Requiem For a Fallen Kingdom (IC)

[Mark3000]

Samara & Theresa

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The Bickerton Trading Company was known to host extravagant parties on the grounds of their estate. Unlike some parts of Esprit, the mansion and the surrounding lands were still in good condition. Part of that had to do with the Bickerton family’s vast amounts of wealth. It allowed them to hire the finest craftsmen to repair the man after the war. The mansion was a clean marble white with four pillars positioned along the front. Above the entrance was a veranda that overlooked the Bickerton’s family garden filled with various exotic flowers.

This time, the Bickerton family were hosting a celebration of their partnership with the Esprit blacksmith’s guild. Though it was less of a partnership and more of a take over. The Bickertons had managed to buy or threaten most of the members into working with them to transport their wares. Those who resisted eventually found it hard to gather the tools and materials necessary to do their work. And that’s if they weren’t taken care of by some other party.

While these celebrations served as a way for the Bickerton Trading Company to flaunt it’s influence, they also served as a way for other merchants to network and get a lay of the business landscape. This was where Theresa found herself. The invite had come only a week ago, calling for her attendance at this occasion. While she was new to Esprit, Theresa knew that one does not just turn down an invitation from the Bickertons. Having arrived at the party, Theresa spotted various servers wandering the party with a variety of drinks and horderves. Many of the people were already conversing among themselves. One group was discussing the king’s new tariffs on foreign goods. Another was discussing the availability of farmland outside the city wall. A third group could be heard discussing various rumors floating around the capital. None of them should mind another person joining the conversation.

Samara was at the party as well. Not as a guest mind you but as a guard. While the rest of the caravan guards waited outside, her employer had allowed her to accompany one of his bookkeepers into the party. Though she wasn’t sure why. He was a rather plain man with short brown hair and horn-rimmed glasses. His clothes were just as plain with a simple white tunic and black trousers. Despite this, he was currently speaking with the party’s host, patriarch of the Bickerton family, Lucian Bickerton. Despite his greying hair and wrinkled face he still struck as an imposing figure. He was easily a head taller than most here. He was wearing an elegant coat over a black dress shirt and black silken breeches. To his side was a rather young woman, no older than 18 with long blond hair and red gown. She was hanging to Lucian’s arm the entire time, yet she looked rather out of it.

“Jeffries! My good man, how’s business? I heard your caravan just returned” Lucian said with a grin.

Jeffries gave a bashful nod. “Indeed, they just returned from Belus after delivering a shipment of spices from the southern sea.” He said.

Lucian gave a hearty chuckle as he hugged the young blond closer to his side. “Good, Good. That means you won’t have any problem paying off the coin you owe us.” He said moving closer to the nervous accountant. “Of course if you can’t honor the terms of our agreement, you pay your debt in other ways.” He said turning his attention to Samara with an intrigued look.

Linda & Avacyn

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

“Thus we must strive to be a beacon that guides Vespera to a bright future!” The white haired woman stated, ending her hour long speech to the new members of the Order of Vespera, sometimes referred to as the Order of the Blade. Her silver locks shone against her white armor, striking a balance between being elegant yet commanding. It was a look befitting the Order’s new captain, Maxine Rivers. Appointed by the fifth princess Vivianne LaCroix and the third prince, Julius LaCroix, she had been busy bringing in a fresh crop of recruits in a bid to purge the ranks of it's more corrupt members.

Said recruits now stood in the courtyard of the once illustrious Eaglestar barrack. What was once a proud symbol of authority had fallen in disrepair. A fitting allegory for the current state of the nation’s military. The recruits numbered just about 25. Most were either minor nobles or citizens with little to no combat experience or wanderers and mercenaries looking for steady employment. Two figures stood out among the crowd. Near the front was the elegant Avacyn Aurelia, daughter of Duke Aurelia equipped with her rapier. Meanwhile near the center of the group was one of the few magic practitioners in the order, Linda Felljoy. She had managed to blend into the group quite well as she watched the captain’s speech.

“Now, all of you have received your first assignment. While some of the more experienced among you may bulk at such simple tasks, these feats will go towards gaining the people's trust. Now Go! And make the Order proud!” Maxine said to the applause of some of the younger recruits. Linda and Avacyn were both assigned to the same task. They were to investigate and apprehend a small band of thieves operating out of the harbor slums. Though looking up, the two could see Maxine heading back into the barracks to prepare the more inexperienced recruits for training. If they talked to her, she might reassign them to a different mission if they desired it.

Samira

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The winds had carried Samira far from her southern isles to the Esprit harbor. She had heard stories of the port cities that lined the coast of the mainland, but it was bigger and more elaborate than anything she could have imagined. The harbor easily dwarfed the port of her small village. Large vessels came and went at will as sailors moved goods up and down the walkway.

Once she had found somewhere to dock, Samira took her first steps onto solid ground in what felt like days. She still had plenty of rations left, but nothing would beat a freshly cooked meal. It was then that she heard the sounds of drums and a woodwind instrument. Looking to her left she saw a small crowd had gathered around a group of street performers. One was a man with tanned skin in a white sleeveless tunic and blue trousers setting the rhythm with a set of congo drums. His eyes were closed as his white bandana held up his hair. The other man had a pale complexion with long blonde hair and a thin frame. Dressed in a well tailored short sleeve shirt and silk pants, he played on a small piccolo and filled the air with a wonderful melody. But there was a third performer there as well. A woman danced in front of the group of sailors showing off her buxom body to all passersby. Her form was barely hidden by her purple bikini and golden trimmed tung hugging her frame. The red headdress and veil only seemed to accentuate her piercing gaze. A gaze that seemed to lock on to Samira if just for a moment before she returned to focusing on her performance.

Imperia

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Dark clouds covered the night sky as Imperia rested under a tree. Like most vegetation in the Scarred Lands, it was twisted and had a haunted aura to it. But it proved a good enough spot to make camp. It had been a while since Imperia had a chance to rest. Between her pursuers and the mad beasts that stalked this tainted land, safety was at a premium.

“It pains me to see my daughter in such dire straits. Would that I could soothe your sorrows. Though I lack even a shoulder to cry on” a familiar male voice echoed through her head with it’s usual playful tone. Loyd McKringleberry had passed on but his spirit continued to travel with his wandering daughter. When he doesn’t manifest himself, he and Imperia communicate telepathically. Though most times, he would merely go on about some random piece of worldly trivia.

“So where are you off to my thorny rose? There is a settlement about a day west but I would suggest against visiting that little hamlet. Though you could take my advice and finally travel to Esprit” He said waiting for her to respond. Loyd had been trying to get Imperia to go to the Vesperian capital for some time. He said that he had a ‘Friend’ that could help her. But knowing her father, it was most likely an associate from his days as an assassin.

Alicteria

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Ever since the fall of the Order of the Blade, the guard stations around Vespera saw little to no uses. They stood as monuments to Vespera’s former glory. While the new captain might change that, at the moment they would serve as an ideal place for a clandestine meeting. It was at the Western guard house that Alicteria arrived to meet the sender of the strange message she received.

Pushing on the door to the guard house, it slowly creeped open. The small room was lit by a single lamp held up by a single man in a hooded robe. While his face was hidden, the robe couldn’t hide his muscular build.

“You are the girl from the Holy Pheo Empire correct? From the Church of Pisti?” He asked with a stern expression. The distrust he held in his voice was clear, but there was a hint of something else. Fear? Desperation? Whatever it was, it didn’t stop him from continuing to speck. “I have heard tell of your specific ... talents and wished to employ them to aid my lady. She is a devout follower of Scriptism and would like the teachings of the saints more widely taught. As such, she would like to enlist your services as a sister of the Church of Pisti” The messenger said as he dropped a small bag of coins on the table. “You will be paid for your services and provided adequate lodging” He finished as he waited for Alicteria’s answer.

[mrblah]

This place is somewhat revolting.
The Highland Nomads weren't the type to disregard the need for an occasional party. Celebration came after a good day's work, or the anniversary of an important date or other occasion of that sort, but never would their parties be... quite, like this. The... fanciful dresses, the snide conversations with jeering and cheer and the small amounts of expensive food carried at the work of poorly paid servicemen and women? It was culture Theresa had never known. Even worse, there was nothing in the party to interest or give worship to the spirits. Nothing to thank them for their hard work... it was less of a proper party and more of a debauched human ritual, to the Mother Nymph. She'd almost wish she hadn't come, but alas... she was dealing with the Bickerton family, of all groups. Saying no wasn't in her hand.

Not to mention the value of these snide dealings and gross socializing. While inherently immoral, they did possess a chance for the budding spiritual merchant to make connections with others in Esprit, a place she hadn't been in for long. Theresa had used this argument when discussing with her Nomads in regards to their plans tonight. She knew of the weight of this opportunity... so some sacrifices had to be made.
That said... the woman sighed again as an odd look was sent her way. She only wished these people could understand the spiritual meaning behind her attire.

Theresa had not changed from her upgraded Spirits' Veil. The clothing was of heavy importance to the Highland Nomads, and while she understood the need to adjust to changing times, she would resist THIS change for as long as she could. The invitation had said nothing of disallowing her to wear her home's wardrobe. Henceforth, the woman came in her thin and light clothing, as she always did. Though the Dinda tribe had seen to it to add some strips of leather and metal for increased protection, the vast majority of her outfit was unchanged.

These people kept leering at her and it was difficult to not find insult in their crude and deplorably unspiritual mannerisms.

The merchant's gaze from across the way would suddenly find itself staring into the brick wall of a simply dressed party member's chest as the man glared down at him. The small man he was, the merchant would be suitably rebuffed by the glare and look away. This had been a common occurrence for some time, thanks to the work of Theresa's two hunters; Gilly Han and Arisa Aja. She'd only taken the two of them into the mansion and left Toki and Oki outside for backup. Gilly and Arisa were the most qualified to handle a delicate operation as would be a merchant's party, as Gilly was large and intimidating and Arisa was clever. As much as Theresa appreciated their help, Toki and Oki were about as subtle and clever as a wall made of broken bricks.

Theresa would thank Gilly for his help with a nod, and with that, it would be time to properly focus on her task. The blonde woman sipped from her water with her gaze focused solely on the ground beneath her. While it seemed she was doing nothing in particular, Theresa was carefully surveying her immediate area. Her ears were sharp, and she picked up three conversations that would be interesting to join... but one in particular might share the most immediate return on investment.

Her bare feet pulled her forward as she made a beeline to the interesting group. Another form in the background followed from behind as yet another watched those around her for any unacceptable moves... soon enough, the woman safely ended her journey to the farmland group. "Excuse me," Theresa started in as gentle a tone as she could muster. "I couldn't help but overhear the conversation regarding farmland... I suppose the value's high for fine folk such as yourself to discuss it?"

[MiscChaos]

“I wonder if there’s an order to how we were arranged.” Linda thought as she waited out the, no doubt stirring, hour long speech her new boss was giving. It’s not like she really minds. Dead in the middle of the crowd is really where she belongs. It’s where she can do the most and get away with it because she’s got so many bodies to pin it on. The front is too close to the public and the back is where the suspicious types go so they have too much scrutiny. Yep, good old middle for her. Especially since she’s surrounded by people with the same idea, even if they’re using it to sleep through the speech. She couldn’t do that, however. Captain Rivers is far too captivating. “I wonder if she’d look as striking with her hair soaked red with her own blood.” The thought passes through her head before being discarded. She’d probably never get close enough to make that fantasy a reality after all. Still, it’s nice enough for an idle daydream “Or maybe with that shine in her eyes destroyed, leaving her a dull husk of her former self. Would she cry if I shattered her sword arm irreparably? She should be proud of her swordsmanship after all given her station. Would semen blend or clash with her hair?” Thoughts like that weave in and out of her mind as she distracts herself from the speech. She has to dial it back every once in a while to make sure her erection doesn’t get out of control, but she thinks she managed to not have anyone notice.

She acknowledges the courtyard she’s standing in only enough to think it might be a good place to break a member of leadership. How fitting would it be to either restore it’s glory only to tear someone apart in the middle of it or have someone meet their end, knowing they’d never see this place as more than a place of disgrace? Beyond that, it’s not too terribly interesting to her. Her first assignment is much more interesting. Find and bring in a band of thieves. It does not, however, say in what state the thieves must be in when they are brought in. So she’s more than clear to dismantle them so long as they survive. Well, there might be one obstacle. She has a partner in this. A partner who, given the brief introduction they’ve had, she has no idea if she objects to criminals being horribly maimed. Well, she supposes she’ll find out! Nothing ventured, nothing gained and as long as she restricts it to criminals (in front of others), it shouldn’t become a huge problem. If anything, it might become a deterrent and they’ll mind even less. But first, her partner, she supposes. She remembers the face if not the name, so she goes looking for the other woman. Once that’s done… well, she personally doesn’t have anything against this mission, so unless her partner does, she’ll begin making her way to the slums. Best place to look for information on the bandits will be in their operating area as far as she’s concerned.

[Blue56]

The day had scarcely begun, but it was already shaping up to be a glorious one for Avacyn Aurelia. Her father, who had never paid her any attention, had finally entrusted a valuable task to her. There could be nothing more noble than helping restore the Order of the Blade to glory and, though the journey to Espirit was long, it was more than worth the trouble. The barracks she stood in now was far more run down and the recruits gathered much more ragtag than her soldiers and facilities back home, but in the awe of this moment, Avacyn felt as if she was standing in a golden fortress. And last but certainly not least, her shining commander who stood before them. Avacyn had never taken orders from anyone, but Captain Rivers cut such a dashing figure that she couldn't help but swear loyalty to the commander in her heart the instant her speech began. Even as others grew restless around her, Avacyn hung on the commanders every word.

Avacyn would never dream of requesting another task. The commander was absolutely right after all, she needed to earn the people's trust, and ensuring their safety from thieves and the like was the most important step towards that. Back home, her citizens trusted her implicitly of course, but here in Espirit, no one knew her name. For now at least, all would know the Aurelia name by the time she was finished, so they would know who to come to with their troubles. While she was considering the task at hand and admiring the commander for one last moment, her partner to be approached. "Lady... Felljoy, correct?" Avacyn had made a point to remember the names of those around her, they would be her trusted comrades from her on after all. "I am Avacyn, of the house Aurelia." She introduces herself with a warm smile and a slight bow, something she had already done countless times today. Hearing that Linda wished to start in the slums, Avacyn nodded and followed swiftly after her. "Yes, the problem should be dealt with at the source. The sooner these criminals are dealt with, the sooner the people can know peace. Convincing them to give up the thieves should be a simple matter."

Once outside the barracks, Avacyn heads to the stables to retrieve her horse, Gideon, a large white stallion she purchased a few years ago once she started leading her own forays against local bandits. It added to her already considerable presence, and would help keep her boots clean of the streets filth. "Would you care to ride with me?" She offers to Linda, pulling the other woman up to sit behind her if she accepted, or merely trotting slowly alongside her if she chose to walk to the slums instead.

[Nobudi]

Settling her feet on solid ground for the first time in a while was jarring. Samira had minor cases of land sickness growing up, but the solid ground she was now walking felt unsteady and tilting. For the most part, she merely sat at the pier she had docked until everything has somewhat settled, taking in the new sensations with visible wonder on her face. The world was so much bigger than she had suspected, and now she was walking into a new world. She had learned a bit of it from the traders that occasionally wandered onto the island growing up, but to experience this first hand seemed unreal.

Eventually, she felt the phantom rocking slow to a wobble, and she gingerly got up from her sitting. Dusting herself off, she slowly walked down the pier, eyes wide with wonder as the business enveloped everything around her. Stepping around a set of sailors jeering at each other as cargo was lifted to or from the ships, she almost ran into a man who was inspecting a crate of something. She retreated around and away as he snarled to watch where she was going. Alright, not the best place to be wandering aimlessly.

Walking into the port proper, she noticed a street performance occurring before her. The trio of performers were quite good in her opinion, and she had only just started her journey. Samira felt that the road ahead of her musical talents had a long way to go, so she paid careful attention to the notes and melodies. Then the dancer caught her attention, and tried to make eye contact with her and with a little wave, wondering what the dancer was thinking. She was certainly beautiful, and her skills with dancing was nothing short of true art. She had to appreciate the sight of it though. She moved with the grace of a feline walking- a trait Samira herself didn't share with her encounters with dancing. Everyone back on the island sure had a moment of laughing at her skills, her parents and even herself included. Eventually, she found herself watching the musicians again, and her fingers began to unconsciously strum and pluck at an imaginary instrument, ignoring the heavy bound package on her back. She stayed until the performance was over.

[RandomRoninKitten]

Imperia sat beneath the tree, staring up at the sky, a frown on her face, as there usually was. She tried to decide what it was that the gray masses of fluffy-looking water looked like to her... but she wasn't a very imaginative girl, so she merely concluded that they looked like fluffy grayness. Her lack of imagination frustrated her, so she looked down at her hands and wiggled her fingers. It was not so long ago that every day, these hands were tainted by the spilled oxygen-transporting fluid of my opponents on a daily basis. That life is not mine anymore. I have wandered out here for so long now... what am I to do with my own life, aside from battle for my own survival? she thinks to herself, as she averts her gaze back to the clouds, finding them less frustrating than her own memories of her life up to now. Why am I still here? Just to suffer? she starts to think, only for her edgy inner monologue to be interrupted by her fa-... Loyd.

"Loyd." she replies, out loud, when he says that it pains him to see her in such a situation. If she had a sense of humor, or had playful moods of any kind, she would have replied that it amused her that after what she had been through up to now, he was calling this 'dire straights' rather than just a continuation of her constant state of misery. "Misery finds my companionship most preferable, what can I say?" she replies, in her usual somewhat robotic and unemotional manner, sounding like she had been handed a script, rather than thinking of this response herself. When he asks where she is off to, and if she intended to visit the nearby settlement, or perhaps take his advice and travel to Esprit, finally. She had been avoiding taking his advice for literal years, because she imagined that anyone who associated with Loyd, would have done so when he was doing his... assassing... in which case, she wanted nothing to do with his recommendations. In fact, she wants little to do with other people in general. It's not as though it has done her much good, she was thrown out by her birthgiver, after having to fight for her life for her entire life up until a few years ago. People do not exactly have an impressive track record of not causing me bodily or emotional harm. she thinks to herself as she contemplates how to respond to her father. He's likely used to her long pauses... she takes far too long to think of verbal responses to anything.

Finally, she responds "Perhaps I have wandered beneath this dark sky..." careless "Among these wasted lands..." I am reckless "It may be time to travel to Esprit after all." I am a wrong way traveling, slowly unraveling shell of a girl. she sighs as she stands up from her tree and looks around her to try to get her bearings. She's not necessarily taking his advice, she isn't sure if she's going to seek out her fa- Loyd's associate, but if she spends too much time out here, she'll just continue to waste away, doing nothing. Staying out here can't be good for her mental health, and going to Esprit can't make things much worse. "I shall break camp and set off for Esprit in the morning." she concludes, realizing only then that she never actually finished her statement to Loyd.

[Littlemankitten]

Samara rarely questioned the reasons she made her money, it wasn't really her place to question why she was tasked to do certain things. Granted most of the time her tasks made sense. Protect this valuable item, make sure this important person doesn't get murdered. Yet protecting this bookkeeper who wouldn't look that out of place in a run down village in the middle of a grand party didn't make much sense to her. Though she supposed it was because the man was far more important than he seemed at first glance. It was a common trick to make someone appear poorer than they actually were if they were going through a leisurely stroll in the bad part of a town, yet it was more odd given this was in the middle of a extravagant gathering. If anything it'd bring more attention to him. Still, she wasn't in a place to question who she was guarding, as long as she was getting paid. Her gaze was forced to wander to all corners of the room if she were to do her job correctly, and while little seemed out of the ordinary, aside from the fact she felt out of place in her more traditional desert leather garb amongst the sea of fanciful suits and dresses and in the case of guards steel plate, she did spot someone in a seemingly similar position. Some girl who was wearing next to nothing was heading towards some group of people, and Samara got the feeling this girl was also an outsider, almost everything about her screamed it, not just her clothes. It brought an odd feeling of comfort to her. She wasn't nervous here or anything, in fact she hardly cared what people may think of her presence, but it still nice to see another body that stood out so much in this party. Hopefully the scantly clad woman would divert attention away from people's not very well hidden stares towards herself, gossiping about her eye, or lack thereof, and coming up with all kinds of crazy theories to keep themselves entertained.

Samara's attention was forced to return to task at hand when the person she was supposed to be protecting ended up striking a conversation with the head of the Bickerton family itself. Yea this guy was definitely very important. She looked at the blonde by Bickerton's side with only idle curiosity. She wondered how the girl ended up in such a position by force or by choice? Samara was willing to bet by force. She felt slightly bad for the girl, she knew what that life often entailed. She instigated it more than a few times. There was nothing she could do though, they might as well be worlds apart despite standing only a few paces away from her. Her gaze turned to Lucian when he himself gazed at her. She knew the look, and she wasn't about to be sold off to satisfy it. She stared him down with her one good eye for only a moment, but quickly diverted her gaze towards the rest of the party. There was no good to come from challenging him, chances are it'd only make him more interested, and as far as she was concerned his wish would never be granted as her employer had the money to pay for whatever backhand deals they might've made with him.

[Embers]

Ruins and grasslands were a drastic change of scenery from the Script-inspired buildings, statues, and vibe of the Pheo Empire, a change that Alicteria had grown used to with how long her journey had taken. Although she tries not to dwell on it much, a sense of homesickness had been steadily eating away at her heart as these foreign lands and foreign faces only cement her feelings of isolation and exile. Alicteria tugs the strap of her halberd back onto her shoulder and marches on "Come Miki, maybe the company of a high class member of the royal court will cheer us up." Alicteria speaks into the silent afternoon weather. "At the very least, their blood will."


While not particularly heavy or flashy, Alicteria's equipment did produce enough noise to alert any decently trained ear to her presence, aware of this Alicteria makes no attempt at being stealthy as she approaches the guardhouse "Ahhhhh~ How brilliantly the light of Pisti dances across the heavens even in these wretched, godless, lands!" Alicteria calls out with her head tilted towards the sky while her hands pull a belt over her coat and close it. With her weapon retracted and hidden in the outfit, only the skin of her face and hands show as she clasps them together and slowly pushes open the guardhouse door.

"O radiant and holy one, cast your protective warmth on this devout nun as she ventures away from the heavenly rays and into foreign sites." Alicteria steps into the dimly-lit room with a well-rehearsed prayer, her hands clasped together and her eyes towards the floor. When the muscular voice asks about her, she flashes a smile dripping with malice. It was always more exciting to slice through the trained muscles and reinforced bones of a combat veteran compared to those of greenhorns.

"Your lady? I distinctly remember the paper saying to 'meet me' and not 'meet my soldier'." Alicteria asks, her head shifting around the shadow-shrouded room looking for details and adjusting her eyes to the new lighting state. "I too would like to see the worship of the Seven Saints more widely spread throughout Esprit" Alicteria continues, her scanning of the room comes to a stop as the coins clank on the wooden table.
"Ahh but the spread of Pisti's brilliance is it's own reward for this one." Alicteria then pauses. "What a wonderful world it would be if prayer alone was enough to raise temples, erect shrines, and feed the devout. But this world isn't that one... I accept your offer. Alicteria reaches out to the pouch and weighs it for a moment before stowing it away.

"When do I meet the blue blood behind this operation?"

[MiscChaos]

"Lady... Felljoy, correct?" Avacyn had made a point to remember the names of those around her, they would be her trusted comrades from her on after all. "I am Avacyn, of the house Aurelia." She introduces herself with a warm smile and a slight bow, something she had already done countless times today. Hearing that Linda wished to start in the slums, Avacyn nodded and followed swiftly after her. "Yes, the problem should be dealt with at the source. The sooner these criminals are dealt with, the sooner the people can know peace. Convincing them to give up the thieves should be a simple matter."

Once outside the barracks, Avacyn heads to the stables to retrieve her horse, Gideon, a large white stallion she purchased a few years ago once she started leading her own forays against local bandits. It added to her already considerable presence, and would help keep her boots clean of the streets filth. "Would you care to ride with me?" She offers to Linda, pulling the other woman up to sit behind her if she accepted, or merely trotting slowly alongside her if she chose to walk to the slums instead.

Linda had remembered the woman's face, but didn't bother with the name. She didn't know if it'd even be a concern seeing as she won't see the mass majority of the people in here in anything but passing ever again. At least Avacyn made it easy for her. She can't really stop herself from a loud chuckle though. "Lady Felljoy? That's a new one. No, Linda will do, thank you." She's carried the Felljoy name for almost as long as she had the Joycast one, but she's never once been referred to as a Lady. Bitch, occasionally. Cunt, almost certainly. She only hears lady if it's some asshole who's about to talk down to her or a kid. She's a little better about restraining her laughter when the naive woman talks about convincing them to give up. If the thieves are a big enough problem to attract the attention of knights, she doubts they're the kind to just go "Oh yeah, we see the error of our ways, we'll go home now. Thank you, ladies." Oh well, maybe the woman will give her a bit of despair when she figures that out herself.

Going to the barracks, she raises an eyebrow at the luxurious horse the woman sits on. "Yes, because nothing convinces the populace of the downtrodden to give us information than to clearly show up as one of the rich. That'll get us information." She says, very clearly being sarcastic. She normally doesn't allow for that much of her actual personality to bleed into her mask, but it happens sometimes. "I'd rather not." She says, walking to their destination.

[Mark3000]

Theresa

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As Theresa approached, she got a better picture of who was involved in the conversation. On one side was a rather portly man dressed in a white ruffled shirt with a blue jacket and black trousers. He was balding and easily a few years older than her. Besides him was a boy who couldn’t have been older than eighteen summers. He wore a similar outfit though without the jacket and had waist long brown hair.

Across from them was a couple. The woman wore a light blue gown with golden trimmings. Her hair was short, not even reaching her shoulders. She had a sharp gaze to her, which drew attention to the small mole under her left eye. Beside her was a man with a tall, thin build. Dressed in a black vest over a white shirt paired with a kilt of black, green and brown, he discussed the affirmation land with the man across from him.

When Theresa interjected into the conversation all four participants paused to turn to the Mother Nymph. She received the familiar lustful looks from the men. The madame’s gaze however went past Theresa to the two nomads that had accompanied her. It was the youngest member of the group that spoke up first.

“We were just discussing how ...” He said before his father interjected. “What my boy is trying to say is that we have a fair bit of land that needs tending to but lack the hands to properly manage it. Before the civil unrest, we could count on a healthy yield. But without healthy farm hands, the land will go to waste.” He said, pausing before he continued. “But let me properly introduce myself. I am Lord Devin Holculture and this is my son Albert” He said as the two bowed. “ We were just speaking with a few friends regarding what to do with the plot” Devin added motioning to the couple across from him. “Reginald Thornsworth my dear lady. And this is my wife Charlotte. We were just saying that I had plenty of buyers for such prime land” He said glancing back at the portly lord. “Though I take it you have an interest in a plot of land for yourself.” Reginald said.

Samara

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Once Samara turned away from the wealthy merchant, he let out a hearty chuckle. “No need to fret so. My intentions are purely business related. Besides...” He said pulling the young girl at his side closer to him. “I already have a perfectly good woman right here. But I have heard of you and your band of guards. I was impressed with the work you’ve done and was hoping you might take on a delivery for us.” He said giving his challus a spin before drinking from it. “We have some goods that need to be delivered to a mine in the north. The route is said to be crawling with bandits and most of my men are already busy with other jobs. But if you were to take on this job, the Bickertons would owe you a great debt. Perhaps one that would see your own debt forgiven?”

As Samara took in Lucien’s request, she could see Jefferies doing the logistics for the trip. His eyes took on a sharper gaze as his mind raced a mile a minute “I’m assuming the mine you want us to visit is the mythril mine east of Picktown right?” He inquired, to which Lucien only nodded. “And what will our people be transporting?”

Lucien smiled at the bookkeeper’s question. “ I’ll show you after the party. Only if you’re willing to take on the job.” He said with a grin. Jefferies then turned to Samara wearing the same sharp look. “What say you Samara? You and your men would be taking on the most risk in this endeavour.”

Avacyn & Linda

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

It didn’t take long for the two to reach the harbor slums. Esprit was one of the largest cities on the continent. The small boroughs that made up the city could be considered small villages on to themselves. The harbor slums were one such area. It was a small shanty town filled with out of work sailors and tradesmen abandoned due to some stroke of misfortune. Most of the homes and buildings were still partially destroyed due the constant wars of succession which plagued the land. It wasn’t uncommon to see broken down walls or roofs patched with old sheets. Despite this, the area was heavily populated. Neither Linda nor Avacyn could move down the street without bumping into someone.

Though what made matters worst was Avacyn’s horse. In no time a crowd of people had gathered to pet the beast, offer ‘feed’ in exchange for coins or to just beg for scraps. It was hard enough to search for a lead in such a crowd, but as luck would have it their target had found them. As Linda was distracted by the gathering crowd, Avacyn noticed someone moving through the crowd. What made them stand out was how hard they were trying to avoid Linda’s attention. She couldn’t see their face, but she could see something protruding from underneath a small hat. She was making a beeline for Linda as it looked like she was about to reach for her coin purse. It was only by seeing Avacyn’s eyes that Linda took notice of the would-be pickpocket.

Samira

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

As the performance continued, Samira could tell just how well rehearsed the act was. They weren’t just three strangers who happened on the same spot but a professional troupe of performers. They operated their instruments with the precision of an expert and the grace of a young swan. Their tools showed the wear of multiple uses but also the care needed to maintain them for so long. The end result was a beautiful folk melody that caused even the gruffest deck hand to tap his feet.

This was to say nothing of the dancer who moved to beat like a gliding dove. She weaved across her small section of the boardwalk, turning it into her own personal stage. The metal chains upon her gown chimed in tune with the music adding to the melody. It was clear that Samira wasn’t the only one enraptured with her movements.

When the performance finally came to an end, the small crowd cheered. Some dropped a few silver coins into a jar just in front of the flutist. As the crowd dispersed, a few people stayed behind to chat with the street performers. To no-one’s surprise, the dancer proved to be the most popular. Men seemed to line up just to sing her praises. It looked like they would be here for a while. But even in this crowd, the dancer locked eyes with Samira and motioned for her to come over.

Imperia

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Despite not getting a response back, Imperia can feel her father’s delight at taking his advice. “Believe me Imperia, the sooner we put the past behind us, the better. If we head south-east, we can reach the borders of this Scarred Land and the walls of Fort Vita” Loyd said with a whimsical tone as you made camp. “It’s been forever since I’ve last visited Vespera. Hopefully the wine is still as good as I remember. You’ll get some when we visit won’t you?” He said with an inquisitive note. He would often make these small requests of Imperia. Outside of the big ask of going to Esprit, Loyd would ask Imperia to wear her hair in a certain way, call her Papa from time to time or buy some rare trinket that caught his eye. His requests could border on the pervy side. One time he asked her to strip so he could “examine her growing body”. When she complied with these requests the specter was as happy as could be. If she refused however, he passive-aggressive demeanor could cut through even the coldest of attitudes.

“That reminds me,” Loyd said, trying to add to his previous point. “Depending on who has control of the fort, it might be difficult to cross the border… But you’re a resourceful girl, I’m sure you’ll find a way through” he said with his signature lackadaisical manner as Imperia set up camp for the night. But before she could get any rest, her makeshift camp was interrupted by a pair of Orthrus, two headed dogs with sharp claws and even sharper fangs. The corrupt energies of the Scarred Lands had twisted the once normal hounds The four heads shared among the beasts were down to the ground searching for a meal. Though they hadn’t noticed Imperia yet.

Alicteria

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The hooded figure cleared his throat as Alicteria questioned why the sender of the message had not shown themselves. “Indeed. While my lady was eager to meet with those who answered her call. I insisted that she stay behind for her own safety.” He said as he motioned towards the nun’s noisy weapon.

As Alicteria accepts the position and the coins (gain 20 Silver Coins), the man nods and pulls down his hood to reveal his face. He had black hair that had streaks of gray running through it. Cut short, his hair did little to hide his chiseled face and strong jawline. His gaze was piercing as his green eyes seemed to dig deep into her soul. “Then we have an agreement. Then I guess a proper introduction is warranted. I go by Oliver. I am my lady’s trusted butlers and bodyguards. Now follow me, the carriage awaits.”

Just around the corner from the guardhouse, a horse drawn carriage had been waiting for them. The driver had just finished feeding one of the horses a carrot as the nun and her new employer arrived.

“To the estate” Oliver told the driver who in turn tipped his hat to him and Alicteria. The carriage was made of quality wood, carved by the hand of a skilled woodworker. The inside was just as luxurious with soft silk cushions and ample leg room. As the two of you began to move, Alicteria watched the scenery of the crumbling city pass her by. It was as she was distracted that sher heard Oliver’s voice.

“I’m taking you to meet my Lady so just remember one thing” He said bringing his face right up to Alicteria’s. “If you should bring shame or misfortune to my Lady, you won’t live to see the morrow” He said fully intent to follow through on his threat if need be.

[Nobudi]

As she continued to watch, spellbound as the rest of the crowd as they performed in unison, Samira had to appreciate the performers in each of their roles. The musicians' instruments were worn, but the clear notes that rang forth from them proved that the instruments were anything but. Her fingers danced along the melody on the imaginary instrument, weaving phantom notes that intertwined with the music in her mind. Her eyes continued to follow the movements of the dancer, and was surprised to see how she contributed not only visually, but adding her own notes to the music. When the music finally stopped, her cheers were among the loudest, or she wanted to think at least.

At the end, Samira noticed the dancer inviting her over and headed over. Once she got close, Samira introduced herself. "Hello, my name's Samira. Nice to talk to you after seeing your performance. Are you three part of a troupe?" she asked, curious if there were any more performers working together here. Back on the island, there were only a handful of performers that were solo acts. Performing as a group was relatively foreign to her as a concept.

[MiscChaos]

When Linda imagined a slum, she imagined somewhere run down, barely functional, poor and sparsely populated. This is her usual experience with a slum since it houses the mass majority of the people she hunts for her fun. This slum is 3 out of the 4. She honestly can’t believe how packed this place is! No wonder their criminal can hide so well here: no force of order is even going to attempt to comb through this place for the people they’re looking for. Hell, even she is thinking about turning around and requesting something more straightforward. She has not trained herself for looking for needles in haystacks like this. It’s only worse because Avacyn insisted on bringing that damn horse of hers. Everyone with half a brain realized that means the owner of said horse has money. Them not having money, it would make sense for them to go beg for it from someone that does have it. Unfortunately, Avacyn is standing next to her, so she’s made a target by association.

Still, she supposes making themselves such large targets wasn't good for nothing. She herself doesn’t notice anything, but she notices Avacyn noticing something. Following the woman’s eyes, she spots the pickpocket going for her purse. Making a sign for quiet to her supposed partner, she allows the pickpocket to get as close as she dares. When she finally begins reaching for Linda’s purse, she’ll turn the tables and grab the girl’s arm. Once they have her, they should be able to get some information. She’ll have to make a conscious effort to avoid breaking it by habit though. She still needs to sell the image of kindness after all.

[mrblah]

An urge to sigh very briefly arose within the Mother Nymph, but without so much as shaking the smile from her face as she regarded the three men and sole woman, she squashed it smoothly. While Theresa certainly didn't appreciate the leers, she's no stranger to using the lust of others to her gain. A merchant she'd known once had mentioned that the skill of the trade is best shown in what someone is willing to use; whatsoever seals the deal is a weapon you need to be comfortable employing to survive in the business... if anything, she should be wary of those who aren't so easily beguiled by her looks.

For that reason, her gaze had inspected the woman before her, though she tried not to show her evaluation. While not given any audacious title quite like Lord Devin, she had a sharp gaze to her and seemed to pick out Theresa's aid easily.

"Charmed to meet you, Lord Devin. Mr. Albert." The Mother Nymph offered her own bow to the portly man and his son. She gathered that the Lord's son lacked relevance to the conversation with how Devin interrupted the young man, but it'd be best to raise favor to the best she could. Following that, Theresa offered the same respect to the couple. "As well as you both, Mr. and Mrs. Thornsworth..." With that said, the Mother Nymph's attention was on Reginald.

She was a bit impressed by him, truthfully. Theresa hadn't expected anyone to get to the heart of her coming so quickly. For a moment, even, she'd felt some tension in what seemed to be a setup for him to steer the conversation and smoothly reject her. Why else bring that up so immediately as a stranger joins a conversation? And considering that he was working on the behalf of potential buyers, it'd make sense if he saw her as an opposing factor in his business. Asking her so upfront was a means of gauging her intent and confirming his suspicions. Needless to say, it was a skillful move that already set her on the defense... as expected of a city merchant. Theresa couldn't be so upfront so quickly without setting the foundation and introducing ideas, but she already knew the move she'd play in response. "Farmland, is it?" She asked the question with a smile to Reginald. A request for confirmation like that would allow her to slide in a few critical thoughts... to Lord Devin.

"I do see how it could be so valuable, though as Lord Devin mentioned, in these trying times I can't imagine anyone inexperienced would have an easy time handling the land. That said... it'd be hard to not be interested in the potential gains. A good plot of land is a world of opportunity, is it not? Demand is always high for great produce, and those most affluent develop a taste for what's new and special. I'd imagine it is an opportunity not kindly lost..." The Mother Nymph glanced to the Lord, her final words a clear offering of condolences before she'd get to her point. "I am interested in bringing life from the lands, Mr. Thornsworth. My company and I had recently come to the decision to expand our kind of agriculture to Esprit in hopes of enriching the market."

[Blue56]

For a moment, Avacyn took Linda's words at face value before something about the other woman's tone made her realize she was being mocked. The young noble bristled with indignation, but only for a brief moment. Avacyn had expected that some would doubt her after all, she still had yet to earn a reputation here in Espirit. Without another word, she had Gideon trot alongside Linda as they made their way through the city. If her words were not enough to inspire confidence, than Avacyn would start by earning her partners respect through deeds, just as she intended to for the rest of the citizenry.

Once at their destination, Avacyn found herself nearly stunned at the sight before her. She would have thought this some war torn ruin were it not for the absurd amount of people crowding the streets. People actually lived in these broken down buildings? And in such numbers? Yes, there were those back home less fortunate than others, but she had used her influence (along with her father's coin) to ensure they at least had proper roofs over their heads. And to make matters worse, the people living in such poor conditions nearly equaled those living on Aurelia land in total. Well trained though he may be, Gideon was shaking his head and whinnying nervously from the sheer volume of the crowd, even more so once they started petting him and begging Avacyn for food and coin. She had little of either though, as her father hadn't sent much with her. Even if she did, trying to hand it out to only a few would surely lead to violence. No, this was a problem she could not solve on her own. Perhaps nothing short of petitioning the crown would improve the plight of these people....

Progress was slow, thanks to the veritable horde that surrounded them, but Avacyn was slowly guiding Gideon through the crowd, rebuffing those who begged her for money with as much sympathy as she could muster. While informing one particularly downtrodden young man that she was here on business and had no coin to give, she spotted a strange individual making their way not towards herself, but straight to Linda instead. Wanting to keep things quiet until after they could subdue the cutpurse, Avacyn merely shot Linda a look that she hoped would convey the situation to her partner, before moving up ahead through the crowd a little more in preparation for cutting the thief's escape off. Her legs tensed, ready to leap from atop Gideon and behind the cutpurse as soon as the first move was made. She kept her rapier sheathed, not wanting to incite panic upon drawing it or seriously harm the thief. After all, this pickpocket would be vital in leading them to the rest of the bandits they sought.

[Embers]

Her scanning of the room turning failing to notice anything out of the ordinary, Alicteria returns her gaze to the man standing across the table as he uncloaks his head. Old, commoner, godless she thought to herself at the sight of that scarred face and graying hair. His blood would taste no better than that of an animal Alicteria noted to herself. Opening her mouth, Alicteria was just about to make a compromising comment about how she preferred prey that fights back before slumping her shoulders and offering a mere shrug.

While Alicteria didn't agree that grabbing the coin pouch meant full unconditional agreement with an unwritten and unspecified contract, she wanted to at least hear out the woman behind the note. "Very well Oliver. Lead the way." Alicteria replied in a hushed voice her interest plummeting as this was starting to turn out like a hired mercenary job and not a thinly-veiled attempt to take her life.

Leaving the guardhouse, Alicteria scanned her surrounding with minimal effort, looking for any traces of magic use or foot traffic. "These horses are the most interesting thing I could spy out here." the nun remarked before climbing into the overly-luxurious carriage. With a deep sigh, Alicteria leans backwards into the soft embrace of the cushions, it had been a long journey from the Holy Empire out to these outskirts beyond Esprit's city limits.

"Shame? Me? Oh I'd never. The only thing this malev-benevolent nun brings is the sacred word and radiant light of our lady Pisti." Alicteria's replies, one eye closed and a subtle smirk across her lips. "I take it your lady also have heard of my talents, and proceeded with the meeting. Then we are in agreement about my methods... to some degree at least" she continued, before turning her gaze towards the carriage's window. Watching the remnants of these guard stations pass by, each one deteriorated and ruined in a different way, Alicteria moves to undo the zipper of her oversized jacket then cross her legs and lean onto the arm rest while gazing out the window.

[RandomRoninKitten]

When her father asks if she'll try some wine, Imperia merely shrugs, not sure whether she'd want to or not, given she had never tasted the substance. "If time permits such an opportunity for us, then I shall consider trying their fermented alcoholic beverages." she replies, considering it a bit too early to be making plans, since they still had to actually get to that particular location in the first place. For the sake of getting along with her deceased fa-... Loyd, she would usually go along with his requests, especially since she often needed his advice to survive out in the Scarred Lands. She didn't think he'd let her die, but she didn't want him to stop assisting her, as it would make things far more difficult than necessary. When told that she may need to find a way in, which she had kind of already assumed as she had a hard time considering herself welcome anywhere, she replied "If anything were not unnecessarily difficult for me, I would be surprised. It would be a nice break from the consistency that I have experienced." she says, in a neutral tone.

She spent some time setting up her camp and prepared to get some much needed rest, not even bothering to take her clothes of, since she could very well be attacked during the night and being in her underwear certainly wouldn't improve her chances in combat, however, before she could tell her ghostly fa-... Loyd good night, she's interrupted by the arrival of a pair of Orthrus. Seeing that she had unwanted company, Imperia begins thinking to Loyd rather than speaking out loud as she normally did. "Speaking of things being consistently difficult for me, I see that we have the unwanted company of a pair of two-headed dogs. Poor creatures should not have to live in such a state... I can only assume that they're in pain. Perhaps I can avoid them... or catch them off guard and end their suffering, as would be the humane thing to do." she thinks to him, grimacing at the sight of the two-headed creatures, as she shifts around the tree to try to keep out of sight. If the creatures left, she'd wait for awhile to make sure they were really gone, but if they drew near enough to attack them by surprise, she would do so. It was better to kill them and end the suffering inflicted upon them by this land than to let them continue to live in such a state. Imperia wasn't a soft person, however she didn't like to allow animals to suffer, and certainly didn't like hurting them herself, however there were times when it was necessary.

[Littlemankitten]

Upon hearing that Lucian had no interest in taking her, as he already had a perfectly adequate girl at his side, Samara's muscles failed to relax. Words alone hardly made her trust his intentions. Though given her upbringing and her current line of work, relaxing was very rarely on the table for her. It certainly won't happen while she was here. She returns her gaze back to him mostly to show that she had indeed heard him, but otherwise says nothing. She continues to give him the silent treatment as he offers her a proposition. Now this was an interesting proposition indeed. She didn't trust it for a second, but she didn't really think she had a choice in the matter. In the bandit world it wasn't uncommon for 'offers' to appear that were actually implicit orders. If someone much higher up the totem poll than you 'offered' you something, and you declined, your reputation would get dragged through the mud, and any hope for a peaceful life would get squashed then and there. While she wasn't certain this would apply to this offer as well, she also knew the Bickertons did have whispers and rumors circulating about them about their backhanded nature. Perhaps she was being paranoid, or couldn't let her old life go no matter how hard she tried, but something told her there was no real choice in this offer. She would take it and live to see another day, or reject it and have her peaceful merchant life dreams crushed right then and there. This idea was further supported when Lucian said that the cargo would not be revealed to them unless they've already accepted. Which meant to cargo was either very important or very illegal or very dangerous, or a combination thereof. Her hands were indeed tied. She sighed softly after Jefferies turns to her and asks for her thoughts on the matter. She really regretted waking up this morning. "I suppose I will have to accept." She replies curtly.

[Mark3000]

Samara

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The Bickerton merchant smirked as Samara agreed to his offer, as if he knew that the two of them would take his job. With Samara’s back, Jefferies turns back to Lucian and nods. “As you just heard from Samara, we will take this on the job. I’ll get the contract and paperwork done as soon as the party is over. But first, we would like to see exactly what we’re transporting” He said with a wary expression. Lucian nodded as he used one hand to guide Samara and Jefferies outside. The other hand had slid into the dress of his female companion, groping her modest chest. “As promised I’ll show you. Follow me to the warehouse” he said leading the way.

While the Bickerton family owned a few warehouses inn the city of Esprit, this one was the closest to their estate. It was only a few steps away from their mansion. Though most wouldn’t know it was a storage space as it blended in quite well with the other estates. At the front were two guards, each well armored with custom armor and steel shortswords.

“Evening boys. How is the ‘merchandise’” Lucien said as he greeted the two guards.

“Quiet for a chance” One of the guards said as the other opened the door. As Samara and Jefferies entered the warehouse, they saw various cages filled with humans. It didn’t long to realise that all of them were nearly naked. Each of them had a tattoo marking them as the Bickerton’s property. By law, slavery was against the law. But with no one to enforce it, the practice had come back into favor

“Don’t worry about this riff-raff” Lucien said as he led the two of you though the warehouse. Looking to his side, Samara could see the woman holding onto the merchant tense up as they passed the cages.

“Here we are. This is the package I need you to transport” Lucien said pointing to the large cage at the end of the building. Inside was something neither of them were expecting. It looked like a young girl, but she was covered in green scales with two horns on her head. She had sharp claws and sharp fangs, both bound in shackles and a muzzle.

“I-is that girl part dragon” Jefferies said in disbelief. Lucien merely nodded with a self-satisfied grin. “Took forever for my men to find her. Quite a bit more to break her in” He said as her drew closer to the cage, only for the dragon girl to snap at him.

Theresa

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“Your company?” Mr. Thornsworth asked with a puzzled look. “I had assumed that you had been inquiring for your own curiosity. I hadn’t realized you represented another trading company” It was only after he finished that his wife interjected. “I think the company is hers dear” she added as she rejoined the conversation. “I wasn’t sure at first but after seeing your strapping underlings I take it you’re from the nomadic clans to the north” Charlotte said as she continued to size up the Mother Nymph.

Reginald let out a small laugh. “Oh yes of course. I should have realized it sooner. I actually do a bit of trading with some of the Truil clans that wander close to the border. Though I’ve never known one to settle this far south. I’m sure the soil here is different then what you’re used to. I don't know if this plot would be a good fit for you.” It was clear that Thornworth's interests had shifted to Theresa’s origins. But the lord seemed to be focused on the other part of her statement.

“Hold on Reginald, I’d like to hear her out a bit. If she can get something to grow on that plot of land, it might be worth looking into a bit more. A long term investment would be worth more than a one time pay out. Now, said we made an arrangement for the land. What could your people grow there?” He said as he called forth a servant to bring them five glasses of wine. Reginald took the small pause to interject again. “Surely it can’t be anything I couldn’t precure from my contacts”.

Avacyn & Linda

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

The pickpocket's hand was close to reaching it’s prize before it was stopped by Linda’s. Despite struggling she couldn’t escape from Linda’s grip. “Damn it all” she said as she winced in pain. Parts of the crowd distanced itself from Linda trying to avoid the coming confrontation.

Getting a closer look at the thief, it was obvious she wasn’t completely human. Her pupils were vertical slits, her eyes a light blue colour. Her hands were slender and instead of nails, it looked like she had claws. She hissed as he bared her fangs to the spell caster. “Look lady, it was an honest mistake. I just got a little close that’s all. Easy to do in a crowd like this.” She said with a pained expression. “Besides, you sure you wanna mess with me? I happen to have some good friends in the Wildside Bandits, the most dangerous outlaws in the lands. One word from me and you’ll end up at the bottom of the harbor“

As Avacyn stepped behind the thief, she turned her head slightly to acknowledge the noble. “So why don’t you get back up on your high horse and get out of here before you lose it” She said with a mocking tone.

Samira

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The dancer smiled as Samira introduced herself. “Well aren’t you a sweet one” She said with a kind tone. Unlike her performance, she had a rather casual demeanor to herself. “And no we aren’t part of a troupe. Just a small trio trying to make ends meet. They call me Rebecca.” She said smiling. “Say you wouldn’t happen to be a musician as well, are you? I could see you strumming along with our little show”. As Rebecca spoke, she started to study the large package on her back. “People say I have a good eye for talent. That’s how I recruited Ali and Baxter over there.” She said motioning to the drum player and flutist respectively. “How about joining us for a drink at the Lighthouse’s Eye. On us of course” Rebecca added as she shook the pouch of newly acquired coins.

Imperia

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Imperia found a a small nock besides the tree to hide herself. She didn't have to wait long for the two mutated beasts to leave her spot and search somewhere else for food. In the Scarred Lands it was never a good idea to stay in one spot for too long. There was always something lurking in the shadows ready to pounce. But for tonight, Imperia was safe to rest her head.

_______________________

Imperia woke from her sleep to a familiar face. "Wakey, Wakey my lovely little fighter" Loyd said as he sat across from Imperia. Even in his ghostly form, the former assassins wore his signature white suit and dress shoes. But his spectral body gave off a haunting glow as he simply smiled at her sleeping form. For some reason Imperia's father could manifest himself when she sleeper but he couldn't travel far from her main body. This wasn't the first time she's caught him looking at her sleeping form, and it wouldn't be the last.

"The Sun is up. Or I think it is. It's hard to tell in this infernal place" Loyd said as his ghostly form slowly melted back into Imperia's body. It was a strange sensation. It sent a chill through her body whenever her father returned to her body, like a cool spring breeze. But it wasn't a painful experience, in fact it felt quite pleasant. "Now eastward ho!" He said. His ghostly face kissing her cheek before disappearing into her.

Once her camp was packed up, Imperia made her way eastward towards the borders of the Scarred Lands. As always the paths were crooked and unkept. Given the land's nature, it was difficult to produce roads, bridges or any other kind of structures. Building towns or cities in these lands were grand feat. She hadn't been walking for an hour before she heard her father's voice.

"Imperia. Stop!" Loyd said. The playful tone had subsided for the moment taking on a more professional candor. "To your right" He said. Even though no-one else would hear him, he continued to speak as though he was on a mission. When she turned to look, Imperia saw the head of one of the Orthrus that she had encountered last night. Behind it, a trail of blood was left leading to a small hill range to the north. There was another head shaped object in the distance with the sounds of battle ringing out further behind that.

Alicteria

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As the carriage left the city limits, it continued to travel around the wall heading north. There weren’t many people around this area of the city which made for a quiet ride. As Alicteria answers his question, Oliver sits back in his seat, not taking his eyes off her. “To some degree, yes. Though I would hope that you could be a bit flexible with your methods” the butler said with a distinguished tone.

Their transport soon re-entered the city from the northern gate. The wealth of the inhabitants of this area was on display as each house was more ordine than the next. The people who walked the street wore expensive fabrics and jewelry. Following many were servants, of varying size and creed. Even dressed up, there were clear signs of their servitude from tattoos to collars to even marks of abuse. The nobility was always of a different mind from the rest of the citizens, but since the passing of King Belsar the Third they have grown markedly more cruel and self-centered.

It wasn’t long until the carriage stopped in front of a small mansion that sat in the shadow of the Castle Esprit. While well made, it wasn’t as opulent as the surrounding estates. The trip down the driveway was short and the wagon stopped right at the doorway. There they were met by a tall woman in a maid outfit and a blonde woman in a well-made dress.

“You didn’t have to greet us at the gate my Lady!” Oliver said to the blonde woman as he stepped out of the transport.

“I know, I just worry when you make these excursions” The woman said as she and her maid approached. Once they stood before Alicteria, she gave the nun a courteous curtsy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Alicteria. Oliver has told me much about you. I am Vivianne LaCroix, fifth princess of the royal family.

[mrblah]

"It is as she says," Theresa replies in confirmation of Charlotte's words to her husband. "We hail from the north, though our travels over the years have taken us a number of places." She'd kept her polite tone and smile as she spoke, but Theresa hadn't been so enthused at the discovery that this woman would know anything of her origins. Never would she be ashamed to call herself a Highland Nomad, but the reactions of outsiders may not prove beneficial in some settings. Not everyone trusted mountain tribes... though, that being said, it also was an interesting fact to learn that Charlotte would have such an accurate guess in the first place. Her observational skills were just what Theresa expected. Reginald continued with the help from his wife, attacking a new angle she wasn't sure she could defend depending on Lord Devin's preferences, but the Lord would soon put a stop to the advance for himself. To the Mother Nymph's delight, he seemed to take her bait.

"Should you be able to, Mr. Thornsworth, I would be no less than suspicious of your means. The produce of my people relies on techniques unique to our farmhands; the special preparations necessary to conform the land for the creation of such food is an important trade secret, and... allow me to just say that we value it highly for good reason," Theresa nodded. She'd continue with the opportunity presented to her as she reached for the glass of wine the servant brought—the Mother Nymph would briefly pause to stare into the liquid. Alcohol... let's, maybe just hold it for appearances.

She returned her attention to the Lord. "Our produce includes a number of fruits and vegetables that defined our culture. We include more common foods as tomatoes, potatoes, and cabbage in our diet, but other foods more closely associated with the likes of sweet plums and mouthwatering, big pomegranates are what we typically reap, usually for breakfast dishes and desserts. As for their names... I believe the pronunciation would be a bit difficult, so it may be best to rename them for business. Herbs and spices would also be part of our inventory." Theresa twirled the red wine in her glass absentmindedly as she attempted to show a confident front.

"To put matters plainly, you could consider our produce part of an exotic market, a new frontier that would be profitable to control. I'd hope that would prove of interest?" Just as rehearsed. With a little deviation to appear natural.

[MiscChaos]

Linda’s smile deepens when she catches the thief’s wrist. From the pained look in the kitty’s expression, she didn’t quite nail a painless capture, but oh well. The girl’s lucky her hand isn’t a useless pulp of muscle and bone given Linda’s lack of experience with not maiming someone.

“Ah. I’m sure I could have believed your assertion that this was an accident if you didn’t immediately follow it up with a threat against my person. Sloppy work, that.” She says in the tone of someone completely unbothered and is casually pointing out a mistake. And she really isn’t bothered since finding these Wildside Bandits seems to be the goal. The only decision now is how to play this. Should she continue the kind act and try to convince this kitty that she wants to let them know everything she knows about the bandits? Or should she switch to sadism and try to scare the information out of her? She’d like the second one more, but she has her partner watching so it’d probably be ill advised. But the whole benevolent act does so grate on her nerves. But she’ll grin and bear it since a little kindness today can be the set up for greater pain tomorrow. “I do apologize about any discomfort you may be experiencing. I am entirely unused to having to moderate my strength and so I don’t know what exactly ‘gentle’ may be. Just bear with it for now.” Might as well start stage setting so if this happens again in the future, she has an alibi.

“In the future, you need to pick a method and go with it. Are you going to be apologetic and brush the whole thing off as an unfortunate accident? Commit to the bluff and cause them to let you go out of fear? You could even try spinning it as if you were trying to cop a feel if you find them attractive enough. Mixing and matching approaches just waters down the whole thing unless you do it just right.” She continues her lecture, trying to build herself up as someone with experience in this. Well, regarding masks she has a lot of experience, but that’s neither here nor there. “Now, let’s talk about these ‘Wildside Bandits’ friends of yours. The threat does no good if the person you’re threatening has no idea what you’re talking about. Given we came into town with one of us riding a horse, we very obviously aren’t from around here. We have no idea who these people may be and so have no reason to fear them. You have to set a scene if you’re going to do that. Build these people up as someone who would violate a child while mutilating the mother if the mood struck them. Someone who has such strong control of the area that the people fear to even whisper their name for fear they may be heard. Someone who would have absolutely no problem with waterboarding you in that harbor before they set you to sink. That is the kind of setup you need if you’re going to scare someone. Also, don’t fall for obvious traps. A noble looking woman on a horse and someone on the ground defending her. It’s such an obvious setup that you should have looked past it immediately.”

“Now that we’ve established I’m quite knowledgeable about these things, I just so happen to be looking for an outfit myself. Perhaps you could point me in their direction?” Hopefully she’s done a good enough job of scene setting herself. She should have given the kitten the impression that Linda is very used to this kind of activity and is looking to continue her line of work. Being introduced in a friendly way will make gathering information on this bandit group much easier, making it easier to decide the best time to take them out.