past, recorded music was something entirely foreign to him. Then he heard mention of a noble in their mits and wondered what circumstances would bring such a person to a potentially dangerous situation. Upon mention of being in vacation and having issues with boredom Kite chimed into the conversation.

"I can't imagine a situation where boredom would lead me to put myself in harms way. I could understand if you needed coin, but surly a noble has plenty of that."

Kite closed his eyes and took a sip of his tea, basking in the fantastic aroma as it entered his nostrils. His words had a slight sharpness to them as he spoke, taking some offense to someone taking jobs out of boredom when surly there were better options.

 

[DarkKitsune]

𝙺𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚢[𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚝], [𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛] , [𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: 𝙳𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝙻𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚢]
𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚝
Maxxob Crescent King Lolory slifer37

“Does this mean you have been liking Widersia since you’ve been here? If so, you are part of quite the minority. Never thought I’d get to meet a beast who likes it here myself. I didn’t even get to meet any beasts until I left Widersia for a time. Here, beasts are seen neutrally, so no need to worry about discrimination.”



Was his answer, his luck with beasts didn’t really seem….good to say the least. He supposed that was fitting, although he would still keep an eye on things in regard to her though. To his understanding, normally beasts have a low capacity for magic—something he was told by his old manager Kae— And Kuro already admitted she lacked control of it. Although he appreciated the effort to not harm the rest of the group. lacking control was still that. Lack of control. When Kite talked about how he couldn’t imagine boredom leading to a noble putting themselves in harm's way, despite it being clear it wasn’t for Keircey, he said.



“I could, I believe it’s something called ‘thrill seeking’ or being an ‘adrenaline junkie’ granted I don’t know what ‘adrenaline’ is. Is it a power source or similar for organics?? Is it like that red oil that causes an organic to permanently shut down when they loose too much of it? Sounds like some organics like it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were the case for %Ms. Kuro%”



He felt like he should know how organic physiology worked. He had a feeling he did at some point. But now that information was lost to time, likely those vague mysterious memories that he could have sworn or real despite it seeming like they took place before he was successfully made. Keircey was also suspicious of Kuro although he was willing to put in the attempt to hide that until further confirmation. That and he wasn’t a snitch.

—
Language Keys:
“common” %analog%
—

 

[Lolory]

KURO NEKOMATA | Beastkin-Cat | Eccentric | Conversation
​

"Meh. I wouldn't expect commoners understand." Kuro said snobbishly to kite. "And I'm not an adrenaline junkie! Noble's just like to lead more adventurous lives than the average person. That's just the way it is...by the way, sorry if this is rude or anything...but what are those strange noises you keep making? It sounded like you called me a bunch of beeps and boops..." Kuro had never met a Construct before today, and to her Keircey looked somewhat human. Any eccentricities could be chalked up to other things, like perhaps Keircey was only half human, or some other diverse race she'd never heard of before. She was used to people in Ryke having all sorts of unique features, but the vintage aesthetic of Azuran meant Constructs weren't all the rage yet, least of all like it was in Clockhaven. All this to say, she's never heard %Analog% spoken aloud at all.

She didn't like assuming things about other people, so she'd not mentioned it until now. But Keircey definitely didn't appear fully human now that she was close enough to him. Kite appeared human enough. Though his attitude could use a bit more work...oh well!

---

Mentions: DarkKitsune | Crescent King​

 

[Crescent King]

Kite Vanzanth


Burke Manor - Living Room
"Better a commoner than a tactless snob." Kite hissed through gnashed teeth as he sat his cup of tea down with a loud clank. He knew better than to get riled up, but he was tired after the journey here and wanted to let off a little steam. "Sounds like you don't actually know nobles that well. They prefer to hide away in the homes while hiring adventurers like me to do their dirty work."

Kite had very little experience doing any kind of work, much less dealing with the noble class. But he knew enough of the world for his words to probably be true. Why would anyone with money dirty their own hands when you could just hired someone instead. He shot daggers across the room toward his target, Kuro, uninterested in just about anything else.

 

[Lolory]

KURO NEKOMATA | Beastkin-Cat | Eccentric | Conversation
​

"Not this noble. I'm Lord Nekomata, I would never leave my own affairs to other people. I mean, what kind of lord would I be if I wasn't as reliable and hardy as my title implies?" Kuro said with a smirk. "But I understand the frustration...many Noble's are simply rotten to the core. All they care about are frivolous things and they certainly aren't as adventurous as I am. That, or they have...less than noble desires, so they pass the time debasing themselves in depravity. I'm nothing like that, though. As a matter of fact, I threw another Noble in jail for doing such depraved things just last winter." This was the truth, and it was probably the only true thing she'd said that whole day surprisingly.

"Didn't I tell you earlier? I'm an Investigator with the Adventurer's Guild. That's not a title you get easily, you know." Kuro crossed her arms over her chest. "Seeing as I am a Noble, I think I know more about them than you, anyways. I like keeping the corrupt ones in line."

Let's just hope this Adventure doesn't end the same way... She'd hate to have to throw more noble's in jail for being crooks. But it would just be her luck, huh?

---

Mentions: Crescent King​

 

[DarkKitsune]

𝙺𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚢[𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚝], [𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛] , [𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: 𝙳𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝙻𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚢]
𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚝
Maxxob Crescent King Lolory slifer37

“oh… %this%?”
He replied to Kuro’s question. Furthering this, he explains.



“It’s called Analog, it’s the native language to constructs. Kind of like Beastial, it is the native language for Beasts, Terran native language for humans and so on. %Kuro% means Kuro and %Ms. Kuro% means Ms. Kuro. %Kite% means Kite. As for why it sounds like ‘beeps and boops’, the Analog is made up of binary. That being said, a few human inventors know how to speak it too. My creator was one who did…”



He shouldn’t talk about that though, the more he thought about it the more likely paranoia would seep through into his behavior.



“Unfortunately, I have not been programmed nor permitted the chance to learn languages outside of common and analog.”



However, as soon as the two started arguing, he felt like he was about to have flashbacks to the events back in the republic, and it was easy to say he didn’t want to have to watch someone else get decapitated. With [Empathy [F] and being awful at words, Keircey would attempt to mediate.



“Hey! Let’s not argue! Let’s just…peacefully tolerate each other's company. We won’t have to see each other again when the job is all said and done. Even then, in Widersia, the Nobles, Merchants and Adventure factions hold equal power. So arguing over it is a little pointless at the moment, and if we are going to be stuck working together, how about we not try to kill each other? How about, instead of arguing, we're talking about our prior adventurers?”



He tried. If he failed, at least all he could say was he tried. But he was still a little desperate.



“I’ll go first. The adventure I went on in Ryke ended up a complete failure! The goal was to retrieve an ancient heirloom for an alchemist. Unfortunately, we had a fire mage that turned himself into an organic living piece of charcoal before we even began the job. Next thing we knew, he ended up burning down a church as well as some other buildings. As far as I know, the rest of the group was arrested and so was he.”


It might fail. But let it be known he tried.

—
Language Keys:
“common” %analog%
—

 

[Crescent King]

Kite Vanzanth


Burke Manor - Living Room
Kite ignored Kuro for the most part and turned his attention to Keircey instead, listening to him recount his previous adventure. Kite's face had quite the concerned look about it as he listened to the tale, his eyes slightly widened in surprise. His previous adventure has gone so well, he was surprised to hear such terrible things happened.

"That was quite the unfortunate tale Keircey, sorry you went though such an ordeal. My previous adventure was tough but ended on much better terms. We slayed a ghost, some zombies, and a horrendous flesh monster. The client was quite happy with the results and I believe has plans to renovate the manor we cleared for him. My team was very professional, and we parted on food terms I believe."

Kite shifted in his seat and parted his clothes flat, pressing the tops of his pants down against his legs. His clothes didn't come out quite right after being covered in ectoplasm and the blood of the flesh beast, he contemplated getting a new set and burning these in a fire.

 

[Lolory]

KURO NEKOMATA | Beastkin-Cat | Eccentric | Conversation
​

"It sounds like you've both lived quite the interesting lives! My previous adventure wasn't anything that...disgusting, but I did have fun anyways." Kuro said with a smirk. "I was contacted by a poor widow who wanted to avenge her deceased husband! The culprit who murdered him had been none other than Azuran City's most famous noble lady, Madame Oakwell. She was pushing an addictive drug to the common people, and so I valiantly discovered her secret and reported her to the proper authorities." She left out the part where she'd not done much for the whole night and that someone else had been responsible for finding most of the clues, but that was beside the point. "But not before gathering evidence and excellently investigating the manor, undercover of course. I know, I know, hold your praise." She raised a hand to stop Keircey and Kite from congratulating her (even though neither had moved to do anything of the sort) "It was nothing I couldn't handle. I didn't even take the reward that young widow offered as compensation!" (She did.) "I was just happy to help, that's all." (She talked her Uncle Saldana's ear off the rest of the week about her achievement and new title from the guild.)

---

Mentions: DarkKitsune | Crescent King​

 

[slifer37]

Rowan Thorn
​

Rowan followed behind the group silently, slowly slipping into her protector mode as she kept one eye open the whole time, even through the glitz and the glam of the building. This whole quest was somewhat suspicious to her, considering how little information there was about it, but the allure of gold was worth looking into the whole situation rather than just bailing early.

She sat in one of the free seats, her hair on end at how...weird this is, the way the construct butler Cosworth was just standing in the foyer, staring at them. Hopefully, that was just part of their programming and not because Cosworth was watching them. "No, thank you." Rowan said politely to the construct maid, not wanting to eat anything. She had ate before she came in. She could always ask for some to be packed away for later, if anything. She observed the group, absorbing their conversations with each other before deciding to speak. Kuro the Beast-kin had an arrogance to her that was...annoying to say the least. Though she did not mind that her companions were constructs and beast-kin. As long as they weren't jerks and did any betrayal, they were fine.


"If your magic is an issue, warn us first before using it, and I can do my best to counter it. If not, do your best to give any sort of warning so no one gets hurt." Rowan told Kuro, as her barriers would be a good counter to most physical things that Kuro could do, considering her barriers had gotten her through dangerous situations, saving countless lives.

IF it were to go through, she could heal as much as she could. She had experience from her adventures that had taken her to many places- in the Underbelly, at Ryken Academy, even participating in the war, making sure her whole team had lived.

"I go where the wind takes me. My last adventure involved destroying a flesh- eating entity aiming to eat everything in its path. Luckily, we burned it before it could spread further than the village." Rowan volunteered after everyone else shared their experiences. She didn't go into her pretty decent resume, as it felt like boasting. IF they asked for more, she would answer, but for now, that was good enough.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Shael Xyvern

Languages: "Common", "{Sylvan}"​

Mention: Maxxob

Once again Shael was off traveling and doing adventurer business. Widersia was the place that her sister had been off too for quite some time, so she must have seen this capital many times before, nevertheless it was quite the experience for Shael. While she didn’t really personally understand why Fae would want to leave their home of origin and come here, the place did have a unique feeling to it which wasn’t unpleasant. She was still somewhat unsure of how she felt about it all compared to home given how urbanized this part of Widersia was.

Even so Shael, had seen the quest notice, it sounded doable, of course if she was found to be acceptable for it that was. It had been pretty clear combat would be required, which she was certainly okay with haven partaken in quests requiring it before. As a result of seeing the notice however she knew where to go and would approach the mansion. Buildings like these were so..built up and different then what she was used to in the Fae See. Thankfully the gates were open so she could come right in. What was different immediately besides the style compared to home of course were not only the plethora of guns..which she hoped were just for self defense, but also real live constructs which looked like they were combat capable! They really were not usually part of her world, sure she saw some in Ryken from time to time, but having seen so many more since coming here.and generally in different styles, had really broadened her horizon. Thankfully they didn’t seem to be bothered by her..so she would make her way up to the front door seeing that a path had been made and give it a proper knock, presuming she was able to. All she could really do was hope that things would go smoothly and she’d be received well at this point, and that she’d have coherent quest party members if they were there, and of course that the quest wasn’t an unreasonable death trap…

 

[Elijay]

John

Maxxob TheTimePiece
​

John had been travelling around Widersia, getting to learn more about this very country. Everything about the place screamed steampunk, from the grinding gears of machinery to the whistle of the steam powered trains. One day, he decided to pay a visit to the adventurer’s guild in Widersia to see what adventures awaited him. There was one job that caught his eye, as it required combat experience of some sort. Well, he could use some ass kicking action every now and then, so why not?

Picking up the quest, the boy headed for the mansion. Upon arrival, he’d find many robots, or constructs as they called them in this world, patrolling the area, and hold up, they even had guns on them?! He wondered if his employers would even need his help if they had access to robots carrying deadly guns. All John could do was punch and kick stuff! How could that be stronger than sending out an army of robots with guns??? Oh well, at worst John could put up an act of helping out if need be.

Also, for some reason it seems like they were expecting him as the gates had already been opened. Perhaps they had heard of the great tales of John. He did join a goblin subjugation quest not too long ago after all... Although that was in Ryke and not Widersia... And his client ended up getting badly hurt in the process... But that's besides the point! As he walked further in, he spotted a lady standing in front of the front door and knocking it. Maybe she was another adventurer like him. “Hey there, you here for the job too?” He’d say as he walked up to her.

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Demeter
​

Quite a bit had happened to the young fae since her last adventure. She'd gotten in some training, a second home, and someone willing to invest the time to educate her on spellcasting and help her develop her technique. The only thing left to do was set out on a quest and put these new skills to work and earn herself a name. It didn't take long for her to set out for Clockhaven after she'd seen the job listing.

Though, she did show up fashionably late.

Clad in little more than a dress formed from white petals, she made her way onto the property. The first thing she was an armed young man on his way to the front door of the manor. Then, as Demeter drew near, she noticed a familiar face from her last adventure knocking on the front door.

"Hey, Shael!" she called to the elven archer with a wave as she approached, "Long time, no see, huh?"

Might've been a couple of weeks, maybe?

The young fae made her way over to John and extended a hand for him to shake.

"Yep. I'm here to help out with..." she paused, eyes narrowing for a brief moment, "Not entirely sure yet, admittedly, but I like to think I'm pretty good in a fight. Name's Demeter, by the way."

TheTimePiece Elijay Maxxob

​

 

[Maxxob]

Time: Afternoon
Location: Clockhaven, Burke's Estate
Crescent King | Kite
Lolory | Kuro
DarkKitsune | Keircey
slifer37 | Rowan
TheTimePiece | Shael
Elijay | John
Gwen_Temi | Demeter

Fascination - Lies of P

Between the sweet smells of pastries and tea, which blended together in a mouth-watering fragrance, the situation had become tense for a moment: Kuro and Kite having a slightly heated argument. And, even when things seemed that could very well spiral out of hand, there was not a single motion from the mechanical servants. Cosworth stood as a silent vigil near the front door, observing the exchange with its pale, azure photoreceptors. The robotic-maid retrieved the porcelain cups, filled with green tea, upon both Rowan's and Keircey's polite refusal to having it, placing the chinaware back on the wooden cart, with economic and efficient movements. This servant too didn't show any sort of reaction as the argument appeared to march towards its zenith: not a single sound uttered, not a single motion performed. Only the faintest whirring of its mechanical interior could be heard. However, it seemed that the tension had dissipated as soon as Keircey decided to intervene, the errant construct playing the role of a diplomat, brokering peace between the two. How quickly did the mood shift inside the ostentatious living room.

Rowan's wariness and suspicions appeared to not having been picked up by any of the two mechanoids and, if it was, there was not a single shred of indication about it. If her worries were made manifest into reality still remained to be seen.

It was then that a resounding knock at the door thumped, its sound being drowned by the melody still being played by the mechanical device with the speaker. Cosworth, ever the efficient mechanical servant, grasped the door knob and twisted it. Soon, the foyer of the sprawling manor would be revealed by the three figures standing just in front of the threshold: Shael, John and Demeter. Standing at attention with utmost perfect, back perfectly straight, the construct on Victorian-esque garbs began addressing them.

Cosworth

​

"Welcome to the residence of Master Sillanus Burke and Master Octavius Burke. May I have your names, sirs and/or madams?" The construct's voice was male, robotic, and devoid of emotion or warmth. Its photoreceptors adjusted slightly as it patiently awaited their introductions. It could be curious to the adventurers already in the living room that the greeting had been identical to the one they had received. By now, the more inhuman, singular purpose-driven existence of these mechanical things could very well be assessed.

Upon receiving each of their names, the photoreceptors of the construct would change colors: from its pale, azure hue to a vivid, crimson one. And, with that, a red beam emanated from them, scanning Shael, John and Demeter in turn. When the act had been finished, the colors of the receptors returned to their previous one.

"Please, follow me to the living room." Cosworth moved aside, allowing the group to enter the residence and closing the front door behind them. As it walked, the clinking of metal echoed with each step. Soon, they found themselves in the living room, centered around a low coffee table made of dark, polished wood. A velvety red rug lay beneath it, surrounded by couches of the same wood, upholstered in matching fabric. Two marble busts on nearby stands depicted unknown figures. Upon the seats, other guests were already present: Kuro, Kite, Keircey and Rowan.

"Make yourselves at home. The masters will be here shortly. Meanwhile, enjoy their hospitality." Cosworth gestured towards the couches, before once more moving back to stand at the foyer and near the entrance of the manor.

The maid-mechanoid didn't waste any time, before setting three more tea cups upon the coffee table. And, with teakettle grasped firmly by the handle, began pouring the green tea for the new arrivals. The metallic domestic would also replenish the container in the very middle of the coffee table, which had an assortment of pastries, before going back to stand near the wooden cart.

It didn't take long for two pairs of footsteps becoming closer and closer, coming from the same corridor which the maid-mechanoid had come from earlier. This time, however, the steps lacked any sort of metal-clinking to them, revealing their probably organic origins. And, if any of the present held such suspicions, they would soon be proved right.

Sillanus and Octavius

​

Both men strode into the living room, the one wearing a brown jacket having quite a bit of a smile on his face. Meanwhile, the one dressed in the dark vest, appearing to be a tad more serious. "Welcome to our humble abode! I hope our hospitality have matched your expectations!" The more cheery one said, with shrewd charisma on his tone, holding a stack of documents in his hands. "We really appreciate your interest in this job offer." The more serious one continued, his eyes sliding along each one of the present, noticing the variety of species gathered in their living room. On his hands, there were quite a few pens, as well as an ink stamp pad.

"I am Sillanus Burke and this is my brother, Octavius Burke." Sillanus said, with a smile on his lips. "A pleasure to meet all of you." The words from Octavius were accompanied by a small nod of his head.

Both men moved in tandem, seemingless, with in an almost practiced choreography. Soon enough, each of the present would have a piece of paper in front of them, on the expansive coffee table, along with the pens. In addition, the ink stamp pad had been near the middle of the surface. Before explaining what that was all about, both men took seats on armchairs that faced the couches. The robotic-maid moved with teakettle in hand, finally pouring the green tea into the porcelain cups which had been left empty on the table.

"We are terribly sorry for these extras... necessary steps. But none of you have anything to worry about! These are simply Nondisclosure Agreements and, even after signing them, the choice remains with each of you to take on this opportunity." Sillanus voice was almost melodic, with practiced charisma, probably being the face of the company. He leaned forward, taking the cup and bringing it to his lips, crossing one leg over the other.

"Corporate espionage is not that uncommon within our midst. And, taking in consideration the contracts we have with the Widersian government, every precaution is warranted." Octavius added, his tone keeping the seriousness of his persona, further explaining the 'whys'. Crossing his legs in a figure four lock manner, he didn't reach for his tea.

The documents in front of each of all the present just confirmed the truth of Sillanus statement. They were Nondisclosure Agreements which detailed that, whatever information was shared by the Burke Brothers, should not be revealed to other parties, except to those present. It went in detail about every single legal action that would be taken if the agreement was broken. At the very bottom of the 'contract', there was an arrow pointing towards a line, in which the adventurers could either sign their names or use the ink stamp to leave the digital of their thumb on it.

 

[Lolory]

KURO NEKOMATA | Beastkin-Cat | Eccentric
​

"Done." Without so much as a glance at the large text above, Kuro had signed...whatever it is they wanted her to sign. She didn't waste time, and had really only wanted to show off her impressive signature as she held the paper up for the Burke Brother's to see. In practiced scrawl, the name "Lord Kuro Nekomata" was signed on the dotted line. Her Uncle had always warned her about signing strange documents, but Kuro always assumed that if something like that were to happen, she could just curse whoever decided to screw her over.

Having bad luck was a curse for others, but a blessing in disguise for her. "So what's this job entail anyways? I won't spill any company secrets since I've already signed this uh...non disclosure agreement?" She'd never heard of something like that before. "I should let you know, I'm quite good at gathering information and clues. I'm a Ryken Adventurer's Guild investigator, after all." She boasted again, this time in front of her new employers. Since they were twins, she didn't bother with trying to tell them apart. One was sad and mopey, the other was happy and cheery. As far as she was aware, she would just refer to them both as "Mr. Burke" and be done with it.

---

Mentions: Maxxob​

 

[Crescent King]

Kite Vanzanth


Burke Manor - Living Room
Kite watched at three more members came through the doors and offered a polite nod as they entered into the living room. Quite a few more people in this group than his last and it brought on a sense on unease. Large groups offered a lot of positive things, but also brought on a lot of challenges depending on the job. And groups just made Kite nervous in general.

Then the two brothers entered to room swiftly and threw down papers for signatures, something Kite didn't know how to do. He picked up the paper and read through it by skipping around to get the gist of it. He didn't really understand a lot of it but decided things should be alright, grabbing the stamp and pressing it down onto the paper to leave it's mark.

Kite then rolled his eyes at Kuro as he listened to her speak and sighing loudly as she attempted to show off to the Burke Brothers. After stamping the paper Kite sat silently and waited for the additional information to come his way concerning the upcoming job.

Maxxob