Guilty Spark

The Wayfarer's Guild

T E A M : I

(@Moonshadow, @Epsir, @OwO, @Psyker Landshark)

If Astor was overwhelmed by the flurry of questions, it didn't show. With a practiced gesture, he signaled an attendant to step forward from the fringes of the room.

"Unfortunately, we don't have anything that belonged to Andar, but you are welcome to these parchments," the attendant gathered them up and presented them to Sheri with a short bow. "Tracking magic? An impressive skill, not possessed by those I retain," he turned to Petragar.

"As for the contract, it's fairly mundane," he opened a drawer and withdrew a scroll case which he offered to Petra. "I don't mean to bore you with the economics, but the rarity of the materials Helmlenfell has access to grants them considerable leverage in dictating trades. They only accept the highest quality, and it can take years to finish a contract with them." Upon examining the contract, Petra would find that it was indeed a standard agreement, requiring Astor to supply a regular quantity of fabrics in exchange for mineral resources. Finally, he turned to Vera.

"Yes, I considered that, but unfortunately my list of rivals isn't so narrow," he smiled warmly, tapping his fingers on his desk. "You see, in the eyes of Arskel's elite your guild is considered something of an upstart, and it's location in the Road district where it can be freely accessed by the lower class is threatening to the 'social order'. I am part of a small faction that believes that this is good for the city, even if this redistributes power away from the plutocrats on the city council, and so there are many who wish for my time in Arskel to end."

"As for the guards," Orga began. "They move in overlapping rotations during their watch, Andar's route was through the west side garden, essentially the perimeter, and his absence was reported immediately after he failed to check in at his regular interval. I can have the others gathered for your questions, of course."

T E A M : II

(@Aerandir, @Rune_Alchemist, @ERode, @Asuras)

"Three questions and a riddle, actually," Nyrien retorted, clearly no stranger to banter. Turning to Finn, "The Watch has already questioned the customers, if they couldn't get anything else it's doubtful we could."

...

The Cliff district was already an assault on the senses for a mere human, but for a being with senses as finely honed as Qantz-Farron's it was doubly so. The cloying scents of spoiled food, bile and filth swirled through the air before being swept away by the winds that raced over the rooftops in brief gouts. Fortunately, he had a sample of what he was hoping to trace.

As he moved through the streets, he would be able to pick up faint traces of the drugs scent on some of those denizens of the cliff moving around him, nothing as potent as the flask he carried. He would also be likely to note that some of the piles of ruined stone that were interspersed through the district had the stagnant air of a cave rising from them, but no sign of his target as of yet.

Finally, after a few minutes of tracking a stronger scent crossed his palate. The drug, in a larger quantity, coming from a door just inside the mouth of an alleyway.

T E A M : IV

(@Cu Chulainn, @Haha, @PrankFox, @Dark Cloud)

As the initiates readied themselves, unsure of what was to come, the deepening gloom of the forest brought a sickening energy with it which could be felt by all of the would-be adventurers. However, when Hawks reached out to the source of his magic he found it to be easily within his grasp, and the faint aura that bathed the group became a sanctuary in that darkness.

Beneath Tati'yana's feet, she could feel the arrival of the blight before it was visible to the others. It was a squirming sensation within the wood, as if the spirits of the forest recoiled at its presence. Then, from her vantage point in the tree she could see the corrupted forms of the blight skulking towards their position. Some were vaguely humanoid with sap dripping like pus from the holes where their eyes would be, others were masses of roots pulling themselves along.

Those were just the small ones, in the distance a tree creature dragged itself forward with two trunk-like legs, a mass of needle sharp branches reaching upwards to snap the branches from still living trees with a childish malice.

Koth, standing below on solid ground, could feel the thundering footsteps of the blighted oak creature as it emerged from the shadows. It stood perhaps fifteen feet tall, towering over even Khol. Lifting a gnarled wooden arm, the creature hurled a mass of stone and earth directly at the giant-blooded human. Khol moved to side-step the clumsy projectile, but stumbled as the roots that had been twisting at their feet seized his legs and held him in place. The stone glanced off his chest, shattering on impact and sending him sprawling to the ground, unconscious with blood seeping from his wound.

The Wayfarer's Guild

Sorry yesterday was not the day, but today definitely is. I'm working on it now.

@Dark Cloud Nahiri can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned, sorry Nissa.

The Wayfarer's Guild

@Dark Cloud If 13 squirrels could really kill Emrakul, Zendikar would be a nightmare.

The Wayfarer's Guild

Posting, or so I plan.

The Wayfarer's Guild

Today is the day.

Hero hunt (working title for now)

You could incorporate the name of the city, example:

[Insert City]: Rogues

Or you could go with something that emphasizes the human/superhuman conflict in a simple way such as:

[Super]Human

There's also centering the name around the agency:

Superhuman Defense & Management Agency (or) S.D.M.S. Operation Recovery (or) Superhuman Registry: Rogues

Hero hunt (working title for now)

I'm down.

The Wayfarer's Guild

T E A M : I

(@Moonshadow, @Epsir, @OwO)

"Good question! The watch!" Kiska replied, looking up at Vera as she hopped down from her chair. "Mr. Aelrod's safety is important, but he's a merchant, not the law silly," it seemed that, while adventurer's guilds operated in an ethical grey area, the Wayfarer's didn't turn over criminals for extrajudicial killing.

@Psyker Landshark

"Kiska, dear," the voice came from across the common area. Suran Reshta walked towards the group, a half-orc shortly behind him. "It seems our assignment has fallen through, so the Captain would like you to take one of our members to fill in your team, this is Master Mathias Rugal."

"Oooh, more's always better, it's nice to meet you!"

...

A flash of Kiska's silver pin was all it took to gain entry to the gated Gold Quarter, and they left the bustling of the road behind them as they moved farther in. There were no hawking street vendors here, and it was apparent from their attire that much of the foot traffic that they did see included attendants running errands. There was far more greenery decorating the streets, and the lofty residences, painted a variety of colors, had an elegance and intent to their design that was absent in less affluent districts. Despite that, those who had seen the wealthier parts of the great northern cities there would be unimpressed.

Following the gnome along the main street, the homes turned into stately buildings with signage and banners declaring their affiliation, and the traffic increased to include what were certainly the merchants and craftsmen who did business here. As Kiska walked the street, she pointed out the various halls of Arskel's most prominent mercantile guilds.

"Fellowship of Brewers, Order of Glassblowers I think? League of Masons..." Kiska's ears twitched, dropping almost to her shoulders before righting themselves. "That's the Realm Wardens guild," the indicated building was constructed with no thought to expense, large glass windows spread evenly across the third and fourth floors, and each of its corners were punctuated by an elegant spire. "They were more important before the Wayfarer's started."

...

Astor Aelrod's mansion was of a finer quality than those closest to the gates, as was clear from the garden of vibrant flowers that greeted visitors at the street. A stone pathway led to the front entrance, with armed guards standing at the ready on either side. One of them lifted his arm to stop their approach.

"Mistress Kiska, if you please," indicating this was routine, Kiska lifted her silver badge for his inspection. The guard revealed a roughly cut crystal and held it against the pin, a few seconds passed. Nothing. He handed it back to her and stepped aside "Alright, you may enter." As they moved to pass, the second guard stepped in behind them, his eyes on the three initiates.

The inside of the manor was, unsurprisingly, well appointed. The foyer opened into a spacious hall with more guards, one of which took the lead upon seeing the troupe enter. Their employer was in his study, a book open in one hand and a quill tapping thoughtfully in the other. He was some variety of elf, gold-skinned with dark amber eyes, but given his long, silvering beard and the smile-lines creasing his cheeks, he could have been a half-breed.

There was an oddity in the room, a dark elf in leather armor levitated near the ceiling, listlessly drifting in circles. His head was shaven clean, and he wore an odd metallic visor that covered his eyes and nose. Kiska gave him a wave with seeming familiarity, to which he didn't respond.

"Lady Kiska, I've been expecting you," the elderly elf stood, setting his book down he looked over the three initiates. "Welcome, I believe you three will be handling this issue for me? I'll be happy to see the end of this business, can't stand being cooped up like an old maid," if he felt any imminent sense of danger, he hid it well behind his fatherly smile. "Well, you don't build the roof first I suppose? Let's start at the beginning, Orga?"

The dark elf descended from the roof, lightly touching the ground beside the merchant. Opening a scroll case, he laid several sheets of parchment from within on the center of the desk before the trio. They all said variants of the same thing. Stop doing business in Arskel, or die.

"I signed a contract with Helmlenfell one week ago, making me one of a handful of merchants that provide them with textiles, then these notes started to appear. Two nights ago one of my guards, a half-orc named Andar, went missing during his watch, no one heard anything."

T E A M : II

(@Aerandir, @Rune_Alchemist, @ERode)

"Right, part of this test is the means you choose to overcome the challenges the job presents, and as such-" a knock at the door interrupted Nyrien, and Suran Reshta entered.

@Asuras

"Chant," the faun's manner was crisp and professional, but they clearly weren't close. "Sorry to interrupt, it seems our wizard turned himself in," he rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated. "Caragan wants to round out the teams, since our assignment fell through, this is-" he stepped aside, gesturing to the statuesque woman who accompanied him. "-the Lady Vela Fade," with a small bow to Vela, and a glance back at Nyrien, he left as quickly as he'd arrived.

"Uh, well let's start at square one then..."

...

A steep, winding path cut into the surface of the cliff was the only way into the district from the lower portions of the city. Nyrien's badge was nowhere to be seen as they reached the top of the plateau, and the cat had donned a dusty cloak that made him a passable urchin. The rubble that the Cliff was known for had been cleared away from the edges, perhaps because it was a risk to the city below, more likely it was scavenged for some other structures.

Before them sprawled a tent city, interspersed with ancient stone and newer wooden structures. As the group moved into the Cliffs, they seemed to attract little attention as of yet. The vagrants were a private lot, keeping their eyes to themselves, and anyone else who might have marked them from the cover of the crowds hadn't shown themselves. The group passed piles of ruined stonework, the fractured remnants of some previous structures which bore as much crude graffiti as they did scratches and pockmarks. There were no shortage of back alleys, shadowed by the canopies of canvas that stretched between some of the buildings.

Many of the hovels they passed were homes, but others were the fragile businesses that eked out a living peddling to those who couldn't afford to go to the markets along the Road district.

"Ah, the real city," Nyrien glanced over his shoulder at the group, particularly at the initiates. "This is where I pass you the reins, I'll be here to consult but this is your mission," the cat pulled his hood farther over his face and stepped to the back of the group. He'd left them with no firm leads, but possibilities were around every corner and in the cold, side-eyed glances that followed them.

T E A M : IV

(@Cu Chulainn, @Haha, @PrankFox, @Dark Cloud)

All knew the dangers of travelling outside the cities, most by experience, yet when called upon the adventurers would be expected to brave the worst dangers a breach had to offer. That was the goal of this assignment, or so Logrim had explained as they made their way out of Arskel and into the battered landscape that surrounded the city proper.

The high road ran north from the gates, carving a path that stretched around the hills and out of sight. It was laid with stones as far as the group could see, but not all of the road was so tamed, and in fact many portions were impassable without an escort. Nearer to the city walls, terraced farms took advantage of the uneven terrain, winding unevenly through the hills to fill all the arable land they could. Beyond that, the wilderness quickly dominated their view.

As they left the high road, Logrim kept a stern pace. The forest ahead of them seemed to rustle with a life of its own, branches moving in defiance of the wind. The red and violet hued bark of the trees glistening with moisture.

"Steer clear of their young," the orc grunted, pointing at a sapling from which indecipherable bones hung.

The deeper they descended into the forest, the thinner the underbrush became, starved by the canopy high above them. The journey took several hours, though it might have been shorter had Logrim not stopped to point out each danger they skirted across, even the minor ones. It was an oddly paternal behavior from the orc, almost as if he were taking them camping for the first time.

Eventually, he raised his fist to signal a halt. There was a hum in the air, out of place in the rest of the forest. Ahead of them, the strange hues of the trees had become dull and sickly, and the roots that were tangled throughout the forest floor twisted unnaturally far above the ground, as if trying to escape the soil.

"This is the edge, it's still spreadin'," the orc crouched and lifted a gnarled root for their inspection. It writhed in his hand, like a lizard's severed tail. "That means its spawn'll not be far behind," he stood back up and turned to face the group, eyeing each of them in turn.

"I'm goin' ahead, I'll make sure nothin you can't handle comes your way and meet up with the adept team," he unslung the shield from his back, affixing it to his arm. "Now everything that comes your way, put an end to it, yeah?"

...

The orc left them their. Minutes passed. The hum of the forest grew louder, and muted coloring of the trees spread towards them, then around them. Minutes passed, and the forest began to move.

The Wayfarer's Guild

Of course, this RP has been rated by the U.S. government as too big to fail.

The Wayfarer's Guild

UPDATE

@Metztli has unfortunately gotten too busy to continue playing Rohaan, after talking to the other team 3 members we've decided @Psyker Landshark will be moving to TEAM 1, and @Asuras will be moving to TEAM 2.

The transition will not be the smoothest, but we'll polish it all off as time goes on.