Fantasy Tales of Raeligard

[ERode]

Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen​

Mm? What was wrong with enthusiasm? Well, didn’t matter! Turns out Endy was the eager beaver amongst them in truth, bearer of a new (?) and shiny (?) staff that looked perfect (?) for thwacking baddies with. Alongside Talio, she descended upon Arien and chirped out a cheery, “G’day Mister Arien! And to you too, Endy! Lunch was great, but yours looks good too. Can’t go wrong with grabbables, right?”

Sadly, Cressey’s good mood from the smorgasbord lunch feast seemed to have turned foul over the course of having to walk here, and threatening the middleman definitely didn’t sound like a good idea…or maybe that was what inner-city-girl-humor was? Lupa certainly wasn’t very off-put by that threat, so maybe they were just built different in Tylsen, to the point where magical attacks were...just a prank amongst bros?

"You may try, but I cannot guarantee it would go unpunished, or even go through at all."

Nope, nevermind, not taken as a joke after all. It was good that Arien was awake though, and even cooler that he managed to score such an interesting job for a group of untested rookies! As all the fascinating details of their exorbitantly rich client was shared (his family owned a business and three warehouses? What a big egg!), Lori bobbed her head about excitedly, committing the venerable name ‘Hedwig Heine’ to her memory.

“Copy copy, boss,” Lori said at the end of Arien’s briefing, her fingers tapping twice against her right temple. “We’re fuelled up and ready to go! Oh, but super quick question. Are these warehouses of Headwig like, not in Tylsen? Sounds sorta weird we need to see if they’re intact if they were in the city, y’know? Cause warehouses collapsing seems like the thing that everyone’d know about if it happened.”

Oh, but if those warehouses were outside of Tylsen? That was Lori’s specialty right there.

 

[lunar_moth]

KRIEGSLÖWE GUILDHALL, TYLSEN​

Endymion bobs his head at Lori in agreement. At least someone around here could appreciate fine cuisine. (rip endymion you would have loved dino nuggets)

“It doesn’t get much better than this,” he says quietly, mostly to himself at this point since Arien’s just about to begin his turn to talk. “Seriously, meat is so easy to cure. It’s only made me sick once or maybe twice, like, ever.”

Anyways, their first quest as real Kriegslöwen sounds almost too simple really, but Endymion’s not about to complain. Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, and doing an inventory check as his first task is better than, say, shovelling more horse shit on a cranky old man’s farm.

Although….

Endymion follows dutifully after Arien to the meeting place. He clears his throat a bit, nodding as he does in agreement with Lori’s question.

“Er, well, if the contents of these warehouses are so important, then why haven’t they been checked on in a month? …I can’t imagine that’s very conducive to business.”

Reinhardt ERode @/B team

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Listening to Falco, he brought up an interesting point. Lucia hadn't considered that they use a more stern approach. Perhaps the F-Rank treatment was really getting to her. He wasn't wrong though, and if they were hiding something that could aid them or keep them from getting clawed, to hell with their opinions. Of course, they couldn't exactly torture them for information, so likely they will still have to negotiate.

"I'm sure you and they can appreciate my appearance, however the difference in class less so. I can try to coax something out of them, but there is a reason sensible nobles usually employ some intermediary such as the mayor, short of simple laziness and aversion," Lucia said. Perhaps she would be able to draw something from them, but the Caskarieth wasn't all that confident.

Listening to Thea, she seemed to be mostly on board, presenting some further thought on the situation. Lucia still had a bad feeling about the company itself, and their leader's suggestion of the woodsmen getting in the way purposefully stuck with her. It made no sense to be so secretive about the situation, at least not after the mayor had forbade entry into the woods. By that point, the lid was blown off.

Hysydice's suggestion was a bit more concerning, and Lucia raised a brow at her wondering just how she planned to loosen their tongues. She was sure torture was off the table, or at least she hoped it was. She didn't want to torture anyone.

"I-I don't think that will be necessary, Hysdice..." Lucia stated apprehensively. "I can't be very boorish, but I'll do what I can. Though, from the very nature of me they might not take my words at face value."

Interactions: @A-team

 

[TreasureSniper]

Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen​

At last, the others have arrived. The fidgety mage was kind enough to bring them what could only be described as trail mix, to which he gladly accepted. The rations he had on hand were more than sufficient for him to survive, they just don't taste very appetizing. He also brought in a walking stick. Which was odd, he didn't look like he was that old, but even so, It'd make for a satisfactory improvised weapon if needed.

The next to arrive for the short girl. She seemed to be understandably annoyed by Lori's unmatched enthusiasm. She was quite snippy with Endymion, calling him a "trembler" due to his apparent lack of conviction. Though perhaps the biggest surprise was her snippiness extended to her senior as well, with her threatening to shock him. Though Talio did briefly wonder why she was assigned to a group of greenhorns. Was she supposed to be their guide? Her disrespectful remark understandably did not go unnoticed, as Arien replied with a passive-aggressive threat.

And then came the ex-military lady, Lupa. She chastised Endymion for getting a walking stick instead of a weapon. She even went as far as to tap her own weapon, as if to show the young man what he should have bought instead. Talio silently agreed with her assessment and thought about lending him one of his spare blades, but he had no idea if he knew how to use a sword properly. Such thoughts are best saved for later.

Finally, they were given their task. It was.....an inspection of old warehouses. An odd task. But thankfully it was something he was quite experienced with, though he wasn't sure if they had the same protocols as Valgem warehousing. "I've had my fair share of these types of inspections. Normally I'd suggest we split into pairs to inspect all three warehouses simultaneously, but given that not all of us have the expertise needed to complete the task alone, it's best we do it together." Talio, chimed in his thoughts to the group. Though he did wonder, did they really need the guildsmen to do this task? What's supporting them from hiring a regular inspector? Was there a hidden variable?

Talio walked alongside the group, still actively pondering the nature of this quest. Maybe he was just overthinking it, but it seemed too straightforward. They had to have a reason to not have attended these warehouses. Was there an infestation of some sort? Endymion's line of questioning was definitely on the right track. "Would it not be simpler for them to hire regular inspectors instead of the guildsmen to undertake this task? Or perhaps there is a more specific reason for them to hire us instead?" Or maybe the guildsmen were the regular inspectors of warehouses. As a foreigner who is he to judge?

@Team B Reinhardt (Arien)

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oyten, headed to sawmill​

Thea's compliment toward his suggested plan of attack came as something of a surprise. Falco thought the straight-laced knightess would object to using deceptive or manipulative tactics. Then again, knights weren't exactly known for their honeyed words, so maybe playing hardball --even if it was only the illusion of playing hardball--was right up her alley. Unfortunately, he had no idea what a 'guard at a lord's ball' actually does. No armor-clad goon can possibly defend against the scathing remarks, withering glares, and masterful shade-casting of Raeligard's aristocracy.

Having secured their leader's (and Risax's!) support, the white-haired rogue began his march toward the sawmill looming at the end of the street. Even Hyss seemed on board. The moment she said she agreed with him, Falco's eyes widened... only to narrow once more when she offered her 'services,' whatever those might be. "I... uhh... yeah, I'll keep you in mind if we need... umm... 'that,'" Falco said, half-turning to smile at her, despite the hesitancy in his words. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but it's good to know you got my back, Hysydice."

Though his face beamed with confidence, he inwardly hoped he didn't fuck up the pronounciation, among other things. No worries. It's just a big warehouse full of out-of-work, axe-wielding lumberjacks with somethin' to hide! What's the worst that can happen? he thought as he returned his eyes to what lay ahead and casually strolled onward, with his fingers interlaced in his hair as he tromped through the mud. The town seemed to have come alive while they were in the mayor's residence. A few of the locals were in the streets.

Falco quickly set his own concerns aside when Lucia voiced hers: "Hey, give yourself some credit. You and I are of very different classes, yet I've come to appreciate a lot more than your appearance," he said as they neared the sawmill. It suddenly seemed much larger and more daunting up close. "I-I mean that for everyone. I appreciate all o' you guys," Falco hastily added, in case Lucia, or anyone else, thought that this compliment was some kind of cheap pick up line. Not sayin' it ain't, though! "We may disagree about trifling shit, but that's only because we agree on the stuff that really matters." Except which god to worship. But we're gettin' there. Baby steps. "Anyway, I'm sure these guys will see we're here to help. We want the same thing they want. Well, actually, we don't know what they want, but I'm gonna find out, so I can make 'em think we want what they want, so they'll... you'll see, you'll see. Just trust me on this one. It'll be great," he said, lightly clapping his hands together as they arrived at the front gate.

They had finally arrived at the Jacobee sawmill, where they were greeted by a sturdy, yet well-worn wooden fence surrounding the building. An aging sign mounted above the open entryway read 'Jacobee and Sons Logging,' in faded white paint. The morning air smelled of damp wood. That scent permeated the town, but seemed stronger and fresher here. The ground was crisscrossed by the tracks of horse-drawn carriages and even landferries, suggesting a lot of traffic, probably lumber shipments, came in and out of this place. Since no one seemed to be guarding the gate, Falco decided to head right in. He and his companions were almost immediately spotted by a group of men loitering around an empty carriage. There were five of them, dressed in workboots and overalls, some eating and drinking, while others talked and laughed. Once one man spotted the approaching adventurers, all five immediately looked in their direction. Some words were exchanged in lowered voices before one of the men addressed them.

"Oi. Can I help you folks with somethin? We's closed on account o' recent circumstances," he said, hopping down from the carriage and wiping his hands on his trousers. He spoke loudly and clearly, as if used to barking out orders. A foreman or overseer, perhaps?

Falco's lips curled into a friendly smile as he fished his Kriegslowe badge/arcanizer from his vest and held it by its chain. The man's eyes narrowed, though his expression remained mostly neutral.

The man's companions, however, didn't control their faces nearly as well: some visibly scowled or grinned with amusement, and one even spat on the ground. The man who spat appeared to have some bruising on the side of his face and muttered something about the circus coming twice in one week, before averting his eyes. Falco wondered if he'd heard that correctly, but was fairly sure he had.

"Afternoon, gentlemen," Falco said with a small bow. "We're from Kriegslowe's Tylsen branch. We hear you got a beast problem for us. Care to gimme a rundown of what's been goin' on?"

"Looks like you got a beast problem o' yer own," one of the background men said, nodding at Risax. "Damn, son, that's a big fuckin' spider."

"Indeed, he is," Falco said, not missing a beat. Nice bait, mate, but I ain't buyin.' "Bigger than what's been attackin' you guys?"

At the word 'attack' the bruised man immediately glared at them, but the 'leader' stepped forward before he could speak up: "You're wastin' your breath, 'adventurer,'" he said to Falco. "The boss got ahold of some hunters. They went in this morning, 'fore dawn. I don't like goin' behind John's back like this --he's good people-- but this is business. We ain't got time to waste on trackin' and investigatin' or whatever bleeding heart bullshit he hired y'all to do." The man shrugged. "Sorry he wasted your time, kid, but that thing's probably just a bear or coyote or whatever. It'll be dead by sundown and we can be back to work tomorrow."

"Your boss pay 'em in advance?" Falco said. "Way I see it, you got six hunters right in front of you, pal. Tell us what it is and where it is and you can be back to work today and Johnson foots the bill. We're Kriegslowe, man, sendin' two-bit hunters home empty-handed is our whole schtick."

"Don't listen to this slick-talkin' city boy," one of the other men said. "We know Old Man Johnson wants it alive."

"Yeah, screw 'em, they'll just get in the way," another chimed in.

"I'll take slick talk over whatever the hell that was last night," the leader said, his brows rising slightly. "But can ya back it up? I don't see six hunters. I see a con man, a spider, and a half-blind elf. That one's hidin' under her hood," he pointed at Hyss, "And the Iron Lady o'er there is gonna rust in a mudpit," he pointed at Thea. "Wolf girl's the only one of you worth a damn. I'll take six of her."

"Fox," Falco corrected, maininting his professionalism. "Sakura's our special weapon, yeah, but our team's composition is complex by design, so we can adapt to any eventually." His eyes narrowed at the man. "...In case it's not 'a fucking bear.' That's why people hire us instead of generic, run-of-the-mill hunters and mercenaries."

"Oh yeah? Prove it," the man said.

Ya know, I'm gettin' real tired of people sayin' that to us, Falco thought.
Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oyten
​

As Hyss made her offer, Thea looked on sternly and then spoke. "Hyss, someone would know. Point of fact we would know, and the Job of the Guild is not to be the secret police. We are adventurers, not spies. I cannot say there are no guildsmen that do not do those things, but we shall not risk it or ruin our reputations in the hopes someone finds your small frame scary. Never mind I myself will not use such a means against the people we are meant to protect. I shall forget I've heard you say all of this. I cannot claim ignorance of a truth, but I can of an idea. And that is all this talk was, an idea."

As they walked, Falco's words caught up with him as he tried to explain away what he meant, something about how they all got along and seen eye-to-eye other cheap attempts at raising morale, she very much disagreed on that score, but gripes went up, not down, so she let him have his moment and that momentum carried him forward in dealing with the loggers, while she had agreed to mainly stand passive they had said too much that earned the woman's ire as she gave the one man that mentioned Risax the evil eye, judging his remarks and those of the self-appointed leader as she stepped forward, using the basics of human intimidation, she might have not be in favor of Hyss's use of interrogation, but she was not above behaving as a knight should as she squared up her height against theirs, thumbs hooked into her belt on either side as she stood there looking down upon the ones she could and eye to eye with who she could not.

"The Rust bucket is no city slicker, and I full well know how to preserve my plate. While your Lord's Greatwood is impressive the Hinterlands had its own fair share of marshes and bogs, with rolling hills, rivers and woodland. You landsmen are truly fortunate and gifted with a great bounty." She leaned heavily in tone upon calling them landsmen and Lord's, reminding them of who and what they were before they kept getting ideas above their station.

It was then a bit of spite entered her voice with a mixture of reason, threats and reminder mixed in.

"As to your hunters, we can very well just return and report to the local Lord and the Guild that his landsmen got in the way of Guild's work. That the overseer your people elected does not truly control this area it seems, it is highly unfortunate should the guild not know who to accept jobs from in the town of Oyten, that our response may be delayed as a result. Or if payment was held in doubt or to question it may not come at all. Your promised hunters can handle this issue I'm sure given there are so many for a bear."

It was easy to forget the knights were also the enforcers and military arm of the local lords, and there were always plenty of peasants that thought they knew better, tried to not pay taxes or thought they were oh so clever. The message was clear, hamper the guild and the guild may not be in a rush when you did need them.

"I also would be curious on the thoughts of the Church when Workmen were behind a purge of life in the region because of pride is brought up during the next confession to the Goddess, glory to her name."

With that she turned her head a bit to look at the others and gave a shrug. "As to why we are here, we have five days to finish this quest, there will be no lengthy investigation. The more you co-operate the sooner we are gone and the sooner you are in the Greatwood again. While it is ideal that we capture the beast alive and relocate it, that may not be an option should it be territorial or if it is a threat to my team. I am Thea Schuerer and I know full well to not take these woods lightly, once we are done with you, we shall speak with the others and learn enough to not be a problem in these woods and what it is that we hunt."

With that she paused briefly and looked at the leader; "And last I looked, bears and wolves do not climb to the tops of trees and ambush a foe from above. As to proving it, I'm not sure you would much care for a round of sparing with me. The rest may speak for themselves."


Interactions: AnonyMouse Thalia_Neko everyone else.

 

[King Crimson]

Current Location: Guild Hall​

"Hmph!" Cressey pouted, rolling her eyes in response to the unexpected scolding she'd received.
"I'm sure you're well aware that was but a mere joke," she chided, knitting her hands behind her head as she dutifully followed along behind the guild senior.
"Really, you don't have to try so hard just to endear yourself to the new recruits."
Truly, what a boring fellow this 'Arien' was, the perfect, boring guide for a perfectly boring chore of a mission!
Or so it would seem, but just like her first task within the guild, something here smelled particularly...off, something which the group behind her were just as keen to notice.
This 'Hedwig Heine' was no doubt some form of noble, with plenty of wealth to throw around if he could afford to let several warehouses of goods go to spoil.
But as Endymion noted, even if he were some pompous sod with too much feln and not enough sense, why let them go to waste so easily? And why was he so suddenly invested in their condition now?
Why send the guild for an inspection, when any retainer under his authority would suffice, coupled with some local guards or mercenaries, should he suspect the need?
Yes, something was definitely strange.
But Cressey found something else Arien had mentioned far more of an issue.

"Escort? I thought that was what I was to be here for." she abruptly chimed, raising her brow in intrigue at the man.
"We received no such protection during our first mission, not until things took a sudden turn for the unexpected," she remarked, a small hint of bitterness in her voice.
However, after a moment of reflecting on what she'd said, she hurriedly added, "N-Not that I would have needed it, mind! I'm sure we would have persevered, regardless."
For a brief few moments, she fell silent, hesitant to ask the question that begged at the forefront of her mind; "But still...why the sudden precaution?"
The nonplussed curiosity that had been on her face before, hardened into a more grave, serious expression, her narrowed eyes boring into the back of Arien's head, as she lowered her voice to a harsh murmur, trying to keep her words safe from the myriad of unfamiliar faces swarming the crowded city streets.
She'd never learned why those bandits were down there, what they were doing, or what they were after.
...Or if there any more among their ranks.
"Are you expecting some more...unexpected guests?"

Interacting:
Arien ( Reinhardt )
Lupa ( Silver Wolf )
Lori ( ERode )
Endymion ( lunar_moth )
Talio ( TreasureSniper )

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oyten, headed to sawmill​

"The Rust bucket is no city slicker, and I full well know how to preserve my plate," Thea said. "While your Lord's Greatwood is impressive the Hinterlands had its own fair share of marshes and bogs, with rolling hills, rivers and woodland. You landsmen are truly fortunate and gifted with a great bounty."

"Gifted?" their leader sneered, thoroughly unimpressed by her attempt at intimidation.

"As to your hunters, we can very well just return and report to the local Lord and the Guild that his landsmen got in the way of Guild's work. That the overseer your people elected does not truly control this area it seems, it is highly unfortunate should the guild not know who to accept jobs from in the town of Oyten, that our response may be delayed as a result. Or if payment was held in doubt or to question it may not come at all. Your promised hunters can handle this issue I'm sure given there are so many for a bear."

The man with the bruised face appeared to be growing increasingly irate as she spoke. He stood behind the others, fidgeting and pacing angrily. Each time Thea spoke of the Guild he tensed, as if about to lunge forth. Falco kept his eye on this one; if the situation devolved to violence, this man would likely be the inciting member. However, two of the others stood near him, muttering in low voices; their body language suggested they were trying to calm their injured comrade. It appeared to be working. But for how long...?

"I also would be curious on the thoughts of the Church when Workmen were behind a purge of life in the region because of pride is brought up during the next confession to the Goddess, glory to her name."

At this, the injured man, finally barked: "You gots some nerve to bring the Church into-" but he was swiftly silenced by their leader raising his hand. Despite the unruly and crass behavior of these men, the quickness with which his unspoken command was obeyed suggested a greater level of respect and authority than he appeared to have.

"As to why we are here, we have five days to finish this quest, there will be no lengthy investigation. The more you co-operate the sooner we are gone and the sooner you are in the Greatwood again. While it is ideal that we capture the beast alive and relocate it, that may not be an option should it be territorial or if it is a threat to my team. I am Thea Schuerer and I know full well to not take these woods lightly, once we are done with you, we shall speak with the others and learn enough to not be a problem in these woods and what it is that we hunt."

With that she paused briefly and looked at the leader; "And last I looked, bears and wolves do not climb to the tops of trees and ambush a foe from above. As to proving it, I'm not sure you would much care for a round of sparring with me. The rest may speak for themselves."

A small silence fell over the group when the knight finally ceased speaking. "You done? Is she done?" he asked the other adventurers, with a small chuckle. "Damn right, you's no city slicker, Shurerer. They value people's time there. I'd rather listen to five seconds of this boy's bullshit," he gestured to Falco, "than five hours of your prattling. Firstly, you know nothing of land rights, girl. This land weren't 'gifted' to us. It's paid for and the bill will come due all the same. The Lord gets his cut, whether we work or not, but we get fuck-all sitting here on our asses."

"You'll get even less if you're mauled to death by a wild beast," Falco chimed in.

"We'll take our chances," one of the other men rebutted. "Or rather, we would, if the mayor would let us."

"Better that than a wild adventurer," the bruised man hissed. He seemed to have calmed slightly, but not by much. Enough that the others were willing to let him speak. "'Sparring,' my ass," he said, glaring at Thea. "Is that what Kriegslowen do, stroll into town and pick fights with the locals! And you've got some nerve bringing the Goddess's name into-"

"Alright, that's enough," the leader said to his comrade, his voice deep and commanding, before addressing the adventurers in a soft, even keel. "If you know it came from the teetops, why are you even here? Go chase your beast and leave us be. I understand what happened last night was a mistake. My friend started something he couldn't finish," he said, momentarily shooting a glare at the bruised man. "Today, it seems we're all reasonable men and women here. No one wants a repeat of that." He leveled his gaze at Thea. "Understood?"
Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oyten
​

Listening to the men, Thea stands her ground as her jaw twitches a little and the men say their peace, she did not take kindly to most of it as her eyes narrowed, looking at the wounded man as the other tried to dismiss them. Her armor clanks briefly as her body posture shifts to something more neutral. "You asked that we prove it. For me that is martial means. For the hood one and the fox, that is tracking or subterfuge. What is it you wish to see from your remarks of Prove it? Or did you have any at all? I care not who owns the land the guild has already been hired and just like you we work for coin as well. And I have yet to pick a fight."

While now more than every she expected nothing of value of these woodsmen and would be happy to leave here and now, she was sure the others would have something to say. Or they would have something to say once they left. Likely to her and not liking how they retreated from the situation or some other sort of complaint.

Interactions: AnonyMouse others in gneral.

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Are you really one to complain about wasted time?" Lucia finally spoke up. "Well, I am so very sorry to impede you from the important work of lazing around and not resource harvesting. Honestly, you would have been better off feeding us some story or vague information, feigning ignorance for the most part so that we leave believing we at least gained something. At least try to pretend that you aren't concealing something."

She spoke in a tired, exaggerated tone with a roll of her eyes as she folded her arms across her chest. Lucia had intended to butter them up somewhat, but their demeanor showed that was unlikely to happen. So, if they would give them nothing but insults, she would at least strike back a bit.

"And how amusing is it, that while acting so prideful and demanding that we prove ourselves, you would have us believe that you all lost your jobs to a bear and or a coyote? Verily? That's hardly something I would brag about," Lucia remarked haughtily, now gaining the arrogant smirk she was known for. "And yet you cry abuse that we are picking a fight and wasting your valuable time? With that battered one shooting a glare at us each time the guild and the beast is brought up, looking as though he wants to clobber us or dash out the back entrance? As I said, at least try to pretend to be reasonable."

After chastising them a bit, her smirk disappeared into a displeased scowl. Even if Falco was somehow right after all she said about these woodsmen taking to her, she surely hadn't to them. "Regardless, you also seem to be attempting to cover your rears from something we have no concern with. We mentioned naught about events that occurred last night, but you could have spared this long-winded discussion by giving what information, even if only vague, about the beast and skirt whatever it is you want to remain undisclosed. We aren't here to investigate you. We do not care about whatever it is you want hidden. We're here to remove the creature that is keeping you all out of work, unless you enjoy collecting no pay." Staring briefly at the battered and most suspicious one, her eye trailed back to the so-called leader. "To speak in layman's terms, if you want us gone, then give us something. Otherwise, it seems we are at an impasse."

Her voice was stern and cold, though she was sure that to them it was hardly intimidating. Honestly, Lucia thought them all daft as she had made clear. They acted arrogant and tried to instigate something, then recoil when its obliged. They were trying to hide something which, unless it pertained to the beast itself, was not their concern and could have been avoided if they just provided some information. It could have been vague, even. Like Lucia had told the group before arrival, it was amazing what results you could get when you made someone think you were doing them a favor. Playing along with their inquiries would have made this whole interaction far more quick and less confrontational.

Interactions: @A-Team, Daft peasants

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: talking to locales
Thinking: "What is this? What's with all the posturizing and machismo? Just tell us the information we need.."

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission
Mentions: AnonyMouse
​

Her face fell. Both of them. Both of them couldn't get it right. "It's Hysydice. I've said that before," the hooded girl mumbled. With Falco, she was almost regretting being so gung-ho in showing her support. "You talk too much. You really let your mouth run, don'tchu? You truly have no grace." she asked with an exasperated sigh. He truly couldn't be charming, could he? Always saying one or two things too many. Or three things. Even when he was trying to say something nice.

Thea was quick to shut her down.

-Oh, thank you!-

Hyss's face scrunched up with annoyance. So the knight would choose chivalry over actually completing their job? How many times did their senior Kriegslowen need to tell her she wasn't a knight anymore? But a guildsman. Sure, doing shady things would put a smear on your reputation, but that was only if it was known. It wasn't like Hyss was suggesting doing terrible psychotic things here, she was just saying she'd spook them some if need be. But Thea likely didn't hear that.

Despite what she was thinking, ultimately Hyss felt relieved. It wasn't like she wanted to do things like she had suggested. But once the suggestion was out there, it was hard to seal it in pandora's box once more. She was sure at some point in the future her words may be brought up again. And that worried her. She was thinking about this all the way to their destination.

At the sawmill they were approached by some lumbermen. Who seemed to lack any manners. One even made a quip about having 'beast problems' in their group; he probably thought he was real funny. Hyss narrowed her eyes beneath her hood. "No we don't, don't lump us in with you lot. It isn't a smart idea to insult your help."

Hyss knew this smelled like some bullshit. She couldn't help commenting from under her hood. "No bear shuts down an entire logging industry. And no logger worth a damn is truly scared of a single bear."

"Damn right, you's no city slicker, Shurerer. They value people's time there. I'd rather listen to five seconds of this boy's bullshit," he gestured to Falco, "than five hours of your prattling."

Hyss's face fell once more, her eyes averting to the side. She pursed her lips. She didn't like it, no not one bit. Since she really did not like this group and their attitude. But it was on that statement that she found herself actually agreeing.

But she immediately perked up. "Oh, yeah? And why is that? Why on earth would you take your chances? If you know what it is, then that explains why you'd be willing to 'take your chances'. If you do not, then you're nothing but huge fools who are asking to meet a quick end. Why? We're literally here saying we'll be the ones to stick our necks out. What is the purpose of impeding us? Unless you are hiding something, but we can't even begin to guess what that would be. Or is it just in your nature to start throwing around your weight and acting all machismo for no real reason other than your egos?"

Hyss realized she may have said too much. The hooded girl sighed. "Isn't it simpler to tell us something to get us to leave if we're bothering you so much?"

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

It looked like that the men that were affected by the beasts rampage do not seemed to be trusting towards the party. One of them had the gall to say that they should prove their worth, otherwise they be only wasting their time for nothing. Falco, Thea, Hyss and Lucia may have said their piece, but Sakura had another thing in mind and it all started with a twitch of her ear.

Sakura stepped forward with her hand on one of her arrows. "Hey, think fast." She said and before any of the men could react, she brandished her arrow and threw it like a dagger. It brushed passed the workers until it struck a wall. If one where to look closely, a fly was struck by the wing. "That little thing was about to land on your shoulder. It would be annoying if it did." Sakura spoke "You said that we needed to prove ourselves right? Surely you have bitten ore than you can chew. I rarely do words honestly. As a hunter, I only just DO and nothing more."

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[Reinhardt]

Arien Bermille​

Location: Tylsen City Streets​

At this time of the day, the streets of Tylsen were crowded, more so the city square. Though it was pretty easy to get lost in a sea of people, especially in a place one that is not entirely familiar with, Arien managed to herd the recruits like a shepherd weaving through a field of reeds. The group's travel, as expected, was long enough to have the recruits chime in their questions and Arien responded with any information that he could and would part with.

"I'm not sure of it, but from what I have heard, Mister Heine does have a number of warehouses installed outside Tylsen's premises.", he answered Lori's question first, whilst they went through a street packed with merchant stalls selling a variety of trinkets, from jewelry to seemingly pointless knick-knacks. Somehow, Arien's eyes and focus weren't taken in by the intrigue these wares gave off, perhaps a benefit from having lived in the city long enough. "I believe we'll get the details on exactly where these warehouses lie from the client himself."

After they took a swift turn at the end, they went into a slightly less crowded road, but its vicinity was permeated with the scent of sweets. The street was lined with merchant stalls that sold various sweets and snacks, many of which were serving both the young and the old. Mostly the young.

"Unfortunately, Endymion, I have no confirmed information regarding the contents of what Mister Heine's warehouses contain.", Arien replied to the inquisitive young man that followed behind him. "I am no expert in the realm of the mercantile, perhaps they are imperishable goods that can stay in good quality without much attention?"

The sweet scent faded away as the group came upon the entrance to two paths, wherein Arien led them toward the eastern one. The road started to gradually become smoother as they progressed further into this long and winding road. People that were either idling by or walking along with them, as well as the merchant stalls, became less abundant the further they went. It was rather evident that they were getting deeper and deeper into the city's premises, more specifically, into the areas where the more financially endowed would be commonly found.

"Indeed, Talio, that would be far simpler.", Arien affirmed the Valgemian merchant's words. "It is, however, more common to see Kriegslöwen doing the jobs that others could have done. After all, if a Kriegslöwe can do it for a more reasonable price and less paperwork, then why settle for another?"

"This is no precaution, Cressey, but simply the standard procedure for a fresh recruit's first quest. A higher rank Kriegslöwe is to act as an observer and occasionally as a guide to the recruit for their first task - a safety net and an evaluation at the same time.", Arien said to the young twin-tailed lass. "What you had were special circumstances, one after another. I suggest you don't think too much about it, Miss Cephilia's already handling that issue."

The bird that was perched on Arien's shoulder would fly and hover above the group, occasionally dropping down to land on the heads of the different recruits, but never truly staying longer than a brief moment. After numerous times of doing so, it would nestle itself at the top of Lori's head, her peculiar hairstyle acting more of a nest than actual hair. It would occasionally chirp loudly, as it listened to the exchanges that occurred amongst everyone.

Arien's occasional quick glances to the recruits that followed helped him take notice of this, to which he commented. "It seems that Zest has taken a liking to you, Lori. It is rather rare of her to do such a thing."

Location: Marble District, Tylsen​

Eventually, the group's trip came to an end. The once brick roads have turned into marble pavements that were wide enough to house more than two moving carriages at once. The area was riddled with various buildings that employed different structures and more refined looks. Manatech lanterns atop long steel posts illuminated the area amidst the warm light of the sun. The few people that could be seen in the streets were dressed in fine garments that could easily pass off as the common tailor's masterpiece.

The group was now in the Marble District of Tylsen, named after its polished roads. It is here where most of Tylsen's rich and powerful resided, and even sometimes where they conducted their businesses as well. Though it is noticeably smaller and less populated than the other areas of Tylsen, many of the city's folk hold the place in high regard and see it as the final destination in their mercantile journeys.

The group headed to a specific building in this area - one that bore the crest of a stork carrying a box in its beak mid-flight. It was a one-story building with its walls painted in clear blue as if mimicking the sky. With a knock, the group was let in and welcomed by the staff. The interior of the building was quite simple, there was a waiting area, a reception desk, and several doors that led to different areas of the building. Unsurprisingly, the waiting area has been arranged in a manner where everyone could comfortably sit around a round, glass table.

The group was instructed to take a seat whilst they wait for Hedwig Heine, and once everyone was seated, they were all served a cup of freshly brewed Springdrop tea. It was famous for having a surprisingly refreshing taste for tea, as well as emanating a calming scent, like the gentle spring breeze, hence the name. Arien took a single sip in silence.

After some time, one of the doors opened, and from it, a well-dressed middle-aged man emerged. His lengthy brown hair was elegantly combed back, which was complemented by his well-trimmed stubble. His attire consisted of trousers, a vest on top of a shirt, and some shiny leather footwear. Pinned on the upper left section of his vest was the same crest that could be found on the exterior of the building. His gaze fell upon the group with a smile and a warm greeting - the classic approach of an experienced businessman.

"Ah!", he said, upon taking notice of the guild crest on their clothing. "You must be here for the request!"

"Indeed.", Arien replied with a nod.

The man approached them and took a seat amongst them. "I am Hedwig Heine.", he introduced himself. "I trust you've read the details of my request?"

"Certainly, Mister Heine.", Arien said. "We have but a few questions."

"Of course, of course.", the client nodded. "I'll answer them as long as they don't step on some lines. I'm sure you understand, we have our trade secrets and all that."

Arien nodded silently and gestured for the others to speak up about their early inquiries, or any additional ones.

Interaction/s: Cresslinde ( King Crimson ), Endymion ( lunar_moth ), Lupa ( Silver Wolf ), Talio ( TreasureSniper ), Lori ( ERode )

 

[ERode]

Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen​

“What can I say?” Lori perked up upon Arien’s response to Talio’s question. “‘Same day rates, no matter the days’ can’t be beat!” She winked at the dark-haired boy, before going back to the small map she was drawing of Tylsen’s markets, crossing out the general location of all the knick-knack shops she was interested in. Most jobs, in truth, didn’t require anything like decades of experience or immensely immeasurable talent, after all, and that’s where super-freelancers like the Kriegslowe Guild made their name! She giggled as the weight of Arien’s bird nested itself atop her hood, and waved at Endy to toss her some of his nuts.

“And hey, y’know how it goes, Ari.” Without even a modicum of effort, Lori leapt forwards, legs splitting into what almost looked to be a jete, before landing again. “Birds of a feather flock together! Bet Zest here’s just happy there’s a Big Sis Bird with ‘em now.”

That, and other inane chatter, followed the group as they continued to travel towards the quarters of Hedwig Heine, but the more posh her surroundings became, the more time Lori spent simply exclaiming over all the immaculate works of architecture that surrounded her. Hedwig Heine was a big man after all, and the tea he served was tasty too: Lori drank it down in ten seconds flat, then spent the rest of her time fanning out her tongue.

“Hey ho, Mister Heine! May the Goddess’s grace grant greater gains still!” There was a moment where the birdkin bowed her head in what was perhaps the only sign of proper respect she had shown to any, before she beamed a smile at him once more, this time saluting him in proper courier fashion. “I’m Lori Delivery, same day rates no matter the days, happy to help with your warehouse inspections. With the whole matter of missing or damaged materials and all or even a whole warehouse collapse, do you want us to investigate the ‘why’ behind possible damages? Or are we just scouting it out and doing the counts?”

It was important, of course, to clarify expectations when it came to work. Who knew what extra processes a client was expecting, right? Lori certainly wasn't a mind-reader here.

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

interaction: AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun Thalia_Neko Topless EmperorsChosen
​

Risax allowed the other to do the talking to the logger as their initial reaction to to him was less Then optimistically good humoured but yes undeniably he was a huge spider however one comment did peak his interest among the many questions and the annoyance from some of the other members of their little group hyss jumping in with her usual displease snark, village folk where often like this tho outsiders like themselves where inheritly not to be trusted he'd learned this well from his father's trips especially upon a new route a caravan of giant spiders never did well for ones nerves. Risax stepped forward turning to the rest of the team. "All of you stop acting like uncivilised thugs and making threats that isn't going to get us anywhere in this particular situation" Risax spoke to a firm tone glaring at hyss and Lucia in particular before he'd turn around to the logger.

"Terribly sorry about some of us present some fuses are much shorter than others" Risax commented incidently looming over The loggers somewhat. "However if you'd be so kind as too... elaborate upon what happend the other night and what this "mistake" was so to speak that would be most helpful" Risax inquired attention towards The lead logger and a hand geturing over to the bruised man.

 

[lunar_moth]

MARBLE DISTRICT, TYLSEN​

Endymion frowns a bit upon Arien’s vague dismissal.

“…It kind of seems like we don’t actually know, like, anything about this guy,” he grumbles to himself. The answers to everybody’s questions ended up being mostly speculation. He casually tosses a handful of his rations at Lori’s waving arms as they walk; which, frankly, looks not unlike an old man feeding the pigeons, given his current inventory.

Still, at least they’ll have a chance to speak to the client in person before the job. Hopefully some more information could yet be gleaned.

Although, if he had to guess…

Endymion squints up at the building’s insignia of a crane delivering non-descript packages.

…This isn’t code for selling, like, babies, is it? …Nah. No way. He’s probably just a regular boring-old— um, hat merchant, or maybe he sells fancy tableclothes, I don’t know. Stop overthinking.

Still. The cageyness is suspicious. Detective mode activate.

…​

Endymion nods along to Heine’s introduction, casually swirling his tea in its cup like a sommelier does wine. He takes a sip before speaking (to build suspense with a dramatic pause, you know) but has to suppress a pleased little wiggle at the taste. That wouldn’t be very bad-cop of him, but oh man, this fancy tea is good.

“Mister Heine,” Endymion pipes up (a little heavy on the bravado, but what can you do). He pauses to gesture with his teacup and then take another sip. “Thank you for submitting a request for the guild’s help. It’s a Kriegslöwen’s duty to aid the common folk in every way we can, after all. I only ask that you share with us any information you can, so that we may better understand how to complete the job.” He’s risen from his seat at this point and paces leisurely with a hand on his chin. What he wouldn’t give for a deerstalker and a pipe right now to complete the look he’s going for. “For instance, I can’t help but wonder exactly what sort of business you run out of these warehouses. It seemed a bit odd to me that one might let them go so long without even a cursory check-up. Are there not, perhaps…” he trails off for ominous effect, “…goods of significant value in there?” Babies or drugs. Babies or drugs. What’s it gonna be? Taking bets now.

Reinhardt ERode @/B Team

 

[TreasureSniper]

Location: Marble District, Tylsen​

Once again, the bird girl has proven herself to be a uniquely endearing member of the party with her cheeky response to Arien's answer. A wonderful slogan for a wonderful bird friend. Arien's response to his question left a lot to be desired, though considering most of them were recruits, it is likely the true purpose of this mission was just simply for the guild to test their ability to carry out simple tasks with a few surprises hidden into the mix. Though, he was curious on what happened on Cressey's first mission. Based on bits and pieces he heard during dinner, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Once they arrive at Hedwig's quarters, Talio took a seat and took off his right glove to enjoy the tea being served. It reminded him of his favorite, Valgemian Jasmine tea. He looked like he fit right in with his posture and cadence, showcasing his business-heavy background. "Talio Ferromanus, at your service, Mister Heine." Like any proper businessman, he introduces himself to his client before allowing them to speak first.

Talio decided to let the other members voice their own questions first, letting the client answer the more obvious questions first. Though he was quite impressed by Lori's and Endymion's line of questioning, he did find the young mage's attempt to impersonate an investigator to be odd but amusing. After the two finish their line questioning, Talio would continue with his own questions and concerns. "Mister Heine, if it's not too much trouble, would you happen to have an excerpt of the last inventory count from the previous month? It'd be easier for us to identify any goods that may be missing or damaged if we had a clearer picture of what is the expected contents of the warehouses." Even if they hadn't inspected the warehouses recently, any merchant worth their money would keep track of their stock on a regular basis.

And now onto the next question. "Also, are your goods off the perishable kind? If so, do we need special tools and equipment to determine whether or not your stock is still appropriate for sale?" He had a gas mask ready if needed. Though he had a feeling that the goods were the non-perishable kind based on the district they were in. But still, he didn't want to make any assumptions. "Is there a specific reason why the warehouses were left unchecked for the past month?" There were countless answers to this question, he just wanted to know if said reason would require an extra effort on their part.

"Aside from that, is there any particular reason why you hired the guild to carry this inspection instead of the normal inspectors? Are there any extra tasks you need us to carry out that cannot be carried out by the regular inspector?" It was essentially a more specific version of Lori's question. He felt that it was important for them to understand the scope of their job here.

Reinhardt @team B

 

[Silver Wolf]

Location: Tylsen Guildhall ---> Streets ---> Marble District

Interactions: Reinhardt (GM/Arien), TreasureSniper (Talio), ERode (Lori), King Crimson (Cressey), lunar_moth (Endymion)
​

Lupa had said surprisingly little throughout the whole of the exchanges, perhaps deferring to her military instinct to listen and ask no questions. Granted, she really didn't have much to complain about at all. It wasn't as though she had zero work inspecting warehouses, but usually the work there involved investigating a specific item already known to have been missing, so if something went missing she felt more than comfortable that she could use her more investigative side to sniff out the perpetrator, perhaps literally. It was odd though, and everyone else made a point of it speaking. While Arien did explain how Kriegslowen did the work due to their fair pricing, this still didn't sit right with Lupa. Especially not once they hit the Marble District. The logical thing would be to use proper money to hire proper experts to do a proper sweep, especially if a lot of money hinged on making sure the good were intact. It smelled rather fishy that Hedwig wanted them to investigate, and it wasn't as though he was calling for them specifically as far as she knew.

While Lori asked simply for direction and Endymion inquired about what the goods were, seeming a little odd asking about it as though he was expecting something unscrupulous. Then there was Talio, who finally showed exactly why he was known as a merchant, giving a detailed and specific inquiry to all the things that could be gleamed from a merchant perspective, which led one last thing to be asked of Hedwig.

"If you don't mind me asking, Mr. hedwig," she finally started once there was enough quiet to ask a basic question of her own. "Say some of the goods have gone missing, presumably stolen. While I can investigate security breeches to a limited degree, it would be helpful to know if there are any you would suspect. Perhaps a rival business, someone who believes they've been wronged by you, or maybe even an employee you don't particularly see as trustworthy. If we had this information, in the likelihood there are missing goods, it would help us track them down faster than following possibly faded footsteps. This information would also help should you implore us to not search for the perpetrators, as it would make filing a report to the city guard far simpler."

With her piece said, she took a sip of the tea, while it was a gentle sip, one could see her ears wiggle and her tail thump twice in an obvious show of joy to the flavor. For her, it was rare to enjoy such fine tea. The aroma was heavenly. Shame there were no light snacks to go with it.

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oyten, Jacobee Lumberyard​

"You asked that we prove it. For me that is martial means," Thea said, which earned her a slight rising of the brows from the group's leader. "For the hood one and the fox, that is tracking or subterfuge. What is it you wish to see from your remarks of 'Prove it?' Or did you have any at all? I care not who owns the land the guild has already been hired and just like you we work for coin as well. And I have yet to pick a fight."

The man rubbed his stubbled chin, as if to say 'fair enough.' "Credentials," he said. "That's what most sane people would think when asked to prove their worth, not square up for a sparring match. Who are you? What have you done? What makes you qualified to do this?" he said, gesturing wildly. "Or are we supposed to believe you're hot shit because you flashed a shiny piece of metal?"

At this, Falco frowned and unknowingly clutched at his badge, something he had taken pride in until about five seconds ago. Wasn't that why they joined Kriegslowe? The name carried weight. To most people, that 'shiny piece of metal' meant something! Surely, this guy's low opinion of them was unique, right?

"There's too many of ya," the man went on to explain, his gaze sliding across them all, like an eel slithering across a grimy lakebed. "It makes me think you're amateurs sent here to get your feet wet. Quantity over quality," he scoffed, deepening Falco's embarassment. Perhaps Thea had been right; he should not have brought the entire group. "We got professionals on the case. We don't need this."

There was hardly any vitriol left in his tone, just the resignation of a man who knows they won't heed a damned thing he says. They had worn him down through sheer attrition. It certainly wasn't the result Falco wanted, but he saw an opportunity here and was about to go in for the (metaphorical) kill, but Lucia spoke up first:

"Are you really one to complain about wasted time?" the elf said, hautiness oozing from every syllable. Falco's face twisted in horror as the man's attention immediately snapped to her, his anger stoked anew. "Well, I am so very sorry to impede you from the important work of lazing around and not resource harvesting. Honestly, you would have been better off feeding us some story or vague information, feigning ignorance for the most part so that we leave believing we at least gained something. At least try to pretend that you aren't concealing something."

Noooo! No, no, no! Stop talking, pleeeeease! Falco thought as this carriage crash played out in slow motion before his eyes and ears. Her insults immediately earned the man's ire, as well as the anger of those standing behind him. He appeared to be receptive toward the first few words she uttered, until she came just shy of calling them 'liars,' which, in Falco's experienced opinion, was an excellent way to start a fight! He found himself unconsciously taking half a step back, bracing for what would surely follow.

"And how amusing is it, that while acting so prideful and demanding that we prove ourselves, you would have us believe that you all lost your jobs to a bear and or a coyote? Verily? That's hardly something I would brag about," she went on to say as a smirk encompassed her features, only further stoking the flames of the man's anger.

"We lost our jobs to the fucking mayor's meddling, not the damned beast!" the man said, exasperated. "We would gladly continue our work, but NO he has outlawed it until the beast is dealt with. How many times must I repeat the same fucking thing before it gets through to you people!?"

"And yet you cry abuse that we are picking a fight and wasting your valuable time? With that battered one shooting a glare at us each time the guild and the beast is brought up, looking as though he wants to clobber us or dash out the back entrance? As I said, at least try to pretend to be reasonable."

"Pretend!? The fact we haven't called the fucking guards to have you removed is reasonable enough!" one of the others said, which caused a chorus of jeers from his companions.

Most would heed the unspoken warning, but Lucia had long ago thrown caution to the wind: "Regardless, you also seem to be attempting to cover your rears from something we have no concern with," she went on to say.

"No concern?" the leader said, his rage abruptly morphing into something akin to confusion and wonder. He was utterly blindsided and actually looked puzzled by her words before suddenly achieving full lucidity. Falco witnessed the man's moment of enlightenment, but still had no idea what, if anything, the Caskarieth had revealed to him. "Holy shit, they don't know..." the man muttered in a low whisper, as if even he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

But, with every word, his companions grew increasingly furious, especially the bruised man, who nearly lunged forth when Lucia said whatever had transpired last night was of 'no concern' to her. Thankfully, his comrades caught him and held him back, arresting his arms as he hissed insults best left unrepeated. Still, the elf boldly continued on. The proverbial powderkeg was about as close to ignition as it could conceivably be. And, though Falco prided himself on his wordplay, he feared anything he might say or do would set it off, landing the blame solely on his shoulders.

"We mentioned naught about events that occurred last night, but you could have spared this long-winded discussion by giving what information, even if only vague, about the beast and skirt whatever it is you want to remain undisclosed. We aren't here to investigate you. We do not care about whatever it is you want hidden. We're here to remove the creature that is keeping you all out of work, unless you enjoy collecting no pay." Staring briefly at the battered and most suspicious one, her eye trailed back to the so-called leader. "To speak in layman's terms, if you want us gone, then give us something. Otherwise, it seems we are at an impasse."

"No one's hiding anything!" one of the men shouted. "Are you touched in the head? The fuck is wrong with you people!?"

"Oh, yeah? And why is that? Why on earth would you take your chances?" Hyss said.

By now, Falco could only palm his face. What a disaster...

"If you know what it is, then that explains why you'd be willing to 'take your chances'. If you do not, then you're nothing but huge fools who are asking to meet a quick end. Why? We're literally here saying we'll be the ones to stick our necks out. What is the purpose of impeding us? Unless you are hiding something, but we can't even begin to guess what that would be. Or is it just in your nature to start throwing around your weight and acting all machismo for no real reason other than your egos?"

"Who''s impedin' you!?" one of the men said. "To the woods with ye! Go on, git! Ain't nobody stoppin' ya!"

"Isn't it simpler to tell us something to get us to leave if we're bothering you so much?"

"Actually, I think this man has given us a great idea!" Falco said, stepping forward and putting on his best smile... while simultaneously thinking: How many times have I been sucker punched with this exact look on my face? One of these days, it's gonna get stuck like this, I swear. "Sorry to waste your time, good sirs, but I think we'll be taking our leave now," he said with a small bow and a nervous laugh and silently prayed his comrades would take this queue.

Relief washed over him when Sakura stepped forward. Leaving seemed like the best option, but she had been relatively quiet and well-behaved lately. Surely, she would be a voice of reason here. The leader of this crew of lumberjacks had already said she seemed more prepared than most. Sakura was definitely the one whould could turn this aroud and- OH AURELIA, WHAT IS SHE DOING WITH THAT ARROW!

The moment the projectile was loosed, Falco's eyes went wide and he belted out a dramatic, "noooooooo," which tapered off into what could best be described as the shrill squeal of a cat when it's tail is stepped upon. If her intent had been to frighten or threaten them, Sakura was sorely mistaken, for men were not sheep, easily quelled by threats, even when outnumbered. Their pride had been too grievously wonded for that. Her words fell upon deaf ears as the small crowd surged forward, despite their leader spreading his arms to hold them back and Falco attempting to do the same, despite every bone in his body telling him to retreat.

Suddenly, Risax.

The men abruptly halted as the arachne positioned his bulk betwen the two factions. While he didn't look particularly threatening, none knew how to deal with a 'big fucking spider,' and none wanted to be the first one to try.

"All of you stop acting like uncivilised thugs and making threats that isn't going to get us anywhere in this particular situation," their eight-legged friend said before apologizing to the loggers and kindly asking that their leader explain.

All of us? What'd I do? Falco thought, but felt immensely relieved and ashamed all the same.

"L'il late for that, don't ya think?" the leader grumbled, his eyes lingering on Sakura and, briefly, Lucia, uncomfortably long before shifting to Risax. "Relax, fellas, I'll see 'em out!" he said to his men before quickly snapping his fingers and stepping around the Kriegslowen, suggesting they follow him out. "You people have no fucking clue what you're doing. The sooner you do it somethere else, the better. Come now, I'll show ye the door."

He continued to speak as he led them toward the gate through which they had entered: "I still think this whole 'beast' nonsense is much ado about nothin.' I bet even you morons can kill it, whether you're tryin' to or not," he said. "First attack was four days ago. It tried to snatch one of our new guys. A young fella, Pete-somethin, I don't know his full name," the man shrugged. "Two guys sort of saw it, but it were late, nearly dark. Fur. Reddish, I think. Or brownish-red. It... hooked his coat from behind, somehow, and went up, fast. Story goes, it had him 'bout ten or fifteen feet up a tree when Pete got in a lucky swing with his hatchet and the thing dropped him. He got a torn coat and a rolled ankle for his trouble."

"He bitched and moaned, and the boss said he'd consider hiring some hunters or something, but nobody really paid the kid any mind. He's new. This is dangerous work. Shit happens," the logger said. "Nothin' woulda come of it... buuuuuut the next day, one of the guys o'er at Lewis and Sons got hit. Somethin' tore him up bad. Folks were sayin' he got lifted, too, and didn't come out clean. Sounded too familiar, ya know." He sighed. "Anyway, the kid went to the mayor. Piss meets wind. Shit meets fan. A day after that the scholars got hit. I dunno how that one went down, but Old Man Johnson shut down the forest soon as he heard. No more logging. Nobody goes in 'til his precious Kriegslowen arrive. Now, here we sit, gettin' heckled by you ornery little fucks," the man said, with a frown.

By now they had arrived at the gate, where he stopped, folded his arms, and waited for them to step out... probably so he could shut and lock it behind them.

"Ummm, excuse me," Falco said, raising his hand. "I have all sorts of questions, but, for starters: that only brings us to two days ago. What about last night?"

"Oh, right, that," the man said with an amused smirk. "Some elf showed up to shoot the shit wit' us for a bit. Tall bitch with crazy hair and wild eyes just casually strolled outta the woods, like we ain't on lockdown. Said she was waitin' for somebody and just wanted to kick back," he shrugged. "Look, I was born stupid, but I weren't born yesterday. She was obviously probin' for information. But ain't like we had much else to do. She struck up a conversation, got folks talkin', and next thing ya know, everybody was laughin' and carryin' on... 'til Hal got carried away, like he always do, runnin' off at the mouth. He's about as good at readin' the room as you people." The man's scowl deepened. "He made one smartass remark too many and she shut that shit down quick. Not gonna lie, he had it comin.'"

The man briefly looked skyward, to the graying clouds overhead and dull skies, before leveling his eyes with the adventurers and speaking in a sober tone. "At first glance, I thought y'all were her shitty little minions, sent to finish what she started, seein' as how she were a Kriegslowen, too," he said with a wily grin. "Maybe now you can understand why these guys were a little... testy. Most of 'em weren't there, but I was, and thought it was the funniest shit I've seen all week." His eyes shifted to Falco. "She ain't show her badge 'til after Hal was face down in the dirt, suckin' air like a land fish. The smart ones don't lead with that, kid. Ya build up to it, wait 'til its needed or wanted." He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "Lemme guess: y'all are in training? E-Rank? Not F, I hope? Our little town's little predicament just a game to you?"
Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[Reinhardt]

Hedwig Heine​

Location: Marble District, Tylsen​

The tiny bird atop Lori would tilt its head every once in a while, its gaze never falling to a single point for more than a few seconds. As the young beastfolk spoke, Hedwig's attention was often placed on the bird, rather than the speaker. Fortunately, that only applied to his eyes and not his ears.

"Uh...", he pointed towards the top of Lori's head. "You got a little something there, Lo-"

The bird swiftly gazed sharply at him and chirped aggressively that he simply had to put his finger down and return his gaze to Lori herself.

"Ahem.", he grumbled, as if clearing his throat. "You don't have to do that. Just checking on the warehouses and their contents would be enough. That's all I need to know about them for now, but if you do go the extra mile to figure out why, if there are any issues with them, I could probably chime in some extra rewards."

Hedwig's attention turned to Endymion after he stood and began to pace back and forth. The Kriegslöwen and their undeniable eccentricity had always been a point of interest to Hedwig, so witnessing Endymion's antics had given him some form of amusement. "Ah. I've forgotten to tell you what business I am conducting, how rude of me.", Hedwig interjected. "Thank you for reminding me, young Kriegslöwe."

"If it wasn't obvious enough...", he gestured towards the pin on his vest. "My brothers and I run a storage and delivery service, which our father passed down to us. We store the items in these warehouses until the time for delivery arrives or whenever our client wants to retrieve their items. Now that I think on it, I believe some of the Kriegslöwen still avails of our service."

"That said, I'm afraid I cannot give you what you're asking for.", he looked at Endymion intently. "To do so would go against our code of conduct."

When Talio voiced out his first inquiry, Hedwig turned to him. "Of course, of course.", he replied as he called for one of the staff and gave them instructions to retrieve certain documents.

Then came the next set of questions.

"That won't be necessary, the warehouses you'll be looking at would contain non-perishable goods, which are secured by hardwood containers. All you need to do is check for any damages to the warehouse itself, or any missing items.", Hedwig said with confidence. "These warehouses mostly contain items from old and canceled deals so they generally don't need a lot of monitoring and maintenance, I just like to keep them in check every so often in case an old client returns to retry the deal."

"Well, I've been hiring Kriegslöwen to check on my warehouses and they've yet to fail me. If it's not broken, don't fix it, as they say.", he answered Talio's last question. "My brothers are a little less convinced on them, so I have been hiring some professionals on the side to follow up after the Kriegslöwen do their job. Not saying your abilities won't suffice, but it will be the same for this one as well."

And finally, Lupa's question.

"Hm...", he thought for a short moment. "I don't think I have one that comes to mind. The Kriegslöwen I hired a while ago did say there were some rats that they had to take care of, so perhaps there could be another batch of rats squatting in some of the warehouses. On that note, I would gladly pay extra for getting pests off of these warehouses - you don't have to oblige, of course, but if you do, well."

Interaction/s: Cresslinde ( King Crimson ), Endymion ( lunar_moth ), Lupa ( Silver Wolf ), Talio ( TreasureSniper ), Lori ( ERode )

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oyten
​

Watching her comrades go one by one, the situation continued to worsen with each one to speak, it was too late to shut them up, given she herself had worsened the situation. She was not sure what to do at this point, the men were not making it easy nor were they. Letting them all have their say, the leader suggested that they follow, which they did, there was no point in pressing for more or asking to buy supplies. Risax only got them this much which was a de-escalation, Sakura then more or less killed something and could have led to a blood bath then and there. Though it never occurred to her the other man was beaten by the Observer. Least Thea would bet her coin that was who it was. So it seemed that Kriegslowen didn't have to be always nice and civil. It was a consideration, not that she would make it a habit of doing such things. Though smacking someone down for being a smart ass was of note... "Hmm.."

As the man led them out, he gave some information, it seemed there was little to go on, it seemed to attack at night or near it, from the rear, sounds like a grabber and had reddish brown fur and was fast. The researchers may be able to tell them something, still the fact the other guildsman was so violent, well... She would trust in his information and show her cards.

"I've only hunted with the lord's guard as a Knight Errant alongside my father, or the occasional wild animal that bothered the farmers, Sakura however is a hunter from the wilds. All the rest of our number are from all manner of walks of life. The cloaked one claims to be a tracker of sorts. As to who that woman was, we are not her lackies, however she is the observer from our guild for this mission. She has instructions to only clean up the mess should we fail. And given her temperament I would send word for your hunters to not pursue. Given her interactions till now I have little doubt she'll make some of your hunters eat dirt."

Rolling on to the next bit she grunts. "We are F rank to be more spot on. There is no reason to hide it at this point, if I said E or D you would not believe me. However this job is to be our Gate into E and we have no direct guildsman overseer. As to why and to our other jobs, I've been doing security, escort and delivery missions but before this our group, minus a couple not with us took on a group of bandits that were unknowingly at our mission location, we captured most of them and killed the rest, including an older mercenary that was rather well equipped and had a host of war hounds. Our performance for that has led to an offer for jobs we normally would not have and an accelerated promotion from what I gathered.

Your mayor's job request is not a joke to me, and I assume the same for the others. We had four other jobs we were being offered, including one that paid more. So, this job decides if the guild is right in trusting us. We have only 5 days till our ride leaves and the other Guildsman is here as insurance should we fail. Your beast will be removed or dead before the week is out and you'll be back to your woods. Things did not go as I would like, but I will trust in your words, should I regret them later, only Goddess knows. At the least we should be able to kill the beast, though we will attempt to relocate it first."

Looking at the rest to see if they had anything to say, Thea had laid out her cards and was ready to move on, maybe the rest had more questions to ask? Hopefully they would not take issue with her being honest.

Interactions: AnonyMouse Mentions: @ all team A

 

[King Crimson]

Current Location: Hedwig Mansion

​

"'Special circumstances' is a rather peculiar way of saying 'handling Cephilia's unwanted chores,' " Cressey flatly countered, heaving a small defeated sigh as her scornful eyes took a sudden interest in some particular tree somewhere far off in the horizon.
Not the satisfactory answer she'd hoped for, but at the very least, it curtailed her fear that their first mission had failed so spectacularly, it had the dishonor of creating new precedent within the guild.
And that besides, the fear that was beginning to behave like that smug, haughty, technophilic Caskaerith was enough to make her drop the matter.
Eventually her attention fell on the small, familiar blue bird that fluttered around the group like a small, blue sprite, eventually coming to rest atop her arm, curiously bobbing around to and fro, chirping mirthfully, just as it had this morning.
Holding the the bird before her, Cressey returned it's affections with an unkind frown, making it clear that she was still very much upset with it.
She wouldn't forgive it just because of the lovely song it sang for her...
Or the way it preened it's soft, downy, baby blue feathers...
Or the way it tilted it's head ever so slightly, gazing up at her in anticipation with it's cute, black, beady eyes...
"Alright, fine! I forgive you..." Cressey quietly acquiesced, nuzzling the creature's soft, tender neck with the back of her forefinger in quiet defeat, before letting it take to the air once more, where it then dove into the messy tangle of silken white hair atop Lori's head.

After several more minutes of walking, the dirt and stone roads gave way to finely polished marble, and the sea of commoners dressed in simple practical clothes gave way to interspersed gatherings of finely dressed men and women, followed usually by an entourage of one or two humble man and maidservants.
Cressey's stomach twisted itself into knots at the sight of them, some memories threatening to bubble up to surface, which she pushed right back down, struggling to keep her face set in stone before her comrades.
Eventually their destination came in sight, a small building, relative to it's neighbors, painted a rich, bright blue, framed with large panes of glass, and emblazoned with a symbol of a stork carrying a small crate in it's ginormous beak.
...What a peculiar crest... Cressey mused to herself, trying to ascertain some meaning from the bizarre symbol. Evidently, a few of her comrades seemed equally unimpressed, if their faces were anything to go by.
Upon knocking on the door, they were greeted by a tall, well-trimmed man, and escorted immediately to perhaps the most finely furnished room Cressey had seen in quite some time, seated at a rather exquisitely large table, glass, much like the building around it, and served fine, porcelain cups of tea by the manor's servants.
The smell was familiar to her, as was the taste; springdrop tea, freshly brewed.

The house's master soon entered, greeting the crew with the practiced poise of someone who had lived in the lap of luxury, and to Cressey's surprise; a deep respect for the members of the Kriegslowe guild.
...Well, besides Lori; he seemed a bit taken aback by her wild appearance, and that of of her new nestmate, which was a bit more within her expectations.
As the others began questioning their new client on details of the job, Cressey, for the most part, sat silently in her seat, studying her comrades questions, and reflecting on how Hedwig's responded to them in between savoring sips of sweet, invigorating tea.
She particularly enjoyed Endymion's performance; it was entertaining to see the trembler show some bravado and bombast, compared to his earlier hesitance.
She felt another knot in her stomach forming in her stomach when Hedwig mentioned the possibility that she might be spending another afternoon in a dark, decrepit space, dirtying her spear with vermin, possibly something worse...
However, that line of thinking brought forth a small, minor detail that piqued her interest.
"Three abandoned warehouses, owned by the company of an affluent trio of brothers, full to the brim with treasures that may not be missed by their equally wealthy benefactors?"
"Sounds like the perfect spot for some breed of criminal to make some quick, ill-gotten feln..." Cressey swiftly interjected, leaning back in her seat, and crossing her arms across her chest, her eyes staying intently locked on the man.
Leaning forwards in her chair, and propping her head atop her interlocked hands, she asks "Do you have anything in terms of security for these warehouses?"

​

Interacting:
Arien ( Reinhardt )
Lupa ( Silver Wolf )
Lori ( ERode )
Endymion ( lunar_moth )
Talio ( TreasureSniper )

 

[ERode]

Location: Kriegslöwe Guildhall, Tylsen​

“Ah, apologies for the little birdie, Mister Heine,” Lori chimed, her own head snapping back as Zest sounded out her own discontent. “Zest’s pretty feisty with strangers, y’see. I’m sure she’ll warm up if you served her whatever drink fancy birdies got to sip on though!”

Regardless of whether or not there was tea suitable for the tongue of a bird though, the birdkin courier was happy to listen along as everyone had their round robin of questions and answers with the illustrious businessman, showing a focus that was decidedly lacking when Arien had unleashed his own spiel. That was the difference between an orator and an employer after all! Lori was never going to be in trouble if she zoned out during a speech, but when it came to job details? Well, reading was way harder than listening, so she always listened the hardest so she didn’t have to read!

It really did seem like a pretty simple job though. Storage spaces for unclaimed property wasn’t anything insane, and the fact that most of them had been left unclaimed made it likely that they weren’t all that big on the value side of things either. Considering the nature of what Mister Heine was describing, the rats that previous investigations came across were just happy to have a little home, rather than living it up and breaking open bottles of rich-people-champagne.

Well, Lori didn’t have any big interest in squashing vermin. The professionals that came in later could do that. Rather, as Cressey finished her own set of questions, possessing that same spirit of inquiry that Endy and Lupa had, the wild-haired girl popped her head back into the conversation again, leaning forward.

“And can we, like, call you Hedwig? Cause I just realized that if you had two brothers, they’d all also be Mister Heines which could be pretty weird for you. Or do you have like, a business name that you go by?” Well no, maybe the other brothers changed their last names due to marrying up? “Do they go by Mister Heine too?”

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: talking to locales
Thinking: "Well we finally got some info. Should probably apologize.."

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission AnonyMouse
Mentions: Huntertabbysandshark3
​

Hyss glanced at Risax when he rebuked them. Then turned a bit red in the face -around the nose area, frowning. Hmph! She quickly turned away, folding her arms. I defended him!

As if they'd just 'so kindly' do that! If they would, then we wouldn't be caught in this deadlocked situation! The hooded girl huffed in her mind at Risax's blase attitude and "look, I'm a nice guy" routine.

Frankly, the man's responses to Lucia were exhausting. When he said just go into the woods Hyss was just about to actually take him up on that. The woods at least wouldn't be a huge headache like this bunch of brutes, but if just running straight to the woods was an option then they would've already done that instead of gone through this whole fiasco. Of course they go to the woods! No one stopped anyone from doing that. But just going into the woods was supposedly the problem. It would be foolish to just walk in there without knowing what dangers lurked within. But at this point maybe they should just take their chances. They were all just wasting their time. Oddly Hyss did agree on one thing he said; it appeared like there was too many of them for a simple job such as this one, but what could you do? They were already all here, invested. And more allies was always better than less.

Hyss kept back behind the group as they all made their way to the entrance. However, once the man started talking -FINALLY. She flashed him a look with a little frown. He was talking NOW?! Actually giving information?? It was still slightly vague, but it was the precise type of vague. Names, exact times, even the freaking thing's fur color! Plus lifted up 10 feet from the ground? That wasn't something a bear or coyote could do! Why were they so against revealing this information until now? Her mouth furrowed into a squiggle as she tried to understand these people.

But she at least felt some relief the man finally started talking. And he was forthcoming enough that the little snek settled down.

It was curious why another Kriegslöwen was investigating the matter before them. In fact, Hyss couldn't figure out why. Why were they put on this mission if someone else was already on it? It wasn't suspicious, it was just odd. Surely that wasn't the 'observer' they had heard about. It sounded like a different person from the guild. What were they going to do if the Caskerieth had already taken care of the beast? Ahhh.. what a waste of time...

Thea claimed that that was their observer. Hyss flashed her a side-look. You don't know that. She thought inwardly. Though, ah, it was probably a good guess. It was a bit unnerving to have a violent observer, but again, what could you do. Hyss, also, wasn't entirely okay with such honesty, but supposed it was a reward for the information the man finally provided, and was also a bit of a way to ease some tension.

Hyss found herself not really thinking of much more that needed to be said. She stepped before the man, and placed her hands together on her knees, then bent down giving him a bow deep enough that only her hood was visible. "Thank you for the information, good sir. We may be new to the guild, but we'll use all the skills we have to solve this issue. Your logging business won't be halted for much longer. Bear with it a bit longer. Forgive our rudeness." With that, the hooded girl stepped away, placing herself behind the others, disappearing into their shadows.

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

The situation went from bad to worse, which Lucia expected. At this point, it was clear that they didn't take them seriously or were hiding something, perhaps both. Either way, they weren't going to impart what little information they had, so the Caskarieth was satisfied with slapping them with her own retorts before they left to converse with those with more rationale. She carried her smirk with her as they grew aggravated, holding a childish pride that she could aggravate them better than their petty insults and rude demeanor could her. This smirk continued as Hyss spoke up, then faded into one of confusion as Sakura did her stunt. Finally, it was replaced by a scowl of displeasure as Risax played the "good cop".

Uncivilized, meanwhile their first remark was to ignore their inquiries to gawk at a beastkin. These damnable peasants wanted to make their mission unnecessarily difficult. Haven't seen it. Apparently can scale trees or so I've heard. Someone was attacked in the northern part of the woods. That was all it would have taken for the team to thank them for their time and move on. Quick, simple, and easy. However, no, they wanted play games. Lucia was tired of games.

As they were led out, surprisingly their leader spoke what was known and did give them what information the workers knew. This only served to irritate Lucia further. Why in the Goddess' name was this not served at the pretense of the conversation?!

She wanted to speak up again for all this wasted bloody time, but then Hyss spoke up and was surprisingly cordial despite it. Lucia knew she probably felt the same as her and sighed, opting to speak with less confrontational verbiage than planned.

"Perhaps at the onset, however it should have been obvious that we are not this woman's minions when we inquired about what we had. You also could have been rid of us then and there by just saying such," Lucia stated, folding her arms calmly. "As for qualifications, that bandit group also was accompanied by a rogue mage. Aside from that, I was combat trained by my uncle, who was a C-rank Kriegslowen. None of us are amateurs, or weaklings, and this isn't comedic. We endeavor to do well with this, for our own sakes as well as for this town."