[IC] Ascension's: Monster Tamers

[Rai]

[Rai]

Dear Young Tamer
From - Zephel

Monster taming... It's a uncommon saying. Monster slaying is far more popular. Yet taming is being done all the time. Most taming involves horses, dogs or cats. So being a monster tamer means being a part of a few rare people. Young people, who often are said to have a better connection to monsters. Being a tamer is no easy task though for anyone. Steering three at once is the most a tamer could manage. So starting young is a must to become a true master. Only a rare few master tamers exist, only one is known and that is me Zephel. You likely want to be a master. Or perhaps you'd rather just seek riches and glory? But that may not be important to you. Maybe you just want to help others, to put yourself last. Whatever path you seek you can achieve it with monsters. Be wary though. Monsters can be very intelligent and helpful, but also very cunning and deceptive. With time you will learn what this means young tamer.

For now prepare yourself for what lays ahead. The headquarters for tamers has recently been created and is placed outside of Sunfire. Not worth putting inside the damn tree I guess. Or giving us a proper structure. Regardless. There you can register to run the gauntlet against other amateur tamers. But some good ones are in there so be careful. Or you can choose to challenge me, when I'm not busy mopping the floor with another wannabe. A joke. I do wish you good luck on becoming a master. Check by the Tamer HQ to see who might have challenged you. Also it's a great place to see what monsters have been sighted where recently. Might be some possible bounties there too. Will help with any breeding or fusing you plan on doing, also where you can store your monsters in stasis orbs. Anyways I've said a lot so I hope this has covered everything for you. Safe travels!

PS - To be a Master you must beat the Master! Good luck!

---

Tamer's HQ

Yes a tent. Not much to look at for the Tamer's prestigious HQ. But it was all the combined efforts of a few could muster. Well. It was actually by the grace of the Kingdom of Vrondi that allowed this to be setup here and provided with staff, all paid for. How convenient. Vrondi was known to be a very caring King, and his land a place of peace for mostly all descendant kind. Yet this kindness had its limits. It was up to the tamers to recruit more funds. Unfortunately.

---

Sitting inside the tent was a well dressed woman. Her regal attire and way of sitting before a table of important documents gave her an air of excellence. Despite her location and being within such a small headquarters she seemed pleased. In front of her was a list of monster bounties any tamer could come by to pick up. She wanted to see what fresh faces would appear to visit the HQ for the first time. "I hope more people show than just my sister." Thinking of her younger sister who was a tamer being out having all of the fun. She sighed staring at the nature surrounding the tent outside. Being a tamer sounds fun. She thought. Then grabbed a paper and balled it up. "But it's SO SILLY!" She cried. Tossing the paper outside to maybe hit some unsuspecting bystander, possibly a guard patrolling the dense part of the jungle to check on the HQ. Though Sunfire was only a run jump and leap away the thick jungle of this land covered its view.

[Mogget]

Jones Star was in the kingdom of Vrondi, she had found herself with a message from a tamer called Zephel. It had given her instructions on where to go, and a recommendation. She had her doubts, but the name of Zephel was famous enough that she considered that none the stones to use that name to lie. So Jones had trekked from Gaia to Vrondi just so she could see this new Monster Tamer HQ.

Jones was now there, it's just a tent, she thought to herself with some confusion. Jones headed to it anyway, maybe it was just a fluke. She would be surprised at the sight of the paper flying through the entrance, taking her off guard and smacking her in the face. The papers landed on the ground with a rustle.

[Zealous Blade]

"So this is the place?" Donovan asked himself as he laid his eyes, with dwindling enthusiasm, on the little tent that was supposed to the prestigious Tamer's HQ. Throughout his walk from Fotia he had conjured an image of a grand building in his mind. The reality certainly paled in comparison but Donovan wasn't a picky guy. As long as the makeshift HQ fulfilled his needs then it could only be a mat on the ground for all he cared. On another note, the opportunity presented itself for him to aid in building the place up.

Arriving just in time to see the paper smack the other tamer in the face, Donovan stopped out of concern. "You alright?" he asked her before proceeding into the tent to meet the woman inside. "The name's Donovan Alford, an aspiring monster tamer," he introduced himself with a smile. "I hope I'm in the right place."

[Mogget]

Jones's eyes were wide open for a bit, what the hell she thought, then they narrowed as the shock quickly wore off. "Yeah." She said, with a casual tone to Donovan, while her eyes where on the woman who threw the papers. "I'm alright. I think we're in the right place, my name is Jones." She bent down and picked up the papers, Jones made sure to neatly line them up.

[Rai]

"Oh uhm.. I apologize." She said to Jones who came into the already cramped tent after Donovan. She smiled to them both to share attention between the two. But Donovan was first, whom she kept her body faced to. She grabbed a neat stack of papers that fit between her hands. "I am Petra Illumi. I will be working at this headquarters on behalf of the Vrondi Kingdom. I'll sign your names in the registry." She spoke rather dignified in her dialect. She handed Donovan a paper and Jones one after. The paper easily rolled up but on it was a list of bounties written. Though they were more listed as 'Jobs & Sightings'.

- Job: Help an old woman find her lost grandson. Location: Sunfire city Reward: 10 Coins
- Job: Guard a noble traveling to Tearia from Fotia. Reward: 30 Coins
- Job: Clear a group of Bandits in their camp outside of Onyx. Location: Gaia Reward: 40 Coins
- Job: Get rid of a monster said to be attacking livestock at night. Location: Twilight Town Reward: 20 Gold
- Job: Perform a show for nobles using monsters. Location: Gaia Capital City Reward: 20 Gold
- Job: Capture a rare monster and show it to King Vrondi. Reward: 100 Gold

Petra registered the two as they read the jobs and rewards. Humming as she did. A blue and white feather being used as a pen. "I do apologize if anything is rather confusing about how you all were chosen. Zephel apparently has only sent invitations to those worthy of being tamers. You both I believe have already tamed monsters of your own and placed them in stasis orbs to be reviewed by Zephel. I am happy to inform you both that you have passed! You are officially tamers!" She pulled from under the table a chest full of orbs. Inside these orbs were monsters. The orbs were marked with their owner's name. She placed four orbs on the table. One for Jones and three for Donovan. "As a legitimate group Tamers can travel with their monsters nearly everywhere. As long as they do not disrupt people's lives. Umm... So any questions?" She was clearly inexperienced but willing to learn.
@Mogget@Zealous Blade

[Miraboreasu]

---

It had been a long journey from Gaia to Vrondi, but here they were. Despite his age, Barro had held up well. Sunsai were hardy beasts, and even relatively young ones were strong enough to carry a rider and light gear. Sakuya pored over the letter again. According to the people on the road, she was going in the right direction.

She had seen the look in their eyes. Wariness, and distrust. Maybe a touch of curiosity. She was riding a monster like a common pony, even if it was a juvenile. It probably wasn't something a farmer or woodsman saw every day.

Soon, Sakuya could hear voices, and Barro entered a small clearing. As the letter described, there was a single tent. She could see two or three people inside.

@Rai@Mogget@Zealous Blade

[Rai]

Petra noticed a new face approaching from the cleared path. A face with a monster riding underneath it. She looked a bit uneasy at first, seeing the scaled creatures fangs. It was clearly carnivorous and she was wary of them. But she waved at them from her seat with a cheery manner. "Welcome!Please come register your name!"
@KingOfTheSkies

[Mogget]

Jones brow knit together as she stared at the stasis orbs, one was handed to her while three had been handed to Donovan. She decided to keep any thoughts to herself for the time being, maybe they would make it up with an impressive monster. With trepidation Jones opened the ball, an Acquizari hit the ground. The Monster's eyes opened, and it looked around. The creature was like a water beetle, but it's carapace was coloured a deep blue, and it stood on two legs. It stared at Jones with semi intelligent eyes.

"Uh," Jones said, she didn't know what to make of it. Jones Star stepped forward and placed the paper back onto the table, "is this thing strong? Because I only have one of them while Donovan over there has three."

@Rai @Zealous Blade @KingOfTheSkies

[Rai]

"Uhm.. About that." Petra looked at Jones with a bit of a frown. "You have only caught one monster and submitted it. It was enough to let you pass but you need to tame two more." She raised up from her seat and turned around. Behind her was another chest. She opened it with a key and removed two bags from it. She dropped them on the table. "These are for you two. Everything you need to begin. Courtesy of the kingdom of Vrondi." Inside the bags were three healing herbs, three delicate preserved meats, three potions and three soul essence stones.

@Mogget@Zealous Blade

[Zealous Blade]

Donovan looked at his three orbs and collected them. "I was wondering when I was gonna see these guys again." He was confident in the monsters he submitted and was glad they were good enough for him to gain acceptance. After that, he decided to check out the paper with the list of jobs that were available for him to take. Before doing so, he addressed Jones' concern about her monster's strength. "You can always find out the hard way." There would inevitably be battles ahead for them all. Donovan figured that the best way to assess their monster's strength would be through hands-on experience.

After receiving the bag, Donovan opened it slightly to peek inside and see its contents. Once he was sure he had everything accounted for, he closed it and slung it over his shoulder. "If we got everything settled then I think I'm ready to head out." raising up the paper with the jobs and sightings, he made his choice before taking his leave. "I want to try my hand at this one." He placed his finger next to the first job, specifically the one about helping the old woman find her grandson. Primarily, Donovan selected the job because it seemed suitable for a beginner. Clearing out bandits was more of his style but he figured he and his monsters had a long way to go before they could take on a challenge of that caliber. Secondly, Donovan was also genuinely worried about the child's wellbeing and wanted to get him home safely. He was sure that finding the boy would be easy with his Magma Dog's sense of smell.

Speaking of his Magma Dog, Donovan thought that it was time that he give him some fresh air since he expected to use him soon. Releasing Torch from his orb, he let out a celebratory howl before stretching.

@Mogget @Rai

[Mogget]

"Oh." Jones said once Petra raised the fact that she had caught and submitted this creature, I think I know this thing she considered. "Your name's Ack, right?" She asked with an uncertain tone, "yeah... you're Ack." She decided at last. It was quite the awkward reunion, Jones hadn't cared for Ack in the slightest.

Ack began to flutter up, his wings beat at a fast rhythm. "I'll go to that Twilight Town." Jones answered, "pay looks good."

[Miraboreasu]

---

Sakuya got off of the saddle, patting the Sunsai affectionately under the chin. "Good boy, Barro," she crooned. She scratched the warm scales under the monster's jaw, and a deep sound, somewhere between a purr and a hum, emanated from the creature's chest. The sound was more felt than heard, even from a distance. Sakuya looped a rope around the monster's neck.

"Down." Sakuya's tone was firm. The Sunsai sat back on his haunches, and Sakuya tied the rope to a nearby tree. She made her way to the tent, eyeing the others around her. However, the woman behind her desk had her attention. She seemed nice enough. The girl held out the letter she'd received. "Where do I sign, Miss…?"

@Rai

[Rai]

"You need three monsters to challenge anyone in official battles with rewards." Petra noticed Donovan grab his things but not Jones. Maybe she wanted to stick around a little longer she thought. Or was unsure about her single monster. "If you want a new monster soon Vrondi's jungle has some. Though I do hope you know how to tame a wild one." She looked outside the tent briefly to see the other commanding her monster just fine.

She was presented the paper by Donovan. She observed his first choice and smiled. "Great! It's not far at all. We are right outside of Sunfire after all." She sat back on her desk briefly and began to write in a blank paged book with beaten red edges and covering. She wrote with her blue feather Donovan's choice. Then nodded to Jones's choice and wrote that down too. Then approached the new girl. She smiled at her cordially. "Just tell me your name and I'll register you." Once she did so Petra would hand her the orbs containing Sakuya's monsters, along with a paper with the available jobs, and her starter bag.

Wiping her hands of dust from touching the chests she was happy to have helped the three. "If you're ready you can head out now and complete your chosen jobs. I'll be here if you have any questions."

---

Time Stamp: 10:00 AM
@KingOfTheSkies@Mogget@Zealous Blade

[Zealous Blade]

That was right, they were already in Sunfire which meant Donovan was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from where he needed to be. "C'mon Torch." He waved his hand for his Magma Dog to follow him out of the tent. There was some delay before Torch followed after him, a small show of rebelliousness, but he did eventually go along with his tamer.

Outside of the tent, Donovan was amazed by the sight of the Sunsai. "That's a big fella," he remarked as he passed by it with caution. Torch was also intimidated by the larger monster, keeping to Donovan's heels for security. Once they were away from the tent, Donovan started to lay the groundwork for accomplishing their new job. "First thing we have to do is find the boy's grandmother." They couldn't find him if they knew nothing about him. Essentially, Donovan required a basic description of the boy and an object with his scent on it, preferably an article of clothing.

Having organized his plan, Donovan headed into Sunfire to find the grandmother. He'd ask around for her until he was pointed in the right direction.

@Rai

[Mogget]

Jones realised she had also forgotten that a bag had been placed on the table, for her. "Oh..." Her voice caught in her throat and it took a moment for her to continue with her sentence, "thanks." She picked up the bag, and looked in it. She found healing herbs, meat, and all manners of goods which would come handy on a journey. Ack fluttered up, and tried to take a peek into the bag, Jones pushed the creature away.

Ack didn't look too pleased. "Okay, so do I have to sign anything to do my mission?"

@Rai

[Rai]

Petra was a little worried about them walking around with their monsters. However since Donovan kept his two others inside their orbs she felt a bit of relief. Smiling with a wave when he went on his way to Sunfire. Petra then looked to Jones who was gathering her things. Jones then presented a final question. "Nonono that's fine. You don't have to. That's why I'm here. She laughed weakly. "I will also be notified pretty soon when you're done with the mission. Your efficiency will determine your score. Be careful though. You might want another monster unless you plan on fighting the monster too." An uneasy quiver in her voice as she said those last words.
@Mogget

---

Sunfire

---

---

The entrance was accessed by a bridge. Once walking to the end of it the two large doors that only two guards stood in front of would likely already be open by this hour and a few people would already be walking back and forth. Being watched by the silent stoic Vrondi guards. They were tall and what could be seen of their flesh beneath their slender silver armor was pale. Their ponytails were white and were tied with green vine ropes. In their hands were flag spears all bearing the symbol of the sun. On their side hips were sheathed blades. Scanning all entrants. None seemed to alert their action though. Not even Donovan and his monster.

Inside the town there were large stairs and floating platforms that led up to the higher levels. Near the entrance was the Taxis HQ. It housed the Taxis who healed but also purified. Sometimes by sword. They too held the symbol of the sun on their buildings flag. But outside the entrance of this place was a board with various papers attached. "Bounties & Jobs" it read. Next to it and the entrance was a Taxis knight peeling a banana. He was without his helmet. He had brown messy hair and green eyes. A single scar on his left cheek. He wore heavier less uniformed armor and was sitting on a bench. His weapons not visible or on him. He was the only person not hurriedly along into the towns further up down past the HQ.

Seeing the monster Donovan walked with the knight whistled a bit at the sight of the boy walking with a large creature. "Don't see that everyday."
@Zealous Blade

[Rai]

[Zealous Blade]

From what Donovan could remember it was his first time ever in Sunfire. It was hard for him to sustain his disbelief upon seeing the massive tree and even more so when he realized that people lived inside of it. "Wow," he stopped along the bridge to marvel the architectural masterpiece. As a builder himself, he could appreciate the work that must have gone into making life within the tree possible. Then he remembered why he was there. He wasn't sightseeing. They had work to do. Snapping Donovan out of his trace was a bark from Torch. "Right," Donovan muttered before crossing the bridge entirely.

It surprised Donovan that he was able to waltz straight into the town with Torch walking loosely. Once inside, he was jolted by culture shock as he now got witness life within Sunfire firsthand. It didn't take long for his sights to be directed to the Taxis HQ and the banana eating guard that was close by. He seems like someone who would be in the know. Although Donovan was only making an assumption, he felt that it was expected for guards to have a grasp of the town's ongoings. A missing child was a big deal. Surely he would at least know who was looking for him.

"Hey," Donovan casually greeted the guard as he approached him. "I'm a monster tamer looking to help an old woman who lost her grandson. Know where I can find her?" As he spoke Torch sat down next to him. The Magma Dog studied the guard with curiosity, his mouth hanging open to show his sharp teeth while he panted.

@Rai

[Rai]

Munching on his fruit the knight paused to begin a leisure chew and swallow. He smack his lips from the sticky texture. Just to clear his throat before speaking. "An old woman? You mean Henreta? She's been looking for her grandson who ran off with some girl to be wed. He likely cut off contact with her." The knight seemed pleased to meet Donovan's acquaintance. Speaking at length to be as informative as possible. He then pointed his free hand to the homes, pointing far west from their position. You might not be from here. So I'll let you know that the homes are each representative of a certain flower. Find the home with white tulips. A few homes down that way." He smiled as Donovan thanked him and began finishing his banana in a few more bites. "Does it like banana peels?" He asked. Genuinely curious.
@Zealous Blade