Fantasy Demon Wars

[Noodle Time]

The year is 249 af (after fall). Humans are no longer the apex predator. Every night Demons rise from the centre of the Earth and humans are forced to hide behind wards charged with magical energy in order to survive. Humanity has hidden behind these magical wards for 247 years and patiently wait for their God to send down his chosen warrior to fight the demons back and once again secure the world for humanity again. No God answers and no one ever arrives. In a last ditch effort to try and save the world someone from the small township of Arden starts a group and plans to trek out into the world and secure old world weapons and wards they can use to fight back the demons.

 

[Noodle Time]

The sun shone bright in the sky. It was Summer and the town of Arden was bustling with energy. The streets were filled with people going about their day, buying and selling goods or just even going to the lake in order to cool down. To the East stood the Keep, the Duke would no doubt be locked in there all day talking to petitioners and officials. To the West stood the town's centre. A large cluster of buildings flying Arden's flag, a Griffin being restrained by large ivy roots.

Umbra sat in their chair in the guild hall and fanned themself, the heat was unbearable but they had official business to attend to and had elected to start drinking early in order to beat the heat. They took a mouthful of ale from their tankard and placed it back on the table and looked around. Although the room was empty right now they were hoping that their efforts to hire new hunters wouldn't go to waste. All they had to do was wait and see if any new recruits would show up.

 

[Yuu Vee Rays]

Natasha was up early, flitting through the town, going through her todo list. She wanted to get to the Guild Hall early so she could listen to everything! All she had to do first was skin the game that had hung out bleeding all night into the buckets that hung beneath them, slice the meat into carriable chunks so she could sort them into what the household would consume and what she would bring with half the hides and furs to sell to the respective businesses, buy the ingredients for the night’s dinner, and then clean her father and brother’s swords and various other weapons before they began the day’s hunt.....Natasha sighed as she finished listing what needed to be done. She would basically have to fly to get there before noon, but she was eager to get it done!
The young girl basically ran between buildings, gathering and selling everything before heading back home. There, she began multitasking, running the polish slowly over the metal of the weapons through a contraption she had made while she put her haul away for safe keeping. Natasha then picked up a clean rag and began spreading and wiping the polish off the metal, giving it that shine that her family enjoyed slightly less than stabbing the metal through living flesh. She headed a sigh of accomplishment when she put the last of the weapons away, taking a moment to look over her work before grabbing her own weapons and making her way to the Guild Hall.
By the time Natasha got there, the sun was just sinking from its noon position. The girl though, despite the heat and the flushed red her skin took from all the activity she had done prior, burst through the doors with a wave of energy that seemed almost endless. “I’m not too late, I hope!” She chirped, looking around at the almost empty room. Seeing that she was, in fact, not late, her smile seemed to widen that much more as she made her way in. “It would seem I’m not. Thank the Gods! I’m Natasha Carson! It’s. a pleasure to meet you!” She greeted the man, supplying enough energy for the both of them.

 

[Noodle Time]

Umbra sat up in their chair and sighed "it's too hot, I've a mind to remove those heat wards from the rafters." They looked at Natasha and smiled as they stood up and made their way to her. Umbra wore a pair of simple pants and a leather jerkin. They didn't wear a shirt underneath it. Their boots were shined almost to the point of being mirrored surfaces too. At their waist hung a long, thin blade with no hilt but instead just a crude wrapping of bandages. "The name's Umbra, I run the Hunter's Guild...As you can see not many hunters yet but the day is young and I'm very patient" they extended their hand to Natasha for her to shake

 

[Yuu Vee Rays]

Natasha came to a bouncing stop, hand reaching up to grasp his with ease. “So am I! Though I am excited to get out there!” She admitted, her grin turning sheepish for a moment before returning to the wide grin she had coming in. “It’s very nice to meet you Umbra! You run the place? That’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to come, but there was never a chance til now.”
Natasha let go of his hand to begin exploring the room, refusing to sit still. She dropped her bow, quiver, and spear beside a chair, never breaking stride. Her knee length dusty white skirt bounced with each step, following the beat her heeled shoes played out. Her hair was tied to the side, over her right shoulder. She fixed her leathery vest, her white sleeves brushing against the material before falling just past her wrists. Dressing beautifully but practically with all her running around.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Unlike the others in Arden, Noor was fine with the heat, even happy in it. It was nothing compared to the weather she had grown up in. She had just stepped out of the tavern to begin her day and look for work in order to pay for another room and meal at the same place tonight. Unfortunately the job board inside didn't seem to have anything she felt she was physically capable of doing, so her next stop was the guild hall.

She had heard about someone recruiting people in order to fight back against the demons that plagued them at night. Noor was fairly skilled with a blade, although she had only been in a couple fights so she may not be very capable in combat. Regardless, there could be some other work she could take on for the group. The plan involved searching for stronger, more offensive wards, so perhaps she could help with the exploration and safekeeping of those.

Upon stepping into the guild hall, the red-clad dancer noticed two people straight away. One was sitting at a table with a drink while the other was standing next to him. She overheard their conversation and found out that the person sitting down was the one in charge of this place. She quietly approached the two, and when they took notice of her presence she spoke.

"Hello." Her voice was deeper than the average woman's, but higher-pitched than the average man's. It seemed to be somewhere in the middle of their ranges, just on the fringe where they overlapped. "I'm interested in becoming a hunter." She said to the purple-haired individual. "Please tell me about the available roles and duties I can take on."

 

[Noodle Time]

Umbra watched Natasha bounce around and nodded. As they were ready to sit back down they heard another voice and turned around to face them "another novice hunter steps into my hall, the name's Umbra, leader of what used to be the Hunters" Umbra once again extended their hand and smiled "roles are simple, we fight the demons back and try to find wards that will allow us to kill them easier considering all we do right now is push them into heavily warded pits and wait for the sunlight to do the rest"

Umbra pushed their hair out of their face and ran their hand over a large scar that started above their left eye and ran across their nose and stopped just above their lip "I'll be training everyone once we have the full roster but for now take a look around, claim a bed in the barracks which are on the west wing" Umbra motioned to a door to their left "and if you have any questions dont be afraid to ask"

 

[Anne Boolean]

Noor wasn't so sure she was comfortable with having the label of "hunter" so soon, and all the expectations it brought with it, even if it was prefaced with "novice." Umbra's explanation of the job made it seem simple, maybe deceptively so. With simplicity came versatility though, so even if she wasn't able to provide muscle in this endeavor, maybe she could help in other ways, such as being a decoy or distraction, or setting up traps. It seemed the person was willing to train the recruits, which was reassuring, although even in roles that offer training some baseline of aptitude needed to be met. Based on the scar across Umbra's face, she assumed he had seen his fair share of combat, and wasn't sure she would be able to meet his expectations. Regardless, this right now was her only means of survival, so Noor would put her best into it.

"A pleasure to meet you," she said, shaking the extended hand. "Thank you," she responded, before turning to look at the door. The woman couldn't help but wonder how the barracks would be split up, if they would be split up at all. If they were split up by gender, she would ideally be with the women, although that could potentially cause some awkwardness. She didn't expect it to be much less awkward among the men though.

 

[Yuu Vee Rays]

Natasha had halted her exploration for all of five seconds to see the newcomer before she was bouncing over to her. “Hello!” She chirped brightly, coming to a springed stop before the woman. “I’m Natasha, a fellow novice Hunter such as yourself! It’s soo nice to meet you!” She greeted, smile wide and hand extended for the girl to shake.
Natasha became distracted even while she was talking, however, when the barracks were mentioned. Oh! A sleepover! Was all she could think as she glanced in the direction Umbra mentioned the sleeping quarters were in. That left ample time for bonding and chatting and just all around friendly times for everyone! Oh, she was so excited! She wanted to explore! Oh, but first, she she should probably keep her attention on the one she was addressing. Didn’t want to seem rude, after all. So, with a soft giggled, her gaze drifted back to the newcomer with an even wider smile.

 

[Anne Boolean]

And now the third person in the group addressed Noor. She had no problem with that, but this woman was... bubbly, quite the opposite of Noor herself. She introduced herself as Natasha, and once again used the label of "hunter." This time it was also prefaced with "novice," and Natasha also included herself under it, but once again Noor couldn't help but feel as if she may not live up to the expectations. Before the red-clad dancer could answer, Natasha seemed to get distracted and glance around. It was only for a moment though, and then she returned her attention to Noor wearing an even bigger smile.

"... Wonderful to meet you as well," Noor said to Natasha, shaking her hand as well. Her voice sounded monotone compared to the other's. She wondered if this woman would be one of the people she would share a room with as well. Along with any potential awkwardness, this could also lead to disagreements. In terms of demeanor the two seemed to be as different as night and day.

 

[Noodle Time]

Umbra took note of Noor's hesitation when they mentioned being a Hunter and nodded as they walked back to their seat. "Don't mistake the title, it takes months to train you all in the art of Demonology and even then you will only have a basic grasp on demons but do not worry, I will not lead us into fights we cannot win and when we run expeditions we have portable ward circles to keep the night separated from us." Umbra's amber eyes looked between the two females "as for your rooms, I believe everyone here to be equal unlike those village fools outside so feel free to fall into the first bed you see. All I ask is you keep it clean and orderly and for the love of the Creator, do not damage any of the runes carved into the rafters and walls, one failed ward means a break in the net which might not sound too bad in the centre of this town but trust me, Wind Demons are known to find gaps in the town's netting and the last thing I need is it crashing through the wall and taking two of my new Hunters"

Umbra took another mouthful of ale and frowned, their drink had warmed to room temperature and they no longer felt the benefit of a cold drink on a hot day "Lord core me now if it gets any hotter"

 

[Yuu Vee Rays]

“Got it! No touching the Runes!” Natasha affirmed, releasing her hand from Noor’s to give a mock salute. “I’m gonna go check the barracks now. Do you want to come with Noor?” The girl asked, looking at the other hopefully even as she walked backwards to retrieve her weapons that lay abandoned by their position next to a chair. She never once broke her gaze from the other girl, no matter what she was doing. And once she retrieved her things, she stood still for about two seconds before she was bouncing on her toes, unable to hold still for any longer as she awaited the girl’s reply.

 

[Noodle Time]

Umbra took their sword from their belt and placed it on the table. They made sure the wrappings were tight where the hilt should be and looked up at the two girls can I do this again? After the last lot of Hunters disobeyed me and got themselves killed can I call myself fit to lead another group of them they though as they took their blade to the whetstone they had. Umbra shook the thought from their head and sighed as they sharpened the blade. Umbra looked at the girls again and took note of their characters. They then stood up "by the way, you, girl from Bach'Maen. So long as you're a member of this Guild I promise that none of the fools in this town will give you and trouble because of the country you come from. Been warring with the North and South too long but I won't turn down anyone willing to stand in the night with us." Umbra smiled reassuringly and sat back down, the beam of sunlight coming through the window shone on their seat and they sighed "bloody sun is going to be the death of me"

 

[Anne Boolean]

It seemed Umbra noticed her concern about her potential inadequacy. She listened to their words as they tried their best to quell her worries and gave a nod. At least they were patient and seemed level-headed. Maybe this job wouldn't be so bad.

They went on to explain the living quarters as well, which turned out to be co-ed. Umbra themselves seemed open-minded, so hopefully their others Noor would share a room with would be as well. The few rules that he had were nothing that the dancer couldn't handle; growing up she had to deal with small living quarters so keeping things organized and tidy was a necessity to have enough space. Her impoverished childhood also meant that the wards she and her peers were placed under were not very strong, so she knew how to navigate around them carefully. While Natasha gave a very affirmative acknowledgement, Noor's was given with a simple nod.

She turned to the other woman when invited to explore the barracks. "Alright," she said as she watched the woman gather up her belongings with a bounce in her step. Hopefully she would maintain this energy when they entered combat.

It seemed Umbra had some more words of encouragement for her before they went to explore the barracks. Only when they referred to her as "girl from Bach'maen" did it hit her she hadn't introduced herself. "Thank you," she said. "And my name is Noor." In regards to what Umbra said, Noor hadn't had too many quarrels with people during her stay here, but that may be due to her non-confrontational nature. She had received dirty looks from some of the people she passed by and talked to, and her ethnicity may have cost her a few jobs, but even if she came up on a potential conflict she was quick to disengage. If anything though, these two seemed to be very accepting and open-minded. She wouldn't have thought of them as being from a different part of the continent as her if it wasn't for Umbra's complaints of the heat. The thought of them brought a small smile of amusement to her face.

Noor then returned her attention to Natasha, ready to set off for the barracks when she was. She glanced back at Umbra as well. Would they be tagging along with them?

((I just realized Noor didn't introduce herself lol. And sorry if I accidentally misgender Umbra. I'm trying to read over my responses in order to fix any wrong pronouns.))

 

[Noodle Time]

((It's all good, don't worry about it))

Umbra stood up, slowly sliding their thin blade back into their belt and followed behind the two girls "I'll be here just to answer questions. Once we're done with this tour we can even discuss payment for the job too" they dusted off their jerkin and pushed their hair to the side

 

[Yuu Vee Rays]

Natasha stopped, holding completely still as she glanced at Umbra. “Payment? I thought we were just doing this for the betterment of our world? And the possibility of the Older World ruins we might find.” The girl giggled at the possibility of a discovery before taking hold of Noor’s hand. “But yeah, let’s go exploring! Come on!” She practically dragged Noor along with her, Natasha’s excitement getting the better of her as she made her way in the direction of the barracks. Her hair was starting to come loose, but she didn’t seem to pay it any kind as she trekked forward, giggling all the while.
“Oh, but why would people give Noor a hard time? Is it because she’s gorgeous? People do that sometimes.” She asked, now favoring to walk backwards so she could look at the others. “I’d take it as a compliment, though. Like, people are stopping what they are doing because they like something about me! And that makes it easier to become friends!” Natasha gasped and looked at Noor and Umbra with big, hopeful eyes. “Hey, this gathering means we can become friends, right? Yay!” Natasha released Noor’s hand, skipping forward in her own self made discovery.

 

[Noodle Time]

Umbra shook their head "appearance does have something to do with the troubles Noor faces. But it isn't her beauty." Umbra's face grew stern "and of course we do this for the betterment of the world but tell me, how will you pay for weapons and goods with betterment? Duke Brinestek gives us our monthly payments and I share them equally between all members"

 

[Anne Boolean]

After being told that she would be given housing, Noor was also slightly surprised at the topic of payment. Umbra didn't mention food though, so she assumed that the payment would be going towards that. She was taking part in this for the betterment of humankind like it seemed Natasha was, but she really didn't need much more than housing and food. When Umbra clarified what the payment was for she realized they would be in charge of their own equipment. Hopefully they would give lessons on optimal weaponry and rations as well then.

Noor was caught off-guard as the other woman pulled her along, and she stumbled after her. When the topic turned to her and potential mistreatment from others she may face, she found Natasha's reasoning for it... extremely optimistic at best. Despite this, she couldn't help but look away as her face reddened. As a dancer, being beautiful was an innate part of the job, so much so that no one commented on one's appearance. If they did, it was more so in order to gain favors from them or to receive other services. Sadly though, Natasha didn't understand how the extra attention towards Noor actually manifested, and the dancer thought her perceived potential outcome from it was rather naive. People who gave positive attention based on appearance were not looking to be friends. Thankfully Umbra gave a brief and general explanation to Natasha, so Noor needn't worry about shattering her innocence today.

When the woman released Noor's hand and skipped ahead, she followed behind at a more comfortable pace. She couldn't help but infer Natasha had a wonderful childhood to have such a positive and cheerful attitude, and found herself somewhat envious. Even as a child Noor's demeanor was somewhat bleak, and it was the same for the other children she was around back then as well. The bubbliness definitely contrasted with Noor's own personality, but she didn't mind it, at least until the topic of friendship came up.

In Noor's experience, friendship didn't last. It was a either a temporary partnership for survival, or a rouse to hide an upcoming betrayal. Even as a child, when she herself had a brighter outlook on life, allowing yourself to grow close to someone was fairly dangerous, as they could end up dying the very next day. Due to the nature of this work, it seemed like that may be the case now as well. "... I look forward to being your comrade," she responded.

 

[Yuu Vee Rays]

Natasha giggled as she waved away Umbria’s concern about weapons. “Oh, that shouldn’t be a problem. I usually make my own anyway, so I’m comfortable with that. I mean, look at these beauty’s!” She cooed as she hugged her weapons to her chest. “Aren’t they breathtaking? Father let me use the extra wood and iron that he and my brothers weren’t going to use! Of course, I guess it could be better, but I love them all the same!” She looked at the two others, her smile never fading. “I could make any improvements to yours, if you’d like!” She added with another chirp of her voice. “And I can make my own money by selling the meat, furs, and hides that come from hunting! Oh....” Natasha’s energy seemed to falter for a mere millisecond before it picked back up, seeming to pick herself up despite herself. “Nah, it’d be fine.”
Natasha then opted to walk...er, skip, alongside Noor, beaming at the girl. “Comrades? Oh, that sounds so formal! Okay! We’ll be comrades then! How fun!” She giggled with excitement, looking back at Umbra. “Hey, besides the barracks, what else is here? Anything fun? Interesting? Strange?”

 

[Noodle Time]

Umbra nodded "we have a training room downstairs. A fully staffed kitchen and dining area and then there's the ward room but that's kinda boring if I say so myself, I just go in there and practice my warding when I can. There's also the roof which can be accessed by just going all the way up the stairs. On days like this I go up there to eat and to meditate" Umbra smiled "best view in the whole damn city if I say so myself"

 

[Yuu Vee Rays]

“Meditate? Now that sounds boring.” Natasha sighed at the mere thought. “Sitting down and doing nothing? Tiresome. But the Ward room sounds interesting! Can I see that next?” She asked, seeming giddy. “Oh, and what about a smithy or anything of the like? I’d prefer not to go home if I can help it, but I can if it means keeping my sweethearts up to snuff.” She asked, holding her weapons close. She had stopped walking, realizing that, besides heading west, that she had no idea where she was going.

 

[Noodle Time]

Umbra nodded "Draven is our smithy, he's currently on his way back from Bach'Maen, the steel there is way better than the steel from here. You'll meet him tomorrow if he hasn't been taken by the night yet"

 

[Yuu Vee Rays]

Natasha’s expression seemed to brighten (if that is even possible as she was already beaming). A real smithy! She could learn from him to make her weapons better! Maybe even learn a few tricks so she wouldn’t have to buy all of her materials, but procure them herself! Oh, the excitement this brought her had the girl jumping in place at just the thought. She was basically self taught, her Father and brothers not seeing the need to learn how to make things themselves when there was hunting to be done, but Natasha loved it! And she would have the opportunity to work with quality goods instead of the bits and pieces that was left from whatever her family did with the materials! Natasha was a giggling mess as she thought of all the possibilities to further her knowledge in the craft.
“Oh, Umbra,” she started once her joy subsided to a more natural level (for her, anyway). “Where exactly are the barracks? I’ve just kind of been walking with no sense of where I was going. And while I would love to explore the whole building, I don’t want to be carrying my babies around. They could get hurt by something unexpected! And I can’t have that.” She stated firmly, but she couldn’t hold a serious tone so she just ended up laughing at her own failed attempt.

((I’m going to be at work so if my replies are a bit sparse, that’s why.))

 

[Anne Boolean]

So Natasha made her own weapons. That was quite a useful skill to have. She was proud of her work as well. Noor didn't know the first thing about smithing, so she would agree that the weapons were indeed well-made. They didn't look to have any flaws at least. Natasha even went on to offer to improve the weapons for the other two.

"... You don't need to go out of your way, but I would like that," the red-clad dancer responded. "... I can also make use of any extra swords you may have."

It seemed Natasha had her own income as well. She was a hunter, something Noor found quite surprising based on how excitable she was. If she bounded around the field or forest like she was now, she would surely scare away all the animals. Then again, maybe she found stillness while on the hunt. People sometimes took unexpected occupations, Noor herself being a prime example.

It seemed that Natasha was happy with their relationship being that of comrades. She found it formal, but Noor was just happn she didn't have to step on any toes just yet. She quietly listened as the two discussed the other facilities in the guild house. She imagined they would be visiting the training room often, and despite Umbra finding it boring, the ward room would probably be an important place to hone their skills in. What she found most interesting though was the kitchen and dining area. It seems they wouldn't need to go out to purchase their own food, nor would they need to cook for themselves.

"... How much do meals on average cost in the dining area?"

Along with that, the rooftop view could be interesting. Umbra said it was the best view in the whole city, and although she would take their word on that, she wasn't so sure how it would compare to the view from palace balconies back in the kingdoms of Bach'maen.

From the facilities the topic went to meditation, which the other two seemed to have differing opinions on. Noor herself had no stance on it, although it wouldn't be her first choice of how to spend her time. The topic of a smith was then brought up, and Umbra spoke of his expedition to and from her homeland.

She shook her head. "He may be chasing a red herring," she said. "Steel is rarely found in Bach'maen. The caves which are sound enough to mine often only have jewels. Blades of copper are more common, although some afix gems on the sharp edge as well. Iron and steel is often imported from the north. Achbalen caves are sturdy enough to mine without a fear of collapse. Iron is more common in those caves and the smithies there have much more experience." She shared what she had learned throughout her life and travels, but for all she knew Umbra was more knowledgeable. If he disagreed she wouldn't argue on it.

 

[Noodle Time]

Umbra nodded "normally I'd agree but recently a town to the very south found some old Hunters' guild and melted the weapons down into steel. Since Hunters aren't politically tied we offered to buy them and they let us. When your countryman make steel weapons they're far superior...and as for Achbalen...let's just say I'm not too welcome there right now" Umbra shrugged and looked back to the girls "the barracks are down this hallway Natasha and as far as food is concerned there is no cost. The city values Hunters and they send us food willingly, I just make sure they're compensated at the end of the month"