Fantasy The Guild Stone ((Old Questing Thread))

[Tapfic]

Leolin​

"Oho! Excellent thinking out of the box, young Leolin! Though, there is a chance that their magic is only based upon having us in their line of sight, without necessarily seeing us. While I could see that all being an interesting plan, I believe we may not be correctly supplied for it at this point in time! How unfortunate! But worry not, we'll have plenty to work with once we enter the stronghold!" Drat, Leolin new he should have packed some tranquilizers. Well actually he didn't know that at the time; if he did he would have packed them, but considering all of his had expired three years ago- it was for the best.
When Apple began to sing he glanced back to her, oh man she looked cold- her little lizard friend must be chilly too. Now he felt guilty for not noticing. Lin pulled his pack to his front and continued to walk as he rummaged through it, pulling out random items and putting them back into a different pocket.
When he found what he had been looking for, a blanket made of thick honey colored fur, he pulled it from the bag. It seemed old, and worn; but well cared for. He waited for a break in Apple's song before interjecting.
" I like your song, do you wanna use this? It's Chimera fur so it shouldn't catch on fire, "
Leolin held out he offering with one arm, and re-situated his pack with the other. It was a bit heavy, and not easy to jump in; but it should help with the wind he thought.
Ace Cream

 

[Ace Cream]

Apple

After finishing the lines about rain and lightning Apple took a brief break and intended to continue her song with lyrics about fishing in pond when Leolin offered her a blanket. Her eyes lit up at the sight of it, looks very warm!

"Apple wants! Thank you!" She wrapped the blanket over her body. A blissed expression was shown on her face as the warmth started to seep all over her body.

"Apple will make sure to return this unscatched!" She said gratefully. "Pipi, say thank you."

"Piiiii..." The mandrake crawled out from inside the mantle and sheepishly thanked Leolin, though she already looks warmed enough because she's currently putting the lower part of her body into the bag of holding and used it as a spatial blanket. Cold didn't exist inside it.

"Pipi, you cheatiing! You should tell Apple if you know something like this!"

"Piiiii!"

Now with much more thicker outer layer she definitely looks warmer and more comfortable in the cold climate. She's also more cheerful and focused at the current task.

"Petrification. Apple thinks aunt Pica mentioned something about it. Mix a mandrake with the stomach acid of a basilisk and make a potion out of it." She said. It's good that Sir Risoria was able to heal petrification with his magic but she told them about this just in case the barbavian was the one getting petrified. "Pipi's lower body can be used to make various medicines. Don't worry she will grow it back in a few days."

"Piii!"

Rurnur Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[Rurnur]

As the party tread onwards through the harsh wintry landscape, leaving the meager comforts of the Dwarf village far behind, the ever present howls of blizzarding winds only increased in intensity. But among those calls were a number of different howls, in unison, an ominously deep echo could be heard from the direction in which the group travelled. Followed immediately by a terrible stench of decay on the wind. And as they approached their destination, one might pick out a few dark shapes amongst the distant snow banks, before they quickly disappeared from view.

Ace Cream Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[EldridSmith]

Titus nodded to Ymir's question as he held up what he could recover of the guild members belongings. He didn't say much at first as he looked at them before looking back up at her. "I lost my temper down there, I've recently had a lot on my mind and it boiled over..." He explains rather solemnly as he puts them into his bag of holding. "Neither Zeno or I were hurt, but I can't have another outburst like that on a mission... It's dangerous, unprofessional, and it wouldn't make Seraphina proud of me... I need to get some stuff off my chest instead of bottling it up." He says as he pulls out his waystone. "I'd appreciate it if you're willing to listen, if not it's fine we can still chat over drinks like promised. Anyways let's head back to the guild now." He declares before teleporting back with Ymir.

"Order whatever you'd like on me, and I'll have a glass of fire wine. I'll pay for it once I handle the formalities." He told her with a faint smile. He then turned to Azalea and pulled the belongings out of his bag of holding and put them on the counter. "Their bones were picked clean by the time we arrived, I'm sorry but there's nothing we could have done." He explained, having realized he was being too harsh on himself earlier. There was no way they could have made it in time since they somehow got 4 layers down and with hordes behind them... they were probably near death when they activated the beacon. Still it wasn't pleasant to know another person in the guild had died. Still he had to finish the rest of the report. "There was a silver ranked mutant present, as well as the fact the quest giver failed to inform that the rabbits were carnivorous. This quest should have been at least iron by the fact they were carniverous, and silver due to the sheer amount of them. I don't say this lightly but I feel a fine is in order as their lack of information, or more harshly put misinformation that led to the death of guild members." He formally reports before sighing, he was only 25 yet he felt so much older for some reason... he shrugged off the thought and turned back to Azalea. "I hope that's enough of a report for now, I need a drink, badly." He declares before hearing her response and heading over to Ymir.

"Sorry for the wait." He exclaims as he sits down beside her. "I've bet you've got a lot of questions about the overly serious cleric, I'll answer all that I can." He offers with a slight grin as he waits for her theatrics and questions to start as he takes a deep drink of his fire wine.
Sylph

 

[Not Sure]

Lantana Waystone Guild - Midday

Well, this guy seemed to at least have a good head on his shoulders. Good thing too, it's not like they had any shortage of hotheads in the guild already. Like the ones who had let an ogre traipse around.

"Need? Nah. There's nothing stopping you from going solo if that's your style, but unless you're really good you're gonna have to party up with someone to cover your bases eventually. Especially if you're a healer or something like that." she explained, leaning back against the counter. His second question question made her pause, reaching up to rub the back of her head sheepishly. "Hah... Yeah, not really. I mean, I've worked with a lot of people here, but most of the regulars have left for greener pastures, y'know?" Lantana City wasn't exactly the middle of nowhere, but it wasn't that glamorous either. If it hadn't been for her family, she'd have probably left by now herself. "Not that everybody finds a permanent party anyway. The guild's pretty flexible about adventurers joining up, since you never know when the call's gonna go out. Now, word of advice, decide how you're gonna split the reward befo - Hold that thought."

It was the scent that tipped her off, while sight and sound were still getting their shoes on. Blood - human, and mixed with...something else. Familiar, not quite identifiable, but definitely nasty. Pushing herself off the counter, she rushed toward the door, just in time to catch the bloodied figure who stumbled through it, panting and bleeding freely from the shoulder. "Oi, we need a healer over here!" she shouted, taking a knee as she lowered the man to the ground, grasping weakly at her arm. The words had barely left her mouth when the sound of a flute quite literally washed over her, surrounding the man and practically melting away his wounds. Good old Jennie. Still, the fatigue was too much for him, and she laid him down gently as others crowded around. Goblins and the Deserted Kingdom...

Suddenly struck by a thought, Aki leapt to her feet, throwing the door open to find...nobody. Either he'd been alone, or...
What was there was a sword, lying in the dirt and spattered with blood. Definitely goblin-made, judging by the crude workmanship - and the smell. As she leaned down to touch it, though, she felt a familiar tingle race up her arm. Her Body Enhancement wasn't that far off from the magic Enchanters used, and this thing was definitely enchanted. Not a high-level one, and the sword was still basically a piece of iron beaten into shape and sharpened with a rock, but someone or something had managed to imbue magic into it. Scooping it up and holding it a bit like you would a dead rat, she stepped back inside, dodging the group carrying the man upstairs on her way back to the reception, and glancing apologetically at Zeke. Slipping a blank form from the ledger to soak up any blood, she deposited the sword on the desk with a clunk, turning to face her fellow Silver Rank with a frown. "Jennie. This thing's been enchanted."
Hezekiah II-CinderRadcliff-II

 

[Ace Cream]

Apple

Apple stopped on her track when she heard the uncannily unison howl and sniffed the air, wretching when she smell the decay. She let out a brief growl but immediately crouched down to make herself harder to spot and prepared a javelin from the bag of holding.

"Predators. We should hide and obstruct our scent with mud." She kneeled and then realized that they're still in this frozen environment. No mud available here.

Rurnur Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[Zef The Owl]

Regil the Thief
~The only time I'm covered in mud is when someone else shoves my face into it. Entirely unpleasant I dont reccomend it.~​

The gift sharing was, odd for Regil. Regil knew how to form bonds and had given gifts before, but it was always with the caviat that he knew he would get something out of it later. Was it a selfish caviat? Yes, but that was how you survived in the streets, you made connections, accured debts and played those debts to your advantage. So an entirely selfless gift giving was, weird, to him as they walked. Not enough to comment on but, there was something inoccent about Leonin and Apples exchange that made him uneasy for reasons he couldnt quite put his finger on yet.

These relatively benign thoughts were interrupted by the smell of decay. Now, that was a sensation he was familiar with, coming across the Skull gangs work had desensitized him to it, but it never got any more pleasant. Still, this was different from finding a man dead in the seat of his home, as Apple pointed out it could be predators. Still, Regil had to just go ahead and quip, "Well you only have about a couple feet of snow and permafrost to find some soil that would be hard as stone. Thats a long way off from the mud you're hoping for." He then looked to Sir Ducci.

"It could also be the remains of the livestock from our Cyclops targets. Perhaps having some mid field snacks. These dunes dont make for great hiding either, this place is mostly wide open. It'll make sneaking difficult even if I burry myself in snow. What do you suggest, Sir Ducci?" He pointed out, being a realist here. There was no hiding when theres nothing to hide behind, especially in snow that left noticeable tracks.

Rurnur | A Ace Cream| Tapfic

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

Jennie turned to Aki to find that she had found a sword, with her party member coming back with a letter addressed to the Guild; though with it now soaked in blood it was unlikely to be readable. Given the sword and the fact that it was enchanted, she had a vague idea of what they were dealing with.
"Seems like some Killer Goblins are on the loose again, and I'm guessing that 'cliffside over a frozen lake' was referring to the old kingdom of Krilgox far up to the north; being that large parts of the mountains cliffside literally hangs over the surface of the lake." Jennie expressed her thoughts before taking a closer look at the sword... It looked too refined for a Goblin to make. "Looks like this sword might be manmade, so either the blacksmith behind it was just starting out or the Goblin's took to forging better swords. Eitherway we look at this, it's worth investigating further into; especially if this isn't a one-off incident. While we wait for Azalea to come back asking what the commotion was, we might as well take a look at what the letter contains." She added before taking the blood soaked letter, using her water magic to control the water within the blood and draw it away from the paper and ink within the envelope. It didn't completely fix the issue, but it was better than leaving it to soak further. With careful hands she tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter, taking a look at its content as Cinder started making his way over as well.

'Adventurer request - Kill the Goblins on the mountain
-Over the last few days, there has been a sudden appearance of Goblins towards the middle of the mountain climb upwards, where old nobles and adventurers houses were once located. From what the scouts have seen, they're taking long since abandoned weapons they can find and enchanting them; though for what purpose we couldn't come to any conclusions. If the Goblins were the only issue, our local Guild would have been able to take care of them by now. There are also Ghosts that wander the ruins, and they're not the friendly type similar to those that live in the forests nearby.
-About 6 of our Guilds members have either gone missing or were killed, and apparently there's also something preventing Waystone from going in and out of the ruins directly; though again we don't have anything to go off of. If you're reading this, please send some help our way. We won't be able to help you out, but any valuables you find in those ruins are yours to keep or sell.
Sincerely, the Guild of Frost-Thorn'

Jennie was left with a blank stare at the letter, as the situation was much worse than originally anticipated. Not only were Waystones out of the question, but dealing with the ghosts on top of the Goblins would be a hassle should they be provoked.

Sylph Not Sure

 

[Sylph]

Azalea Gibraltar​

Azalea returned in short order with the form Ezekial would need to fill out, explaining basic functions of the guild as he did so. When the work was done she tucked the paper under her desk, handing over a satchel with her usual spiel--the bag of holding, the map, the waystone. Hezekiah

Aki seemed to have taken a shine to him in their brief interaction, which was a relief to Azalea. Having a properly ranked member showing the new recruits around usually ended up more engaging than her lectures. Experience on the field was not something she had a great deal of.

Of course the tranquil state of the guild could never last. Aki's head whipped to the side just before the doors to the guild opened, revealing a blood-soaked figure staggered against its frame. "The Goblins... They've come from... the frozen cliffside lake..."

The wounded man said something else Azalea didn't catch, his voice too hoarse with the strain of keeping himself upright. Beside Azalea, Aki sprung into action as the stranger began to topple forwards, crossing the distance on split-second instinct to catch his fall. Within moments every healer in the guild was surging forwards to evaluate the damage, however a low hush fell over the group as a vibrant tune sprung forth, its melodies visible as they surged around the mangled body.

It all happened quite quickly, though at the time it seemed at least an hour. Azalea helped the wounded man upstairs after he was clear of death. Magic or no, it may take a while for him to awaken, and doing so in the middle of an unfamiliar guild would not be the ideal conditions.

"Aki, Jennie-" She called the two women after her. "Follow." She needed their report on the situation. Aki, as the one to find the sword, and Jennie as the one who knew of the referenced land. Azalea listened quietly to their explanation, vines curled around her wrist as the situation grew clearer, and her gaze took on a contemplative edge. "I see, thank you both. I will be down shortly." Not Sure II-CinderRadcliff-II

When Azalea returned to the guild hall a while later, a piece of paper was gripped firmly in her hand. Her strides brought her over to the quest board where the adventurers gave her a clear path. Raising the letter upwards, she secured it squarely in the centre of the board.

[ The Quest Log has been updated.]​

 

[Goonfire]

Osgar Press
On the upper floor, the dark-haired man known as Osgar stood at a table, assessing the total damages to the building. He had become a master at such things, given all the times monsters had run rampant indoors. A cry for help caused him to drop the quill pen, a streak of ink staining the paper below his last entry. He recognized the voice and peered down, the sight of Aki making sense. She had finished her last job with creditable expedience, as usual, though he didn’t recognize the wounded person with her.

Osgar descended to the first floor while donning his armor and weapons, and by the time he made it, Azalea was coming back with a new ad for the job board. “Azalea, is that related to what just happened down here?” Her pinning it to the board confirmed his educated guess. He eyed the paper with a grim expression.

The quest struck a chord with the paladin. The ruins reminded him of what his home could have become, while the slaughter of other guild members disturbed him enough to make him intervene without further question. “I’ll take it right now. Who’s with me?” He then glanced at the others in the room; most were familiar faces, which was assuring.

Sylph Not Sure II-CinderRadcliff-II Hezekiah

 

[Tapfic]

LEOLIN​

" No worries " Leolin said in response to Apple's thanks as they walked. When Pipi came out he waved to her with wonder. He decided it was probobly not a Lizard; maybe a really big bug?

As the stench of rot became stronger Leolin gaged and pinched his nose; gross- and inconvenient. He could hardly smell his companions before him through the wind and stench of decay. He had to admit he was not loving this blizzard at the moment; with all of the noise and his nose out of commission Leolin had to rely on a single eye with barely any depth perception to keep track of everyone.

The howls weren't welcome either; but atleast they were easy to hear.

"Predators. We should hide and obstruct our scent with mud." Apple said, Leolin thought she sounded just like a hunter he once knew. He may have been slightly unnerved at the thought.

"Well you only have about a couple feet of snow and permafrost to find some soil that would be hard as stone. Thats a long way off from the mud you're hoping for."

Regil was right, besides that- Leolin doubted they would need to hide their sent.

" I'd be surprised if anything could smell us over the stench and wind "
He said, voice made comical by the fact he was still pinching his nose shut.
Rurnur Zef The Owl Ace Cream

 

[Reinhardt]

Brynhilde Gratia Leitner​

Location: Guild Hall​

Brynhilde had just returned from a succeful, yet tiresome lengthy expedition with some of the guild's senior members - an experience she would remember as a key mile on her journey to overcoming the endless beyond.

Moments after her arrival, just as she had finished filing her report with the others, the unexpected commotion had occurred. A wounded man yearning for help, followed by the swift and prompt response of those present at the hall - eventually revealing the details regarding the man's circumstances and the creation of a brand new quest.

Out of intrigue, she headed onto the quest board to see what all the ruckus was about. And just as she had finished reading, one of the guild members had taken the first step - announcing his eagerness to accept the quest.

Currently free and with no important matter to resolve at hand, Brynhilde turned to the source of the voice. Perhaps fate would have her join, but the decision was hers to make.

Deep in her thoughts, she recalled key information from what she had read and what she had heard of.

A lost kingdom overrun with ruthless fiends. Ghosts swarming a well of danger. A magical anomaly that prevented the convenience of a waystone.

"Seems like a challenge.", Brynhilde answered. "Count me in."

Interaction/s: Osgar ( Goonfire ), Azalea ( Sylph )

 

[Rurnur]

Risoria Ducci De Columba
​

"Now, now! Who is to say we are being actively hunted? Even this far north, the cycle of predator.. and.. prey.. continues!" Ducci struggled to announce through sharp inhales, covering his beak from the terrible stench of death with a feathered arm. Leolin may well be correct, as they were downwind from the supposed predators, and it seemed quite clear that they had already long since completed a hunt. Regardless, as the group continued their journey, there would be no other signs of predators other than the occasional bird screech, or a distant trumpeting distress call, likely from a herd of mammoth. A sound that raised a curious thought, that if mammoth were common in this valley, it suggested that the Cyclops were not forced to harass the village to survive, but simply that it was easy.

Their path unhindered, the adventuring party would finally arrive before the colossal structure. A great shadow amongst the mountains made from black stone, it did not appear built for Dwarves, a tell-tale sign of Dwarven architecture. Instead, there was a grand archway that allowed access into the building, with a ceiling easily over 100 feet from the ground. This was the way that Dwarves constructed their greatest settlements, to showcase their skill and talent, not considering that one day it would end up as a home for giant intruders. "Here we are, good fellows! We enter the enemy's territory, so we must stay alert at all costs! But I would suggest making our way inside out of the blizzard, before the begin our plans. So as not to allow the cold to sap too much of our energy." He waved his wing towards the group, indicating for them to follow him inside where at least they would be protected from the aggressive and freezing winds.

Zef The Owl Tapfic Ace Cream

 

[Not Sure]

Lantana Waystone Guild - Midday

"I can't think of anywhere else that fits," Aki replied, crossing her arms. There were plenty of lost kingdoms in the world, but Krilgox was one of the northernmost ones, abandoned for a few hundred years now after the cliff it was built on began crumbling into the lake below. Anybody trying to scale the slope was supposedly arrested - not that goblins would care about that. If they were just squatting there it wouldn't be an issue, but goblins were never satisfied with what they had. Sooner or later, they'd start raiding nearby villages...if they hadn't already.

While Jennie worked on salvaging the letter, Aki took up the sword again, holding it properly now. Despite its crude appearance, it was balanced well enough, not too heavy toward either end, not too thick or hard-edged anywhere on the handle. She wasn't sure about it being manmade - whittled down from something manmade, maybe - but whoever had made it had at least had an inkling of what they were doing. So at the minimum, this was a group of goblins settled in well enough to have a smith, and a shaman or something who could enchant weapons.

That was bad enough, but the letter made it clear that was just the tip of the iceberg. A scowl settled onto the wolfkin's face as she read over Jennie's shoulder, setting down the sword again. Six guildmembers gone before they'd bothered to send for help? What the hell kind of operation were they running over there!? No, maybe it wasn't that simple. If their messenger had arrived like this, then things had to be in pretty dire straits already. Waystone travel being restricted had to mean there was a serious source of magic power in the ruins, and if the goblins had figured out they could prevent people from escaping with it...

Azalea, true to form, took their report in stride and soon emerged with a new quest form, placing it high on the board where everyone could see. Not that it needed the attention - there'd been a sense of anticipation in the air ever since the man had stumbled in. Osgar was the first to step forward, but she had a feeling he'd have no shortage of volunteers. "I'm in," she announced, stepping up to the board, already reaching into her bag to retrieve her cold weather gear. "Ready when you are, but I think we'll need at least eight people."

II-CinderRadcliff-II Goonfire Sylph

 

[Funnier President]

While Titus and Ymir used to way stone to head to a bar or something- Zeno used his to teleport nearby the Guild hall, and walked in and took a seat, awake of all the watching eyes on "The Lighting Assassin" , and his eyes widened a bit as the wounded man staggered into the hall, and said something about... Goblins?

As the wounded man was taken for healing, Zeno remained deeply in though, a bit worried about the man, and when Azalea approached the board with a new mission, Zeno walked over to see the mission better.

As Zeno scanned the board, seeing the new mission, he got a felling of unease...... normally, he wouldn't volunteer for the silver-ranked mission, finding them a bit lack-luster, but for this one, he got a sense of Danger from it. How had 6 guild members died? Zeno knew a couple of them, and most of them were high silver..... Zeno didn't like this one bit.

Zeno spotted a girl who appeared to be studying a sword that wasn't a type Zeno knew properly- as an "Assassin" he studied most most weapons, ready to use at a moments notice. the weapon wasn't that shabby however, and it appeared the weapon might have been made from a newbie blacksmith,or perhaps something else....

Zeno spotted someone named Oscar step up for the quest, and the same girl who he had seen studying the blade volunteering, and he heard the girl speak about needing 8 party members? He didn't usually work with that many people, but he wanted to investigate this.

Zeno also stood up, and walked over to the board- he could here a few people muttering as he said "Im also volunteering- and I don't think we will need that many people" he said, talking to the the girl who's name he now remembered as Aki

Interactions: Goonfire Sylph Not Sure Reinhardt II-CinderRadcliff-II

 

[Tellussoil]

Ivar Barghest
Beastmen bandit swashbuckler

╒═╪═╡╞═╪═╡╞═╪═╡╞═╪═╡╞═╪═╕

This is just so boring. Ivar was sitting in the guildhall doing nothing particularly worthwhile. If only he would have gotten some more coins so he could get more beer that would be nice. but that requires him to do jobs. He would love to do some but being a copper rank he can only do the absolute worse ones. menial chores that don’t even pay enough to get wasted for a night. and worse of all. most require him to leave things unharmed. boring, but necessary. If only he could rank up just once he can start doing some real missions. missions that have a bit of danger to them, and pay. yeah, the pay will be nice.

Thankfully the day was about to turn for interesting when a wounded adventurer came stumbling in. others were quick to give the guy a hand. good for him. Soon after the scribe came out and put something on the quest board which got some people crowded around it. Intrigued Ivar came up and walked over to the quest board to see what this was all about.

A new quest was posted. A kill quest for some goblins. that sounds just lovely. bunch of brainless pack scum. no problem at all. given he only saw kill and what there was to kill without paying any worthwhile attention to anything else in the request. although he did read about some ghosts. He hasn’t fought against the undead in quite some time. almost makes him think back of home. well, they were other types of undead and not ghosts but still.
Sadly how cool this quest sounds. It was Silver ranked. luckily there seems to be more interest in this quest. Ivar knew that even if a quest was above his grade he could still do it if he partied up with at least someone of the correct rank. And by the sound of it, a group was already forming. "Oi there. Ya, mind if I tag along. I could use a good killing bout anytime" The beastman said confidently as he approached the group. Now he just hopes they were not going to underestimate him just due to his rank.

╘═╪═╡╞═╪═╡╞═╪═╡╞═╪═╡╞═╪═╛​

{Location}: Guild hall | Quest board
~
{Interaction}: Funnier President ( Zeno) ~ Not Sure (Aki) ~ Reinhardt (Brynhilde) ~ Goonfire (Oscar)
​

 

[Ace Cream]

Apple

"Shelter!" Apple eagerly followed Ducci inside, which was warmer than the raging blizzard outside. She patted the snow accumulated on the bear blanket. Pipi jumped out of the mantle and now was willing to walk on her own.

"Piii!" The mandrake shuffled her feet on the stone floor to make a point.

"Yeah, Pipi. You can't dig here."

Rurnur Zef The Owl Tapfic

 

[Zef The Owl]

Regil the Thief
~You know 'who is to say' isn't the most reassuring of words~
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He continued following along, listening to some of the banter of his team as they went over the odd sights and... Smells.. His own nose wrinkling now as he simply quietly looked back and fourth. Sir Ducci didn't seem overly concerned about Apple's proposal, for once he found himself taking Apple's side however. He wanted to be optimistic but an optimist would be horrified he was in the position he was in to begin with. A healthy spoonfull of pessimism seemed much more realistic to how their events had been going. Still, even with all of his padding this blizzard pierced through to affect him with the cold, and he found himself wrapping arms about himself as if to keep in the warmth.

He could only but nod and agree with the others at finding someplace warm, and naturally they made their way to the Dwarven building. He shuffled along, largely ignoring the smell of rot as he made his way there. All too happy to step inside, muttering more to himself, "Let us just hope we were not spotted coming in here." He noted, a bit grimly. Looking about, being cautious for peepholes or alarm systems. It was his thief instinct kicking in, the rogue in him, mindful for traps and the like, instinctively taking the lead a bit and suddenly his steps becoming more cautious like a cat as he recognized entering another's territory. Every step quiet, mindful of where he was going, not just for making noise but for pressure plates and the like.

Ace Cream | Rurnur | Tapfic​

 

[Sylph]

Azalea had blinked at the time of Titus giving his report, taking it all in stride until the end, fingers pausing over the items.

"-or more harshly put, misinformation that led to the death of guild members."

"Guild members-?" She frowned, examining the items again, before glancing over to where a careless Ymir swung her legs by the bar.

"Titus..." Azalea said slowly, smothering the annoyance directed at the airy Ymir. Only she could be that absent-minded. "Ymir was the only one who took that quest. These aren't waystone items." She probably put out the beacon out upon realising the scope of the fight. The adventurer could be lax at times, preferring to fight enemies that resided in the spirit realm. It was an unfortunate death for those who entered nonetheless. "I will investigate the village request, thank you for the report.

---

Ymir waited over near the bar as Titus spoke to Azalea. The clerk nodded at whatever he'd said, setting aside the items he'd laid on the counter. Something was bothering him as he spoke to Azalea. Likely the same thing that had brewed dark in his expression ever since he'd emerged from the cave—not that he didn't usually have some sort of ominous weight to his presence, acting like the whole world pressed down on him—but this time seemed a little off.

Ymir shrugged as a glass was set down,smoke-like contents swirling inside. She glanced up as Titus finished whatever business he had and returned to the bar. "So what's been happening?"
EldridSmith

 

[Goonfire]

Osgar Press
It was encouraging to see Brynhilde and Aki, two reputable souls, stepping up first. “Eight, you say?” he repeated at the latter’s suggestion, mildly surprised because such a force was nigh unheard-of.

The elusive Zeno had also voiced his opinion as he volunteered; that estimate also made sense because of the assassin’s reputed ‘lightning-fast results’. Osgar took a deep breath and calmly weighed both propositions aloud. “I trust both of your judgments, in fact. I see we have five, and there were supposedly six casualties—seven if we count that messenger. I find it strange that six were lost, as most teams would have retreated after losing two or three. It also chills me to think they had no chance to retreat. On top of that, we will start rather far from this job site, meaning we’ll have to walk through miles of potentially trap-riddled territory. For these reasons, we should go for safety in numbers this time—six to eight of us. Could you double as a scout in this case, Zeno?”

At that moment, the paladin raised an eyebrow at the beastman. “Speaking of numbers, our numbers are growing quickly, and I don’t seem to recognize you,” he admitted to Ivar. “I’m Osgar, and you are...?”

Reinhardt Not Sure Funnier President Tellussoil

 

[II-CinderRadcliff-II]

With so many people joining in on this quest, it was clear her presence was also going to be needed as well. Plenty of tales from her years of pirating gave her a clear enough picture of what had happened there, as the region wasn't always such a cold place to live in. Apparently the region used to be bathed with warmth during the summer, but grew cold enough during winter to freeze over the lake and cut off the ports from access to ships. A time before monsters started inhabiting the Forest of Stagnant Mists close by. Their presence shifted the magic flow within the earth and sky, and gradually the summers grew colder and the winters became more grueling than before. That was about all she could remember from the tales she heard about from years ago, but it was better than going off of nothing.
"Count me in too, but I'm also getting the feeling that we need at least one Gold Ranked adventurer with us. Whatever's causing Waystone travel to be blocked must be a high ranked monster, and I have a feeling bringing along only Silver Ranks might be poorly planned." Jennie voiced her concerns to the growing group of people, looking over towards Cinder before waving him over. "Hey Cinder, do you mind joining us in case things start getting dicey?" A few seconds after asking for his help, some of her worries started to dissipate when he got up out from his chair and walked over towards them.

​

"Sure, I'll join in too." Cinder simply replied before turning to Celia briefly. "Sorry, but this quest seems too important to leave be. Given what Azalea said earlier, you won't be able to join in too, so I'll meet with you back here once I'm done with this quest."
He turned to face Jennie and the group that was rapidly forming, walking towards them and looking at the quest more thoroughly; seeing that it was harder than he was anticipating. No wonder Jennie thought to ask for his help, this quest could easily go up to Gold Rank if more details were known about the number of monsters they'd have to fight. A heavy sense of unease came over him as a serious look formed on his face, then looking at the group before bringing out some paper and a quill from his bag of holding.
"Okay everyone, listen up. We're going to need to form a strategy of how to take down these Goblins as quickly as possible. Given what we know so far, it's safe to say that if there are more Goblins than we think there are; this quest may become Gold Rank. With that in mind, I'll need to know the strengths and weaknesses of everyone we currently have, as that'll give me a good idea of how we should proceed." Cinder stated before he placed the papers onto the desk, writing down everyone's names fairly quickly.

Goonfire Tellussoil Funnier President Not Sure Reinhardt Blackrose7

 

[EldridSmith]

Titus annoyance that he had not been informed of that was blatantly apparant for a second. He thought lives were in danger and so he needed to rush, when the case was just that it was Ymir. Everything lined up now. There was no way those bones could have been picked so clean in such a short amount of time. He sighed his frustration away as he looked at Ymir. He turned back to Azelea after she took the items. "Thank you, I'll make sure to talk to her about that in a bit. Sorry about the extra work of sorting out those belongings. I'll try and make it up to you another time." He declared giving her a grateful smile.

---

Had he heard her thoughts he would be confused on how he had acted like the weight of the world was on him, but he was no mind reader. Having set his glass of fire wine down after the first long drink he waited for her questions. However instead of a long list of questions like he expected she just asked one. "So what's been happening?" Well she asked a charged one, but he was going to talk about it anyways.
"To put it simply I've received a threat on my life this morning I cannot ignore, and I'm also a candidate to fill my mother's position. To tell you what this means I need to tell you about my mother." He explains, a sigh escaping him as he mentioned his mother. She always brought up a lot of mixed feelings. "My mother was the Archon of Fire before she died five years ago, which was right before I joined the guild since that was one of my driving reasons as I wanted allies to help me take down her killer, the frost giant king. Now, despite her hardly caring for me when I was a child, I'm a candidate for her position. I'm proud to have gotten to this spot, but one of the other Archons, Legion, wants one of his goons in the spot and threatened me this morning by saying something that perhaps my mom's death wasn't just a normal death in a duel. So since this morning I've felt like I've had a pile of bricks on my back." He declares before he finishes off his wine and orders another while he waits for more questions to come his way.
Sylph

 

[Not Sure]

Lantana Waystone Guild - Midday

"Eight," Aki repeated firmly, futzing briefly with the clasp of her cloak. "The letter didn't say what rank the adventurers they lost were, or whether they were in a party. I doubt this was considered Gold rank, so worst-case scenario a party of six Silver ranks tried to take this on and got wiped out."

She hesitated a moment, glancing Zeno's way. The guy was Gold rank, so he'd be useful for sure, but she'd never really found herself wanting to work with him. Sure, scouting and stealth and all that was important, but anybody who decided to call themselves an Assassin was clearly practicing those skills for different purposes. "...Well, with a couple Gold ranks we can probably cut that number down some." Back to Osgar, she shook her head, jabbing her thumb toward the poster. "There's something stopping waystone travel, remember, so I'm betting they couldn't. Either the goblins have some kind of artifact, or there's another monster there powerful enough to block it..."

Jennie and Cinder joined them a moment later, which definitely made them a little more of a formidable group. At Cinder's request, she shrugged, reaching up to lay her hand on the hilt of her sword. "Well, I use Body Enhancement, so I pretty much just swing a sword around. Although -" With a long, fluid movement, she drew the blade, sweeping it down to point parallel to the floor with an audible whoosh of air. It was a massive, wide-toothed cleaver she'd been using for a while now, and it was almost comically disproportionate to its wielder. "- I do swing it pretty hard. Other than that, well, I'm a pretty good scout if I say so myself. I'll smell or hear a goblin well before it spots me, I'll guarantee that." Sheathing her blade, or more accurately just hanging it on her back again, she continued, "Just don't expect me to deal with anything at range or in the air unless I have a way to reach them quickly."

II-CinderRadcliff-II Goonfire Funnier President

 

[Rurnur]

Stepping through the archway of Stoneshard Stronghold, the party would soon realize the stench of death on the wind would not be dissipating any time soon. The interior space reeked of sweet decay, overwhelming their senses. What lay before them was a grand hall of smooth dark stone, the occasional pile of rubble and gathering of ice and snow from it's proximity to the tundra outside. Leading the way, Regil was not able to spot any immediate evidence of a threat being present, although there was a clear scattering of snow being dragged into the Stronghold by some form of life. He assumed that a Cyclops would leave a clearer sign of movement, so he came to the conclusion that some smaller, yet still large, creatures had recently passed through this same archway.

Ducci scanned the environment briefly, before kneeling down beside a large pile of rubble, just so that his large form would not be visible from any who happened to be watching from further in the building. "If there is any more talk of preemptive strategy you'd all like to suggest, I believe now would be the time to share it. For we should minimize our volume in this location, so as not to bring attention to ourselves before we're prepared for battle." He dusted some of the snow from his armor, before addressing each of his companions. "Regil, you're doing well. I'm sure I can trust you to be our first set of eyes. The flow of battle will all depend on the information our scouts can glean from the enemy." He nodded to Regil and Leolin in turn. "I would ask you to accompany Regil, we must not put ourselves in a situation where we are cornered, trapped or ambushed in any circumstances. Stay alert!" He said with great seriousness. "And Apple, we must stick to the shadows as much as possible. Once a plan has been formulated, it'll be down to you and I to draw out and capture them, so the fight will be on our own terms." He gave a salute. "Our target on this day is a family unit of Cyclops, my young friends. We must not stop until each member of the family is dealt with, so as not to leave any remaining threats to that Dwarven settlement. I do not wish to alarm you, but to slay only one or two foes before fleeing may very well do more harm than good. We do not know how they will react." Ducci's expression was hard as he delivered these concerns. "When you are ready, Regil."

The long and dark hall ahead of the adventurers was a strange environment of stone and ice, neither completely man-made nor was it natural. Countless statues and sculptures of Dwarves and Dwarven artifacts line the construction, clearly a room designed to celebrate the very nature of Stoneshard Stronghold, likely as an immense mining facility, as one would expect of this location. Rats and other small creatures scurried between amongst the rubble, before suddenly a booming, distant echo was heard from ahead. Thud, thud..

At the end of the entrance hall, there was a second archway that allowed access into the stronghold proper, but in that archway now stood a figure. The shape of a man, with long but muscular limbs, a body stretching at least 20 feet from head to toe. No details could be made out, only the gentle swaying of a body, one of it's arms propping itself up against the arch. Eventually, it would begin to shrink from view, it's legs bending as it walked forward out of view, making it clear that the figure was not facing the group, but was instead now making it's way down a flight of stairs, deeper into the earth.

Zef The Owl Ace Cream Tapfic

 

[Reinhardt]

Brynhilde Gratia Leitner​

Location: Guild Hall​

"I'm sorry, mister...whoever you are, but who decided you are to lead?", Brynhilde said to the one who had proposed an informational exchange. "As far as I recall, rank is not proportional to authority. If anything, the one who formed the party should be in charge." A swift turn of one's head to Osgar's direction was made.

She crossed her arms. "I'm not against sharing one's capabilities. Nor against forming a plan of action. But I'd rather leave that to someone in charge - which the party is yet to vote on."

Though to the unfamiliar such words may seem a bit arrogant, Brynhilde spoke only from experience. Those who took charge by themselves have a tendency to misuse their authority, whilst those who have been nominated by the party's numbers often gave a satisfactory performance, if not an exemplary one. With such obvious stakes, there was no room for error, no room for chance or luck, no room for even fate - if they are to follow someone's lead, it must be someone that they chose, someone whom they believe they can place their trust in.

"I suggest we decide amongst ourselves who must take the lead. The planning can be done afterward.", she spoke with such an unshakable stature. "But if you all are fine with leaving your lives in his hands...", she pointed to the Gold-ranked invitee. "...then I'll follow suit."

"If you decide to take my suggestion up, however, I do not recommend nominating one's self as an option. It would only show one's thirst for power.", she added.

Interaction/s: Osgar ( Goonfire ), Azalea ( Sylph ), Aki ( Not Sure ), Zeno ( Funnier President ), Ivar ( Tellussoil ), Jennie & Cinder ( II-CinderRadcliff-II )