[center][h1]>There Is No Honor To Be Found Here[/h1]
[h3]>Begin Narration:[/h3][/center]
You awake to the sound of rust-gnats buzzing around outside of whatever hovel you call a home. The sound is not uncommon in the city of Nora, as they are attracted to rust as termites are to wood. The volume of them is the odd thing though. The city has experienced a swarming in the past, but they normally move on in a few hours. The cacophony outside sounds as if the swarm is in the room with you, so you can only imagine that multiple locations within Nora are experiencing their own independent mass of rust-loving pests. How [i]lovely[/i]...

As you leave your house with a pollution mask on to keep bugs from flying in your mouth, and possibly also goggles for your eyes, you're grateful to see that the swarms are mainly flocking to the taller buildings. You imagine the rain yesterday caused the rooftop antennas to rust causing today's event. On to more pressing matters however, it is the first day of the new recruits to the Velsar Expedition Team, or V.E.T. for short. The town creaks as the buildings settle, their weight shifting as rust is removed but pests are added, and those who find themselves outside hurry along to their destination to avoid bugs, debt-collectors, or worst of all, strangers. 

The V.E.T. building is no different from the others, save for the fact that it is connected to Nora's walls. Two guards stand outside of the building but their presence is mainly to give the organization an air of professionalism. They make no move in response to the approaching guests and simply allow you to walk in unimpeded. You'd likely find others waiting in the lobby as you now are, as being the first to these events is usually grounds for some sort of hazing among the seasoned members. Luckily for whatever fool woke up early today, none of those people are here to harass you for being punctual. They had more important missions to tend to and so the building is even quieter than normal. After waiting 20 minutes past the arrival of the last recruit, who was 30 minutes late themselves, the captain of this branch of the V.E.T.s walks out onto the second floor landing that oversees the lobby. A Numan woman with pointed ears and sharp teeth, standing around six feet and with a clearly athletic build. She is infamous amongst the townsfolk for her brash attitude and her proclivity towards drinking, yet no one knows of her name and she goes only by "Captain". Your captain looks amongst the crowd, clearly displeased with the new batch of rotten apples that now call themselves vets, and mumbles something under her breath.

[color=fbb117]"Well, I don't know what I was expecting out of a place like Nora, but these days we have to take what we can get. Today begins your careers as my servants, and I intend to work you like the hounds you are! Our town has no specialty, no wealth, no honor, and that's why citizens of Nora make up twenty percent of vets and yet less than one percent of officer rank or above!"[/color] She pauses for a moment, as a realization has struck her and she decides to go off-script. [color=fbb117]"I've learned over the years the kinds of people that get drawn in to my home. If any one of you manages to become an officer, I'll let you sit in my lap for one whole meeting! I know that half of you are already drooling at the idea,"[/color] she smiles wickedly putting her shark-like teeth on full display.

A loud metallic screech sounds through the streets. One of the guards from outside bursts into the building, screaming towards the captain that the wall has been breached by a Stone-Horn. Nasty reptilian beasts whose bodies attract stones that bond with their scales as they age. A fully-grown adult is about the size of an elephant, with a rhino-like horn and thick wrecking-ball tail. You can only hope that the intruder is a juvenile, closer to the size of a bull. However, the walls should be able to withstand a juvenile's charge so how on Velsar did it get through? The rain, some of you realize, it would have rusted the walls as well and then the rust-gnats would have devoured the damage overnight. Morning patrols wouldn't have been able to recognize the lack of structural integrity without a larger investigation.

Your captain listens to the report, her hand grips the handrail of the balcony as she leans over it. Her other arm outstretched and pointing in the direction of the intruder. [color=fbb117]"Alright then recruits! I suppose you have your first mission. Go to the location of the breach and bring down that Stone-Horn. Considering your numbers, and against a juvenile, I expect no more than a single causality. Those of you who make it back without serious injuries will even get a head-pat from Little Miss Commission Broker down at the desk! Well, what are you waiting for?! That's a prime reward right there!"[/color]

[i]Little Miss Commission Broker[/i] behind the lobby desk hides behind a manila folder. The shy green Quasit's antennae poking from behind it. She clearly didn't sign up for this, but she also clearly doesn't have a choice. Some recruits have already left before hearing the reward, some left upon hearing it, and the rest left as they realized that Captain was serious about them being the ones who would fight a monster on their first day. You haven't even gotten V.E.T.-allocated combat uniforms yet.

As you arrive, you see two patrolmen keeping the beast from running rampant with nothing but dull spears and gumption but you can tell the beast is becoming agitated and those spears won't stop a full charge. More patrolmen are evacuating the city block, expecting damages to occur before long.
[center][h3]>End Narration[/h3][/center]