Song of Heroes IC

[Zarkenis Ultima]

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As the merchant she had been conversing with earlier spoke up and motioned for everyone to follow him, Sylanna nodded, gesturing with her head at Yvonne to come along and then turning, beginning to trail behind Luigi. The comment about requiring provisions did not bother her; she always made sure to be well-stocked when she suspected a journey could drag on for long, and had made sure that the supplies she bought would be delivered to the caravan in advance; whether the merchants were kind enough to carry her provisions along with theirs or simply did not wish to upset a Purple Cloak of the Paean Legion, she didn't know, but either way, the issue was taken care of.

Before long, the whole group arrived at the wagons, well-stocked with all sorts of trade goods and covered with red tarp. Acknowledging the merchant's instructions with a nod, Sylanna waited patiently for a few moments to see where the Red Cloaks under her command would go. Then, she walked straight towards the second wagon, nimbly climbing up onto it before sitting down. It wasn't the first time she had to get comfortable for a long trip in full armor, so with relative ease, she got into a position that did not bother her and leaned on the side of the wagon. Then, she closed her eyes and relaxed, though her sense of hearing remained on full alert in case something happened.

Hours passed like this, with the wagon going on its merry way. While she did not have her eyes open, Sylanna could still tell as her environment changed from villages and farmlands, to prairies, to the dark, thick forests of Tarchuna, all thanks to the noise of the animals around them, as well as the sound of the wind.

Suddenly, a shrill sound that echoed through the forest reached her ears. In that same instant, Sylanna was up with her hand gripping the shaft of her spear, eyes wide open and looking out of the wagon at the forest in order to try and spot whatever had caused such a disturbance. Try as she might, however, the only thing of note she could see in the dark forests was the flock of white cranes that flew away in fright at the loud noise.

Eventually, the Snow Elf gave up in trying to find whatever had caused that sound, propping her spear against the side of the wagon and sitting down once again. Hearing the words of reassurance that the merchant offered the legionnaires, she scoffed. "If I had a ducat for every time I was right to disregard a suggestion like that, I'd have enough money to fund this contract several times over." She remarked to anyone who was willing to hear. An exaggeration for sure, but a harmless one.

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Frey smiled as he saw the eccentric old man react positively to his answer, and then turned to look at Roxanna as she was questioned like the rest of the group, curious about what her answer would be. When she gave it, he let out a long whistle in admiration. Not a single failure in the past few years, huh? That's impressive, I won't lie. He thought. I should try to contribute to the continuation of that record, then. Knowing myself, it shouldn't be an issue.

Following the old man and the others towards the large tent to the side of the lavish one at the center, ignoring the bunk beds for the most part and focusing on the succulent buffet laid out before him. Considering he had only had a light breakfast and a couple of apples for lunch that day, it was safe to say that his mouth watered: as far as he could remember, the only times he'd had this much quality food available to him was when the Maelstrom went into port so its crew could spend the wealth they had plundered. It was blood money, however, so he had never fully enjoyed it.

Hearing the old man's instructions, Frey took off the belt that held his various scabbards and placed it on the top of the two bunk beds next to the one that had been picked by Roxana and Simion, though he kept one of his daggers with him; if there was something he had learned during his time with the crew of the Maelstrom, it was that he shouldn't be caught dead without a weapon.

WIth all that done, Frey walked over to the table, filled his plate and sat down next to the others, nibbling on some roasted pork while he thoughtfully listened to the conversation going on between Roxana and the elderly adventurer, Lord Byron. Prompted by the High Elf, he gave the group some information regarding what had occurred at the dig site, before suddenly standing up and leaving. Understandably, some of the members of the group regarded this action with suspicion, and the former pirate found himself pleased to see the level of caution displayed.

"That was definitely off, I agree. I can't believe he is very interested in seeing us succeed if he's keeping information from us." Frey commented, echoing some of the sentiments that had been voiced so far. He ate some more pork before continuing. "But, I'm willing to give him the benefit of doubt, at least until tomorrow; maybe he did just remember something very important for our journey." He pointed out. "At any rate, perhaps we should focus on what we did find out today. First and foremost, the dig site is not safe. I'm sure we all suspected it, but having it confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt is helpful, not to mention we now know to keep an eye out for traps and magical suits of armor."

Another bite. "We also know, barring something disarming our suspicions tonight or tomorrow, that Byron is holding something from us and that we should take his words with a grain of salt." The young man stated. "In any case, I'm sure we'll know more tomorrow, and nothing says we can't stay alert until them. But for the time being, I suggest we enjoy ourselves."

[Absolon-7]

Simion Valerin, the marksman from Nur!

Frey

Roxana Ma'gonid

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Simion was the first to agree with her suspicion's on Byron's behavior and thankfully he brought up some good points. Roxana has had her fair number of shady contractors that had something to hide before but usually they were some not very well thought out excuses or obvious holes in logic when they tried pulling on over her but this was different. This time the employer was a well respected and nationally renowned former legionnaire and if anything the old coot should be practically talking nonstop. "Good point, Simion. There's more here than meets the eye. If anything he should have given us a map of the barrow's layout or told us the type of enemies down there," said Roxana inquisitively while placing a finger on her chin, "I wonder if the heirloom has anything to do with his behavior."

The next to speak up was Frey who gave a thorough analysis of the situation which she nodded along to but she raised her eyebrow once he changed the subject just enjoy themselves. Well what did she have to lose? Suddenly a bright yellow disc previously hidden by a roasted chicken caught her eye. Darting her hand forward she grabbed the plate and brought it near hers. Gracefully and masterfully she spinned a table knife in her fingers before slicing a huge chunk of it and sliding it to her dish. With a spoon she began digging into the cheese wheel before taking a sip of some wine. Looking at the group gathered at table she gave a cheeky smile after eating another spoonful of cheese, "So has anyone here got any super secret moves? I got my wisp's Spirit Spitfire if that counts."

---

In the middle of the Tarchuna Forest
After the long shriek the caravan encountered no further issues for a few another hour before Pier decided for the caravan to stop at a roadside clearing and to make a circle around it for this would be their camp until the dawn but it would still be a few more hours until the beginnings of dusk set. Pier was frantically trying to keep himself from having a panic attack but he did his best to distract himself with ordering the caravan drivers to set up the campfire and to tend to the horses nevermind that they were doing that in the first place without being told to. Meanwhile, Guidantonio stepped off the head wagon and leaned against its side to read a book he had brought with him and occasionally stroking his golden beard. Surrounding the circled caravan were enormous flourishing trees clad in moss and vines with treetops that could kiss the sky. The occasional squirrel or raccoon could be seen among the branches stopping to observe the group but never for long. Further on it became impossible to see as the canopies blocked the sun's rays. Luckily their grassy clearing had no such tree top on top of it and instead it had a bright blue opening.

Pier turned to the Legionnaires and called them over to dictate orders, "Now I assume all of you now how guard duty works. I expect no drunkenness or deviancy while you're on duty or I will report it to your employer. Understood?" The merchant gave a viscous sweeping look at all of them before looking behind them and a face of utter terror took over. His mouth trembled and it was if his voice was stolen as he fell on to his back and shakily pointed behind them.

"What in Oblivion is that!" shouted one of the drivers.

Several meters before the circle of wagons a gigantic pale humanoid creature with multiple sickly limbs and a unrealistic papery visage slowly crawled out of the woods. It disturbingly moved its head around at angles no creature should have been able to make. Its awkward stilted movements were too unearthly to be a natural creature. Furthermore it possessed a face with no features that is until it faced them and slowly a hole slowly emerged from the center of its head and unleashed an ear-piercing howl at the group before slowly walking to them. But it was not alone as over a dozen child sized monsters with grossly small heads flocked out of the forest behind the monsters and ran to the group at a faster pace than the lumbering giant.

Meanwhile, Guidantonio walked next to Pier while pulling out a loaded a heavy Velathrian crossbow from his bag and pointed it at the monster grumbling he said, "You knew something like this was going to happen for crossing Byron, Pier, but no you wouldn't listen." He fired his bolt at the enormous creature and the bolt successfully made contact with the monster's shoulder and superficially pierced it. A translucent slime could be faintly leaking from the wound.

Pier with all his willpower yelled at the group, 'What are all of you standing around for? Kill them!"

[Turmenista]

Luca Greyfoot
Heirloom Dig Site
__________________________________

Oh thank the gods—he’s not disappointed.

Luca followed Byron and the others into the large tent of the dig site, immediately setting his belongings down beside one of the beds. The feast before him was enticing, almost too enticing, at that, but he had his manners. It wasn’t good for your race’s publicity to be seen gluttonously gorging down food, after all. Nonetheless, the weight on his back and shoulders was too much to be standing around waiting to eat. He set his armor, weapons, and bags by the side of one of the beds taken by a man named Frey, who had taken the upper bunk. He left on his leather arm guards, just for good measure—if anyone wanted to try something, they’d have to go through claws and steel-studded leather gloves first.

After this, Luca moved over to the table, filling up his plate with an abundance of meat and little bread.

A typical Lycan diet was mostly meat and bread (and mead) anyways, so this wasn’t much of a far cry from what he’d usually eaten back in Lycanmire. As he tried focusing on his food rather than the conversation in the background, however, his heightened hearing could only pick up the background talks, making him somewhat irritated due to the noise. However, he did pick up information from Byron himself about the incident at the dig site, before uneventfully leaving the tent.

Just as I suspected. Luca’s amber eyes hungrily watched the geezer leave as he took a smug sip of his mead. There’s something wrong about this man.

Nodding in agreement to Frey’s rather obvious remark of Byron being off, Luca opened his mouth to speak his mind, pausing as the human did so first. But then, Frey moved on to a new proposition after speaking: re-briefing on what they had learned today, and developing a plan of action for taking on the dig site.

“Mhm.” Luca gave his acknowledgement with a mouthful of food. Byron definitely was a man of mystery—famous, yes, but he appeared to be hiding something from them, if it wasn’t obvious already. Perhaps it was just his senility or something larger, more enigmatic at play, so this sort of behavior coming from a well-respected legend like Byron was, in short, weird.

“This mission isn’t going to go well if we don’t have a map of the layout or an understanding of what’s down there.” Luca noted. “Of course, I’m sure that any magical suits of armor or golems won’t be a match for me if I transform, but even that isn’t going to happen during the morning. As far as I know, I cannot transform during the morning, let alone underground.”

For those reasons, Luca set himself a personal goal: find the heirloom, and figure out what was up with Byron and his odd demeanor.

Realizing that his veritable pile of meat on his plate was gone (and taking any more would make him seem, again, gluttonous), Luca lowered his ears, before remembering he still had some mead left, giddily taking a hearty swig from the bottle. Roxana then brought up a new topic after Frey’s suggestion to let the group enjoy themselves, asking the group about any “super secret moves” they had. Of course, being an elf, Luca was correct in expecting her to mention her wisp and its abilities. Typical elves. Wish I had something like that.

Smirking slightly, Luca felt a joke appear in his mind, which would definitely put the group on their toes. “I’m sure you all know of the Lycan’s true transformation and my mastery of self-control in the form. However, I don’t think I’ve shown anyone here this form...yet.” He chuckled. “If you want to, I can give you a firsthand demonstration outside, since the sun is going down soon.”

[Pasong Tirad]

Roxana Ma'gonid

Harald of Stoutshield

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Harald and the company were led off into a large tent that had some rather delicious smells coming from it. Even past the pipe tobacco smoke, Harald could still smell the distinct scent of a well-made roasted pig. When they entered the other tent, it looked to be larger than the previous one even with all the stuff that's been packed into it. Bunk beds were placed on both sides of the tent, and a large table filled to the brim with all that delicious food that Harald's been smelling was at the very center of the tent. The dwarf could barely even understand what Lord Byron was saying when he left because the small hungry person had already rushed off to find a seat at the table. He threw his equipment onto a bunk bed right in front of the buffet, picked up two chicken legs, and started devouring them, barely paying heed to what any of his compatriots were saying - but, he was listening again at this point, because the conversation started becoming a lot more serious.

"So does anyone else think that was all kinds of off?" said Roxana after taking a seat at the table after Harald. He was beginning to think she was a little out of her league here despite being a Purplecloak. Outwardly showing doubt in front of your subordinates? That wasn't a good sign.

"Clearly, that was a question he didn't want to answer. Or, while answering, he stumbled across something he didn't want to reveal. Which makes it even weirder that he wants to keep something as basic as the background of the mission a mystery." The man with the hand cannon said in between sips of wine.

"That was definitely off, I agree. I can't believe he is very interested in seeing us succeed if he's keeping information from us," piped Frey next, sitting down and getting a healthy filling of pork - which reminded Harald to get some of that delicious pork. He filled his plate up and, as the man with the falcon continued talking, he devoured its contents within minutes.

They were all helping themselves to the contents of the table at this point. The wolfman had taken up eating the same diet as he did: lots of meat, some bread on the side optional. The Lycan started talking about his ability to transform. Harald had seen that once, and he wasn't too keen on the results - but the person that did transform did seem rather out of control. Perhaps the Lycan can retain more of his sanity in his own transformation. In any case, Harald was starting to get full, and so he finished off his helping by getting some succulent chicken thighs, his favorite part of the chicken to eat, and started nibbling away at a slower pace, drinking some wine here and there. Harald's appetite was ravenous. He was barely listening to what they were saying, just snippets that he was able to vaguely hear and recall here and there.

After a while, he noticed that they were all looking at him now. He ate more than all the others (even the Lycan), and they were giving him judging looks now. "Apologies," he mumbled. "We're going undergroun', aye? Won' t'ave many opportunities to get a healthy bite down there. I've been undergroun' before, sometimes for weeks on end. You eat as much as you can when you can, especially before going under. You'll still go hungry after a while, o' course, but you won't get weak as fast. That's the important part." He said this last line while munching down a large piece of thigh meat, which he then finished off by drinking some wine. "So, eat!"

[Finland SSR]

Roxana Ma'gonid

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Luca Greyfoot
Heirloom Dig Site
__________________________________

Harald of Stoutshield

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Simion Valerin, the marksman from Nur!

Unlike much of his squad, who seemed to be taking the opportunity to gorge themselves with as much food as possible - not just, say, Luca or Harald, who were to be expected, but surprisingly Roxana as well - Simion kept himself modest during the feast, picking up a few chicken legs, salad as a side dish and refilling his glass of wine. Sure, the marksman didn't deny that he would need to fill himself up before tomorrow, but there's nothing saying that he cannot act more civilized than his peers while doing so. Besides, there was so much food on the table that even someone as slow eating as him would get enough of a share.

Roxana shifted the conversation towards each of the team members' super secret moves and introduced her own, courtesy of her Wisp. Right, the magic pixies which accompany Elves. Simion frowned for a second - he wasn't fan of wisp wielders at all, though because of his dislike for magic in general rather than any specifics - but quickly moved on. Harald didn't present anything, instead offering the team to stuff themselves more so they wouldn't need to eat during the mission, while Luca explained that his secret technique is his lunar transformation and even offered a showcase, as the sun was setting soon.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

"I'd rather you not, Lycan, I wouldn't want to put down one of the members of the team before the mission even begins," Simion replied to Luca specifically, then turned his eyes towards the rest of the team. "As for super secret moves, well... they wouldn't be secret if we were to say them out loud, right Roxana?"

Not that Simion had much to brag about in that field. His style of warfare didn't really give much way for finishing moves of any secret techniques. You just clean your gun, reload, pop a shot, preferably at the closest enemy's head, rinse and repeat.

"Though, if anything, I always open a chess game with c4 if I'm White, that's an unbeatable strategy of mine."

[Nuridia]

Annabelle
Annabelle walked in solitude along a forested road outside of McDooggle Bluff, returning to the Velathri from a mission. She wore a bright red set of armor, though for a legionnaire it wasn't particularly special. She had no horse and carried nothing but a long-sword and small bag of supplies with her. Annabelle wasn't a particularly well known member of the legion, having only joined a year ago and having no real feats to her name, she was mostly ignored among the world and her fellow members. This was just fine with her, she'd rather not draw attention to herself, hoping to hide from her past for at least a little while longer. As she walked along the road, she had a feeling that she wasn't alone. She gripped her blade, the paranoia that had been sitting at the bottom of her stomach since arriving at the legion crept it's way into her chest.

Is this an ambush? Have they found me? The thoughts ran through her mind and she forced herself to focus. She continued walking slowly towards the bushes near the woods that seemed to be the source of the presence. "Who's there, show yourself." She said calmly and fairly quietly, in case she was actually just being paranoid.

Pan was tracking adult goblins, blasting another one that she had just come across and to her relief she hadn't come across any babies quite yet. Hopefully things stay that way. Getting down to a lower level, she crouched by one of the bushes to get a level-view of what appeared to be some shapes in the far distance...all she could see were moving illuminated shapes, everything else was black and gray. Ducking under, her eyes landed on a particularly bright aura. A goblin?! The leader maybe...have they found me?! I should've taken a guide out here...well I have Cerb. The dog had been surprisingly quiet, he stuck his nose out from the bushes and let out a bark before Pan put a hand around his muzzle to quiet him. "Shhhhhh!" she hissed, before turning her attention to the aura walking toward them again. "Not a goblin, too tall." she muttered, and then heard it speak. That wasn't the voice of a goblin. Pan straightened herself up and turned toward the voice.

"Pandia Arjumi...I thought you were a goblin at first. But you're not...who exactly are you then?" Her stance was still defensive, just in case and Cerberus eyed the intruder, circling his mistress.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

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Frey watched with some satisfaction as the purple leader of their ragtag band of Red Cloaks approved of his suggestion, eagerly grabbing a wheel of cheese and cutting a piece for herself, eating it while drinking wine on the side. A strange combination for an Easterner such as him, though he wasn't about to question it, especially considering it wasn't the first time he saw it since coming to the Heartlands. Regardless, after eagerly indulging herself with the food in a manner that was oddly endearing, the High Elf asked if anyone had any special abilities, before mentioning hers. While he had never seen many elves before coming to the Heartlands, he did know about their Wisps, and was curious to see one in action.

Next to speak was the Lycan, who, in response to the inquiry about special moves, replied with his transformation. Lycans were another race he didn't know much about, but from what little he had heard, they could be formidable foes when transformed, a boon he was sure would come in handy if they ever worked together at night, though it didn't seem like they would get much use out of it in the upcoming mission. Regardless, when the beastkin offered a first-hand demonstration, Frey simply shook his head and mouthed the words 'I'll pass'. The others were a little more vocal, but he saw no need for that.

Next was Harald, the hawk-loving Dwarf, who instead of offering any input in regards to special moves, advised the group to continue gorging themselves, so that they would retain their strength underground. The former pirate wasn't sure he was convinced of his reasoning, but a Dwarf surely had more experience in dealing with the underground than he did; his home was the sea, after all, not the caves below the earth. Thus, he simply raised a cut piece of roasted pork in agreement before devouring it.

Last was Simion, the marksman, who simply gave a non-answer and then made a reference to a game Frey had never heard of. Not much, but if the man didn't want to share, he wouldn't pry.

"I suppose it's my turn to speak again, but unfortunately, I don't have any fancy magic or flashy special attacks to speak of; what you saw at the plaza is what I am, good with many a sword or dagger, but little more." He explained in between conservative bites of pork and chugs of wine. "My boon made me exceptionally good at hiding, but that's probably far less exciting than a companion that can throw magic fire at enemies." He nodded his head in Roxana's direction. "Though, speaking of companions I once did win a duel by picking Gale--that's the hawk you saw earlier--as my weapon of choice. My opponent's face right before he got disfigured was priceless, he was prepared for a human rushing him, not an angry bird." He concluded his brief tale with a chuckle before returning to his meal. He'd tell the others more if they wanted to know, but he doubted that, in a group as colorful and varied, they'd be interested enough in a human from the far eastern regions to ask.

[Toaslandia]

Hadrian was aroused from his sleep when he heard the driver yell. He instantly pulled out his sword and jumped out of the cart, but when he looked up, he realized he was outnumbered. "Krel, I need a little help here!" he yelled. Almost instantly after he said that, one of the child-sized creatures lunged for him, only to be struck down by Krel's spear. "And here I thought Sword-Singers never needed help." Krel said, looking incredibly bored. Hadrian grunted and turned to strike at the larger creature, only to be slapped back about fifty feet. Krel, however, didn't charge. She grabbed her spear out of the monster's corpse and adopted a defensive position, waiting for one of the creatures to attack. Meanwhile, Hadrian was holding his left arm, which seemed to be broken. "I need a healer, where's the bloody healer!?" he yelled.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

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Sylanna scoffed at Luigi's terrified order, shaking her head. "If I had a ducat for every time my employer was a coward..." She sighed, looking at the large, nightmarish beast that had crawled out of the woods along with its smaller allies. She closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head.

When she opened them again, there was a blazing fire to them.

"Yvonne, Strauch, with me. We're going to take this beast down. Telisaran, Lilion, Arden! Stay back and protect the caravan from any monsters that make it through; if you must, prioritize the merchants over the merchandise. A life is more important than some ducats." She barked out at the Red Cloaks under her command. "Vul, if you can, assist us from afar, but otherwise focusing on protecting the merchants as well. Same to you, crossbowman! Help if you can, but focus on your safety first!" She called out to Guidantonio and the Wood Elf. "Everyone else, deal with the smaller fries. Don't let them flank us or the defenders; that would be disastrous. Oh, and if anyone knows healing magic or has a potion, patch up Hadrian. It won't do to have someone out of combat this early."

Having given all her orders as the highest ranking member and thus leader of the party, Sylanna turned to face the pale monstrosity once again, her glare betraying no fear. For now, she left her sword in its scabbard and instead holding her spear with a tight grip, believing that its longer reach would be more of a boon in facing an unknown foe. From her back, a strange creature emerged, a spherical white light surrounded by an aura, pale as ice, and connected to the Snow Elf's back by an ethereal cord. However, contrasting with its cold light, the area around the wisp was warm.

"Now, Solskin." The elven knight commanded, and suddenly, the wisp entered the winged lance, which suddenly became wreathed in bright orange flames. Now armed with a burning lance, Sylanna carefully approached the creature, circling around it at a distance where it would not be able to easily catch her even if it suddenly lunged at her. Ruminating on what to do, the Snow Elf quickly settled on going for a stab to one of the beast's hands; if she failed or if the creature attempted to retaliate, she would still be at a safer distance than, say, if she went for its head or torso, and if it hit, she hoped it would enrage the beast and make it reveal what it was capable of.

[Union Princes]

Inquisitor Strauch

"BY THE GODS!" Wilhard shouted in surprised, never did he expect to run into these creatures again. "Sylanna! They're Palebloods! Keep your distance!"

Thank goodness he made those charms to serve as a beacon of nearby beasts but this is something that terrified even the most experienced Inquisitors. Everybody hated dealing with these monsters; killing them can be as laborious as goblin extermination.

Drawing out his falchion and rapier, Strauch parried a few strikes made by the smaller creatures as he quickly ran after the Snow Elf. When dealing with large animals, it was best advise to strike the legs and elbows to disable their movement. While Sylanna targeted its head, hopped around to reach its behind. With his falchion, Strauch sliced a deep cut at its Achilles heel hoping to throw it off balance.

All three of them could take this beast down but Strauch wondered if the other Redcloaks could hold on their own.

[Confederation of the Equator]

[minecraft villager sound]

[Radea]

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Arden Rooke
Red Hill Company Caravan
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Some time had passed since the initial shrill cry of some far off creature and so Arden felt some jubilee when the wagons pulled into a clearing of the brooding Tarchuna Forest with no danger in sight. For what seemed like miles, the foliage had gotten thicker, darker, and more foreboding. This clearing was like a faint hope in the heart of the young man, eager for a risk-free pay day.
“Agh, finally. I need to stretch.” Arden groaned with some excitement in his tone. When the cart finally stopped, Rooke rolled out of the wagon like one does with a boat and landed on his feet, but promptly fell onto his rear end. “Too stiff. Way to stiff.” He scolded himself.

With the sound of popping knees, the human rose from the ground to stretch, arms spread wide like waking from a cold day’s nap. With the commands to gather round by Pier, Rooke assembled himself and stood towards the back, being a fellow of a certain stature, and left some room in case Vul or someone needed to see. With arms folded, he listened to the routine orders. No drinking, no tomfoolery, nothing that would cause one to let their guard down. Rooke chuckled and allowed a short roll of his eyes. It was unlikely the Legion would allow such lax standards in their recruits, but anything could happen, he supposed.
It appeared that such thoughts tempted fate, as anything did in fact happen as horrific abominations roared forth from the darkened wood. “By the Gods!” Arden managed to shout as he took a step back in shock. His survival instinct to flee locked head-on with his ingrained training to fight. He was frozen.

It was the commands of Sylanna, the Purple cloak, which caused his flight instinct to relent. Drawing forth his short-sword, holding the handle so tightly his knuckles were white, Rooke yelled a battle cry as he bounded towards two of the small hideous creatures rushing towards the wagons. As he closed the distance, Arden didn’t swing with his sword at the first target. He leaned down and drove his armored-shoulder into it, causing Rooke to pound it into the ground, his whole body on top it. The beast hit the dirt with an organic crunch. Catching his breath, the heartlander was unsure if he had killed it. Suddenly, horrific pale arms writhed up against him. “Gods!”

In a panic, Arden stabbed down into the exposed neck of the creature, spewing viscera onto his shoulder plate. It ceased to be among the living. With a sigh of palpable relief, Rooke moved to get up. In that moment, he felt the cold flesh of the second creature grabble him while on the ground. Flung onto his back, he braced his sword with both hands, using the flat of blade to keep the creature from ripping his guts out. It snarled and hissed inhumanly, with Arden struggling under it to avoid claws and bites.

The human saw an opening and swung his fist into the creatures tiny head, like a rock against a melon. It yelped in pain. Sliding the axe from his belt, Arden swung bluntly and the weapon thudded into the creature, cleaving deeply into its torso. More of its innards splashed onto the recruit legionary. Its body went limp as its life force ran out of it.

Shoving it off, Arden rose to one knee, a weapon in each hand, “Damn it. How many are there?!”

[Bentus]

Yvonne Lafaille

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“What in Oblivion is that!”

Yvonne twisted herself around as the merchant’s eyes widened at the sight lying over her shoulder. Her gaze narrowed as she saw the sickly creature clawing its way through the foliage, its featureless face twisting and turning as it seemed to hone in on the campsite and its inhabitants. The Paladin scanned the treeline, seeing the smaller, faster beasts swarming at the larger creature’s feet. A series of surprised shouts and screams escaped from the lips of the adventurers and merchants alike, a few jaws dropping open in shock at the size of the enemy which had suddenly appeared. Guidantonio was the first one to draw blood, his expression seemingly unphased by the monstrosities that now loomed before them as he shot a barbed accusation towards the lead merchant of the company. The Paladin pursed her lips as she realised that there was a side to this which had been kept from them, but now wasn’t the time for her to worry about that.

"Yvonne, Strauch, with me. We're going to take this beast down.” Sylanna’s calm, confident voice cut through the air. Her yelled orders were crisp and clear, the experienced Knight clearly keep her head cool as she began to formulate a plan. Yvonne offered the Purplecloak a firm smile as she nodded in agreement.

“I shall follow you into battle against these heathens, Sylanna. I look forward to drawing their blood alongside you!” The Paladin made sure to leave out the titular ‘Lady’ as she addressed the group’s leader. Turning to look at the large creature that continued to approach the circled wagons, Yvonne reached over her shoulder to grasp onto her axe’s handle. She lifted her plated shield with her other gauntleted hand, the defensive barrier sitting snugly in front of her left arm.

Yvonne grinned at the expectation of battle, preparing to move forward with Stauch and Sylvanna before she saw one of the smaller creatures attempting to rush at her from the side. Bracing herself in a defensive stance and twisting her body around, the Paladin thrust forward with her shield just as the abomination leapt towards her. The force of the impact pushed Yvonne back, but her feet remained firmly planted on the ground as she held the creature’s rabid claws at bay. Tightening her grip on her axe, Yvonne let out a roar as she swung the weapon up and over her shoulder in a powerful arc that came soaring down from above.

[Toaslandia]

Krel saw one of the smaller creatures charging her and rushed it, shoving her spear in front of her. The tip ripped through it's flesh and bone, and the limp creature slid off the spear. She saw the group rushing the Paleblood, and ran up to join them, but another of the small monsters scraped her ankle. She winced and spun around on her metal leg, stabbing the small monster with her spear. She then charged at a group of the smaller creatures, yelling a battle-cry on the way. "Someone help me over here!" Hadrian shouted, using his good arm to fend off one of the small creatures approaching him. He had been attacked by two of the small creatures, and his good arm was holding his sword, while the other hung lifeless at his side. One of the creatures tore at his broken arm, dislodging it before Hadrian decapitated it. "Ahhh! I need a healer!" he screamed, while the other creature charged at him, lunging last second. Hadrian barely had enough time to pull his sword in front of his chest to impale the creature. After he was finished fighting the small creatures, he slumped against a wagon, delirious with and yelling in pain, before passing out.

[Segral]

Oberon Klask

Thankfully, Lord Byron seemed impressed by his answer, or at the very least, satisfied by it. Admittedly, it wasn't the flashiest or more courageous answer, but at least to him, it was the most truthful answer and showed the greatest amount of mental prowess. At least he could say it was a better answer then something silly like building a new gun. Every half-decent gunpowder-based blacksmith could build a new gun, it wasn't difficult. Granted, there were very few gunpowder-based blacksmiths, but enough existed so as not to be rare. Boasting that you could make your own guns was just a display of empty words meant to inflate your ego over non-existent achievements.

However, the invitation into the tent, and the warm lights and aromatic scents of food radiating from it was enough to put Blast-Brain out of his mind and beckon him towards the feast that lay before him. And what a feast it was. Beautiful, soft loaves of baked bread, glistening chicken legs, finely cut pork, ripe and plump fruit, everything a man could ever want as his last meal before death. Oberon's stomach was a hard and cold cavity from the long trip, and they would likely not be able to eat much in the coming day. It was time to enjoy a lovely feast.

There were a series of beds and chests to the sides of the tent, seemingly meant for the Legionnaires to sleep in. They all looked comfortable enough, but Oberon had a feeling that no top bunk would support his weight, and he had no desire to accidentally kill a fellow Legionnaire by crushing them under a broken bunk bed. At least if the bottom bunk broke, nobody would get hurt and he would only fall a short while onto the canvas. Much safer.

With a thump, he set down his staff and bulky satchel down on a nearby bottom bunk, with nobody else up top. In a few long strides, he made his way over to the table, managing to awkwardly slide into a small, thin wooden chair. While there were certain advantages to being one of the tallest men around in any city or village, it did make sitting in chairs rather uncomfortable. They were built with the common man in mind, and Oberon was far from a common man. Especially considering his bum and shoulders extended past the sides of the chair, leaving them unsupported. No matter, he could deal with it.

With a bit of gusto, Oberon filled his plate full of chicken, pork, and mutton, with a large hunk of bread on the side. Along with that, he took a moderately-sized bowl, filling it with onion-leek soup. As the final addition to the meal, he poured himself a foaming glass of beer. Usually, as part of his training, he refrained from drinking beers or ales, or most of the thick, rich meats that he was eating now. But for now, since he was supplying himself food for both today and tomorrow, he might as well eat.

Lord Byron sat down at the head of the table, looking a little troubled as Roxana pressed him for briefings. Sure, it was a bit abrupt, but as a group composed of mostly trainees, they deserved to have some information given to them. At the very least, he did give up the necessary information. And it was quite grisly. A box was buried underground in some chamber, but worse still, there were booby traps around, booby traps that were enough to kill several men. But before he could give them the rest of the information, he suddenly left, the light in his eyes completely dimmed. It was...unsettling.

He decided to stay silent on the issue as the rest of others debated it. Clearly, he didn't want to scare them out of the job and tip away too many pieces of deadly information, in fear of causing Roxana to back out of the contract. Luckily, the others were able to convince her to let it be. It would be terrible if they did back out, not just because of the long trek back, but for the loss of money. He needed those Ducats badly, he could not survive if he didn't get them now.

The conversation then moved on to other places...and other people. Oberon thought he was eating ravenously, but Harald was practically butchering his meat, shoveling it into his mouth as if it was his last meal. Although, it was in good logic, might as well eat now rather than later. In fact, it encouraged Oberon to go a little faster, burning his mouth slightly on the hot vegetable soup. No harm done, it was delicious.

Now, the others were discussing secret powers. Roxana had some power channeled through her Wisps, something Oberon was very familiar with. Luckily, he was educated through the Church, something that not many people had the opportunity of. While it did not make him very adept at mathematics or at the natural sciences, he had a good knowledge of the languages, grammar, arts, and history. In particular, his schooling required a good knowledge of Elven history. Granted, he was unsure of what exactly her Wisp based power entailed, but hopefully, it was very powerful. Simion, of course, had nothing special about him besides his gun or his lack of sense. But at the same time, it was likely possible he was hiding what exactly his abilities entailed, which could have its advantages. But if they were going to complete the contract, it was good if they knew each other's abilities. Finally, Luca, as was well-known, had his Lycan transformation. It was worth praying that he could control, but if he had lasted this long and there was no full moon, they would be fine.

"I cannot say I have many secrets or powerful abilities, Roxana," Oberon said politely, wiping the beer foam off his mouth. "Hopefully, you are all aware of my clerical magic, but even then, I would not consider that a very secretive ability. Although...I do have this." he said, removing the silver amulet from his neck and holding it up for others to see. "I often channel my magic through this amulet to make it more powerful, able to heal better." Popping it open, a small wooden cross was inside, layered by cloth.

"Together, I can use both artifacts to increase my holy magic to even greater heights. But I usually do not use, unless in case of serious need."

[Absolon-7]

Luca Greyfoot

Harald of Stoutshield

Simion Valerin, the marksman from Nur!

Frey

Oberon Klask

Roxana Ma'gonid

---

Roxana stared at Luca's direction the same way a dead fish would when he suggested that he'd show the group his true form. Weren't those supposed to be crazy feral? How in the Mot could he think that would be such a good idea in a camp full of.....he was joking. Roxana gulped down her cheese as she relaxed upon realizing that and gave of a small snicker. "That'd be nice Lucas," she said coyly smiling, "But you might scare some of the more sensitive folk here."

She could hear Harald say how they should eat to their heart's content and she couldn't agree more. She began eating her dish yet again as well as drinking more of her wine. Although she wasn't noticing it yet, her cheeks were beginning to flush with pink and her ears were starting to droop lazily. Simion gave a pretty curt response to Lucas but he gave an annoying yet admirable nonanswer to her question. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that," she said pointing at him with her hand holding a goblet of wine, "Next time we have a chance I'll take you up your offer on chess. I was in the chess club back when I went in my academy days and I got a few tricks up my sleeves or well sleeve."

Frey then chimed in with a story about how he used his hawk to disfigure someone in a duel. She thought it was quite an interesting tale although she couldn't she approved of duels in the first place unless they were card game duels or board game duels or archery duels. Those were nice. "Hey Frey, so how in the world did you end up in that duel? I can imagine that guy's reaction being quite ludicrous."

After Frey's answer to her question and Oberon's answer about his magic amulet, time wound down and the moon started rising higher Roxana finished her meal and excused herself. She went to her bunk bed and looking at a familiar handcannon below her be she frowned. She grabbed a small bag, a towel, sandals, and a tied up pair of mint-green frilly sleepwear. She'd slept in her current gear before but that was mostly in wilderness and in a shoddy tent. Seeing as they had decent enough bunkbeds wearing something comfortable was called for. She stepped outside and asked a stray worker if there were was a tent with a washing basin nearby and luckily he directed her to an empty one close to Byron's main tent. Going inside the tent and closing it, she took out a waterstone, an enchanted pebble from Thapsus that could hold large volumes of water, from the pack and a bar of apple scented soap. Taking an some time to clean herself and her hair but later on she began to notice a distinct smoky scent in the air. Finishing up and putting on her sleepwear and sandals she exited the tent with her boots and adventuring clothes bundles up and held tightly.

Walking along the corner of Byron's tent she could hear some faint spiritual mumbling or magical chanting from the inside. The Mot was Byron doing? Unfortunately she couldn't stay for long as some drunken workers were coming in the distance and it would be suspicious to see the elven girl kneeling down with her ear to their bosses tent. She scurried off back to the Legionnaire tent while drying her hair with the towel and entered nonchalantly. She then commanded her Wisp to heat up her hair to quicken drying it and as soon as that was over she climbed up to her bunk bed and slept as quietly as a mute all through the night.

As dawn arrived, Roxana woke up first and giving a yawn she stepped off the bed and went to the same tent as last night to change into her adventuring gear. Her purple cloak was draped of her lithe figure and a quiver thick with arrows hung off her hip. A kopis's scabbard was attached to her belt and a small buckler was on her the arm she had an archer's sleeve on. Her long green hair was neatly tied into tow buns so as to deter enemies from grabbing it but not that she planned on getting that close. She walked to the excavation's campfire and waited for everyone else to arrive but the first to appear was Byron.

"Greeting, legionnaire," greeted Byron, "Not surprised to see the leader out and about so early."

"Of course," replied Roxana curtly. As the minutes passed the others began arriving and once everyone was there Byron led them to the front of the World Sword's barrow entrance. The giant sword's shadow loomed over them as he began talking.

"Now I know I promised this yesterday but I will answer any questions you have today. Now before I send you all off, I'd like to see if any one of you would like to speak up first?" said Byron leaning on his cane.

---

In the middle of the Tarchuna Forest
Reeling from the large crossbow bolt in its shoulder, the creature swung a secondary arm forward and pulled out the bolt. A small splash of beige-like clear liquid spurted out before it swiftly coagulated. The fibrous monster slowly walked to the circle of wagons with it randomly alternating between jerking awkwardly a limb forward and gracefully placing a limb forward. One of the more heavily armored legionnaires attacked but after a quick swat it was immediately neutralized. it continued on forward to its target not noticing the smaller creatures swarming behind it but it appeared to have a challenger. An armored foe circled around it and stabbed with a flaming spear at one of its hands. The spear struck its target and the searing flames burned the area from the wrist to the knuckles to a pitch black sludge unusually fast but a clear slime began spurting out of the wound and covering it in a thick solid shell.

The monster disturbingly twisted its entire body around in a half circle using its side with the wounded side as a pivot to slam it fists at the armored foe but a sharp slash behind it distracted it but luckily over a dozen long, barbed, razor thin tentacles shot out of a pocket on its vertebrae and shot out at the Witchhunter straight at his chest and head at an incredibly high velocity. Meanwhile several of the smaller creatures began to forming in two small groups. They looked at each other with quick movements of their eyestalks and bobbing up and down rhythmically to communicate. Immediately they separated and circled around to each half of the wagon circle and in sync the leaped over the wagons and into the circle's interior. All the while giving off incomprehensible screeches.

[Bentus]

Yvonne Lafaille

---

Yvonne’s axe cleaved itself cleanly into the pale creature’s skull, splitting its upper torso right between its eye stalks. Instantly, the thing’s rabid clawing cased. With a firm tug, the Paladin wrenched her axe from the lifeless corpse and allowed it to collapse to the ground. Yvonne’s attention was already focused elsewhere as she narrowed her gaze at the larger monster leading the attack. Scowling, the Paladin realised that Stauch and Sylanna had already engaged the powerful enemy. She’d foolishly allowed herself to be delayed, and that meant that her allies were facing an opponent underhanded. Mentally scolding herself for the tactical error, Yvonne was about to push herself towards the ongoing fight when a pained cry caused her to pause.

Turning back towards the wagon circle, the Paladin’s eyes fell on Hadrian’s motionless body. A growing pool of blood was forming around his brutalised arm, and the pale colour of his skin indicated that he had already lost a good amount of blood. He was the redcloak who had been calling for a healer earlier, had he been caught unprepared by more of the monsters? A feeling of indecision struck Yvonne as she felt torn between her fallen comrade and those who continued to fight. As far as she knew, she was the only available member of the party with healing abilities, but she had pledged to support Sylanna and Stauch in their assault. Could she really leave them to face the beast alone?

A series of high pitched shrieks sent a block of lead plummeting down the Paladin’s chest, and Yvonne watched as a group of the smaller beasts began to crawl past the line of wagons. They clicked and chirped at each other as their eye stalks twisted and turned in search of vulnerable prey, their gazes inevitably falling on the unconscious legionnaire. The alien sounds echoing from their throats shifted in tone, sounding almost elated as they recognised the helpless opportunity lying before them. One of the creatures took the lead, its eyes fixated on Hadrian’s body as it eagerly approached ahead of its comrades. Raising a clawed arm, the beast was distracted from its decapitating strike as it heard a woman roar from beside it.

Charging with her shield held before her, Yvonne’s heavy footfalls echoed across the ground as she ploughed into the unprepared creature. Little larger than the child, the sickly beast had no chance at resisting the momentum behind the Paladin’s charge. Without missing a step, Yvonne carried the surprise creature on her shield until she slammed it into the side of a stationary wagon at full pelt. She heard it’s inhuman shriek as she felt its bones and organs pulverising beneath the weight of the impact, but she didn’t allow its agonised cries to distract her. Stepping away form the dying monster, Yvonne swung her shield around to block a strike from one of its allies.

Grimacing as she saw that two of the small creatures were now rushing towards her, Yvonne stole a quick glance towards Hadrian’s still motionless body. She would not be able to fallback in this engagement, not without leaving her ally at the mercy of the beasts. That only left her with one option: attack.

Roaring once more, a fire burned in Yvonne’s eyes as she put her full strength behind her shield to thrust back one of her opponents. Without enough room to bring her war-axe to bear, she slammed her clenched fist into the second creature’s face, the gauntleted hand sending it sprawling. Before she could return her attention to her other opponent, Yvonne let out a gasp as she felt a sharp pain in her side. Turning to glare at the creature that had just slashed at her armoured torso, the Paladin reached out and grasped the unfortunate monster by one of its eyestalks. With a firm grip, she crushed the fragile cartilage in the limb before swinging the beast around and into one of its still-stunned allies.

Scowling, Yvonne cursed as she felt blood beginning to pool within her plates. The monster had managed to land a lucky hit, its claws sinking deep between one of the narrow gaps between the front and back plates of her armour. Although Yvonne’s chainmail undergarment had minimised the damage, she still felt the dull throbbing as a reminder not to underestimate the small fiends. Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, the two wounded creatures moved to regroup just beyond the reach of Yvonne’s axe. Their eyes assessed their foe, communicating with one another with those same eerie clicks. Yvonne’s chest was rising and falling as she breathed heavily, sweat beading on her forehead from the exertion of having to sprint across the campsite while bearing the full weight of her armour. As if with one mind, the two creatures moved in opposite directions around the lone Paladin.

Watching both of them cautiously, Yvonne’s eyes remained calm as the two beasts steadily circled around her. Soon they would be on either side and she would be effectively outflanked. Tightening her grip on the axe’s handle, Yvonne felt the end of the bout drawing near. The pounding in her chest slowed, a sense of serenity combined with a zealous eagerness rose within her as a thin smile crept onto the woman’s features. Apart from her own limbs and her two foes, the worst of the world faded from focus, inconsequential as the moment of life-and-death approached.

Divines, lend me your strength so that I may be your instrument on this Earth.

“Montjoie!” Yvonne yelled her battlecry confidently, stepping forward to strike with her axe raised above her head.

---

Kneeling in front of Hadrian, Yvonne frowned as she removed one of her gauntlets. He hadn’t moved at all since she had first seen his unconscious form, and she didn’t know exactly how much blood he had lost in the interim. Pressing her fingers through the gap between the man’s helmet and his chest torso, she felt for the faint pulse beating in his neck. Smiling as she confirmed that her ally still breathed with the life granted him by the Divines, Yvonne made to position both of her hands over his wounded arm.

“Do not worry, Sir Hadrian. You fought valiantly here today for a noble cause. Rest now and allow the Nine to relieve you of your burden.”

She wasn’t sure if her words of encouragement could get through to the soul of the wounded knight, but Yvonne didn’t wait for a response either way. Beginning to chant a prayer under her breath, the Paladin’s hands began to glow dimly in the night. The faint illumination revealed stains of clear, beige liquid splashed across her armor, while a shallow scratch bled crimson on Yvonne’s cheek. Coated in the blood of her enemies, the tall zealot was an intimidating figure to behold, even as she wore a warm smile on her face. She would not be able to heal Hadrian fully in the midst of the battle, but at the very least she could stabilise his condition for now.

[New Finnish Republic]

Edward Brunwulf
The Paean Legion Headquarters

---

Edward glanced back at the other members of the party, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he thought about the request. I don't trust this man. However, we could use the numbers, Edward thought, his eyes wandering over to the outline of the bow. Especially an archer.

"Yes. If that is your choice, you may come along as well," Edward said with a bit of reluctance. Now I just need to adjust our strategy and-

"I ask what you are plan-thinking while hiding."

Edward's hand reached back once more for his sword, he and the rest of the group turning around to see a figure standing in the darkness behind them. Ratfolk, Edward thought as his grip on his sword tightened. He knew from personal experience that their kind was not something you often wanted to encounter, especially in such a situation like they were in now. Granted, if he wanted to attack us he could have done so by now, especially considering that massive beast next to him, he thought as he warily listened to what the Ratfolk had to say.

He wants to join us? Red's furrow deepened. He knew Ratfolk weren't the type to often do good deeds without some sort of reward involved. True, there was a reward for this that this Ratfolk could obtain if he helped them. But on the same note, he could easily betray them the second they stumbled upon any type of valuable. However, based on what they had seen thus far with the camp size, it was clear that they were going to need as much help as they could get. Based on the fact that he had managed to sneak up on the entire party without making a single noise, he knew that he would be just the type of person they would need for what they had planned. He began to contemplate on what to do for a few more silent moments, trying to decide what the right thing to do was. Roxana, why couldn't you be here? You're much better with these things than I am, he thought before he finally let out a grumbled sigh.

"Fine," he said with a air of reluctance in his voice. They needed to get moving soon, or the goblins would be wide awake and thus ruin the opportunity to take them by surprise. They needed to get a plan in order soon to accommodate for the new members, but unlike before Edward held no hesitation within his mind.

"Okay, here is the plan."

---

Edward stared at the darkness, the torches on the wooden walls casting long shadows along the lit ground surrounding them. A handful of goblins armed with bows stood watch, but their yawns made it clear that their long shifts of uneventful watches during their normal sleeping hours had made them drowsy and unaware of the movements taking place around them. If they had been paying close enough attention, they could have potentially noticed the trio of figures weaving their way in the darkness towards them.

Aayla, Ahmed, and Tikr-Tan were in charge of the initial inflitration. Their task was to eliminate as many of the goblins as they could while they were still unaware. Edward hoped that they would be able to do the task without raising any alarms, but he knew that the sheer numbers of goblins in the camp meant that the odds of them doing that were slim.

If, or rather when, that occured, the assualt team would move in to mop up the remainder of the goblin forces. In addition to himself, Valan, Pandia, and the Ratfolk's beast were currently hiding just out of the light of the torches behind a clump of trees. The Ratfolk's beast, Krog, had been instructed to bash through the wooden gate when Edward gave him the command, which would send them straight into the midst of the camp. Should the alarm be raised, it would only take them mere moments to arrive to support the rest of the party.

Edward watched as the first of the goblin watchmen fell, followed by several others. He couldn't help but be impressed by how efficiently the infiltration group went about their tasks, not even a single noise being heard as the goblins were taken out one by one. For a brief moment, he actually thought that their plan was going well.

That was, however, until the sound of crude horn blew in the midst of the camp.

"Krog, now!"

The giant beast wasted no time in charging forward with a roar, smashing through the wooden gates with little effort. Edward and the rest of the group were close behind, immediately coming into contact with the goblins who were frantically trying to grab their weapons and armor in response to the surprise attack.

One of these goblins, seeing the new group of invaders arrive, began to charge at the Pania. It wielded a cruel spear in its hands, the edge of the spear tip jagged and rusted. Before it had a chance to reach the unprotected sorceress, however, it soon found its progress halted as a hand reached out and grabbed the shat of the spear. The goblin, confused, turned its head, only to see the edge of Edward's blade pierce through its neck. The creature let out a small gurgle as its body collapsed onto the ground, blood pouring from the open wound.

One, Edward counted in his head as he pulled the blade out from the goblin's neck. Protect the magic user, kill anything that comes close, he thought as his eyes scanned for the next threat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blur of movement, causing him to instinctively lift he left arm up. He felt the arrow snap as it snapped against his steel buckler, the weak bow of the goblin archer not having enough power to penetrate it at its range. Glancing over his shoulder, he shouted out to Valan.

"Archer, up on the tower!"

Turning his attention back to the area around them, Edward saw another goblin begin to approach and was prepared to deal with it when the goblin was struck with one of Pandia's spells, instantly killing the creature before it had a chance to take another step foot forward. Magic sure can be useful, he thought as he glanced around. What few goblins that remained had already begun to retreat towards the bluff towards something Edward had expected but not wanted to see. A cave. Damn it all.

Looking around for a few more moments to see if there were any stragglers left behind, Edward let himself take a deep breath. They had managed to take out a good chunk of the goblin forces within the camp, but he had no doubts more of them were present within the cave. They would have to go inside and clear them out, something he was hoping to avoid having to do.

Glancing back, he was about to call out to Pandia that they needed to leave, when he realized she was no longer by him. Fearing for the worst, he rushed out from the gates, aboutt to call out her name when he stumbled upon her and another person. At first, he didn't recognize who it was, but as the torch light fluttered, he realized he knew who this stranger was.

"Annabelle, why are you...Never mind, we need to go. The goblins have retreated into the cave." He glanced over to Annabelle. "You too, if you are willing."

[Andsed]

Lilion Tabraham
Well things escalated quickly. I had been riding in the front cart for the ride and simply relaxing waiting for something to happen. And for a good portion of the ride everything seemed normal. Then some weird scream came from the forest. I have heard and seen some creatures in the forest while traveling but nothing like this. One of the merchants shouted out some reassuring message but at that point I had already grabbed my sword and was looking out the wagon. I saw nothing as I looked around. Maybe just a travler getting attacked or an animal getting attacked by another animal.

Never the less it was a bit unnerving. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we set up camp near a roadside clearing setting up the wagons in a circle. I quickly got out and stretched while looking around at our surroundings. We were in a giant forest with trees surrounding the camp site which oddly to me felt like home. Granted I did spend at least two years in forest like this soo I was a bit biased.

The head merchant I believe Pier was his name called us over. He gave us order to start guard duty and how we should not be drunk or getting into mischievous. Fair enough I figured and I began to think over what guard duty would entail. I mean we were in the middle of the woods so the most danger we were in is bandits and that would be OH WHAT THE!

I internally screamed as a giant white thing with no facial features and a bunch of creepy limbs came crawling out of the forest along with a bunch of other smaller creatures. The thing let out some unnatural screech with honestly scared me. Sylanna the purple cloak quickly ordered for the red cloaks to defend the merchants while she and two other more experienced members took out the big thing. A order which I was happy to obey.

I drew my sword and quickly slashed one of the smaller things spewing slime onto my sword. Another one of the damm things jumped at me to which I rolled away and stabbed it in the back. These things were fast and out-numbed us. Not only that one of the other Legionnaires Hadrian. A couple of them tried to attack the merchants but I quickly flanked them and slashed them to pieces.

Then the big thing came circling around and the smaller creatures divided into two groups and jumped into the circle. I quickly moved in front of the merchants and began slashing at the things. One of thing managed to jump on me before I manged to stab it and throw it off. I shouted out to the rest of the group.

"Does anyone know what the hell these things are?!"

[Union Princes]

Witch Hunter Wilhard

This beast was fierce, really fierce, as it responded quite savagely to Strauch's strike to the heel as what seems to be porcupine quills lunge at his chest and face. With a flick of his wrists and the keen sight of his eye, Wilhard manage to slice the deadly tips off the tentacles with his rapier and falchion as he dashed towards the right flank of the monster. That was a nasty trick that could've slain any novice but Strauch is far from being a novice as he skipped over the rocks, pebbles, and fallen branches.

Even though he was focused on the giant creature in front of him, Strauch could hear the screaming of other smaller monsters that were attacking the caravans.

"Sylanna!" Wilhard shouted towards the Snow Elf as he pranced circles around the monster, "Let's hurry up and finish this thing and help our comrades out."

He then took a quick stab at one of the monster's elbow joint with the tip of his rapier. "Oh Lord of War, I call upon you help our party out!" he prayed under his breath.

[The Republic of Atria]

As the group was planning to attack the camp, they were joined by two more people. A girl in red armor and... A hulking rat monster ridden by a much smaller rat. The smaller one was a mage if Valan's suspicious were correct, and the rat explained that his mount was his boon. That's quite the boon... Hmmm. Valan mused as Edward gathered everyone for a plan. He wasn't too happy about it, clearly the man was thinking more about how he would do things rather than how the team would. Once again, he kept quiet and let him speak. Than plan was... Pretty much what the team had agreed on before he even showed up, but he figured it was for the new arrivals rather than those who were there from the start.

Aayla on the other hand looked quite enthralled at the giant rat monster. "Ooooooh! He looks so cute! If we weren't in the middle of a thing, I'd ask to ride him. Maybe afterwards." Aayla grinned as she zoned out instead of listening to the armored man tell her things she already knew. Sneak in, kill goblins, don't get seen by goblins, repeat as much as possible. Everyone else goes in if they get spotted or caught, led by the rat monster. She knew how to do her job, but she knew from experience that going against the guy running the mission was bad. Even if the instructions were simple.

They sprung into action. Well, Valan and the other "loud" warriors stayed back while she, Ahmed, and the Ratman all snuck into the camp for silent murdering. Sticking together was the worse option in this case, it was far too easy to get spotted, so she broke off from the other two to go murder a bunch of goblins. She climbed the wall on the backside of the encampment behind what appeared to be some crudely fashioned tents. It was torn so she looked inside one of the many holes, spotting a lone goblin. She cut the fabric quick and quiet, the goblin turning around to see where all the light came from was stabbed, and his mouth covered by her hand. "Knife to meet you mister goblin. I like your tent." The struggle was short lived as the creature collapsed having lost quite a bit of blood.

More sleuthing around the back it was. Goblins apparently hadn't learned how to look behind them. Maybe they had a harder time hearing behind them because of their ears? She'd never given much thought about killing goblins. She slowly made her way from tent to tent, slitting throats of goblins, sleeping or awake. It was more like housework than a fight.

Meanwhile a lone goblin, wondering why some of the others hadn't come out of their tents yet, wandered over to see the blood of his comrades flowing out of the tents.

Aayla heard the commotion, having forgot just had badly goblins bleed, and she looked around a corner to see one about to blow a horn. She grabbed a knife and threw it as quick as she could, but it was too late, the Goblin had already blown the horn and signaled the rest before the knife connected with his eye. The few standing around looked to see the skullfaced, cloaked woman brandishing many knives. "Don't worry, I brought enough for everyone!"

Not a moment later, came the loud CRASH as the ratman's beast had smashed the poorly made gate to the camp, letting in the warriors. "WOOOO! You show em Krog! Smash their stupid little faces int goop!" The interruption was enough for her to slink away while the bulk of the goblins focused on the assault coming in the front.

Valan didn't have much to do while waiting for the assault to begin. Other than psyche himself up for what was to come. Scorching goblins wasn't much of an issue, but there was so much that needed to be burned and he needed to make sure he stayed in control and not set something important on fire. Like hostages or the other members of the team. He had a few minutes to finally get ready for what he had to do torch gobbos, not torch important stuff. Don't lose control and turn the area into a smoldering crater.

The horn sounded, and immediately the ratman's gigantic beast smashed through the gates to the camp. He'd start small first. Towers, archers, those could be burned with impunity and force the goblins to fight on the ground, where the had the advantage. He readied a nice potent fireball and charged in a little behind the group. He needed space to work, and again, didn't want to have to worry.

He lobbed the fireball at the first tower, setting it ablaze while readying a second one. The second one lit up much brighter, likely made of drier wood than the others. The flame was beautiful and he was now starting to enjoy it. Snapping away from his handiwork, he heard Edward shout about an archer. "I know!" He shouted back, lobbing a fireball and setting the tower ablaze in a beautiful pillar of flame.

Oh dear Flame, please don't let there be hostages under those towers...

[Solisian Union]

Arialista, the War Mage of the Eastern Islands

-----------

Before the attack, the Eastern lady was always quiet. She never minded anybody and merely listened to conversations if she could. If she didn't, she focused on checking her equipment or simply attending to her magic. In this case, she was surprised when her boon gradually appeared. She wasn't feeling anything wrong...at least not yet. When the caravan was still on the move, the boon stayed with her. Arialista chuckled as she played with the orbiting ball of fire around her head.

But when they finally halted and she got off of the wagon she guarded, she froze as she started feeling something off. Like there probably was danger but she didn't even know if it was for real or not. Maybe it wasn't but due to experience, Arialista had to trust both this feeling and her mind.

With that, she did her best to finally summon a weapon. She never actually did show off her grace with magic with anyone who was with her on this mission. To those who may have noticed her, Arialista was now wielding a spear. Actually, it was more of a dagger axe. It even had a short blade on the bottom of the spear.

The Eastern lady was ready. When the orders to guard were given, she responded to that silently with a nod and a few steps out. This turned from a simple thing to a much more difficult matter because of one thing.

They actually were in danger.

Pier with all his willpower yelled at the group, 'What are all of you standing around for? Kill them!"

And unfortunately for her, she had to deal with the smaller monsters and not the beast. But that was great for her. She smiled as she went into a combat stance, her dagger axe ready for them as they came. This was because this was not the first time she was outnumbered.

Arialista yelled out a war cry that was only in her language just as two of the smaller monsters reached her and received the swift punishment of her dagger axe. Their corpses fell as quickly as the ball of fire that orbited her head harmlessly started to let the intensity of its flames become great. The Eastern lady huffed as she wiped the blood off her dagger axe on the ground as she pulled out a mana potion as if she was pulling out her canteen. She swiftly pulled away from the battle so she could safely drink that up. Once empty, she gasped for breath and discarded it into her belt as she let out another war cry and dared for more of those monsters to come after her.

[Confederation of the Equator]

[minecraft villager sound]

[Zarkenis Ultima]

---

The night continued on after all of the Red Cloaks present had answered Roxana's question, Frey included among them. As the High Elf seemed to have taken an interest in the anecdote he had alluded to in his answer, the former pirate took a good chug of wine before leaning forward, a friendly smile on his face. "Ah, curious about the tales of a simpleton like me? Well, I won't keep you guessing. See, one day..." Frey began, spending a good part of their night regaling the party with a slightly embellished story of passion and misunderstanding which involved a long journey through the sea, a brothel and a very jealous pirate; of course, he was careful not to blurt out that he, too, was a pirate at that time, but the detail hardly changed the anecdote; he could've just as easily been a volunteer working for a merchant ship or something of the sort.

The night ended shortly after, and everyone retired to their respective beds, with Frey doing the same. After a night of restful sleep, the young man woke up refreshed, donned his belt (which still had most of his weapons on it) and headed out of the large tent and onto the excavation site, approaching the campfire at the center. As far as he could see, he was the first one to arrive there, besides their High Elf leader and their employer.

"M'lady." He nodded in Roxana's direction with a friendly smile, before turning to the old adventurer. "Lord Byron." He greeted. With pleasantries over, and with neither of the other two people present appearing to be up for a little conversation while they waited for everyone else, he opted to spend his time checking on his two companions instead. Raising a hand to his mouth, Frey let out a peculiar whistle. Immediately, a pair of screeching noises replied to the sound, and soon enough a pair of large grey hawks began circling over the campfire, likely scaring off any smaller birds present. Looking up at them, the legionnaire smiled and pulled a piece of roasted pork that he'd kept after the feast of the previous night. Tearing it in two, he tossed the first half up in the air, followed by the second, the hawks swooping down and devouring a half each.

"Told you I'd pay back the favor!"

Before much time had passed, the rest of the party arrived, and the group was then led to the entrance to the barrow, with the great sword hanging over them ominously, though Frey paid it and its shadow no mind. If anything, the dark made for a good spot to hide and set up an ambush, so it was his ally, not something to be feared. As Lord Byron prepared to answer any questions the group might still have, the former pirate decided to speak up.

"I sure have a few questions, sir. The information you gave us yesterday was priceless, but I still feel that, to do a proper job serving someone of your stature, we might need some more information. Would there perhaps be a map of the site that you could offer us to guide our efforts? Maybe you could tell us a bit more about the enchanted armors, along with whatever other enemies we're likely to find down there? And lastly, I have to ask something that I think has been on everyone's mind, and I do hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries here, but what was it that warranted cutting short a mission briefing yesterday?" Frey inquired, figuring he might as well try to uncover what happened the previous night; if Byron answered the question, then that was good, and if he chose not to, then he'd at least spare someone else the effort, as he was sure one of the others would try to ask the same thing.

---

---

---

---

Sylanna's winged spear, imbued with Solskin's blazing power, tore easily through the papery-skinned monstrosity's flesh, swiftly burning away much of it, leaving what remained of its hand blackened. The Snow Elf did not smile, however, knowing that she could not claim victory yet; to do so would be foolish, considering that she did not yet know the full capabilities of the foe before her. Such as, for example, rapid healing. She thought, quickly pulling her spear away from the beast's wound as it became patched up by a strange, translucent slime of sorts that quickly became solid, encasing the pale creature's blackened wound.

Of course, to let her guard down was the absolute worst thing she could do at the moment, and Sylanna was well beyond making such rookie mistakes. As soon as the monster began twisting around to smash her, she jumped back to put some distance between herself and her opponent, her great strength and agility allowing the elven knight to pull off such a feat. As soon as she landed, she spared a glance behind her to make sure there were no foes approaching her unnoticed, but fortunately--or perhaps unfortunately--most of the smaller fries seemed to be focusing on making it to the caravan, the Red Cloaks struggling, but for the most part succeeding, in keeping them at bay. One of them in particular had taken quite a nasty beating, but fortunately, the Paladin had opted to leave the monster to her and Strauch, healing the wounded Red Cloak instead. Good call, Yvonne.

Looking back at the pale beast, she noticed that the Witch Hunter had also delivered an attack of his own and dealt with the counterattack. The monster was quite powerful, but it did not seem to be able to deal so well with an experienced fighter; it likely preyed on careless travelers and hunting parties of inferior number and skill. Still, if we do not take it down quickly, the others might be overwhelmed by the smaller creatures, and I'll have none of that.

Wilhard's shout, which came just a few moments later, echoed her thoughts, and the Snow Elf nodded, quickly placing her spear back in its strap as her wisp left and began hovering above her head instead. I'll need something with a little more edge for this. She decided, quickly unsheathing her masterfully crafted longsword and ordered her wisp to bathe it in flames instead. Then, with a courageous battle cry, she charged the monster as it was distracted by the Witch Hunter's own attack and swung her sword at one of its arms with all of her might, aiming to sever it. If she could cripple it some more by taking out one of its limbs, then it would surely become easier to bring the battle to a close, especially if Strauch succeeded as well.

[Segral]

Oberon Klask

The good food and drink seemed to put everyone in a drowsy state and a mood for sleep, Oberon among them. He hoped he hadn't drunk too much beer, but he had only had one or two mugs, especially over such a long dinner. Any unwanted feelings from the spirits would dissipate by morning. He just needed sleep, it had been a long day of walking, adventuring, thinking, and ruminating. Sometimes sleep was the best cure for all problems in life. It was perfect to release you from any stress you faced, any struggle you were having. With a mumbled "Goodnight" to his fellow Legionnaires, he excused himself from the table, tottering over to his bed after pushing in his chair. The clothes he was wearing were very soft and flexible, he could sleep in them fine enough. With a heavy sigh, he flopped into the covers, throwing a blanket over him to keep him warm in the night.

It didn't take long for him to fall into sleep.

---

That night, he had a dream.

He was standing outside the church in Nur, the grass dewy and wet under his bare feet, the hot air stinging his face and chest. Screams were all about, monks were running up the hill with objects folded under the arms or cloaks. Some carried books, some wooden jewelry, some leather strips that they used to shield their heads as if worried that they would be struck by flaming rain from God. But it wasn't God's flaming rain that they were running from, it was Oberon's.

The Church had been blazing for three hours, but the monks hadn't noticed it until now. The ritual was weak, and the fire didn't spread well, but eventually, it did begin to blaze powerfully. Smoke was staining the sky a gray-black, sparks billowed out from all sides, the flames hungrily licked the roofs, eaves, the gargoyles to quench its thirst. The heat was too much, sweat was pouring down Oberon's face as even the grass began to smoke and dance with fire.

Suddenly, cries. Several pointing fingers, awed stares as the church gave a mighty shriek, swaying and pitching like a seasick sailor. Crunches and rattles echoed from the shattered windows as the walls began to buckle and break, teetering over as the roof seemed to practically smash the foundations flat. Screams of "Father Martin!" and "Bishop Charles!" echoed through the night as smoke billowed everywhere, clouds of dust absorbing and eating everyone in sight. Oberon screeched as the wall of smoke rolled towards him, ready to envelop him in its arms.

He woke as the smoke rolled over him, sweat dripping from his face.

---

Luckily, little preparation was needed. He emptied his satchel of rations and clothes, repacked his amulets and books, gathered his staff, quickly threw on his red cloak, and made his way out of the tent. The nightmare from last night had been all but vanquished from his mind thanks to sleep and a complete insistence on not spending time dwelling on the thought. The rendezvous point was at the center campfire, and it wasn't too far away from the Legionnaire's tent, a distance crossed easier by Oberon's wide strides. He was the third member of the group to arrive, coming around shortly behind Frey, the pirate. Roxana was already there, as well as that eccentric Byron. Harald, Luca, and Blast-Brain had yet to arrive.

"Morning, Byron. Roxana. Frey." Oberon nodded to his companions, sitting down on a nearby boulder to wait for the rest of the crew to arrive. Frey had begun whistling to some nearby birds, calling two large gray hawks to their site. Frey proceeded to throw the birds some meat, the hawks consuming them down their gullets within seconds. It was quite interesting to watch, it seemed like the pirate had some deeper connection to the birds beyond just feeding them. Of course, Oberon had no food with him, and he certainly didn't want the birds to perch on his arm, but he could at least enjoy them.

Soon, the final three members of their group arrived, and they soon made way to the entrance to the barrow of the World Sword, a menacing shadow sucking away any warmth of the day. The barrow was wide and deep, but it couldn't be too difficult to navigate. As long as they kept their wits about them, nothing would go wrong. However, he did feel nervous, especially with how little information Byron gave to them. Luckily though, he was accepting more questions now.

Yet before he could even utter a single word, Frey seemed to ask every question Oberon had and a few more, even going as far as to question why their briefing was cut short. Oberon had to admire the pirate's daring, but it was still foolish to be so upfront and confrontational of their employer. It was not good for business, and word traveled quickly around this kingdom, especially with an aristocrat like Byron. But still, more knowledge couldn't hurt, even if the questions could be phrased better.

"I agree with Frey." Oberon rumbled loudly, staring directly at Byron. "I think we could all use some more information on the nature of what we're ready to confront, particularly the traps. What kind of traps exist besides armors? How do these armors and constructs behave? How does one trigger these traps? How deadly are they? Without this information, we could be at serious risk, especially considering most of us are novice adventurers with little to no contract experience." Hopefully, Byron would answer the questions without finding that Oberon was overstepping.