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Fantasy World of Gea: The Greatest Adventure [IC] [CLOSED]

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EdwardDewey98

EdwardDewey98

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• Preface •

It's been ten years since the Second Maelstrom and yet our world seems to be unable to heal itself. Landscapes have been changed forever, settlements are not desolated or inhabited by strange magical creatures, trade routes that once were the veins of progress between realms are not home to new dangers. The Emperor of Eranoire and the Great Masters of the Cartographers Guild know that if new routes are not found soon, a second Age of Regression will hit all the continents of Gea. Through careful preparation and funding, a new expeditionary company is born and its mission? to go in the Greatest Adventure known to all beings of Gea.


• Rules & Info•
​
  • The recruitment thread, if a player drops out, I'll update it and let everyone known we are looking for a new player: Recruitment Thread
  • The World of Gea wiki, it's still a work in progress, but there's as lot of information in it: W.o.G Wiki
  • If you need help from a GM, please contact me or joshuadim joshuadim for any inquiries.

This RP is currently a closed RP, but might potentially open for new players later. Keep an eye on it! As GM, I control various NPCs in the story, but some may be controlled by players. All events will be under my direction. Feel free to throw ideas at your fellow players. I want you guys to have fun!

• Please, be nice to each other and considerate.
• No power or metagaming. You have a lot of freedom and slack, but ultimately rolls determine if things happen.
• Out of Character (OOC) chat should be in double parentheses, ((so it will look like this when you post OOC)).
• If you go inactive or drop, your character(s) will be under my control (and may potentially die.) If you let me know you're going to be inactive for a while and can pick back up later, I'll look after your character till you return.
• This is primarily a PvE game, but PvP can still potentially happen if its agreed upon by both parties and run by me.
• If something becomes a problem, as a GM I have the power to implement new rules on the fly.


Primary Player Characters:

Secondary Player Characters:

NPC's Created by Players:

Player Characters turned into NPCs:

In Memoriam:
 
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Prologue
  • Index
    • Through the shinning halls of an ancient castle could be heard the choking coughs of a young man, laying still on a bed while surrounded by both Clerical members of the Church of Gaia and Chirurgeons of the Royal Academy of Eran. Both his legs and arms were surgically cut to reveal the veins, which were engorged. As if they were filled with some sort of hard object rather than blood. The chirurgeons were performing their operation as best their could, cutting the affected veins and removing strange and long objects that had clogged the veins on the limbs. It was an excruciating procedure that took several hours, but they were eventually successful. With that done, the Clerics used their miraculous powers to sew and mend the flesh. Allowing the veins to regrow and new blood to flow through the young mans body.

    But they were not done yet, as an elderly woman with dark skin approached the sick young man with a pot of what looked like a soup. "Drink, my Emperor. This will heal your lungs." she said, while gently pressing the edge of the bowl against the Emperors lips. He began drinking the concoction as best he could. Not soon after finishing it, he began to cough violently, and his assistants were quick to hold him tight while another placed a wooden bucket in front of him. Blood, litters of it began pouring out of the young mans mouth, violently splashing into the bucket until he couldn't vomit anymore. The exhausted young man looked at those surrounding him, his weak eyes trying to meet theirs. "Once... again, I... thank... all of you... thank you..." he said, before slowly resting his back against the wall behind his luxurious bed.

    The health professionals and clerics soon departed the room, and were replaced with guardsmen and nobles who quickly surrounded the sick Emperor. "Frère...?" asked one the nobles, a dark-haired young man in knight's armor. "...how are you feeling?" he asked while taking a seat on the beds edge. The young Emperor, Leshy d'Toulie-Laflèche, looked at his sibling with a weak little smile. "...P-Puking half my body in blood is not something I'll ever be used to, brother. But I am fine now... Today is a good day after all." he said while looking at one of his assistants, who handled him a bunch of papers and documents. "Is the mistress of the guild here yet?" he asked while looking at his papers. His brother, Reynauld, looked at a dark skinned lady who stood behind the other nobles. "She's right here with us, brother." he said while presenting the scholar. "Lady Cécilia Delafosse, the Master of the Cartographers guild."

    Cécilia bowed before the sick Emperor before giving him a smile. "C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer, mon Seigneur Leshy. I cannot thank you enough that you are sponsoring the expedition." she said with a genuinely thankful tone. "De rien, mademoiselle Delafosse... It's the least I can do as a ruler. The benefits that a new Mapamundi of Gea could bring to civilization would give us hope and possibly avoid another Age of Regression!"

    As the Cécilia and Leshy talked, Reynauld stared at a large jar of green liquid that was resting besides the scholars bag. He swore he saw yellow eyes from the jar but decided to not press about it. "Uhm... I know it might be a bit too late to protest this brother." said the Prince, slowly removing his eyes from the jar and looking back at his brother. "...but isn't this just a waste of denaris and resources? Why not just let some other Kingdom do all this cartography hassle."

    Leshy smiled while putting down his documents. "...Well brother, back when we were being tutored by one of the greatest scholars of Helmos, I paid attention. And I know that trade routes are the lifeblood of a civilization. I am sure you would know this as well if you had paid attention instead of... playing the gallant knight and 'courting' young noble maidens." Reynauld became flustered for a moment. "Besides... it'd be beneficiary to find other routes to prominent Kingdoms and Empires. The route to the Heavenly Empire became home to nomadic bandits, and the Pagan Road is currently under the threat of the southern Orks." Cécilia quickly commented on something elder. "Mon cher ami Reynauld... the current maps the guild possessed are seriously outdated, for Gaia's sake... The one I have with me at the moment still shows the Martorian Empire!"

    "Hmm... bien bien, I understand... Still, I don't know how we will be able to protect this expedition. We can't spend soldiers to protect them, the Skæglins have raiding us a lot more often now and there's talks of the Hamalans attempting to attack the E-... Eonak... Coil... uh, the Emerald Woods or however those heathens living there call the woods." said the Prince. The Emperor nodded in agreement. "Indeed, things are dangerous even a decade after the Maelstrom. But worry not my brother... for there's plenty of brave souls out there willing to go all in for adventure and gold."




    Eran.png
    Throughout the busy streets of Eran, countless peasants, freemen, traders and travelers walk through seeking new opportunities in the "Blue Gem of the West". Its grand buildings and large walls are only dwarfed by Emperors Palace, Castle Le'Noire. In the Market Plaza, a man wearing the royal blue colors was being escorted by members of the militia until they reached the center of the Market. The portly royal clerk clumsily got on top of a platform used for important announcements, and that was enough for some of the passerby to look with interest. "Attention! Attention à tous les citoyens et voyageurs valides!" called out the portly crier while looking into a document of some kind. "...To all able-bodied men and women of Eran with experience in mercenary work, the Emperor calls you to raise your arms and serve him!" As he continued reading from the announcement, other royal clerks began attaching the announcement to the boards scattered throughout the market plaza. On one corner of the plaza, an old knight approached one of these posted announcement with great interest, carefully reading through it.

    Announcement.jpg

    A small fortune was being promised, and that was enough to attract the common sellsword. But this old knight was not interested in the fortune or what loot awaited. This was what he was looking for decades ever since he was expelled from his order by corrupt officials and greedy nobles. This could be the final and grandest adventure to end his story - and he was not alone, as several young men and women began making their way towards Castle Le'Noire. And among these interested souls were a few strange and particular individuals who were about to change their lives forever.
     
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  • Index
    • Somewhere in the Eonach Coillte

    Three rangers stood close to a dying silver elk, an arrow protruding from its belly as the trio wondered what to do next after having driven off the poachers. The eldest of the three, and the leader of the squad, was trying to comfort the animal as he looked towards his compatriots: "A wound like this can't be healed easily." he stated with a grim tone, "There isn't enough silverleaf in the forest that could heal this."

    "We could ask the druids... they would be able to help surely?" the youngest lad spoke up, garnering a quick shake of the head from the she-elf nearby.

    "That would take too long to get there, Cenwyn." she stated, "But perhaps..."

    "I know what you're going to suggest Gwynell." the leader quickly cut her off, his face giving off a look of disapproval.

    "The lodge is close by, not even a half-day's journey Anduril. And besides, Cenwyn is more than capable and is the fastest runner of the three of us."

    Anduril was quiet for a moment before sighing. "Fine." he simply stated before looking towards the young recruit, "When you get there, just make sure to not have any weapons out when you get there and simply explain our predicament to him. Be straight to the point and don't linger long."

    "Right! Got it!" Cenwyn spoke aloud with eagerness as he quickly ran off into the woods. While his knowledge of the woods wasn't as in depth as his superiors were, he still had a map with him that he consulted as he traversed the woods and periodically took breaks to get his bearings. After crossing two large rivers with fallen trees and passing through some difficult terrain he was getting close to his destination as the flora of the area changed to signify a new area and moments. A few hours after he had left he finally arrived to his destination: a single, unassuming lodge that peacefully situated itself and practically blended in with its surroundings almost.

    The young elf was rather disappointed as he had expected something a bit more interesting given its inhabitant yet he remembered his mentor's instructions and quickly got himself prepared to meet the being inside. He quickly holstered his bow as he approached the cabin and, reluctantly, knocked on the door. A few moments passed as there was no response which made Cenwyn somewhat nervous towards the idea of knocking again but did so as he gathered his courage. A few more moments of silence passed before he heard footsteps within the cabin before the door opened to reveal two golden eyes staring right at him belonging to what appeared to be a Tuatha girl.

    "Oh uhm... hello, is... is Geros here?" Cenwyn asked hesitantly as he looked behind the young lady to see if there was anyone else in the cabin.

    "Oh, a guest! Sorry, my father is gathering lemnos root right now... what do you need?" she asked with a toothy grin.

    ---

    Later

    "And that's how it went! I went off and helped save a stag!" Gsera said with excitement as she sat still near the small fireplace while her hair was braided by her best friend, N'yana.

    "Sounds very exciting. Was he cute?" the Tuatha girl teased as she worked on the drake's illusory hair which prompted a giggle from her.

    "Haw haw, very funny... I mean, he was *cute* if you're talking as if he were a lost puppy."

    "Aww don't be too harsh on him, he was probably new to the whole ranger shtick."

    "Right." Gsera simply retorted before sighing, "You know... I've always wondered what was out there."

    "Where?"

    "You know... outside of our woods! In the wider world beyond! There's just so much out there! But pa keeps insisting that I *have* to stay here. All cooped up... boring."

    "Sera, you've heard how dangerous it is out there. All sorts of nasty people: bandits, warlords, even-" N'yana spoke before hesitating at the last bit, "Even the people that want to hurt you."

    "Hurt me? Who would want to do that?" the drake asked with a nervous chuckle, "I mean what have I ever done to them to deserve their ire?" She then stood up and triumphantly set her foot on a small chair nearby: "I'm going to see what's out there, and I'm gonna have all sorts of adventures!"

    "You do forget that your dad won't-"

    "Bah! He'll never even know I've left... just need to find the perfect excuse and that will buy me some time."

    N'yana gave off an exasperated sigh as she sat back where she was, looking at Gsera with disapproving eyes. "I can't force you to not go... and it'll be impossible to convince you to change your mind."

    "Great! I'll see you later after I get my things!" the young drake cheerily said as she rushed out the door to head back to the cabin in the woods. 'Oh gosh oh my, am I *actually* doing this? Am I just going to leave like that? This is so exciting!' her mind spoke as she raced through the woods on her feet. 'And also... also kinda scary.'

    "Bravery knows no fear!" she declared to herself as she continued to run through the woods, charting her path back on the trail she had already traveled on over a thousand times by this point. It was all so familiar to her that she could recall every tree, bush, even stone that was on her way. Yet she felt her stomach sink as she realized all this comforts and familiarity would be completely gone the moment she stepped out of the woods.

    This hit her the hardest the moment she had already packed her things and was ready to step out of the cabin as she hesitated and looked back into the interior. All the cubbies, nooks, and crannies of this place was etched into her mind and she would essentially be leaving it all behind. It was essentially all she had known her entire life, and she felt compelled to stay but a part of her knew that she wouldn't be able to keep it down if she had to stay yet another day. And so with a deep breath she mustered her will and took her first steps outwards.

    Almost immediately she halted wheezed in anxiety as nerves gripped her entirely. "What AM I DOING?! This is crazy! I shouldn't do this!" she spoke to herself as she breathed in heavily.

    "But this is what I want, isn't it?" she then asked as if she was debating herself, "After all, I had already made plans to meet with N'yana..."

    "Okay, but you can always call that off! She'd understand! And besides, how would father feel if he saw me right now!? He'd... he'd be sad..."

    "All he's ever done was keep me penned in to these woods! Enough is enough!" she proclaimed as she puffed up her chest, her more outwardly and exploratory self winning the self-imposed argument as she then continued to walk. Some time later, she finally arrived back at her friends to say goodbye before heading for the edge of the forest and venturing into the unknown beyond.

    ---

    Some months later, Eran

    After wandering through the world for sometime and scraping by by bartering away rare herbs and medicines she had taken with her, Gsera found herself having sold her last lemnos root to have a room to stay in for a week and she was just now coming at the end of her tenure of having a roof over her head. This city was bustling but entirely foreign to her and everyone felt like a stranger, not even the innkeeper was amicable as she felt rather intimidated by his gruff demeanor. As she sat laying in her bed she wondered what to do next, given her financial situation. She had nothing left to carry her for shelter or food, she didn't have any friends out here or family to turn to: 'Perhaps this was all a mistake.' she thought to herself with melancholy.

    As she left the inn and headed out for the streets she walked about with a hood over her head to hide her features as best as she could, although she did get a few odd glances here and there from those with enough perception to see her illusory features. As she advanced through the city, wondering what to do next, she then heard the announcement at the market square which immediately caught her interest.

    She quickly went over to one of the new postings and read over its contents thoroughly before grinning. The language she didn't understand much but she understood enough to get the basics. 'Just my luck! Adventure! And I won't have to be penniless!' she thought to herself as she grabbed one flyer and ripped it off to carry it with her as she walked as quickly as she could to the castle. As she approached she saw someone who looked to be in charge and walked up to them and showed them the poster, pointing at it as she spoke:

    "Hello. I seek job. Adventure here, yes?" she spoke in broken Eranoirian, grinning to the Captain.
     
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    Months of toil and searching, pouring through old volumes and years of research and for what? The wizard was just as empty handed as he was when he began his search however many years ago it had been since his untimely death. Gawain had gone back to his reclusive tower on the outskirts of Brennoria, though it had been so long that he thought some borders had shifted and his navigation skills had proven horrendously outdated. Fortunately his place of study and housing was tucked away and had been guarded by his skeletal servants, meaning the majority of his artifacts and tomes did not get ransacked in his absence. His tower scaled up many stories, crafted of solid stone with a winding staircase leading to three separate circular floors in which he was able to conduct his work in peace. With much of his memory missing from what had killed him and perhaps consequently raised him, Gawain had no choice but to pour through his old volumes and tomes on a journey of rediscovery of his previous projects and skills.

    Yet another fortunate turn of events was that with so much of his work and journals preserved he was able to regain a sense of self quite easily, yet that burning question of what he had seen was too much for him to keep rattling away in his mind. For that reason he set out once again after months of study, traveling the world and keeping his skeletal visage well-hidden from those that would scrutinize him. The more he journeyed the more Gawain became determined, for now that he had an... elevated state of mortality he no longer had to eat or sleep to sustain himself. Despite his ghastly head lacking in living features he found that the majority of his body was intact. Though his flesh was cold it was still flesh all the same, free of the rot and decay that should have transpired ages ago. Whatever monstrosity he had encountered may have ended him because he simply was not prepared to see it, yet perhaps with this new body he could.

    It was foolish for a man of such intellect like Gawain to believe in destiny, so he resigned that whatever force had brought him back did so through arrogance alone. With the new tools he had been given, he would make sure he would find that creature again and trap or slay it for study. The mysteries he would unlock and the questions he would answer would drive him, yet progress was not coming fast enough. While it was possible for him to walk about the whole realm for years on end, it was far too inefficient for his tastes.

    Travel had lead him to Eran, and as he shuffled through the streets with his head down he heard the call to action as well as read one of the posted messages pertaining to it. An expedition to unseen pastures? It was all too perfect. A retinue of explorers to aid him in his search - take him as far as he needs to go to fulfill his greatest contribution to arcane studies yet. There was nothing more to do then to head to the castle.

    Head still down he slipped through the doors and approached the captain, a quiet clacking of his teeth as he tried to find the words for he had no lips or gums to fiddle with. From his attire and the heavy spellbook chained to his body it was quite obvious that the man was a wizard. A rather dour looking one, but a wizard nonetheless. "An expedition, then? May I offer my services to the effort, good sir? I feel that it will be... of mutual benefit." Gawain manages, his voice coming out rather raspy, almost as if his words carried some ethereal interference to them. As he spoke he raised his head to properly greet the man, revealing his lack of a face.
     
    Angelica was fighting for her life, and it wasn't going well. Greyfire Pass was a filthy, rocky track surrounded on either side by loamy soil that could barely grow grass let alone any crops. Ralph's company had taken the field earlier in the day to get a feeling for the ground - bad for cavalry. Too many rocks, too loose in some places. If they sent the riders in, a horse was going to end up with a snapped ankle, and someone with their face buried halfway into the dirt. Little Stokes had already set out range markers for the archers, but they ran out of shafts about an hour ago. The Iron Swords, whoever they were, didn't respect the mercenary parlay. New blood. They had to have been. When you're both far from home, with treasure carts waiting for you after the fight, you learned fairly fast that there didn't have to be a fight. Take the field, do the dance. That's the polite way of things. Wave some pikes, wave some swords, maybe fire a volley or two for the spectators - but not a single blade had to touch the skin. Now, Ralph was dead somewhere in the field, with half his company smeared across the dip. The Iron Swords had gotten a party of bowmen around the flank. Gods knew where their own sentries were to let that happen.

    "Angelica!" Someone was calling her name, but hell if she knew who. They were breaking ranks again and coming up the slope hollering, mostly regulars without shields, but there were enough that it didn't matter. Angelica adjusted her stance, muscles taunt with the anticipation as the other men around her braced the line. Come on, you runts. Come on. The gap dropped from a dozen meters to half that in seconds, then they were upon them. Angelica and her line counter-charged at the last second, catching the bastards unaware. Her first swing gouged a hefty chunk out of the first boy's face. Her momentum brought her into the second, which knocked the man flat on his ass, while a third nearby slipped in the soil when he tried to arrest his own speed - a beginner's mistake. Always follow the momentum. Try to stop it, and it would stop you. Große Wackelklinge swung like a pendulum on the low, hacking the second man's belly open through his tunic, and the third was speared through the back.

    "Angelica! Gods damn it, Angelica!" There were more of the fools, all eager for the reaper. The other zweihanders were singing, making the very air vibrate with their humming tune as the great blades hacked, gouged, bashed, and stabbed. The Iron Swords would learn the price for betraying the parlay and just how much worse the real dance was. Another man in modest armor ended up in front of her, trying to brace his arming sword with both hands as her shoulders bulged with the exertion as she brought the Wackelklinge to bear. High right to low left, middle hit. The arming sword was torn from his grip, as was a quarter of his left arm. She planted her boot against his knee, toppled him over, dropped onto his chest, and slipped her dirk beneath the open chin of his helmet until it sank like a foot into the mud.

    Then the ground began to shake, like the mountains were moving. Thunder grew louder and louder as it came near. Men tried to disengage when they heard it, and plenty were cut down for it. Not that it mattered. Once you heard it, it was too late. Some of the spears were trying to reform the line into a tight square, but none of their bugles or drummers were sounding off. Why was that? Panting, Angelica returned to her feet, hefted the Wackelklinge, and stared down at a wall of cavalry coming in from the forest. With lances down, they hit the flank like a wave coming in with great force, men being broken upon impact and trampled underfoot. One of them, a knight on a white steed with a red lance, was coming right in at her. Angelica braced, and... and....

    She woke up.

    Sweat drenched her brow and she sat up in the scratchy straw bed, breathing so heavily her head was going all light and funny. She had never once stepped foot on that battlefield, or been within a hundred miles of Greyfire Pass. Her mother had fought there and she only knew the place by story, yet every once in a while she was there, in the line, always brought down by that dread white knight with the red lance. She'd drowned men in mud, punctured their groins with daggers, cut bodies in twine - didn't dream too often of that. Only of the things she had never really been there for. She had no idea how mother made it out of that mess if the story was even half as true as she said, but she believed her.

    Then some damn bastards were ringing bells in the market square. How early in the morning was it? Too early, she decided, to be ringing any bells. Unless they were opening the taps. Then ring all the gods damned bells you wanted.

    Angelica leaned against the windowsill, not bothering with a blanket to cover herself as she ran a cloth against her flushed face. Some fat fellow was squawking over the crowd. Annoyed, she perked up after the words finally began to reach her ears. Now this - this was what she was here for. And with those prices, and from the Emperor no less, that wasn't work that was going to be around for long. Running over to her wash bowl, she dumped the entire thing over herself, scrubbed her face, doused herself in a bottle of cologne - the good stuff, she still had some from Heji - and pulled on her best clothes. Her only clothes, really, if you didn't count a number of barely presentable garments.

    With the Große Wackelklinge bound safely in its leather case, Angelica Bow hoisted it up onto her shoulder and hurried out of the inn and into the square, doing her best to cross the crowd without knocking anyone over too hard.

    Angelica hurried over and saw the posted broadsheets, then jogged up towards the castle at a determined pace. "Captain Vedevel!" She called, looking around. She saw some folks crowded around a man and hurried over there, presuming the man to be the captain, and the others more adventurers at least from behind.
     
    "...But the celestial orb, upon which we doth stand,
    Hath in two halves been cleav'd, and thine heart
    Is thus out of reach of my cravesome hand,
    But mine ears doth yet hear thee, as thou dost declare,
    From across the abyss, "I wish 'twere so."..."​

    "Marjoria! Where is that singing coming from?" shouted a man, marching through the rustic looking abode towards the window where his wife was sitting. "Oh! Renodus, there's a jester in the street playing a song." she replied, looking back to her stocky brown haired husband as he arrived. He leaned over, peering out the window, and a few meters away on the cobblestone street outside was a man in a harlequin's attire. Playing a beautiful tune from the lute in his hands, and singing quite eloquently through the mask he was wearing. He seemed to be playing to a pair of sisters at the second floor window of their neighbor's home, whom seemed almost entranced by his music. "Well, he's being a nuisance!" spat the man, moving his small wife from the window. He grabbed a tomato from the kitchen table nearby, and flung it through the window at the Harlequin.

    Surprisingly, the Harlequin simply sidestepped to avoid it. He paused his playing, turning his head and awkwardly leaning over sideways to see what had missed him. A tomato, splattered on the cobblestone not far from him. "...My! Someone has some dreadful aim!" he remarked, turning his head to look behind him. "Pardon, sir! I was playing a tune for the two beautiful ladies there! I hope I wasn't disturbing you!" he said, turning and giving Renodus a graceful bow as he held the lute in his off hand. "And if you'd like, I'd certainly play you a song or two!~"

    Renodus grunted angrily, before reaching out and pulling the shutters of his window shut. They slammed closed with a loud pair of clacks, which forced the Harlequin to straighten up. "Oh my. He really is upset. Was I out of tune?" he said softly to himself, before turning back around. "My apologies, ladies! Shall I continue?~" he said, before taking notice that the two women had disappeared from the window. He let out a sigh. Well, I guess I should be on my way.

    And on down the street he proceeded, walking quietly and strumming lightly on the instrument in his hands. He had been walking for a few weeks now, traveling from city to city. Entertaining the masses when he could (and was allowed to do so.) Often playing, singing, dancing, or doing other parlor tricks like juggling and things you would typically see in a circus or carnival. What paid more was theater, which he did rarely these days. Despite commedia still being fairly popular across the land, most troops already had a harlequin among their ranks. So, he had to resort to an alternative: adventuring and odd jobs. Odd jobs weren't all that bad, really. Some paid well. Go get this thing from this place, kill some rats in someone's basement, gather these ingredients for this potion that won't work. Adventuring brought quite a lot of money in, however. And usually, work as an adventurer was more fun. Plenty of things to shoot at with his bow.

    When he arrived in the market square, he heard the crier yelling something about the Emperor. He paused his strumming, listening intently to the crier as he called out to those that had stopped in the square. And then his eyes were drawn to the others that were putting up documents on the announcement boards around the square. To the closest one he went, pausing before it and reading over the piece of parchment. It certainly sounded interesting. The Cartographer's Guild was mapping the world again, exploring lands far away and potentially discovering new and exciting things. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity for the magnificent Devereaux! He grinned beneath his mask, before happily strolling towards the Castle.

    Upon arrival, he found that there were already several individuals gathered around whom he knew as the Captain. He walked over, examining the others as he approached, before speaking. "Greetings, Captain. I am here about the expedition! Devereaux, at your service." he said, giving him a graceful bow.
     
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    "Madam, please! I cannot let you enter like this." The blacksmith blubbered out as he desperately tried to deny his services to the woman in his shop. She was tall, with wild blond hair and currently with an annoyed look on her face. "Please come back when you've made yourself decent." He pleaded. When she walked in to request a repair to her gear, he had his back turned to her, but the moment he faced her, he noticed that his client was in fact, topless.

    "That's what I'm trying to do, hammerhead!" She said with the annoyance breaking through in her voice. "The last task I took left me with broken straps and bent metal." She lifted one arm to show the damaged breastplate she was holding and used the other to point at the damages "I barely got through to the guards about this trouble and they pointed me to some frilly dress shop." She rested her hand on her hip "I'm not the type to go into a fight with some expensive silks." She grabbed her coin purse from her belt and rattled it a bit "I have money that will cover the repairs."

    "Fine." He gave up "Come on in."

    "I knew you'd see reason." She practically beamed as she entered the blacksmith's shop. Looking around, Sentry would admire the tradesman's craft. Swords, hammers, shields and pieces of armor. All well done. The higher quality out of her price-range. But repairs have to be done if she is to be allowed among the city folk and maintain their view of decency. An annoyance to her, but it's the best way to find work she desperately needed. While the master was working on the repairs, she noticed that his apprentice was visibly distracted. "Boy, it's impolite to stare." The blacksmith halted his work for a moment and let loose a string of profanity as he berated his assistant and send him off to do some task somewhere else. He apologized for the boy's behavior and got back to work. The work didn't take too long to finish. Looking over his work, she noticed the effort and care he put into it, leaving her quite happy. Donning the armor, she was now prepared to pursue new work.

    As she was leaving, she noticed that there were pieces of paper being plastered around the market. One being left on the blacksmith's door even.

    "Say, hammerhead." She pointed to the paper "What's this about? Are you getting unfairly taxed or something?"

    "What?" He was confused by her question "No. The taxmen are annoying to deal with, but we're not mistreated. The announcement is about an expedition of some kind. Can't you read?"

    "No." She gave a short answer, her honesty stunnning him. "I don't know how to read your language. Only learned how to speak it." She shrugged.

    "Well...The emperor and the Cartographer's guild are organizing an expedition so they're recruiting warriors and the like."

    "Oh! That sounds great!" Sentry reached into her coin purse again and flipped one to him "A little bit extra for your help, hammerhead. Goodbye for now." With a stride she left the shop. The blacksmith was left rather bewildered by his morning with that strange woman.

    As she walked the market street, Sentry would listen to the announcers give directions to the expedition. Helpful some of these city folk. Even if they're only doing it because they're paid to do so. It didn't take her too long to find the castle. The captain was even easier to find, since he was getting crowded around.

    "I heard you're looking for a few good men, captain!" She called out "Well I'm better and I need work."
     
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    Deep within the forests of the Eonach Coillte, several brushes rustled around, revealing the snout of a creature which was pointing towards a clearing. The creature began to extend its body further, exhibiting its appearance to be some sort of a wolf-like forest critter; a Cu Sidhe. Following this creature was a young half-tuathan boy with horns appearing similar to wooden branches. Both beings stared at what they saw beyond that clearing which was a small, quiet lodge.

    The boy then approached the steps of the wooden house, peering in the windows before attempting to do anything that would reveal their presence. “Here?” he said, whispering to his peculiar companion. The creature only looked at him as a response, allowing him to do his desired action. He then knocked on the front door of the domicile and to no surprise, he received no response. The boy soon came to discover that the house was unlocked, allowing them to enter the house in search of food rather than surviving off from a few leaves and berries. After consuming any food they could find and share with each other, the horned lad and the wolf decided to rest in the unoccupied bedroom.

    Still waking up without any trace of a being to have entered the lodge, the curious friends kept on rummaging through the different items and trinkets the house had. There were two things that they found interesting. One was a ball, wherein the wolf played with outside. The other was a book, it was quite long, and it appeared to be a book meant for a child to learn some sort of language in which the boy was intrigued enough to read thus, he kept it in a rugged satchel he found in the house. Both of them were distracted with their own chosen objects until the day passed, resulting in them deciding to sleep in the house once again, only this time, they were no longer alone.

    As the boy laid on the bed and the wolf snuggled on the floor, the sound of the front door opening alarmed their senses, followed by heavy footsteps approaching the room they resided in. “Intruder!” the tall man yelled, revealing his axe as he opened the bedroom door. The boy panickingly stood up from the bed, siding with his friend who was leering at the owner of the house. The man then began swinging his axe towards the child which caused him to trip on his back. With the boy appearing in a defenseless situation, he had no choice but to use his power provided from his druidic faith. The lad quickly began to materialize a wood-like falcon with a brimming light on the inside. He allowed the bird to fly towards his enemy, blinding it with a piercing flash of light. The wolf then tugged at the child, signaling that they should flee in which they hastily did. The child and the wolf barely left there alive, although the boy was able to bring the satchel with the book in it before they left.

    Months had passed and the two companions eventually ended up approaching the empire of Eranoire. Although it was quite foreign to what they were used to, their curiosity and need for food was what peaked their interest the most.

    As they entered the walls of the empire, they were greeted by the bustling market of the area. Although they received a number of looks from here and there, they remained to pay no attention towards it as they weren’t aware of it in the first place. As they looked at one of the stalls that sold food, the boy started to realize that currencies exist, and they possessed none of such. However, the stall holder began to notice how intently the boy was staring at her stall, specifically the batch of fruits. She then decided to hand the lad a banana that he can eat and a pear he can share to his companion. “Thank you…” the boy replied out of impulse due to his constant studying of the book he kept months ago. The woman then replied with a nod and a smile. ‘It worked!’ the boy thought to himself, realizing that the language that he learned to some extent proved to be useful. After his encounter with the stall holder, the child left to go to an open space where he can feed his friend. While the wolf was chomping down the pear, the boy couldn’t help but notice various people putting up pieces of paper on several boards around the market plaza. He then approached the paper and read it. Seeing the words “exploring” and “reward”, the child perked up from his position, called his companion to follow him, and hurried to find the large castle the paper stated of.

    Luckily, the two easily found the said castle as it was towering over most of the city's other structures. They then also began to spot the captain, although, due to the boy’s small stature, he wasn’t able to approach the captain at all because of the crowd forming around the area. He and the wolf then decided to wait out the crowd and observe them curiously instead as they waited for their turn.
     
    As time goes by and the lands ever-changing with every new place it sees, Grunde absorbed the world around it. The taste of its surroundings fills it up and the sound of civilization replaces the song of birds. Life it had never dreamed of seeing is now within Grunde’s reach and with its new companion Cécilia, life has never been anything but an adventure. Though, there are some instances where discretion is needed for being a sentient slime has its many difficulties. Which is why Grunde is currently inside a jar strapped on Cécilia’s bag. Many don't take kindly to a slime parading itself in the middle of a road during broad daylight. A sentient monster is still a monster no matter how you look at it and Grunde learned this early on when Cécilia mistook it for one of its mindless cousins.

    Grunde was having a great time inside its Jar. ‘The jar’ is now its home as far as the slime is concerned. It’s a little cramped and limits what Grunde can do, but it keeps the slime close to Cécilia and it can still see the outside world through the Jar’s thick glass, so it doesn’t mind much. Grunde was about to doze off when a sudden jostle woke it up accompanied by a retching sound of a man. Ever curious, Grunde twisted and turned inside the jar to get a better look and was greeted with the sight of blood. The slime extended its senses through the jar as it tried to examine the man’s condition, but promptly stopped when the said man gave the jar a glance. Compared to it’s guardian, the man felt frail, sick. He reminded Grunde of a deer being hunted with an arrow in its lungs as it struggled to breathe. The slime could try to offer the man some of its magical residue. It always worked whenever Grunde was feeling weak, but Cécilia said to keep a low profile for the time being. With that in mind, Grunde stopped his probing and returned to its slumber once again thinking if Cécilia will be in the same condition in the future.

    Grunde was once again woken up in an entirely different place and was greeted with many unique sets of magical energy. It feels like the slime is in different regions of the world at once. Opening its eyes, Grunde looked at the mismatched group starting to form as they introduced themselves. Excitement started to bubble inside of Grunde at the new prospect of meeting new faces. As much as it likes the Jar, being confined in the same place for long amounts of time would make anyone restless, and it wanted to get acquainted and introduce itself to the others. Grunde started to struggle inside the jar. It attempted to open it from the inside but the slime’s actions and strength is still limited in this form so it can’t do anything but to hope Cécilia opens it soon.
     
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    A long time ago he would have never dreamed of traveling, of ever leaving. He loved his brothers from the bottom of his heart, the many drunken tirades they would go on, their rituals, the dances they offered to the gods far above. He loved watching the children chase dragonflies and the sun glistening in murky waters, the mud he’d bury his feet in. Why would he ever wish to leave? A thousand landscapes of hills, mountains or endless rivers will never replace those memories. On the contrary, they would make his heart ache even harder for home. A home he was unlikely to ever return to, but Korzhev had was among the more faithful of his kin. And if he didn’t a part of him might, his staff, perhaps.

    Surely his journey would make for some great few stories to tell, but to whom? He was a lonely adventurer, intimidating maybe, from the scornful looks he’d receive, but why, when the onlookers stared from above? He preferred the scorn to people who looked as if they were going to devour him. But I taste like mud water and blanket weed.

    Korzhev didn’t know where he was going in the beginning. He had been stranded in the middle of nowhere. Odd, because that town had looked exactly like the one where he’d go to trade for the usual supplies. He’d had a map on him, still does, and he had gone up to one of those humans, a fisherman with a messy beard. Korzhev pointed at the man, then at his map, and grabbed his wrist, urging him to point out his town on the map, croaking all the while “Can you see it? Tell me, please.”. But the man shook his head stiffly. Maybe he couldn’t see well? Korzhev pointed to several places, all relatively close to the middle of the map, a green splatter representing the marshland, with a few dark squiggles scratched all over it, the various tribes. But much to Korzhev’s dismay, the poor fisherman shook his head each time, slowly inching away from him. Undeterred by that response, Korzhev kept asking, but the answer was the same. Some never answered at all.

    Back then, he also thought that past the waters surrounding the village of giant huts was the swamp and if he walked along them, he would descend back into the marsh. He kept going, using his staff as a cane and at sundown he had reached a dusty road instead. There was an inn on that road, and he asked the innkeeper as well, croaking and gesturing towards the map, but that one had looked rather funny, his little eyes widened in fear, but Korzhev was no beast! He had thrown a piece of paper at him, then the innkeeper pointed him towards the door, shaking a little. Humans sure looked rather amusing, when making such expressions. He left with an amused croak, but not before taking a look at the paper. A very colourful picture, with many thin lines drawn across it in blue, black and whole lot of writing. What a complicated map. He needed to find someone to decipher that map for him as soon as possible. After a little bit sleep.



    That scene still plays into his mind ever so clearly, about a year later. He asked, and asked and kept asking some more, but the ones willing to answer to his inquiry only ever pointed him forward. Forward had been all kinds of things, north, east, south, west, a mountain, a bunch of hills. All equally as unimpressive, all devoid of any kind of emotion. The landscape had changed so radically, that sometimes Korzhev wondered whether or not the life he had led before had been a long dream. The distance between towns was getting smaller and the mountains had been replaced by a vast expanse of fields. He had come to learn the name of this land, along with bits of pieces of the language spoken in those parts, Eranoire, the sea of hills. Dry and filled with towns.

    And at the bottom of that hill sea, so to speak, stood Eran, the biggest, the noisiest city of them all. The one fellow wanderers would point him to. From the bits and pieces of the language that he’d picked up, he might even find someone who’d point him in the right direction. Give him a more comprehensible map.

    After spending one day in Eran, where he rested, had a few drinks, he strolled through the Market Plaza, taking in the view. Big buildings, made out of wood stone were surrounding him in all directions. He could see an even bigger one further, a kind of castle? With many pointy roofs. How many birds would bump into them and curse? Korzhev had no constructive thoughts to offer to the strange architecture of…that.

    Before concluding that thought though, he’d heard somebody shout from a platform, a piece of paper in hand.

    Maybe this one won’t point me away, Korzhev thought, as he slowly made his way through the crowd, towards the big bane of all birds up ahead.
     

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    ​
    "Are you well, Brother Aegypticus?"

    Dakarai's eyes peeled open as he finally emerged from his mesmerizing meditational trance. The intense concentration he had in praying to the god Sobek'nia had nearly blocked all of his senses to the point where he had essentially gone numb. Who knew how long he was out. The scaly Sobekan, wearing nothing but a loincloth and the scars presented upon his reptilian body, rose from his kneeled position and turned to face the monk who had called him. Both were present within a large chancel, at the heart of a run-down stone temple near the outskirts of Eras. The place they resided was rundown and abandoned when they found it months ago, with most of the original holy relics being stripped and taken away by their original owners. Yet in their absence, Dakarai and several of his fellow clerics had proclaimed this space as one of their own and slowly began their renovation process. Far from their homeland as they might be, their faith in their creator god, Sobek'nia, remained steadfast. With a few of their own relics placed here and some of their own custom-made murals there, it would be enough to consider this a decent place of worship. For they didn't need all the lavish posh in the world to stay connected to their God, only a house for which to proclaim their allegiance.

    "Yes, Brother Terensis," Dakarai replied bluntly as he took a step forward, "I am doing just fine."

    The monk that stood in the doorway was also a fellow Sobekan, one a decade younger than the centerpiece. He wore a light robe of light tattered cloth, stitched together by leftover material found near the back of a textile workshop. In his hands was a large bowl full of red meat and grapes carefully aligned in a presented culinary art-piece"You've been silent for several hours on an empty stomach." the younger monk mentioned with a somewhat concerned expression before presenting his baggage, "We didn't see you during breakfast. So I was going to ask if you needed to eat or~"

    Dakarai simply waved away at his concerns as he put on his own ragged robe. "That won't be necessary, no." he motioned as he walked closer towards Terensis and gazed upon the bowl, "But I thank you for the offer. I will eat later."

    The younger monk bowed shallowly as the two walked down the hallway and towards the main entrance. The temple resided a top a small hill away from a major road some 50 meters away. With trees and bush masking the ruined holy sanctum, it was just far enough to be relatively hidden away from the main populace. While the Sobekans were not criminals or any sort of previous wrongdoers, their appearance and numbers would no doubt draw the attention of concerned out lookers had they been in somewhere more public. After all, they were fairly "exotic" in these lands, if not simply looking intimidating. As they exited to the main courtyard, Dakarai would see several other monks hanging around the monastery. Some were eating in a small congregation, while others trained with each other utilizing wooden staffs. Everything seemed to be normal for the time being.

    Terensis took a bite out of the meat and planted the bowl upon a table, before his mind quickly shifted to a different subject. "Oh!" he mentioned, "I just remembered that I was going to show you something we found this morning." Dakarai gave a curious look as the other monk unpinned a written note from a tree and presented it to him. "We found these notes presented within the Imperial Walls. I - well we - do not know exactly what it says, but judging from the royal stamps it seems to be of great importance. Even the officials handing them out were making quite the ruckus with them. You know the most about the Eranoirian language out of all of us, so I was hoping if you could read what it says?"

    Dakarai accepted the note before giving it a read for himself. He wasn't the most fluent in their language either, but he was enough to strike basic conversations with most individuals. He had read up on a few of their more popular pieces of literature back in Entariush and studied their language in person once he arrived in Eras. He even made a few friendly acquaintances with the locals here, mostly being humble shopkeepers. He was the more eager and curious-minded of the group, always welcoming in new and useful knowledge to add to his ever expanding wonder and curiosity. And as he finished reading out the note, his eyes seemed to widen a bit at the contents within. Terensis noticed this, prompting even him to grow excited about this.

    "This letter," the more literate monk explained, "Is a request on behalf the Emperor himself."

    Terensis' eyes widened in wonder as he became more invested in the letter. Dakarai continued on, "He calls for the recruitment of warriors to protect him on an expedition while... they chart a new map of the world."

    "A trip around the world?"     the wide-eyed Sobekan breathed as his jaws rattled in delight, "Is this... the call to that prophecy? 'He who be worthy to partake upon the "Great Journey"''?"

    The older Sobekan merely shrugged before looking down at the note, "Those who participate will be funded and supplied by the Empire themselves with a reward of 1500 denari~"

    "1500 denari?"     Terensis barked excitedly, "What a fortune! With this money we could finish renovating the monastery and maybe~"

    "Heed Terensis."     the calm-headed Dakarai requested as he took a second to let this sink in. "This offer does indeed sound promising. But if this is the call of Sobek'nia regarding one's "Great Journey", then the offer should stand with those who had originally found this piece."

    He then turned to face his fellow brother; his amber eyes being locked steadily onto his brother's green. "Who among us was the first to have discovered this note?"

    Terensis nodded. "It was I... amongst three others. But I was the one who brought this to attention first."

    The older brother confirmed this with a grunt. "Then Her Grace has called upon you for this task, no? Are you ready to take upon this great honor?"

    "I..."     The younger Sobekan stammered briefly before bowing his head in what seemed to be shame, "N... No, brother. I do not think I'm worthy of this yet."

    Dakarai was surprised at his fellow brother's response, one who considered himself the most eager and straight-forward of the bunch. He rose an eyebrow as he asked him "What makes you believe so?"

    The inexperienced monk sighed as rose his head slightly to meet his fellow brother's eyes once more."There is... still much I need to learn before I feel ready to embark on this quest. I feel like I would fail Her Grace in this task..."

    The older beast sighed as he placed the paper down on the table and held it in place with a sizable stone. "Are you certain with this assessment?"

    Terensis nodded feverishly, "Yes... I believe the others would feel similarly."

    "Then who do you think is worthy?"     Dakarai inquired as he walked in place, "At least one of us should attempt the journey if it is presented to us in this manner on her behalf. Sobek'nia would not want us to ignore this grand opportunity."

    There was a brief pause between the two reptilian figures, as both seemed to wonder who out of them all were the best for this task. Then Terensis lifted his arm and pointed his scaly claw at, "You... Brother Aegypticus."

    Dakarai seemed taken aback by this sudden shift in duty as he stop mid-stride and stared onto the green pastures beyond. He too seemed to question whether he could manage in taking on such a momentous task. "Why?" he asked questionably.

    "I think it's quite apparent, brother." Terensis replied confidently as he rose, "After all, it was you who led us through the harsh Dukunian desert without fail. For you had much more knowledge and experience of the dunes compared to us due your time as an Entariushan warrior. You've traveled a great deal across the entirety of Duku during that time... perhaps you could even help their expedition with said information if not simply to explore the world as a whole?"

    Dakarai took another minute to process the info, carefully rereading it for anything he might've missed or misinterpreted the first time. And after careful examination, he proceeded to make a decision.

    "They are holding interviews within the Castle." he mentioned as he placed the note in his robe, "I will see if this expedition is worth embarking on. If so, I will return here and gather my belongings. Praise be Her Grace." And with that, he proceeded to leave the premises and head straight to the Castle for instruction.
     
    [Ten years ago]

    Gripping her spear tightly, Kastalli crouched low to the ground as her eyes followed the unsuspecting prey in front of her. A white stag - incredibly rare with incredibly delectable meat. She had been tracking it for about three hours now. The fickle wind had revealed her location about four times now which was the only reason she was still hunting it. On any normal day, she would have caught a snow rabbit and be content with it as dinner. However, today was a special day. It was the one year mark of her marriage and she wanted to cook a hearty meal for her husband, especially to distract him from this cold weather. Her eyes narrowed as the stag relaxed, sniffing at a nearby bush in search of berries. Prey scavenging for food, ideal scenario in any hunting situation. She inched closer, her heel meeting the ground before her toe to ensure quiet footsteps. Tending her leg muscles, she dashed towards her target, thrusting her spear into the neck in one fluid motion. Kastalli released her weapon, grasping at the antlers before pulling and twisting in an unnatural angle to snap the stag's neck. With a heavy sigh, she retrieved her spear that was still embedded in her fresh kill. Now that the easy part was complete, she needed to drag it all the way back. Considering she had been following it for quite some time, she could already assume she was a bit ways from home.

    [Few hours later]

    "T-This venison i-is i-incredible. Thank you, K-Kastalli." A man with short brown hair complimented in between mouthfuls of his meal. Saito Shirahama, a 'failed' ninja. Mainly because he was unable to let go of his emotions but partly because his mentors could not tolerate his stutter. He had found himself looking for work and ended up in the thanedom of Holmstæin, where he then met Kastalli and married her five months after meeting. Despite it being a bit rushed, their relationship was healthy with blissful moments as they were very much still in the honeymoon phase. "I-In certain a-areas of my h-homeland, d-deer are s-sacred and n-not allowed to b-be h-hunted." Kastalli tilted her head slightly, humming in thought as she chewed and finished a mouthful of her meal. "I would love to visit your homeland...and I would also love to experience other regions too. Somewhere much warmer and greener!" Saito smiled gently, reaching for her hand to squeeze. "W-We may go w-wherever you'd l-like." A light purr rose from her throat, clearly displaying her happiness towards his words. Kastalli had never traveled outside of Skæg, to have the opportunity now to do so with the person she loved almost felt like a dream.

    Suddenly, a loud screech could be heard from outside, causing her ears to perk up in response. The two glanced at one another for a brief second before rising from their seats. Saito led the way, opening the front door of their home to reveal an unusual sight. The sky twisted into colors of blue, green, and yellow, the mixture giving off an ambient glow. While there was mana almost everywhere, it felt more prominent now. Dense. Almost suffocating. Another scream filled the air - now Kastalli was starting to worry. “My parents...I should go check on them.” She breathed, her voice giving off the faintest hint of panic. “N-No, I w-will go. S-Stay inside.” Saito instructed as he went to grab his weapon, a kodachi, and some of his other equipment. “But...it could be dangerous.” She stopped him at the doorway, giving him a look of concern. Her husband smiled softly and offered her a light kiss on the forehead. “D-Do not w-worry. I’ll b-be back s-soon.”

    [Few months ago]

    “Saito, after thinking about it for a long time, I think it would be best to see what the rest of the world has to offer. I have lived here my entire life so it has been difficult to work up the courage to leave home but I am ready and excited.” Kastalli smiled cheerfully, happy to have finally come to a solid decision. “I only wish...you could have traveled with me…” Her voice lowered down to a whisper as she placed hand picked flowers in front of a stone slab. With a heavy sigh, she lowered her head, offering a silent prayer before rising back up to her feet. The ship was to depart soon after all.

    [Present day]

    Kastalli had just arrived at Eran, not even a few hours ago and she already felt overwhelmed by the bustling crowds of people. Everything was new, different, unusual. Which way was east and which way was west? Perhaps she was overexaggerating a bit. Taking a deep breath, she looked around for any signs of an inn or tavern. Surely she would be able to wrap her mind around a few things after some food and rest. Kastalli continued traversing the busy streets, keeping her head down to avoid any unwanted attention. Speaking of unwanted attention…

    She stopped in what she assumed was the center plaza as a man’s voice boomed over the crowds, calling for their attention and then calling to arms. Mercenary work? Kastalli did not have much experience in the field, only doing small jobs to barely put a roof over her head and food on the table. The expedition...not to mention the reward sounded very promising. Her eyes shifted over to the other men who were posting fliers on the boards. Walking over to one, she carefully read over the details, considering the opportunity. Without putting any real thought into it, Kastalli found herself following like minded men and women towards the castle to express interest in the adventure.

    No surprise that whoever they were supposed to talk to was already surrounded by numerous capable bodies. Would this Captain Vedevel be able to interview them all before the day was over? She looked around at everyone else, her ears flattening at the more intimidating ones. Kastalli wasn’t sure if she would be suited for this after all - maybe this was a bad idea. Before she turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of a young boy with a wolf by his side. Was he here for the expedition as well? That...gave her some confidence to stay. Instead of waiting alone, she approached the boy, offering him a warm smile. “Greetings. You are here to speak to the captain as well? Perhaps we can wait together then.”
     
    Zen

    A slender figure blazed through the sky. His wings spread wide as he let the current guide him from town to town. Messengers like him were hired to deliver things, FAST. Letters, packages, anything small enough to be carried while flying. It was practically one of the odd jobs, but ever since the Great Maelstorm happened and traveling becoming more dangerous the demands for skilled messengers had been rising drastically. This was Zen's 9th delivery this week alone.

    It was by no means a safe job though. Flying monsters were less common than the regular one, yes, but they're no less terrifying, the wisest thing to do when spotting a Roc bird was to land and walk on foot, using trees to hide from its vision. Then there's the bandits, apparently being able to fly didn't make one safe from their greedy hands either, Zen had encountered several groups who tried to shoot him down with arrows but fortunately they never expected a smoke bomb or pepper powder from him. It's something that he always kept in his pocket, one of his old habit.

    This journey from Halien to Eran was a peaceful one though and Zen was thankful for that. He landed smoothly on top of a building as he reconfirms the recipient of the package. It was the owner of a tavern and it didn't take long for Zen to find the person and delivered the package.

    "WHAT?? THIS IS FROM MY MA!?" The middle-aged man yelled loudly, Zen dodged several drops of saliva by sidestepping it. This man seems to not have much control of what coming out of his mouth so Zen should be careful around him.

    "Yes, sir. Please sign here." Zen kept his cool and handed the man a sheet of paper. While the man was busy scribbling his name a poster placed on the tavern's board caught his attention and he took some time to read its content. An expedition funded by the emperor himself. The money itself was a good motivation for Zen, with that much he would be able to live a peaceful life just like he wanted to do.

    "BOY, I FINISHED THE PAPER!" Zen winced as the man's yelling rattled him out of his focus. He retrieved the paper and stuffed it into his pocket.

    "Much appreciated, sir. May I ask how long this poster has been here?" Zen pointed at the poster in the board while prepparing himself to what would be coming.

    "IT'S NEW STUFF, BOY. THE CLERK WHO PUT IT HERE JUST LEFT NOT LONG AGO." Zen dodged the saliva bomb, then another. He then thanked the tavern owner and flew his way to the Castle to meet this Captain Vedevel.
     
    Promptly after introducing himself to the Captain, Devereaux took a step back away from the group and took another gander at each of those that had arrived to speak with the Captain. A rather diverse group, it seemed. As he stood back, standing on one foot with the other pressed against the side of his knee, he placed his hand on his chin. Posing as if he were thinking. There was even a forest child here, as well as a half-Rakshasa and a Vodyanoy. One of the men, wearing a robe, looked like a walking corpse! And of the women looked almost like a barbarian with her attire, while the other was dressed like a roving mercenary. Rather large sword that one's got.

    "Well, aren't we all a sight?" he soon spoke, placing his head in his palm as he continue to pose. "It will certainly be an interesting endeavor. If we're all hired, of course!"

    He glanced to the mercenary, examining her clothes and sword once more. It reminded him of the outfits some of the wandering mercenaries of the Kaiserdom. So he posed the question to her. "Are you from Hamala, m'lady?" he asked, motioning towards her with a finger as he tilted his head in her direction. "I knew a few mercenaries from there. Rather fit lads, they were. Fun to drink with too! Among other things.~"

    He then shifted his attention to the other woman. The barbarian. He couldn't quite place where she was from, but with how she was dressed, it was likely some forgotten forest or mountain somewhere. "Excellent attire! Freedom of movement is key!" he remarked. He then motioned to his form with his hand. "I prefer full coverage, however! It helps with keeping the elements out too. And conceals my visage! Tricky when trying to hide however...black and red doesn't blend with much beyond blood, draperies, and chess boards."
     
    On the courtyard of Castle Le'Noire, the captain of the Eranoiran Royal Dragoons, Védevel, stood firmly while looking at the gates to the courtyard. His Dragoons and the Eranoiran Soldats stood firm by his side as the gates opened, revealing at least a dozen men and women carrying swords, bows and daggers. The captain huffed at the thought of having to recruit adventurers which were known for their unreliability, and these people showed no promise at all either.

    In the captain's mind, there was not a shadow of a doubt that most were selfish scavengers and loners who would abandon the expedition as soon as they found some relic of ancient civilization to sell for a few coppers. "Hoi, Binne jo de kaptein?" asked one of the fighters in Brannorian, which the captain luckily understood. "Yes... I am the captain. Could you all back away a few steps and form a wall so I can int-"

    "Hello. I seek job. Adventure here, yes?"
    Click to expand...

    Then a young woman spoke, which the captain identified as a Tuatha. What was one of the children of the forest doing here so far from the Eonach Coillte? Her Eranoiran was not good either, but luckily for this young lady, the Captain spoke Gælion. The "universal" language spoken by most the races that inhabited the Eonach Coillte. "Dia dhuit, cailín óg... Yes, this is the meeting place for the adventure. Stand there next to the rest of the volunteers." he said in a commanding manner. Soon after another extravagant volunteer showed up, a man dressed in dour and dusty robes.

    "An expedition, then? May I offer my services to the effort, good sir? I feel that it will be... of mutual benefit."
    Click to expand...

    The tenebreous figure spoke, before revealing his undead features to the Captain, who reacted with shock as he quickly placed his left hand on his flintlock pistol. "What the Hel...?" he asked as the undead sorcerer simply stood there, slowly being surrounded by several other Dragoons and Imperial Guards. "How did you manage to get so deep into Eran, fiend?" It became apparent rather quickly that Gawain was now under threat and he would have been attacked were it not for the help of Cécilia Delafosse, who walked up to the captain with confidence. "At ease, Captain... for you are not speaking with a mindless ghūl... After all, I heard him speak about offering his services." she said while eyeing the undead wizard with utmost curiosity. "You want me to have a creature of the night in this very courtyard!?" asked the captain in disbelief. "Oh, please! This castle is so old that it has its own spirits roaming... this very courtyard." Defeated, the captain simply rolled his eyes and commanded his men to remain vigilant of Gawain. "Get in the line, ghoul."

    "Captain Vedevel!"
    Click to expand...

    Shouted a woman dressed in a mismatch set of nobleman's clothing. It was long for the captain to realize that he was dealing with a Drachenjäger, an actual mercenary in an army of adventurers and amateurs. He never liked the Drachenjäger: they were monster hunters for hire with little disregard of how to achieve their goals, and it was known that some of the stuff they've done against Dragons have caused the ire of those who wish to protect such noble creatures. Alas, he knew that an experienced warrior was required so he simply sighed and looked at the mercenary. "Welcome. Please... get on the line for the interview."

    "Greetings, Captain. I am here about the expedition! Devereaux, at your service."
    Click to expand...

    The captain jumped for a moment as he saw a Jester that had just arrived appear next to him. At first he was not sure what Devereaux was. His ambiguous frame, and hidden features, did not allow the captain to see what race they were. "I... uhm... Hello there, Jester... Based on the fact that you are carrying a bow, I assume that you come here looking for adventure? Then please, take a spot next to Drachenjäger." Suddenly, everyone's attention turned to a woman who just entered the courtyard wearing rags and simple pieces of steel and iron. "What is this..." said the Captain, as Sentry approached him.

    "I heard you're looking for a few good men, captain! - Well I'm better and I need work."
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    "Maintain your distance, warrior." He said while raising his hand. "...Based on what you are wearing, you must be one of those wild warriors around the south." he said in a rather derogatory way. "There's more to her." said Cécilia while eyeing the Barbarian woman with interest. "She's a Runeseeker." The captain looked a bit surprised while still eyeing Sentry with caution. "...There's no way. This woman can enchant weapons?" Cecilia nodded while crossing her arms. "...And close Maelstroms." With a rather annoyed huff, the captain soon realized that he was not talking to some random barbarian she-wolf. "...Get in the line, warrior." he said while pointing at a spot next to Gsera.

    But the parade of extravagant characters was not done just yet, as several more adventurers approached the group. One more exotic than the last. "What in Gaia's name?" he asked as he saw a frog-like humanoid man come and approach him and soon after. The frogman was joined by a man of a race the captain never seen before in his life. He appeared to have features that resembled those of a crocodile. It was shocking not only for the captain, but to all those in the courtyard. He then noticed what appeared to be a hybrid woman with feline ears standing next to what looked like a child, or maybe just a Hob with a strange hat. And soon after, a strange and small birdman appeared. The captain was speechless seeing this party of strange beings form in front of his very eyes, but to Cécilia this was only a good thing. And she made sure to let it know as she stared at every single new addition to the group with joy and utmost curiosity.

    As the Jester engaged in conversation with the Barbarian and the Mercenary, the captain looked at the group of strange individuals that had just approached. "I... I assume you are all here for the expedition...?" he asked while rubbing his eyes again. "...Please, take a spot on the line. I'll start this interview in a few moments. We'll wait for a few more men." Cécilia then grabbed the captains shoulder. The tired man looked over his shoulder to stare at the scholar. "Yes... madame?" he asked as the scholar revealed a jar filled to the brim with a green ooze of some kind. "If you don't mind, captain, I'd like to introduce yet another member to this party." she said while opening the jar. "Come out now friend. Meet everyone." she said with a gentle tone, as a pair of eyes appeared on the jar of slime.
     
    It seemed like Grunde didn’t need to wait much longer as it felt Cécilia grab the jar and open the lid. With nothing else on its way, green goo started oozing out of the jar and on the floor before staying there, unmoving. The slime took its time to reorient itself to its surroundings as it was bombarded and overwhelmed with different sensations. Yellow eyes surveyed the room, carefully looking at each individual for a sign of hostility. When all is clear, the green ooze starts to move. It steadily absorbed the lingering magical energy from the area as it also took some from Cécilia and the others though at a much slower and smaller rate. Grunde didn’t want to make a bad impression after all.

    The slime’s body started to expand. What it absorbed fueling its growth as it turned from the size of the jar to the height of a cattle. Arms started to form from its body and a smile appeared along with its head. With its transformation complete, Grunde offered the others a grateful nod before raising its arms, forming the word ‘Hello’ with its slime. Grunde closed its eyes temporarily, racking its head on what to do next as it tried to remember what Cécilia taught it when it came to introducing yourself to another sentient being. Suddenly, the slime covered its face out of embarrassment, shrinking a little as it forgot the most important part of an introduction. Its name. With a wave of its right hand, the slime rearranged the word to show ‘Grunde’ before pointing to itself with the other one. A weak ‘Nice. Meet. You.’ can be heard from its direction before deflating a tiny bit more as it looked back at Cécilia for a sign of approval.
     
    This foreigner spoke her language! It was to Gsera's delight that she could finally speak to someone who actually understood her as she eagerly nodded her head: ["Ah, you speak what I speak! I'll be here!"] she said cheerily and with a wide grin before looking to where the 'others' he had referred to were. So many strange people here. she mused internally as she looked over them one at a time, Maybe we'll get along! But... what should I say? Oh, what if they can't even understand me like this man over here did!

    She quietly walked over to where the others were and observed for the time being as she saw what appeared to be self-moving slime get out of a jar and greet the nearby folk. Gsera was rather inruiged as she put a finger to her mouth and continued to watch. What a weird thing. Never seen anything like it! she thought, I wonder if-

    Her thoughts were interrupted as a very large barbarian warrior went and took her place right next to her. Gsera looked her up and down both with apprehension and curiosity as she felt rather intimidated by the sheer size of this warrior who towered over her. Not to mention her... unconventional attire. Gsera's own armor and clothing were modest in how it settled on her, yet this woman seemed to completely disregard that entirely for something more... provocative. She cleared her throat to both gather her nerves as well as to catch the attention of the woman before speaking in broken Eranoirian again: "Ahem... who you? Am... er, Sera." she said as best as she could with a nervous smile.
     
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    Gawain had been expecting such a close-minded reaction from the captain, lacking the muscle to frown or even change his facial expression yet he slowly opened his jaw a bit. As the soldiers slowly advanced to surround him he placed his hands behind his back and shook his head, rather disappointed with the proceedings. He was gone from the world for so long yet not much had changed at all it seemed. Back in his heyday he may have been listed as an outlaw by some cities and kingdoms for being a practitioner of necromancy, an utterly ridiculous conclusion to draw on someone. Magic is but a tool, the true intents of it is based on the caster not the school it belongs to. Fortunately someone that possessed sense came to his aid, practically ordering the captain and his men to stand down. To the lady he gave a nod of appreciation before he was ushered to the wall.

    "... 'Fiend', 'ghoul'. You wound me sir, truly. Not from something as inane as damaged feelings, but rather the sheer weight of your ignorance bearing down on my now-fragile faculties." he said simply, turning on his heel to stand against the wall as he was ordered. His sockets scanned the various members of the group that had already been funneled against the wall, his teeth clacking quietly again as he pondered just the sort of beings he was working with. From exotic magical beings, murderous psychopaths and a literal child Gawain didn't have the highest hopes for the expedition's success. Though the wizard didn't need success, he just needed means to travel to far-flung lands in search of answers to his undiscovered mystery.

    Then it was revealed that yet another member of their entourage would be joining them as well. Once again Gawain's jaw slightly unhinged as the jar-bound gelatinous mass flopped out of its confines and... greeted them all. "Ah... hrm." was all he could say to that, hands at his sides before he went back to his evaluations of their success. Hopefully their tasks wouldn't be too difficult.
     
    Angelica whistled low as she glanced over the growing assembly. She was not unacquainted to a variety of curious creatures, no matter their shape or size or land their hailed from - travel around long enough with mercenaries, you end up with some strange buyers and even stranger enemies. But this was beginning to look like a circus, jester aside. And a very dangerous circus at that. She'd never seen at least a couple of the folks before - like the big ol' scaly lizard man who looked like one of the river monsters they had in some of the southern swamps. Or the damn skeletal faced man who had to have been a scholar or sorcerer. Never did like the magic types much herself, most of them were cowards, and if they couldn't roast or ice men alive, they broke pretty easily under fists. Sometimes that made them pretty fun. Then of course there was the child and the wolf - strange pair that. And when the slime came pouring out of the jar, she was astounded. Now that was a trick she'd expect to see at a circus. Hell, the captain here should have been charging an admission fee. He'd be a rich man by the end of the day.

    She looked back over to the jester who had spoken to her a moment ago with a growing smile. "Hamala? Born there, aye. Bit of a wanderer me-self. Slept more nights with canvas or stars overhead than thatch or slate," she said, her grin growing a little more. "And aye - plenty of fit lads to go around! Fun is a bit of an understatement, heh. But don't be fooled, half'em can't hold their drink near as well as I can, jester, and I bet I'm twice as strong and twice as fun." She eyed his bow, another new thing. Not that she hadn't seen a jester or a bow before, but together was a new ensemble, and it had already answered her unspoken question. She knew a few jesters in company business - poisoners, assassins, acrobats, contortionists and the like. Never one with a bow, though.

    Then she saw the barbarian woman sauntering up, and Angelica couldn't help but let out a short, amused, and very content laugh, almost like a bark. She slapped Devereaux on the shoulder, shaking the clown a bit and nodding towards the barbarian woman who was taller than even her by a couple inches. "Now ain't she a sight! And here I thought I'd be the only gorgeous blonde here, aye?" She chuckled again. "Anyways, jester. Name's Angelica. Call me Angel if ye like."
     

    snBY3L3.png


    ​

    Wading through the crowds of people upon the mainroad, the masked Dakarai proceeded to make his way towards Castle Le'Noire. While he mostly kept to himself hidden underneath the hood of his robes, a few wondering eyes would lock onto his unusual face and stare before they themselves moved on. He could occasionally hear whispers regarding his appearance, or see people step back and scurry their children away out of view. To him, he definitely felt out of place and the looks he got from these individuals didn't help. They were unsettling enough for him as his appearance might have unto them. It was more than another reason why he preferred to venture into town in late afternoon or later in the evening, precisely to avoid such unwanted attention. Nonetheless, he had a goal and no one was to stop in him achieving it.

    As the Sobekan entered the castle, he would find himself in the presence of several other different warriors. Taking a minute, Dakarai unhooded himself observed the individuals that were present; his eye immediately jumping to the nearest humans that were over-abundant in Eras. He noticed several fair maidens amongst their ranks - ranging from a dainty yet fabulously clothed mercenary to a giant armored barbarian even taller than he was. He didn't expect many females to join the expedition, given how he believed the city was more "male-centric" in tow, but nonetheless didn't mind their presence at all. Even a Harlequin - whom he had seen only several times before - was here. But he definitely noticed the variety of different raced individuals that were also presented here, allowing him to feel at ease knowing he wasn't the most bizarre figure in the room.

    From a robed skeletal undead in one corner, to a squat toad-like person in another, there was quite a selection alongside the presence of various human-based hybrids and races that he'd never seen in his travels before. He was sure he'd get to be friendly with most of them eventually. Nonetheless, the Sobekan monk walked passed them as he approached whom he believed was the Dragoon Captain.

    "I am... Dakarai Sarcosis Aegypticus." he introduced in a deep raspy voice as he took a knee of respect. While he did he presented him the slightly scrunched up formal letter, "I come... for interview to join the expedition. I hope I'm not too late."

    His Eran was good, yet there was plenty of room for Dakarai to improve. His reptilian tongue also made a distinct accent, presenting himself with various rolls of the tongue and guttural reflexes in certain words and phrases. He hoped it wasn't too jarring for them to care much about it.
     
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    The captain needed a bit of time to respond to her, but the jester was quicker it seemed.
    Excellent attire! Freedom of movement is key!
    Click to expand...
    She turned her head to get a good look at the man and politely nodded to his observation
    I prefer full coverage, however! It helps with keeping the elements out too. And conceals my visage! Tricky when trying to hide however...black and red doesn't blend with much beyond blood, draperies, and chess boards.
    Click to expand...
    "Elements are no bother to me, jester." She gave a confident answer "But I rather show you why than just tell you." She wanted to shift at that moment, just for a bit of fun, but that would likely cause a commotion that is unneeded. Especially now that the captain had his eye on her. The intended insult didn't fly over her head. As much as the city folk like to think her kind as savage brutes, she could understand perfectly fine when they turn their nose up to her. The woman however, she was far more perceptive than him. Likely noticed the runes on her weapon and those that adorned her leg. Sentry gave a cocky smile as she got in line and waited for the rest.

    Looking at those that have gathered, she couldn't help but be impressed by the variety. The talking skull was obviously a mage of some sort. How else would he be able to achieve that? The jester she already exchanged words with. Extravagant as many of his profession. The mercenary looked like the most typical city dweller out of all of them, but there was more to her. Her stance showed a seasoned veteran. And there were so many more. The frogman was only overshadowed by his large lizard cousin. And who let that small boy among them? If he was let in, then somebody would have to take the extra task to look after him. Inexperience can be deadly in these situations. The bird and cat were other members of those non-human races that showed interest in the expedition. 'Beastial races' she heard some call them. Rather insulting to her. Mind as well call them mindless if you only think of them as beasts. And there was the slime that poured out of the jar and could apparently talk. Now she'd seen everything.

    Ahem... who you? Am... er, Sera.
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    "Oh?" She turned her head towards the direction of the girl. Feeling slightly embarrassed that she missed her before. "Hello there. My name is Sentry. A long series of titles follows that name, but they don't matter right now. Sera is your name?"
    Now ain't she a sight! And here I thought I'd be the only gorgeous blonde here, aye?
    Click to expand...
    Overhearing that, she couldn't help herself, but turn and give the mercenary a smile and a wink before returning her attention to the girl she was talking to.
     
    Beann said:
    “Greetings. You are here to speak to the captain as well? Perhaps we can wait together then.”
    Click to expand...

    A woman approached him. with ears, but different. “Wait together?” the boy repeated as if trying to recall what those two words meant in which he eventually did. “Yes, my name is Callop and this is Fauxs” the child replied back while he gently pointed towards his companion. The forest creature looked at the woman as well, but its emotions appear to be some sort of a blank stare.

    While conversing with his new feline eared acquaintance, he also started to notice a few eyes looking his way, alternating between the three of them which overwhelmed him, causing him to slightly lower his hat as he felt embarrassed.

    A few moments later, the crowd started to give way to some sort of green, slimy creature, exhibiting itself like a malleable toy. The fox was delighted by the sight of this, perking up from its position and looked at its companion pleadingly. Callop was also intrigued by the creature but didn’t want to leave his new friend behind. “Can we go there?” the boy said as he lightly tugged at the woman’s sleeve.
     
    "Anyways, jester. Name's Angelica. Call me Angel if ye like."
    Click to expand...

    Devereaux tilted his head. "Angel certainly suits you.~" he said, with a chuckle. "I am the magnificent Devereaux. Or Devy, for short!"

    He then looked back to the barbarian woman. Sentry, he overheard her call herself as she spoke to the woman with the horns. Sera was her name. He looked back to Angelica. "I noticed you eyeing my bow. I'm a archer of sorts. Been slinging arrows since I was a small boy...I learned how in the event my future as a harlequin in a commedia troop didn't pan out. Ended up working my archery skills into acts!"

    He then looked over to see another member of the group arrive. A slime, which rolled out of a jar and greeted them all. He smiled beneath his mask, and gave the slime a wave. "Greetings, Grunde! A pleasure to meet you as well!" he replied, before directing his attention to yet two more members of the group whom had arrived. A Sobekan, named Dakarai, and a birdman! The group grew ever more interesting by the minute! "My, this is more entertaining than most of my father's plays. And we haven't done anything yet." he muttered, loud enough for Angelica to hear.
     
    Her Eranoirian wasn't the best, but Gsera managed to lift some information off of what Sentry was saying such as her name. "Sehn-tree..." she tried to pronounce as she let the name roll of her tongue, "Yes! Am Sera. You is Sehn-tree." she then stated aloud and moved for a handshake with an eager grin plastered onto her face. My first friend here!
     
    From her reaction Sentry had a hunch what was going on. She was in the same situation just a few years ago. With a warm smile she took Sera's hand and shook it carefully as to not just yank it.

    "Yes. Nice to meet you Sera." She spoke to reassure her "Dont worry. You'll learn the language in no time." She paused for a second remembering her other difficulty "Writing is harder, but not impossible."
     
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