Rook gazed levelly at the massive walls before him, taking a characteristically long swig from his flask as he did so. The walls of Starkvale were, of course, an impressive sight to the gent rapidly approaching them, his shorter stature offset by long, brisk strides that seemed to propel him as though some unseen wind carried him forth. A plethora of smells assailed Rook’s nose as his increasingly agitated pace brought him nearer to the cobbled together village below Starkvale’s walls. The scents of sausages, stews, eggs, potatoes, and all manner of food in various states of doneness wafted straight to Rook from the cook fires scattered about the town, as if directly challenging the conspicuously empty state of his own stomach; The last of Rook’s rations had dwindled to naught the morning of the previous day, when he decided to prioritize reaching Starkvale over foraging for an extra meal.

What Rook could only hope, was that he would be able to find work with one of the guilds that he knew existed on the other side of those tall, looming walls. While Carver’s Bastion wasn’t entirely cut off from the world, the travelers Rook encountered whilst heading north had reported the formation of a new guild when inquired upon, shedding new light on Rook’s likely outdated information on the city. This new guild, which was as of yet unnamed, as far as he could tell, seemed as good a place to start as any. So, when Rook at least reached the gates beyond the infernal maze of breakfast before them, that’s exactly what he explained to the sergeant that would be his ticket into the city.

The sergeant, to his credit, made no indication beyond his genetically predisposed hatred of mercenaries that Rook appeared to be yet another drop in the endless tide of sellswords seeking access to Starkvale. “Work,” The man began slowly, as if tasting the word, before finally spitting it out harshly. Clearly he tasted something he found unsavory. “You’re a sellsword. Sellsword don’t work. Sellswords are government sanctioned criminals that don’t belong inside this city. However-”

“You’re going to let me in anyways?” Rook peered up at the ill-tempered sergeant, an eyebrow raised in boredom. “I didn’t come here to swap philosophies until we’re both blue in the face. I want to get into your fucking city so I can start calling it my fucking city. So where the hell’s my escort?” The sergeant’s eyes narrowed down at Rook as his lips pressed into a thin line.

“Welcome to Starkvale, now get the hell out of my sight!”

Once the pair of guardsmen and the “government sanctioned criminal” they were assigned to escort arrived at the guild hall, the former peeled away, likely to return to their posts at the gate. The latter, however, had other plans. Striding past the confused drabarian mucking about in the street, Rook approached the three figures standing just within the confines of the hall. He nodded respectfully at all three, a shorter woman beside what Rook considered to be a hulking man, and a bejeweled chap. Flitting his gaze easily between them as he spoke, Rook introduced himself. “Rook Lassa, new to Starkvale. I’m also new to mercenary work, but not to combat.”

It seemed on the bounty board, there was a Troll in need of slaying. It had kidnapped and eaten a man in his late thirties who's family can no longer provide for itself effectively. This bounty was appointed by the man's brother. 20 Gold for the Troll's head. If anyone was interested, meet the man at midday any day for the next week at the northern gate.

The Captain of the Outfit leaned casually against the door with his arms crossed and one foot raised against the doorway, and gave a nod to Allard as the man approached. "Good to see you up," he told him. "I'll be heading around the town to look for some items to help out in killing whatever is trying to steal from Lord Pembrook. You coming with me?" Kayden's question was cut off when Lis headed down the steps, her expression making it clear she wasn't in the mood for any kind of shit, even moreso than usual. Kayden gave her a pleasant smile from her greeting, but turned his head at the mention someone was watching them.

In fact it was a few someone's. The Drabarian was there first, a creature that would stick out like a sore thumb anywhere. The Guards escorted two more men in just to where the Drabarian stood, looking as if they were dumping off filth that they could sorely do without. They pointed them at the Guildhall, and called to Kayden. "They're your problem now!" The said. Kayden raised an eyebrow and replied. "Get going or you'll have problems of your own."

The Captain used his upraised foot to push him off the doorward and stand tall. "Are you looking to join up with us?" he called to the new recruits. "If so, speak up. We were just leaving and have little time to tarry." Kayden had a way of switching between casual and commanding in one swift moment, his tone changing smoothly. Even his posture, all without making it evident. Rook, Leon, and Othiyosia would see a large and in charge, burly Khalahar standing next to the dashing and slim Borderman, and just beside them was a surly Dwarfish lass. Kayden gave a grin and a nod to Rook when the man introduced himself and said he knew combat but not the Mercenary life. "Well, that's a start." he joked.

Even through multiple walls and the commotion of the streets, the companions at the fore of the Guildhall could hear the racket made by Hobnob and his crew in the backyard. Virgil the Veteran finished smoking his pipe, and mounted his charger as Hobnob worked on his contraption. "Hope you know what you're doing," Virgil said in his customary drawl. "Way things looks, we'll need all the help we can get." With that, Virgil began to head out the back fence gate.
@BurningCold@Fetzen@MiddleEarthRoze@Jollan@BCTheEntity@rush99999@Tangletail

Ah… luck would definitely have it for a thief to walk in at the most inopportune point in his life. Maybe he’s just being paranoid. The kind of nervous jitters you get when you’re about to get a new job… and you’re staring down four-hundred pounds of pure Drabarian beef cake. Well the beef cake thing is just a saying, but you could understand if you were in that situation. The thief was in that situation at some point in his life, but he didn’t have a nervous spark.

No… probably what set that off was walking in just when a short stock dwarf, whom he could only assume the captain, had openly announced that his intention was to kill a thief. Now to be fair… the dwarf did say to kill ‘whatever’. It doesn’t necessarily mean a thief. It could just be a some brooding dragon driven insane by the pheromones in the air and is in the rush to quickly build a hoard to impress the ladies. Would that label the dragon a thief? Or a pragmatist? Possibly pragmatist as the dragon definitely wasn’t trying to be discrete about it.

So in theory… he should be safe! Not really. Curse his honesty. But he came all this way. Might as well get the introductions out of the way, and be prepared for a firm boot to be hung deep in his mudhole and sent out the gates.

“Ah! Hello hello~,” The Jackal chimmed as he gave the captain a polite bow. A bit unnecessary in the circumstance, but it was a code of his professional ethics! As were the up coming bit!

“I am Leon. Many usually just refers to me as ‘Jackal’. I am an ex-thief. A professional if you were, with a healthy code of honor and ethics. Turned merc oh some year or two a ways a back back.” His words rolled off of his tongue. He paused for a moment with his lips pursing.

“Should note that I still firmly follow those codes. It’d be an honor to add my hands and blade to your ranks.”

A troll, eh? A tough fight, certainly, but Nuva felt it'd be no particular match for somebody who had his particular set of... capabilities, he decided was the best word. He'd prefer these capabilities in a less threatening form than he possessed, of course, but since that wasn't a choice, he'd make do for now. So, midday at the northern gate... easily achieved, he supposed. And in the meantime, he'd probably take a look around for what he had in mind.

Speaking of looking around, he glanced back as he heard footsteps moving away from him, seeing the newcomer Lis heading toward Kayden and Allard. No doubt she was as interested in that job as he. Well, five gold was better than nothi- wait, no, they were equals in that matter. Arguably, he could even be called her senior, since he'd been with Kayden for... was it a week longer then her? Give or take a few days. And whilst he didn't like using his bulk to make a point, he would if he had to...

And that was beside the point, he reminded himself. Ten gold would be more than sufficient, but first, he'd actually have to kill the troll. And that would require being in the right place at the right time. Until then, he supposed he'd get on with his personal errand. Promptly, he headed away from the guild grounds, deciding to spend the next few hours searching for the location he was thinking of. And if he was lucky, it'd actually be in this city. If not... well, it'd be no particular change from his life at present.

@POOHEAD189@BurningCold@Fetzen@MiddleEarthRoze@Jollan@rush99999@Tangletail

Still standing where he had stopped moving a considerable time ago and having been abandoned by all the guards and already having been designated a 'problem' openly, Othiosiya couldn't help but feel quite... disposed of. The Drabarian could see movement in the foremost section of the guild hall his view could access, but still the massive gradient in illumination between the outside world and the inside room made it hardly possible to see anything without starting relentlessly.

The latter thing was an option the Drabarian was not willing to take. He silently considered it to be rude and inadequate for the situation, even though other, vastly smaller people seemed to be far less hesitant. Given this it wasn't surprising that the order in which the new arrivals started to be dealt with was not the same order in which they arrived, but again patience was an art to be mastered. Othiosiya only made a few small steps forward to give a signal that he actually was interested in joining, but his hopelessly tremendous body was capable of making a series of loud, thudding noises out of even that.

The Drabarian used the available time to make initial judgements: The man who had overtaken him in the queue didn't seem to hide anything spectacular: Simple clothes, ordinary physique. Kayden on the other hand was an entirely different person: The number of coins in his pocket didn't seem to be much of a worry for that man. In fact Othiosiya initially found it hard to not put him across the border which separated normal behaviour from forced attempts to look fancy.

"Well... yes. I've come here to try and join your company." Damn he really would have liked to already know Kayden's name, but in order not to put the other man into the same embarrassing trap he quickly added his own. "I'm Othiosiya."

@POOHEAD189@BurningCold@BCTheEntity@MiddleEarthRoze@Jollan@rush99999@Tangletail

As yet another new recruit arrived, Lis was silently mulling over the bounty board's prize - and target. She'd killed trolls before; not just in Bania, but along her travels between the monster-ridden country and the borderlands. However, she'd never done so in a solo mission. With the aid of a group or with just the one comrade, trolls had fallen to her blades for less money than had been offered. Still, Lis had to wonder if she'd even have the time or effort for such an endeavour. If they were to be dealing with a vampire at some point, she would need all of her strength and wits about her.

"Hm... perhaps the giant is interested in a partnership?" She thought to herself as Nuva joined them at the door for only a moment, before wandering off down the street, apparently paying no heed to their new members. Perhaps he was already on the search for this bounty? If so, Lis would have to wait. She was no fool; she couldn't take down a troll with just her and her swords. It would need some form of trap, or perhaps pitch. Trolls had a rather tough hide, but even that took some severe damage from fire. Either way, she intended to aid Kayden and the others in finding materials to help them on their current quest; she could only guess none of them had run into vampires before, what with how rare they seemed to be this far down south.

Eyes turning from the increasingly distant back of Nuva towards the recruits, Lis' lip curled slightly in irritation at the second one to speak. First of all, him being a supposed "ex-thief". She'd known pickpockets in her time, and honestly didn't care much for what they did as long as they didn't steal from her. But one thing was for sure; once a thief, always a thief. Lis had severe doubts that this man was truly a mercenary - if it were easier to steal a coinpurse to pay for his next meal, as opposed to slaying a werewolf, anyone with half a brain dedicated to survival would pick the first option. Again, Lis had no issues as long as herself - or someone particularly needy - wasn't affected. But dishonesty, she did not like. And secondly...

"Ugh. I hate it when they give themselves nicknames." She muttered disapprovingly upon hearing Leon's alternative title. The "Jackal". Stupid name - it didn't even have anything to do with thievery. However, the other two looked promising. The first one, the stocky human, gave a swift, to the point introduction; as did the Drabarian - he appeared even taller than their current giant, Nuva. Glancing back to Kayden, Lis stepped fully outside, arms still folded across her chest.

"Shall we take them on the shopping trip?" She asked with just the hint of a smile at their Captain and Allard. The more people coming meant the less heavy things for Lis to carry. Also, it would be nice to see which would tuck their tail between their legs and run away at the thought of fighting a Vampire.

@POOHEAD189@Jollan@BCTheEntity@Fetzen@BurningCold@Tangletail

Everything was going quite well on the gnomes end. The traps were looking nice and trappy. The magical defenses were looking quite formidable. And the final stages of The Obstacle Flattener's construction was nearing completion with each passing second. But it's at time like these that something tends to go very wrong.

Big-As-A-Dwarf Barry reached for an important tool that they only had 1 of only to find someone else was pulling at it. Big-As-A-Dwarf Barry turned to see the canine counterweight pulling at the tool. "Counterweight" Big-As-A-Dwarf Barry said "What are you doing?".
Counterweight started to pull harder.
"Counterweight!"
Counterweight pulled the tool free and proceeded to run off.
"Stop!" Hobnob called out as he and the rest of his crew drop everything and run after Counterweight.

As Nuva strode past the newcomers, he soon found himself lost within the crowd somewhat. He'd been within the city walls for hardly anytime at all, though he had the benefit of being taller than most of the men and woman who walked past him, so he could better see what was up ahead. Soon his long strides got him down three streets, passing by an Alchemist's den and a general goods store that seemed to have quite the business judging from the crowd. However, his search lad led him to the small store of a very small man, who seemed too busy shooing away someone who had attempted to barter with him.

"Go away!" He said, waving his hands. The disgrunted human grumbled and stepped out of the door. Meanwhile, Nuva had the chance to read the sign that proclaimed 'Mystic Miscellaneous: Your vendor of items and ingredients magical."
The short man was decked out in comfortable trousers and an expensive looking vest, over a rather inexpensive wool shirt. That, coupled with one earring with a jewel that seemed to spark a bit too brightly, suggested he wanted to impress. He waltzed behind his counter and stood, seemingly a bit taller now that his legs were not visible. Perhaps he was standing on books?

---

Kayden bit into his apple, and waved for the newcomers to not be shy. Thankfully they weren't. Lis was standing close enough to Kayden to see his free hand behind his back, one finger playing with the hilt of a hidden dagger, though his face was perfectly casual and calm. Perhaps he was both wary and calm. He didn't think these fellows were unseemly, but it was odd that he'd receive three new recruits in one morning, and word on the street was that some did not trust his Guild's reputation yet. He'd not yet learned of Starkvales...incriminating activities. Come to think of it, that made four with Lis. But if he had to be honest, she was a bit too pissed and outspoken to be a mole, or an assassin.

Luckily, Kayden was savvy enough to see these fine newcomers seemed genuine enough as well. "My name is Kayden. I'm the Captain, as you've probably guessed." he began. "As long as you're honest with me and the team, don't shy from when we need work done, and carry your weight, you'll do just fine."

Lis's observation of 'Jackal' had Kayden grinning humorously for a moment, but he put a finger to his lips and gave her a sideways look. "Here..." he said, reaching into his sack to produce another apple. He rolled it down his arm and presented it before her eyes with deft fingers. He meant it in the friendly way he was presenting it, but maybe with her mouth full she wouldn't encourage the newcomers to flee before they could properly join.

To her slightly more amiable suggesting of going shopping, Kayden gave her a wink. "Let's." he said, before turning to the new people. "I'll fill you in on the way, but if you wish to come with us, we'll be searching for some items to help us with our next job. I won't blame you if you want to weight here in the common room, though. Glad to have you with us."

The handsome young swordsman shook the hands of whoever would accept it. He seemed to have an easy time going from casual to businesslike. The sun was gaining higher just as they set out, walking among the crowd and keeping close so as to not get lost. There were a few Dwarves unloading a wagon to their right, using their stout strength to lift sacks of grain that weighed more than a grown man onto the ground.

Up ahead, the narrower streets became wider and more open. Music played, the kind made for merry making. A Half Elf minstrel played the flute while an approachable, older human played the harp. Before them, a shapely dark skinned woman swished to and fro as she danced to the music. On the opposite side of the square, shops were booming with business, and a sharp crack of metal on metal could be heard just to their back left as they entered the wider street.

There was a building made of stout stone, covered in a tarp. The tarp glowed from firelight within, even in the sunlight. "Well, if we're going to fight one of the Undying, Valdium or Silver is first on our list." Kayden said aloud, hands in his pockets as he looked to whatever companions followed.
@BurningCold@Fetzen@MiddleEarthRoze@BCTheEntity@rush99999@Tangletail

Well, it didn't appear to be a great shop, judging by the man's outfit, but it was at least a starting point. Perhaps if the man didn't take one look at him and instantly shoo him away, Nuva might get some use out of the store. He slowly stepped into the building, ducking beneath the headbar and glancing around at the goods on sale and the general aesthetic of the store, before turning his attention to the shop owner himself. He had an item he wanted, and by the good will of whatever deity dealt with his sort of situation, he was going to get it, either here or elsewhere.

'Pardon the arm,' Nuva muttered, gesturing to the weapon seared into his flesh and largely hidden beneath his cloak. 'If I could remove it, I would. I seek an item of significant magical ability, and yours is the first shop I have encountered that handles them. On a hunch, I'd wager there are other shops like yours in the city; therefore, before I make any proposals, I'd like some reassurance - evidence, if you will, that what you sell is genuinely enchanted.' You couldn't be too careful about something like this. And if the shopkeeper was insulted by his notion of doubt? Well, Nuva was well-acquainted with rejection by now.

@POOHEAD189@Fetzen@MiddleEarthRoze@rush99999@Tangletail

Relief, excitement, curiosity, and pride? Yeah those would definitely be emotions that the ‘Jackal’ would probably be feeling… if it wasn’t for the disrespectful response that he had probably just received. Oh yes… the thief is quite observant. You don’t live as long as this particular thief if you did not keep a life time of paranoia under your belt.

In fact… while he didn’t really hear a sound from Lis, his eyes did immediately flick to her when he detected some small amount of movement with her lips. Unfortunately, the motion was slight enough to make it difficult to discern exactly what she was saying. But he could easily assume that whatever it was, it was likely insulting. Adding icing to the cake of evidence was the human looking humored.

Well… at least it’s a much better sight than the swordsman reaching behind himself. It definitely had the thief subconsciously moving his hand closer to the knife that’s sheathed on the back of his hip. And say what you want about a thief, he’d be ready to kick open the gates of hell if someone tried for his life.

Fortunately, it does not look like it’s going to go that way. Not only did the swordsman seem to accept them. But he pulled his hand away from whatever it was behind him. That’s good at least. And with that Leon’s hand moved away from his own knife and relaxed by his side.

He took the human’s hand in one with a firm grip, and backed it with the other out of habit. He gave it a single firm shake and chimed out with a friendly smile, “If you need to know what else I bring to the table other than the ole chop chop, just ask.” It seemed stupid to say something like that to others… but to them most likely a thief was just a common pick pocket, or cutpurse. To Leon, thieves were a little more than that. Thieves make assassins look like saints in the criminal underworld back in his home town. When a Rogue Guild leader sent an assassin after you, it is just business. They just want to kill you, usually it will be quick. When a Rogue Guild leader sends a thief after you, normally you’re in deep shit. You either got a sadistic bastard, or the creative jackass coming for you with an unknown task.

Though… the next comment that came from Lis, the thief was actually able to pick it up. And it made his head recoil a bit in surprise. His lips pursed for a moment, and then he repeated a single word, “Shopping,” with a cant in his head. He couldn’t really put his thumb on it… but they definitely were definitely hiding something important.

Leon’s eyes watched the two start down the street. He gestured out with a hand, wanting to say wait and ask them exactly what they meant. Though, it looked like they were in a hurry.

With a resigned sigh, the thief followed. His eyes quietly wandered around the city. His eyes observed all the interactions. From the gorgeous performs, to the people stalking and talking in the streets. From what he gathered, this city was actually well maintained when it came to the law. This was a marketing district, but it was clearly not being suppressed or pressured by an outside party. Most of the shop owners look like they have been here for years, and those that look new do not appear to be suffering any form of intimidation.
Would that be a problem? Not really.
The thief scratched his chin idly as his eyes slowly drifted to a pedestrian talking with a peddler. More importantly, he was observing the negotiation between the two, and their clothes.

The lack of anyone dipping their hands in the cookiejar too greedily simply means that they don’t mind bartering. It’d also be much easier to severely lower the prices over any of the more precious goods. The fresh hands probably wouldn’t be so quick about it. But a veteran or a more intelligent shop keeper would know that liberal bartering would likely draw in more customers…

His thoughts rolled away, when his eyes found themselves being draw onto both the human, and the half-dwarf.

“The Undying,” The thief asked? First with a look of disintrest. There was a pause. A long pause. Then, just as it finally settled in there was an epiphany of emotions that washed over his face.

“Oh! YES!~ Now there’s something exciting. I figured I made the right choice coming here,~” The thief laughed after clapping his hands together. He extended both fingers, and pointed to the building just ahead of them.

“I’m going to assume that that’s a smithy then? Or you’re looking for for suggestions?”

“For suggestions… anything made with or gilded in silver tends to be on the shelves with some high marks. Now now, I’m no monster slayer, but I can probably make an oil with silver and coat your weapon with that which will be cheaper and faster to get. An Apothecary will carry what is needed for that… normally cheaper than an alchemist. But either works. Again… I’m no Monster Slayer… so it might just piss the bastards off off.”

@BurningCold @Fetzen @MiddleEarthRoze @BCTheEntity @rush99999

Kayden's wandering hand did not go unnoticed by Lis; she herself had several daggers and knives hidden about her body, as she appreciated how easy it was to suddenly be in an unexpectedly dangerous situation. There was some relief in seeing their Captain too felt the same way; it proved he thought ahead. In fact, the longer Lis knew Kayden, the more she believed he was a decent leader; her final assessment would have to wait until after their first skirmish, however. It was all well and good being headstrong in a calm situation, but she'd see who he - and the others - truly were in the Banian Manor. Regardless of this, she could see he was the humorous sort. Despite her foul mood, she was tempted to smile as the apple rolled down his arm - taking it wordlessly, Lis took to tossing it lightly in the air as they walked as opposed to eating it.

Although the sun grew brighter and hotter with each passing moment, Lis' tired headache was beginning to subside; a gentle breeze accompanied the blazing heat, ruffling through her tied-up hair in a refreshing manner. Alongside the daily racket of a busy town, and the charming music of street buskers, Lis was beginning to feel much more at home in Starkvale. The people here didn't seem to care about newcomers as so many places in the past had; tiny villages and towns in Bania, cut off from most outside contact, nearly always acted inhospitable towards her and the group she had journeyed with. Even outside of the monster-ridden country, she found the same to be true. More often than not it was suspicious groups of humans, immediately mistrusting her because she came from somewhere else... and was obviously not normal looking to them. Here in Starkvale however, once you got past the gates, nobody really seemed to care who you were.

As they walked past the music players, a young, skinny girl was jumping enthusiastically next to the dark-skinned woman; she was clearly a street urchin, if her ragged clothes and thin frame was anything to go by. She met Lis' eyes momentarily, and froze as she noticed the woman's expression. To Lis, she was feeling vaguely content, but her face rarely showed that what with a naturally down-turned mouth and sharp eyes. Swiftly plastering a smile on her face, Lis slyly tossed the apple to the kid as she and the group walked past, smile becoming more genuine as the girl scrambled to catch it, face lighting up. Fresh fruit was probably a rare thing to eat for a child on the streets - without risking to steal one, that was.

Right before she was about to reply to Kayden, one of their new members spoke up. Her feeling of contentment disappeared.

She'd met plenty of people like Leon; young men, talking big because they thought they'd "seen some shit". To her, having a few skirmishes in the under belly of a city did not count as "some shit". And after these supposedly big, tough lads came across a real monster? Well... they became very acquainted with shit, as did their undergarments. Turning to look at him, one eyebrow slowly raising at his misplaced enthusiasm, Lis wished she hadn't given away that apple; her fingers itched to pelt it at this idiot's head.

"Agreed - you are not a monster slayer. A real monster slayer wouldn't recommend such a thick-headed plan." She began, her tone calm but scathing. "First of all, we're not marks for you to try and scam. I don't even want to know how you'd go about making an oil containing silver, but it's a stupid plan regardless. A sword isn't a damned sponge; any oil your pour onto it will just make it slick and useless to attack with. The last thing you need around a leech of all things is to be fumbling with a greasy hilt, because you thought it would be cheaper and faster than getting a real weapon." The last few words were enunciated a bit more harshly, echoing the man's own ill-considered suggestion. With that over and done with, Lis straightened her face out to a somewhat neutral expression as she looked back to Kayden.

"I'd recommend getting both Valdium and silver weapons. They both have different properties that would be useful to us. If you're concerned about cost, then steel with some silver folded into it would be about as effective. We could also look into silver we could wear. A fellow I knew back in Bania wore a silver choker - it looked like a dog collar, and the rest of us made sure to remind him of that on a daily basis. But it saved him from a bite more than once." She said, recalling the memory. The rest of the group didn't need to know that the guy had died anyway. Silver did nothing when a troll was beating you to death.

@POOHEAD189@Tangletail@Fetzen

Allard gave a chuckle as he watched the Lis get more than a little peeved at the one who called himself 'Jackal'. After thinking for a moment on the subject matter of silver weapons and cost he heard Lis speak of just wearing silver seemed to keep a man protected from bites from the undying. Allard knew he didn't have money to buy anything so he would be of little help financially. He was starting to wonder if he could go on this quest. Sure he wanted to help, but he couldn't even buy cheap leather armor at this time, let alone silver or silver infused weapons.

"What if we just made a few spearheads with steel and silver and used those? We could then fasten them to short spear shafts and it would be cheaper than buying even one or two full length swords made of the same material. Plus, a spearhead would have the advantage of the metal being in a smaller, stouter piece instead of being drawn out and flimsy. Any weapon with a small metal head could be done the same as well: axe, club, warhammer, or even arrowheads." It made sense to him, though he wasn't sure if it was the best plans. not everyone seemed to fight with those types of weapons and even Allard was only used to using bows and spears. Though he was confident that he could use the other weapons he mentioned relatively well, they just weren't things he normally practiced with.

"Though, I do wonder... Lis, would wearing even a slight bit of silver keep an undying from biting you, or was it just the placement of the silver about his neck that kept him safe from being bitten there specifically?" Allard didn't know much about what they were most likely going after, so he was hoping that his question wasn't too stupid of one.

The Drabarian spent a noticeable amount of time on weighing the different options. Well there merely were two of them, but nevertheless he found the choice between turning around and heading directly back into the city and staying here and idling around already a difficult one. He probably would be able to chat with his -- hopefully -- future colleagues at either location, so the decision making was reduced to what could serve the greatest additional purpose. And there Othiosiyya started to have severe doubts about the wisdom in going for a little shopping tour. Sure, Valdium and such were very nice things to have, but would it be worth it in case of his shield and the technique he used it for ? Also his spear was an entirely different question. The tip could be replaced, but given that it was a dramatically oversized weapon compared to what any human would use a quick fix off the shelf was likely out of question. Hos long would a complete rebuild take and how costly would it be ?

That was an issue the Drabarian was thinking about while already facing the consequences of accompanying the shoppers and literally flattening everything that happened to become a target for his feet, triggering attention with the thudding sound he caused. Assuming that the captain -- whom hd hardly knew -- would compensate for every expense made just because he didn't explicitly ask for everyone's financial capacity prior to making this invitation could haunt him later on.

He ultimately addressed Kayden: "What do you think ? Covering this with a thin Valdium plating should considerably improve its performance, shouldn't it ?" He wasn't saying anything about who was going to pay for this, but a big part of him had high hopes in Kayden just saying something like 'yes!' with a lot of enthusiasm in it and ghen maybe bring up the more difficult topic by himself.

Counterweight led Hobnob and his crew out of the guildhall and into the streets. "Don't let him get away!" Hobnob exclaimed "We need that tool!".
"We knew that already, boss" Shortstack replied.
"So did I!" Hobnob responded "I just like stating the obvious!".
Counterweight then decided to run into a crowd, using his small stature to fit easily between the people's legs.
Undeterred, Hobnob and his crew charge into the crowd them selves. Some had an easier time fitting through the crowd than others, but eventually, the gnomes all managed to get through to the other side and continue the pursuit. "Counterweight! Come back!" Hobnob called out.
"We'll give you a biscuit in exchange for the tool!" Tiny offered.
Counterweight replied by continuing to run.

The chase continued in this manner for a while. And while most of the gnomes had the energy to keep up, Hobnob found himself short on energy at the time from all that strenuous supervisory work he had been doing earlier. "Guys" Hobnob breathlessly attempted to call out "Wait...for me". But the other gnomes were already too far away to hear him. It wasn't long before Hobnob lost sight of his crew. "I should have paced myself earlier" Hobnob said to himself "I always tire myself out when I'm supervising". It was then that Hobnob noticed somebody who he recognized. It was Kayden, along with a few people Hobnob also recognized and a few people he didn't recognize. 'I wonder what Kayden's up to' Hobnob thought to himself as he approached the group 'They seem to be discussing something about silver or valdium'. Lacking other options, Hobnob ambled up to the group and stopped next to Kayden. "Hi Kayden" Hobnob said as he looked up at Kayden "What's going on over here?.
Suddenly, Counterweight ran past with Hobnob's crew not far behind.
"Don't mind them" Hobnob said "Our canine counterweight is getting up to a bit of mischief at the moment, but it'll be sorted out soon".

@POOHEAD189

Kayden slyly saw Lis give away her apple, and was pleasantly surprised at the kindness he saw. The Prince found he quite liked her on the team. From her sass layered inputs, coupled with a playful side he could see hidden behind grit wrought from experience. He bit into his own apple and finished it off as they made it to the smithy. The Captain gave Jackal and the others the rundown on what they were potentially facing in a few days. Chances are, it was a Vampire. However, a dark sorcerer they were not counting out, nor a conjurer of cheap tricks seeking to merely intimidate Lord Pembrook out of his belongings.

"Ok ok!" Kayden said, holding his hands up to halt them all for a moment. "We do need some Silver and Valdium. But let's not get too crazy. There's plenty of ways to help us with what we're going to do. No need to alter everyone's weapons. We're going to the Temple later to see if we can get some of our gear blessed, which is arguably better against what we're facing than Silver or Valdium. Though I'm not the expert. Lis is." The Prince nodded toward the lass with a wink, but placed his hands on his hips and contemplated as to what was next. "We can look for an apothecary if you want, but this seems like a more permanent solution, Jackal. Spears are a good idea, actually. Axe heads too. They're cheap and easy to have. In fact..."

He nodded, pointing to Allard. "Good job." He said, realizing if the Khalahar hadn't said anything, Kayden wouldn't have gotten his idea. "Alright. Othiosiyya, it's your lucky day. The Guild's funds will pay for your weapon to be reforged with Valdium, but it might take awhile. Anyone else, we're going to ask for hand axes to be made, with heads of silver. Spears are a good idea too, as long as they're less than eight feet. We'll be fighting in close quarters. Everyone else's weapons, we'll get them blessed. And if that's not possible, at least we'll have some sidearms that are effective to use, yeah?"

There was silence when he finished, save for the grumbling of someone behind the Tarp, before a continuation of the hammering that accompanied any smithy. The young man ran a hand through his dark hair, gauging everyone's reactions to see if they would ask for anything further. That was when a familiar face showed up at the kneecaps of the group. "Hobnob?" Kayden asked. "What's up buddy."

---

The shopkeep eyed Nuva with open suspicion, looking him up and down. "You come into my shop and ask for assurances!?" He said, offended. "Well...fair enough. As long as you do not break anything with that stump on your shoulder, I shall show you!" He suddenly disappeared under his desk, rummaging around for an item to be found. A minute passed and the rummaging stopped, though footsteps could be hear from somewhere in the room. "Ahahaha, see? You cannot see me, no?" he asked. It sounded like he was to the left of Nuva, near a shelf. The shopkeep suddenly appeared, a necklace in his hands. "BEHOLD. The Necklace of Regret! It keeps you hidden for a short duration if you utter the correct incantation, and then if you do something you really regret, you disappear!"

'Very impressive,' Nuva allowed, nodding at the display of invisibility. 'I see you possess the capacity to create, or at least acquire magical artifacts. The Necklace of Regret is not exactly what I'm looking for, however. It's in a similar field, however.' And now, he wondered, how to word the next part of the transaction, so as to not make himself seem... well, he supposed there were humans who reached the sort of height a Skayleigh could. So maybe...

'You see, not many humans reach my particular height and build, which would make such a human quite distinctive if he was trying to avoid notice. That said, I'm sure you can guess that there are not many people with large chunks of metal attached to their arms either, but I'll get to that in a moment. On the other hand, whilst they rarely travel outside their homelands, the average Skayleigh regularly reaches such a size as a result of being half-giant.' No specific allusions to race, if the man listened carefully, but the implication that Nuva was simply a very tall and broad human ought to be taken nonetheless.

'So, what I'd like- perhaps not right now, but at some point in the future- is this: ideally a ring, but most forms of wearable accessory should suffice, that will cast an illusion over me, to disguise me as an average Skayleigh in my entirety, right down to the colour of my eyes.' Subtle coverage of a possible glamour failure there - no Skayleigh had glowing gold or silver eyes, after all.

'If possible, that illusion ought to also disguise my... weapon arm,' Nuva compromised, not willing to specifically claim "disfigurement" as a legitimate description of it. 'Perhaps to simply make the entire thing vanish, as if the arm was cut off at the elbow long ago? Though that might make it somewhat difficult to keep in check, come to think of it... if I could be allowed to see my own arm through the illusion, that'd be quite helpful. And if you have a better suggestion, I'd like to hear it.

'Having said that, I understand such an object might take time to create. I also understand that it might be... somewhat out of my present price range. I can likely gather the appropriate amount in due course, considering my circumstances, but just in case, I'd like to ask what the price bracket for such an item would be.' This would be the dangerous part - he might well just be driven out if he didn't have the funds, and it was hardly his place to argue the point as the would-be customer. And if that was so, he'd probably need to keep looking, and indeed might do so regardless, just in case he found a less pricey option.

While certainly there was an amount of respect to be given to anyone who’d make an offering to those who are less fortunate… Jackal couldn’t help himself in seeing the little girl as either weak, or in having some ulterior motive behind the approach. And he was half tempted on personally running her off if he hadn’t restrained himself. Perhaps it was him being at a similar position as the little girl that left him with such a jaded look in his eyes as he saw the interaction, only she did not appear ready to rip someone’s throat out. He knew first hand that in any city, a little girl who begs daily would not even last to see this age. Children can be worse than demons.

But those were just off thoughts. A more pressing matter was evaluating the mental states of whom he has to work with. It was both a hobby, and to get an idea of the type of how the people he will work with will behave. And while, he certainly would refrain himself from making an absolute conclusion so early… he could say one thing about the half-and-half.

She’s a real piece of work. The type of hard boiled woman who lets age and experience do the talking, though whether that is experience from witnessing or practical application is unknown. She’s got a heart… somewhere in that black piss-buck that surrounds eons worth of pure bitchery in the making. And she’s definitely got that old grizzled war veteran vibe going on. So she’s seen some real fun stuff alright, though she’s quick to assume the least from others. 'What happened to you,' is definitely the first personal question Jackal would ask a girl like that. After all, she's acting far more jaded and grim than the criminal who spent a life committing all sorts of morally indisputable atrocities.

Conclusion? Like a walk down memory lane. She’s like one of the crews he had to work with for a heist a Rogue Guild ran on one of the palaces. Only in the shape of a half-n-half with the teeth of a viper and the attitude of an ass. At least she knew her stuff… but lacked creative insight.

Jackal chuckled softly after the lady went off on him. He dropped his hands after a shuffle, and out of habit kept them at is front by having one loosely grab the other by the wrist. A strange habit for a thief to keep his hands where others can see them. He looked to her with a big smile.
“Well well~ applying a light coat of oil to the blade is basic maintenance, otherwise the weapon will rot of rust and be worthless as water, humidity, and blood is exposed to the steel.” The thief then tapped the long sword strapped to his hip with one hand. The scabbard wasn’t a full one, and it definitely wasn’t a hard shell. It was more like a leather folded loop with a clasp to quickly release the blade by unfolding and dropping it. Most of the blade is exposed. It was the thief’s way of saying ‘it’s something I needs to do regularly.’ He would have also said something about the woman’s impractical suggestion for armor… but something else called for his attention.

His gaze then turned to look to the man known as Allard… and couldn’t help but to feel impressed. Not only was he a rough looking sod, but he was a wise one at that. Also a man who knew how to ask the right questions. Forge him a new weapon made with a rare metal? Why stop there, give him some new armor to turtle around in because you want a guy like that to stay alive!

Regardless the thief allowed his gaze to turn back to their faithful leader. “Excuse the digression, but if you may humor me. This might seem like a suggestion you’d rather not hear from my character, but do you mind sending me ahead to gather information before your arrival if it we will be awhile? I intend to interview the owner, servants, get descriptions and names of those whom are supposed to be there, background about pissy folks, as well as chart the overall layout… including passages kept away from scrutiny.”

The thief then moved a hand to scratch the back of his head, “It might seem like a bit much, but information is very powerful in any situation. A valuable lesson I learned. So, if you do approve… might I suggest a writ to the client? I doubt he’ll know who I am as I just arrived today~”

The thief paused for a moment and looked around when he heard a voice. After a second of thought he looked down to see… a gnome no… multiple gnomes. All of them chasing a dog. The man’s body fidgeted as his lips pursed. The hand that had scratched his head slowly lowered to point to the group. He was wondering if what he saw was just a case of madness that decided to materialize out of no where.

@BCTheEntity@POOHEAD189@rush99999@Fetzen@Jollan@MiddleEarthRoze

"Hobnob?" Kayden asked upon noticing the "What's up buddy?".
"Well there's the sky" Hobnob said in response before giving off a light chuckle. "Not much really" Hobnob said "My crew and I were just trying to chase down our canine counterweight after he made off with an important tool. But I got tired while running, fell behind, and bumped into you lot. So I thought I'd come help you with what you're doing". It was then that Hobnob noticed some new faces. "We've picked up some fresh meat today I take it?" Hobnob asked Kayden.

Hobnob looked back at the new people. They all seemed like they could handle themselves. Which was good considering that they would be going up against. Even if it probably wasn't a vampire, Hobnob was still worried. What if it really was a vampire? Such a being could do all sorts of bad things to people who crossed them. And from the looks of things, it seemed like our heroes of fame and fortune were most likely preparing to cross such a being.

"Eight... feet ?" The Drabarian arched an eyebrow and made it obvious that he had some concerns. If spears any longer than eight feet were not a good idea, how was the situation about people being taller than eight feet ? He was aware that this would most likely only affect him, but that made the prospect of having to crawl and squeeze through everything no less horrifying. Hopefully the field of battle would at least be broad enough...

"Anyway. I thank you and the guild for the precious offer." Othiosiya bowed in front of Kayden a bit, then put down his enormous spear onto an adjacent table which he believed did belong to the smithy so it wouldn't get lost there. Having done this, there was hardly anything left to do but stand and wait. Or better: Sit and wait. In any case it was probably a wise decision to stop blocking other people's paths and get out of here.

"Shall I stay here or will I get notified once the work is complete ?" he addressed their captain again. "In the latter case what's the next item on our schedule ?"

@BCTheEntity@POOHEAD189@rush99999@Tangletail@Jollan@MiddleEarthRoze

Lis watched on as Jackal attempted to explain his suggestion, her stance and raised eyebrow indicating how unimpressed she was. If he were to justify such an odd idea, he could have at least put more effort into it.

"Any fool should know how to maintain a sword; but I have doubts than anyone worthy of wielding a blade would bother to oil it before every battle - it's a fruitless thing to do, just as adding silver to an oil would be." The man's smile gave her a good indication of cockiness; on the other hand, it also showed he wasn't quick to anger, as some egotistical men could have been at the harsh words coming from such a small woman. However, Lis had always found that the quick-tempered ones were usually the more truthful. They certainly didn't believe in sugar-coating things, which was something she both appreciated and did herself. Turning to Allard, her eyes lost some of their sharpness at his question, even allowing for a rueful smile. "One of the first things a vampire will go for is the neck. Even the older, more experienced ones may be likely to target there; it's in their nature, and nature can be a hard thing to suppress. Especially for beasts like them. Add to that that most of the time the neck is left open to attack anyway by a lack of armour... well, one small cut is enough to open up your arteries and cause you to bleed out." Pausing with a shrug of her shoulders, she pondered over whether or not the fellow she had known would been safe against a more mature vampire; after all, silver was not a hard metal, and it wouldn't take much for a creature with wits about it to remove the offending metal... or their foe's head. "I wouldn't call it a fool-proof item of armour, but it's better than nothing. Besides, if a leech is aiming for an early lunch and is expecting blood, only to have their mouth set on fire by chewing down on silver, then it would certainly surprise it - enough for you to back away and deal some damage, if you're lucky." Stepping back to regard all of the members of the group, Lis' eyes landed on Jackal in particular.

"And that, Leon, is why a silver oil would do nothing but impede your own attacks. A vampire does not react to silver as a man would to a poisoned blade; it will hurt them, and it would certainly piss them off. But it wouldn't incapacitate or kill them. And with what would be such a small amount in oil might give them a rash, if the Gods were being favourable that day."

As for the other suggestions within the group, Lis couldn't complain. She hadn't the coin to completely replace all of her weapons for silver ones, and even if she did, wouldn't want to. Other than against vampires, silver swords weren't the most effective of weapons to have. They broke and blunted far easier than hard steel and iron would; blessing them would be better, as Kayden said. While Allard's thoughts on arrowheads and spears were indeed useful ones, they would be no good to Lis. Her using an 8-foot spear would be nothing but comical, and her skill with a bow was not something to be admired. Her steel blades could be blessed, and she could easily trade in a few of her steel daggers for a silver one, or even a valdium blade if she were lucky enough to find a bargain. Or, simply intimidate a shopkeep into giving her a bargain.

As Lis mulled those options over in her mind, a hard stare was dealt out to Hobnob as he arrived, canine counterweight yapping into the distance. Arms folded, she glared at the sprinting dog, and the gaggle of gnomes stumbling along behind it.

"I swear to the EverGod, gnome - if your insane idea of a living mechanical part messes up any plans we have to deal with this job, I'll slit it's damned throat and sell it to the butcher. Then we'll be using you as a counterweight." She growled, dark scowl now redirected at Hobnob.

@POOHEAD189@Tangletail@rush99999@Jollan@Fetzen