Song of Heroes IC

[Radea]

Arden Rooke
The road to Antheia – Secret Package delivery contract
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The sounds of war drums and battle chants seemed to collapse almost instantly. “Huh,” Arden grunted to himself, his eyes panning the horizon in the night. Either Annabelle and the others had driven off some massive host or they broke whatever noise-box was trying to intimidate them. Still, he waited until the others returned before settling in for the night.

The next leg of the journey proved uneventful. Compared to living dead attacks and grappling magic orbs, a few days of honest travel seemed dull to Arden. Maybe his time in the Legion was changing him. Either that or being surrounded by those of similar taste for battle made it seem more normal. For much of the trail, Rooke dwelt his thoughts on if the two encounters were merely bad luck or the nefarious actions of some outside party trying to obtain whatever was in the box.

As they approached the gates of Antheia, Arden spied a tall, well-built elf adorned in military regalia. If there was any intent for secrecy, it wouldn’t be found here. Rooke made certain to bring the mule to a slowing pace and to stop the cart a respectable distance from the commanding elf. Other passing wagons paid them no mind, making their way to the bustling (and profitable) port docks.

The elf – Eumenes, he called himself – delivered the mixed blessings with military precision. While listening to his explainer, Rooke leaned back in his seat and mouthed “Giant crab?” silently to Corven with a cocked eyebrow. The heartlander’s attention was peaked with the mention of extra coin. The contract, as initially offered, had relatively low pay for the Legion but now with a potential for a bonus, how could they turn it down?

Arden leaned on one knee over at Frey, giving a quick chin-gesture to the elf as if asking, “well, are we in?”

[Auropa]

secret package

Corven Roche
secret Package

Guard duty had never been one of Corven’s best skills. He was more accustomed to brief, high intensity bouts of battle rather than a drawn-out conflict resisting the gentle embrace of slumber, especially when it was backed by the comforting warmth of his cloak and the soft crackling of fire. As the others departed and Rooke saw to the donkey, Corven eventually gave in and began to rest his eyes ever so slightly before fading into sleep.

…
“Another victory for the Street Stabbers!” An announcer shouted, startling the young Roche and bringing him back to his senses.

The day was hot and the sun bore down mercilessly on the young gladiator and his remaining team. But then again, most days were like this now. His Street Stabbers, or rather his master’s Street Stabbers, had been challenged by another school and now had to run their merciless gauntlet for the crowd’s amusement and their owner’s status. Gods protect them if they disappointed him and made him look bad.

“Behold! This melee’s champion! The unkillable street rat! The perpetual pain bringer! The Cockroach!”

As cheering broke out across the stadium, Roche walked forward and raised his bloodied sword upwards. ‘Only 3 more’ he thought to himself as he looked past the faceless crowd and towards the event board that tormented his waking days. As he tried to steel himself for the battles to come, an ominous air broke out across the audience.

The cheering faded to a dull whistle as the sun’s light began to dim into nothingness. In a matter of moments, Roche was left alone in the stadium. Replacing the once scorching heat was a now bone chilling cold and a blanketing darkness the young gladiator could barely see through. As he narrowed his tired eyes, he began to make out a distant figure gesturing to him, beckoning him closer. He didn’t know how or why but somehow he knew the figure, he felt hope, safety and betrayal within him as he tried to approach but as he took his small steps forward, his world started to light up once more. First with a flash and clang of metal, then another and another until the world lit up like a roaring fire and the chanting of warriors and steel filled his ears and shattered his reality.
…

Flicking his eyes open, Corven grabbed his sword and scanned his surroundings. All sense of his tiredness now replaced by a wave of adrenaline as he looked for the source of danger. When none revealed itself he cautiously rose to his feet and continued to search as he hugged the wall for cover against what must have been some sort of army. ’What the hell is going on!’ he thought to himself as he surveyed his options.

Before he could make a choice though, a thunderous crack of lightning rung out and the army went silent. Not knowing the cause and not willing to relax with so many unkowns around, he remained in his covered position as he watched and waited for even the smallest of signs. Soon enough it came in the form of their returning party.
“Well then.” He said as he sheathed his weapon “That’s got to be the second loudest snoring I’ve ever heard.”

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After a few more days of thankfully peaceful travel, the party arrived at Antheia and like always, Corven was enraptured by the new environment. Even in the legion, the Elves he had met tended to be relatively few and keeping to themselves but here, they were suddenly everywhere and with their own style of structures and markets decorating the streets. But exploring could come later Corven told himself, for now they needed to focus in case their less than friendly third party showed up once more.

When they met their contact, an elf by the name of Eumenes, he went on to curtly thank them for work but before going on to pay them, he revealed a surprising piece of information as he asked them for additional protections after their original plan found itself interrupted by some giant crab. Catching Rooke’s wordless question and raised eyebrow the gladiator couldn’t help but give a confused shrug in response ‘how is some foreign food meant to delay a ship? Food poisoning maybe?’ he thought to himself

“So is there a yes, I'll make sure to throw in a bonus? Or questions for that matter? I may older then some of your grandparents but do feel free to act casual."

Not waiting for the other to respond, Corven took a step forward and placed his hands behind his back. Looking over the older elf, he didn’t feel the same sense of danger that he did with the snow elf from the legion but he knew there was more going on than they were being told. Taking half a moment to organize his thoughts and quietly clear his throat, he began.

“We appreciate the offer and your trust in our services-” He said in an out of character but well-practiced, respectful tone.

Despite the chaotic bloodshed and moral free nature of gladiators and their work in the stadium, half of surviving as long as he did revolved around politics. Securing sponsors, winning favours and promoting businesses were all part of the job. If you failed to make a name for yourself outside of the pit, you ended up in ever more difficult battles with nothing but failing equipment and come the inevitable defeat, you could forget about being spared. Not a fan of dying himself, Corven took to diplomacy and backroom dealings as best he could and though it took time, he eventually learned enough to survive and even earn the chance he needed for freedom.

“-But if our business is to continue, then some agreements and understandings should be met first. For one, supplies, we have what we need for the journey here, but we’ll need more going forward. Next, we’ll understandably have to agree on a set additional payment before setting off, purely to keep things professional of course. And thirdly I think we need to take you up on your offer for questions. So far two direct attempts of magical nature have already been made on the package and from what you’ve said a third is likely to occur. That means some unknown group is aware of both your and our group’s movements and armaments at the very least. If we’re going to properly provide you and your package with protection, then we’ll need to be able to prepare for certain dangers and to do that, we need to know the package’s contents along with why anyone would be after it.”

[Tomia]

secret package

The last few days of travel to their destination, but Annabelle was still on edge after that trick that someone had pulled on them that sent her flying in the air. There was something going on around them that they were missing. She was sure of it and she didn't like it. When they arrived, they were suddenly offered a secondary job and more money on top of it. Arden seemed fully on board, while Roche wanted to know a lot more details. Annabelle's approach was a lot more simple than that.

"No way." She said firmly, turning to the others.

"We're not getting on a ship with strangers in unknown waters. This is a trap. I'm not going." The look in her eyes seemed to dare one of her companions to try to convince her otherwise. It wouldn't be unfair to call Tira paranoid at this point, but she knew a trap when she was one and this was a trap. She wanted to take what they had earned and get out of there. Dying for greed was unfit for a warrior and it would dishonor all of the people who died so that she could live.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

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"No objections here. Welcome to the party, Mir." Sylanna said with a solemn nod, to which the white-haired priestess replied with a smile and a quick 'thank you!'. The party continued on to move around the city, led by their new companion. Though she would have loved to show the legionnaires around the more interesting parts of the city, however, Mircella knew that their mission was urgent, and so, they were quickly taken to the local smith first and then, once everyone was properly outfitted, to the Paean Legion's local office.

"I don't think we should split up at this point in our quest." The Snow Elf stated in response to Roxana's question. "It would be best if we asked for word to be sent on our behalf. I'm sure if we go to the reception, they'll take our request and send someone back to Lietuva. Especially when-"

Sylanna couldn't continue. As she was about to finish her sentence, an animalistic roar was heard, shaking the foundations of the Paean Legion building and startling all those near the reception. Without missing a beat, the elven knight unsheathed her sword and followed Roxana out of the hall. Her eyes immediately narrowed as she saw the same beast that had escaped them earlier, sending an ox flying into the Legion hall's metal gate as if daring them to attack. Seeing her blade still stuck in its back, her rage was only ignited further.

Mircella, on the other hand, didn't even seem to display any sort of concern as she walked up behind the two elves and their human companions, observing the beast with a curious gaze while listening to Roxana's question. "Oh, the city guard and the Zarokin Priests should arrive soon, I'm sure they were just taken by surprise because the beast appeared directly inside the city walls rather than breaking through them." The young woman explained, before taking a step forward and placing the lower of her staff against the ground, closing her eyes to better focus. Reciting ancient incantations passed down to generations of devout humans by the Laughing Wolf himself, she called upon his power to bind the beast. Suddenly, several black tentacles with a purple aura around them sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the beast's extremities, firmly pinning it down at least for a few moments.

"Perfect!" The Snow Elf spoke as she saw the priestess' handiwork. Without wasting another second she activated her boon, her aura of blinding light nearly completely engulfing Mircella's own dark aether. Taking advantage of the beast's present predicament, she took Roxana's knife and hurled it straight at the creature's eye. Then, running her hand across Simion's blade and setting it on fire, she rushed towards the monster. The only thing she could remember about it was the black cross on its forehead, and it was also what seemed to grant it the power to cross through dimensions. Perhaps if she targeted it, she'd be able to prevent another escape?

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Through some miracle - not that Frey believed in such, as the jealous God of the Deep wasn't known for granting them - the party had managed to avoid any further incidents after the undead attack and the black mystical orb that had put a dent in Tira's pride. Needless to say, he had been a lot more cautious from that day on, though the days passed and they finally managed to reach the port city of Antheia. On top of that, he was pleasantly surprised to see that they wouldn't have to ask around to find the location of the League's headquarters in Antheia in order to meet their client and get their due payment: the elf who had requested their services was, in fact, waiting for them at the gates of the city.

Crossing his arms and leaning back on the wagon, Frey listened as this elf, who introduced himself as Eumenes, explained that the transport that was to take the package from Antheia to Thapsus had been attacked by a giant crab and that he needed some extra security, offering an extension of the contract originally given to them by the Paean Legion. At this, the rogue raised an eyebrow, not quite sure of how by the books such a deal was, though he doubted the snotty elves of Thapsus would try anything underhanded.

As expected, the party had plenty of differing opinions on the matter. Arden seemed to be fairly on board with the idea, while Corven was fairly skeptical and subjected the elf to an interrogation. Tira, on the other hand, was adamant in her refusal, convinced that this was a trap. Hearing this, he let out a chuckle.

"You already fell into a trap." He stated. "One full of mortal dangers and with the sweet bait of riches and glory. Isn't that basically what the Legion is?" With a shrug, the young man turned to face the others. "At any rate, looks like we all have differing opinions on this. I respect that. Whoever doesn't want to come along can go back to Velathri and collect the pay, no hard feelings there." He told them, glancing at Tira for a moment and then turning to look at the elf. "As for you, Eumenes, I'm in, but me and this scoundrel here aren't going anywhere without the answers to all those questions." He concluded, patting Corven on the shoulder to elaborate on what he meant.

[Bentus]

Yvonne

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Even though the encounter with the orb wasn’t followed up by any more serious attacks, Yvonne found herself on edge from that night onwards. With two attempts having been made on the package, it had become blindingly obvious that someone was aware of their movements and was capable of laying traps in advance of the party. Worse, whoever or whatever was trying to gain control of the package had to know more about it than even the Legionnaires who were tasked with carrying it. Acting with no undue degree of caution and fully expecting another attack before the mission was over, it was hardly surprising that Yvonne studied this new elf warily.

Hanging back by the wagon as Frey and Corven did most of the talking, the Paladin’s expression was twisted into a concerned frown. She couldn’t quite put her finger on the source of her concern, but her gut was increasingly twisting itself with unease the more that she thought over their situation. The Divine had chosen to guide her to this quest for a reason, and it was abundantly clear that there was more to this delivery than initially met the eye. But Yvonne could only wish that the correct path for her to take was as obvious. She was obligated by her honour and duty as a Paladin - and even as a Legionnaire - to devote herself to her quest’s completion. And yet, with the stench of necromancy lurking from the shadows, how could she willingly allow what could be some kind of weapon to fall into the hands of the Tyranny? Surely the package - if it were what she feared - would be safer and more secure in the confines of the Church?

Leaning back onto the wagon’s wheel, Yvonne grappled with the moral quandary that faced her even as the team began to fracture over their next course of action. Whatever happened, she had to try and stay with the package for as long as she could - at the very least to try and figure out what it was and whether it might fall into the wrong hands. The prospect of extra coin didn’t matter much to her, even though her own purse was becoming worryingly light; the Divine always would always provide for their servants, after all. Turning her gaze towards Arden, the armoured woman offered him a concerned expression - making no attempt to mask her unease with their situation while trying to get a feel for how he thought about the encounter. From the days on the road, Yvonne had found the Legionnaire to be a good and honest man, and he seemed to share her doubts about the elf standing before them.

“Thapsian.” Speaking formally, if somewhat more bluntly than normal, Yvonne added onto the end of the series of questions. “We will also need proof that you are who you say you are. Your name alone won’t suffice.”

[Tomia]

Annabelle
Annabelle glared at Frey. It seemed like none of them were taking her concerns seriously, and it seemed like all of them were about to risk their lives for extra gold. She had known Frey was annoying, but she thought despite his teasing he was a thoughtful and smart man. The idea that he would agree with this foolishness angered her more than she had expected.

"Fine, if you want to die at sea for gold be my guests. I'm done here." She said, storming off from the group. She found her way to the local bar, feeling in need of a drink. It had been a while since she had real companions after all, and this disagreement unsettled her and brought back painful memories. As she sat down at a table, thoughts of the past flooded into her mind. The men she had lost, those she had killed, and those she had left behind. All of their faces as clear as the last time she had seen them.

It was overwhelming, and she ordered an ale in an attempt to block out the thoughts. She sat alone in the corner of the tavern. In that moment she realized that even if she hadn't died that day she left her home, everything about her did. Her friends, her purpose, even name was gone. She took a deep swig from her ale. That seemed to be the only remedy for her in the moment, as even her and her new questing party had parted ways. She would return to the guild eventually but for now she would sit, sit with her past and with ale. Sadly only one of those things was welcomed.

[New Finnish Republic]

Edward

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Edward was still confused at the entire situation at hand, but had decided to just accept things for how they were. Apparently no one is confused on how we were magically transported to another place leagues away from where we started, and there is still...whatever it was we fought roaming around. Shaking his head, he merely nodded slowly when he was introduced, crossing his arms as he simply listened to the conversation at hand. The stranger seemed hospitable enough, so much that Edward did feel a slight tinge of guilt for his earlier actions, even though he also understood it was just that kind of precautions that would keep someone alive in this world.

Suddenly Edward felt the hair on the back of his neck raise, followed by the massive roar of a beast deeper into the city. "There it is," he said gruffly as he and the others sprinted towards where the beast was. While the rest of the party was expectedly concerned, Mircella didn't seem worried in the slightest, which caused Edward to glance at her sideways as they made their way over. Arrogance spells disaster, he thought to himself as they reached the creature. While it was impossible to know for sure as he had no recollections of how the beast had looked before, based on the wounds the creature possessed he was certain that this had been what they had battled previously.

Before the party could even do anything, however, magical tendrils suddenly enveloped the creature, pinning the struggling creature down. Sylanna wasted no time in going after the creature, as did Edward. However, something disturbed him as they neared the creature. Even as a knife gouged its eye and it was pinned, the creature seemed not as alarmed as it should have. It's almost like it doesn't feel like it's in danger...

"Sylanna, wait!" Edward screamed over at the elf, but it was already too late. In the blink of an eye, the beast suddenly broke free of the tendrils and lept forward at the purple cloak. Diving to the side, Edward knocked Sylanna out of the way and took on the brunt of the attack, wincing as the weight of the beast slammed into him. He felt the creature's claws make deep scratches into his armor, his thick gambeson beneath only barely stopping the beast from tearing into his side. His buckler made a sickening crunch noise as the creature's fangs dug into it, effectively ruining the piece of equipment but sparing Edward from losing his arm.

Grunting as his feet slid backwards, the two eventually came to a stop. Slashing at the creature's left arm, his blade made a deep gash that sent blood spilling to the ground. Careful as to not allow himself to get in the path of the toxic liquid, he let go of his buckler, taking one last swing at the creature's face as he spun away from the danger. His second blow was much shallower than the one before, but still made the creautre roar out in pain as a fresh cut had opened across its upper face.

Snarling, it lept backwards and stared back at the rest of the party. While it was still able to stand on its left leg, it was clear that the wound was enough to cause it to favor its other side, something Edward hoped would give them an advantage for the rest of the fight.

"Don't let the blood touch you," he directed towards the others as he slowly retreated back to them armed now only with his sword.

[Finland SSR]

Crystal Village Investigation

Dido Ricine, the Elven swordsmaster!

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Alongside her team, Dido retreated through the alleys and ruins away from the scene, using her dual empowered falchions to cut down a few crystallized villagers on the way - they were as mortal as any, falling to the ground motionless after a few swift chops. However, they could not retreat forever - soon, the horde of crystallines managed to surround them and put them to dead end, with the apparent head charging forward with a scythe in tow.

Well that ain't good...

Fortunately, luck would soon strike the team, as Dido's ears suddenly perked up, hearing someone trying to whisper to her from behind. It was a teenage girl, a human, cowering from behind a door and offering them to escape. So this village was not completely dead...

"I'd love to, girl, but..." Dido muttered underneath her breath, her eyes set upon the crystalline scythewielder leaping towards them. Even if they all managed to escape through the door in time, the monstrosity would know where they are and simply follow them. So... "Aeneas!"

On order, Dido's Wisp emerged from within her, and the two of them leapt forward, straight at the scytheman descending upon them. Hopefully, the rest of her team took the hint and left through the door. Now then... Wait for the opportune time and...

"SPIRIT DISCHARGE!"

A powerful burst of magical wisp energy, in the form of a wave of electric bolts, released itself from the Dark Elf's body, rolling across the battlefield all around her. Hopefully, that would at least fling the scytheman away and give them ample time to escape. The knockback of the Spirit Discharge technique instantly sent Dido falling back to the ground, but the woman reacted just in time, spinning in the air, landing on her feet in a rather painful roll, and instantly crawling, rolling and running her way to the opened door.

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Roxana Ma'gonid

Mirsylla

Simion Valerin, the marksman from Nur!

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So they've got a new member of the team - Mircella Mellowmoon, she's agreed to team up with them, show them around An'Zarok and tag along. From what Simion could tell, she was a healer, and those were always appreciated in any adventuring party. The rest of their time in the city, before they reached the Legion base, was spent in the local smithery preparing for a second encounter. The marksman had nothing to ask for over there, however - he did not need repairs for his weapons, nor did he use any armor, and he still had plenty of gunpowder left from earlier.

So, the Legion HQ it was. Simion was about to volunteer for relaying the message to the Lietuva base, when the scream of an enraged animal got the attention of everyone. Roxana, Sylanna, Mircella and Edward all ran outside, confronting it head-on with arrows, magic, and brute force - Simion, on the other hand, remained inside and watched the beginning of the battle unfold through the window. The scratches and shrapnel left by his grenade were easily visible on the creature's chest - this was definitely the same monster they had fought earlier. But now, we have a defensive advantage. We're atop a hill and we have the walls of a building, and it doesn't have the element of surprise anymore.

With the butt end of his weapon, Simion smashed the window open and fired at the monster through it, then, while reloading and keeping tabs on the battle below, he turned towards the numerous Legionnaires gathered around the lobby, yelling:

"All of you! If you have any ranged weaponry with you, keep your distance and open fire on that thing!"

[Absolon-7]

Secret Package Delivery
The city of Antheia was one of many overseas possessions of Thapsus as such it held many similarities to the homeland such as rotund marble-trees forming a core of dwellings in the city. Platforms, outcrops, and spiral staircases would be connected by vines and pulleys that moved property and people alike. A Great White Palace Marble-Oak would dominate the center of the city as it housed the local government. But Antheia would also have many more traditional houses and buildings mostly human as they formed the bulk of the nearby region. The city was pretty much just as he remembered it decades ago it seemed. Eumenes the elf looked at the fresh Redcloaks with a mix of curiosity and scrutiny as he stroked his beard. One of the men in the group took no breaks in dishing out questions.

"Yes, that's all quite reasonable," he said before coughing a little, "For supplies, the ship will have more then enough for all of you and I'll arrange for the return ship to be stocked just as well. For price, how does a 17% increase sound? Naturally I'm willing to haggle. As for the last request, that's a bit more difficult. Talking out here in public won't do so you'll have to join me in my office in the admiralty office at the docks. But I'll answer your query there."

Eumenes' ears wiggled in surprise at the fierce opposition from one the female warriors. In all honesty he was slightly hurt at the distrust. He always made sure to accommodate people's needs but looks like no dice this time. The long haired blonde man was as skeptical as his friend but was in slightly better mood.

"Well very well. I can't show you what it is but I can at least tell you the gist of it," he said giving in. Eumenes took several footsteps forward so he was right in earshot of the group. He leaned in to Frey and whispered, "The most I can say while plausibly denying treason is that its a weapon capable of killing Malekith by ripping his wisp out." He stepped away before continuing, "I'm sure that's more than reason enough as to why people would be after it."

The woman from earlier would then storm off furious with her companion's decisions but he couldn't do much besides sigh.

"Well, I don't know if one of you wants to go after her but I'd recommend doing so before we leave in a few hours," he stated, "Now if you will, please follow me."

Eumenes would lead the mule wagon to the docks before going to the admiralty. A luxurious well maintained building but the Legionnaires would be left in Eumenes office as the last preparations where made. It was a very rustic office with ship-in-bottles decorating the walls along with nautical themed artwork. The desk was a neatly organized, almost too organized, as the rose curtains let in a tinted amount of afternoon sunlight. The Legionnaires would be left to sit on exquisite leather chairs in front of the desk as they'd be left to contemplate the final leg of their journey.

Crystal Village Investigation
The Solfataren elf's attack would hit its target precisely as dodging midair isn't the most feasible task. The electric bolts cooked the scytheman alive or whatever its current state of mortality was as grey petrified flesh was burnt away. He fell hard on the floor in a pained huddle position. As he struggled to get up the heavy mass of crystal blocks that formed proved too much for his now decimated body to handle thus he fell to the floor once again. The malevolent blue light of his eyes slowly dimmed to nothing. As for the villagers themselves they simply stood motionless, weapons in hand, staring soullessly into the house from beyond the wreckage keeping them out of that quarter of the settlement.

The cloaked girl rushed the elf in as she retreated but she stood a few seconds outside jerking her head around as if fearing a even greater threat would rear its maw. She walked in front of the remaining Legionnaires before nervously twiddling her fingers as if thinking of what to say. Eventually she stopped pacing around before suddenly bowing her head at them.

"I'm so so sorry for you to get attacked," the girl said in a soft voice, "It's just the radicals have taken control of the town and crystal! They've killed our elder but then you killed theirs!....Sorry I'm not making sense uhm..." The girls would pull at her cloak as if hiding her face but it would betray how unnaturally smooth and white her skin, "I was told to guide you guys to the chapel. It's the last place left. If we don't hurry He'll come!"

Haunted Manor Rescue
Siegfried watched in astonishment as the griffon broke through the door clearing their way further into the house. Once the door opened, inside there is a human skull sitting on the floor. A long finely crafted dining table dominates the centre of the room. Sitting in each of the eight chairs around the table are skeletal remains dressed in fine attire. Shockingly the head of each dinner guest is missing. Set out in front of each skeleton is a large plate with a dome cover. The table is also adorned with fine cutlery and two silver candelabras. On the south wall is a large painting of the full moon.

"I doubt it would a wise choice to touch anything here," he said as he took a step inside, "But not like we'll get anywhere not getting our hands dirty."

He stepped inside the room observing all the elegant skeletons or as much as his visor allowed. There was something off about the room but he couldn't place his finger on it. Siegfried reached out with his zweihnader to poke the plate domes from a safe distance and thankfully nothing happened.

"Hmmmm," he grumbled, "Hey Betty, perhaps your griffon's sense of smell could be of use here. Call it a hunch but I believe if we match the skull with one of these skeletons something might happen. Then again that sounds incredibly naive. Hmmm"

With the last word a singular drumbeat filled the air but it unnaturally filled the room's atmosphere in a way that seemed suffocating. Suddenly in some cracking sound all three where shifted to be in the manor's fireplace. Another drum sounded outside in the patio and both golem and man were shifted over to the same dark room dimly lit by a dying fire. There appeared to be a door to the far left of the room to some other room but large wooden bars blocked any exit from it. A giant stuffed moose head hung over the fireplace but the metal hanging it place seemed to be undone by some invisible force and the same with all the other mounted trophies of all manor of local animals such as wolves, deer, bears, kelenkens, elk, etc. At rapid fire speed they flew off the walls and at the Legionnaires at all angles.

Siegfried slashed away a large elk head rushing at his chest but a wood bison head slammed into his back. It circled back and divebombed him but he swung his sword in time to chop it in half. He got up puffing up lungfuls of air, "Aghast, these old dusty prizes are after our heads! Quickly men, women, and griffon! We must swing at them or find an escape route!"

[Zarkenis Ultima]

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Wow, that's... a bit more dangerous than I had imagined.

Sure, some sort of magical bomb prototype might seem like it can cause more destruction, on the surface, but the power to kill a king from a distance... well, that could easily cause a war, a far more destructive affair than wrecking a city.

Then again, he'd never cared much for kings and even if he once had, Malekith wasn't one of them. Shrugging, he nodded at the elf - he could definitely see why it might be treason to speak of the weapon with a foreigner - and then looked around just in time to see Tira curse them and then storm off. To some pub, he guessed - sitting by herself with a drink in hand seemed to be a favorite pastime of hers.

"Well, that's a shame, but it's her choice." Frey nodded to himself, before turning to Yvonne, who had openly expressed her distrust of the man, asking whether he had a way to confirm who he claimed he was. It was a clever question, after all, if the powers after the package had gone as far as to work necromancy against them, surely impersonating a Thapsian officer wasn't above them. Eumenes hadn't responded to the question either, and his knowledge of the weapon might very well have been made up on the spot, so Frey decided to take a more... hands-on approach.

"And, should it be your choice as well, I won't blame you, miss Delacroix. But if you choose to come with, rest assured this is the man we were looking for." He said. Next, he flashed a badge he had nabbed from the elf while he wasn't looking, which expressed his ranking in the Thapsian military. Winking at the paladin, he turned around and trailed after Eumenes, casually handing him the badge while saying he had dropped it.

On the way there, he applied the tried and true method of boring your charge with so many stories that they'll say anything just to get you to shut up. Thus, as the group walked into the office, he was just about finished with the story of how he had once slain a kraken while his crew watched in awe.

"...So you see, we are quite an experienced group, if I do say so myself. I think this warrants a slightly bigger incentive than seventeen percent... perhaps, say, twenty-five?" He suggested, offering the elf one of his charming smiles.

[Bentus]

Yvonne

---

Frowning as she watched Annabelle stormed off from the group, Yvonne’s eyes lingered on the other woman’s retreating back. She felt a stab of guilt, with the hurt felt by the Legionnaire having been visible on her expression. Although the Paladin couldn’t claim to know the woman well, she had gotten to know her enough to consider her an ally and something must have indeed been weighing on her mind. At the end of the day, Yvonne didn’t know what kind of a past Annabelle may have had, and she knew better than most the feeling of being isolated from one’s friends.

"And, should it be your choice as well, I won't blame you, miss Delacroix. But if you choose to come with, rest assured this is the man we were looking for."

Pulled from her thoughts by Frey’s voice, Yvonne turned to see the rogue reveal their contact’s official badge. The man spoke with his usual sense of self-assurance and seemed - as ever - to be rather pleased with himself for his sleight-of-hand display. Studying the item for a moment, Yvonne nodded after having decided that it was evidence enough for her. “Very well, I suppose that it is only right that we see this mission on to its successful conclusion.” She offered Frey a weak smile as Eumenes gestured for them to follow him. “I want to try and talk to Annabelle before we leave. You can go on without me, I’ll meet you before the ship departs.”

With that, she offered the rest of the party a wave as she stepped back into the city streets. However, as soon as she turned around her concerned frown replaced her calm smile. So it was a weapon. She thought, the revelation causing a twist in her stomach at the implications. A weapon that is intended to kill the leaders of elves. It could have been worse, that was for sure. But Yvonne still suspected that there was more than the Thaspian was letting on. While it was true that the Tyranny was seeking to secure the package and prevent and attempt on their King, they could just as easily have been seeking to use the weapon against the Dark Elves. And the prospect of a reunified Thaspia, with its military might turned away from its own kind and redirected towards its human neighbours, was a prospect that weighed heavily on the Paladin’s mind.

No, now is not the time. Yvonne thought, pushing the concerns aside. It is not my place to worry about things like that. Taking a breath, she focused on navigating through the crowds. Ignoring the few eyes that were turned towards her, with suspicious glares being cast over the emblem of the Church within a Thaspian-dominated city such as this, she tried to figure out where Annabelle could have possibly gone.

---

The doors to the small pub swung open as Yvonne pushed them aside. Her heavy metal boots stomped with each step on the wooden flooring, and conversations at a few nearby tables quietened down as glances were turned towards the Paladin. Asking around for directions to taverns, inns and pubs had sent her on a twisting path in search of the angered Legionnaire. Despite Annabelle not having been that hard to pick out from the crowd, the city was large and there were countless watering holes and establishments where she could have gone to ground. Yvonne wasn’t even certain that the other woman would have gone to find a drink, although she certainly had her suspicions and it was as good of a lead as any.

Scanning the bar for any signs of the Legionnaire, Yvonne’s expression lit up as she her quarry hunched over a collection of empty bottles. Her shoulders were raised and her body language screamed at her desire to be left alone - a message that the sword at her hip only served to emphasise. In fact, the stools on either side of her seemed to have been vacated, despite the packed crowd of customers who had filled the pub at this time of day. Not wasting any time, Yvonne made her way over and planted herself at the seat beside her comrade. Remaining silent at first as she tried to think of what to say. The bartender appeared to try and head over towards her, but the Paladin waved the man aside with a simple shake of her head.

“Annabelle, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find you.” She began, trying to offer the other woman a warm smile. “We were worried where you’d gone.” Yvonne allowed the words to hang in the air for a moment, sighing as she continued. “I’m not going to try and pry at what’s bothering you, though I suspect that there is more to it than what happened today. You’re right that this is all very suspicious, and honestly I don’t trust the Thaspian any further than I could throw him. But this package is clearly important, and the Divines wouldn’t have guided us to this mission if we weren’t meant to help ensure its safety. The risk of a trap, of danger, is all the more reason for us to press on - and it would be much harder for us all to do that without your help.”

[Idiot People]

Lucan Aburns
Haunted Manor

After charging at the plant monster in the courtyard, Lucan's vision suddenly warped as the garden in front of him turned to a dimly lit room. He nearly rolled when he had to come skidding to a stop, dropping to a defensive crouch. Where two beasts stood, now only the golem stood. He could also dimly two other people in the room and some large creature, though the only illumination came from the dying fireplace. He blinked a few times for his eyes to adjust.

He barely had time to make out any details of the room before a grey mass started flying at him. He brought up his sword to block it and was knocked back into some kind of desk, knocking the wind out of him. When the mass, what appeared to be the head of a goat, began to circle around again, Lucan backed himself up against a wall and waited for it to get close before ducking. The goat head flew over him and rammed itself into the wall, knocking itself into the ground where Lucan promptly stabbed it and tore it open, the stuffed filling spilling out.

He heard a man call out from somewhere in the room, "Aghast, these old dusty prizes are after our heads! Quickly men, women, and griffon! We must swing at them or find an escape route!"

And not a second later, another animal came at him, this time a wolf. He knew what to expect this time and swiftly brought his sword up to slash the wolf's jaw, raining him in stuffing. He quickly shook himself off and scanned the room, still skimming along the wall with his sword at the ready.

Escape? He saw a door across the room, but it was barred off and he didn't fancy a trip through the middle of the storm of heads. He instead looked over to the fireplace on his right and began to work his way over to it.

He ducked from one attack coming his way and dove out of another before he was able to make it to the fireplace. The fire could serve as decent protection if the heads were susceptible to it and it would give him slightly better vision without having to cast a spell.

He held his short sword with one hand and snaked his other hand down to his thigh, where he grabbed his dagger from its scabbard. He took a deep breath and charged at the closest head and began to attack.

[Gudmund]

Haunted Manor Rescue

Lucan Aburns

Thall Lium | Haunted Gabriel Manor

In the rough and tumble between himself and the plant monster, Thall noticed the pattering of light footsteps behind him as the creature further constricted his body with vines. Pulling a free arm back, Thall jabbed his pointed fingers into the creatures cranium, his surroundings suddenly contorting for a moment. Staring blankly for a moment in confusion, Thall realised he was no longer in the courtyard, the dark room and creaking floor most likely the interior of the mansion. While the room was difficult to see in, his companions seemed to be reunited. "But what of the plant creature?" thought the golem, wondering if he'd need to dispatch it later. Perhaps it was just as confused as him.

Looking around Thall spotted a potential exit, feeling reassured knowing that he could possibly break through the thick wooden bars blocking the door. Alas, it wouldn't be so easy, the mounted animal heads lining the walls unexpectedly launching themselves at the group, causing Thall to take a knee as one hit behind his leg whilst another tackled his face. As one of the perpetrators flew off, Thall wildly flailed his axe in its general direction, clipping one side and sending it crashing against the wall. When Thall first discovered the human tradition of mounting the heads of their fallen prey, he was appalled, the concept of hunting trophies going right over his head. He'd never have expected it to have been so literal.

Thankfully, Thall's metallic nature allowed him to endure most animal attacks, the floating beheaded trophies faring no better. Angling his axe, Thall swatted one heading towards their newest party member, noting that he should really introduce himself once this is over.

[Radea]

Bentus

Tomia

Zarkenis Ultima

Arden Rooke
Antheia Port – Secret Package delivery contract
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corven, Frey, and Yvonne all expressed distrust from the initial exchange with the regal High Elf. None with more zeal than Corven, though the others may have been more diplomatic about and the gladiator-turned-Legionary may have worn his heart on his sleeve in this regard. Arden didn’t speak up and truthfully felt a bit bashful. Although he wasn’t chomping at the bit (no offense, my good mule), he didn’t exactly feel any distrust to the High Elf when he first introduced himself. Sucking in his lips, the human couldn’t tell if it was his commoner upbringing that made him so naturally inclined to trust those of higher station or his naivety in the work of mercenary dealings. Neither pointed to a good end in the Legion and one might actively point to loss of life. Incidentally adding tension to the internal discomfort and shaking confidence, Annabelle cursed her fellow legionaries to a watery grave at sea before storming off.

Rooke glanced over his shoulder as the dark-haired veteran took long strides away from the group, stomping the cobblestones as she went. Being his only second contract with the Legion, he wasn’t sure if this was normal. If it was normal for groups to split up or normal for Annabelle to split up with groups. Part of him worried that the battle-tested fighter smelled something afoot and wisely avoided it. When Frey flashed the official badge of the Thaspian elf, Rooke released a short sigh of relief. In this case, at least, his peasant deference wouldn’t have gotten him robbed or worse, killed. As Eumenes gestured for the group to make way to the docks, Yvonne waved them off cordially in a valiant effort to go and retrieve Annabelle, should it be possible. Rooke smirked back and waved, though the mule yanked on the bit uncomfortable, forcing him back to the task at hand.
Frey regaled their High Elven company with tales ranging from the impressive to the fantastical. From talking cockatrices to hulking krakens. Swordplay and sorcery, with a handful of damsels in despair. The contract leader was quite the adventurer, it seemed to Arden. Still, his thoughts were often distracted by the elegant elven spires that seemed impossible to human architects. This was apparent as many of the human buildings were squat and square compared to the ethereal towers of High Elven kind. By the time Eumenes has brought the remaining group to, seemingly, his office. Arden climbed down from the steering bench and stretched. He patted the mule tenderly, “Out on the ocean, you won’t be of much help. You’ve done great.” The mule didn’t react, looking more annoyed than appreciated. His thoughts drifted again to Annabell and Yvonne. Gripping the leather rein in his hand, Arden called out to Corven and Frey, “I’ll go get the other two. You know, in case they need help finding the… uh… the place.”
Without giving them a chance to countermand his decision, Rooke took off at a heavy run; his metal-capped boots echoing off the stone pavement.

Arden juggled between feeling foolish for running off on emotion and feeling liberated by it. Inbetween stopping and asking local traders and passers-by about two armed and armored women out and about, he mentally tried to justify his actions. Annabelle was part of the contract, why leave anyone behind? The Legion stood for something. And Yvonne… he couldn’t leave her. She was the closest thing to a… a friend on this contract. She had healed his very wounds before. Arden instinctively covered his embarrassed smirk with a gloved hand as he searched about the city. Luckily for him, an armored Paladin woman and a battle-worn companion were not hard to track down.

He finally was directed to a tavern. “Typical.” With a shake of the head, he approached the propped-open door of the establishment. Inside were the quieted groups of drunks and soon-to-be drunks. At the bar across the sticky wooden floor were the two warriors of the Legion, hunched over and avoided by a wary barkeep. Arden released the tension in his shoulders, the uncertainty of ever finding the pair lifting off of him. He wanted to call out to the two but his words got caught in his throat. Something about their body language gave his instincts greater wisdom than his own social talents could. The thuds of his boots felt like an echo in his own ears, but likely went unnoticed except for patrons already eyeing yet another armed soul entering the humble tavern. He eased himself onto the barstool, like someone trying to avoid waking a napping child and avoiding as much noise as possible. Rooke wordlessly glanced at Yvonne as he sat, an expression of unease and support on his features. The commoner rested an elbow on the counter, leaning forward a bit to see Annabelle on the other side of the Paladin. “Glad to see I wasn’t the only one worried about ya.” Arden grinned, hoping to keep the peace.

[Finland SSR]

Crystal Village Investigation

Dido Ricine, the Elven swordsmaster!

---

Dido rammed into the underground hiding place like a horse carriage operated by a drunk driver, almost falling flat on her face from the sheer momentum and immediately starting to catch her breath. Despite the adrenaline flowing through her veins, the Dark Elf was conscious enough to hear what the girl told her, as well as look around to witness that, besides her, the party she had with her was completely gone. All of her allies have vanished one way or another, or at least appeared to be. If one or more of them catch up, then she can consider herself proven wrong, but for now...

"God damn, fucking red cloaks..." she muttered under her breath, followed by several various Solfataran curse words and insults. "Do they just hand out badges to any idiot with a death wish they can find on Velathiri streets or something?.."

In the midst of her lamenting, Dido raised her eyes, staring straight at the girl who had opened the door - she apologized for not making sense and then promptly informed that she had to bring them to a chapel. "Fuckin' hell, kid, just because you say that you don't make sense doesn't mean you're excused from it! I've had to look after enough kids today, and I'm not exactly in the mood for one more!"

"I'd rather you offered her a chance." a voice suddenly called out from the side. Dido and the cloaked girl weren't the only people in the room - a third, a young adult man, was sitting on a stool in the corner. The man's facial features indicated human birth, his pointy ears - elvish heritage, and fancy dress - noble birth and wealth. Seeing Dido's confused glare sent towards him, the man stood up, walked up to the duo and continued:

"Name's Allthador Serenus - Red Cloak in the Paean Legion by rank, Emperor of Anthem by destiny. To cut on needless explanations, we are in this boiling pot of tar together from here on out."

"Allthador Serenus? You mean..."

"The very same as the one from Nur, yes." Allthador offered a glance towards the hooded girl. "You said you were going to lead us to the chapel, yes?"

---

Haunted Manor Rescue

Bettine Lambert, master of the Griffon!

---

Betty was about to order Matthias to do as the small onion man asked and search for which corpse the skull fell off from, only to squeal when, suddenly, the two of them, as well as the rest of the party, were suddenly transported into a dim room within the manor, before the fireplace. The rider shivered a little at the sudden and terrifying sight, but did not get to witness it for much longer - the taxidermied heads hanging across the walls suddenly started floating towards the party and Matthias knocked Betty over with its tail, only to pick up the falling woman on his back and fold its wings to protect her.

Priority number one was to make sure that these scary things do not get to harm its rider. Matthias started backing off, using its heavy massive claw to smash a foolish hare head which tried flying too close without any backup, then looked around in search for any exit. The only prospect the griffon found was a door at the far left of the room blocked by wooden bars.

That's better than nothing.

Matthias suddenly charged forward, all of its hundreds of kilograms of mass barreling straight at the wooden bars like a battering ram.

[Tomia]

Annabelle
Annabelle looked up when she was suddenly joined by Yvonne. She hadn't expected anyone in the group to actually come after her. It wasn't like any of them knew her particularly well, and she wouldn't exactly call them friends. Still Yvonne was there, seemingly concerned and offering a smile.

"I don't know how I could protect any of you at sea. There could be a hundred different ways this could be a trap. I've failed enough people in my life. I don't need to add anyone else to my conscious."

"I have to ask though, why come after me? You could have just gone off with the others, why so concerned about a stranger?" Just then Rooke approached as well, it seemed Yvonne wasn't the only one in the group concerned for her. Admittedly it was a bit touching, but it didn't change the fact that she was still annoyed about them being willing to put themselves in danger over money.

[Radea]

Arden Rooke
Antheia Bar – Secret Package delivery contract
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"I have to ask though, why come after me? You could have just gone off with the others, why so concerned about a stranger?"

Arden had only heard the sentence as he sat down, clearly at the tail end of whatever discussion was occurring between the two women. The commoner had lived long enough to know not to intrude on the conversations of womenfolk. But…

“You aren’t a stranger. You're a Legionary. Like us.” Arden pleasantly stated, a half-grin on his face as he spoke. When it seemed like that wasn’t enough, or perhaps even making it worse, he let the friendly aura slip away. A soft sigh escaped his lips as his eyes focused on his open palm on the counter.

“Everyone puts themselves in danger over something in this world,” Rooke began, his voice soft like a spring rain on a window, “Glory, honor, country, gold.” He nodded to Annabelle, understanding her.
“Faith.” Glancing at Yvonne a bit too long, before dropping his eyes back to his own hands on the wooden bar, “Purpose.”

Raising his gaze up again to the veteran woman legionary, Rooke shrugged, “It just has to matter why someone picks up their blades and who with. We may not be friends, but we get that way by helping one another.” The young man gestured to Yvonne, “I joined the Legion with almost nothing, especially few friends. Despite that, my first contract had this one patching up a handful of us. I would say that makes us… “ Arden seemed to have lost his train of thought briefly, his eyes searching for the right word and his face getting a little pink, “...Friends.” His expression didn’t seem satisfied at the word choice, but relieved to have moved beyond that sentence.

A few moments of brief silence followed, eventually interrupted by Rooke chuckling to himself. “Let's not kid ourselves either. I’m partially here because if it is a trap, I would rather have someone like you there, Annabelle, to save my skin.”

[Absolon-7]

Roxana Ma'gonid
The green haired elf stared in disbelief at how nonchalant Mir seemed to be towards the rabid beast's ferocious display. Did she have nerves or steel or was there something else to her dismissive gesture. Well at least she was confident that the city guard or some priests would get here on time. She watched in anticipation as Mir used some spell that reminded her a bit too much of the heirloom contract to pin the beast down while Sylanna went to go knife the beast to death but the battle was seemingly going south as it soon freed itself and managed to get into a struggle with Edward on the ground. There was only so much Roxana could do besides momentarily distract it with arrows but as she'd already seen her normal arrows did little but stick its hide like clothes pins much less these cheaper quality ones.

The elf nervously ran her hand roughly through her scalp as she struggled to think of what to do. But there was nothing. Nothing but the furious beat of her heart and the start of a trembling sweat on her forehead. Why was she beginning to lose her edge now of all times? As she struggled to load another arrow the Legionnaires inside the building heeded Simion's call and opened the lobby's windows to begin aiming their variety of weapon ranging from javelins, crossbows, slingshots, and bows. The hailstorm of projectiles hurtled towards the beast but with an inhumane smirk on its enormous maw the ground below it turned the familiar shiny sheen of glass. It dropped like a stone into the rectangular shape and left the projectiles to harmlessly hit the ground as the portal closed up.

The Legionnaires that had pelted the beast with their weapons gawked in confusion but an ominous sound of the glass portal opening next to them alerted them all too late. The best rose from the glass portal and tackled the bunched up group of Legionnaires clamping them against the wall and even making a few fall out of the windows. Several grunted in pain and a few held in screams as some of the beast's blood splattered them. It sniffed the air before locking eyes with Simion. Its bloodshot eyes oozing with hatred and foam slobbered out of its mouth. The receptionists in the lobby screamed as they took cover under their heavy oak desks as the best took step by step towards Simion and Roxana. Its enormous paws creaked and splintered the wooden floor beneath it as it was somehow laughing at the two. It lunged at SImion with its enormous maw large enough to swallow his torso whole wide and ready. Meanwhile Roxana had ran to the beast's side in some vague plan of action.

"Ballista Arrow!," screamed Roxana as she loosed her strongest attack yet at the beast's open maw.

The giant ethereal covered arrow pierced the side of its mouth with the force of it sent the best tumbling to building's entrance. Once it landed it was pinned to the ground by the doorway. It scrambled against the floor with its enormous flailing claws scraping and ripping parts of the doorway flinging wood everywhere. As for Roxana herself, she fell to her knees with eyes almost glossed over and head swaying from side to side. It seemed putting her all in her already tired state was too much for the girl.

Secret Package Delivery
"Yes, yes. Twenty-five percent it is," sighed Eumenes as he sat on his desk's fine luxury chair, "Feel free to sit idly while the rest of your compatriots come back. One of my aides will come by to serve you food."

Eumenes couldn't believe he'd ever have enough of tales involving the sea considering his usual job dealt with sailors day in and out. But this Frey fellow had filled in the time quite densely with maritime tales enough so last him quite a while. Eumenes would busy himself by filling out paperwork before opening a book he'd been reading about some fisherman hunting a giant albino crab. It was a slog to read through but strangely enthralling. Eventually it would be time for Eumenes to lead Frey and Corven outside to the docks where some elven sailors where hauling the last of the cargo. Eumenes would look around the area as if looking for any stray Legionnaires but his eyes settled back to the two humans.

"As for your sleeping arrangements I suppose none of you will have qualms sleeping in the same room? I ask as I'm still debating whether the package would be safer with the rest of the cargo or with your group," said Eumenes inquisitively, "Do you suppose your allies will be back soon?"
Crystal Village Investigation
The hooded girl nodded along enthusiastically to the newcomer's and stepped closer to him to get away from the mean dark elf woman. She hurried to a cupboard to lit a candle on a tin holder before leading them to the wooden entrance of a basement. The girl explained that the chapel was all across the town and that the tunnel would cut perpendicular to it. She waved for the two to follow her into the room which turned out to be a long tunnel. Only the glow of a few bioluminescent moss clumps lit up the way along with the girl's candle. It was a nerve wracking experience for anyone who processed danger normally in that claustrophobic space. Occasionally some dirt would be unsettled from the large mass of crystal villagers moving ahead but it was of no concern. They eventually reached the end of the tunnel and were met with an old ladder leading up. The girl nodded to them that it was safe ahead and proceeded to climb it herself. There was a metal lid on top and after some coded knocking it was lifted and the girl was lifted upwards by burly hands.

"Jocasta! You're alive!," said a large man with a thick curled mustache.

A crowd of other people would surround the new arrivals cheering the girl on but the hard smack of a mallet on a podium drew their attention. There seemed to be at least a hundred or so people of clamored inside the spacious building all looking downtrodden. What everyone seemed to be in reverence of was a slender yet solidly built young man with sharp features and similarly sharp facial hair. He was almost too sharp looking. There was something off about everyone in the building. Their skin was too white and smooth. Almost like porcelain with some even having cracks in their features. Their hair was less hair and more thin shards of crystal strands. The hooded girl herself took of her hood to reveal a bed of hair that was a brilliant translucent display of color and almost diamond like hair. The sharp man walked up to the two Legionnaires and handed them a scroll.

"About time someone arrived here. The next pulse is due any hour now and next time it'll be big enough to cover half the county. Anyways, that scroll contains a powerful explosion spell. All you have to do is rub coal vertically on the big circle in the middle. After that it should only be It should be strong enough to explode that disgusting thing." the man grimaced as if disgusted at some hidden thought.

"Lars don't you think you're being too hasty?" a tall woman with glossy green hair like opal stepped forward "You haven't even told them how to get to the main crystal. Or about him. Or even what will happen to us! For all we know if the crystal is destroyed so are we! Wouldn't it be better to just herd the lost ones together in one fell swoop?"

"They're Legionnaires. They should be able to get by. Besides. If its destroyed we might revert back. Who'd want to live like this? ," he sneered, "As for you two. Just go upstairs in the chapel and climb down the fallen tree sticking its head on one of the third floor windows. It's pretty much a straight dive into the crater."

Haunted Manor Rescue
"Brilliant Betty brilliant!" exclaimed Siegfried.

The old door was no match for the griffon as it easily gave in to its mass allowing an escape route for the Legionnaires. Siegried ran to escape the wayward trophy heads while waving his comrades to follow him. Luckily the heads didn't seem interested in following anyone so the ragtag group was left to themselves but something that interested Siegfried was a brand new Legionnaire with them.

"Look what we have here! Fresh blood! HO HO HO," laughed Siegfried, "I assume some of the more lenient receptionists let you join late?"

The new well-lit chamber appeared to be the master bedroom. The light came from a glass sphere sitting on a dresser. Inside the sphere appears to be a fiery inferno. There is a large bed adorned with furs and a high backed chair with a battle scene between elves and goblins carved into the wood. There appeared to be a private changing room to the leftmost wall of the bedroom. This room contains an ornate desk with a mirror and a chair. Along the east wall are pegs from which hang a variety of wizardly robes. To the bedroom's north there appeared to be a closed door and from the other side of all things the pitter-patter of rain could be heard!

"I do say were getting no where closer to that lost boy in the contract," grumbled Siegried, "Lets split up and search the two rooms. We won't be too fairway from each other anyhow."

To those that went to the changing room its main point of attention would the peculiar mirror dominating the room. Multicolored waves of lights rolled across the mirror independent of any source and if one were to get close to it it would illuminate their vision blinding them for a few seconds. It would be that time where scissors from the cabinet would fly out and try to stab the unfortunate victim. If anyone went to the bathroom they would see find rain pouring from the ceiling. Mold and other vegetation has grown across the floor and walls. At the far end of the chamber a metal tub sat idly is overflowing with algae filled water with a giant man sized frog hiding beneath the scum. If any of the were to get within 10 feet of it then it would shoot out its tongue to swallow the victim. For anyone searching the main bedroom if they looked under the large bed they would see a metal door beneath it and if they somehow broke the glass orb a flaming inferno would swallow the room.

[Idiot People]

Haunted Manor Rescue

Lucan Aburns
Haunted Manor

Lucan brought up his sword to block an attack before a large hand came down and swatted the flying head like an annoying pest. The gratitude was short-lived, however, when another beast plowed into his side as the crash of the barred door reached his ears. Although he was able to trick his mind into thinking of the combat as a normal hunting trip with tougher animals, his lack of experience in combat was beginning to show through as he began to lose his pace.

Ignoring the head that rammed him, Lucan struggled up for a moment before running over to the open doorway. Only swinging at one or two heads, he quickly dodged around until he barreled through, turning only to find that none of the heads had followed him inside. He took the moment to catch his breath and lean up against the wall.

-+*+-

As the last person came through, Lucan gave a cautious look into the other room before turning to find the onion-helmed man looking at him. He only glanced at the gold cloak, his own mind wandering down to his own.

"Look what we have here! Fresh blood! HO HO HO," he laughed, "I assume some of the more lenient receptionists let you join late?"

Lucan gave a small smile as he sheathed his weapons. “Something like that. I’ve read the contract and signed and whatnot. I’d assume you all are… Bettine, Thall,” he hesitated on the golem’s name, unsure of what to make of it, “...and Stigfied, correct? I’m Lucan, it’s a pleasure.” He gave a small bow of his head to each person.

Though he wanted to take a closer look at the golem, having some suspicions about what the beast was, and the griffon and it’s rider, he forced his curiosity down and looked around the room. His eye was drawn to the glass sphere on the dresser.

He walked over to it and peered inside, wondering if the fire inside would have real effects. He could feel it gave off heat as he carefully brought his hand up and gently touched it with one hand. Immediately, he pulled his hand back and began waving it around as if warding off a demon. Still, he looked at it curiously.

He turned away, though, tucking the information away and looking elsewhere around the room. He settled upon the lavish bed adorned with furs and went over to it instead. He ran his hand over it, feeling the furs and judging which animals they probably came from, tossing a price around in his head. He doubted they would sell for much, though, and sat on the bed to look around the room. He knew they were looking for a youth, but what were they supposed to find here, in a bedroom?

[Bentus]

Yvonne

---

Yvonne listened carefully to Annabelle’s response, a sympathetic expression adorning her features as she followed along to each of the legionnaire’s words. She knew better than to be forceful, or to assume that she understood the situation better than the other woman. She wasn’t here to be a preacher, but to instead offer a friendly ear and a helping hand. Annabelle gradually seemed to open up to her, albeit cautiously, but she was also taken aback and surprised at her appearance. A part of Yvonne shifted uncomfortably at that response from the veteran legionnaire. Surely she would have expected her allies and fellows to have immediately come to her aid without question? Wasn’t the camaraderie of the heroes of the Legion famed throughout the land? Although, Yvonne had to admit that she’d only heard of the tales through rumours and second-hand tales, she’d never actually met a legionnaire until a scarce few days earlier.

But as troubling as it was, the thought was something for another day, and Yvonne was about to reply to her friend when another voice entered into their conversation. Turning around towards its source, a smile lit up the Paladin’s features as she saw Arden had come to join them. She hadn’t expected anyone else in the party to follow her, especially considering the importance of their mission, but seeing the warrior step up to Anabelle’s side caused Yvonne to offer him a look of genuine thanks. Even though the man’s words were clumsy and staggered, and his gaze roamed around as he seemed uncertain of exactly what was best to say, she could tell that his heart was in the right place. Turning back towards Anabelle, Yvonne continued after Arden had finished.

“He’s right you know. And to be honest, you can’t expect me to look after all the boys on my own - Frey’s stories alone will drive me mad.” She offered half-jokingly, hoping the humour will help to improve the woman’s mood. “You’re not a stranger, Anabelle. You are our friend and our comrade and we wouldn’t think of leaving you behind. As for whether you’d be any help on the mission, I was told by...” Yvonne’s voice trailed off for a moment, a memory threatening to creep forward in her mind. “I was told by a friend once that you only truly fail when you fail to try to do the right thing. A peasant who donates a loaf of bread to charity can be a more generous soul than a noble who gives away a fortune, it is the effort and intention that matters more than anything else. If you think that staying behind is the right thing to do, then I won’t stop you, but I believe that this mission is important - and whether we’re well suited for it or not, we are the only ones who can take action right now.” Pausing as she realised that she had gone on something of a lecture, Yvonne offered the woman a sheepish smile. “What do you say?”

[Zarkenis Ultima]

---

Suddenly, an armored figure clad in sunshine leaped in through the open window next to Roxana, landing less than gracefully on the Legion office's wooden interior. She was unarmed - her knife was lodged in the beast's eye, and her sword lay on the grassy knoll outside the office - but no less determined to fight against the beast. After all, this wasn't the first time it had taken her weapons away.

"Roxana!" The elven knight shouted in concern as she came to the archer's side. Seeing her friend on her knees and with an unfocused look on her face made her worry, and Sylanna quickly knelt next to her, looking her up and down in search of any injuries, yet finding none. She's just exhausted... but that's still dangerous. If she uses her wisp any more, her vitality might not recover. She thought. I have to finish this.

With the utmost care, Sylanna slipped a hand under the High Elf's legs and another around her back before lifting her off the ground and carrying her over to a wall, where she laid her down so that she could lean back and rest. "Just rest until you feel better, I've got it from here." The knight said with a smile before leaving her side. Looking over at the beast, she could see that Roxana's magical arrow had it pinned to the floor just underneath the doorway - it flailed and thrashed, but it didn't seem to be able to break free.

This is our chance, the best one we're getting. If we let it pass, it'll just get away again and I cannot allow that. The Snow Elf thought, fists clenching at the thought of the monster being free to continue slaughtering innocents. But... its claws are still as sharp as ever, and it doesn't seem lacking in strength. Landing the killing blow will be a challenge, unless... Sylanna paused for a moment, then ran up to the window, eyes fleeting across the landscape until they found what she was looking for: a familiar young woman, white-haired and clad in dark robes. She was just outside the building, looking at the beast with a look of mild interest as it fought its hardest to break free.

"Mircella!" The blonde elf shouted, drawing the attention of the other woman. "Can you hold it down like you did before?" She asked. At this, the Zarokin priestess smiled and replied with a nod before turning her gaze back to the beast, a dark aura once more overtaking her as she began calling upon the Laughing Wolf's abyssal powers once again.

Sure enough, another wave of black tendrils burst forth from the ground around the monster and shot towards him. Some were swatted aside by its constant flailing, but the rest quickly wrapped around its limbs and pulled them apart, holding them down for the time being. Seeing her chance, Sylanna ran up to the beast, glaring at its rabid eyes. Standing over it, she reared back her fist.

"Your reign of terror ends now, fiend." The knight declared. Then, she rammed her gauntlet-clad fist straight into its chest with all of the might she could muster with the aid of her boon. Its foul hide, burnt by the grenade that the Nurian marksman had used against it earlier, was weakened enough that the Snow Elf's fist managed to break through, a spray of blood staining her pristine armor. With a grunt, she tried to drive her fist even deeper in hopes of reaching and crushing the creature's heart, and little by little it seemed that her efforts paid off, but another spray of blood from the beast's insides sent a few drops onto Sylanna's face, which immediately triggered a sensation of mind-numbing pain.

Rather than try to hold back her voice, Sylanna let out a scream of agony while still refusing to let up and reaching further into the beast. It howled and convulsed violently, itself in unfathomable pain, but it was unable to move or defend itself due to Roxana and Mircella's efforts. Sylanna screamed again and then clenched her fist.

Then, suddenly, it was over. The monster stopped fighting and simply laid flat on its back, the life quickly draining from its eyes. The Snow Elf withdrew her arm from the creature's chest and then staggered back a few paces before falling to her knees, holding her face with the hand that was not bloodstained as she desperately tried to hold back any further cries of pain - the beast was dead, but its foul blood still burned her.

[Finland SSR]

Roxana Ma'gonid

Sylcella

Simion Valerin, the marksman from Nur!

---

The numerous fellow Legionnaires across the headquarters heeded Simion's call and lined up by the windows to open fire on the monster alongside him. So their morale wasn't nearly as broken as he initially believed. With his allies already opening their salvo, the marksman aimed his arquebus and released the only shot he had loaded as well - only for him, and everyone else, to grunt and gawk in surprise when the creature simply dropped down to a glass portal and avoided all of the shots.

Bastard... the thought popped into Simion's head and the marksman immediately started to reload. It definitely wasn't trying to escape this time, for sure - and yet, by the time he was going to finish loading, it was definitely going to be too late. The creature emerged from the portal inside of the headquarters and started thrashing about, Simion desperately trying to finish reloading in time - in his haste, he nearly screwed up the entire process, almost pushing in the bullet before the gunpowder.

Damn it, I could really use a some sort of... autoloader. It's a purely mechanical process, it shouldn't be impossible with enough tinkering, or magic...

Before Simion could finish his thought, he suddenly leapt backwards, landing on his bottom, as the approaching monstrosity nearly mawed at him in its approach. Its furious eyes and the glowing cross above were staring straight into his soul - a sight which would drive fear into the hearts of even the most stoic warriors, although Simion did his best to hold back his fright and merely back off to avoid getting ripped to bits. Only then did a massive arrow from Roxana's side strike straight at the beast's body and pin it down to the ground, getting it to thrash about in agony and anger. Sylanna and Mircella's intervention, the former practically punching the creature into death while the latter was chaining it down, was the end of the battle for good.

Many of the Legionnaires were wounded, several were screaming from the blood splashed onto them, Roxana was fully exhausted and Sylanna looked like she was about to collapse from the searing pain. A victory, but a costly one. Simion pulled himself off the floor, pulling his arquebus's strap over his shoulder, and began issuing orders:

"Someone fetch a medic and some buckets of water - its blood is corrosive, we need to wash it over as quickly as possible. Edward, cut off that beast's head, we'll need to show something to the good men at Velathiri."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

---

Success! His efforts had paid off and Frey managed to get his crew a nice and shiny raise of 138 ducats as opposed to a measly 94. They'll thank me later. He thought as he walked over to sit on a nearby chair inside the High Elf's office, calmly propping his feet up on a nearby piece of furniture once he was sure that Eumenes was too absorbed in his paperwork and reading to notice. Time slowly trickled by until it was time to leave, and soon Frey found himself at the docks in the company of Eumenes and Corven, looking over the sailors loading crates and barrels onto the ship while eating a cooked aurian shrimp he'd taken from Eumenes' servant.

Suddenly a loud screeching brought his attention to the sky, and as he held out an arm one of his hawks swooped down to perch on his leather vambrace. "Hey, Gust. The sea bring back any memories?" He said to his companion with a smile, before taking on a more serious tone. "Listen, I need a favor. Can you find the others and get them here?"

As if understanding the given command, the bird flew off towards the inner parts of town. It would eventually perch just outside the pub the other legionnaires were in and let out a familiar screech.

With that done, the blond legionnaire walked up to the High Elf just in time to hear him speak about their sleeping arrangements and ask about his allies. "Hmm, I would think the ladies will want sleeping quarters on their own, though perhaps the matter is open to negotiation if you're pressed for space - you'll have to ask them. And yes, they should be back soon, they might already be on their way and if not, I just sent for them." He nodded confidently. In truth he had no idea if Gust would even find them, but it was always good to look like you knew what you were doing.

[Gudmund]

Haunted Manor Rescue

Lucan

Thall Lium | Haunted Gabriel Manor

In the midst of all the flying heads, a large griffon blitzed by him, ramming into the blocked off door that even he'd struggle to break through. With a loud crash Bettine's furry-feathered friend ripped through the door. A moment later Siegfried shouted in praise, motioning for the rest to follow. Without a word Thall jogged towards the escape, stepping carefully to avoid falling, glad that the flying heads had eased off in their attack. Unlike the griffon, who spread their weight across four large limbs, Thall's entire mass balanced squarely on his two boot-like feet. Stepping into the much brighter room, relief washed over him as he put a hand on his chest, a pointless gesture gained from a century of meandering around humans.

As soon as everyone arrived, the ever jovial Siegfried spoke with the new member, a young man in fitting leather armour. He introduced himself as Lucan, greeting the others with a bow of his head. Nodding back in kind, Thall chuckled at the misnomer, turning to face Siegfried who suggested everyone should split up, "Ah yes, a new member is always welcome, isn't that right... Stigfied?" he joked, sauntering off towards Lucan who stood beside a large bed.

Thinking back on the plant monster, Thall tugged on his red cloak, "Say, Lucan, what do you suppose happened to that plant creature in the courtyard?" he asked in his usual metallic voice, "and how exactly were we all teleported into the same room?"

Thall couldn't stop thinking about it, the sudden teleport ended their battle prematurely, so it was certain to be alive or licking its wounds somewhere. Lucan had been present, so perhaps he knew more. Even more worrisome, what kind of being could teleport the whole group with such precision. He knew little about magic, but surely such a feat was difficult, requiring either a very elaborate trap or powerful magic.

[Finland SSR]

Crystal Village Investigation

Dido Ricine, the Elven swordsmaster!

---

"Okay, hold the damn horses, please."

Dido had been reluctantly following the mysterious pale-skinned girl and Allthador, expecting to be given some, if any information on what she was going to be dealing with - and yet, when she stepped into the cult-like group of crystallized people, she was presented with nil. They continued speaking amongst themselves and completely ignoring the fact that not everyone gathered under this roof knew what they were talking about - the leader even outright dismissed the need to have them be informed, stating that they will 'get by'.

"Nothing in the Legionnaire Code states that we are omniscient. Hell, and since we're supposed to be the people to solve your damn problems, we kinda have to get all the info we need so we can solve them. Who's this 'He' you keep mentioning? What do you know about this whole crystal thing that we don't? And..."

Dido nonchalantly pointed at Jocasta, her pale skin and crystallized hair. "When the next pulse happens, we're gonna end up like you, right? And if that happens, how much time do we have left until we become crystallized fodder?"

Allthador did not participate in Dido's outburst, instead taking a seat at the side and accepted the scroll which Jocasta handed to him. The half-elvish Patrician looked through the parchment, muttering the inscriptions written it under his breath and memorizing them, striking a faint smirk. "You need not worry about the spellcasting part of the mission. I'm a rather accomplished mage myself, as rare as it may be for the Grand Republic, so I shall handle it."

---

Haunted Manor Rescue

Bettine Lambert, master of the Griffon!

---

Bettine poked her head out through the main door, looking through the rather ornate bedroom and keeping a low profile while Siegried explained that the party should perhaps split up to search through the rooms as quickly as possible. Matthias had followed right after her up to the bedroom, but while the corridors were large enough to fit the magical creature if it kept its wings folded, the bedroom door was going to be no dice. Not unless it started breaking down the wall, which would cause a lot more trouble than the help it would give. But they still needed to investigate the rooms and find the poor lost boy, so... Bettine patted her griffon to assure him that everything's going to be okay, then stepped straight towards the dressing room.

The room was rather small and didn't have much of interest, save for a desk with a chair and mirror in front of it. Not exactly what Betty had been searching for, but the mirror caught her attention regardless. Even though there was no source of light nearby, it emanated a stream of rainbow colors, swirling across it. Hm? What's this, a some sort of magic mirror-

The griffon rider made a mistake of coming too close and instantly got blinded by a bright flash of light straight from the mirror. Cabinets suddenly shuffled and opened, the sound reaching her ears, and even though she was still rubbing onto her eyes, Betty immediately took the hint and started to run.

"Aah!" she exclaimed, practically plopping out of the dressing room. The scissors which had flown out of the cabinets to attack her mostly receded as soon as she got out of sight of the mirror, but one embedded itself in Bettine's lower arm. Its blade sank deep into her flesh, blood flowing out of the gushing wound. The animated tool continued to twitch, too, trying to expand the wound even further, while the girl collapsed to her knees and held onto her arm.

"Ah... H-help, anybody?! Is anyone here a healer?.."