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It was closer to the spring months these days than it was to the winter months. Because of that, the mornings weren't starkly cold and they weren't stuffily humid either. In Polaris's opinion, the temperature was ideal and just about right. Also in Polaris's opinion, this task was likely about to go horribly wrong, but for the sake of his adopted country and its people, he would humor the possibility anyway. There was no doubt in his mind that he was loyal to the king, but there was doubt in his mind that Naviance would remain the same or even standing by the time he and the others returned. What if rivaling lands decided to launch a conquest? What if the rebellion was successful in usurping the royal family?

For Polaris's sanity, he did not ruminate on the possibilities for long.

Instead, he remained, alone, watching the horizon on the outskirts of the capital city. It was a little before dawn, but the black sky was giving away to bleak grey light. Based on the instructions of his highness and his advisors, Polaris and the others chosen to undertake the task in search for the king's cure would rally here to meet one another and another advisor for final instructions. These final instructions apparently included exactly what they were looking for. Admittedly, Polaris found it a bit odd. He had come to the conclusion that perhaps they had no idea what they were looking for at all. Perhaps they were just chosen due to their select set of skills, traits and so on.

In the end, he supposed, he would find out in a due amount of time anyway.

Jenso headed out of the capital city, making his way through town as he reached it's outskirts. He smiled as he went. 'A new adventure...this is gonna be great!' He thought, with a wide grin on his face. He was fully aware that the task at hand would prove to be difficult, but he couldn't help but feel excited regardless. He loved to explore new areas and meet new people, and this mission was the perfect opportunity for him to do so. And on top of that, he could aid the king from a country. He was unsure how many other people would come for this, but he was determined to see this through. He did not know the king all too well despite his good reputation, but he certainly wasn't going to back down.

As he reached the outskirts, he took note of Polaris's presence. He remained calm and relaxed as he approached the man, but he kept his guard up. It seemed obvious that Polaris was there in order to join the mission to find the cure as well, but he was prepared none the less. He was going to give the man the benefit of the doubt. He walked over to him and smiled. "Hey dude, are you also here to help find the king's cure?" He asked in a friendly tone.

She hissed under her breath. People seemed to back off if she was ten feet away. She pulled off her hood, displaying her displeasure. After weeks of stingy wagon loaders and misguided directions, she was slightly at her wit's end. To make it all better she was hungry,

"Hopefully, this day will get better." she sighed.

At this point, Artemis had to go with her usual solution; Stealing. Far off she could see some barrels of apples that looked ripe enough to eat. She walked more normally but kept watch to possible eyewitnesses. Sure, most people wouldn't care for an apple or two, but she was a stranger to the town. Really, anything could happen.

She smirked as she felt a bit of excitement start to rile inside of her

Rem tentatively crept through the winding streets of the royal streets, squinting at her map. Normally she was quite good with directions, but the tall buildings and parallel streets gave her a feeling of vertigo, not to mention her "map" was just crudely scribbled to the back of her invite.

A sudden noise made her ear flick up in the direction of it's source, and Rem thanked the Lord that both her hood was up and that there was no one around. It was odd though, she could have sworn it sounded like some sort of disagreement between humans when no one should be up yet. Letting her curiosity, Rem scooted through a thin alley-way to take a peek at what was making such a ruckus at such an early time.

Once she was through, she saw that there were indeed people out and about. A bar that had just closed, perhaps? Getting a little closer, she looked back at her "map" and decided that this would probably work as a shortcut to her destination. It wasn't until she nearly passed the place by that she noticed a stray hand grab an apple and attempt to hide it.

Rem quickly caught the girl's hand behind her back and leaned her face in close so she could whisper "ah ah, stealing isn't good, Miss; people worked hard to grow these apples. Besides, the man you took this from doesn't appear to be the forgiving type." She finished, pointing to who appeared to be the barkeep, a large balding man with a handlebar mustache and muttonchops, who looked like 250 lbs of solid muscle.

Astiroth reflected on his decisions as he neard the kingdom's capital city. He rode what looked like a red horse with devilish features. Along side him rode another. "You look disheartening. Is something wrong my lord?" The other demon asked. Astiroth turned his gaze toward the city and then to the other demon. "Masrith. You have served the line of demon Lords long before I was born. Am I doing the right thing?" Masrith let out a smirk. "Right and wrong are ideals that are specifies by an individual. What matters is that you are doing this for your people. I believe that is the right thing." Astiroth sighed. "I just want to ensure the safety of what is left of our people." Masrith looked down at the necklace Astiroth was wearing. "Are you aure that is a good idea? Personally, I hate it." Astiroth smirked. "It keeps my power in check. Their Kong's advisor suggested it. He said that demons were terrifying enough." Astiroth paused for a moment. "The conversation with that man was entertaining. The fear in his eyes was clearly visible." Astiroth neared what looked like a small hill. He noticed several people there. "That's where we are to meet." Astiroth hopped from his horse. Masrith reached for what looked like a sheathed sword. "Your sword my lord. May you find an adversary worthy of facing it." Astiroth grabbed the sword and placed the sheathe on his back. "Thank you. Let the demons know I will do what I can. Also not to fight, we are all we have in this world." Astiroth turned and walked toward the hill. His cloak cloak seemed to have a fluid movement that resembled fire. Astiroth approached Jenso and Polaris. "I am to assume you are part of the group as well?" His voice was deep and fear inspiring. Astiroth's devilish yellow eyes focused on two that stood before him.

She froze, feeling part of her pride drop a little. She peered to the man the stranger mentioned- sure he was buff and a little intimidating, but she could have easily outran him or hide before it was noticed. But now she was caught. Artemis tossed the apple back into the barrel and slipped her wrist away from the stranger. After looking upon her, She regained her usual composure. Another one to play hero to stop me from my crimes.

"Well then," she rolled her eyes.

Artemis then spotted the map in the woman's hand and whisked it. Guessing through the words and locations, she started following its directions. This day did get better for her. Artemis motioned for the lady to follow her without paying attention to what the stranger would say. If this lady's going to where I need to go, might as well get to know her

"Your name?" she continued, looking up and down from the map.

With the darkness of the night quickly fading, the dawn of a new dawn arose from the horizon. It is with a quick prayer, hands held closely to her heart, that Illistrianna welcomed the harbinger of a new day. She had been up early this morning, a habit she had to take considering the adventure she was about to undertake. Moon Elves are nocturnal, for they celebrate and pray to their moon goddess, Luna. It was unknown to her if her kin was made this way, or if their devotion to night deity forged them this way. She was, however, convinced that they needed to be this way, for it was their duty to fight the evil lurking in the dark.

The moon Priestess had made a rather small crude camp not too far from the city, but it was all she really needed to rest. She wasn’t an individual of fancy tastes, and she was nervous about thinking of sleeping in town, she who was very accustomed to the wilderness of the forest. Illistrianna figured it would be better to have a clear mind before embarking on this new journey, before finding her comrades-to-be. At least that’s what the King’s agents told her. She had no idea where to look for, but it was told that when the time would come, they would be guided to the start of their mission.

In the meantime, the elven maiden figured it would be nice to visit this city while she had the chance. In her past years of travelling, she had visited plenty of towns, but none could compare to the majestic sight standing not too far away from her camp. It had to be expected from the city where the king resides. She was quite curious as to how people live in such a town. Is it all cramped up in there? Is it just as lively as she was told? Are the people there being taken care of just as better as in villages? She had so much questions in her mind that she just realized now how she looked like some kind of country girl that knew very little of human civilization on a larger scale than villages.

Packing her small tent, bedroll and blankets into her travelling bag, Illistrianna made her way cheerfully towards the city. As she was approaching the city’s walls, she could hear to sound of the populace inhabiting this area. It lacked the peacefulness of her village at dawn. Were they preparing something special for today? Or was it always this lively in big cities even early in the morning? She couldn’t wait to find out.

With every step, the sister was approaching fast. From an outside point of view, one could mistake her for being in a hurry, but in fact, she was just anxious, and her walking pace was bordering a jog. She noticed faintly in the penumbra of the rising sun three individuals, standing on the outskirts of the capital. With a cheerful smile and bright enthusiasm, she waved a brief salute at the three men talking to each other.

As Illistrianna approached the gates of Naviance’s capital, she was greeted by two soldiers, gate guardians as they were.
“Halt! By the laws of the city, none may enter the capital until the sun has risen. Go back now, and return later.” The first guard said with high authority in his voice.

“But… it is morning already! Don’t you see the sun rising from the earth, far away?” Illistrianna answered, frustrated beyond belief to have her path cut off so abruptly.

“Sorry little miss. We’re just doing our job. We can’t let strangers go in right now. Come back when the sun has risen up completely. You can wait at the inn just right down that road, take a meal and talk with the other travelers in the meantime.” The second guard said, this one a bit more courteous and less aggressive in his tone compared to the other.

Sighing, Illistrianna resigned from going inside the capital right now. These two looked so stubborn in their duties that she doubt she could make them change their mind. Were cities’ guards all so stern and rigid like that?

There was a lone tree on the very edge of town, near the road. The Moon Elf figured she might wait there until she could go in. She tossed her bag against the tree and sat against it, legs curled to her chest. She was annoyed by this turn of events, but at the same time, she could understand the guards’ duties. They probably just can’t let anyone enter so easily like that. It is the city where the King lives after all.

Illistrianna sighed once again, softly, and reached out for her bag, blindly searching. Figuring that it was no good being is such a mental state, the priestess just decided to take it easy and watch the sunrise as she provided an apple from her bag.

She really wondered what it was like inside the city though, and what was waiting for her.

Rem didn't put up much of a struggle as the young woman yanked free from her hold, tossing the apple back where it belonged, luckily without alerting who she stole it from. The irritated grunt and roll of her eyes was a sign that she had wounded this young woman's pride. A career criminal, most likely she noted. Normally, Rem made a habit not to be so nosy, but she knew her mother would skin her hide if she ever found out her daughter allowed a street hoodlum to disrespect a fellow shopkeeper in trade.

Lost in thought, she was off guard enough to allow the young thief to snatch the map from her hands. She opened her mouth to object before seeing the girl's eyes skim over the map in interest. Ah, I suppose she was hired too. Well, maybe a city-slicker like this sprout could read that thing better than I could...especially if she knows her way around this claustrophobic place.

"Your name?" the young woman asked, catching Rem off guard. She supposed the young lady did know some manners...kind of. This girl began to remind her of some previous clients.

"I'm Rem, protection for hire if you will."

"Three men... Not the desired team I was hoping for."

The witch slid from what must have been the shadows, an unamused look creating a pout on her face. She was quite short, but held herself in such a way that really stretched all five feet and two inches of her height. On her back was strapped a wooden staff, a beautiful orange orb of crystal cradled in the smooth oak. On her hip a heavy tome hung on a belt about her waist, it looking so weighted that it made her thin frame appear ready to snap, though she showed no sign of discomfort in the slightest.

She approached the three, placing a hand on her opposite hip as she sized up the current members of the party. After a moment, she brushed her crystal blue hair back to rest all the way down to the top of her thighs, blinking up at the men. "Selene. My name is Selene." The witch stated matter-of-factly, seeming disinterested with the whole matter as she quickly turned on heel to see if others were coming.

@cynder@bkburke@jensoman

Rem. At least one out of the many more of people to meet, she figured. Possibly, this girl has worked with some business, which would explain the halt in Artemis's demise. This job was a little different from her usual order. It made her feel a bit more comfortable knowing at least something about who she was dealing with.

"Artemis, trouble for hire," she shrugged jokingly. "With the.. Er- exception of this job. But it might be not a difference."

At this point, Artemis saw the decreasing of crowds and could see where the location was. A simple hill, with three or four people upon it. She began naming them in her head and guessing who they are. A little game where if she's close to their first impression, she wins. More or less, it's just to make fun of them and keeps herself in check.

"I guess we're here" she announced, quite satisfied with herself. Reading was hard and the other parts of the map made no sense to her. Seemed like the best situation that she actually found the location with it. Artemis tosses the map back to Rem's direction, as she begins to hike the hill.

Vauldis shuffled out of the inn quietly, not wanting to draw any attention to himself, he had hunched over and covered himself in black robes with a cowl covering his face, it also gave him the appearance of an old man combined with his hunched walk. He had arrived late last night.So instead of going to the meeting point so early,he decided spend the night waiting in the inn.

As Vauldis left the inn and on to the fairly empty roads however, a young man (Vauldis guessed he was more of a boy, in his late teens) rather shakily confronted him"O-kay , sorry but give me your gold!" The man announced, brandishing a knife rather clumsily. Vauldis inspected the area to see if there was anyone nearby, there wasn't from what the lycan could see. Leaving his hunched position, he rose up above the robber before removing his cowl, revealing his beastly, almost decaying, face. The clumsy thief-to-be let out a slight squealed before Vauldis lurched forwards and grabbed him by the throat, his other clawed and went to the man's face and made a beckoning gesture. After a few seconds of confused silence the man began to cough and splutter before a silvery substance erupted from his mouth. Vauldis grabbed it and released it into the air, shortly after it was consumed by and inky blackness. After this the lycan cast the man to one side, hunched down and pulled his cloak back up before making his way up the road to the capital cities entrance.

Josephine wandered out of the castle just after dawn, pack laden with supplies and swaying back and forth with every easy step. She looked around regretfully as men set up shop amid a pall of disquiet so thick you could cut it with a scalpel. She had only been in the country for around a month, set up in the castle dungeons, toiling day and night with records and tests to try and find the cause of the good kings illness where his court healers had so far bungled. She'd looked in his blood. She'd looked in his bile. She'd searched his stomach and intestines. She'd taken a core of his bones and sorted through his leavings. She poured over every record in the castle, searching for signs in his past or similar systems in his ancestors. All turned up nothing.

She hadn't yet searched in his brain, but that was only because she was positive the guard wouldn't be quite so understanding once she broke out the drill.

There was a long, drawn out caw from the top of her pack. She frowned slightly, looking around at the scant morning activity around her. "I think you are correct. I did not notice it when I first arrived." She said to the slid blue peacock perched atop her pack, idly preening against the bed of snakes that made ups its tail. Though she'd at least determined that the kings illness wasn't contagious, it was nevertheless apparent that the whole country had been stricken with the disease. She was reminded of a play she had attended in the grand theaters of St. Guiernon during her student days, in which the land and the king were one. His absence was a gaping wound that, left untreated, would surly cause the whole of Naviance to rot.

So she came upon the appointed place, at the appointed hour. It was a remarkably unsurprising little group she spotted as she arrived. There was one of the kings men, obviously. The quiet one. Jenso, the hero. One of the court healers she had past on her way to and from the kings chambers several times. She didn't care for them, though remembered that this models name began with a S. Then there was...well, she had an idea.

"Healer." She said as she came upon the gathering. "If I'd been informed we could have left the castle together, bonded over our mutual uselessness." She nodded to the men of the group. "Kings Man. Hero. Good morning." She turned to the demon in their midst and, instead of a simple nod, placed one leg behind the other, threw out her arm, bent at the knees, and gave a deep sweeping bow. "And good morning to you, your majesty."

@cynder@bkburke@jensoman@Cherrywitch

Malakaus awoke that morning in the dingy inn he was staying at. For thirteen coppers he got a closet with a lock on it, which was really all he could afford. Bullets weren't cheap to make, and unfortunately he couldn't trade in lead. Still, he at least got some rest without anything being stolen from him.

After leaving the cheap inn, the half-orc took out his invitation. Supposedly, he needs to go here and meet with the one who would give him the quest to help the king. Why they didn't do this afford a more public junction like the castle was beyond Malakaus. At least he knew where he needed to go. He would have been inside the city yesterday, but a back run in with some goblins and rough weather delayed the caravan he was traveling with, and the guards wouldn’t let them in after nighttime.

Gearing up, Malakaus finished off his ensemble with a large dusty cloak. Once a intimidating black, now more of a faded brown due to all the wear and tear to it. Still it had a certain ruggedness to it that, while not quite as impressive as sheer black, at least gave it the impression that it has seen many roads. Even if the truth was far more simpler; Malakaus just neglected to wash or mend it. As he left the inn, he noticed an odd sight near a tree. A lone elf, but no normal elf; she was blue skinned. At first Malakaus thought she was a drow, but he quickly rationalized that would be HIGHLY unlikely. Just about as unlikely as a free roaming orc. At least as a half-orc Malakaus only has to worry about the occasional bouts of racism, instead of overt hostility. No, this elf wasn’t bother to disguise herself, from either bigots or the rising sun, so she couldn’t be a drow. So what was she? Malakaus intended to find out.

”Greetings. Did the guards tell you to turn around too?” Malakaus approached, most of his body and equipment hidden underneath his dusty cloak. While he had a high collar, he had no hood, making his orcish features plain to see. Green skin, prominent tusks, pointed ears. He gave the elf a toothy smile and bowed his head. ”Name’s Malakaus. What’s yours, stranger?”

@Riffus Maximus

Watching the sun slowly rising from the horizon, Illistrianna was entranced in some way. This was one of her favourite time of the day. This natural beauty was something to behold, she always thought. Just as the moon lights up the sky at night and offers its benevolent light to those who can’t unravel the secrets in the dark, the sun gave brushes away the darkness and gives life to all. Rare were the times she actually was awake during the day to witness the sun in its fullest glory. She only recently had the opportunity to do so as she had left the village.

However, a strange sight broke her trance. There was a gathering on a nearby hill. Normally she’d make out well what kind of people they were with her enhanced elven sight, but the early rising sun’s glare blinded her when she tried to look over the mound of earth. She wondered what these people could be doing at this time of the morning. Despite having good hearing, she couldn’t listen to what was being said, their spoken words sounding like the lowest of whispers. They are not only a bit too far for her to listen, but also a few levels above her as well.

As she finished eating her apple while watching more and more people gathering on the hill, the elven maiden was taken by surprise. A low-pitched male voice came from beside her of a sudden. In her surprise, her back jerked straight, too suddenly. The back of her head hit the bark of the tree she was sitting against, making a thudding noise.

“Ow ow ow ow ow!” the priestess repeated, face cringing and teeth clenching.

Her face turned to the source of the voice that took her by surprise. It was a large man; a high-collared black rugged cloak turned brown from dust and dirt accumulated from travels that covered most of his body, as if to protect him from the weather’s condition. However, she could make out a bit of his head, mostly the upper part, or rather mostly his black hairm from her sitting point of view. It was when he bowed his head after asking her name that she could make out his facial features. Tusks, green skin and pointy ears. No doubt about it, he was an Orc!

Recovering from the pain subsiding, she couldn’t help but giggle at this silly scenario. She had never met Malakaus’ kin before, but she had heard plenty of stories about them from her village. She never thought her first meeting with one would surprise her as such with their legendary straight-forwardness.

“I-I’m sorry sir, you surprised me!” She said nervously, quickly getting up on her feet to greet the orcish stranger. “I am Illistrianna Alderine, from Sylvyst. It is a pleasure to meet you!” She said, bowing politely with modesty. “Indeed. I do not know why they aren’t letting anyone pass at night, but I guess they have their reasons, as frustrating as it is.” Illistrianna replied, apparently a bit upset as she was reminded of that fact.

“Although it’s not much of a problem. At least I get to watch this beautiful scenery unfolding before our eyes. Have you come to watch the sunset as well, Mr. Malakaus?” She said, with a soft smile of her own.

@Lucius Cypher

The half-orc smirked seeing the strange elf bang her head against the tree trunk. She must have been really distracted or an airhead to be surprised by his appearance; he wasn’t exactly trying to sneak up on her. After recovering from her surprise the elf introduced herself as Illistrianna Alderine from Sylvyst. Certainly an elvish name. Sure enough she was told to turn around too, unaware that Illistrianna had just arrived to the city not too long ago. ”Eh. Guards, ya know. Da law is is stiff like dat, and dey use da law like a club.”

Malakaus cleared his throat. He nearly revealed his accent to her; he was quite aware that his accent was rather… Crude and unintelligent. He couldn’t help it; that’s just how people spoke around his village. He’s been slowly improving, though it’s an active effort. Quickly ignoring his gaff Malakaus focused on the rising sun. Illistrianna was impressed, though Malakaus wasn’t so sentimental. Sunrises were nice, but nothing that really excited him. Only time he felt happy to see it was when he had to stay up a whole night watching the camp for undead. The sun meant the night was over and he could finally get some sleep.

Still, there was potential to make the best of this situation. While Malakaus was going to bluntly state his apathy towards the sunrise, he knew that someone like Illistrianna would probably be disappointed. She was an elf after all. However, Malakaus also wasn’t going to pretend he actually cared, since lying would be worse than the truth. So instead, Malakaus would use this opportunity to help cover his accidental reveal about his accent. Clearing his throat once more, Malakaus spoke clearly. ”I can see the sunrise everyday. But the beauty before my eyes is something I may only see once in a blue moon.” He said while looking at Illistrianna.

@Riffus Maximus

Astiroth was ready to listen to the repsonse of Polaris and Jenso when another figure entered the group. The woman was a witch that addressed herself as Selene. She looked.... really, really little. Astiroth refrained from releasing any grin. The woman's stance, accompanied by her voice and height made for a rather hilarious introduction. Astiroth kneeled down infront of her. His yellow eyes focusing on Selene. He opened his mouth to speak revealing rows of sharp teeth when another individual approached. Astiroth stood up tall. He watched as Josephine has a small talk with one member that Astiroth had not known. Nothing Astiroth considered strange until she turned to him and gave a bow. Astiroth proceeded with a gentleman's bow in response. "Thank you. Formal greetings are not necessary." Astiroth paused for a moment. "Not to seem like the high quality individual that cares of specifics. We demons do not use the term majesty. Lord is the proper term. My name is Astiroth. I'm not sure if anyone was informed that a demon would accompany any of you but if so, it's true."

As Jenso waited for Polaris to respond, he turned to the demon and the two other women that appeared on the scene, and smiled at them. "Hey guys! I'm Jenso, nice to meet you!" He shouted, observing the new arrivals. He took note of Selene's small size, but he did not care all that much. Size didn't matter that much during battle and traveling after all, it was the person's spirit and the willpower to never give up that got things done. Astiroth looked rather menacing at first glance, but if he truly was a demon then it wasn't too surprising. It appeared that Josephine seemed to know who everyone was, and that the demon was some kind of lord.

This ended up making Jenso flinch slightly. His first greeting was rather blunt. "I-I mean...it's an honour pal-um...m-my lord!" Jenso quickly muttered, not wanting to show Astiroth any disrespect. He gave the demon a quick bow. He wasn't usually one to fumble with words, but the fact that the demon was royalty caught him off-guard. He didn't want to get off on a bad foot with anyone.

Momentarily, Artemis joins with group, spotting everyone doing their first introductions. Little one, other two are human with a possibility of power, some duke with antlers, a bird on a person Her game has began. She combed through her hair and fixed her loose gloves as a way to feel presentable. Artemis felt no fear against them, but was usually intimidated by their knowledge. Course, that wouldn't get to her in the long run. She saw everything was destined for her to experiment and learn.

"This the group, ye?" She looked upon Polaris as Jenso seemed distracted by the others. "I'm Artemis."

She was expecting on taking a more normal approach. Makes things less complicated in her opinion. If Artemis had accepted this quest in her earlier years, it would have been expected of a more outrageous entrance. Start small I think. Messing with antler-duke and bird person would be a better experience later.

"Ah." Josephine said, drawing herself back up. "My apologies. Many things about your people have become so mythologized it is difficult to know what is truly fact. My name is Josephine Prendick, a Doctor of some renown. Your case has always been of great interest to myself and my colleagues. The exact nature of the so-called 'Holy Plague' that ravaged demonkind was the subject of many a late nights shouting match."

The witch blinked, scanning over the demon as he knelt in front of her with little interest. She quickly noted anything of importance in his appearance, but allowed him to return to his full height to speak with the doctor.

Selene turned as the doctor spoke, referring to the witch as 'healer.' "Hm? Yes, too bad. I wasnt told who was going to be in this group either." She stated, voice as apathetic as ever.

A soft snicker couldn't help but escape from behind her lips at Jenso's sputtering introduction to the demon, the witch placing her hands behind her back as she watched in delight.