Fantasy Avasea (Fantasy Adventure)

It is tagged as "Lovecraftian" because the "parallel world and the ruins are inspired by Lovecraftian lore"

Plot: After being united under one nation after the war of tribes, Avasea can finally focus on it's development and start it's expansion into uncharted areas. To explore the uncharted areas the nation of Avasea seeks to hire adventurers to pioneer the unknown lands. After a number of failed expeditions due to lack of skills, the nation decided to create the adventurers guild and the adventurers academy. The guild was to manage the expeditions in turn for rewards, while the academy was to make sure the adventurers were trained enough to successfully fulfill the expeditions.

A large point of interest are the ancient ruins around the lands. The strange symbols have yet to be deciphered, but there may be treasures and tons of artifacts to be found in the ruins. Additionally some ruins have portals or what seem to look like portals. When activated the portals emit a field or wall that appears almost like the surface of cloudy water. Some have tried going through them, regularly leading to bad outcomes. Most just instantly incinerate upon touching the substance in the portals, those who make it through mostly don't make it back out or come back insane. In rare cases, eldritch horrors came out of the portal. In the worst cases, the eldritch horrors were people who went in and deformed on the other side.

The adventurer's guild: Created just five years ago, the adventurer's guild is the first of it's kind in Avasea, maybe even in the entire world. It organizes the expeditions and quests for the adventurers and rewards them for bringing back relics, trophies or parts of creatures. The guild not only has a front desk, but rooms for resting and a common area with a tavern. Other guild services are gear smithing and repair and healing services.

The academy: The academy is something like a college or post-secondary school. Here aspiring adventurers learn how to fight, how to study ruins, how to observe new creatures and so on. Due to being in it's early stages the academy is still rather small with an expected 200 adventurers to graduate this year.

Subjects at the academy: General melee combat, swordfighting, spearfighting, scythefighting, axe/hammer combat, archery, elemental magic, healing magic, summoning, general survival, camp making, foraging, cooking, plant studies, creature studies, cryptolinguistics (decyphering), archaeology, portal study, xenobiology (possible biology of world beyond portals), relic study, diplomacy, merchant studies.

Setting: A somewhat developed yet still primitive world. Most development is like early iron age-ish. Most buildings are either clay or stone abodes, temples are carved, monoliths and totems are found around settlements. Ancient ruins are found here and there. Most noticeable ruins seem to be a black monolith visible from almost anywhere in the land due to its massive size and an overgrown citadel in a desert.
The landscape is mostly steppe with forests in the mountains in the west of the nation. Beyond the mountains is a vast desert. To the east, the steppe seems to go over into a jungle on the border of Avasea. In the north, beyond Avasea is a tundra that gets more arctic the further north you travel. To the south is a body of water. It is unknown if the body of water is a lake or an ocean as it hasn't been explored yet.

Technology: Basic farming exists with tamed livestock which are still somewhat wild. Most draft animals are yak like bovines. Horses don't exist but rather for riding, faster bovines (cow-alike) exist and some tribes use large canines (wolf-like creatures) for riding. The more developed tribes live in stone or clay abodes while the more wild tribes which are still semi-nomadic live in yurt like housing. There are three known magics so far: Elemental magic, healing magic and summoning and they require focus objects such as staves or amulets to be cast. As weaponry, short swords, great swords, war axes, war hammers, scythes, spears and bows exist. Most armor is leather or plated. Most clothing is made from hide, leather, linen or animal hairs. Tattoos exist. Jewelry are usually beaded necklaces, bracelets and anklets or leather/cloth bracelets, armlets, chokers. Some jewelry made from unrefined jewels and iron exist. Amulets are usually made of iron with a crystal or jewel in it.

Adventurer groups: Adventurer groups can receive bigger quests and expeditions the bigger the groups are. Smaller groups investigate ruins that are expected to be less dangerous, go scouting or explore already discovered regions more in depth. Larger groups usually get to go into uncharted lands and investigate larger ruins that also have portals.

Talia Ikarra

In a village, half a day's journey from Silverwall, was a run down shack surrounded by a garden full of flowers. Most people stayed away from it, but occasionally a soldier would stop by, seemingl delivering a small bag. The villagers would say that whatever lives in the shack isn't human or is a monster disguised as a young woman. They say that the thing in the shack only eats meat and could kill someone in the blink of an eye using corrupted healing magic or summon a being made of tentacles. Children call the person in the shack a witch.

A witch... That would be better than "thing" or "monster" to Talia. It wasn't her fault that she had become "corrupted". The markings on her skin... the same as in the ruins. It was the same pattern and the same glyphs. She couldn't read them from the start. Talia had to study them and decypher them, but didn't understand many of them. If whatever changed her could have at least gifted her the ability to understand the glyphs or the language of the glyphs. What was the purpose of this all? Sometimes she wondered if she was better off dead than having survived the portal. Even the crystal, she had used as a healer had been fused into her forehead. She tried removing it, but to no avail.

Talia couldn't even summon her familiars anymore. Her favorite, Aeva, a cat like familiar with two tails... well it couldn't be summoned anymore. She tried summoning Aeva but resulted in a distorted version of Aeva, corrupted by her mana, full of razor sharp teeth and tentacle like appendages. Talia felt like she killed Aeva. Just thinking about it almost made Talia cry. She feared summoning Fhaldr, a large golem like familiar, fearing it would be a monstrosity that would raze towns or worse.

No one trusted her. Not even in this village. No one in this village talked to her. They would often just stare and whisper to each other. They avoided coming close to her. No one was openly hostile either. They were afraid that she could do something horrible to them. They thought that leaving her be was better and safer than hostilities. Talia didn't want to hurt anyone. However in her nightmares, sometimes a voice would tell her to destroy the village and kill everyone who hated her. Of course, Talia wouldn't ever listen to the voice and do such a thing.

The higher ups finally allowed her to go adventuring again after she had taught at the academy for a number of years. She had a number of students. Usually the start of a year would have a full room, but in the end only six or seven students remained after slowly figuring out the background of their teacher. Most then switched classes out of fear of being cursed, corrupted or worse. However the six or seven that remained would rather take the risk, because adventurers shouldn't be cowards. Some students in the end realized no ill will from Talia and gave her the respect she had hoped for. Upon leaving, the academy she was given a black robe with fur trims and told to wear it as an identifier. She'd rather wear something brighter in color like in a blue or beige, but she wasn't in the position to make demands. They could possibly decide to just dispose her.

In the shack...

Talia was packing her back for her journey to Silverwall to sign up with the Adventurer's Guild. She couldn't be a healer anymore. However, she could still be possibly be useful as a scholar or fighter, maybe even as a summoner as a last resort, if anyone would take her. Talia hoped at least that she would find some companions and if not, she may have to risk losing her life on a quest or just give up and wander through a portal alone.

"Cheer up, Talia." She said to herself with a soft voice. Talia didn't have many belongings. Once she was done packing her bag, she put the black robe on over her dress and old plate armor. She was certain that if she left anything there, she'd find it at it's place when she came back, because the people were too afraid of curses and corruption to dare.

As Talia stepped out into the sun, she put the hood of the robe over her head. The villagers watched from their homes as the white haired woman emerged from the shack, covered her head and leave the village, almost as if death was moving on to another plane. Once Talia was over the next hill and out of earshot, the villagers celebrated and prepared for a feast with drinking. For Talia, she couldn't care less what they did. They didn't even treat her as a human.

Most of the way to Silverwall was uneventful, however Talia crossed paths with a steppe tiger. Steppe tigers were to be expected on the way to Silverwall. They were deadly to unexperienced villagers, but they were manageable for adventurers. The steppe tiger eyed Talia with hostility. "Are you going to run away too or are you going to fight me?" Talia said. The steppe tiger seemed to stay ready to pounce.

Talia's forehead crystal started to glow and a large pitch black scythe that seemed to have it's own dark aura materialized in her hands. At that moment the steppe tiger pounced towards her. Talia being more geared towards defense than agility withstood the blow, blocking most of it with her scythe. The tiger backed up for a moment but then went for a second attack. Talia however this time attacked back, slashing the tiger. Despite the injury, the tiger wasn't going to give up just yet. Talia's stomach began to growl and she said: "When this is over, you will be my meal." Fully on the offence, Talia went for a powerful attack and dealt a fatal blow to the steppe tiger.

For the next hour, she spent time harvesting meat from the carcass, occasionally downing a sliver of raw meat. Once done, she had enough meat so she wouldn't have to go hungry this evening.

Coming into the Silverwall bog, she could see Silverwall on the horizon. She expected to be there by sundown. And as she expected, it was already dark when she arrived in Silverwall. There weren't many people in town at this time and those who were didn't take much not of her.

Once at the Adventurer's Guild, Talia asked at the desk: "Might you have a spare room to sleep in?" The lady at the desk said: "Bedrooms are reserved for registered adventurers only. However registration first reopens tomorrow morning. If you need a place to sleep, you can try sleeping in the barn." Talia gave a slight bow and headed to the barn.

She sat down on the hay and pulled out a slab of meat from her bag. Talia first licked it with her long tongue before chomping pieces out of it. Once full, she fell asleep on the hay and once again she had a nightmare: She was in the world of the portals. The green sky, the dark citadel and someone calling out to her. The voice was deep and distorted, like that of a demon. It spoke an unknown language. As she walked toward the citadel, she encountered five tall robed figures, their faces not visible. One holds a black pyramidal object which begins to float. A blue light shoot out of it. The voice calls out again but this time it says her name: "TALIA!" In that moment, Talia wakes up from the dream.

It is morning and Talia makes her way into the hall. There are a number of adventurers there. The registry clerk is not at the desk yet, but should show up soon.

In a small outlying town a group of young men and boys stood around in a large circle in the town square. They seemed to be cheering and shouting insults or encouragement to the two men they surrounded and goaded. One of the men was quite obviously a village native, having the normal looking features of the men and boys surrounding them. He gritted his teeth and had an incredibly determined expression on his face as he stared down his giant of an opponent.

Nidra's darker skin was already covered in sweat. He stood at least a head possibly two higher than his opponent and by extension most of the audience as well. When Nidra had entered the town he'd only wanted a place to stay for the night, but when the men of the village took a few looks at him they'd insisted to match their strength against his. Nidra had happily obliged, he normally wanted nothing more than to give his fists something to slam against and wrestling wild beasts while he traveled was starting to get boring. It'd be nice to fight something that knew how to fight for a change.

They'd picked their champion and Nidra was almost shivering with the anticipation of the brawl. There were some rules set out of course, it was just supposed to be a good natured sparring match so obviously no weapons were allowed. No punches towards the face to keep from putting each other's eyes out and no trying to break each others bones. That was fine by Nidra, the rush of a fight wasn't in killing the opponent after all, it was just the rush of testing your strength against another to see which of the two of you was superior. His opponent moved first throwing a few jabs at Nidra's chest.

It didn't feel like much but it did sting. Nidra threw a punch of his own only for his opponent to duck under the fist and punch him in the center of his belly. The village man was fast, this was going to be fun. Nidra threw a weaker but faster punch, this one hit into the villager's midsection. He drifted back, jumping on the balls of his feet in an attempt to stay more loose. Nidra stood still as an oak tree raising his fists in a similar manner to his opponent. "You're really fast" Nidra complemented his opponent.

"Thank you, you strike like a mountain" his opponent said returning the complement. His opponent surged forward throwing a punch at Nidra's chest only for Nidra to take a single step forward with a right hook which connected with the man's side and knocked him over. "Maybe you don't move like a mountain" the opponent conceded. Nidra helped the man to his feet and the two of them shared a friendly handshake. Nidra gave the man a few words about a good fight before he set off.

For the first time since he'd started traveling Nidra actually had a destination in mind. The Adventurers guild in a town called Silverwall, he wasn't too far but even if he did nothing but travel he still wouldn't make it before tomorrow morning. Unless he fancied walking through the night which he did not. Nidra began to hum the chants that his people often did when they did something tedious such as travel. Nidra never much cared about stealth, if he was attacked he'd just fight off the attackers and if he died well, there was nothing else to say of that other than that he'd been too weak.

In his right hand he held the large shape of his warhammer, it felt natural to Nidra almost as natural as shaping his hands into fists. He was born to fight, at least that's what his elders had always said. Of course, they said that to all the boys but Nidra had always taken it to heart. He wondered if the people at home still thought he was alive, it had been awhile since he'd left after all. He was determined to make sure his name was remembered and joining the adventurers guild was the best way to do that, at least it seemed to be.

He did have to wonder with more than a little excitement on what he'd be doing among the adventurers guild. Probably adventuring, which hopefully involved enough battle to gain a surplus of glory. Nidra made camp in a small copse of trees as it was the driest spot he could find to sleep in this wet country.

Upon the next morning Nidra dressed as he always did, with his tiger hide pants and his boots. Nidra had never worn a shirt, the men of his village didn't do that and Nidra had never quite understood why men outside of the village did when it wasn't cold. To each their own he supposed.

Upon waking Nidra made good time in making his way around the town and stood before the Adventurers guild. It may have been the largest building Nidra had ever seen, if Nidra had been someone to be intimidated by big buildings he certainly would be right about now. He headed into the doors of the building and took a look around to see what the inside of this behemoth of a building was all about, and afterwards of course to become an adventurer.

He looked into a hall that already seemed quite crowded, Nidra was left to assume most of these people to be fellow adventurers, or fellow aspiring adventurers. To be honest Nidra wasn't quite sure what the title meant but if there was glory to be gained he wanted to be one, and if the stories were to be believed there was plenty of glory to be gained.

Tohn slathered the blue paint down her mouth and chin, onto the skin above and below her eyes. onto her arms and legs. The cold paint gave her a chill. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation, but it was a powerful one, and Tohn loved it. The feeling of the cold paint on her skin slowly warming up to her body temperature, it was a sensation she felt every day, but she never got tired of it. She rarely got tired of sensations. She loved them all.

Just like she never got tired of the crunch of gravel beneath her calloused feet, the bird song in the air and the dying shrieks of a hare caught by a fox.
Sensations, not new, but ones she hadn’t experienced in some time were extra welcome. The smell of yak shit and cut grass, evidence of a farming community nearby, the low sound of conversations as other humans passed her by on the road. The clank of metal on metal, metal on leather, metal against skin as she noticed other adventurers heading up the road with her.
She observed these specimens openly. Examples of the others she would have to work with. The other adventurous inheritors of the universe who were too blind to realize that's what they were.
They all moved up the road like they had somewhere more important to be. Like the later was more important than the now.
Tohn took her time. She watched the fox devour the hare, climbed a tree and saw how far she could leap from it using her wind magics. In the mornings she rolled around in the wet grass, enjoying the sensation of cool water and prickly grass, laughing when she stung herself on a stinging nettle. It hurt, but the pain was just sharp evidence that she was alive.

“You’re all idiots.” She said to a passersby on her fourth day of what would have been a two day journey. She knew this wouldn’t be a welcome thing to say. But she’d wanted to say it. And so she did.
“Excuse me?” The man said. He was at least two heads taller than Tohn, with a sword strapped to his waist, and a pair of companions almost as tall as he was and similarly armed.
“It’s objective, unassailable truth. You’re a moron. A grade A nitwit. Too blind to see the sun in the sky on a cloudless day.”
“I see in front of me is a madwoman looking for a fight.” One of the man's companions said, a woman with a scar marring her left eye and lip. “Is that clear eyed enough for you?”
“Not a fight! I’m just talking. That’s all. This world was made for you. Made for you and of you. All of it.” She pointed at the first man. “And you, and you and me.” She said, pointing to everyone else and then herself. “But you don’t enjoy it. I watch you people. You never do. You think pain is bad and pleasure is good. But it’s all good. Take your time. Revel in it! We are the world! Everything is us!”
The man blinked, and his expression turned thoughtful.
“You know. I think you might be crazy.” He said,

“I’m the only sane person on the planet..” Tohn asserted.

“Well. It’s fortunate I don’t harm the mentally impared.” The man said, turning away from Tohn. “They don’t know what they’re saying.”
Tohn laughed aloud.
“That’s good! I’ve never been a proponent of self harm!”

They took in Tohn's paint spattered face, the grass stains all over her legs and arms. Likely they could smell her, for she knew she smelled strongly. The group gave Tohn a pitying look, as if she were mad, but that was alright. She knew they wouldn’t understand.

Two days later she arrived at the Adventurers guild in Silverwall. The place was flush with other people. More people than she’d seen in a long time. She signed up, pushing a thumb print in blue ink on the paper. The she headed back outside, underneath the shade of a tree. She stomped a foot on the ground, and a mound of earth erupted just behind her. She stomped again, and another mound of earth rose up behind that. She sat down on the first mound and reclined against the second. She put her feet up and slammed her fist on the earth, and another mound rose up beneath them. She would wait for whatever was going to happen in style.

Kicked out. It seems like that's all that happens to kiryl, kicked out of every inn, every tavern, and almost every village He visits. It's not like I care.. I'm used to it by now. It just would be nice to sleep in a comfy bed for once.
Walking away from the most recent town he was kicked out of he picked up sticks and twigs.
Spirits.. Whenever something bad happens they blame spirits. Does it never occur to them that bad things just happen? They call me to banish a spirit. But yet when I tell them that there isn't one they don't believe me and kick me out.

Once the town was out of sight and his arms full of kindling, he set up a campfire and was about to light it when it started to rain.
"Do you enjoy tormenting me?!" He yelled to the sky in frustration. And got a face full of rain as a response. Dashing for the trees in hope of some sort of cover from the rain he tried his best to protect his pack from getting wet.

Where am I going to sleep? Maybe I should keep walking, the guild isn't too far now and, I'll be warmer if I keep moving. Deciding to keep heading south he snapped at the annoying spirit that was clinging to his soul.
"What do you need!? If you don't need anything leave me in peace!" After a pause with the only sound the heavy patter of rain he felt a pull leading him away from the road.
"That way?" Feeling the pull grow stronger
"Alright..that direction it is" grimacing at the fact, he followed the spirit that was pulling him to who knows where. But it wasn't long before he came to a rocky overhang that left a space completely dry underneath it.
"Thank you kind spirit!" He paused "and I'm sorry for being rude to you earlier." He finished with a small bow for good measure before hurrying over to the dry spot and trying his best to sleep.

Sometime during the night the heavy rain had toned down to a slight drizzle. Since everything is wet kiryl couldn't make a fire to cook breakfast on. So ignoring his stomachs loud protests, he trudged over the muddy ground heading south.
"Snow would have been better then rain, at least with snow you can brush it off or pack it down for a place to sleep, but no-o in the south its rain. wet. soaking. Miserable. Rain. I hate southern weather, it's too hot, and it rains almost every week!"
Squeezing out his clothing as he walked he muttered curses under his breath about how much better it is living in the north.
By the time he saw the Guild in the pale evening sun his clothes were dry. Not wanting to come off as a "rugged northern person" he stopped at a stream to wash his dirt covered cloths and noticed that a bit of the stitching he had done, to repair rips and tears, was coming undone. He added it to his growing To do list, swearing that he would fix it when he got his hands on some thread, and made sure that he was careful to not make it worse. Once he had finished he headed back to the guild and was shocked at the amount of people that were waiting to sign up and started waiting with them. All the while despising how hot and stuffy it was inside.

Another day.... another opportunity.... that’s what Feirdem’s parents had always told him.... but to be honest.... he was not all too sure if this was the right career choice for him. While yes... it does provide many benefits that would help him greatly..... he was not sure if the risk was something he can ignore here.... after all, he has heard stories of said adventures, the horrors one may face when out there in the ‘wild’.... but the chances of finding great and ancient treasures all but forgotten to history.... what properties and tales they held are rarely remembered anymore.... but who can pass on a opportunity such as this....?

And just imagine how much riches he can ga-

“Ow.....” Feirdem said to no one in particular within his room in the Inn. He was so caught up on his own imagination.... that he had accidentally cut his right ring finger when trying to clean his Kukri blade, as the small cut bleed the small red doses of what life is made up off... but he disregarded it for now, it wasn’t big enough to cause any infections and would most likely stop bleeding in a couple of minutes. ‘Don’t distract yourself Risti.... today is your biggest day yet, the day you finally join the Adventurere’s Guild.....’ he thought to himself, putting away the blade into one of the sheath, before going back to the bed he slept on during the night, there lies a backpack along with a couple of supplies and items near it that he had been gathering and buying for his first mission.... well, after he joins the guild of course.

Taking out a small journal and pen while beginning to check what he has already listed down. “12 Food rations to last a single person for a week....? Check flint to start a campfire...? Check. Three small bags of Flash Powder...? Check.....” as he continued this process for about 10 minutes.... making sure to cross out the things he has already and putting them in their respected places in the backpack. Truth be told... he didn’t bring everything he would have normally done... after all, he has to leave space within his pockets and backpack in order to store important relics and treasure safely, and he was expecting whatever team he was place on to bring their own supplies as well.

“And that seems to be everything.” As he finally closed the backpack, before turning it around and putting it onto his back, the familiar weight of the pack is all but used to after the time he spent traveling around to towns and such. But he knew he forgotten one thing... which is what he left for last.

Turing to the nightstand near the bed.... was a familiar object and useful tool he has used his entire journey, something that reminded him of his purpose and his family.... one that gives him hope and determination to push on and try his best everyday, a beacon of hope one would say. Looking back at the familiar symbols of his census, he sighed heavily..... but he has gone this far to fall back now, and so, it was time to push on for now. Grabbing the leather handle of the Census, he then made his way outside of the Inn’s room, pulling up the bottom of the red piece of cloth that mostly covers his entire head, hiding the bottom half of his face from the outside world, before moving down the mostly empty hallway. He paid no mind when exiting the building, even with the Inn keeper doing a small wave goodbye to him, but Feirdem needed to be focused.... after all, he needs to not only make a great first impression in the Guild, but also keep that up and prove his usefulness.

Silverwall, a place he recently arrived to for one purpose, which is to join the Guild he has heard so much about, the journey there wasn’t a long one, but he couldn’t help but feel ‘small’ when compared to the others here, especially with his height being in the smaller side of the spectrum.... but still, through will and the promise of rewards alone, he confidently went down the streets, not paying any mind to the occasional glance from some of the people here in the town.

‘Ok, you got this....’ the young merchant thought as he opened the doors to the Guild and entered, before being introduce to the sight of a wide variety of adventurers..... each with varying backgrounds and weapons.... some similar, some different... all united under one purpose of the Guild. There were a lot of adventures here.... or ones wanting to be one, he couldn’t really tell, but from what he can currently see, the registry clerk wasn’t here yet, and already, he was having second thoughts of going back now, deciding that this life wasn’t worth the risk. But when has a Risti ever back downed from a challenge before, so he took his first steps inside the Guild, walking around, before finding a table that wasn’t occupied currently, and so, to rest his legs, he went to the table and pulled the seat back, before finally sitting down on the chair, now sitting in wait for the clerk to arrive.

He did continue looking around the room, wondering what lays ahead on this path of his..... as these familiar words of his father rang through head....

Talia Ikarra

As time went by, the Adventurer's guild slowly began to fill. There were all sorts of adventurers of all sorts of professions and tribes. The ones that caught Talia's attention were a shirtless man, a woman who looked like a savage or barbarian of sorts and a man carrying a sort of device or trinket in his hand. Talia meanwhile was sitting in a corner waiting for the registry clerk to show up. She kept her hood up to not draw too much attention, especially since many there knew her from the academy and probably would recognize her.

Talia ordered a tea and was promptly brought one. A man sat next to her and tried to put his arm around her. "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you registering? I can show you the ropes." He said.

Talia quietly replied: "I doubt you want to be around me. No one wants to be around me, because I am cursed."

The man then chuckled and said: "Nonsense. Only exiles and portal survivors are cursed. And if you were an exile, you wouldn't be here and if you were a portal survivor, you'd have lost your mind or be a mountain of tentacles."

"I must politely decline. Now please take your hand off me." Talia said. At that point, the guy seemed bummed out.

Finally, the registry clerk had come. She quickly took a place in line. Talia was third in the line. It took a couple minutes until she was up.

The registry clerk then stated: "Name please."

Talia removed her hood and said: "Talia Ikarra." with a rolled R.

In that moment, a couple of adventurers drew their attention towards Talia. "It's the monster from the academy!" One exclaimed.

"Don't mind them. If I was a monster, I would have harmed someone by now. Let's please continue with the registration." Talia said.

"Occupation?" The registry clerk asked.

"In battle and on exploration I am a summoner. Otherwise I am an instructor at the academy." Talia answered.

"Taken note. Please state your main abilities." The registry clerk requested.

"Hand to hand combat. Summoning anything from small horrors to eldritch titans. Scythe combat mastery. Basic medicine. Decyphering. Xenobiology." Talia listed.

"Finally, please place your hand on the crystal ball so we can assess your magical ability and complete your registration." The clerk said.

"You may want to skip the crystal ball step. I don't want to scare you." Talia said.

"I am not afraid of potent magics. Please put your hand on the crystal ball." The clerk demanded.

"It is not the potency that could scare you. If you really want to find out, don't be surprised." Talia said.

"Please don't make a deal of this." The clerk answered.

Talia put her hand on the crystal ball. So far the crystal ball would light up like with the two people before her, however as soon as she touched it, it turned black and it looked like a smoke inside the ball. The crystal ball was pitch black. "This is what you wanted. Just let me know when I should stop." Talia said. The clerk was visibly nervous and jumped a little as the crystal ball began to crack.

"You... can stop now." The clerk said with sweat pearling down her forehead.

Talia let go and the crystal ball turned back to normal with the exception of the crack. Talia leaned towards the clerk and said gently: "It's not my fault. I didn't ask to be like this."

"Y-you can pick up your adventurers ring this a-afternoon. It shows that you are an adventurer." The clerk said.

Talia nodded and left the queue. She went back to her spot and continued drinking her tea. The man from earlier fell to his knees and cried: "I apologize about earlier, just please d-dont hurt me." Talia sighed in response. This was typical and people avoided or feared her based on suspicions or superstitions even though she wouldn't intentionally harm anyone.

"Stand up, please. You don't need to make a fool of yourself. I don't bite." Talia responded. The man got up and walked away slowly.

She kept an eye on the queue to see how others would do. Maybe someone there wouldn't be so prejudiced and maybe join up with her for expeditions.

The registration started in earnest a few hours later. Tohn had fallen asleep outside, in the sun, on her makeshift chair, but a commotion jolted her out of her nap.

Some idiot was begging for his life inside. Tohn hefted herself off of her chair and tottered inside, stiff from sleep. If there was a spectacle she wanted to see it!

But it seemed like whoever had frightened the man so much had no interest in actually ending him, which was a disappointment. Murder in broad daylight? Surrounded by dozens of people? Watching everyone's reactions would have been interesting, at the very least. She wondered how 'civilized' folk would respond to an act of such blatant barbarity.

But a disappointment or not, it was fortunate Tohn had woken up. It seemed like the registry had begun. Some pinch faced woman was asking questions and having people sign things. Tohn had never signed a contract before. She didn't imagine it would be particularly interesting, but it was a new thing to try. She stepped to the front of the line, and grinned at the man who was about to step up to the clerk.
"I intend to go ahead of you." She pointed out to him. "I'll not be but a moment." And then stepped in front of him.

"It's not quite proper procedure to---" The clerk began,

"Understood. I apologize." Tohn grinned, and then smiled back at the man she had cut in front of. "We're all friends here!"
When Tohn didn't move, the clerk sighed, and asked,

"Name, please." She seemed shaken up by something. Most people would have put up a fuss. Cutting in line would have caused a ruckus usually as well. Everyone in line seemed a little shaken. Strange.

"Tohn. No last name."

"Occupation?"

"None to speak of. Adventurer in a moment, hopefully."

The woman's brow furrowed, but she was taking solace in her rote memorization, the familiar pattern of questions she had to ask.

"Note Taken. Please state your main abilities."

"I'm sane! Nobody else in this line can say the same, I guarantee! Not with any truth. It'll be good for any adventuring party to have a clear eyed member of the party!" Tohn thought for a moment. "I can also make paint. Usually I just make my body paint, but sometimes I make paint that can stick to cave walls and wood."

"I... see... And you want to be an adventurer...? Are you sure you're cut out for this?"

"I'm cut out for everything." Tohn said,

"Then, ah, I suppose, you should put your hand on this orb."

Tohn cocked an eyebrow at the glass orb.

"It's cracked."

"Yes, yes. I know!" The clerk said, exasperated, "Just do it."

Tohn put her hand on the orb and it lit up a bright, vibrant red, heat hissing and escaping from the crack in the orb, widening it further. Tohn focused and it shifted, turning to a deep clear blue, and then it shifted again, becoming rich and brown, and then, finally, white like clouds.

"You could have stated high levels of elemental proficiency for your skill assessment." The clerk said, blinking slowly.

"Certainly. I also could have taken your papers and eaten them." Tohn said, "But some things happen, and others don't."

The clerk didn't seem to know how to respond to that.

"Well. You can pick up your ring this afternoon. It will indicate you're an adventurer. Please. Step out of line now."

"Of course!" Tohn winked back at the man she'd cut. "Thanks for waiting!"

Tohn took a single step to the side. Then she took a deep breath and scanned the room. After a moment she spotted the woman that the groveling man from before had been so afraid of, sitting on her own at a table.

Tohn walked over to the table and slid into the booth. There was another man at the table with her, but she didn't know him from Adam, and was more interested in the apparently terrifying woman.

"Why was that man so afraid of you? Also, can you order me some tea? I have no money, but I'm also thirsty. Or... do they have alcohol? If you could order me alcohol that would be better."

Nidra looked around the main hall a little unsure of what to do, he did want to become an adventurer but he wasn't quite sure how to do that. There were plenty of strong looking folks who entered the building, some of them walked in and headed outside. He had half a mind to join them in all honesty, he'd never much liked being indoors for long periods of time but there was a very enticing smell coming from another room.

Nidra followed the smell and found what looked to be a pub. What Nidra knew about bars was two things, they were good spots to get drunk and get into bar fights. He kind of hoped a bar fight would start, there were lots of people who looked like they'd give good fights. He wouldn't start one though, that was simply bad etiquette. Being very thirsty and hungry Nidra ordered a soup and some water. He'd never been a big fan of alcohol, last time he'd gotten drunk he had started a bar brawl, that was when he'd learned about that etiquette stuff.

He had a little bit of money from odd jobs he'd done on his way to the Adventurers guild and he used that to pay. The soup was pretty good and the water was very fresh. Nidra noticed quite a few adventurers lining up to sign up. Nidra finished his food, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and went to sign up for the guild. The line had a few different adventurers in it. None of them really took any attention from the tall young man. After a certain young woman left though everybody seemed... Tense. Nidra didn't get it, she looked normal. Nidra just shrugged, maybe they were just odd.

When it was finally his turn the clerk looked up at the tall hammer toting warrior. "Name" the nervous clerk asked?

"My name is Nidra, son of Tyri"! Nidra boomed full of enthusiasm, he pointed a finger at his chest as he introduced himself. The young guy's enthusiasm went on deaf ears to the clerk, who seemed to calm slightly but was still all buisness.

"State your abilities" The clerk said.

Nidra didn't seem taken aback by the clerk's lack of flair as he kept answering questions in an enthusiastic manner. "I've always been strong, I can take a few hits too. I've never met someone who fights better than me with a hammer and I'm a pretty good shot with these hand axes. OH! And I dabble in a little bit of stone magic, I haven't used it in awhile though" Nidra listed off what he was good at. He was a warrior so he was really only thinking of battle skills anyway.

"Okay, if that's all I suppose you're fine, just make sure not to accidentally hit anyone with that big thing on your back" the clerk pointed to the hammer which stuck over his shoulder. Nidra laughed a bit and promised to be careful with it before turning around. As he was leaving another woman with similarly colored facepaint to him appeared and cut in line. Interesting, but it wasn't much of his business. Maybe she'd want to spar later, that'd be fun. He was thinking about sparring with a bunch of these people, damn. Nidra supposed that was just his excitement bleeding through.

As he was walking back through the bar he took notice of a man who looked absolutely terrified walking away from the same girl who'd seemed to scare everyone in line. "Oh hey, you're the one who frightened everybody in line. That was pretty funny, he looks like he thinks he's facing down a giant bear" Nidra started a conversation with the woman, he pointed to the sullen looking man with obvious amusement in his voice.

"I don't know much about magic, but it must've been pretty good to get that kind of reaction" Nidra said good naturedly. Sure he'd never been very tactful and he wasn't being very tactful now either but he did have to give the woman props for intimidating an entire hall. Usually only strong warriors could get that kind of fear, and Nidra respected strong warriors. He gave a good natured chuckle remembering the clerk's face. "The name's Nidra" he said, introducing himself after he got over the initial chuckles.

Interacting: TanteRegenbogen
Mentioned: Fred Colon

"When the road is obscure, the giant obelisk and the solar cycles guide the way..." Thankfully, it wasn't much of a problem for Crane, who looked like a less ragged grim reaper with his hood raised. His great scythe stood six feet tall—three inches taller than he. People seemed to avoid him based on mere appearances, but he was content with that, for he had little time left for something as uninteresting as small talk.

The hike to Silverwall was painless enough. Even through the stinging light, Crane’s eyes couldn’t help picking up on the blood trail and butchered remains of a large cat, likely a steppe tiger. He cocked his head to one side, but soon dismissed it as some hunter’s handiwork and minded his own more pressing business—namely finishing the trek into town.

Predictably, the concentration of activity in Silverwall was around anything guild-related. Crane had an idea of what he was seeking, so he squeezed around some of the strapping warriors roaming the streets and slipped into the guild hall. From there, he weaved carefully among the others. The scythe was doing him no favors, so he picked out familiar faces among the crowd. Though he thought he’d see more old acquaintances, it seemed the one person he spotted was none other than that sad soul whom everyone actively avoided. She would make the perfect impromptu guard. The researcher swooped in like a hawk, leaning the weapon on her table. “Please, watch over this for a moment,” he awkwardly implored before melting back into the fray.

Crane eventually reached the desk. The poor exhausted clerk had dealt with all varieties of weird people, so the ensuing conversation was guaranteed short and sweet. “Name, please,” the clerk sighed.

“Conleth Crane,” the summoner retorted simply.

“What’s your occupation?”

“Academy employee, researcher.”

“And your abilities...?”

“Summoning and healing magic, wide knowledge of archaeology, relic studies, creature studies, and scythe- and dagger-fighting.”

The clerk breathed the slightest sigh of relief; that was usually more painful because so many applicants had to brag tirelessly about their skills. Without being prompted, he removed his gauntlet and placed his hand on the crystal ball. Swirling together in a balance was both a deep slate-gray color and a shimmering white light—indicative of summoning and healing. At first, the clerk flinched, almost expecting the gray to cloud over in that light-devouring black again. It didn’t. “It all checks out. Pick up your adventurer’s ring this afternoon.”

As soon as he was done, Crane made way for the next bozo. He returned to Talia, who was being approached by two adventurous souls. “Professor Ikarra,” he greeted her. “The cracked orb was your doing, so to speak?” he inquired, though he didn’t wait for her to confirm it. “I’m sure they can afford another one. Who are these, uh... specimens?” One of them smelled terrible, but the odor of preserving agents lingering in his nose made it difficult to pinpoint which of these tribesmen was the culprit. His guess was the woman in blue body paint; the man seemed a bit neater than that.

TanteRegenbogen Yahhah Fred Colon

(I am going to shove part of Frozen's actions inbetween due to timing of actions.)

Talia Ikarra

Talia watched as the savage woman jumped the line and registered. She watched with mild amusement while sipping her tea. However the woman then came over to Talia's table asking why the man from before was afraid of her and then requested something to drink since she was penniless, first asking for tea then pondering if they had alcohol. "You look capable. I will be charitable and buy you a drink, friend. In turn, I'd like you to consider teaming up with me, despite my affliction." Talia said and ordered the woman something to drink.

A familiar person briefly came to the table and leaned a scythe against it. Before awkwardly stating that he'd leave it in Talia's care and disappearing into the line.

In the next moment, a dark skinned man with slightly pointed ears approached the table. He had a large hammer with him. The man make a remark about what had happened earlier and complimented that it had an effect of hilarity to him. Finally he said that the magic must have been pretty good to scare the guild. The man introduced himself as Nidra. All these people coming over to her was a bit overwhelming for Talia as normally no one took an interest in her and people avoided her as if she was death in person.

After letting out a sigh, Talia replied to Nidra: "A pleasure to meet you. My name's..." "Professor Ikarra" The man from before interrupted. “The cracked orb was your doing, so to speak? I’m sure they can afford another one. Who are these, uh... specimens?”

"Crane. It's been a long time. And don't be rude. They aren't specimens. We happen to have just met and I was about to introduce myself to them." Talia said in a gentle, almost eerie tone. With her appearance, when she spoke that way, it would usually make most people shudder. Some at the next table over probably did. "However you... happened to interrupt... me. Now I will finish where I left off." She continued.

"Anyways, my name is Talia Ikarra. I am a summoner and teacher as you may have guessed with me being called professor. I will tell you why people avoid me and what happened to the crystal ball." Talia started. "I was once a young and fresh adventurer. Back then summoning was only a secondary ability of mine with healing being my primary ability. I had a squad and we went into the frontier. However our ventures almost always ended fatal for at least one squad member who we had to replace. The first expedition went well. On the second expedition, a squad member got crushed by a boulder and another turned to ash after touching an active portal. On the third expedition, a squad member went into a portal and came out as a horror. He ended up killing two others before being put down."

Talia took a sip of her tea and then continued her story: "On the fourth expedition, I was the casualty. I hadn't died, but sometimes I think I should have died then. We were exploring a ruin deep in the uncharted lands when we got locked in a portal room. The portal however was unlike what we had ever seen before. It was larger and had patterns and glyphs engraved on it. Since we were trapped I thought maybe interacting with the portal would help us out. I wanted to touch the structure and not the field itself. But I was stupid and tripped on a nook in the floor. I had fallen through the portal and saw the other side before hitting my head and going unconscious. When I came to the ground began to tremble and a huge monster with squid like appendages was moving my way. I went back through the portal to find that the door had opened again and my squad was on their way out, having taken me for dead."

Talia then took her glove off and revealed tattoo like patterns and glyphs on her skin. It almost felt like they were moving. "In the time I was in the portal, my hair had turned from brown to white, my eyes went from turquoise to purple, my forehead crystal had fused with my forehead and I had these tattoo-like patterns and glyphs all over my body except for my head. Worst of all, my mana had been corrupted. I couldn't summon my familiars anymore but perverse manifestations of them similar to the eldritch horrors. I ended up looking for other familiars to at least spare my old ones any suffering. I cannot use healing magic for it's intended purpose anymore. My healing magic now only harms and destroys." She said with a break in her voice toward the end.

Talia fell silent for a moment and sighed again. Continuing for the final stretch of her story, she said: "That is the story of my affliction. No one trusts me anymore. They all think I am one of those things. The council forced me to wear this robe and teach at the academy to redeem myself over something that was beyond my power. I... I... well.. I understand their fears. I have changed and people freak out when they see my tongue and my teeth. But I swear, I don't intend to harm anybody. I want to find a way to change back, if there's a way. That is why I research the glyphs and the language of the glyphs. I want the nightmares to end. I want the voices to end."

Finally, she showed her lizard like tongue and sharp fangs to the three. "Now tell me, do you really want to be around the likes of me? Or would you rather just avoid me? The crystal ball cracked because of a great deal of corrupted magic. People have reason to be afraid of me and to avoid me. However, I don't want to be alone. Loneliness hurts. There are people who don't avoid me despite my affliction, such as Crane here, but it is hard for me to exist in this world like this." She said. Everytime she told her story, it hurt. But every time it got easier and less painful.

Talia didn't cry despite the pain. She was able to handle it. But then she remembered that the savage woman hadn't introduced herself. "Tell me, friend. If you decide to leave me like others did, can I at least have your name?"

(Can't really decide on whether to describe other player's character's dialogue or just to write it. Also sorry if the post is melodramatic/sad, this might be the worst one if it is annoying for anyone. Future posts wont be as sad. If there are any issues, just let me know.)

Goonfire Yahhah Fred Colon

Nidra was silent as he waited for the woman's reply. Normally he was never silent but two more people approached the table and with their speaking he didn't want to further any feeling of overwhelmingness to the woman with the interesting magic. He did pick out the two others as the woman who'd cut in line and some other man with a giant scythe who he tried to gain a reading on to see how worth it it'd be to ask to spar with them later. That was how Nidra approached meeting most new people. Nidra wasn't paying all too much attention to the other's speech in all honesty, at the first manner of silence his attention wandered throughout the bar to the other tables and the smells of things that he wanted to try at some point and to the general din of chitter chatter at the other tables. He did have the politeness to tune back in once his introduction was answered though.

He fought back a chuckle at the woman's annoyance after the scythe wielder came back and interrupted her before she kept on going. The story she told was a sad one, Nidra was a bit surprised the woman had come back. To be quite honest just about everyone he knew from home wouldn't let something like a handful of dead friends and years of trauma stop them from throwing themselves at literally any fight possible, but he had yet to meet someone beyond that who was made of such stern stuff. He grinned when she added a bit of a question. "I have never run from anything in my entire life" Nidra announced.

"That is to say you've got the spirit of a warrior to live through all that. I for one respect it" Nidra added showing off the culture of battlescars he'd grown up in. The tall dark skinned warrior was again showing off his lack of tact and subtlety but that fact never even occurred to him. The stories that Talia told of the deaths and destruction that adventuring had caused only really confirmed his hope for adventuring. It sounded perfect, what better way to earn glory than by risking life and limb in the unknown where countless men and women had fallen before him. It sounded like a damn good time as far as Nidra was concerned.

Nidra's eyes drifted over to the one who'd been introduced as Crane. He was tall and had the look of a fighter, he also spoke in large words that Nidra had never heard before. He hadn't the damnedest idea what a specimen was. The thing that really gained Nidra's attention was the scythe he carried, it looked like an intimidating weapon. "That's a fine looking weapon you've got there... Crane was your name. What's its make"? Nidra asked him obviously curious and wanting for details on the weapon. His notice didn't go to the other woman though not because Nidra found her uninteresting, but Nidra was a simple man he saw a weapon he didn't see everyday and he wanted to ask about it, no matter how uninteresting it seemed to everyone else. He'd have to get around asking more people about their weapons. That sort of knowledge would only come in handy.

TanteRegenbogen Fred Colon Goonfire

Crane bowed, his form of a quiet apology. He let his hood slide off as he rose. His eyes were narrowed, pupils constricted; he was clearly accustomed to much darker lighting conditions. Even among the shaggy head of hair, two pointed ears were noticeable. He surmised it was a fluke, as this tribal warrior and he were unlikely to share a common ancestor.

Thinking about it for a moment, Crane had never heard the full story behind Talia’s misfortune. “Many think it a curse, but I see it as a breakthrough,” he stated after Nidra complimented her spirit. “Until you returned, the chance of survival beyond a portal was zero.” A cold, hard fact. “For that reason, I suspect some harbor a hint of jealousy with their fear.” His frigid statements gradually gave way as his tone warmed up. “And so I stand behind you. The hypothetical cure to your condition will not only return some semblance of normalcy to your life, but also pave the way for further remedies for more severe cases.”

One notable thing upon this first meeting was that Nidra took interest in weapons. Crane gestured to the scythe. “Have you any knowledge of inverse-curved weapons? This steel scythe is unsuitable for head-on attacks, but when attacking at an angle...” He raised his left hand in front of himself, then reached past it and flexed the right hand to model a body and said scythe, respectively. He then pulled the right back, making contact with the left to illustrate his point. “... it can be a swift finish.”

The researcher then glanced back at Tohn. “What about you? Something tells me you’re not deterred. If anything, we four have the foundation for a well-rounded adventuring party.“

TanteRegenbogen Yahhah Fred Colon

Tohn was surprised to learn that this newcomer before her was afflicted with the corruption Tohn was seeking out. But as her story continued on, Tohn's eyes glazed over. Interpersonal problems were not her strong suit, and Tohn loved isolation. She had nothing to say. Talia didn't seem hostile or turned into a monster by the corruption. As far as Tohn could tell she'd been powered up. But it seemed Talia was mired in her own misery and isolation.
Sadness was good to feel once and a while, but too much of it got boring.
Tohn was jerked out of her reverie when Talia asked for her name.

"Tohn." Tohn said, "Well, I don't think I'd abandon you. Theoretically I came here to kill you, actually. I made a pact with a hedgehog to wipe out corruption wherever I find it. But you seem fine. Just another blind dullard in a world of blind dullards. No offense." She pointed to the other two. "Really. They're blind dullards, too. Everyone is. It's the status quo, so to speak, so its not an insult. You seem like a trio of interesting dullards, though."
She looked up and down at the other two at the table.
"If you had anymore muscles I don't think you could bend down." Tohn observed of Nidra.
"And you realize that, angle or not, your weapon was designed for harvesting wheat?" She pointed out to Crane. Then she waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Anyway. I'm on board with this little band of merry adventurers! And since we've decided on that, it's time to celebrate! Bartender! Drinks!" She called out to one of the servers.

Tohn usually wasn't quite so purposefully obnoxious. But if they were going to travel together long term, she needed to know that they weren't going to punch her or kick her out of the group. Tohn knew it was selfish, but didn't care. She wasn't going to change for anyone.
She was hopeful they wouldn't, these folks seemed too weird to find a group with anyone else. They'd be thankful for Tohn in the long run. It's always nice to have at least a single sane person in the group.

Yahhah TanteRegenbogen Goonfire

Talia listened to the comments and compliments of the other three at the table. After being commended by the one named Nidra about having the spirit of a warrior for holding out so long with the affliction, Talia replied: "It has been pretty difficult. There have been times where I thought about going through one of the portals and not coming back. Instead, I decided to try to find out more about the ruins."

In regards to Crane's comment about the survival rate of the portals being zero before her ordeal, Talia corrected him: "Well there have been a few who survived the portals, however none of them came out sane, with most either unable to live by themselves anymore or rambling to themselves. I may have been the first to come out sane and not as a pile of flesh and tentacles either. While I am hopeful there might be a cure, I have the feeling that reverting back is impossible. At least in regards to my physiological changes. Maybe my mana can at least be fixed though and the nightmares and voices."

To Talia, Tohn sounded pretty stuck up, but to get angry wasn't how Talia was. "Dullards you say? How can you tell someone you barely know is a dullard? Anyways, I also use a scythe, albeit one that is summoned and seeping with darkness and curved enough to not just serve as a war scythe but also can be used like an axe." Talia said.

When Tohn called out to the bartender for drinks, Talia said: "Sorry, I don't drink alcohol. Bad stuff happens when I do. I will just have another tea and some meat." To all three, Talia said: "Since we have a team, we should register the team and check what quests they may have. Maybe there is a ruin out there to be opened or researched."

Nidra nodded along thoughtfully as Crane explained his weapon, it was a wicked looking thing and he couldn't imagine what it would do to flesh even with Crane's explanation. "Inverse-curved eh. No can't say that I have much knowledge on that sort of weapon, but it seems like quite the good stabbing tool either way" Nidra said after thoughtfully examining the large unconventional stabbing tool. When the other woman spoke up and introduced herself as Tohn she seemed to like to talk about blind people. Nidra didn't get the exception as he thought everyone at the table could see but he supposed he wasn't exactly sure about that and he didn't want to be insensitive to sightless folk.

Then the woman said something about his muscles which caused Nidra to laugh heartily. "Thank you" he said while he flexed one of his arms. Taking her words as some kind of compliment. Nidra wasn't someone who got upset about words anyway. He wasn't a man of arguing anyway. That was when the woman called Talia spoke up about using an a scythe. Tohn didn't seem to think a scythe was a very good weapon but to Nidra so long as you can kill someone with it it's a weapon.

"A scythe seeping with darkness you say. Can't wait to see that" Nidra commented. When Tohn called over drinks he shrugged. "Last time I got drunk I started a tavern wide bar brawl as much fun as that was finding quests sounds more important".
TanteRegenbogen Goonfire Fred Colon

"Physically, those 'survivors' are intact, but mentally, they're gone. Is one really surviving if their mind is warped beyond recovery?" Crane was about to continue his semi-organized line of thought when Tohn interjected with a rather blunt criticism. His gaze snapped to her instinctively and his lips parted as though he wanted to deliver a pride-obliterating clap-back. Trouble was, he didn't have such a remark in his back pocket; he was only witty in actions, not words. Instead, his expression softened back to neutral. All that came out was: "A-a broad statement... but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." Her unsolicited critique of his scythe elicited a stifled sigh. "Yes, and there are more farmers than adventurers, so it'll be easier to find a scythe than a sword..." He then continued under his breath, "... or, heavens forbid, a chain weapon like my father's..."

Talia was able to get Crane back on track. "Right... Questing," he echoed awkwardly. "Yes, some ruins would be a fine start, for our purposes. Who would be considered the party leader, in this case?" He glanced among the other three, weighing each one's apparent strengths. His eyes settled on Talia expectantly.

"If we're voting for party leaders I vote for myself." Tohn said, raising a hand. "And I appreciate benefits, but not so much the doubt. Doubt is fun for a little while, but eventually decisions need to be made."
At about this time the server came back with several mugs. Tohn rubbed her hands together and took one. "I haven't had alcohol in months! I really appreciate you all paying for the booze!" She took a deep sip, and exhaled, alcohol on her breath. The sting of shitty liquor stung her tongue, and she smiled.
"And everyone is a dullard. That's how I know." She said to Talia. "Can you really tell me that you can see all that there is with your limited two eyed, one bodied view point? Even three or four of five bodies wouldn't be enough to really feel all there is, to understand it, to see it, to comprehend it. You could spend days staring at a pebble and still not understand all it is! We're all a bunch of blinkered half blind dullards. I've loosened my blinders, but even with that I'm more or less blind. Just less blind than everyone else." She clapped her hands together.
"But we need to vote on a leader, should I prepare a speech? And celebrate our new partnerships! And discuss where and when we're going, hmm? I think we should go as soon as we finish our alcohol, and as to where, I've not the faintest idea. Find an arch and smash it, go through it our, oh, I don't know, sometimes I find you can discover a lot by licking things. I don't think it'll help much but you never know." Tohn stopped and thought a moment. "Or maybe you do know. Have you ever licked an arch, Talia?"

"Fine, if you want to put it that way, I am the first who practically survived without a destroyed mind. Still have the nightmares and hear a voice though. It tells be to do things I don't want to do and definitely shouldn't do. At least not in civilization." Talia said to Crane who then recommended to explore some ruins and asked who should be party leader, looking at Talia expectantly. Tohn interjected and said she'd vote for herself as party leader. "I am not so much for a party leader. We need to work together and that doesn't necessarily require a leader. However I am not a fan of someone who steps on others and makes spontaneous decisions that aren't carefully planned naming themselves leader." Talia said.

When Tohn said she appreciated them paying for the alcohol, Talia stared into Tohn's eyes and the room felt like it had gotten a lot colder. "I only agreed to buy you one non-alcoholic beverage. I don't appreciate you helping yourself and trying to mooch off me." Talia said sternly. She felt that Tohn was testing her patience and approaching a border that hadn't been overstepped before. Talia felt like stabbing Tohn's hand with a fork if it got to close to her.

"Anyways, you cannot destroy the arches. They are made of an unbelievably tough material. Additionally, some of them have a sort of defense mechanism that can injure or even kill someone. And no, I haven't licked and arch before. I have touch arches before. After my accident, if I touch them, things happen. Things I don't like, such as visions I don't want to see." Talia said.

Talia turned to the other two and smiled: "Have you been to the obelisk? The door to it has never been opened and I think I know how to open it. Also it isn't the only obelisk in the world. I have seen another in the frontier."

“We can’t rush brazenly into uncharted or vague territory,” Crane reminded the others, despite at least one of them (Talia) already knowing that. “We need to be methodical, but within reasonable limits. As for me, I’m too methodical. We’d need months’ worth of rations if I led an expedition, as I enjoy noting every fine detail, no matter how insignificant.” A wry grin adorned the pale man’s face as he acknowledged his own shortcomings.

The researcher couldn’t help giving Tohn a few brief sideways glances, a hint of disdain bleeding through after the two women’s agreement was revealed to have been violated. Crane readjusted his posture at the mention of the obelisk. The mysterious, towering landmarks were part of his motivation for adventuring. “No, the academy has had a steady stream of bodies for me to inspect. I did that before they became too ripe and—naturally—before taking my leave.” He then turned to Nidra, interested in hearing his answer.

Nidra was quiet for a little bit as the others began to talk about finding a leader. Personally Nidra had to say that he sort of agreed with Talia. He didn't much care who was in charge and he didn't even really see much of a need for it. They just needed to work together and make sure nobody died before they could go out in a blaze of glory. Then they began to deliberate about the obelisks and to be quite honest Nidra was not entirely sure what that thing even was. He just knew it was dangerous and very likely to give out some good opportunity for adventure and excitement.

Crane explained to them how they needed to be methodical but not overly methodical. Personally Nidra didn't think he'd ever been methodical once in his entire life. He realized his thinking had caused him to get a bit distracted and now the only one left to answer the question was himself. Nidra shook his head. "No, I can't say I've ever seen one of the things. Is it true you can't break them? I've never heard of something that can't be broken".

"Well, I'll be sure to lick it when we find one. Just to check. I'm not expecting much though."
Tohn waited for everyone to finish talking. She really didn't mind when or where they went. This was pleasant, the chatter of voices, some of them irritated, but not as irritated as people usually were around her. The alcohol in her was starting to burn slowly, which was lovely.
"Is there an arch nearby? If we know nothing about these arches it doesn't really matter which one we start with, now does it? And if we've no information there's very little to plan, either. I say we simply go and talk about what we'll do on the way! Unless you all have more information?" Tohn grinned. She wondered if they'd pay for her alcohol even though they didn't agree to. She really didn't have any money, so someone was going to be unhappy at the end of this. Maybe she could try being unhappy. She hadn't been unhappy in a while. She needed to catch up on the emotion. She didn't like to leave any emotion alone for too long, even unpleasant ones like that.

"In all honesty, we can just hunt for food and find sources of water since we aren't heading into a desert. Plus my idea for opening the entrance to the obelisk lies in my markings I got during the incident. I believe whatever was in the portal may have tried to assimilate me or make me part of their world and the markings are the key to opening entrances and portals. I still haven't worked out the mechanics of it yet but it is worth a try. Plus we can do a free quest and just look for relics and have them appraised. It beats killing hundreds of rats or clearing roads from felled trees as a quest." Talia said to the others.

In response to Nidra pondering if the portals really can't be broken, Talia answered: "They probably can't be broken but not with the tools we have. I have seen someone hit one with a warhammer and it didn't even have a scratch. And magic also seemed to take no effect. Whoever or whatever built it, probably was more advanced than us."

Talia then turned to Tohn: "The next known portal or arch as you call it, is in the obelisk, just a three quarters days journey from here. At least I expect one to be there. I don't recommend licking it though. It could be fatal as you..." Something felt off about Talia. The voices... She was hearing them again. In a language unknown to the world but know to her in her dreams: "Arruf'lye an Ri'ikuyeh. U'u fahl uvasyeh kush." Talia understood it as possibly Come to the dark city. You are awaited there.

Talia quickly snapped out of it. "Sorry, I kind of drifted off." Talia said.

“Ugh... culling rats,” Crane echoed in dismay. “I saw that on several job boards. Quite glad you didn’t steer towards that, because that is where we’d part ways.” In his own way, the summoner was snobbish and picky about what jobs he accepted; he felt his years of excellence in proper education and tutoring qualified him to do something more groundbreaking.

Crane added to Talia’s warnings about licking the portals. “It concerns me when there is no plausible solution. We cannot enter them, destroy them, or—in many cases—touch them without incident, but perhaps if we search the obelisk...”

The pale man cocked his head to the side when he saw his mentor spacing out. “Drifted off?” he repeated while glancing around the room suspiciously. “Is everything alright, Professor Ikarra—er... Talia?” Formalities were smiled upon in formal academia, but often inefficient or even dangerous in rougher fields such as adventuring. He had to remember that...

TanteRegenbogen Yahhah Fred Colon

Nidra moved his gaze around the table as each of the other adventurers took their turns speaking. Tohn spoke first and she seemed to be of the opinion that a plan did not matter and that they should go as soon as possible. Something Nidra, 100 percent agreed with. He was not a man for words but instead a man of action. The woman seemed to have a plan to lick the portal which to Nidra didn't make much sense, but he didn't know how magic worked truly so perhaps she had some sort of tongue magic to destroy the obelisk. He blinked twice when Talia confirm that the portals could not be destroyed. His hand went to the handle of his warhammer. "Not even a scratch..." he repeated as if he couldn't believe it.

He nodded along when they began to talk about what quests to take. "There's not much fun in killing rats, they just wriggle and squeak and nibble. But whatever you all think is best sounds fine to me. Long as I get to battle something by the end of the day of course" he said with a light-hearted chuckle. Talia seemed to zone out for a second, Nidra didn't think anything of it. Zoning out at nothing was quite common where he came from but Crane brought it up so it must not be commonplace here. He decided to wait and see what the others would say.

TanteRegenbogen Goonfire Fred Colon