House Balestra

This thread is where you will post the results of your job in the forum of a story or, if you roleplayed it, a short summary of the roleplay and what transpired. I will also be keeping the records here; Including success rate and total cumulative reward. (Note that while the whole reward will be noted here, ICly slaves will only keep a 10% stipend of their reward)

Ariel Balestra
Arouse
Kodachrome

Liam Laca

Mage

Maximillian

Songay

Windthor Pryas

Zelanze Balestra

Zerelda



State of the World:
Caravans are using the trade route again
Local Monster Risk is currently Moderate
Bannissard has been repaired
The Red Dragon is dead
The Floating Island is halfway mapped
Port Lathora Guardsmen have a full potion inventory
Hawkmount has a state of the art Ballista
Travel over Mount Kasuria has been improved by bridge

Stories Not Yet Posted:
As of 2/3/2015 any stories not yet posted will be treated as if they were.

Reputation (This represents the cumulative reputation the house has gained from doing jobs)

Hawkmount Reputation: 70
Tilgore Reputation: 130
Port Lathora Reputation: 125
Bannissard Reputation: 45
Malgrave Reputation: 80
"Local City" Reputation: 150
Explorer Reputation: 175

Sample Job:

Title: Big Adventure!
Client: The Wanderer
Type: Exploration
Difficulty: 50
Job Length: Six Hours
Reward: 3 Platinum 6 Gold
Bonus: Mysterious Artifact
Risk: Time (Every 10 below 80 on the roll is an extra three hours)
Description: The Wanderer believes there is a temple hidden underneath a large body of water on Guilderem and would like members of Zel's house to investigate.

Party Members: Zelanze Balestra, Ariel Balestra
Roll: 139, Success! (You can put this after the story as well to build suspense)
The warm sun was only averted by the knight's paw protecting his eyes as he stood at the edge of the lake, looking out over the calm waters. This moment of piece lasted only a moment before his ears perked and twitched to the sound of his daughter's complaints; "I am not sure I see the point in this Father." He laughed in response, only Zelanze could have thought exploring ruins would be the perfect chance for a Father/Daughter day at work. "You're the one that took the job from, having second thoughts already?" he retorted.

Finding out how to get underneath the water alone was one thing. The knight didn't believe they needed to go diving however, convinced that there was some surface way down in to the well hidden ruins. For the better part of two hours they turned over every rock and branch around the lake until they came the nearby rockface where water rolled down in to the lake from above in what could be described as a miniature water fall. Ariel spoke up suddenly, practically pushing her Father aside. "There's magic here, I can feel it" she said, rubbing her hand against the rockface.

With a nod the fox already knew what to do; he was hardly a magic user but he could dispell magical workings well. A brief prayer on his cross and part of the rock face wavered and melted away. Utterly shocked, Ariel stood there in disbelief and muttered something in french underneath her breath. Zel couldn't help but smile, although it was short lived as the suddenly energetic Ariel grabbed him by the arm and tugged him down the spiral stone staircase that lead in to the half flooded ruins underneath the lake.

Venturing further in to the ruins they knew it was only a matter of time before they got wet; although that did not stop Ariel from breaking in to a french rant when her beautiful golden hair finally got soaked by water from above. Regardless they both pushed on; hours of exploration as they went deeper down staircases and in to hallways. Pushing over rocks, uncovering passages, digging in to the history of whatever used to be here. Soon enough they even uncovered an artifact of their own, a small golden statue of a naga holding a staff.

It'd be another three hours before they had mapped the ruins and could return to the wanderer. Wet, tired, but excited to have been the first people in those ruins for what must have been a hundred years. They handed over the map and information they had gathered and, in response, he handed over the platinum and gold reward he promised.

Title: Saving Face
Client: Worried Mother
Type: Relief (Medical)
Difficulty: 30
Job Length: A few hours
Reward: Twenty Five Gold (2.5 Platinum)
Bonus: A rare book (Worth an extra five gold to reward total if sold. Keepable)
Risk: None
Description: "My little girl has come down with an illness that the local doctors refuse to identify or treat. They believe it's a curse because of the way her face has swelled, but I know it's just medical! Please, do what the local doctors wont and save my daughter's life."
Party Members: Zerelda
Roll: 46, success!

Rolling sigh slid from the puma's mouth, finding that the lack of a lady's maid was finally beginning to take its toll. Indigo hair took nearly an hour to comb through after her bath and while weaving the calf long tresses into a seven stranded braid, revelation came to just chop a good couple of feet off. Ebony whiskers twitched along stout muzzle at the thought of merely shifting it into a new coiffure but alas, there was work to be done and energies had to be kept up. Donning crimson trousers, white button up shirt, and white cloak made from a caribou's hide, puma's hinds were encased in knee high boots while gathering up her satchel of herbs and tinctures.

"Roan? Can ye find that postin'? I need to find where the lady be livin'." Hematite pup was waited on for but a moment as she strode into the lab to check on the various pots and kettles boiling over candles and hearths alike. Once the dragoncat had produced the scrip, it was set to guard her quarters as well as the library door to ensure no strangers crept within House Balestra. "There be a good little lamb, dunnah be bitin' anyone while I be gone. Dunnah need the extra work." Finger pads stroked beneath her minion's chin with a light smirk at the churrs given forth before exiting, striding towards the heading given on the job notice.

The journey took over half an hour longer than the hour's trip on foot due to the numerous homesteads and cottages that looked identical to the last. How the puma could have missed it was due to her own folly, having passed by the weeping, middle-aged ursine mother more than once while lost in her own thoughts. Chiding herself inwardly for the error, gentle grasp was given to the woman's shoulder in reassurance while giving somber salutation. Zerelda was ushered inside almost at once, nearly being propelled easily by clattering cries of relief that someone had answered their pleas and prayers. "Quiet, please. I need ye all t' leave the room n' be leavin' me bit wit' the child. Dunnah be comin' n' until I come get ye, aye?" Brows drew drown, fixing the family with a serious expression until they agreed.

"Leigh?" Celtic vocals crooned gently towards the small child's trundle bed once the family had scampered outside. Cloak's hood was pulled back from shadowing her features while padding closer with measured steps graceful enough to not clack wooden soles upon the floor. Oh, the poor thing was quite in distress! Cheeks and throat were painfully swollen with fluids, constricting her airway and forcing eyes nearly shut. Breath rate was shallow but without risk of hyperventilation nor decreased oxygen. "Dunnah worreh lass, Zee will take care of ye..." Soprano vocals had dropped an octave in whispered tones while brushing auburn curls from the girl's brow.

That was all the runic energy needed. Just the mere brush of pressure from silky finger pads to graze over the brown bear's forehead had the feather docked within Duchess' hair starting to glow. Ethereal blues and silvers radiated outwards from the simple object while quicksilver swam within black irises as her spiritual fingers of light swept through the child's body, radiating soothing heat. Bone and tissue were examined first, knowing that it didn't lay within them but an older fracture of the leg was noted along with various other... inconsistencies that angered Zee. Organs were examined and filtered through next, removing a bit of irritation from bronchial tubes before shifting directly to the salivary glands. Oh ho ho, those puppies were the culprit. The mumps was easily cured though by home remedies... Nonetheless, Zerelda cleared out the infection and reduced the swelling within Leigh's face while reducing her fever slowly until temperature reached a normal range for her species. It had all been done within minutes, trance breaking even as she continued to smooth ginger curls over a chocolate pelt.

The family was signaled to come in though the puma's jaw was set, muscles bunching along her cheeks while tiny paws fisted. Both parents were pulled away from their other siblings, giving them a good talking to in rapid patters, making wild hand gestures. Not expecting it, Zerelda caught the back of Leigh's father's hand across the face, jerking her head and splitting the corner of her mouth. Blood was spat at the man, the cut sealed near instantly even as she threatened him all while the wife was trying to press coin and a book into her paws. Grabbing both, Lady Faust exited the home in haste, seeking out whatever law they had in this land. It took another couple of hours to be told that nothing could be done before she made her way to the House, tail dragging.

Entering the library and onto the lab, door was slammed behind her and locked while tossing the gold coins wrapped in the job notice, onto the table. The book was about to go the same route but she paused a moment with a squint of eyes while examining the embossed cover's depiction. It... couldn't be. Could it? Fingertips slowly removed her cloak, boots and pants going to the wayside as well as she padded about in panties and shirt, fixing up a hot toddy to soothe the tension in her muscles. Steaming beverage in paw, rump found it's way into a chair with book in her free paw and Roan atop thighs. Whomever this Exodus Grey was, she was going to keep his book and try to figure out how the family had come by it as it was handwritten and read more like journal of alchemy study. How very... personal.

Title:Caravan Guard
Client: Caravanners
Type: Sellsword (Guard)
Difficulty: 30
Job Length: Several Hours
Reward: Two Platinum
Bonus: Caravans will begin using the trade route again
Risk: Injury (The lower your roll the greater the injury)
Description: The port to port job spread the word that the trade route near the estate will is open and safe again. However, the first few caravans will need to successfully reach their destination for trust to be fully earned. The first few caravans that are braving the road have decided to pay for protection, and Zel has eagerly promised it to them at a cheap rate to encourage them.

Party Members: Windthor
Roll: 41, success

Windthor Pryas was at the nose of the S.S. Faithful, one elbow resting on his knee as he crouched, the other hand reaching up to hold onto the rope, mostly so that just in case his wings caught some air, he wouldn't go flying back onto the deck. The wind buffeted him as the airship descended, his long, braided white hair blowing behind him, a black and red-trimmed hat - which would most likely be associated with Robin Hood, had it been green - rested on his head, the pointed tip angled downwards for less risk of it being blown off his head, complete with a brown eagle feather tucked into the side, his eyes were covered by a pair of leather, tinted flight goggles so that they didn't dry out. He'd learned his lesson from the last time.

"Excited?" came a smooth, calm voice from behind Windy, and he turned, lifting a hand to keep his hat on his head. Zelanze Balestra, knight errant, stood with one forearm resting lightly on the pommel of his rapier. His long, red cape billowed
gracefully behind him.

Windy grinned, dropping down from the nose, wings folding to his back as he smiled to the fox, nodding. "Yeah... And, a little nervous, to be honest." He looked starboard, the distant horizon showing the coastal town of Port Lethora. Zel walked up to him, placing a red paw on Wind's shoulder, giving him a light squeeze.

"You'll do fine, Windthor," he assured him, before giving his shoulder a little squeeze and turning towards the coast, himself, just as a voice called from the helm.

"We're landing!" yelled Koda, Zel's fiancee, and the two males braced themselves as the impact of the water rocked the deck beneath their feet.

Once everything was (relatively) calm again, the nose pointed towards the nearest pier, Zel turned away. "Get suited up, Windthor. You'll need to make a good impression for the caravan."

* * *

A little while later, Windy was walking down the gangplank onto the dock. He'd left his hat behind, but he was now wearing his armor; steel chain mail under a blue sleeveless shirt, neither of which left much to the imagination, the contour and
shape of his abs easily visible. On his forearms were iron bracers, held on by leather straps. The hybrid was adjusting his goggles and the strap of the broadsword on his hip - because he wanted to be better safe, than sorry - when Zel
called from the deck again.

"Windthor! Good luck!" Windy turned, and lifted an arm to wave to his employer with a wide grin. "I'll be taking Lao to the floating island for his job, and we'll meet you back at the estate later. And do try not to die; I'm excited to see your costume at the party." The hybrid's grin faded slightly, but as Zel smirked and lifted a hand to wave, Wind could only shake his head and let out a wry laugh. Zel straightened up; perfect balanced posture, as he gave his employee a salute. "In all seriousness, Windthor, please get back in one piece."

"I will, Zel. You'll see me back at the estate in no time!" Still with one hand lifted in a wave, Windy set off for the town proper, hands in his pockets and gripping the knuckle dusters. The bustling, busy marketplace wasn't paying him much
mind, and any that did also took one look at his muscles, armor, and sword and kept their distance. It suited him just fine for now. He was on the clock, after all.

There were stables on the edge of town, which, according to the directions on the piece of paper he pulled out of his pocket and read over to remind himself where he needed to go, also held the caravans the merchants would be taking to a town near Mount Kasuria called Hawkmount. That's about all he knew as he knocked on the door to what he could only assume was an office of some sort, pulling his goggles down off his face to rest hanging on his neck, so that he wasn't hiding his eyes.

He was in the process of tugging his long braid over his shoulder as the door swung open to reveal a very jovial-looking, if a little portly, male brown raccoon. "Yes?" he asked, small eyes narrowing at Windy's armor.

"Good morning, Mister..." Windy peeked at the paper. "...Nook, was it?" he asked, extending a hand with a large, friendly smile. "Windthor Pryas, fighter and guard to the Balestra House. I've been sent to guard your caravan on its journey to
Hawkmount." The heraldry flashed on the back of his hand, and the raccoon's eyes moved from Wind's hand to over his shoulder, then to the left and right, down the street.

"Are you... The only one who came?" he asked hesitantly. "Don't get me wrong, dear boy," he added quickly, lifting his palms. "It's just... I thought there would be more than one."

"Everyone else in the House had their own jobs to do," explained Windy, keeping his smile on, palm coming to rest on the pommel of his broadsword, and Nook noticed, his ringed tail twitching left and right. "I volunteered for this one, and believe me, sir, I intend on seeing it to the end. I will protect you and your cargo from any threat that may come to the best of my ability. That, I can promise, Mr. Nook." With that, Windy bowed his head humbly, before straightening up again.

Nook, after a few moments of chewing uncertainly on his bottom lip, finally nodded. "Yes, okay. Please, Mr. Pryas, wait by the town gates whilst I get the horses and caravans ready."

* * *

The journey from Port Lethora was rather uneventful. The forests, while rather creepy and dark, weren't too bad during the day, and Windy developed a nice rapport with Nook on the way as the raccoon held the reins of the leading carriage. His
daughter, Janice, was behind him. Windy had kept pace walking beside the lead carriage the whole time.

Just a few miles past the road that lead to the Balestra estate, not too far from the base of Mount Kasuria, they all paused for a break, Mr. Nook taking Windy and Janice into his carriage and unrolling the map of Kasuria. "We're just past the Balestra Estate," said Windthor, pointing to the relative area on the map. "From what I can tell - and please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm far from the best map-reader - we just have to take this winding path up along the side of the mountain to the town of Hawkmount."

"Indeed," said Nook, tracing his finger along the road on the map, rubbing his chin. "This journey has gone quite well so far, Windthor. I do hope it lasts, though you've done well to keep our spirits up on the way." Janice smiled to Windy,
who smiled right back, inclining his head.

"I'm only doing my job," he said, his ears flushing pink, before looking back at the map and clearing his throat. "Uh, we-we're on the home stretch, now. Other than an incline, we shouldn't have too much trouble getting there."

"Right!" said Nook, clapping his paws together and rolling the map back up. "Then we have no time to lose, yes? Janice, get back to your carriage. Mr. Pryas, back outside."

After assisting the female raccoon down from the carriage, Janice complimenting his gentlemanly ways, Windy took up his position, and they were off once more. Trees thinned, grass transitioned to rock, and the mountain range loomed over their
heads, with the trail going up, and up.

The further they went, the more the fur on his shoulders and neck stood on end. Something was setting his instincts into overdrive. "Mr. Nook, I got a bad feeling," he said. Even Mr. Nook was feeling uneasy; his hands were shaking as they
held the reins. "Janice," Windy called, turning to her as he pulled his goggles up to place over his eyes again, "keep your eyes peeled and your ears open, okay?"

Windy could only guess that they were, perhaps, halfway up the mountain trail, before he froze, lifting a hand. The Nooks pulled back on their reins, their respective horses halting. The hybrid stood still, eyes lifted to the sky,
squinting behind his goggles.

A shadow moved over the sun, casting them all in darkness just briefly. Wind saw the distinct leathery wings, slim body, and long, powerful tail. "Dragon!" he yelled. "Go! Get mov--" The flying reptile was diving, smoke and flames erupting
from its nostrils, before letting out a stream of firey death down – between the two carriages. "What?" said Windy under his breath, sprinting towards where Janice's horses were rearing up in panic from the fire. However, with the trail being mostly stone, the fire didn't last long. "Nook, get moving!" Windy called over his shoulder.

"But, Janice--" The raccoon was leaning over, to look at his daughter as the dragon descended again.

"I'll take care of Janice!" yelled the hybrid, turning fully to the merchant as he slipped his pair of knuckle dusters over his fingers. "I promise, she will get to Hawkmount safely!" There was only a moment's pause, as Nook stared at the opaque lenses of Windy's goggles, before he nodded, and grasped the reins, whipping
them to get the horses to speed him away with his goods.

Windy had only given him a moment, as he spread his own wings, angled downwards to keep the wind from holding him back as he sprinted towards Janice's carriage. The dragon was diving at her, claws extended to the female. Lifting his large wings, Windthor gave them a mighty flap, leaping high into the air, before gravity started taking him back down, and he clasped his hands together by the fingers, lifting them high over his head and effectively letting out a challenging roar that, with its claws inches from Janice, distracted the dragon just long enough for Wind to bring his fists down onto the end of its scaly snout.

The dragon's head bounced off the carriage and flapped its wings to regain its flight, hovering above them. Windy had landed on the carriage seat, next to Janice, his own wings spread protectively for her. Now that he saw it in detail, the red dragon was a whelp; Barely out of the nest, inexperienced and young, only a little bigger than the horses that pulled the carriage. That's why it didn't directly attack either carriage, thought Windthor, fists clenched and sharp, white teeth bared. It wanted the maiden.

That didn't make the dragon any less dangerous, as it reared back, striking forward at Windy as if it were a snake. The hybrid met the dragon with a fist, deflecting the creature to one side. However, it flailed a claw around, and it struck true, steel rings, fur and blood falling from Windy's torso. Grimacing, he pushed off the carriage, using momentum and body weight to shove the dragon into the rock face, curling one large forearm around the creature's neck, just behind the head. "Janice!" he yelled, avoiding getting gored by the dragon's horns. "Get to the destination, I'll hold it off!"

Janice, who had been in a state of shock for the last several minutes as she watched Windy fight the dragon, snapped to attention, grabbing her reins as her father did his and giving it a mighty whip, the horses jetting away as fast as they
could, likely glad to put some distance between themselves and the dragon. Meanwhile, the dragon in question was writhing in Windy's grip, using its back legs to push backwards. Windy was strong, but the dragon, while not as strong as it
would be had it been an adult, was simply stronger, lifting Windy off his feet and whipping his head left, then right to slam the hybrid into the wall. Luckily, nothing was broken, but Wind got the air knocked out of his lungs.

The dragon turned his back to Windy and started scrambling towards its quarry. His ribs screaming, Windy forced oxygen back into his lungs, climbed to his feet and sprinted after the creature. Janice's carriage was just rounding a curve as the dragon struck out, aimed at the horses, probably to make Janice a sitting duck, but its jaws snapped, just barely short of the equine's flank. Windy had grabbed the dragon by the tail, digging his heels hard into the ground to keep the creature back. The horses still panicked, and took the curve too hard, breaking off from the
carriage. In the end, its goal was a success.

Luckily, the dragon decided Windy was a threat again, and turned its back on Janice once more, snapping instead at Windthor, who lifted an arm so that the dragon's fangs met iron, and Wind's fist met dragon jaw. Dazed, the dragon, once again remembering that it was stronger than how much Windy weighed, tossed the hybrid by the arm over to where the carriage was. He bounced once on the stone trail, but he didn't suffer through much other than scrapes and scuffs along his back and arms before he came to rest, groaning and forcing himself to sit up, rubbing the back of
his head.

The dragon loomed over him, almost looking like it was grinning at the hybrid, as it seemed to remember that it actually had the ability to spew flames, smoke billowing from its nostrils again. However, something heavy-looking bounced off the
dragon's snout, and it flinched before looking up. Janice had gone into her carriage and grabbed a crate, and was in the process of grabbing another one when the dragon reared its head back, seeming that it had had quite enough of this and
decided that it didn't want a maiden after all.

It seemed that the dragon had poor memory, as Windy had leaped up just as it opened its maw, Janice only able to cringe away. The hybrid wrapped his strong arms around the creature's head again, this time clamping its jaws shut, and for good measure, stuck two fingers into its nostrils. It burned the fur off his fingers, and his flesh would be soon to follow, but the dragon was in much more pain than Windy was; With nowhere to go, the fire built pressure until the dragon scrambled backwards, before Windy finally released it, and flamed spewed harmlessly on the ground.

The dragon whined and whimpered, obviously in agony as it stumbled to the side and collapsed against the wall, breathing as if it were a smoker. "Not as fireproof on the inside, are you?" asked Windy, shaking his hand with the burnt fingers as he looked to Janice. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, leaning out of the carriage and looking to the dragon. "What now?" she asked him. "Are you gonna kill it?"

Windy, a hand resting automatically on the sword at his hip, turned back to the dragon, the lenses of his goggles opaque again. The dragon wheezed heavily, unable to move much as it rested against the wall. Its eyes were an emerald green, the
pupils rounding out as Windy approached him, his shadow falling over the creature's head. After a few moments, it closed its eyes.

"...No," said Windthor, kneeling down and resting a large, but very soft and warm hand on the dragon's snout, his other tugging his goggles down from his face and onto his neck. The dragon seemed surprised, blinking up at the hybrid. "It's not gonna be a problem anymore, are you?" he asked. The ruby-red dragon looked from Windy to Janice, though the hybrid moved its head firmly so he could look it in the eyes. "Are you?" The creature shook its head, cringing slightly from the look Windy gave it.

Janice sighed softly, though Windy didn't know what for. Either in relief of exasperation, he couldn't tell. "Well, what are we going to do now? The horses ran off." The raccoon female turned to the carriage as the dragon coughed up
some smoke.

For a few moments, Windy thought, and smiled as he stood up. "I have an idea. Let's let the little guy recover, and I think we can put him to work, Janice."

* * *

Windy was grinning widely as he rode on the back of the dragon, which had ropes tied to its belly as it hauled the carriage. It took a fair amount of finagling, but in the end, it was effective enough. And the dragon seemed grateful enough that it was being spared that it didn't put up too much resistance. As the town of Hawkmount came into view, Windy stood up, balancing the best he could, which wasn't great, and lifted an arm to wave to a crowd that appeared to have gathered in the middle of the road, crowding around Mr. Nook, who looked up and almost had a heart failure, by the looks of his and the townspeople's shock as their eyes fell on the dragon.

"Hi, Dad!" called Janice cheerfully, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, grinning widely as Windy dropped from the back of the dragon, placing a hand on its neck as the carriage came to a stop.

"Janice! Windthor. When the horses came without you, I..." He stared at the dragon as it lowered its head, tucking its front paws under its body, not unlike a cat. "...How did you...?"

"Dragons are smart," said Windy. "Granted, I'm not the best example of their intelligence, but I've done research on dragons on my own time before." The hybrid rubbed the dragon along its snout, and the dragon closed its eyes, pleased.
"Dragons tend to stick to one place their whole lives, and more often than not, they're alone. Since this one's so young, he probably only recently arrived, and didn't know what all was around. There's probably a cave up on the mountain that
he's settled in. Now that he knows the score, knows that there's a trade route, and can probably get food on his own..." Windy cast an eye on the dragon, and it bowed his head. "...He shouldn't bother anyone as long as he's here."

A few of the townspeople looked from the dragon to Windy as Janice came around, hugging her father tightly. "Windthor, how can I-"

"I said I'd do my job to the best of my ability, sir. The promised payment, and the trade route being opened is enough." The raccoons blinked, before the older Nook extended his hand. Windy took it easily, smiling.

"I'll spread the word, Mr. Pryas. You can tell your employer that the trade route is effectively open." Mr. Nook reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out two platinum coins, before placing them into Windy's palm. "Even as a merchant, I feel
the need to give you more-- Your fingers are charred black!" Windy looked down and lifted his hand, nodding and wiggled his index and middle fingers of his right hand.

"Yeah, I had to do something a little drastic to get the dragon to back off. Don't worry, I have a healer back home." He did only just realize, though, that his fingers weren't in any sort of pain, though that might just be because of the fire
having burnt off all the nerve endings. But, then again... Windy rubbed his fingers together. No, I felt that...

Luckily, it seemed that the Nooks and the townspeople were distracted by the dragon and their own happiness, and he placed his hand in his pocket, smiling as if nothing happened. Janice turned to him, giving him a hug before grasping his arm.
"Come on, why don't you... Stay a while?" Windy knew that look, but he shook his head.

"Sorry, Janice, it's tempting, but I gotta head back to the estate. I'll visit you in Port Lethora soon. How's that sound?" he offered. Janice, while disappointed, nodded. Windthor gave her one final hug before allowing her to go back to her father before turning to the dragon, who remained settled on the ground as some people made to untie the ropes. "You, behave yourself," he said to the dragon, pointing at its snout. "I don't wanna hear that you stole a sheep, and I know you
don't want me coming back. Got it?"

The dragon bowed its head again, and Windy, his face softening, rubbed its head between the two horns, before he started the long walk back down the mountain trail.

All in all, a productive day.

Title: Entertaining Whores.
Client: Courtesan House.
Type: Entertainment.
Difficulty: Fifty.
Job Length: An hour.
Reward: Forty five gold.
Bonus: One platinum.
Risk: Ridicule.
Description: A courtesan house, wishing to show their 'upper class' by hiring a knight's house for a show, has requested that we send entertainers. However, the clientele at the house is notoriously fickle and it's a complete toss up whether a single entertainer could please the crowd alone.
Party Member(s): Max.
Roll: 112, huge success!

Title: A Hero's Respite
Client: Allan the Dying Adventurer
Type: Relief (Medical skills only!)
Difficulty: 85
Job Length: One Day
Reward: Nine Platinum Five Gold
Bonus: 200 Year Alcohol
Risk: Death of Client
Description: "I've been an adventurer all my life, I've seen and done so much I have truly lived a blessed life. On a job recently, however, I came down with an intense illness. Weeks of research finally lead me to the culprit and it's upsetting to say the only known cure is an extraordinarily rare plant that is out of season. Unable to grow in cold weather my old chance at life is potentially gone. I'm not ready to give up though, not when there is more to see. The books and doctor's tell me neither medical science or magic can save me but I wont believe them. If someone can save my life i'm willing to pay them a ransom of gold and my prized possession. If you should fail though, it is alright. I am content, I suppose."
Party Leader: Zerelda
Party Member: Windthor Pryas
Roll: 88 total, success.

Zerelda arose the next morning with a soft chuff of breath for it felt like she was being smothered. Smothered she was! Eyes encountered a thick layer of flesh and what seemed to be leather as eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the room. One beefy arm was entrapped about her bare waist and shoulder was rife with drool from a certain mutt open maw. Securely anchored to Thorny's chest as if she were naught but a plush doll, femme would try to wriggle her way out of his hold as safely, swiftly, and gently as possible! Lifting is arm up slowly, hips jutted to the outer edge of the bed, trying to replace her form with a pillow as she lowered his appendage once again. Accidentally smacking her face into a the protective cocoon of a wing, silent yelp sounded with a closure of eyes, still trying to make hinds hit the floor. Well one did, the other was still securely snuggled beneath one of the hybrid's legs. Drat. Hopping on toes of freed paw, lass would gingerly try to yank out her right leg.

Windthor Pryas was a pretty heavy sleeper, but he was also really cuddly. Not to mention, he had quite the weight to him, so it was a wonder she was able to move at all. Arm flopped limply once she moved it, but leg remained where it was for quite a while. She could keep struggling with him, but it'd take about a minute that her struggling would finally make him stir, and, in his still half-conscious state, he'd roll over. Onto her. His arms and wings tightened around her waist, his head buried itself into her chest and his leg, while releasing her foot, moved over her own body in a straddle, pinning her down for a moment as he nuzzled his nose between her cleavage. Last night's teasing, and the early morning, left something else awake before he woke up, but it was poking around her lower thigh for how tall he was and where he was positioned. However, it was only for a moment, as his foot dropped off the edge of the bed, and the extra weight sent him - and her, since he was holding onto her - rolling off the bed. Luckily, he happened to end up on the bottom, and if she was careful, nothing would get pinned under his weight. Still, the fall and the impact woke him up and he blinked blearily up at Zee, eyes glazed over. "'Sit mornin' arready?" he asked, as if his mouth was full of cotton as he lifted his hands to rub his eyes with his palms, taking in a wide - very wide, his jaw nearly dislocated - yawn, before looking around. "...Didn't we fall asleep in the bed?"

Zerelda wasn't any fragile damsel, that was for bloody sure and moving living weight was far easier than dead weight. Puma knew it all too well. Squeaking yelp was given as the male rolled on top of her once again, feeling pressure firmly on her diaphragm that caused all the air to whoosh out of her lungs rapidly only to gasping giggle when that muzzle decided to take liberties with her chest. Someone was perhaps trying to get revenge for leaving the hybrid with balls the color of his own eyes? "Thorny, wake up ye dummins, ye crushin'--" Words cut off abruptly with a yelp as they tumbled to the floor, almost torquing her free leg that had been touching the floor but at least she could breathe again when she landed on top of the male! "Aye it be mornin' ye big galoot, git off me!" Even though.. she was on top! Snicker sounded, rising up to straddle his waist and snuggle that poor erecting up against the seam of her firm rump, pressing nethers against his pubic mound in slow grind. "Ye rolled us off the bed! Always sleep like the dead do ye?"

Windthor Pryas was getting a little more awake by the moment, but it was a slow process. He wasn't a non-morning person, he just needed coffee. Or tea. Either/or. Still, he felt exactly what she was doing right now, and he grinned. "Y'know, you should probably not tease me right now. My balls are already a dark shade of blue. It's a wonder you can't see it through the pink." Indeed, his sac looked like a pair of those coconut candy cakes, Snowballs. His hands fell onto her thighs, helping her along with the grind, his own hips rocking upwards, and he kept doing it as he sat up, long tongue flicking at her neck and chin. "...In all seriousness, though, we should... Probably get dressed and ready. From what you told me about this guy we should be healing, we can't really afford to waste much time..." As much as he really wanted to, his hands sliding upwards on her waist and smiling up at her. "I'm sure we'll have time for some fooling around tonight when we get back. Sound good?"

Zerelda had been getting up to ring for room service so they both could properly wake up and bathe with a quick nosh before setting out, yet Windthor was hindering their progress and she was letting him. At least for the moment. Rump continued to slide up and down the length of his cock, letting it warm between cheeks as she had no idea that the Drusky was suffering so from pent up seed. Feigning a pout that jutted out her lower lip, soft sniffle was given, chin dipping towards chest to peer up at him with moist kitten eyes as if the male had just told her he got her a pony but she couldn't ride it. "Ach, alrigh.." Slippery cougar would disengage herself from his lap after catching his sineous tongue with her lips, suckling on the muscle a moment before calling out to a guard to fetch a house maid to deliver breakfast. "Bath?" Brow rose, crossing through the doorway of her suite to the attached water closet. Remarkable what they did with boilers and pipes nowadays! Tub taps would be turned on with a series of dials being twisted into proper position, dropping a bar of vanilla soap beneath the spout to cause bubbles to fill the copper basin. Brush was taken up, sending it through wavy navy tresses with a soft sniff and yawn of her own. Duchess hated mornings.

Windthor Pryas's own hair was unraveled. It was a wonder it hadn't tangled up with hers during the night. He let out a low, deep rumble from deep in his chest, his hands just about cupping over her breasts before she stood up, leaving him - in his mind - hanging. Well, pointing. Semantics. He climbed to his own feet, looking down at his boner for a moment before giving it a poke. Yup. He could break down a stone wall with the thing if he so wanted. "I'll probably need a cold one," he said jokingly, before stretching out his arms high over his head and his wings far to either side of his body. As the bath got started, he approached her, extending a hand. "HEre, I can get your hair for you, if you'd like. Then you can get mine," he offered, and if she allowed, he'd take the brush and start working at her hair gently, taking a seat on the edge of the tub as he waited for it to fill up.

Zerelda smirked softly, "Iffin I didnah 'ave to conserve my energies, ye'd be fillin' me up already. Dunnah ye be thinkin' any differently. I know ye been waitin' t'." The Drusky had yet to encounter the puma's tight little puss and why she had kept such from him, who was to know? Brush was summarily handed over when she hopped into the tub, letting the tresses fall to the floor though bathing was done quickly, scouring fur and flesh alike until she was almost pink along her skin from the force. Though not as pink as Windy still was. "I be hopin' ye dunnah scare anyone wit' yer strange colorin'. Though we should be gettin' through the village alright. Least it be nah far mm?" Lips curved, tilting her head back to peer at him while finishing her toliette and rinsing off the sluice of bubbles so she could rise and dry herself off. So quick was her bath that the water was still steaming if Windy wished to clean up as well. If so, puma would comb out his tangled mass of ivory and pink stained locks. Both sets of hair would be braided back in due time though the Duchess wouldn't secure Thorny's with a frilly ribbon, instead opting for a strands of rawhide cord.

Windthor Pryas would brush out any and all knots or split ends the best he could, making sure to hold onto her hair in a way so that there was minimal stress to her scalp. IT didn't take him long to do that, either. "Heheh... Well, I just got something to look forward to when we get back, then." Unless they failed and the guy ended up dying. ...That was kind of a depressing thought. Hm. Well, anyway, once she was out of the tub, he slipped into it, himself, though seeing as he was fairly tall, it wasn't quite as effective as it was for her, but he managed, running cleanliness through thick fur and over his scales, which were also starting to turn black again. His own hair was quite a bit mussed up as opposed to her own, with a few more knots, but all in all, it wasn't as bad as it might have been. Once he was clean and his hair braided up, he stepped out of the tub and allowed it to drain, grabbing a towel and starting to dry off. "Could you get my back for me?" he asked, smiling to her. "My wings get in the way a little bit when it comes to drying off, heh..." He rolled a shoulder. As the water on his body cooled him off, his erection had since died off, and he let out a low sigh. It would be then that breakfast would arrive, and once Zee had dried off his back, he'd wrap the towel around his waist and take food cart from the house slave, likely making the girl blush. While his erection had died down, he still had a slight chub.

Zerelda smirked softly at the ebony scales that were still caught with hot pink striations here and there for it made the hue look like it was a normal seasonal thing the drusky went through. Such saturation of color in contrast to black gave the puma an idea for another day for she was trying to conserve as much energy as possible for the task ahead. "Ach o' course. Lucky enough fer me, me wings come off." True enough that slender boned female looked near as to perfect along scapula and spine, no hint of double joints or extra hinges to mar the sleek lines of her form. Once he was dried and serving the breakfast, lass let her towel drop where it was, seeking out proper attire. Lack of proper bustiers in this day and age had relagated breasts to remaining unhindered beneat the flow of filmy white cotton shirt that looked proper by most standards, yet up close it was far too.. translucent. Lacy emerald panties were tucked over rump next, followed by heavy cloth, crimson trousers with laced boots going o'er the top. "Pour me a coffee, aye Thorny?" Duchess called out to him while fixing her features with a bit of kohl. Cigarette tucked betwixt lips to be enjoyed with the coffee, settling down in a seat next to the male and gesturing for him to eat. "Ye'll need yer strength t'day, I suspect." Forewarning and all that jazz.

Windthor Pryas, luckily, had his back to Zee for now, as he rolled the cart in, setting up the plates, knives, forks and mugs. "Way ahead of you," he said as he started pouring coffee into the cups. "How many lumps?" he asked her, dropping four lumps of sugar into his own coffee before dropping some into Zee's when she gave a number. Or if she preferred her coffee black, didn't. "Oh, no worries." He took a seat in his towel for now, smiling. "I'll be sure to keep as much energy as possible. Like I said last night, not sure how much help I'll be with the actual healing, but I'll be a good guard to make sure no one interupts you." He lifted his mug of coffee before taking a sip, not seeming to mind how hot it was. "Mm, by the way, I bought some ginseng tea leaves from Meirong. If you'd like, I can brew that for you this afternoon, heh." For breakfast, he'd gotten two sausages, eggs over easy, and four strips of bacon. He loved his meat.

Zerelda liked her coffee like she liked her men, robust, sweet, and creamy! Though not as sweet as the hybrid's for four cubes of sugar seemed like excess though her Fae side would tote otherwise. "Ye 'ave other functions that I be requirin' lad n' hopefully ye will learn a few things as well. The coin seems t' be nice even iffin' we split it." Though the exact number hadn't been stated and she wasn't one in dire need of filling her coffers. In fact, most often she used payments as a vehicle to rent slaves and give them a night off from the cages with a bit of good food in their tums and some pleasant company. "Ah Meirong? She be.. quite the merchant mm? I get me tobacco from 'er." The handsy lass was entertaining as well if not a bit of a tease. Zee's own plate was filled with buttered toast, which she slathered with raspberry jam, four eggs scrambled with peppers and ham, four strips of bacon, and a bowl of fresh fruit. Zerelda ate like a gorram lumberjack and quickly demolished her fare with graceful chews and slurps. "Hurry up n' get dressed." Murmur was given as she wiped her mouth and set about gathering supplies into a rucksack. "We be burnin' daylight."

Windthor Pryas nodded. "Yeah. She's a businesswoman, alright, heh." Nothing wrong with running a business, indeed. "I just got enough for three pots of tea, and that was fairly cheap, and three cups should last us a few days if we don't immediately chug it after we brew it, heheh." He also ate fairly quickly, though made sure not to make a bit mess. He'd just gotten out of the bath, after all. Throwing his towel off and walking bare-assed naked to where his clothes were, still chewing on a last bit of sausage and egg, he pulled on his black pants and boots, and blue backless, sleeveless shirt which clashed with his pink body somewhat. It seemed he would need a new wardrobe soon, if he could manage it. As it stood, he did at least have a new hat and a new pair of goggles, both of which he put on his head and around his neck, respectively. There were also two other hats back on the ship for when he wasn't spending the night with Zee and he actually had time to grab. For now, though he was fine. Windthor Pryas stepped up to Zee, also pulling on the pendant necklace he got for his bithday from Zel once, since he didn't want to leave it behind and risk losing it. "Ready when you are," he said, his tail wagging.

Zerelda's vision was swimming with the complimentary colors of blue and pink that were the same shade on the scale and head to shake her head a moment to set eyes to rights while securing vials and herbs in one of the smaller suade pouches that would be affixed to her pack. That was soon belted low on her hips so the weight was carried on her left with daggers settled higher up in their belted sheaths right below her navel. Ruby embroidery now lined the hemline of her caribou cloak, denoting runes in celtic knotwork made by woodblocks and it was pinned at her throat with a maltese cross that had her family crest in the center. The Balestra heraldry was small in comparison though it was embossed on her bag, Zee had commissioned a silversmith to make another badge that was used as a buckle for her weapons belt. No jewelry would accompany the feline though she would make sure the feather behind her ear was securely in place. Temptation rose to scritch the male's rump and make that tail wag faster, her own looped like a spring beneath her outerwear. "Aye, I 'opefully we will be done by lunch mm?" Grin curved forth, taking a fistful of the male's shirt to jerk him down and plant a long, deep and sizzling kiss to his lips before she headed out the door with job posting in paw to get the address right.

Windthor Pryas would need to get a heraldry properly sometime. At the moment, he just had it on his bracers, and surely he wouldn't need those on this particular job. Maybe he'd get a lapel pin and stick it on his hat over the base of the feather. Stepping towards her, he grinned and nodded. "Oh, yeah, I'll be--" though, what he'd be was lost and forgotten in the moment she pulled him down for a kiss, eyes widening in surprise, though only because he hadn't expected it. Still, once she pulled away, he grinned, following along behind her and letting out a little rumble in his chest. He was just getting teased left and right today, it seemed. Still, they were now officially on the job so playing around would hopefully be kept to a minimum. A brisk walk would keep his mind off of things, though he kept a few paces behind her for a little while, because reasons, before he realized it and fell into step beside her instead. "So, any word on who this guy is and what's wrong with him?

Zerelda figured that they weren't on the clock so to speak until they actually arrived at the adventurer's abode so now and again hip would check itself against Thorny's thigh, testing his balance as wooden heeled boots clicked over cobblestone and pavers alike while they set down the road into town. Chin lifted upwards with a closure of eyes, taking in a deep breath of the winter air that seemed far more clean out here near the estate instead of back on the tropical isle. Even though it wasn't fridgid, the crisp bite of cooler temperatures nearly brought a song to whistle from her lips, that is until the hybrid caught up to her once more. "Why be ye laggin' behind mm?" Couldn't be her rump for that was covered up by the heavy cloak denoting her as a healer. "Oh.. this guy? Seems he be one o' those globe trotters. Always out seekin' 'is fortune o' wishin' to explore an' adventure. Nah happy wit' a normal life o' hearth n' home. He be goin' bloodeh out o' 'is mind it seems bein' cooped up at home. Well that n' that fact that he's dying." Cigarette was produced, lighting it easily to send tendrils of mint smoke from betwixt lips. "No other 'ealers 'ave been able t' help so we be a last ditch effort it seems."

Windthor Pryas had about as good of balance as could be expected with large wings he'd only had for five years, which wasn't great, so the hips checks would send him stumbling every now and then, but otherwise he kept walking, until he lagged behind that one time, and it was more his imagination getting to him than actually looking at her ass. Those healer's robes were very nice, though. "Oh, just admiring the robes. Trying to figure out what they were made of." Not completely lying, anyway. He didn't have a cloak, himself, though he didn't really need it. A thick layer of warm fur was all he needed, and he had that. Growing in a little slower than usual, but he had it. "Oh, so, he's a guy who wants to live on another day?" he asked, looking at the job posting she had with a tilt of his head. "Mm, if we're the last resort where others have failed... Well, let's give this our best shot, then." He sighed, but smiled to Zee, returning a hip check himself. "I've got faith in you, though."

Zerelda ran tongue along her lower lip, wetting it a moment before taking another puff of her cigarette and gesturing free paw down the length of her form. "They be made out o' a reindeer I felled ages ago. Tanned it m'self." The outer hide was soft and supple suede while the inner was still lined with silky fur that hadn't gotten brittle or coarse over the time it had spend off the carcass. "I embroidered the designs m'self. It be far easier t' spruce up yer own clothin' with a bit of needle work instead o' payin' the tailor extra. Iffin' ye ever want the heraldry on yer clothin' o' hats. Let me know." Grin curved as they continued to walk as it'd take a good four hours to head there even at their solid pace and there was no use working horses when exercise was benefitial to them both. Shaggy ears flickered to his compliment, head shaking a moment. "Ye barely know me, Thorny."

Windthor Pryas nodded. "I'll talk to you about that later, then." Probably not get a herald on all of his clothes; just his hats, since he almost always wears one if he can help it. Never bareheaded, as the phrase went. For now he'd simply keep walking before she spoke again, and he looked over to her with that big friendly smile of his. "I know you've got a good heart. You've healed me twice, now. Even regrew my hair, as petty as it was for me to complain about it. You're going to heal this guy, and I bet you'd do it because he needed it, and not because he's going to give you a pile of gold. If that is what the reward is, anyway..." He reached over, intent on wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close as they walked, smiling down at her. "You're a healer, and something tells me you'd rather not let someone suffer or die without doing your damndest to make sure you give them the best chance you can muster." The hybrid grinned, his tail wagging quite happily.

Zerelda didn't know how the menfolk liked to display their seals so she wouldn't comment further on putting it on everything. Just somewhere plain enough for others to see if something unfortunate should come up. Windthor seemed to have a perchant for getting into tussles with those that wanted to take his eyes. "Aye I also 'ave healed a great many other n' the past fifty years when such was needed. Nah all o' them were good people. It often be a moral dilemma, such be why I took up after mum n' learned herbs as well. I cannah always be there n' time t' do much n' those that I aid be nah always deservin'." This adventurer, well who was to say he was a grand hero? Everyone had a few skeletons in their closets. "What iffin' the reward be a pile o' horse manure? Mmm?" In fact she could use a load or two for the herb gardens she was intent on starting on the estate once she had Zelanze's approval. Smirk was delivered to the brute with a curl of her tail around his ankle, not hindering him but keeping him leashed to her as it were.

Windthor Pryas. Men tended to be the "lapel pin" or "note in the cap" kinda guys, in his experience. All in all, he personally didn't care. He merely wanted to keep things simple for her, was all. He watched her as she spoke, idly thinking that she was at least fifty years old, and that she certainly didn't look it, but that didn't really mean much. His ex was at least a few milleniums, according to her, and who knew how old Koda was, considering she was an angel, too. "Yeah, I get that," he said softly, looking forward as the village slowly came into sight in the distance. "I feel like I have a thing where I have to help everyone with something, even when it doesn't concern me. It's... Backfired, more than once." He let out a low sigh, shaking his head. "So, I see how you feel, a little bit. I know it's not exactly the same." Windy did snicker softly, though, at Zee's manure joke. "Hey, manure can be useful, though. Always good to fertilize crops, heheh." His own tail wasn't as dextrous as Zee's, so he merely held her to him as they walked, grinning in response to her smirk before looking at the entrance to the village again. "Looks like we're almost there. Got the address?"

Zerelda looked more like she was closer to her intern's age or at the most, Windthor's own years and was thankful that her mother's genetics hadn't kicked in previously and prompted to keep her childlike forever even though the emotional strain she had gone through for near the past century was something she wouldn't wish on anyone. Nor.. the physical strain of when she was a prisoner of war. "I be knowin' 'ow ye feel, Thorny. Perhaps that be why Zelanze employs us mm?" Soft grinw as given, raising up on tip toes to barely brush lips beneath his jawline before continuing to walk with him. Paper was produced from a pocket, handing it to the male so he could read off the name and description of the home himself. Sure enough they really didn't need to even know the address for as soon as one of the village children glimpsed her robes, they called out towards the square. "They're here! THEY'RE HERE!" Bellowing out happily as he ran towards the group gathered around the front of a cottage, murmuring amongst themselves and turning at least a dozen pairs of eyes onto the duo. Sliding away from the hybrid's grasp, puma came to a pause and dipped her chin down towards them. "Greetin's. I suppose this be where we are needed, aye?" Warmth lit her features in that diplomatic tone of hers, switching into her Duchess role of grace and serenity.

Windthor Pryas sighed softly, but was smiling easily. "Zel's a knight. I get the feeling he hired me because he feels like I'm basically a knight without the crest." He perked an ear up, though, getting a thoughtful look. "Well... Technically, I have a crest, now, but... Hm. I guess I'll have to figure out where I actually stand on that, then..." He shrugged, though, and picked up the paper easily to look it over, about to read it when they were approached by a few of the crowd. Windy blinked at them all, pausing a moment as Zee pulled away from him. Oh, that would be why he'd need to keep people from bothering them so much. Jogging, he caught up to Zee and easily pulled on his own large, friendly smile, inclining his head respectfully to the crowd. He also now understood what the adventurer was dealing with. He'd have gone crazy if he were deathly ill and wasn't able to leave and a few dozen people were hounding around his front door.

Zerelda rolled her shoulders slowly as she thought about the need to go to Court next month though now she didn't worry as much for Conner could accompany her and keep the other nobles from breathing down her neck and pressing their tiny puds to her thigh when they came to greet her. Grotesque individuals. The more she saw of Windthor, the more she could whisper into the King's ear at perhaps pondering on a knighthood for the fellow. Anyways, accepting the gesture of the townsfolk for them to proceed within but a look towards the hybrid was all that was given to suggest he keep the rabble from entering as well. "Ach folks we willnah be log. Yer hero needs t' be mended so the less noise ye make, the quicker it will be, aye?" Fela tried to tug the drusky inside with her, making sure he barred the door after. Inken hues adjusted to the dim lighting as curtains had been drawn to keep out staring faces. "Mister O'Grady?" Celtic vocals crooned while shifting ears out from her hood in listen only to hear a death rattling cough wetly sound in response. If the door was secure enough on it's own, Thorny would be pulled over as well. "More candles near the bed, I need t' be seein'." Hushed vocals offered before brightening them up a bit for the patient. "Well Sir, I see that ye are a most beloved citizen. Hopefully ye will 'ave but a few more adventures n' ye yet."

Windthor Pryas politely moved through the crowd, several of them staring confused at the still very pink hybrid. He didn't mind, though. He did willingly drink a potion, after all. Standing in the open doorway for a moment, he looked out at the crowd, especially the young ones. "You heard the lady. Please, keep any noises and distractions down." He was smiling, but he spoke somewhat firmly, and also speaking clearly, in case Zee's accent was a little unclear for any of them. The hybrid closed the door behind him and locked it. Mister O'Grady had, luckily it would seem, installed a door bar, so the hybrid pulled that down easily enough. That should keep anyone who would be a bother out. Turning at the sound of the cough, he winced sympathetically. "That sounds horrible," he whispered to Zee, before he went to the candles. He could have lit them with his very limited flame breath, but decided against it. It wasn't very reliable and he'd just end up coughing up smoke and that wouldn't help in the slightest. So he merely got a matchbox and started lighting candles individually, setting them down near the bed before looking at their patient. He... Didn't look good. Skin was grey, it looked like his hair was starting to fall out, and his eyes were closed, which was probably a good thing, since one of the first things O'Grady would have seen if he had his eyes open would be a pink hybrid. "Are you the healer?" asked the sick man hoarsely, before letting out another horrible, rattling cough.

Zerelda's accent wasn't that atrocious though perhaps in time the Drusky would become more accustomed to it and find that his ears believed she spoke perfect common without a hitch. The accent was quite melodic unless the puma was on one of her rants. Even so, Duchess would try to enunciate clearly for the bedrideen lapine looking just this side of the river Styx. Length ears were drooped and hand old scars and bite marks taken from them. Whites of the eyes were jaundiced and a wasting disease seemed to have robbed the male of any muscle tone. He looked far more skeletal than one of those drug craze Beorne lasses. "Dunnah be talkin' much Sir." Gentle smile curved over lush ebon lips while she sat down near the male on his bed, pulling back her hood and tilting her head into his focus so he wouldn't have to manuver much. "He be 'ere t' make sure no one be gettin' n' the way and n' case... " Head gestured to the rose and ivory hybrid. Well in case things went horrifically wrong and she couldn't heal the poor fellow at all, perhaps they could at least use some tinctures and ointments until she found a better way. "May I?" Puma intoned as she tried to pick up one of his paws in her own, "This may be feelin' odd but it willnah hurt.." Unless there was resistance, and O'Grady couldn't put up much of a fight against the young blooded and strong Duchess, sudden burst of aquamarine would glow from the feather tucked behind her ear sending the room into an etheral glow of gold and blue like the northern lights had found their home within the adventure's cottage. Tendrils of golden light would rush greedily through the lapine's body as if it hungered for whatever foul disease was eating the very stamina from him and feeding on everything that made him the legend he was. Bone and muscle were ignored for the moment as Zee's chin rose slightly, staring above the bed when starbursts of silver flooded from behind her pupil and swam to coat her vision. It was like she was no longer conscious as her healing energies bore down swiftly on the black and vile disease eating away at O'Grady's pancreas and liver while dotting lungs and rotting the stomach. Cancerous creations were rended and torn free with microscopic precision, only leaving healthy tissue and gland flesh behind. Each iota of organ was scanned and treated before sweeping into bone marrow to reinvigorate the blood supply and cleanse out the old that may still have carried foul disease within veins.

Windthor Pryas gave the rabbit a nod, lifting his hat in respect, O'Grady barely moving his own head, which was probably a good thing, in the end. With how bad the lapine looked on the outside, Windy didn't want to think about what Zee was going through on the inside as she worked to rid the man's flesh of what strange diseasewas plaguing him. Poor guy. Windy's ear twitched, though, and he turned, brows knitting together and eyes narrowing. Outside, there were voices, going together, starting out quiet, but getting louder. "No," he whispered, and hurried to the door, pushing it open. The crowd hadn't thinned, but one man stood on the stoop, waving his arms, leading the crowd as it gave chants of "O'Grady, O'Grady, O'Grady". "What the hell do you think you're doing?" hissed Windy to the apparent leader of the chant, who turned and grinned widely. "We're chanting for the health of--" The hybrid cut him off. "No. Stop. Now." The man turned to Windy, frowning, and the crowd's chants died down as their leader stopped leading. "We're only trying to--" Deciding to expediate the process, the hybrid grabbed a rose-colored fistful of the man's tunic, his eyes getting cast into shadow by his hat, jaw set forward, the crowd taking in sharp gasps as they listened to every word. "Let me explain to you what you're doing," he said in a low rumble. "You are not helping. You are not being in any way helpful for your beloved hero. My partner needs her concentration to not be broken by chanting. Y'all's hearts are in the right place, but if you keep chanting, and the Duchess' concentration is broken, he will probably die, and it'll be your fault." the man's jaw fell open in horror. "Have I made myself clear?" The man nodded, and Windy shoved him off the stoop. "You can wait here, for O'Grady, patiently, and quietly." He spoke softly, but clearly. "If you truly love your hero, you will remember what I said." The pink hybrid turned his back on the crowd, but looked over his shoulder. "Thank you." With that, he pulled the door open again, closed it quietly, and pulled the door bar down again before letting out a low sigh. That could have gone worse.

Zerelda didn't hear the chanting outside or what the hybrid was saying, lips were softly parted and body was stiff and ridgid as if she were naught but stone. Tricky thing, healing was for there had been several cases where her ilk had been turned to stone due to interruptions in their trances. It was a slim percent though the shouting of those outside nearly had the female stirring even as essense was still roiling through bone and sinew alike, retoning depleted fibers and breathing fresh oxygen into lungs that were cleaned forth of mucas and detrus that had accumulated over the years. As the fingers of light sought to escape the lapine as the clamor grew, tail tip suddenly started twitching to and fro in rhythm with the words only for it to suddenly still again. The din lowered in volume and the puma's work continued, brightening O'Grady's eyes and fur to a lusterous sheen while letting his hair reclaim it's former glorious hue and thickness. Scars and bite marks remained on the outside though scar tissue had been purged yet suddenly the glow faded from the room and the silver retreated, only for the Duchess to wither. Tiny form slid as if she had swooned, off the bed, collapsing onto the floor with grace and near soundless except for the whisper of suede caressing the floorboards.

Windthor Pryas was facing the door, forehead pressed to the wood before the light suddenly faded, and even then, it took him a moment. "Hm?" Turning to look over his shoulder, he looked towards the bedroom with a knitted brow. "Zee?" he called softly, walking over and peeking in. Zee was off the bed, and O'Grady looked much better, if still slightly out of it. However, he noticed Zee laying on the floor and he immediately kneeled by her side, lifting her by the shoulders to pull her into a seated position, before hooking his other arm under her knees and lifting her up easily, though he sat her back on the bed, holding her steady. "Zee? Wake up, are you alright?" O'Grady, meanwhile, was blinking blearily, and weakly lifting up a hand to look at it, before pressing it to his chest and slowly sitting up as he say Zee. "Stay down, O'Grady," said Windy, looking to him and extending a palm towards him, but was speaking kindly and softly. "I'm sure Zee will be fine. How do you feel?" O'Grady took a deep breath, and the rattle was gone, and for the first time since Windy and Zee arrived, the adventurer smiled. "Alive," he said. "...And hungry."

Zerelda's body was still unconscious and easily manuvered like a limp rag doll. Heartbeat was there but pulse was thready and weak and breath rate was shallow but there weren't any occlusions that would need to be taken away from her throat. Though the sad thing was, the puma wasn't going to be waking anytime soon. Did she forsee this? Perhaps another facet of the need for the hybrid to accompany her for she was one of few she trusted enough to bring her back to the estate under his own power instead of enlisting others to aid him. Even though she was still out of it, body suddenly violently contracted and it was a good thing that Thorny had her sitting up for the vile expulsion of green and black bile suddenly came from maw and throat in what seemed to be like a never ending stream chock full of hard black gristle that glittered in the candlelight. It was over in moments but the puma did not rouse even then.

Windthor Pryas gave Zee a little shake, but it seemed that she'd worn herself out with just how much healing she had to do. It made sense to him, though he was a little worried for her, and probably would be for quite a while until she woke up. "I guess it took a lot out of her..." O'Grady let out a soft sigh before he started sliding out of his bed. "O'Grady--" The rabbit lifted a hand. "No, I'm fine. Just weak, is all." O'Grady stepped out of bed, holding himself up on the bed frame for a moment before walking to a nearby cabinet. "And please, call me Allan." The cabinet was opened, and he pulled out a bottle of wine, as well as the coin he had promised in the job notice: Nine platinum, five gold. It was then that Zee had upchucked everything onto the floor, Windy getting out of the way just in time but keeping her sitting and was able to pull her hair back and keep her from vomiting too much on the bed or her clothes. Once she was done, and still didn't wake up, he looked sheepishly to Allan again, who, after a few moments, waved a hand. "I'll... Get someone to clean that up, eventually. It wouldn't be good for me to celebrate anyway. Need to eat before I drink any alcohol, anyway. Come along." The rabbit placed the bottle on Zee's belly, and the coins in Windy's purse, before walking towards the front door. Though, Windy had to pull the door bar open, and that was a little awkward, but he managed. "I'll let them know I'm alright. No doubt, you will be able to leave unnoticed while the others are focused on myself. From the bottom of my heart, thank you." Once the door was open, the crowd nearly exploded with cheers, though to keep them from tackling him, he lifted his palms, insisting that he needed something to eat and get his figure back, while in the distraction, Windy set off, back down the path they came, and walked with Zee in his arms, back towards the estate.

Title: The Cockatrice
Client: Nearby Town Mayor
Type: Sellsword(Monster Hunting)
Difficulty: 70
Job Length: One Hour
Reward: Eight Platinum
Bonus: Cockatrice Meat
Risk: Injury
Description: "The Cockatrice is a dangerous monster when it's leaving us alone, but lately it's been landing closer and closer to town. The thing may not realize the risk it's posing, but I can't allow my citizens to be harmed. Exterminate the monster before it brings harm to someone"

Party Leader: Zelanze
Party: N/A
Roll: 109 , Success

"Sir"

Words broke the knight from his almost trance like focus as he stood over the small table with the map sprawled out over it, paws pressed against it to stabilize him as he leaned over it. "The beast comes" the voice added as Zel pushed off of the table and straightened up, turning to look out over the field where foods had been laid out to attract the beast. The young man who had brought the news, dressed in the colors of his town, stood with an almost baffled expression on his face for a moment before giving a sudden salute and scurrying off.

Turning away from the table and stepping away red cape flowed behind him as foxen ears perked up, catching the words of the town guards not far away. Muttering to one another if a single man could really reasonably expect to take on the Cockatrice alone, a monster in which their soldiers had no luck with thus far. 'Can a single man truly fell the beast?' asked in the background noise of the situation. The decision not to bring any of the typical large equipment often considered necessary for such a hunt baffled many as well; choosing to bring blade and shield instead of ballista and armament.

With the body of a winged beast and the head of a chicken the Cockatrice landed not be a few yards away, although it failed to immediately notice the knight. What it did notice was the soft click as it lifted a piece of meat from the ground, the sizzle of a fuse, and the small explosion that went off in it's face. A scream more akin to a squack as it stumbled backward and the foxen knight suddenly kicked off like red lightning towards the beast. It had certainly noticed him now, but it had no time to get that feared gleam in it's eye before Zel lept. Latching on to the side of it's neck with his left paw as sword was drawn with his right!

The beast panicked, quick to try to take flight but the knight had other plans. Weapon was brought about in a hefted swing to bury itself deep in to the beast's wing. Maiming it quickly so that it could not so easily retreat in to the skies. Turning it's neck the monster attempted to striket the fox with his beak, sure to poison him with that fabled ability to turn a man to stone if it succeeded. Kicking off the monster's neck with his feet he flew back, just as the beak caught on to his tabard. The cloth tore and ripped from his chanmail but ultimately he made it off safely, landing on his feet and tucking back in to a roll.

So close now he could see the black scorch marks and injuries all down the beasts from from the explosive, although it only seemed to work to make him mad. Zelanze had very much under estimated the monster's durability as it came at him again with a visciousness despite heavy burns and a deep laceration in it's wing. No longer able to fly it seemed it had resorted to fighting!

Zelanze was barely able to draw his shield from his back in time. He could feel the force of the monster's beak as it bore in to the kite shield. Like a chicken it struck in rapid succession, each time throwing the knight's footing off more and more. Finally a sharp strike threw Zel's shield arm off to the side and left him exposed enough for the monster to strike. Swinging his right arm around he hilt bashed the side of the incoming beast and sent the monster's attack to one side as he jumped and rolled to the opposite.

Putting himself at range of the beast was a mistake though. He saw the twinkly in the monster's eye almost two late and barely managed to raise his shield. The wood and steel of the kite shield became hard stone, turned to pure rock down to the straps. In a gut reaction he quickly threw the shield from his arm when he noticed the fur on his arm under the straps becoming rock and crumbling away.

Dashing forward again he attempted to close the distance between himself and the cockatrice. The beast turned it's head again though, focusing that eyes on him as it gleamed again. Thinking fast, perhaps even in a moment of panic, the knight wiped the blood from his blade on his pant lega nd came to a dead stop, lifting the weapon so that it worked as a reflective surfice. In a flash the monster sought to turn him to stone again, but his gaze hit his own reflection. The monster's own head turned to hard rock before falling forward, it's neck unable to support it's own weight.

Keen to finish the beast the knight made several steps forward only to find himself unable to move his arm. Looking down it, as well as his sword, had been turned to stone. No time to let himself panic he reached behind himself, unsheathing his dagger with his left hand and charging at the monster so as to drive the much smaller blade in to it's neck. Unable to even give it's final wail the monster falls dead.

Hours later the knight sat in the medical tent not far from where his job had been done, examining the extent of damage to his arm. The young man from earlier entered, quick to ask "Will your arm be alright sir? Will you lose it?" and, while he paused at first, the fox turned his head up and offered a smile. "It shall be alright, the arm was not transmuted all the way through. I can still feel my arm under it, like it is incased in rock." he explained. Even still he was left entirely unable to move it as he stood. Before he could leave the tint the young man pushed a pouch of platinum coins against his chest. "I was sent here with your payment. The, uhh. The meat that you requested too will be loaded on to your caravan. We believe it will take a day to harvest it however"

"That's fine, i've never had Cockatrice meat." he responded, clasping the other man on the shoulder before walking past him and out of the tent.

Title: An Angry Mother (The Red Dragon!)
Client: Kasurian Officials
Type: Sellsword(Monster Hunting)
Difficulty: 90
Job Length: One Hour
Reward: Nine Platinum
Bonus: Red Dragon Meat
Risk: Injury
Description: Recently sightings of an adult female red dragon have increased exponentially. While the dragoness was not unknown before it was never believe to represent a significant threat; entirely content to just occasionally steal wildlife. This is no longer the case as she has taken to attacking people, buildings, and transport with blatant disregard. It seems like her activities have increased primarily since the trade route outside of the estate has re-opened and if there is a connection this represents a potential grave threat to the continuation of the route. Kasurian officials have put out the job to any guilds willing to slay the beast.

Party Leader: Windthor
Party: N/A
Roll: 74, failure

Windthor's head was bowed, his hair casting his eyes in shadow, as he rode on the seat of a carriage Zel had surprised him with before he'd set out to fix his mistake.

His mistake, his responsibility. At least, that's what he told himself. It hadn't even been a week since he'd walked up this very trail; it was curved and stony, part of a trade route leading to Hawkmount he'd effectively opened with his bare hands, fighting off a young dragon. According to the job posting, he'd incurred the wrath of the whelp's mother. He couldn't understand it. Maybe he hadn't done enough research, perhaps he could have done more, but whatever he could have done, it was too late. Now, he could only do what he could, now.

On the top of the carriage was a mounted, rotating ballista, with a supply of large, wooden spears that were sure to do damage if he aimed it correctly. Windy looked over his shoulder to the inside of the caravan, where some traps and bombs were resting. Well, he had backups, just in case.

Rolling through the gate to the town, Windy lifted up his head, looking around and blinking softly. It looked deserted, but every now and then, he saw the flutter of a curtain through a window, so there were definitely people still around. How many exactly was still yet to be seen. Pulling back on the reins, he stopped the horse and dropped down from the carriage, letting out a sigh. He adjusted the bracers on his arms, as well as the chainmail, before pulling his goggles over his eyes and resting his palm onto the silver sword on his belt.

The hybrid walked towards the closest house, but as he lifted a hand, the door opened, and a hand came out of nowhere, open palm striking him across the face. “You!” yelled a female voice shrilly, as Windy stumbled back. “You said we'd be safe!” Another hand came, and this time Windy caught it, the female badger still advancing on him. “You said that there was only one dragon!”

“I was wrong,” he said softly, and the woman stopped, blinking. “I'm sorry.” He took a deep breath and let her go, looking up at the sky. “But yelling at me and hitting me, as much as I deserve it, isn't going to help anyone. I need you to tell me when the mother dragon tends to come around.”

The woman's hands were still twitching, as if she still had half a mind to throttle Windy. “Near mid-afternoon,” she replied, and the hybrid nodded, turning back to his carriage.

“I suggest you get anyone you can and get out of town,” he said as he started climbing up onto the carriage.

“And where would I go!?” she demanded. “I've lived here my whole life! Many people here have!”

Windy flinched as she spoke, grimacing as he rested a hand on the ballista. “I'm sorry,” he repeated. “Just... Just hide, for now. Does the dragon attack the houses?”

“Yes.” Windy winced again, busying his hands to keep them from shaking as he held onto the handles of the ballista, moving it this way and that, as well as up and down to make sure it was working properly. She didn't seem to notice as she crossed her arms over her chest, her children peeking out through the door she left open. “But it's kept near the middle of the town for the most part. That's where most of the damage is. There aren't many of us left. Most of the others fled, but a few were killed. Are you going to kill it?”


For a moment, Windy was still, holding the wood of the ballista for a few moments before twitching slightly. “...I'm gonna try to fix this,” he said, dropping down onto the seat. “Even if you don't have anywhere else to go... Would you rather stay here, and risk losing your children?” The woman turned, spotting the young badgers, before looking back to him again. “You need to get somewhere else. Honestly, anywhere would be safer than here...”

Flicking the reins, the horse set off again, and Windy left the badger woman standing where she was, before she ran back into the house.

Reaching the center of the town, Windthor saw that the woman had been right: Smoldering roofs, doors hanging off hinges, claw marks on the outer walls of houses. The hybrid stopped the carriage, eyes wide behind the goggles he wore. Damn. He lifted a hand, pressing it to his face before grunting softly and standing up. He had to focus.

Eyes scanning the sky, he saw that it was getting close to mid-afternoon, as the woman had said. Ears were pricked, muscles were tensed. He dropped down from the carriage and busied himself by locking the wheels so that the thing wouldn't roll away. For several minutes the only things he could hear were the breeze, the horse nickering and pawing at the ground nervously, and his own heartbeat as he waited.

And waited.

Suddenly, the horse jerked at its bridle, letting out a panicked whinny and rearing up on his hind legs as an echoing roar came from the mountain. “Here it comes,” he muttered to himself, stepping over and patting the horse on its body, making a kind of half-hearted attempt to calm it down, though honestly, there wasn't a whole lot he could do for it.

Windthor jumped back up onto the carriage as the flaps of massive wings came to his ears. With the carriage locked down, neither he nor the horse were going anywhere, as much as the horse wanted to leave. Windy went into the carriage and grabbed as many of the large spears as he could in his arms before climbing on top with the ballista, dropping them all nearby so he could grab one when needed, for now loading one of them onto the weapon as a shadow started traveling along the ground. Grabbing the handles of the ballista, he looked up, spotting a massive, dark shape above. This was obviously not a whelp. Rotating the siege weapon around, he followed the shape as it descended.

The dragon landed on top of one of the houses that was missing a roof. Its body alone was a little longer than the building, its tail curling around, the tip resting on the stoop of the front door. It was a deep, dark red, similar to the whelp Windy had fought before. The massive, winged lizard regarded Windy with what could almost be described as a crocodile grin, before it pulled its head back.

Windy moved the ballista to aim, his arms quivering as he did his best to lock onto the monster's chest, before kicking a lever next to the weapon to lock into place, though in doing so, he'd jerked the weapon to the side slightly, and fired it accidentally. If he hadn't locked it into place, the kick of the weapon firing would have broken the mechanism meant to allow it to swivel. As it stood, it still nearly knocked the hybrid off his feet.

The large arrow whirled past the dragon's head, which didn't even flinch, aiming its open maw at Windy and letting out a massive, ear-splitting roar. Windy clamped his hands over his ears, wincing and grimacing. Earplugs. Those would have helped.

There was nothing for it. Rushing, Windy bent down to pick up another arrow, fumbling as he worked to get it into the ballista as the dragon spread its wings. Windy had to fight himself to not be both envious and intimidated by the sheer span as he turned the crank to pull the arrow back. With a mighty flap that nearly knocked the carriage over, the dragon was up, this time flames and smoke billowing out from its nostrils and between its teeth as it rushed towards the hybrid, who had just gotten the arrow pulled back.

Panicking, Windy kicked the locking mechanism again, after aiming in the general direction of the creature, though he'd closed his eyes, expecting the worse, as he launched the arrow again. He flinched as he felt heat on his body, but looked up at the sound of a screech of agony. The dragon was on the ground, the arrow he'd fired embedded into the building nearby, having taken the dragon's tail with it and pinning it there. Around him was flames that had luckily missed, the stream instead hitting the ground.

Leaping off the carriage, knowing that he didn't have a lot of time, Windy rushed towards the dragon, hand drawing the sliver double-bladed sword from its sheath on his hip. The dragon's tail was bleeding and it was in a fair amount of obvious pain, but it certainly wasn't defenseless, head and shoulders low to the ground as Windy advanced, swinging the sword at the creature's head.

It reacted, pulling its head back and swinging a claw around to counter, the hybrid pulling up an arm to block, but his knees nearly buckled. It was much stronger than the whelp had been. Its other claw came around, grabbing Windy around his waist and lifting him up, only to simply toss him into the air and let him fall roughly fifteen feet, and he landed heavily on his back, letting out a wheeze as the air from his lungs was forced out.

Lifting another claw, the dragon brought it down, but Windy scrambled out of its way, though it caught him around the ankles with yet another swipe, and he fell onto his face. It was then he realized that the dragon, even injured with its tail pinned to the outer wall of a house, was playing with him. Like a cat, with a mouse. As it advanced on him, pulling at its tail, Windy pulled himself into a crouch, grasping the hilt of his sword with both hands before turning, meeting the dragon as it aimed to grab him with its teeth – no doubt attempting to toss the hybrid into the air again – with his sword, the very sharp and shimmering blade slicing across its nose, and it flinched, jerking its head back again.

Taking this as an opportunity, Windy rushed forward, getting into dangerous range as he swung his sword again, this time across its chest, and struck true; Blessed blade slicing through scales, though not without effort on his part, and leaving a large, deep gash, though he'd not managed to leave any marks on bone. However, the dragon let out another roar, this time making Windy's ears ring and his muscles to tense up as he pressed a hand to one ear, the other still holding his sword.

He'd barely opened his eyes as he saw a long, red slab of muscle and scales slam into his chest, and he felt several ribs crack before he landed, bouncing once as pink spittle flew from his maw. Against better judgment and at the reluctance of his lungs, he forced air back into them, sitting up. The dragon was busy, jaws clamped around the hunk of wood that was still embedded into its tail. How it had managed not to skewer him with his own arrow wasn't something Windy wanted to think about. Instead, he stood up as he heard the crack of wood, the dragon having snapped the arrow in half.




He sheathed his sword again, turning and running back towards the carriage, barely acknowledging that the horse was in a veritable panic, fighting at its reins and restraints. Pulling himself on top of the carriage, he once again rushed to get an arrow nocked and ready. His back was to the dragon for the moment, but he could hear the creature's snarls and growls as it finally got what probably amounted to a massive splinter out of its tail, and started advancing on him. The hybrid got the arrow ready, but in his own panic, he turned to aim at the dragon it reared up, and forgot to lock it in place, and letting the arrow fly. There was an odd tearing sound as the head of the arrow tore through the webbing of the dragon's wing, making it let out a roar of agony.

His ballista also made a very disheartening crack as the mechanism broke. “Oh, balls,” Windy breathed, and swore even more as the dragon's claw closed around his leg. The hybrid grabbed the handle of the ballista as the dragon tried to pull him towards it, its nostrils smoking. It had obviously had enough as it pulled its head back. Windy's eyes became bleary, tears forming, as what felt like an eternity passed before a spontaneous, powerful thought filled his mind.

I refuse to die now!

Reaching down, fingers fumbled at the few arrows he had left, one rolling away at the other before he finally grabbed one, but not before a pop in his knee made him yelp in pain. Swinging the arrow with all his might, he shoved it into the dragon's front leg, piercing into sinewy muscle. He dropped to the carriage top, but its fire would not be held back as the whelp's had.

Scrambling off the top of the carriage, only his adrenalin keeping his leg from hindering him, he fell heavily onto the seat of the carriage, just as the dragon let out a stream of deadly flames onto the vehicle where Windy had just been. The hybrid jumped onto the back of the panicking horse, and kicked the pole that held the equine in place, breaking it and letting the horse run off, though Windy grabbed the reins and directed it towards the town exit, to where the mountain trail was. He was simply in over his head.

Willing the horse to go faster, the dragon merely watched Windy leave, before rearing back and letting out a victorious roar that echoed in Windy's ears. The hybrid's eyes were streaming now, but he looked up as he reached the mountain trail, and through the tears he could have sworn he saw a much smaller red shape, that disappeared as he went past. Pushing it to the back of his mind, he wiped away the tears on the unarmored part of his forearm. Reason was coming through, perhaps as a defense mechanism for his pain and anguish:

The dragon was injured, and it would likely take a few days at the very least to recover before attacking the town again. So, he had time to recover, himself, and he reasoned that he'd need to be better prepared and better-equipped.

But, most of all, he needed help.

Title: Supply the Guardsmen
Client: Port Lathora Guard
Type: Mercantile (Blacksmithy or Alchemy)
Difficulty: 40
Job Length: One Day
Reward: Six Platinum
Bonus: Twenty more gold (two plat) on 70 or higher.
Risk: Materials (Failure means waste of raw materials)
Description: The first port visited on Koda's trip, Lethora, took notice of her high quality wares. Many of the guardsman equipment has become obsolete and they have sent a bulk request list to house to help with their equipment, potion supply, or both. While the request is flattering, they won't accept the work if they believe it's inferior to what they had before.

Party Leader: The Duchess
Party: Zerelda and Conner Dramicus (Intern)
Roll: 85! Epic success!


Conner would be making his way around the lab rather swiftly, a frantic note able to be heard with every soft footfall as he all but ran around and gathered potions for the trip he was to take with the Duchess. She'd stated he wouldn't be going with her on her next job after the fiasco following the healing work, and he was desperate to not let her down or disappoint her. It was this that fueled the hybrid as he gathered various potions for the client. There were the standard potions to restore one's health as well as a few special brews that he had been working on, ones that would bolster fortitude and strength for when the fights were most dire. The chocolate tones within his form would still linger even after the holidays, though they were gradually fading to the lighter tones of his natural fur... but that lovely sweet scent would still be going strong. He finished packing the potions into two sizable satchels that he slung over his shoulder before starting to gather up some raw materials and packing them carefully into his own large pouch attached firmly to his belt, sliding a few small vials and bottles into special holsters within before sealing back up and standing ready. Traveling trench coat was sealed around his form as he gave himself one final pat-down to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

Zerelda removed herself from the adjoining bedroom in the lap after securing the last of the dragon-cats to be shipped back to her island though the three brown tabby kittens leftover from a feral litter were withheld. Such were released in the larger room to keep away pests and other foul things that might creep within the establishment and with Zelanze's permission, she'd given them freedom to roam on the estate grounds for the very same reasons. Adjusting the heavy cloak about her shoulders, hood was down for the moment while watching her intern with snowy ears fluttering, waiting to see if he caught on to her form she had shifted into after Yule was over. Precautions were taken for this trip. The Duchess was well known in many circles though not very much in town here. Still yet, she exercised wariness even if none of the Port Lathora Guards had trained under her King's lands. Five foot frame remained along with muscle tone and curves though pelt was near as pristine white as her outerwear, sans fingers and ears that looked like they had been dipped in clotted cream. Mousy tail had flared out into a fine brush while eyes, nose and claws took on an onyx hue. Muzzle was elongated slightly, more square with carnivorous teeth locking in a broad pink tongue. Hair length remained the same length and coiffure but darkened to a ripe plum cast with a smoky tinge. "Conn, make sure ye get enough o' the stone skin we made from Sir Balestra's arm, strength, n' cloaking potions." Melodic vocals called out while packing her own crate of various things that were still in the testing phases. Such would not be brought out unless asked for. "It shouldnah be that long o' a trip but.., A copper case, much like her own cigarette box, was pulled from her belt and offered to the male. Inscribed on both sides were his name and the House Balestra heraldry. Of course it was flush with honey cloves that she had managed to finagle from Meirong and a box of matches and flint were affixed by a ribbon tucked around the whole shebang. "Ye ready?" If the lad was, even if he wasn't, Zee would sling on her own packs and pick up the large crate to maneuver off on booted feet towards the waiting wagon that would take them to their clientele.

Conner had been far too busy and surprised by the news that he would be joining Zerelda that he hadn't yet noticed or taken note of the changes to her form, though as she came stepping out of the side room his gaze would snap over to her... and he'd pause. Eyes drifted over her immaculate fur and he'd smile a little at the sight of that big fluffy tail poking out from beneath her cloak, drinking in the entire package until her statement snapped him back to reality, paw lofting to gently pat the satchel to his left. "Got them right here, Duchess... Made sure to pack those first. We are trying to make a sale after all, and I wanted to make sure there was room for the specialties." It seemed the lad actually knew a thing or two about salesmanship, stepping into his heavy boots before crouching down to tie them. Conner would glance up to the femme as he finished tying his boots and she spoke again, eyes growing slightly at the sight of the copper case that was held out to him, gaze gliding along the elegant filigree and engraving of both his name and the crest of the house even as paw was lofted to accept it. The smell of honeyed clove was ripe on the filled case and match combo, causing his ears to dip a little as he stood to his feet. "Thank you, Duchess..." He murred out as he flipped the case over in his paws and examined it, broad smile forming on his features before giving her a firm nod. "Aye, I'm ready." He stated before pocketing the gift and scampering after her almost frantically. "Ah ah ah... No no, I got this... You can get the door." He stated as he tried to take the crate from her carefully, intending to have her lead the way while he did the heavy lifting for her.

Zerelda blinked those obsidian hues a moment towards the lad, intent on holding onto the box as she was no fra-gee-lay (that must be Italian) damsel, but the conversation would just waste further time than they had so the hybrid was given the box while she opened the door to lead the way to their conveyance. The jaunt over to the marketplace was short and thankfully, uneventful though there were rumors of an irate female red dragon roaming the land and extra caution would serve everyone well. Duchess was not equipped for a full onslaught by a whelp, let alone a full grown dragon so eyes were kept to the skies with ears flickering to each and every abnormal sound that rang into the early morning twilight. Fingertips worked into the corners of her eyes once the wagon had stopped, scooping out tiny flecks of road dust exiting the rig and straightening the belts riding low on hips. Coin was deposited in the driver's palm with expectations that he would pick them up at dusk and hopefully their rucksacks and crates would be all but empty. Deep breath was taken, vulpine having not ever sold much herself before. Potions, ointments, salves, and tinctures were gifted more than sold but lass had to make some sort of profit for the House! "Keep close aye? Keep n' aye on yer things, I dunnah know the people 'round these parts." Common folk were still setting up their shops and stalls in the square though there were several that hadn't been plucked up yet. Proceeding towards an empty one that didn't look too run down, gesture was given to her intern to settle his goods down there while shoulders rolled to release the straps of her packs. A plethora of filmy silk scarves were tugged forth from one as they were rolled around some of the larger tincture bottles. Such were set aside for the moment while fabrics were used to line the narrow shelf in a riot of color. Indigo, purple, orange, red, and green were layered in varying ways to provide a backdrop to display their wares. A small banner with the Balestra heraldry was also unfurled and tacked on, facing the street to alert shoppers. "It said that the guard 'ere be n' need o' such things. I dunno know what trouble they be havin' but make sure t' sell as much as ye can wit'out pushin' 'em too hard, aye?" Nervous? A bit. "Iffin' this goes well, we may 'ave a standin' order n' get a permanent stall."

Conner loaded the crate into the wagon before hopping in the back as well to ensure its safe transport, not minding the slightly bumpy road as the trip was mercifully brief, though her cautious glances and ever searching eyes had the hybrid just a little on edge. Once they arrived though he'd focus again on the task at hand, giving a firm nod to her words of caution before carting the crate and his bags to the open stall she pointed to. He'd start unloading the crate and helping her prepare their sales area, using the bright silks along with the crate and lid to form makeshift shelves that were glossed over by the soft and vibrant materials to make things look nice, even going to far as to arrange the potions by gradient of colors to give them their best chance of success. First impressions are rather important, after all. He would keep his own belt pouch of supplies securely fastened around his waist as he finished unloading the bags, leaving any extra potions and tinctures safely in the back of the crate that was facing their side of the table. "I'm sure we'll do fine, Duchess." He stated with confidence, passing her a warm smile as he laid an arm across her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "We have the quality of our work going for us... and I know a thing or two about peddling wares." How else was a lad not even in his teens to support himself on the streets of a small city?

Zerelda held up a finger to her lips, gesturing to the apprentice to keep the title of her nobility on lock down. "We dunnah be wantin' them t' know o' me here. Nah yet, Conn. Ye can call me Miss Zee while we be out here. The term be innocuous enough." A smile finished her whispered words to imply she wasn't upset with him for it was the first time he had been told of such. Another side of the coin was that she had been once in high standing with the Kasurian Forces and some older guards may be some of the same blokes she fought alongside with. Tasks could not be completed if she was waylaid by those wishing to speak of old times. Chortle sounded as she made sure her hood was up to let ears poke forward but keep some of her features in a faint shadow as the square started to fill and merchants were calling out to passerby's to come take a look at the variety of meat, winter vegetables and dried fruits, textiles, weaponry, and a host of other needful things. A small child of about four ran up towards the stall, amazed by the rainbow of colors tucked into wax sealed bottles and started gesturing frantically to his mother. The Alchemist and her apprentice got a cautioned smile but nose wrinkle as the child was gathered up, still ballyhooing about wanting a pretty orange drink. Most of the morning went in the same fashion. Lots of lookie loos but not many purchasers. A very scant amount of cough suppressant salve and chilblains ointment had been the only coin to line their till but it was soon used to pay the tax collector that made the rounds to pick up payment for renting the stalls. "Two copper... ye gods." Paw scrubbed over her face at the low coin but shift change had yet to start for the guards. Perhaps at mid-morning break, they would gain more interest.

Conner accepted the gentle criticism with a stoic nod and warm smile of his own, taking a moment to glance around at the various merchants and passers by as the day slowly began. A light-hearted chuckle escaped him as the youngling scampered up to the table and held the edge in awe, nodding in a welcoming fashion to the parent as they stepped over to tend to their child. Brow furrowed slightly though as the morning wore on and business was barely crawling along. Time to work his magic... The hybrid would step over to the female's side and lean in to whisper softly into her ear. "I'm going to go seed the throng, Miss Zee. We need to get the people talking if we're to draw the attention of the guard..." With that he'd slip off silently without another word, worming his way into the crowd before momentarily disappearing from view. He would remain inconspicuous for a while before causing a ruckus just on the market side of a great archway... one that was protected by the guardsmen of the town. He'd somehow managed to get another consumer to sniff his paw before giving it a lick, the resulting surprise to his unnaturally delicious taste and scent having ensnared the attention of several other consumers and merchants alike. He'd proclaim the praises of the potions from House Balestra and motion over to the stand that they had set up and arranged together, all the while ensuring the din was enough to ensnare the attention of the soldiers posted in the broad archway, leaving the seed to sprout while meandering over to the other side of the market. He glanced to Zee as he passed the stall and gave her a quick wink. "Knock 'em dead..." He stated casually with a smile as he kept walking before turning around to watch the scene from a distance, finding a perch atop the awning of a more permanent store, making sure to step in if she got overwhelmed with business but keeping his distance for the moment so as to not rouse suspicion.

Zerelda smoothed fingertips over the richly saturated scarves of various hues, making sure that not a speck of dust was marring the gleaming finish of the transparent bottles and flat bottomed vials. Crate of less wholesome goods was still hidden behind the counter though kept within arm's reach of those that knew what to ask for. Watching Conner disappear into the bustling throng, plum eyebrow rose curiously in wonder to what he was attempting to accomplish though it was only moments before the stall was was approached. A trickle at first. Mothers asking for cough suppression ointments, medicated teas, and poultices for burns and scrapes that there children sometimes incurred. One young mother seemed near tears, holding her baby one arm and grasping the fox's wrist in another with a woeful plea rife within her eyes. Brow knit, accepting the babe and leaning to place an ear to youngling's chest with a wince at the wet rattle within. Croup. Simple observance lent the way that certain medicines and doctoring was something the family could ill afford. "Dunnah be worryin' lass." Gaelic accent crooned softly as she handed the child back along with a small tincture, "With 'is bottle, twice a day." Gentle smile was gifted towards the lass, gesturing her off to deal with the others that plucked this bottle and that, exchanging coin and smiles along with gentle instructions even though each flask had tags denoting use. The Duchess faltered a moment as the crowd died down and the Lathora Guard strode up in their full regalia, tail brush flickering towards Conner's perch in a silent summoning. "G'mornin' gentlemen, can I be helpin' ye wit' anythin'?" Worry was still present about being recognized even in her different form, she could not mask her voice as easily.

Caithan was left meandering all aloney on his owney by his giant shemlen companion, equipped with the letter to keep the guards off his back should he attract undue attention. With the hood of his cloak drawn up, he didn't draw the eye with those flamespun curls, blending in with ease, perhaps even moreso given his diminutive height. It felt odd to be walking around in shoes, even the soft-soled leather that Blackjon had provided him with, but his stride didn't suffer, head tilted down submissively though those green-and-golds were up, catching sight of some cat-dragon fellow hyping up the crowd about an alchemist's stall. Something he could certainly find some good use for... Elfling made his way over. At first, his attention was more for those silk scarves than any of the bottles, just touching it, admiring the hand of it and the sheen before gaze was cast over all of the bottles, delicately turning the tags over to read them, keeping himself out of the way of the vixen tending the stall as well as other customers, curiosity merely being sated, nothing in particular really in mind aside for the same ointments and salves that those mothers were after-- scrapes and bruises? Yeah, he had a whole lot of those, and so did Blackjon. Idly, he touched the lobe of one of those long, pointed ears, where there was currently a scrape between two of his piercings. He caught sight of the guard from the corner of his eye and just kept minding his own business, though he soon caught sight of a salve that looked awfully familiar! He'd had it used on him before, by a familial hand. Looked like Gem was doing well for herself, though he did miss her something awful. He picked some up, at least he knew for sure it was good for everything-- But he kept browsing, as it seemed the guard were looking for something and he was not going to interrupt that business deal and have to make use of that letter in his pocket, no messeres.

Conner would remain a safe distance from the stall as he watched business gradually increase to a steady hum of activity, broad smile forming on his features as his plan seemed to have worked rather well and there remained a steady stream of customers for quite some time. He's keep a watchful eye on the various hands and paws that were grazing over bottles and handling there wares to ensure that there wasn't any thievery going on, completely breezing over the cloaked figure as they seemed to not be looking for any trouble, though eyes would lock onto the guardsman as he made his way over to the stall when the buzz died down. He'd immediately and silently hop down from his perch on the awning at the silent summons he received, taking a moment to straighten his jacket before striding over towards the stall with his head held high. Conner wormed his way expertly through the throng before sliding behind the table to stand beside Zee, giving that warm and welcoming smile of his to the guard before passing him a nod and turning his attention to the others, letting the Duchess handle the true client as he turned to the shrouded figure. "Can I help you with anything?"

Zerelda's height was but a few inches under the cloaked figure's but his scantness made the Duchess feel more at ease for it had been near a quarter of a century since she had been among the muscle think soldiers. Although, it looked as if the femme was barely shy of a twenty year old. Head canted a faint degree to the right while wondering if the newcomer was admiring the textiles or the simple Celtic embroidery she had woven into the corners here, along the hemline there. Always using a light hand as not to distract from the overall brilliance of the tightly woven threads themselves. Observation of the elf was paused a moment as she was asked about the various stone-skin potions as well as strength tablets. "Ach laddies, I dunnah think ye be needin' any o' those!" Sly wink slid forth while touching one of the guard's biceps, instilling a bit of that charismatic glow in her expression to soften hardened expressions. Then again, who could resist the Alchemist when she smelled a freshly baked sugar cookie and was smiling ever so flirtatiously? A proper demonstration had to be given of course! No snake oil salesmen here. Crooked forefinger beckoned one of the younger guard towards herself, having seen he had suffered a broken nose and was quite put out that the strong muzzle was now forever marred. "It be verah simple gentleman." Soprano vocals rang out in a melodic fashion as she lightly skimmed finger pads along the bloke's jawline. "Simply remove the wax seal from one o' me healing potions. Aye yes they be the pink ones.... dunnah laugh ye will come t' adore the color!" Chuckles sounded as she handed one to the young gendarme. "Aye that be it, peel off the wax n' release the cork, concentrate on what ye wish t' be healed then drink. All at once.." Tongue caught lower lip a moment. "Aye that be a lad. Now ye wait n' observe." The male would feel a sudden rush of heat into his features as soon as the mixture caught wind of busted cartilage and capillaries. The heat would flush his features before a sudden SNAP and CRACKLE was heard. A harsh POP fizzled out soon after as the male's muzzle suddenly smoothed out, fur and flesh aligned and contusions faded along with the pain. "Aye see? Right as rain!" Vulpine beamed brightly only to nearly yelp as suddenly she was pressed in from all sides with orders and coins thrust under her chin. "Ach, one at a time please!"

Caithan was looking over the various tinctures, in the back of his mind looking for things... for someone... not because he cared or anything. Not at all. The crate of questionables under the counter caught his eye and earned an amused smirk as he continued going through the potions nicely lined up on all that pretty silk, eyeing the things aimed towards a more mature frame and set of ailments now that he'd found something for his own problems. Something to help himself sleep was eyed but ultimately decided against, just in time for the feline-dragon to crop up beside him. Elfling offered up a smile, "You got anything for cranky old men?" Green and gold eyes glimmered, head canted. Attention was quickly diverted as the demonstration began, watching the merchantess pitch her sale to the guards, thankful that all their eyes were on her and not even looking sideways at him. It was unfortunate that magical things didn't work on the giant, he imagined that such a thing would come in handy in the future. Another smirk as the poor woman was swarmed, gaze turned back to the gentleman beside him, "You did a good job of drawing their attention, messere, bravo." Head canted towards the crate, brow raising, "Is what I think in there, in there?" Laughter touched his voice, though judging by the elfling's sex-and-sleep tousled curls peeking out from the hood, he would likely have more than just a mildly amused interest in anything insalubrious. Though for the moment, yet again, it was all just curiosity and time-wasting while he waited for Blackjon to catch up and finish doing... whatever the fuck it was that he was doing, Cait had no idea.

Conner would be more than a little distracted as the little arctic fox started to lay on the charm to the guardsmen that had meandered over to the stall, whiskers giving a slight twitch as she grazed one of their forearms after paying them all a healthy compliment. Ears would snap upright as the elf spoke then, gaze shifting back to him before granting the male a slight nod of acknowledgement. "Aye, we... actually..." He looked around for a moment and rifled through the bottles in the box beneath the table... and relieved when he found that he'd remembered to pack the proper brew. "...do." He pulled out the bottle with a dull brown solution inside, offering it to the elf to inspect. "It's a spirit distilled mainly from rose hips and Valerian root with just a hint of cocoa, intended to relax the mind and body alike while promoting overall wellness." Conner tried to make a point of not looking over at the femme as she made her open demonstration of the effectiveness of the potions, though would still occasionally glance over and managing to catch that caress to the guard's jawline before simply ignoring it all for the moment. Tended to a gent who picked up a small handful of rejuvenation potions before returning his attention to the elf, the compliment coaxing a small smile from him. "Thanks... It comes from a time I'd rather not revisit, but the skill is useful enough." He stated before glancing down to the crate once more, actually chuckling a little before shrugging. "That all depends on what you're after, friend. That there is where we have our specialty brews. Name what you're after and we'll..." He looked over to the guards that were still piling up around Zee, passing her a firm glance as if to ask if she needed assistance before gaze swiftly flickered back to Cait. "Sorry about that... Just let me know what you're after and I'll go digging, but we ain't wizards and can't have everything, so I can't make ya any promises." At least he wasn't a wizard, though he wasn't sure just what the Duchess was yet.

Molestado had to go goddamned -shopping-. And it was awful. Due to the thickness of the crowds, and the viciousness of his warhorse, brute opted to go on foot. Cloak bled from shoulders, drawn 'round to shroud figure in obscuring black, slightly disfigured in out-line by the prod of elbow that marked a bent arm, hand comfortable on familiar hilt of sword. After just a few stops at certain stalls, cloak was forced to be shrugged back, single broad shoulder the support for bag's strap. Words here, the trade of coin there. Yeah, three of those, two of that, and some of those things. A new bit for his horse, fresh oil for his sword and armor. A smith's shop lingered at for some time, feelin' up chunks of metal, tapping across blocks. All shit for swords, but, sure, he'd take a sheet of chainmail, cut -yay- tall and -yaaay- wide. That plate looked good, too. Nice, plain stuff. Purchased and packed away. A visit to a seamtress to pick up his order. Patterns, colors, seams and hems investigated, found suitable, the rest of the price paid. Bag was soon hefted down with a plethora of items, there was even a bag of apples secured on the side, single green one held in a hand, crunched into. Weaving in and out of churning legs followed rough-coated collie, tan and white, sleek and dutiful on its owner's heels. Cloak, stride, recognized, followed from a distance, lingering at the back of the potion-seller's crowd. Granted he still soared above them all. Silence, save for apple-crunching. For a while, at least, just watching the fox, what the hooded boy was doing, and the odd horned fella.

Zerelda was nearly exhausted of her stone-skin supply and nary a health potion was left to be seen! It took graceful tactics and forced smiles aided by fancy footwork to keep her rear from being pinched and squeezed by many a large hand or paw as she bounded about to fill orders and requests. Even so, rump was already beginning to bruise with a spasm of glutes. "It be a good thing they dunnah know..." Mutter sounded beneath her breath while surveying the damage. A large pile of coin was tucked within the till, gleaming gold within the plethora of silver as more and more was added until the shift change had finally come, sending the guards back to the duty posts even as the noon bell rang crisply in the air. Black palm scrubbed over her features, trying to set the stall to rights once more as much had been jostled in the near stampede. Coned ears quirked softly towards the male Conner was assisting, slowly side stepping towards them while gesturing to the crate. "All bottles n' jars from there be natural n' without the impediment o' any magical energies. They be a bit safer fer the first time users." Tongue worked over chapped lips a moment, hunting down a small tin of beeswax and almond oil to swipe over them. Blasted dry winter air! There was naught by the cloaked male now and the Duchess confirmed her intern's words, "Aye, we be willin' t' provide ye wit' anythin' ye may need. Iffin' it be out o' stock o' not here, we can always 'ave somethin' transported by post o' ye can return next market day." That is if the Knight was pleased with how Zee and Conn did and wished them to continue on. Brow knit a moment as the throng dispersed slowly to other stalls, catching sight of the tall... well tall was an understatement, giant of a man and crept a faint smile of greeting over pale lips before returning attention to the elf.

Caithan watched the hybrid's attention keep drifting back to the vixen dealing with the guard, eyes glimmering again, amused. Though he had to admit he pitied the poor woman, those guards could pinch the fuck out of an ass... He was glad those days were mostly behind him. He watched the fellow dig through a box and produce the vial of brown liquid, arching a brow as he accepted it, holding it up to the light to examine it. "I'll take it," he said after a moment of consideration, figuring it couldn't hurt. And if nothing else, he imagined if the giant was drunk enough, he could probably put it in his wine and he wouldn't even notice. "Speciality brews, you say," he teased, then inclined his head as the apology was given up, "No harm done, it looks awfully busy over there, doesn't it?" Head canted and he pointed a thumb at the guard who had his nose fixed, "For people who aren't wizards, that certainly looked like some kind of magic." Brows raised in question, though yet again, gaze was torn elsewhere as the vulpine woman approached. "I'd hardly call myself a first time user of speciality brews," it was easy to forget sometimes that he didn't always look like a whore now, but he didn't elaborate and simply went on, "but I prefer a more natural approach as it is." However, he remembered the salve in his hand and to the woman who seemed to be in charge, asked, "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but do you do business with a fae by the name of Kira?" He lifted it so that she might have a better idea of who he was talking about. Meanwhile, his mind was turning over the different things he could possibly require out of that box... lubricant would be a good thing, he liked it rough but Creators, did his rear get sore. A big, cloaked figure was caught out of the corner of his eye, and he turned his head towards the giant. Smile graced lips and he threw a wink the man's way, the line of the elfling's shoulders canting with no small amount of sass before attention was on the pair before him again.

Conner Dramicus would catch sight of the rather tall gent a fair ways off as he made his way through the marketplace, the man having been easy to single out in a crowd from sheer height in and of itself, let alone the way he carried himself through the throng. Passive tabs were kept on him as the hybrid returned his attentions to the elf when the bottle was accepted, ensuring payment was gathered before placing it in the till and hazarding a glance at the Duchess as she was finally given a breather, though he'd quickly glance away from her and back to the elf as the guards and crowd started to disperse. "That was all the work of miss Zee, friend. I just help clean the shop and bottle things up..." He'd state with a small smile before giving a firm nod of acknowledgement to the armed man. The three would be kept at least in his peripherals as he continued on with the mundane task that Zee had started, re-arranging the bottles and silks that remained while pulling out the last of the supply from his satchel, setting the bottles just so and cleaning things up a little while remaining stoically silent.

Molestado couldn't help but to notice boy's sassy-sass, but he failed to give a direct response. Eventually brute did step up, though, apple core trashed.. somewheres. Remaining bottles earned a long look. "Y'got shit for horses? Creams, balms, shit t'calm 'em down. M'warhorse cribs 'til his lips bleed, an' jus' 'bout kicks a boat apart whenever he's gotta ride on one." And he was rather tired of getting kicked at when he went to tack the bastard up. Silks would be eyed for a moment. Scarves? Out went a hand, length of material drawn through gloved fingers. "What's this material?" If it was anything like 'silk', he'd be pullin' two down. A green one and a black one if such colors were availabl-- Gaze popped onto Con', and locked there, tracking the creature's movements. Horns were certainly a.. draconic trait, lids briefly narrowing. But so long as he wasn't flying around gobblin' up sheep. "Do y'make tack? Fancy dressage?" he could use a couple of harnesses trussed up in his house's colors. One for his stallion, the other's fancy bay. "I got a stallion that I need t'act like a geldin' in short intervals. Long enough for m't'saddle up an' calmed down. He's seventeen hands o'horse an' he's difficult."

Zerelda tucked left arm under her bust, pulling that snowy caribou cloak closer to her form while tapping right paw's fingertip to her chin a moment in thought about the elf's inquiry. "Aye, Kira? She be kin o' a sort so t' be speakin'. Lass aided me n' sellin' me her stores before she..." Words trailed off, not wishing to divulge much of the lioness' whereabouts to a stranger. Duchess had taken over selling to the Tether's infirmary while the Fae was absent after several meetings on what the arena fighters needed most. Gaze caught the look from the shorted male to the large one, a knowing grin curving her mouth before hunkering down to rifle through the box. "I think I be 'avin' a few things 'ere..." Inky hues flickered towards the hybrid intern now and again due to the change in his countenance but slight worry wrinkle in her brow was smoothed over when rising with several clear liquids in small flasks. One of blue glass, another green, another clear and the last? Well brown of course. Each were around twelve ounces and had that homemade indigo wax seal around their corks with tags attached. Vocals lowered softly towards Caithan as she presented them, remaining faintly close but not so much as to draw the ire of the large brute closing in on them. "This be fer... warm, this be fer cooling. This one t' keep things a bit numb, n' this t' keep things well... oiled." Warm smile and wink was given, "Five silver be all, buy three, get two free." Of course that wasn't a sale for everyone but they had already surpassed their quota and the arctic fox was feeling quite chipper. That and knowing all about how sometimes things went a bit easier with a bit of herbal help. "These be all natural as well. No infusion o' magic." Murmur died forth when the giantmanguy approached and drew her focus. "I do be havin' liniment fer sore muscles, both for man n' beast alike. Creams n' salves fer scrapes n' stone bruises as well as joint aches. But... lavender oil be best fer calmin' down a brute. Whether he be man' o beast." Soft chortle was given. "Put it on a damp rag n' rub 'im down wit' it after ye curry 'im. Should gentle 'im enough wit'out killin' his spirit." Gesture would be given to Conner to pull out the jars and pots as she spoke of them. "Oi that? Silk, Sir." Deep forest greens and blacks were of course available! They had the simplest block stitching around the hems as well in Celtic knot-work. "I dunnah do tack o' leather but.." Fingertips would slip into a fold of her cloak where a pocket was sewn, producing a card. "Mister Jacob Cross be the man t' be seein' bout such. I jus' do a bit o' fancyin' up o' clothin' n' whatnot. Sewing crests n' heraldry on tabards n' the like."

Caithan smiled back at the horned lad, leaving him alone to fix up the stall, plus the vixen had his attention now. He smiled, "I'm kin of hers, as well, she calls me brother. Well." Gaze cast upwards, head tilting to the side, "Bubba, actually, but it's all the same thing, isn't it?" Limp-wristed wave was given, "But I'm glad to see she's had good luck selling her salves, she's used them on me plenty of times before and I have this bruise-acquiring habit I just can't seem to break." As the more scandalous vials were brought to his attention, he eyed them and hummed thoughtfully, a musical sound, "Numb and well-oiled sound like just the thing," he murmured back, keeping an eye on Black's approaching form. Once the giant shemlen was there and molesting the fabrics, the elfling raised a brow, watching him for a moment before he turned his attention back to the woman, brushing his curls out of his face, pushing back the hood a bit in the process, "I think I've gotten everything I need for now, serah, thank you for your help," gaze cast towards the horned lad, "and yours as well, messere." Head turned and tilted towards Blackjon and then came the sass, sweet smile plastered on his lips, "Oh, hey, hello, hi there. No, I wasn't waiting for for-fucking-ever or anything, thank you for asking. Did you do all the things you were in such a hurry to do this morning? Yes? Oh, excellent." Playful roll of the eyes was given and with salve, tincture, and two vials of 'special brews' in hand, slipped over towards the till to pay and hopefully avoid any bitch slap the giant might have for him for being mouthy.

Conner kept a careful and keen eye on the larger male as he stepped up and started assessing the available goods, quirking a brow as he started to ask about the fabrics as well as the potions as he hadn't thought they were actually for sale... but that would be where Zee really showed her knack for spotting and taking opportunities as they arose. Quite the businesswoman... even if she didn't believe it herself. He'd keep silent as he felt he should while tending to the last of their wares and cleaning things up, letting the femme tend to what appeared to be the last of the clientelle as he then turned his attention to the till. Mind would mull over the names and connections mentioned in passing conversation as he started to count the take that they'd managed to earn, missing the glances he received from the femme as she rifled through the box to pull out the potions with more... intimate uses. He would be admittedly intrigued and distracted by the various potion effects that the femme mentioned before re-doubling his efforts and returning to count the funds that they'd earned, pleasantly surprised at the sum for the relatively short time they'd spent in the market. It was several hours, sure... but they were already nearly out of things to sell! That silence of his would endure, the lad suddenly rather unsure of himself and just letting the femme tend to the business. Where was the creature that had drawn the attention of almost an entire market? Only the Primes could be sure.

Molestado loomed over the table. Not intentionally, of course, he was just so cunting big. Mention of different balms for horses had him nodding. "Two o'each, then." Since he had four horses to treat. Two to be ridden, two serving as pack-animals. He could probably even use the lavender on the one-eyed horse, so it'd not be so easily-spooked from its blind side. Offered card would be taken, coin forked over once price was settled on. A glance to the elfling. Gods, such a fag. Yet it was amusing, Though face did not reflect such inner thinkings. Boy's sass bore teeth iin doggish snarl. Male's excuse for a grin. "I do what I want, boy. An' y'mind y'self, elsewise I'll task y'with haulin' buckets o'water an' coal around for a smith. With no shirt, so y'skin be catchin' all them sparks." He didn't even bother with the till, nor to wait for the couple of silvers and few coppers that were sure to be his change. "I'll have t'give this guy a look-up. I could use some proper dressage for m'horses." Mostly because his grey was a stunning bastard when all dressed up. "Y'done here, boy?"

Zerelda blinked softly at the nickname the male had, "Bubba?" The term was foreign on her tongue and said a bit oddly but the smile remained fresh on her features, showing off those glorious cheekbones. "Ye be related t' that honey scented lass wit' the sharp tongue n' flighty mind? Ach." Biological relation meant nothing to the Duchess for her own son was adopted back in the beginning and that hadn't changed her love for him one bit. Unwanted vials were tucked securely back within the crate amongst their brethren only to glimpse those glorious curls and smile softly, slipping paw back into the crate to produce a larger bottle of lilac glass. "I cannah n' good conscience let ye leave wit'out some o' me homemade soap fer ye hair." Truth be told, vulpine was a bit jealous of the rose toned hue and shine. The cream was manly enough with its earthy pine scent though certainly would add an extra gloss to Caithan's coiffure finish. Chin dipped down a hair towards her chest, "Aye, ye are most welcome Sir. I hope we can be doin' business again sometime." Not quite the business woman, more or less just used to charming the nobles at Court and knowing when to smile and speak her mind or merely keep quite and use her face to express what needed to be said. Greyed out by being within the large man's shadow, chin tilted upwards to gaze at him squarely to take a scant measure of him. "Aye two each then? Iffin I can be 'avin' the scarves?" If allowed to take meter square silks, she'd use them to bind up the jars and pots so they would not clank amongst one another if attached to a belt or tossed into a sac. Coin was accepted in turn with another tipping of her head, depositing change in the elf's own palm if she caught him in time along with her own card. "Iffin' ye ever be needin' healin' o' anythin' more... dunnah hesitate t' send off a note." The true nature of the female would be foretold on the card but it would most likely have little meaning to either of them.

Caithan nodded as the saleswoman put two and two together, "Yes, that'd be the Kira I call sister, or Gem. Whatever happens to roll of my tongue at the time," he shrugged, though his tone was full of affection for the flighty lion fae. He seemed caught by surprise, however, by the offer of handmade soap for his hair, head canting to the side but a smile curved his lips all the same, "Thank you, serah. I'll put it to good use," he gave a thankful dip of his head, exchanging the proper amount of coin for his purchases and lingering to take the change and the business card, taking a moment to read over it before tucking it away into the hidden pocket of his cloak. Since he was now within the company of his 'master', he pushed the hood down, leaving wild and mussed curls free for more admiring and envious looks, "Of course, thank you again. If you see Kira, tell her I say hello and to write me back already. She's probably got a library of letters from me waiting for her." He smiled to the vixen and her horned companion before attention turned on the giant again, seeming to be the only one here not intimidated by his size despite his own lacking height, "You mind yourself, shem." Pierced tongue stuck out, ever the picture of maturity, "And that's my line, I'm the one who does whatever I want, you can't just go saying that, you know, it's practically my trademark." Regardless, he would quick on the man's heels, no doubt dishing out more sass and generally being a pest all the way to where ever they were going.

Conner would swiftly finish counting the days take from the till before trying to find something else to occupy him, but when naught was found he'd return his attention to the two patrons that remained. He'd pass them each a slight nod and a warm smile as they wrapped up their business, giving a slight wave to the curly-haired elf before looking directly up at the larger man, locking eyes if they caught each others gaze and giving him a firm nod. He'd finally break his silence as they concluded their business. "Have a wonderful evening... and tell your friends: Nothing beats a Balestra brew!" With that tossed out he'd start packing up the duplicate potions and consolidating their wares as they were now at least two silks down from when they started and he wanted everything to remain as immaculate as possible.

Zerelda took note of the fact that the Fae's brother was surely missing his sister and perhaps would do another favor for the lad in the near future if she didn't let it notion get lost within the recesses of her mind. Perhaps another reason for the need of an apprentice. Even within the large male's shadow, the Duchess' slight wariness was merely for the man's species and knowledge that most enjoyed a cowed female. Playing a role was all part of the show whether you were selling wares or entertaining guests for your King. Lavender brow rose at the sight of the piercing on the elf's tongue, wondering if Conner and him were of the same mindset a she lifted fingertips to give a slight wave to the pair as the departed. Arms folded beneath her bust, shifting weight onto right hip in lean towards the hybrid with a tilted whisper, "Odd pair aye? Mm, how did we do so far, Con?" Gaze shifted to the till first then the remnants of their tinctures second. "Why dunnah ye take some o' that and find us a bit o' a late lunch, aye? We can eat n' hopefully sell the rest o' the lot durin' tea break." Paw broke away to lift and give the intern's bicep an affectionate squeeze.

Conner simply waved and watched the pair depart even as the femme leaned in closer to him and commented on their odd nature, offering her a slight shrug. "They're not the strangest pairing I've seen to be honest, but they're still a fair amount different than most are. As far as our take.." He paused for a moment before double-checking the numbers both in the till and in his head. "...it's well more than I thought we'd get for ALL our wares.. and we still have some leftovers to sell." Small smile graced the corner of his lips as she suggested he find them some food, nodding fervently. "You don't gotta tell me twice..." He stated as he took a small handful of silver from their earnings and stepped off into the dwindling market. Intern would make his way from stall to stand haggling for anything from breads and meats to cheeses and fruits, the femme able to keep her eye on him nearly the entire time, the male only vanishing into a small gathering for a moment before heading straight back over to their table, arms now laden with more than a meals worth of food for the both of them. That smile was still worn on his face as arm still seemed to tingle a little from the Duchess' gentle touch, setting their food at the corner of the silk-laden table before pulling a knife from his pouch and starting to slice up the bread and cheese, glancing over to her and offering her a small smile. "You really milked those guardsmen of their coin." He commented, attentions still on her even as he continued slicing up their meal into manageable pieces. "You should be proud..."

Zerelda smirked softly as she gave herself a moment to take a break once Conner was gone. Retrieval of cigarette was tucked betwixt lips, lighting the honey dried tobacco as fast as she could before taking a deep, albeit shuddering breath. Nobles were one thing. Normal townsfolk were another and the Duchess had become fairly introverted over the last handful of years. Of course, such was due to change with her new employment. Hip leaned on the counter, picking up stray pieces of lint and other debris that fallen from customers, taking care not to singe her silks only to have ears flicker towards the apprentice's return. "Ach, ye were nah hungry, were ye laddie?" Scant laughter bubbled forth as she turned over a crate and used it as a chair while shoulders rolled, nabbing a slice of sharp cheddar peppered with spices. Teeth sunk into the firm cheese before responding, "The tinctures be doin' all the work. Iffin' we be given' them a good, steady product at a set price, they will be comin' back fer more time n' time again. They will be more willin' t' barter wit' House Balestra n' ye and I will be keepin' busy makin' more. Also, the share o' coin be nah t' bad either." Supplies she paid for herself would be taken from the gross profit before handing it over to Zel, where he in turn would give them their cut and perhaps even more to purchase more supplies for future goods. It was a slow start to be sure, just like any other business, but the money would come in more steadily if they gained enough interest to have small parcels delivered to homesteads and cottages. Smirk curved again, "Mm ye did a fair job wit' bringin' the regular folk over. Ye should be a barker..."

[#] Conner Dramicus rolls 1d10, where 1-3 is a slicing fumble & gets 6.

Conner chuckled a little at the comment she tossed his way about being hungry, nodding fervently to her and shrugging a bit. "Well, I haven't really had anything to eat yet today. Got wrapped up in making sure the lab was stocked before being surprised by the news I was to come with you." He continued to portion out their food without incident, making himself a sandwich with some roast beef and the same sharp cheddar that the femme was enjoying. "Thank you, by the way..." He added before taking a hardy bite of the sandwich, chewing fully before swallowing and continuing. "I know you said that I wasn't to come with you on this trip after my last fuck up... so thank you. I hope I didn't disappoint you." Without even waiting for a reply he'd take another large bite, the lad's appetite apparently rather ravenous.. though he'd still continue cutting to make sure it was all taken care of before wiping the knife clean on the hem of his long coat. Apprentice offered her another shrug as the comment on his sway with the common folk came up. "It's nothing special, really. Just something I picked up from a time in my life I'd rather forget... at least for today. I wouldn't want anything to mar your victory here today." Sandwich was then raised towards her in a mock-up toast. "To victory!" He'd belt out before having another large bite, the sandwich already almost half gone before he realized something, ears pinning back against his head as he motioned to the food and managed a muffled "Would you like me to make you one?" around a mouthful of sammich.

Zerelda clucked tongue against the roof of her mouth after swallowing her first bite, "Dunnah be leavin' again wit'out at least grabbin' somethin' quick t' eat o' lettin' me know ye needed to break yer fast. I never tend t' eat much n' the mornin'. That be why coffee be so important when I first be wakin' up." Coal pointed nose wiggled while piling meat and more cheese between twin slices of hearty bread, tucking rump back atop the wooden box after and waving off the lad with a paw. "Dunnah be thankin' me fer lettin' ye do yer job n' I dunnah think ye can be killin' me by sellin' a few pots." Then again, Conn shouldn't have been able to nearly off the Duchess last week either. Time mended most bruised bodies as well as spirits. Brow lifted at the mention of his past, "We all be comin' from trouble. None o' us has lived a charmed life. Any that be sayin' such are either liars o' people we shouldnah be associatin' with." Tongue worked crumbs from the corners of her maw while mimicking his gesture with a chuckle. "Aye ye helped as well, this means far more work for ye n' pushin' the limits o' testin' new formulas. I may jus' be lettin' ye take over the pure herbal extraction and chemistry. What do ye think?" Duchess needed ample time to work on the more intricate potions.


*Story to be finished on the morrow.

Title: Ballista On Over
Client: Hawkmount City
Type: Labor
Difficulty: 40
Job Length: One Day
Reward: Six Platinum
Bonus: Key to the City awarded at 60 or above
Risk: Materials
Description: The recent dragon attacks has reminded us that we can't just rely on guards and small weaponry. Quite frankly we need some sort of heavy defense and we've already begun working on it. We need someone experienced in both heavy labor and weaponry to help us reinforce the city walls and help us construct a wall mounted ballista that would put an end to any skirmish before it began.

Party Leader: Koda
Party: None
Roll: 41

Koda had likely not been the first to see the job, but she was the one who took it in a flash. There was things to be built! Weapons to make! And an experienced blacksmith and laborer would be just what was needed for a job like this! She had arrived at dawn. And already was making plans for the new walls to be put up. And where to put their defenses. How to as well. Once she'd arrived on site she'd taken control of the available men immedatly. Set to work carving trees and setting stone. Working on how things would be laid out for the furture while she would keep an eye on things. To their meger forge she'd build, and add on as she went. Getting all available blacksmiths to come and help with their project. new weapons, cannons and whatnot were made. Additions to the defenses were added. Metals polished and riggings put up. What she rigged was not just a mounted balista but one on rails. It could be mounted, pushed to where it needed to be and locked into place to fire. She'd helped lay track down and more importantly the stands they needed for it. The cannons were regular style but the mounting pads were special. Little polished round metal was put onto a track with some brakes so they could not only be moved along the track but rotated 360. It was an impressive feat. Longer barrels made for more accurate shots. And she'd designed special shells for them too if they needed a longer shot. They could be loaded with harpoons as well, spears and other things to be launched if needed in hot water. The bottom of the walls once reinforced got plenty of things. From helping slick moss grow at the base into a pit of spikes to a sort of armored shell where the weaker points could be found. No. it was not impenetrable. But it was going to be vastly more difficult to get through. With that all said and done she'd take her pay and head home. A job tucked under her belt to report on. And a smile on the fallen's face.

Title: Rebuilding
Client: Bannissard Labor
Type: Labor
Difficulty: 60
Job Length: One Day
Reward: Eight Platinum
Bonus: Letter of Recognition at 80 or Above
Risk: Materials (Failure means waste of raw materials)
Description: The damage done by Cin's siege of the city is extensive. Building's, roads, and walls are destroyed to say nothing of the weaponry both in small arms and ballista. The city is requesting that we take on a part of the reconstruction efforts, primarily on the buildings and walls around the city.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Character: Koda
Job Title: Rebuilding
Job Type: Labor.
Party Leader: Koda
Party Members: Koda
Target Number: Sixty.
Roll: 109
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another day she felt the need dawn on her. She'd fixed the last place, why not this one? When they got word people of the Balestra house was coming surely the people of Bannissard was finding hope. And when the person arrived, just the one, it was as if a joke had come. It was early morning and the sun was behind her as she looked at the desctruction on the city. She shook her head as officals came up. They'd heard about her in the Hawkmount City and the work she did. And as such she got to work. Making sure people knew what they were doing, setting it up so that they could work faster and harder. The shells and scrap metals were taken to a forge to be melted down and re-used as nails to bolster the motto of 'What was done will will overcome' she kept with them. Working on the walls tirelessly with the people not just leading them from a throne. She got more and more people. Small groups went and helped rebuild houses, thirty at a time to work on one house. Done in hours instead of days. She would stay past a bit the day she was meant to stay, to two and a half. She got the walls going on their way and worked on getting other things finsihed and done. Wells were slavaged or drilled. She helped leave and start plans for rails for their guns to load onto as well. It was a trademark she was coining. And well, she would head along to get other things done. Set the feilds back up for ploughing, any harbor taken care of with the help of gathered aquatic types. She would get things handled so well that by the time she was done not only did the city almost look like it was never harmed, it was better off. More wells and better water meant better life. And even some squares were built for public gathering or plays. A park had sprung up overnight where the heavyest damage was set, in the center a momument to the lost souls. A pool of water about it as it stood out, inscribed on the wreckage of one of Cin's ships. To never be forgotten of that day, and the heros who came to the aid.

In the end this fallen got a letter of recomendation and the thanks of a city. Flying home off into the sunset as her work was done.

Characters: Windthor and Koda
Job Title: Hell Hathe No Fury (The Red Dragon)
Job Type: Sellsword (Monster Hunting)
Party Leader: Windthor
Party Members: Koda
Target Number: 95

rolled 1d100 and got a natural 50. After the modifier of +10, got 60
Characters: Windthor and Koda
Job Title: Hell Hathe No Fury (The Red Dragon)
Job Type: Sellsword (Monster Hunting)
Party Leader: Windthor
Party Members: Koda
Target Number: 95

This is my mulligan roll. No mulligan remaining.

rolled 1d100 and got a natural 23. After the modifier of +10, got 33


Windthor Pryas took in a deep breath, before letting it out again in a heavy sigh, taking the long walk towards Koda's forge. He was wearing the pants that Koda had gotten him for Christmas, as well as his chainmail, bracers, and the broadsword strapped to his belt on hs hip. Once he was close, he lifted a hand, and paused a moment, feeling the fur on his neck stand on end. He shook his head, rather roughly. Yes, he failed last time, but now wasn't the time to let his nerves get the best of him. Rapping his knuckles on the door, he called out. "Koda, it's Windy. The caravan with the ballista is ready when you are." He'd push the door open and peek inside, putting on a brave face the best he could.

Kodachrome was getting on her own armor. Leathers protected her with small metal plates tapped into it to add. Her arms and a portion of her wings armored too. The front of her legs as well. Boots and britches. A large mace was with her now. Not her wrench. This would be more damaging if hit. "Alright I'm ready. I have no idea what we need to expect but here is hoping it dosn't go wrong. You've tried to reason with her already right, Windy?" She asked before moving along to go with him to the caravan. "I'll control the ballista." She added. Humming.

Windthor Pryas nodded, falling into step beside her as they walked back outside. He stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep them from twitching so damn much, "Expect the worst-case," he said, looking sideways at her with a sort of half-smile. "I did fight her once before, after all. She's the reason we had to rebuild a new ballista." The hybrid rolled his shoulder, extending a hand to assist her onto the caravan before climbing onto the seat, himself. "If by 'reason', you mean 'get roared at and given no room to put out a word in edgewise', then yes." He flicked the reins, and they were off again. "Alright. With the two of us a bit more spread out, we might could do some damage before she does too much harm to us or anyone else. Just try not to hit me, heh..." It was mostly a joke, but his eyes weren't in it.

Kodachrome hummed as she listened. "She must be protecting eggs. It's only right a mother do so." She mused. "Maybe if we can get a scouting party we could move her nesting site if things go wrong. It'd be dangerious but.. She sounds like she is too." She would not hessitate to get up onto a horse or into the caravan once that was ready. Letting Windy take the lead on where they were going. She'd keep near the balista at any rate. Keeping it loaded and ready to fire. "Mn. Heres to luck. May it be on our sides."

Windthor Pryas shrugged. "Honestly? By this point, we may have no other choice but to kill her. My failure last time means that she's pissed off enough that she's going to rage. Eggs or not..." He took a deep breath as they went. "...She's gotta go." The hybrid drove the caravan east, towards the mountain, and up the winding trade-route road. The trip would take a little less than an hour, and once they reached the gate to Hawkmount, he paused. "Hey, why don't we leave the horse here?" he suggested. "This way, it's out of the way and... Just in case we need a quick escape, we can jump on its back. I can pull the carriage to the middle of town, since that's where the dragon was last time."

Kodachrome nodded as she'd get off the horse and tie it up for now to hide it off. She'd motion then once the wagon was free. "Alright if you wish to pull then pull away. I am starting to get the feeling I should have gotten Zel to come along and help us. Maybe a few others like Zee. She could help too. But .. We will see how well we go." She sighed hearing a roar as they got nearer to town should windy start pulling. "I don't think she dosn't see us coming." She offered. Why? Someone was airborn.

Windthor Pryas Once the horse was tied off, he dropped down from the seat of the carriage and gripped onto the poles that extended from the front of it, before setting off. It was slow going at first, but he got into a good pace as he headed towards the center of town. His ears pricked up, however, at the roar. "No, she's watching for trespassers, now. Get on the ballista, make sure it's loaded up and ready before we get there." It would be slightly awkward, perhaps, but Windy wasn't slowing down. The center of the town had the most room to move around, and Windy stopped where Koda could have a good veiw of the entire surrounding area. He locked the wheels in place, so they wouldn't be going anywhere, but now that dragon was coming down.She was massive. Body as long as a house, and a tail that was even longer. However, as she landed, she glared at the two people who dared come for her. Windy's previous efforts were visible on her; A barely-closed wound on her tail, a long gash on her chest, a hole in the webbing of her left wing, and what probably amounted to a minor scratch on her right paw were her injuries. Something clicked in his mind, and he dove into the carriage, rummaging around as the dragon reared back. As he came out, he had a pair of earplugs, and he jumped up with Koda and shoved them into her ears, just as the dragon let out a massive, ear-splitting roar. Windy flinched and shook, clamping his palms to his ears and moving to the side to drop off the carriage again, but at least Koda would have a good opening, now, as he made to get earplugs in, himself.

Kodachrome would brace herself as she got earplugs and loaded up. It was ready to go, almost. And she saw the dragon land. Lordy they were in over their heads for sure!!! She would however nod as she braced for impact at the roar. if not for the plugs she'd have gone deaf. And well? She was still a bit stunned as her trigger finger fired. "SHIT!" She snarled as the shot flew past the dragon. Leaving a minor hole in her wings and only pissing her off as she'd turn. Her tail being used like a ram to try and smash the balista, the people on it, and just distroy the thing before it could be loaded up or it could pose the dragon massive damages. Koda saw that incoming as she'd try to grab hold of windy as her wings pumped hard. Trying to drag him skyward to avoid the thing, abandoning ship on the balista.

Windthor Pryas would have caught the swinging appendage as it came at the carriage, but in all honesty, it would have taken him with the thing. Still, as he was taken into the air, he looked down, the dragon apparently seeing the ballista itself as a bigger threat than the ones controlling it, as it reared back, this time with fire and smoke billowing from its nostrils, to lay waste to the weapon. "Drop me on top of her!" he shouted, and once she did, his tucked his wings in to his sides, allowing the wind to rush past him with less drag, his weight and momentum making him land, hard, on the dragon's back. Of course, he didn't take into account her wings, which came together on either side of his body and distracted him just long enough for her to move her head around, biting down onto his arm with enough force to bend the metal of the bracer, putting pressure on his forearm, enough that soon a pop would be heard. "Aaggh!"

Kodachrome snarled as she heard the pop. "OH FUCK NO." She came down upon the dragons head once she'd dropped windy and he got smacked and bitten. Her mace dropping right for an eye as she snarled and aimed to smack again but she let go of him and turned on koda. Slapping her away as she'd turn to her and bring her mouth open and breath out. Koda in turn hurled the mace like it was a shotput for the dragon's neck. Landing it in but not before she got fired upon. Rushing away as her feathers took the beating for her. Her arm as well that sheilded her face.. Burning up as she rolled on the ground trying to get the fire out, snarling and yelling curses in some strange language that came to her.

Windthor Pryas fell heavily on the ground, favoring his arm to his side, but as Koda got attacked, he rushed forwards again. To hell with his arm. Using his powerful wings, he leaped into the air, himself, clasping his hands together before gravity took him. Both fists came down, colliding with the top of the dragon's snout, and snapping her jaws shut, the force of the strike sent a shockwave through the dragon, making its rear come up as its chin landed on the ground. The hybrid kept going, punching the dragon several times in the head and jaw, and doing more damage to himself than he was to the dragon. However, it caught him around the ankle with one claw, snapping him out of his state of rampage before almost lazily tossing him in Koda's direction. Windy's hands were bleeding at the knuckles. Right, that was why he had the sword. Turning to Koda, he got to work at patting the fire away, not caring that it was burning his own fur. "Koda, are you alright!?"

Kodachrome snarled as she brushed off the flames and her burnt up hair before she nodded. "Lets get her!!" She snarled while rushing out from the ground. She was not able to fly for now. Until she molted at least .And a wing was dragging but she'd rush off without windy. Which likely was hardly what was good. The dragon took that chance to come down upon the wounded limb like a heat seeking missle. Narrow jaws peirced it with a snap as Koda screamed. It hurt, It hurt bad. And she brought a blade up on the good wing to slash the dragons throat and face but in the end she got picked up like a dog with a toy. Thrashed about befoe let go. Off into a tree she'd go. Crashing till she fell in a heap near the path they'd tken to get in. Out cold. She needed a medic as her wing bled.

Windthor Pryas panted heavily, his knuckles dripping with blood, but Koda was what he was worried about. As the dragon advanced on her unconscious form, his eyes fell on that mace. Picking it up, he rushed forward, moving around to the front of the dragon, and used his momentum to swing the mace around, hard, to make the head collide with the side of the dragon's head, with a heavy thunk. She'd have the equivilent of a blace eye, perhaps even now missing an eye, maybe, but he succeeded in what he was going for; She was distracted. Stooping, he pulled Koda in a fireman's carry onto one shoulder and sprinted to the entrance to the town, hearing the dragon roaring behind him. Hoisting Koda onto the saddle and untying the horse, he jumped on, and snapped the reins. They were gone, but the dragon was more pissed than ever.

Title:Building Bridges
Client: Kasurian Road Officials
Type: Labor
Difficulty: 60
Job Length: One Day
Reward: Eight Platinum
Bonus: Letter of Recognition at 80 or Above
Risk: Materials (Failure means waste of raw materials)
Description: "The path from Hawkmount to the desert on the other side of the mountains is treacherous enough as is; but having to circumvent the huge gap halfway across the mountains makes it even worse. Lives are lost on this trail every year, damaging trade significantly. If we could build a suitable bridge over this gap and to the other side of the mountain it would not only shorten travel but make it exponentially safer. We'd like to hire you to help us with the construction of this bridge. Be warned though, this job will be expecially dangerous giving the working conditions. It's rocky, cold, windy, and wild animals or monsters are occasionally sighted."

Roll: 62, Success!

Summary of Events

Zelanze wasn't one to turn away from this sort of work, even if he was inexperienced. The cold, rough conditions made travel a dangerous chore but somehow he managed. Careful steps over loose rock up what could be loosely defined as a 'trial' as Bessy, the Ox, pulled the caravan behind him; filled with materials and all he would need in order to do the job. The heavy winds made the cart sway and turn in the wind, creaking with every gust and causing the knight's tension to mount each time it wavered close to the ledge.

Once they were at the location though, it was more work than it was dangerous. Unpacking the poles, rope, wood, and walking plank he'd get to work over the course of the rest of the day. Out of the heavy chainmail and in to heavy, winter attire for the job he'd be on his paws and knees hammering in the spikes. It'd take the rest of the evening but soon enough the bridge would be built over the relatively large gap.

[Whoops short]

Title: The Scholars Tower
Client: Great Library of Malgrave
Type: Exploration
Difficulty: 70
Job Length: Four Hours (36 total with rolls and risk)
Reward: Eight Platinum Five Gold
Bonus: A Rare Book on Magic Arithmetic (Worth 5 gold to sell)
Risk: Time (Plus Four Hours for every 10 under 150)
Description: The abandoned Scholar's Tower has been an intriguing landmark for centuries, lost to the world until rediscovered and cleared of bandits by a young adventurer in a red cloak about two years ago now. Although the tower has been mostly picked clean of it's rarest books we believe a small expedition could find books and information of note to turn over to the library in Malgrave.

Party Members: Conner Dramicus, Zerelda
Rolls: Combined total and all modifiers/penalties taken into account: 71


Conner Dramicus had been running around the estate for the past several days making various arrangements and marking off checklists for the job and journey ahead of him. It was his first job for the Balestra family and he was determined to ensure that everything was to go off without a hitch, but little did he know what would actually lay ahead for him. He'd made arrangements for a caravan to escort himself and Zerelda to Malgrave where they would meet with the cartographer that had mapped out a few of the levels in the tower, purchase the map and other supplies, and set off on what he hoped would be a successful expedition. By the time the sun crept over the horizon on the day that there travels would begin the hybrid would already be up and ready to go, his freshly washed and dried leather trench coat was fastened over his simple attire of cotton shirt and linen pants, both of a deep green hue. He'd left a nice breakfast of orange juice, toast and a breakfast scramble on a platter beside her bed letting her know that all was already taken care of and to meet him outside. He would currently be found in the courtyard at the front of the estate, loading up one of the horses with several packs of supplies which held enough for them to survive for at least a few days. Once that was finished he'd take a moment to gently pet the beast of burden before sadling up and getting a feel for her. His face seemed to lack the luster that it once held with recent happenings fresh in his mind, but the determination in his eyes was evidence enough that the lad would recover eventually. The ordeal in the city had been a hell of a thing, one that had rocked the young lad to his core, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

The breakfast he'd left for the Duchess had lacked one crucial component: Coffee. And that would set the mood for the rest of the trip. She was agitated and distant during the entire day's journey to the capitol, even after he'd brewed a pot of coffee for her when their caravan broke for lunch. By the time they reached Malgrave twilight was already upon them, the entire trip having been spent with the apprentice and his mentor separated by several hundred yards most of the time. When they finally reached the inn he'd haul their bags up to the room before joining Zerelda in the pub for a nice meal, though not even that would happen without the hybrid dropping the ball. A big show was made of him picking a fight with another male that was making advances on the Duchess... who promptly left the pub and headed off into the night. The hybrid barely managed to escape getting his hide removed and bolted out into the streets as well, looking for his mentor in the darkness of the alleys before returning several hours later. He'd climb into their room through the window before curling up on his bedroll beside the bead, leaving the comfiest place for the Duchess.

Before the sun broke over the horizon he would already be up and in the marketplace, restocking their supplies from the cream of the crop as all the various stalls and shops first opened. When he returned to the inn he would find the Duchess already bright-eyes and bushy-tailed and ready to start the day, the lad wolfing down his breakfast quickly so as to not keep her waiting, shouldering his pack and setting off for the tower even as Zerelda ran her own set of errands. There was a tangible tension between them as they met outside of the tower before stepping inside, as though there was some force at work outside the scope of mere mortals that loomed over them both. It would take them several hours alone to climb the stairs, only taking one break on their way up to the upper-most reaches of the tower before setting about scouring the place for any signs of valuables, tomes and trinkets alike.

It quickly became apparent why nobody had ventured so high into the abandoned tower before as shortly after discovering a chest ripe with intellectual riches, the roof of the tower literally collapsed on the two of them, the copper lightning rod that had been set atop the tower crashed in after weighing down the conical roof for countless years. They managed to escape with their lives but in its decent it too out much of the stairs they had used to get there, the pair forced to work together to make their way down carefully. It would be a day and a half since they entered the tower before the pair would finally emerge, well fed and hydrated but exhausted as all hell since they hadn't slept a wink since entering the tower. He would pass off most of their findings to the great library as well as break the news to them about the extent of the damage to their tower, enduring a few misplaced jabs at him from several crotchety old creatures before managing to duck out and returning to the stables where they had left their mounts a couple days prior. Their steeds were tied to the back of a straw lined wagon on the outskirts of the city before he rolled out his bedroll between the crates, helping the Duchess up into it before the two of them wordlessly passed out and slumbered together on their way back to the estate.

So much for a perfect job...

Title: LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED (Red Dragon Finale)
Client: Kasurian Officials
Type: Sellsword(Monster Hunting)
Difficulty: 100
Job Length: One Hour
Reward: Ten Platinum
Bonus: Red Dragon Hide
Risk: Injury
Description: All attempts to stop the Red Dragon have failed and the Kasurian military are too run dry after the draconic army attack off of Bannissard. With the guild's unable to stop her she runs rampant. Her body is war torn, weapons sticking from her hide showing the countless failures of raid's against her. Her flames bellow out mixed with her own blood and her torn wings loom over the sky. The death and damage tolls rises and if nobody stops her soon the damage she has caused will rival or surpass the battle at Bannissard. She's perched herself in the highs of Mount Kasuria now and the job details have changed. Take the fight to her soon, and hard, or all hope is lost.
Special: Minor Siege Weaponry will be available.

Party Members: Anyone and Everyone
Roll: None, this event was used as the reset after an extended absence.

Story (Ripped straight from Zel's Journal):

Campaign at Dragon's Mouth
It's been some time since I was able to break free from my work to write, let alone board a ship back towards Guildereim. For the last several month's I have been working on dealing with the menace that was the angered red dragon, which I now believe was set off by Windthor's injury of it's younger. Having done extensive damage to the Kasurian country it formed a lair of flame which quickly earned the name "Dragon's Mouth."

Perhaps my longest single campaign or job to date, staving off the high dragon took me bearing over two months of work. It seems the natural call of a powerful dragon to be able to bring it's kin to bare and that was certainly the case as the issue of one dragon quickly grew to an issue of many. Even with a forward base outside of Dragon's Mouth we found conflict with never more than a few days of rest inbetween. Not just myself, nor the few of my employ that came with me, but soldiers of the Kasurian Military as well.

Having finally slain the beast and it's horde, marked here on the last day of the third month of this year, I now make my way back to familiar land. Unable to send word back to the island in my time away, I understand that my slaves and perhaps many of my colleges had moved on from my employ.

(Yup, i'm semi-back from my three month hiatus. I probably wont ever be active like I was, being on for so many hours every day, but I do plan to play. I miss my friends like Koda and Max and the others and I hope to see you all around.)

Job: A Pirate Problem
Target Number: 40
Total Roll: 117 (No damage)
Bonus Reward: Pirate Treasure

(Unfortunately the job was removed from the board before I could save it, so I don't know what all the things for it were.)

BOOM

Windthor Pryas jerked awake, the cot he was in rocking violently. Or rather, the ship that he and his employer had boarded was rocking. There was panicked shouting, thudding of feet and even more explosions. The hybrid fell onto the floor, scrambled for a second, then got to his feet. "That wasn't long at all," Windy muttered, rolling his shoulder and reaching out to grab his sword, which had been leaning against the beam that was supporting the cot he'd rolled out of.

"Windthor!" shouted a voice as the eponymous canine strapped the two-handed broadsword to his back, the grip behind his left shoulder. Just in case. Zelanze Balestra, knight errant, stopped three steps above the landing. "Get on the deck!"

"Right behind you!" Fox and dog sprinted up the stairs back to the deck, joining the vessel's crew, who were scrambling and yelling orders to one another. "Captain, how are you up there?" called Windy over the racket.

"Ask me again when we're not getting blown the fuck up!" Larris yelled in response as a cannon ball sent a pillar of water up onto the deck, which pitched to one side.

"So far, everything seems to be going as planned," said Zel conversationally, making sure his gloves were secured. Windy adjusted his own bracers, the golden Balestra seal emblazoned on the iron glimmering in the high sun. "The pirates have taken the bait. It is only a matter of time before they catch up, board us, and... We'll be forced to defend ourselves."

"Lucky for us, we're prepared," said Windy, looking at the ship in the distance, the obvious Jolly Roger giving them away. Another flash of cannon fire, and Larris swerved to the left again, though the large iron ball struck the corner of the ship. "Will this thing hold up to a whole lot of fire?"

"No. It was being decommissioned for a reason, after all." Zel ran over to the stern, leaning over the railing slighly to survey the damage. "We're not taking on any water, but they don't know that, we should--" The pirate ship was gaining ground on them, turning their broadside to the ship again. "Claris, hard right!"

"Way ahead of you, Your Highness!" yelled the captain right back. Zel's ears flicked and he shook his head. She'd been teasing him the entire journey.

"Zel, I really hope this works," said the hybrid, moving back towards the doorway with his employer. "Well, actually, I hope they're stupid and greedy enough that they don't just... Sink us."

"When they begin to board us, that is when we shall strike back, Windthor," said Zel, moving to duck into the doorway with Wind. "That is the plan. Relax. Everything is going as planned, and we hold all the cards."

"Pirates don't play fair, Zel."

"Neither do we. Anyway, why so pessimistic all of a sudden, my friend?" The hybrid shrugged.

"I dunno, there's too many variables, I think? I mean, okay. We have an old merchant ship, dressed up as if it's got cargo..." Zel nodded, obviously fighting not to roll his eyes. "Okay, I know, Zel, just bear with me, I'm trying to cope with nerves, here. We have a merchant ship. We have... A handful of other guardsmen disguised as crew members, a few others hidden, like we are..." The white flag started being raised above their heads, the anchor was dropped, and their vessel came to a stop. "Now if we're lucky and the pirates are stupid, they'll board us, and we'll ambush them, capture or... Kill them, and the trade route between Port Lathora and Guildereim'll be safe to pass through."

"Yes, and once they board us, you will stop thinking." Zel grasped Windy's shoulder, giving him a small shake. "And you will act when we get the signal. Understand?" The hybrid took a deep breath, then let it out again, nodding. Zel nodded as well, before forcing the taller canine back into the shadows. "Then be quiet and keep calm, they're approaching. Wait for the captain to get on board."

Captain Claris stepped back from the wheel, breathing heavily, but was otherwise calm. The pirate vessel came to a stop beside them, none too gently slamming into the merchant ship's broadside with their own. Windy peeked over a crate, spotting the pirate captain, who merely waved his hand, and the rest of the crew approached. "The captain's not boarding, Zel," hissed the hybrid.

"...What?" the fox moved beside his employee as pirates hopped the gap, approaching Claris and demanding that she stand down. "Oh, he must have gotten used to easily taking any and all ships. He doesn't feel like he even needs to join his crew. Hmph. Very cocky."

"Well, you said yourself, take down the captain and the crew is sure to lose morale, right?"

"That tends to be the case, yes." Zel's ears flicked and his hand trailed towards his sword, almost the entire pirate crew sans the captain himself had boarded, moving towards the crates and barrels where the "cargo" was stored. "What are you planning to do?"

"Something that you'd probably order me to do anyway," said the hybrid, rolling his head from one side to the other and looking to Claris, who caught his eye. He nodded, and she stepped back, lifting her hand to point two fingers up into the air, then crouched down. Yells began to ring out again, several members of the merchant crew leaping out from within or behind the crates to engage the pirates that boarded them.

"Lets go!" snapped Windy, vaulting over his own hiding place. Zel followed in the hybrid's wake, who clotheslined a pair of pirates before jumping up onto the railing. Using his massive wings to give a mighty flap, he leaped up into the air. The pirate captain and his first mate, in shock, watched the tall canine's journey as gravity took him again, both fists coming down. His target was the first mate, who jumped back to avoid the hybrid slamming to the deck, but was unable to keep from being tackled, Windy taking them into the captain's quarters through the open door.

Zel, meanwhile, merely sprinted across the gangplank, deciding to use his guard's distraction to run up at the captain himself, who only noticed the fox just in time to draw his own sword as Zel's rapier flicked out. The captain, a tall, but thin horse, deflected the thinner blade and Zel stepped back, drawing his parrying dagger from his hip and holding it in his offhand as the pair faced off.

Windy rolled to his feet, the first mate climbing back to hers. She was shorter than him, a cheetah, he guessed, by her spots, but the pair of daggers she drew from her belt glimered in the lamplight of the captain's room. As she lowered into a stance, holding the blades inverted, Windy took a deep breath through his nose to calm himself, then strode forward, fists raising level with his cheekbones. "Do me a favor and let's skip the whole 'would I hit a woman' thing. You already know I will."

The pirate captain stumbled back into the mast, holding his side, where a red stain was starting to grow on his shirt. Zel, his cape billowing in the wind, stood stoic and calm, feet taking him sideways, though he kept his sword pointed at the captain's chest. "Ready to give up?" asked the fox, who didn't have a scratch on him.

The horse nickered, reaching into his tunic with his left hand in answer. Drawing a flintlock pistol, he pointed it, but Zel stepped forward. A simple flick of the wrist pointed the barrel of the gun to the left, the iron ball hitting nothing but air until it lodged into the wood railing. The captain flipped the gun, catching the barrel in his hand and swung it around. Zel ducked down, swinging his rapier around to leave a deep cut at the horse's ribs.

The horse, grinning, swung his own sword, though it was caught in Zel's parrying dagger, and the fox twisted the blade, yanking the captain's sword out of his grip, where its point stuck into the deck to Zel's right. The fox booted the captain in the stomach and the horse fell back, letting out a grunt and made to stand before Zel pointed at his throat with the tip of his blade.

In the captain's quarters, Windy blocked one of the first mate's blades, letting it slide along the left-handed iron bracer before striking her across the face with his right fist. She stumbled over, but caught herself and jabbed one dagger to the hybrid's belly, which he avoided, catching her other wrist in his large hand to avoid getting his throat cut. The cheetah snarled, lifting her foot for a kick, but Windy merely dropped her, pulling his arms up to block the kick with both bracers.

Turning, Windy spun on one foot, large wings tucked in as he swung his forearm around and crouched, catching her right-side ribcage. The force of the strike caused her to stumble backwards and drop one of her knives, which Windy quickly kicked away before advancing on her. She lifted both feet this time, basically sitting on the table before kicking out. The hybrid ducked down, grabbing her legs with his shoulder under her knees before lifting her up.

Snarling, she was brought right back down, her back breaking the table in half. She whined, trying to lift her arm to reach into her vest, but windy brought a fist down to the middle of her face. Head snapping back, she was out cold in an instant, and the hybrid sighed, reaching up to grasp his shoulder as he rolled his arm. "Wow, I expected that to be harder..."

Outside, Zel had removed the captain's shirt and holsters, having tied up his wrists and made absolutely sure that no more weapons were on his person before pushing him towards the merchant vessel. The "crew" were throwing the pirates who didn't surrender into the ocean, and the ones who had were tied up on the deck. Windy arrived soon after, the unconscious form of the first mate draped over one shoulder, her wrists and ankles tied. "Good work Windthor," said Zel, nodding in approval. "Did she give you any trouble?"

"Not really, surprisingly," said Windy, shrugging. "A couple close calls, but I handled it. How about him?" The hybrid indicated the shirtless and disarmed captain, who huffed and looked away.

"Skilled enough, almost shot me. But, in the end, he surrendered." Zel smiled a little, patting Windy on the shoulder and stepping across the gangplank with the captain, who stumbled and fell heavily onto the other deck.

"Good job, you two," said Claris, who stepped up to them with her fists on her hips and a smile on her masked face. "No casualties on our side, the pirates are beaten, and the trade route is clear for now." The raccoon squatted down, grinning at the captain. "And you're outta business." She yelled for the guards who accompanied them to take the pirates belowdecks and lock them up.

Zel stepped back as a pair of guards lifted the captain to his feet, and Windy handed the first mate to another guard. "Well, that's that," said the hybrid, crossing his ars over his broad chest.

"Indeed. And you were worried," teased Zel, and Windy rubbed his nose.

"Heheh, we'll raid the pirate's ship," said Claris, holding out her hand to Zel, who grasped it and nodded. "And you guys can take a share of the treasure."

"I will go and make sure the pirates are secured," said Zel, turning to Windthor. "Help the crew with the heavy lifting, won't you?" Windy snickered as Claris rolled her eye, giving him a light shove towards the pirate ship.

Zel sighed softly, taking a rag from within his tunic and cleaning his blade as he walked towards the stairs to the belly of the ship.

Not a bad job at all, if he did say so himself

Title: Trapped!
Client: Search and Rescue Officials
Type: Exploration
Difficulty: 30
Job Length: Four Hours
Reward: Three Platinum
Bonus: Countless Letters of Thanks
Risk: Materials
Description: Several Adventurers disappeared off of trails in the far north. It's thought they either fell victim to an animal attack or plummeted from the high trails. House Balestra has been requested to send an adventurer to locate those who have disappeared and either offer them aid, or return with their bodies.
Party Members: Finn
Roll: 37, success with minor damage to Finn

The Story
Finn was always one for a good sob-story and hearing about the trapped adventurers only fuelled that, despite his lack of experience with ‘adventure’. Determined to do a good job the Mage packed well, making sure to include plenty of mana drinks for himself as well as the supplies for the lost, his pack was tiny, able to be strapped to his belt but magically enhanced to ensure he could fit everything into the tiny space, it was a fun trick he’d learned in his first year at the Mage Tower.

Setting off early that morning he made rather good time and came across the beginning of the trail quite easily, then forming a tracking spell he walked the same path the adventurers had days earlier. After an hour’s swift marching he came across the signs of a scuffle between man and beast, claw marks, broken trees and blood all around. A few steps further he was met with the carcass of the large bear that the team had obviously met, he was glad that it was indeed the bear that had seemed to come out the worst for the scrap.

Though it was then he noticed a second blood trail, following that the flow seemed to be heavy and from multiple sources, clearly they had been injured in the fray but had enough energy to get away it seemed. Finally coming upon a cave system he summoned light to the end of his staff and walked within.

“Hello?” he called out into the darkness, waiting for a reply, hoping he was not too late.

“We’re in here!” came the reply a few seconds later, Finn heaved a sigh of relief and walked further into the cave and found the three men huddled in a corner, beaten and bloodied, looking somewhat dehydrated but certainly alive.

“Here, let me tend to those wounds then I’ll get you back to town,” said the boy as he knelt and took out healing potions from his pack, giving one to each man and making them drink, while watching them he then cast quick healing spells upon them to give them that extra bit of energy to make the trip back down the mountain.

It was during this brief reprieve that there came a loud crash from above then a loud rumbling as the cave system itself began to fall apart, rocks coming tumbling down, without thinking the Mage flung a shield spell over the injured men, forgetting all about himself in the process as he was so prone to doing.

“Hurry on out!” he called to them, using most of his remaining mana to ensure the shield remaining strong for them, moving swiftly along behind them himself, leaving the pack behind in his rush. It was then that a rock came down, narrowly missing hitting him full on but caught him enough to scratch from forehead to jaw, deep enough to draw blood and leave a nasty gushing wound.

Doing his best to ignore being half blinded by the hot, sticky liquid he got them out of the cave just as the mouth of it was covered by the landslide of rocks and snow. Panting he held the edge of his cloak up to the injured side of his face, the shield around the men fading as his mana reserves began to deplete.

“Damnit, left my pack in there!” he grumbled, looking forlornly back to the mouth of the cave. “No more magic for me for today,” he added with a sigh and began to walk down the trails with the injured men in tow. They seemed quite chipper compared to Finn who had to walk with his head tilted slightly back, he was not at all used to having to heal himself without magic!

But after another hour or so of the painfully slow walk, they four reached the nearest town, Finn dropped the three men off at the base for the Search and Rescue team to ensure that all their details could be taken down and that they would receive extra medical care. Refusing it himself the stubborn Mage returned to his own home, needing the rest to recover physically and to regain his reserves of mana.

All in all not a bad first mission – at least the clients didn’t get injured under Finn’s watch!

Title: Liam's Trial (A Basilisk Extravaganza)
Client: Tilgore Populace
Difficulty: 70
Job Length: One Day
Reward: Five Platinum, Five Gold
Bonus: Basilisk Meat
Risk: Injury
Description: "Children have been going missing in Tilgore and the brave men who investigate have been turned to stone. Find out what has been happening"

The Role Play
It would be some time before they arrived, long bumpy travel over a road barely maintained. The crunch of rocks, gravel, and occasionally grass beneath the tire as Bessie 2 pulled them down and along the way at a gradual pace.

As they pulled in to the town it was almost like a ghost town, small buildings where in half seemed vacant. Many all but abandoned mid thought, lived in but empty. What remained of the towns population that had neither left or died mostly seemed to stay indoors.

Ariel would frown, perhaps the most somber expression he'd of seen her woth yet, before the more familiar look of anger as the cart rolled forward on to more properly paved roads. The worst of it was towards the center of down, where many of the stoned citizens had been "recovered", standing practically on display. Brought back by guards and family members who didn't want to leave them In the field.

"Hop down, see if you can find anyone to talk to. We need know what's going on, perhaps a guard at the least" there was a long pause before she'd add "Father liked to say woth monster hunting it was best to end the creature humanely. But this...it." clearly conflicted, it was hard not to hate what would do this feral or not.

[1/29/2016 6:25:15 PM | Edited 6:25:22 PM] Liam Laca: The look of shock was covered instantly by a look of tempered composure.
This was a look it seemed, that Liam had had all too much practice in. His green eyes slit instantly, that tail stopped dead behind him and his body was brought to it's full height. But his lips were a thin like and his ears were forward. If someone did know better, they might even take him as simply stern.

But this was a slow burn of anger that he simply had a hair triggered door to keep it all in.

Wonder where he picked ­­­­­­­_that_ little trick up?

"I'll meet you at the center of town." Handing her the reigns and then just poofing off and away.

He didn't even wait or think of which place to best start, he just found the first door he saw and knocked on it.
[1/29/2016 6:30:19 PM] Ariel Balestra: Ariel had never seen Liam mad, but she certainly recognized the way he sought to temper himself. Before she could say a word he was off, and she'd just give a deep sigh. Adjusted the reigns of the ox she'd give it a slight tug and be off.

It would take a few knocks to get someone to answer the door, after all people were either scared or gone outright. When he finally got an answer though, a middle aged woman carefully pulled the door open a crack only to give a relieved sigh and open it the rest of the way when she saw the lad. "Are you fr-" not even able to finish the sentence before a young back dashed from the house.

Inbetween her legs and passed Liam he would go, quick little bugger fast like tiny greased lightning. His goal? To snatch the largest thing Liam had, likely his staff if he had it, and take off down the road running waving it about. The woman didn't do much to stop it, other than an apologetic and embarrassed look. It was clear they had been cooped up in the home for awhile, and the boy had energy to burn.
[1/29/2016 6:39:57 PM] Liam Laca: Before Liam had really the time to respond, he looked behind him, seeing the small child, running off at a pretty quick pace with his staff.
Angry though he might be at the fact that this town had suffered as long as it had, he couldn't hold the child accountable for that. With his mouth open to respond, he let out a sigh and a coy smile.
"Hold that thought for a tick-" winking, the faun clicked his tongue like he was calling for a horse and then dashed off after the kid. Bounding off in little jumps, clearly slowing down to let the kid feel like he had the upper hand, he laughed a bit and called out to him.
"Heyo kiddo! Aint yall heard stealin's rude?!"
[1/29/2016 6:42:41 PM] Ariel Balestra: The kid kept running; After all wouldn't you if you were winning? It'd been awhile since he had been outside, and boys would be boys as he hauled ass about as fast as little legs could carry him. Making his way northward, even taking sharp turns around building. Liam's call out would earn him a very stern extended tongue and pulled down eye lid as the kid only doubled down.

He wouldn't stop until he made it to the northbound road out of town, practically sliding to a stop to fall on his legs. (Unless, of course, Liam stopped him before that). Sitting there in the road, or knocked over by the man that could in all honestly catch him at any time, he seemed to tinker and scratch at the staff.
[1/29/2016 6:47:56 PM] Liam Laca: Before the kid was able to fall, Liam would have, attempted to scoop him up so he didn't get injured. He's have him hung limply in his arms, letting him hold onto and pick at the staff. It would be hard to break and honestly Clover had knocked the thing against cobbled road as a way to intimidate people (seeing as he too never learned how to use it)

"Bit of a runner eh Kiddo?" Liam asked as he started to bound back to the child's mother. "You're gonna have ta run better`n that if you're gonna go tryin to seal people's stuff.." ruffling the kid's hair and then, when he was finally at his mothers, attempted to hand him back, should the child not try to squirm away.

"I think ya lost this?" He asked, that stern look now finally going back to something a little more at ease.
[1/29/2016 6:53:59 PM] Ariel Balestra: The child eep'd out as he was rather easily lifted. It wasn't as if he weighed much, and being left to his own devices he didn't squirm. Rather focused on whatever it was he was doing to poor Liam's staff.

When he was finally returned to the mother she'd take him and place him back on the ground, with a stern thwak to his rear. With a few tugs she'd even retrieve the staff and hand it back to him "I'm sorry, he's not usually like this. I think we're all just looking for a little normalcy these days" she would say, doing her best to fake a smile.

Scratched down the side of the staff was a crude drawing of the Balestra Heraldry, or a child's interpretation of it. Poorly written with finger pricks down along next to it was the word "Hope". The kid had seen the enter town, it was hard not to notice the only caravan that entered the township for weeks and everybody knew they were coming. The only people who had promised to help them within a price they could afford.

[1/29/2016 7:01:17 PM] Liam Laca: At first he was a little upset, this was his fathers, it didn't really belong to Balestra, it belong with him and he was allowed to have it only because Clover couldn't say yes or no either way..

But 'Hope'.
That was his word, and it burned a little in his throat as he read it. Hope.. That's what they were bringing with them..

He let his fingers trail over the word for a moment before finally returning to meet the mother's eyes.
"I understand Mam. My names Liam Laca. I'm here with Ariel Balestra. We're here to help." looking to see if Ariel was far or if she was doing her own sleuthing.

"Mam, I don't mean to upset ya none, but if you can help us piece together what's going on here. I know that there's a fair number of folks being taken in the dead of night, and I know the little ones are being targeted first. Can yall give me any details about if anyone was out after dark when it happened? Or if anyone's seen the thing that might`a caused this? Even when it started happenin?"
[1/29/2016 7:05:24 PM | Edited 7:09:48 PM] Ariel Balestra: Kid didn't know any better, all he knew was their Heraldry rolling in to town. With a sore butt and a mean pout though he disappeared back in to the house and his mother's eyes returned to Liam's own. "Oh, ah. I'm Grace. I'm sorry about your staff there, we have...we have carpenters in town to smooth it out. If you all are able to help us" genuinely apologetic, after all she didn't want to ruin relations with their potential heroes.

Ariel wasn't in eye shot, out somewhere towards the center of town. Presumably investigating on her own or, more likely, waiting for Liam to do all the word.

"Well, yeah. It's a mixture of things. Anyone who takes the north road out of town never returns, and we've received no travelers from the direction in a long time. That was all well and poor, but then kids started disappearing. One every week or so a few would go missing. We had our own guards and sellswords of course, but it was their children who disappeared first. So they all went off, half cocked planning to save their kids from whatever was northward. None of them returned, 'cept as statues brave young'uns and wives went out to retrieve. That's all we know, nobody can get far enough out there to find out what it is doing this without never coming back. All the disappearances happened after dark, yeah, but often kids would disappear right from their homes. Been, i'd say, several weeks now."
[1/29/2016 7:14:48 PM] Liam Laca: "So aint no one coming or going from the north, and these kids just up and got taken right out of their homes..." He paused a moment.
Seemed rather convenient that all the guards and warriors children were taken first..
"And.. I mean have any of the kids come back as statues?" turning to check himself, the effigy in the center of town had him kind of tunnel visioned to check what their ages might be.

"And, I guess last question Grace, if yall don't mind me askin, is how ya've been able to keep your own little scamp safe, if ya've been doing anything different that is?"
[1/29/2016 7:18:05 PM] Ariel Balestra: She shook her head "None of the kids, though honestly we're glad. If they aren't coming back as statues, that means they're probably still alive right?" that, or they had been eaten or served some purpose. Perhaps though, that was not information she wanted to hear.

"After the first two kids went missing I started keeping him with me. Within eye shot, he doesn't go outside, and he stays in my bed at night. He doesn't like it any but...if anything came for him, no way it'd get passed me" not that she appeared at all capable of stopping anything. "If you guys are going, and. I mean if you make it back. One of the statues, it'll be a man with a chipped ear. Ain't go no hair anymore. That's my husband. If-..if you would be so kind as to bring him home"
[1/29/2016 7:22:42 PM] Liam Laca: Her own words grabbed Liam by the throat and made it hard to swallow for a moment, let alone speak.

Still though, Liam offered his hand, and shook hers warmly and firmly.
"Grace if I see him, I'll bring him home for ya. Keep safe."

When he left he felt that same strange mixture of anger but also drive, he wanted to charge into the woods and clear the land till everyone was brought back and the monster slain.

But this wasn't his story books, and this wasn't going to be so easy. He went to find Ariel to tell her what he knew, see if the stories matched.
[1/29/2016 7:25:13 PM] Ariel Balestra: Ariel was never hard to find and, when he returned to the center of town as they had agreed to meet she was already there. Sat up on the caravan with her legs crossed and a somber expression. She did seem to perk up some when she saw him, but it was hard to be as "excitable" as she usually was given the situation.

"People turned to stone like this. I think it's a Cockatrice, to turn them to rock so fully." she feigned a confident smile. "Father killed one of these around here a year or two ago by himself, so it should be easy right? With us two? We can help these people..."

"What did you learn?"
[1/29/2016 7:31:40 PM] Liam Laca: "The northern road's scorched earth. Aint no one been in or outta there the last several weeks. Kid's aint been going there, they'd been straight snatched outta their homes... Whatever it was, was smart enough to nab the kids of the guards and fighters." He crossed his own arms and leaned against the cart. "I mean it sure sounds like it's a cockatrice but, I mean, big ole beast like that? How's it sneakin those kids away? And I mean, I aint never met one before but they ain't exactly written like they was something clever enough to pull some kinda 'able bodies' first move."

Still he ran his fingers along the word carved into the staff.
"I mean if it is a cockatrice, than all we gotta do is get some blindfolds, some roosters and a mirror!" trying to add a little bit of lightheartedness here.
"But.. It sounds like the heart of all`a this lies on that northern road.."
[1/29/2016 7:35:20 PM] Ariel Balestra: Ariel hadn't noticed the staff yet, taking his shifting grip more as a sign of nervousness. So, she would try to put his mind at east as she stood up. Reaching back, she ripped the tarp off of the caravan to reveal the entire reason they had brought thing. Instead of cargo was a large, mounted ballista hooked to some kind of swivel. "Woman made this for the house some years ago, just about the most complex ballista designed" she looked rather proud of it even.

"I think we take this to the northern road. Don't need no roosters or mirrors, if it's medusa or some cockatrice we'll run it through" that was the depth of her great plan for this adventure, though truly what else could she of come up with? "Hop on. We'll head North and..maybe we'll see some of those kids. Maybe alive" she sounded doubtful, like she was saying it more for him than her. "I don't know...what a beast would need with children?"
[1/29/2016 7:40:12 PM] Liam Laca: Liam didn't heasitate, he popped up right where he needed to be and looked back at the town. He hated to think how it might look on a normal day, people going about their day to day, the kids running around playing and reading up, there would probably be the smell of fire and bread and iron..

"Y-Yeah I.. The plan sounds good"
Liam rubbed at his temples and then nodded "It sounds good, sorry yeah. No I wanna.. I wanna comb the place for any of the kids, or hell the adults as well. Apparently not all of 'em have come back.. Grace's husband is still out there. A-And I aint about to leave 'em behind if I can help it.. But uh.. H-how you planning to spot it without turning to stone yourself? You know? Seein as lookin at it tends to have that problem?"
[1/29/2016 7:44:44 PM] Ariel Balestra: Tugging the reigns as soon as Liam boarded they'd be off. The wheels shifting slightly over the cobblestone road each time they fell between or rolled over cracks. It wasn't a quick vehicle, but the ballista on the back seemed stable enough. "We'll bring them all back if we can, may even so much as try to undo the magic that's been worked on them. If we can unpetrify even one of them, I think it's worth trying" not that her magic was advanced enough for such a thing.

At his last question though she shot him a smile, the kind of smile that said 'this was about to be a problem for you' that he was likely becoming accustomed too. "We ain't got to look at it. I figure, we'll use you as bait. Get it chasing you, then you run towards the cart. Back to it and all, and when you give me the signal i'll close my eyes and fire the ballista at yeah. You poof away and then, bam, impaled giant chicken" she seemed rather confident in her strategy. "You just gotta poof soon as you speak, cause the moment you say it i'm shooting"
[1/29/2016 7:52:21 PM] Liam Laca: Well that sounded like a good way to get Liam killed.
It wasn't like Liam had a better plan, but it still sounded like a shitty plan A. Like maybe they should have had a Plan A and a Plan B so their current Plan A could turn into a Plan C.

"I mean.. If that's all ya got.. You can kinda.. you know, I guess kill 'em with a rooster's caw.. Or a mirror, but you know, using my wooly ass as bait so we can make a skewered chicken works too I suppose."

"Hey so all`a this aside, because I figure you should know before we get too far into this. Yall'r kinda pickin up my deplorable speech patterns." he grinned wide "Just, so`s ya know. Gonna make it mighty tricky when you cast that fancy magic I'm sure you're perfect at."

[1/29/2016 8:11:33 PM | Edited 8:11:56 PM] Ariel Balestra: Ariel would pause at this, thinking for a moment before nodding and reaching back and down. She didn't have reflective shields or armor, but what she did have was a little make up mirror which she'd grasp carefully with both hands. Middle of handing it to Liam though, cheeks went red when her speech was picked on.

"I-...I just wanted to try it. It's funny, the way you talk" definitely probably didn't come out as intended "And it's nice to relax. Father is the only one, you know. I really relax like this around" that and now, apparently, Liam. "I'm quite good at what I've learned, but it is rather difficult without a teacher"

She explained. Out on the road proper, it became steadily more apparent that they were crossing the threshold. Little bits of stone, footprints still dug in to the dirt where family members had drug back their brave husbands or wives; attempted heroes all the same. Further in to the trail, less and less people retrieved. Stone statues, gradually growing in number from where the villagers could not risk going so far.

Oddly some of them seemed to be missing chunks, and in a few cases there were just feet or pieces. Statues seemingly missing entirely from footprints on the ground even as they were far too out of the way for the townsfolk to have retrieved them. It was only then that Ariel finally handed him the mirror, shaking a little as she did.

There were dozens of statues out here at least.
[1/29/2016 8:20:40 PM] Liam Laca: {That's ok, had to fix my chair and computer aha
postin now}
[1/29/2016 8:29:37 PM] Liam Laca: It was obvious that the joking tone Liam had been trying to keep up was slowly decreasing the more and more the statues increased. He kept his eye out for Grace's husband, but it was hard to really comb through each and every one of them. The ones that had been damaged made his stomach turn in ways that the ice-dragon had not.

That was the same as staring at an one coming storm. Natural and awesome. This was, this was something subtle and sinister with no danger apparent other than the faces of those trapped forever in their final screams.

It was no wonder there had been no one coming or going..

Liam clasped the mirror, keeping his eyes in it from time to time to check behind them, his own hands jittery.

Suddenly it felt a lot less like two amateur heroes on a quest, and more like two children out to prove themselves..
[1/29/2016 8:34:28 PM | Edited 8:36:00 PM] Ariel Balestra: Even if Grace's husband had been in the field of stone, there was no way to pick him out. At some point, it became dense like the woods. It was no longer just villagers, transport had stopped for a reason. Trade caravans torn up, and oddly turned partially to stone themselves. People wearing packs, travelers, even horses and mules. This road didn't die down suddenly, it took several traders disappearing down it before it stopped it seemed.

As the caravan rolled on it eventually became clear where it all lead. The road strolled in through to a hill, or what was more like a small mountain. Carved out cave was clearly man made so that travel could continue, as the sudden slope was otherwise too sharp for animal or cart to navigate otherwise. It must of been a mile stretch through the man made path, and long since pure dark inside.

Bringing the card to a hault, there was a clear extended silence. If he didn't break it, she would "That's got to be it" it just seemed to fitting, if there was a feral creature out to turn folk to stone that was where it would be right. "I-.." pausing for a bit, as if starting to feel bad for putting him on the front line "If you need a minute, before you go in. That's alright. I'm going to ready the ballista." even if she was brave enough to go in with him, which she certainly seemed not to be now, someone needed to man their trump card. "I hope the mirror does it"
[1/29/2016 8:44:05 PM] Liam Laca: Something felt very wrong, and Liam wasn't sure how to piece it together in the end.. He had no idea what it was in that cave, but he was starting to doubt it was any kind of feral animal. Carts didn't have eyes. There was no reason for them to be turned to stone the way they had... And only parts of them..

"Ariel.." Liam started as he turned back around to look at her.. He walked up to her then looked back into the cave. "Do me a favor, If I come back out there and don't yell fire, it's cause we're gonna haul ass to get to safety.." He gave her a very warm hug. "If I don't come out in an hour. Leave. Yall got that? I aint got nothin as a keepsake, nothing I can't go in there without yet.. But tell my family that I knew the risks ok?" He leaned up and kissed her forehead "And that I'm ok with this.."

Before she had time to protest or argue he was out of there and only that thick fog was left, trailing up into the mouth of that massive cave, feeling only a SLIVER better knowing that a snake was most likely NOT inside of it.
[1/29/2016 8:46:44 PM] Ariel Balestra: [Okay, we're at the apex. If you'll do me a favor and post a roll in the forum http://www.rprepository.com/g/HouseBalestra/topic/9588/3#2505224 Just quote the post I made there with Zel]

[1/29/2016 8:48:12 PM] Liam Laca: Ok I think I did that right
[1/29/2016 8:54:01 PM | Edited 8:55:18 PM] Ariel Balestra: She would nod, returning that hug and squeezing him in a way it might not of seemed she had the strength to do. Cheeks lit up when he kissed her forehead, but she had no witty retort. Hand lifted to slap him, but it was weak. Clearly more done for the normalcy of it, then any strength. It wouldn't even make a sound, more like a soft caress. "I believe in you"

Once Liam was inside it wasn't long before he saw them. Those two burning eyes, those four eyes. Six eyes? Very quickly the clicking and skittering began and before long the threat emerged. At least four of the beasts, three of them already looking towards him. One of the creatures could be seen eating a stature, chipped teeth digging in to it and swallowing the pieces of crushed rock whole. The good news was, if Liam happened to catch sight of them he wouldn't turn to stone. No, these Basilisks worked with spit as was obvious from the way one right away fired at Liam.

A mix between a snake and a reptile, it was hard to tell where the walking ended and the slithering began. Legs, but close to the ground. One thing was for certain, Liam was to be their next meal if he didn't react.

[Together they passed the roll with almost double the target. Which means, you can play Liam's heroics however high as you want here.]

[1/29/2016 8:54:15 PM | Edited 8:55:29 PM] Ariel Balestra: [Target was 70, they got 106] [Edited cause I looked at the wrong number whoops]

[1/29/2016 11:25:28 PM] Liam Laca: Well that was new, and it was slightly more manageable. Liam who was movement based almost to a fault was unsure he was going to really do well going in blind and trying to trail after everything blind.

When the first monster spat at him he blinked away from it in a matter of seconds. He reappeared on the side of the cave, launching off of it and aiming those hooves onto the snoot snout of one of the beasts, using that as a second launching point to crack his staff across another's jaw. Once he made contact with that one, he blinked away to the opposite wall, to once more springboard off of it to attack the last beast..

Once all three were good and pissed off he dashed out, pinging back and forth between the cave walls, cracking his staff down along each side of the wall to cause as much noise as possible, draw them out and into a wider space, a place where the huge-as-shit gun was waiting to end their massacre.

[1:13:04 PM] Ariel Balestra: The beasts were very much easy to aggravate; given that Liam was in their territory and bonking them with a staff that pissed them off more than injured them. The sound they made was a mix between a roar and a growl, loud but rumbling. The small cave practically shaking as the three creatures quickly came out after him.

Ariel was sitting out there prepared, already on the trigger for the weapon. When Liam came out with three monsters instead of one though, well, she wasn't exactly sure what to do! Other then, of course, pull the trigger. Waiting until his signal, or honestly firing after several seconds if he didn't give one. The spear like projectile launched, cutting through the air straight towards the mass of monsters.

A moment of clarity with her somewhat limited magical knowledge she reached out with both hands. Breath steadied and eyes closed, the world seeming to freeze for a moment before she pulled her hands apart and, as if to mimic her, the large ballista round split in to three. Turning off in all which way directions to impale the three basilisk that followed Liam out.

Afterwards, she fell to her knees exhausted and sweating. All that was left now was the fourth beast that didn't chase Liam, content to sit in the cave and eat it's stone dinner.

[RP to be finished]