Astra Du'Vaire was in the middle of a meal per say, a half-eaten sandwich in her mouth as she practically felt the ground shake as everyone rushed to find out what in the name of the Gods all the commotion was. She followed the loud voice and to where everyone was running off to, needless to say, it caught her attention. In her mind she kept saying that It's just another announcement about new comers, whatever it may be it doesn't matter.
Or at least, that's what she thought...
The man continued, "-barracks are running low on weapons and wands, so if any brave souls are willing to venture into the Conglomerate to accompany soldiers in an expedition to retrieve more, the Mayor will pay you handsomely... please speak to the Captain of the Guard, Clarence, tomorrow if you wish to know more."
Astra practically flinched at those words, seeing such an opportunity to pay off her debts, it seemed great. Witches don't tend to get easy jobs, but it is no matter, this is wonderful news for the Du'Vaire, her mind was made up, and she dispersed with the crowd. Afterwards, she left and made her way to the nearest potions stand or shop to restock, there was another man there, a man with average height (only slightly taller than her though) and what seemed like a pony tail that resembled some sort of lizard's tail or whatever. He was muscular, quire the burly man, but she didn't care much for him since she had no business with him or anything to do with him, if he was a magic user that she knew in person, then perhaps a quick talk would be in order, but that wasn't the case. Though his robes were something to remember, since robes like those would usually be seen on a mage or a sorcerer though what type of sorcerer would wield a bow?
"-Excuse me? Miss? Are you going to buy something? Miss? Ma'am? Hello?" Said the woman trying to grab the attention of the witch.
Astra practically flinched as she was trying to find out if that man had any relevance to her, though after a few seconds of being called out by the potions stand lady, she walked towards the stand and looked at the variety of potions she was selling. After examining everything that was there, she finally made up her mind and spoke.
"I'll take four minor potions of focus and one major potion of focus... Yes, that." Said Astra as she reached down her satchel to pay for the potions.
"That will be, 20 for each minor and 50 for the major, the major would cost less if it wasn't so scarce since I hadn't had time to brew any." The woman said as she laid out all the potions being purchased by the witch.
"That's fine, do you accept gold?" Astra asked, she knew she was low on silver, so gold was the next best thing right?
"You're paying in gold?" Asked the woman, tilting her head slightly as she did.
"I only have one piece..." Stated Astra, as she ruffled her hand inside her satchel.
"Ah I see, then I'll give you a deal, 1 gold and 20 pieces of silver for... Everything, what say you?" The woman asked.
I suppose I know why I can't pay my debt off.
Astra let out a sigh before she spoke. "... Alright."
Astra counted her payment and laid them down next to the potions, the woman nodded and took the witch's currency. It was only then Astra admired the lady, on so much effort she was doing, it was astounding, and with a very admirable look. She gave her a bow of thanks as she did.
(-1 gold 20 silver)
Astra then head out to the captain of the guard, and she even spotted the man she saw earlier. Is this man going there too? Or... No, what are the chances this man is going to the captain of the guard's to assist as well as I am? When she arrived at the barracks, a moderate crowd had already formed. As the doors opened, she did exactly what the man with the ponytail did, she merged herself with the crowd to avoid standing out.
Any conversation between Ruth and the nurse that exited the inn was over before Ruth could say anything. Instead the nurse, accompanied by a guard, whisked their patient away to the barracks. The woman they were leading seemed to resemble the description she had heard from the potion shop owner, who had heard about it from one of his customers.
It appeared that Ruth was not going to get any information from them, she would just have to wait. She could ask the Captain of the guard about it when she signed up for the expedition. Ruth looked over to the barracks as the nurse, guard and woman vanished inside. However, it did not appear to be open to the public yet. For a while Ruth just waited in the town centre, thinking over the rumour she had heard from the shop owner.
She did wonder why they went to the barracks, there did appear to be a bit of an air of secrecy around the fates of the four that appeared in the well yesterday. If the rumour she heard was to be believed, then three of them had vanished. Where did they go? They couldn't of just vanished into thin air... could they? Ruth looked over to the barracks to see a young guard emerge and open the gates. It appeared that it was finally open and a crowd had begun to gather. Were they all here to join the expedition? Ruth wasn't sure, she did have some doubts about that.
She moved through the crowd, aiming to get to the barracks. She managed to weave her way to the gate. There were a pair of guards at the gate holding spears. Ruth looked toward the building then to the guards at the gate. The gate was open, maybe the Captain was ready to receive applicants for the upcoming expedition.
"Are we able to sign up for the expedition now?" she asked the guards at the gate.
A group rushes towards the gate; the guards' neutral expression sours to exasperation. The two guards try--and fail horribly--to control their volume.
One of them is loud enough to be heard over the crowd--"If you're looking to join the weapons expedition, please enter the barracks! The rest of you, stay here and we'll answer your questions to the best of our ability!"--but aside from that they're too busy with the crowd to answer specific questions. Evidently, their ability isn't great.
Surprisingly, only a few people pass through the gate: a skeletal-faced man with an axe, a man with a blue-orange robe with a hunter's weapons, a short woman in a worn coat, and a scarlet-haired witch. The rest stay with the guards; it sounds like they're asking about the Branded from the well, but it's hard to pick out specific words in the din of their clamour.
The group passes through the gates into an open courtyard. It's mostly featureless; there's ivy in patches on the walls, and a few guards are sparring with wooden spears as two others look on. One of the onlookers--the guard with the rusted spear that opened the gate--notices the group, and trots over.
"You're the mercenaries the Captain sent for, right? I'll escort you to him. You can call me Bradley, if need be." His voice is grating and squeaky.
You follow him through a door on the far side of the courtyard and through several featureless passages. He stops at a door--it looks as unseemly as any other--and gestures inside. "'E's in here."
The group shuffles through the doorway and takes seats at the edge of the room; surprisingly, the Captain--Clarence--isn't alone. There's already a woman in an odd animal-skin dress sitting in one of the chairs. More importantly, the Mayor is also here, with two royal guards in tow (they're just as creepy as ever). The Mayor almost never leaves his manor, and he never oversees recruiting for Clarence's expeditions; what could he be doing here...?
Clarence, seeing the looks of concern on the group's faces, interjects your thoughts; "I'm sure there are some faces you aren't quite expecting to see here. We'll get to that soon."
He sighs, and pulls out a piece of paper from the desk and begins reading. He clearly sounds bored:
"First and foremost, we'll go over the original task assigned for you. As the Crier announced last night, the guard force is running low on weapons and wands--that is, the military classification of wands. Your expedition is to enter the Conglomerate and find as many of these as you can safely bring back with you. Preferably, bring as many spears as you can, since our guard force consists primarily of spearmen. Don't bother with too many longswords. If you find a sword, only bring it if it's short enough to be a good sidearm or if you can't find anything else."
He looks up from the paper. "And I strictly mean the military classification of wands. That is to say, objects tipped with an autite crystal and pre-charged with spells that anyone with ordinary human magical abilities can use to cast spells. We won't pay you for wand-sized catalysts, or any magical catalyst at all for that matter. We need none."
"Your pay will be according to the number of these items you bring. We'll pay extra for wands and spears, of course. You'll be assisted in carrying these by the goblin, Blag...," He pauses as he glances around the room, "although he seems to be late."
Clarence clears his throat. "Well! Now that the stuffy stuff is out of the way, let's get to the important information. We--Lord and I--have a unique task for you today pertaining to three of the Branded from the well yesterday. But before I recruit you for this task, I have a question for you..."
Nihere walked into the barracks, and was surprised to find only three others joining him. He'd figured more would have joined, but the four Branded must be occupying everyone's mind. A man named Bradley led them to a room. Inside, predictably, was the captain. What was unexpected was the Mayor, and a woman who seems to have lived in a forest her whole life.
Nihere didn't comment. Surely this would be explained in due time. He listened as the captain of the guard explained the job to the five of them. Spears and Wands were the highest priority. Other things would be taken, but they would not be given as much pay for them. During the explanation, Nihere looked around, he tried to recall if he ever crossed paths with anyone in the room. He hadn't. He then referred to a non-present goblin who would assist them later. Nihere understood the mission clearly, and was ready to leave at a moment's notice.
He then was told of a secondary mission, concerning three of the four Branded that appeared. A question was asked, however, before any more details would be shared. 'Can you keep a secret?' Nihere had never needed to keep secrets before. He never did anything he needed to hide. He figured he could keep one if necessary, though. "Yes." He responded, after a short time.
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Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
It seems the Mayor's snort was one of amusion. Or, perhaps, disbelief. Either way, he's chuckling to himself.
"What's with the dramatics, Clarence? You're acting like this is a top-secret affair."
Clarence lets out a weak guffaw. "Heh. I just like making the most of these boring meetings."
The mayor steps forward to address the group: "Our additional task--which also has a handsome pay, mind you--concerns the whereabouts of three of the Branded. You may have heard a rumor that their beds were found empty in the night: this is true. Our task requires that you know the findings of our scouts, but we ask that you keep this information to yourselves for some time. The results of not doing so would be cumbersome for the guards."
"I assume you will have no problem in keeping this secret--your money is on the line for this, so if anything bad happens as a result of letting it slip, you won't get a copper of that bounty--but it is something we must disclose before we brief you."
"From what I've heard of you, Nihere, I have no doubts of your loyalty. The rest of you, however, still need to be informed of the consequences of leaking this."
Emme was late, she knew she was, but it's now or never at this point. She arrived at the gates of the barracks and one of the two guards stopped her immediately asked.
"Are you here for the captain sir?" Said one of the spearmen guarding the entrance.
Emme let out a sigh, "Don't refer to me as sir." Said Emme.
The other guard started to chuckle as the one who asked the question was trying to compensate calling this woman a sir.
"Forget it, would you be ever so kind to let me in? I'm here for captain yes." Emme stated.
The guards stepped aside, and let her in. Emme gave them a bow of thanks and as she was walking away she could hear the guard laughing at his colleague. Emme strolled inside the barracks for a good five minutes trying to find the captain's office. Once she found it, she opened the door and entered the room. Once she entered the room, she was surprised by the odd variation of people that was in front of her. A man with a skeletal like face, a shorter woman with a coat, a hunter like man wearing robes, and a scarlet haired woman who appeared to be a witch. The four stood in front of the captain and someone else, she wasn't sure who.
"Pardon my intrusion captain, I'm here to lend my aid in the announcement you've made earlier." Stated the knight.
In that room, Emme immediately turned her attention to the witch after she had spoke, her hair was intriguing and she knew that to be true. The witch was much taller than the woman with the coat, but much shorter than Emme herself. She closed the door behind her and tried to be part of this as best she could.
As Astra was lead inside the barracks, she already decided to look around as she was being lead to the captain. Bradley was the man's name, he seemed nice, or atleast much nicer than one of the guards at the gate of the barracks.
As the group was lead to the captain's quarters, she couldn't help but notice the man she saw by the potions stand. He seemed nice-ish she guessed. Though maybe she shouldn't jump to conclusions, she hadn't even met him.
They entered the captain's office, and the group watched him pull out a piece of paper and started to read from it, in least enthusiastic way possible. It didn't really make her want to do it now, she even wanted to leave half way through, but then...
"Can you keep a secret?" Clarence said which immediately made Astra make the biggest smile on her face.
"Frick (imagine she actually said the real f-word) Yes!" She exclaimed loudly.
After she had just thoroughly embarrassed herself, she cleared her throat and spoke. "I mean, yes of course."
This certain witch loves secrets, she heard the man next to her reply to the question as well. After Clarence had mentioned three of the four branded, Astra was all ears. After the captain talked about it for awhile, Astra had only but one question to ask. Astra raised her hand to attract a little attention to herself for her to ask the question.
"Are we free to engage the branded if we find them? Through past experiences, I've heard that new branded are dangerous, are we free to apprehend them as we wish to?" Asked Astra.
After she had asked the question, she heard the doorknob behind her turn, she thought it would be the goblin they were talking about earlier. Astra turned her head to see who it was, she was looking at the bottom of the door and was greeted by the shins of a suit of armor, she looked up to see this man covered in gold tinted armour, and long flowing cape. The knight spoke and to her surprise it was a woman, for a woman this person was tall. She kept her helmet on, isn't that some form of disrespect in knight culture or something? Not like she would know, but still.
Even the Captain seems to be dazzled by the knight's armor. "By all means, you're welcome to join. Take a seat, s--" he pauses, noticing the tone of your voice, "--ma'am."
Clarence notice's the redhead witch's question, flicking his eyes towards her in response, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he turns to the Mayor and starts speaking: "Lord, might as well do the background check first. None of the usual mercenaries are here and I don't think there's a good way to ensure that they are reasonably loyal."
The mayor--his name is Lord? or is that a title--nods. "Probably best."
Suddenly, you become acutely aware of the two golden-armored figures staring at you; you feel a strange dread as they set their gaze on you, as it slowly moves from person to person. First, to the woman in animal skins, then to Peter, and so on. All told, it's very unsettling. Finally, one of them turns their head ever-so-slightly towards the mayor and gives the faintest of nods.
"Right then. Now, back to business."
"These three Branded--but not the fourth--display unusual clarity and aggression for people who have recently arrived in the Well. Though one had an irrational irritation when they awoke, the other two didn't seem to create a disturbance. We don't know for a fact, since they awoke sometime during the night and were not monitored heavily. Regardless, they were lucid enough to not only find a way to leave the City, but also to steal an object of extreme importance from my manor: a task impossible for even a master burglar."
"I cannot tell you the purpose of this object, but your primary goal is to recover it from them. It is a scimitar, with a hilt wrapped in red leather and notches along the cutting edge. It is of utmost importance that this scimitar be returned to me--even if you must fail your other duties to succeed in this. The Branded will almost certainly be carrying this with them."
"To answer your question, witch: you may engage them in combat if necessary. It would be better to try to interrogate them and get information from them; having multiple Branded in the well is an unusual occurrence, so they may know something about why there would be multiple Branded and whether or not it is something the guard should be concerned about. Kill them if you must in order to retrieve the scimitar. Capture and return them to us if you can, but I doubt it would be possible."
The mayor yawns--perhaps he's been investigating this through the night. "There is one final concern: the fourth Branded."
"She does not exhibit the same characteristics as the other three--for all intents and purposes, she's identical to a normal Branded that winds up in the well. According to the nurses' analysis, she'd be quite capable in combat. She's sitting right there," the Mayor says as he points to the fur-clad woman, "and if she agrees, we think it would be best that she participate in this expedition."
"Are there any further questions?"
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Did something happen to you in your childhood to give you this unreasonable fear of rutabaga?
Emme sat down as the captain began to explain, she sat next to the witch, and kept an eye on her without looking like it, her helmet made it so it wasn't noticeable that she was doing it. She didn't know what clicked inside her head upon thinking this witch would be an odd one compared to everyone in the room, and upon seeing how distinct everyone is, it was a surprise to see how much this one stands out. A very odd shade of red as her hair, and an outfit that doesn't usually fit the description of witch, if this woman was a witch, she'd have a broom and one of those pointy hats, correct? Was that considered racism against witches? Maybe.
Emme then turned to the captain as she felt a gaze on her body, two golden armour figures stared at everyone in the room, including her, it was brief but it felt like something odd, though her movement wasn't hindered, she described it as a weird state of sleep paralysis. Afterwards, after she had heard the witch's question be answered, she had a question of her own.
"If I may, how dangerous are these branded? Have they gone mad or have they just lost their way?" Emme asked.
If it wasn't for what was underneath, Emme would have at least her helmet off, she felt as if she was breaking multiples threads of trust as she wore that helmet. She knew it became clearer and clearer that they knew she was hiding something, and something not good. After a year of living in the city, it was only in that brief moment when the figures gazed at her, made her realize that she knew what people of thought of her.
A knight who has honour has no right to be a knight at all...
Ruth found herself being led inside the barracks to a room which contained the Captain of the Guard. There were several others here too, a variety of people who appeared to be the ones that she would go on the expedition with. Once inside the room, she was met with not one, but two surprising faces. One belonged to the mayor, who was accompanied by his guards. The other belonged to the woman she had seen being hurried out of the inn. Why was she here? Was she going to join them on their mission?
There was a short overview of what the mission was, the Captain mentioned a goblin named Blag who would be helping them. Basically, they needed to collect weapons. Ruth knew this much already, having heard about it during the announcement of the mission yesterday. It seemed straightforward enough, go and collect the weapons they mentioned and be paid for their efforts. However, there was another surprise awaiting them. When asked if they could keep a secret, Ruth responded.
"Yes" she said, "I can keep a secret."
What the mayor said next confirmed the rumour that Ruth had heard about the whereabouts of three of the four new Branded. They really were missing and if they could find them they would be rewarded handsomely. But it came with the condition that they keep this information secret, hence the reason why they had been asked if they could keep it. It was a little concerning that the three could just vanish overnight, hopefully they would be found.
A late arrival entered the room, an armoured figure who was much taller than Ruth was. She could not see their face, but judging by the voice the person under that armour was a woman. The group was fairly large now, Ruth made a mental note to talk to her new allies and find out about them, including the armoured woman.
In order to make sure that they were loyal, they were scrutinised by the mayor's guards. The gaze of the guards was unnerving, and gave a very unusual sense of dread. It was almost as if they were staring directly into her soul. The feeling faded when their gaze moved to the next person.
Following this came more details of the three missing people. It appeared that there was more to the story of their disappearance than she initially thought, there was aggression and thievery. It occurred to her that if they encountered the three that they could be violent. What had caused them to act so strangely?
Ruth also had questions about the item they stole, a scimitar that belonged to the mayor. She had been told that it was of great importance and had been kept in the security of the mayor's manor. What was so important about this scimitar? Did it have some sort of magical power? She did not know and it appeared that the mayor would not tell them. Ruth did not like being kept in the dark.
"Were there any clues as to how this scimitar was stolen?" she asked.
Clarence is quick to reply to the armored woman's inquiry. "We don't know the true extent of their abilities. One is a large, burly man called "Dein" according to the nurse. And, allegedly, a terrible haircut. The others, which we don't know the names of, are a tall man in a clergyman's robes and particularly short figure in black garb and a beak-shaped mask. Sort of like the ones in that book about the old doctors, if you've ever been to the library. They can't be maddened, since a madman would never be able to break into the Manor without being skewered by a royal guard. We don't know for sure if they're sane in the same way we're sane, though; we don't know if we're dealing with something eldritch here. As for danger, we expect that Dein would be a threat should it come to blows, but he's unarmed and would be a fool to use the scimitar. The clergyman may know miracles, but we expect that he's not a direct threat. We have no idea what the short guy can do, but since the others don't seem particularly stealthy, we imagine he's the one that was able to steal the scimitar."
Clarence then turns to Ruth. "I can't describe the normal location of the scimitar without giving away confidential details, but based on how it was stolen, we expect that one of the group members--probably the short one--is extraordinarily nimble. Sorry I can't tell more."
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Did something happen to you in your childhood to give you this unreasonable fear of rutabaga?
Nihere listened as a woman in armor entered, and was briefed on the situation. He then felt a small pang of guilt as he was informed of the three branded. He was partly responsible for them, given that he tried to help calm them when he woke up. He should have stayed longer. He should have talked to the others. But Nihere snapped himself out of it, telling himself it wasnt the time for 'could have, should have'.
After that, the young woman with red hair asked if it was okay to battle them, prompting the mayor to have them all inspected (for a lack of a better word.). Men in gold armor stared into them, as if reading their minds and judging their character. It was an unnerving experience, but the men nodded once they were done. Nihere was a member of the Mage Guild, but he had never heard of magic that could judge a person based on looking at them. He decided to ask about it later.
The mayor then explained that a scimitar was the true objective. The three branded stole it, and it was of major importance to him to have it back. They were even told to kill if necessary. He then went on to explain that the fourth branded was not a part of their group, and seemed like any other branded. She was to join them on the expedition.
Two more questions were asked, by the woman in armor, and the woman with a staff. "Were the Branded dangerous?" "How was the scimitar stolen?" The mayor described the three branded, and mentioned Dein by name. Nihere again felt responsible as the name was spoken. The other two were described as similar to a clergyman and a rogue, implying the latter stole the scimitar. For the second question, the answer was basically "Classified".
After all this happened, Nihere felt responsible for this, despite knowing that he probably couldn't have changed anything. "I would like to leave on this expedition as soon as possible. What about the rest of you?" There was a small hint of guilt in Nihere's voice that he tried to hide. He looked around the room, waiting for responses. "I'm Nihere, by the way. Nice to meet you."
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Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
Clarence nods vigorously upon hearing Nihere's enthusiasm. "Oh, yes, I'd recommend leaving as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it'll be to find them. If you have any last-minute provisions you need, we can supply some things from our stockpiles, albeit for a fee if it's anything significant."
He awkwardly taps his desk for a moment, as if waiting for something. "I suppose that concludes our meeting; we expect you to leave within at most two days."
"And... Kahente, was it? You've been awfully quiet. Do you feel comfortable in journeying out of here, or would you rather stay in the city until you get your bearings?"
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Did something happen to you in your childhood to give you this unreasonable fear of rutabaga?
With that, Emme called it in her head that the small meeting was over, and the man stating that it was, was just icing on the cake. Emme needed to pick up her shield from the smith, it was in horrible shape and she needed it if she wanted to survive in a fight. It then occurred to her that she just barged in without saying anything, nothing about her, just a woman in armour joining whatever this was suppose to be.
With slight hesitation she spoke, "I suppose if there's any time to introduce myself it would be now. My name is..." She took a deep breath and continued, "...Emme Von Kuroe."
She stood up and have a bow to introduce herself, it was a sign of respect for everyone in the room. Then her gaze turned to the scarlet-haired witch once more, she despised witches, so working with one would most likely prove difficult. Her gaze upon the witch was brief, barely noticeable unless him/her was paying attention to the knight.
"Apologies, but I have to run, I have to pick up my shield from the blacksmith."
After that sentence, she turned to the door and raised her hand just on level with her head to signal a farewell to everyone in the room. She turned the doorknob and walked out the room, making her way down the hall and out the barracks.
"Emme Von Kuroe..." Said the knight in her golden plate.
Astra liked this person a lot, she didn't exactly know why but she was someone she'd be more than willing to fight with in the heat of battle, plus it's bonus protection. Astra was about to speak, seconds away from saying what was on her mind but then.
"Apologies, but I have to run, I have to pick up my shield from the blacksmith." Said the knight once more.
Astra managed to open her mouth, but only as the woman left. Unlucky to say the least but hopefully she could have a couple of bevs with the lady knight soon, or even tonight if she gets lucky. As Astra opened her mouth, she spoke.
"Hi~!" Her voice cracked, she cleared her throat and spoke again. "I mean, I am Astra Du'Vaire, a moonlit witch to urr... Support? I suppose." As she kept talking she felt like she was making her introduction much much worst. Whatever, she already said it, all she could is add.
"I look forward to working with all of you!" She exclaimed, she then pointed to the door and added. "... And her too." Gesturing at the knight who just left the room.
She had expected that they would all introduce themselves at some point, but maybe not as soon as they did. Three of her soon-to-be allies had already introduced themselves as Nihere, Emme Von Kuroe and Astra Du'Vaire. But soon after Emme introduced herself, she left to pick up her shield from the blacksmith's. While they would be unable to discuss tactics and other important matters with her at the moment, they could sometime between now and when they left.
Tactics and strategy were things they would need to talk about before they began their adventure. The unknown dangers and the three Branded were waiting for them in the Conglomerate after all. Apparently the three consisted of a burly man named 'Dien', a clergyman and someone wearing the garb of an old doctor with a beaked mask. Beyond that Ruth knew very little about them, except that one of them was likely to be very nimble.
For now they had up to two days to prepare, though Ruth wouldn't mind leaving earlier than that. She thought for a few moments, thinking up a somewhat rushed list of things to organise before they left on their expedition. Tactics and strategy made the list, along with supplies and preparing their weapons. In terms of supplies, they would clearly need food and water, potions and such for healing, even some tents so that they would have a place to stay. With this on her mind, Ruth turned to the Captain.
"Will supplies such as food rations and water be provided?" she asked.
Now that she had asked the question on her mind, she could begin to think about when they should leave. While it might be best to leave sooner rather than later, especially considering how Nihere said that he wanted to leave as soon as possible, they would need time for final preparations. The expedition loomed ahead, and while she was excited to go on such an adventure she did also believe that preparedness would be their key to success.
""I think we should leave once all the necessary preparations have been made. We should have some sort of plan before running into the Conglomerate." Ruth said.
((Due to Commandosaurus' inactivity, Kahente will not join the expedition.))
The armored woman gets up to leave, mentioning her shield being at the blacksmith. Clarence tries to stop her--"Wait, don't you wa--" but she's out the door before he can finish. He lets out a brief snort of irritation.
Kahente clears her throat nervously. She's clearly uneasy with all the attention. "Actually, I'd rather stay here for a while... get my bearings..."
"Really?" Clarence's eyebrows rise in surprise. "I suppose, if that's what you want. You may live in the inn until you're acquainted with the city. And... don't talk too much about their mission," he says as he jerks his head in the direction of the party.
Kahente gets up, visibly relieved to be out of the spotlight, and opens the door. Clarence shouts an order to one of the guards outside--"show her around town, the usual"--and the door slams shut once again.
The conversation briefly resumes, with the question of provisions. "Yes, food and water are provided. No cost Blag should have enough on his person to last quite a while. I hope you like gram rations."
Gram is a doughlike substance derived from various grains that keeps well and is filling, but is completely tasteless and extremely chewy. Guards who venture into the Conglomerate usually take it with them to save weight, and will complain about it to any poor patron that crosses them at the Leaky Spout.
"I suppose that damnable goblin won't show up at all. I'll find him and send him to the Lift to wait for you. I suppose you should go after that knightess, too, since you haven't arranged a meeting time. She probably went to Iron-Eyes; best blacksmith in the city, if you didn't know. Not that that's saying much."
"That concludes our meeting. Stay safe, and leave as soon as you can." Clarence pushes his chair aside and holds open the door for the group; a single guard in standard uniform stands motionlessly aside, waiting to escort the party outside.
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Did something happen to you in your childhood to give you this unreasonable fear of rutabaga?
Nihere was ready to go then and there, but he held back to hear the names of his teammates- Emme, Astra, and Ruth. Emme had left to pick up her shield. This bothered Nihere a little, but he let it go for now. Astra seemed to be a very hyper and upbeat person, which would certainly help keep spirits high in the group. Ruth seemed very pragmatic. She talked about making preparations, and asked about food and water before the journey started.
Kahente- the new branded- had decided to stay behind. Nihere understood. Judging by her appearance, this setting was not at all similar to the her previous one. The transition would be difficult for her, so it makes sense that she took her time before jumping into danger. Clarence then went on to answer Ruth's question- Yes, water and Gram would be provided. Nihere wasn't exactly happy with that prospect, but food was food.
Clarence then complained about Blag, the Goblin again before saying that Emme likely went to Iron-Eyes. He then concluded the meeting and dismissed them. Nihere nodded and went out, following the guard. "Hey, Astra, and... Ruth, was it? Can you two start making preparations and talk strategy? I'll go and get Emme, once she has her shield. Is that ok?" Nihere isn't usually the one to make plans like that, but he was strongly motivated to solve the Branded problem as soon as possible. "Oh and, where should we meet up?"
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Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
"I'm not one for strategy- No wait, I mean, I'm not good at- What? I mean, I'm not good at strategy, so if I may, I'd like to be the one to grab Emme. I also need to talk to her about something anyway." Stated the witch as she inched her way to the door.
Astra wasn't exactly the best when it came to discussing plans, she always entered a fight and threw out whatever she could throw out, even if it meant killing her movement after because of the massive drain of Focus or magic. Astra was even about to ask about the branded that just left, but she supposed keeping her mouth shut in a moment like that was probably the best idea. Astra shrugged and snapped her fingers, with the snap of her fingers poof! Her witch hat popped out of nowhere, right on her head.
"I'll be back before you know it! Unless Emme makes it difficult, I'll have her back in about fifteen minutes, or maybe even less." Astra said.
She pointed at her hat and put her hand behind her back, reaching for the doorknob as she did.
Ruth recalled her first days in the city and what adjusting to her new surroundings was like, so she understood how newcomer, who the Captain had called Kahente, felt when she decided to stay. It would give her time to get used to her new home. Meanwhile, the group would go on the mission accompanied by the still-absent goblin, Blag. They had been told that Blag would be the one who would bring the supplies of water and gram.
Ruth hadn't eaten the doughy substance called gram before, but she had heard enough guards complain about it in the tavern to know that it was hardly gourmet food. It had been described as 'utterly tasteless and very chewy', however it was better than nothing. Perhaps they could bring some other food, like pickled vegetables or salted meat, to make it a bit more palatable, although it would just be another thing they would need to carry around with them.
There were a few more preparations to make, like catching Emme up on the part of the meeting she missed and organising where they should meet up before going on the expedition. Initially Nihere had volunteered to collect the knight. But Astra wanted to go instead, she had summoned her hat out of thin air and already had her hand on the doorknob. Before she left, Ruth wanted to mention where she thought they could meet up again.
"We could meet up at the lift, where we are supposed to meet up with Blag" Ruth said.
There was one last preparation that Ruth could think of: strategy. Considering the fact they needed to leave as soon as possible, it might be best for them to just decide on some basic strategy like where in the party they should be to best use their abilities.
"As for the strategy, we should just think of some basic strategy due to the limited time. We could organise the party based on the ranges of our attacks." Ruth said, "Those who are melee fighters should be at the front where they can best use their skills and those who use ranged attacks and lend support should stand further back. We should talk about this when we are all together though."
Astra Du'Vaire was in the middle of a meal per say, a half-eaten sandwich in her mouth as she practically felt the ground shake as everyone rushed to find out what in the name of the Gods all the commotion was. She followed the loud voice and to where everyone was running off to, needless to say, it caught her attention. In her mind she kept saying that It's just another announcement about new comers, whatever it may be it doesn't matter.
Or at least, that's what she thought...
The man continued, "-barracks are running low on weapons and wands, so if any brave souls are willing to venture into the Conglomerate to accompany soldiers in an expedition to retrieve more, the Mayor will pay you handsomely... please speak to the Captain of the Guard, Clarence, tomorrow if you wish to know more."
Astra practically flinched at those words, seeing such an opportunity to pay off her debts, it seemed great. Witches don't tend to get easy jobs, but it is no matter, this is wonderful news for the Du'Vaire, her mind was made up, and she dispersed with the crowd. Afterwards, she left and made her way to the nearest potions stand or shop to restock, there was another man there, a man with average height (only slightly taller than her though) and what seemed like a pony tail that resembled some sort of lizard's tail or whatever. He was muscular, quire the burly man, but she didn't care much for him since she had no business with him or anything to do with him, if he was a magic user that she knew in person, then perhaps a quick talk would be in order, but that wasn't the case. Though his robes were something to remember, since robes like those would usually be seen on a mage or a sorcerer though what type of sorcerer would wield a bow?
"-Excuse me? Miss? Are you going to buy something? Miss? Ma'am? Hello?" Said the woman trying to grab the attention of the witch.
Astra practically flinched as she was trying to find out if that man had any relevance to her, though after a few seconds of being called out by the potions stand lady, she walked towards the stand and looked at the variety of potions she was selling. After examining everything that was there, she finally made up her mind and spoke.
"I'll take four minor potions of focus and one major potion of focus... Yes, that." Said Astra as she reached down her satchel to pay for the potions.
"That will be, 20 for each minor and 50 for the major, the major would cost less if it wasn't so scarce since I hadn't had time to brew any." The woman said as she laid out all the potions being purchased by the witch.
"That's fine, do you accept gold?" Astra asked, she knew she was low on silver, so gold was the next best thing right?
"You're paying in gold?" Asked the woman, tilting her head slightly as she did.
"I only have one piece..." Stated Astra, as she ruffled her hand inside her satchel.
"Ah I see, then I'll give you a deal, 1 gold and 20 pieces of silver for... Everything, what say you?" The woman asked.
I suppose I know why I can't pay my debt off.
Astra let out a sigh before she spoke. "... Alright."
Astra counted her payment and laid them down next to the potions, the woman nodded and took the witch's currency. It was only then Astra admired the lady, on so much effort she was doing, it was astounding, and with a very admirable look. She gave her a bow of thanks as she did.
(-1 gold 20 silver)
Astra then head out to the captain of the guard, and she even spotted the man she saw earlier. Is this man going there too? Or... No, what are the chances this man is going to the captain of the guard's to assist as well as I am? When she arrived at the barracks, a moderate crowd had already formed. As the doors opened, she did exactly what the man with the ponytail did, she merged herself with the crowd to avoid standing out.
Any conversation between Ruth and the nurse that exited the inn was over before Ruth could say anything. Instead the nurse, accompanied by a guard, whisked their patient away to the barracks. The woman they were leading seemed to resemble the description she had heard from the potion shop owner, who had heard about it from one of his customers.
It appeared that Ruth was not going to get any information from them, she would just have to wait. She could ask the Captain of the guard about it when she signed up for the expedition. Ruth looked over to the barracks as the nurse, guard and woman vanished inside. However, it did not appear to be open to the public yet. For a while Ruth just waited in the town centre, thinking over the rumour she had heard from the shop owner.
She did wonder why they went to the barracks, there did appear to be a bit of an air of secrecy around the fates of the four that appeared in the well yesterday. If the rumour she heard was to be believed, then three of them had vanished. Where did they go? They couldn't of just vanished into thin air... could they? Ruth looked over to the barracks to see a young guard emerge and open the gates. It appeared that it was finally open and a crowd had begun to gather. Were they all here to join the expedition? Ruth wasn't sure, she did have some doubts about that.
She moved through the crowd, aiming to get to the barracks. She managed to weave her way to the gate. There were a pair of guards at the gate holding spears. Ruth looked toward the building then to the guards at the gate. The gate was open, maybe the Captain was ready to receive applicants for the upcoming expedition.
"Are we able to sign up for the expedition now?" she asked the guards at the gate.
A group rushes towards the gate; the guards' neutral expression sours to exasperation. The two guards try--and fail horribly--to control their volume.
One of them is loud enough to be heard over the crowd--"If you're looking to join the weapons expedition, please enter the barracks! The rest of you, stay here and we'll answer your questions to the best of our ability!"--but aside from that they're too busy with the crowd to answer specific questions. Evidently, their ability isn't great.
Surprisingly, only a few people pass through the gate: a skeletal-faced man with an axe, a man with a blue-orange robe with a hunter's weapons, a short woman in a worn coat, and a scarlet-haired witch. The rest stay with the guards; it sounds like they're asking about the Branded from the well, but it's hard to pick out specific words in the din of their clamour.
The group passes through the gates into an open courtyard. It's mostly featureless; there's ivy in patches on the walls, and a few guards are sparring with wooden spears as two others look on. One of the onlookers--the guard with the rusted spear that opened the gate--notices the group, and trots over.
"You're the mercenaries the Captain sent for, right? I'll escort you to him. You can call me Bradley, if need be." His voice is grating and squeaky.
You follow him through a door on the far side of the courtyard and through several featureless passages. He stops at a door--it looks as unseemly as any other--and gestures inside. "'E's in here."
The group shuffles through the doorway and takes seats at the edge of the room; surprisingly, the Captain--Clarence--isn't alone. There's already a woman in an odd animal-skin dress sitting in one of the chairs. More importantly, the Mayor is also here, with two royal guards in tow (they're just as creepy as ever). The Mayor almost never leaves his manor, and he never oversees recruiting for Clarence's expeditions; what could he be doing here...?
Clarence, seeing the looks of concern on the group's faces, interjects your thoughts; "I'm sure there are some faces you aren't quite expecting to see here. We'll get to that soon."
He sighs, and pulls out a piece of paper from the desk and begins reading. He clearly sounds bored:
"First and foremost, we'll go over the original task assigned for you. As the Crier announced last night, the guard force is running low on weapons and wands--that is, the military classification of wands. Your expedition is to enter the Conglomerate and find as many of these as you can safely bring back with you. Preferably, bring as many spears as you can, since our guard force consists primarily of spearmen. Don't bother with too many longswords. If you find a sword, only bring it if it's short enough to be a good sidearm or if you can't find anything else."
He looks up from the paper. "And I strictly mean the military classification of wands. That is to say, objects tipped with an autite crystal and pre-charged with spells that anyone with ordinary human magical abilities can use to cast spells. We won't pay you for wand-sized catalysts, or any magical catalyst at all for that matter. We need none."
"Your pay will be according to the number of these items you bring. We'll pay extra for wands and spears, of course. You'll be assisted in carrying these by the goblin, Blag...," He pauses as he glances around the room, "although he seems to be late."
Clarence clears his throat. "Well! Now that the stuffy stuff is out of the way, let's get to the important information. We--Lord and I--have a unique task for you today pertaining to three of the Branded from the well yesterday. But before I recruit you for this task, I have a question for you..."
"Can you keep a secret?"
The mayor snorts.
Nihere walked into the barracks, and was surprised to find only three others joining him. He'd figured more would have joined, but the four Branded must be occupying everyone's mind. A man named Bradley led them to a room. Inside, predictably, was the captain. What was unexpected was the Mayor, and a woman who seems to have lived in a forest her whole life.
Nihere didn't comment. Surely this would be explained in due time. He listened as the captain of the guard explained the job to the five of them. Spears and Wands were the highest priority. Other things would be taken, but they would not be given as much pay for them. During the explanation, Nihere looked around, he tried to recall if he ever crossed paths with anyone in the room. He hadn't. He then referred to a non-present goblin who would assist them later. Nihere understood the mission clearly, and was ready to leave at a moment's notice.
He then was told of a secondary mission, concerning three of the four Branded that appeared. A question was asked, however, before any more details would be shared. 'Can you keep a secret?' Nihere had never needed to keep secrets before. He never did anything he needed to hide. He figured he could keep one if necessary, though. "Yes." He responded, after a short time.
It seems the Mayor's snort was one of amusion. Or, perhaps, disbelief. Either way, he's chuckling to himself.
"What's with the dramatics, Clarence? You're acting like this is a top-secret affair."
Clarence lets out a weak guffaw. "Heh. I just like making the most of these boring meetings."
The mayor steps forward to address the group: "Our additional task--which also has a handsome pay, mind you--concerns the whereabouts of three of the Branded. You may have heard a rumor that their beds were found empty in the night: this is true. Our task requires that you know the findings of our scouts, but we ask that you keep this information to yourselves for some time. The results of not doing so would be cumbersome for the guards."
"I assume you will have no problem in keeping this secret--your money is on the line for this, so if anything bad happens as a result of letting it slip, you won't get a copper of that bounty--but it is something we must disclose before we brief you."
"From what I've heard of you, Nihere, I have no doubts of your loyalty. The rest of you, however, still need to be informed of the consequences of leaking this."
Emme was late, she knew she was, but it's now or never at this point. She arrived at the gates of the barracks and one of the two guards stopped her immediately asked.
"Are you here for the captain sir?" Said one of the spearmen guarding the entrance.
Emme let out a sigh, "Don't refer to me as sir." Said Emme.
The other guard started to chuckle as the one who asked the question was trying to compensate calling this woman a sir.
"Forget it, would you be ever so kind to let me in? I'm here for captain yes." Emme stated.
The guards stepped aside, and let her in. Emme gave them a bow of thanks and as she was walking away she could hear the guard laughing at his colleague. Emme strolled inside the barracks for a good five minutes trying to find the captain's office. Once she found it, she opened the door and entered the room. Once she entered the room, she was surprised by the odd variation of people that was in front of her. A man with a skeletal like face, a shorter woman with a coat, a hunter like man wearing robes, and a scarlet haired woman who appeared to be a witch. The four stood in front of the captain and someone else, she wasn't sure who.
"Pardon my intrusion captain, I'm here to lend my aid in the announcement you've made earlier." Stated the knight.
In that room, Emme immediately turned her attention to the witch after she had spoke, her hair was intriguing and she knew that to be true. The witch was much taller than the woman with the coat, but much shorter than Emme herself. She closed the door behind her and tried to be part of this as best she could.
As Astra was lead inside the barracks, she already decided to look around as she was being lead to the captain. Bradley was the man's name, he seemed nice, or atleast much nicer than one of the guards at the gate of the barracks.
As the group was lead to the captain's quarters, she couldn't help but notice the man she saw by the potions stand. He seemed nice-ish she guessed. Though maybe she shouldn't jump to conclusions, she hadn't even met him.
They entered the captain's office, and the group watched him pull out a piece of paper and started to read from it, in least enthusiastic way possible. It didn't really make her want to do it now, she even wanted to leave half way through, but then...
"Can you keep a secret?" Clarence said which immediately made Astra make the biggest smile on her face.
"Frick (imagine she actually said the real f-word) Yes!" She exclaimed loudly.
After she had just thoroughly embarrassed herself, she cleared her throat and spoke. "I mean, yes of course."
This certain witch loves secrets, she heard the man next to her reply to the question as well. After Clarence had mentioned three of the four branded, Astra was all ears. After the captain talked about it for awhile, Astra had only but one question to ask. Astra raised her hand to attract a little attention to herself for her to ask the question.
"Are we free to engage the branded if we find them? Through past experiences, I've heard that new branded are dangerous, are we free to apprehend them as we wish to?" Asked Astra.
After she had asked the question, she heard the doorknob behind her turn, she thought it would be the goblin they were talking about earlier. Astra turned her head to see who it was, she was looking at the bottom of the door and was greeted by the shins of a suit of armor, she looked up to see this man covered in gold tinted armour, and long flowing cape. The knight spoke and to her surprise it was a woman, for a woman this person was tall. She kept her helmet on, isn't that some form of disrespect in knight culture or something? Not like she would know, but still.
Even the Captain seems to be dazzled by the knight's armor. "By all means, you're welcome to join. Take a seat, s--" he pauses, noticing the tone of your voice, "--ma'am."
Clarence notice's the redhead witch's question, flicking his eyes towards her in response, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he turns to the Mayor and starts speaking: "Lord, might as well do the background check first. None of the usual mercenaries are here and I don't think there's a good way to ensure that they are reasonably loyal."
The mayor--his name is Lord? or is that a title--nods. "Probably best."
Suddenly, you become acutely aware of the two golden-armored figures staring at you; you feel a strange dread as they set their gaze on you, as it slowly moves from person to person. First, to the woman in animal skins, then to Peter, and so on. All told, it's very unsettling. Finally, one of them turns their head ever-so-slightly towards the mayor and gives the faintest of nods.
"Right then. Now, back to business."
"These three Branded--but not the fourth--display unusual clarity and aggression for people who have recently arrived in the Well. Though one had an irrational irritation when they awoke, the other two didn't seem to create a disturbance. We don't know for a fact, since they awoke sometime during the night and were not monitored heavily. Regardless, they were lucid enough to not only find a way to leave the City, but also to steal an object of extreme importance from my manor: a task impossible for even a master burglar."
"I cannot tell you the purpose of this object, but your primary goal is to recover it from them. It is a scimitar, with a hilt wrapped in red leather and notches along the cutting edge. It is of utmost importance that this scimitar be returned to me--even if you must fail your other duties to succeed in this. The Branded will almost certainly be carrying this with them."
"To answer your question, witch: you may engage them in combat if necessary. It would be better to try to interrogate them and get information from them; having multiple Branded in the well is an unusual occurrence, so they may know something about why there would be multiple Branded and whether or not it is something the guard should be concerned about. Kill them if you must in order to retrieve the scimitar. Capture and return them to us if you can, but I doubt it would be possible."
The mayor yawns--perhaps he's been investigating this through the night. "There is one final concern: the fourth Branded."
"She does not exhibit the same characteristics as the other three--for all intents and purposes, she's identical to a normal Branded that winds up in the well. According to the nurses' analysis, she'd be quite capable in combat. She's sitting right there," the Mayor says as he points to the fur-clad woman, "and if she agrees, we think it would be best that she participate in this expedition."
"Are there any further questions?"
Emme sat down as the captain began to explain, she sat next to the witch, and kept an eye on her without looking like it, her helmet made it so it wasn't noticeable that she was doing it. She didn't know what clicked inside her head upon thinking this witch would be an odd one compared to everyone in the room, and upon seeing how distinct everyone is, it was a surprise to see how much this one stands out. A very odd shade of red as her hair, and an outfit that doesn't usually fit the description of witch, if this woman was a witch, she'd have a broom and one of those pointy hats, correct? Was that considered racism against witches? Maybe.
Emme then turned to the captain as she felt a gaze on her body, two golden armour figures stared at everyone in the room, including her, it was brief but it felt like something odd, though her movement wasn't hindered, she described it as a weird state of sleep paralysis. Afterwards, after she had heard the witch's question be answered, she had a question of her own.
"If I may, how dangerous are these branded? Have they gone mad or have they just lost their way?" Emme asked.
If it wasn't for what was underneath, Emme would have at least her helmet off, she felt as if she was breaking multiples threads of trust as she wore that helmet. She knew it became clearer and clearer that they knew she was hiding something, and something not good. After a year of living in the city, it was only in that brief moment when the figures gazed at her, made her realize that she knew what people of thought of her.
A knight who has honour has no right to be a knight at all...
Ruth found herself being led inside the barracks to a room which contained the Captain of the Guard. There were several others here too, a variety of people who appeared to be the ones that she would go on the expedition with. Once inside the room, she was met with not one, but two surprising faces. One belonged to the mayor, who was accompanied by his guards. The other belonged to the woman she had seen being hurried out of the inn. Why was she here? Was she going to join them on their mission?
There was a short overview of what the mission was, the Captain mentioned a goblin named Blag who would be helping them. Basically, they needed to collect weapons. Ruth knew this much already, having heard about it during the announcement of the mission yesterday. It seemed straightforward enough, go and collect the weapons they mentioned and be paid for their efforts. However, there was another surprise awaiting them. When asked if they could keep a secret, Ruth responded.
"Yes" she said, "I can keep a secret."
What the mayor said next confirmed the rumour that Ruth had heard about the whereabouts of three of the four new Branded. They really were missing and if they could find them they would be rewarded handsomely. But it came with the condition that they keep this information secret, hence the reason why they had been asked if they could keep it. It was a little concerning that the three could just vanish overnight, hopefully they would be found.
A late arrival entered the room, an armoured figure who was much taller than Ruth was. She could not see their face, but judging by the voice the person under that armour was a woman. The group was fairly large now, Ruth made a mental note to talk to her new allies and find out about them, including the armoured woman.
In order to make sure that they were loyal, they were scrutinised by the mayor's guards. The gaze of the guards was unnerving, and gave a very unusual sense of dread. It was almost as if they were staring directly into her soul. The feeling faded when their gaze moved to the next person.
Following this came more details of the three missing people. It appeared that there was more to the story of their disappearance than she initially thought, there was aggression and thievery. It occurred to her that if they encountered the three that they could be violent. What had caused them to act so strangely?
Ruth also had questions about the item they stole, a scimitar that belonged to the mayor. She had been told that it was of great importance and had been kept in the security of the mayor's manor. What was so important about this scimitar? Did it have some sort of magical power? She did not know and it appeared that the mayor would not tell them. Ruth did not like being kept in the dark.
"Were there any clues as to how this scimitar was stolen?" she asked.
Clarence is quick to reply to the armored woman's inquiry. "We don't know the true extent of their abilities. One is a large, burly man called "Dein" according to the nurse. And, allegedly, a terrible haircut. The others, which we don't know the names of, are a tall man in a clergyman's robes and particularly short figure in black garb and a beak-shaped mask. Sort of like the ones in that book about the old doctors, if you've ever been to the library. They can't be maddened, since a madman would never be able to break into the Manor without being skewered by a royal guard. We don't know for sure if they're sane in the same way we're sane, though; we don't know if we're dealing with something eldritch here. As for danger, we expect that Dein would be a threat should it come to blows, but he's unarmed and would be a fool to use the scimitar. The clergyman may know miracles, but we expect that he's not a direct threat. We have no idea what the short guy can do, but since the others don't seem particularly stealthy, we imagine he's the one that was able to steal the scimitar."
Clarence then turns to Ruth. "I can't describe the normal location of the scimitar without giving away confidential details, but based on how it was stolen, we expect that one of the group members--probably the short one--is extraordinarily nimble. Sorry I can't tell more."
Nihere listened as a woman in armor entered, and was briefed on the situation. He then felt a small pang of guilt as he was informed of the three branded. He was partly responsible for them, given that he tried to help calm them when he woke up. He should have stayed longer. He should have talked to the others. But Nihere snapped himself out of it, telling himself it wasnt the time for 'could have, should have'.
After that, the young woman with red hair asked if it was okay to battle them, prompting the mayor to have them all inspected (for a lack of a better word.). Men in gold armor stared into them, as if reading their minds and judging their character. It was an unnerving experience, but the men nodded once they were done. Nihere was a member of the Mage Guild, but he had never heard of magic that could judge a person based on looking at them. He decided to ask about it later.
The mayor then explained that a scimitar was the true objective. The three branded stole it, and it was of major importance to him to have it back. They were even told to kill if necessary. He then went on to explain that the fourth branded was not a part of their group, and seemed like any other branded. She was to join them on the expedition.
Two more questions were asked, by the woman in armor, and the woman with a staff. "Were the Branded dangerous?" "How was the scimitar stolen?" The mayor described the three branded, and mentioned Dein by name. Nihere again felt responsible as the name was spoken. The other two were described as similar to a clergyman and a rogue, implying the latter stole the scimitar. For the second question, the answer was basically "Classified".
After all this happened, Nihere felt responsible for this, despite knowing that he probably couldn't have changed anything. "I would like to leave on this expedition as soon as possible. What about the rest of you?" There was a small hint of guilt in Nihere's voice that he tried to hide. He looked around the room, waiting for responses. "I'm Nihere, by the way. Nice to meet you."
Clarence nods vigorously upon hearing Nihere's enthusiasm. "Oh, yes, I'd recommend leaving as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it'll be to find them. If you have any last-minute provisions you need, we can supply some things from our stockpiles, albeit for a fee if it's anything significant."
He awkwardly taps his desk for a moment, as if waiting for something. "I suppose that concludes our meeting; we expect you to leave within at most two days."
"And... Kahente, was it? You've been awfully quiet. Do you feel comfortable in journeying out of here, or would you rather stay in the city until you get your bearings?"
With that, Emme called it in her head that the small meeting was over, and the man stating that it was, was just icing on the cake. Emme needed to pick up her shield from the smith, it was in horrible shape and she needed it if she wanted to survive in a fight. It then occurred to her that she just barged in without saying anything, nothing about her, just a woman in armour joining whatever this was suppose to be.
With slight hesitation she spoke, "I suppose if there's any time to introduce myself it would be now. My name is..." She took a deep breath and continued, "...Emme Von Kuroe."
She stood up and have a bow to introduce herself, it was a sign of respect for everyone in the room. Then her gaze turned to the scarlet-haired witch once more, she despised witches, so working with one would most likely prove difficult. Her gaze upon the witch was brief, barely noticeable unless him/her was paying attention to the knight.
"Apologies, but I have to run, I have to pick up my shield from the blacksmith."
After that sentence, she turned to the door and raised her hand just on level with her head to signal a farewell to everyone in the room. She turned the doorknob and walked out the room, making her way down the hall and out the barracks.
"Emme Von Kuroe..." Said the knight in her golden plate.
Astra liked this person a lot, she didn't exactly know why but she was someone she'd be more than willing to fight with in the heat of battle, plus it's bonus protection. Astra was about to speak, seconds away from saying what was on her mind but then.
"Apologies, but I have to run, I have to pick up my shield from the blacksmith." Said the knight once more.
Astra managed to open her mouth, but only as the woman left. Unlucky to say the least but hopefully she could have a couple of bevs with the lady knight soon, or even tonight if she gets lucky. As Astra opened her mouth, she spoke.
"Hi~!" Her voice cracked, she cleared her throat and spoke again. "I mean, I am Astra Du'Vaire, a moonlit witch to urr... Support? I suppose." As she kept talking she felt like she was making her introduction much much worst. Whatever, she already said it, all she could is add.
"I look forward to working with all of you!" She exclaimed, she then pointed to the door and added. "... And her too." Gesturing at the knight who just left the room.
"I'm Ruth, Ruth Le Paige" she replied.
She had expected that they would all introduce themselves at some point, but maybe not as soon as they did. Three of her soon-to-be allies had already introduced themselves as Nihere, Emme Von Kuroe and Astra Du'Vaire. But soon after Emme introduced herself, she left to pick up her shield from the blacksmith's. While they would be unable to discuss tactics and other important matters with her at the moment, they could sometime between now and when they left.
Tactics and strategy were things they would need to talk about before they began their adventure. The unknown dangers and the three Branded were waiting for them in the Conglomerate after all. Apparently the three consisted of a burly man named 'Dien', a clergyman and someone wearing the garb of an old doctor with a beaked mask. Beyond that Ruth knew very little about them, except that one of them was likely to be very nimble.
For now they had up to two days to prepare, though Ruth wouldn't mind leaving earlier than that. She thought for a few moments, thinking up a somewhat rushed list of things to organise before they left on their expedition. Tactics and strategy made the list, along with supplies and preparing their weapons. In terms of supplies, they would clearly need food and water, potions and such for healing, even some tents so that they would have a place to stay. With this on her mind, Ruth turned to the Captain.
"Will supplies such as food rations and water be provided?" she asked.
Now that she had asked the question on her mind, she could begin to think about when they should leave. While it might be best to leave sooner rather than later, especially considering how Nihere said that he wanted to leave as soon as possible, they would need time for final preparations. The expedition loomed ahead, and while she was excited to go on such an adventure she did also believe that preparedness would be their key to success.
""I think we should leave once all the necessary preparations have been made. We should have some sort of plan before running into the Conglomerate." Ruth said.
((Due to Commandosaurus' inactivity, Kahente will not join the expedition.))
The armored woman gets up to leave, mentioning her shield being at the blacksmith. Clarence tries to stop her--"Wait, don't you wa--" but she's out the door before he can finish. He lets out a brief snort of irritation.
Kahente clears her throat nervously. She's clearly uneasy with all the attention. "Actually, I'd rather stay here for a while... get my bearings..."
"Really?" Clarence's eyebrows rise in surprise. "I suppose, if that's what you want. You may live in the inn until you're acquainted with the city. And... don't talk too much about their mission," he says as he jerks his head in the direction of the party.
Kahente gets up, visibly relieved to be out of the spotlight, and opens the door. Clarence shouts an order to one of the guards outside--"show her around town, the usual"--and the door slams shut once again.
The conversation briefly resumes, with the question of provisions. "Yes, food and water are provided. No cost Blag should have enough on his person to last quite a while. I hope you like gram rations."
Gram is a doughlike substance derived from various grains that keeps well and is filling, but is completely tasteless and extremely chewy. Guards who venture into the Conglomerate usually take it with them to save weight, and will complain about it to any poor patron that crosses them at the Leaky Spout.
"I suppose that damnable goblin won't show up at all. I'll find him and send him to the Lift to wait for you. I suppose you should go after that knightess, too, since you haven't arranged a meeting time. She probably went to Iron-Eyes; best blacksmith in the city, if you didn't know. Not that that's saying much."
"That concludes our meeting. Stay safe, and leave as soon as you can." Clarence pushes his chair aside and holds open the door for the group; a single guard in standard uniform stands motionlessly aside, waiting to escort the party outside.
Nihere was ready to go then and there, but he held back to hear the names of his teammates- Emme, Astra, and Ruth. Emme had left to pick up her shield. This bothered Nihere a little, but he let it go for now. Astra seemed to be a very hyper and upbeat person, which would certainly help keep spirits high in the group. Ruth seemed very pragmatic. She talked about making preparations, and asked about food and water before the journey started.
Kahente- the new branded- had decided to stay behind. Nihere understood. Judging by her appearance, this setting was not at all similar to the her previous one. The transition would be difficult for her, so it makes sense that she took her time before jumping into danger. Clarence then went on to answer Ruth's question- Yes, water and Gram would be provided. Nihere wasn't exactly happy with that prospect, but food was food.
Clarence then complained about Blag, the Goblin again before saying that Emme likely went to Iron-Eyes. He then concluded the meeting and dismissed them. Nihere nodded and went out, following the guard. "Hey, Astra, and... Ruth, was it? Can you two start making preparations and talk strategy? I'll go and get Emme, once she has her shield. Is that ok?" Nihere isn't usually the one to make plans like that, but he was strongly motivated to solve the Branded problem as soon as possible. "Oh and, where should we meet up?"
"I'm not one for strategy- No wait, I mean, I'm not good at- What? I mean, I'm not good at strategy, so if I may, I'd like to be the one to grab Emme. I also need to talk to her about something anyway." Stated the witch as she inched her way to the door.
Astra wasn't exactly the best when it came to discussing plans, she always entered a fight and threw out whatever she could throw out, even if it meant killing her movement after because of the massive drain of Focus or magic. Astra was even about to ask about the branded that just left, but she supposed keeping her mouth shut in a moment like that was probably the best idea. Astra shrugged and snapped her fingers, with the snap of her fingers poof! Her witch hat popped out of nowhere, right on her head.
"I'll be back before you know it! Unless Emme makes it difficult, I'll have her back in about fifteen minutes, or maybe even less." Astra said.
She pointed at her hat and put her hand behind her back, reaching for the doorknob as she did.
Ruth recalled her first days in the city and what adjusting to her new surroundings was like, so she understood how newcomer, who the Captain had called Kahente, felt when she decided to stay. It would give her time to get used to her new home. Meanwhile, the group would go on the mission accompanied by the still-absent goblin, Blag. They had been told that Blag would be the one who would bring the supplies of water and gram.
Ruth hadn't eaten the doughy substance called gram before, but she had heard enough guards complain about it in the tavern to know that it was hardly gourmet food. It had been described as 'utterly tasteless and very chewy', however it was better than nothing. Perhaps they could bring some other food, like pickled vegetables or salted meat, to make it a bit more palatable, although it would just be another thing they would need to carry around with them.
There were a few more preparations to make, like catching Emme up on the part of the meeting she missed and organising where they should meet up before going on the expedition. Initially Nihere had volunteered to collect the knight. But Astra wanted to go instead, she had summoned her hat out of thin air and already had her hand on the doorknob. Before she left, Ruth wanted to mention where she thought they could meet up again.
"We could meet up at the lift, where we are supposed to meet up with Blag" Ruth said.
There was one last preparation that Ruth could think of: strategy. Considering the fact they needed to leave as soon as possible, it might be best for them to just decide on some basic strategy like where in the party they should be to best use their abilities.
"As for the strategy, we should just think of some basic strategy due to the limited time. We could organise the party based on the ranges of our attacks." Ruth said, "Those who are melee fighters should be at the front where they can best use their skills and those who use ranged attacks and lend support should stand further back. We should talk about this when we are all together though."