"Eh? What's all that racket out there?" A grizzled voice called from inside the flap of the smithy. The Guild members heard a hammerhead falling to the anvil, and a burly Borderman tore the flap open and squinted as he stepped into the sunlight. He had on an apron and plain common clothes underneath it, though the scars and strange tattoos on his arms bespoke of a more colorful past. He glared at everyone, chewing on something in his mouth as he did so. "You going to stand out here all day?"

Kayden had his arms crossed, his body still facing the group but his head had turned. "Sorry, sir. We'd like to conduct some business, but give us a moment. We're discussing...er, funds."

He shrugged, and headed back into the smithy grumbling. Kayden caught the Halberd that the Drabarian had set down with a nimble hand. "Let's wait one second." He told Othiosiya. "Your thanks is appreciated, but don't worry. I'm sure you'll pay us back with how you use the weapon. We'll be heading to the Temple soon enough, but first..."

Kayden set the butt of the Halberd on the ground. To those used to spear wielding, he seemed to know just where on the pole to hold it to equate its weight. He was learned in the art of polearms, if nothing else. "We already have an informant, Jackal. You've yet to meet her, I suppose. She's an Elf called Secret. Get past the sass and you two would get along famously. We'll probably see her before long. And don't take this the wrong way, but I still don't know you very well. That, and Lord Pembrook certainly does not know you. I could give you our Guild seal, but let's wait a bit. We have days yet." He said.

The Captain gave Hobnob a nod and grin, but bit his tongue at Lis' snap at Hobnob. He couldn't say he was surprised, but he decided to step in. "Hey now, Hobnob served us well on our last mission. I mean, things didn't go according to plan, but when do they ever?" The young man said diplomatically, patting Lis shoulder and winking to Hobnob. "Glad you're here by the way. I'll grab some silver matchlock balls for you and your mates now that I'm reminded of it."

He bade the companions to wait as he hefted the Drabarian's huge polearm and headed into the smithy to commission the weapons to be made within two days. There was a small discussion, probably about the costs of receiving the silver, but after a minute or two Kayden walked back out, hands on his belt as he stepped into the sun. "Alright, next up on our list is the Temple." He said, shielding his eyes with his hands as he looked upwards for a split second at the sun. "It's close to lunch time. We'll head over there and head back to the Guild after that. Call it a day afterwards." As the others turned to ready themselves to leave, Kayden leaned down to Lis and asked if he could speak with her when all of this was done. He gave a wink, and then hailed everyone to follow him.

With that, the companions headed out of the town square, going northwards. First it was forward, then left after passing three streets. As they moved, many of the people gave them a wide berth, for most of the Mercenaries were armed or intimidating in their manner. Othiosiya received a few looks of both suspicion and awe. Even Kayden got a few people muttering about him, though he also got a few girls giggling his way. As if one cue after the giggles, they also passed a brothel where various rogued women called to them from the second story windows, promising a good time for a fair price. Hobnob received the usual "wait, what" from the looks of things, with a few kids asking if he too was a kid like them. After awhile they found themselves in a smaller section of stores and shops where many sold fish, fresh from the eastern river, or trinkets from far away. One man had a jewelry shop, calling to Lis with a bejeweled necklace in his hands. "Pretty necklace for a pretty lady?"

Finally, after Kayden had to ask directions once or twice as the group milled about or were engaged by the local populace with questions, they made it to the Temple district. To the left, the more peaceful deities had various busts where the locals were drop offerings and give prayers, and the more martial deities were on the right. A true Temple loomed at the end of the street, however. It had the Symbol of the EverGod, and priests gave blessings at its fore.

---

The short shopkeep considered this strange person before him. "You speak speak much for a large one. Most large people who I know are quiet or stupid. Of course, I don't know you very well, so perhaps the second option isn't out of the question..." He almost seemed to be speaking to himself for a moment. Suddenly, he pointed an accusatory finger at the Skayleigh. "Do not think I am a fool! You simply wish to scope this place out for a burglary later, yes yes? No...No you would not. Or you would be asking for more...that you would. Fine!"

He scuttled back behind his desk, and rummaged through various boxes and casks before he found a smaller container that would hold a ring. "I have here a ring to make your likeness of a human, but that does not seem to be your wish. But yes, I can provide you with a Skayleigh illusion, give or take a few weeks to ship it. But it will not be cheap! I also do not know if it can...hide your arm. I am no mage, simply a seller of magicks, yes yes? But hmmmm...twelve hundred gold seems to be what I would consider. Including Tax of course."
@MiddleEarthRoze@Fetzen@rush99999@Tangletail@BCTheEntity@Jollan

Hobnob was pulled from his thoughts by the sight of Lis' harsh stare. "I swear to the EverGod, gnome" she growled before Hobnob could ask if something was wrong "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".
"For your own safety, please refrain from threatening the canine counterweight" Hobnob replied before Kayden stepped in to restore the peace
"Hey now" Kayden said "Hobnob served us well on our last mission. I mean, things didn't go according to plan, but when do they ever?".
"Not very often" Hobnob commented.
"Glad you're here by the way" Kayden added "I'll grab some silver matchlock balls for you and your mates now that I'm reminded of it.".
"No need for that, Cap" Hobnob replied "My crew and I know certain enchanting techniques that can make ordinary bullets as effective against the darkness as silver bullets. So it would be wiser to spend your money elsewhere".

Once Kayden had finished shopping, Hobnob followed him to the next destination. Along the way, Hobnob noticed all the looks he was getting. These looks confused the turquoise haired gnome. Hadn't these people ever seen a gnome before? And then there was the children asking if Hobnob himself was also a child. Did they honestly think a child could grow a beard? It was very confusing indeed.

Allard nodded, taking in what Lis told him about her old comrade and the silver necklace. He thought that would be the case, which didn't seem to help himself much. To be honest with himself, he was poor. Not to say that he didn't get by just fine, but there hasn't been a time since he arrived in this city five years ago when he could say that he had any decent amount of money. Anything he did get usually went straight to maintaining his clothes and gear, and feeding himself from time to time instead of Stew at Mable's bar. Thinking about buying silver anything wasn't an option for him. Even if Kayden was going to foot the bill, he was still uncomfortable about it. He barely knew him and even if that weren't the case he wouldn't want to impose that much on him. Allard wasn't fond of being a burden, so even though he isn't very wealthy, by not asking for anything he still tried to maintain some sort of dignity and pride.

But then they passed the brothel...

Allard had been so preoccupied by his thoughts that he had lost track of where they were. Now, normally this wouldn't be a problem, but two weeks ago there had been a particular young woman named Ferra who had been on her way back home one early morning. The problem was, that there had been a few men who had followed her and tried to take her down an alley for some extra cash and free service. Unfortunately for them, the alley they chose happened to be Allard's home, and he was none to pleased to see them there. After being delt a paralyzing amount of broken bones, the men were kicked out and hadn't been seen since. Ferra, overcome with joy that she was saved, thanked him and even kissed him on the cheek before leaving. Allard's unknowing face blushed slightly as he didn't know how to react, but that quickly turned pale when Ferra said that she would give him a special discount at the brothel should he ever like to swing by. With a smile and a wink, she was gone... Allard must have washed his face ten times that morning at the bar.

He tried to avoid looking up when they passed the place, but he failed. He had momentarily glanced up, and he had already been spotted. "Hey, Allard! You never came by," shouted Ferra. To say she was beautiful would be an understatement, as would saying that she was popular. "I'll still give you that discount," she said with that same wink and smile, "you can come by any time." News had apparently spread through the brothel as to what happened since there were other women around her asking in quieter tones if that was the guy from the alley, giggling, or even comments on their preconceptions on what he looked like. Apparently none of them, even Ferra, knew that he actually lived in that alley or else they might not even be bothering talking to or about him. Allard however, was beet red at this point and attempted to wave. "U-uh thanks, but m-maybe some, uh, other time," he responded with a dismissive laugh, attempting a smile while scratching the back of his head. He then cleared his throat, faced forward and started walking walking at a faster pace down the road. Some of the other people on the street chuckled but didn't pay much mind, save for the old man at the other side of the street giving Allard an evil jealous eye.

Then there was the temple district. He didn't know why, but Allard never felt like he belonged here. Not because it was a place of faith, but because he was really in the middle of town now. It may have been in his head, but he was sure that this wasn't the place for a Khalahar to be hanging around. Allard had regained his composure, and resumed his steady pace with the rest of the group.

A fruitless thing to do. Oh did that response cause Jackal to jerk his head into a cant of disbelief. His jaw was slackened as he ran his tongue along his teeth. He didn’t show any signs of anger. Just deblief of this utter ridiculous thing to say. In fact, his response was rather swift, and held a hint that only gilded the of the passion behind it,“Do you whip your ass after every visit to the thinkin throne if it’s just gonna get dirty again?”

Seriously, it would be unthinkable to let a perfectly good blade fall victim to improper care! If you’re gonna trust your life in three feet of steel, you better make sure it’s always in good shape! A good ally of his died for that mistake. Poor man blocked on the flat-right on top of the rust and had his neck ripped open for it.

Sadly, any scolding over the incredulity would need to take a rain check. Some useful information was being spilled and it would definitely benefit everyone if he were to cut the banter for a moment. Though when Lis turned to Jackal, she’d find that he was taking in the information to heart. His eyes seemed to be a bit inquisitive as he ran a few thoughts over in his head. That smile of his faded away as he lost himself in his thoughts. He didn’t even seem to notice her eyes on him until he blinked. Even then they seemed out of focus for a few moments before snapping back to reality.

He did blink when he found her eyes on him. His smile quickly returned. “Well, I suppose that’s fine…” The thief hummed softly. His hand flicked up, and a series of coins appeared from nearly thin air. The way they clinked together sounded like a buzzer as they snaked their way across his knuckles in a tight line. Once it reached the full width of his hand, he opened his fingers to reveal four coins. One between each gap. “…I’ve always been more familiar with Pluck than of Luck. I’ve found no god nor goddess in their heyday to spare a pitcher of piss for dying weeds.” A twist of the hand and there was only one coin held between his index finger and thumb. He flicked it’s edge with the other and it practically disappeared.

“Though, though, I’m curious… what of their bones? They were once human. It’d be helpful to know if their bones break, tendons can be cut, their heads are rattle, or cheap shots sting just as easily as a human’s. That much information could be the difference in what bails someone out in a pinch.”

As the group continued their errands, Jackals eyes slowly turned to watch the little spectacle caused by Allard. A grin slowly crept on the thief’s lips as he stopped and spun on his heels to continue watching the little show. If it wasn’t the scene that was humors it definitely was the way Allard was behaving. When he sped off, he spun around to catch up to him.

“She seemed nice,” The thief hummed to Allard when he caught up to him at the temple’s doorstep. A rot eating grin on his mug. “Quite quite curious though. I’m curious how well you performed so well that an escort would be willing to give you a discount on the next visit.”

Though… that little jab was just hiding the massive amount of discomfort he had with the idea of going into the home of a god, though a few fidgets of the foot was enough to give it away to a watchful eye. Perhaps if he lived a different life, he wouldn’t care. But he had knowingly and ruthlessly committed many heinous acts indiscriminately with no remorse. He’d practically be a demon’s honored house guest if there weren’t some acts that he absolutely refused to commit. An irrational fear of spontaneous combustion the moment he set foot through those doors wouldn’t seem that irrational to Jackal.

@POOHEAD189@rush99999@Jollan@MiddleEarthRoze

'I think you'd know if I were stupid, sir,' Nuva replied to his initial assessment. 'And I assure you, I am spoken for enough that robbery would be a poor life choice. Though that said, my initial assessment was accurate: that much gold is somewhat much for my current standing. If I have a few weeks to gather it, though,' he mused, 'then... let's see, how much gold would I have in...' his muttering trailed off as he began figuring out how much time it would take for him to acquire as much gold as he'd need. If one hundred gold per major job was the standard, and he managed to gather, say, fifty gold per week from additional jobs, he'd likely be able to afford the whole thing in less than eight weeks. That seemed quite reasonable, considering his profession.

'I believe that will be manageable enough,' Nuva acquiesced. 'I shall return when I have the money needed. I trust I won't need to leave a name?' he asked as he began to walk out of the store. He really needed to check what time it was, and perhaps begin to prepare for dealing with the vampire, with or without the rest of the guild, if it wasn't verging toward noon yet. And if it was, he ought to head toward the northern gate post-haste.

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

Othiosiya could feel discomfort rise inside him as he could do nothing but watch his spear disappear into the depths of a blacksmith's shop he had no idea about the competence of its owner. Even with using nothing but Valdium and other metals of the finest quality one could do a very horrible job and this weapon would probably be very hard to replace quickly in these lands... What if it would turn out to be out of balance or maybe even less sharp than it used to be ? He certainly didn't want to have to fight with such a thing...

On their way to the temple, the Drabarian spent most of his time onto two different things: Looking around and checking out his new companions, and inspecting himself. After all they were headed for some kind of temple and not knowing much of a detail about the deity and rites involved was hardly an excuse for entering such a place with heaps of mud clinging to one's huge feet. People were watching them and him in particular, but the Drabarian didn't care much about that. He was used to it and didn't expect anything else to happen really. While they were going there to get some blessings for their equipment, he secretly was afraid of becoming a curse for the good humans in there. At his size and in full armor accidents of various kinds were prone to happen, so hopefully the interior would be well designed and not be too delicate...

"What ?" was his immediate reaction towards the thief once he suddenly addressed him. Frankly he found his mind unable to come to any kind of reasonable conclusion upon the confrontation with 'escorts' giving 'discounts'. What Othiosiya did subsequently was -- from his point of view, of course -- go for the default option. A calmly expressed "I always try to perform as well as I can." reply towards the small man he could only wonder about what his role was. "May I ask what you're doing ? I'm new and would like to know my companions."

Visibly bristling up at Hobnob's threat against her "safety", Lis' hand had already curled around her sword's hilt when Kayden stepped in, expression having gone from irritated to furious. To be fair to the gnome, he didn't know much about Lis beyond her penchant for insults and dry wit; certainly not knowing about her firey temper either. Fuming silently as Kayden dealt with the Drabarian's spear, her thumb worried the pommel of her sword, hand still clasped threateningly around it. She wouldn't be able to afford getting it covered in silver, and she didn't particularly want to either. It and it's twin on the other side of her hip were in fine nick, and while having it plated in silver would be helpful against vampire, she preferred not to mar the decent steel underneath. They'd be running into far more alive foes than dead ones, that was for sure.

Darting a sour look at Jackal as he questioned the biology of Vampires, Lis began to regret even voicing her opinion on what to do to deal with them. She was no scholar, and the idea of endless questions about the beasts was nothing more than irritating.

"Well fuck, I don't know. When you're facing one of those in the wilderness, the last thing you want to do is start experimenting ways to hurt the bastards, you just want them dead. If you want to try and answer those questions, go walk into a leech nest, find out yourself." Breaking bones... what would that do, beyond piss it off? As for his other suggestions... "And if you want to find out if kicking them in the yambags hurts or not, I'd recommend waiting until it's near to death. It'd rip your leg from your body before you could even aim for it's groin otherwise." She answered grimly, tone of voice and dark expression more than indicating that she'd seen plenty of limb-ripping in the past. Thankfully Kayden exited at that point, meaning she could avoid more annoying questions and get a move on - although it seemed Kayden himself had a request.

Although curious as to what their Captain wished to speak to her about, Lis didn't question him, agreeing silently with a stiff nod as her temper began to simmer down. Judging by what the group had just been talking about, she guessed he was either going to ask her to tone down the insults to the others (Unlikely), or to ask more about vampires - mainly, how to deal with them. And perhaps how she knew of such things.

Lis hadn't spoken up when being dubbed as "expert" by Kayden, but such a title made her uncomfortable. There had been a reason she hadn't introduced herself as a Darkslayer to the group when first joining, and it was as simple as she didn't consider herself one. Real Darkslayers had far more skill and experience than she had, even after having spent over a decade in Bania. Not only that, but their motives were far more desperate or clear than her own had been; she had no vendetta against the dead, only seeing them destructive creatures to be put down at any chance one could get. Their existence didn't anger her, and she had no dead relatives to get vengeance for - not from vampires, anyway. The very least Lis could offer this group when it came to leeches was that she knew more about them than most... and that still wasn't a whole damned lot.

The half-Dwarf remained mainly quiet for the rest of their journey, mainly ignoring the bustle of the city around her as they made their way to the Temple district. Glancing at the vendor as he flashed the necklace at her, Lis' temper flared up again.

"Offering it for free?" She asked; her tone was mild, but threat made clear by her steely gaze and the dagger that she pulled from a hidden scabbard in her coat. The sickly smile from the merchant disappeared, as did he not a few seconds later as he darted out of sight in fear. Placing the dagger back firmly, Lis huffed quietly in anger, simply wanting nothing more than a hot bath and a cold pint of mead. Her temperament did indeed calm, however, as they reached the temples. It had a calming atmosphere, and the air seemed less crowded and heavy in the area. She wasn't one who worshipped any of the various Gods that existed in their world, and hadn't relied on charms or religious tokens as other had done in Bania; she preferred her own skill and a decent sword to get her out of a bad situation. However, she held nothing against the Gods, and didn't grow to hate them as many did when tragedy struck their lives. It was pointless, to ask for luck and put blame on these beings that didn't show their faces - to her, anyway. Finally making a decision in her head, Lis figured that if she traded in some of her items, she could get a decent weapon made of Valdium - if she had any money left over, it could go towards something holy in nature. She figured it wouldn't hurt.

@Rush99999@POOHEAD189@Tangletail

There were various murmurs of unrest and questions as the companions walked into the overarching Temple area. Warriors and Mercenaries looking for forgiveness of their past sins were not uncommon, but it seemed an armed entourage was. Of course, the priests maintained a certain composure, and many seemed to hide surprise well. People from all walks of life seemed to be either praying unheeded around the Mercs, or were looking their way.

As Kayden halted him and the group at the center of the 'courtyard', he contemplated on whether he should travel to the back where the EverGod worship resided, or go left to Bael's shrine. He looked positively pensive as he stood, rubbing his fine chin as he pondered.
"May I be of service?" a priest asked Kayden and his group. He looked quite frail, with a balding head and thin limbs. Kayden was fit and had a swordsman's physique, but musclebound was not something you'd use to describe him, and it looked as if he could push the priest and break him if he so chose.

"Apologies for our intrusion," Kayden said, hands on his hips as he regarded the priest. The man wore unremarkable robes, not signifying any single deity. "We're looking to have some of our equipment blessed, or for some holy water, if that is permissible."

"May I ask why?" The Holy man asked.

"I'm afraid that we would need to speak privately for that information. Tis important business that would only burden you. But I am willing to give a donation to the Temple very soon, as well."

"Are you attempting to purchase holy favor, sir?" he asked, skeptically.

"No, I would give a donation regardless. Though if your holy workings do not work, I might perhaps be too deceased to give any donations. I'd rather not be." Kayden replied.

As the two conversed, the low mutterings of solemn prayers filled the chamber once more, as well as some menial talks between certain members of the priesthood and of the visitors. The marble floor made footsteps quite audible, even the slow moving ones of the elderly. Between the companions, there were statues of Gods, along with pools of water beside them one could drop coins in for donations. There was Fineki, the God of Luck. Bael, the Righteous God of Justice. Guandet, the stalwart God of Civilization and Defense. Galena, Goddess of Peace and Diplomacy. Maestus, God of skill. Solomon, God of Knowledge. Wulfric, God of Winter and Battle, as well as Seradwyn and Selene, Goddesses of Magic and Beauty. If any wished to pray or donate, now was the time.

Kayden seemed to have made some headway with the priest, for the man was now leading Kayden (and all who wished to follow) over to a table that had various holy items and vials, stacked and organized for usage. Pendants with the favors of the Gods hung loosely over water blessed with holy prayers, beside brooches and statuettes (smaller versions of the statues one could pray to).
@MiddleEarthRoze@Fetzen@Tangletail@Jollan@rush99999

---

"Name? No name! Your size alone screams at my memory!" the merchant sputtered, and then scuttled back over to his desk like the hermit crab he seemed to emulate. "Now when you have the coin, the ring you shall have as well. Is how business works, no?" He said as Nuva exited the small shop he had spent the majority of the morning in. The Sun beat down on Nuva at the center of the sky, showing him it was indeed very close to noon.

The journey to the Northern gate would not take long, sending him going through a few smaller marketplaces and establishments, as well as various housing areas that looked quite expensive, with two story buildings of well thatched roofs and stone bases. After about fifteen minutes, Nuva made his way into the bustling Northern gate that was open for all to enter and leave, though Guardsmen were posted up top to watch.

At the gateway, there was a dancing gypsy banging her curious musical instrument. Beside her was a man selling traveling supplies. However, opposite of them on the left side of the large gateway was a somewhat burly man merely standing by the gate, leaning as if waiting for something.
@BCTheEntity

Well, at least figuring out who had made the offer for the troll quite simple. The day's heat wasn't fun to deal with in a costume as large as Nuva's, and water was occasionally scarce. At least, sources that he could drink from in private. Nonetheless, he had his wits about him, and he had a troll to hunt for. He trod up toward the man in question, sizing him up from behind his mask, and out of a habit born from his few years as a bodyguard noting the sort of threat he might pose as a client. Presumably none, if he lacked magic or Khala, for he couldn't hope to match Nuva's elven grace or giant strength. And, well, none at all if he was a mere civilian. But he'd learned that you couldn't be too careful about these things.

'I'm here about a troll,' Nuva muttered, quietly enough to not be overheard, again just in case. The magic shop ought to be what it claimed to be, for regardless of its rattiness it had still been a shop; this man could be the man who had posted the bounty, or he could be somebody with a personal grudge against Nuva. Or, if he had enough foresight, both. At least one person had traced his past before. That proved it could be done at all. Better safe than sorry.

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

Allard looked over to the thief with a sheepish grin, "Well... I suppose she is, or could be." He then cleared his throat one final time before continuing, just as casual and normally as he had been before passing the brothel. "Didn't meet her for too long. There were two men that followed her into my alley and they got in a scuffle of sorts. I awoke to the sound and thrashed the two men, sending them packing with something to think about the next few weeks, and all of the sudden I'm well known at the brothel," he ended, tossing his arms in the air in exasperation, letting them fall back to his sides. He then looked up and thought about what he was talking about and where he was talking about it. He saw a few flushed faces as they passed by, and others had a hateful sneer as he seemed to be interrupting their prayers. "Maybe not the time or place for this topic," he said in a quieter tone.

Though he didn't have a reason to fear Jackal, he still kept an eye on him. Not because he thought he would be stolen from (not like he had anything to steal), but just out of habit of being aware of his surroundings. This caused him to notice the bit of discomfort while talking to the thief. He saw he was tapping his foot a bit and looking between all the statues and unconsciously nodded himself.

"Odd feeling isn't it? Not sure I belong here myself," He said quietly as not to disturb the other people here. "I can't even name a handful of these idols or gods, not many are familiar to me." Allard's eyes then caught the sight of two he did recognize. Bael and Wulfric. These two he knew from the crusade that destroyed his village. They were often evoked and thanked by the Andred soldiers during and after the battle. He took a deep breath and waited in the square, not wanting to go in farther. "In fact," he added in a low voice, "I believe these particular gods would quite like my blood at their feet."

Hobnob looked around at all the potential activities available in the temple. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of relationships his crew had with the gods. They had never mentioned it and Hobnob had never asked. Hobnob himself had more of an 'I don't bother you, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't bother me' relationship with them. But today was a little different. The group he was a part of would soon possibly be throwing down against a vampire. Having a few possible advantages couldn't hurt. "Forgive me if I'm bothering you" Hobnob said as he dropped a gold bullet* in the wishing wells of each shrine "Just thought I'd curry a little favor with you lot before that business at the estate starts. Wish me luck if you're inclined to do so at the moment".

From the streets outside, Hobnob briefly heard the sounds of a commotion going on and a few familiar voices. His crew was still chasing the canine. Hobnob chuckled as the commotion faded away. He then looked back at the shrines. "Also" Hobnob said "If you could keep my crew out of trouble until then, you'll get no complaint from me".

*Yes, I said a gold bullet. Sometimes Hobnob melts down gold coins and turns them into bullets for his matchlocks. Don't bother asking why. Not even the EverGod knows the answer to that question.

Jackal frowned as the group attracted the attention of some of the patrons. It’s… definitely not a good feeling. He could deal with it when he’s out in the open. But in a cramped place… in the eyes of a god… in front of judging eyes? Suddenly burning in hell sounded like a comfortable experience. The man shook his head and did his best to push that feeling behind him. Instead… he lifted a hand and rolled his fingers. Once again, that deft little trick of his rolled several coins over his knuckles to be trapped between his fingers. Only… unlike the last set, they were a bit strange. Not only did they look battered, but the edges had been flattened, sharpened, and serrated at some point. Odd to think that such a modification still doesn’t remove their value.

He tossed them up in the air and caught them in the palm of his hand. He was quite mindful of the sharp edges. He wore a broad grin despite his obvious discomfort of the church. “Oh but this is the perfect place to discuss such a thing~ You’ve already got me at the edge of my seat; you can’t just end it now!”

But.. he winced when Allard had made mention of his discomfort. “That obvious hm,” he asked as his gaze fell to the two idols that had been pointed out. He did quirk a brow when he identified them as the god of justice and the god of battle. “… I don’t know what you did to have the hammer of justice get a hard on for you. But if the lord of battle is involved, I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume you’re just one dangerous man,” The thief laughed. He gave him a pat on the shoulder as he pushed past. “I might not be a virtuous man myself. But I will always have your back if you can keep my trust, just don’t try to be a hero. That is to say don't do something stupid that gets you and everyone else killed.”

Jackal soon brought himself to a stop in front of the idol for luck. He rolled the coins out of his palm and over his knuckle. “As for me? I’m familiar with Luck here. Well… not me specifically... maybe. Fell for a lass that had tried to kill me a number of times who worshiped em. Weird isn't it> To think that you'd feel like you'd love someone who's after your head,” The thief quickly looked over his shoulder with a blank look, “It it wasn’t anything personal mind you. It was hired work.”

He then raised up the coins to show them off before setting them down as an offering. “Well well … she's called by the moniker ‘Coin-shot’ due to some arcane talent. Her thing was to propel coins at deadly speeds, like a pistol would fire a bullet. Sadly sadly… she took an early retirement. Not dead dead, she just hopped town before I had the nerve to talk to her about... feelings. These are some of the coins she nearly did me in with.”

The man then tapped his chest, revealing the metal plates, “Hit the coat, punched the plates, tore through the gambeson, and got stuck halfway buried in flesh. And if-if it wasn’t for me being off balanced at the time, it probably would have went through me instead of knocking me over. I guess that was some dumb luck in the end... I really haven't heard of too many people surviving a direct blow from her.”

He regarded the idol once more in thought, and turned on his heels to follow their leader towards... the goods.

@Jollan

Othiosiya was a bit hesitant to enter. So many items that looked almost as fragile as the priest who had greeted Kayden. He'd have to be careful in here, but at least he had taken off parts of his armor out of respect. The Drabarian frankly had very little to no idea about what kind of impression he'd make here -- apart from the ubiquitous 'he's so huge!'-one, of course --, so he had a vital interest in not trying to push his luck but instead get over this visit in a decent and adequate manner.

That was until the marble floor challenged him. The thing promoted everyone's footsteps to a minor event, even the slow and lithe ones of some of the elder priests. It didn't take long for Othiosiya to almost give up on actually lifting his feet as much as he was used to. He resorted to almost just dragging them over the floor as if he'd be some kind of lazy person who didn't know how to walk properly or had a problem with his legs. Then he could feel one of the marble plates crack beneath his heel as he had leaned over too much to one side to get a different perspective of Wulfric. He moved his foot further back to cover up the little mishap.

A prayer now would have been a good thing to make his prolonged stay at that one place less awkward, but Othiosiya didn't feel suffciently adept for this. Ultimately he hurried on to get to where Kayden had progressed. He had no real interest in buying any of the holy items. It felt awkward for him who had devoted most of his life to an entirely different goal that was far apart from what was being presented here. It didn't feel compatible, not even if he considered that this little things could improve his combat strength. And then there was the fact that he was already sucking out a lot of gold from the guild he had only joined hours ago for refitting his giant weapon -- better not to push his luck again.

Hopefully the other's would be quick to make their decisions.

@POOHEAD189@BCTheEntity@Jollan@rush99999@Tangletail

If there was one thing that Lis had never had time for, it was Gods. She never held anything against them - it was too easy to blame sorrow's in one's life on an omnipotent, powerful being, rather than just getting over it yourself - but she never felt the need to worship them either. They'd never affected her life, to her knowledge, and she was happy to keep it that way. The furthest she had ever gone was to donate a handful of coins to whatever shrine or temple she had happened across when in Bania, in exchange for some kind of blessing or blessed item. Vampires and other such evil beasts tended to react negatively to holy things, so it was always good to keep some on one's person. Considering the group was potentially going up against a Vampire now - or something equally as dark - a donation and something in return wouldn't go amiss here.

Standing with Kayden, Lis dug around in her coinpurse for some change. She didn't come to Starkvale with a large amount of money - or a medium amount either. Frowning slightly at the meagre amount of coins now in her palm, Lis was entirely sure now that she'd have to relinquish some of her other items in order to pay for a Valdium blade. What she had in her purse wouldn't even cover half the cost of a metal of that standard.

Not particularly listening to the Priest and Kayden's conversation, the rogue tossed the coins into a large brass dish beside the various tokens on the table. What with having never really worshipped a God or Goddess in her life, she didn't have a preference over which talisman to take; nor was she paying any attention to what the others were doing. After a few seconds of deliberation, she finally took one of the Bael pendants. She was aware of what each God stood for, and having the deity of righteousness and justice in her favour seemed to be the best idea. It was either that, or Fineki - and Lis preferred to save her skin with her own skill rather than random luck.

"Although I might need some dumb luck, if half the idiots in this outfit are anything to go by." She thought to herself, mind going back to the canine counterweight and those ridiculous gnomes with a glower.

@POOHEAD189

As the group conversed and gave coins to various deities, Kayden saw that no one but Lis seemed to want any holy items or memorabilia from the priest. He was no Warrior Priest or Acolyte, but despite his rough upbringing with his father, some of the man's lessons did stick. One such lesson that he took to heart was a healthy respect for the Gods. Still, he'd only get a small trinket.

Kayden placed thirteen silver coins within the priests hands, and grabbed a half a dozen vials of holy water, and a small statuette of Galena. It brought memories of his mother to mind. "Thank you, your holiness. We'll be out of your hair in a moment." He said gingerly, trying to keep his voice down for the worshipers around them. The priest handed Lis a small iron-link necklace to place around the pendant to hang from her neck. He gave her a grandfatherly smile as he did so.

When the group was rounded up, Kayden lead them outside the Temple district and told them all to gather 'round. He tucked his Galena statuette within his small pack, and then casually rested his hand on his leather belt. "That seems it for today." He told them, giving them a nod of approval at what they accomplished. "I'm going to head back to the Guildhall. We'll all meet back there tonight to discuss what's next, and maybe relax a bit. As for now, the city is yours. You're citizens thanks to your Captain's say-so... My say-so. Enjoy it." He told them.

With that, he began to walk away. "Lis, follow me to my office."
@MiddleEarthRoze@Fetzen@Tangletail@rush99999@Jollan

---

The burly man had shoulders a tad wider than Nuva, but he was still needing to look upwards to face him. "You might be big enough for the job. I'll grant you that. If you're interested in the bounty, listen." He cleared his throat, regarding Nuva once more. "Killed my nephew north of town. I'm no monster hunter. But I'm a tracker, and I was hellbent on seeing this thing dead. Followed it back to where it shits and eats, if you catch my meaning. About 8 miles north of here directly, around the crags of the slope, on the left side. There's a small cave entrance. Now I don't know much about Trolls, but it don't look as big as I've heard they are. Might be a young'un. Still too big for any man to be comfortable with, mind. Bring me its head in three days, you'll get your pay." He let out a breath, satisfied as if he'd rehearsed at least a part of the speech. "Do we have a deal?"
@BCTheEntity

With his expression hidden behind his mask, Nuva simply nodded at the man's impressive skillset. Becoming a monster hunter wasn't strictly so difficult, after all. Anybody with sufficient confidence and combat training could do it. Trackers were a tad harder to come by, at least in a city. And since the girl Lis hadn't shown her face around yet, well... he might even be able to claim the entire bounty for himself, if he was lucky. As for distance, a mere eight miles could be traversed in a couple of hours or even less, if one made a good pace. With any luck, he'd have the troll's head and be back in the city before dinnertime.

'Barring any unforeseen circumstances, such as additional trolls, we do have a deal: twenty gold for the troll's head. We can discuss extras afterwards if necessary.' He held out his hand, gloved of course, to shake on the transaction. Very business-like, of course. Not that unforeseen circumstances would come about, but just in case, Nuva wanted to make it clear that he expected to be doing this specific job, and not substantially more than he'd been told he would be doing.

'Where should I meet you once I return?' he asked, wanting to make sure he knew where to go for payment. Once that location had been described to him, he said his farewells to the man, then promptly set off out the gate and northward, the location and goal clear in his mind. He had a cave to find, and a troll to slay.

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