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The Guild Hall sat in a large dome shaped building by the sea just outside the city of Dour. The city was mainly inhabited by Humans and Dragonborn humanoids with the ocassional elf and dwarf here and there. The guild dealt with several monster threats, most of which were wyverns in the Stone Finger Mountains to the west of the city but many monsters lived in the Kingdom of Edan and whenever a problem was too big or too inconvenient for the Dragonborn Dominion to take care of they came to the Beastmasters guild and put up bounties for these beasts.

Today was a warm spring day and two Dragonborn Knights walked into to the guild and hung up a flyer. 3500 Gold Pieces to the Guild Members who killed the Naga that took hold in the River Lands to the south. A Naga was a giant snake, very intelligent, and very cunning. The seek to rule over people and this one has taken over an entire town.

Up on the board as well was one about a Water Elemental attacking fishermen off the coast, the reward was 2500 Gold... and next to those were two flyers of Wyverns attacking people passing through the mountains... 1000 Gold Each. what would our heros choose to do? The guild was rather big but only a select few could handle creatures like Nagas and Water elemental.

"Wyverns? Known for their venom, yes?" Dr. Ro said more to himself than any one person. "Nothing I can't neutralize, I am sure. I'd rather face them than elementals or lamia. Naga, I meant naga."

He was comfortably seated in a nearby chair. Even though he was well educated, he is not out of sorts with the monster hunters of the realm. His clothes was sturdy and practical. They where specifically picked for their speed in drying.

He turned towards with party member to hear there thoughts on the matter.

Riswald laid on a bench near Dun, legs crossed at the heel and arms folded under his head. "Aye, doc," he said. "The wyverns sound like the easiest mark. I'd rather avoid the elemental--Fortune wouldn't bless me as a sailor, methinks." He shone his gap-toothed grin up at the ceiling. Rizz had only been working with the guild for a few months and was considered quite a junior member. Before then, he had scraped together a living with the dregs of society, smuggling and gambling and turning the occasional trick. "The snake doesn't so bad, either. Never been much afraid of snakes ..."

Bodrik had been a member for a bout four years now and made his home in Dour shortly after joining, he was a dwarf with a bow and hadn't worked the the doc before but Riswald he knew well enough to strike up a conversation with. "I've fought three Wyverns this month, please, I'd much prefer the change of scenery!" He finished a bottle of ale and tossed it into the recycling bin if any such existed, "Naga's are just smart snakes right? What's so bad about them??"

The party's interest in the snake started to make him shiver.

"This monster has taken a hold over a major region. We aren't just fighting her, but likely a retinue of various monsters and maybe even demihumans who pledged themselves to her. I like precision, and by the sound of the bounty there is a lot of room for error."

He laid back and thought for a bit. Party negotiations were never something he thought he would deal with when he left his home. But has his dutiful service and experience in the field of monster hunting has made him somewhat of an expert on the subject, and many people have come to trust his advice as much as his medical expertise.

"Though comrade Riswald objects, elements might be a critical point of risk and reward. Though fearsome in battle, if you can find the nexus of their power they dissolve into nothing. Fighting them smart it can be safe and easy."

"But, if we must fight the snake, I will need to do some research before we leave. I don't know much about their temperament or anatomy."

"I would prefer not harming a Wyren, but if it is a must..." Xylia said, looking at the posters. "But as a Naga is clever, these creatures can be as equally like normal dragons. These two must be young, to do something like attacking travelers." She said, running her fingers through her hair. "Nagas would certainly be a bounty to earn, and it would make the Guild some reputation." She mused as she turned and made her way to the group. "Doctor, the one thing you must know is not to look them in the eye. That would ensnare you and turn you into its subject."

She smiled softly, leaning against the wall. Crossing her arms, carefully doing so she wouldn't mess with the gold scale bracers she gained from a past bounty, Xylia tilted her head to the side as she listened to her peers. The half elf was fairly new to the guild, taking on small jobs as she progressed. She didn't fight for glory, or money, but for the experience of fighting monsters and beasts. "Elementals can be tricky, I say from past experience. It won't be easy to take one down." She also pointed out, looking at posters again. "Those people under the nagas control need help. I think the town is more important than the bounty, and if any of us have any honor or compassion, we would go save them."

Riswald shone his lazy, gap-toothed grin up at the ceiling as he bounced his foot, then shot a glance over at Bodrik from the corner of his eye. "I know, I know, I'm a terribly boring bloke, right?"

Finally he sat up, arching his back to pop it. "Rizz looks out for Rizz," he told Xylia when she mentioned the enthralled town. "And occasionally Lady Fortune does too, but she is a ... temperamental woman. My point being ... as sad as it is for those people, tisn't my responsibility to save them."

There was one way that the scoundrel often made his coices, leading occasionally to ruin and occasionally to glory. His grin widened. From a pouch he procured a single six-sided die, carved from bone with inked pips. "Could roll for it, if we can't decide. One or two and it's the wyverns. Three and four means the snake, and five and six is the elemental." He tossed the die and caught it expertly back out of the air. "Not sure how we're supposed to kill water, though."

"No, I think we have a pretty good vote going. One objection from Bodrik and another from Xylia as to fighting wyverns. One objection from yourself (Riswald) and another from about a half one from Xylia about the elemental. As much as I find snakes...distasteful?...We do have a moral obligation to those under the Naga's spell. Unless anyone has a major objection, I say we go get the snake."

He kept his ears opened and scanned the room. He knew that any delays now might me more time in the presence of a snake later. Beyond that, there was a simple eagerness to feel the road underneath him again.

"Well if we aren't gonna fight the Naga, let's at least stop by the village so I can plant some arrows in its eyes and give the Dragon Knights a fighting chance..." The Young Dwarf pulled a flask from his sock and added the contents into a cup of coffee. Taking a sip he pulled out a second flask and after adding that as well he seemed to enjoy the drink. "Wyverns are boring is all I'm saying, and I'm no sailor... Naga is the most money and the best karma. Our name will be carved in gold through the river lands if we save that town."

The Wyverns are like crazy wild dragon type creatures, and they are hunted so that the Draconic Dominion can collect their unhatched children and train the baby Wyverns to be sky steeds one day for the army. Dragons are however no threat, in fact five dragons are spread threw the five outplaying kingdoms and are worshiped as Gods! The major religion is call the "Faith of the Five", and local blessings are as followed. "May you shine in the fire of the five," if one was to stub their toe you might scream out, "BY THE FIVE, WHO PUT THIS DRESSER HERE!"

The practice of other religions isn't illegal, just frowned upon by most as the Five Crome Dragons have such a large presence in the world. Goldwyrm is the Golden Dragon of Justice and is the leader of the five, he inhabits the tallest temple in the Northern Stone Fingers. May go to him to pray or seek guidence, and people who's faiths are shaken travel to the top of the Fingers to rekindle their faith in Goldwyrm and the five.

As such St. Dour city, also just called Dour, is extremely religious. Similar to Mecca and other giant religious hubs of the world. Just a little back ground of the world you guys are playing in currently

Xylia rolled her eyes slightly, grinning at the dwarf and his drinking before looking at Riswald. "If you look out for yourself, then so be it. But not for them, think of the possible horde this Naga has in it's chamber. I'm sure, even if we split it up between all of us, and perhaps the guild or village, you can live comfortably for a time if Lady Fortune smiles upon you." She said, smirking a little. "I believe the eyes might be a good prize, but Bodrick has a good plan in a way. Take care of the eyes, and we will be settled on the hardest part of facing it." She hummed, moving closer to the group. "But we need to think of its gaurds as well, and the townspeople who will be willing to die for it too. I don't want innocent blood on the guild's name. Which brings up, we have no idea where it might be in this village."

(Thank you, Dungeon Master!)

"Poke the eyes out and won't the Naga's control over the towns folk be broken??" Bodrik wasn't exactly a scholar, a drinker, an ace archer, definitely a loyal friend, but no not a scholar. "Is that how it works, or will shooting out the eyes only be the beginning??" It seemed the naga was going from possible target, to the definite choice.

Riswald pouted at the healer, gave the die another toss, then stowed it back in his gambling pouch. "Very well--the snake it is! The prize is grand and the glory just the same. Maybe the enthralled folk will lavish us with drink and coin ... maybe they'll grant us a holiday!"

"I am going to study how to counteract the Naga's curse. Can I rely on the rest of you to acquire provisions and supplies while I do so?"

He looked through his possessions for his library card. The task of gather supplies was monumental in its own right, more so with the scale and importance of this expedition. He would have plenty of time to research every minute detail of the beast and its magic, despite the displeasure it would cause.

Riswald got to his feet and brushed off his skintight hosen. "I think we can handle that. How long's the journey?" he asked.

"Very well, I will get potions and healing supplies for the dangers we may face. Shall we return here when we are ready?" She asked, smiling at the doctor. "Good luck with your research, doctor. I will get out of your hair." She said, nodding her head at them before heading for the door, humming a bard's tune on the way out.

"Four days by river barge, thrice that on foot."

Before he could be asked any other questions we shuffled off to the grand library of the city.

(Should I type what I think it is like or let the dm describe it?)

"C'mon Bodd," Riswald said, knuckling the dwarf's shoulder. "Let's pick up rations. And it looks like you might need to top off your flasks ..."

The scoundrel tapped his chin. At least he didn't need to pack up his traveling bags ... when he'd returned from his last hunt he hadn't even bothered putting everything away.

Whether Bodrik followed him or not, Rizz headed for the front doors and into St. Dour City.

Bodrik followed Riz, "flashes yes, and arrows... other then that I'm basically ready to go." As the left the guild Bodrik grabbed the bounty poster for the Naga and shoved it in his pocket, he didn't want anyone else getting to the evil snake thing first.

"Good thought, mate," Rizz said as he spotted Bodrik grab the flier. He ambled out the front doors and into the bustling city. He was headed for the central market, a sprawling selection of booths and stalls centered on a square, but overflowing into the surrounding streets and alleys. On a corner stood a disheveled man perched atop a wooden crate, waving a bell around and preaching the glory of the Five.

"I know a little miss who works with the butcher," Rizz said as he stepped into the crowd. "She's always got a deal for me. No sir Boddy, we shan't eat like beggars on the road!"