Fantasy The Guild of the Desperate (IC)

[Kylesar1]

"I don't care if there is a thong stuck up your fat crack!" A booming voice roared, almost shaking the foundation of the castle, "I put you there to deal with the requests of this kingdom. DEAL WITH IT!!..........." The voice was like corrosive acid rain, and the man's bowed body and head was the only thing keeping it from showing on his face. He wanted to curl up into a ball, but they'd probably just say he looks enough like a ball as is. Damnit, the man thought, Why did I bother trying to start a guild. This is what happens when a knight retires, lets himself go, and then try to get back into things without training. "........or I'll have your fat rendered for the hogs, your blood for the alchemists, your skeleton for the necromancers, and your thumb of a head for public ridicule!"

Having no recourse and no rebuttal, the man kept his head down as he spoke. "Yes, my king. I will deal with it as quickly as I can." He felt absolutely spineless. Long gone are the days where being yelled at could be shrugged off as nonsense the moment he left their sight. This was the KING, Literal word of law, someone who could have him killed just because he didn't like him

"Get the fat out of your brain, Guildmaster. I'll grant you one last loan. Henceforth, if this guild requires a gold piece from my treasury for so much as a QUILL to write with, I'll send you back into retirement." Didn't take a detective to know the threat behind the words. It made him shudder.
"Yes, my king. I will return with good news and good news only."
"30 days starting from tomorrow, I want you in front of me the moment those gates open." The King stood up. "So let it be written, so let it be done." With a snort, the king took his leave. "DISMISSED!"

A piece of paper conjured in front of the man. Written on parchment, it was the orders to appear in front of the king in 30 days, with punishment for tardiness being 2 days imprisonment for each minute of tardiness, and missing it being assumed to be failure thus death. The royal scribe looked to the man. "Sorry, guildmaster," she said, "I hope your next 30 days bring about a turn of luck. This was to be written on Paralysis Parchment." The royal scribe was known to be fairly empathetic. However, she was a witch and her accursed words were used to write the king's word of law into words of power. If he missed appearing in the throne room, the curse in this parchment would have him paralyzed, likely to be dragged out and beheaded by the executioner.
The knight tapped his polearm against the throneroom floor. "You've been dismissed, guildmaster. Exit promptly." The voice was familiar, as was the location. A knight he was in charge of just a few years prior back when the knight was some starry-eyed initiate, standing where he himself stood a few years back from that, in his days as the King's Black Knight.

The man picked himself up and rolled up the Paralysis Parchment with the Lawful Order written on it. Whether he took it or not, it would find him so he may as well not pretend it doesn't exist.

 

[Kylesar1]

Toron


Population: 300,000 (Upwards of 400,000 during the Commerce Festival)
Primary Species: Human
Military Size: 25,000 Troops
​

Toron is the capital city of the Kraiven Empire. Housing the Lineon Castle, named after its first king, Toron is, like most capital cities of most countries and most kingdoms, the most prosperous cities in the region. The capital city of Toron is a merchant's playground. Every 2 weeks there is a merchant gathering for all prominent merchants to sell their wares. Once every 6 months at the Summer Solstace, there is what's deemed as a Commerce Festival, a huge 3 day event where merchants from far and wide rent a small bit a land and sell their wares. It is not uncommon for aristocrats and even royalty from other nations to come and partake in the grand capitalist festivities that is the Commerce Festival

Toron is mainly inhabited by humans, though it is known to be one of the more progressive locales. This lends itself to an incredibly diverse military full of humans and non-humans alike, who all live and work in harmony. The military might is known throughout the region, specializing in blitzkrieg utilizing their massive numbers, that is more than 50% bigger than kingdom in 2nd place. While there are sects of the city with a higher non-human population, Toron is largely human territory

Lineon Castle is the dwelling of Kraiven's current monarch, King Hemhart. As a descendant of Giants, Hemhart stands at 9 feet tall. Housing an ENORMOUS body that brims with strength, Hemhart is certainly an intimidating figure, and he showed that dominance on the battlefield by standing with his men as he crushes opponents relentlessly. However, the man is known to be an incredibly gentle giant. His public appearances are frequent, his promises kept and his policies fair. Hemhart is a king of benevolence, Toron is prosperous overall

A Pathetic Request to Join a Pathetic Guild by a Pathetic Man




Vespera Marine "Hermes" Seyres
Toron---------> Stoneroses HQ- Lobby
​

A young girl weaved though the city like a lightning bolt. The girl wasn't panting but her mind was racing. "GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!!" A group of thugs chased her, armed to the teeth with blades drawn and intent malicious. How did she get here? Well.......Ves was a renowned mail courier, someone approved by Hemhart himself to carry Royal Decrees. That made her an incredibly desirable target, and that didn't even get into the fact that she was, well, a young girl. That made her desirable in a much much more nefarious reason. Royal Decrees could fetch a high price as the cursed parchment they were written on could be used in the black market. She also carried on her any payments from the King to the recipient. Robbing her would provide great benefit, with the small price of being on massive wanted lists for attacking a Royal Courier. It was essentially like attacking a Federal Agent.

The city was bustling like always, and Ves took in the beautiful sights as she ran. While she was trying to get away, she didn't have any form of actual urgency about her. This was nowhere near the first time she'd been chased, and she wouldn't let it be the first time she got caught. She was afforded lethal force authority to protect her delivery by decree of the King, but she's never had to use it. She did, however, have the ability to nonlethally dispatch an enemy.

Ves fumbled for her bag of rocks. Rocks. A nice easy throwable weapon. Easy to find, endlessly sustainable, capable of dispatching any enemy when thrown hard enough and, as a True Blood Vampire, she definitely had the strength to do just that. She brandished a little red pill and popped it. Her racing mind suddenly slowed down and the world was plunged into slow motion. Well.........not slow motion, but she was moving so fast, everything else seemed like slow motion. Her pinkish eyes now glowing red as Blood Empowerment kicked in, she stopped focusing on what was behind her and looked to the front. Seeing red, she took out a rock and underhand-pitched it forward, then jumped up to grab it. The vampire then spun around, took aim and flung it at her lead pursuer's leg. With expert precision, the rock blasted into the pursuer's knee, shattering it and sending him tumbling to the ground. "Sorry guys!" she exclaimed apologetically but still moving on. "Royal Decrees are to be protected with my life!"

• Blood Empowerment- Passive ability: After consuming blood, for 60 seconds, the user's strength, speed, and reflexes doubles

The girl did a final jump off the roof of a building and did a somersault, but she miscalculated how fast she was moving. She truly didn't know her own strength while on her blood high, which was why she was apologetic about her shattering that man's kneecap. It wasn't her intent. Same here with her speed, as she was moving too fast to stop herself from crashing through the doors of the Stoneroses HQ. The Stoneroses were all assaulted by the sounds of the door busting open and the cheerful girl tumbling embarrassingly inside

A bit dazed and her head pained, Ves still let out a loud laugh as she thought about everything that just happened
"VESPERA!" The lobby receptionist ran over to her to tend to her. "Vespera, are you ok?! Your lovely clothes are torn! And what are these cuts?"
"I'm fine, Efi," Ves responded. Efilisa was an Arachne woman who was the guild's receptionist, was a good friend of hers. Also very motherly towards her. "Just some thugs who wanted to steal the Royal Decree I was delivering to here actually. Is Guildmaster Arnold Asella in?"
"He is, but I think he's caught in a web of depression." Efi sounded incredibly concerned


The Stoneroses were a run down guild on the verge of closing. In 30 days, if the guild couldn't pay its own bills, it would be shut down. The guild was in debt with King Hemhart and he was reaching his wit's end. The building itself was alright, but the interior was run down. Run down tables, no mess hall, few chairs, old splintered wood. Their billboard was just a piece of old wood. The place was in disrepair. The guild only had like 7 members and 2 of those were Efilisa and Arnold themselves. They put out a TON of help wanted ads around the city, with very little luck. They were forced into becoming the city's errand guild. Asella had high ambition for forming a guild that would become Hemhart's top guild, with again no luck. Having read the flyer, it really did reek of desperation, willing to take literally almost anyone at this point
WayfaringWaaksian

(It's probably better if Nancy comes in to join instead of being already joined)

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Small Fish in a Big Pond​

The capital of Kraiven was something unlike anything Nancy Noi had set his eyes on before. Its sheer size, stretching miles this way and that, was mind-boggling. Its columns of fantastic stonework, reaching up as if to pierce the distant skies, were awe-inspiring. And its vast population of people, of all sizes and shapes and dress... was nerve-wracking.
"I didn't know you could fit that many people in one place," was his idle thought, one that was spoken aloud by the purple crystal fitted in his necklace. It had meant to be only a thought, but the magic device had a habit of picking up on more than he wanted to relay. Figuring out its little quirks was still proving itself a tedious endeavor, and only fueled his fears that the thing would repeat something terribly embarrassing in front of someone.

Though that was just one of his many, many fears. Some admittedly less rational, like one of the humans' beasts of burdens freeing itself from its binds and rushing to maul him, or him walking out of a bedroom forgetting to put on his robes. And some much more than rational. Critical, in fact. Like how he had to resort to sleeping in cheap inns or bunkhouses he managed to beg his way into. Or how he had to scrounge for scraps, pulling weeds growing between cobblestone paths and catching tiny minnows that tasted like sulfur (those waterways were... not sanitary). Or how he lost half of his remaining coin the other day when he tripped on his own flippers and landed on his face, a gaggle of giggling goblins scurrying by to sweep up the contents of his coinpurse that had flown everywhere.
In other words he was homeless, hungry, and broke. A combination that he was not at all used to, and made him miss the plentiful springs of his homeland.

I can't go back yet, he thought, this time actually remaining as a thought. It's a big city. There's bound to be someone who'll take me in, right? A dubious hope at best, considering that he had to have been blacklisted by every guild in the hold. It wasn't out of the question, the way they all slammed their doors on him at his knocking. That aristocrat he gave a potion to test his skill with was NOT happy with the results. A faulty fire-breathing elixir that turned out to be a fire-f... Nancy felt a bit ill to think on it. A tremendous screw-up on his part, in front of every renown magician in Toron. Even his dear sister Nelson wanted to pretend they had no relation after that, and he kinda couldn't blame her, as much as it stung to watch her turn her shaking head and walk away from that spectacle.

Nancy breathed a sigh, fingers pinching the tattered ends of a flyer he found soaking in a muddy puddle earlier that day. "The Stoneroses," he read, struggling to make out what little ink hadn't dissolved. "This is the only guild I haven't tried." He hadn't even seen the name on the roster of guilds before, this flyer being his one source of knowledge. Had he been walking around this strip without it, he would have passed this unremarkable building without a second thought. Why hadn't he heard of this place before, save for a little piece of cheap parchment rotting on the ground? Maybe for good reason. Maybe the hold was just as embarrassed about them as they were about Nelson's failure of a brother.

Swallowing his shame-- and nerves-- Nancy gave the HQ doors a few tentative knocks.


Kylesar1

 

[Foxxymoron]

The Phantom of the Guildhall

​

Toron, it wreaked of human stench, the kind of stench that made Yaokai shake and shiver to his very core. He hated humans as a principle, they oft chose to gawk and guffaw rather than get involved in anything where help was needed. They liked shiny things that were made of grandiose design and colors and they would get distracted easily, they'd oust their brethren if it meant saving themselves... Most of that he could live with, but the big thing that irked him was that they tended to turn a blind eye; even when things didn't seem right. It didn't matter though, he'd put that all in his past now. Of course, the past would eventually catch up with him, that's what he thought, but for now he was in the present and heading straight for the future and he wasn't about to stop in fear of anything.

Shabby.. Rundown.. Filthy.. My kind of place. He thought to himself as he stood on top of one of the few sturdy rafters in the Stoneroses Guildhall. Yaokai was small and thin and able to sneak into places others were incapable of sneaking into, he'd found a small hole in the roof of the Guild; front doors bored him, what fun was it if you knew who was coming to dinner? The Kitsune had been eavesdropping, listening in on the conversations - the few conversations - the one conversation being had. Vespera and Efi were the names he picked up, of course names were nothing to him, he was much more interested in a person's title, what they could accomplish with the skills they had. It had seemed that Vespera was some sort of delivery service, he cared little about the specific details for he only wanted info on the Guildmaster.

He'd heard about the Guild by word of mouth, how could one not? A Guild only for pathetic lowlife nobodies? A goldmine of a story. His kind of scene. Somewhere that others weren't, perhaps he'd be able to earn some cash, surely they were more willing to look the other way to his more nefarious ways of getting things done if they were small in numbers and status, plus the aesthetic felt like home. Well, one of his homes. Also not to mention the fact no other Guild would take him as he seemed to leave a sour taste in the mouth upon first meetings, it wasn't his fault, all those other Guildmasters were about teamwork and friendliness, or they were so pompous you would want an immediate restraining order. He could bite his tongue, he always had some snarky remark for them that got him thrown out.


Yaokai slid down one of the beams that supported the rafters, slowly, quietly so as not to be noticed before making himself well known, "You gonna get that? Sounds like someone's at the door."

 

[606]

The Witch Doctor
​

Quiwynn was used to business being slowly and had been staring at a help wanted poster for awhile. Leaving home only years ago and explore for only 2 of those years and ended up in Toron, becoming a doctor of sorts to the locals, but many were skeptical, yet her methods worked. So after those 2 years, she stayed here, and missed the traveling she once did, after all, not many new plants can be found, even in the black market, which she only dared to deal with only twice in her stay, both times a mistake. "Small, not recognizable as other guilds. It's not like I'm making money sitting here," She would tell herself, seemingly talking to herself but looked to her staff gently leaning against the stall she had set up. A few moments passed by, and she folded up the paper and tucked it away and grabbed their staff finally, collecting any unsold or untaken goods and packing them away, and closed up for the day, earlier than usual. It was worth a shot, after all, there is a chance she could travel around, or she heard that other guild members did.

Thus began her walk to this HQ to this guild that called themselves 'The Stoneroses'. An odd name for sure, one that didn't stand out much either, at least in their opinion. Lost in their own thought, they missed the occasional stares and whispers about them, as it was not common for a giant, let alone a giant of her kind, to be here. She had gotten used to this looks and whispers, she did stand out a lot. Mossy green hair tamped by a mushroom cap of the common toadstool, a hand knitted lavender sweater, light grey trousers with oddly shaped spots, and her bovine like feature. That added with her height, it was expected, or so she learned quickly. She turned a corner and saw a usual customer running in this direction, having run past Quiwynn only to quickly back track.

"Quinn! Wha-why are you here. Never mind that! Do you have that medicine? It the last dosage and here, the money! In full!" The human customer said. Slowly Quiwynn would stop in the street and look down with a kind smile.
"So you did manage to save? Keep it, I only made up that price so you can get yourself something nice for your wedding come next season. Here, this should last you for some time, and have your mother up and walking," Quiwynn would say softly, going into their many bags and pulled out a medium sized satchel that held a mixture of herbs to make a medicinal tea.

The number of thank you from one person was unbearable. What was more interesting was that for this one, tea one of the major components was what Quinn thought was a deadly mushroom, only when they cut, cooked, and dried the mushroom did it show it's true medical value. It was one that she was studying recently, but for now, they went back to their book and continued to walk. The rest was an uneventful walk other than the continued stares and whispers, with an occasional shout at her which Quiwynn was an expect at ignoring. Eventually, in front of a rundown, rather shabby looking building, Quiwynn found themselves in front of the Stroneroses HQ, along with what seemed to look like a walking fish, something of comparable size to herself. It wasn't the first time she herself haven't seen an unusal race, but it was rare and couldn't help but stare into the back of the head of this walking, probably talking fish, who knocked at the same door that they themselves were going to enter.

"I think we can simply walk in, dear fish friend," Quiwynn would say softly, coming up next too the aquatic humanoid and gave a small smile. "I'm here to join myself, after you, since you got here first," they said, grabbing the door handle and opened it for the other humanoid. They would wait for the other to end through the door while peering into the run-down building, looking to see if it was a small as it seemed, at least less crowded since the noise of the streets was starting to get to them. From first glance, it appeared so, which was a relief for them.

WayfaringWaaksian
Kylesar1
Foxxymoron

 

[Kylesar1]

Vespera Marine Seyres
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

There were a few absolute no's when it came to dealing with Vespera. One of those things is to startle her. As a True blood vampire, she could sense the presence of others by the smell of their blood. However, when there were multiple people present, or a complete stranger whose blood scent was unfamiliar, it could throw some things off, so when this absolute stranger of a kitsune jumped down in front of her, it sent her heart racing and the fight or flight reflexes kicked in, and with something startling her, FIGHT kicked in, not flight. A long time of having to defend herself against bandits and thieves made this already strange show of............I guess sneak-thief competence not end well

Buffed by her Blood Empowerment from the swig she took earlier which made her move immensely fast, in her startled self-defense trigger, she spun around and planted her boot straight into the gut of the kitsune man and sent him flying towards the front door, where he SHOULD be since he was effectively an intruder for NOT taking that entrance in the first place

The duo at the door got an eyeful of fox fur flying at their face. If they were lucky enough to catch Ves kicking the Kitsune early, they could open the door wide enough while moving back to preventing him from busting the door and simply landing outside at the bottom of the staircase. If they were UN-lucky, they would be unfortunate collateral to this intruder's little stunt as they would be hit by his flying body. If they were malicious (or just startled), they would simply shut the door and then open it once the inevitable bang against the door came, then simply open it and walk in

Regardless, upon looking in and taking in the entire picture, they'd see the vampire Ves with her currently glowing red eyes, having just drawn a thick baton....... and they'd see an Arachne woman looking around in panic, clearly trying to figure out what to do. "Efi," Ves said, spotting the non-intruding newcomers, "Go take care of those two. I'll handle the intruder."

Ves took a decisive step towards the Kitsune. "State your business. Rundown guild or not, this place is still under the direct eye of King Hemhart." In other words, as bad as this place looked, he had still just broken into what's essentially a federal building. If he got carried off, he may be looking into a direct trial under the king himself. Those tended to be incredibly harsh. "I am known as Hermes. You can't escape, so don't try." While the Kitsune didn't care for names, the title should absolutely ring a bell if he hang around Toron often. Hermes was a vampiric mail courier, her services preferred by King Hemhart and Toron at large. Yeah, he couldn't outrun her in his wildest dreams.

Foxxymoron

Efilisa the Receptionist
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

"Eh, eh, eh!" So much just happened in such a short period of time! First, Vespera comes crashing in with cuts in her clothes to deliver a Royal Decree and a Divine Decree to Guildmaster, then in one fell swoop, they get a sneak-thief who drops in to get kicked to the front door, right as 2 people who seem like applicants come in. Why does this have to happen to me, she thought frantically. She just wanted enough money to open a shop so she could pursue sewing light armor and fashionable. Arachne silk sold for high prices, and rich aristocratic women would pay top dollar for fashionable clothing. Problem? Money! Vespera always had weird stuff happening around her and Efi herself would always end up dragged into it somehow.........and here she was, having to sell their rundown guild right when Ves was going in to apprehend an intruder. What would they think? Oh, God Anasi, help me please. Oh wait, Anasi was a trickster god. He was laughing his 8 limbs off right now seeing her quivering in her exoskeleton

Oh, right! Guildmaster said he'd give her bonus commission atop of her base pay if she could get people to join the guild, and they were here........to join right? No way a fish man and a..........a thing were tax collectors, so she approached them, making sure not to get in the way of Ves or her target. "Come, come this way," she said to the duo with nervous laughter, "This happened at an unfortunate time. The woman who just kicked that Kitsune man is Vespera, a mail courier and part time member of the Stoneroses," she said, trying to keep their attention away from what was going on. "That man is completely unknown and entered through unknown means, hence why Vespera had to resort to immediate apprehension efforts. I hope you understand with that in mind." She gave an apologetic bow. Her voice was as smooth as the silk she produced. Definitely a contrast to what could seem like an intimidating presence. She was working on magic to change her appearance. She always took pride in her appearance, but recognized that if she looked like an otherwise normal human with just spider limbs extending from her back, she wouldn't be anywhere near as intimidating to most. Instead? She was essentially a "spider-centaur" as she's heard herself described before...........but people love horses

"So I see you're holding one of the flyers for our guild." This was poorly drawn. Efi could draw incredibly well, but this wasn't her art. This was Asella's..........who drew like he only attempted when he was getting tazed. Her drawing ability wasn't free and Arnold couldn't afford to have her draw all these up. She didn't even know why he insisted that there needed to be a drawing on it. His handwriting was decent. "I'm hoping that, with that flyer, you're considering joining our guild. As you can see, eh........." she pointed out at the build in a bit of disrepair and barebones for a guild building. To her credit, the place was absolutely spotless. A perk of having her around is that she kept the place absolutely spotless........however, compared to Hemhart's current premier guild, the Crimson Embers, they may as well be setting up shop in an ancient ruin. This was an immensely clean rundown building. "We're here under a foolish man to build this guild up. King Hemhart wants this guild to be the Capital City's errand guild, handling mostly miscellaneous requests that don't necessarily require taking down dangerous beasts in lands far away." As excited as taking on dangerous beasts in far away places sounded, one injury you're too late to heal, and you're done as an adventurer. "Our best bet to begin is in building reputation of the guild. So, are you interested in joining?"
WayfaringWaaksian 606

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

"AH-- O-Oh!" So entrenched in his thoughts, Nancy hadn't noticed he wasn't the only one around, jumping at the voice from above. And above certainly was the word. Nancy had already gotten used to standing above most of the humans in this city, and while there were a few outliers near or above his own height, this individual was absolutely towering. He sort of wondered how he didn't notice this approach; had he been in that deep of thought, or were their footsteps that quiet?
He might have let himself get intimidated if it weren't for this fellow's gentle voice and kind face. "Um... thank you." And politesse, evidently, holding the door open for him. Nancy didn't like keeping people waiting on him, so he was quick to accept the gesture. Apparently he wasn't the only one, since a body came barrelling at him.

The next sound that came out of his communicator was more likened to what a squashed mouse would squeak. Ironic that a tiny fox fellow could land a dent in his six foot plus frame, but at whatever unholy speed they were launched at, it felt like being hit with a cannon ball. And now, laying on the ground, it felt like he was getting crushed by a cannon ball. Trapped between two hard objects activated the fish part of his brain, which said: wiggle and writhe until he escaped.
Either Nancy popped out or the fox person was quick to recover and hop to his feet, whichever came first. Once freed, he scurried away on awkward fin feet, not quite hiding behind the giant but sort of next to them? "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know we were supposed to wait!" Stepping past the doorway had gotten him clobbered, so was that retaliation for an unwanted entry?

Well... no, apparently. This was just how they kicked intruders out, as the spider woman who ushered them inside explained. "That seems--" needlessly excessive, but-- "okay," he managed to cut himself off before speaking it in full. Hands resting over the aching spot on his long chest communicated enough discontentment with that course of action, whether his intention or not. "Ummm..."
One look around the place told him enough. This certainly was a guild that the roster either didn't want or care if others knew about it. Chairs that looked like they'd fall apart upon the next rear that sat on them, tables that could crumble under the weight of a cup of coffee, and walls that couldn't have received a touch-up in the last few decades. There not being a speck of dust or a whiff of mildew only made the disrepair more visible. This guild member even called the man she worked for "foolish", which wasn't exactly selling the place.

But how did that human saying go, again? Begging can't be choosing, or something? "I'm... interested." Which wasn't saying much, when he'd take someone simply OFFERING him a job at this point. Especially when he was still homeless, hungry, and broke. "Is this a board and breakfast sort of deal?" The beds were probably piles of hay, and the breakfast... lets be honest, if they can't afford nails to fix those chair legs, they couldn't afford a basket of stale biscuits. But a bed was a bed, and to get food all you needed was money anyway. "What's the pay like? Is it by the job?"


Kylesar1
Foxxymoron
606

 

[Foxxymoron]

The blow had definitely hurt, but no more than the pains he'd endured in the past, both physical and emotional. Kai could take a beating, perhaps that was a worthy attribute, no amount of torture would ever get him to talk. But this wasn't torture, this was misunderstanding. Kai didn't show his pain, he kept it inside, and while it was causing his stomach to twist and turn and writhe in agony, he wouldn't let show that that was the case. "Escape you?" The Kitsune had stumbled up a bit and was on one knee after landing on the fishman, which, noted: there was a fishman. "Why would I want to escape from where I believe I belong?" He was now fully standing, he bit his his cheek slightly to ignore the stomach pain. "Wanted to see what you'd do... If I snuck in... Maybe show off some of my skills. You are hiring for this Guild, correct?"

Kai didn't waste time getting to his point, he wanted in. The place was rundown but this girl who had effectively assaulted him was strong, he liked that, meant that there was potential. "Look. My name is Yaokai, I come from lands far away in search of a place to belong. A place to help me find some answers about myself... Course you can't find answers without money either, so I figured I'd sneak in, try to join after assessing a few things... You have a hell of a kick, y'know that?" He threw his head back and laughed uproariously. It hurt him incredibly, was that a broken rib? Nah, he'd be fine. "Sorry for startling you... I honestly didn't think you'd attack so fast. I've heard word that this Guild is lacking, but you seem to be a powerhouse... Of course one powerhouse does not a Guild make." He felt he had a point, this place was still in debt even with so called 'Hermes' here. "You need range... Not a one trick pony. No offense. I just am saying that a wide variety of skills would be good. Think about it, right?"

"Look, I wanna join, you need me. As you can see I can sneak into small areas, and I can do it undetected, I don't know the kind of jobs you're offering but I'm sure that's useful in some regard. I'm willing..." He staggered for a moment but didn't falter too noticeably. "To put aside our little spat here... If you're willing to admit you need more critters here to make this Guild successful and sign me up. I'll be by the book from now on... Well, I guess it depends all on what the book says, I'm not saying prayers by a campfire and holding hands with no one but weigh your options here. I was able to sneak in and surprise you. That surely counts for something... Hermes." He was cocky but he was being honest, he felt he could bring a lot to the table, he just hoped that his explanation was good enough, he'd much prefer not to be tossed in a dungeon... Again.

 

[606]

Quiwynn "The Witch Doctor"
Stonerose HQ - Lobby​

It was a lot at once as all they could do was stand holding the door quietly watching the scene play before them. A fox flying at a fish, it should be rather the opposite, and the strong young girl who went by the name Vespera, and is the famous Hermes they heard about at least once during their time here so far. They made a quick look up and down at the fox and then the fish person, seeing if there was any immediate need for medical care. Quietly they would squat down to further look at the fox and then at the small girl. They would approach this fox later about the possibility of being hurt, but also make sure the fish person was okay and would stand back up and step inside the doorframe, not wanting to crowd up the entrance anymore. "Interesting greeting for sure, but I am here to join as well," they said fully giving the spider receptionist their full attention.

Stepping more inside the building, despite its shabby look, it was at least clean. There were no odd plants growing inside like mold, though some fresh plants inside the building would be nice, making it feel less, sad. They would stand back quietly as this fellow prospect guild member asked more questions, putting their book away in one of their many bags, occasionally looking back at the fox, knowing that whoever sent them flying must have hurt something, and it was in their nature to want to fix whatever that may be.

"On top of all that information, my fishy friend asked, how does one join a guild? I'm not too familiar with how things work, pay and such is not as important to me, I'd liked to join either way and like to do what I need to do to join," they said, smiling slightly, mostly wanting to join and find a nice quiet corner, the two smaller creatures where rather noisy and Quiwynn didn't enjoy that very much, that ontop of the already busy streets to get here from the market place? It was a lot already.

Kylesar1
WayfaringWaaksian

 

[Kylesar1]

Vespera Marine "Hermes" Seyres
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

Hmmmm. She tapped the Baton against her shoulder, thinking. It wouldn't do to turn down this intruder. It doesn't look like he stole anything, and Arnold needed all the help he could get. He literally couldn't afford to turn anyone down. He was in too pathetic a position to do so. She wasn't even fully part of this guild, so hell if it were her problem. Arnold would pay her commission for getting him to join. "You're in no position to tell me what you will and won't be doing." Ves said coldly. He had a lot of gall to break in and then try to stipulate his demands. He was in no place to do anything but obey. His choice was to be a Stonerose or an inmate. "I don't care if the Guild has you praying to a God that hunts your kind specifically. You will do it, or I will haul you to King Hemhart myself to rot in a dungeon." She could smell his internal bleeding. Kai was putting on a hell of an act for someone who needed medical attention.

"EFI!" Ves yelled, "This fox here is my commission! Sign him up for me!"
She looked to the fox, "After you sign up, go get medical attention." Ves stood by, iron sights set on Kai to ensure he doesn't try to run, making sure he'd limp his tail over to Efi and join the guild

Efilisa the Receptionist
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

So Ves was willing to overlook this sneak-thief if he joined this guild? It was more like blackmail. Knowing Vespera, she wanted to haul this fox off to King Hemhart, but it took everything in her to NOT do so. Not that Ves was any sort of guard or superhero, but she did have a little bit of a sense of justice about her. Startling her was a massive mistake indeed, but still. This was an absolute win. They get 3 new members, Ves gets commission, she gets 2x commission, this kitsune doesn't go to jail. Efi's smile brightened at the thought of her incoming payday, and it showed in her voice.

"As a member of a guild, we do things mostly by commission. As a receptionist, I get paid hourly plus commission per person I get to join." She pointed over to the billboard, which actually had a few requests tacked to it. Like 5 or so. "The billboard is where we take requests. Take the request, bring it to me, I'll enchant it. You take it to the client who made the request. Fulfill the request, client signs it. Bring me back the signed by the client." Her eyes narrowed, and especially passed over Kai. "If it's not signed by the client, I cannot give you a reward for it. I make the paper this guild uses. Defrauding a guild is a minimum sentence of 5 years in the cells. Who knows what King Hemhart would do to someone who defrauds a guild that he himself is personally funding......." She had to give that word of warning. No conman would be able to defraud someone as attention to detail oriented as an Arachne. To spin things with your silk was as important as the strength of said silk. Her eye could see any minutiae that would entail a forged signature.

As for the requests themselves, Efi definitely didn't like doing it, but if Ves had packages or mail to deliver, she was like one of only 2 others who could take it. "If you take room and board, you get 70% of your reward money per job, and 30% covers those expenses." Buying an inn room every night along with eating at these taverns would rack up fairly quickly. Taking a guild room and cafeteria food allowed one to save money even if they were losing 30% per job. If times got slow, they still had a place to stay. "Otherwise, should you not desire that, you get 100% of the reward money you receive from the job. Once put into contract, only renewing the contract will allow you to change your stipulation, so choose wisely."

On to the other jobs. "There are extra duty jobs one can take around the guild. Like receptionist." she giggled. They didn't need another receptionist right now. Too few members to justify taking another one. "There is also alchemist, who makes potions. Forager/Hunter, who provides food for the guild. Cleaner, which I take as well, who.........cleans. That's about all we have open. As we grow, more extra duty jobs will open." From being the receptionist and the resident cleaner, Efi was in her comfort zone. Being an Arachne made taking on missions quite a hit or miss with the populace. Them running from her in fear actually kind of hurt her feelings, so she made it a thing to take as few of these requests as possible

Efi moved behind her desk and came back with some paper and quills. The paper had runic script written at the top and the bottom. This symbolized magic-enchanted parchment. On it was basic information prompts. Nothing anyone hasn't filled out before unless they were illiterate. If they had a different native tongue than English, they would see it in their native language. "This is magic parchment. If you have magic, you should be able to fill this out in an instant. Otherwise, you'll need to fill this out. Bring it back when complete."
WayfaringWaaksian Foxxymoron 606

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Nancy Noi​

This was a lot for Nancy to take in at once. Between that fox man getting battered and scolded-- well, threatened more like, gauging what he heard when he peeked over his shoulder-- himself being unfortunate collateral damage, and all the information this admittedly intimidating spider woman was rattling off, his mind was buzzing. She was notably very quick to warn against any illicit practices, no doubt due to that sneak thief's presence, and Nancy felt a little chill of nervousness. Five years for fraud? This King Hemhart was a strict ruler. Not that forgery wasn't punishable where he was from, but one would get an irritated slap on the wrist in comparison to rotting away in a cell for years. At least, that's how he viewed it. Working away hours of community service was a more desirable fate. Though it seemed like their little trespasser was being given a chance at atonement before getting tossed into a cell.

The more the receptionist talked, the less of a fear response Nancy got being in her presence. Unfortunately, he would have been one of those individuals gawking in terror if she approached him back in his own home. She was easy to mistake with some of the feral beasts that stalked the outskirts of the springs. But this woman was too pleasant and kindly to make that mistake a second time. He was going to have to continue getting used to different sorts of people, gauging by this melting pot he found himself in already.
As for what she was offering, things were starting to look a little more desirable. Or... less undesirable, rather. Commission work was fine by him, even if some of that pay was going into board if he decided to live here. It wasn't a question; with nowhere to go, he'd take up that offer that in an instant. On top of that, he could get an hourly payment with guild duty. Alchemist was his immediate thought, but given what happened last time he shared his potion-crafting prowess... well, it depended on how desperate these guys were. And damn, they were pretty desperate.

Taking an offered parchment and quill, Nancy retreated to a corner of the hall, somewhere to read the contract and a table to place it on while he wrote. He avoided sitting on the one chair to pair with the table, opting to stand. That rag holding its broken leg together didn't instill any confidence of its integrity. Nancy was sure to read the stipulations carefully, mulling over it longer than most would. He didn't want to accidentally sign himself up for some sort of slave labor deal. Not that he completely distrusted these people, just a precaution he learned well before integrating himself into human society. He needed to make sure he could leave in a pinch in case... things happened. Who knew.


Kylesar1
606
Foxxymoron

 

[606]

Quiwynn "The Witch Doctor"
Stonerose HQ - Lobby​

Quiwynn would glance behind them for a moment hearing something about medical attention and looked at the fox for a brief moment. Maybe it was out of their own skill set but it doesn't hurt to try either way. Whats slightly more important was joining this guild. She would turn back towards Efilisa, listening thoughtfully as she went over the general over view of the guild. Event other jobs, which sounded rather interesting to Quiwynn. While her own personal business was fine, perhaps moving to the guild could be helpful on its own. Thinking about, she would ask about more about that later and would take the parchment as well from the spider receptionist. She looked it over for a brief moment before with a gentle wipe of her hand, a soft green glow appeared, and she filled out the form, deciding to take the room and board since she doesn't really have a place, just been rooming with someone random at a tavern she's been paying to live at for...a very long time.

"Here you go, and you said there were other jobs like forger and alchemist, I would be interested in those jobs if at all possible," Quiywnn said, handing back the parchment. "I had a minor medical business for awhile, so I have experience with forging and mixing minor healing mixtures, or some call them potions but it's not really potions-thats not important." She would laugh awkwardly, trying their best not to go on a rant about the difference between what she makes and and potions. Though not many really care about the difference, there was a distinct difference that mattered to her, after all, she didn't want to sell something to someone and they were expecting a true potion, not her herbal remedies of sorts.

"Of course I understand if I cannot take the job right away, and have to take on a few request before doing so," they added in quickly, knowing that takingon extra jobs having just joined might not be allowed, then again, given the state of the guild they might allow them to take on a job or two. Maybe they could bring back some seeds and other plants and even start a garden! Growing food was always the most cost effective, and with her abilities, Quiwynn was able to harvest plants even earlier. It was a little cheaty to use their magic to finish growing plants little by little every day but, it was great to have excess food in the winter time.

Kylesar1

 

[Foxxymoron]

Kai didn't dare speak a word more, he just listened now and nodded when appropriate. He found this one amusing, he was used to being talked to the way she had been talked to him, even the beating wasn't anything he couldn't handle after what he'd been through, but it still damn hurt. Kai did just as Ves wanted, he followed and listened to Efi as she explained the whole deal with the Guild. He was fine with it, nothing could be worse than the cold nights alone without earning any money.

Kai took his contract, he considered not taking the 30 cut but decided it was probably best to have a confirmed place to crash and eat. He'd be able to sleep on a metal floor with spikes jutting out if he needed to, but a bed would be nice. Kai was also intrigued at the idea of a Forager, he had a decent sense of smell and was interested in the extra cash. "Foraging.. Sounds like something I'd be down to try." That is, if they thought he wasn't trying to poison them, they obviously already had an ill opinion of the Kitsune.

After filling out his contract Kai returned. "The one who kicked my ass told me to get medical attention."

 

[Kylesar1]

Efilisa the Receptionist
Lobby​

Medical attention? Indeed. Efi knew Ves's strength under Blood empowerment and she also saw the state Kai was trying to keep covered. Efi took his contract and looked over it to make sure it was filled out and signed. "If Vespera suggests it," she said while reading, "you probably have internal bleeding." Neither of these women had X-Ray vision, but things concerning the bloodstream was something Ves could sense. Poison, disease/sickness, drunkenness, and yes internal bleeding. "You have 2 choices: I can give you a potion, which will come out of your pay when you complete your first job, or I can wrap you in silk and heal you for the small price of an hour of manual labor. Oh, and potential intense claustrophobia that may come from being wrapped in my silk." As smooth and kind as she herself sounded while saying that, it sounded morbid as hell to be completely wrapped in an Arachnoid's silk. "I'll give you time to decide while I take on the others here and solidify membership."

• Health Potion- A brewed mixture of enchanted herbs and painkillers. Unlike Stim Shots, these take more ingredients and a process to brew it. Usually made by alchemists, it takes a higher level of experience to make them both stronger and with less-no side effects. High level potions can be pretty expensive, especially in smaller towns/villages with few-no alchemists
  • Effect: In general, potions immediately heals and begins sealing minor wounds. Bigger/Worse wounds require higher level potions.

Efi took the other two's contracts and looked over them. Nodding in approval, she moved behind her desk and pulled out a stamper. "With the power vested in me as a receptionist," she said, all 6 eyes closed and the stamper glowing. Joining guilds were an official process, not some walk in and walk out kind of affair. "I now pronounce you members of Guild Stoneroses. You are now a committed member of the guild and as such, may not join any other guild in Toron without termination of contract under Guild Stoneroses. You are expected to carry out duties under King Hemhart and the duties of any and all jobs you so choose to contract yourself to. You are expected to being great name to the guild and not undermine it or its operations."

"So written and signed under Arnold Asella, Guildmaster of Guild Stoneroses."

Each of the contracts floated into the air and burned up in flame and down floated a card with a crest on top of it. "These are your cards and crests," Efi told them, handing it all back to them. "Happy hunting!"

Vespera Marine Hermes Seyres
Lobby---------> West Wing​

After the initiation was done, Ves stepped over to the trio. At least 2 out of the 3 seemed promising, though even she couldn't deny that Kai's sneakiness would come in handy. Still, unless he wanted his next potion to come out of pocket, he'd better think next time. If it were her baton in his head, he'd be dealing with a fierce concussion if not a cracked skull. "You. Kai. After you get medical attention, we'll be at the barracks. Exit out the front and the building is out to the left behind this one." Upon looking to the other two, her demeanor perked up. She was still not enthused about Kai in the slightest. "For the others, let me show you to your rooms. They're pretty bare-boned, but it has the essentials."
With that, she began moving to the West Wing, but not before Efi tossed her a key.


The West Wing- The Residential Wing

Opening the door to the west wing, the trio would be greeted with...........a bare-boned hallway decorated with things like the guild flags, which just depicted the guild crest. The guild crest was simplistic in itself, though it wasn't unusual for small guilds to change their crest to a more extravagant one as they grow in notoriety. The hallway though was nothing to write home about. They could see at least a lack of holes, though it was in need of a paintjob to cover the high amount of chipped paint on these wooden walls, and perhaps some better lighting. On the walls there were lantern-esque posts lining it. To their credit, they used magic to light it instead of fire, but it gave off more the vibe of a cave or some kind of corridor leading to a ritualistic sacrifice about to happen when you open the final door at the end. There weren't enough there and, while that wouldn't be an issue during the day as sunlight could get in Ves personally thought they needed chandeliers. Beautiful and showed off prestige as those things were VERY expensive. Until then, they needed practical and cheap over luxurious and braggadocious. Ves's house had more chandeliers than this entire guild HQ

Ves went over to a room and pulled out a key. "These rooms are designed for 2 people, but since our numbers are low, you can consider the tour of this room a tour of all the rooms." Opening the door, what lie before them was a kitchen area with full cooking area to their left, bathroom to their right. In front of them were 2 doors. "Common area shared between you and roommate."

The doors were wide open so they could walk in. The private rooms were blank. Wooden floor, chair and desk, closet, twin-sized bed (no comforter or sheets) raised to allow under bed space, drawers for storage, window with curtain. Everything moveable to wherever they wanted. The room had what they need and ONLY what they needed. It was a barracks room, not a private house. That being said, they were at least treated like adults who had a life to live and privacy and possessions to maintain, not 2 people who had to share everything and had no privacy.

There wasn't much to it. It was a blank canvas for them to do as they will. Nothing special anywhere. She let them look around pretty quickly as there wasn't much to take in. "As I said, since you're the only few, you're free to choose your room."

------------------------------------------

Ves let all of them choose their rooms and gave them a key. "Go settle in. When you're done and ready for food, you can go show your card to a tavern called the Ragin Kraiven." she explained, "There are like 3 of them in Toron. They EXCLUSIVELY serve guildmembers and guards. They are the ones who will serve you for free, putting it on the guild's tab. Eat anywhere else and you have to pay for it." That covered room and board.
"Consider this Day 0. Tomorrow, you are expected to take something from the billboard and get to work. We need to bring in revenue asap. Since you're the city's errand guild, most of them are monotonous and easy. This is by design." Most of the other guilds are big on adventure work. Warriors, scouts, military stuff, monster slaying, escort quests. The Stoneroses are set up to be a catch-all, accepting things that even a lot of guilds find below them.
"Ciao. I'll be back tomorrow. Mail doesn't deliver on Sundays." With that, Ves began walking off. No way this girl DIDN'T have a house if she delivered for even King Hemhart
Foxxymoron WayfaringWaaksian 606

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Making out what he could of his new badge in this low light, Nancy trailed behind the group while given the tour by that scary vampire girl... he assumed? Red eyes, pointy teeth? Well, maybe scary wasn't the right term. She was too sweet and polite to be properly scary, much like the secretary. But it was scary to think she could punt a man several feet away with just a kick. So... scary when made upset. He'd take care to not make her upset.

Nancy peered into the empty rooms she presented to them. Kitchen, bathroom, private bedroom, an honest to gods BED? Barebones, but functional. Worn furniture, paint peeling off the walls, but it was livable. It was honestly looking to be better than expected. But considering that he'd been living off of weeds and pond fish, sleeping in cots of hay, it was setting a pretty low bar.
"This isn't so bad." Some looks his way queued him in that those were not merely internal words. "I-- I mean-- not that I-- Sorry! I don't mean--!" If not his crappy potions, count on his stupid loud crystal to make the worst impression possible. "It-- It's just that I haven't been finding the best sleeping arrangements lately. Like, hay bales at best, rags with bed bugs at worst--" Nancy wrung his finned hands, looking more than frazzled. "Uh-- S-Sorry, I know that's-- I'm kind of oversharing now. Um, not t-- trying to earn sympathy, I just--" Need to shut up, shut up, STOP!!

"I... I'll..." Ducking his head, hiding well into the recesses of his hood as he pulled it higher, Nancy retreated into one of the open private rooms. "I-I'll settle here. Thank you." And promptly shut it, locking himself in and any scorn directed his way out.


Kylesar1
Foxxymoron
606

 

[606]

Quiwynn "The Witch Doctor"
Lobby > Westwing​

Quiwynn delicately took their card and crest looking at it for a moment before tucking them away safely in their belongings and followed Ves to their rooms, carefully taking note of the building inside and out and peered inside the room, careful not to hit anything or their head given their size. It was clear that most things wouldn't fit the nearly 8ft still growing giant. At the same time, Quiwynn wasn't going to point it out as a problem and was simply glad that there was at least a private room if they ever needed some time alone. Before they could say anything, they looked to Nancy and them slowly rambling more and more, Quiwynn letting out a small chuckle as they took a key to the room. Some creatures were undoubtedly strange.

"Thank you so much for the tour miss, looking forward to tomorrow," They said to Ves, bowing slightly before waiting for them to head off and would decide to simply stay in this room to share with Nancy. Using up another room simply seemed like a waste.

She would begin by first putting many of her belongings in the other room, as well as her staff, but not before pulling out a few bags of tea, picking one or two, and going to the kitchen, rummaging through to find the things to be able to make some tea, letting the water begin to boil and finding two cups, and overall familiarizing herself with the place before going over to Nancy's door and gently knocked on it.

"You don't need to come out but you seemed a bit flustered earlier, I'm preparing some tea to help calm nerves, I'll leave it outside your door and knock again," they said in a gentle smooth voice before going back into the kitchen, and simply waited. They didn't own much and had no need to really collect anything else from her old stay at the inn she was at before, after all, they were careful to carry the important things with them at all times.

In time, the tea was boiling and Quiwynn had prepared two cups and set one outside of Nancy's door and knocked like they said and would take their tea into their own room, leaving the door open in case anyone wanted to talk to them and would sip on their tea and begin organizing their few belongings in the room, and pull out some parchment to write down some things they wanted to buy for their room and the guild, mostly just pots and vases for plants, ideally to start growing some herbs and other plants somewhere so they can continue their studies.

TAGS: WayfaringWaaksian Kylesar1 Foxxymoron

 

[Kylesar1]

Maybe things were looking up for the rundown guild. With 3 members in such a short time, taking the roster of adventurers to 5 including Vespera, maybe Arnold Asella wouldn't be delivering lethally bad news to King Hemhart in 28 days. From arrogant beginnings to a needed humbling, the Stoneroses were 3 steps closer to being more stone-like than rose-like. The trio of newcomers settled in, for the guild that they chose had no shortage of job for them to do. In order for Asella to make this the premier guild of King Hemhart himself, there was a ton of work to do, and a lot of that work was dependent on the work of those who chose to work under his banner


While Guild Stoneroses were in a precarious position, the newcomers they had just drafted signed into their ranks were in for it. They were to be the capital city's errand guild, and that was FAR harder than the usual. How often was it that high level monsters messed around with the capital city? How often was it that monsters got to the level that guilds needed to hunt them? How often was it that, even they did, that they would rely on THEM to get the job done?

However, there were plenty of people in a dilemma that didn't require a monster hunter to get it done, nor the costs associated with such. The world for some isn't as action-packed as a lot of other's worlds. Some didn't want to live by the blade.

Efilisa the Receptionist
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

Bright and early as always, Efi was up tidying the guild-hall and awaiting the new recruits, while Vespera looked over the paperwork for them, sitting on the receptionist desk. Efi had the floor covered in webbing. "They don't seem like combatants......" Ves said with a sigh. "Nancy Noi." To Efi, Nancy seemed pretty adorable. Lung-borne were rare around these parts, and seeing him quaking in his fins just put hearts above her head for him, making her want to spin him into a very very tight suffocating cocoon and hug it like a body pillow. "From what I've seen of Nancy, he's shy and clumsy. Cute and all, but barely fit to even be on land, let alone fight on it." Looking at Quinn's file. Quinn seemed kind enough to Efi. She seemed like someone who could help the guild grow flowers and vegetables. Efi would try it, but her clumsiness makes her wholly unfit for the delicate art of gardening. "Quinn is a firbolg. She has in her natural strength to be a combatant unless she's taken some pact of pacifism. She's probably stronger than me even in Blood Empowerment." Next was Kai. A fluffy fluffy thief whose fur she kind of wanted to wear to keep her human half warm for the colder months. "As for the Kitsune, well..........if he's caught, he's useless. He has the most potential to be a good fighter though. The flanking tricky type. Still, he's better off running than fighting."

Efi gently hummed as she cleaned. She began spinning up the webs from the floor, which served to pick up even the smallest intruding particles from the guild floor. This was the secret to how spotless the place usually looked. "Kai is most suited to be taught by you. You both value speed and stealth." When the webs were gathered up, Efi's hand became coated in a black flame, which set the webs ablaze until it disappeared along with the dust that was not clinging to it.
Ves's look of disgust amused the Arachne. It was one of the reasons she even mentioned the criminal kitsune. "Quinn and Nancy are similar enough to where they may benefit from each other's input," the vampire girl said, clearing her throat at the suggestion.
The attempts to be serious despite what she said filled Efi with utmost amusement. Ves's struggles to maintain frame made her quite happy. "What about GP?"
As usual, Ves was on top of things. "GP will be here this morning. He got back last night. 5 day trip." GP went to a town 2 days away to exorcise some demons. Round trip and including the next day he spent there, this made for a 5 day trip where he got back last night. "So what's this mission you wanted the newbies to take?"
"Nothing too much," Efi responded with a sing-songy voice. "Just what I see as the Stonerose hazing mission for them."
"I'm sure I've told you that you're unintentionally terrifying, Efi," Ves told her, which startled the woman.
"What?! I don't try to be!" Efi said desperately, to which her companion sighed




The recruits were to meet here this morning for their first mission. This gave them enough time to eat and get themselves ready for their first mission, so long as it didn't involve going shopping. They didn't have THAT kind of free time.
WayfaringWaaksian Foxxymoron 606

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Nancy Noi​

When twisting knots of shame loosened to uneasy coils, Nancy could begin the slow acclimation to his new burrow. Sitting rigidly on the bed while sending indecisive glances at his bag was the most of what he could manage, but holding a warm cup of reassurance in tense fins was what granted a finer rest than most nights as of late. The giant... -ess? He didn't like to assume. But their generosity seemed to ground him before his worrisome mind could drift to every unpleasant thing. Perhaps it hadn't been as great of a faux pas as he had thought.
Or perhaps everyone was desperate to keep him there. In the end, he knew it didn't really matter, as much as his pestering thoughts insisted that he had blown his last, reluctant chance of finding a particle of success in this place. Before he knew it, yesterday was done and gone, tomorrow delivering morning light and city chatter to his window. A new day was a promise of new chances to come, which was enough to drag him out of any bed, hayloft or mattress.

The door opening for the second time since he claimed this room, Nancy peered into their shared living space. The day before, his roommate might have been lucky to glimpse a pair of hands scoop up the cup of tea before retreating back inside, otherwise they would have simply looked back to see it had disappeared as if into the aether. Now Nancy allowed himself to be seen, a tentative head peering from beyond the growing crack. "Um... hello?" He wanted to see if the giant was up yet, rooting about in the kitchen or wherever, so he could properly thank them. If they were still sleeping, or had already left to attend their first meeting in the lobby, he would have to meet them there.

Kylesar1
606

 

[606]

Quiwynn "The Witch Doctor"
Westwing​

Come the next morning, Quiwynn had woken up bright and early, just to get in some of her daily writing before she was out in the kitchen, preparing a quick meal, looking to her new roommate's door, wondering if there was even anything she could do. Morning meal for her was a green tea mixture she has and sauteed mushrooms, it was all that there was at the time, and would quietly eat, sitting on her tea with a stack of parchment she was writing on. Most of it was possible herbal mixtures to use and a list of next projects to work on and the materials she might be able to purchase after she earns some more money.

Given their size, she didn't sleep very well with slight bags under her eyes, making herself another cup of tea as the door from the other side began to open and she looked behind to see the owner of the two hands that took the cup last night. Quiwynn smiled at Nacy slightly, glad to see he seemed to be settling in okay.

"Good morning, I'm just making some tea before I head off to the lobby, would you also like a cup before we depart?" They had plenty of boiling water and were carefully dipping the tea bag in her current cup, sniffing the tea with her bovine nose before taking a sip. For Quwyinn, anything could be finished in a matter of seconds, the tea itself only took a few sips per cup before it was empty, which is why she always tried to drink 2 or 3 cups. Giant-sized items were much harder to come around.

If Nancy was to say yes, a cup of green tea would be made, otherwise, Quiwynn would begin cleaning up her plate and cup, put their parchment into their room and return with their druid staff, and decide to put on some of their leather armor, clearly something that hasn't been worn much but she had it from her days of travel. They would wait for the other to be finished with their morning routine, if they had any, and leave with Nancy towards the lobby, figuring since they room together, it would make sense if they left together as well.

TAGS: WayfaringWaaksian Kylesar1

 

[Foxxymoron]

Kai hadn't needed much sleep, at least that's what he told himself, rather he refused to sleep unless it crept up on him. Sleep meant dreams and of course that meant nightmares. Screaming, burning, heartstring pulling, horrible nightmares. One would think he'd grow used to them but he hadn't. Thus he didn't get any sleep, maybe an hour total from nodding off here and there, but it was mostly contemplative thinking whilst lying in the bed.

Kai had made his way to the lobby, normally someone would have bags under their eyes but he'd stayed up so much it wasn't noticeable, like his body was getting used to him practically killing himself. Kai shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed, he hated mornings but it meant he didnt have to lie awake doing nothing anymore. He didn't dare make the first move, he waited in silence until he was spotted, he didn't want any more scoldings for saying something wrong.

 

[Kylesar1]

Vespera Marine "Hermes" Seyres
Guild HQ- Lobby
"Was I too harsh? No, but I'll acknowledge your talent.........."​

Kai's presence was immediately noticed by Efi as Kai had touched a web, the resulting vibration alerting the woman. Efi indicated to Ves that Kai was around, who hopped down and went to go greet him. "Kai. Good morning." He was sulking. Unlike yesterday, his cockiness was gone. Maybe a night of healing his cracked ribs made him learn his lesson to make his presence known.........or at least stay away if you wanted to keep your presence unknown. His blood pressure was heightened. Could be due to insomnia. Not that Ves was an expert of reading a kitsune's body language, but he didn't exactly look tired beyond his sulking. Heightened blood pressure could be due to the fact that his body had to heal up after drinking that health potion. It wasn't enchanted, so it didn't heal him immediately. Maybe it was both, the pain keeping him up while the potion took effect to start slowly healing him up.

Maybe he wasn't a morning person and this sulking just came with dawn. Eh. Didn't matter. So long as he was ready to tackle a job, Ves didn't really care. Ves herself needed incredibly little sleep. Unless she was injured, only on new moon nights did she sleep, whereas full moon made her (and most vampires) ravenously hungry. "I trust that you're ready to take on the Day 1 mission." Unlike yesterday, Ves's anger at the kitsune was gone. While his unfavorable impression was well imprinted in her mind, yesterday was yesterday. Today is today. "About yesterday..........I was doing some thinking about you and the other 2 last night. I won't apologize for breaking your ribs, but I will forgive you for breaking and entering. Your ability to subvert my blood sense did not go unnoticed." Maybe there was some kind of latent presence-suppression magic he had going on. Efi wasn't big on scents, so there wasn't anything subverting her ability to smell his blood. It was.........impressive. A bit embarrassing for her personally, but impressive that he was able to do it
Foxxymoron

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Peering into the shared room, Nancy's nose was hit with a rich scent that he didn't recognize beyond its earthy mushroom notes. Watching the giant sitting by a simmering pan cued him in that it had to be one of those cooking mushrooms, rather than the potent and often toxic ones he used in his alchemy. If it could be called that...
He hadn't even gotten the chance to thank them before they were extending their generosity once again. "Um... no thanks. I appreciate it, though." He glanced at the dirty cup in his hands. "I'm a bit too nervous to stomach anything at the moment." Thirst was almost ever-present in a landwalking fishfolk, but he felt like he'd taken enough from them for one day. Being a giant must have meant more intake, and if they were joining this rundown place, they probably weren't swimming in money. But still, what he said was true. Not even the smell of a sizzling meal roused his hunger, though that was as much from the fact that hot food kind of intimidated him.

"And thank you for yesterday. I probably shouldn't have gotten so frazzled, but it's... a lot to take in. Here. I mean, not being from here, and all." Shaking his head at himself, he moved to the sink to wash his cup before they could offer to clean it for him. "Sorry, I don't mean to make excuses. I'll be fine." By his weak tone, he didn't sound like he could even convince himself fully. "You don't need to listen to my life story-- I'll be fine after we get the first task, it's just the anticipation, y'know?"

Nancy's routine was as simple as splashing water on his face in the bathroom. His skin ached to be fully submerged, and his robes were in an increasing need for washing, but no amount of scrubbing would remove that fishy smell that hung around him, so there was little point right now. He didn't have a second set of clothes to throw on, and the guild had a mountain of work waiting for them. So Nancy ended up being ready to go before his roommate, who he probably shouldn't be calling "his roommate" in his head anymore.
"I don't believe I've caught your name? I'm sorry if I forgot. I'm Nancy." A hesitating fin wasn't sure if it should reach out for a shake or not, ultimately letting them make the first move.

Kylesar1
606

 

[606]

Quiwynn "The Witch Doctor"
Westwing > Lobby​

"Um... no thanks. I appreciate it, though."
"I'm a bit too nervous to stomach anything at the moment."

They nodded respectfully as the fish folk spoke, having themselves another cup as they cleaned up, as well as cleaning up the dirty cup the other held in his hands.

"And thank you for yesterday. I probably shouldn't have gotten so frazzled, but it's... a lot to take in. Here. I mean, not being from here, and all."
"Sorry, I don't mean to make excuses. I'll be fine."
"You don't need to listen to my life story-- I'll be fine after we get the first task, it's just the anticipation, y'know?"

They would chuckle softly at the rambling roommate and simply listen as they carefully moved around, the rustling of paper and finishing up whatever mushrooms were left in the pan. and would clear their voice before speaking again, as they seemed to be ready already.

"Don't worry about it friend, entering new environments can be hard, and challenging. Especially for us folk who aren't like other people. If you ever need anything to calm nerves, I might be able to mix something up for you, once I start growing some herbs and such," they said in their usual kind and soft voice as they got ready.

"I don't believe I've caught your name? I'm sorry if I forgot. I'm Nancy."

"Don't apologize, it's a pleasure to meet you, Nancy, I'm Quiwynn."

With their leather armor mostly on correct, and adjusting it a little bit. They would dust their hand off and set their staff against the wall, holding their hand out, remembering this was a common greeting many people do outside of their regional village.

"Many around the area call me the Witch Doctor, I used to run very small and obscure medical services of sorts. Mostly out of survival but I tend to study the cycle of life and death and various fungi species, as well as poison and necrotic capabilities of plants and those types of magic found in nature." They added in, maybe it might ring a bell but honestly, Quiwynn would be shocked if they ran into anyone who knew of their services, maybe heard of "the Witch Doctor" even then, many tend to stay away from them due to their appearance. If they were a more human-like giant, maybe they would have fit in better but, they did have more bovine features such as their nose and ears. That and maybe they also were interested in various plants and dangerous plants of sorts. It was hard to find other humanoids interested in other things but, it was always worth a shot.

"Shall we head to the lobby? Wouldn't want to be late."

Despite their calm voice, and the softness in their tone, Quiwynn's own mind was swirling with thoughts and questions, nervous for whatever the first task they might have to do. Knowing it was a smaller guild, it was likely that it wouldn't be anything huge, especially since other guilds took most of the dangerous quest, and Quiwynn was not built for battle, at least skill-wise. Their strength was unbelievable compared to many humans but they never really trained in fighting. Really they just used it to be able to carry a ridiculous number of pots and plants all at once, useful when they go out forging for various specimens. That was their other concern, being able to start up a garden near the guild, one for medical herbs and plans, one for food, and another for their own personal studies, and learning how to use the poisonous nature of many plants. It was a lot, and the tea they brewed earlier was one of the things keeping them mostly calm. It wouldn't be good if both themself and Nancy were nervous.

TAGS: WayfaringWaaksian Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Vespera Marine Seyres
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

As the duo entered the lobby, they caught sight of Ves talking to Kai while Efi continued her cleaning endeavor with extreme expertise. With the group all gathered, Ves brandished a piece of paper, which was to be their first mission. "Good morning, recruits," Ves said, "It's time for your first mission. Our client is a harpy witch by the name of Zera. She has concoctions that she wants to make but, being a fingerless harpy, there are only talons." There were 2 types of harpy: *Etesian and **Hesoidic, which is defined by whether or not they have hands. "There are some ingredients that require care, which isn't afforded by Etesian Harpies. Your mission is to help the lass out in foraging ingredients in Spellbound Grotto and delivering it to her and her sisters in Zephyr Peaks."

*An Etesian is a strong summer wind. Etesian Harpies have no hands. Just wings and talons. Etesian Harpies are known to fly incredibly fast, as fast as the wind itself
**Hesoidic Harpies is derived from the Greek Poet Hesoid, which described harpies as fair-locked and winged maidens. They are the more humanoid ones with functioning hands alongside their wings, though these hands may take on looking like claws or even a second set of talons as arms

Ves passed out a few pages for them to read over. "These describe the locations in questions. Read over them well, as it will be important."

Spoiler: Lore: Spellbound Grotto

Spellbound Grotto
"She invites you in with a mischievous giggle, a cave of Cheshire's desire."​

Spellbound Grotto resides in Fae territory, traversable in almost any forest in a hidden area. Upon first entering, it looks no different than anything else in Fae Territory's many many enchanted woodlands. Spellbound Grotto is easy to miss, but never necessarily too far off the beaten path. As you move through it, things get tricky. There is a way to get through Spellbound Grotto without falling prey to any deceit, but it is trade secret. If you aren't a pixie, a cave sprite, a forest fairy, it is forbidden for them to tell you unless you are otherwise blessed by a Fairy King/Queen. The material found in Spellbound Grotto are known to be highly enchanted, and things left there are known to be highly enchanted as well. There are also material there called Spellbound Mushrooms and Spellbound Moss, which can only be found in a Spellbound Grotto and known to give off a beautiful dim blue glow which can pierce any darkness. There is also a legendary material called Spellbound Nails, which are fingernails and toenails of the Troll of Spellbound Grotto. This legendary material can be added to almost any recipe as an extra ingredient and it kicks the effect up 100x in either strength of the effect (fingernails) or length of the effect (toenails). A single nail can cover an entire cauldron

The origin of these caves is unknown and, again, seems like a trade secret. However, most can safely say that this cave is mischief manifest. Pixies, known for their highly mischievous and prank-heavy nature, are known to adore this place and dislike that they can't go into details about the grotto besides where to find it. They're even known to downright lead you to it, which is a big deal considering how pixies are known to mislead travelers. That being said, they will openly admit that this cave isn't designed with malicious intent. Pixies, while known to be mischievous and prank-heavy, don't tend to do so with malicious or murderous intent except maybe stealing and hiding belongings, and this reflects in the extremely low casualty rate in this cave

On the other hand, it's still a cave that requires you to be on guard. While it's not INTENDED to be murderous or dangerous, the wildlife or people you find inside might not feel the same way. Anything from wolves and bears, to enchanted territorial animals who may wander in and get just as lost, or may just decide to live there. In that case, you may just be out of luck and have to fight the creature.

If you fall for the wiles of the cave, you may find yourself with 100% fewer possessions and clothes than you entered with.

It's easy to get lost, but there is always a way out though. Pay the Grotto Troll. The Troll of Spellbound Grotto is an immensely powerful troll that, for all intents and purposes, can be defined as the core of the Grotto. While absolutely enormous, magic-filled, and outright terrifying, the Grotto Troll is actually a gentle giant who has no desire to kill unless someone attacks him one of the pixies, cave sprites, or forest fairies that reside there, in which case the Grotto Troll will defend his domain. If you pay enough coin, he's more than willing to guild you out. He's also willing to part with fingernails and toenails for a heavy heavy price or an almost legendary level trade-off. You'd be better off finding them lying about. He doesn't mind

Recommendation: Don't enter the cave with items you can't afford to lose. The most danger you'll likely face is getting tricked unless you stumbled upon someone not sponsored by the Fae Brigade

Spoiler: Lore: Zephyr Wastes/Peaks

Zephyr Wastes and Zephyr Peaks
"Set the sails and head west against the gales."​

Zephyr Wastes are a desertous wasteland known for its constant strong winds and brutal enduring sandstorms. This place used to be a lush life-filled rolling plains, and has since become an arid, dry badlands cursed by death. Zephyr Wastes became such when 2 dragons engaged in a fight to the death, a dragon of the skies and dragon of the shadows. As they clashed, brutal life-ending miasmas and uprooting hurricane winds buffeted the planes, terraforming the land in the most extreme way. Fauna driven from the lands, flora shredded and tossed by razor-sharp tornadoes. As the fight drew to a stalemate and both suffered mortal injuries, the dragon of shadows faltered and the dragon of wind seized his opportunity, ending the life of the dragon of shadows. A victorious roar turned the victory hollow when the accursed black flames made it clear that his life was about to forfeit as well. Flying to the highest peak he could reach with his dwindling strength, he made his final resting place

Mythology states that the souls of these dragons is seeped into the Zephyr Wastes and that their battle in spirit has turned this place into the Zephyr Wastes we know today. Some say it's a lover's quarrel. Some say it's avenging the death of a family member or lover. Some iterations have them as rivals over the territory itself.

Regardless, Zephyr Wastes is home to creatures who can live in these desertous environments, creatures who value the dry arid wastes over flora-filled forests. The creatures here are either immediately hostile or immensely curious. Lamia, Scorpion Arachne, Desert Tarantula Arachne, and Gorgons, are common sights here, as well as the typical desert animal affair. Since this land is more tainted with the bones of the Shadow Dragon, it isn't uncommon to see undead walking about, walking skeletons, dark spirits floating about. At night in particular, when the winds tend to relent down to a more merciful level, the dark magic tends to ramp up, dropping the temperature to below frigid cold, enough to attract even ice spirits on new moon nights. On those new moon nights, the midnight sky begins to turn into what is known as Oppressive Darkness

The peaks are notably more dangerous. Beginning at the base of the peaks, the buffeting wind is even more brutal and continuous. Legend paints this as the Wind Dragon's spirit repelling the Shadow Dragon from tainting his final resting place. Braving a blinding sandstorm with winds powerful enough to carrying one away is not for the faint of heart. Light-weights need not apply. One's only saving grace is perhaps small shelters potentially carved out by some of the inhabitants who call this otherwise uninhabitable sand hell-tower their home. The creatures who reside here are more children of the skies than anything. Harpies, Quetzal Lamia, Griffins, Basilisks, and Desert Djinns are common sights.............if you can ever see them. There are also Desert Pixies, who have taken on another name, Mirage Sprites. These are also in the Wastes, but are more common in the peaks. These pixies are...........more malicious in their trickery, given how dangerous the peaks can be. Use extreme caution and never listen to a word they say

Harpy nests are common here. Harpies are highly territorial, so stumble into the wrong nest at your own risk

Recommendation: One can traverse the wastes. The peaks? That may be too hard to tackle

Vespera wasn't sure of their knowledge or familiarity with either Spellbound Grotto or Zephyr Wastes/Peaks. Zephyr Wastes is a place that literally has a ferry service owned by people who dwell on the outskirts of the wastes, a desert-dwelling place that is primitive in terms of technology, but experts in combat especially in a place like Zephyr Wastes. In fact, they train infantry units and spec ops units in both extreme hot weather, desert combat, and desert survival. Zephyr Wastes is a huge buffer zone lying between 2 kingdoms, with the ferry service on both sides residing in Kraiven territory. It rivals the mountain peaks that crest over the capital city, providing 2 very strong natural buffer zones. It is in all possibility that they even rode the ferry in their travels TO Toron

Zephyr PEAKS though is something that only those same dwellers and spec ops units tend to go. Not that it's prohibited, but it is highly warned against at Zephyr Peaks Base Camp. No guides are trained to traverse such a place with normies. It's another level of windswept sandstormy desert. Combine that with a steep mountain climb where the wind gets worse as you get closer to the Bones of the Windswept Dragon, and you're looking at a place that is too harsh to live for most and a peak that may even be considered sanctified grounds due to the Dragon Bones.

Spellbound Grotto was a place Ves herself went through before. Her good-natured response to the trickery and pranks of the pixies won her a lot of favor with them, and even some marriage proposals from some pixie men. While their enchanted blood was better than the finest wine, marriage to a pixie wouldn't go over well in the Seyres Aristocracy. However, Fae Forests were quite off the beaten path in Kraiven, with the only people trying to get you TO it were pixies, which was a red flag 9.9 times out of 10. Still, the grotto was friendly to everything but your coin. So long as you're down playing a lot of games like Tag and Hide and Seek and weren't too uptight, the pixies weren't bad.

"I should be able to go with. Zera has made an additional challenge to you all, and it's a common one with her: She is willing to pay full reward and fee price to everyone in the group that delivers the goods to her nest." The fee was determined by the guild, taking into account Hazard Pay, difficulty, and the subject matter of the request. The REWARD payout was the final advertised payout for completing the mission, which was split was typically split between members of the group after room and board were skimmed off the top. To be paid in full for both the fee price AND the reward price and it being paid to everyone individually meant they would be pocketing an immense amount even after room and board.

However, it did convey a message:

• Despite how much she needed their services, Zera wanted to toy with them a bit
• Zera was willing to open up VERY deep pockets to them

How she got that money was questionable given her location of residence, but no one was paid to figure out why. She was willing to shell out some quid, so it was in their interest to take it. "Zera is..........an enigma. A harpy witch, which is in itself weird to think about, but she's apparently successful with it. Still, flying creatures don't get along well with caves for the most part which, on top of being an Etesian Harpy lacking hands, she'll never get those mushrooms and mosses back to her nest."

So that was the mission: Go through a tricky deceitful Spellbound Grotto to grab some exclusive cauldron ingredients, then across the uninhabitable windswept Zephyr Wastes to deliver the goods. If they were feeling risky, they could do a nice dangerous home delivery for a massive tip

Spoiler: Mission Summary

Mission: Foraging​

• Mission: Forage and Deliver ingredients to Zera, the Harpy Witch
  • Optional: Deliver the ingredients directly to Zera's nest in Zephyr Peaks
• Description: A Harpy Witch wants you to forage and deliver to her ingredients that biology prevents her collecting herself. Spellbound Mushroom and Spellbound Moss. Nails of the Grotto Troll will fetch an incredibly high price, but completely optional
• Location: Spellbound Grotto (Ingredients); Zephyr Wastes (Delivery)
• Difficulty: Easy (Primary); Hard (Optional Mission)
• Gear Recommendation: Anti-Mind Altering; Gloves and Goggles, Sight Enhancement, Cheaper Gear, light layers
• Dangers:
  • Spellbound Grotto- Mind Altering, Stolen Gear, Random Hostile Beings, Getting Lost, ???
  • Zephyr Wastes- Heat-related injury, Sandstorms, High Wind, Undead, Mirage Sprites, Scorpion Arachne, Lamia, Snakes, Acolytes of the Shadow Dragon
    • Zephyr Peaks- Extremely high winds, high altitudes, fall damage, Mirage Sprites, Griffins, Quetzal Lamia, Basilisks

WayfaringWaaksian Foxxymoron 606

 

[Foxxymoron]

Well this was a surprise, was that.. A compliment? Somewhat hidden in the veils of the wording but it certainly seemed like Vespera was acknowledging his skills, something that didn't go unnoticed by himself either. "Well, the ribs will heal... I'm honestly impressed with your strength. A formidable foe, of course it seems we'll be taking on the part of companions from now on. So hopefully this will be a safe environment for ribs from now on." Kai smirked, he didn't mind the broken bone, he'd endured much worse in the past. He was more taken over with intrigue than pain at this point.

Harpies, eh? Kai had never properly met a Harpy before but he'd heard stories about them, one of the members of the circus he grew up had told stories of one they'd known before joining so Kai was familiar with the different forms. He couldn't imagine not having hands, still, this Harpy found a way to get by if she was known for being a successful witch.

"So all we gotta do is get this stuff from a cave and then potentially risk our hides for some extra coin?" Kai folded his arms and grinned, the gears were surely at least attempting to turn in his tiny head. "Sounds like a cakewalk." Some mild sarcasm but in honesty he was intrigued, it would surely be a challenge to get through the Peaks but he never let that stop him before. A place with such strong winds meant a hopeful lack of fire too and that made him even more interested.

"We're gonna need some equipment for this, even I know that stealth isn't gonna get us anywhere if we get blown away or get our shit stolen." Kai had barely noticed the two who had entered the scene prior to Ves explaining the quest. But he decided it best to look over and evaluate his new comrades. They looked... Unique. A literal fish out of water and a giant mushroom with a staff, surely they could just deliver the Firbolg's hat and say that it was a major turnout for mushrooms. He snickered to himself as he daydreamed but quickly snapped himself out of it. "We haven't really been acquainted yet. Yaokai Smolder. Figure we oughta at least know each others names if we're gonna be thrown into the jaws of danger together." Surely this was a banner day for the Guild, three members at once. Kai had heard about the fragility of this Guild and that was why he was willing to join but it seemed these others had the same idea as well. He only hoped they'd be an asset to what weaknesses he had. He was a jerk at times but he wasn't a bad guy, he knew that teamwork was important and he'd need to cozy up to his fellow adventurer's, he just had that little problem of opening up in the slightest to anyone. "Whaddya guys say? I mean, coin is a language in itself, we oughta get as much as we can find, maybe they'll be able to afford actual working chairs if we can." He turned his attention to Ves, slightly intimidated. "Only joking."

"Don't suppose there's any old gear lying around here, eh? Or a place we could find some?" Kai knew the importance of being prepared, being with the Underdwellers taught him that. If they went in unprepared they could end up losing their lives and Kai had plans to not die.