Fantasy The Guildstone Chronicles ((Questing Thread))

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Holding Cell
Mentions: Key of Stars ​

"No, but I've learned that you are unpredictable the hard way before." The words elicited the ghost of a bitter grin. Coming from someone who took the offer of a glider and a bottomless cliff. She didn't know whether to commend him or shake her head at the fact he'd gone along with it. There had been numerous times she'd expected him to back down during mission, and certain points she wished he had instead of charging forward anyway. Perhaps it was out of that spitefulness that her words came out harsh. Reckless actions often left the worst consequences for others.

"Don't make it sound like my mother left on purpose." She blinked, schooling her expression as his tone grew sharp. She'd seen him angry at times but it was the first time he snapped at her. It was arguably long overdue, but that it was over family said a lot. How very noble. "Say what you want about me but don't even suggest my mother is to blame for Cylia being alone." Wasn't she? Ymir glanced away. Of course she didn't know his sister at all enough to say what kind of impact it had. Family was a touchy thing and she should probably have known enough by now not to put her foot in her mouth. She withheld a sigh as his eyes lowered again, the anger draining away. "Sorry, it's just... There was no way for me to beat father in a fight and I couldn't go back on my words... If I knew I would end up leaving her alone I would have never left."

She had to bite back the words. Despite knowing it was a landmine, judgements lingered on the tip of her tongue - wallowing in a sense of bitter defeat when all she saw in his way was pride. She settled for something more diplomatic.

"I had to know," he said, as if there weren't a million different ways he could have gone about it. A different thought struck her, and though she knew by now to snap over petty things this new attitude was getting under her skin. She shouldn't hold it against him for being a noble, yet now the thread was there she saw the signs all too clearly.

"I didn't throw anything off!" He pushed her hand away as she grabbed his collar, making clear the difference in height between them. "If Isaiah and Tyron had as much as even a single brain cell combined I would have gotten my answers and you would have gotten as much freedom to investigate as you want!"

"It doesn't work like that!" she said, and her teeth gnashed together as she bit back more scathing words. Lacking the spine to stand up to his father lingered at the tip of her tongue. Would he hate her for it? If she were honest she preferred anger over all the remorse and contrition, but she'd regretted lesser things in the past and right now they were fighting exhaustion and already wounded pride. Escalating things wouldn't be worth the temporary satisfaction.

"Oh piss off Tyron-"

Thankfully, though unpleasantly, the noble arrived to redirect their ire and Ymir took a moment to recompose herself. Anger, at its heart, revealed a weakness. She had no intention of giving the young noble such leverage, receding into ambivalence as Leo continued his crusade. "You're certainly talking big for someone who got dumped into the guild because no one could stand having you around." She stepped back as Leo grabbed hold of the bars to hiss at Tyron. "My father might have told me to get lost but I was never officially disowned. To the public and to the law I am still Leonard Hower. So how about you mind your words and let the both of us out of here before I use all the diplomatic power I have as a Hower to make your life as difficult as possible."

"To the public?" Tyron said dryly. He knew something, if he were able to react with such control.

Ymir closed her eyes, running a hand over her face. She knew this game. She'd played it herself, for the most part badly, but if she'd realised it already then no doubt Tyron understood the same. Leo's hand fell from the cell bars as he settled into a colder veneer - though by that point she didn't know if his actions were a mask or not. Perhaps all she'd ever known was a crafted personality. Nobles were known their fake smiles, after all. "You can ignore what I say if you think I'm bluffing, that will just make everything all the better later."

Will it?

Tyron said nothing, though by the look in his eyes that wasn't for lack of words. Reaching into the pouch at his side he pulled out several fliers, tossing them through the bars to flutter to their feet. After a heartbeat Ymir decided curiosity won out, and she crouched to pick several off the floor. Several faces scowled at her through their roughly drawn portraits. A different person for each page. The only common thread between them was the disparity. Some wore hats, others scars, and each donned entirely different garbs.

[Wanted], the words stated at the top, above and below faces with the exact same name. [Leonard Augustus Hower].

"Oh," she said. Well. She turned the papers for Leo to see. He had mentioned he'd been on boats before, right? "Didn't know you took up piracy."

"Allegedly," Tyron said, glaring at Leo. "Did you not expect people wouldn't talk after you failed to turn up to your father's funeral? I've put down more claimants to the title of Hower in the past year than there should be any business existing." Ymir's gaze snapped over, though Tyron swept on without pause. "Isaiah seems to think your crest is genuine. I'm inclined to agree, if only because of your presumptuous conceit-" His fingers rapped along the hilt of his weapon. An unnecessarily aggressive motion, Ymir thought. "Thing is, if the real Leonard Hower turns up here, unannounced, it's going to be all hell." And not just for me, his glare assured.

"Since he's meant to be studying abroad..." Ymir muttered, recalling Isaiah's words. For Tyron's house that relied heavily on the Hower for military supplies, anything that sabotaged their reputation was a matter of grave concern...

Tyron clicked his tongue. "No."

Pardon?

"Everyone knows the story's nothing but a cover." That was probably true, but Ymir still considered throwing him into a wall. The noble continued, heedless or uncaring as to her ire. "The absence of the Hower heir may well have been painted on the wall. It's not the sort of thing that goes unnoticed." Though the Hower family had no doubt tried to put a lid on the matter.

It wouldn't make a difference, in the end. The rumours would trickle down to less scrupulous hands eventually. 'The Hower heir is estranged or dead,' the whispers would go, 'and his whereabouts are unknown.'

Ymir frowned, pinching the bridge of her nose. Forging a counterfeit crest wouldn't be hard. Most guards were taught to recognise them, not inspect for signs of forgery, and since most wouldn't be willing to risk calling a Hower out on the off chance they were a genuine article... a poser playing their cards right would have free pass in any manner of places. Godforsaken dawns - there must be half a dozen crews manned under the name. Even his own cousin didn't recognise him.

"A nightmare," Ymir muttered. He'd be dragged back into politics and forced to run the rumour-mill. There would be no more adventures until the dust settled and the attention moved away. She glanced over at Leo, wondering how far he'd go to make a point.

"So-" Tyron said, straightening to look down his nose at them, "-if you understand the situation then you'd be aware you have a choice. Take responsibility for the name you seem so fond of throwing around. Or-" He turned to glare at Ymir, speaking through grit teeth. "Tell me what you godsdamned found on that ship and leave me to do my job in peace."

She glanced away, miming a whistle. Certainly if there was smuggling going on Tyron would want to know about it. No doubt the blame would be shoved onto someone lower down the chain and the operation dismantled, but she wasn't overly inclined to let that honour go to him, of all people.

 

[Uasal]

Akeldama Vlad Aldea Mayer
Silver Rank Blade Dancer
Looking up to the ceiling Akel remained silent for a minute or two before suddenly speaking up again "Vampires are undead. But still, retain blood flow. For example to create a thrall from a ghoul a vampire must let said ghoul feed on their blood to form the contract. To become a vampire in the first place one must have vampiric blood flowing through their veins, like venom. Ghouls lack the ability to control themselves and urges due to a lack of said blood. Hence why Thralls who have their master's blood flowing through them retain their sense of control and are thus far more powerful. It's really rather complicated yet at the same time simple. Like a big pyramid scheme with a pureblood always at the top."

Returning her gaze to Vas'on Akel let out a sigh "Ever since we got here you've been talking about mating, honestly... And you claim to be such a gentleman". Looking back to the window Akel continued "If you must know. Purebloods are able to mate with one another as well as with other races. My father was a pureblood and my mother a human. The stress of birthing a vampire, however, was too much for my mother's body and thus she died in childbirth as do most races under those circumstances. Pureblooded vampires however have very strong genetic codes and with their blood being like venom it's far more potent hence the odd ratio I possess. There are no strange rituals and no bloodied skulls. No dark rooms lit by effigy and no sacrificial lamb led to the slaughter. Now with all that said could you please get your head out of the gutter"

Elbowing him sharply in the side Akel added one final jab with a grin "And before you ask no"

Moving to discuss the rest of what he had said Akel began fidgeting with her hands "As for the first time we met I will admit it was a very uncomfortable experience for me. But I would never ask you to apologise for that. If anything our early encounters, although difficult, most certainly made me a stronger person in the end. That much is evident seeing as I can sit here beside you now. But I would ask you don't joke about me losing control. It is very much something I fear".

Leaning her head back against the wall Akel moved to close her eyes "Healing your wound would be a help but with the blood already exposed it'll make little difference. All I can hope is that my sense of possessiveness outweighs my hunger. But with so many vampires targeting you, I'd say that's very much something I can rely on. "

Seraph Darkfire​

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

[Location: Sangana Village]
{Interactions: Akeldama Uasal )

"Purebloods are only in charge because they are the only ones who can keep themselves under control...for the most part" Vas'On said nodding as he broke down her explanation into what he felt was an easier way for him to say it.

"I take offense to that" he said looking at her "A gentleman speaks plainly and to the point and gets his thoughts out in the open lest he fester in them" he chuckled "Elves and Orcs are actually quite similar in their direct nature. We speak our thoughts and opinions straight out, though it often comes out rude in the grand scheme of things. While Elves are a bit more prudish when it comes to sex, the Orcs care very little for such embarrassments. Without the more messier aspects, it is an interesting subject of thought" he waved his hand as if wiping away the subject "I assure you there was no gutter involved. It was purely intellectual"

When she jabbed him, he gave her a light shove "If I'd thought it, I would have already asked" he said grinning back at her.

"Well, I'm glad to have helped make you stronger than others, even if it is only a small increase" he nodded at her comment about him not joking about her losing control "Closing the wound would be more for keeping my blood from constantly pouring out or getting slung around while I fight. Though with their lack of control, do you think we could get them to attack each other of I throw some of my blood onto them?" he looked thoughtful "An alchemist would have been good. The ability to transmute metals into silver, even temporarily, would have been a great help"​

 

[Key of Stars]

Leonidas Hood
Location: Holding Cell
Mentions: Sylph ​

"To the public?" Leonidas narrowed his eyes at Tyron through the bars, the man was a little too calm for Leonidas's liking. "Yes." He said slowly. Instead of answering Tyron simply pulled out a stack of papers, throwing it through the bars into the cell.

Before Leonidas could pick them up Ymir had already scooped them up. "Oh," He slightly tilted his head to the side and shot her a questioning look. "Didn't know you took up piracy." He stared at the faces on the wanted posters for a little while before, despite everything, he burst out laughing. Leonidas felt his anger slowly fade away as time went on, sides clutched because of laughter. "Man," He said, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye. "They did not do my charm justice."

"Allegedly," Tyron shot him an intense glare that, up until moments ago, would have sent Leonidas into a fit of rage himself but now it left him unaffected. "Did you not expect people wouldn't talk after you failed to turn up to your father's funeral? I've put down more claimants to the title of Hower in the past year than there should be any business existing." Leonidas turned his head to the side with a small 'tsk'. "So he really is dead huh?" The words 'serves him right' played on his lips but he ultimately swallowed them. The world seemed to have an annoying unspoken rule against speaking ill of dead people.

"Isaiah seems to think your crest is genuine. I'm inclined to agree, if only because of your presumptuous conceit-" Leonidas clicked his tongue. "Good to know that Isaiah is at least not completely blind." Tyron tapped the hilt of his weapon. "Thing is, if the real Leonard Hower turns up here, unannounced, it's going to be all hell." Leonidas sat down on one of the makeshift benches in view of Tyron. "The real Leonard Hower already turned up here announced. And if I may remind you, you kindly threw him into a damp holding cell." He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Since he's meant to be studying abroad..." Ymir said but Tyron clicked his tongue at the suggestion. "No."

"Everyone knows the story's nothing but a cover." Leonidas gave a tongue click of his own. "You seem annoyingly informed of what goes on in my family, even more so than me." Granted he hadn't tried to keep up with the news about his family much but it still slightly struck a nerve. "The absence of the Hower heir may well have been painted on the wall. It's not the sort of thing that goes unnoticed." Leonidas rapped his fingers on the bench rhythmically. "Hard to argue with that." He motioned for Tyron to continue impatiently.

"A nightmare," Leonidas nodded. "I did not expect to be dealing with a bunch of petty pirates trying to steal my identity."

"So-" Leonidas met Tyron's gaze halfway. "-if you understand the situation then you'd be aware you have a choice. Take responsibility for the name you seem so fond of throwing around. Or-" He turned to Ymir. "Tell me what you godsdamned found on that ship and leave me to do my job in peace." Leonidas sighed and stood up again.

"So you want me to hunt down every single pirate that's been using my name? You realize how long that will take right?" He started, meeting Tyron's eyes through the bars. "Besides, even if I do accept, what's stopping me from sailing straight to the Hower sword academy? Unless you mean to tell me you think my sister won't recognize me either." Leonidas said, tapping his foot on the stone floor at random.

"Don't get me wrong, knowing that my name is being used by a bunch of pirates to commit whatever crime they feel like pisses me off more than you know. But..." He paused shortly and glanced at Ymir. "I also don't want t give up the life I painstakingly built for myself here. I am not getting sucked back into politics after I gave up everything to escape it. I don't care about being officially recognized as Leonard Hower, I just want to go and talk to my sister."

He sighed again. "I'm not stupid though, I know it doesn't work like that. So... If I need to officially become Leonard Hower again to talk to my sister then so be it, I'm not backing away this time. As much as it annoys me to do so, I'll cooperate with you. However," He raised his hand to stop Tyron from immediately responding. "You'll let Ymir go now." He wanted to ask her to accompany him more than anything but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew exactly how much she hated the ocean and his current objective would see him sailing around the seas constantly. If she offered to come along he would accept without hesitation but he didn't think she would. "And... We'll arrange for me to meet with my sister in the near future. I am not waiting until after I took care of all of this."

He turned around to go sit back down before looking over his shoulder. "Oh one last thing, please don't tell me you're planning to come along."

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Sigmar
Mentions: Rumble Fish
​

After a brief exchange of names with the Wulver, Ruvo soon got back to cutting down the plants creeping up the walls of the homes. It seemed Willow wasn’t very talkative or at the very least was too focused to hold a conversation which left the bard to his own thoughts for the time being.

About halfway through cutting away the plants on one of the homes Ruvo wondered if there was any better way to get the work done. He had an affinity for air and music magic but he had primarily trained to use his magic in a manner more so to move, amplify, diminish or even replicate sounds rather than trying to enchant others with music or create buffeting blasts of wind. Though even if he was well practiced in those applications of his magic he had his doubts gusts of wind would do much to rip up plants and vines that were rooted in place and he was certain they wouldn’t respond to a jaunty tune to manipulate them into uprooting themselves.

Letting out a sigh Ruvo decided that perhaps it would be a good idea to practice with his magic back at the guild’s training grounds once this plant quest was taken care of and he had sometime to rest. After all even if it wasn’t useful right now it could be in the future. For the time being he focused on the task at hand and wondered if there was any good story or song to be made of a tedious wide scale weed removal effort. Luckily before long the house Ruvo had been working on was free of plants and he soon moved onto the next.

 

[Sylph]

Ymir
Location: Holding Cell
Mentions: Key of Stars ​

Somewhere along the line in their argument Ymir found herself sat on the bench, chin on her palm as she listened to them go back and forth. "So you want me to hunt down every single pirate that's been using my name?" Leo said, staring Tyron down through the bars. "You realize how long that will take right?"

Tyron said something snide in response and at the rate they were going, it wouldn't take nearly as long to hunt down the outlaws as it would for them to reach an agreement. She supposed if Leo was the type to back down they wouldn't be in a cell in the first place, but Tyron was not helping the situation. "Besides, even if I do accept, what's stopping me from sailing straight to the Hower sword academy? Unless you mean to tell me you think my sister won't recognize me either."

That was a thought. She reached reflexively for the bag at her side, frowning when she recalled it wasn't there. Not that the map would help anyway. From the ocean onwards it was nothing but a dead zone and if the Hower Academy wasn't connected to the same continent then there was no chance the waystone would reach. She fell back against the wall, resisting the urge to tap her feet along with Leo.

"Don't get me wrong, knowing that my name is being used by a bunch of pirates to commit whatever crime they feel like pisses me off more than you know. But-" she glanced up at the pause in conversation, finding him looking at her. What? "I also don't want to give up the life I painstakingly built for myself here."

Right. She bit back a jab about drunken tavern shenanigans, taking the point he made. It wasn't easy walking out of a role, and almost as hard to step back in after so many years. "I am not getting sucked back into politics after I gave up everything to escape it. I don't care about being officially recognized as Leonard Hower, I just want to go and talk to my sister."

Something which would be much easier if Ymir had charted across the sea, she noted. At this point she should really get over herself and find a crew, but the fact they weren't anywhere near the water and it was still giving her hives wasn't a great indication of that happening. Even flying above it - a much more palatable option - was belied by the horror that if something happened there wouldn't be anywhere to land. At best she might manage some island hopping while staying in view of shore. But that won't help get across to a different continent.

Leo sighed and she glanced up, shaking herself out of her thoughts. "I'm not stupid though, I know it doesn't work like that." If it did he would've gone four years ago. She still didn't quite grasp what it was about the Hower that was so daunting - perhaps since of the two she did know, one fell for petty ruses and the other liked singing drunk in taverns - but she'd have to take his word for it. Any family that specialised in maritime trade was bound to have a few screws loose.

"If I need to officially become Leonard Hower again to talk to my sister then so be it, I'm not backing away this time." That was a start, though Ymir wasn't sure it would solve half as many problems as it made. Judging by Tyron's demeanor, he thought the same. You were probably hoping we'd just walk away, huh? "As much as it annoys me to do so, I'll cooperate with you."

She stifled a snort at his expression. Leo's words may as well been handing the noble a shovel and bucket; although the two families shared political interests they were at their heart a lineage of status against former outcasts and crooks. Tyron already had his doubts on Isaiah, if his line of questioning was any indication, so it was little wonder what he thought of Leo. Ymir would've thought the distance he put from his family was a favourable thing, but knowing Tyron it was nothing but a dereliction of duty. You'd hate him no matter what.

"However-" Tyron looked even more pissed when Leo put up a hand to stop him. "You'll let Ymir go now. We'll arrange for me to meet with my sister in the near future. I am not waiting until after I took care of all of this."

The noble seemed like he was ready to start hissing. Perhaps the only reason he didn't was that he'd exhausted whatever accusations he had left. "Oh one last thing, please don't tell me you're planning to come along."

"I'd rather freeze in the desert," he said earnestly, dropping two satchels through the bars of the cell. "Go make yourself someone else's problem. I have better things to be doing." Whatever he came to accomplish seemed to have eluded him completely, if his glare was any indication. Ymir cheerfully ignored it as she snatched the bags up, tossing Leo's at him. She'd be in enough trouble for what happened, but less than if she'd passed the info off to Tyron at the end.

"See you at the guild," she said, grinning, if only to remind him of the fact. Reaching into her bag she disappeared in a flash of the waystone.

Milby
Location: Sigmar
Mentions: Pseudo-nim RatKing Gaius Danius Griinia ​

Milby nodded to herself as she looked around the area, watching the wizard burn off the last of the yellow flowers around the windmill. They were still trying to reach into his bag, for whatever reason. He must be keeping something truly delicious inside if that were the case. The windmill still looked a little worse for wear, vines splintered through the wooden walls and wrapped around boxes, but it gave the place some real character! It wasn't like there was any point to the tall arms being able to spin anyway.

She dashed off to rejoin Ruvo and the friendly badger, though along the way she noticed Artyx and her new following of very enthusiastic villagers. Even the sight of Trine didn't keep them too far at a distance, many of the children venturing closer against the admonishing words of their parents.

"Adventurer... here to help... No problem yes?"

"No no, not at all! Please do continue..." The villagers, satisfied their crops were fine, seemed happy to stand back and watch, murmuring among themselves about the wonders of magic and good deeds and 'oh remember that one time the wizard passed through...'

"Duchess!!" Milby landed on a nearby bush to report--a conspicuous distance from Trine, since although she had nothing for respect for the honourable knight, she'd learned he tended to swat things out of the air when they came flying by unexpectedly. "The evil vines are on the run! We're headed to clear out the houses!"

Message delivered, she promptly disappeared into the short-tall grass, the rustling patches the only indication of her snake-like progression towards the village. As she grew closer she popped out every so often, scanning the surroundings before diving back in to make her way over to the bard. He seemed to be having a delightful time wrestling with the vines after the patch of yellow on his arm. Sneaking up on the dastardly things she sliced through several stems and jumped up onto a nearby window awning. The villagers would be picking up a great deal of plant matter in the following days, but at least it wouldn't be growing like crazy.

"I have come to assist!" She declared. Though the words were well-intentioned, they weren't always the most reassuring thing. Cackling she leapt into the foray to begin chopping through spindly vines and thin stems, leaving the larger ones where her sword wouldn't cut through. Though the fields and surrounding structures had seen better days, it was obvious from afar that the group's efforts were starting to show.

Spoiler: Listed Locations

Farmhouse: 1/1
Windmill: 1/1
Houses: 1/4
Fields: 3/3

 

[Rumble Fish]

Mentions: RatKing Sylph
Interacton: RatKing
Willow had seen a lot of things, but a clothed bird and talking chinchilla was something that was a strange thing for the beast to see. Perhaps that explained their seeming lack of fear about her appearance and stature. The wolf-bear hybrid blinked and without much conversation she began assisting in removing the plants from the walls of the houses. It took very little effort for the Wulver to remove them. Reaching up, she grabbed the gnarly plants in her sickle-like claws and with a swift motion, yanked them from the wall with the same effort it would take for someone to peel a banana.

Willow inhaled deeply to take in the plant’s scent, wondering where these might have come from or why they were aggressively attacking this village in the first place. Typically the beast would not have given it much thought, but… she would not have felt right walking past. When she completed one house, she followed the bird towards a second one.

“What caused this?” The beast finally burred after a long silence, tilting one of her heavy eyebrows to the avian. She rubbed the back of her neck in awkwardness, unaccustomed to speaking to, well anyone never mind a bird with the ability to speak. As she grabbed one of the vines to effortlessly yank down, she gripped the end of her tartan cloak worryingly. Part of her expected some kind of hostility for being a creature such as herself, but the lack of expected pushback surprised Willow. Not that she complained. “How long has this been going on?”

She did not want to encroach too much into their problem but if she was going to get herself involved, she might as well get as much information as possible. Not to mention, not that Wilow would verbalise this, but she was curious about this ragtag group she had stumbled across. The chinchilla called themselves a guild, something the beast had no understanding in. This day had gotten more interesting by the minute.

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Sigmar
Mentions: Sylph Rumble Fish
​

Progress on the second house was proving to be difficult as for whatever reason the vines he was near had begun writhing around in an attempt to get at his arm. At first he thought this was some kind of attempt to prevent him from cutting any more of the plants and that they were much more intelligent than he had imagined since it was trying to defend itself. But he quickly discarded that idea for now when it repeatedly only seem interested on grabbing only one of his arms, and it wasn’t even the one with the knife. Maybe it was that yellow dust he had gotten on his arm feathers or maybe some of the vines really liked the color yellow and will grasp at anything of that color if it is capable of it. Hoping it wasn’t the latter possibility of him being a beacon for the plants to go after Ruvo made a mental note to ask Artyx about it when they reconvened.

"I have come to assist!"

Ruvo startled slightly by the sudden appearance and declaration from Milby nearly dropped his knife.

“Help is always appreciated” he replied as he pulled his arm away once again from the grasping vines thanks to the chinchilla’s sword swipes. “Though you should be caref—“ but before he could finish his warning she was already darting off to cut down all of the smaller plants within her reach. "Good talking to you Milby" he said jokingly knowing it would probably be easier to just keep on an eye on her than to give chase to explain that he wanted to warn about being mindful of getting grabbed by the vines.

To his surprise not long after his conversation with Milby the Wulver walked up to him somewhat awkwardly to ask what caused the plants to grow like they had and how long it has been going on for. "We're not too sure what caused all of this, the villagers spoke of some kind of cloud of yellow dust coming in over the village one day and then not long after that these vines begun sprouting up and growing quickly. So whatever that yellow dust was is likely the culprit. As for how long this has been going on the villagers said it has been ongoing for about two weeks now, they asked for help after not being able to keep up with the plants growth"

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

The Wizard
Location: Sigmar House
Mentions: Sylph

The Wizard had just narrowly managed to defeat the mass of plant tendrils with the aid of Milby. It would appear he still had a ways to go before he could call himself a true master of the arcane. His flowers were still safe within his magic bag. Unfortunately his makeshift staff was once again broken by the plants. Now that he and his Chinchilla companion had split up. The Wizard had decided to move onto cleaning up the houses with his comrades. He'd have to carefully manage his power output. Otherwise he may seriously damage the living spaces of the villagers. Moving into one of the houses with careful steps. The Wizard soon found the snakelike plants attempting to wrap around his legs. "Third Order Spell: Cremation" said the caster as he grabbed the closest plants. Within moments they were all reduced to ashes by the controlled fire magic. Looking around the house. The Wizard found a small drawing, most likely made by hand of a child. It depicted a young girl and her parents. Staring at the crude artwork for a moment. The Wizard wondered what it was like to have had parents. Growing up alone and alienated by his peers meant that he had never experienced such close ties. Knowing the child would likely want such a thing back. The Wizard took it with him. Moving from room to room. The Wizard cleared up the last of the plants. Exiting the building with slowed footwork. The Wizard took a moment to catch his breath. Soon they may have to face whatever masterminded this event.

 

[Uasal]

Night soon fell upon the country town and as everyone retreated into their homes Akel and Vas'on began to stir. Their plan was simple, infiltrate the Manor grounds and use Vas'on and his elven blood as bait. Although simple, would their plan advance as they had planned? Only time could tell. With Akel and Vas'on splitting up there was little room for failure, considering the guards on patrol this was not going to be an easy mission and that was before any vampires or night creatures entered the fray. Vas'on would need to sneak up and over the walls of the estate and into the courtyard unnoticed if the plan was to be a success. After all, harming the guards was not an option for the two adventures, they had issued the quest and any action against them would be very much a violation of their contract. Was Va'on up to the task?

With Vas'on set to infiltrate Akel was on standby, with her shadow magic getting up and hiding up on the wall was of little to no issue. For now, she would lay hiding within the cascading shadow of a lantern, guards passing by her completely unbeknownst to themselves as she watches and waits for her chance to act.
Seraph Darkfire

 

[Sylph]

Milby
Location: Sigmar
Mentions: Pseudo-nim RatKing Rumble Fish Gaius Danius Griinia ​

With the last of the plants sliced, diced, and burned to a crisp, the landscape at last seemed habitable once more. What remained of the yellow flowers were incinerated by Wizard's magic or decayed by Trine, Milby offering to help but nearly setting the whole thing off again when the pollen got clogged in her fur. They were approached by the villagers soon after, many with thanks for the work they'd done. With their houses and harvest mostly in tact, they'd be able to restore the rest in due time, they said. Only one point of confusion remained--the source of the unnatural blooming in the first place.

"The Wizard up the way might know something about it," an older farmer said, after all the commotion had died down. "But no one's heard from him since this whole fiasco began."

"It's northwards of here," another helpful villager supplied. "A little ways into the forest."

Milby, for her part, seemed ready to shoot off at any moment. As soon as the last of the plants had been vanquished her chants of 'behemoth', 'behemoth' has started, and only stopped when a helpful party member pointed out it was likely to unnerve the villagers. She was eager to return to the guild, since it seemed the main part of their mission was over. Checking up on an old tower surely wouldn't need more than two at most.

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

[Location: Sangana Village]
{Interactions: Akeldama Uasal )

Vas'On was terrible at stealth missions. He didn't have the agility or dexterity to effectively sneak around and he had next to no stealth abilities. He would have happily just knocked all of the guards out in a fair fight but according to his partner that was what they called in the business 'A bad move'.

So here he was standing outside of the wall on the very backside of the village. Though he wasn't stealth, it had been an easy event to actually walk along side the wall, stopping every once in a while as a guard patrolled up above him. Elven blood stilled his movements until he was nothing but a large statue, a rock in the shadows cast by overhanging lanterns when they looked down. Also, they were rather lazy at times, with the occasional tryhard.

From where he now stood, he could look down the length of the wall and spotted the soft glowing light of a lit cigar as one of the guards took a break. He gently pressed his nails into the stone and then a bit more with force as the stone began to crack and scrape as he slowly pulled himself up, creating handholds as he went. One thing Vas'On was good at was his strength. Digging solid stone wasn't an easy process but his relatively sharp nails allowed him to create an exploitable weakness and his powerful body helped resist injury as he did this.

Up on the wall it was easy enough to hop down the other side and move up to the big tree there, a small pond to his right and what looked like stables to his left. He pressed himself against the tree and went still once more, listening his surroundings for a moment to get an idea of the rotation and to see if anyone had noticed his crossing of the wall.​

 

[RatKing]

Ruvo Steelfeather
Location: Sigmar
Mentions: Sylph Gaius Danius Griinia Rumble Fish Pseudo-nim​

With the other group members converging on the houses the cleanup quickly picked up pace until soon enough they had finally done it. All the areas the villagers had asked to be cleared out had been taken care of. Soon after they finished their work some villagers would approach the group to make mention of a local wizard who had not been seen in a while.

“What do you guys think? We check in on this wizard, make sure he is okay and see what he knows about the yellow dust and plants?” he asked generally to the group. He knew Milby wouldn’t be interested if their chanting about behemoths earlier was anything to go off of, though he figured he would still ask the rest of the group if they too had wanted to move on.

 

[Uasal]

Vas'on's attempt to enter the estate went unexpectedly well. He managed to avoid any patrolling guards and had even made his way inward toward the gardens where he now stood beneath a large apple tree shrouded in shadow. As time went by Vas'on would come to discover that no guards patrolled the garden grounds themselves, instead only one guard would occasionally cast a directed lantern light its way every ten minutes or so. With that in mind, the gardens were relatively safe within the ten minute timeframe and with no lights coming from the manor itself things were even safer for the large man. Or at least it seemed that way. You see there was something Vas'on had failed to check when he moved to his hiding spot behind the tree. A minor thing. Actually, something not many would ever think of. Vas'on forgot to check the tree itself. For hanging upside down from a branch, like a bat, stood a pale-faced woman in maid attire glaring down at him.

For a while she simply glared in silence but when Vas'on went to make his move to duck out of the cover, the woman spoke: "Take one more step and I'm afraid I'll have to kill you where you stand my dear." When Vas'on would finally lay eyes on the woman she would vanish and reappear on another branch upright this time looking down "You've trespassed on the lord's land... this is a serious crime indeed..." After taking a few steps forward she once again vanished and reappeared on another branch "Not to mention you reek of another Lord... how crude". Appearing sideways on the trunk of the tree this time the Vampire appeared right above Vas'on taking a big whiff before vanishing and appearing with her back to his own "A lady, my apologies...". Pressing her back against Vas'on's it was clear this woman was absurdly strong and a threat to be assured. After vanishing a final time she reappeared on her original branch "I will spare you if you leave now, I'd hate to mince the pet of a Lady. Even if her stench is particularly revolting for whatever reason." Laughing softly the woman spoke again her eyes narrowing "Not of course out of respect for her but to prevent her from coming anywhere near my master"
Seraph Darkfire​

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

[Location: Sangana Village]
{Interactions: Akeldama Uasal )

He'd forgotten to check the tree. He hadn't noticed her until she spoke. While he could somewhat guess where she'd end up based on minute movements before she moved, he lost track of her when she actually moved, showing that her speed was greater than his. Not impossible to overcome, he'd dealt with Akeldama enough times to at least create a predictive measure of high speed opponents. He wouldn't come out of a fight unscathed and the surrounding area wasn't ideal for a fight with someone with her agility. Giving an opponent like her the capacity for three dimensional movement was a disaster.

Vas'On needed to get to the courtyard but to do that, he'd have to create an opening and this woman was ready to attack at any provocation "I wouldn't call her a Lady exactly. She's a mean drunk and I've punched her enough times in the face to warrant the times she's done it to me" he chuckled "But you do make a fair point. However, I'd rather not go back over the wall, it is killer on my fingers" he pointed towards the courtyard "Mind if I just go out the front this time? I'm sure you'll be watching me to make sure I don't do anything uncouth" he shrugged as if accepting that he'd been beaten and willing to simply obey. As much as it annoyed him and he just wished he could launch into combat with this woman, he had a job to do and Akeldama was counting on him to do the job.

He'd get to fight a lot in a few minutes anyway so it was best to leave it till then.​

 

[Uasal]

Hanging upsidedown from her branch the maid listened to Vas'on with a grin practically plastered upon her face the entire time. It was clear she was not intimidated by the half-orc and that any movement he made would be met with a swift and vicious retort. Looking closer at the woman Vas'on would notice that her nails were remarkably sharp, like small daggers affixed to her fingertips with eyes aglow like Akel's. Her movements paled in comparison to Akedama's however there seemed to be something different about them in general. From fighting Akel Vas'on was well aware of what it felt like to observe a vampire moving at great speed and this woman was not so much as moving as she was warping. How she accomplished this was yet to be discerned but it was not her raw speed alone that he failed to follow with his eyes.

This was once again proven as she vanished and appeared atop the wall aside from the now onlooking guard who just so happened to make his regular ten-minute pass. Her actions following her appearance were fast, her nails making short work of the man's vocal cords, leaving him to fall to the garden's grass from a height and bleed out slowly and he writhed in pain silently in a growing puddle of his own blood upon crimson grass he himself had painted. A slow and painful death. The maid who remained atop the wall looked down at the dying man with a look of disgust, swinging her hand fast enough to shake the remaining blood off her nails and onto the walkway behind her. Seeing her movements Vas'on could now conclude her movement was not speed based without a doubt. She was fast, very fast but not fast enough to move such a distance in that timeframe.

Without a second to call his own, the maid appeared a few feet in front of Vas'on her grin still intact "I apologise, I do so hate eavesdroppers. I hope you understand. Can pets such as yourself understand such words? Nevermind...". Looking back at the body the woman let out a sigh "Well, I suppose he'll do as food for the ferals... he was intoxicated so id rather not feast on his blood myself." Looking back to Vas'on the woman vanished and reappeared on another branch out of Vas'on's reach "But getting back to what you've said... you hit your master? Very interesting... you understand what that means correct?"
Seraph Darkfire​

 

[Yahhah]

Freed
Location: Port town- Tavern in a port town​

The port town had become one of Freed’s favorite stomping grounds, plenty of ships looking for muscle (or magic in his case) and plenty of odd pieces of this and that which he could put together to make something that with luck had a 30/70 percent chance of exploding. Which were perfectly fine odds if one were to ask the goblin tinkerer.

At the moment he stood in an alley he had ‘claimed’ as a very temporary workshop where he was putting together one last piece of ammunition for any trip he might be headed on soon. Not that he had any plans as of yet but for someone as spontaneous as Freed it was good to be prepared.

He put that together and set what he’d crafted in a pack on his back and made his merry way out of the alley and hopped up to grab the piece of paper he’d set out that read. DO NOT DISTURB on it in some sloppy yet legible hand writing. He rolled it up and started to march his way to the docks. The little green skinned humanoid didn’t grab much attention here due to the diversity of folk coming in and out on ships which as far as Freed considered was definitely a good thing.

He found his way towards a tavern that he’d had luck in finding work before. After all, it was some classic rule that mercenaries frequented the places where sailors and captains would stop to have a drink before setting back out to sea, and Freed definitely carried that look of either a trouble-maker or a mercenary.

He kept one of his big ears out for any talk of someone looking for some extra hands, or blades and scrabbled up onto a stool to sit. He waited a minute for any kind of lead before he’d want to head off to a different spot to have a look.

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

[Location: Sangana Village]
{Interactions: Vampire Maid Uasal )

Teleportation? Possibly. Vas'On wasn't familiar with that particular magic, but he was aware that most powerful magic required some sort of incantation or runes. Maybe she had an item on her person, one that was allowing her to vanish and reappear. It wasn't shadow based as there were no visual effects. He frowned when he saw the man get his vocal cords cut. He was too far away to simply rush over and help. He wanted to help but the second he took a step in that direction, she'd attack.

He could only hope that Akeldama would smell the blood and move to help while he distracted the maid "Honestly, I'm not too sure of much in regards to Vampire etiquette. Generally speaking I'd assume that it isn't quite up there on the nice list of things...if I was her servant" he shrugged "It is more of a partnership" he casually moved as he talked. Since she hadn't actually said anything against his going towards the courtyard, he'd move until she tried to stop him.

"Were you always a maid? Or is this a new thing?" he asked making small talk "Your strength and speed is quite impressive as well. I'd imagine you must have quite the pure bloodline" she seemed to be in a talkative mood. His steps were slow yet firm, ready to explode into movement at a moments notice. He didn't have the agility to match a vampire in speed, but his raw strength could propel him in a direct line even faster than Akeldama could move. Disregarding the vanishing act, he could outpace her in a dash...

He did have a small concerning thought. He'd been in enough fights that there was a slight possibility that he was dealing with more than one maid. Enough women had been taken to make that feasible. Perhaps misdirection and invisibility were more their thing? He'd prefer that actually. Teleportation was a pain to plan for.​

 

[Sylph]

Captain Scrapper
Location: Mercantis Port
Mentions: Yahhah ​

It was common practice for many ports and taverns to have a board with local requests. Wherever there were likely to be adventurers passing through, there was usually a quest board up somewhere, and the Sea Shire tavern was no exception. Since yesterday word on the street was stingy old Scrapper was back in port and looking for crew. Not the normal sort though - no hard-working sailor would risk the Sacred Isles without a wage to show - there was a reason the message went up on quest boards across the kingdom. It was the sort of ludicrous gamble only suited to the adventurous type.

The rumours wouldn't be hard to get hold of. Scrapper was renowned for his motley, ever-changing crew, and the fact he dared enter the waters at all. Old customs meant human fleets not only avoided the Sacred Isles for fear of angering its ancient denizens, but had been forbidden for a long time to enter at all. The lifting of those restrictions only came as the consequences of giving the pirates a safe haven grew too prevalent to ignore, and several people pointed out that if there were any group likely to bring the ire of gods upon them, it would be plundering pirates anyway.

In its wake came the salvagers and pirate-hunters, Scrapper's original crew being among those in the first wave of expeditions.

The location on the flyer, if one decided to check its contents, would direct the reader to the Driftwell docks. A smaller section of the port, often overshadowed by the colossal merchant ships that docked in Sandlebar or Oakoar, but it was there that the more moderately sized vessels were moored. The one they were after was called the Salvager - though many would know it better by the captain's name.

Several crew were already present and hard at work on the gangway. Old faces that decided to stick around, and a few new ones, still with only a voyage or two under their belt, if that at all. The latter were working under close supervision of their seniors, loading up supplies for the trip as an old, cantankerous speck screeched down orders from above. "MAINSAIL! MAINSAIL! I SAID TAKE IT TOWARDS THE MAINSAIL! KRAAA! DON'T GO DROPPING THE CANNONBALLS NOW! KRAAAA!"

 

[Uasal]

The maid continued to talk to Vas'on from her perch as he slowly wandered out into the open garden towards the courtyard. She watched him closely with a grin, her eyes following his every minute movement like a predator stalking prey. Her eyes did however go wide at Vas'on's mention of not being a servent "Partnership?! Don't be absurd!" Vanishing and reappearing to block the man's path the maid's eyes sharpened and her posture quickly changed from seemingly carefree to obviously guarded "A beast like you a partner to a Lady? That's not even a funny joke it just...just disgusting!" Vanishing and appearing atop the wall the maid looked down at Vas'on with disgust, her nose high in the air "You reek of that woman and yet you claim to be a free soul? Ridiculous! Your humour is disgusting and your lack of respect toward your master is something even I am growing tired of mongrel"

Vanishing again the woman appeared behind Vas'on only to vanish when he turned to look at her, reappearing behind him again and repeating this action three more times before finally moving to strike with her claws. Her movements were fast and her hand was pointed like a spearhead aimed toward the man's left shoulder blade. A debilitating strike aimed to maim. However, just before the woman's strike could connect her arm fell the grass-covered ground, severed, with a soft flop. Looking down at her arm the woman took a few steps back clearly in a panicked state, looking all around her as she quickly lost her composure, blood beginning to stain her clothes. "W...WHERE! WHERE ARE YOU!".

looking down at the woman severed forearm Vas'on would soon witness the arm go up in a mix of blue and white flames, turning to dust as the fire consumed it almost instantly after a short delay. Though the grass remained unsigned it was clear the woman's arm was incinerated and alarmingly fast at that. Looking back to the woman Vas'on would come to notice her frozen in fear, too panicked to even talk as shadows slowly crawled up her legs and ensnared her body, wrapping tightly around her neck forcing her head to tilt back toward the sky. "P....Please.. I beg you... I had no idea... PLEASE! NO! I'M SORRY! I HAD NO IDEA!"

In the blink of an eye Akel Appeared in front of the woman, her blade tainted in blood that quickly burned away in the same manner as the arm before. Akel's hand moved slowly to caress the maid's face and she spoke quietly and in a hushed tone "Shhh... it's okay... I forgive you... shhh now... I'll make it quick..."

As soon as Akel's hand caressed the maids face the woman froze, her eyes consumed in fear. The last thing she managed to say was a faint "I didn't know" Before Akel beheaded her and her body and severed head lit up in flames, quickly incinerating thereafter.
Seraph Darkfire
​

 

[Yahhah]

Freed
Location: Mercantis Tavern-- Mercantis dockyard
Mentions: Sylph ​

Freed decided to pass his time by having a bit of water which as normal was a lot of water. He’d learned a long time ago not to get alcohol from a bar like this. The mugs were way too big when compared to the size of a goblin. He didn’t pick up much gossip as he kept his ears trained on the surroundings. Just some rumors from the mainland kingdom and some tall tales about sea monsters, long lost treasures and the like. The goblin chugged his drink, tossed a coin to the bartender and hopped off his perch and noticed the board out of the corner of his eye.

Freed wasn’t sure how he’d missed it but he supposed he hadn’t always been the most perceptive creature in the world and so he scanned it. There were a couple of things that he had no interest in. His particular set of skills wasn’t usually the most useful in a crowded town. He was a good marksman but everyone missed a shot every now and then and a missed flaming bullet wasn’t something a bystander wanted to get hit with.

“Captain Scrapper huh…” Freed rubbed the bottom of his chin as he read the notice that caught his attention. He’d of course heard tales of the crewman that didn’t pay well. The goblin usually didn’t do work specifically for coin anyway so that wasn’t much of a problem. Freed was more after thrills and from what it looked like that was the only ship looking for crew at the moment that would deliver him said thrills.

The goblin made his way out of the of the bar and started off towards the dockyard where a ship would be. He’d heard tales that this Scrapper guy was a parrot, he assumed it was some kind of rumor but after he arrived at said dockyard the goblin demolitionist found a ship being loaded where a parrot seemed to be loading up while being commanded by some sort of bird in the sky.

“Hey! Is this where that Captain Scrapper fella is lookin for some extra hands?” Freed called out while making his way onto the dock and studying some of the ship and crew.

 

[Sylph]

Hak
Location: Mercantis Port
Mentions: Yahhah​

One of the crewmen had noticed the goblin's approach onto the docks, raising a webbed hand in greeting as the small creature wandered over. "'Lo there."

“Hey! Is this where that Captain Scrapper fella is lookin for some extra hands?”

The sailor's lips pulled back, revealing a sharpened row of teeth "Sure is." The gills and raised ridge of fins along his jaw clearly marked him as a merfolk of some kind, though he lacked the tail most had instead of legs. He set down his crate as Freed stepped onto the docks. The smaller creature's eyes darted around, taking everything in despite their carefree exterior. Mercantis was better than most for its opinions of non-natives, but the more distinctive folk were still best watching their backs, especially when their kind had a knack for troublemaking.

Hak wiped his hands of the grime, extending one for the goblin to take. "You looking for work?" He nodded up at the sky. The screeching speck of colour still swooped in amongst the masts, barking orders without falter as it oversaw the operation. "Tha's the captain up there. One and only Scrapper."

It didn't take long for the parrot to realise one of his sailors wasn't working, diving down to land in flurry of orange feathers and indignant squawks. "KRAAAA! HAK BACK TO WORK! KRAAAA!" The merman shrugged and with a regretful motion farewell, picked up his crate to keep loading. The old parrot turned to Freed, one eye boring into the small goblin. "STATE THE NAME AND BUSINESS!"

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

[Location: Sangana Village]
{Interactions: Akeldama Uasal )

In the moment the woman began to get agitated and attacked him, he moved as well. He followed her seemingly random teleportation the best he could, waiting for the moment when she stopped. The second she did, his fingers flicked one of the stakes off of his clothing and he lunged towards the attacking woman, completely willing to sacrifice the mobility of his left arm to deal a fatal blow. But before it came down to that, her arm was removed in an instant, bursting into blue flame.

Watching her begin to panic, he nodded slightly as she was slowly consumed by shadows. He'd been there before, Akeldama did not play around when she got serious. Quick and straight for the kill she was. It was why he carried light balls into any sparring match with her. A way to scatter the shadows she controlled, even for a moment so that he could escape.

He watched as the woman was beheaded and sighed softly "Are they all going to react to you that way?" he asked "That bloodline stuff ain't a joke if just meeting you inspires that kind of fear"​

 

[Uasal]

Akel stood still, her head arching back so she could look toward the full moon as it emerged slowly from the cover of cloud, its rays lighting the gardens dimly in an almost radiant glow. Akel stood quietly staring at it for multiple seconds, her body basking in the gloomy scintillation, eyes glowing a deep scarlet as she seemed lost in a trance like state. Vas'on's questioning did however seem to return her focus to the situation at hand, turning to glance at him as she moved forward toward the estate. Blade still drawn by her side with the tip mere inches from the ground gliding with grace alongside her dignified stride. "Vampires are predatory creatures, much like wolves, lions and tigers. We have very keen senses and are more than capable of knowing when we've bitten off more than we can chew. That maid knew her end was near the second she moved to strike you, hence she panicked. The sense of impending doom is something very frightening to mortals but they live with this day in and day out not knowing if they'll see tomorrow, yet to immortals, it's likely far more frightening than one could fathom. Immortals needn't typically worry about death, thus the sudden realisation is far more frightening to the vast majority of immortals. She didn't want to die, she had just been granted immortal life. I took that life from her and she knew it was coming. It had nothing to do with my bloodline... that was just fear. This bloodline has no relation to mine at all."

Looking up toward the roof Akel came to a sudden halt raising her blade toward the second-story balcony "To answer your question, no. Not all of them will react in such a way... the fact I'm being targeted as we speak is proof of that. All though, in saying that the one targeting me is doing a very poor job of concealing herself and bloodlust."

Looking to the balcony a shimmer of light reflected by Akel's blade would soon reveal another maid, emerging from the shadows of the second-story balcony. The woman was holding in her hand an ornate bow with silver-tipped arrows, her aim clearly on Akel. The Maid in question seemed far more animalistic than the previous yet it was obvious she was capable of free thought. Namely the fact she responded to Akel proved this "Ohh, so you noticed me after all... what a shame. Tell me, why is it you smell so...wrong. Quite frankly it's disgusting..."​

Seraph Darkfire​

 

[Yahhah]

Freed
Location: Mercantis
Mentions: Sylph
​

Well it was good to know he was in the right place, Freed raised a small green hand in greeting to the merfolk that greeted him first. "Yeah I suppose you could say that" Freed said when it came to whether or not he was looking for work. To put it more accurately he was looking for thrills, and a voyage into mostly uncharted waters sounded like just what the daredevil ordered.

Out of all the time he'd spent in Mercantis Freed had yet to really speak to any sort of merfolk at all. Of course he'd seen them and even worked with them on some occasions but it'd been few and far between enough to not really give him any experience with them. He didn't realize that they had sharp pointy teeth though, not to say that he was put off with it. Freed's own smile wasn't exactly pretty.

"So that really is him then" Freed said before the parrot landed nearby and began to rail him with questions. "The name is Freed, my business is the fact that I saw your add at a local tavern and figure it sounded like a pretty interesting time all things considered." Freed spoke in about as professional a tone as one would get out of the gun toting goblin. He did spend a moment to sort of size up the captain.

He'd heard a pretty big talk about this guy, Freed did sort of go by the rule that when you were on somebody's ship or part of a crew the captain's word is what goes, so he normally wanted to make sure that captains he signed under meant business, so far this fella seemed to be running a pretty tight ship which was either a good or bad thing depending on the goals and agenda of the captain in question.