Fantasy The Guild Stone ((Old Questing Thread))

[Rurnur]

Risoria Ducci De Columba
​

"Well, if you are quite sure you're not in need of healing.." Ducci looked on in concern, but was quick to hurry the group along as an ominous sound grew louder, approaching from the main chamber. Moving past the door into the dark chamber, he glanced about, trying but failing to discern what had occurred in here. "Did you.. fight a Cyclops in here, Apple? My word!" He exclaimed, shocked that Apple had returned to them not as a stone statue. But the longer they remained here, the closer the sounds grew, with a low growling coming from down the hallway they just passed through. "Damn! We cannot expect to remain hidden, or take any Cyclops be surprise if those beasts continue to track us. This door should keep the smaller ones out, at least.. but.." Ducci looked at his companions in concern, not wishing for things to escalate into an all-out battle, but fearing that it may become their only option.

Zef The Owl Ace Cream Tapfic

 

[Funnier President]

As Pri was giving hi=er speech, something about the dangers here, he noticed Brynhilde approaching, and gave her a wave before remming his attention to Pro, who wanted him and Cinder to scout the area. The only reason he wasn't cold was because he had got his Cloak enchanted so to would keep him warm, but that didn't mean his hands weren't freezing, so he pulled thin gloves over then while he decided to go check out the forest.

With a two finger salute at the approaching Osgar, he quickly went into the forest so silently, that if you weren't looking, it was like he wasn't there.

Goonfire II-CinderRadcliff-II Sylph Reinhardt

 

[Zef The Owl]

Regil the Thief

~Out of options~
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​

Regil heard out the exchange, he for one didn't believe Apple was alright for a second. Especially with Apple's sluggish movements, "You're moving rather, slow Appl--" He cut himself off, ear perking up as he darted gaze back to the onrushing noise. He then looked to Ducci with a nod, sighing heavily, "Any amount of cutting off their numbers is going to benefit us... Lets retreat into the room, if we're lucky maybe there's something in there we can use. Hurry!" He said, making for the room pass the iron door, at the very least it might buy them time. They were going to have to improvise, think fast. Especially since they still didn't know what was down those other halls, or where the rest of the Cyclops were. They were just going to have to make it up as they went, be reactionary. Which was not at all the best of plans, thankfully this is where Regil actually thrived, improvisation and thinking on his feet. He just needed to get a good scope of what they were dealing with.

So, without further ado, he led the way into the mostly unknown room beyond the door. Using a critical eye to look around and hopefully spot anything of use or perhaps an escape route.

Ace Cream | Tapfic | Rurnur

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

As Jennie caught up with Zeno, the flare in the sky caught her attention. Cinder. She knew him to be powerful given his rank, but she could sense the intensity of the heat from so far away. Maybe it was because she was a member of the Sea-folk, or maybe because water and fire magic tend not to mix; whatever the reason it put her off. As she refocused on Zeno he had already disappeared, leaving her to run ahead into the forest towards the location Cinder had signaled he was at. The mist grew thicker as the gaze of powerful monsters fell upon her, making her unease stronger than it had been before; her legs moving faster out of instinct. The forest seemed to get thicker as she ran, her fear and anxiety growing as memories of her original kidnappers began to replay. Locked up in a cage with the other monsters they had captured, though unlike them she had a much worse fate. The fog then began to thin out as the cabin came within view from the forest, slowing from a full sprint to a light jog before coming to a complete stop. With a hand on one of the trees she struggled to collect her thoughts, with the panic attack slowly subsiding before she slowly walked towards the cabin. Her mind was now more or less clear as it was before entering the woods, though her breathing was still heavy and her body was still tense with fear. Just a slight touch from a falling leaf would be enough to send her back into a panic.

Upon entering the clearing of the forest where the Cabin resided, a sense of ease washed over her. It gave off warm and welcoming vibes, and had settle reminders of the ship she commanded only two years ago. It felt like home. The remaining fear left her as she walked towards where Cinder was standing, though a bit of confusion filled her eyes as she saw a woman she didn't know alongside three kids.
"Am I seeing things, or are those three children actually there?" Jennie asked with a very confused expression, as all she knew of Cinder was how easily he completed Gold Ranked quests alongside the gist of the powers he explained.

-Cinder Radcliff | Demi-Human | 26yo | Gold Rank-​

Cinder looked next to him as Zeno appeared, listening to his report before watching Pri fly in. Before he could get any words in after Pri spoke to the two of them, Zeno had already disappeared again. So much for settling in first. As Jennie walked out of the forest as well, he gave a gentle wave as she approached; looking to his wife and kids on the porch when she asked about them.
"They're my family. We were all planning on taking within the next week, but this quest opened up an opportunity to get settled back into the cabin earlier than we planned. Being that it's the house I grew up in most of my life, it's fitting to return to my roots once a year for a week's stay." Cinder answered before gesturing that she head inside. "I'm going to stick out here and wait for the others, Pri already went inside. I'm planning on holding a strategy meeting tonight being as Zeno already took off to survey the ruins, so please inform Guildmaster Pri so she knows." He asked before he walked onto the porch and sat down in one of the chairs next to the railing, with his wife Elisabethe and their kids taking a seat as well. The five of them started to chat as he waited for the remaining two to arrive, unaware that the copper ranked adventurer had backed out of the quest.

Sylph Reinhardt Funnier President Goonfire

 

[Tapfic]

Leolin​

"Apple is soorrryyyy! but Apple is fine."

Oh well okay; Leolin decided he was probably just noticing things that weren't there then. With that worry smushed out, he now got to worry about the sounds creeping closer. Not for long however, Sir Ducci and Regil ushered them into the room, and out of the growling's immediate vicinity.

" Oh, yeah- what happened in here anyways? " Leolin asked Apple, glancing around at the obvious signs of scorching marring the stone.
Obviously an explosion, but what exploded and who did the exploding was still up in the air.
Speaking of air, leolin now realized he had forgotten to commit the scent of cyclops to memory before rushing over- heck. Now he was left to guesstimate what it was he should look out for.

Ace Cream

 

[Rurnur]

Risoria Ducci De Columba
​

Pushing the huge door closed, Ducci breathed a sigh of relief as the growling ceased for the moment, and was unable to pick up any more approaching noises. "..Doesn't seem like they're attempting to break through. Perhaps we may have a moment of reprieve." He announced to the group in a hushed tone. Meanwhile, Regil would uncover the remains of some sort of skirmish, with charred portions of stone and burnt rags scattered about. The bonfire in the center of the room still was aglow, providing a good view of the chamber, filled with bones, old meat, wrecked furniture and other debris. The entrance to another hallway could be seen in the far left corner, which some individuals might detect a pungent scent of decay emanating from.

The longer the group remained in this chamber however, the louder the sounds of scraping metal against stone would grow. Originating from beyond the left wall, the terrible noise seemed to be moving up and down a hallway. "Come ouuut little rats.. I know yer in ere'.." a monstrous voice echoed from outside the chamber, grinding iron scratching and tapping against the walls, making it difficult to exactly pinpoint where he was, but making it's general location clear. "Go on, get em." The voice said more quietly, before the barking of dogs started up once again, getting louder as the four beasts came running into the chamber from the far hallway, out for blood.

Ace Cream Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[Ace Cream]

Apple

"Y-yeah, Apple fought a cyclops here. A... mage cyclops kid?" She answered with uncertainty. She then excitedly gave everyone a brief summary of her battle, noting the cyclops ability to melt into shadow but also said her theory about the cyclops only able to materialize in light, because, well, she didn't get hurt in the darkness at all during the fight. She also showed the weakened Pipi in the pocket and how the explosion occured. Oh yeah and the blanket-

"Apple is very sorryyyy!!!! Apple promised to return it unscatched but end up destroying it." Apple felts really guilty about it so she pleaded mercy to Leolin by latching on his leg like a monkey. Though her begging was cut short when four wolfs bursted into the chamber. Apple was unprepared now so she hide behind Leolin and pulled some javelins to defend herself.

Rurnur Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[Tapfic]

Leolin
​

"Y-yeah, Apple fought a cyclops here. A... mage cyclops kid?" He listened intently to Apple's story, nodding along periodically. So, at this point it was highly likely that each Cyclops had it's own magical affinity- they would have to tread carefully. He opted to willfully ignore the "kid" part of the monster's description.

"Apple is very sorryyyy!!!! Apple promised to return it unscatched but end up destroying it." Leolin jumped a little when she latched onto his leg.
He lifted his hands in a sort of "Calm down" gesture.

" Don't worry about it, I'm just glad you're not burned," considering where the thing came from- he probably should have gotten rid of it a long time ago anyhow. Those memories were useless now (even if the blanket was pretty useful while it was still in play).

The scraping of metal was starting to become grating to Leolin's sensitive ears- but why was it traveling up and down again? Maybe it didn't know their location yet? Maybe it was just playing with them?

"Come ouuut little rats.. I know yer in ere'.." the cyclops's voice moved through the chamber door and Leolin readied his claws- wait; was that blood still lingering on his hands? He became distracted momentarily attempting to wipe it off.
"Go on, get em."
The dogs where coming closer, Leolin's eye darted; instinctively looking for an exit. There- another hall, but rank with decay.

" So what's the plan? One dog for each of us or retreat," he asked; gesturing to the hall further in with a clawed thumb. Well, one dog for each of them may be difficult for Apple considering her bow was burned to nothing in the explosion- but one of them could handle one and a half if it came down to it.
Lin could feel the adrenalin rush through his veins as the growls and clacking of claws drew closer, but the more he shifted into a full lion, the higher the risk of accidentally going cat brain became, especially if a cyclops decided to burst in mid fight and startle him.
Ultimately, he decided it wasn't worth the risk yet; opting only to keep his clawed hands out.

The four remaining dogs burst through the door; and Leolin crouched ever so slightly- ready to either pick up Apple and make a break for the hall, or stay and fight; depending on what the others had to say.

Rurnur Zef The Owl Ace Cream

 

[Zef The Owl]

Regil the Thief

~Bad dog~
-------------------------------------------------

​

"You can outrun them Leonin but theres no way the rest of us can." He pointed out, tearing his sword from its scabbard. This wasnt like the stairs where they had rough terrain and a bunch of ball bearings, even the slowest dog breeds that werent a toy breed could outrun a human. No doubt these clearly magical wolves could run them down. They didnt have much choice. The room left precious little to fight with. However, the furniture left an oppurtunity.
If there was a good table or, chair or couch, Regil would run to it. "Hey! Flea bitten mutt! Your master was a dunderhead!" He taunted them, trying to get one to follow. Assuming that worked, he'd make a helluva jump check. He'd done this before skirmishing with guards and thugs indoors and furniture was something he was familiar with using to his advantage. He leapt up atop it, looking to get a height advantage. Once the wolf drew close he'd leap on off, narrowly avoiding gnashing jaws and looking to come down upon it, driving his sword through its maw and put it down soundly.

Tapfic | Ace Cream | Rurnur

 

[Rurnur]

Risoria Ducci De Columba
​

Standing beside Leolin and Apple, Ducci would imbue his blade with a modicum of divine power, before striking out in a huge arc when two of the wolves would attempt to surround them, leaving the beasts to dissipate into ash and black goo. But while Regil vanquished his target with an accurate and lethal strike, the last remaining wolf didn't falter and charged relentlessly at Leolin, his just aimed at the boys throat. "They know where we are now! Can't stay in one place too long, or they could rally their forces.." Ducci said with concern once the wolves had been dealt with. So it seemed there were at least two active Cyclops on this floor, meaning that there was a chance they could be ambushed by the individual seemingly with an affinity for darkness, which could spell the end for their party. The faster they could defeat another Cyclops, the better their chances would be at keeping their encounters restricted to single Cyclops, where they could make the most of their superior numbers.

After a few moments, the scraping of metal being dragged drew closer from that far hallway where the stench of death and dogs came from. "Wonder if they're in ere'.." Came a curious and cruel voice, with a sickly tone identical to the raucous laughter he shared at his brother's expense, moments before his death. Massive, heavy footsteps would be heard approaching, suggesting a Cyclops even larger than those they had already encountered.

Zef The Owl Tapfic Ace Cream

 

[Tapfic]

Leolin
​

First things first; Leolin had to get out of the way. Luckily with the other three dogs delt with he didn't have to spend nearly so long watching his back.
With the grace of prey, he would dodge- ducking under the beast's deadly maw; and with the ferocity of a predator, he would attack- reaching his claws up until he could grab the monster's throat. His claws would tear the flesh, and he would sigh in relief. No blood to be found here.

The fight would take longer without his lion form, but eventually Leolin could claw through enough of the creature's half rotten neck for it to collapse, or it's head to fall off- whichever came first.
This method was more disturbing than effective, he would decide after the fact- while tentatively nursing the scratches he had received from the encounter.
"They know where we are now! Can't stay in one place too long, or they could rally their forces.."
Sir Ducci was right- they should really get going-

"Wonder if they're in ere'.."
It was the cackling one's voice; Byle.
He sounded big. Bigger than the other two at least. But he also seemed to have a thing for traps- oh, wait, traps?
Could he be trying to lead them into a trap now? Was that why he sent the dogs in rather than come after them himself in the first place? Maybe a big old vat of acid was waiting for them above the other door.
...Well either way it wasn't like they had much of a choice in direction- unless they wanted to try and face Byle now. Leolin decided to keep his nose open and alert.

" I say we go that way then," he muttered, gesturing to the hall furthest from the sounds of scraping metal.

Rurnur Ace Cream Zef The Owl

 

[Ace Cream]

Apple

Thankfully, they able to dealt with the wolves quickly. Apple already bent the javelins she hold into a single nasty looking javelin made by intertwining two of it into one then added thorns at the tip, though she wasn't sure if she would be strong enough to puncture a cyclops' skin with this. She also agreed with the notion of moving to other room before engaging the cyclops. This place was quite small and barely had any place to hide, the main chamber was actually a better place to fight a cyclops head on but the cyclops would likely block the way there so their choice would be going through the other door.

Rurnur Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[Zef The Owl]

Regil the Thief

~Here I thought I was done living life on the run~
--------------------------------------------
​

Well, they finally killed all of the dog spawn of the Cyclops. Technically did that mean they finally finished off the first cyclops. One down? They've only already had multiple brushes with death. . . Even as the wolf disappated at the end of Regil's blade, he didnt feel much like rejoicing. It felt like an uphill battle.

How were they going to do this? They'd only killes one Cyclops so far with quite a few still in the wing. Apple had lost equipment, he'd almost had his ribs shattered, Ducci was burning through magical power... What were they to do?

He then heard the Cyclops, darting his gaze over. He didnt need to be told twice, attempting to make his way to the next room with the others, he was mindful of traps, knowing they were dealing with a trapper.

That in mind, Regil wasnt taking chances. He went into his pack to pull out another tool, this one being a crowbar. He used it to push the next door open and stood back, only his hand would be at risk at distance if there was another acid trap, and with his reflexes he might come out unscathed.

Yes he was being cautious despite the rush, the only thing more catastrophic then being caught by the Cyclops was being in a trap AND THEN being caught.

@Rurnur| Tapfic | Ace Cream

 

[Goonfire]

Osgar Press
Osgar marched up to the property, surprised to see a family there in addition to his gathering compatriots. “It’s rare to see adventurers marry so soon,” he expressed to Cinder. “That speaks volumes—good things, naturally.” In the past, he helped priests officiate weddings. Those moments yielded fond memories for him, of the happy faces and a whole day of festivities.

With Zeno scouting, the paladin drew closer, noticing subtle signs Jennie was recovering from a run. “Are you okay, Jennie? Did your waystone put you a bit far out?” He looked over her shoulder to make sure nothing followed her, before asking Cinder, “May we come in and offload some of this baggage?”

II-CinderRadcliff-II Reinhardt

 

[Rurnur]

Risoria Ducci De Columba​

As Regil pried open the large iron door, there was clicking sound followed by an odd metallic grinding as the door seemed to be pulled open automatically. Already expecting foul play, the group stood clear of the doorway as a massive slab of sharpened, rusty metal slammed down onto the stone floor, striking repeatedly and grinding back and forth in the doors threshold. It was powered by what looked like an elaborate pulley system which had been hidden from view in the shadows of the stronghold, triggered somehow by the opening door. "Aha! Very keen of you!" Ducci shouted and charged forwards, slicing apart the ropes holding up the metal blade and knocking it harmlessly to the ground. "The enemy clearly planned to corner us! In the main chamber, we'll be sure to have the advantage." He nodded to the group before heading down the hallway for a period, before thinking better of it and allowing either Regil or Leolin to continue on.

Byle spat a glob of reddish green slime onto the stone. "Clever.." He said to himself, grinning before turning his massive form around in the hallway, heading in the direction of the main chamber, all the while dragging the two enormous blades he carried along the ground. Byle stood a similar height to Keel but slightly shorter, at about 27 feet tall. It was his build that was so different, as he moved, rolls of glistening flesh wobbled while huge boils and cysts erupted casually, spreading a hissing acidic substance across the trail he walked upon. Perhaps twice as wide as Keel, and three times the size of his youngest brother Des, Byle appeared the most monstrous of all. From the main chamber, his form could be seen slowly approaching from the long northern corridor, his weight shifting with each step. The blades he held could barely be considered weapons, similar to the trap Regil had uncovered; these were at least 12 foot long, jagged, rusty and encrusted with dark blood. His eye was bulbous, red and bloodshot, and the shape of his face horribly disfigured, lopsided. Almost as if his entire body was in a perpetual state of being painfully melted. "Little ones come to play, eh? You regret comin' down ere' yet?" He called out from down that hall, and gave a low and terrible chuckle.

Zef The Owl Tapfic Ace Cream

 

[EldridSmith]

"I suppose--what happens once you become an archon?"
"I don't really know honestly, I've never really spent much thought on it. I suppose I would try and expand the church and it's influence, though I would try and find a way to tie in the guild and church so my duties won't ever conflict, perhaps sanctioning new branches of the guild to help with things." Titus speculates. "I have become fond of this place and the people here, as such I don't want to leave it, so even if I become an Archon I will stick around, perhaps as an emissary of the church or something with a fancy title that both the guild and church can agree on, whatever it is." He explains with a chuckle as he remembers all the semantics that went into such things.
"Not really much to know."
"Perhaps there may not be much for you to say, but I still wish to hear about you and the others in the guild." Titus declares as he looks at Ymir. She was a good mapmaker, and he was sure the church would be willing to contract her for her abilities on regards to mapping lands they have yet to explore or the places they've lacked time to map. She would probably enjoy the chance to see the world, but still it was too early to say.
"I'm just a little mountain girl who chose adventure over home and ended up here in the guild. I guess some stuff has happened since then, but ask away."
"I grew up on a volcano, so I can relate in some manner to growing up on a mountain. Well I've got a few questions then. What was your home village like, what are your favorite places to explore and map out, and outside of adventuring what do you like to do for fun?" Titus inquired, trying to get to know Ymir better since he owed this to her after knowing her for so long but not chatting much.

Sylph

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

-Cinder Radcliff | Demi-Human | 26yo | Gold Rank-​

"Yeah, feel free to use one of the guest bedrooms, all of them have magic furniture with various uses. Also, we're holding a meeting tonight to discuss what Zeno finds from scouting ahead, alongside of some valuable information about the Krilgox region as a whole." Cinder informed Osgar, then looking off towards where the caldera that was the Krilgox region was. Between the monsters and volcanic gas vents around and within the forest, the mist that filled the air wasn't entirely innocent. The air in the forest was known to be cold year round, while the ground stayed warm due to the volcanic gas vents heating up the ground; allowing clouds to form much closer to the ground than most other regions. Combined with the lack of winds to blow the clouds away due to how much land the forest spans, and you get an eternal mist that only disappears during low volcanic activity and heat waves during summer; or during winter when constant snowfall prevents the ground from creating water vapor. He turned to Osgar with the intent to speak again, to give him a bit of a sense of the situation they'd soon enough find themselves in. "Some of my ancestors survived what happened in Krilgox so long ago. From the stories I've heard that were passed down, it was much worse than just some cliffside falling into the lake if they hold up to be true."


Jennie walked inside the cabin without responding to Osgar, opting to just pick a guest bedroom to relax in for the time being. She set her instruments on the desk close to the door and plopped onto the bed, exhausted from the fear she had inside of the forest. She rolled over onto her back and looked out the window of the room she was in, watching the sky as snowfall began to coat the land in a blanket of white. The fog soon enough began to recede into nothingness. Some of the snowflakes that fell were a light or dark grey due to the volcanic gases or ash that was spewed into the air occasionally, indicating that volcanic activity somewhere in the region had increased enough to spew out ash. She got off of the bed and looked around outside from the comfort of the cabin, despite the fact that nothing indicated an eruption; though smoke was rising from some kind of forest fire far away to the west of the cabin. She pulled herself away from the window and entered the living room where Pri was, sitting somewhat close to the Guildmaster before looking at her.
"Hey Guildmaster Pri, I've been wondering... Do you know what happened to the Krilgox Kingdom?" Jennie questioned with a brief pause. "All I know from the stories I've heard are that the cliffside started collapsing and that it was abandoned, but it doesn't seem to make sense given how easily Earth magic could fix any cliffside that fell off. It also doesn't explain why the ruins are filled with ghosts, as a freak accident like that would make living by the cliffs less appealing; like how trade ships avoid traveling close to cliffs due to the same reasons."

Sylph Not Sure Funnier President Goonfire Reinhardt

 

[Funnier President]

As Zeno came shooting right behind Osgar., he said "Doesn't looking like there is anything in a 50 feet perimeter, so we are clear" he then quickly turned to Cinder, who was right in front of Osgar "so........ Where are the rooms? Just curious" Not even giving time for Cinder to respond, he strolled inside and quickly headed for the kitchen, where he began to rummage through there for some cooking ingredients- he wanted to eat something

II-CinderRadcliff-II Goonfire Reinhardt

 

[Tapfic]

Leolin
​

So it wasn't Acid this time- looks like this guy was more of a "traps in general" type than a one trick pony. Good to know.
Leolin sniffed the air carefully as he stepped forward into the next chamber, but he was notably not as carful as he should have been; stepping with the assurance of someone who had never encountered floor based traps. Even though he had, on multiple occasions.

He immediately regretted smelling the air so carefully, the rancid odor immediately had him covering his nose in disgust.
Leolin's ears twitched- god what was that noise? Like... The popping of a water balloon filled with hot pudding... The sounds accompanied Byle's steps and Leolin made a guess. He guessed that he really did not want to know what that noise was.

"Little ones come to play, eh? You regret comin' down ere' yet?"
Byle's voice called- prompting Leolin to distract himself through pondering the question.

Well this really wasn't how he thought his first mission would go honestly, but on the other hand- he was glad that dwarf stew was firmly off the menu for at least the time being. He bit back a response, keeping in mind that they did not want to be discovered right now.

Rurnur Zef The Owl Ace Cream

 

[Ace Cream]

Apple

"Another prey!" Apple followed the others toward the main chamber but she occasionally glanced behind to try looking at the monster chasing them. They shouldn't keep running away. They're the hunters and Apple didn't intend for them to switch roles.

"Your traps are bad!" Apple threw the worst insult she could manage at the cyclops, which was not much actually because her vocabulary was rather limited. Hoping the cyclops would notice her she then run up the stairs while dropping several javelins along the way. There's plenty of crumbling spots on the stairs especially after the first cyclops stumbled down with those acid and she wanted to put this big one in a vulnerable position.

Rurnur Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[Zef The Owl]

Regil The Thief

~Oh, it's on~
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​

Regil of course joined the group in fleeing towards the main chamber. He looked back at the taunts by the trapper and, boy did he realize it was a trapper, earning an audible 'tch' from him. Regil thankfully, was an expert in traps and alarms being a thief. He'd circumvented them more times then he could count, and the fact he thought around the trapped door was just the first showing of that. Regil tried to look around as they ran, trying to pick out anyplace he could use to his advantage, turn the tables, while also keeping an eye out for yet more traps. He still hadn't figured out how they were going to topple this Cyclops but he felt a bit more brave tackling this one. Perhaps it was the familiarity of dealing with traps, instead of just some big cannibalistic brute or strange magic, but he felt like this one he could outsmart, he could beat.

He just needed to wait for the opportunity. He still had that Tripwire on hand, would the trapper expect being the trapped? If they could beat him to the main chamber maybe he could set up the Tripwire to trip up the cyclops, give him a taste of his own medicine, it was going to come down to time and convenience. The tripwire was thin, hard to see, he had a feeling, and he already started getting it out.


Rurnur | Ace Cream | Tapfic

 

[Sylph]

Evening began to settle on the mountainside, bringing with it swaths of ash-white flakes to settle over the dark forest. The small cabin in which the adventurer's gathered was a haven of warm light. It alone appeared safe from the creeping mists and wandering souls of those long departed. The adventurers inside would feel little of the biting chill, nor breath the belching of ash and acrid smog.

Further up the slope, past where the last of the trees lingered, the ruins were beginning to come alive. Torches and bonfires were lit. Shreakish chatter filled the air. Small figures with luminous eyes moved about the old stone houses, gathering in large circles where the fires were largest. The sound of metal hammering on metal echoed amongst the pillars, accompanied by shouts and indistinct, off-key singing.

A particular set of eyes watched the revelries with apt attention. They were as wide and bulbously circular as the rest, but they shifted nervously amongst the shadows, flickering every so often to the top of the protruding cliff where the shadow of a castle loomed against the sky. In their hands they fiddled with a small, broken string, winding and unwinding it around clawed fingers.

No one seemed to notice when they peeled away into the shadows, heading towards the distant mists of the forest.

Pri
Location: Forest of Stagnant Mists​

It seemed their group was as full as it was going to get. Pri moved little from her chairside perch as the adventurers arrived and the day dragged onto dusk. In the end they were left fewer than the outset. The level-headed gold with kitsune blood, and the magic attuned assassin were the only ones she considered suitable for the quest. The other three--silver ranked adventurers--they would gain experience from it she supposed.

She ruffled her feathers as the assassin returned from his scouting, throwing the door open for a brief moment as the cutting winds outside swept in snow and ash. He exchanged brief words with the Kitsune, moving swiftly on to the kitchen in his impatience. Another followed through the door soon after, her violet hair swept into a mess by the wind.

Pri gave them all time to settle. The rooms were filled with plenty of entertaining things, but as the light faded from outside the window so too would their attention need to shift to darker topics. The presence she sensed in the ruins was not one that could be ignored for long. Though it tried to smother its malignant nature, a half-sentient rat with enough of an affinity to the spiritual realm could sense the clawmarks of its magic.

There was a reason why no ghosts haunted the ruins.

"Hey Guildmaster Pri, I've been wondering... Do you know what happened to the Krilgox Kingdom?"

The guildmaster turned her attention to the silver rank that settled nearby. Fair-haired and lithe, they continued with scarcely a breath, explaining the better known things. It was impressive, she supposed, for someone who had no business knowing the runes of Kilgrox. Their name escaped her, as most names did. Pri decided their spirit resembled that of the ocean, and silver was close enough to gold that she considered it worth remembering.

"Gather the others, child of the sea. It is time I explained what the nature of this mission entails."

By the time they had gathered, Pri settled herself atop the stone arch of the fireplace to face them. There were five to the group. Among the she only sensed one with a spirit affinity akin to her own, and her gaze settled on the silver ranked paladin. Another face she had no name to, but his nature seemed settled and dutiful. If he had made it this far then he doubt could sense the darkness seeped into the land, though like the rest of the silver ranks Pri had little knowledge of his abilities. She did not often accompany lower ranks until they were at least of gold standing.

Ruffling her feathers, Pri would have begun the explanation, if not for a sixth, unexpected addition to the group. The door flew open with a bang and the storm which had grown to a blizzard pitch came roaring in. The small figure that stood in the entrance held up their arms as if to defend--though they seemed unlikely to last long if one of the guild members unleashed an attack.

"You's adventurers!" Their eyes were bulbous and yellow, voice reedy as was distinct of the small, green-skinned race. They seemed out of breath, ears and nose tinged blue with the cold. "You help Glim."

The guildmaster's eyes narrowed at the small creature, recalling the original point of the mission. In truth she'd paid it little mind. Such a trivial thing didn't require her presence. Goblins were crafty and ruthless, but clearing out an infestation was only marginally more difficult than killing rats. Pri's talons tapped against brick as the creature continued to glare at them from the doorway. It was letting a great deal of the storm inside.
II-CinderRadcliff-II Goonfire Reinhardt Funnier President

Ymir
Location: Guildhall​

She nodded along every so often to his words about the church. It was, as she saw it, a whole lot of hassle for one little title. But then she had never been a real faithful sort. Every goblin and their sword had a god to pray to. Hell, there were rumours that Pri once had her own following. From the stories she'd heard, Ymir didn't think much of higher beings (she also knew that saying so was one good way to start a fight).

"I grew up on a volcano, so I can relate in some manner to growing up on a mountain."

She raised a brow, glancing over to the cleric. She got where he was coming from with the whole vertical issue. "You dealt with snowstorms and harpies?"

God, she hated harpies. Territorial skunks, the lot of them.

"Kidding," she said. "I get what you mean. Though lava wasn't really on the big concern list."

"Well I've got a few questions then. What was your home village like, what are your favorite places to explore and map out, and outside of adventuring what do you like to do for fun?"

"Hm, let's see. I suppose I like food? We had exactly one vegetable that grew on the mountain, and dawn's dead if that didn't get old fast." She had been somewhat of a thief in younger years when she first moved into the city--but like hell she'd ever admit it. "I dunno about places I like to explore, they're all pretty similar after a while, but there's one place I'm going to. Even if it kills me." It was only partially an exaggeration. She'd done her research, and it sure wasn't a picnic field. "There are these two spires you can see way, waaay in the distance when you're up high on my home mountains. I mentioned to a village kid one day that I wanted to see what they were like up close." Oh, the pain of that memory. Her fingers closed into a trembling fist. "The little turd laughed. So one day I'm going to get to the top of that spire. I'm going to pick up something weird looking, then I'm going to take it home and throw it at them."

That would show them. Her smile returned a moment later as she laughed away the idea. "Just kidding. I don't even remember their name. I am going to get to those spires though." She recalled the sight easily. Two monumental shadows winding into the sky. There were all sorts of stories for what they were--from old pillars of a civilisation, to the horns of some ancient being.

"So then what about you?" she said. "What does Future Archon Titus like to do in his spare time?--and don't you dare say visiting church. I can't spread rumours to your followers with something boring like that."
EldridSmith

 

[Rurnur]

Risoria Ducci De Columba
​

The Cyclops' grin spread menacingly across his face as he spotted the group down the hall, entering the main chamber while he still approached from a different corridor. "You think I'd let you run on out.. just like that..?" He dropped one of his blades to the floor and placed his hand on his gut, causing boiling pus to surge from the open wounds while he snickered cruelly, before bursting into laughter. Just as Apple's foot slipped past a section of rusted wire which had been set up to trip someone about half-way up the stairs, setting into motion the pulley system which had previously been responsible for dousing the staircase in acid. However this time it appeared to have been altered, now holding up some kind of leather sack near the ceiling. Chains and ropes moved about on both sides of Apple, before a large granite slab came crashing down beyond the archway, blocking access from the stairs to the upper floor. While at the same time, the leather sack being held up was released, sending a volley of fleshy ball-like items, about the size of large pumpkins, rolling down the stairs. They gave off a hissing sound, almost as if they would explode with a spray of deadly acid if they came in contact with anything on their way down. Picking up his dropped blade, Byle would continue his slow approach to the main chamber, his eyes now beginning to focus on the large bird-like figure.

Moving into the main chamber amongst his companions, Ducci was quick to spot the approaching Cyclops. Holding his blade at the ready, he looked back at the others. "Stay out of his immediate sight! I'll try and get you three an opening!" He announced before rushing forward and to the left towards an pile of rubble, where he could get closer but also hide his form from the Cyclops' eye, just as Byle stepped through the threshold and into the main chamber, now scanning the room for easy targets.

Ace Cream Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[Ace Cream]

Apple

"Eekkkk!!" Appled scrambled down the stairs as she watches the meatballs of hissing acid rolling down towards her. She was still sluggish so the balls were dangerously close to before she decided to jump to safety from the last few steps to avoid getting hit by the balls and heard a worrying crack from her left ankle as she land, sending her plummeting face first onto the floor.

"Mama... mama... It's cold..." Apple got disoriented while trying her best to sit up and there's blood flowing from her forehead but she didn't seems to notice it. Her vision was blurry and spinning but she still able to recognize the cyclops lumbering towards them. Ah, the dummy. Where is it? Apple looked around and found the wooden dummy leaned against a statue, not too far from where the cyclops was standing. Gathering as much focus as she can manage, Apple pointed at the dummy before shouting.

"ATTACK!!!" She didn't know why she was yelling that. Did she wanted to trick the cyclops into thinking there was an attacker near him? Or was it a message to rally her allies to use the opportunity to attack the cyclops? Either way, the moment she pointed at the dummy, the dummy's head exploded into flames. Not what she was intended to do because she wanted to lit the sword, not the head, but she was unable to focus much.

Rurnur Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[EldridSmith]

"You dealt with snowstorms and harpies?" She said in a fake serious tone before pausing to let it set in. "Kidding, I get what you mean. Though lava wasn't really on the big concern list."
"I never dealt with harpies or snow, but malevolent fire elementals weren't uncommon. They always kept popping up in the most dangerous parts of the volcano and they would always try to leave that area to wreck havoc elsewhere, but thanks to the clearing schedule for the cadets we always stopped that." Titus explained with a smile as he sipped on his glass of fire wine.

"I dunno about places I like to explore, they're all pretty similar after a while, but there's one place I'm going to. Even if it kills me. There are these two spires you can see way, waaay in the distance when you're up high on my home mountains. I mentioned to a village kid one day that I wanted to see what they were like up close." Oh, the pain of that memory. Her fingers closed into a trembling fist. "The little turd laughed. So one day I'm going to get to the top of that spire. I'm going to pick up something weird looking, then I'm going to take it home and throw it at them." Her smile returned a moment later as she laughed away the idea. "Just kidding. I don't even remember their name. I am going to get to those spires though"

"Really? Perhaps they're all similar since you mostly stay around the same areas." Titus commented rather surprised, from what he had seen there was still so much the world offered in ways of exploration, but Ymir was the expert here so he shrugged it off. "That sounds fun, I'll accompany you there you if want a hand since it could be dangerous there." Titus offered after she explained the spires. He was relieved when she said she was kidding about throwing something at the kid. "Those who have no drive or imagination will laugh at things they think are impossible, it is likely he thought that way. I honestly feel pity for people like that rather than anger since they rarely achieve anything meaningful. Still it wasn't right of him to laugh at your dream. Though I will say that I'm honestly very curious abut these spires now." He stated with a grin, he wanted to hear more.

"So then what about you?" she said. "What does Future Archon Titus like to do in his spare time?--and don't you dare say visiting church. I can't spread rumours to your followers with something boring like that."

"Visiting church. " Titus said faking seriousness for a few seconds before exposing a grin on his face just to mess with Ymir a little since she was typically the jokester. "I honestly don't know, but it will likely tie back to what I said about involving the guild and church together. Still for now I'm going to focus on getting revenge on the frost giant king, then afterwards if that bastard Legion is still around I'll try cleaning house. Though there's one thing I'll attempt after killing the frost giant king..." He says before looking out the broken skylight wistfully. "Maybe get married. Who knows?" He says before looking back at his drink and having a sip, he would marry whoever felt right, but for now no one was really on his radar. "Well I also want to see the world, but that can happen at any point in my life considering how long fire spirits live, though I'm not sure how long we half fire spirits live, still should be a long time." He says as he looks at Ymir since she also had a similar goal with her spires. "Well for now I'm just going to take things one day at a time, no need overthink the future with plans that may not even be able to occur." He explained as he looked at Ymir. "Still sure you don't have any grand plans for the next few years?" He asked with a smile.
Sylph