Fantasy The Eobine Expedition

[Nue]

s t a r t e r -
We begin in Helmfirth, a town right on the edge of the 10th layer of Eobine, leading into the 11th.

It's a tiny town, all the buildings constructed from the same wood that Eobine itself is made of, and consists of a few houses, a grocery, various small enchanting shops and restaurants dotted here and there, and a pub. So tiny that there's no need for public transport. Utterly unremarkable - if not for it's position. Helmfirth, being situated right on the cusp of the more 'exciting' part of Eobine, makes it a hotspot for aspiring explorers who climb up the tree with dreams of fame, wealth, and success. Some succeed - most come back a few days later doing the 'walk of shame' that lets everyone in the town know they failed whatever goal they'd set for themselves. Most of the townspeople dislike explorers, given that they tend to flood their pubs, get outrageously drunk and noisy and then make a mess before leaving.. but it's their main money-maker, so they tend to keep quiet.

It's the late afternoon, just beginning to get dark. The rain outside is fierce, bordering on hailstones, but the thick branches that loom over the town leave the citizens mostly sheltered. Most are just leaving work and heading home to their families, but some go straight to The Woodcarver Tavern, Helmfirth's finest - and only - inn.

The Woodcarver Tavern is known mostly for the being the starting place of many legendary expedition groups (as well as many more failed attempts at them) due to it's convenient position on the tenth layer, but pulls in a decent business in it's own right for it's above average food and drink. There's always a fire roaring, and, usually, always enough space for travellers to stay. It's for this reason that Arthur Breines, the organiser, has picked this as the first meeting place of this new expedition team, and the time for all of these people to meet as a group for the first time is mere minutes away.

YareYare Gabe Moonshadow Gomenesigh Caffeine Freak Spoiled Bread Chione Nano Pyosimros

 

[Nue]

Arthur Breines -

Arthur had been sat alone in The Woodcarver Tavern for almost two hours now, and he was beginning to get strange looks.

He'd already gotten off on the wrong foot with the inn's staff. When Arthur had first arrived a day prior to ask for a room, it had ended up quickly escalating into a confrontation when the barkeeper had made an innocent, offhand comment about how he looked 'a little too young to be travelling alone', and he'd taken offence. Just when Arthur had calmed down from that, his anger flared up again that night when he attempted to order an alcoholic drink and, once more, had been challenged on his age. Even for an 18 year old, Arthur looked young - his big, round eyes and inability to grow anything more than a light stubble on his face meant that people often mistook him to be years younger than he actually was. This was something he knew deep down wasn't anyone's fault.. but it didn't stop him from turning red faced with anger whenever it was acknowledged. Thankfully, the staff seemed to have taken the hint and not brought it up any further, although they'd also taken to avoiding him as much as possible now, something that made him feel a tinge of embarrassment. Now he sat alone at a table, one hand curled around the handle of his glass, the other tapping the table absent-mindedly as he waited for the other members of his party to finally show up.

He wasn't nervous, Arthur kept telling himself. Maybe showing up two hours before the agreed meeting time had been on the extreme side, yes, but he was just being thorough.
You have to be thorough when Eobine is involved, he assured himself once more.

It had took a lot to get to this point - the journey itself, and the preparation beforehand. In just a year and a bit, he'd learned to sword-fight, he'd 'mastered' pyromancy, broken the law a handful of times just to get to Leranor, and, finally, arrived at his destination. Eobine. Arthur remembered how he'd faltered seeing the Great Tree come into view for the first time on that cargo ship.. no photo could've ever done it justice. He'd known it was big, obviously, but Eobine's size was something you'd have to see to believe - as a kid, he'd thought the mountains that surrounded his tiny village were impressive. This blew it completely out of the water. It almost completely overtook the island, its' roots spilling out into the sea surrounding it, and there was no visible top - only a thick layer of cloud blocking the rest of it from sight. He'd felt a shiver run down his spine as he realised that this was the same Great Tree his father had seen, that his brother had seen, that his sister had seen.. this was that same tree that had driven everyone apart.

The port towns dotted around Eobine were always frantic, no matter what time of the day, always people hurrying about with crates and clamouring to get everything loaded onto the ships in time. Climbing further up the tree, the chaos seemed to dissipate slightly, but it was still a busy place. The atmosphere always seemed to be.. buzzing, Arthur had noted. He didn't stick around the lower layers too long, though - he had a place to be. Helmfirth, a town on the tenth layer. It would be a sleepy, nowhere town anywhere else in the world, but it just happened to be on the border between the safe, tourist-friendly Eobine, where everything was easily accessible and convenient.. and the rest of Eobine, which was far more exciting. This was where legends started. This was where people went to make history.

Arthur wasn't here for that, though. He had no interest in getting his name in the history books. Hell, he wasn't even entirely interested in making some cash, although that certainly would sweeten things. No, Arthur was here because there was a leather bound journal in his bag that told him there was something wrong with Eobine, some mystery that kept drawing in fools to their deaths. Something that had pulled in his dad, his brother, his sister.. and now him. He wasn't sure what precisely he was looking for, what he'd need to see to convince him his journey was over and he could head home, but he did know one thing: he wasn't going to be alone.

When Arthur had put out the notice, he hadn't expected so many people to take interest. He'd been half expecting that he'd get one or two people on board, maybe a few more that would eventually flake on him. Because as far as expeditions go, admittedly, his didn't really do much to stick out.. he didn't have a lot of money or resources, he didn't have a clear goal, and he'd even told people that for the most part, they'd have to bring their own equipment. So, Arthur hadn't been quite sure what to make of it when he got so many responses, but chalked it up to the simple fact that many people are chomping at the bit for an opportunity to explore the damn tree..

Arthur snapped out of his daydream, almost knocking over the glass his hand had been curled around. Casting a look at the tavern's clock, it was now one minute away from the agreed upon time of meeting, and still no one had approached him. He began to feel anxiety rise up in his stomach. Maybe they weren't going to come after all. Or maybe he'd told them the wrong time? Could he have somehow told them the wrong place? He'd told them to tell the barkeeper that they were here for Arthur Breines or look for the blonde haired man sitting alone, but maybe somehow that hadn't been clear? His head spinning with anxieties, he tried to shake them off and relax. It's only been a minute, they'll be here soon, he tried to reassure himself, as he finished off the rest of his drink and kept his eyes on the tavern's door.

 

[Gabe]

Kerrian Aushun was tired. His travel to the island was incredibly boring, and the sailors kept their distance, muttering "weird robed freak" whenever he commuted to the other areas of the ship, which increased his boredom. No one dared to speak with him, aside from the captain, a friend and customer of his that owe him for services rendered. The captain brandished the tattoo on his hand, a Wind Crest that allowed the captain to fill his sails whenever the seas were dead. He spent his long travel between the captain's quarters, talking to the captain whenever he was off duty, the bow of the ship, to feel the winds of the sea, and his own quarters, reading books both about inks and fiction, writing his findings on a notebook and, of course, mixing inks. Seeing that the "Robed Freak" was an artist, the sailors put their prejudice aside and requested some work: Both magical and nonmagical, but the sea motif was permanent in their requests. Kerrian arrived on Leranor with the rain, taking shelter on the porch of a fishing store on the port, looking at the droplets of rain falling from the thatch, looking at people running away from the water.

The tattoo artist took the letter from his belongings, rereading it carefully. An expedition into the Great Tree, Eobine, a request to any able-bodied adventurers seeking to unravel the secrets of the tree, with the possibility of glory and wealth. Kerrian, however, wanted only one thing: Staving away the looming fate of his body, stabilizing the endless hunger of the Tenebrium coursing through his veins. His body had a time limit, and he had to hurry. He spent too much time on failed attempts of recovering, some hurting much more than fixing. He had less than a year left, and the time never stopped for him. He sighed, and walked in the rain, heading to Helmfirth, the tenth level of the Tree.

The town was lively, but the dynamics of the town were quickly learned by Kerrian. He saw some adventurers, crestfallen, returning from probably a failed expedition, while people differing greatly in attire commuted either from work, or to work. Kerrian felt relieved, nobody even batted an eye at his mask or at his robes, making him feel more normal. He looked around, asking people the directions to the Woodcarver Tavern and luckily, it wasn't hard to find. Kerrian had his doubts about the whole thing, but he had a picture. Either it was a real deal or he'd impale the man for wasting his time. He entered the tavern, the place a bit empty, and instantly saw the blonde hair sitting on an empty table on the dimly lit room. He looked young, why a kid like him wanted to go on something as dangerous as they say. Kerrian approached the boy, taking a double look at the picture to ensure it was the requester. Placing the letter on the table, he sat near the man, his heavy mask directed at him. "You're the one who sent this, right? How is this going to work?"

 

[Gomenesigh]

Abalista spent most of the day scurrying around town and making last minute purchases and decisions. While she assumed most people were coming from the lower parts of the tree, she had come from the opposite side, from a higher up layer. She hadn’t wanted to waste too much time up there, but even among the lower and less dangerous levels there were valuable things she could scavenge for and sell. Since she spent most of her life climbing the tree and exploring its depths, she had most of the supplies she needed already. But, she was hoping that with a larger group, they would be able to reach heights she hadn’t even dreamed possible. It might be a far fetched hope, but they might even reach the top.



Plus, as much as it would be good to have a group of people at her side climbing the tree, it also added risks. Risks she wouldn’t have to face when on her own. So, she had made extra arrangements, just in case. Extra protections, extra rations, pretty much just extra everything. Also, a couple things that were stronger than her usual items as well. She had turbo charged her staff because already she knew that some of the beasties they would be fighting would be a lot more powerful than anything she had ever had to fight. More people always drew bigger dangers.



So, after getting everything she needed, including a special pair of goggles, a new tattoo, and specific food, she could be found at one last shop, haggling with some guy who really knew better, but was trying to up the price on her anyways. The item in question was a very rare book. She had seen it before, but it had taken a long time for the shop owner to give her even a little bit of information about it. Now here they were, discussing a price. She didn’t have a lot on her now, but it was almost enough for what he was asking for. But, something was making him nervous and she wasn’t sure why. So, she leaned over the counter, interlocking her fingers together and flashing him a smile. “Come on, you know I’m good for it and you know I’ll keep my word. I’m going to give you the rest of what I have now and I’ll give you the rest when I come back and I’ll throw in something extra.” She said this last line with a wink before standing back up straight and putting her hands on her hips. How often do I buy from you?” He couldn’t deny that she was a fairly reoccurring customer. She bought from him frequently and often referred others to him as well. After a long and tense moment, he finally relented. With a squee and a quick hop up and down, she placed her payment on the counter and grabbed the book before darting out. “Thanks Sanna!” She heard him grumble a response, but it was no matter to her.



Once she stepped outside, Zuzu immediately climbed up onto her shoulder, his tail wrapping around her neck. A hand went up to stroke his back as she walked towards the inn. “It’s a good day Zuzu. I’m so ready for this, you have no idea.” His responses was a low purr-like noise, although it was more similar to the sounds foxes make when they get excited. The air was cool as rain dripped through the thick leaves hanging over them, but it was no matter to her. She pulled the collar up on her jacket, letting Zuzu curl up against her and she immersed herself in the book. It was strange, to say the least. A lot of the pages were legible, but she could tell there was something off about the book, something magical that she couldn’t get through. She was almost to the inn when she discovered what it was. Some of the pages were double encrypted, but she couldn’t tell why or even how to go about uncracking it.



So, she tucked the book in her bag as she crossed the threshold into the warm tavern. Her eyes darted to the clock and she was relieved to see there was an hour left before the meeting were to begin. She was pretty instantly noticed and several workers gave her a warm welcome. With a big smile, she raised her arms above her head, which caused an annoyed Zuzu to jump down onto the floor and scamper into the shadows. She immediately walked to the bar and took a seat. The bartender brought her a heaping plate of food and a tall mug of hot mead. The food was delicious and she was determined to enjoy every morsel of it. She knew it would be one of the last big meals before going up into the tree.


Once she was finished, there were only a few minutes left before the supposed meeting time. The barkeep had already told her the man in question had arrived over an hour ago and had been sitting alone ever since. She swiveled in her chair and faced him, running a hand through her short blue hair. Another man approached her just as she was about to walk over, but it was no matter. She followed suit and took a seat as well. She sat down, sitting in the chair with its back to a wall as she smiled at him, her galaxy eyes sparkling in the shadows. “Yeah, that would be nice to know. When does this all start, how many people are going to be a part of this thing… Useful information and the like. All of my planning will be useless if I don’t have specific details. The larger our party is, the more dangerous it will be. I hope you have all of this planned. If not, you’ve got a lot of stuff to work on in the next… however long before we leave.”

N Nue Gabe

 

[Moonshadow]

❦𝐿𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓁𝑒𝒾 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓁𝑜𝓌❦
​

Lorelei was going to die. That much was certain. If it wasn’t at the hands of the executioner, then it would be at the hands of his. Her father. He seemed happy to see her while she bared her teeth and struggled against her chains to claw at his lips that formed that smile. But, it only made him happier when she did. And now she wasn’t moving at it. She was willingly being cuffed and transferred to Leranor.

She watched on the ship as they approached the famous Tree. She scoffed at it from afar. She didn’t understand the allure of it. She never did and now she had to pretend she has her entire life. Pretend she wasn’t a criminal. She glanced at the two goons transporting her and the cuffs bounding her hands together. Lorelei could lie. But, there’s only so much you could do to cover up the truth. She glanced up at the tree again and took in a deep breath. She would lie to her very last breath. Or live. But, she found that was less likely.

Once they arrived to the 10th layer the Goons took their time explaining everything to her. As they did, she kept her head down, her eyes focused on her cuffs as they spoke. “His name is Arthur Breines. He posted the request a year ago and the request had stirred up quite a few people. You are going to meet them at the Woodcarver Tavern. Your father—“

“Don’t call him that.” She mumbled quietly.

The Goon scoffed at her and tugged the back of her hair to make her look at him as they walked. “I’ll call him whatever I want.” He said then looked up at tree. “If you try to leave, we will kill you. If you kill any of the members, we will kill you. We will always be watching you. You’re only here to get as many valuables as you can. And if you die,” the other goon laughed, “then goodbye sweetheart.” The three of them turned to stand between two buildings. By now the rain was coming down on them. She felt like a useless rat as she watched as they undid her cuffs and patted her on the back as if she were an old friend. “We will be watching.”

She raised her head and stared at them blankly. Imagining their heads being snapped by her hands if only she could touch them. But her father was watching. They were always watching. She walked away and made her way towards the Tavern her hands slowly twisting around, adjusting to their new freedom. She opened the door and quietly walked inside. Glancing around until she made her way to the front. She waited until someone saw her and carefully took off her hood. “I’m looking for Arthur Breines. Has he arrived yet?” She said coldly.

The person almost hesitated to tell her, but he nodded his head to a table then proceeded to check in with another customer. She turned around and saw three people seated. Lorelei had no clue what to expect as she put adjusted her gait and made her way over. She stood for a moment looking at them before sitting down in a chair. “My name is Lorelei.” She announced and looked at the three once more. “Who is Arthur Breines?”

N Nue Gabe Gomenesigh

 

[Caffeine Freak]

​

Location: Helmfirth, 10th layer

CS: Fantasy - The Eobine Expedition - CS

"BEHOLD, DENIZENS OF EOBINE!" Doc Maddon thrust a grasped fist toward the heavens, splaying the length of his labcoat as it fluttered in the icy wind. "IT IS I, DOCTOR MADDON! I HAVE PILGRIMED TO THIS LAND, SO THAT I MAY CAST AWAY THE SHADOW THAT CONCEALS THE UPPER LAYERS OF- WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" The pedestrians who had initially turned curious eyes toward Maddon's magnanimous speech had begun hurrying off in other directions. Maddon slowly retracted his fist from the sky. This was the tenth time he'd tried to announce his heroic journey to the people of Eobine, once every layer, and every single time they had suddenly found other places they needed to be. "...Soon." Maddon's smile was void of happiness as he stared off into the distance. Soon the people would come to recognize his genius, just as soon as he stood upon the peak of Eobine.

Digging out the letter from his satchel, Maddon ran his eyes over the meeting location once again. "I see..." He mused at the rain soaked parchment that was at this point utterly illegible. Pocketing the letter, Maddon dragged his gaze around for a moment before settling on a visibly popular tavern that was practically bursting at the seams with adventurers. Satisfied that this was indeed the place he was looking for, Maddon strode off to find his party members.

Maddon burst through the tavern door, wherein he glanced around for a moment before propelling a finger toward a nearby barmaid. "Bar wench! I have come seeking the one known as Arthur Breines! Our meeting is of the utmost importance!"
The barmaid's eye twitched a little but she wordlessly pointed toward a table where a young blonde man was seated.
"Ah... uh, thanks." Maddon rubbed the back of his neck before ambling toward his new party members.

Around Arthur was a number of individuals who Maddon assumed to be the other members invited to the expedition. There was a figure draped in a full body robe, and two young women, one frisky and one unnervingly grim. "It seems I may be one of the few normal people in this party." Maddon sighed under his breath, pulling a bottle of antiseptic out of his satchel and taking a small sip.

After closing the rest of the distance, Maddon threw his arms wide as he addressed his party members. "IT APPEARS THE WORLD HAS FATED US TO MEET, FELLOW ADVENTURERS!" The alchemist drew back a hand and held a palm in front of his face, staring intensely through his splayed fingers. "THE EXPEDITION MAY REST EASY NOW THAT I, DOCTOR SAMUEL MADDON, HAVE COME TO... TO... wait hold on give me a second." Maddon dropped his pose and pulled up a chair, taking a second to catch his breath. He'd already given a record number of intros today, and climbing an oversized tree wasn't helping his voice recover. "You... you are actually Arthur, right?"

N Nue Gabe Gomenesigh Moonshadow

 

[Chione]

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code When typing responses to rps, be aware that when you press enter it will not show that you did. You'll have to use the
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[/div][/div] [div class="Name"] ELIAS LAMONT[/div]
Elias never thought he would miss the feeling of having solid earth beneath his feet.

The young man strolled casually down the broad streets of Helmfirth, completely unhurried despite the general jostle of citizens rushing to get out of the bad weather that made the paths slick with rain. Elias tilted his head up, clear blue meeting the miserable grey that greeted him through the cracks in the canopy of thick leaves. There was no doubt that they provided a natural shelter but this torrential downpour proved to be too fierce for even Eobine’s protection to withstand it.

However, Elias didn’t mind the rain (although he was grateful to have the foresight to enchant his coat to have insulated heating) as it was a vast difference compared to the somewhat humid climate that he had lived in at the heart of the Euslaric Empire. Therefore – with a quick check of his pocket watch – he decided to take the slower, scenic route towards his destination.

Elias had actually arrived on the island of Leranor three days ago after his voyage at sea, and the feelings he had had when he saw the Great Tree would be forever branded in his brain. It was absolutely breath-taking, truly a sight to behold. No description of Eobine would ever come close to matching its sheer size and beauty. He could feel the thrum of blood in his veins, the rush, the exhilaration. It had a magnetic pull over him... and he realised dully that this was what had drawn his parents in. The momentary wave of awe had calmed, and there was now a hollow ache in his chest, an undercurrent of trepidation bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. He had wondered briefly if this was truly the right choice. He had fought tooth and nail with the Eobine Research Union to allow him to go on this expedition, he was willingly putting himself in danger... and all for what? The ghostly image of his mother’s gaunt face flashed in his mind and Elias’ right hand curled into a fist, steeling his resolve.

So here he was. Helmfirth. A small town on the outskirts of the tenth layer, bordering the significantly more hostile ones. It had taken him three days to get to the tenth layer (granted, he gave himself ample time to browse through the towns he had passed) and now that he was here, the weather had just turned sour. Elias idly wondered whether it was meant to be seen as some sort of grim foreshadowing, and knowing the Lamont’s history with Eobine, it probably was. Shrugging away the thought, the blonde dipped his hand into his coat pocket, fishing out the flyer that he had snatched up at the ERU. It was rather crumpled but still legible.

Arthur Breines.

It was not a name he’d seen before, so he already knew that it was going to be an amateur team even before he signed up. However, beggars couldn’t be choosers – Elias knew he was lucky that this Arthur was unfamiliar with his family’s history. It was either that or he knew, and frankly, just didn’t care. Either way, it was certainly an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up. He squinted at the image, raindrops blotting the paper, and he picked out the features that would help him recognise the man once he reached the Woodcarver Tavern. Blonde like him. Were his eyes green or blue? Elias couldn’t tell. Though his keen sight did allow him to pick up on some details of his face. An eyebrow quirked up. Arthur Breines was either as young as he looked or he too had his genetic makeup marinated in the Fountain of Youth; something that Elias could relate to.

Soon, Elias found himself in front of the Woodcarver Tavern, the designated meeting spot where he would meet Arthur and the rest of the team. Straightening his shoulders, he pushed open the heavy oak-like door and made his way into the welcoming warmth. It was certainly lively inside, packed with locals and travellers alike. Unfortunately, it would seem that it was inevitable that Elias would eventually stir up a little bit of trouble for himself. A rough knock to the side bumped him into a table, spilling the beverage of a large, bearded man who glared up at him with cold, slate-coloured eyes.

“Ay mis’ta, whaddya t’ink yer playin’ at?” The man’s speech was slurred, clearly inebriated, but he still posed a threatening image. Thinking quickly, an apologetic smile graced Elias’ lips as he schooled his face into the picture of repentance.

“I’m terribly sorry, sir,” his tone was remorseful and soft as he cast his eyes downwards, “it was an accident. May I get you another drink as an apology?”

The man appeared to be mollified as he waved a large hand dismissively. “If only all th’ troublemakers had nice manners like you. Gerroff w’it ya, you scampy sod.”

Flashing a relieved smile, Elias ducked his way through the crowd towards the bar counter where the barmaid had just finished serving a customer.

“Good afternoon, Miss,” Elias greeted genially, “I’m looking for one Mr Arthur Breines, and could I pay for another pint of rum for that nice gentleman over there?” He asked, gesturing with a tilt of his head. The barmaid cast a doubtful look over him, but before she opened her mouth to deny his request, Elias revealed his ERU ID card before dropping a few coins onto the counter. The barmaid nodded, scooping up the coins before pointing towards one of the corners of the tavern.

“Should be over there,” she confirmed and Elias beamed at her charmingly.

“Thank you very much, kind Miss.” Elias turned on his heel, missing the way a rosy blush bloomed in her cheeks, and he made his way over to the table where there was indeed, Arthur Breines. Around him sat a peculiar gathering of characters, each with their own individual uniqueness.

There was a heavily robed figure with no discernible features that Elias could see and an eccentric older gentleman who definitely looked like someone he’d want to converse with. There were also two women, one with colourful hair and one who held herself in a way that made her look carefully guarded and ready to pounce. ‘What a motley crew,’ he thought wryly.

Raking his right hand through his damp hair, Elias walked over to the group, remaining stood up as he adjusted the strap of his leather satchel over his shoulder.

“Hello, I’m Elias.” He said, introducing himself, taking the moment to sweep a cursory glance over the group. To the untrained eye, it would seem like a normal thing to do, but Elias had the unnerving habit of mentally taking note of his initial observations whenever he met someone new, systematically gathering any information he could just from the way they presented themselves.

“I do hope I’m not too late.” His attention was diverted to the older fellow, having caught onto the tail end of the conversation. “I would imagine so that he’s Mr Arthur Breines, he does match the description after all.” Elias commented, referring to the small image that had been on the advertising flyer. He looked up at the group again, warming his face with a smile.

“Anyhow, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

[div class="Line"][/div] Interacting: N Nue Gabe Gomenesigh Moonshadow Caffeine Freak | Mentioned: Everyone | Located: The Woodcarver Tavern, Helmfirth (10th) [div class="Line" style="margin-bottom:0px;"][/div] [/div]

Code by @AgWordSmith

[/div]

 

[Nue]

Moments after Arthur had begun to worry that his party members might not show up, the door swung open, and in stepped a figure dressed unlike anything he'd seen before. At this point, he'd travelled quite the distance, and subsequently seen quite the interesting fashion choices.. but full-body robes and a strange metal mask was a new one. They looked like some kind of quarantine doctor; not a single part of his body left uncovered by fabric. As Arthur was trying to work out their deal, the figure approached, and it didn't take long for him to realize he was the target. They set down the letter he'd sent out onto the table and asked him how this was going to work, in a voice that told him the figure was likely a man. And from there, it wasn't long before the other members of his new team began to trickle in. A blue haired young woman, accompanied by some strange kind of fox, a rather cold looking girl, and, just as he began to open his mouth to reply to them-

"IT APPEARS THE WORLD HAS FATED US TO MEET, FELLOW ADVENTURERS!"

..A rather eccentric man, probably the oldest of the group, and whom either had no sense of volume control, or who simply didn't care enough to use his inside voice.

Another figure entered, a polite looking young fellow who looked like he'd just came in from the rain.

Finally, there was a lull in the conversation where Arthur could respond.

"Yes, I'm Arthur Breines. It's.. very good to have you all here."
He sat up straight and tried his best to make himself sound formal and 'proper'. That being said, looking at the.. unique selection of characters around him, he was beginning to wonder if that was even the right approach.

"So, uh.. right!" Clapping his hands together, he tried to swallow any anxiety he had and addressed the group, gesturing for the blonde man to take a seat at the table.

"There's still a few people who haven't arrived yet, I figured I'd wait til they've gotten here before I answer all the big questions. For now, though, I think uh, introductions are in order.." Arthur ran a hand through his hair, and tried to muster up a welcoming smile.

"As I said, I'm Arthur Breines. You.. won't know me. I'm no expert on Eobine, and this is my first expedition, I'm just.. well, like all of you, I'd guess. There's something that drew me to Eobine, and I'm assuming there's something that drew all of you to it, too. "

He looked at the party expectantly, hoping they'd also introduce themselves.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Chair groaning against the ground as Maddon nudged it with a brogue, the alchemist put a finger to the bridge of his goggles as he rested an elbow on the table, looking more like he was about to deliver a monologue from a contemporary play rather than an actual sincere introduction. "Heh heh, I knew you were Arthur of Breine the moment I laid eyes upon you." Maddon grinned, and had definitely not been worrying earlier whether he had bellowed his introduction to the wrong table.

How he got 'Arthur of Breine' from 'Arthur Breines' was anyone's guess.

"Yes, as I have already mentioned, I am indeed the magnus Doctor Maddon. Alchemist extraordinaire and the greatest unlicensed doctor in the Euslaric Empire! But I'm sure you've already heard of me." Maddon held up a palm as if he was expecting his newfound party members to begin applauding. "To the point, I am here to gather information for a research paper I intend to write about the extent of Eobine's ecosystem, so that we may better understand the ins and outs of this ancient tree, and so that the dangers and pitfalls of the upper layers become known to future adventurers. Also it would be nice to have my licenses back."

Maddon laid his arms on the table as he glanced around at the other members on the expedition. They didn't look like half the clueless adventurers that came shambling back down from the 11th layer. Maybe there was a chance at making to to Eobine's peak after all. The alchemist nodded, reassured at that internal thought, as he filled a conical flask that he had unclipped fom his belt an inch up with antiseptic solution.


N Nue Gabe Gomenesigh Moonshadow Chione

 

[Gabe]

Kerrian was interested in the whole place. Not only the diversity of cultures of the patrons and citizens of the tree, but also the different abilities and origins from his new companions on this so called expedition. Kerrian was more interested, however, in the tree. He remembered the crestfallen adventurers coming from the upper levels of the Giant Tree, and he wondered if him and his companions were going to suffer from the same fate. His thoughts were cast away when he heard a commotion at the door of the tavern.

Kerrian looked at the loud man, dressed in a scientist garb, screaming at the other patrons. If he had an eyebrow he'd raise it, but he remained silent, waiting for everyone to accommodate, and listened to Arthur's introductory speech. A rookie, just like many of us, Kerrian thought. The scientist introduced himself boastfully, as if he was the biggest mind in all of the Eulsaric Empire. "Doctor Samuel Maddon, of course! I can't believe... That I've never seen or heard about you in my entire life." He chuckled, poking fun at the weird man. "I jest, for sure. It is a pleasure to make both of your acquaintances, Arthur and Samuel." As if he wasn't bound by gravity, Kerrian rose from his chair, the heavy mask pending forward to make a bow. "My name is Kerrian Aushun, former owner of the Counterspell and tattoo artist from Gannor's Cross. I apologize for my attire, I'm sure that you have many questions, but I wouldn't want to take the spotlight for now. Let's say this robe is vital to my, well... vitality. In fact..." He sat back down, directing the front of his mask to Maddon. "You said you're an alchemist. How well do you know Tenebrium? Have you ever studied, experimented or used it on your concoctions?" Kerrian asked while pointing at the barkeep, a wordless request for a mug of ale.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Even though his eye twitched slightly as the robe-clad man, Kerrian, began chuckling, Maddon still kept a lopsided grin as stroked the temple strap of his goggles. "Hmm? A tattoo artist? Ah yes, I'm familiar with those who practice your craft." Maddon held magic users in low regard for, to quote the man himself, 'not being science-y enough'.

What piqued the alchemist's interest however was the mention of Tenebrium. "Experimented on Tenebrium? Haha, certainly not! The mineral is exceedingly toxic, I cannot even find a miner willing to extract it for me. They say it melts the flesh of those who touch it until nothing remains, and there is no known cure." Maddon swirled the ethanol in his conical flask for a moment before taking a thoughtful sip. "I should like to meet someone suffering the effects of this mystique disease someday, I do not believe that there exists any disease without an equivalent cure. Ah, well." Without questioning why a man wearing a full-body robe would ask about a mineral known to cause rotting, Maddon leaned back in his chair. "But why would a former owner of a tattoo parlor be interested in climbing a giant tree? Surely it's not for artistic inspiration, right?" Connecting the dots appeared to be beyond Maddon's intuition at present.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

~~Rokka Mokona~~​

Rokka watched silently as the rain grow even stronger. She was sitting on a stone bench in the front of Woodcarver Tavern while eating some chocolate crunchies as snack. Her backpack, which was filled with her adventuring equipments, was leaning against her. She knew she should be going into the inn now, to protect herself from the wind and to meet this expedition team she was signing to. Still, she wanted to delay it just a few seconds. She was a biiit nervous about this whole adventure, actually.

Since her father started working as Fortida Company's explorer, she always aspire to be like him. Maybe even better! The only reason why she never signed to another expedition before this was because her father tell her not to, and he made her promise that. That's why when a gatherer suddenly came to her with the rock letter that might be from her father, she immediately took the opportunity to justify her going up Eobine.

She should be happy, right.....?

Right, she should be happy! Rokka pinched hew own cheek. With the renewed spirit, she picked up her backpack and headed inside the Woodcarver Tavern.

She asked the barkeep about Arthur and he pointed at the young man surrounded by soveral other people, and some of them had catchy appearance. Like a person with mask and full robe, or an alchemist that looks like he just explode his own potion before coming here.

"This is the Arthur Expedition Team, right?" She asked, but not really wanting an answer, just a way for her to butt in. She put her backpack on the floor before calling a barmaid and ordered a warm ginger drink.

"Let me introduce myself then. I'm Rokka. Was a clepherd but I sell all of my cleeps four days ago so I can join this expedition. I already traveled up until layer 15 once but never go past that. I hope we can reach the top!!" Rokka introduced herself enthusiastly, her nervousness from before was gone without a trace.

 

[Foxrally]

Alice's face scrunched up into a scowl as she sniffed the air, taking her first few steps into the quaint village. "Pfah. Helmfirth. Always smelling like some adventurer's unwiped rear end, eh, Stanford?" she said, glancing at one of the men who were accompanying her. Both were dressed in bright pink, yellow and green jumpsuits, with flashy floral vests on top - the official Queen Kibi's uniform. Their extravagant outfits were in stark contrast to their boss's elegant beige coat, and even more so to the villagers' more normal outfits. Despite living further down the tree, Alice usually preferred to keep her exploration trips around the roots of Eobine, where a lot of the more colorful flowers grew due to the abundance of bees and honeyfrogs. Besides, it was a good excuse to avoid the dangerous and unwelcoming upper layers of the great tree, which she found slightly unnerving at times - not that she would ever let it show.

The man who Alice had addressed nodded hesitantly. "Y-yes, ma'am! Although, Helmfirth is my hometown, ma'am, we just walked past my mother's hou-"

The young woman interrupted him, checking her pocket watch. "Mhm, okay. Anyway, which way the tavern is again? It's been a while since I've had to do business out here, and we're going to be late." she asked, snapping the watch shut and tossing it back into her bag. Before either of her employees could reply, she sniffed the air again. "Wait, I can smell the cheap alcohol from here. This way." She began walking briskly in the direction her nose had pointed her in.

After a short search through the streets, the florist and her two escorts found themselves at the designated location. Walking in, Alice consciously held her breath to avoid the deluge of disgusting odors, from stale, yeasty breads to drunk, unwashed patrons. She looked around for any table with a large gathering - and sure enough, there it was. At the head of it was the young man she assumed was Arthur Breines, and he matched her source's descriptions.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder as the other employee who had accompanied her leaned forward. "Ah, ma'am? Not to butt in at the last minute, but don't you think it's a little, ah, unwise to join a travel group led by a child?" he whispered, motioning towards Arthur.

"Nonsense, Jamesford. I was told that he just looks young. And listen - going with him was much cheaper than any of the other snooty professionals with their crazy 'administration fees'. So relax, I've got this!" Alice patted him on the back and quickly headed to the bar. "I'll have a pitcher of your finest water, and another of your best mead, please." she said to the barmaid, and turned to her employees. "You gentlemen want anything? Water? Peanuts? Napkins?"

The two men smiled and politely declined her generous offer. Alice shrugged and grabbed both pitchers before making her way to the table. It seemed a lot of the group had already arrived - she counted seven, including Arthur himself. Her contact had told her about some of them, but others were a mystery to her. One man wore a strange white robe, unlike anything she'd seen before - even though he was on the other end of the table, she could smell something was off about him. He seemed to be speaking to another man, with a hairstyle reminiscent of one of her display flowers back home - a certain Dr. Maddon, a chemist who'd built and lost his reputation over time over his strange experiments. The young red-headed woman next to him seemed less excited than he was - rather the opposite, really. Alice couldn't tell who she was, but probably someone to avoid. Across from the three, a young woman was eyeing the rest of the table intently. She could smell a distinctly familiar smell emanating from her... wait, nevermind. That was the person next to her. The young girl in question smelled very strongly of cleeps, an odor Alice was all too familiar with. She grimaced slightly at the stench, but as smelly as clepherds were, they usually knew about some pretty good flower spots. Finally, there was a young man with a massive tattoo on his arm - it was the Lamont boy she'd been told about. Alice had never personally met the family, but she knew of their unsavory reputation. She imagined he must have been pretty uncomfortable from the stench too.

"Hello there! Terribly sorry for being late. I hope you'll forgive me." she apologized, putting the mead pitcher in front of Arthur and winking. "On the house." Suddenly realizing she had to choose between the cleep girl or the angry girl to sit next to, Alice took a breath and sat beside the latter, one employee standing at either side. She looked up to address the table. "Alice Kibido, from Queen Kibi's. I'm sure it'll be a pleasure to work with all of you."

 

[Gomenesigh]

ᗅᙘᗅᒪᓿSᖶᗅ ᙢᑗᘉᓿᘉᗅ
Current Location: 10th Layer, Woodcarver Tavern​

"My name is Abalista, but you can call me Aba for short." It was the only thing she said to the others, although it was mostly drowned out. No matter to her. Aba was sitting rather quietly as the others introduced themselves, started up conversations, and more people slowly trickled in. Though, the more people that came in, the less she was sure about this entire endeavor. First there was the man who entered before her, dressed from head to toe in whites and creams. Then the doctor, who seemed quite out of his mind, also dressed in white. The colors got more and more outrageous as more and more people came in. She simultaneously crossed her arms over her chest and one leg over the other, leaning back so she could observe everyone. She had to focus more and more of her efforts on keeping her face blank, even though annoyance was boiling up inside her. Surely, this was a joke. They had just come here dressed in these clothes for the purpose of introductions or for their travel up until this point. If she were to travel into the tree's depths with these people clad in these clothes, they would all die before getting further than she had ever gone.

At some point, Zuzu had scampered from his hiding place to under her chair, his tail wrapping around her legs. She looked around, beyond the people gathered at the table to notice the tavern finally filling up with more people. At least it wasn't just their merry little group gravitating around a focal point. She couldn't help but notice at least one other group, all dressed to travel similar to them. She almost, almost considered getting up and moving towards them, a group that at least looked more promising than these people. Honestly, it seemed as if this whole thing was a joke to them or maybe they just didn't realize the gravity of the situation. At that, she couldn't help but smirk. Her mind drifted off briefly to a memory at one of the layers, though she couldn't remember which. Gravity was a very sketchy thing on that one, which made it all the more dangerous. With a sigh, she absently scratched at the new tattoo on her arm, a pinky tracing over the design. She really wish she had had time to try it out, but really she had only gotten it yesterday. For how much she paid for it, it had better work.

 

[Moonshadow]

❦𝐿𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓁𝑒𝒾 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓁𝑜𝓌❦
​

Lorelei watched unamused as more people arrived. She was careful to hide her wrists under her cloak, but her stare was full of intent and could be seen as malice too. She didn’t care awfully a lot about the introductions of people. It reminded her when she first joined the Gold Blood. No introductions. He said it wouldn’t matter to know everyone. No one is an ally or enemy if don’t give them a chance to know you.

But, these people weren’t like her. She could see they had drive and joy for doing this. She felt like a ink blot in a sea of wonderful colors. She didn’t know what to say. But, one introduction did stand out. Her breath caught a little at the name Kerrian Aushun. She felt her hand touch her tattoo and draw back under the cloak. How funny she would see him here, but why did he look like that? She felt an urge to ask, but she realized he wouldn’t say anything if others were around. So, she leaned back in her chair and watched those who had just joined once more. She frowned slightly more at Elias and Alice. She didn’t particularly like how Elias seemed to absorb information, it put her a little on edge. And Alice. Well, to put it lightly, she reminded her of those she had taken down while in the Gold Bloods. She doubted they would get along in the end.

Once there was a lull, Lorelei started to introduce herself. “Hello, I’m Lorelei Winderfell.” She said bowing her head slightly. “I’m not here for a particularly passion filled reason... rather I want to bring something valuable back. I have to repay a debt and I wish to trade off whatever I get so I can do just that.” She said before quieting herself and leaning back. “That’s all...”

mentions: Gabe Chione Foxrally
N Nue Caffeine Freak Gomenesigh Spoiled Bread

 

[Foxrally]

Alice smiled pleasantly at Lorelei's comment. "Well, I suppose that makes two of us then, dear! I'm looking to find something valuable at the top of tree myself." she said, making an effort to ease the tension she could feel in the woman.

"No item in particular, but rather some unique new plant specimens. I run a large flower shop further down the tree, and we collect exotic flowers from the wilds to exhibit and sell. I'm sure my bigger buyers would pay very well for anything coming from atop Eobine - and consequently, me too. If you catch my drift. So let me know if you find anything particularly interesting, and we could arrange a, shall we say, partnership?" she winked. "It would easily take care of your debt situation."

Suddenly, the employee at her left side let out a loud sneeze, followed by another. He quickly pulled out a colorful floral handkerchief and wiped his nose before momentarily sneezing into it again. "S-sorry ma'am..." he apologized between sneezes. "I think something's triggering my fur a-allergies."

Alice sighed. "Right. Jamesford, could you take him to another table? I'll be fine on my own for a little while." She quickly wiped the part of the coat the man had sneezed on before waving them off. It was probably the cleep girl, with all those animals hairs probably stuck in her clothes.
mentions: Moonshadow

 

[Spoiled Bread]

~~Rokka Mokona~~​

Sipping a warm ginger drink when there's heavy rain outside was one of the best feeling. For a moment Rokka was alone there, only her and the drink. Until it was interupted by someone's sneeze. Rokka snapped back to reality, she was here. In a tavern she barely ever visit with people she barely know about.

She looked around the table until she found Arthur and matched him with the photo. She was sure she had some questions she wanted to ask to the expedition captain. Hmmph, what were those questions again??

"Arthur, what do you know about the reason of why most expedition fail?"

N Nue

 

[Chione]

[class=Notes] // Forward slashes are comments and do no show up in the final design, these are to help you find everything easily and explain some code as well. These comments must be with in a class or script tags in order to be hidden, from what I know// // Long URls are images # followed by letter and numbers are Hex codes or color codes.// // This code does not show breaks unless is shows the
code When typing responses to rps, be aware that when you press enter it will not show that you did. You'll have to use the
tags// [/class] [class=BackgroundPicture] Background:url(https://secure.img2-fg.wfcdn.com/im/49286221/resize-h600-w600%5Ecompr-r85/3853/38532375/Distinctive+Bookcase+Sidewall+10m+x+52cm+Wallpaper+Roll.jpg); Padding:30px; //The background image that become the border// [/class] [class=BackgroundColor] padding:20px; background-color:#ffffff; Color:Black; //the solid block of color that makes the border appear as a border all your content will be in this box// [/class] [class=Name] float:right; margin-bottom:10px; text-align:center; border-radius:5px; background-color:#800020; padding:5px;color:#ffffff; width:calc(100% - 15% - 20px); //The Box around the name// [/class] [class=Img] border-right:10px SOLID #ffffff; border-bottom:5px SOLID #ffffff; width:15%; float:left; //this class has a border to create a false margin so the horizontal lines don't appear to go behind the image if you change the back ground you have to change the colors here too// [/class] [class=Image] border:1px SOLID #000000; line-height:0px; //The border around the image// [/class] [class=Line] border-top:1px SOLID #800020; margin-top:5px; margin-bottom:5px; //The tiny lines everywhere// //You can see here they have a set width, which is the shorter length, the bottom two lines have a specific 'style' which overrides what happens here to make them full length. if you need longer lines, copy and paste the style from the bottom two (be careful, they float right, making them too big at the top messes the code up) If you need the bottom lines to be shorter, delete the Style=" and such// [/class] [div class="BackgroundPicture"] [div class="BackgroundColor"] [div class="Img"] [div class="Image"]

[/div][/div] [div class="Name"] ELIAS LAMONT[/div]
Aha, so the proper introductory stage had begun.

As the elderly gentleman began to speak, Elias moved to sit down, aware that it would be impolite to do otherwise. He pulled his chair closer to the table, which he found was becoming rather crowded, and calmly placed his right hand in front of him. He listened with quiet interest as the conversation continued, beginning with the scientist who had piqued his interest from the start. Something about the man was vaguely familiar, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it...

“I am indeed the magnus Doctor Maddon.”

Elias’ eyebrows raised slightly before he schooled his expression into one of perfect neutrality. Ah. That was it. Samuel Maddon. A name that had certainly made its rounds in Euslaric society a couple of years back; a name that became the butt of jokes in many scientific circles. Looking at him now though, it was clear to Elias that he had a brilliant albeit peculiar mind. Sure, he had lost a lot of credibility, but the man was still a scientist – someone who would be of use on this journey. The young man was certain that Maddon would have some interesting stories to tell, and perhaps they could help each other when it came down to research.

The heavily robed figure – who Elias had now figured out was a man judging by the sound of their voice – gave their name, mentioning how they were a tattoo artist before launching into a discussion with Doctor Maddon about some sort of mineral. It was nothing that Elias himself could contribute to, that field of knowledge not being something that had ever appealed to him.

He was saved from being on the verge of zoning out when someone with a peppy tone chipped their way into the group. The girl, Rokka, looked rather young to him, perhaps a little simple if her enthusiasm was anything to go by, and Elias learnt that she was a former clepherd. So, a Leranor native then? That might be useful for a short while until they started reaching the upper layers anyway.

It would seem that their amateur expedition group was only going to get larger when Elias heard someone else approaching. A young woman was walking towards them with a confident, professional air with two uniformed men trailing behind her. Elias couldn’t help but feel a small flutter of pity for them when he saw their garish attire. ‘Poor sods,’ he thought. He caught the way her eyes had strayed to look at his arm, a look that was so quick that it almost went unnoticed, but he looked down to see that he had accidentally left his coat sleeves rolled up, leaving that horrible, ugly scar of a tattoo on full display. Elias’ face twitched, a shred of insecurity shining through as he hastily pulled the left arm down. He hoped the tattooist hadn’t noticed; would he be able to tell if it was illegal? Mentally berating himself for being so off-guard today, he swerved his gaze away to avoid lingering on Alice for too long. She looked like someone who knew a lot. Maybe too much.

They carried on going around the table in a somewhat orderly fashion, and Elias learnt more about the people he’d be working with on this on this expedition. Whilst his hopes weren’t high, he could tell that that was certainly going to be an interesting experience... although whether he’d be able to live long enough to remember it was an entirely different matter. The woman with the unusual pet (who he had seen scamper out from seemingly nowhere to under her chair) was Abalista and the other woman with reddish-brown hair – the one who he had previously noted as having an austere manner – was Lorelai. She had frowned at him, he observed. How curious. Maybe he didn’t put forward his best first impression after all? Unsure, his lips quirked up in a tiny smile but his eyes remained intense and focused. She may prove to be someone to be wary of.

There was a slight lull in the conversation after Alice had sent away her henchmen employees, and Elias deemed it suitable for him to go through the formal introduction process himself.

“Elias.” He repeated his name again for the benefit of those who had only just turned up. There was a slight pause as he thought about whether or not he should give his full name. It had been so hard trying to find a spot on an expedition team, all because his family name was blacklisted, and although his application had been accepted by this one, would he be cast out in fear of the Lamont’s Curse? There was a flicker of a grimace. No, these people seemed too nice. He just hoped that his own misfortune wouldn’t befall anyone else. “Elias Lamont,” he continued, breezily.

“I’m a Scholar of the Eobine Research Union. All our work is centred around Eobine, and we’ve made a lot of progress in recent years due to the establishment of professional working relations with Extractor guilds and the like,” Elias kept his countenance open and friendly; it was clear for everyone to see that he truly felt proud of the work that the ERU had done, “I’ve never left Euslaria before, so I’m really glad that I was able to persuade the Masters to let me take this opportunity. I’ve been tasked to collect some unidentified samples as we go further up, and hopefully I’ll have the chance to document the experience.” Elias finished, his right hand giving the leather satchel that hung by his side a light pat, the clean journal that he had brought nestled in a burrow of research papers. Of course, he didn’t mention his more personal motivations for making his way up the Great Tree. After all, there was no need for him to lay out his troubling childhood in front of all these strangers – and he hoped to keep it that way.
[div class="Line"][/div] Interacting: N Nue Caffeine Freak Gabe Spoiled Bread Foxrally Gomenesigh Moonshadow | Mentioned: Everyone | Located: The Woodcarver Tavern, Helmfirth (10th) [div class="Line" style="margin-bottom:0px;"][/div] [/div]

Code by @AgWordSmith

[/div]

 

[Nue]

Arthur snapped to attention at the mention of the Elias's family name. Lamount. He'd known, of course, that a Lamount would be joining them, he'd seen the name on the application - but he'd been curious to see who in this group of strangers it was.

The name alone would've made more cautious expedition leaders turn the application down - but Arthur didn't believe in curses, and he felt less alone knowing there were people like him with.. personal histories with the Great Tree. Besides, this guy was a member of the Eobine Research Union - if there was anyone you wanted on a team exploring Eobine, it's someone who actively studies the damn thing.

His attention was caught again as - Rokka, was it? - addressed him.

"Arthur, what do you know about the reason most expeditions fail?"

He straightened up at the question, trying his hardest once more to retain a calm, knowledgeable tone.

"A lot of reasons. Most fail because they underestimate Eobine, I think. Don't realize what it's capable of, or what you might run into while you're up there. People get cocky, don't prepare enough, get too greedy, or.. just.."

'Don't have enough experience' was his final one, but he trailed off. Out of the group, it seemed only a handful had actually been on Eobine prior to this - and this didn't include him. As much as he had studied, did he really know enough to be leading this whole thing? Arthur shook his head, then forced a smile at Rokka.

"..Well, y'know, like I said, lotta reasons. But if we keep our wits about us it'll be fine I reckon."

He raised his voice a little at this, addressing the whole group. He wasn't sure how many of them would really believe him, but Arthur got the sense looking at this group that it was made up of those who knew this wasn't the safest approach, but had no other choice if they wanted to explore Eobine.
And.. some who are just in it for money and aren't interested in joining a fully fledged expedition team, he thought, eyeing up Alice.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"Lamont?" Maddon spat out his drink, even though he wasn't actively drinking when Elias revealed his family name, so he had indeed taken a sip for the purpose of spitting it out just to express his astonishment. "A Lamont? On Eobine? I think I've heard this one before." The alchemist pulled down his goggles to give Elias a tentative look, though the expression was somewhat obscured by the second, smaller pair of goggles that Maddon was wearing underneath. "If I believed in curses, you'd bet I'd be out the door and leaping right here from the tenth layer into the ocean." Maddon readjusted his goggles, beginning to tap rhythmically on the lip of his conical flask. "But I know better than to buy into such stigma. It'll be good to have someone on the expedition who's... familiar, with this tree. After all, the chances of a statistically significant relationship between having a group member bearing the Lamont family name and the probability that we'll all die is nominal at best." With a reassured nod, Maddon drained the rest of the refined ethanol from his flask and thrust it to the heavens as he rose from his chair.

"LABOURERS OF THE TAVERN!" Maddon announced with the vigor of an old man with onset alcohol poisoning. "DELIVER TO ME YOUR FINEST MEAD FOR MY FELLOW ADVENTURER, ELIAS LA-uh- LEMON! YES, ELIAS LEMON! ...I'M GONNA... SIT BACK DOWN NOW." And so he did, looking somewhat disorientated. "Don't mention it, my friend." Maddon gave a well meaning gesture to Elias, absolutely oblivious to any discomfort he caused.

Turning to Arthur, Maddon spoke confidently, "Don't even worry about me, I am absolutely prepared." He tapped his satchel that was essentially a glorified rock collection and a selection of glassware. "I just can't wait to see what horrors are waiting to befall us right above our heads. It's gonna be an enthralling read when I write about it."


Interactions: N Nue Chione

 

[Gabe]

Kerrian smiled behind his mask. "Well, doctor. We can discuss this as soon as the presentations are over, yes?" He received the mug of ale from one of the tavern wenches, letting it sit in front of him while he paid attention to the other adventurers. He took a leather-bound notebook, along with a reddish ink pot and a feather, and started writing his thoughts about the rest of the people.
"Arthur Breines - Blonde, insecure. Fit for a leader?
-Doctor Samuel Maddon - Apparently brilliant, somewhat unstable. May aid me in my cure.
-Rokka - A denizen of the tree, apparently. Herds cleeps. Reminder: Figure what what a cleep is.
-Alice Kibdo - Probably someone important. Has two lackeys. Need more info.
-Abalista - Silent type, has a delicious peculiar pet. Definitely has magic in them.
-Lorelei Harlow"
Kerrian widened his eyes, quickly looking at the woman. He remembered her, but did she remember him? He never forgets a client, especially a Gold Blood like Lorelei. He didn't write anything else about her in his notebook, rather keeping his client's affairs secret. He looked at the woman one last time before starting jotting the next name.
"-Elias Lamont"
Kerrian stopped writing, and took a while in examining Elias. A Lamont, he thought, nodding. He read a lot about Eobine before arriving in the island, so the name Lamont and the ERU was spoken and written a lot. He felt a relief in having a member like him in this expedition. He dipped the tip of the feather in the ink and resumed.
"Elias Lamont - ERU, researcher of the Tree. Probably knows something more about minerals and materials of this tree than anyone. Probably cursed."

Finishing his annotations, he closed the notebook and grabbed the mug and returned his attention to the Doctor. "Thank you for waiting, Doctor. You see, I have some... valuable info regarding the side effects of Tenebrium, especially upon one's body. I'd like to form a cooperation effort with you. I aid you in your studies of the metal, and you aid me in the look for a cure." He took off the front part of the mask, underneath it, a patch of black cloth that obscured Kerrian's visage. Taking the mug in front of his face, he pulled the cloth enough for only Maddon to see Kerrian's face, the white holes in his face that doubled as eyes and the toothy grin that doubled as a mouth. Kerrian opened his mouth and let the mead fall on his mouth, the lack of lips hard for him to actually sip on the drink. Kerrian put the mask on again, and nodded at Samuel. "I hope that you'll keep this between us, for now."

 

[Gomenesigh]

ᗅᙘᗅᒪᓿSᖶᗅ ᙢᑗᘉᓿᘉᗅ
​

Aba had done her best to stay quiet, but this Arthur's last common made her scoff. She almost regretted it, but it really wasn't in anyone's best interest for her to not point out some of the obvious flaws of this plan. "You reckon? So, how much do you actually know about the layers?" She paused, uncrossing her legs and arms before leaning forward. "Some of these people in their outfits will put us in fatal situations alone. Bright colors are what some of these beasts look for." She sighed and leaned back in her chair, blowing out a steady breath and giving herself a moment to cool off. She had to bite her tongue to avoid saying anything more. She could go into specific details of how each and every one of them was under prepared for the journey ahead. She didn't like that she had gotten so riled up, but there was nothing to do about it now. It had been so long since she had been around this many people and even longer since she had actively chosen to have conversations with them.

"Plus, if you haven't made specific arrangements based on how many people are in the party, we'll be doomed before we even start." Her voice had leveled out, but her gaze was locked on the ceiling. It helped to focus on a thing instead of on the people that were in front of her. She probably just made a bad impression in front of the group, but it didn't really matter to her. Her only priority was making it to the top of the tree. If she was with a group of people who weren't prepared, then it would be more beneficial for her to continue going up on her own. But, she let her head fall back forward and looked at Arthur, her eyes now different. The colors had changed to reflect more the colors of sunset with deep oranges and yellows, dark blues fading at the very edges. "Have you considered any of these things?"

N Nue

 

[BluEndings]

[class=gradCirce] display:inline; background: -webkit-linear-gradient(#B7781F, #E0B775); font-size: 16px; -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; [/class] [class=gradOdell] display:inline; background: -webkit-linear-gradient(#1F8772, #4FAD84); font-size: 16px; -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; [/class] [class=container] height: 100%; width: 100%; overflow: hidden; font-size: 14px; [/class] [class=scroll] padding: 2%; height: 300px; width: 98%; overflow-y: scroll; padding-right: 25px; box-sizing: content-box; [/class] [class name=menuButtonWrapper] [/class] [class name=menuButton] display: inline-block; text-align: center; [/class] [class name=title] width: 100%; height: 35px; margin: auto; border-style: solid; border-color: black; border-width: 0px 0px 2px 0px; text-align: center; font-size: 20px; [/class] [class name=tabName] display: none; [/class] [class=table] display: table; clear: both; margin: 0 auto; width: 45%; [/class] [class=cardContainer] float: left; padding: 2%; width: 96%; [/class] [class name="card"] width: 100%; margin: auto; padding: 4%; background-size: cover; background-position: center; border-radius: 25px; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1px solid black; [/class] [class=card] background-image: url('https://i.imgur.com/oiMjrn9.png'); background-position: center; color: #D0E2CC; transition: background-image 2s, box-shadow 2s; [/class] [class=shadow] box-shadow: 2px 2px 6px #CCCC76, -2px -2px 6px #CCCC76; [/class] [class=cardInner] width: 100%; min-height: 402px; margin: auto; border: 2px solid black; background-color:rgb(0,0,0,0.8); background-position: center; background-size:cover; [/class] [class=footer] width: 100%; min-width: 267px; text-align: center; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; [/class] [class=footerText] font-size: 12px; width: 100%; [/class] [class=footer] background-color:rgb(30,75,74,0.4); [/class] [class=pic] pointer-events: none; max-width: 100%; height: auto; width: 38%; float: left; [/class] [class=summaryContent] width: 60%; float: left; [/class] [class name=hover state=hover] -webkit-transform: scale(1.2); [/class] [class=Heilic] background-color: #4FAD84; color: #4FAD84; display: inline-block; font-size: 15px; transition: background-color 0.5s; [/class] [class name=Heilic state=hover] background-color: transparent; [/class] [div class="table"][div class="cardContainer"][div class="card shadow"][div class="cardInner"][div class="one";][div class=" title"][div class=menuButton][div class=hover][div class="one";][font=Acme][div class=gradCirce][div class="gradCirce"]Circe[/div] & [div class="gradOdell"]Odell[/div][/div][/font][/div][/div][/div][/div][/div][div class="one";][div class="container"][div class="scroll"]Odell had arrived at the Tavern about thirty minutes early, alone. Had it been anywhere else he may have changed his attire, but the benefit of being on Leranor was the how everyone stuck out in their own way. Even so, he had separated from his associate. Her natural tall stature would make blending in difficult no matter the place. He didn't expect any intricate plots behind such a cobbled together expedition, but it had become a habit to check things out ahead of time.

It came with its perks. For one, Odell got to learn that their contact, "Arthur Breines", held a similar disposition. He only wondered just how much earlier they had arrived. There was a fine line between careful and paranoid. Other than their name, Odell didn't know the slightest bit about this man. They looked fairly young, though he himself was one to talk. There wasn't much else he could garner from such a distance and he didn't want to stare.

In fact, he needed to blend in, but unfortunately he wasn't too fond of drinking or tavern grub. Neither fact mattered. He ordered a drink anyway. Normally he would just ask for a water, but he didn't want to come off as stingy. The last thing he needed was to accidentally cause a scene. Plus, he could just pass it off to Circe anyway once she arrived—if she would arrive.

In hindsight, leaving her on her own was a mistake. Frankly she was a bit daft when it came to directions, and the time for the meeting had since passed. He considered introducing himself anyway, but disliked the notion of giving off the wrong impression. There was little more he could do than sigh, and observe the new bodies entering the building.

If only he could get an ear-full of the conversation—that would be something at least—but he didn't dare get so close. There didn't seem to be any faces he recognized yet, one face was even concealed. It wasn't long before, he wound up hearing a name solely due to their volume: Samuel Maddon. It was a name he was familiar with due to the baggage that came in tow. What surprised him the most was the man's robustness.

They had practically vanished from anything relevant, so Odell had assumed they had long since died. Perhaps they did manage to find the means of acquiring eternal life, but forgot to consider eternal youth as well. He had to stifle a snicker to keep from seeming any stranger than a loner in a tavern who hadn't touched his drink for several minutes now.

Hopefully the man had dropped the idea altogether, but that seemed doubtful. Chances were it was quite the opposite. Hopefully they wouldn't run their mouth about their past. Odell would just have to rely on the fact that such an embarrassing past wouldn't make for good boasting material.

It wasn't long before another familiar face entered the equation. Well, Odell didn't know either of their faces prior, but in this instance he caught on due to the uniforms. There was no way he could forget those. Any respectable member of Vergraum would cringe at the sight. Queen Kibi's—as a rather well-known business it was only natural for Odell to have kept tabs on it.

Alright, so maybe he had kept tabs on it out of personal interest. He doubted Vergraum would care for their products. Any sort of exchange between the two was completely above his pay-grade to be aware of. What he did know was their head, Ms. Kibido, was a bit... infamous, or at least a tough customer. The type you had to keep your guard around, lest you get reeled into a deal you'd prefer to deny but know you can't pass up.

No big deal. Nobody needed to know Odell was a member of some company; for once in his life that part was irrelevant. To them he was just another nameless adventurer seeking to make a profit. A pair of adventurers rather. As if on cue the door to the tavern slowly crept open, and out squirmed the very woman he had been waiting for. As impressive as the door was, it still required Circe to keep her head down. By now she had gotten used to it, and perfected the means of entering and exiting without fault.

Her gaze was fixated forward, glaring down the barkeep without a word. She had yet to move out from in front of the door and passersby were having a hard time getting around her. Some were intimidated while others were annoyed. Unsurprisingly, none attempted to provoke her.

Odell scooted out of his chair, and pushed his sitting drink into her hands.

"[div class=gradOdell]I got you a drink already, let's go.[/div]"

She eyed the mug, "[div class=gradCirce]It is old, no?[/div]"

"[div class=gradOdell]Wha?—yeah, it's old. Alcohol is old. That's the point.[/div]"

Odell began to make his way towards the table where everyone else was gathered, and waved Circe to follow suit. If there was one thing he hated it was introductions. It was somewhat of a blessing that they had missed most of them, but that was a vain thought. Their tardiness was bound to leave a poor impression, and it would make getting to know everyone that much more difficult down the line.

It didn't bother Circe nearly as much. She was too occupied with taste-testing the alcohol in her hands. It was lukewarm at this point, but the taste wasn't bad at all. She downed it at a steady pace, nothing crazy, but immediately came to regret it. Holding her alcohol wasn't the issue. It had just dawned on her that Odell may have intended for her to partake in one of those "toasts"—he hadn't—and what was she meant to do with the now empty mug?

"[div class=gradOdell]Good evening everyone,[/div]" Odell was well aware they were butting in at a fairly heated moment, but he would just play it off as if he was oblivious. "[div class=gradOdell]the name's Odell, and my travelling companion here is Circe.[/div]"

He pointed behind at her, but didn't get a shred of acknowledgement. Despite the swirling thoughts occurring in her head, all that was displayed on her face was a daunting glower towards Arthur.

"[div class=gradOdell]So,[/div]" Odell clasped his hands together, "[div class=gradOdell]there are two blond gentleman here. Which one of you is Mr. Breines?[/div]"—an answer he knew of course, but that wasn't the point.[/div][/div][div class="footer footer"][div class="footerText"]

Interactions: Everyone
Mentions: Dr. Maddon, Alice

Location: Woodcarver Tavern

[/div][/div][/div][/div][/div][/div][/div]

 

[Moonshadow]

❦𝐿𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓁𝑒𝒾 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓁𝑜𝓌❦
​

Lorelei frowned a bit at the idea of partnering with this girl. She looked at her drink and tapped a finger on the table, hesitating to say anything. “I’ll be keeping whatever I find. This debt isn’t one to easily get out of.” She let go of the drink and glared at the girl before looking at others. And eventually pausing as the blonde hair guy introduced himself as Elias Lamont. This was new.

She wasn’t as excited or aghast as everyone else at the mention of his name, she was curious however. Her eyes trailed away to Samual as his bombastic personality made her smirk and cross her arms. “Good going.” She mumbled then saw as Kerrian started to write. It made her self-conscious somewhat, she wanted to know what he was writing, if he was writing his thoughts even better. But, what would be worse is if he remembers her. She’ll have to talk to him later, about keeping the Gold Blood out of this. She didn’t want anyone knowing, least she get kicked out and killed after.

“I’ve never been to the tree,” Lorelei spoke up, “but Arthur is right.” She paused however as she listened to bright girl as she spoke about how unprepared the group seemed to be. “If I can interject,” She said quickly, “I believe Arthur has considered things, everyone has considered the danger. But where we are going, there will come a point that all our knowledge will be useless and we’ll have to find our own way.” She didn’t mean to sound intimidating, but it may have come off as such.

She quickly got quiet however as two people arrived, rather late. They looked interesting and seemed to add another layer to this mix matched group, although, Lorelei found herself being skeptical to them as well. But, she eventually stood up and looked to the door. “If we aren’t heading up today, should we begin to rest and make preparations further?” She asked. However, she had no clue if this is how you really begin a quest like this. But, she knew she didn’t wish to sit down any further. Whenever she had a mission. She wanted to start it immediately.

Mentions: Caffeine Freak Chione Gabe Gomenesigh Foxrally
BluEndings Spoiled Bread N Nue

 

[Spoiled Bread]

~~Rokka Mokona~~​

Hearing Arthur's answer to her question, Rokka just nodding in agreement. It's true, the things he said. Lack of preparation, greediness or just plain bad luck. But...

"Your answers is not wrong, Arthur. But those answers are just common sense that every explorers should be aware. And while the la- I mean, Aba here has some valid points in questioning your capability in leading us. It's actually pretty common traits among the expedition leaders that is not a local." In harsher words, Rokka thought of Arthur as no different from any other expedition leaders she met and talked to so far. Not particularly a bad thing, but not a good thing either.

She sipped the last of her ginger drink and was very grateful when the rain outside turned into a drizzle. If they decided to start today then they don't need to wait for a long time to have a clear sky.

"Now, the REAL reason of why lots of expedition failed is because..." Rokka paused for a brief moment before pointing her finger at Arthur to emphasize her next statement. "Because they STOP trying!!"

Getting more confidence, Rokka stood from her seat and put both of her hands on the table so she could lean forward. "Lots of people want to reach the top, but most of them expect instant result. Brilliant succes on their first expedition even though their preparation are mediocre at best. If they fail they give up. They are the ones that keep telling themself that they had failed!"

"But true explorer understand that The Tree demands more time, sweat and blood before it allows us to unveil its secrets. The most famous explorers group, The Red Wings, spent years and multiple attempts to climb The Tree before everyone acknowledge them. They are so cooool!!" At this point Rokka realized that her little speech might had gotten out of context, so she retreated to her seat and calmed herself down.

"Ahaha, it seems I can't contain my excitement. I'm a proud Redwinger!"


Direct interaction: N Nue
Mentioned: Gomenesigh

Spoiler: Glossary

The Red Wings - The most famous independent explorer group led by Yoshua The Indomitable. They have been succesful in mapping several upper layers and bringing back lots of new exotic stuffs with minimal casualties on their side and thus gained popularity, especially among the young explorer-wannabe in Eobine. Their fans called themself as Redwinger and held a nerdy explorer meeting once every month.