Fantasy The Guild Stone ((Old Questing Thread))

[Vol]

UNANSWERED
Location: Solmar Dungeons
Interactions: Tyron Avattica Sylph / Eiru Eagna Uasal
Honourable mentions:
Quest: Rescue Mission
Reward: 2000 Coins​

"So much for possessing me, come on I know that wasn't enough to knock you out! Oiiiii! HELLO! Posses me you loser!"

The gentle tug on his currently poor excuse of a cloak brought his attention back to the witch. Despite her gesture, her uncouth demeanour confused him. Zion didn't expect her to slap the unconscious warden, so it took him a couple of seconds to finally grab her wrist to halt her assault.

"Come....On....Wake....Up.....Stop....Wasting...MY TIME!... LOSER!"

"We want them alive, Save your insane delusions for somewhere else."

He let go of Eiru when Tyron pulled her away and he re-steadied the scout back to the wall. Atleast the noble had the decency to not kick an opponent that was already down; though he wasn't exactly sure if they were knocked out in the first place. Regardless of it all, the trio had come for what they needed -- Zion wondered if these two were the only ones left of the scouting party. He couldn't remember if Angora specified a number...

Zion took hold of the warden's shoulder and lifted him up, noting that the other's weight was too light to be healthy. It was time to return.

His questions had to wait, to his dismay.

MISSION: SUCCESS? THE RETURN BACK TO THE GUARD POST
The trio of adventurers escaped the Solmar tunnels from the way they had entered, an underground passage which housed the dead of the former mining site. Fortunately for th , they did not encounter as much resistance, as if the cursed outpost itself had its fill with them. Or the powerful entity that haunted the region was planning on its next move, finished with the usefulness of the scouts.

They had no time to speculate this, however, as they trudged through the dying wood with the sight of living civilisation in the horizon.
To report back to the quest's issuer, Angora Guile.

 

[Sylph]

Location: The Desolation Outpost​

Mentions: Vol Uasal​

"You did well."

Angora sat behind her desk, various forms of correspondence organised across the surface. Her quill moved across the mission request the party had brought with them, writing a brief report at the bottom. The three adventurers on the other side of the counter looked far worse than they had before leaving. Zion covered in makeshift rags he'd sourced from somewhere, the Avattica noble with his moth-eaten clothes and welted sores. The witch... altogether seemed ok. Nothing more than a few scratches and patches of dirt, her enchanted broom seeming to be work again.

Angora finished her signature, setting the quill aside as she glanced over the group. "Your discovery of the catacombs will be of great help, especially with Meridia still alive. It is... unfortunate about the state of her brother, but we will do what we can. If we cannot save him then at the very least he may provide valuable intel." The two scouts had been taken off the party almost as soon as they arrived, attended to by the guards as Angora approached them for the report.

Rolling the paper into a bunch, she sealed it with the guard's emblem and set it on the front of the desk for them to take. Her demeanour remained as it always had, steel grey observing them with the impassivity befitting a member of the guard. "If there is nothing else then you may return."

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Icewall Caverns
Mentions: Sylph ​

Ymir summoned a burst of air and threw the cyclops back against the wall, for just a moment Leonidas was hopeful that it might have had any substantial effect but that hope was crushed just as quickly when the cyclops got back up, shook his head a few times and ran at them again.

"I don't know-" Leonidas frowned as he barely jumped back in time to dodge the swipe of one of the arms of the cyclops. "A sonnet?" He took a step back and aimed the rapier at the cyclops again, shooting a burst of three air bullets in quick succession, they bounced off the body of the cyclops harmlessly but they pushed it back a little bit. "I would love to, but I doubt that thing," He jabbed his rapier in the direction of the cyclops. "is going to let me take my time to come up with and recite fourteen lines of poetry."

"Maybe she likes poetry-?" Leonidas shook his head. "I doubt she'll listen to it again after it made her fall asleep last time, I get the feeling that she isn't completely stupid which is truly a shame." On the other hand, Leonidas could use that to his advantage, he strongly doubted Loriae would take the risk to listen to him next time he recited something.

He stabbed his weapon into the icy ground and brought his right hand up to his chest. The cyclops reacted immediately, putting its hands over it's ears, Leonidas didn't know if the orb had done something similar but he had no way of confirming so he just hoped for the best.

"I'll be the first to admit to my less than stellar display, lucky for me I'm not above foul play. Now without the need to pray, let your fatigue fade away." He felt the familiar warm feeling envelop him and his protesting bones calm down. He knew it was fairly risky to get rid of his own and Ymir's fatigue this way, it got rid of the feeling of fatigue but it did nothing about the complications of pushing one's body to the limit.

He would undoubtedly face the backlash of this little stunt later but whatever backlash it would be, it would be better than dying. He grinned as he grabbed the rapier from the ice and assumed an active fighting position with renewed energy.

"Just shoot and hope for the best!" Leonidas almost laughed, that did seem like a typical approach he would take. This time though, he had an actual plan. The reappearance of the beams was annoying but he would have to deal with it. "Ymir could you act as bait for the beams for just a moment? I'll get this thing out of our hair." He shouted, actively blocking swipes of the cyclops's hands with his sword.

For a little while, he exchanged blows with the cyclops, occasionally getting a small stab in and occasionally getting hit himself. He silently thanked his old swordplay instructor, following the intended footwork for the first time in a very long time. After rolling out of the way of a particularly aggressive strike he stayed crouched down, scooping up a handful of snow. Pushing himself up he threw the snow at the cyclops' head, the creature grinned and raised its hand in front of its face to block the snow. When it lowered its hand its grin turned into an expression of shock as it came face to face with the swirling ball of air at the tip of Leonidas's sword.

Leonidas gave a wicked smile of his own as he fired the air bullet into the cyclops' eye from point-blank range. The cyclops fell back with a guttural roar, clutching its eye. "Tsk tsk, has no one ever taught you to not obscure your vision in a fight?" He said, wagging his finger. "I told you before, I'm not above foul play." He went silent for a moment before grinning. "Oh that's right, you didn't listen."

 

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Icewall Caverns
Mentions: Key of Stars ​

"I would love to, but I doubt that thing," Leo jabbed his blade in the direction of the cyclops. "is going to let me take my time to come up with and recite fourteen lines of poetry."

Smartass. She stuck her tongue at him before the charging cyclops forced them to separate.

"I doubt she'll listen to it again after it made her fall asleep last time, I get the feeling that she isn't completely stupid which is truly a shame."

"Vermin!" Loraie screeched. Her eye lit up once more as her fury returned to Leo. "Evil! Begone!!"

Ymir's head poked out from behind the rock, recognising Leo's posture as he prepared to recite something. The cyclops had covered their ears, but it didn't stop them from preparing another beam attack--

Ymir swept a bunch of snow into their eye as Leo's voice floated over the resulting wail. "I'll be the first to admit to my less than stellar display, lucky for me I'm not above foul play. Now without the need to pray, let your fatigue fade away." He snatched his rapier out the ice as his words settled into the bones of those that heard, reviving them anew. "Ymir could you act as bait for the beams for just a moment? I'll get this thing out of our hair."

Tomorrow would absolutely suck, but there was no point worrying if it never came. There was a certain degree of effort required to push herself up. A protest that battered uselessly against the effects of Leo's magic and was all to easily ignored. Ymir wasn't sure how she'd draw Loraie's attention, given Leo was a closer and far more pertinent bug to squish, but her answer came as she circled towards to the pedestal in the middle.

Loraie did not want her near it. The moment Ymir drew too close the cyclops turned to shoot a beam her way. Retreat back, sneak closer; honestly she was more curious in watching Leo fight. Distracting Loraie every now and then gave him the opportunity to land extra hits, and where it seemed like she might him him with an ice attack she blew snow into the their eye, wary that it could obscure Leo's vision too.

Towards the end, he hardly needed it. She watched as his movements fell into old patterns, the fragments of a style coming through that she hadn't seen before. He had been privy to formal training, despite how eccentric he liked to act. The rapier wasn't just an aesthetic choice. No self-taught amateur moved with that kind of uniformity--and she knew it wasn't a style taught at the Lantana academy.

A private tutor? He had to have had a teacher of some sort. Given his versing in literature, she was inclined to believe it was a more formal education. Where would that be from...?

Loraie reeled back as Leo finally managed to land a hit point blank. His grin at the cyclops reaction was almost cruel, clicking his tongue. "Tsk tsk, has no one ever taught you to not obscure your vision in a fight?" Ymir's eyes narrowed, observing the subtle shift in demeanour. She'd been seeing a great many unexpected sides to her drinking buddy. "I told you before, I'm not above foul play."

He paused, as if to think, before the wicked grin returned. "Oh that's right, you didn't listen."

Scary. Loraie continued to screech as she clutched her eye, blood and fluid seeping through gaps of their fingers. Ymir watched, legs crossed atop her rock as they scrambled past her. Crashing through the stalagmites guarding the exit and their screams ebbed into echoes. There'd be no more ice beams, at the very least.

"Well," she said, lifting her cheek off her palm. "That's that problem dealt with." She hopped off her perch, passing Leo reach to the pedestal in the middle of the room. Loraie had been very insistent on protecting it, and Ymir had an idea why. Her hands hovered over the sphere, observing from several angles before her fingers finally brushed the sun-warm surface. "Let's see where she's run off to."

An image began to form, showing the icy walls of the hall where there was no Loraie. Ymir's eyes began to glow, moving her hands as she adjusted the image to follow the trail of destruction. They might not have to do much more at all, depending just how much damage the target had sustained. All the same--she glanced to Leo, her altered vision seeing very little of him as he appeared. "How are you holding up?"

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Icewall Caverns
Mentions: Sylph ​

Leonidas took a deep breath, the somewhat crazy grin disappearing from his face, being replaced by a thoughtful expression. He swept his hair backwards with his left and put the rapier back on his hip where it usually rested. Man, pushing my body to its limits really brings out the worst in me He wasn't exactly proud of the fact that he had gotten more than just a little enjoyment out of the fight he had just won but he supposed old habits did die hard, even after several years.

"Well," He was dragged back to the present when Ymir started talking. "That's that problem dealt with." He nodded. "Yes, I doubt Loraie will be much trouble anymore." If Ymir had noticed him falling into his old swordplay routine she had apparently decided to not mention it. Leonidas was fine with that, if Ymir was curious enough to ask he would answer but he didn't really feel like bringing it up himself. There were times when he played with the idea of talking about it to someone but he always stopped himself, after all, what was the point? His past was long gone and he had long since discarded that personality, well, mostly.

"Let's see where she's run off to." Leonidas smiled. "That might be for the best, I haven't fully shut her up yet and that voice could claim some extra casualties if Loraie decides to pursue a career in music." Only when his joke came out not even half as energetically as he had meant for it to be did he realize how exhausted he was.

His body still felt warm from the magic he had cast on himself and Ymir but he could feel it slowly seeping away, making way for pain and exhaustion. He walked over to where Ymir was manipulating the orb and put his hand on the icy pedestal to steady himself.

"How are you holding up?" Using the pedestal, I'm holding myself up using the pedestal Making a crappy joke was tempting, really tempting. He ultimately decided against it because he figured passing out without at least warning Ymir might be a tad worrisome. "I'm standing, for now." He said with a slight smile. "I'm definitely going to pass out within the next five minutes and that might be a generous amount of time. Apparently, that fight took more out of me than expected." Normally his magic would keep him going for at least another hour or two but it was clear to Leonidas that he had truly pushed himself too far this time, his body wouldn't sustain any lasting damage but as far as good places to pass out went, an icy cavern previously used by a monster was at the bottom of the list.

Almost as if on cue, Leonidas felt his legs give out and he barely caught himself with his hands as he slid down the pedestal down to the ground. "Damn it," He muttered to the ground, perhaps a bit louder than he wanted to. "This is pathetic, I use something I obtained through that damn old man for once and I end up like this? The me from back then would have kept this up all day."

He looked up at Ymir with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't expect to fall behind this soon." He let out a dry chuckle. "And right after I so cockily said I would just keep up. You know what to do though, leave me behind and complete the quest." He managed a weak thumbs up. "I'll be fine."

 

[Uasal]

Eiru Eagna
Gold Rank Support
Location: Crypt - Fort​

Eiru stopped assaulting the unconscious man when the prince grabbed her arm forcefully, he seemed rather annoyed and this somewhat made Eiru feel better about the whole situation. At least he wasn't just annoying her! Moving to a stand with a quick inhale Eiru moved to follow behind the two adventurers not speaking a word as they made the long journey back. Eiru's actions against the unconscious scout were done in an attempt to anger the spirit and force a mental link between herself and it. Had she linked with it and jostled for dominance in her own body then there was a rather good chance of her obtaining useful information regarding what exactly the scouts had been used for and their place in the grand scheme of the spirit. Unfortunately, however, the spirit seemed to vacate the body as soon as the prince knocked the scout unconscious. Yet again he had wasted a perfectly good opportunity through his stupid and lack of overall vision. Those in the guards family were all the same, meat heads whose fists spoke louder than their words. And that was saying something!

By the time the group had returned to the fort Eiru had taken quite some time to think to herself. A lot of things had been troubling her and she didn't have the time to investigate those very things further. Firstly and foremostly who was it or what had attempted to invade her mind? What information if any could they have been after? The spirit that possessed the scout clearly wasn't the source due to its amendment stance on possessing her, after all, she crushed her invaders attempt mercilessly and anyone on the receiving end of her defence wouldn't dare have made such a grand statement. Were there two spirits at work? Was the invasion an unrelated incident? What did the known spirit need from the scouts and why was one being starved? Why were they still alive in the first place? Finally, why a black slime? To many, the appearance of slime in any location was just that but considering that the slime was black... was the catacomb connected closely to the underworld? How deep would they have gone had they descended instead of ascending? There were far to many unknowns and keeping the prince around, although his magic useful, would overall make investigation harder. Especially precise and delicate study.

When the group finally entered the fort and had their debriefing Eiru finally spoke up, addressing Angora with disinterested eyes and a bored tone of speech "Little girl, from the way you speak it would seem your military knew nothing of the catacombs nestled underneath the undead fortress. You previously said that the undead in the fort had been spreading out to take over animals due to a lack of... well humans to take over. If your original assessment is in fact correct... let me ask you something. Just how many corpses do you think are buried in that catacomb? How many great warriors? Two armies fell here... how deep do you think that catacomb goes?"

Turning subtly to look at the war maps and figures Angora had cleaned up and reorganised Eiru smiled softly flipping a gold coin with her thumb "Black slimes. Normally one wouldn't think much of slimes. They're everywhere. Here, there, under the log outside, in the water by the port. Everywhere, slimes of all different colours. One slime you hardly ever see however are black slimes. They rarely appear in dungeons deep underground. Sure but that catacomb. I'd wager we weren't anywhere near deep enough to consider it normality of occurrences." Flipping the coin onto the map at the location of the fort Eiru yawed "I'll bet you that coin, your catacomb runs far deeper than anyone here would like to comprehend. Have you ever been to the underworld?"

Eiru stood Quickly and made for the door waving her hand limply as she exited with the sealed scroll in her other "Anyway, that's not really my issue. I'd say it's been a pleasure but I'm not fond of lying to children... Ta-raa. oh and Zion your skills truly impressed me. I have a project I'd like to discuss with you later come find me at the bar when you get the chance" and with that Eiru was gone in a bright flash of her waystone.
Vol Sylph

 

[Vol]

KALEIDOSCOPE OF INFORMATION
Location: Solmar Dungeons -> Guile's Fortress
Interactions: Tyron Avattica & Angora Guile Sylph / Eiru Eagna Uasal
Honourable mentions:
Quest: Rescue Mission
Reward: 2000 Coins​

"Your discovery of the catacombs will be of great help, especially with Meridia still alive. It is... unfortunate about the state of her brother, but we will do what we can. If we cannot save him then at the very least he may provide valuable intel." - Angora Guile

Zion had wanted to not let go of the scout he had been hauling about. The guard back then had quirked a brow at the short little tug-o-war they had between each other.

He lowered his shoulders as if a small weight had been lifted off them. Rhey had names, relationships, these two were even family. This was why, something deep within him, believed that it was important to defend the lives you were assigned to. A feeling of selfish gratitude came as a bonus with the gold. However the relief came to a quick end as Eiru spoke up, planting the spikes of tension back into the situation.

"Little girl, from the way you speak it would seem your military knew nothing of the catacombs nestled underneath the undead fortress. You previously said that the undead in the fort had been spreading out to take over animals due to a lack of... well humans to take over. If your original assessment is in fact correct... let me ask you something. Just how many corpses do you think are buried in that catacomb? How many great warriors? Two armies fell here... how deep do you think that catacomb goes?" - Eiru Eagna

The undead adventurer reached for his completed mission notice, slightly cringing at the gentle rattle of his weathered armour as the enchantress continued to grill the commander. Honestly, the multiple facets of this witch intrigued him. Though, once again, it would be one hell of a hassle if he was on the bad end. He couldn't remember originally why Eiru was so furious with the other woman...

Black slimes. Normally one wouldn't think much of slimes. They're everywhere. Here, there, under the log outside, in the water by the port. Everywhere, slimes of all different colours. One slime you hardly ever see however are black slimes. They rarely appear in dungeons deep underground. Sure but that catacomb. I'd wager we weren't anywhere near deep enough to consider it normality of occurrences." - Eiru Eagna

Zion's grip on the sealed parchment creased it a little at the mention of the necrotic slime. To him it sounded like the witch had deep knowledge about the blob monsters, if he dared to think, it sounded almost personal. He'd encountered such monsters before, but that type of slime had been his first proper fight against a black one. He didn't need to wander too long about the conditions that needed to have summoned a necrotic slime, though.

The blue light that had shone from within his mask had dimmed greatly, in comparison to their time in the cursed Solmar fortress. But if one had really looked at his mask, a flash of movement could be briefly glimpsed as it followed the coin that landed on the war map.

"I'll bet you that coin, your catacomb runs far deeper than anyone here would like to comprehend. Have you ever been to the underworld?" - Eiru Eagna

A question he supposed he was saving for the possessed scout, Meridia's brother, may have just been indirectly answered by the witch herself. Zion mentally corked the fountain of questions until he could find the time for interrogation.

"Anyway, that's not really my issue. I'd say it's been a pleasure but I'm not fond of lying to children... Ta-raa. oh and Zion your skills truly impressed me. I have a project I'd like to discuss with you later come find me at the bar when you get the chance" - Eiru Eagna

He turned to watch her go, head tilted to the side in acknowledgement of her offer and also in curiousity. He did recall wanting to speak to her after the mission, somewhat, since she had proven herself to be just as knowledgeable as the papers had proclaimed her to be. If only she could rein in a bit of her attitude towards some people...

As the enchantress left with her "kind" ominous message, Zion's gaze shifted from the door, to the stiff Avattica noble to the side of him, then finally back to Angora.

With the notice of completion in one hand, he gestured idly with the other. 'It was an honour to assist you in any way I -- we -- could have, Commander. But I do have a request before I depart. If you could allow me a chance to speak to Meridia's brother, that would be... ' A mental pause, the echo of the last word being said in Angora's mental space fading quietly until he continued to finish his speech , 'great.'
If he couldn't then he would understand -- or he hoped he would.

Zion was also acutely aware of how quiet the princeling had been, and during Eiru's spheal, he swore he could feel two rubies drilling holes into the naked skull that hid behind his mask. One at a time, the battlemage will deal with things one. at. a. time.

 

[Sylph]

The Desolation Outpost​

Mentions: Vol Uasal​

"Little girl-"

Angora remained stoic, fingers laced together over the desk as the arcane pedigree began yapping. They'd been barely civil throughout the whole process of reports. It seemed now their business was complete they had no need of decorum. Angora gestured subtly in revocation as the guards near the door reached for their swords, curious that the Avaticca noble hadn't.

"From the way you speak it would seem your military knew nothing of the catacombs nestled underneath the undead fortress." Not that particular catacomb no. It had become a practice used across Solmar during the warring times--according to the stories, after the enemies had taken to digging up shallow graves to pillage the corpses. Angora didn't expect the witch to care much for the history of the region, the arcane were notorious for dismissing anything they had no interest after all, but she had at least hoped it would keep them from their favourite pass-time of coming up with outlandish new theories.

"You previously said that the undead in the fort had been spreading out to take over animals due to a lack of... well humans to take over. If your original assessment is in fact correct... let me ask you something. Just how many corpses do you think are buried in that catacomb? How many great warriors? Two armies fell here... how deep do you think that catacomb goes?"

Angora withheld a sigh. "Your point, missus Eiru?"

"Black slimes. Normally one wouldn't think much of slimes. They're everywhere. Here, there, under the log outside, in the water by the port. Everywhere, slimes of all different colours. One slime you hardly ever see however are black slimes. They rarely appear in dungeons deep underground. Sure but that catacomb. I'd wager we weren't anywhere near deep enough to consider it normality of occurrences."

"I'll bet you that coin, your catacomb runs far deeper than anyone here would like to comprehend. Have you ever been to the underworld?"

Angora's brow twitched. "You do realise-" Oh arcane being of all knowledge. "I've been living in its courtyard the past two years?"

"Anyway, that's not really my issue. I'd say it's been a pleasure but I'm not fond of lying to children... Ta-raa." Angora's eyes narrowed, fingers tightening as the witch paused before leaving. "Oh and Zion your skills truly impressed me. I have a project I'd like to discuss with you later come find me at the bar when you get the chance." So civility was possible. Angora wouldn't have guessed.

A flash of light illuminated the room and the witch disappeared, silence hanging heavy in the atmosphere she left behind. Angora expected the guards would hound her about it later, but--

"When I am reinstated I shall have her hung," Tyron hissed. "Insulting one of the generals--" A seething rage coloured the Avattica's expression. He'd learned a modicum of patience it seemed, if he had sense enough to wait for the witch to leave.

"You'll put yourself in a precarious position," Angora said simply, her impassive expression showing little of her thoughts. "Her position in the Arcane house outranks mine. You won't gain allies by going against it."

"She called you a child-"

"Besides," the tips of Angora's fingers pressed together, ignoring the young noble as she leaned them against the grim set of her lips. "She makes a point, in amidst all her prattling. What lies beyond that fortress..."

Tyron's foot slammed down, cracking the cobble and the guards at the door jolted uncomfortably, unsure of who's position to take in an argument far outside their rank. "You're one of the twelve generals-!"

"Don't-" Angora said, eyes steely as she finally snapped. "-break my floors. I've had enough of the witch's spats already. I don't need another one in here lecturing me about honour."

"Don't group me in with her-!"

"Don't give me orders," she responded. Her tone fell as quickly as it rose, marking the end of the conversation more sharply than she intended. Though Tyron fumed, looking for all the world like steam would come out his ears, he turned on heel and disappeared in a flash of the waystone. The guard's snickers cut off as Angora's glanced over. Tyron's attitude wasn't new, but the whole ordeal had left her more drained than a legion of the undead. I thought I'd escape this sort of pretentious attitude when I left the capital.

Never any such luck. She was left with the third member of the party, and the only one apparently who had enough sensibility to pick up the report. Her brow furrowed when she felt a subtle pry into her mental space. Her guard had been up while the witch was around, but as she recalled the other one's use of thought speak she relaxed the barriers and let the words trickle in.

'It was an honour to assist you in any way I -- we -- could have, Commander.' The figure barely moved at all as they spoke, nothing but the scraps hanging off them to show they weren't a statue. Without any facial cues to go off it really was quite unnerving 'But I do have a request before I depart. If you could allow me a chance to speak to Meridia's brother, that would be... ' The words faded, Angora unsure what to make of the pause. '-great.'

"What reason would you have for that?" she said. She dismissed the guards with a wave, hands linking together as the iron plated doors slammed shut. She spoke quietly in the silence that followed. "Margo's body is in the clutches of an enemy spirit. While I appreciate what you've done for us-" And though he didn't strike her as the type to make requests without reason- "I don't see what business you would have with either."

Ymir
Location: Icewall Caverns >> Guild Hall
Mentions: Key of Stars ​

"I'm standing, for now. I'm definitely going to pass out within the next five minutes and that might be a generous amount of time. Apparently, that fight took more out of me than expected."

Ymir paused her scrying into the sphere, the glow in her eyes blinking out. "...come again?"

She turned just as he pitched forwards, catching himself on the pedestal as he slid to the ground. He was a smidge out on that estimation. Ymir scurried around to check what happened, only half catching the words he grumbled to himself.

"Damn it. This is pathetic, I use something I obtained through that damn old man for once and I end up like this? The me from back then would have kept this up all day."

The 'you' from back then seems like they had a delinquent streak--she snorted, both at the familiar situation before her and the thought, we'd have gotten along for sure.

"Sorry, I didn't expect to fall behind this soon." He finally glanced up at her with a dry laugh, speaking with an edge of spite about what was perfectly acceptable condition. He hadn't grown up in the mountains, as far as she knew. "And right after I so cockily said I would just keep up."

Oh please, you took three quarters of an hour to find breakfast. She crouched down, swiping some of the snow out of his hair. "You did better than most."

"You know what to do though, leave me behind and complete the quest." Her eyes narrowed at the shaky thumbs up he gave. He looked completely harrowed, complexion pale and skin covered in patches of red. "I'll be fine."

Like I need you to tell me that. She pinched his ear, pulling on it with a scowl. "I already said that's what I'd do, didn't I? Now are you going to teleport out of here or..." She lapsed into thought, letting go of his face as she considered how that would actually go given their current luck. "On second thought, no. You'll end up in a ditch somewhere with no energy to get out and... no--just wait here." Keeping in mind her own limits she was fast approaching, she stood and brushed herself off. Leo's pain modifier was still active, so long as she could force herself through the sluggish weight on her limbs she'd be fine. Totally fine. She took a deep breath, reaching instinctively for her bag before recalling it had been frozen shut. Bloody cyclops. "I'll be back soon."

A gust of wind stirred the room with her departure. She'd return a good ten minutes later, her usual cloak and a coarse, bloodied braid of hair in hand. She'd tried to be fast about it. She was well aware how quick hypothermia could settle over a person in weakened state. Lucky for her, more so Leo, the job had been just about finished already.

"I forgot to say before, but you did well in that fight." Kneeling down she threw the heavy material over him, fastening it properly and pressing the back of her hand to his cheek. Probably the worst sign would be if his shivering had stopped, though hopefully nothing a nice warm fire wouldn't fix. We're both going to regret this so much tomorrow.

Grabbing his arm she slung it over her shoulder, lifting him up with a huff. Her final task was to grab the glass-like sphere from the pedestal, balancing it precariously as she struggled to keep everything together. At last, we're out of here.

And with a flash of light, they disappeared from the caverns once and for all.

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Icewall Caverns > Guild Hall
Mentions: Sylph ​

"I already said that's what I'd do, didn't I? Now are you going to teleport out of here or..." Leonidas had thought about doing that but he remembered Ymir's bag being frozen shut and with that, her own waystone being unavailable. If he left now she wouldn't be able to get back to the guild hall. He was about to make an attempt at pointing this out to her when she continued talking. "On second thought, no. You'll end up in a ditch somewhere with no energy to get out and... no--just wait here." That was a different reason than he had thought of but it was fine with him.

He managed a weak smile. "Wouldn't be the first time." He saw her reach for her bag, now finally realizing that it wasn't available. "I'll be back soon." He managed a weak nod.

With Ymir gone, Leonidas was left completely alone with his thoughts and the growing realization that his legs wouldn't move at all no matter how hard he tried. He could still feel the muscles in his legs when he tried to move them so he wasn't worried that they had stopped functioning completely but still, the fact that he couldn't do anything right now frustrated him to no end.

In the end, he just gave up. He rested his head against the icy pedestal, afraid to close his eyes because he could tell he wouldn't be able to open them again if he did. Without thinking about it, he started humming. It started off as a random tune, one his mind was making up as he went along. He suddenly stopped, when had that same random tune turned into the one he used to sing to his sister?

This mission didn't have any connection to his past, so then why had it ended up bringing back more memories of that time than all his other experiences in the past half a year combined?

He was thankful for Ymir's return, his thoughts coming to a temporary halt as he focussed on what she was doing. She threw her cloak over him and while he really wanted to protest and tell her she needed it just as much as he did he really couldn't muster the strength.

"I forgot to say before, but you did well in that fight." He smiled. "That sloppy footwork? That would have earned me a beating in the past." He responded with a joke but he was happy she thought so. "Thanks." He muttered in a barely audible volume.

Ymir grabbed his arm and slung it over her shoulder. He really tried to make lifting him up easier on her but no matter how hard he tried his legs wouldn't move more than an inch. He would have to apologize later, buy her a round or two of drinks maybe.

He heaved one final sigh of relief when the familiar feeling of waystone travel washed over him and he saw the caverns disappearing around him. Free from this deadly ice prison at last.

 

[Minma]

Minma Gate
Location: Gaenet

Minma watched in awe as Themisto used some sort of magic to capture one of the wolves. Minma was always amazed by the acts of magic since he himself had never been capable of commiting such acts. He relied on becoming stronger in more skilled in hand to hand combat or sword play. Even though he has no special abilities his managed to overcome stronger foes than he could ever imagine. His drive to become the strongest in the world is enough to keep him going when all odds are stacked against him.

"With that out of the way, we might finally be able to advance to the fortress. I don't expect it'll get any easier from here on out though so if either of you needs a brief break we can have one now." Minma placed his sword back on his back and smirked at Klein. "I don't mean to come off as egotistical in any way but I advise you to refrain from asking me such a question. I assure you if I require a break I will ask. But I doubt I'll be needing one." As he stopped speaking Themisto began to perform her magic one more.

"Will either of you have trouble getting over this wall?" Minma looked at it then looked at Themisto for her response. "I will not, but, if our friend here have, we can open a channel. It will be messy, but..." As she threw Klein the rock, Minma interrupted and caught it before it could reach Klein. "Thank you for your concern but I assure you I am more than capable of scaling such a wall. I wouldn't want to be a factor that falters our mission and we have no time to spare so we can all cross together." And with that Minma was off. He was charging head first at the wall, ready to conquer it. As he approached he began to run up the wall in a slightly horizontal way.

He was able to get a good run and was already almost halfway up the wall, but of course you can't go against gravity for so long before falling. Minma knew his next step was the last he was going to be able to take. He reached behind himself and pulled out his sword, stabbing it into the wall. As he did so he pulled down on it and used it as a spring to bost himself up more. With the boost from his sword he was able to make it a few more feet higher. Minma quickly reached behind his back and tapped his sword carrier which had a special magnet that drew his sword to him. Once his sword was in his grip again he repeated the process. He was now also to the top when he used one last move to usher him there. When he had his sword in his hands he spent it so rapid, in a circle like way, opposite to the top of the wall, that it created enough force of wind to give him that last boost he needed to scale the wall.

Mentions: SilverbackActual Key of Stars

 

[Key of Stars]

Klein Eshwald
Location: Gaenet
Mentions: SilverbackActual Minma ​

"I don't need a break, however, i need to make preparation to what will come... And that means i need feedback about what occourred before. What you think about the structure of those simulacras? Express it to me, while we working together, information is useful to know what is happening..." Klein nodded. "I can't say I've ever heard about nor seen illusions that could affect the real world but I learned a few things in that fight. First of all, they do not trigger my perception when they touch my strings which confirms that they are illusions. Furthermore, and perhaps most troubling of all, I can't turn them into marionettes which should mean they don't have a mind of their own but I've never before felt the sharp pain in my head I just felt when unable to turn something into a marionette."

Klein frowned, he really was worried about it affecting the mission. His ability to fight with strings would normally be enough to take care of whatever came his way but this was a gold-ranked quest, missing even a single one of his skills could be fatal.

"Anyway," He cleared his throat and continued. "They seem to fall apart when enough stress is applied, though I do wonder if the same level of stress is required for all the illusions. I highly doubt that fortress will fall apart under the force of a single slash."
"I don't mean to come off as egotistical in any way but I advise you to refrain from asking me such a question. I assure you if I require a break I will ask. But I doubt I'll be needing one." Klein turned to Lynx and gave a nod. Quite a bit of pride, I can only hope he has the stamina to back it up. "Very well then."

"I will not, but, if our friend here have, we can open a channel. It will be messy, but..." Klein watched with interest as she started writing. "Put this on the other side" She threw him something but Lynx jumped in and caught it. He frowned, a little annoyed at the man's carefree attitude.

"Thank you for your concern but I assure you I am more than capable of scaling such a wall. I wouldn't want to be a factor that falters our mission and we have no time to spare so we can all cross together." Klein watched as Lynx made it over the wall with little difficulty. Well, at least he's backing up his big words so far.

He sighed and turned to Themisto. "I will see you on the other side, I will make sure he places your stone." He made a small polite bow before turning around and approaching the wall.

After using his strings like a rope to pull himself up and over Klein landed on the other side of the wall next to Lynx. "Don't forget to place the stone you grabbed." He said, turning to face the forest. "When Themisto is here we'll set off."

 

[Minma]

Minma Gate
Location: Gaenet

Shortly after Minma made his descent to the ground on the other side of the wall he watched as Klein joined him. He was confused as to why he couldn't hear Themisto making an attempt to scale the wall. "Don't forget to place the stone you grabbed." He reached into the pocket which he put the stone into and brought it out. "Right." Bending over, Minma placed the stone onto the ground. "When Themisto is here we'll set off." A simple nod came from Minma and that's when it hit him. He just realized he had left his dragon behind. Although he didn't particularly like it, he did promise to watch over it for this mission. He was sure Themisto would bring it since it would probably cling onto her now that she is the only one on that side.

As he and Klein waited for Themisto a hole began to emerge where the stone had been and soon followed his dragon. I knew I could count on her. To his surprise that wasn't the only thing that came threw the whole. A rock with a triggered message appeared. When Minma read it he looked at Klein then back at the wall. A chill went threw his spine and he let out a deep sigh as he turned to face Klein. "So what's your call captain? Do we listen to her and continue, trusting that she will be able to rendezvous with us? Or do we ignore her request and go back since this place has its fair share of dangers?"

After speaking he bent down and patted the dragon. "Whatever call you make I'll get behind, but as I'm sure you know, the more time we spend waiting the more dangerous our situation gets." He stood back upright and looked Klein in the eye, waiting for a response.

Mentions: Key of Stars SilverbackActual

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

[Location: Darkwood Forest (Outskirts)]
{Interactions: Akeldama Uasal / Zale Starwalker123 }
​

A flash of light and a soft whoomph of air and the three adventurers appeared on the outskirts of the Darkwood Forest. Vas'On shook his head slightly at the semi-disorienting effect that teleportation had. After years of doing this, he was somewhat well adjusted but he still ultimately preferred to travel by foot. The act of skipping across vast distances with a magical effect seemed counterproductive to increasing the personal strength of the individual.

He looked to Zale "Take a moment to acclimate if this is the first time you've traveled by waystone. It is not unheard of for one to lose the the contents of their stomach afterwards" he crossed his arms and looked at the forest. Darkwood Forest. The forest was home to many types of creatures, both aggressive and docile. The deeper into its depths one went, the more dangerous it became. It spanned a great many leagues of land. Quite a few villages even sat along its borders. The Darkwood the forest was named for was sturdy enough to be used in construction, as well as attractive enough to have the smaller pieces of wood be used for furniture and works of art.

Where they were at the moment wasn't that dangerous. Slimes mainly in the fields outside of the forest with some more dangerous variants deeper in. There was the occasional lone wolf that reached the Outskirts from much deeper in.

 

[Uasal]

Akeldama Vlad Aldea Mayer
Silver Rank Blade Dancer
Darkwood Forest​

Akel moved to stretch her arms while Vas'on handled the new recruit. The Darkwood Forest was a familiar location for many a guild member considering the vast amount of low-level quests issued by the towns within its ring of influence. Typical quests ranged from gathering herbs, flowers, wood and tinder to hunting quests revolving around the local slime population and adventurous wolf packs. In terms of difficulty, this forest was perfect for new recruits and a very peaceful place one could aim to scout for retirement in terms of home acquirement. It was peaceful. Scenic. Tranquil even. Once finished stretching Akel moved toward the track between the wall of trees aside them and waved over her two companions. Crickets could be heard chirping and the air was growing cooler by the second as the night sky slowly began to takeover from the day.

"This shouldn't take long. The moss we're looking for grows all over the forest, we needn't track too far into the woods before coming across some. I and Vas'on will let you lead the way, it wouldn't do you much good if me and Vas'on here were to lead you right to it. Say... what was your name again? I'm Akeldama. A pleasure to meet you."
Starwalker123 Seraph Darkfire

 

[Starwalker123]

Zale Liron
Mentions@ Seraph Darkfire, @

Uasal​

​

Zale’s stomach lurched as they landed almost tumbling to the ground. The form of travel was more disorentating than they would have throught. The first time had to be the hardest if it didn't get easier they might still prefer to travel by foot. Though this was faster just skipping across vast distances. The very idea made their head spin. “It is the first time.” The teen fought the urge to puke into the bushes/. The darkwood forest was known to many for the wood it provided for use and the villages that rimmed it. The animals and things that lived there got wilder the deeper one went into it. When akel came closer and spoke the teen noded/ “That sounds like a plan. My Zale Liron, but you can call me Zale. “ the teen looked around be before plungeging off into the woods, “wasting daylight, and we should be aware of that”

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

[Location: Darkwood Forest (Outskirts)]
{Interactions: Akeldama Uasal / Zale Starwalker123 }
​

Vas'On was only half paying attention to the two of them as they performed their introductions. Despite the fact that it was a relatively safe area, no area was truly safe. Life wasn't some predestined game of chance and numbers that conveniently kept stronger entities to specific locations. You could easily find yourself in combat with much more powerful creatures that decided to roam. Of course, that was also a sort of paranoia for the half breed, he was always expecting to get attacked in one way or another, at least when he was out adventuring. He did feel a bit more relaxed with someone of Akeldama's capabilities around. If things did go poorly, he wouldn't have to divide his attention between defending Zale and fighting an enemy.

"Daylight is never truly wasted" he said looking back to Zale "But yes, lets get moving. The request is to gather the moss to possibly cover a floor...or several" he read the paper he'd been given with a soft sigh as he looked at Akeldama "You know, I don't miss this part of the job" he said as he tapped the paper "The requester never says how much they require or in what state they need the items to be in. Fortunately moss can be gathered quickly, it doesn't really need special techniques or herbal knowledge to gather. It can also be transported without much fuss, so we can gather as much as you want to gather. Rule of thumb is to always gather more than you think you need unless a specific amount has been requested"