Graded [Ryken City] - Stones and Pulp

[Novama]

Intro​

This chapter in Isekai Hell history will chronicle the test undertaken by would-be adventurers Michael and Sage to join the Ryken Adventurers guild. Their test would be to fulfill a real commission put in by Sophia Smith, a blacksmith. Accompanying them to provide assistance would be the unusually large man, Toppo. If Michael and Sage successfully fulfill the request, they will be rewarded by Sophia Smith in some free smithy work on their current or new equipment. Their efforts will also be reported to the guild, which will decide their ranking within the guild assuming they performed satisfactorily enough to join the guild in the first place. Toppo would also be able to make claim to some compensation depending on his assistance in the endeavor.

Due to the guild request being fulfilled by 2 unofficial members, the typical guild fee for the job was waived. Additionally, the guild would make commissions of Sophia Smith to craft equipment with the ores acquired as a trial run for her own potential future with the Adventurers Guild as an Adventuring Artisan.

The target was some recently unearthed field Iron found on a scouting mission in the area. The deposits were visible above ground and easily accessible. The resources could be found near the forest tree line to the south west of Ryken after about one day's travel. The job was expected to take 2 days worth of travel and 1 day of harvesting the stones. Michael and Sage would be on guard duty and assist as necessary. Toppo and Sophia would be responsible for the ore harvest. As this was a guild job in a roundabout way, the guild provided a large work horse and kart to hall back the materials in. However, everything else the party might need would fall on them to acquire for themselves.

The story will begin the morning of the first day of the job. Everyone would be given time that morning to acquire any necessary provisions they thought they would need for the mission and meet at the kart near the city's southern gate. Each was encouraged not to dawdle. Especially the large man named Toppo. Aside from his looks, Toppo and the others would be treated to a plethora of possible distractions in the market near the southern gate. Despite the cool, winter air, the market was lively with entertainment, tasty smells, and all manner of goods from around the region and beyond. It would not be hard to spend all day at the market and not see all there was to see. Despite the streets being damp and muddy in spots, the city streets were mostly paved allowing for ease of travel and transport of goods to and from the harbor, as well as from the neighboring towns and villages. Patrolling guards ensured a certain level of safety and fair business during the day as well.

A very pleasant beginning to a new adventure.

 

[Silent Angel]

Southern Gate - 8:30 AM

Sophia Smith

​

Sophia waited in the cart, her legs hanging out the back as she watched the surrounding area for the adventurers who had offered to help her. She hadn't needed to go to the market, as all of the gear she would need was back at where she lived, so she had headed straight over to the gate early in the morning to be there when her helpers arrived. With her was rations, her full water skin, a blanket, her bedroll, a tent, a map, her tools, a fire starter kit, and last but not least, four shiny new pickaxes. She had spent time the night before forging them, and while three of them were the more hefty five pound picks, her own was a smaller two pound one, as while she would prefer having the heftier ones, she understood that it wouldn't compliment her own strength very well.

While her mind wandered, she took a swig of her water, careful to not puncture it with her sharp teeth, a downside to being different than a human. Every single day she worried that she would end up biting her tongue off, and was almost always overly cautious when doing anything with the pearly whites. As she thought about the issues that came with her new body, she slowly pulled the waterskin form her lips, putting the cap back. After she had placed it to the side, the girl leaned back, her eyes half lidded as she searched for her companions for the next few days.

 

[NeramoDJI]

Southern Gate - 8:32 AM

Sage Litwile

​

Sage was moving towards the market, having been told where he was going and what the cart looked like, flying through the crowd and smiling at the sunny day, trying to find where he was supposed to go. He had a little bag of food and water on him, since he wanted to bring some of his own stuff. He however did not have anything else, since he was a dumb kid and didn't think ahead like the others likely did. He moved towards the cart, spotting it and flying towards it as fast as he could, which to outside appearances would look like a regular butterflies speed. He saw the woman on the cart, guessing that was the sophia person.

He flew up slowly, seeing her drink and landing slowly on her leg, looking up at her. "Hey miss sophie!" He called from down on her leg, waving up at her. "I'm one of the adventurers from the guild here to help!" He called up to her, trying to get her attention while hopping up and down, smiling up towards her. Though, whether or not she could see that was dependent on whether she'd realize where the voice came from, due to how small he was.

 

[Silent Angel]

Southern Gate - 8:30 AM

Sophia Smith

Sophie frowned as she glanced in the direction of the voice she heard, which seemed to be coming from her lap. She noted the butterfly like person, raising an eyebrow at the size of them. "Well, hello there. She reached down with one of her claws, picking him up and lifting him so he would be face to face with her. "Are you one of the adventurers they sent to help me? I'm not sure if they told you, but this is gonna be a lot of manual labor with tools, and I think all of that is gonna be a bit hard for someone of your... stature."​

 

[Zankoku]

Bob | Ryken - Southern Gate | 8:30 AM ​

---

---

Bob's previous life, although short, was definitely something he did not regret. However, with the second chance given to him, he was uncertain whether he wanted to live in a similar manner. Although reborn as a massive specimen of a man who was probably in his mid-to-late twenties, Bob was barely an adult when he died; he was still unsure on where he was going in life.

With his future basically being up in the air, Bob took every opportunity he got to experience new things. His time in the capital doing menial tasks - for the local merchants and adventurers - gave him just enough of a reputation to open a few doors in the variety of work he could opt for.

He was fortunate enough to land some work - that was right up his alley - with the Adventurer's Guild. Filled up with a hearty breakfast, Bob took in the cool winter air as he made his way towards the Southern Gate. He thought of looking for tools that could help him with the request he had taken, but sadly, it was difficult to look for equipment that was made for someone of his stature. As he drew closer to their meeting place, Bob took notice of the other individuals he was accompanying. Although he was well aware of the different races that co-existed within Ryken, Bob couldn't help but be surprised every time he met someone new.

"...Faes." Bob whispered to himself. Despite his scowl-like expression, there was obviously a glint of wonder in his eyes. He didn't have the time for such a hobby, but Bob was always interested in fiction and fantasy; the fact that it was now reality was something he found hard to believe. As he drew closer, Bob crouched down, tucking his knees towards his chest.

"...Hello." Bob's rumbling voice remained deep and stern as he raised his hand, waiving it lightly to greet his would-be comrades. "...My name's Bob. I'll be in your care." He didn't realize that he interrupted their conversation and simply focused on making a good impression. During his previous encounters with others, most usually found Bob intimidating.

 

[Novama]

Time: 8:35 am
Weather: cold, slight breeze, sunny
Mentions: Zankoku NeramoDJI Silent Angel
OOC: Feel free to shrink or hide those oversized character images please. Some of them literally take up my entire screen height. Until Brother can post with Toppo, assume it is just the 4 of us for now and post in whatever order or frequency you like. I'll post after everyone else to mark the transition of posting rounds and maybe move the time.

Southern Gate

Michael​

Michael approached the kart where everyone else gathered. He was dressed warmly in layers with the outer layers being a traveling cloak to act as a wind breaker, leather armor and outer wear to keep moisture out in the event of rain or snow, and what looked like a warm, woolen interior layer. Despite the chill in the air, his hood was not up, so he was easily recognizable by the others. On his back was an oversized bag with all manner of things strapped to the sides or poking out the opening.

Michael removed his bag and placed it in the kart with the other equipment. He briefly looked over the other items in the kart and those coming with on the trip: Sage, Bob, Sophia. His brow furrowed for a moment before he spoke up.

"Good morning, everyone. I trust you all have packed what you needed. Obviously, I'm still new at this since this will be the entry test for some of us to join the Adventurer's Guild, but is everyone sure they packed enough? Speaking with some of the veterans in the guild hall and the merchants in the market, I learned of water resistant sleep and travel cloth. I was also encouraged to bring more food and water since it will be easier to starve in the cold. There's also the need to bring dried and wrapped tinder for fires since we cannot expect to find it easily out there."

Michael informed the party and gestured to the wilderness visible through the southern gate. If the party planned to rely on what supplies Michael procured, they would not have enough to go around. Bob would likely need several times the amount of food as the rest. Regular bed rolls would get soaked during this time of year. Barely anything stayed dry. They all would be in trouble when Michael's tinder supplies ran out as well. No fire to warm the evening camp and keep some animals away.

"Shoot!"

Michael muttered, as he looked over the kart again.

"Something else we may need to consider getting would be tarp or other coverings for the kart. While the ores may be fine getting wet, we should still try to protect them and the rest of our equipment if the weather turns south on us. I'll be returning to the market to pick up some items I have forgotten. Does anyone else need to pick up some more things for 'just in case'?"

Michael asked the party before taking a few steps away from the kart toward the market. Perhaps, by needing to pick up some more supplies himself, he could encourage some of the others to reevaluate their own stock and ensure they would all have enough.

 

[Zankoku]

Bob | Ryken - Southern Gate | 8:35 AM ​

---

---

After hearing what Michael had to say, it was only then that Bob noticed the faint fleeting mist that came out of his mouth when he breathed. It might've been his muscular and well-padded physique, but Bob wasn't bothered by the cold. However, Michael did make valid points that Bob couldn't just ignore; his last few moments in his past life was definitely during winter and he did die in the snow.

"...I'll go with you." He turned his head towards Michael, maintaining his crouch down to the ground.

Bob already a few necessities prepared - his bedroll, waterskin, some rations, and a fire starter kit - but he needed some sort of robe or cloak just in case the weather worsened. He wasn't that particular when it came to the quality of the material; it just had to be thick and resistant to moisture.

Standing back up, Bob took a step towards Michael, his head now looking down on the young adventurer. "...And pardon me for asking, but the tools I found were all too small for me. Would you happen to know of a place that had some that were a bit larger?" Despite his voice sounding strict, and brows appearing to be furrowed, Bob felt embarrassed by his lack of preparedness.

 

[NeramoDJI]

Time: 8:35
Sage looked at the two newcomers, gently kicking his feet in Sophie's hold, nodding up vigorously at Michael. "I don't need much stuff! I can just sleep under a napkin or something!" He said from her hand, waving at them. "And can't you use one of miss Sophie's tools?" He asked, pointing at the pickaxes as his wings fluttered a little in the spider womans grasp. "They look pretty big." He said with a small wave to try and get attention. "And don't worry miss sophie, I can help with labor, watch!" He said, proudly fluttering to one of the pickaxes after jumping out of the claw, putting his arms around the pickaxe and lifting it up, fluttering around with one of the pickaxes in his arms.

"We do need a tarp, but I don't know if I could pick one out. Everything looks too big to me." He said, holding the pickaxe over his shoulder and looking over everyone who was in the group. "Oh! My names sage by the way!"

 

[Zankoku]

Bob | Ryken - Southern Gate | 8:35 AM ​

---

---

"...Sage." Bob turned to the fluttering Fae. "...Hello...I'll be in your care." Extending his hand, no, his pinkie finger in an attempt to shake Sage's hand.

Contemplating on his comrades suggestion, Bob gaze wandered towards the pickaxes that were inside the kart, then to the blonde-haired Fae that laid beside them. "...Miss Sophie." His voice rumbled as he tried to lower how loud he usually spoke. "...Would that be possible?" Although embarrassed, Bob would greatly appreciate the convenience that it could bring to not only himself, but their party. Well, at least in terms of time.

 

[Silent Angel]

Southern Gate - 8:36 AM

Sophie

Sophie raised an eyebrow at the fae, but didn't question it, instead looking up to Bob. She looked him up and down as if measuring him before nodding. "I can make a larger handle for one of the picks for you. Shouldn't be too difficult. After all, we'll have plenty of time on the road. Though, I'll have to probably buy the wood for it here, because we can't be sure if we'll see any proper wood for it on the road." Her eyes moved to her things as she said, "And as for other odds and ends, I have the food, my tools, good clothes for travel, tinder, and a tent to sleep under and keep out of the elements during the night. So if someone else wants to get the tarp, I'll grab the wood we need." She hopped off the cart, her eyes glancing at the others expectantly.​

 

[Zankoku]

Bob | Ryken - Southern Gate | 8:38 AM ​

---

---

Upon hearing the young artisan's words, Bob couldn't help but feel ecstatic. His fists clenched tightly as he smiled. Well, it wasn't really a smile. It was more of his lips sealing shut, and forming a strange contorted squiggly line. He definitely looked like he was uneasy. "...You have my thanks, Miss Sophie."

It had seemed that their small group had finalized on the remaining things they needed to pick up before they head off. "...If it would be alright with everyone, I have a suggestion." Bob turned and kneeled upon one knee, trying to reposition himself in a way that he was facing all three of his comrades at around eye-level. Constantly looking down usually lead to a bit of aching, and Bob assumed the same also happened when one always looked up.

"...Since I plan on getting a cloak, you can leave the tarp to me. I can also accompany Miss Sophie." Although he did explain that what he was giving was a suggestion, the tone of Bob's voice made it sound like a command.

 

[Novama]

Time: 9:05 am
Weather: cold, slight breeze, sunny
Mentions: Zankoku NeramoDJI Silent Angel
OOC: on the road again...good opportunity to do some rp with one another during the travel.

South of Ryken

Michael​

Michael worked with the others to keep watch of their kart as well as gather the remaining materials the party needed. It was assumed everyone was adult enough to carry out the tasks as needed, but Michael's brows furrowed at the responses of some of the members. There was no official party leader, so it was not Michael's place to say anything more than he had. It did not take Michael long to finish acquiring the goods they needed. Using his appraisal skill, he was able to get a sense for the value of the items and some of their general purposes. The quality of the goods he bought were reasonable as well in his estimation.

Once he and the other converged on the kart with their new supplies, it was assumed they had prepared as much as they could and began their journey. Passing through the southern gate of Ryken, the stone walls towered overhead. The gate solid and multi-layered. Likely meant to be able to halt an army rush or a random giant invasion. Heading out of the city, the guards paid them little mind and spent more of their energy vetting those trying to come in through the southern gate. The party passed dozens of travelers, merchants, and Ryke peasantry coming in from the country side for various reasons. The line was no long, but a line there was that early morning. Ryken was the place to be for many reasons.

"We should arrive on site close to sundown, so we'll want to keep breaks short and minimal if possible. Those that get tired should take turns resting in the kart,"

Michael suggested, but then noted Bob and checked the kart again.

"You can rest too, Bob. The kart is made for hauling stone. It'll hold up."

Michael added reassuringly as they marched down a paved, cobblestone road. Their time on the road was quickly ended when they needed to turn more south and west. It was not long before worn down dirt path turned into snow dusted plains and gentle hills. They would have to be careful not to get the kart stuck and would need to watch out for predators using the uneven terrain to hide, but otherwise, it was ideal travel conditions for the time of year. Although cold, it was not miserable. The ground was firm enough from the frost and not overly muddy. The dusting of snow here and there actually helped flatten the grass and other overgrowth down.

Michael took a leading position, walking ahead of the kart's pack animal, and rested an arm on one of the swords at his hip while keep a sharp on on the plains and tree line ahead of them.

 

[Zankoku]

Bob | South of Ryken - Southern Gate | 9:06 AM ​

---

---

Bob was familiar with the cool climate and was used to the cold air and traces of snow that tickled his nose. It wasn't that long ago, but it felt like months had passed since Bob wandered this far out from Ryken. With their journey just starting, Bob walked silently beside the kart the rest were on, taking glimpses at his compassions, trying to garner as much information as he could from his appraising skill. Bob was fortunately able to get their names and a general idea of what they were capable of. But as useful as it was as an ability, it did have its limitations. Among the three of them, Bob found Sophia with the most ???. Fortunately, he found no reason to worry or feel that curious since his gut was telling him that all of them were good people.

As they continued onwards, Bob was taken aback by Michael's words. From the looks of the kart, Bob too had the same sentiments, but given his size, he felt that he would take up too much space. Although, the other two they were with didn't look like they needed that much.

"...Thank you, Michael. But I'm alright with walking." His attempt at showing gratitude through his eyes and his voice just came out as a fierce gaze. Bob followed in Michael's footsteps and took a few strides forward up until he was beside the work horse that they had brought along with the kart.

Lightly resting his large hand atop it's nape, Bob thanked the creature for its hard work while brushing its mane with his fingers. He had a soft spot for farm animals and usually, they liked him back.

"...Good boys should have a name, right?" The horse seemed to neigh in approval. Well, at least Bob thought so. He genuinely wondered why such a hardworking horse didn't have a name.

"...Galu. Yeah, sounds about right." Galu might have not felt the same way.

.........

Probably lost in his thoughts or just entralled by the relaxing weather, Bob suddenly spoke out louder than usual. "...Have any of you heard of stories of travellers coming from a different world?" This wasn't the first time Bob had asked such a question, but he never really got a straight answer. Why he chose to ask at that moment, he didn't really know. It could've been the calmness of nature, the developing rapport and camaraderie, or some big guy in the sky? Who knows.

 

[Silent Angel]

South of Ryken - 8:36 AM

Sophie

The spider lady sat in the cart, her eyes on her work as she used her tools to slowly scrape away at the wood she had bought. Instead of just using appraisal, she had used her own intuition, as it was her job to create weapons and equipment, and a part of that was knowing what wood and metal was good, and which ones were trash. While she had used appraisal oftentimes to supplement that skill, when it came to goods above grade E, she had to decide based on her own knowledge of her trade.

Once the wood was of a good size, she started sanding away the rough edges, two of her claws holding the wood tight while one sanded it and the other seemed to have a mind of its own, whittling a pattern reminiscent of vines onto the shaft. Eventually, the rough edges had all been sanded away and a pattern had formed on the haft just in time for the question to be asked. She slowly got up from her sitting position, walking to the front of the cart and holding out the shaft for Bob to take. "Here, see if this is a good fit for you. It should be, but I just want to be sure."

She moved back, sitting back down once again as she started to remove the handle from one of the mattocks she had made for the job, checking the metal to measure what size the top of the wood would need to be by using two claws to hold the five pounds of metal and the other two to measure it as carefully as she could, noting the dimensions of the metal for use after making sure the handle was appropriate. "As for your question, it is quite a strange thing for someone to say for small talk. I've heard stories, but most of the time if you say you're from another world, people around these parts would probably give you funny looks and tell their kids to stay away from the crazies." While she had a guess at why he had possibly asked, she couldn't go spilling the beans to random people. After all, how would she get jobs if she had people questioning her sanity because of some out of place small talk?​

 

[NeramoDJI]

Sage smiled at the others, sitting on the cart with Sophie where he wouldn't get crushed. "Ooh, could you do a special one for me too?" He asked, looking up at Sophie, seeing the changes she made to the pickaxe for Bob. He also wanted to answer bobs question, but was curious about the others too.

"I don't know anything about another world. I once had a really long dream though! There was like this really fancy place, there were these candles you could turn on by like, flipping a tiny lever, and these big metal carriages that didn't need horses too!" He said, describing a dream he had memories of. He left out the part about a pair of dream parents, since he always got sad about the thought of him leaving them back in the dream. He didn't know why though. "Do you think people would call me crazy for having a dream?" He asked, tilting his head at them. "Did you guiys ever have any cool dreams like that? And don't tell me you had a dream where you could fly, people always tell me they have dreams where they can fly." He said, pouting a little bit before looking over his party companions.

"Also, do you guys have any weapons? I forgot mine at home, but I can hit really hard!" He said with a smile, throwing a few punches at the air before falling over on the cart.

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophie smiled as she said, "Glad you like it." She waited for the large man to finish swinging before holding out her hand to retrieve the wood from Bob so she could finish putting the mattock head on the shaft. As she waited patiently, she heard the request from the fairy and replied, "I'm not sure what you're expecting me to do for you, sir. Making a thinner handle would ruin the integrity of it, and a small pickaxe that would easily fit in your hands might not be able to do the job." She frowned at the 'dream' the fairy had, before saying, "Nah, it's just a dream." Without elaborating, she turned to the mattocks she had brought, lifting up the two pound one and offering it to the fairy. "For now, use that. It can work fine as a weapon. The broad head is as sharp as any axe, and won't dull while slicing through most things. It's made for cutting through roots. Cutting through an opponent shouldn't be difficult, in lieu of something more fitting. And the pick part can be used for getting through armor. Think a Warhammer spike, but a bit more unwieldy."

 

[Zankoku]

Bob | South of Ryken ​

---

---

Bob tightened his grip along the handle of the pick Sophia had just worked on. Although in no way a blacksmith or any type of artisan, Bob could at least appreciate the craftsmanship that was put into the pick just by slowly swinging it overhead for a few times.

"...Thank you, Miss Sophia. You are definitely quite skilled."

As he continued to accustom himself to the pick, Bob couldn't help but stop his swinging after hearing Both Sophia's and Sage's responses to his question.

"...I see. Dreams." Bob thought to himself. In exchange for appearing strange or suspicious, he had hoped to meet others who were like him. Unfortunately, what he heard to be mere stories, had to stay, as mere stories.

After letting out a sigh, Bob handed the pick back to Sophia and decided to focus on the present. There was little to no reason he had to dwell on such matters for now.

 

[Novama]

Time: 5:00 pm
Weather: freezing, slight breeze, cloudy with cold fog
Mentions: Zankoku NeramoDJI Silent Angel
OOC: More time for rp and setting up camp for first night. Who will take first watch?
Post Listenings:

South of Ryken

Michael​

Michael half paid attention to the party as the discussed dreams, other worlds, and various other things, but he couldn't devote much more of his thoughts to it. The veteran adventurers he spoke with before made him worry. It was often rookie adventurers and even veterans would be taken by surprise and done in by something they shouldn't have. Whether it be highwaymen or simply stumbling upon a den of horned rabbits, it was not hard for accidents to happen in this world.

As the party traveled, Michael noted a small swarm of ice pixies that darted about before settling nearby. They conjured additional ice and snow that gushed for from the space on the ground they danced around. Their slender forms that looked like glass with wings of mist were graceful, but they were just as dangerous as the horned hares. One horned hare darted into a bush not far away on the opposite side of the road. When pressed, the horned hairs could launch their bodies like missiles at presumed predators. Many a traveler or hunter found themselves dead before they could react. It would be similar mistakes that would claim your life if you messed with the ice pixies. Their playful demeanor could be quite cruel and wicked if they decided to play with you. With a kiss that could frost your body parts solid, amputation or healing magic would be necessary.

Michael made sure to watch for these and more as he navigated the party in the general direction they were supposed to go. The directions were not exactly specific and he had neither map nor navigational tools. It would be important to see where they were going. Unfortunately, After midday, an icy fog rolled in. It shrouded the treeline of the forest ahead of them in a freezing mist. Their dig spot, assuming it was close to the treeline as described, would be impossible to find as things stood.

"It's time to setup camp everyone. We can't press on any further with the weather like this. It'll only get worse as the sun gets lower. I saw a relatively 'dry' and flat spot not far back. Let's camp there for the evening and try looking for the field Iron tomorrow,"

Michael proposed to the group, the fog making his face sound more muted despite the open space they stood in. Everything had become more muted. The sound of the breeze up to that point was gone. The ambient light became dimmer and dimmer. The who area smelled of a crisp, cold moisture. Any who did not stick with the kart risked getting lost in the fog as it continued rolling in.

Those that did not dress in layers would find they were becoming a bit damp and more and more chilled. A fire would be useful about then. Unless anyone wished to continue, Michael would start getting his supplies out to prepare a camp fire and start putting up his tent. Keeping himself busy seemed to stave off his worries, or so Michael thought.

 

[NeramoDJI]

"You got it!" Sage said, fluttering down to set up his own shelter, looking around for any good cloth pieces he could sleep in, like a sack or something, while putting the pickaxe back down in the cart. He wished he could talk to those pixies, but he knew that was dangerous. Even if they were his size and could be fun to play with. So instead, he settled for focused on his new friends in the adventure group. He doubted himself that he'd have made it this far without Appraisal, thinking of the carniverous flowers that would have eaten him if he hadn't known what they were beforehand, or knowing when a magic staff would make him burn the house down so he wouldn't touch it.

"Hey miss Sophie, What will the iron look like?" He asked, fluttering up in front of her with a small tilt of his tiny head, holding a small cloth napkin, which was what he was going to use as a blanket. "I just wanna know so I'll know when we get there." He said, before landing on the cart again, having done the preperation he needed, which was just grabbing the napkin. He couldn't really help set up tents and the like due to his size issues.

 

[Silent Angel]

The spider girl had continued working on the mattock, finishing the one for the giant just before the cart pulled to a stop. She hopped down, putting up her tent as she listened to the Fairy. "It'll look like normal rocks, for the most part. It might have some extra grey mixed in with the brown, though, but depending on the type it also might have a very red tint." She finished putting up the tent before calling out to Bob, "Also, how bout you feel out that mattock now that it has a good head on it? It should be a good fit for you. The head wasn't an issue, so the only thing I needed to do was fit it on. Let me know if it feels right or wrong. I can fix it tonight if need be."

She walked to the cart, pulling out her blanket and tools, putting them under her tent to keep them out of the elements. While they were hardy, she didn't enjoy letting them have undue wear and tear when they didn't need any. Finally, she grabbed her food, placing it under the tent with her.

 

[Koyayako]

Toppo's afternoon errand turned into a night of festivities. He encountered a cheerful group of vagrants that were drinking themselves merry just outside the southern gates of Ryken. Not one to pass up an offer to have a good time, Toppo joined in and drank the night away, singing his worries and troubles away.

As all memorable nights, Toppo failed to recall a good portion of it. Sleeping through most of the day, Toppo awoke near dusk, buried in a thin layer of snow along the road and apparently far away from where Ryken was.

"Damn, bro." Toppo laid on the ground. His head was splitting and his gut wretched, but he continued to smile. "That was one hell of a party."

Dusting off what he could from his clothes and robe, Toppo shrugged off the lingering intoxication that was taunting his body and decided he had to head back. With staff in hand, making use of it as a walking stick, he followed the road back to the capital.

Although he lacked the energy, Toppo was left with no other choice but to carry on, unless he wanted to spend another night in the cold. At the pace he was going though, it would take him a night's worth of walking to reach Ryken.

While continuing to push through, he caught some movement from the corner of his eye. It was a party that looked to be setting up camp.

"Sweet." He gleefully whispered as he stood tall. Tightening his grip around the neck of his staff.

"Oh heavenly bro, I totes knew you weren't gonna leave me hangin'." Toppo exclaimed while raising his free hand into the air, his palm facing the sky as if he was waiting for a high five from above. At that instant, he vanished and reappeared a few meters away from the group he just saw.

"Hey there, friendos!"

With the night about to set, loudly shouting wasn't the brightest of ideas, but Toppo was simply overjoyed. Walking closer, he raised both his arms, waving them back and forth.

"You guys settin' up camp?" Toppo smiled before continuing to speak, not waiting for a response to his previous question. Thrusting his arm forward with fingers splayed and shaking. "Need, like, an extra hand?" He grinned widely.

 

[Novama]

Time: 6:00 pm
Weather: freezing, slight breeze, cloudy with cold fog
Mentions: Zankoku NeramoDJI Silent Angel Koyayako
OOC: More time for rp.
Post Listenings:

South of Ryken

Michael​

Fortunately for Toppo and the rest of the party, Michael was able to quickly prepare the fire. The dry wood was a great help as Michael was not particularly practiced at it. Toppo's sudden arrival was nearly missed by Michael as the man cursed under his breath after hurting himself getting the fire going. Michael acknowledged Toppo with a frown and eyed him up and down in the gloom. He noted a slight smell and the tell tale signs of a grubby man living a grubby life.

"You're late. You were supposed to meet us at the southern gate. Did you even bring any of the supplies necessary?"

Michael scolded, not seeing much on Toppo in the way of supplies. Wouldn't be shocking to learn Toppo had lost most of his goods after getting drunk had Toppo stated such a thing out loud to Michael. Michael quickly went back to focusing on the needs of the camp and started putting up his tent now the the fire was going good and hot. There was limited dry wood and the cold, wet mist threatened what little their was. The party would need to take care in keeping an eye on the fire but also on how quickly they went through the wood. Would be a miserable time if they lost light, warmth, and a means of cooking all at once.

Michael's tent, a new purchase, was moderately sized for a full grown adult bringing supplies along. Its newness was apparent in the lack of dirt and moisture on the sides as he put it up for the first time. He wasn't the most practiced at this either. Not only did it not have any instructions, but it wasn't nearly as stable going up. Michael had just placed his stuff in his mostly sound tent when he jerked suddenly and looked to the rest.

"Say, any of you actually know how to cook over an open fire?"

Michael looked worried and sounded reluctant to ask. As Michael was asking the party, humanoid creatures of mist and fog gently swirled and danced in the fog the encroached upon the land until night had fully come and the camp fire and its immediately camp surroundings was all that was visible. A still quiet that lingered from the day became even more ominous at night when the night sounds should be in abundance despite the chill. All the while, the mists twirled and teased at the edges of the camp in a mute excitement for the whether. Likely some sort of nature spirit, though Michael hadn't the foggiest idea of what in particular.

 

[NeramoDJI]

"Hey there mister!" Sage said waving at Toppo as he arrived, fluttering up towards him. "You look big. But everyone does when you're my size anyway." He said, before landing down on the ground and walking back towards the cart. He looked around at the dancing mist figures, trying to dance back a little, but couldn't do so very well thanks to his wings being large and unwieldly to move with in ways other than flying. He didn't like getting too close to the fire, since it was difficult for him to find a happy medium of where he wasn't not getting warm and wasn't also almost on fire. He did want to help around the camp though, since he didn't want to just be a burden. He rather then looked at Michael, listening to him and shaking his head.

"Sorry sir, I dunno how to cook good. But I can go look for firewood! My dad always had me do that when we were camping. I also know how to find the best flowers." He said, looking up at Michael as he fluttered up to be eye level with the other boy, his wings fluttering as he looked at who he perceived as the leader just because of how he carried himself. "Maybe I could help fight things off!" He said excitedly, holding one of the mattocks made by Sophie, smiling brightly at his other members. While he awaited the response, he looked up towards the sky, seeing a group of star whisps moving among the night sky, smiling in awe. Star whisps were white small whisps, that were nocturnal and traveled in the sky to hide from predators.

He fluttered his wings softly, internally wishing he could fly as high or as fast as them, since he was a slow flyer even by butterfly standards. The thought made his wings droop a little, but he quickly looked around at his group with a smile towards them. "Say, what kind of things are in this place?"

 

[Silent Angel]

Sophie
The spider girl finished setting her things up, taking out some of her dried meat and biting into it, her sharp teeth tearing through it easily. She glanced over at Michael, an eyebrow raised. "I know how to. Done it before. Though, most of my food is stuff like bread and cheese. Traveling food. Doesn't need cookin." She glanced into her bag, checking the assortment of hard fruits like apples, cheese, bread, hard boiled eggs, and what would most likely often be her main course, salted beef and bacon like what she was currently digging into. "If you don't have others who know how to do it, I wouldn't mind. Working around fires as much as I do, you like to have some fun with em."

Her eyes turned to the fairy. "We should have a good amount of firewood for now. Maybe grab some tomorrow while we're getting the iron, but we won't go through all our wood tonight. And to be honest, while I don't doubt that you can swing that with lethal intent, I would rather you not get injured needlessly going through woods with animals that have better seeing at night than you who want a quick fairy meal."​

 

[Novama]

Time: 7:00 pm
Weather: freezing, slight breeze, cloudy with cold fog
Mentions: Zankoku NeramoDJI Silent Angel Koyayako
OOC: The time for action has arrived. Choose carefully. No autohitting or godmodding. I'll narrate outcomes of actions taken.
Post Listenings:

South of Ryken

Michael​

Michael was only briefly distracted from his own concerns by Sage being able to swing a human sized tool on his own before Sophie settled the both of them. Dried rations? Michael looked into is bag again to reveal only some dried rations and the rest was for cooking. Michael stared hard at his bag of food as one might stare at their life choices in retrospect.

"If it's all the same to you, would you mind cooking up the group supper tonight with tthe supplies I bought? Some veteran adventurers pressed upon me the importance of good, hearty meals in the cold. Since we would be drinking more water and burning more calories anyway, I figured something fresh would be more suitable for an evening meal than more salty lumps."

Michael tried convincing Sophie to help out as he showed off the contents of the food he bought. Some packaged meat and fresh vegetables and small supply of herbs and spices. He then internally reflected on his word choices and wondered if they would know what a calorie was.

As the camp was getting to a point of settling in for the night and transition to more mundane tasks like chatting and eating, the swirling mists around them suddenly stilled. The ephemeral dancers all stopped and disappeared as quickly as they came. Suddenly, they returned en masse and rushed the camp, blasting it in a freezing air. The campfire flickered by did not go out. The tents flapped but remained standing. The mist around the camp had greatly dispersed however, revealing more of the flat snowy area they camped in.

*AEhausfFWUIE*

Came a sudden inhuman cry to the south of the camp. Loud, visceral chomps, tares, and gnashing of teeth could be heard as a dark, winged beast as big as a car savagely tore into something writhing on the ground. It was faintly illuminated by the camp and the moonlight peeking in from above the clouds for the first time that evening. It looked like some mixture of a wolf and a bat. At some point during the party gawking at it, the beast looked up, fleshy bits and blood dripping from its jaws as it now stared at the party with malicious, red eyes. No ones' appraisal was strong enough to scan this creature, but it was apparent the beast was likely a C grade monster or thereabouts from its size and ability to fly.

Michael rose to his feet, shouting and drawing his swords,

"Stay close together and don't let that thing out of your sight!"

Depending on how fast it moved, its ability to fly and its dark color would make it easy for it to hit the party from several angles and them not see it coming if they were not careful.