[IC] The Saltaire District

The Districts

Central

There are 7 total districts, and the first one is the Central District, of which you are in now. This houses the Prince's Manor, and the main courthouse. This district is mostly residential, holding many Nobles and persons of political power.

Saltaire

There is the The Saltaire District. This is where a large portion of the rp will be taking. Probably. Anyways, the Saltaire District is home to many Commoners, Artisans and other small business. The Noble who oversees this district is Lord Quinn. Lord Quinn is a Human, known for his high charisma, and getting what he wants.

Fein

Then, we have the Fein District. This district is responsible for manufacturing and refinement, usually of metals and tools. A prominent place here is the gate leading out of the city. The gate is guarded 24/7 by various guards in shifts. The Noble who looks over the Fein District called Lilliana. Lilliana is a quiet Halfling woman who gain her influence by the way she expertly defuses situations without the need for violence or chaos.

Angel

Next up is the Angel District. The Angel District is home to may churches of various gods and faiths, and even a small monastery. The people who live here are are mostly Clerics, Monks, and other people of faith. A prominent place here is The Healer's Guild. As you'd expect, The Healer's Guild is responsible for Healing the sick and injured, providing hospitalization, and occasionally even resurrecting fallen comrades. The Noble of this District is a Pious half-elf woman named Bellona. Bellona is a Righteous woman who does not take kindly to those who would intentionally cause harm to her citizens, of whom she is known to refer to as her "Children"

Vis

Fifth on our list is the District of Schooling and training. This is the Vis District. There are several Schools of varying years, from those who are just starting a higher education, to an entire Mage's College. Each district has their own primary school, where children to young adults go to, but at about the equivalent of high school level, they head to the Vis District. The District is also home, like said before, to a Mage's College, for wizards and such, as well as a few Dojos, for those wishing to instead study the art of fighting. The "Noble" of this area is an elderly Human man, known as Talbron. Talbron was a highly decorated soldier in the guard ranks, and was known for his no-nonsense attitude.

Army

Up next is the Army District. This district houses guard barracks, should they choose to stay there, training grounds for recruits and is basically responsible for most Guard related things. But perhaps what it is known most for, is the city's prison. At the moment, the prison is full of mostly petty criminals, but deeper inside are murderers, cultists, and other such vile criminals. The Noble who watches over is a Brutish half-orc man named Mordaunt. Mordaunt was the previous captain of the guard, before retiring in the previous year.

Trade

Lastly, we have the Trade District. The Trade District has another Gate to the city, of which most traders first stop in. Many farms, shops, and even restaurants are here. This is almost like a wealthier Saltaire District to most people. The Noble in charge here is a young, inexperienced Human man known as Tyrrus. Tyrrus works alongside the advice of his father to keep the district in check.

Powers at play

Iron Saints

A Prominent Guild in the Area is the Iron Saints. This is a Guild made mostly of Mercenaries from around the continent. This guild a handful of bases scattered around the Continent. Luckily, there's one about a day's journey from Heston.

Milani

A prominent Religion in the area is to the Goddess Milani. Milani is the Goddess of Redemption, Hope and Freedom, and is seen as the founder of the land.

The Quickfoot and Swiftfoot gangs

The Quickfoot gang was a powerful nation-wide gang that focused more on stealing, blackmail, and espionage for their money. In recent years, the Quickfoot gang was struck down by a joint effort between the Iron Saints and other various cities and guilds. Since then, a splinter of the Quickfoot gang has broken off and has started calling themselves the Swiftfoot gang, and is far more aggressive and brutal than the original. Nobody knows who the leader of the Swiftfoot gang is, or where their current HQ is.

[Lord Orgasmo]

The central district's Manor was a grand place indeed. Red carpets, lacquered oak seats with fluffy cushions around a large table decorated with gold candles, and the golden ribbons lining the walls were just a few of the luxurious decorations around the room. Atop a small, room wide, 3-step staircase, stood an Elderly scarred Man, the King and Prince's advisor, Roman. Roman looked down at the adventurers with a scowl on his face.

"So, these are the cretins he chose to save our experts." Roman put a hand to his forehead. "Fuck."

Roman took a deep breath, stood up straight, and began to speak to the crowd.

"Alright, listen here. You few have been hand picked by the Prince for...one reason or another. Your task, as you likely already know, is to investigate the disappearances in the Saltaire District. Over the past few days people have been disappearing en masse. We've already sent in a few guards, and a few experts that we've hired from around the the country. Now, as of yesterday, it has been a week since we've seen or heard anything from either group. Your first task is to find any trace of either group. Whether that's notes, corpses, or obvious signs of life. Just recently we've sent in a volunteer named Brax Goldthumb. He's a dwarf in red. He'll be hard to miss. You will be rewarded in gold for anything significant you can find,"

Roman sneered at the handful of adventurers in front of him, Eyeing each one carefully.

A supposed Monster Hunter and his apprentice. The Monster Hunter he could understand, but the girl? Apprentice or not, she'd better be some sort of Prodigy. Perhaps she was a Sorcerer?

There was Irvine here. The man made his skin crawl, but he couldn't doubt the man's actions. He was a competent healer, and is said to rival those in the Healer's Guild.

Carmichael was a welcome and Familiar face. He knew the city and its people well, he could definitely help out these few other souls.

Lastly was a Woman who appeared to be some sort of Pirate. Or at least some sort of Swashbuckler. Roman knew little of seafarers and ships, so perhaps she was just a rather...flashy Capitan of a ship. A ship could be useful, should this take them to other places.

"Now then before you depart, do you--"

"Not so fast, Roman."

A man in a light blue robe steps out from a nearby room, wearing a black satchel slung over his shoulder, and holding what appears to be a spellbook. He strides over to the group of adventurers, glancing over them.

"I'll be going with them."
"No. Absolutely not, Alex. We cannot have the court mage-"
"You may be the King's advisor, Roman, but you do not have control over me. I am going with them. Besides," The man in blue gestured to the group "These people seem to be Sorely lacking in the spellcasting department."

Roman lets out a long, defeated, sigh. "Fine. But when you accidentally burn down a home, it's your problem, not mine. Now then, as I was saying..." Roman glares at the wizard. "Does anyone have any important questions?"

[Stitches]

Victor Strade and Adrian
Trade District - Central District

Heston was a city of vibrance. The crowds called out their signature market cries as ripples in the undulating crowds moved citizens to and fro, each elaborately and cheerfully dressed in brightly dyed clothes. Bunting fluttered in the breeze and the sun glinted off the metal flagpoles, holding banners and tapestries. The noise of hooves on the cobbles rattled its steady rhythm to the din of the market in the Trade district as Adrian, trembling, affixed the oil-soaked bandana around her nose and mouth and did her best to appear utterly impassive as her bony fingers gripped tighter and tighter still onto Victor’s hand.

Even on the worst of days, Adrian had a little edge on the usual limits of human perception in the state she was in now. Colours were brighter, sounds just a little sharper, and movement in her periphery stood out just enough to be irritating. Smells...it was hit or miss, and most of the time it missed dismally and left her nostrils perpetually assaulted with body odour. The sleepy hamlets and lively townships that Victor took her through couldn’t hold a candle to the sensory onslaught that was the city of Hestor, and that’s why she had the peppermint bandana to - at the very least - cut through some of the torment. Still, it gave her an atrocious headache when coupled with the thumping, droning noises and the dizzying array of unfamiliar sights.

Fortunately, Victor had sent word by courier from one of the outlying villages and once he arrived at one of the many taverns on the borders of the Trade district, situated far enough from the noise of the market, all it took was a brief introduction and one of the maids brought them to their room. The moment Adrian entered she ripped off her bandana, drew the curtains shut and landed face-first on the bed.

“Aaaaaaargh. Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh,” Adrian let out muffled groans of pain into the sheets. Her head was pulsing and the afterimages of the day were burned into her eyelids in splotches of colour.

“It’s okay, there there.” Victor absentmindedly comforted her as he waddled around the room, impressed with the stature of their room. Then again, anything was more fancy than what he was used to. “We can rest up for a bit but there’s still some important rules we have to follow. Well… -you- have to follow” he continued unpacking their gear as he spoke to Adrian.

Adrian continued grumbling until things took a relatively sensible shape again, at which point she lifted herself from the bedsheets and squinted at Victor confusedly. “Rules?”

“Yeah. Like the ones we have for hunting. Same applies when you’re in the big city.” he went on to explain. “Our contractors are nobles - the Prince in fact. The way we conduct ourselves has to be a bit more… “in line” then when in the wild. You follow?” he paused his unpacking, waiting for a response.

Adrian continued to stare at Victor. There was a pause, then a slow “Yes.”

“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” he stared back at her.

Adrian picked at a loose thread on the bedsheets’ embroidery in a sullen silence.

“Just… behave, yes?” Victor sighed defeatedly, clapping his hands together once. “Now come on, we have to go or we'll be late.”

“So soon?” Adrian grimaced and slid off the bed, grabbing the bandana. “Okay. But no more…” she gestured out, vaguely, towards the window. Victor just snorted bemusedly and went downstairs to check the city map.

The route to central District was fairly uneventful; even without a map it was simple enough to navigate yourself towards the middle of Heston. Here the bustle of the city diminished into large, opulent houses with beautiful gardens. Adrian had dared to take the mask off by then, and though the new experiences set her on edge there was nothing too severe in the centre that could make her feel physically overwhelmed. The difficulty lay in finding the right building to enter, but that was in and of itself a simple affair since there were guards patrolling every street. They were not the first, nor the last to walk in.

The room was pleasantly decorated despite its vast emptiness. Whilst Victor listened attentively to Roman's briefing, Adrian's gaze kept wandering around the room to take in the many complexities of the ornaments - and of the other people gathered around her. When a lull in the speech finally came around, it was enough to draw Adrian's attention back in time for the court's mage to come out of an adjacent door. Victor snatched a stern glance at Adrian but softened upon seeing that she was up to her usual pastime of staring at strangers, so whilst he listened to the words, Adrian focused on other things.

When Roman finished his spiel, Adrian glanced up at Victor, who glanced down at her. The pair exchanged glances again. Victor inclined his head towards Roman and Adrian cleared her throat. “In the…” she paused and Victor made a cough that sounded eerily like 'letter’, “...letter, you said people disappeared slowly. Not at same time.” Her voice was strongly accented, and raspy. “Did you check for pattern? Did you do anything outside of district, before sending people in?”

[HokumPocus]

---

Irvine didn´t like Roman. From the beginning of their gathering he had begun to see glimmers of contempt and judgement forming within the mans tired eyes, and he didn´t like it one bit. His art was a misunderstood one, with dozens of critics ready to leap at him like street animals the second another body would go missing. He could already imagine the dozens of eyes within the room turning on him at the mention of an unsettling medic being stuck with them, pointing, laughing, judging. His paranoid thoughts were bested by delusion as they always were, however. He reasoned that just because they were unable to appreciate the human form like him didn´t mean that they would be unable to develop some sort of relationship working together.

"Does this mean I´m cleared of you and the district´s suspicion?" he asked, in a manner perhaps more bitter than intended. He put people back together again, not the opposite, for the sake of the gods! Yet every time another would go missing he could feel the tension between him and the rest of the town rise. Others in the room had asked questions as well, but he didn´t see anything to be worried about concerning the mission. They had been going about things the wrong way in his opinion.

For starters, it was nearly impossible for him to not sneer at the mention of sending experts to investigate. Irvine thought of professional adventurers as irresponsible and ignorant brutes who depended on healers such as himself to mend all of their mistakes. Guards ranked even lower on his mental scale of respect, as his past experiences in grave robbing had led him to discover that all it takes is a couple of coins to make one turn the other way. Roman must have seen him and whoever the rest of these people were as some sort of last resort, but Irvine was overconfident in his skills and was secure in an easy victory.

The comment from the man named Alex irritated him, just as any and all perceived or actual criticisms of his work did. To be accused of sorely lacking in the magical department through a negative lens was folly to him. He held back from snapping at him with a lecture over the power of manual labor and how we must never depend to much on magic. For now. Roman was about to judge Irvine's character, and he wasn´t willing to give him even more material to criticize him with.

"Also..." he said, ponderously, "What are this Brax fellow´s whereabouts?"

[Arkitekt]

Trade District- Early Evening

Y’Vanna’s gait was quite wide as she hastened her way through the various corridors made by market tents and stands. Everyone was closing down for the evening. Shopkeepers were beginning to light their lanterns and torches whilst packing up their wares as the last bit of the sun’s light retreated over the city. The aromas of spices and fresh breads still permeated the air, making her stomach feel hollow and wanton. No time for morcels, not now anyway. Her contact had been clear regarding the importance of punctuality for their meeting, as their time would be limited to avoid notice from the passers by. She kept one hand on the pommel of her cutlass and the other one steadfast on the grip of one of the flintlocks she had holstered in the thigh of her boot to keep them from clanking about as she hurried along. The crowds had dispersed as dusk approached.

She turned the corner and made her way another three blocks before reaching her destination. A small inn and tavern just outside of the masses of the markets, a convenient location for wary traveling vendors and seafaring merchants alike. The sign outside read: “The Lazy Pheasant”, and it seemed straightforward and inviting enough. It wasn’t at all the sort of place that you’d typically find characters of the shady short, not in the least. This was exactly why it was chosen for their meeting. She slowed to a brisk walk and dusted herself off a bit before entering. She made her way inside and over to bar where she was to order a drink, her contact would be smoking a pipe with an aroma of vanilla and hazelnut. She was definitely able to mark him straight away. A middle aged man with a well groomed beard was sitting right on the end of the bar, leaned up against the wall there. His pipe hand resting on his knee, which was perched high upon the rungs of the stool adjacent his. The sweet smoke danced about from the rim of his pipe, like a small slumbering volcano, sleepily wafting about..

“Two fingers of your finest spiced rum please..” she said, placing two coins on the bar. The man behind the counter nodded and soon produced a glass and corked bottle of “Portman’s” which was about as fine a rum as she had ever had, and this was indeed her prefered poison and thus why she had chosen it to be her mark. She raised the glass and glanced over to the man as she turned her glass to the sky. ”fortunes fated” she whispered. She placed the glass upside down on the bar, and wiped her lips on her forearm as she turned to leave. She would wait outside just around the corner. It wasn’t but a slight moment before the man rounded the corner, tapping his pipe to empty it of ash in his palm.

”You’re late..” he said, wrapping the pipe in a small piece of cloth and placing it within his coat. ”I almost left.. Why if you’d ha-”

”No time for that now.. Let’s be brief shall we?” she said, hastily interrupting him. ”I’m to meet with the Prince’s Advisor first thing in the morning.. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to check back in, but as soon as I am able to do so I shall send word.”

”Remember to be discreet.. I don’t think I need to remind you of our client’s wish to remain anonymous. Should the question arise you are to avoid giving up your ties to your client.. “

”Don’t worry, you don’t have to remind me. I shall send word once I know more, but for now I have to go. Make haste, and be sure that you aren’t followed. I shall do the same."

And with that she was off and around the corner in the opposite direction of her contact. It would be another four blocks before she slowed her pace and another twelve before she would make it to her lodgings in the Central district. She made her way to the room she had prepared some three days prior and shut the door. It wasn’t a lavish room but it had the necessary amenities that she required for her stay here in Heston and it was above modest so she was without complaints. She undid her belts and placed them on a chair she had pulled over close to the bed as she had done every night, and undressed. She was weary and it wasn’t long before she was asleep, as she was in need of much rest. The whole ordeal had been quite nerve-racking, what with all the travel and accommodations, the tickets, and the check ins..

Central District Manor- Early Morning

The Manor and the central hall that she stood in were perhaps more gilded than suited her own tastes but was rather stunning, she thought. She stood patiently with the others, there shoved together before the Prince’s advisor, Roman was his name. She was accustomed to the upturning of noses, especially from those who thought of themselves as betters, so the scowl on his face was nothing new to her. She listened patiently, though she found herself wishing that he would just cut to the chase. The whole thing seemed very peculiar indeed.. The disappearances, and the void in the way of evidence or direction was baffling. In such a city, one in which she had been in for nearly a week now, how could something like this go on without anyone knowing a thing was beyond her mental capacities to fathom. This Goldthumb fellow was also high on her list to find, if there were anything of him left to find by then..

Another fellow would soon interject. A man of magical esteems apparently, dressed in a blue robe and ever bent on going with them. She would be keen to keep an eye on this one too. Roman nearing the end of his scoffing asked the group if there were any pertinent questions and Y’Vanna raised a hand.

”There’s absolutely nothing in the way of any leads and we’re sure on this?” she said as if beckoning for another tidbit of information.. Something to go on, though she was sure there would be nothing, but the gesture at least made it look like she was interested. "Also, is this accidental burning of homes going to be a thing we need to be concerned about? I’m not in this for the money of being a sitter as well..” she said rather sharply. It was a scouting stab for a reaction, a gesture to feel out the robed fellow..

[dereken]

Sergeant Leigh Carmichael

Central District -- The Prince's Manor
Carmichael was at the palace before the sun had risen. He was ready for this the moment the summons came. Even before he received them, Carmichael was working on the disappearances: questioning locals from the surrounding districts, inputting formal inquiries with the watch, he even tried to find the few raving lunatics that had wandered from the now barren streets of Saltaire. But now, with the summons Carmichael had good reason, and a new squad, to search for the truth in earnest.

Now he was lined up in the parlor of the opulent manor, along with the others who were summoned. He watched as the king's adviser appraised the motley band of adventurers that had been gathered. Carmichael couldn't help but note the disgust plainly written on the man's face. It wasn't hard to understand. The others in the parlor were hardly high society. Of the lot of them, Carmichael felt he was the only regular there. He recognized Irvine, the healer. The man sent a shiver down Carmichael's spine, but he had proven his skill many times since the healer had started his work. The others were more a mystery, strangers to Heston.

Leigh snapped his attention back to Roman when he spoke up. The adviser outlined their mission, including the search for a dwarf in red. The mentioned reward didn't mean too much to Carmichael. What was important was figuring out what happened in the Saltaire district. Before the adviser could continue, he was interrupted by a man in robes, the court mage as Roman quickly revealed. Carmichael frowned as the newcomer volunteered himself. Magic usually led to trouble, in his experience.

Following their briefing came a torrent of questions directed at Roman. To be expected, Carmichael supposed. Carmichael didn't feel the need to speak up just yet. The others seemed to have that covered, and any questions he had would surely be answered once they got to work.

[Lord Orgasmo]

---

Roman raised a single eyebrow. There were a few questions for him. They didn't seem to be mere brute Mercenaries, at the very least. This was a good sign. Roman paused for a moment, and relaxed his shoulders slightly before speaking back into the crowd.

"First off, to answer your question, Roman extended a bony finger at Adrian. "Over 1,800 people disappeared over the course of four days. That is not what would call slow, but I understand what you mean. And yes, we did in fact take measures against this. We evacuated the entire District, but many found themselves missing family members or friends the following mornings. Some even left the city, but eventually came telling us of missing persons. While not everyone in the District had disappeared, a large majority have. We do not know at this time what forces are working against us. Whether it's some sort of terrorist group, or some enemy country, we are unsure."

Roman took a deep breath before addressing the next member. "Next, Irvine. Whether or not you are cleared of suspicions is not up to me, it is up to those around you. Figuratively, of course. Not literally. As For Brax's whereabouts, we told him to stay by the entrance for observational purposes, but he may be further in.

Next was the pirate woman. "There aren't any solid leads we have at this point, but there is one thing I can tell you. The people that have miraculously made it out of there, are quite maddened by the whole thing, possibly even brainwashed, but you should all know this already. But what bothers Alex and I, is the subject of their ramblings. They mention... eyes, or at the very least, seeing things. And Cocoons. Something about flesh and cocoons. But that is all we have for now. As for the burning of houses, Alex is... mostly accurate with his spells..." Roman let out a small grin as he looked towards the court mage. Alex rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to one leg and put his hand on his hips.

That answered the questions. Now all that was left was to send them in.

"Now, while I'm sure most of you are prepared for this, you will have the rest of the day to prepare your time inside. I cannot tell you what to expect, but I would bring the essentials. Torches, ropes, clean water, those sorts of things. Tomorrow at noon you will be escorted to the Saltaire District by a guard sent to find you. I am telling you this in advance so that you have no fear when you approached by them. Now then, that should be all. Unless of course, you'd like to add anything Alex?"

---

"Actually, yes. Alex turned to the group. "One thing Roman neglected to mention is that we have the healers guild at our disposal. Should any of you suffer serious injuries, such as dismemberment, third degree burns, or death, the Healers Guild will take care of it. The Prince has made an arrangement with them to cover the costs. Now then, as Roman said, we will meet tomorrow. Until then, if you need me for say, enchanting services, you can generally find me in the library to the left," he points to a large coffee-colored oak door to the left of the group. "Otherwise, I'll see you Tomorrow."

Alex gives a short bow, and begins heading up a staircase behind Roman. Roman bows slightly as well, and follows Alex up the stair case. "Oh yes," he stops suddenly and turns around. "If you have any questions later, simply ask a guard here, to get me, and I will be with you as soon as possible." Roman turns back around, and heads back up the stairs.

[Arkitekt]

Central District Manor- Morning.

Y'Vanna could hardly believe her ears. Some 1,800 missing, not to mention the bit about cocoons. The scenario was becoming dreadful and she began to wonder whether or not she had bitten off more than she could chew, as it were. It wasn't completely uncommon for her to overstep her means, especially upon stumbling into a somewhat lucrative opportunity much like this one. You would think that she'd be up on this by now but she just couldn't help herself. But an animal that can be tamed and tethered was never really wild at all, she thought to herself, raising the corner of her mouth into a slight smirk. She began to raise a hand, as if to inquire that she had in fact heard him correctly, but he had already turned and was beginning to take his leave. !,800... and in such a short time too. The extent of the missing had her mind in knots. She stood and bowed slightly, then nodded to the others, those that were paying attention and were not in their own affairs.

"Well, it's been interesting.. I don't know about the lot of you but I fancy a stiff drink." she said as she straightened her coat and corset. "If you care to join me I'll be at The Lazy Pheasant Inn on the east end of the trade district around 2pm." Perhaps through a few drinks and some dialogue amongst the group could get them a bit more organized. Not to mention she was damned thirsty.

And with that she turned and headed out from the main hall. She made her way down two more elegantly posh corridors before reaching the entrance where she stopped to gather her weapons and rigging from the guard post. The guard nodded as she came to the small counter. He then turned to fetch her things and soon returned with them placing them jostled and heavy like onto the counter top.

"Careful you fecking twit! those aren't to be tossed about like that.." she clamored.

"Calm yerself lass.. no need to get fussy. You know, all you lot are the same. You come 'ere to the castle all invited like, then you go 'round puffed up like a prized cock, all entitled like." the guard retorted, slobbering about from the mouth. Disgusting fellow.

"Yeah, well you wouldn't be feeling so swift had one of those went off in here. They're highly calibrated, the slightest tug could've sent a round bouncing about in here. You could've started a war and got us both hung you bumblin' feckin' whoreson.." she stated. She wasn't exaggerating in the least either. They weren't loaded on this occasion because she knew shed be turning them in so she didn't bother. Good thing too. The guard's face soon changed and his demeanor followed suit.

"Er, um, right you are lass.. we dont usually get a lot of that sort of thing 'round 'ere.. Apologies." he said, scratching the back of his neck in an awkward tick. "Oh right, almost forgot. These are for you. One's a voucher from the Prince to get you started on provisions and what not and the other letter was left 'ere for you earlier this morning. I don't think it needs saying but this isn't your personal posting box you know?.."

Y'Vanna threw her belts and rigging over her shoulder and reached out to snatch the parchments from his hand, making a 'shrak' noise while all the while cutting him a sharp eye and heavy scowl. "FECK OFF" she scoffed as she stormed away, muttering as she disappeared into the crowd. She hadn't counted on a voucher for provisions, nor was she expecting a letter. Especially not one that had been dropped off at the Manor. She stuffed both deep into he crevasse between her bosom and her corset. The voucher would most likely go unused as she was already well commissioned. Perhaps she would acquire a few things once she had a better understanding of what she was up against. She wasn't well suited for the supernatural opponent, should that be what this in fact was. As for the message, she would deal with that later. She hung a left a few blocks down and headed east for the markets. Now it was time for a spot of breakfast.

---

Trade District-Morning

It wasn't long before she was at the major Market Square in the Trade District. The market and it's vendors and patrons were already bustling about and business was in full stride. Smoldering incense and blazing cook fires sent an armada of sultry and succulent scents free into the air, and colorful hand dyed linens and patterns of color were everywhere. It was a complete bombardment of the senses proper. The scent of food was pulling at her insides and her hunger intensified. She marveled at various trinkets and odd tchotchkes that lined the racks and hangers of the thin walkway that cut through tents and booths like a small winding brook, dragging her hand across various fabrics and beaded treasures as if her fingers were sampling each from a lined buffet.

A vendor to her left soon stole her attention with a waft of fresh braised hen cooking away as he tossed the pan into the air to mix the contents as they cooked, the fire blasted out around the pan as he did sending a huge flame about. Speckled wild hares and game hens hung from hooks across the booth's entire length and down one side. An older woman was just behind the fellow cooking cutting fresh herbs and two younger boys were unloading another fresh delivery in the rear.

"Need any help lass?" said the cook, grabbing a halved lemon as he squeezed it over the pan sending a fresh blast of citrus and cilantro into the air. "fancy a bit for your belly, aye?"

"Aye sir, that I would." she said. The aroma of the hen tugged hard at her nose. "Half a hen and two eggs please.. A spot of caffeine if you have it."

"Aye we do. I'll have Lysandra boil you up a pot. There's a few tables under the tent there just across the way. Give us a bit and I'll have it right out. Is that going to be all miss?"

"Aye, I think that'll hold me for now."

"Right then.. that'll be 5 bits.. no, make it 4 on account of that pretty face." he said with a smile and a wink. "Lys would you go and clear her a nice spot on one of the tables, one towards the middle away from the dust being kicked about." And with that the lady nodded and curtsied, offering a smile to Y'Vanna before setting off to clear her a spot.

Y'Vanna didn't usually take to flirtatious comments but she didn't mind this one. After all, he wasn't a bad looking fellow. In fact he was rather handsome, and hard working. His confidence and attitude were also pleasant, and were a fair change to what she had seen as of late. Their pleasant demeanor was surely in part due to their success in the market. The tented area was nearly packed and everyone was quite and consumed with the task of shoveling food into their mouths. A good sign.

"Here, take 6. Consider it a well deserved gratuity for such a fine vendor." she said as she pulled her coin purse free and loosened the drawstring. She produced the 6 bits and handed them to the man, placing them into his firm outstretched hand. Sweat glistened and gleamed on the curves of his muscular arm, hot from the cook fire. No, no time for that now. Any misting thoughts of lusty romance would have to wait, there were more pressing and pertinent issues to tend to. She smiled, making sure to catch his eyes, running her tongue under her teeth playfully. She turned and crossed the lane, making her way to the table that the woman was nearly done clearing. Lysandra smiled as she finished up and spoke with a very soft voice.

"Won't be long miss.. give us a yell if any of the other patrons give you a hard time."

Y'Vanna laughed slightly as she returned her purse to her belt before sitting. She glanced about at the shopping masses as they went about their day. Odd she thought, that most of them were either oblivious to the 1,800 some missing, or they were simply too stupid to realize that something sinister was afoot. It was a chilling thought. It was only a couple of minutes before Lysandra returned with her food. She sat the plate down in front of her, and the small but piping hot shot of coffee next to it. The edges of the hen were crisp and blackened, and the cilantro and citrus and peppercorns were generously slathered about. The aroma was quite succulent.

She didn't waste any time with the meal, downing it in just a short while. She followed it with the shot of coffee. It was black and quite stout, and it's effects were nearly instant. She stood up and shook her head as the strong liquid made it's way down her throat as if to shake off the kick it had. Then she was off towards The Lazy Pheasant Inn. A bit of rest was in order to clear her thoughts before going down to the tavern later on. Y'Vanna hated everything about morning affairs, as she was more of a night owl. Getting up at the crack of dawn to be summoned by anyone was unbearably torturous.

[Stitches]

Victor and Adrian: Central District, Trade District
Morning - Early afternoon.

Adrian stared at Roman, seemingly unimpressed. Nevertheless she nodded and went back to peering around the room, absorbed in her own contemplations. Victor's brow furrowed as he listened to Roman's words with intrigue but he didn't have any questions to ask. Once the talk was over and they were permitted to leave, Adrian was the first to trot outside and stretch. She looked up at Victor dully.

“He didn't understand,” Adrian grunted.

“It’s fine, we’ll have to figure it out with the others.” Victor reassured her.

“Was it my fault?” Adrian asked, following Victor through the neat cobblestone streets of the central district.

“No, you’re just small so people understandably gloss over you.” he nodded.

Adrian made a thoughtful grunt and pulled on her bandana again. They squeezed their way through the trade district and up towards their tavern room; most of their gear was spread out across the floorboards. It didn’t take long to figure out the essentials, under the assumption that there wouldn’t be any civilised facilities inside of the district; things like torches, rations and water cantines were packed first alongside first aid kits and potions. Tonics and toxins were next; simple poisons and their antidotes alongside painkillers and fortifying brews made for strength and staminia. Two long coils of rope were attached to the pack with twine.

It started to become more tricky when they approached the issue of preparing for a particular beast, because no beast or being they’ve ever encountered before had any sort of similarity with the witness reports. “Eyes, flesh and cocoons. Sounds like...spider?” Adrian dug through the myriad of large, small and equally as dangerous weapons before her. “Many people lost, in short time. Whatever did it is big, many, or sneaky.”

“For all we know it’s not even a beast.” Victor remarked, making sure they keep their minds as open as possible when threatened by the unknown.

“Still could be many, big and sneaky,” Adrian pointed out. “What do you think it is?”

Victor let out a deep sigh, seemingly lost without any form of real evidence to go off of. “There’s a myriad of creatures that can cause something of this scale, especially in a crowded city…” he went quiet, seemingly lost in thought as he stared at the pieces of equipment they were packing. “I couldn’t tell, not this early.” he went back to packing.

Adrian made a quiet noise of acquiescence. She slipped in two invisibility potions into the pack as an afterthought but let Victor decide the majority of the equipment they would bring. Once everything was buckled up and ready to move, Adrian set about clearing up the non-essentials.

“We should meet the others. Didn’t someone welcome others to a drink?” Victor enquired.

Adrian nodded, but her expression was one of confusion. Similar to the meeting in the central district, she was woefully inexperienced with larger social gatherings that included more than two other people and drinking in a tavern was a foreboding prospect. “Yes. Why?” she asked, hoping to glean some more information from her travelling partner.

“We should take them up on it, it’ll be a good way to get to know our peers.” he explained, aware of her confusion.

“Like tracking a monster,” Adrian responded helpfully, trying to translate it into something she knew a bit more about. She nodded and poked her head out of the window - judging by the position of the sun it was coming close to noon. “Not yet, but soon,” she pointed out.

After some brief debilitation as to what they should do with their remaining time, Victor persuaded Adrian to plunge back into the hectic market for some supplementary supplies; notably, herbs that were as fresh as they could find within the city, a few spare vials and some extra antiseptic to widen the variety of potions Victor would be able to brew. Typically Adrian would have helped find the best specimens, but the sheer overwhelming amount of smells and sights made it difficult. She loitered in the back and helped with the shopping list instead.

Once they had their gear in order, they ventured into the Lazy Pheasant Inn and were perplexed to see that nobody was there yet; they had arrived somewhat early. Victor bought himself some ale, ordered a glass of apple juice for Adrian and they settled on some potage for lunch as they conversed quietly amongst themselves, waiting for their fellow adventurers to filter in (or, in Y'vanna's case, stumble downstairs.)

[HokumPocus]

---

Irvine´s movements throughout the crowded city streets were frantic and were executed through short, quick bursts of life. It was as if he was a marionette being controlled by an invisible giant, one with an affinity for the macabre. He made sure to dart his head around as well, in the exact same sudden fashion in case he was being suspected by the human scum all around him. If there was anything he hated more than having people invade the privacy of his office, it was him invading the world of everybody else. He felt alien and disgusted by those around him. They were certainly, most definitely thinking of despicable things about him. Yes... definitely!

He made his way to the pub where several of his new teammates had headed and clenched his jaw in frustration. Pubs... disgusting, awful, loud, dirty, smelly pubs. Rotten, raunchy, overcrowded, suspicious and malicious pubs. His level of irritation with the outside world had surpassed his standard displeasure and reached a level that could have been labeled "seething". He entered quickly and quietly like a twitching rat in the home of another.

Where are you people. he thought to himself. The thought repeated several times in a various range of intensities inside of his mind.

On his back was a large backpack with a meticulously organized assortment of ointments, cures and the like. His mind thought back to Alex´s words... his casual mentioning of the healer´s guild. The healer´s guild! Didn´t they know one of Heston´s best medics was right here? He had even made sure to pack one of his favorite bone saws in case it was required. Most of the backpack had been filled by the saw and what appeared to be a small rod, which was in fact an unorthodox staff used for healing magic. It was a cold and blunt affair of metal that looked nothing like a typical tool for healing but got the job done all the same.

Moments later he had at last he had found his party. He approached them awash with relief in a set of respectable healer´s robes the color straw appeared to be at night. The man had handsome features and a bright smile that shone when he spoke. It was a pity then that he had let his passion in life consume him.

"Ah, how relieving it is to find members of my party! Ignore the words of that Alex fellow over the healer´s guild. I am a much better option!"