Fantasy Tales of Raeligard

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

interaction: AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun Thalia_Neko Topless EmperorsChosen​

It seemed risax relatively timely intervention had saved them all for causing a scuffle sure, he'd been insulted and called a giant spider, but it was not ab uncommon occurrence, afterall it was in a way factual, arachne where indeed giant spiders. Anyway they where ushered away form the situation by the loggers leader who seemingly out of pity gave them some information, it had become fairly obvious they where all, well to put it nicely, horrible at communicating with the locals.

So the monster seemed to attach form up trees dragging people off up into the trees, in theory this would make it an ambush predator prehaps it sounded like it at least, much like how a spider layer out its webs. The other more important information was the fact that another Kriegslowen, was present a tall elf, apprently and one not all too friendly with the locals either, but this brought up another question in risax mind. If someone presumably of a higher ranking then them was present why where they sent?

"Thank you for the information sir, aside form the elf you mentioned being seemingly short tempted and tall any other defining features? It seems rather strange that we'd be sent if prehaps someone else more experiences was already dealing with this case. But you are right, you agitation was perfectly understandable within this context, but the presence of this beast and the unknown elf clearly have some connection" Risax queried explain his own line of reasoning amongst the retorts form the others, the elf threw a spanner into the works something seriously didn't add up here if he could glean at least a bit more info form the now talkative logger before they left all the better.

 

[Reinhardt]

Arien Bermille​

Location: Marble District → Tylsen Outskirts​

Hedwig reassured Cressey that they did employ security measures, though never revealed any specific detail. To the average man, this can arguably be seen as an angle for suspicion, but to any merchant worth their Feln, he way avoiding the leakage of information regarding the matter. To Lori's additional inquiries, he permitted them to call him Hedwig but stated that being addressed with his family name was his preference.

The client's answers were well within Arien's expectations, and as such, he remained silent throughout the inquiry period. Arien found it interesting that the recruits were able to soundly present the client with good questions since it was a tendency for newcomers to fumble in their early days. Granted, some of these recruits come from backgrounds that give them some level of insight regarding their current quest.

The group's meeting with the client didn't last long once the questions were answered. Hedwig offered to lend a hand regarding transportation by hiring a Land Ferry for the group, but Arien refused the offer, stating that it would not be necessary. The staff would arrive with the requested documents, alongside the keys for the specific warehouses, which were handed over to Arien's charge. After saying their farewells and assuring that the client's request would be fulfilled, the group went off.

They headed to the eastern area of Tylsen, where most of the transport lay - there, Arien hired a sizeable horsecart to act as their means of transportation. Once everyone was set, they left the city's premises.

The ride wasn't rough, but as one would expect, there were some occasional bumps. On the other hand, being on such a transport allowed them to take in the scenery of the various grasslands, farms, and other provincial landscapes that were just outside the city's reach. Upon inquiry, Arien would tell them bits of information about the views they witnessed, varying from a short overview to a brief history - though he gave them a disclaimer that there are certainly more reliable accounts that they could find out there compared to his knowledge.

After about an hour, they finally reached their first destination - one of the warehouses that Hedwig Heine marked on the map that was given alongside the documents handed over to them. It was a large, one-story building with a flat roof, brick walls, a steel door and a large, opaque, iron gate - both of which, were very clearly locked. On the surface of the gate the same image from the building where they met the client - a stork carrying a box within its beak, and a large number '4' painted beneath it. There were a few small, horizontal windows that were located high up on the walls, clearly beyond the reach of any average man. As expected, there were even traces of dust on the outside of the building, most of which were already either washed down by rain or blown away by the wind. Besides a few cracks, that a fly or an ant could probably attempt to squeeze in, there wasn't much to notice about this structure.

Once everyone hopped off the ride, Arien instructed the coachman to wait somewhere nearby, who complied with a silent nod.

Arien's attention, then, promptly shifted towards the group of recruits. "What lies before us is one of the places you need to check out. I presume you still remember the instructions and requests that the client gave to you?"

"This is..." Without waiting for a response to his question, he took out a number of sheets from the collection of documents that was given to him. "...Heine Warehouse 4. And these are the inventory logs from the previous inspections." He, then, handed those papers over to the group of recruits.

Afterward, he took out a keyring, from which two keys dangled. Likewise, he handed this over to the recruits. "These are the keys to the door.", he pointed towards the small steel door right beside the large gate.

"Now, as I have said before, I am only here as an observer and guide.", he said. "I will not be going inside the warehouse to do the job, but that doesn't mean I am not keeping an eye on you. Should any of you do anything out-of-line, such as trying to sneak away with an item from the warehouse, I will know."

The bird atop Lori's head chirped.

"Well then, Kriesglöwen, time to do what you were hired for.", he gestured for the recruits to go on.

Recruits​

Location: Heine Warehouse 4​

After getting through the first steel door would be a small chamber, capable of taking in four to five people at most. Here, one could find several empty clipboards, and crunchy documents scattered about with unanswered fields. This was, from a simple glace, where the workers would enter and exit, and where they would document the time and hours they worked in. Directly opposite the first door would be another steel door - the true entry to the warehouse. Once that was unlocked, the group would find themselves in a rather spacious area.

The windows provided some amount of light, but not enough to render the warehouse well illuminated - a vast majority of the area was still either under dim light or darkness. The earthy smell of wood permeated the entire place. The windows helped alleviate the smell and ventilate the area, but it wasn't much. As one would expect, dust was everywhere - anyone with a sensitive nose would find themselves irritated by it rather frequently.

Rows upon rows of metal shelves could be found within the area, each housing wooden crates of varying sizes, each with its own mark of label - a number and a letter.

The documents handed over to the recruits had such information. A combination of numbers and letters, designated to a set of initials, as well as the details of when the item entered the warehouse. Many of the items have been several months old, with a few varying from having stayed there as recently as the start of 422 AC, to as late as sometime in 420 AC. There were a total of 757 items listed in the document.

From the size and the mass of the items alone, a proper inspection of this warehouse could easily take more than a day. Fortunately for the recruits, their job is not to do such, but to simply check if the items are there and their wooden containers are undamaged, as well as check if the warehouse is still in pristine condition.

Interaction/s: Cresslinde ( King Crimson ), Endymion ( lunar_moth ), Lupa ( Silver Wolf ), Talio ( TreasureSniper ), Lori ( ERode )

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

Looked like the men had finally spilled some info about the beast. If it is true, then Sakura knows of a plan to at least trap the beast. "The information you gave will suffice. Thank you for your cooperation. Forgive my "passive aggression", it may not be wanted, but probably "needed"." She said to the men before turning to her companions and told them "Guys, when we get out, I would like to discuss with you all a plan. I know from my experience how to trap beasts of different kind, though I do need some materials and most importantly your cooperation."

What kind of plan does she have in her mind? Does she have any idea what the beast looked like and how it behaves?

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[ERode]

Location: Heine Warehouse 4​

“Oh, this is a nice place! I could nap in here!”

As strange as the remark was, Lori really did like the interior of Heine Warehouse 4. It was dimly lit and spacious, with a cool, earthy atmosphere that gave off a pleasant impression indeed, as if you were tucked away in a really comfortable and clean cave. The metal shelves looked long enough to function as the bunk beds that she had enjoyed within a couple of hostels in the past, while the boxes themselves were stacked and shelved in quite an orderly manner. It must have taken a lot of work to do all the labelling for them, even if she wasn’t totally sure if the contents of the boxes were placed in any chronological order. Still, not the problem here!

“Alright, I’ll head outside now,” Lori said. Spacious as it was, it was still just a little bit too cramped when there were five people in the same area, surrounded by maze-like shelving and wooden crates up the wazoo. “Gonna take a looksie for any holes ‘round the walls, and then I’ll go jump up to check the roof too, ok? If anyone here gets a glimpse of rat poopies, just gimme a shout!”

That was the first secret to enjoying your work, after all. Volunteer for what you want to do, and volunteer swiftly, at that!

 

[lunar_moth]

HEINE WAREHOUSE 4​

“Achoo! You— hch —you would really try to nap in here?” Endymion splutters out in Lori’s general direction, with one hand clasped over his lower face to ward off another sneeze. Egads, what a silly sort of problem to encounter on your first mission. It figures for a man of his constitution, but still! If there were any thieves or hidden baby-nappers lurking in the shadows, well, they would all have scampered off by now after all the commotion.

He peers apprehensively down one of the shelving aisles. Boxes, boxes and more boxes. The dates recorded for some of the packages indicated that it was at the very least unlikely that this warehouse was operated as a black market for anything— er, perishable, but that still left many questions unanswered. For example, um.. 1. what do they sell here, and 2. please please can I look I want to see what’s in the crates.

Endymion lifts his hand from his face finally to wave back at Lori, who retreats from the warehouse to investigate outside. Ugh, hopefully there were few (if any!) rats taking up refuge in here — it would be terrible luck to have to explain to Mr Heine that his money laundering (???) business was ransacked by common pests.

“Okay. I suppose I’ll start checking the first aisles and making sure the packages are all accounted for,” Endymion says aloud to the team at large. He pats the top of the next crate he passes by, under the guise of examining its structural integrity. “Oh yeah, this bad boy can fit so much illegal weaponry in it,” he says much more quietly to himself.

Reinhardt ERode TreasureSniper Silver Wolf King Crimson​

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oyten, Jacobee Lumberyard​

Falco nodded along as Thea gave the man far more information than he had given them, even going so far as to declare this troublemaking elf was their observer. Dear lord, I hope you're wrong, Falco thought. On one hand, he'd never met a Caskarieth who wasn't at least a solid six-and-a-half or seven on the 'hot or not' scale. On the other hand, he didn't wanna get decapitated for looking. I prefer my head where it is, thankyouverymuch.

Observer or not, she was a complication and they didn't need complications right now. It was hard enough getting his companions to agree on anything without bickering or causing a ruckus. The more complex this mission got, the more Falco found himself losing faith. One beast, two hunters, and now this shit? Was anything ever simple for a Kriegslowen? Other than the odd jobs he'd done around town, it felt as if every request pinned to the notice board had a curveball or two or ten. Must every adventure be an ADVENTURE!?

However, if what the man had said was true, Falco could hardly fault these loggers for being standoffish. The mayor said this company had been dodgy from the start. They were uncooperative before the elf came along and ruffled their knickers. Due to being the largest logging company in town, they probably felt they were above taking orders. It's 'just business' to these guys, Falco thought, mulling it over in his head as others spoke. Kid gets attacked and their boss tries to sweep it under the rug? They'll do anything to keep the feln flowing. I can see why the mayor shut everything down. It sucks for the other companies, but these idiots would've kept going if he hadn't. They don't care who gets mauled as long as the logs keep stacking higher and higher. And even the low-level grunts, like this doofus, don't realize he's doing it to save their lives. Jeez, what a shitshow...

Falco saw almost no reaction from the man as Thea spoke. Her revelation that they had passed up other job requests, including one that paid more, elicited only a small "mmhmm," from his stiff lips, and a slight aversion of his gaze, before his eyes refocused on Hyss as the beastkin apologized for their actions. The hooded girl faded away to the back of the party and Lucia spoke next.

"Perhaps at the onset, however it should have been obvious that we are not this woman's minions when we inquired about what we had. You also could have been rid of us then and there by just saying such," Lucia stated, folding her arms calmly. "As for qualifications, that bandit group also was accompanied by a rogue mage. Aside from that, I was combat trained by my uncle, who was a C-rank Kriegslowen. None of us are amateurs, or weaklings, and this isn't comedic. We endeavor to do well with this, for our own sakes as well as for this town."

"Oh," the man said with a slight grin. "So, your excuse for being an ass to me and my men is, 'you could've gotten rid of us sooner?' What a piece o' work you are. Uncle should've taught you how to keep yer cool, respect your elders, and not insult the people you's s'posed to be helpin'... even if they are insufferable pieces of shit sometimes. I thought you folks were be better than that."

"We are," Falco interjected. "Or, uhh, we're trying to be. I can promise you that, sir. We won't let you down."

The wry stare he earned for this feeble attempt at smoothing things over suggested the man didn't believe a word of it.

"Thank you for the information sir, aside from the elf you mentioned being seemingly short tempered and tall, any other defining features?" Risax inquired "It seems rather strange that we'd be sent if perhaps someone else more experienced was already dealing with this case. But you are right, your agitation was perfectly understandable within this context, but the presence of this beast and the unknown elf clearly have some connection"

The man sighed. He was clearly tired of speaking with them, but the spider's casual demeanor convinced him to carry on just a little longer. "She were about your height," he said, nodding toward Thea. "Long hair. Can't say what color, 'cuz it was so filthy and matted. Gray, maybe?" He shrugged. "She wore a ragged cloak. No weapons, I think, except a hunting knife... but everyone 'round here keeps a huntin' knife. I don't reckon I'd call that a 'weapon,'" he said, his voice trailing off for a moment. After a brief consideration, he added, "Come to think of it, she had no gear at all. She was slim, far as I can tell. I ought to have noticed a travel pack, even under that cloak she were wearin.' Odd, that."

A filthy ruffian in a tattered cloak with a big knife... great, another murder hobo, Falco thought with a small shudder. He crossed his arms before asking, "So, she was traveling light? That seems unlikely in a place like this. Maybe she traveled on horseback and left her gear with it?" But the man was already shaking his head before Falco could even finish that thought. Perhaps the Oytenrand Woods were impassable by horse or too impractical. Hmmm... "I'm sorry to keep bothering you, sir, but where'd she come from and where'd she go when she left? Same direction as the beast attacks?"

The man thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it... yeah." he jabbed his finger east, toward the treeline at the edge of town. "Felling trees too close to town weakens the soil, causes mudslides in the rainy season. We do most of our work 'bout an hour's walk that-a-way. Big clearing, can't miss it. There's all sorts of trails leadin' there, so take your pick. That's where the attacks have been happenin,'" he explained. "The elf came from that direction. Walked right outta the trees, even though the mayor's got a few guards patrolling the perimeter."

He said the last part with a sharp edge, clearly displeased that they were being blockaded here, as if the town were a prison and the mayor its warden. His tone made Falco regret his earlier suggestion that they take the hard approach. The situation here was more tense than he thought and violence --or perceived violence-- was not the way to go. The mayor likely didn't know what had happened last night or the anger it had aroused.

So, she got by the guards? Falco thought. Then again, the hunters hired by Jacobee had somehow done the same. What a surprise, town guards can't match experienced hunters! It sort of explained why the mayor didn't simply have Oyten's bannermen deal with the beast. They were better at patrolling streets than trekking through the woods. They were probably also few in number -- Falco had only seen a handful of them all morning. The mayor said he had 'used Kriegslowen before.' His men never needed these skills; they outsourced such things to Kriegslowe.

"We done here?" the man grunted, resting his hands on his hips as he looked to each of them, and Falco realized he'd spent too long thinking over what had been said instead of keeping the conversation going. "Y'all got work to do and I got some bruised egos to stroke, lest these boys do somethin' stupid... or stupider. 'Idle hands' and all that..."

"The information you gave will suffice," Sakura said. "Thank you for your cooperation. Forgive my 'passive aggression.' It may not be wanted, but probably 'needed.'"

"Yes, thank you, sir," Falco said with a small bow.

With a brusque nod of approval, the man promptly turned and began to walk away, back toward where his companions were still clustered together, grumbling amongst themselves as cowards often do. He was far and away the most reasonable of the bunch, even if he was a bit of a hard ass, and probably would never have talked had he not gotten away from the others.

"Guys, when we get out, I would like to discuss with you all a plan," Sakura said. "I know from my experience how to trap beasts of different kind, though I do need some materials and most importantly your cooperation."

"Sure, I'm all ears, but we don't even know what it is yet," Falco said enthusiastically, momentarily putting the previous events behind him. Sakura's behavior may have saved them, but he wasn't sure if that was intentional or if she'd simply lost patience and let her temper get the better of her. What would she have done if those men attacked?

"What we do know is it's aggressive. I doubt we'll have to do much tracking. It sounds like this thing will pounce on damn near anyone, given the chance. Finding it should be easy enough, even with the limited information we have. And..." he paused for a moment, unsure of how to phrase what he was about to say, "I mean... I don't wanna sound reckless, but... it hasn't killed anyone yet, right? All of the victims seemed to have gotten away. So... ummm... I say, let's just take a chance and see what happens."

He laughed nervously, because he knew how foolish this probably sounded. "I mean, there's enough of us that we can watch each other's backs! It's not gonna carry anybody off. Risax is probably too big to get lifted. Thea's too... heavy? Heavily armored! Sorry!" he said with a apologetic smile at the knight. "And the rest of us are either agile enough to get away or... something. I dunno. Best case, it attacks and we kick its ass right then and there!" he said, grinding his fist into his palm, "Or trap it," he added, smiling at Sakura. "Worst case, we'll get a good look at it, fall back to town to patch ourselves up, and can go again with a better plan and gear, based on what we saw."

Actually, worst case is someone gets killed or carted off into the canopy to become beast chow. But that ain't gonna happen! Cuz we got this! Falco thought. He would need some time to trust them to carry on a decent conversation again, but he definitely trusted them to fight.

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oyten
​

As the headman or whatever he had told them some more tidbits of information as well as the size and general description, plus a few more bits of useful information, traded with some barbs, of note was Lucia who drew a stare but as of yet no verbal rebuke as her vision and jaw clenching switches to Sakura as she tersely smiled as some of them tried to downplay those interactions letting the man leave likely thinking they all were incompetent fuck ups who would be dead within two days.

Once he was out of earshot, she finally let out the words that she was holding as she looked at Lucia first and pointedly. "Lucia... I had good reasons why I did not do the job I wanted as I did not trust you all to be remotely civil. What if we went to the Church and there was a remotely ill-mannered Pontif? Or one that was angry? Would you also have went at them as such? Though I'll admit that I did not help the current situation. There is a time when you stop adding oil to the burning barn when others bring water to out our mistakes."

It was then her attention turned to Sakura and a bit of Venom crept into her voice. "Sakura, to be perfectly clear, what you did was kill that insect in a slow roundabout and cruel way and drew steel in a situation that was tense enough. By all rights I should have you brought before the guild for that alone, or so I would say..." With that she pauses a bit and continues to speak matter of fact-ly as she motions forward and starts to walk off,

"...but honestly I don't care about the death of a bug, nor do I care if you kill a pig, or a deer. With that maw of yours and the low pay I highly doubt you eat berries and barley, so unless you are just slaughtering without purpose like a beast or are killing the sentient and Goddess blessed, I frankly don't give a shit what you do. However, should you draw steel in a meeting again where the other party has not, I will deal with you myself."

With a cold glare to her eyes she returns her vision forward. "That being said, I will hear this plan of yours, but for now I wish to do it on the move. We have two more places to go and I rather speak as we move." It was then her attention turns to Falco as she partway towards the end, jerks her thumb at Risax. "In general, as Falco said, let's find out what it is, plus in capturing it we could buy. or have our friend there depending on the way of it, may be able to help craft some form of holding. I also do want to fulfill the Mayor's request and capture and remove the beast from the area if we can." With the rest of what Falco had to say she sighs a bit in a tired exhale;

"Well at least you didn't call me Theo this time. Unless we wish to split up or do this speedily, we should seek out the words from the other who was attacked then ask those artificers about what manner of beast it could be. We will not be bringing one of them with us unless it seems a very good idea. Our observer, I would bet five silvers that is our observer, but she likely already knows what we are after and we need to beat those hunters, they won't be recalled, time is precious and not on our side."

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

With that little recap provided by Falco, Sakura might have an idea for a trap. "Perhaps what we're about to deal with is very territorial and is not fond of visitors. The fact that it hasn't killed anyone, and this is just me, is very baffling. It's either the victims were very lucky or perhaps there is something that this beast has that makes it, well, "less of a beast". Either way, the mayor had said not to kill it, so trapping it will be our best solution for now." She spoke and then she listened to what Thea had to say on the matter.

"Acknowledged, Thea. Indeed, the more info the better, and that can allow me to deduce what kind of trap we could utilize and as well as a strategy." She said "My clan knows a lot about traps. Most of them are harmless, but a few can be deadly depending on the prey no matter the size. I'd be more than glad to impart some of them to all of you once we find out what it is."

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[King Crimson]

Current Location: Warehouse #4​

Minutes passed, feeling like hours as the horse carriage trekked along the dirt road.
Cressey, for the most part kept her arms folded for the vast majority of the trip, her eyes savoring the rolling hills, verdant fields and farmlands of the eastern countryside, half listening to Arien's stories in between bouts of small talk, giving her equipment another onceover, and impatiently tapping her boot against the wooden floorboard as they came ever closer to their first objective.
Until at last, the carriage slowed to a stop, standing before a massive plain building, wholly unremarkable aside from it's sheer size, and the familiar emblem emblazoned on it's front, along with a stately "4" printed at it's side.
Despite her earlier misgivings, the warehouse did seem a bit more secure than she had expected; large, imposing walls of layered brick, with high, narrow windows to serve as a source of light and ventilation for the trove of treasures lying within, the only entry point to which was behind a solid steel door, reinforced with an iron gate.
"Hmph! A trifling task," Cressey replied as Arien concluded his last overview of what they were tasked to do inside, making a show if skillfully catching the keyring he tossed their way.
Rising up from her seat, she stretched out the stiffness in her legs, letting the flow of blood return feeling to her toes, before hopping off of the carriage, glad to finally exchange the rickety confines of the carriage for stable, solid earth.
As she joined the others, marching towards the sturdy iron gate, she twirled the keyring around her finger, confidently calling over her shoulder,
"You go ahead and resume your nap, we'll be back before too long!"

With the loud creaking of old, neglected gears and worn, rusted metal sliding against worn, rusted metal, the massive iron door finally opened for the Kriegslowe recruits, welcoming them into the dank, dark interior of the warehouse with a confetti shower of disturbed, aged dust, and the acrid odor of mildew and treated wood,
The foul smell and thick air caught in Cressey's lungs, sending her into a coughing fit as she pushed her way past the suffocating fog, shielding her mouth and nose with one hand, while her other instinctively worked to fan the irritating cloud away.
Once she was through the smog, she at long last could look at the warehouse proper; stacks upon stacks of wooden crates piled atop one another in orderly fashion, of varying sizes, and all wearing a small, printed label upon their corner.
"Ugh...this...might take longer than I thought..." Cressey woefully remarked, finding that somehow, the warehouse had seemed to double in size since they had entered.
With a shrug of her shoulders, she noncommittally added, "Well, nothing else for it but to get started, I suppose," before drawing her lance from it's sheathe, following Endymion further into the building.
Holding it skyward, Cressey clutches the Arcanizer attached to gauntlet close to her chest, focusing her mind, and reciting the incantation that Valdergeuse had taught her in a low, soft whisper;
"Align, converge. Ye dancing sparks flying freely upon the wind."
As if in response to her voice, she could smell the burning scent of Ozone, feel the small tingling of aetheric energies flowing in from the air around her, into her zauberite, into her arm, and then, into the tip of her spear, illuminating the crystalline metal with dancing, crackling sparks, and bathing the dark corners of the warehouse in a soft, blue glow.
Feeling a tinge of smug self-satisfaction in how she had successfully chased away the drab, cloistering darkness, and demonstrated her newfound magical prowess before her peers, she called over her shoulder, to the tall wolfkin still making her way through the dusty smog that lied in wait at the doorway.
"Lupa, do you smell anything amiss? Vermin, vandal or otherwise?"



Interacting:
Arien ( Reinhardt )
Lupa ( Silver Wolf )
Lori ( ERode )
Endymion ( lunar_moth )
Talio ( TreasureSniper )

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: talking to group
Thinking: "This is enough idle talk, lets go."

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun
Mentions:
​

Hyss wasn't too thrilled with Falco. While she had apologized, she had done it in an amicable way. Falco just needlessly kowtowed and acted subservient; it was pitiful. "You can be the first to deal with the beast then, hopefully you'll survive like all the others so far. Do not worry, you'll be fine, like you mentioned," she said tersely to him, with a side-eye glare. "Before you suggest your companions willingly put themselves in danger -even danger that's perceived as lesser- you should, instead, offer something else of value as recompense. Or say you'll protect them, or some such. Offering others to be put in danger simply because you believe "we'll be fine" is your own baseless, selfish assumption. Don't unilaterally foist your optimism on others. We deal in uncertainties here. Who is to say what the danger is? What one may survive, another might not. Or do your companions' lives mean so little to you, Falco?"

Hyss's eyes trailed on Thea as she chewed out Sakura. The little Beastkin's face furrowed and her mouth shifted into a tiny frown. What Sakura did, was it unnecessary? Probably. But oh who cared? Sakura's antics by now were not worth consideration. All that mattered was if she was useful in hunting down the beast and trapping it. Chewing out your own companions lowered morale. -Yes, Hyss realized her hypocrisy here and that made her irritated.

She also believed in gaining as much information as possible about your current mission. More information always benefited you. It was one of her primary principles. However...

"I do not think we need to speak to anyone else," she disagreed. "I'm willing to bet the chat will go similar to the one we've already had. After all, if there was any information that was concrete, we likely would've already heard it by now. Seeking out others only to hear regurgitated info won't help. I think we should get going now. Lets use Sakura's hunting skills and go find this thing. Traps can be discussed en route, and set up then as well. It is as you said, time isn't on our side right now. We should use it wisely. If we take too long the hunters may get it first, or this observer woman, or worse, someone else may get attacked and -" her eyes shifted over to Falco, "they may not be so lucky this time. Lets depart for the woods."

 

[TreasureSniper]

Current Location: Warehouse #4​

The carriage ride to the area of interest was nothing eventful as Talio spent most of his time studying the inventory count given to him. Based on what he can see, there was nothing strange about it, and everything looked to be in order. When they finally arrived to the actual warehouse, he had expected the building to be slightly bigger based on the list provided. But then again, perhaps their space management was just that efficient.

Talio found it amusing that Lori's first thought about the place she could sleep in there. It wasn't that bad of an idea if it wasn't so old looking. Despite the large windows, the place was still pretty dark in certain areas. Thankfully, Cressey arcanizer was able to remedy that. Such a useful tool. Too bad his didn't work. Such is life. Taking out an empty form and a pen, he prepared himself for the inventory count.

"I shall take care of the shelves over here. That way we can cover more ground." Talio spoke, referring to the line of shelves towards the corner of the warehouse. He always liked starting from the corners and working his way up from there. Carefully, and meticulously, he would inspect each every box on the shelves, without touching it of course. He makes note of even the most minute details such if the box was damaged or, misplaced, or mislabelled. He'll let the others inspect the stability of the place.

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oyten, leaving Jacobee Lumberyard​

Falco winced at every word as Thea gave Sakura a thorough tongue-lashing for her behavior at the saw mill, showing she had zero tolerance for people stepping out of line. She was their leader, after all, and would likely have to answer for any trouble the group stirred up. Sakura had not merely tiptoed across the line, she'd leapt over it and into another plane of existence.

Still, a small part of him couldn't help but think that Sakura's actions may have broken the stalemate and gotten the results they were looking for. The one-two punch of her threat followed by Risax's diplomacy softened up their adversaries and got the man talking, even if it was begrudgingly. It could have ended disastrously... but it didn't. All's well that ends well... right? Falco thought with a small sigh. Perhaps that was why Thea had given her a pass for killing the insect. In any case, Falco would rather not go through any of that again.

"Well at least you didn't call me Theo this time," Thea went on to say, once she was done with the beastkin. "Unless we wish to split up or do this speedily, we should seek out the words from the other who was attacked, then ask those artificers about what manner of beast it could be. We will not be bringing one of them with us unless it seems a very good idea. Our observer, I would bet five silvers that is our observer, but she likely already knows what we are after and we need to beat those hunters, they won't be recalled, time is precious and not on our side."

"Whuuut? You still wanna talk to people after that fiasco?" Falco said incredulously. "Information changes by the minute. What little these people know, could already be outdated. Two hunters and a crazy elf are already out there, doing Goddess-only-knows what, and they may have already gotten the beast, while we're still here fussing with the locals."

"Acknowledged, Thea. Indeed, the more info the better, and that can allow me to deduce what kind of trap we could utilize and as well as a strategy." Sakura said, giving little response to Thea's rebuke. "My clan knows a lot about traps. Most of them are harmless, but a few can be deadly depending on the prey no matter the size. I'd be more than glad to impart some of them to all of you once we find out what it is."

Falco's eyes darted from Thea to Sakura and back again. The way she dismissed the knight's words with only a single one of her own and carried on with the planning was eerily cold. "I agree! Let's get moving," Falco said as he stepped forth with a nervous laugh, hoping to intervene before Thea could give the fox another piece of her mind... a six-foot long, sharp, pointy piece. In this moment, he hardly cared if they went to the woods or to the next logging company, so long as it kept these two apart.

"You can be the first to deal with the beast then, hopefully you'll survive like all the others so far. Do not worry, you'll be fine, like you mentioned," Hyss said to him, with a side-eye glare.

Falco's cheerful expression instantly faded as he met the girl's eyes.

"Before you suggest your companions willingly put themselves in danger -even danger that's perceived as lesser- you should, instead, offer something else of value as recompense.," Hyss went on to say. "Or say you'll protect them, or some such. Offering others to be put in danger simply because you believe 'we'll be fine' is your own baseless, selfish assumption. Don't unilaterally foist your optimism on others. We deal in uncertainties here. Who is to say what the danger is? What one may survive, another might not. Or do your companions' lives mean so little to you, Falco?"

Falco bit his tongue and stewed for a moment, because the first words to come to mind would have been just as unproductive and toxic as everything she had just uttered. Fortunately, the snake had more to say, on other subjects, giving him time to swallow his anger and compose himself.

"I do not think we need to speak to anyone else," she said. "I'm willing to bet the chat will go similar to the one we've already had. After all, if there was any information that was concrete, we likely would've already heard it by now. Seeking out others only to hear regurgitated info won't help. I think we should get going now. Lets use Sakura's hunting skills and go find this thing. Traps can be discussed en route, and set up then as well. It is as you said, time isn't on our side right now. We should use it wisely. If we take too long the hunters may get it first, or this observer woman, or worse, someone else may get attacked and -" her eyes shifted over to Falco,"they may not be so lucky this time. Lets depart for the woods."

"The woods are closed," Falco muttered darkly as they followed along behind Thea. "If someone's out there, they're doing so at their own risk. Or did you ignore that little detail, while the men were shouting it in your fucking face as you ridiculed them for being forced out of work?" His glare momentarily flickered to Lucia as well, before returning to Hyss as he continued. "Please stop acting like you know me, 'cuz every time you try you're so far off it's almost laughable. Maybe if you took that hood off for more than a moment, you'd realize you've got people by your side, Hoods. Maybe you'll understand how teamwork works and why we're all here, not just you and Sakura! When I suggest a course of action, it means I'm going to be there, too. I'm going to be in danger, too. I could die, too! And as much as I'm suuuure that would please you, I don't have any intentions of doing that any time soon or letting any of you guys bite the big one, either. Sorry to disappoint you, but my baseless optimism ain't going nowhere, so get used to it."

He folded his arms and scowled before adding: "And 'Hysmadeez' is too hard to pronounce, so I'm going back to calling you 'Hyss.' Deal with it."

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Location: Oyten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

An instantly, the scowl had returned no sooner than the man acknowledged her. She had half a mind as to asking what in the Goddess' name was their excuse for being complete arses, aside from it being an inherent gene, or to chastise his weak logic of how they were supposed to be "better" than them, as if that meant taking their sass and nonsense.

Seething, albeit silently and subtly so. At least, it was subtle, until Thea sought to chastise her as well. She shot a half glare at the knight, already fed up with the woodworkers.

"Pontifs and clergy, like aristocracy, have some semblance of tact in what nonsense or difficulties there are in conversing with them. Dealing with an irate nobleman or man of the church is a greatly different ordeal than a group of imbecilic plebeians puffing their chests out and complicating matters for the sheer sake of doing so," Lucia remarked back with venom. "I care not for whatever ash becomes of that barn."

Unapologetic in her treatment of the lumber workers, if anything she regretted not giving him a further verbal lashing for his final remarks. Regardless, with a huff, Lucia didn't seem to dwell on it, at least to the detriment of the quest.

"I do not mind seeking out the researchers, however I have absolutely no interest in conversing with he other company's braggarts, presuming they are anything like these ones," She stated, both having a poor taste in her mouth of these "blue collars" as well as perceiving her manner of speech better suited to the collegial guild.

However, then further arguments broke out, of which Lucia was uninterested in getting involved in. The hunters had been here before them, and still no monster. While Lucia didn't believe it was some great beast, if typical hunters were up to snuff, they wouldn't have bothered asking the guild in the first place. From the description, it certainly appeared strange. It was none that she had heard of, anyway. As for their supervisor, the woman was to clean up the mess. Meaning, barring their failure in one capacity or the other, she wouldn't be participatory to hunting the beast in all likelihood. While they certainly shouldn't dawdle, the Caskarieth surmised that they weren't quite so bound for time as some were worried.

However, then there was the side-eye from Falco, one that she returned. "Glare elsewhere. I criticized those petulant wretches for wasting our time for the sake of their pitiful pride. We are F-rank. Yes. We are not heroes, nor should we expect a velvet carpet rolled out upon our arrival. However, expecting praise and commendations is far different from tolerating disrespect. Or, should I turn my cheek when they demean comrades for their race, lack of vision, and overall speak down to? No. I will not. I will not expect to be treated as nobility, but I will return whatever civilities are presented to me barring certain circumstances with those actually above my station. A pope, a captain, a king, a mayor, by all means. An arrogant set of peons? No."

Growling that out, Lucia turned her head sharply from him to face front, the bitterness showing in her expression.

"Speaking of my uncle in that manner... that alone would have been deserving of a strike," She murmured, more to herself than any of them, before raising her voice to be audible again. "Do what you wish. You are still the leader, Thea. However, should you choose to visit the other branch, I will abstain."

@A-team

 

[Silver Wolf]

Location: Warehouse
Mentions/Interactions: Reinhardt (GM/Hedwig/Arien), King Crimson (Cressey), TreasureSniper (Talio), ERode (Lori), lunar_moth (Endymion)
​

Upon Cressey's question, Lupa responded to her with a playful frown of, "I'm not a scent hound."

Regardless, the wolfgirl took a large sniff then spun around while sniffing, once her callibration was done, she said, "There are no obvious scents permeating the whole building. I would have to be on top of the source of a suspicious scent or near it to smell anything amiss. I also don't hear anything, yet."

She took a look at the list then the boxes and added with her usual cheerful demeanor, "Besides, we won't know if anything's amiss if we don't take inventory anyways. I'll take the other corner."

Lupa examined the boxes and checked each and every one. Primarily she checked three things, was it on the list, was it closed and sealed, and she gave a quick sniff for each box. The last was primarily if she smelled any rat nests, but it was also possible she could pick up the smell of contraband. It was a long shot, but it was ultimately to be safe. If the warehouses weren't checked regularly, it was possible for it to be used by unscrupulous characters anyways.

As she looked around, she also took a look at the windows as she passed by them, attempting to open them to see if they were unlocked, checking for holes, or even for signs of entry. She didn't expect to find anything on default, it was just a way to cover the warehouse. It was what she did best anyways. Each sniff she did take calibrated her nose to the warehouse further, allowing her to filter out the smell of rotting wood or mold and focus more on the unique smells. She wasn't entirely sure, but something caught her nose's attention and she started gravitating towards it, whatever it was.

"I think I picked something up. Not sure what it is, but it doesn't smell like the rest of what I'm picking up."

She continued to sniff, wandering around until the scent became stronger and stronger. It wasn't the most efficicient method, but her nose didn't lie. Something was unlike the rest of the room, but that may not necessarily mean anything. It was merely a mystery to solve for now, but she had no clue what mystery it meant.

Slowly, but surely, she sniffed her way until the smell no longer became stronger, which led her to believe she was on top of it.

"Somewhere around...here," she said, adjusting her position then stopping to highlight where it was.

 

[Reinhardt]

Recruits​

Location: Heine Warehouse 4​

After finally entering the warehouse and getting a good, well, decent enough look at the interior of the building, the recruits went on their way - each taking a different approach to achieve their goal and complete the tasks that were given to them. Whether such methods would help them succeed in their current is yet to be known, but if they have passed their initial tests to become Kriegslöwen, then surely such a simple quest wouldn't be so difficult to accomplish.

Outside Heine Warehouse 4​

The young, lively beastfolk Lori, who volunteered herself to inspect the building's exterior, made no hesitation to do her self-designated task. The warehouse's exterior was quite what one would expect from something that wasn't regularly maintained - the structure was sound, sure, but there were definitely signs of wear and tear all over the place. Small cracks in various portions of the walls, patches of paint that have faded their colors, old stains, and a few tiny holes that small insects could probably fit in. Though there wasn't anything noteworthy from the building's exterior itself, the immediate vicinity around its backside definitely carried some intriguing points.

The soil was a little softer around that area compared to the other sides, and there were two small lumps of dirt that could be seen. From such lumps, trails of black and red dots would move linearly - ants that would crawl to and from the holes of these lumps and the few gaps and holes at the warehouse's back walls. Occasionally, one could see some bits of different substances being carried off on these trails.

If one would take a rather close look, one might be able to deduce that what the ants were bringing were mere parts of an undetermined, greater whole. Though what exactly it was was yet to be known, for the building could possibly house a myriad of things. Perhaps these creatures are simply making use of wood that's been chipped away through time, or they could be taking something else entirely.

Inside Heine Warehouse 4​

As Endymion's reasonably perceived suspicion of Hedwig's business continued to ferment in his mind, a sudden cold sensation would emerge to the very same arm he used to pat a nondescript wooden crate he passed by - a small, tailless lizard had lept to his forearm, and was slowly crawling up his arm. It wouldn't be difficult to shake this tiny reptile off his skin. Though the appearance of a lizard in such a place wouldn't really warrant any suspicion, the tiny brown pointy thing lodged onto whatever remains of its tail would say otherwise. The poor illumination makes it rather difficult to notice, and even more so to observe such a small detail. A hefty amount of dust would stick on his hand, after such an action.

The tiny sparks that coated the tip of Cressey's spear alleviated the terrible lighting, but never truly to a point that everything was clearly lit. The immediate vicinity, however, was slightly more visible thanks to such magic. The cracking noises, albeit not quite loud, did have its effect - Cressey would occasionally come to hear some subtle skittering nearby her, and a few squeaks that would very much remind her of her time in the sewers. Even now, rodents were running about, not that getting rid of them was the main objective of the quest.

Talio went off to inspect his own share of supplies in one of the many corners of the warehouse. Initially, it went just as he would expect it - plenty of dust and crates, some with traces of sticky cobwebs, some with their wooden containers taking bits of wear and tear. However, the further he went, the stronger the subtle, lingering feeling of peculiarity became. At some point, he would find more wear and tear on the crates - but these damages weren't uniform, some of them came to the point where the crate had a tiny peeking hole, and some of them simply had random bits and tiny strands of wood scattered over its surface. Inevitably, as he would go further, he would hear a crunch as he takes another step with his boots. Beneath them lie the remnants of a crushed worm-like bug about the length of an average human palm. The dim lighting and the splattered guts made it difficult to analyze, but one could easily gather a few things - its exoskeleton was tough enough to warrant a crunch, and its guts had a slightly acidic scent.

Such information wasn't really enough to deduce what it was exactly, but a sense of familiarity ringed within the depths of his mind. Perhaps with more clues, he would be able to recognize it. However, that may have to wait - not mere seconds after the bug died, Talio would hear skittering and clicking noises near him. Or more specifically, all around him.

Lupa went off to her own corner, using her nose as a tool to inspect the wares stored in the building. Though the mixture of scents and dustiness of the place would hinder such senses, she managed to adapt her nose to make scent tracking salvageable at the least. In the midst of her scent-aided inspection, she would come across a particularly different scent, which she followed without hesitation. This led her toward a small metal table with several rags on top of it - most of them were covered in stain and dirt, and carried a rather pungent smell. These rags were most likely used ages ago and had not been washed since, especially since a handful of them very clearly looked quite crusty.

Interaction/s: Cresslinde ( King Crimson ), Endymion ( lunar_moth ), Lupa ( Silver Wolf ), Talio ( TreasureSniper ), Lori ( ERode )

 

[ERode]

Location: Outside Heine Warehouse 4​

“D’aw, aren’t y’all just the cutest little workers here?”

While the wear-and-tear of the warehouse itself looked inevitable and didn’t appear to threaten total collapse, the few holes that looked like they could lead inside may cause some small amount of trouble in the future. On the bright side though, Lori didn’t spy anything that looked like someone had actively been trying to bash a human-sized hole in the warehouse, so there went the concern of getting got by bandits at least! Instead, it looked very much as if the thieves of the warehouse were two competing hills of ants going back and forth from their homes to the warehouse. Lori crouched beside them, her hair dragging into the sand as she tilted her head onto its side, trying to puzzle out what exactly they were chipping away at. It was hard to tell though, outside of the obvious stuff like ‘it can’t be stone or metal’. Wood seemed like the most obvious thing, but wood itself would be a problem too. And if the ants were taking something from inside the warehouse?

Well, it was a good thing she checked!

“Heyo!” Lori jumped up repeatedly, trying to get as close to the open windows so her voice could travel through. “Talio! Endy! Lupa! Cressey! There’s! Ants! Over! Here! Going! In! Check! Crates! Back!”

She landed after that final, emphatic word, letting out a breath as her talons dug into the softer dirt. That was that message delivered. Now, how would she climb up to the roof? Her talons click-clacked against the grooves in the warehouse, finding purchase. If she had a run up, could kick off against the wall, and then grasp onto the top, it’d be easy to jimmy herself up afterwards, huh?

 

[Topless]

Location: Oyten

It appeared as though everyone's divided with their next move. Some wanted to go into the woods for further investigation while others insisted into gaining more info from other logging companies. This really puts the team in a very tight spot. Sakura sighed. "Falco, calm down." She said and then she placed her hand onto his shoulder for reassurance as she continued to speak "Whatever decision this team makes, be it individually or as a whole, our objective is still the same. We can go along with Thea's suggestion and encounter the same ordeal as before or we head into the woods and investigate further ourselves. Which ever is more advantageous will make a guarantee that we deal with this beast swift and merciful. I'm all in with whatever decision that all of us, as a team, will make so long as it is useful in fulfilling our role."

She then turned to Hyss who mentioned about using her hunting skills to their advantage. "I would thank you for that one, but we need to consider this..." Sakura spoke "As we talk about traps, we need to take the time to prepare. It is not very instant of me, or to us rather, to make a trap. And besides, we cannot make a trap without supplies and a strategy. We need to perform cooperation if we want it to work, even if it meant risking one of our lives just to get it done. If you wish to head out, I'd suggest you limit yourself to just scouting and report back immediately on what you saw. Do not even think about engaging it head on. It might be a little too much to fight it alone, who knows how strong that beast is."

Finally, she turned to Lucia and is not too happy about her comments towards the loggers. "True that they may be a little disbelief at what befall them. But pardon me when I tell you that their livelihood is at stake here. How are they going to feed their families if they don't have the means to get money? I don't care if they're nothing but peons, for even the most lame are willing to sacrifice everything all for the sake of making their lives easier. Curb your braggadocio, Lucia. You may need it." Her expression may not show it, but her voice and tone can tell that she really meant those words.

AnonyMouse Reinhardt RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko Huntertabbysandshark3
​

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Thea Schuerer
Location: Oyten
​

Bit by bit the situation continued to worsen or remained civil, but it was a sure thing that those in this team were not in favor of staying here or pursuing the rest of the information they could get. Indeed, it may be a waste of time and it may not be. They would not know till they tried and even if they were not told anything useful about the prey, information on the woods would be invaluable. This was nothing to be overly concerned about, but it was also not a matter to treat like a joke. Then Hyss had to add in, going at Falco who ultimately seemed to agree with part of what she said if nothing else, then Lucia and Sakura who seemed to ignore the knight's warning was next to add in. It was around here that Thea had just about... "Enough!"

The former Knight errant raises her armored hands into the air and stops walking as she turns back to face the rest. pointing at them as she spoke and gesturing with her hands, she starts with Lucia, not as she had something against her but so much as those words were fresh in her mind. "Lucia, like it or not the Kriegslowen serves those peasants even if they are rude and as I said from the start, I expected nothing out of them at all!"

Turning her attention to Hyss she would have jabbed a finger into her chest if the woman was closer as she spoke in clear irritation, "And you stop treating all the rest as if we are a hinderance! If you are such hot shit with your subterfuge and foreign ways then go ahead and get promoted! You may know things we do not know as we know things you don't! But not a single damn one of you know about this land! Open your eyes and look to the sky! Those trees are bigger than more than a few of the houses in the City, it rains, it's humid and I've not seen landscape like this before. Do you all just want to walk off happily into the woods you know nothing of?"

Turning her attention to Sakura, she shakes her head side to side. "I said it once and I'll say it again, least we find some way to get out of that place with some idea of where we are, none of our numbers split or go in advance." Then her attention shifted to Falco; "Even if you are in such a hurry to get to those woods said these words yourself;

Those hunters are not allowed into these woods, and they likely have no more idea what they are hunting than we do. The Elf is of little matter to me given who I believe it to be, a little more time here will not hurt us. But hours out there in Ignorance may seriously harm us."

With that said, she finally seemed to compose herself as she outlines her orders, having lost all pretense to negotiations within the group for here and now; "I'm going to that other workshop and then to those learned men, my goal is just to get some information, even if confirmation, hopefully an idea of what our target is and then we leave. Half a bell we are out of here. Anyone that wants to come, by all means. The rest of you however gather what supplies you may need for trapping or survival for one to three days. We will not be coming back to the town least we must till the job is done. Ask the locals for any tips to survive these wilds, or just sit on your asses at the gate heading to the worksite. If you need a water flask, ask Falco, he unfortunately has two, but pay him for it. I can pitch in two silvers towards group supplies if one of you wishes for that responsibility,"

Interactions: EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Huntertabbysandshark3 Topless

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: talking to group
Thinking: "Hmph!! Why's everyone so mean?? I totally understand teamwork! What's wrong with them?"

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun
Mentions:
​

She looked over at Falco as he began talking to her. Well, it made sense he'd retort. Though most of his spiel was nothing but an annoyance, and made little sense to her. "The woods being 'off limits' is inconsequential. Our job is to go stop whatever this beast is. It's either not off limits to us, or we just gotta go do it regardless. Like you said, get used to skirting the rules just a bit. Though, I would've guessed you of all people would already be used to doing such." That wasn't even meant as an insult, that was just her impression of how he's lived so far. Hyss had literally no idea why Falco continued to berate her for teamwork. Hyss understood teamwork, perhaps more so than he did. What was his impression of her if he thought she didn't believe in it? Even now, she let her allies do most of the talking -for better or worse. Thea was their assigned leader, so Hyss let Thea play out the leader role. So far Falco had been nothing but an annoying little bee who never stopped buzzing around. Risax had been useful. And Sakura had too. Falco just continued to berate her, and it was getting annoying.

"You don't know me either," she reminded him. "Don't be silly." She turned and stuck her nose up. "Wanting an ally to have harm befall them is literally nonsense; is that your own strange inner secret desires? I only want everyone to be as safe as possible in our missions. Who is the one who seems to lack an understanding of teamwork?"

She furrowed her brow, gritting her teeth, rounding back on him. "It's Hysydice! You didn't even try to pronounce it correctly!"

Hyss glanced over at Sakura as she began speaking directly to her. It struck Hyss as odd. Was this the first time the fox girl had spoken directly to her? The hooded girl didn't like the implication that she was being hasty, and she found herself a bit troubled that Sakura implied her own traps wouldn't be super useful unless they took some time to set them up. If they weren't that useful, then why mention them? But regardless, Hyss wouldn't say anything on that front, assuming that the traps would be useful if they spent the time Sakura needed. "I could scout." She frowned. "I have no intention of engaging the target on my own. That would be foolish."

Hyss glanced at Thea as their leader attempted to gain everyone's attention. Once more, someone said something that deflated the small hooded Beastkin. "I'm not treating anyone like a hindrance..." Okay, except maybe Falco. That made her reflect a bit, and decide to ease up on him a bit more. "I've acknowledged everyone's worth. I have no confidence I can solve any of this on my own. I offered my services as a scout. Typically scouts are only useful at relaying information to the group. -That group that has a better chance of succeeding, which is the reason the scout returns with information to them." How was that not obvious? It was so confusing to her, that she literally slumped, unable to understand where these peoples' heads were at.

Pulling her hood over her face, the snek walked over to the nearby fence, turned, placed her back to it, and sunk to the ground. She pulled her knees up and held them with her arms atop them, putting her face there.

 

[lunar_moth]

INSIDE HEINE WAREHOUSE 4​

“There’s ants out there? You think they got into the— AAAHHCCKK—!”

Endymion’s shout back out to Lori is brought to a halt with a yelp of surprise as a lizard clings to him. With it, a cloud of dust spurts from the crate’s opening and coats his hand, and Endymion — whilst scrunching his nose up to ward off another sneeze — frantically waves his hand around to urge the animal off. It falls to the ground with a quiet splat!

“Snf- …Oh. Heh. Eheh. Um, false alarm, don’t panic, anyone. It was just a— what is that, even?” He sheepishly scratches the back of his head. Endymion crouches down on his heels to peer at the little thing further. It doesn’t have a tail. I guess it’s a frog?

“Why were you in a crate,” the expert zoologist deadpans. “Are you what’s being trafficked. Croak once for yes if you need help.”

The lizard, incapable of croaking or ribbiting, simply flails a bit on the ground in an attempt to right itself. Endymion decides he’s had enough of waiting for an answer and scoops up the lizard with his still-dusty hand.

“Right, good talk. You’re coming with me. If there are drug mule ants running around back there, I’m gonna need you to eat them for me, thanks.”

He holds the lizard out in front of him and marches dutifully to the back side of the warehouse— evidently, where there are multitudes of ants piecing apart something of indeterminate nature. Time to check it out. Man, this detective shit’s actually pretty easy.

 

[AnonyMouse]

Falion "Falco" Cauphix​

Location: Oyten, headed to workshop​

"W-Whut? Huh!?" Falco said incredulously, when he heard Hyss's response to his insults. His face contorted with a mixture of confusion, anger, and something akin to cosmic horror. "I was referring to the woods being off limits to the loggers, not us," he said, too baffled to even comprehend a more thorough response. Of course it wasn't off limits to Kriegslowen! How... why... does she seriously think I'm THAT fucking stooopid!? Aurelia, send me a sign or something! I don't even know how to throw words at this creature. It's like talking to a wall.

The rest of her nonsense about him wanting to harm his friends went in one ear and out the other. He ought to be angry. He ought to rage at such baseless, vile accusations. Instead, he just stood there, dumbfounded and neurally numb, in slack-jawed wonder at how or why this girl was repeatedly fabricating reasons to hate him. I mean, I could give you a few reasons, if ya like, he thought. But THAT sure ain't one of 'em!

Fortunately, Sakura's kind words and Thea's firm rebuke of everyone's behavior brought the matter to a (temporary) close. Falco merely took a deep breath and slowly nodded his head in agreement. "Okay. I'm in. We'll give it another shot, I guess, but you do the talking this time. Apparently, I'm bad at it or something," he said. His words were bereft of his usual enthusiasm. Frankly, he thought he did okay last time. That guy didn't trust him because he was a 'slick-talking city boy,' but he had at least gotten the ball rolling... until the man told them to prove themselves and it triggered everyone's PTCephD: 'post-traumatic Cephilia syndrome.'

Speaking of which...

"By the way, I disgree with one thing: I think we should be worried about the elf and those hunters," Falco said, before briefly hastening his pace to catch up with Thea. "They've got a head start. They're probably better equipped than us. And we have no idea what information Jacobee gave 'em before they headed in. I think you're being too cautious, Thea. Buuut..." he raised his hands in surrender, "You're the leader. It's a lot of responsibility... and you don't want anybody to get hurt. I get it. I just want you to know, whatever happens, I don't blame you. Okay? I signed up for this."

He paused for a moment before adding; "Unless those hunters kill it before we even get there. I'll definitely blame you for that! Hahahaha," he teased, playfully nudging her with his elbow.

Interaction(s): RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[TreasureSniper]

Current Location: Warehouse #4
Interactions: lunar_moth ERode Silver Wolf King Crimson ​

Seeing the insects in the warehouse raised a few alarms in the merchant's head. In the past, he has heard horror stories about how some insects were able to ruin an entire warehouse of stock if left unattended. As he went further, he could see that damage of some of the crates had become more extensive. It didn't look or smell like your typical rotting wood. More likely, it was the work of an insect of some sort. Upon hearing the crunch under his boot, he would immediately inspect the unfortunate bug he had stepped on. While it was difficult to tell what type of bug it was, based on the size, innards and exoskeleton, he deduced it was some sort of a maggot. A termite perhaps? In any case, this was something worth reporting. Talio hurriedly jotted down some notes about a possible infestation which was a VERY serious issue. Taking out a carving knife from the utility belt, Talio scooped up some of the remains of the bug on placed it in a small vial for close inspection.


Hearing the skittering all around him would prompt him to place his hand on the hilt of his blade, waiting to strike at anything that would pounce at him. Thankfully, such a moment never arose since he was immediately called out by Lori the bird. Talio, hearing his party member call out to him, cautiously took steps towards the group, his hand still holding onto the hilt of his blade as he moved. He was just about done in that area anyways. Upon reaching Lori's area, he immediately informed them about the bugs he had found earlier. "Team, tread lightly. Based on what I have seen so far, there is likely some level of infestation in this warehouse." While he was bewildered by what Lori was doing, he knew he had to focus on the task at hand. "I stepped on some sort of an insect earlier. Looked like a maggot. " Talio took out the vial from earlier and showed it to the group. Of it course it was difficult to tell what it was since it was all squished. "Lupa, how familiar are you with the scent of specific insects?" He asked, hoping they could deduce the identity of the insect.

Taking a look at the other were present in the area, he couldn't help but wonder why Endymion was playing with a lizard. The trail of ants that Lori had mentioned was also an interesting detail, something to written down in his notes no doubt. Although the client had mentioned that they would be compensated for any extermination, he wasn't sure if they had the necessary tools to carry out such a task. It any case, depending on the severity of the infestation, they might have to leave that part of the job to another party. Besides, he didnt know how chemically sensitive some of the contents of the box were, so he couldn't just go spraying poison around the area.

 

[AnonyMouse]

A-Team Recruits​

Location: Oyten, headed to Lewis and Sons workshop​

The group of adventurers departed Jacobee sawmill, only slightly more knowledgeable than they had been when they arrived, and significantly more annoyed. Surely, their investigations of the other two companies would prove more fruitful?

Yet again, the gentle patter of rain returned, ensuring the muddy streets would never have a chance to fully dry. The air stirred, suggesting this would become more than a mere drizzle before the day's end. Whispy gray clouds loitered overhead, slowly drifting across an ominous sky where the pale sphere of a shrouded sun faintly glowed. The day was still young, announced by nine chimes from the clocktower of a small chapel near the edge of town.

Oyten's few shops appeared to be open now. Those who wished to buy supplies branched off to do so. Those who wished to continue the investigation followed Thea's footfalls to a large building situated around the corner and down the street from the Jacobee yard. Immaculate, red cursive script on a white sign read 'Lewis and Sons, Fine Woodworking.' Even the air outside smelled of laquer, resin, and sawdust, instead of the faintly modly, damp, forest scent of the Jacobee lumberyard.

As Thea, Hyss, and Falco pushed through the door, a small bell announced their arrival. The interior seemed more like a sales floor than a workshop, though the large size of the building suggested most of the work took place in a separate area, deeper in. The space they entered had ornate furniture, cabinetry, and wooden baubles displayed to pique the interest of potential buyers. Unfortunately, the space was not designed for some of their larger members. Risax showed some difficulty geting through the door. And, even if he were to make it inside, would likely find even more difficulty navigating the narrow aisles between the very expensive-looking merchandise.

Falco frowned at the thought of going on without him, but the Mayor had assured him these guys were friendlier than Jacobee, so perhaps it wouldn't be all bad. Before he could finish that thought, someone emerged from a door behind the counter, apparently summoned by the entry bell.

"Good morning! Welcome, welcome," a well-dressed elderly man said as he approached the small group of adventurers, wringing his hands as he did. "Can I interest you fine folks in... oh... I see..." His voice trailed off as his eyes fell upon their Kriegslowe badges. However, his smile did not falter. "Wonderful! So glad to have you!" he exclaimed as he firmly shook each of their hands.

Gazing upon the workshop, or rather the work floor, it seemed the mayor was right on the feln with this group. The attitude was also a bit different from the loggers. And this one had manners at least. Thea, not minding if the rest of her group spoke but not letting them start off, raises her right hand in greeting with a small casual wave.

"Ho there, I am Thea Schuerer, of the Tylsen Kriegslowe branch. We were curious if your wounded man was yet awake and willing to speak with us, or if maybe you got some answers about all that took place? We were sent here to solve the issue of the beast so the woods may open back to all of those in the town. Answers on what it is we were sent here to hopefully relocate has been rather sparse."

"Frederick Lewis, owner. A pleasure to meet ya," the man said, gesturing to himself as he gave the girl's hand a solid shake. "Paul was our man who got attacked. He's not in, unfortunately. Restin' at home... and his wife gives me 'that look' every time I drop by to check on him, so I try not to be a bother," the man with a slight frown. After a small pause, he smiled once more and rested his thumbs in his suspenders. "He was doin' a lot better when I checked in yesterday, so should make a full recovery. Just shaken up, is all."

The man jabbed his chin toward the door he had come through, which seemed to lead deeper into the shop. "Karl and Jake were with him when it happened and they're workin' in the back. Carried him back to camp, they did. I could tell ya what they told me, but better to hear it straight from the horse's mouth, as they say."

Thea nods her head a bit, pleased with this one rather than the previous visit, her and everyone else that followed likely as she processes what she was told. Unfortunately, they did not have the time to go to the man directly. Or at least if they did, she was sure she would have some sort of rebellion on her hands. It was, what it was, so with a bit of a subtle exhale she addresses the man. "Ah, I see, thank you Mister Lewis, or would you rather Frederick? It is unfortunate that given factors not in our control that time is a pressing issue, though I do hope your workman recovers well, what manner of wounds did he have?"

"Bruising and lacerations from getting thrashed around," the man said with a slight frown. "The beast... hooked him... somehow. The worst was a deep gash on his back, where it sank its claws in." He patted his back, near his shoulder blades, indicating the location. "Lucky it missed his spine. Could've been so much worse. He got free and fell from pretty high up. Dislocated his shoulder when he hit the ground."

With that the former knight nods at his offer of speaking with the other workers who were on hand at the time. "If it isn't too much of a bother that would be nice, otherwise I'm happy with taking the words from you. We aren't here to disrupt your workshop after all."

"There really ain't much for them to do around here," the man said, momentarily leaning on the counter. "They're loggers, not craftsmen. I've got 'em sharpening tools in the back and helpin' where they can, since they can't exactly do their real job now. I'm sure they're tired of tellin' this story, but one more time can't hurt. I'll be back with 'em in a jiffy. Y'all make yourselves comfortable," he said before backing out of the door.

"So far, so good," Falco muttered, breathing a sigh of relief the moment the man was out of the room. He nudged Thea. "Sounds a lot like what the other guy said. It ambushes people from behind and takes 'em up. If we can figure out which direction it came from or where it went, that'd be a big help."

Thea nods at Falco's assessment in full agreement. "Yes, if we can confirm the same tale or get an idea of where it went that would do us well, the problem is if the beast only attacks lone targets, then one of us will have to be bait... An idea I don't very much like. Least this group is more out to help us than to hinder us. On that note I'm wondering if we should keep the hunters to ourselves or leave that information as a parting gift to the Mayor." With that Thea remains focused on the door ahead of them in silence.

Falco appeared to fall into deep thought the moment she mentioned the possiblity of using someone as bait. "We'll see," he muttered, not ready to commit to a course of action. But, to her point about the hunters, he was swift to say, "I doubt it matters. We'll mention it when the job's done, but Johnson told us they were trying to contact hunters. Discovering they actually succeeded hardly changes anything. He already knows Jacobee's a bunch o' snakes... erm, no offense," he added, with a glance at Hyss.

The door swung open and Mr Lewis returned, with two men in tow. One was an ovil-ken dressed in overalls with a light coat of sawdust. The other was a tall, slender, man similarly dressed, but wearing a hat, which he politely removed as he entered the room and bowed slightly. The orc seemed to notice this gesture and mimicked it. "Kriegslowen, these are Mr. Karl and Mr. Jakob," he gestured to the orc and human, respectfully.

"Always a pleasure to see Kriegslowen on the case," Jakob said as he enthusiastically shook their hands. "I-I mean, not a 'pleasure,' per se, considering the circumstances, but... good. Good to have you."

"Stop talkin,' Jake. Yer makin' us look like bloomin' idiots," the orc growled, giving his friend a hearty clap on the shoulder before looking to the adventurers. "'Tis a shame what happened to Paul, but if y'all are here to get rid o' that thing, it's a pleasure. So, what you folks wanna know? Shall we start from the top? I'm gettin' good at tellin' this story..."

Smiling a bit as the other man returned with his workers, Thea didn't mind the suggestion of a tale, but time was pressing, so she would not waste time in return. "I would indeed be interested in hearing the story once we return, for we shall return to the Town when this is all resolved. Sadly, time is of the issue, though I will say I like this place more than the last. Any little bit of information may help us in finding out the nature of that which we hunt."

"See, they need the facts. Strictly the facts, not your tall tales," Jake said, side-eyeing the orc.

"As you wish," Karl grunted, looking slightly disappointed. Clearly Mr. Lewis's claim that they were getting tired of recounting the event didn't apply to both men. "It happened three days ago, 'bout evening time. Sun was gettin' low," he began. "We were just finishing up for the day..."

"We're loggers and scouts," Jake cut in. "We look for premium wood and bring back samples for the the others to check out. If they like it or think it's something they can use, we go harvest it," he explained. "On that day, we were lookin' for some ironoak about, uhh, north-northwest of the main logging grounds. We found a few good candidates, but most were too large, so-"

"They wanna hear about the attack, not what we do for a living," the orc retorted before looking to the adventurers once more. "I told 'em something was watchin' us, but they wouldn't listen. There was rustling in the trees," he said, to which Jake frowned, showing some signs of guilt. The orc patted him on the shoulder. "It ain't yer fault, bud. Whatever it was, it followed us for a while, I think. We stopped two or three times to look, but every time we did, it either went away or stopped moving. I knew something was up there, but... well, I can't blame 'em for not believin' me."

"Thanks," Jake said with a sigh. "After about half an hour or so of being... stalked like that, it struck. Paul and I were gathering some limbs we thought would make good wicker, while Karl was chopping a thick branch from an ironoak to take back to town. My guess is, we were far enough apart that this... this thing saw that as a perfect opportunity."

"'Whump!" the orc said. "Son of a bitch must've been heavy. I could hear when he hit the ground. Felt it, too. Then Paul screamed, 'yaaaaah!' That's when I turned around and see this big cat with its tail wrapped around-"

"Not wrapped!" Jake said, jabbing a finger at him. "For the millionth time, if you're gonna tell it, get it right! I was closer than you, Karl, and I know what I saw. It's like it... it stabbed him... hooked him? It had this... claw or talon or something... on its tail."

"Aye, and you saw all of this while on yer ass, mewling like a baby?" the orc said, raising an eyebrow. "It's fine, friend. You were, indeed, awfully close to the monster and it all happeend very fast. There's no shame in a wee bit of delirium."

"I KNOW what I saw!" Jake said, angered at the orc's condescending tone.

"Gentlemen... please," Mr. Lewis said calmly, encouraging a bit of civility.

Hearing the report in detail, the other place had been withholding information, though a cat with a barbed tail. She recalled tales her father would say when she was younger, and he returned home from his adventures or service. Was it some sort of manticore? If it were that was a danger all of its own. Though something so horrifying would have been known at once. Maybe it was some form of magical beast or chimera. And given that it hadn't killed was likely not as it didn't try. An infant beast? Was she over thinking it?

There was much to take about this conversation in full. "Hmm, did it happen to have orange or brownish fur? As to the tail, there are a number of things where that is possible. Was there anything different about this area from the rest?"

"I know what I saw," Jake repeated, at her mention that the tail could be any number of things. Athough he seemed calmer now, he did not look willing to budge on that subject.

"It was reddish. almost pink, I'd say," Karl said, keeping the conversation on track. "As for the area...." he thought for a moment. "No. We been there plenty o' times and never seen nothin' like it."

"The trees," Mr. Lewis commented. "If it's as heavy as you say and ambushes from above... it needs thick limbs. Those iron oaks are plenty stout."

"Damn... good point. Ya may have just figured out its hunting grounds," the orc said with a grin. He gave his coworker a nudge, "Aye, Jakey. You always seem to know where to find the right trees. How about you-"

"Draw a topographical map of where the largest ones are located, so these guys will know where to look?" the other man said. "Nice try, Karl, but I'm no cartographer and the lady said they're in a hurry," he briefly gestured to Thea before looking to the orc once more. "However, I appreciate you thinking I'm capable of such a thing... even though thinking is clearly not your strong suit."

To this, the orc simply chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

Listening to the two men, Thea nodded in agreement to their logic. It made sense and helped narrow down the forest search a bit, still to offer them a map, how to handle that? Looking at Falco he was more learned in dealing with these sorts of things, compensation of one form or another would make sense, but they seemed to just want the situation resolved.

"Ah, we all thank you kindly for the map, I am sorry we can't spare much time in the current here to look over your wares or to hear the tale, but there should be plenty of such time on the return trip, least this beast proves harder to hunt than expected."

"The scholars may have something like that," Falco said, glancing at Thea. "A map, that is. It can't hurt to ask."

"You came to us before seeing them?" Jake said, his eyes widening. "Wow... I ought to feel flattered. They're smart. Those guys probably have a ton of theories about what it is, where it came from, how it got here-"

"-What it eats for breakfast, favorite color, mating habits," the orc teased. "Look, there is such a thing as being too smart for yer own good, ya know. Those Ravenloft kids mean well, but these woods ain't a classroom."

"Anyway, we're just making the rounds, in no particular order," Falco replied. "Thank you for the information."

"It's big and it's fast," the orc said with a smile, baring his fangs. "I'm sure you'll have a tale of yer own when you return."
"Aye, we can do that woodsman, we'll be sure to bring you a grand tale. We'll be sure to get you back into your woods as soon as we can." Thea says with a nod before turning to Falco. While the map would be nice it was not needed for sure with the amount of time it would take, maybe they would get lucky, and the scholars would have a ready-made map.

"We'll head out now, though is there anything we should know to tell those trees apart from the rest?"

"Thicker roots. Broader trunks. Denser canopy," Jake said. "The true giants block out the sun, too. The forest may seem darker than usual." He shrugged. "There's more to it than that, but that's the easiest way to tell. Best of luck to you all. You'll need it," he added as the adventurers began to move toward the exit.

"Eh, they'll be fine," Karl said. "They're Kriegslowen."

After departing the shop, the three adventurers emerged back onto the street, where the rain was still falling. "That went... well," Falco said, almost in disbelief. "I hope the rest of our encounters go half as smoothly, be they man, beast, elf, or what-have-you." He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up and down the street. Finding no sign of their comrades, he turned to Thea once more. "I suppose we ought to go collect Her Highness before continuing to Ravenloft. She said she wanted to join us for that, seeing as how they're not 'peasants.'"


Interaction(s): AnonyMouse (Falco) / RedArmyShogun (Thea) / EmperorsChosen (Lucia) / Thalia_Neko (Hyss) / Topless (Sakura) / Huntertabbysandshark3 (Risax)

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Currently: talking to group
Thinking: "Why relocate? Why would I be offended? Because of the word 'snake'? Hmph, I'm more offended now, because he said to not be.."

Location: Oyten
Interacting: everyone on the oyten mission AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun
Mentions:
​

Hyss had gotten up from her little spot next to the fence where she had brooded and pouted. Her feet slowly padding on the muddied road as she silently followed the other two. The small hooded girl towed behind them, keeping quiet the entire time. She stuck to the fringes, even as they entered the next place and spoke to the next people. But she did maintain a distance which she could appropriately hear what was being discussed so she could retain the necessary information. Luckily this group was nicer, and more ready to just say what they knew.

Hyss had considered the groups, and she had thought about these scholar peeps. She hadn't thought they would be the best to talk to -- agreeing with the ovil-ken. She figured they'd be too wrapped up in theories and such, trying too hard to come to terms with what it is, or what have you, rather than think about practical things and give useful, concrete information like your average joe who was involved in the attack. Though, the first group they talked to had been largely a bust. Maybe it would be good to learn what it is at this point, and hear any theories on how to deal with it. After hearing it was a cat with a scorpion-tail Hyss found herself wondering why the mayor wanted it relocated rather than just killed.

 

[King Crimson]

Current Location: Warehouse #4​

"Let's see...CVG...6RT...91D13--wait, no, or is that a 'B'?" Cressey silently muttered to herself, comparing the assortment of letters and numbers printed on the box before her through strained eyes to those printed upon the sheet of paper clutched in her hand.
The light from her lance helped somewhat with the task, but the ink painted upon the crate of old, stale wood had long since faded, and the dim light made reading the faint text as indecipherable as it was mind-numbing.
In her attempts to focus her mind on the small, archaic symbols, the encroaching dark, and unbearable tedium worked in tandem in their attempts to distract her.
She grew to become hyperaware of the ambient, unnatural noises around her; old, aged stone and timber groaning and cracking, the sounds of her comrades shuffling about from box to box, the skittering of small, tiny, inhuman feet, and at one point, much to her dismay, she thought she heard a small, familiar chittering squeak.
Still, she soldiered on, chalking such noises up to an overactive imagination brought upon by her lingering memories of that damnable sewer, before checking off another item on her list as being present and accounted for.

As she moved on to the next cask perched just at eye level for her to examine, she hovered her lance close to the box's corner, narrowing her eyes once more to strain to see the faint text through the darkness.
Another round of faint, rapid skittering sounded close by. Ignoring the hairs raising on the back of her neck, Cressey began, "CVG...4R3--"
"Heyo!"
Lori's familiar, cheery voice rang through the dreary warehouse, muffled slightly, as her voice struggled to filter in from a narrow slit functioning as a window somewhere near the top of the building.
Cressey could faintly make out the top of her fluffy mane of unruly white hair, capped in a black hood, popping in and out of view as she excitedly scaled the building's wall.
A display which made Cressey just a little bit envious, having always been a bit of a late bloomer when it came to matters of height.
Of course, aside from showing off her natural jumping abilities, the beastkin had a message of great import!
She found some ants while playing around outside, and she would soon be coming in to help.
"Stupendous," Cressey sarcastically shouted back in reply, before huffing a frustrated sigh, and muttering a few curses to mourn her wasted time, before turning her head back to her task.
However, as she hovered her lance back towards the box, a small, peculiar shadow melted across the wood like running ink, one that had not been there previously.
Instinctively, the hairs on the back of Cressey's neck stood once more, and hesitantly, she forced her eyes to look into her peripheral, where they met a pair of black, glowering beads staring right back at her, perched upon the shelf.
The small vermin let out a shrill, panicked squeak at it's discovery, which Cressey responded to with one of her own, wildly swiping her lance through the darkness in a vague notion of where the creature's body would be.
A bright flash of light briefly illuminated the hall as her lance found purchase, searing the rat's body with a loud, crackling pop as it turned flesh and fur into cinders and embers in an instant, and sending the vermin's still burning remains flying through the air like a small comet, before at last, coming to rest some few meters away, landing by Talio's feet.
Evidently, he'd had a similar encounter, as he made clear, as did Endymion, if that shrill crying she'd heard earlier were any indication.
"Y-You don't say!" Cressey chafed in exasperation at the merchant, his warning having come just a little too late to be of help.
Tentatively, she walked over to the charred remains of her defeated prey, plucking it off of the floor by it's tail with a perturbed grimace wrought upon her face.
"This place is disgusting," she harshly remarked, carrying the body towards one of the windows, and tossing it outside with little ceremony to become a fried feast for the bugs, beasts or Lori that found it.
Dusting off whatever residue was left on her gloves, she turned back towards her compatriots, her brow knit in pensive thought.
"I know he said that it had been some time since these warehouses had been examined, but for it to be in such a sorry state, you'd swear no one had been here in years!"




Interacting:
Lupa ( Silver Wolf )
Lori ( ERode )
Endymion ( lunar_moth )
Talio ( TreasureSniper )