25 years ago, an unlikely band of heroes defeated the evil that plagued Waeldeshore. Sure, everyone may have their own version of the tale, but in the end the group was victorious. A monstrous dragon was slain, demons were pushed back into the abyss, and the objective of their mission, to obtain an item, one that was much more than it seemed, had been successful.

The key was now in the hands of their sage, Genevieve; a mysterious woman with such knowledge and power, handed down to her by the elders of her order for one purpose - to snuff out the evil in this world. The order Genevieve had once belonged to, was dedicated to preserving the balance, and keeping the demons of the abyss at bay. Unfortunately, treachery and deceit were more than just side notes in a story book; ultimately, they were what caused the downfall of the order. Remnants of their true purpose had gone into hiding, until one fateful day, the gods decided their knowledge and power was needed once more. Genevieve had skulked around town for a few days until she found their group, informing them of the details of their situation. She fought with them, aided their battle as best as she could. She had done her duties and eradicated the evil that attempted to overtake Waeldeshore. Their mission had been a success, and those who had lingered within the city walls beyond that first night, had learned of many other mysteries that plagued their realm.

Many other powers came into play over the years. The Jarjeatys Magi are an order of professional mages, all talented in magic at varying levels and species, but all having the same degree of discipline, mental control and a good degree of knowledge. Their sphere of influence extends wide, although they aren't known for using it often. Individual members are rare to come by, but many courts in the world have at least one member serving as some sort of advisor. They are also known to take refugees in, and maintain a library containing various items of value. Their power and influence has grown over the years, yet there is much about them that remains a mystery, unless of course you know where to look.


A woman clad head to toe in fine silks and jewels, sat at her throne, bejeweled the same way as her gown. Her brow wrinkled slightly, her muscles tensed, her very presence echoed with impatience and frustration. She drummed her long and painted fingernails on the arm rest. She hadn’t seemed to have aged very much over the past twenty five years. For any that had known her previously, they may stare at her with wide eyed disbelief, to look upon her; they would see the same face that had stared at them 25 years prior. The new comers may think their host is but a young lass, barely into her twenties.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Enter" the sage bellowed. A small and frail man entered, the sight of him suggested quite an opposing lifestyle than what was displayed in the throne room. He wasn't horribly well off, but his clothes were torn and worn. The dirt under his fingernails suggested he was a laborer of sorts. His voice was meek, and he trembled as he grew closer to the woman.

"Pardon the intrusion m'lady, ever-one got yer lettas. Sum o dem a here in town alrede." He began to stumble over his words and cleared his throat in frustration. "I told em' ta come here." He nodded to her, keeping in his place until she gave any other instructions.

“It is about time”, she grumbled. “I had sent those letters out over a week ago, I shouldn’t have had to wait this long. So where are they?!”

“I ain’t sure m’lady.” He winced. Her temper had only gotten worse with time. .. Time … It was something she seemed to have a lot of, but it was never enough. Nothing was ever enough. “Bu-but I’m sure they be here soon.” He nodded once more.

She looked him over briefly. The stammering annoyed her, but she knew he was only doing it out of fear. Good, she thought. He should be afraid of me. ”Calm Yourself” it was but a whisper, a faint echo of a voice that only she could hear. Part of her knew she was being harsh with the poor man, sometimes she just could not help herself. She sighed softly, leaning her head into the palm of her hand, her elbow propped up on the arm of her throne.

"Thank you, that will be all." She muttered to the messenger. Her demeanor had changed somewhat, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize. It hadn't been in her nature to do so in a long while. Nevertheless, the group she had assembled would be gathered in her abode soon enough. And upon their success, she would regain the item that was stolen from her. ...and all that is rightly mine, she concluded her own thought with words just above a whisper. Now all that was left to do was to sit and wait.

Nine Years Ago

By Sakaala, quoted from "Myths Among the Wild Men", Chapter IV "Rangers"
"He came to me in these hours of death, not as a prophet, not as a madman, but a speaker of a dying world. This world in which we all hold so dear, he more than many cherished it, but more deeply so its rawest of aspects; he drank from the same cup that brought up my blood unfathom time ago - the same that poured itself into the life of all things truly free, truly pure. Upon me he bestowed a returned breath of life to my breast. Another broader purpose, one beyond this lonesome self pursuit which brought little but distraction. I, as he and others alike, were sworn to something greater; something I had forgotten in my lingering darkness. My hours of cold."

"He reminded me, in these twilight moments of lucidity, that none of our tasks are done. They are part of the cycle eternal, that even with his passing, just as Hers many years ago, that the hunt must continue. Simply because we are reclaimed, because we are... undone, we must still persevere in our preservation of what we were in life. I held him as he shook, just as I had others; unable to return life to that which was truly gone. But his words, just as before, did not leave me; urging this journey on."

"I contemplated fate, not faith - the latter not in question."

"I am ranger in the tongues of men and The Huntress in the words of many more unspoken. I am a sworn enemy of evil and the very weapon of an entire world."

---

Present Time

It was not that the one remaining eye's sight, in all its golden glory, had betrayed its master, but that it pried ink from parchment with such sheer force that it seemed uncertain anymore of the message's true, underlying purpose. It was as though it had been intended for another, but the explicit personal summons, in the way of mere man so bold as to confront a monster suggested otherwise; from the time the approach began it was clear he was almost compelled to do such a thing, mayhap in part against his will. A troubling truth whatever it was, but it begged only further as to why in any such case - what possible effect would be gained through such a trap, if it were one? If they had such means to make a demand upon her of any, and wished to do her harm, why not simply do so?

Even in her growing age she was no easy thing to find, certainly not now.

It was not that she was elusive by intent so much as by virtue. The world was vast, oft ferocious and unforgiving, yet one messenger found his way among the most obscure paths to her. Had her temper not been so steady, such an unwelcome surprise would have been more swiftly met at blade's end, but fate seemed to intervene once more. It was not that she would have made threat on his life, so much as having been far, far less willing to hear out any reason for being so hunted and discovered.

Returning to the words, she had indeed turned the tables of the game being played, at least as much as she could. Her arrival, the initial at least, was more observation than anything, but rewarding all the same. She dared not approach the way she was instructed - a path throughout a town to a place in which sat largely by itself upon a secluded, cleared way not much further beyond. Its construction spoke of older wealth, older power... mortal works, being dense stone and wood. Something built by human hands, or at least guided by them. This was no surprise, at least that wealth and power had found her, for one reason or another, but what did intrigue the mind and the eyes-within-the-night was that there was no familiarity at all to what she beheld.

Low as she knelt, both bright and deadened eye taking in what she could see from her concealment and cover, her breath deepened in contemplation.

"I take no joy in doing what has been asked." She spoke, grasping the rolled leather legging of her left thigh, pushing herself to standing, "But either they will be a worthy host..."

"... or all of them have had the misfortune of being set to kill me." The voice continued, knowing that her incursion into town, even its outskirts on a journey to this manor, came with implications. Namely that the town was unwittingly to be used to either weaken or murder her.

Mortals were not fond of the ones touched by the world's blood, even less fond of those drawn up from it. In times prior she journeyed with a cadre of armed men, wielding bow, blade and mystic ill omen or power; mercenaries, often the most cunning or intelligent to rather recruit the "monster" to their ranks than be so fool as to attempt to kill it. Then it humored her wants, to have this bond among sanctioned marauders, but now it would have been a swift way to find herself from one side to this unusual summons... no less with able hands in tow should the strange parchment truly be an elaborate effort to eliminate her.

Drawing up the worn cloak and hood, or really what remained of it, she confined herself to approach by darkness to darkness. Time consuming as it was, she avoided the few who remained out on a eve such as this; at most all they saw was a strange hooded silhouette in the darkness that departed as quickly as it left. The hustle of this effort skirted the town and set her upon the path to approach this strange, regal place, which in no time she neared its cast open gates.

Someone was expected, this much she knew. One did not leave open their gates, devoid of guardsmen, if they did not expect specific company - mage or otherwise alike. Yet this did little to comfort the aging beast, whose great feet left marks upon the damp earth here where it could not be disturbed by natural disguises and illusions.

Out of her element, but far from helpless, she wondered what more was in store for her...

Ajax was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a scaredy-cat and so he strolled around town with the confident, easy saunter of one that knew himself indestructible, doing absolutely nothing to hide his incredibly conspicuous presence. In fact, he was chewing on a drumstick and occasionally taking sips off a wineskin he had purchased with what little currency he had in a local dive of ill-repute. Some might call it overconfidence, but he had grown comfortable around the dangers of the world by clashing with them from an early age. Armed with nothing, he had become a champion fighter, a well known adventurer in many lands and had survived much in the process.

Ajax had, in fact, been one of the first to arrive in town and perhaps the first that the servant, a small man with the bearing of a mistreated pet, had directed towards the isolated house that spoke to him of riches and some measure of power. Not that he cared much about that. He was set in his ways after his harsh life, and his ways said that after a boring journey for a cryptic summons, from someone he knew nothing about to boot, he had to eat and drink. Then it would be business time, unless more merriment was to be found from the host. They could wait, and chances were they needed him more than he needed them.

He wondered not how they had found him for he was a very easy man to find, no matter where he went. Tall, muscular, obviously foreign, lover of revelry and incredibly dangerous when upset, it was a matter of following the rumors and the trail of havok that typically accompanied him. Whether he consciously tried to call attention to himself or not, few could say. But he was quite certain that anyone that needed anything dead and had heard of him would seek him out, as had happened plenty before. And if anyone sought to set a trap for him in a strange continent he had only recently arrived to, well, it was their problem.

And so, taking his time and taking stock of the village, the kind of large and fairly miserable settlement with little to see that he had spent more days than he cared to count in, he made his way to the house following the given path, soon crossing the open outer gate. Whether he saw the hooded figure trying to remain as unnoticed as possible in a place with few spots to hide none could say and he simply wouldn't care. Few had his grit, after all, he was used to it. Thinking nothing of it, he took the door knocker in hand and loudly banged on the wooden inner gate. A couple times too many and a bit too hard.

It was anyone's guess why Maru had been picked out of the crowd of many, wether it be ill-fated or simply because she was a beast she'd never know as she stared down at the letter, her emerald green eyes scanning the words with above human intelligence, her ears sat straight up on her head, twitching here and there to catch the sound bouncing off the cobbles as she folded up the parchment and placed it inside a leather pouch at her side. The few people out and about skirted the Faun with caution and mistrust etched across their features, she didn't expect them not to fear her, standing a little above six foot with her impressive two foot rack of antlers she assumed people would give her a wide berth, it was rare for her kind to mingle with the creatures of the everyday world, most humans hadn't even heard of her kind yet, if it wasn't her sheer size and lith appearance that scared folks away it was her strange long sword at her hip, it closely resembled a katana but was much longer to suit the height of the weilder.

The street lights casted weary shadows about the town as Maru glided through the streets, her long legs striding elegantly across the stones, one might question how her hooves seemed to mute the echo that should be bouncing through the ally way though no one was around. Maru, though having been living as an indigenous years prior was rarely fearful, she was at ease in the dark, with her sword at her side and her bow at her back, she had lived her life for so long amongst the gluttonous and prideful ways of man kind, it was obvious with the few rings that sat on several of her antler tips, she was curious as to what would happen if she followed the messanger's instructions, she tipped her head forward as she moved out of the ally way to stop and look at the large house on an enclosed estate, surely this was the place, Maru stamped her feet and snorted loudly through her nostrils, she was thoroughly intrigued which was really the only thing keeping her moving forward.

Maru, before the messenger had approached her with the letter had been heavily considering going back to be a blacksmith, the life of a mercenary wasn't exactly what one might call comfortable, she was never positive if she'd have a bed to sleep in at night and if any job she took on would pay well enough for food and further supplies, she did enjoy the discovery of new things as Maru was always extensively curious and she adored the things she found and acquired, choosing mostly to be paid in jewels rather than coin, but was it all worth it? Fate seemed to decide for her as she couldn't turn down anything as curious as a messenger with a letter and instructions to large house obviously owned by someone with a lot of coins, and possible gems.

Maru stood to her full height and moved through the gate, her green eyes quickly scanning the grounds, her ears flicked nervously about, as cautious as she was curious Maru instinctively moved her hand to the hilt of her sword as she approached the manor, her tail and ears ram-rod straight and her eyes wide, she wasn't scared, just always cautious, always on the ready.
She noticed a brute of a man already at the great doors as she slowed her pace, her hand switching to a more relaxed position on the sword rather than a defensive, she slowed to a stop several yards from the large house, her eyes sweeping across it's exterior, she wished she had the kind of money to own something as extravagant as this house, but she didn't dwell on her misfortunes, besides, she'd never want a house so large, she'd get a small house and fill it with jewels, her eyes sparkled with curiosity once more as she pressed onward toward the behemoth of a man and the luxurious home.

Following a set of rather detailed instructions to the small town, a young armored knight on horseback caught the eye of many as he entered the village. The settlement, while large, appeared to be rather poor- so the presence of any visitor was probably an uncommon sight. The vast majority of the buildings in the town were made of wood, and the streets were rather haphazardly paved with a combination of loose cobblestones and mud. All in all, it was a rather drab place- save for the conspicuously ornate, almost ostentatious manor at the top of the hill facing the town. Despite this, Emil was glad to have finally arrived after several long days on the road, and immediately made his way towards a nearby inn to restock his dwindling supplies, as well as give his horse a well needed break.

Emil had begun unwinding in the tavern underneath the inn, making small conversation with the barkeeper as the man refilled his waterskins and made arrangements to restock the young knight's supplies when a small, cowed man attempted to gain Emil's attention. The man himself was actually of fairly average height, but stood in a very hunched, very tamed manner, as though he was less than a man. The small fellow managed to stammer out to him a request to proceed to the house at the hill with all due haste, though the request seemed almost more like pleading, begging, as though his life depended on it. Tired, but not too tired to spurn his entire reason for visiting this town, Emil paid the barkeep, and gathered up his belongings.

Emil opted to walk up to the house, holding the reins of his horse in hand and leading the creature instead of riding it. The path to the house was short, and Emil didn't want to seem arrogant if his hose was at the top of the hill waiting for him. As it was, a small crowd was already starting to form up in the courtyard of this home- the most obvious of which was a rather large, brawny man loudly knocking on the wooden door, the door's knocker loud enough to fill the courtyard with its noise. Wrapping his lead to a post, Emil left his horse near the gate and approached the front door where the large brawny man was attempting to make his presence known.

Regina stood by the door, glaring at the last of the fighters from the pub. "And stay out!" she yelled before heading back inside, slamming the door behind her. She took her seat in the back of the room, glaring at the man across the table from her. "Continue?"

"Y-yes." the man said, fear apparent in his eyes. "As I stated previously, I come with a letter. My Mistress would like you to go speak with her." As he spoke, he slid a letter from his pocket and slid it across the table to her.

An apple in hand, Regina stared at the letter as it floated and unfolded itself as she ate. She read through the letter quickly with a small smile. "Oh, I remember her. It's been a quarter of a century since I last saw her."

"Yes, she said you helped defeat a dragon." he began.

The halfling interrupted. "I didn't help defeat a dragon. That was all the Dragon Slayer, Siegfried. I merely helped capture the necessary artifact."

"Will you be answering her summons?" The man asked hesitantly.

"Most likely." she said as she stood, taking the last bite of her apple.

Across the room was a trio of men throwing knives at a target on the wall. Each of them had gotten close but none had hit the target yet. A single knife flew through the air, piercing the center of the smallest circle, causing the men to eye the halfling in fear and anger.

Regina pulled her knife back to her hand. "Keep trying boys." Turning back to the man, she began to speak again. "Tell her, I should be-" She froze and looked around, a bit confused as to why the man would run off without a definite answer.

From the bar, Regina could hear an argument rising quickly. She rolled her eyes and floated to the bar, landing opposite them. "Not again," she sighed, looking at the pair.

-Two Weeks Later-

Regina strode through town with a smile. She'd taken all her belongings when she left Waeldeshore, not knowing if she'd be back. As she walked, she noticed quite a few beautiful woman, most of whom seemed to be ignoring her. It hadn't taken too long to get to the home of Genevieve and she felt glad she had been chosen. Upon arriving, she eyed the growing group. "So, I guess you're my team," she said, looking each of them over, getting a small glance into their minds to see her first impression on them. "Call me Regina." To show off a little, she lifted herself in the air a few feet.

The scent of others, fresh as it was, hanging in the air spoke multitudes as her jowls flexed and drew in their identities and soon committed them to memory. Numerous as they were, each proved distinct within her sharpened mind, as though she knew about each of them beyond whatever first words they could have spoken to her; there was the scent of two men, both one older and much more robust, pungent, and another whose was mingled with the air of a horse, of which matched the hoof prints her good eye cast itself upon. Beside the prints of the men and the horse, so too was there that of a deer... a large one at that, and its gait matched poorly anything the aged huntress expected.

Strange. The thought came to her, but it did accompany what seemed fair enough in scent, as there were two others of which were both female, the latter being a halfling and the former being something else altogether. Nothing immediate, but there were other monstrous things afoot short of her. This she understood as a good omen, at least for the time being.

Each track moved in the same procession up the path to the manor and past the gate, barring the horse of which was not far now that she began to search it out with her gaze; it stood, disciplined as it was, affixed to a post and issued only a huff. Not wishing to announce herself by startling the beast of burden, she avoided coming any nearer, but its calm even at this distance in the face of a potential predator inferred one certain fact... that it was tamed, trained and battle-ready, something its leather barding suggested as well.

Now having better understood, or so she believed, the scenario she found herself in, she committed herself to following their advance, still shrouded in her raggedly worn and faded ebon robe. Her silhouette certainly was not human - the way in which her legs appeared gave that much away - but it was better than openly revealing herself, as for the time being she still lacked any reason to trust the deliverer of the message, even more so their master. Yet, with each quiet step she made, she found herself soon witnessing a gathering upon the lavish porch of the abode and there was some talk in the air using the common tongue.

"-me Regina." Was what her ears picked up at first sound.

Not first, that was a mistake to lay claim to - the knocking man she had heard first, some short time ago, but she had not immediately associated the two events until this moment. But, as she came to expect upon seeing the enormous human, he was the more recognizable of the three mortals' scents. Not far behind him was a younger, almost meek young man in well fitted suit of half-plate. Initially she thought him diminutive, at least in comparison to the sheer might of the burly human's form, but appearances were deceiving, much so. The halfling, as a decided example, unexpectedly appeared to be free of the earth's eternal grasp and certainly without a magical or mundane means to do so, and the earlier pair of prints no less belonged to a faun.

The half-beast's attention shifted from one to another while she remained but no more than fifteen paces away. A distance she had learned was often enough to counter any usual advance, but with this... interesting collective, she did not immediately expect them to be hostile. A monster as she was, this gathering was no less any odd in their own individual ways.

Preferring not to leave it to surprise, her presence that was, her matured, softly growled, yet stern voice spoke from beneath her cowl;

"I take it we have all been summoned by the master of this place."

@Belwicket@vietmyke@AdamantiumWolf@Zero Hex

Ionathan pondered as he grew closer to the house, was it a trap? To kill the heroes that saved Waeldeshore? Ionathan would never consider himself a hero, he had merely been in the right place at the right time.

Nearing the house Ionathan now looked at the people by the door. Ionathan eyebrows were raised to places that they had never been, was that a Deer Faun? He had read about them in some book long ago but just thought they were the stuff of legend. Banging on the door was a large man who didn't seem to have any weapons which puzzled Ionathan, if he was not a fighter what was he? A cook?

Ionathan then frowned upon seeing the young lad, how come everyone has half plate accept for him? Putting the thought out of his head he looked the boy up and down, he had seen his type during the war enthusiastic and almost free of fear he was like him when he was young. At least there was a familiar face in the crowd, the Halfling from Waeldeshore, Ionathan never did arrest her for unlawful use of magic in public which she seemed to be doing now.

Lastly there was some kind of feline humanoid that had just emerged from the shadows, just by looking at her, Ionathan knew that the feline has a lot of experience under her belt.

"I take it we have all been summoned by the master of this place."

Tucking his sallet under his arm Ionathan now thought to make his presence known.

"Indeed we have and now I feel, it is the time for introductions." Ionathan stood to attention like the drill master had bored into him many years ago
"Sir Ionathan Hepburnberg" putting a clenched fist to his chest and doing a half bow
"At your service"

@Belwicket @vietmyke @AdamantiumWolf @Zero Hex @The Harbinger of Ferocity

On the outside, the house itself was not -as- different as the rest of the shabby lots in this so called village. It was obvious that an effort was made, at the very least, to make it stand out. Unfortunately, poor weather and time make it unbearably difficult to keep up such appearances. And so, by the time the group had arrived, while they would certainly notice the odd way in which it somehow stood out, it would have looked as pitiful as the rest of them.

Suddenly footsteps could be heard from behind the door, rushing to open it. A young woman, barely into her twenties, stood in the door way, her hand over her chest as she caught her breath. Any introductions were cut short as the young woman spoke. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, please do come in." She offered a curt nod, and motioned them all inside.

To anyone with keen senses, they might have felt something before entering... something odd, not just about the house, but someone was watching them. It wasn't clear where that someone was, nor was their intent. But somewhere in the distance, a pair of eyes lingered over the odd group. The figure did not stir, did not speak, no sound was uttered upon viewing who was present. They remained silent and hidden, merely observing the going-ons in front of the sage's home.

The outside appearance of the small cottage was quite deceiving. For starters it was much bigger inside than the outside may have led you to believe. Everything was polished, exotic carpets draped over the cold, hard floors, fancy curtains shielded the interior from the views that plagued the town, and chandeliers hung in every room, illuminating every corner and crevice.

The young woman quickly made her way to the front of the group. She was pretty in a very plain way, mousy brown hair pulled back in a braided bun, and eyes that matched in color. There was nothing extravagant really to speak about her, but she seemed pleasant enough. She led them into a large room, it wasn't a very far walk from the front door, and the group would not have noticed anything distinctive within the nouveau riche setting. Once in the room, there was a long rectangular table of cherry wood, lined with ornate chairs. A large chair was placed on the far end, the seat was padded for extra comfort.

"You will stay in here, for now. The master of the house will be with you shortly.", was all the woman said before disappearing into halls.

@Belwicket @vietmyke @AdamantiumWolf @Zero Hex @The Harbinger of Ferocity @Jon Y

When Regina attempted to touch Ajax's mind, a most curious thing happened to her. Imagine, if you will, a beast of a man grabbing you and lifting you high in the air by your collar. Simply holding all of your weight aloft with an outstretched arm, with such astounding ease that a single thought would immediately form in your mind, the recognition of a simple truth: "This man could kill me with his bare hands". Regina felt the psychic equivalent of this as she attempted to intrude in the mind of one that held much in common with the savage creatures he often slew for a living. It was accompanied with a warning: "Intrusion will not be tolerated".

Physically, Ajax simply turned and took stock of the newcomers. Two beastkin, a youngling man at arms, an elf of some type as far as he could tell and the tiny little shit that had tried to pry her way into the privacy of his mind. They all looked the part in some way, at least. He doubted the young one would be of much use but everyone had to start somewhere, so he would give him the benefit of expecting little out of him and hope he would grow into a respectable man. The elf had the feel of a soldier around him as well, disciplined and properly respectful, more he could not tell, and who knew with the beastkin.

The puny squirt, however, he did not like. Calling Ajax part of "your team" without doing anything to warrant it, and it would take much for Ajax Diagorides to recognize someone as having any authority over him, was a quick way of getting on his bad side, and trying to show off her powers as if they made her more deserving of any respect or awe just made her seem like a petulant child, desperately seeking attention. Focusing his gaze upon Regina, he looked at her up and down as one does a piece of merchandise, his mouth twisted into an unpleasant, mocking grin. He made a dismissive sound with his mouth.

"Heh. Parlor tricks", he said, throwing the mostly eaten drumstick down in her general direction.

Before he could say more, however, the door opened behind him and in he went, following the not at all bad looking maid inside. If he felt anything, again he did not express it outwardly, so used was he to attempts on his life and staring down the creatures of the abyss. The inside of the house certainly did not impress him. He missed the beauty and architecture of his homeland and comparisons between the strange lands he wandered and Erimai were often unfavorable in his mind. When he was led to the meeting room, he gave the maid one of those looks before taking a seat, propping his legs up on the table and holding out his still half full wineskin.

"I am Ajax Diagorides, I fight for a living and I respect only the strong. But if we are to quest together, we drink together, so in courtesy I offer you what is mine. Don't make me regret it".

@Belwicket @vietmyke @AdamantiumWolf @The Harbinger of Ferocity @Jon Y @IcePezz

Regina looked around and frowned as she caught the meat with her telekinesis. Looking at Ajax, she sighed. "Psionic block. Interesting. Is that you or an item on you?" When the door opened, she tossed the leg and dropped to the ground to walk inside. Looking around, she admired the house, taking in many of the smaller details she didn't think many of the others would pick up on.

When the maid said the master of the house would be with them soon, Regina began floating again. "So, how have you been these last 25 years?" she asked Ionathan with a small smile. She knew it was only small talk but it shouldn't last too long. She floated up next to him, staying at his eye level.

Her mind was still open, trying to see the surface thoughts of everyone in the group except Ajax as his mind was blocked. She focused mostly on the beast person, more through curiosity than anything else. She reminded her of one of the men she had met in Waeldeshore though she hadn't seen him since before the dragon.

A small crowd had gathered by the door before Emil had realized it. Along with the large brawny man were a pair of beastkin- the feline one in particular made Emil suddenly tense up. His heart jumped in his chest for a moment, and his hand reflexively twitched for a moment before he realized that she was part of the forming group as well and began to relax. There was a small halfling as well. Well, actually, a tall halfling- quite possibly towering over most other halflings in fact. She quickly and confidently introduced herself, and proceeded to float herself off the ground, which filled Emil with a sense of unease- he was suspicious of magic, as most born in his generation were. The brawny man didn't seem particularly pleased by the halfling either, calling her levitation a 'parlor trick'.

The last man to approach their group was actually one that Emil recognized before he introduced himself: Ionathan of the Hepburnberg family, the Commissioner of Justice of neighboring the neighboring town of Waeldeshore, and one of the most well respected guardsmen in Waeldeshore. As a result, he was also relatively well known in Edessa, and a young lady of the Hepburnberg family often visited the kingdom as an ambassador to ensure fruitful trade relations between the two nations. Ionathan was also known as one of the heroes of Waeldeshore.

Upon realizing this, Emil shot a glance back at the halfling- her seeming ease and familiarity with the setting, and her assumption of the rest of the group being her 'team' implied...

Emil's thoughts were dashed away as the door suddenly opened, and a young woman behind it welcoming them. She was a pretty thing, not breathtaking, and a bit plain, but comely and pleasant. As she led the group inside, Emil followed, pausing at the threshold. He glanced over his shoulder, and then over the other. He felt a sensation of unease, but quickly shook his head and followed the others inside- he was already clearly the youngest of the gathered persons here, and he didn't want to appear as inept as they probably thought he was. Besides, it was probably just the unfamiliarity of this place.

The maid led them to a sort of dining/gathering/hall type room, with a large table and chairs for the group to take seat in. Introductions appeared to resume here. It was at this point where the halfling began making small talk with Sir Hepburnberg, which confirmed Emil's suspicions. Taking a seat, the large brawny man made himself comfortable and introduced himself as Ajax Diagorides, and held his wineskin up as an offering to the others. The man had a peculiar name, to say the least- and now that he was illuminated by the light of numerous chandeliers and candles, it was clear that the man was from nowhere near here- from the thick curls of his hair, to the peculiar, slightly darker color of his skin, in a way that was more than just exposure to the sun.

Emil decided to introduce himself next, and stood to attention, same as Ionathan had done, and clapped a hand over his chest, dipping his head down in a different, but recognizable salute.

"Emil Erran of Edessa," he said calmly, his voice was softer than one would expect, warmer and lacking the bite of a typical military man's bark, but at the same time not lacking in confidence. "I am a Knight of Edessa and have experience with field medical care."

He eyed the foreign man's wineskin for a split-second, unsure if he should take the drink or not- more specifically unsure if the man would welcome him to take a drink. However, Emil had no wish to appear haughty or discourteous and took the man's outstreched wineskin, lifting it up to take a sip.

Returning it to the brawny fighter, Emil thanked him. "I hope to be of use." he finished, as he took a seat at the table as well.

@Zero Hex @Belwicket @Jon Y @The Harbinger of Ferocity @AdamantiumWolf @IcePezz

Upon entering the house Ionathan was presently surprised. The well-lit interior gave the cottage a warm and pleasant feeling.

"So, how have you been these last 25 years?"

Ionathan realised that he hadn’t kept in contact with any of the other heroes of Waeldeshore, he wondered where they all went.

Replying to Regina, Ionathan decided to tell her the most important parts “Settled down, got married, joined the civil service" Ionathan smiled remembering sweet memories of the past.

Worrying that Regina might think that he had gone soft, quickly added “But don’t worry, I’ve kept up a good training regime to keep me as fit as I can be" Ionathan said, tapping the pommel of his bastard sword with his free hand.

"I am Ajax Diagorides, I fight for a living and I respect only the strong. But if we are to quest together, we drink together, so in courtesy I offer you what is mine. Don't make me regret it".

Ionathan turned to face Ajax, it was a rather blunt introduction but Ionathan respected his matter of fact way of introduction. During his experience in the guard, he was called to break up bar fights and do raids against gang hideouts but he had never seen a man as muscled as Ajax. Ionathan wondered if Ajax ever wielded a two handed sword, he could probably split a man in two and wave the blade like a normal man would wave a kitchen knife.

When Emil stood to attention Ionathan could not help but smile, it was nice to see that not only was he disciplined but also when he spoke he did so in a calm and orderly fashion, calmness on the battlefield usually the difference between life and death. Ionathan nodded back accepting Emil's introduction. Ionathan’s opinion of Emil rose even further when he said that he was a knight of Edessa, while he had not seen them in action during the war the after action reports of battles were filled with the glorious deeds that they had done and were well respected on the field of battle, when they rode past, you did not stand to attention because of their authority but you did so out of respect. There was a saying in the army when this happened it was called “saluting the man, not the rank” and those knights deserved that privilege.

Ionathan chose not to sit down as he assumed that they would only be waiting for a short amount of time. He stood up right and at ease like he did so many times before.

@Belwicket @vietmyke @AdamantiumWolf @Zero Hex @The Harbinger of Ferocity

Ajax didn't even bother answering the halfling, he felt it obvious that he had no items on him. He was wearing a loose white robe that hid little of his visage, and had nothing on him that even approached magical. He would've understood it had he been wearing his magnificent champion's belt, but he had lost that years ago. He didn't care that one of the others seemed to know her, he simply wondered how and why he tolerated the nuisance. As for the youth, titles such as knight meant little to Ajax. He'd seen worthy and unworthy both use such a word, with various additions, to describe themselves in a variety of settings.

He offered the man at arms a nod of approval as he took his drink before addressing him. "Cubs grow or they die", he stated matter of factly, "we'll see your bite and your future out there. Climb ever higher by your own power, let nothing stop you, crush everything on your way, that's what it means to be strong" he offered as "advice", raising a clenched fist up about face-high. "In short, be like me", he finished with a toothy grin before leaving the wineskin for others to take.

@Belwicket @vietmyke @AdamantiumWolf @The Harbinger of Ferocity @Jon Y @IcePezz

The wise eyes narrowed in visible scrutiny as the half-blooded man, a mingling of bloods both elf and human, introduced himself with a practiced partial bow and chested salute. His demeanor was respectable enough, yet more noticeable for its impact that it had upon the younger man who in the future would repeat the gesture, minus the same level of seniority and with a motion of his head included as well. Yet, things changed quickly enough as the idle conversation was interrupted by a rush of footfall then the opening of the door.

With a flick of one of her curved ears something unusual washed over her, in an inexplicable interruption. Enough that she angled her strong neck slightly to her shoulder and listened, ignoring the woman and allowing the rest of the collective to advance before she so much as dared take her first step further. Unclear, she had the sensation of being observed - hardly surprising was this, as something was clearly unusual about the circumstance as a whole and someone, something taking interest in it was to be expected. Whatever power, or powers, were at work here they were well beyond mundane.

Pressing, she walked quietly past the woman, ducking to avoid striking herself on the door's uppermost frame; her height, at least within the confines of the mortal, civilized world was often almost too large. In her movement, she carried with herself a presence of serene observation. Taking mental notes of all she could observe, particularly that the home was even larger than it appeared outside within. It did little to surprise her at this point, the evidence overwhelming that they were dealing with someone magically inclined, but it was a specific sort of quality; opulent was it all, with its exotic rugs, fine curtains and numerous chandeliers.

Taking up the last of the guests, they were led to a large room not far away, furnished with a grand table and a seat clearly intended for the host.

"You will stay in here, for now. The master of the house will be with you shortly."

The aged beast made no effort to reply. The young servant girl with humbled yet cared for features then excused herself, but that was not what drew attention. It was what she had said and the manner in which she had said it that mattered. Either the master thought themselves of enough authority to command this group of people - all of whom were reasonably dangerous in some way or another - or the servant thought her master of such power.

Wizard or not, this collective was the sort who could pose a very grave, very practical threat.

Diagorides, or so he introduced himself as, took it upon himself to become comfortable, leaning back in one of the chairs; his introduction was brief, but decisive, the sort of thing a man like him undoubtedly cared for. He offered a partial wineskin, cementing his words with action. The others found themselves about into the room, but the young knight did so introduce himself next, speaking calmly in a metered manner.

"Emil Erran of Edessa, I am a Knight of Edessa and have experience with field medical care."

Only taking the wineskin out of formality it seemed, he drank, but not before the huntress turned her attention, her entire body shifting toward the halfling who elevated herself from the ground still. There was no actual action that the monster had taken beyond setting her eyes to her in this, just that she seemingly undertook some sort of natural subconscious reaction to the efforts of Regina. In turn, all that could be glimpsed of her mind was smooth concentration - the sort that deflected mental assaults. In fact, it actually now permeated the immediate area in an aura of thoughtless dampening, coating the persons in the fine room with an invisible shroud of mental hardness.

It was always there before, an underlying calm that came with the felinoid thing, who now calmly removed her robe's hood with her left hand, but it had grown to affect an area around her.

The younger man now set himself to one of the chairs, finishing his introduction, to which Diagorides remarked on, raising the drink in further motion following his clenched, solid fist. Were it not made of flesh, he the man and his fist, the veteran was sure he might as well be a walking mountain - no doubt as hard to resist as one. Ionathan, owing to this, seemed to examine the man for a moment in thought, remaining where he was in standing with the halfling at his side.

Jowls curving, revealing rows of deadly fangs of which menaced her monstrous nature in full, she spoke again, content that they had made it this far without killing one another, "I am Sakaala."

Her voice was unsettling, the sort of sound a woman of regal power would have if interwoven with an underlying growl.

Moving calmly to the end of the table near the master's chair, keeping herself intentionally aloof, hand gracing the edge of the fine wooden surface, she examined the entire scene before her. One of her eyes, specifically the right, was visibly blind and graced by a scar while the stillness of her right arm suggested it was in some manner disabled. Her steely breastplate covered only the upper portion of her chest, and for how visibly old she was, her musculature was still remarkable through her tattered hide that was of a greyed sand color.

"I am as men call me a 'monster', but I am many things." She said, blinking her beastly eyes in thought as she further unclasped her flame and blade pocked cloak and undid it from about her, no longer hiding and instead allowing it to hang loosely in its typical arrangement. In the process she so revealed that she bore a large bladed sword across her back, of which seemed to cling to her without visible means of attachment; something of elven make, certainly magical.

@Zero Hex@Jon Y@vietmyke@Belwicket@IcePezz@AdamantiumWolf

Maru stood at the back of the growing congregation, her large ears pressed backwards in distaste to the halfling prying at her mind, not that the small being would gain much by it, Maru's mind was almost always calm, and if one were to venture into the depths it would be like a forest with the sunlight filtering through, a calm stream flowing off to one side, almost enchanting, enticing.
Maru didn't think much of the others, she eyed the feline beast respectfully, knowing that with time her opinion toward the other beast would either improve or be reduced to sheer rivalry, Maru hoped for improvement but didn't count on it as she moved inside the house, her instincts picking up on the sensation, her hair along her neck rising and her ears twisting around the catch any sound relating to the feeling, having paused she didn't dismiss the feeling but walked onwards cautiously, her hand on the hilt of her sword as she followed after the group.
Maru didn't do well with chairs so she chose to stand, arms crossed and head tilted forward almost as if she was brandishing her antlers to ward off any prying eyes, she listened to the others talk and chose to stay silent, to observe was what she was best at.

@The Harbinger of Ferocity @IcePezz @Zero Hex @Jon Y @vietmyke @Belwicket

Regina laughed with a nod before reaching to pat Ionathan's shoulder. "Still a whelp compared to most of the others on our group back then." She meant it playfully and hoped her old ally would take it that way, as well as the boy who seemed to be content with metaphorically following in Ionathan's footsteps.

She listened to the rest of the introductions with a nod and a smile to each of them. She had to cut off her thoughts with the beauty of the bestial humanoid lioness. And the cute deer faun.

Turning to the rest of the group, she smiled big and friendly. "Regina Hills, Psionisist Stealther. If you've felt something strange in your mind, that was probably me." Everyone who didn't have a block up would be able to feel her presence leaving their minds. "And I think I will take some of your wine, friend," she smirked, floating it towards her.

Turning back to Ionathan, she tilted her head. "Do you remember Siegfried?" She took a drink of the beverage with a nod before floating it back to its owner's hand. "Big guy with the birthmark on his forehead and the strange scar on his shoulder."

The rogue grumbled and grunted. The sage was not making this easy for her. Deep down, she knew it may come to this but ... All those people. How could she sacrifice their lives like that? She had to inform the magi.

Slithering in the shadows, she removed herself from the rooftop nearby. Once again, she was just another member of the bustling crowd. Just another citizen of this pitiful village, so far beyond the grasp of evil. Unfortunately her duties took her right back into its clutch.

"Look left, look right, look behind and twice over" she twitched, a paranoid look about her as she made her way to safety. There was a cave, north of the village, her contact would be waiting for her there. As long as she survived the trek. You see, the years had been cruel on this one. She had played in the shadows so long, they started to consume her. She would lose herself in their realm for entire days, even weeks at a time. And it started to corrode her body and mind. Sometimes she would slip into the shadow realm, without even meaning to.

It took her half a day, but she had finally made it. Exhausted, she dropped her weight on a rock, large and shaped like a seat, just at the mouth of the cave. She knew he was near, she could smell the magic around him. A side effect.

"She's gathered a group, large and powerful at that. She knows we have it. She will make us the enemy and have them hunt us like dogs." Her voice was raspy and tired and she stared out in front of her, as if she could see the happenings of the small town play out. She paused, as if expecting him to respond.

A silhouette appeared behind her, seeming to almost walk out of the shadows before standing besides her, revealed to be an older man with a short grey beard and dark brown eyes, covered in a dark blue robe covered in small runes.

"Then we must gain the upper hand before they can." a deep, tired voice came from under the figure's cloak. "I have met with my order's council, and at the least, we are not alone in our concerns."

He pulled out of a robe pocket a small yellow talisman.

"This should help against the Sage. Although as for the group she has gathered, I cannot say how effective this will be. Still, we may be able to finish things without too much trouble from whatever group she has put together... unless they too pose a threat too great to ignore."

She didn't even have to turn and look at what he held, she could feel the negative energy coming from the talisman. "Are you sure that isn't too dangerous to use. There are some amongst this group, some who I know - who I've fought beside once before. They are the innocent ones in this. I do not wish them harmed."

The talisman had an effect on her. It was strange, she felt .. grounded. It was intoxicating actually, to not feel as if she had one foot constantly slipping into the shadow realm. Grounded, yes. It was the perfect word, and it was what lured her eyes to steal a glance at the yellow gem.

"What is that?" she whispered softly, more so to herself than a question posed to be answered.

"It will be suitable. The only collateral if it is used will be who seek to stop it from completing its work." The man put the talisman back in his pocket.

"For now, you had best watch and see what happens. I will prepare for when the time is right."

"..Completing it's work? You make it seem as if ..." whatever effect it was having on her suddenly ceased as the object was put away. She grumbled something. She felt used. And she was no one's puppet. But, she was dealing with forces she barely knew anything about. At this point, she had no choice. "Very well." she said reluctantly. "Is there anything else you would have of me .. while I just wait around and watch", her tone was dry, marked with bits of frustration.

Just as dryly, he replied "Nothing comes to mind." He turned and walked back into the cave, blending in with the shadows, with little more than his magical presence to indicate he was still present within.



Genevieve had spent all morning preparing spells, taking every precaution she felt she had to. She was sure the sneak would show herself, or at the very least, would attempt to spy on their meeting. Everything had been set, so if she couldn't catch the thief, she would at least make sure to steal back what was stolen. The group had finally been assembled. She clenched a hand in anticipation, a small grin slipped over her face. She slowly walked down the stairs, contemplating every step, every word that would be shared this evening. The faces she would come upon, the part she would play in it all.

She took a deep breath before walking into the room ...

Her brown hair had been braided several times over, and pulled into a tight bun that sat atop her head. Small ringlets of hair draped over her temples as if to fancy up the stubborn strands that just wouldn't stay bound. Her black velvet corset top molded her frame, squeezing in every bit of plumpness that had developed over the years. And her skirt, a beautiful material, shimmered as she moved about, the shade of sunlight dancing through windowpanes as it set for the evening. Her graceful figure moved into the room with purpose. A small, polite smile painted her face with charm and she dipped her head to those gathered in the room.

"Thank you all for coming.", her voice was soft and calming. "Though I thought there would be more of you, I'm sure this will do." She moved to the large chair at the end of the table, bracing her hands over the back as she returned her gaze to them. "For those of you who don't know, I am Genevieve, I come from a land quite far from here, and was once part of order of scribes and sages, whose purpose was to rid this world of the evils that plagued it. Some of you may remember me from battles fought on Silver Lily Isle. And while these past twenty five years may have seemed peaceful, I can tell you that we are all in grave danger. I need your help once more, my friends."

She glanced around the table, taking in the faces around her, pausing in her plea for a moment. "A while back, just before I left Waeldeshore, something was stolen from me. This item, paired with the artifact that some of you had procured for me, has unspeakable powers, and can greatly aid me in my quest to defeat the evil that still lingers. I have asked you all here to help me get back what was stolen, to help me defeat the evils of this realm."

After that sort of introduction, Ajax couldn't help but chuckle in a dismissive manner. Even if it had been in him to not express his disdain, it was all just too funny after living through what he had. The order of sages and scribes from a distant land, the ancient artifact of unspeakable power, oh please mighty Ajax assist us in our fight against evil for the good of the land, it was all like a typical story. He had lost count of how many useless baubles he had been made to recover under the impression they were mighty artifacts, how many times he'd gone off to fight "the evils of the realm" and wound up clearing a goblin den.

"So...", he went, still grinning bemusedly, feet planted firmly on the table, eyeing his new employer up and down in a most indiscreet manner. If she spoke of events 25 years ago then she must be of some age, she took good care of herself. Probably elf blood in her or something of the like, he figured. Sorcery had its ways to keep one young. "You were part of this...order that fought against evil. Why are they not handling this, then? It sounds like just the task for them. And you've yet to say what's in it for us. The thrill of adventure is all well and good but no one should do things for nothing. It's degrading to their skills".

Emil was at a loss for words, and felt a mixture of unease, awe, wonder, all combined with a slight fluster as the sage entered the room. He didn't quite know what he was expecting- perhaps, an older, plainer, 'sagely' woman perhaps? Unlike the plain prettiness of the maid who had led them in, the sage Genevieve was dressed as opulently and regally as the home she inhabited. Catching himself staring, Emil was quick to lower his eyes, fixating his gaze intently on a knot of wood on the table at which he sat, glad that the orange and shadows of the fire and candlelight masked the flush of his face. It was not that he was unused to women- well, he was, having devoted much of his life to the brotherhood like order of the Edessan Knights and his training, Emil had little time for frivolities; but the women he was used to speaking to were often younger noblesse, as opposed to the rather mature figure of Lady Genevieve.

She spoke of events that had occured before Emil was born, further increasing his unease around her, the woman must have been at near twice his age, to be able to actively participates in events that had happened years before he was born. She spoke for a time about her order, and how she was purposed with ridding the world of the evils that inhabited it. She then moved onto her reason for calling them here, to help her retrieve an item that had been stolen from her, an artifact of great power that would aid her in her efforts to destroy evil. Her cause was, as far as causes went, as noble as they came- for what else was the point of causes if not for destroying the evils of the world, whether they be injustice, the preying on the weak, or the malicious monsters of the wildernesses.

The large man Ajax, seemed unimpressed, even amused by the request, and replied with questions of his own, as well as a request for compensation. A part of Emil found the man to be rude, brusque, and had half the mind to berate him for making such comments about the sage and her order. Though the other part of Emil admitted that the man Ajax had solid, if not coarse, reasoning behind his statements. The possibility of inciting the man's anger so early on in their probable journey together was also a rather staunch deterrent. Emil was already out of his element, it was best not to cause trouble amongst those whom he would likely be considering allies in the days to come.

"What is this artifact, exactly?" Emil added, "What does it do?"

Emil was unsure how to proceed- should the accept the quest, how would they find something without knowing what it would appear to them as? Knowing the risks and dangers it posed would also allow their small band to prepare accordingly for whatever challenges they might face.