Eternity was stretched out before him here. Where was not important anymore. The specter silently gazed upon what looked like opened windows stretching out around him. Each one showed him hundreds if not thousands of places, people's, things, realities unmade and universes remodeled.

At first it had been chaotic and disorientation to view these scenes, unbearable to discern what was real and what was just a memory of the universe stuck on what felt like an endless repeat.
How many times had he watched that dragon corner the orc horde that had raided it's home?
Or.. had the dragon raided the orcs home.

The scenes were rarely as they seemed at a glance. Sometimes the spiders hunted men for food. Sometimes sport. Other times the spiders were nowhere to be found.
The mountains of his homeland had been burned away, destroyed, frozen over, suffered plagues too numerous to remember, been raided by every race in the universe.
Keeping track was impossible.
Viewing them all happening over and over was impossible.

Trapped in his prison of glass with the same scenes for eternity. That was this creatures fate.. or was it. That thought had always clouded it's once brilliant mind. If anything could happen, any event be changed or cease to exist, was it possible for his imprisonment to be reverted?
Maybe the being had escaped.
Perhaps it had been set free?
Or most likely.. he would continue to ponder the infinite.

Every option was weighed and thought out. Indeed he could even in vision such a thing happening. But what race would set him free? The dwarves? Humans? Elves could do it if they wanted to. Naga were powerful casters in their own right so perhaps one could convince their elders to try..

The dragon corned the orcs and the scene unfolded as it always seemed to. The dragon unfolded it's wings and unleashed a cone of death. This time with fire. Usually it was fire.
But most of the time it was acid. Or freezing cold.
Maybe next time it would be lightning again?
The being watched it all unfold again and again. Thousands of times. Never satisfied with the outcome.
It wasn't until the scene of.. what was this?
An armored human had felled the dragon?

The windows all showed scenes like that now, it realized. New outcomes were springing up! New things sprouted from the old scenes.
What did it all mean...

--------------------------------------------

GUILDHOUSE MEETING ROOM #24
Guild party creation
Mediator today: Artemis Lemont, Lead organizer of wood/bronze decision adventurers



Light flooded the large open room, rich with the various smells of the kitchens on the lower levels wafting into the meeting rooms. An enchantment upon the room itself kept the temperature cool even on hot summer days like today. Doused decorative lamps and impressively carved columns decorated the rooms polished wooden floors and high ceilings. To say that a king would feel welcome was an understatement.

Artemis sat comfortably in her padded seat, arms resting on her legs, as she smiled politely at the seemingly mismatched group of relatively young adventurers seated around the large circular table. Refreshments had been placed on the middle.
The standard layout for such an event was tea, with or without milk, sugar in its own porcelain bowl, a batch of cinnamon cookies rested within easy reach. There was also an assortment of fresh cheeses served with an equal assortment of crackers. For those who partook of such things, there was a bottle of sweet red wine available as well.
The Iron host had supplied the wine and cheese platter in honor of their Lupine associate who was attending the gathering. A high ranking silver member of the guild.

Artemis raised her hand to her lips and issued a light cough tof clear her throat and gain everyone's attention. When they turned their gaze, it was all she could do to keep the smile up. The orc and the werewolf were scary!

"Hello everyone. My name is Artemis Lemont, as I'm sure some of you who already have dealings within the guildhouse know." The young woman stood up and offered a polite bow, her thick Auburn hair covered her face until she ceased throat one bow, gently moving in behind her ear before returning throat hehe a seated position. "On behalf of the guildhome, i would like to offer my apologies for the sudden change of policy that created this situation. The Infinity bridges havery become far too dangerous lately and thus solo travelers are no longer allowed. Until the issue is resolved we have no choice but to create parties for added protection against any further strange developments."

Artemis clapped her hands excitedly, though not over enthusiastically, as a compliance associate passed around a sheet of paper. A standard registry form they had all filled out when originally enlisted within the guilds folds.
The difference here was this had become something of a contract. Each party was asked to fill out a secondary form that would be placed with the new official file.
Though it was not stated specifically, it was all meant to make assigning quests faster. Rather than assign 8 people to one question all the a time, they could assign a party name instead.
The form further detailed the tax agreement on rifts. Normally a single Adventurer was taxed up to 30% of their earnings, excluding weapons and jewelery, but the rate was now being lowered to 20% across all party members from a total earning calculated upon completion.
These costs and expenses were explained to be used to keep up repairs on the city, pay the guards for protecting the streets, and the rift masters for allowing them access to the gateway.

"Once everyone had signed, you may return to the rifts whenever you like. The party name you choose can be updated at at later time if you cannot decide."

A hallowed voice would speak with an unending whisper into the Lycanthrope's ear, it's eerie nature unknown to all but himself for this time. It was a memory of a Rift come to pass, something he found in one of his previous adventures on his own.



These words resonated eternally in the lupine being as he slowly passed through the halls of the Guildhouse, his feet adorned with 'mandatory' and uncomfortable sandal-like padding that protected the wood flooring from his claws. He was disgruntled by these sandals, but he was forced to wear them around the meeting rooms and Guildhouse. However this didn't stop him from doing as he pleased around the grounds before the meeting had been officially called into order. He had spent some short while passing around the Guildhouse sniffing out new scents and surveying new adventurers and travelers coming and going through this place of work and opportunity. This was commonplace for Grendrick as he was fond of keeping his keen eyes open and wary of any and all noticeable adventurers. He knew of those famous and infamous alike when it came to Rift-walkers, which he came to call those who came and went through them for their various reasons, but he also knew those who were making their way up the ladder like those before them. He was among that list of climbers but he wasn't in it for climbing the ladder to the highest ranking Rift-Hunter. That was the opposite of his climb entirely. He sought to be the most powerful, the fastest, the most honed, the ultimate Hunter. He vowed to search Rift after Rift to find his prey time and time again until nothing was too strong for him to hunt. This was his goal, at least his most obvious one, while he might have had a few others hidden within his mind. They were deep, within his thoughts and within a section that most likely harbored his previous life in high regard.

It was only a matter of time before the Lupine decided to make his way to the meeting chamber: Meeting Chamber #24. This room was immaculate in it's nature and many of the service hands that came to and fro throughout the chamber looked upon Grendrick with horror and distaste as he stood among the room. He was the first to arrive of the group that had been asked within it, it was a logical action to form groups with the growing threat of the Rifts. However Grendrick wasn't particularly happy with it all, which he made clear once the meeting came underway with the rest of the arrivals and the passing out of the forms. However his words would come only after everyone read the forms and the agreements upon it.

"My previous statement and agreement with the Iron Hands ensures I cooperate under the systems. I will sign this form, and I will accept the forming of a Party. However, the bearings of such comes with it's own limitations on my end as you already know, Lady Artemis." He said with a stern glare and a primal stance that made it all too hard to accept the ideal that he was calm and peaceful within this room like a normal person. He appeared so out of place, even among the others, a monster among men, and he seemed to hint a nature of it as well with his words. He then spoke up once more. "The gathering of us here, and the collection into a Group is acceptable as I have stated, but they should know that I will not be taking orders like some mutt. If they wish to travel with me, they will learn very quickly what sort of troubles and perils they face in the rift. They had best learn to follow someone more well versed in the Rifts." He stated blatantly and bluntly amidst the room of adventurers and capable hands that were going to be forming this group with him.

He let the others take note of his words, and awaited any possible responses and statements he might have spawned from the group, while he also took part in the signing the form for their party. He also let a few hints at the gesture of a name pass though his mind. He enjoyed the ideal of giving the group a name befitting it's assembly and design. This is why he raised his head up once more spoke out. He wasn't accustom to speaking out this much in a group, but ultimately he had no choice if he intended to teach these new bloods the Rifts.

"L'Ancien Sang et le Nouveau Sang." He is deep, growling voice sounded almost unreal as it spoke such a fluent tongue with ease, but nevertheless the words still came out menacingly. "It means: The Old Blood and the New Blood, and no, it isn't because you are new to the Rifts. This was once my language and it was once what was commonplace for me. We are all in a new place, even myself, though I have more time and experience here. New Blood calls Old Wolves to the Hunt."

Marianne woke up as the sun shone onto her face. Gently opening her eyes, she saw the wooden ceiling of her inn room.

That's right. She was no longer living in her house.

It had only been a week yet it all now seemed like a dream.

She then sensed the tiny little creatures sleeping with her rousing up as well so she gently cast away her blankets to reveal all the insects that had been laying down with her all night. She then scooped up some of them to see that they did not react to her touch with fear at all. Instead, they gladly climbed above her hand as she brought them closer to her face. And when she ordered them with her mind to fly around her, they did so in perfect order.

"It seemed the bonding was a success," she spoke to herself.

The bonding process she referred to here was her bond with the insects, of course. And to perfect that bond, she knew the insects had to be familiar with the warmth and smell of her body. That was why she slept naked under her blanket this night, and the other six nights, so the insects would really be able to familiarize themselves with her well.

She had only received them a week ago when she first came to this city, from a specialized insect shop inside the Mage Emporeum. She only had to hand over the letter her father had wrote to the merchant, and he immediately gave her the goods. He told here they were the best he could give since all the stronger insects had been purchased beforehand by other mages, and they were pretty rare. She didn't really mind though. She would just have to look for better ones inside the labyrinth.

She started with the Steel Beetles. A naturally non-aggressive bug, it was easy for her to establish the first link with them. She did it in just under an hour.

The next one she challenged was the Killer Bees. Responsible for many deaths on the distant jungles of Ennuatu, she had to take it slowly with them so they wouldn't just swarm her all at once. The first one she faced stung her right on her cheeks. The second one aimed for her nose. And the third one preferred her forehead. Of course, she had drank the antidote to their poison beforehand, so their stings would only cause normal swelling, but it still hurt. She persevered of course, and eventually, after six hours with them, she managed to make them crawl on her body without them attacking her. Pretty much nearly every part of her body got stung by them at that point.

The last one was the Mantis. This one, the merchant needed to raise a closed up space inside his shop so they would be safe if it decided to go on a rampage.

And indeed it did. When Marianne feed it her mana, it immediately turned big and swung a claw towards her. Luckily, the barrier was sturdy enough to deflect its attack entirely. Marianne quickly cut off her mana flow afterwards, before grabbing the little insect once more and staring at it, letting it walk around her palm. She then tried again, and again, and again, until the twentieth try where the insect just sat there looking at her, still ignoring her orders but not attacking her.

Marianne declared it was good enough for today, seeing how she was quite tired already, both from the bee stings and the mana the mantis ravenously ate from her. The merchant was nice enough to give her a bonus of some ointments to help with her swollen skin.

And now, a week later, she finally had mastery of them all.

She ordered her insects to fly off her body, as she was going to take a bath before dressing up. She intended to look her best when she met with the other adventurers she was going to work with in the dungeon.

When Marianne stepped into the meeting place, there were already a bunch of people sitting on the round table at the middle of the room. Of course, the one who immediately stroke her eyes was the lycanthrope, since he easily towered over the others. She also saw an elf, an orc, and a cloaked figure whom she couldn't quite figure out.

She sat down, taking a seat near the elf at the edge of their circle, careful to wait for the insects around her bum to move away first so they wouldn't get crushed.

The host of the meeting then appeared, her name being Artemis. Marianne thought she was quite a pleasant person, judging from her relaxed attitude and her warm smiles. She gladly took some milk tea as she heard her talk.

Looking at her form, she didn't find anything objectionable, so she signed it immediately. For the party name, she herself had no idea what to write. She had always been quite terrible at naming things.

Her meditations were disturbed, however, when the lycanthrope suddenly started his speech. She quickly glanced a look at him before looking back at her tea, all the while listening to what he had to said.

Of course, she realized she was a real beginner on tackling the dungeon. And of course, she would gladly follow the instructions of other, more experienced adventurers. But the way he said it... it displeased her.

She then heard the boyish-looking man answered to the lychanthrope, with the pommel of his sword aimed at him. He pledged his blade to him, and the rest of the party.

She wouldn't do such an overdramatic thing, of course, so she stayed silent, sipping her tea some more.

Fariha couldn't remember the last time she was in such a glorious looking room. She enjoyed the general aesthetic the place. Fit for a king in her opinion. She hadn't worked with others since she left her tribe a long time ago, so teaming up with strangers might be interesting. It also meant making new friends, which was always a plus in the young elf's books. She glanced around at her new comrades, wondering what they'd all be like. Such thoughts flowed as she helped herself to the delicious red wine that was provided. She wasn't too fond of alcohol, but a good red wine was pretty hard to pass up. It seemed that a squirrel that had followed Fariha from her morning forest stroll, had a similar opinion. She moved the goblet slightly as her furry friend attempted to drink from her cup, making it miss and drop from her shoulder.

Catching it in her other hand, she giggled a little before placing it back onto her shoulder, "Perhaps this might be better for you~" She whispered as she gave the squirrel a nut, which it happily accepted.

Artemis began to speak as Fariha took a small sip of the sweet beverage, for the most part she could see the practicality of joining a party. She understood that the guild was mostly concerned about the well-being of their adventurers. She quietly signed the contract after reading over it. She was largely unconcerned about how their earnings were divided, and unfortunately she wasn't able to think of a party name for their rag-tag group of individuals, perhaps one will come to her in time.

The first to speak up about the contract was the Lupine. She took note of his 'concerns' about leading a group. She too wouldn't want to be lead by someone who didn't know what they were doing. As far as she knew, being a bronze rank said a little about her experience in the Rift. Not that any of them would know her rank without her stating so. She quite liked the name the Lupine suggested, but she felt it was a little on the long side..

Another spoke up, a young human. He seemed enthusiastic, which was nice. His gesture of offering his blade to the 'Wolf-guy' was an interesting one indeed. She hadn't heard that kind of expression in quite awhile. 'Wolf-guy..' She thought, how amusing.

Fariha couldn't help but notice a young girl drinking tea in the corner. She sensed the presence of... insects? It seemed a little odd for such a presence to be in a clean room like this. Almost as odd as her attire. The elf had her doubts about the practicality of the girl's clothing, but she felt it wasn't really her place to tell people what to wear.. Perhaps it might be good to get acquainted with her new comrades.

"Hey there! I'm Fariha~ I couldn't help but notice your.. friends. I've never met someone with such companions. May I know your name?" She greeted with a warm smile, extending her hand toward the young girl.

---

@Hammerman

Sylvia looked around the table at all the different adventurers, not all of them human. It was a strange thing, really. She’d never seen beings like these before; they were things she would have thought she’d find in some fairy-tale book. For example: the walking, talking wolf. After spending a few days in this seemingly magical place where many strange beings wandered and socialized, she came to find out that the wolf-man was a Lycanthrope, which is exactly that -- a wolf-man. He’d said that since he was the most experienced, he would be the one to lead the party, which she had no objections over.

A sight that made her raise an eyebrow in suspicion was the boy who had immediately pledged his sword to everybody. The prospect of pledging one’s undoubting loyalty to someone was unsettling to Sylvia. She had learned firsthand what that sort of thing could lead to.

Sylvia saw a girl who seemed to be covered in bugs, which disgusted her, to say the least.

Bloody hell, that can’t be comfortable.

Just thinking about the hundreds of insects crawling around on her skin made her tremble.

An orc sat at the table, a looming mass of muscle and sinew. She knew about the orcs about as much as she did lycans, and as far as she knew, they were born for and excelled in frontline combat.

All in all, Sylvia felt… out of place in this hall of warriors and adventurers. They all seemed to be so prepared, so equipped for the job, while she sat there in peasant clothing. To be fair, she did hurry over right after a contract, and therefore didn’t have time to change outfits.

Still, it doesn’t change the fact that I am out of place.

She looked at the form in front of her. Luckily, she’d taught herself to read during her childhood, it was a necessary skill to learn for her profession; her employers constantly tried to scam her out of deals using written contracts.

She read the form carefully, trying to discern some kind of hidden trap or double meaning of the words and phrases, but found nothing dangerous. Satisfied, she signed it with sloppy handwriting.

As for the name, she couldn’t care less, and wrote what immediately came to her mind as she thought about herself and her experiences: Cannon Fodder. She knew it wouldn’t come to pass, these adventurers needed something to encourage them, not bring them down.

She took some cheese and popped it into her mouth. At least the food was good.

@Rekaigan

Marianne smiled back as she shook her hand. "Oh, you can sense my bugs?" she asked. It was more of a small-talk question instead of an actual one since she knew elves were often quite sensitive in detecting living creatures, so it wasn't that odd for her to know about her bugs even if nothing of them was visible. She would like to hide her bugs entirely if she could, but currently that skill was out of her reach.

"Yes, I will admit they are quite an... unorthodox choice for companions. But alas, it was what fate has given for me as I just seem to have an uncanny connection to their kind," she continued with a wry smile.

"My name is Marianne. Marianne Silverflame. It's a pleasure to meet you, Fariha."

Gormarr waited as the other member of his party introduce themselves to take note and their abilities they possessed. One of the members at the table suggest that they should introduce themselves to the rest of the group. The first one to step up was the woman who's named was Ayse, she explains that she was a healer and she was looking for someone. The orc made the mental note to ask someone what a fiancé was. ‘Good we have a healer,’ the orc thought as next party member to introduce themselves. This person was a well-dressed human girl named Marianne who could controlled bugs. Gormarr thought nothing of the ability remember the shaman in the clan telling him about a similar power.

As Gormarr was about to introduce himself when Siph Barou crash though the wall while wrestling a white direbear. The orc cheer for the man as he fought the large bear. After Siph manage to subdue the dire bear he was introduce to the party as their dungeon escort and they were told to get ready for the rift. Having no question to ask the orc gave a warriors salute to Siph before grabbing the bottle of red wine and leaving the guild hall. Seeing that he already has his clan's emblem on his armor and weapons he went to get his Bloodshard. Quickly going to the church he received a Bloodshard from a church representative. Once Gormarr was done at the church he traveled to the tower to wait for the rest of the party. Arriving at the tower he took a seat on one the step and start to drink the wine while waiting for the rest of his party to arrive.

The adventurers guild must be as wealthy and influential as the rumors said. Sparing such a room like this for a motley crew like them was saying good things. Having been the last one to arrive and take a seat, she had little time to really appreciate the scenery. While she wasn't exactly expecting a shack, having such a spacious room and various refreshments was more than she expected. It said a few things about the current stability of the Infinity Bridge, and certainly the status quo would be preferred when it came to any artefact of that class. As Alya went about reading and signing the paperwork, she made a mental note to be watchful of unusual activities in whatever rifts they decided to raid in the future.

While sipping on some of the quality wine they were provided, she decided to take a short look around the room and be judgmental. First impressions were sometimes false, but it'd be better that a bad first impression was also the last if it involved her own survival.

The Orc seated to the right of her was as notable as he was imposing. Certainly a plus in any situation involving the spilling of blood and Alya assumed there'd be a lot of that going on. While they were typically characterized as unruly barbarians, they were experts in the art of refined violence- Alya could respect that. No doubt, this was a party member she could rely on in the carnage of the battlefield.

Next, of course, were the pair who seemed to be be making introductions to each other. A magic user(For who else could possibly tame the countless bugs writhing under her clothes?) and an elf. Elves were long lived professionals, and the one sitting across from her was likely far older then her rather young appearance suggested. She probably had a few things in common with this elf, at least, moreso than the various humans present here. They were a notable someone to keep an eye on, but there was little to fuel doubts about the elves competence or will to fight. The mage girl she was conversing with was a bigger oddity than the elf. A girl covered in insects who decided to wear clothing like that to a meeting with her fellow adventurers was interesting enough. Mages always seemed to be eccentric, but this one was one of the more abnormal ones she had seen, at least in context. There were many questions surrounding this particular comrade, but they seemed legitimate enough. They must have a lot of self-discipline to tolerate that sort of magic. She doubted they would prove incompetent.

Continuing her brief scan of those seated, the half-sylph became a little puzzled over the presence of one of the party members. They'd been wearing clothes reminiscent of the common street trash. They seemed just as out of place in this building as the Orc or the Lycan, which was saying something. She doubted they were some random here for the food. The guild wasn't exactly insecure, so it's likely they just came here without armor or a need for it. She made another mental note to specifically keep her eye on this girl and figure a bit more out about them. While she doubted anything surprising, their circumstances still somewhat interested them. It was best not to think to much into it right now, though.

The dominate figure of the room, the Lycan, had already responded about a possible group name. While the meaning was fitting, it was a bit long. Perhaps an Acronym could work? It didn't really matter to her, though. The name was mostly for bureaucratic purposes; beyond that it had little uses except for public relations and popularity. If that were the case, though, she'd had a little bit of investment in it.

"Perhaps we should name ourselves after getting a feel for our groups capabilities in action?" She spoke up after finally finishing the paper work, addressing her words toward the Lycan and Artemis. While her tone was certainly reserved it certainly wasn't mumbling or particularly weak willed. She was a bit better in a more professional environment where boundaries were set by outside forces without the ambiguity of more personal interaction.

The Lycan seemed strong willed and was probably a very capable veteran. He got them free cheese anyhow, so she saw no need to cause a fuss over his assertion of leadership. That being said, the human boy with a sword had quite a lot of enthusiasm. He seemed like one of those knight types who always went off about their own values, whatever they decided they were. Certainly not someone she'd associate with normally(for obvious reasons), but she wanted to keep an eye on him. How his demeanor and ideals developed over time and after experiencing death could be interesting. If he was more than talk he'd be a reliable teammate for sure, which seemed to be a running theme in this party. Good, she had no qualms about joining these people.

Alya preferred to work with someone who had a strong fighting spirit rather than someone who was weak willed. Most battles fought are brawls based on the will of both parties participants. When the men of an army feel defeated, they are defeated even if they took minimal causalities or damage. In other words, she'd rather have a lamb with the spirit of a lion than a lion with the spirit of a lamb. After all, those types made the best meat shields for "tactical retreats". Dying was expensive, after all.

Ayse stiffled a yawn as she waited for the meeting to start. One one hand she was worried that it would look like boredom had overtaken her or that she didn't really care about these proceedings. On the other she didn't really care what impression the others gathered around this fine table got of her.

Four hours. That was how long she'd stood in a quarantine tent near the bridge the previous night, pumping what humble fire she could into the dying man within. Under the direction of one of the church's chief chiurgeons she'd used her power in tandem with the chief's to burn away the corruption that ate away at the hapless adventurer. Their efforts ultimately failed though. The corruption, whatever it was, simply sprang anew on the flesh they cleansed. His screams and agony... They couldn't even give him a sedative as their combined power only served to burn that away too.

Afterwards she'd volunteered to burn the body and send the man's soul back to the candle's flame. It was the least she could do. Afterwards she'd tried to rest, sleep, but it proved elusive as dreams of the Hoquin sharing the same fate invaded retellings of happier times and memories. Such things served as a stark reminder of why the guild had incorporated this new grouping policy. If the man had companions to bolster and help him he might have been saved.

Thoroughly tired of such depressing thoughts, Ayse tried to perk herself up and poured a cup of tea and added six sugars. Sweet, yes, but if loving the sweetness was a crime then she'd gladly wear the shackles. So, with a little more enthusiasm, she focused on the positives. One that seemed the most thrilling, at least to her coin purse, was the tax and fee reduction. Twenty percent was nothing to roll her eyes at. Given time and luck it could open up her future prospects with Hoquin. Despite his absence it was still nice to plan for their future together.

With her papers quickly and neatly signed, as if she had an alternative, she took stock of the room. Many others seemed to as well. Of particular note was the Lycan. His tone... Something about it rubbed her the wrong way. The assumption of command. Perhaps it was a bit of her sour history with Bern creeping in, but she disliked the implied notion that they could teach him some new tricks of their own. She reserved her judgement though, as always. From the boyish knight to the orc and the insect ridden girl to the almost too plain woman she would come to know as Sylvia, each had a reason for being here and a story to tell. She hoped that she'd get the chance. To help the ball roll in that direction she decided that maybe some more pointed introductions were in order. She waited for the others to finish their forms and the personal conversations to die down before she rose from her seat to talk to those assembled.

"It might help, now that we aren't all so distracted, to tell each other a little about ourselves. Where we've been, what we've done or still do, and why we're here. I know it's a little invasive, but we're all going to be working together from this point on. Getting to know each other and our expectations. Since I made the suggestion, I'll go first."

"My name is Ayse Temer. I'm a member of the Church of the Endless Ones and a part of the church's Order of the Salamander. I mostly help out with the sick and the wounded that come back from the Rifts. My specialty is burning away maledictions and infirmities, though if I need to I can sear flesh just as easily as purify it. As for the why... well... I'm looking for my fiance. I hope to find him in whatever Rift he's lost himself in."

She caught herself looking down at the table in embarrassment. Of course she had to be the one to go first and for what must seem like a silly reason. She did say that they needed to know more about each other. What better way fro them to know her that the thing that drove her the most.

"I don't want any of you to think that as soon as I find him I'll quit the adventurer's life. I'm building my future here and I'd like to think I'll help all of you do the same."

With her piece said, Ayse took her seat and waited for the next speaker to begin, if any chose to follow her example at all.

There was a bit of hesitation in him now. Some inkling of a worry that a fight would break out but he pushed it behind his warm greeting and determined grit. “You have my blade, Wolf-guy. You all do."

"Hey there! I'm Fariha~ I couldn't help but notice your.. friends. I've never met someone with such companions. May I know your name?" She greeted with a warm smile, extending her hand toward the young girl.

"Yes, I will admit they are quite an... unorthodox choice for companions. But alas, it was what fate has given for me as I just seem to have an uncanny connection to their kind," she continued with a wry smile.

"My name is Marianne. Marianne Silverflame. It's a pleasure to meet you, Fariha."

Gormarr heard what the werewolf said about there groups name. "To long it needs to be short and quick to say." he replied as he downing another class of the red wine.

"Perhaps we should name ourselves after getting a feel for our groups capabilities in action?" She spoke up after finally finishing the paper work, addressing her words toward the Lycan and Artemis.

"It might help, now that we aren't all so distracted, to tell each other a little about ourselves. Where we've been, what we've done or still do, and why we're here. I know it's a little invasive, but we're all going to be working together from this point on. Getting to know each other and our expectations. Since I made the suggestion, I'll go first."

"My name is Ayse Temer. I'm a member of the Church of the Endless Ones and a part of the church's Order of the Salamander. I mostly help out with the sick and the wounded that come back from the Rifts. My specialty is burning away maledictions and infirmities, though if I need to I can sear flesh just as easily as purify it. As for the why... well... I'm looking for my fiance. I hope to find him in whatever Rift he's lost himself in."

Grendrick let other's words fill the room for several moments and as they circled the table and each spoke their peace, either to him or someone else, he surveyed them all. He noted their tones, their body language, their mannerisms, their placements of body. He surveyed them for several moments each, accounting their personality and their descriptions of either oneself or their unspoken visible descriptors. He had been assessing them all long before the final notion was made by this "Ayse" female who spoke about the introductory of themselves. That was what displeased him so highly, a group of adventurers more keen on talking and sharing than making progress. Grendrick knew the importance of knowing each member's skills and talents, but history lessons and personal stories were bland and droll to him in this day. Perhaps a time long ago he might have cared, the old LeFloure would have cared, but Grendrick did no such thing and made it evident.

"Stories of our lives belong in books. You want to know my past, you save it for when business is over." He stated with a low growl and a turn of his snout to the bread. He took a smaller loaf and sheered it in half with his index claw and then took a small block of cheese and lifted them together over his mouth. He dropped the pair in and ate it only to toss a goblet of wine down his snout and then release a subtle huff of annoyance. "My talents and capabilities are all that matter at this point. We have work to do, whether you enjoy the name or not, is your business. I am Grendrick, that is all you need to know. I hunt, I kill, and I take what is mine. I will not back down from our foes, and I will not falter on our hunt. The sun and moon will rise and fall for an eternity before I give in, and even longer before I fall in battle." He spoke with a stern tone, if the people in the room thought his previous tone was displeasing, this would likely cause some internal anger among them. "I have no intentions of spilling my story to you all, their is no sense in it, history is history for a reason. Move on from it, and seek the hunt in front of you, not the one you have failed already."

He finished his words, and he was done now. He wouldn't say another word unless provoked to do so with a good reason. He would accent his silence with another goblet of wine, it had no effect on a man such as himself of his size and make, but the flavor wasn't horrible and to note would be something likely from his former life, as the old LeFloure did enjoy wine with the Wife. However it would be hard to think of such things with no indication that he was once a normal man, and that he once had a life outside of his current one. He refused to speak of it to anyone, he seemed all but lost in his less than friendly desires to become the Apex Predator, the Alpha Hunter. He had already begun this new life, for a couple years he has hunted, fought, and scrapped for his right to grow and rise, to become the Wolf among sheep of Rift Hunters, to become the Alpha among all creatures in this life. The old LeFloure just wanted to protect his lively hood, his town, his wife, he sought her, not power or the top of the food chain. Old LeFloure just wanted his happiness, and now he had all but forsaken Happiness altogether.

Marianne looked at the girl who suddenly rose up from her seat. Her name was Ayse Temer, it seemed, and she was a member of the Church of The Endless Ones. She herself never really knew much about the Church. Her family never really had much contact with them. But she seemed to be a genuine person, and from her expression when she talked about finding her fiancee, she could tell she had a lot of love inside her.

She herself never really thought of marrying. It seemed such a distant thing, away from her insects and her goal to explore the dungeons and find a way to make her be able to cast magic.

Besides, she couldn't imagine someone wanting to go to bed with her with all the insects she carried around.

Marianne heard Ayse urging all of them to share their stories. Personally, she wouldn't mind to do as she requested. She had nothing to hide after all.

But just when she was about to rise up herself, the lycan interrupted her, by rising up first and then pretty much saying he did not want to talk about his past. His speech quite irked the girl. He seemed like someone who loved to boast according to her view.

After he finished, she finally rose up and started her speech.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Marianne of the Silverflame family. It is a pleasure to meet with you all here today." She paused to do a little bow and curtsy before continuing. "I came here with the purpose of finding a way for me to learn magic, for I was not blessed with the capability to cast any unlike my forefathers. It is my dream to be able to cast them as I wish to continue the family business of being magic researchers, and what kind of a researcher cannot try his own research?"

She paused again, looking at the group's reactions. She then put her hands, which had been folded nicely on her waist this whole time, onto the table. Then, she let a couple of her beetles out from the sleeves of her dress. They now scuttered around her hands on the surface of the table.

"These are my specialties," she continued. "Insects. I could control a copious amount of insects. Underneath my dress now lie around one to two hundred insects, perhaps even more. The ones you see right now are for defense, as their toughness is capable of acting as an armor to my body. I also have a swarm of poisonous bees that would handily incapacitate foes from a distance. And if that fails, I still have my trump card; a giant mantis, straight from the dungeons. I cannot have it out for long though, as it really feeds on my mana." She then willed the beetles back into her sleeves before sitting back down, ending her speech.

@Hammerman@ManoftheNorth@berd@Ptolemy@eemmtt@Roughdragon1@Renny@Rekaigan

GUILDHOUSE MEETING ROOM #24
Guild party creation
Mediator today: Artemis Lemont, Lead organizer of wood/bronze decision adventurers


Artemis smiled warmly while the newly formed group began to discuss what they would be bringing to the group, how they would work, and a sense of leadership began to take shape. Truth be told, as a viewer of the thousands of groups that had been created within the last 10 years of her working at the Guildhouse, she had gotten a better sense of who offered what when it came to group morale and safety. While some, like the Lycan for example, would thrive amidst the chaos of the dungeon rifts, the more subtle missions would fall apart at the seems.
Ogres and Trolls had been known to flatten anyone who tried to steal their Cache in an open fight. Without a proper strategy it was far too easy for the larger creatures to kill off even a skilled group of disorganized party members. Without taking every situation into consideration and applying a plan, you were mince meat!
Artemis tilted her head ever so slightly while silently assessing who would make the best leader. Though it wasn`t her choice to make.

Ayse Temer would have been a solid runner for that role, but the issue she had mentioned with her husband might compromise her ability to make a decision if she found the mans trail. Heavens only knew how many lovestruck couples had perished for the right reason at the wrong time..
The Orc, while strong, thus far had not shown himself to be the leader type. Nor the talkative type. The way he was rubbing his head and putting back the wine, one could even argue he was not the most sober either. A shame.

Alya, the Sylph, perhaps? A quick glance at her form, which had been taken and placed infront of Artemis after being signed, was detailed in a great deal of things. Information found about them before they had ever even arrived at the guildhouse had revealed even more. An assassin by trade, while not the most honest of jobs, was fitting for her talents. But if the poor girl couldn't keep her hands to herself in the city after becoming a proper rift delver, she would not only face execution.. But she would find it at the prisoners carnival.
Artemis held back a shiver as she remembered her own time there.

The most fitting choice seemed to be Mistress Silverflame. Being a noble, she was well educated. Well funded. The Mantis she was in control of alone was worth more than Artemis made in a month! The Iron Hands weren't exactly the friendliest business venture to trade with, and their taxation could become quite staggering when a good haul of items was found in a cache, so having a solid financial backing was helpful to the cause too.
Her style of fighting was also built more around issuing commands to the guardian insects that crawled around, Artemis was assuming, was every part of the poor girl below that fabulous dress. Just imagining the crawlers she had seen once on her own skin was enough to give her the chills!

Clearing her throat, she patted the air infront of her to urge everyone back to their seats. If only for a moment.

"I hate to interrupt. But I'm on a bit of a schedule for now, so I cannot stay much longer. Before I go, it is guild custom for a newly formed group to be given a dungeon escort from one of the higher ranking members of the guildhouse. A formality you all may one day be asked to participate in, though it is indeed voluntary only!"

Artemis could hear the heavy thump of his footsteps already. Indeed the table had begun to wobble ever so subtly. The wine in everyones glasses was shaking! An omen of what was to come..

"Please welcome your dungeon Escort. He should be here any moment."

From outside of the room they heard something groaning. Wood was.. groaning. Something incredibly heavy was padding its way down the hallway, and a voice.. Loud, stern, confident. Yet it was.. Muffled. Even through the thick walls you could just barely hear it.

"WHY YOU INGRATEFUL-" The voice roared on the opposite side of the wood and stone wall. The moaning of something much larger, more feral, rumbled in moments after as if speaking to the first person.

"I SAID NO! YOU ARE NOT-" Again the beast was groaning and growling but the man continued undaunted, "IT IS GUILD REGULATION YOU HARPY! YOU CAN'T COME!"
Everything went quiet as a receptionist opened the door, peaking out at their visitor. In a panic the receptionist slammed the door and leapt aside before it happened.



Siph braced for what was to come, the runic words carved into his arms took on a sinister red glow as they pumped brute strength into every inch of his hulking form. Infused with the magic of his homeland it was hard for anything to move him, but the great white bear was a monster in its own right. Rearing up to its full potential of almost 12 feet tall, Meesha growled in her anger and attacked without holding back.
Together they crashed through the thick stone wall like paper, tumbling in a shower of dust and rock across the polished hardwood floor. Artemis barely flinched.

"YOU BLOODY HOMEWRECKER, YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"

Both hands planted in the beasts mouth, firmly prying apart the titans mouth with his own brute strength alone, Siphs muscular arms bulged and seethed with the bears own strength. As a speaker of the wilds to his former clan, Shamans learned how to bind themselves to animal companions and befriend them. Most went for wolves, owls, bears, boars. Siph had tackled a denmother of legend. The white beast of Farrkrin Mountains, said to be the mother of all dire bears.

Groaning and growling, hunks of saliva flying from the mouth of the beast onto his face, Siph reared back his fist and struck hard at the head of his animal companion. A blow that was said to carry enough power to fell a giant. If the white behemoth felt anything at all it gave no sign and continued to try and charge forward, dragging Siph across the floor like a toy, as it snapped angrily at him.

"YOU'LL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT!" Getting his feet under him, he pushed off from the ground and managed to twist the white bears neck, rolling it onto its back where it finally lay still. Siph groaned as he collapsed atop it, patting her belly reverently.

"Ah you big softie. All bluster." He laughed, not wanting to add 'no bite' to his comment. Such a thing would surely make her take a bite.

A cold cough from behind him had his spine straight as an arrow and at attention. Spinning on his heel, he stood closer to 8 feet tall of corded muscle and scars crisscrossing his intricate tattooed arms. A long graying beard reached down nearly to his belt buckle.

"Yes, Ma'am, Artemis. Miss. Yes! Sorry! Please put that on my tab." He chuckled nervously.

With a sigh of, what seemed like annoyance, Artemis rubbed her temples as she glanced at the mess created. Again. "At least you are here, I suppose..." Artemis rose from her chair with practiced ease and made her way over to Siph, lightly dusting his bear skin mantle before turning to introduce him to the rest of the group.

"Everyone, this is your Dungeon Escort for today. Siph Barou, diamond ranking. Please get acquainted at your leisure!" Artemis clapped her hands again. "When you are finished here with food and drink, you may go to the infinity Bridge for your first rift as a group! Good luck, be sure to take a bloodshard from the church, and make sure your sigils are etched onto any equipment you would like returned." Waving her hand gently, the spirited young woman was quick to depart from the room using the hole the pair had made. It was going to take them weeks to repair it this time..

Siph cleared his throat carefully as he glanced over the new dungeon group.

"Well! I guess we will be leaving soon! Do you have any questions before we jump right in?" Though he had clearly been rammed through a wall and nearly bitten in half, the charismatic warrior showed no signs of pain at all. If it wasn't for the dust and a few cuts on his hands one would think the ordeal hadn't happened at all.
Meesha lay behind him contentedly.

Grendrick watched the unfolding scenario with a snarling nostril at the event. Despite it's somewhat present hilarity, to Grendrick it was more of a nuisance than anything at all. He desired to get this under-way and now he was being held up by none other than Siph Barou and his companion. He was certain the others should know of Siph, but he didn't put it behind the newbies to be lacking in their knowledge of the highest ranked Rift Adventurer. There was one misconception that Grendrick now realized was tall-tales of the Man, as his height was merely eight feet tall. Granted he was a mountain of a man, Grendrick stood ten at his lycanthropic posture, and that made him shake his snout almost laughably at the nature of men's tales. Despite these tales and the nature of what made Grendrick release a subtle growl-laced chuckle, he was not against meeting Barou in his gracious nature.

"Aye, pleasure to meet the great Siph Barou. Though great seems to be a bit of a white lie now.. clearly the old Girl is better than you." The Lupine stated, with a hint of a joke on his tongue as he stepped past a few of the members around the table and surveyed Siph with a pair of keen eyes, and then his companion. "She is clearly the one who brings home the coin. You must be her trophy husband." Grendrick quipped again before passing the male and extending his lupine hand to brace onto Barou's shoulder, a gentle nature to it as if controlled and refined from one person to another, something completely unexpected and out of nature for Grendrick. He did so while speaking with a nod of his snout. "I will be at the church, collecting my Bloodshard. My armor is already marked with Sigils, and while I would enjoy staying and talking, I would rather us all prepare ourselves for the task ahead. I am ready for the Rifts, and tired of idle waiting so excuse me if I seem rude, Barou but I must be ready for this endeavor. Despite how anyone might feel of me, I prefer preparation as to speculation, and I intend to get us all through the Rifts alive."

Grendrick spoke and while his lupine voice made everything he said always sound furious and menacing, he was rather sincere and was speaking with the notions of what the others might not have perceived of him initially. He did in fact plan to lead, and lead his way, but with the presence and power to keep them all alive. He had been surveying them all this whole time, the concept not spoken but practiced. He was planning, plotting, analyzing the way few know how to do in the way he does.. as an Alpha, or the being aspiring to be the True Alpha. Artemis had her thoughts, the people around the table, and surely even Siph had thoughts of Grendrick, but none of them would ever truly know the dealings of Grendrick LeFloure's brain, and his spirit. He accepted this nature of himself and of others, however he always enjoyed proving them wrong in time as he had down to many previously who believed with false knowledge. This was only more of a lingering thought though as Grendrick had passed on to the hole ade by Siph and the Bear and he made his way out of the Guildhouse.

A few moments later and Grendrick was now out and about the city, the location of the Infinity Bridge was among the Tower itself, but around the Tower was a bustling city of quite the marvelous nature. It was here that he had a few things to tackle that he would rather not have the group knowing of and was partially a reason to leave earlier than the others. Though his explanation to Siph wasn't a lie as Grendrick did despise idle time wasting, and he was sure not to do so in the City errands he was doing. Before his trip to the Church he forced his way into a few back-streets of the City before reaching a building tucked away in the depths of Alleys and squares that was initially owned by the Iron Hands, and while the agents inside were Iron Hands Agent's, there was one who would be meeting Grendrick outside for a "walk" in which the two would discuss some matters of business.



"Lady Stockton." Grendrick growled lowly as a woman stepped away from the closed door-frame and then took a stride beside Grendrick's own. She was petite and slender, long legs gliding as she kept his pace.

"The Hound." Lady Stockton said in a monotone voice that flared only with the accent of a Silvershire native. She was a native to his home town, an old friend of his Wife's to be exact. She looked up from the street for only a split second as she glanced at his snout and his glaring eyes as they trailed the path into the square. "You will be taking up your hammer soon, aye Smith?" She asked him as they passed a small fountain in a residential rotunda of homes.

"Indeed, the coals are shimmering, and the forge will soon be hot and bright." Grendrick replied and let his body shift slowly as the pair stopped at the fountain and Grendrick stretched his large body out slowly. He rolled his shoulders and then raised his snout high in the air, extending his body towards the sky before it folded back slowly and he shook his head like an angry wolf. "When the iron is hot, I will mold it into a fine crafted piece. Then you can ship it to the customer, aye, Courier?" Grendrick asked the female as she seemingly ignored him and stared into the water of the fountain a few feet away. She kicked one heel up and had a smile of whimsy across her face as she replied.

"Aye, aye. Wings like a bird and speed like the wind! A flick of the wrist and a wisp of breath and the craft shall reach it's destination!" She spoke now with the lack of her previous monotone nature. She was now upbeat and happy, her silver hair fell from her hood and she spun on her one heel as she pushed up off the bearing of the fountain to frolic a moment around the square. All the while Grendrick merely smiled in a way few understood without realization of a Werewolf's smile, while he took his leave.

Moments passed as Grendrick exited the residential area and moved back towards the main-stay of the city. The Church closed into sight and he finally felt that itch in his spine begin to ease away. He could feel the oncoming of his desire to hunt and descend the Rifts peaking which made the small itch cease and turn into a hair-standing sensation. He could barely contain his own desire and urges, which led his walk to soon turn into a sprint, however a lycanthrope sprint was unlike the normal. He quickly leaped forward from his hind legs and his arms extended outward as he began to pounce and sprint, his lupine figure reaching great speed as he darted through the streets and then passed a long railing and then he climbed the stairs into the massive Church. His speed quickly declined as he passed through a pair of pre-opened gates and a single yelling Church-member shaking a long rod at Grendrick as he stormed passed and slowed to a halt before the Alter. There he panted and took a few heavy breaths as a representative slowly approached him with his Bloodshard, and a scowl, as well as yet another of the long rods which quickly met Grendrick's head and a large huff of anger from the lupine.

"Grendrcik! How many times'ave we told'ya to stop rampagin'n'ere like a mongrel!?" The representative, now revealed to be an older lady, scolded him with great disdain and apparent association. "Get'yer Shard and get'ut you mutt! Always a'bargin'in like a pesky pup wantin' food! Get! Get on out of here now!" She yelled and shook her stick at him as she prodded his back and forced him to leave with a haste that rivaled his own arrival. She was not putting up with him today, and he had retrieved what he had came for and was being power-housed by a little old lady now. However he didn't entirely find the situation unlaughable as a series of rough huffs containing laughter-like sounds was heard from his snout as he made his way out of the door.

This concluded his essential errands and all that remained was pressing on to the meeting at the Infinity Bridge, which of course meant meeting inside the tower, but not at the Infinity Bridge. This is why Grendrick took his time and held his urge under control, he had seemingly pressed through his urges and was yet again back to the realization of how he would have to wait and sit idle while everyone came together and everything was permitted to continue. This is why once he found the meeting location, he took a seat atop a chaise-like chair and stretched himself out like a relaxing wolf, and awaited the slow arrival of everyone else, but for now he would wait alone.

Marianne could only stare blankly as Siph made his dramatic entrance. She certainly did not expect something like that to happen. She had rose up from her seat, readying her insects to attack the giant bear but it seemed it was not necessary at all. The man handily took care of the giant beast himself.

She heard Artemis introducing him as their Dungeon Escort. She looked at the man throughoutly and she could tell he was a hardened combatant. It seemed they would be in good hands indeed.

The lycan quickly left the meeting after giving some greetings to the man. He was clearly impatient, not wanting to spend time doing frivolous things like watching the rest of his party converse with Siph.

Well, Marianne had no problem with that. She herself never liked staying in meetings just to socialize.

"Greetings, Sir Siph Barou." She curtsied. "I am Marianne Silverflame. I shall be in your care."

Gormarr wait as the other member of his party introduce themselves taking note on them and their abilities. One of the people at the table suggest that they should introduce themselves to the rest of the group. The first one to step up was the woman who's named was Ayse, she explains that she was a healer and she was looking for someone. The orc made the mental note to ask someone what a fiance was. Either way it is good that one healer in the group the orc thought. The next person to introduce themselves was a fancy dressed human girl named Marianne who could controlled bugs. Gormarr thought nothing of the ability remember the shaman in the clan telling him of a similar power.

As Gormarr was about to introduce himself Siph Barou crash though the wall while wrestling a white direbear. The orc cheer for the man as he fought the bear. After Siph manage to subdue the direbear he was introduce to the party as their dungeon escort and was told to get ready for the rift. Having no question to ask the orc gave a warriors salute to Siph before grabbing a bottle of the wine and leaving the guild hall. Seeing he has clan's emblem on his armor and weapons he went to find a Bloodshard. Quickly going to the church he got a Bloodshard from a representative and head over to the tower to wait for the rest of the party. Once he arrives at the tower he took a seat on one the step and begun to start to drink the wine while waiting for the rest of his party.

@Renny
Marianne could not help but giggle silently a little hearing Novella's question. The man was such a perfect example of a new, nervous, yet optimistic adventurer. It was as if he was a character straight out of a kid's adventure book.

She found it a little cute herself.

It seemed that people had started to introduce themselves to the group, Ayse's ambitions and abilities were interesting to the elf. Having the power to burn away injury was something she hadn't heard of before. Then again, there are many things that she hadn't heard of in this world due to her somewhat isolated life in the tribe. The woman's ambitions were.. different from what she expected. Finding her fiance in the rift.. There was no cause for concern as Ayse reassured everyone that she wasn't going to just leave after reuniting with him.

Marianne had also joined in on introductions, her abilities were also quite unique. Fariha couldn't believe that the girl had a giant Mantis hidden somewhere, but perhaps that must've been the stronger presence she had felt. Although most people would shiver that the thought of so many bugs crawling around the girl, Fariha was rather glad that there are others that embrace nature in such a way.

As Artemis mentioned the dungeon guide, a shout was heard behind the thick wooden door. A burly man crashed through the thick wood walls, a white direbear close behind. The wood elf took a half step back in response to the sudden event, but made no move to assist the man. She had a gut feeling that these two were pretty close. Must be something that happens all the time. It didn't take long for the man to wrestle the direbear into submission. 'Speaking of embracing nature..' she thought, suppressing a chuckle.

Her eyes lit up as Artemis mentioned the man's name. The Siph Barou was their dungeon guide? She never thought that someone so powerful would assist a low ranking group like theirs, she expected at most, a gold rank. However, the real legend she wanted to meet was the Denmother. She walked up to the denmother, her steps making no noise as she approached it. She looked straight at the direbear in a slight expression of awe. This direbear was much larger than the one she fought in the forest. As expected of a denmother. She bowed slowly a few feet away from the legendary beast. "May I touch your fur?" the elf asked in a soft voice, however still sounding calm as to not show hesitation or weakness. As odd as it might sound to everyone else, to Fariha, this was a privilege.

@Renny

The first to ask him a question was the young looking warrior to be, Novella? That was the young lads name if the sheet Siph had read earlier was correctly being recalled upon. Siph crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the young man with quiet enthusiasm, his smile hidden under his beard but still noticeable all the same.

“Sir Siph, I have a question,” Novella started. “You’re diamond rank, supposed to be the top-adventure in all the world. I think that’s pretty damn cool and… well, I want to be stronger than you. One day, not today. But hopefully sooner than later. What I’m getting at is… Well…”

The burly mountain man leaned down closer to the excitable young warrior. To someone of his ranking within the guild, let alone 'the world' as this boy seemed to think, it was common for people to call out to their hero. It was one of the many pleasures that other snobby adventurers in the higher ranks often hated. Those fools! To lose sight of their enthusiasm and joy to mere self-esteem. Most of those lot couldn't see past their own steel!
Novella had fire in him.

“Right, on with it,” He inhaled deeply before blowing away his jitters. “Tell me, Siph sir, where do I began my climb to the top? Give me guidance to help me keep myself and everyone alive,”

Siph leaned back and roared with laughter the moment the words flew out of Noves mouth. Barely begun and already he was thinking of the group as a whole! The big Orc and Lycanthrope might not have the heart to ask a few well meaning questions, take advantage of the years compiled within the bruised melon that served as Siphs head, but this one was. Siphs laugh was not a mocking tone, rather the opposite. His good cheer was evident as he leaned forward and 'lightly' clapped Novellas shoulder. Given the empowering magic still flowing in his arms, just that was enough to give enough force on the pat to send the spry fighter back and into a chair, both going down in a heap.
Siph winced mid-chuckle and shook both of his arms to cease the glow of strength.

"Ah, lad, my apologies. Not often people ask such a forward question! But not you!"

Reaching out, he clasped Nove by his shoulder and hoisted him from the floor with ease and back onto his feet.

"Let me start you with a bit of knowledge here."

Fariha edged closer to the great white bear Meesha without fear, of that Siph recognized not only courage but a great deal of reverence in the cautious way she began to extend her hand. Siph turned to the bear and grabbed one of her large paws, the sharp claws had been polished meticulously and etched with markings similar to the ones upon her masters arms, and used the razor fine implements to draw a deep gash across his own hand before turning back to Novella.

"You want to keep your new friends alive? Start here." The blood had swelled easily from the cut and already was spread across nearly every inch of the big mans imposing hand. Clasping the boys left shoulder, Siph pressed his bloody handprint hard onto the pristine plate above Noves heart and held it there.

"Your heart. Courage to stand where you are needed, when you are needed. Honor, for those that came before, and those that will follow after you." Siph tossed a wink to hint that Novella was now walking in his footsteps, started many years ago.

"Lastly.." Removing his hand from the other mans plate, revealing the handprint keenly for all to see, Siph struck his extended thumb on Noves forehead. A single bloody dot now remained. "Your mind. Intelligence does not mean you are a bookworm or a master mage. It means you can learn from any mistake, prepare for any challenge, and understand your enemies and friends alike. That is how you become strong!"

Wiping off the blood from his own hand on the soft fur lining his pants, Siph showed the relatively clean hand was now free of the cut. The tattoos had a faint green shimmer to them as he regenerated. "A little magic helps here and there too, though!"

Again he stood tall as an oak, hands firmly planted on both his hips, and chuckled. To all the world it seemed as if he was celebrating another tremendous victory.

@Hammerman

Realizing he had stood up one of the group members in favor of the enthusiastic young adventurer to be, he turned to view the first speaker. In a flowing dress of regal design, there stood a beauty if ever there was. A man of passion and enthusiasm himself, Siph dipped into a bow so low his graying beard touched the floor. Nearly 60 years old, some believed he would live forever with a body as strong and flexible as his.
Flowing strongly back to his full height, he dipped one knee to the ground and extended the other as he grasped her hand in his own non-bloodied one, a soft kiss placed on the back of his hand.

"Forgive my rudeness, beautiful maiden. It was not my intent to offend you. You have my word that this group shall be well looked over."

Again rising to his full height he beamed a bright smile. Who would have guessed that a royal would take up the hunt instead of the shops. Truly a day of learning new things! Even the horrible atrocities lurking about her fine bosom wasn't enough to deter him from admiring her.
Though it did put a dampener on his far he would have been willing to court her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@Rekaigan

Meesha, the eternal, Denmother of the Dire Bears, a creature of legend said to have given birth to the breed of monstrously powerful bears that roam every forest across the planet. Viewing it anywhere but a natural grown forest would be almost criminal. Despite such an endearing history, the elder white bear was still laying upon its side as she waited patiently for it's 'master' to finish.
While it may seem like an average beast with similar intelligence, the truth was that this majestic being was more than capable of knowing what was going on. It had memories forged from the twisting nethers it had been created in. A mere replication of the true white legend, Meesha was no less and no greater than the original.

It followed Siph Barou by its own will. His words were understood and taken as suggestion, not command.
This one had earned the right to bind himself to the Den Mother that day.. Had earned it every day since then, over their long strange journey.

A heart of gentle warmth rested in the imposing frame of the Dire Bear.

It's head rose from the floor to glance with a single eye at the approaching hand. Intent solely upon that singular grasping hand, so easy it would be to tear it to shreds. A swipe of her claws could kill any mere humanoid with ease. A feat proved on the regular!
But there was no hostility here. Her 'master' showed not the slightest unease in his own equally impressive frame. That reason coupled with the sense of respect she felt from the elf was enough.

Despite its shaggy appearance, the stains of the world it had walked, the blood her great paws had been soaked in, the white fur was still lush. Softer than any bed in the world, Meeshas coat of luxurious fur was bliss.
It wouldn't take long for the softness of the white to entice Fariha. Poor girl might not be able to resist trying to catch a nap right then and there.
Meesha wouldn't argue such a thing.