[IC] Kᴀʀᴍᴀ + Fᴀᴛᴇ

[Quincy]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

“You need to apply for a group. Until you find one, don't even think about wasting my time.”

Priscilla Tris was rarely a woman who was kind or patient. As the guildmaster of the Illagorn chapter of the Adventurer's Guild she had turned away hundreds of would-be adventurers. She had seen spoiled princesses puff their cheeks, idiot peasants get on their knees and beg her to reconsider, and even on one occasion had a smart-mouthed upstart threaten her. It very rarely made her change her opinion. But in the last few months? She had to accept people. Illagorn was short on adventurers and her superiors in the larger cities had visited her personally to explain that she couldn't be so "choosy" anymore.

Priscilla had shrugged at the assertion. If the adventurer's guild wanted untrained welps to represent them, she would accept that. But she still wouldn't make it easy. It was her tavern and it was under her name and reputation they marched off to their deaths in.

She moved her cigarette to her lips, taking in the moment as she looked over the adventurers that had assembled as the clock struck noon. A bunch of initiates and a very small amount of experienced men and women. Just great. A bunch of idiots who barely knew how the guild worked who had a long way to go before she deemed them worthy of any significant notation on their record. As she exhaled smoke she stood up from her seat and went to grab the current assortment of jobs. It was about time to add the new postings to the board. It was also time to rein the new blood in and get them sorted. She wasn't going to let a bunch of new initiates take off without a group, but she wasn't going to stop someone if they really wanted to wind up dead at the same time.

She pushed her cigarette down in an ashtray before walking over to the board.

“It's time to shut the fuck up!” She shouted, unamused by the chatter in the tavern. “If you have more than a season under than you, you know the drill. I have a handful of jobs posted from all over the province that you can go and do. All new initiates are required to sign up for a group. All returning adventurers are expected to form one. If you are in the first group, find me and get it sorted. Ignoring me will make sure you don't get paid.”

She looked over the group of men and women who were listening to her. She didn't think any of them were worth her time, let alone an adventurer's badge of any color.

“With that out of the way,” She paused, as she drove a nail into the job board and posted the first new posting of the day. “The postings are up. If you have any questions, let me know after I get our rookies sorted out. Thanks. That's it.”

With the words finished she moved away from the job board and back to her place behind the counter.

[Quincy]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

And here I thought she was scary when she was just taking my application...

The tone of the guildmaster's voice had made her nearly reconsider her choice in applying, but at the same time she would know the reaction of her quitting would be much worse – not that she wanted to quit in the first place. Orena Adberhaven may have been a kind and meek little girl, but she was stubborn. No amount of scare tactics would make her run back to her family.

Standing up from her table she took a light breath in an attempt to find her center. She needed to go up to the counter and sign up for a group. Her first group. As she took her first few steps she tried to be mindful of other people who were walking through the crowd, adventurers who were moving back to their own table from the job board to the service members who were juggling tankards of ale and plates of swine to hungry patrons. She wondered what group she would exactly be paired with. She was a control mage, destined to support her party's back with utility spells. But as an unseasoned adventurer all she had was a small handful of spells and zero practical experience. But given she would be paired with initiates of similar rank she wasn't going to be too out of place.

Or at least she hoped not.

As she reached the counter she prepared to speak up but before she could another person had beat her to it. She turned her head to see who it was.

[ERode]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Some may have been off-put by the severity of the Guildmaster’s tone, but for Ier-Briar Thorn-of-Mountain Volkovin, it was comforting and novel, the clarion call of someone who cared little for pretense or grandeur. This was the life she had signed up for, after all, more raucous and unstable than even the life of the Ringbearer’s very own. Blue eyes swept through the crowd in an instant, noting the drab, mud-stained garb of the hale and hearty and the confident countenance of the vagrants and the veterans. Adventurers did have some degree of swagger, after all, far from the discipline of the army. A little looser, a little sloppier, a little wilder.

She nodded slightly to herself, forcing that same countenance onto herself, despite her own vocation as simply an ‘initiate adventurer’. Straightened her back, lifted her face up, added a swing to her step, extended her stride. Was her blonde hair absolute golden that day? Of course it was. Were her blue eyes absolute burning that day? Of course they were. Each step was one that propelled her further away from a life of familial mediocrity, consigned to being a pawn for social mobility or a womb to produce a proper heir to the Volkovin name, and she couldn’t ever stomach that, not for all the meat and drink in the world.

Shouldering past the robed waif that dawdled too long in front of the counter, Ier-Briar locked eyes with the bespectacled woman and stepped up to greet her. “Ier-Briar of House Volkovin, here to report for sorting.”

[Quincy]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

“You're going to need at least a cleric, ranger, and mage before I can recommend a job. If you want a bigger group that's your perogative. Do you have a preferred name for this group you're forming? Oh who am I kidding? I don't care. Here's the charter. Get at least two more signatures.”

Priscilla slid the piece of parchment in front of her towards the blonde-haired warrioress. As she did so she looked at the brown-haired girl that was beside her, gripping a magician's travelling pack. She wondered how useful she could be given she had the disposition of a waify clerk rather than a battle-ready sorceress. She was either going to die out in the field or learn not to be a wimp. She was mildly curious to see which of the two she would be. She didn't wait until Ier took off with the charter and pen, quickly shooting the mage a glare and a stern question.

“And you?”

The girl paused before swallowing her nerves. “I'm Orena, ma'am. I'm a control mage?”

Priscilla looked back to Ier with an eyebrow raised -- she wanted to get the current initiate group sign-ups done and over with. It was a sentiment that was obvious, especially to someone like the blonde-haired adventurer.

“Do you want her? Or do I have to sort her into a different charter?”

[ERode]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Cleric, ranger, mage. A sharp nod, before Ier-Briar took the charter and pen, facing this 'Orena' that called herself a 'control mage'. She looked soft, even at a second glance. Large eyes, a round face, and the girlishly slim frame that the juveniles and deviants amongst the corps had an interest in. Drab clothes to be sure, and the only magic Ier-Briar was familiar with was of the destructive variety, so why would she even want someone who looked like they've never killed something their entire life?

Numbers, that's why.

"I'll take her," the blonde shieldmaiden replied, thrusting the charter and pen at Orena so she could sign. "You know how to read and write, yes?"

She didn't wait for a response from her, before casting a critical eye over the rest of the unoccupied adventurers. Some ate and drank, stocking up on food-energy before their work began. Others scanned over the job postings, in search for something that matched their skill level. But her gaze fell on those that looked purposeless instead, and, sucking in a deep breath, she called out, "I am Ier-Briar Thorn-of-Mountain Volkovin, accompanied by Orena the Mage! If you are a budding cleric or ranger eager to prove your valor and skill, then name yourself and join us, and we shall baptize ourselves in the monstrous blood of our foes!"

It was arrogant and unbashed, and it doubtlessly drew snickers from more experienced adventurers, but there was not a hint of shame on Ier-Briar's countenance. If the sneers of her peers were enough to stop her, she would have never her mother's skirts.

[OwO]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Brutal, Siwan had thought. The guildmaster was harsh. She wouldn't make for a good wife unless, of course, the husband was into that sort of thing. That sort of thing was out of his strike zone, though. That isn't to say that he wouldn't want to try it, of course. Proposing to marry your future employer, however, was one hell of a power move. Siwan knew he was no genius, but even he could figure that a failed proposal would result in an immediate expulsion. He may have even been beat up if he had proposed to her. At the very least, he would need a plan of attack. A romantic strategy to court a venomous snake. If he was comparing his future wife to a snake, would she be a good wife though? Actually, that venomous snake reminded him of his second cousin's immediate. His wife would raise hell every time he spent even a second too long drinking by the lakes. Even then—

Siwan's mind snapped back on track. Finding a wife was his end goal, but to do so, he would need to become an adventurer. For a man educated by generations of hunters in a classroom of grass and moss, it was only natural he could only become an adventurer. He needed capital, too. If he were to marry an outsider and have a child, she certainly wouldn't appreciate a dowry of woven blankets, goats, and tanned leathers. Incidentally, a single goat was the dowry of his second cousin. But, his mind had snapped back to reality a second time, that was not the point. He was here and needed to become an adventurer. All it took was a party. A simple enough requirement.

Paying attention to the room, he had spotted two attractive young ladies. Nice. They spoke to the venom-lady and had been informed that they needed to find more people. The pair was a mage and a warrior respectively, he had surmised from their conversation. According to the venom-lady, they still needed a ranger and a cleric. He had, of course, everything he needed to decide which group he wanted to be in. To be more specific, he was more about the two attractive ladies and not need-a-cleric bit.

One of the attractive ladies had roused a mighty speech to anyone who wanted to join them. This call to adventure was inspiring. It was exactly the type of material Siwan wanted his wife to be made out of. He metaphorically slid up to the duo, announcing his presence to them. Thankfully, his courting would have to wait until he actually became an adventurer.

"Greetings, ma'ams," he introduced himself, "I'm Siwan, a cleric. I am quite interested in joining this party of yours. You'd have me, yes?"

His speech sounded off. Spoken in a cadence that was considerably different to everyone else's, it took a bit more effort to follow his words.

[Matsuri]

M α ʅ ʅ σ ɾ ყ

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Amongst the crowd of rowdy rookie adventurers, Mallory Mortimer was one of the few who stuck out like a terribly sore thumb. Cloud of hair brushed to perfection, fox coat swaying by her hips, a dash of purple colouring on her lips, the woman looked as if she was fully prepared to get mugged on her way to an afternoon tea party in the city. Some had even approached her at the guild entrance asking if she had somehow stumbled into the wrong building, to which she persistently assured them that she hadn't. Her graceful stride towards the counter was very unlike the types of people who surrounded her, and the soft, somewhat delicate sound of her voice did little to suggest her soon-to-be adventurer ranking.

The guildmaster's harsh tone was enough to remind Mallory that there was no time to waste dawdling around cluelessly: not that she ever liked to anyway. From behind her, a mighty call for companions struck her ears, as well as her immediate interest. As she swivelled around, Mallory noted the charismatic presence the blonde warrior gave off; it was unlike what she had seen in the faces of most of the other rookie adventurers, and Mallory found herself drawn to this woman's hearty confidence. Though she had already announced the presence of a mage companion, Mallory knew that she was the type of person she would find useful to stick with on her travels. She silently approached the forming group, leaning her head out from behind the young blonde lady in front of her.

"Though it appears you already have a mage amongst yourselves, would you care to have another one assisting you? Your courageous spirit is unlike anything I've seen from the other newcomers here!” Mallory interrupted, leaning her head out from behind the young blonde lady in front of her. Though her smile seemed friendly enough, her face was likely a little too close for a person's comfort, close enough for a hint of that peculiar lavender perfume of hers to waft up their unassuming noses.

"I don't believe there's any harm in having a little more fire power in your arsenal,” she said, clutching at her mage staff. "Plus,” Mallory added, noting the few sneers coming from other guild members, "perhaps we could show our peers a thing or two, don't you think?”

Mallory eyed the three that had gathered with piercing curiosity, letting out a soft giggle. "Ah, right, yes, do pardon my intrusion! My name is Mallory, if you wouldn't mind having another mage accompanying you on your journeys.”

[Quincy]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Orena nodded when the other woman asked her if she could read and write. She was a mage, after all.

Before she could contemplate any sort of response, a young man with a foreign elegance stepped up introducing himself as Siwan – an adventurer of the cleric vocation. He seemed nice enough, though reading people's true intentions were not exactly within Orena's skillset. As he proposed a question of joining up with her and Ier, a female mage named Mallory interjected requesting to join the party despite being a mage as well. Orena personally had no issue with another mage, though the larger the group the more attention they would surely gather and the wealth they would have to split. Orena wasn't greedy, but bread was bread. She wondered what Ier would think of it all, though she supposed she should've announced her opinion first.

"That would improve our utility, I think. Depending on the spells you learned? I... erm... I wouldn't object to it?"

[ERode]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Her call got attention fast enough, two other adventurers striding up to her in a matter of moments. Good. Ier-Briar liked people who could make snap decisions, especially when those decisions were right. Her blue eyes settled first on Siwan, the one from a land further than her own. His words had a strange ring to it, but his appearance was stranger. The ponytailed youth certainly had the countenance of a man, his voice lower than a boy's, his adam's apple bobbing when he spoke, but to be at this age, and yet be without even the beginnings of a beard? Was this one an eunuch? It explained why he took on a profession more closely associated with women...but then again, there was no reason for Ier-Briar to judge when she broke through the same wall he was currently diving into.

The new mage made a stronger impression than the hairless cleric, and Ier-Briar could sense a spine with the way she moved. The warrior didn't back down either, locking eyes with Mallory even as that strange floral scent prickled her nose. Firepower...the battle mage that Ier-Briar would have preferred over whatever a control mage was then. She wouldn't back down on her word and kick Orena out just because a better variation came along, but Mallory, with her fire of spirit and sorcery certainly knew how to make an impact. Enough that even without Orena's consent, the blonde warrior would have accepted her.

"I'll be glad to have you both," she said, offering them a firm shake, "Sign the charter however you wish, Siwan, Mallory."

Another cursory scan of the room and Ier-Briar scoffed in the back of her mind before raising her voice again. "With cleric found, I need now only a man strong of arm and keen of sight to partake in the bloodshedding convenant! Stand forth and declare yourself, and let that be the first step towards having your name etched into the heavens above!"

[Cu Chulainn]

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---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

As the other new adventurers crowded the tavern, Nimr stuck to the walls, mostly taking in his current location. It was a tavern much different in structure, but with a similar tone to his family’s inn. Nimr would lead himself to believe the tavern itself could use some of his own personal touch to make more lively. At the same time, however, he would also have to take account for the fact that this is also an extension of the Adventurer’s Guild, as well. In any case, the green-haired boy reached for his hi-

“It's time to shut the fuck up!”

Nimr’s attention was quickly drawn to the woman as she made her announcement. Quickly the bard-to-be was enthralled by her assertive, serious nature. Perhaps it was because he never had a strict maternal figure in his life. Indeed, the Dilapitared Duck was a far-cry from the inn he was raised in, but the atmosphere was still nostalgic enough to remind him of his mother. Whatever it was, Nimr would find himself quite enamored by this tavern’s guildmaster. He began to think of possibilities where he would finally settle down aa a true bard...

Maybe when I establish myself more, I could approach her for a business partnership, yes?

"... Stand forth and declare yourself, and let that be the first step towards having your name etched into the heavens above!"

Nimr’s trance was broken with a haughty, younger woman’s announcement. Nimr was reminded fully of the reason he was here at all; to sign up for his first adventure. He was also reminded that he could not get a job on his own, especially given how lacking his own skillset is. The party, however, looked pretty solid, so far. It was an especially good opportunity for Nimr, himself, given how an already sizable group was looking for more members.

”Strong of arm and keen of eye is what you were looking for, yes?” Nimr approached the group rather casually with a soft smile on his face. ”I only have one of those things, but perhaps some of my other talents may interest you? If you require someone with roguish talents, however, then I shall throw my hat into the ring.”

With a modest bow, albeit with something of a flourish, Nimr drew his flute. It was a rather strange looking instrument, but it seemed compact and sturdy enough for days worth of travel. Standing straight up with a smile, Nimr flashed a brighter smile, both to his possible allies, as well as to the guildmaster.

”Nimr. While I do have plans to become a bard, my skills can also serve this party in a similar way a rogue’s can. And if this party requires its funds to be managed, I can also aide in that regard.”

[Matsuri]

M α ʅ ʅ σ ɾ ყ

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

"I'll be glad to have you both. Sign the charter however you wish, Siwan, Mallory."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, Miss Ier-Briar!” Mallory shrilled in an unusual bout of enthusiasm. After accepting the warrior's handshake she swiftly took the pen without word, making a quick, convoluted cursive signature on the charter. She thrust the pen and paper into Siwan's direction once she had finished, and finally looked to address the younger looking mage. Before she did however, Mallory took some time to examine her, and made no particular effort to hide it. There was something behind the girl's timid shuffling and gentle voice, something that caught Mallory's attention; an ambitious flickering within the mage's large, round eyes, shining through clouds of juvenile innocence piqued the fire mage's interest. Mallory simply smiled.

"Well, I suppose you could call me a fire mage, or fire magic specialist, whatever you prefer, dear. The beauty of my extravagant blue flames is truly something to behold, yes it is! Oh, but I've also got a little book of basic spells to help with solely domestic tasks, if you're interested,” she babbled, taking out a hand sized, paperback book from her satchel.

"There's not many in here, but you can do a lot with a little! I haven't exactly learned all of the spells just quite yet because my mana control can be a bit... spontaneous sometimes, but that's besides the point. I am a fire mage at heart, after all! What are we without our... inherent spontaneity?”

Mallory kept her smile, hardly breathless from her sudden flurry of speech, awaiting the girl's response as another young man approached the group. Turning her head, she began to inspect him as well, keeping a watchful eye over the relaxed, somewhat modest movements in his walk. The instrument he carried especially intrigued Mallory, and she clasped her hands with excitement as soon as her gaze fell upon it.

"Oh, how wonderful it would be to have a musically gifted bard amongst us! Let us hear something sweetie, don't be shy! Show Miss Ier-Briar what you have to offer!”

[ERode]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

It looked as if only dregs remained now, the rest of the new adventurers either too intimidated by a group made almost entirely of women or too prejudiced to think that such a party could not ascend to glory. Ier-Briar had her own concerns, of course, about how much ‘weight’ she would be burdened by if she was the sole individual capable of standing at the vanguard, but those concerns could become a ‘legend’ just as easily, of the singular warrior who shielded her lesser companions from the grasp of devil and beast. Yes, she certainly will consider this situation as an opportunity for great growth.

The apparent final adventurer that had the testicular fortitude to stand up to her challenge was one who was certainly more keen of eye than strong of arm, judging by his lacking muscles, and Ier-Briar couldn’t help but sigh in disappointment at the quality of the men who had so far presented themselves before her. Another beardless eunuch, it appeared, and though being a loresinger didn’t REQUIRE a great beard and a belly full of mead, it was still disappointing that southerners were so bereft of manliness. A rogue or a bard, neither of which she could trust her flanks with in combat.

Sounded like her legend was only going to grow at an even more exponential rate at this point.

“I’ll take you then,” the blonde warrior said flatly, “Sign here. And as for your musical persuasions…save your voice so you may sing tales of our valor once we return from our maiden massacre.”

The charter and pencil was thrust into Nimr’s face, and, after giving the green-haired skinny lad a scant few moments to mark down his own signature (literacy wasn’t a real requirement, after all), Ier-Briar snatched it away again and marched right up to the bespectacled woman by the counter, setting it down with finality.

“I’ve found my comrades, unorthodox as they are. Now, what work have you to offer those eager to prove their valor?”

[Quincy]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

“That was fast. I'm almost impressed.”

Priscilla looked over the group as she took back the charter and glanced down at the list of names – and their atrocious handwriting, which, as expected was for the most part a bunch of scribbling. Another pain of the job she bore as guildmaster. Two mages, a cleric, and a wannabe-bard led by a stuck-up failed knight. That kind of composition would do them well until something unfortunate or ungodly stupid happened.

“Only a few initiate-level jobs for today.” She remarked, coldly. “A nearby village lost a shipment in the Fogmere Forest. The local blacksmith here in Ilagorn needs a sword delivered. That's about it. Typical initiate crap. I wager anything a little messier like goblin cleanup or kobold interference in the mines is still an issue as well. Just don't make me wait all day.”

[ERode]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

As the guildmaster began to list off the available quests, Ier-Briar quieted as well, organizing and examining the possibilities for glory in the back of her head. A delivery, no matter what opportunities there were for beating back the hordes of bandit scum, held little to no interest for the knightly woman. It was a pedestrian duty, and couriers existed for a reason, did they not? The prospect of being sent out to exterminate kobolds or goblins was met with similar disdain, those sorts of monsters mere vermin compared to the true threats that besieged the world. Even children could kill goblins, after all, and killing kobolds who attacked mines was a short-term solution, when any half-decent mine owner would have had a long-term solution in play already.

To adventure into a forest as mysterious-sounding as the Fogmere Forest, however, that certainly sounded fun suitable for the maiden voyage of a new group of adventurers. Exploration, unknown monsters, and a treasure hunt, all rolled together into a single bundle. Perhaps it was merely a shipment of basic foods, but in times of duress, grains were worth more than gold, and a journey through a fog-ridden forest was almost certainly more enticing than literally anything else that had been offered.

…or maybe Ier-Briar just unconsciously didn’t trust her comrades to handle an extermination quest yet.

“We shall take on the duty of recovering the lost shipment then,” the knight said, decisively deciding for the rest of the team. “Are there any details as to where in the forest it had been lost? Or what it contains?”

[Quincy]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Declaring what the group would take without consulting them? Priscilla snorted in derisive amusement as she retrieved the paper containing the information for the job. Ier may have been confident as the supposed leader of her group of initiates but Priscilla had seen countless versions of her before and very rarely did they turn into an adventurer of a hero's caliber. Few of them even lived despite their stodgy "knightly" upbringing. If Ier would survive her group she would have many lessons ahead of her. The raven-haired woman wondered if she lasted how long she would be her responsibility.

“Let's see.”

Mordel Kel, the Baron of the lands including the village Iber, had asked for the guild's help regarding a carriage that had never arrived in Iber, though it had indeed left the merchant enclave it originated from. The question of where in Fogmere the carriage had found itself lost in was a question of much debate -- the Baron himself had not sent a courier or scout to investigate and instead opted immediately to ask the guild for help. It was a curious thing since Fogmere wasn't even on the list of dangerous woodlands, but it was easy to get lost in the humid summers if you strayed off the main road for a shortcut or some other whim.

“The Baron thinks it is probably somewhere off the main road. There's no real conclusive information outside that there is a chest with some 'very important items'. Honestly, it sounds like a waste of time, but sometimes its good to have your adventure have the same thing in common as you. Do try your best to not to start a forest fire. It'd be a lot of paperwork for me. More paperwork than you are worth.”

She retrieved one of the cheap maps made of the region from under the counter. “If you travel down the southern highway you will end up at Iber. You can enter the forest from their side. Any more questions?”

[OwO]

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Second to last to sign the charter, Siwan wrote his name in such a way that would make any fan of calligraphy vomit: pen held upside down, as if he was going to pick his name into the paper. His writing wasn't nice, either. It seemed sloppy and bizarre with straight lines of inconsistent length forming a barely legible name. By some miracle, neither pen nor paper broke. The fire mage, Mallory, had assailed the group with an intense dialogue that used words that Siwan had never heard before. Spesh all ist? Extra vag ant? Dome eh stick? Spawn ten eighty? Siwan had no idea what any of those meant. He would probably ask Mallory later during the empty travels of the road. Then, it wouldn't be a waste of time. Well, that and he didn't want to admit in front of the guild master that his grasp of the language wasn't as good as he made it out to be. That would make him a liar.

Ier-Brier had taken the charter from him and given it to the next man. This new member was a man, AKA someone who couldn't be a wife. The party remained more female than male, so Siwan was still happy. Nimr was competition, though. Mallory, however, was a much more welcome addition to the party. She seemed to have a more mysterious, womanly beauty about her. At least compared to the other two.

The guildmaster had rattled off a few quests for the party. A lost shipment in the forest - which Siwan felt rather at home doing, a sword delivery, or killing decidedly evil creatures. Ier-Briar had already decided that the shipment was the task they would undertake. Siwan was, of course, fine with this choice. He decided to not ask any questions to the guildmaster. He had no real concerns and was familiar with forests. Rather, he would let the party's mouthpiece of a warrior lead the way. Plus, this way, he wouldn't be inflicted with a critical blow to his ego in case he messed up.

[Matsuri]

M α ʅ ʅ σ ɾ ყ

---

_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Unfortunately, though she figured it was understandable, Nimr's performances would have to wait until much later into the day once the group had finally been assigned something to do. Mallory would definitely be pestering him into it during the quieter moments of their travels though, regardless of what Ier would say. Once the guildmaster had finished describing the list of tasks, the entire group's direction was swiftly decided by none other than young blonde knight herself. With no questions asked - or rather, with no questions allowed to be asked - Mallory's fate was locked.

Not that she particularly minded Ier's assertive decision, Mallory was actually feeling content with having a clearly defined group leader already. Although how the young knight behaved in that short exchange with the guildmaster was questionable to Mallory, at least the group wouldn't be wasting time squabbling about who should take charge or something usually as time consuming like that. Mallory wouldn't have liked that at all.

Besides, venturing into a forest in search of lost valuables sounded far more interesting than doing what basically sounded like postal services. Mallory's lips curled up as she looked back on her own woodland explorations in her homeland; memories of causing forest fires in the summer afternoons and almost freezing to death running away in the winter evenings brought a bright, unassuming smile to the mage's face.

But upon hearing that setting fire to the forest - whether on accident or on purpose, which Mallory had often both done in the past - would get the group into quite a bit of trouble, the mage shrank into herself a little. Mallory wasn't joking when she described herself to be spontaneous in nature, because it certainly reflected in how her magic worked. She kept her mouth shut, of course; Mallory wouldn't like it, no, she wouldn't accept it if her status as one of the group's mages were to be taken away after witnessing just how unpredictable her mana control was. However, it wasn't like she had no magical skill at all, perhaps with the right timing and concentration she could provide the fire power Ier originally wanted. Mallory would just have to be more cautious this time, but usually those sorts of promises were easier said than done.

[Cu Chulainn]

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_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

Whether or not he was allowed or invited to play was of no matter to Nimr. He didn't care too much about showing his skills off, after all. What's more important to him, right now, is earning some gold and establishing himself as an adventurer of renown. Having a reputation would lead to better jobs, which would lead to obtaining much more expensive valuables. Of course, there was also the fact that he would better his own musical talent, though such an aspiration wasn't met with the same enthusiasm as becoming filthy rich. In any case, Nimr, elected to stay silent in regards to those who had or had not wished to hear him play.

Nimr allowed the loud knightess-in-training to choose the job for them. He didn't mind what would have been chosen. As a matter of fact, out of all the jobs, recovering a lost shipment was something he welcomed the most. The idea of 'very important items' intrigued. Perhaps Nimr could get away with appraising such important items. While theft was far below his morals, Nimr would still be very much interested in knowing just what makes these items important and, more importantly, how much they are worth. Smiling to himself at both the prospects of this job as well as the harsh tone of the Guildmaster's way of speaking, Nimr signed away at the papers given to him before daring to ask some questions.

"Is there anything we should look out for in the woods? It would be nice to know if there were any dangers we might run into that would otherwise be thwarted if we did some last minute shopping, yes?"

Of course, Nimr was as close to dirt broke he could be. The only coin he had on his person would be enough for two, maybe three nights at an inn with a meager dinner. Still, he needed to sound like he knew what he was talking about. He has to make a good first impression to the people who will be paying him, after all!

[Quincy]

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_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

“What do you think is in a forest?” Priscilla rolled her eyes, annoyed by the idea of more questions. “Am I supposed to do your research for you?”

After a second of silence, she sighed, resigning herself to answer the initiate with some sort of information she could provide. Back when Priscilla was a green adventurer she had done work in Fogmere. The forest was a large one that was full of monsters and thieves, so it was often a popular location for adventurers to find work in. Goblin patrols were common and less dangerous than their dens, Gnolls wandered in search of the next hunt, and everything you would expect was in a giant forest with fog in the name was present. The largest structure in the forest was an old elven temple devoted to the goddess of water, but it had been long since destroyed by the demons that once threatened the world with extinction.

“Fogmere is a humid forest full of things like wolves and bears. It occasionally has issues with banditry. You might happen upon some goblins or gnolls. And most shocking of all, it might have some primordial or elemental monsters. If you're lucky you might stumble upon a living tree that will strangle you or fall in a spike pit in the ruined temple so much that next time I see your 'group' that I will never have to hear you speak again.”

[ERode]

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_{Province of Ilagorn -- Adventurer's Guild a.k.a. The Delipitated Duck
12th Hour of the 2nd Day, Summer}

---

For all the abuse hurled in the party’s general direction, Ier-Briar remained undaunted. Even she had enough sense to not break the front teeth of her new ‘employer’, after all, and instead, the blonde knight burned with a desire to prove the bespectacled woman completely and totally wrong. A waste of time? No, they’d come out of this as ‘very important’. Her heels dug in, and she engraved as many details about the work as she could have.

The shipment broke off from the main road. The forest was filled with wildlife and lesser creatures, but also home to elementals and dryads, surprisingly enough. The water temple’s ruins sounded interesting, but irrelevant. The fog and humidity would make starting any unmanageable forest fire unlikely as well, and Ier-Briar flicked her blue eyes in Mallory’s direction for a moment, a reassuring and competitive glint in her eyes. If the woman’s flames could torch even a forest eternally mired with fog that would certainly live up to its famed nature wouldn’t it?

“If we’re lucky, we’ll stumble upon such circumstances and survive them,” Ier-Briar returned with a smile with more teeth than mirth, “And we’ll most certainly tell you all about it, Guildmaster. Look forward to it, won’t you?”

With that, she turned heel, expecting the others to follow. The southern highway. Iber. Fogmere Forest. She recalled the general form of the map, but she certainly didn’t expect the Guildmaster, thorny as she was, to offer them that map as a freebie as well. Once they were out of the Dilapidated Duck, Ier-Briar was quick to turn her attention onto Nimr, then sweep her gaze onto the others as well.

“We’ll start with preparations first, if any of you require that 'last minute shopping'. Nimr?” A pause. "A detailed explanation on your capabilities will be essential as well. As is clear, I'm a knight, strong of arm and skilled with the blade. My focus sharpens with the battle oaths of my ancestors, my shieldwork is of particular note, and I am wholly confident in my ability to make myself the center of our monstrous foes' attention."

It was a bit forced, wasn't it? But the faster they got everything out of the way, the faster Ier-Briar could saunter back into the Guild and make sure that woman understood that she wasn't like any others before her.