[System]
"What've we got this time?"
Species: Human, Corellian
Age: 28
Planet of Origin/Birth: Corellia
Force Sensitive Y/N: Unknown, some claim she is however she's never played stock to such rumours.

Skills/Abilities:- Basic Blaster Training
- Charismatic
- Tactical Thinker (Sabaac Player)
- Medical training

Equipment:- A280 Blaster Rifle
- 1x DC17 blaster pistol, set to stun
- 1x MD Droid (Stays aboard the Intruder)
- Field medic kit
-

Psychological Profile:Tadia has a simple past, a compassionate and caring soul who has the problem of having seen conflict war and death. Which has closed her off somewhat from other people, when she doesn't notice people are watching she will often zone out looking into the distance reminicing however when it comes to the grind and when she is needed she is fully focused at getting the job done.

It isn't known the exact moment she officially joined the rebellion however she's been with the Liberators since they left Uslam but few alive know some of the horrors she saw during the evacuation.

History: She was always compassionate and caring, having a drive to help people. After she left secondary she entered the medical traid heading to university to become a Doctor. Specialising in surgery and life saving techniques she also self studied minor practices so that she could perform more all around duties as necessary. She passed with her doctorate, nothing special however she got her honours and her full doctorate. Which is where things began to change.

She took a job on the mining world of Uslam, as a general practitioner. It was here that she saw the squalor and the poor living conditions the miners lived in. When push came to shove and conflict arose she did what she could to help the rebels. Not reporting blaster wounds and healing them up, and when it turned out into an all out war she dropped the front and moved herself from rebel cell to rebel cell helping out wherever necessary. Then the Imperials cracked down on the planet. She was in one of the last evacuation ships, and the only medic on it with a majority of wounded.

It's unclear what exactly happened to the ship however when it finally made it to the rendevouz not even the recovery crew will mention what they saw aboard the ship. Tadia herself was never quite the same, still cocky and charismatic but something about her smile never quite reached her eyes and she seemed more distant. The rookies never noticing but the veterans did.

Yes, and:She's less caring than many others about the Intruders pirate past but isn't really close with anyone from the crew. She does feel however that she is close friends with Serossa, Beskad and Kellar being older members of the liberators and almost sees Uslam and it's people her true family. She has also been one of the few liberators to be kind to Thanner Antares as far as she sees it it isn't his past that defines him, but the path he is on now that does.

[User]
Escort Detail

Slooga moved slow enough, but the Liberators managed to lag behind. Thanks to Lt. Byron's diplomatic graces, the soldiers were volunteered to do most of the heavy lifting for the exchange, while the crooks (and a few of the lighter Liberators) fanned out in a loose echelon formation. All told they had thirty sets of eyes, all panning the scenery of Ganatoo Spaceport and assessing the crowds. It was easy to forget, while in deep space, that plenty of people in the galaxy weren't smugglers, or stormtroopers, or rebels, or whatever else -- plenty of people were simply living out their lives as normally as could be managed in a time like this. Merchants, small game hunters, chefs, stick jockeys. The spaceport attracted all types. All types seemed eager to give the Hutt a wide berth. The team encountered no resistance as they made their way, slowly, to the illicit rendezvous. The exchange was to take place in an open square, isolated from the main drags by a few blocks and secure enough from any prying eyes. There were alleys and high windows to contend with, but with all the manpower and kit they'd brought, it seemed like nothing they couldn't handle.

A pair of runners -- shady as hell, Keller thought -- had run ahead to check out the site, and they were presently coming back into view. Vannin hummed a tune that could've passed for Gammorean folk music and pushed a heavily-laden sled. The pirates were nervous talking about business around the new LT, but he'd managed to gather that the trade involved weapons and scrap from the last weapon, and they were getting some medical gear of some sort (which Tadia, much to Byron's chagrin, had insisted on inspecting personally). The new faces in the detail were, to their credit, pushing heavy sleds up a hill like real-live Liberators. A noble calling. The HIGHEST calling. True Heroes of the Republic, to the last, astride their mighty loads. He chuckled. Well, that was the job, no helping it.

They brought the goods into the square and caught their breath. On the opposite end stood the requisite amount of scum and villainy, there to watch over the exchange and protect their own crime lord. One had to wonder how many of those could exist in the galaxy -- enough, certainly. Tensions seemed low and the business people set about their business while the grunts thumbed at their blasters and wondered about the slicing progress.

After a while -- the deal still progressing according to the brief -- a few more goons began to trickle in behind Slooga's rival. One at a time, at first, and spaced out enough so as not to arouse suspicions. But there were definitely more of them. A dozen had turned into fifteen, and another walking in with a carbine. Keller kept humming and casually checked the alley by which they'd come in. Someone was turning back passers-by a few blocks down -- and not one of their own people. Motherfucker, he thought out loud. He made his way to the LT, casually as possible.

"I'm getting a real bad vibe," he muttered, omitting the 'sir' on account of their cover. "Might be nothing -- might be trouble." He gave a quick recap of the situation.

"I see them," Byron replied, with a tone that suggested he'd caught the same feeling as well. "Slooga's guys aren't picking up on it, and I don't know how they'll react, so keep it quiet for now. But pass the word to the Liberators. If something goes down, we can't lose the Hutt." Keller nodded and shuffled off to whisper in someone's ear. Meanwhile, Byron keyed his communicator. "How's the weather?" he asked. "Looks like we might have to take the nerf outside pretty quick."

[Assistant]
Traffic control was a small room with a large mainframe and a few access terminals, designed to control an entire plannet's ship traffic grid and provide very precise model predictions as well as interact with ships' nav computers and autopilots to provide the necessary data to get them down safely, or at least to provide pilots the guidance. Luckily, the company that provided it also provided the code to Rebel programmers, who swiftly developed very efficient viruses to penetrate the system and bug it.

The PDA being used for the virus insertion by Toland went off with a warning, intended to go off if a security station arose. Handed the pad, Serossa's eyes widened considerably even as she got on the commlink with the LT and Intruder's bridge and announced, "Dove hunt."

That was the code word for Imperial trouble, that the mission was compromised by Imperial Forces. A Pigeon Trap was bounty hunters and a Duck Lure was local law enforcement.

A Dove Hunt was a definite abort; if the Empire caught wind of them, they'd pile on the reinforcements and firepower until the rebels were dead. One could shoot their way past local forces and buy off or gun down bounty hunters, but the Imperials with the element of surprise was a good reason to fade out of the system as quickly as possible.

She turned to the others, after hitting the pad several times to abort the upload, scrub the stuff already in the Ganatoo system and sanitize the logs to show nothing ever happened. The mission was burned; if the upload were to complete itself, it would be able to conceal itself in the system, but a partial upload would be unstable and possibly reveal itself to the Imperials. An abort and erasure meant having to start over from scratch on the upload, but at least the Imperials might not ever be the wiser for the hack attempt.

"Lionesse is en route, looks like, they just cleared all traffic in the Ganatoo pattern for an Imperial Code VTRL. We walk out real casual," she told the rest, "and we go to the port's speeder parking. But anything that we didn't encounter coming in that tries to stop us gets blasted."

Besk nodded; assume ISB and shoot to kill; and as Besk figured-- suicide rather than capture. It might get messy, but any bribed guards would possibly turn on them with imperial trouble-- the Empire cared little for smuggling but a lot about Rebels and they'd paid smuggler rate bribes suitable for local, not Imperial, trouble.

"I'll lead Serossa," he said casually, knowing that the point had to kill fast; Sekula needed to be on Thanner's back and Thanner couldn't be up on point. Toland was a cherry. Besk threw him a wink he didn't feel.

"I've got rear," the sarge said as they moved out, along the slightly shabby blue-painted plastoid hallways of Ganatoo, eventually melding with the crowd of regular people who were not, it seemed, panicking or trying to necessarily leave, though they were held up in the terminal. That, to Besk's eyes, looked good -- the security people didn't look all that surprised, and while all the departures and arrivals showed delays, it didn't look like the trouble was spaceport trouble.

He didn't quite dare breathe a sigh of relief as they got out the doors; the Sarge clearly didn't see anything either, since she was the one best qualified to spot a tail and off the bastard if necessary. But so far, all clear, especially when they took a few turns into less crowded areas, checked the horizon for any signs of surveillance. If they were being tracked, they'd have to be good, and if they were that good, the Liberators were probably burned.

Shockingly, they made it to their speeder truck, "borrowed" with no sign that they were the object of he security problem; a quick scan of hacked local comms, using code lifted from the traffic control system indicated it was...of course. Slooga.

"What's the plan, Sarge?"

[User]
"Heads up."

By now all the Liberators on the escort detail were wise to the danger at hand. They all tried to keep a low profile even though they were on high alert -- Vannin even managed to quiet himself, expecting imminent trouble. Trouble came.

Slooga shook hands with the local contact, and the local contact didn't let go. The facade bled away in an instant -- muzzles left their holsters on both ends of the square. The contact raised his voice.

"You all know the game," the man said loudly. "Sooner or later they get us all. Imps pinched me three weeks ago, and I walk if I give them the hutt. Walk away now, we'll do the same."

"Bastard!" Slooga bellowed.

"You can shoot it out if you like," the contact continued, ignoring his new prisoner. "Their frigate is already enroute. You can make it out if you run, but not if you fight. Just walk away. Leave the hutt with me, and one of you can take his place, I don't care. We can do this nice and easy, or we c..."

The contact stopped short. He let go of Slooga's hand, and crumpled to the ground with an audible sizzling sound. Slooga turned to face his men, a disruptor pistol smoking in his left hand. "Kill them all!" he roared.

The battle erupted in a flash. Pirates from both sides opened fire. Vannin sprayed a hail of bolts at the high rise opposite their position, then loaded a fresh cell and advanced, crouching and weaving his way towards Slooga, who was already flanked by troopers. Lt. Byron was there, letting loose with a heavy pistol and trying to speak calmly into his communicator. He was doing a poor job. Vannin snatched it out of his hands and screamed, "Nerf just shit the bed, get over here and clean it up! Now!" A hostile ran towards them, and Keller pitched the communicator at him, then brought up his rifle and took him down hard.

"We need a plan!" Byron shouted.

"We need to bug out!" Keller agreed.

Slooga was barking orders. His pirates might have heard them, but Byron ignored them entirely. "Corporal!" he yelled, grabbing Vannin's shoulder. "Secure a path to the shuttle!"

Vannin nodded. "Give me three minutes. And send the slug now! He'll slow you down!" He tossed a grenade into the hostile end of the square and turned on his heels. "Hayca! Fish! On me!" The three of them moved into the alley. The squad was surrounded -- but not for long.

Meanwhile, Lt. Byron labored in vain to separate Slooga from the front line of the firefight. By now the friendlies had gained a slim edge, but more enemies were pouring in, and stormtroopers wouldn't be far behind. Confounded, Byron spotted Tadia nearby. "Doc!" he called. "We gotta get him moving now. You're in charge. Get. Him. On. That. Shuttle!" Someone called out a flanking move by the enemy, and Byron's attention was absorbed once more in the shooting. He slid into cover a few meters away, and tried his luck giving orders to Slooga's pirates. Slooga, furious but at last realizing the futility of prolonging the issue, growled and cursed, and at last began to cooperate with his Alliance team.

"Get me out," he muttered.

[Assistant]
Tadia jumped behind cover, firing her rifle over it. "I'm in charge of the Hutt? I hope you get shot Byron." She jumped over the barrier literally pushing the giant slug towards an alleyway. "Stay in cover idiot." The Hutt cursed something in huttese. "Yeah, if you got something to say that isn't nice keep it in your mouth. Though you should probably do as I say right now as I've never operated on a Hutt before, and do you really want me to start now?" She winced as she realized the supplies were left behind, raising her commlink she spoke into it. "Lt. The Medical supplies, we can't just leave them behind. We need them. Otherwise next time someone gets shot I'm going to have to use a hammer as sedative." She ducked looked around the corner as more people began running towards them.

"I really hate this job sometimes."


[System]
Element: Strontium

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Appearance: With ashy-red hair, freckles, and an uncomfortable-looking scar across the sternum, Fargus is the very model of a modern Scot. Fargus tends to wear casual and breezy clothes, often wearing an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt and jeans at all times. Fargus' face is described as 'craggy' at best, and bears numerous scars and calluses from his many life-threatening experiences. Fargus has an unpleasant tendency to suck on his teeth and crack his knuckles when irritated or bored.

Powers: Fargus is capable of blocking radiation, due to Strontium's naturally absorbent properties. In addition, Fargus can psychically promote bone growth, making healing significantly easier. Finally, Fargus can increase the intensity and magnitude of any combustion by generating Strontium within the explosion's igniting heart.

Weapons: One Springfield "Operator" .45 ACP handgun, purchased from a collector while staying in America. Acquiring ammunition for it is relatively difficult, but Fargus makes do through his shadier contacts. Fargus is a dab hand with his pocket multitool, but prefers to use any other weapons available.

Backstory: Born in Glasgow, Fargus Oberschmidt didn't have a very well-adjusted childhood. With a deadbeat dad and a drunkard of a mother, Fargus grew to rely on himself and himself alone. After just barely graduating from secondary school, Fargus promptly went into drugrunning and petty gangbanging for one of Glasgow's myriad criminal enterprises: The Smilies. In time, he grew to become the leader of the Smilies. Through ruthless practices and an innate sense for good business, Fargus and his boys beat out the competition, carving out a solid chunk out of the city for the Smilies. One ill-fated attempt at a major deal and a police-issue massacre later, Fargus was forced to flee to the states with only a handful of his mates. With little else other than the clothes on their backs and the chips on their shoulders, The Smilies are bound to rise again.

[User]
Chloe didn't know why she'd come back, but she really wished she hadn't. She'd thought her idea was a pretty damn good one, and now as she recognized Mahmoud from before, her heart sank. Great. She really really really wish she'd left. Now what were they going to do? She looked at no one but the stranger, staring him in the eyes. Her heart hammered and she struggled not to start breathing chlorine again (she'd just calmed down!), but she was determined not to look scared. Her stone-faced stare was something she took pride in. Hopefully that jackass waiter wouldn't escalate things again, or ask for life details. Maybe this fancily-dressed man wasn't meant to be scary as he came off as?

Try to be calm. Just be cool. Be cool.

"Um...nice tie," she said hesitantly. Unlike the possible elemental who'd started yelling on the street, she was too intimidated to flat-out ask what Mahmoud wanted. She wondered how long it would take everyone in the room to die if she just blew out some chlorine and left. What a shitty thing to think.

[Assistant]
Central Park, New York
 "So, I said to him... Oh, look who it is! Hey, brother! The boys and I are over here!"

 "Fargus! I'm glad you and your friends are settling down well! So, how did the doctor's appointment go?" Fargus's brother, Leo, made his way over to the shaded knoll Fargus and the gang were staying on. Fargus gave his brother a warm hug and a hefty pat on the shoulder.

 "Ah, it turns out one of my ribs is basically all of the hard outer stuff. Like, no marrow or anything." Fargus shrugged. He knew very little about bones, but Gunther's constant lecturing about health certainly put some information in his head.

 "That sounds serious. Fargus, I want you to take it easy for the next few weeks. With your ribs like this, I'm certain they won't heal properly. Hey, listen... why don't we stop by my office later today? If what the doctor says is true, I'm sure I can figure out just what's wrong. So, how are your friends doing?"

 Peaches and Gunther shrugged. "We've been settling down easy. Haven't had any worries, all things considered!"

 Leo nodded, and settled down next to Peaches. "I'm glad to hear that. Hey, feel free to splurge a bit; I've got plenty of money to burn, and I'm sure you'll put it to good use. The clinic's always had its fair share of old money coming its way."

 "That reminds me. Why couldn't Fargus have come to you for a check-up?"

 "I run a geriatric clinic, Gunther. Unless Fargus is lying about his age, what I can offer wouldn't be of much use to him. I only deal with elderly patients."
 Leo glanced down at the lakeside, and saw a familiar face: Herschel Orenstein. "Oh, speaking of which, there's one of my clients now! Old Herschel's kind of a soursop, but you'd be surprised at how much he warms up to you if you're Jewish! Come on, I'll introduce you to him."

 Leo, Fargus, Peaches, and Gunther made their way down to where Herschel Orenstein was. Leo, being the one most familiar to Herschel, greeted him.
 "Hello, Mister Orenstein! I'm glad to see that you're out and about, despite your condition! I'd like to introduce you to my brothers: Fargus, Peaches, and Gunther! They've just recently emigrated from Scotland, so I've been showing them around! So, how have you been doing?"

[User]
Jaden watched the man as he refused to answer - only smiling at them in a way that should have been fatherly, but was simply making his skin crawl - He smelt a chemical and instantly knew this man was one of them, and it outright terrified him. The others were watching, Aria barely awake as she frightfully watched the man in the doorway. As this took place Jaden's mind began to fly into panic mode. There were four of them, perfectly capable of taking him down if they pounced all at once - but with all the back and forth on trust between him and the three girls there was no way that was going to happen - therefore, he felt some discontent with what they could possibly do to stave off this man.

Then he heard Chloe muttering to herself and he focused on that while keeping his eyes on the man and his options open. There was fireplace cleaners and pokers by his side all made entirely of pure iron - he could easily use that if he wanted but he knew there was only so much that would come of that. His eyes remained trained as he tried to hear what the Chlorine Elemental was saying.

"Chlorine....Iron...and...what else..."

His mind flew to his father's chemistry work, his work in Alchemical History and his memory fixed on a term used in his textbook in high school prior to him coming to Oxford. The combination reaction between Chlorine and his own element - a type of flamable gas that would very much come in handy - if they survived the colorful blast. He considered it and felt himself shake in tension as he reasoned it out. The man was still keeping his eyes on them and that meant talking was out of the question, but getting huddled close to one another wasn't. Therefore, Jaden made a slight motion towards Chloe who was near to Aura - the three of them on an arms length from each other. He got close to Chloe and the girl stared at him on shock while he kept his eyes on him and his mind settled on trying to figure out what he could possibly do.

"If I activate my element and she breathes out the gas....then...maybe we can make that light a match term literal....please Chloe, take the hint!"

[Assistant]
Hershel was napping. His head laid at the back of his wheel-chair and was slightly propped against his right shoulder. What with the weather at this time, truly it was the best time to sleep. For Herschel already fed the pigeons he wanted to feed. With a loud snore he suddenly woke back up, as he reached back for his respirator. He grabbed the mask attached to the apparatus and took a few deep breaths in.

He then placed the mask on his lap right next to his satchel. He turned to glance at the youngster, "See, didn't mind ya at all." He peered his eyes as he realized Dr Leo was there.

He gave a soft smile as he slowly moved his wheel-chair closer to Leo. "Doc, you Haimisher mensch, didn't expect you out here." Before he decided to answer Leo's question, he peered at the group next to him.

"Your brothers huh, so this is your Mishpocha? Scotland you say? That isn't the most kosher place." He peered at Fargus, Peaches, and Gunther for a few moments, judging them of their worth. He slowly lifted up his left hand and wagged his index finger, "You boys attending your Synagogue? The temples here are far better than, Scotland. I'd be surprised if there was even a single temple there. I hope you kids are doctors, you don't wanna disappoint your grandmotha do ya?"

He glanced at Leo as he spoke up, "How am I? Today seems to be going alright, but I know I'm gonna be disappointed by the end of it! Oh my grandkids will fail to leave a single message for me. I'm bound to run into some zhlubs with their pants down around their ankles, and playing on their skateboards on the sidewalks." Herschel shook his head, "Damn kids these days. Bit of a pain in my neck, but other than that, all seems relatively normal. You got me on the schedule now for my next appointment don'tcha? It seems to be the only time my kids seem to contact me. 'Oh Herschel, have you made sure you got your check-up?'. Feh, but they never seem to have the time to just go to a delicatessen and have some nice corned beef, or some soup."

Herschel frowned at the thought.

[User]
Mahmoud spoke up as the elementals seemed to be getting suspicious of his presence. "My apologies if I have upset you, I was merely responding to a phone call that my associate had made to me."

Mahmoud adjusted his tie, before opening his jacket to show he was not armed (as far as they could tell). "You see, I'm the leader of a group that is in need of people with special talents. Talents like yours. I assure you that my company pays well, and I am free with my money when it comes to my close companions." Mahmoud spoke confidently.

Outside, a group of 5 of Mahmoud's personal guardsmen, a hodgepodge of russian gansters, ex iranian soldiers, Afghans from tribal groups and even a few ex extremists now allied only to Mahmoud's fortune. Ready to raid in if their leader gave the signal.

[Assistant]
"And why should we trust you?" Jaden spoke up and kept a close eye on the man now that he'd talked at long last.

Offering to pay them for some kind of service while using their abilities - why did this scream criminal mastermind? Jaden didn't really need an answer from the man as he watched him and prayed Chloe and Aura caught onto what he was wanting to do. One good blast or a burst of toxic smoke would be their only chance to escape this man. And then something came to mind - what if this guy had people outside? What then? Jaden took in a deep breath and placed a hand at Chloe's back causing her to glance his way while he gave her a look - pleading with her to get what he was trying to do as she stared between himself and the man.

Aura was watching as well, Aria barely awake and watching them in fear as the man looked them over - meeting each of their eyes and lingering on himself and the two sisters. What was he planning? What was about to happen? Could they save themselves? Or would someone else have to save them? Jaden felt himself gulp at the other alternative - they weren't going to be saved, this man was going to get them, take them somewhere and they would potentially never be seen again. With a glance at Aria he took a deep breath and made a rather bold choice.

"Chloe...I'm sorry!" before she could say anything he slapped her and she turned a cold eye to him and she puffed out a small cloud of chlorine gas.

If he was lucky he could use his element and - though it made his stomach knot up at the idea - get Aria into a panic and if he did - they could escape in the confusion. A spark lit the air and he grinned as he felt the bangle around his wrist stretch and slither out to form the iron whip. With just the right amount of friction he could heat the iron, use the spark and gas and they could get out.

"We didn't come this far to just get caught!"

[User]
Leo Oberschmidt gave a panicky little smile, one that has been trained and tempered through years of fast-paced Yiddish translation, blind-yet-calculated agreement, and nights spent poring over books on Hebrew culture in preparation for hideously vague philosophizing on today's kids and how they relate to the Chosen People. Leo did what he always does, and lied outright. Leo's eyes took on a glazed sheen as he spoke.
"Herschel, I've told you about my brother before. They're both devout Progressives. I know how you feel
about them, but I'm sure I've managed to bring them into the fold bit by bit. Since they just left, they haven't had a chance to practice mikvah just yet, but I've already given them the basics. Don't you worry about old Fargus and his friends, I've got them under control."

Peaches, himself a practicing Roman Catholic, attempted to complain, but was quietly but firmly shushed by Fargus. "Quiet," Fargus whispered, "this guy is, from what I've heard, one hell of a chatterbox. With him, it's gonna be 'yes, sir' only, got it?" Peaches's conspiratorial nod told Fargus all he needed to know.

Gunther played along, and grunted exaggeratedly in agreement with Herschel. "Tell me about it! I've always hated how these kids act like they're hot shit. They look like absolute idiots, and don't even know it!" Gunther always knew how to talk to elders, considering his upbringing. Living in a house with your whole extended family for company does wonders to your multi-tasking skills!

Leo sighed in relief, and grinned at Herschel. "Mister Orenstein, I'm glad your children are talking to you. You know, I know quite a few people whose children have abandoned them entirely! If you ever need someone to talk to, you know who to find!"


[System]
Age: 22
Appearance:
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 185 lbs.
Likes: games, horror movies, fine dining, jazz, reading, flirting.
Dislikes: camping, violence, bad cooking, laziness, rude behavior, getting stuck in the rain.
Party Trick: Knows a variety of card tricks and mind games. Is also very good at billiards.
Profession: Dealer at Shine City Player's Casino
Bio/Personality: Yutaro is a mellow young man who is most often seen wearing a welcoming smile. He likes to meet new people, but usually keeps conversations casual, reserving more personal information for those he becomes close with. Not one for conflict, he'd rather go with the flow than argue with someone... or just leave if the company is unbearable. Yutaro has dated several girls in the past few years, but has not been in a serious relationship since he broke up with his high school sweetheart. Yutaro is an all-around gaming enthusiast, be it card games, video games, board games, or gambling. He received a degree in business and moved to Shine City to find his fortune. He obtained a job at the City Player's Casino and has intentions to move into upper management. He lives alone in his apartment, and is currently building up his savings so he can begin his own business endeavors.
Theme:

[User]
"No can do, cowboy. Me sleeping in your bed would probably piss him off too. Haven't you seen a horror movie?" 'Would she be disppointed if I admitted I'm a little bitch when it comes to horror? he pondered before dismissing the thought as she continued, "It's non-negotiable, Kyle. I sleep on your couch at your place or the hostel. Your pick."

Damn...harsh. She gave him the ultimatum, but answered his questions first, she told him that she was just closing up and exclaimed when he asked about the flannel, "Oh, right!" She pulled keys from her pocket giving them to Kyle, "It's upstairs in my bedroom, I think probably by the bed. It's sort of a mess, but the dishes are clean, which is the important part. You can head on up and I'll follow you after I've finished closing---."

Suddenly a third voice interrupted, "Er, sorry tae bother ye, mates." Kyle turned to face the newcomers, a petite girl with long hair and a fairly thick irish accent, she's the one that spoke, there was another person with her and by her side was a dog. "...But I was wondering if ye have any Jasmine and Orchids? A friend of mine 'as a birthday comin' up."

Nori began explaining about the flowers until she was distracted by the dog coming over. She kneeled down to pet the canine as it came to greet her, "Sorry we look like drowned rats, we had an accident with the water hose," she turns to wink at Kyle. Again she covered his butt and he was pretty thankful for that, a bashful smile crossing his lips as he goes to scratch his neck. The dog suddenly seems curious in the new individual next to Nori as Moose comes to sniff at Kyle. He too crouches down in front of the beast and extends the back of his hand to allow the dog to come to him first, cautiously it leans forward and sniffs before licking Kyle's hand.

"There's a good boy," he begins before vigorously showing Moose some love, petting the animal, scratching him and giving firm pats on the sides. Lost in the moment Kyle suddenly reverts back to English, "(Who's a good boy? You are! yes you are! Yes. You. Are!)" Various other sounds begin to emerge from Kyle's throat as he plays with the dog, everything from playful growls to something along the lines of herp and derp. Moose seems to enjoy the attention as far as Kyle can tell.

Suddenly a cold shiver runs up Kyle, he really needed to get the flannel. Saddened he'd have to part with the dog, he says his goodbyes, "Well moose, I need warm clothes, it was nice meeting you, keep it real dog." He gives Moose another firm scratch behind the ears before standing up and looking over at Nori, "I'll see you upstairs." He smiles, tempted to peck her on the cheek, but thought better of it while she was being all professional right now. He nods to the newcomers before making his way out the store and towards Nori's apartment door. Before entering the wall catches his attention, there's a giant hole in it, the same giant hole that Nori had showed him on her phone; he tries not to think about it before unlocking the door and heading inside.

---

9:30 PM, Kyle's Apartment

'Why in the fuck did I agree to do this?' Kyle thought, pale horror masking his face as he stared at the end credits to the movie they had just watched. Everything was going pretty well, after Kyle retrieved his shirt and Nori closed up the store, they had gone to the super mart to get some food, Kyle having offered to make the blonde haired DJ a delicious meal*. After checking out and returning to the apartment, Kyle cooked dinner and both agreed to watch a movie while eating. Kyle pulled up redflix and Nori got to pick the movie (since she was the guest), in her quest she had stumbled upon some horror film "When It Rains, It Pours". The movie was one of those "based on a true story" types all about 'The Weatherman', Nori insisted upon it for the sake of 'research'.

Kyle...reluctantly agreed and was now regretting having watched it, judging by Nori's face, it looked like she was regretting the decision as well.

Dollie

The meal is a Pork roast, seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, lemon zest and garlic cloves. For sides, grilled bell peppers and onions for a light and healthy taste. Amity's cake is still in the fridge from before for desert.

[Assistant]
9:30pm, Streets of Shine City
Akane found herself once more enamored with her studious work. Another cold, night walk home. She hated the cold. With a flip of her bright red scarf, Akane moved it over her face in attempt to keep the cool air from reaching her. Just like any other boring walk home, Akane found her eyes captivated by her cell phone. 9:30... She quickly tapped at her phone to change the radio station until she found the Shine City Radio station. Oddly quiet... Well except for the music, but no host? Akane shrugged. When she moved to Shine City, she became accustomed to listening to the broadcaster make his outlandish announcements, before switching back to classical, more soothing music of her own. Perhaps she was the outlandish one, but the piano music she always listened to was her favorite, and listening to it helped her play.

As the music started to play into her ears, Akane's thoughts began to wander. Random topics mostly... Like the ten cats she had still put off getting, and of course, she thought back to her time at the tournament with James. It was a shame the two of them had just played, but she still had a wondrous time finally interacting with someone. He knew what he was talking about, and Akane wasn't going to forget about his offer to play her sometime. She hatched her plans to practice and master the game she so attentively watched others play. It couldn't be too hard. There was no way she was to let James win. She had already understood the game completely, but quickly switching her fingers all over the controller wasn't as easy as the pros made it look. It was nothing like the piano she had kept so close, but perhaps she could relate the two in some way, or set up some formula for her controls. Gah, that's no way to look at this. I just need to practice.

Akane shook her head a slight amount as if coming out of her thoughts. The arcade wasn't far, but it was also late. With a short sigh, Akane spun on her heels. She didn't have anything to do ever, and there was likely no one there to bother her! This was the opportune time to go out and practice! It would take a few minutes to make it there, but Akane didn't care.

Cranking up the volume on her cell, Akane tuned out once more, barely paying attention to where she was actually headed. Her mind was enthralled with reminiscence of the tournament. She was still a bit far, but it wouldn't take long, though the cold, biting air was making Akane rather annoyed. Perhaps she'd run into him there... No, of course not, and I would still need to practice so there is no chance of losing! Akane glanced inside the Shining Kettle as she passed it on her route. Thoughts of stopping inside swirled in her head, and her eyes flicked to the window to see if any interesting persons had gathered inside. Not that she would be willing to approach strangers, but perhaps a friend of hers (of the few she had) had similar nighttime plans.

As Akane peered at her reflection in the mirror, a small object appeared next to her, making her jump a little. She peered down and nearly jumped once more as she realized the cat that had strode up next to her. Akane brought her hands up to cover her mouth. Her weakness! She couldn't help but lean down and begin to pet the small, rugged looking cat. It must have been a stray from the look of its condition, living off of the food scraps that people like Akane gave it. But alas! Akane didn't have any suitable cat food on her! It was a sad day. Akane had taken to distracting herself with the stray feline for many minutes. He was rather friendly, and a perfect companion for someone who didn't much enjoy talking. That day a new friendship was born!

[User]
Yutaro stepped into the casino to begin his shift, hoping that Ryoki had agreed to take the job. It would be good to have a new coworker that he got along with so well. And one that was sure to look amazing in that bunny outfit. However, as he was clocking in, he noticed that something was a bit... different. "Ah, Yutaro, there you are!" The boss approached him with a phone in each hand. He was examining a graph on one of them while texting some numbers to the higher-ups on the other. "Got the results from the latest survey. Good news! People love us more than ever. Turns out the bunny girl theme drew a lot of attention. So, can you guess what's next?"

Yutaro could never guess what was next. The older gentleman standing before him was a master of taking risks that always seemed to pay off. There was no telling what he had in mind, but it was sure to work. "You're not thinking of setting up a petting zoo, are you?" he asked, only half joking.

"Close!" the boss said, and then began rummaging through his pockets, pulling out curiously decorated headband. "Here ya go. New work uniform."

Yutaro took the headband and examined it. "Wait a minute. This is..."

"That's right! From now on, you're Cataro. Bartenders are dogs, servers are bunnies, dealers are cats. Come on now, if the ladies can do it, so can you!" Not satisfied with how slowly Yutaro was processing things, he snatched the cat ears back and placed them on Yutaro's head himself. Then he waved a hundred dollar bill in front of him. "Got a little bonus for anybody whose name gets on the radio. Now get out there and work your magic."

Yutaro felt like a cat alright. A wet cat who had resisted his bath tooth an nail but was now drippy and soggy. Tentatively, he brought his hand up to poke his new body part, and was surprised yet again by a motorized twitch. Touch activated? You've got to be kidding me... With that final thought, he headed over to his table, hoping that blackjack would help him forget about this new development.


[System]
---

SETTLEMENT: Fireflies

AGE: 30

OCCUPATION: Hunter by day, Bartender by night.

APPEARANCE: Astor is a dark-haired man with medium-length hair, a thick beard, and somewhat severe features. However, when he's dealing with patrons or his fellow settlers, he's all smiles and friendly expressions. He typically dresses comfortably and cleanly. When going on a hunt, he favors earth tones and thick, warm clothing. His casual and bar tending attire, on the other hand, are a bit more relaxed and light. Sometimes he'll throw on some bright colored accessory to attract attention.

FAMILY: Mother and Father, Aloys and Liane, who own and work at The Damn Pub.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single

FRIENDS: Astor is friendly with most of the residents of Fireflies, as well as some of the hunters and traders from Water Leafs. He is an open mind and a willing ear when tending bar in Fireflies, and he is helpful and courteous when he is out hunting or returning with the spoils of a hunt.

Many local traders and craftsmen appreciate his attention to detail when he brings them the spoils of a hunt, and most of the patrons he serves tend to enjoy the different dishes he makes with what game he is able to keep for himself (and therefore the bar).

Astor also maintains a good relationship with the guards and other hunters, who he often looks to for training and advice.

HOBBIES: Hunting (obviously), Fishing (occasionally), Cooking, Camping, Crafting (sewing, leatherworking, whittling, etc.).

BIOGRAPHY: Astor grew up in the Fireflies settlement, the child of Aloys and Liane Ermengilde, who had been the owners and operators of The Damn Pub for most of their marriage. Being their son came with several potential benefits for Astor, who remains well aware of said benefits.

First among the benefits that could've been Astor's was the breadth of options that were available to him. Many residents of Fireflies looked to drink for comfort, and made offers to the Ermengildes of training for their son, should they offer free or discounted drinks in return.

Astor's second benefit, of course, was the relative wealth that he grew up with. Owning the most popular pub around, his parents were able to ensure that he never went hungry, and that he never had to wear clothes to the point that they fell apart.

This fact on it's own might have caused him to grow up with a bad attitude, were it not for the third benefit; exposure.

Astor grew up helping out around the pub, listening to the stories and laments of the patrons, receiving advice and warnings in equal measure. Because of this, he learned to be grateful for his prosperity, and decided to try and give at least something back to the community - seeking out training as a hunter.

Astor has been keeping up his efforts for most of his adult life, and has little to complain about. The conflict with Water Leafs has left him concerned for the future, but as of the present, he has yet to have a good, realistic idea for a possible solution.

[User]
I might've bit off more than I can chew." Astor thought, grunting as he adjusted his grip on the wooden poles he'd lashed together.

I should see about getting a cart or a wagon. Maybe a pony to carry some of this weight.

He had bound the wolf carcasses to a set of wooden poles he'd cut from saplings, and was now dragging them back towards Fireflies from the forest. The wolves were wrapped in an old tarp, something he'd bought from an older trader a while back for rainwater collection. Hopefully, it'd keep him from tracking blood all through the forest.

It only took him a few hours to reach the outskirts of the settlement. Breathing heavily, he stopped before the guards to declare himself.

"Morning fellas. It's Astor, back from a hunt. Got two wolves. From a pack of ten. Anyone in the market for a new coat?"

[Assistant]
Another day in the yard, with a few hares bundled up in a dirty, brown bag. Verelik had just come back from the forest, after snagging some hares from some traps he had set up the previous night. It wasn't necessary to bring a rifle for this particular task, but he brought it as usual, in case an early bird deer strolled by. After all, he had left at five in the morning, as those hares came out just as the morning dew would settle.

He had already collected them though, of course. Now he was in the yard, skinning them each one by one, a task he had performed countless times already. It wasn't yet seven, so Alyssa would still be asleep. Verelik finished the first hare and hung it up by the legs on his second clothes line, which he used for hunting instead. Since he had only recently moved into this particular house, nothing here was yet second nature. He'd have to fix this all up and make it feel like home for the third time again.

By the time the clock tower's bell rang, he had finished. Blood dripped onto the concrete beneath the hares. As a kid he had learned there used to be vegetarians, though of course food is not so easily forged these days. Good thing, too, or he'd probably lose his job. He arched his back and rolled his neck, before heading back inside.

The house wasn't very furnished, but it did its duty. Verelik dumped his bag near his rifle and walked over to the kitchen. Guess we'll have hare kebab again.

He began cooking, occasionally letting it cook while he looked out the window, watching settlers head to their respective duties. He had a coffee mug in his hand, and took a sip every now and then. Occasionally, he heard footsteps from Alyssa's room. She was awake, so he finished up with the food and set them down at the table. As if on cue, she stepped into the main room, her hair tied back into a simple ponytail that reached just below her neck, save two locks of hair let loose at the sides, followed by side-swept bangs crossing to her left. She shared the same brunette hair as her father, along with the blue eyes. Without saying much of a word, she sat down at the table, made a slight grunt, and began eating, all while Verelik sipped coffee and read some paper. This was their way of signifying the two's relationship, while seeming dormant, it was rather caring.

Halfway through eating her meal, Verelik spoke. "Looks like Fay's still teaching. She'll probably be your teacher."
Alyssa had to quickly swallow what she had in her mouth before responding. "You didn't think she'd be there?"
Verelik looked up from the paper, his eyebrow slightly raised. He hesitated before speaking. "That's not what I meant. I don't know, it was idle talk."
"Uh-huh." Alyssa continued eating.
Verelik put down the paper and gulped the rest of the coffee. "Come on, Aly, it's only been a year."
She finally looked up at Verelik, with a slight raised eyebrow. She was in the middle of chewing, but her face still screamed "I'm pouting right now".
He sighed, then got up from his seat. "Sure, be like that. I'm getting my jacket, make sure you wash up, 'kay?" Without waiting for a response, he walked off to his room. Alyssa shrugged and finished her meal.

It was almost 8, but luckily the school was of walking distance. Verelik had been in the shower for long enough now, even though he had said he'd only grab his jacket. In the mean time, Alyssa had washed up and was now enjoying a simple hobby. She was good at lots of things, thanks to her father's skill teaching, and one of those things was darts. That, along with the standard survival skill set that Verelik would of course teach her. Darts however was simple to play, and easy to set up. There was no time to enjoy a song on the guitar or climb the tree in the back. "501, let's go!"
At that moment, she heard Verelik finish his shower. She groaned. "Alright, let's get at least 100 then." She had three darts. She pulled her arm back, then let it fly. She aimed for the inner 20, but got the non-ringed patch. "80." Another dart flew, this time aimed for the outer 20. It landed, and she smiled. "Niiice, 40! One more!" She held the dart up, took a breath, an--

"Hey, Sweet Cheeks, what're you doing there?"

The dart flew off into the wall rather than the board. She slowly looked at Verelik, who was smirking with his arms crossed, while leaning against the wall. She tried to be angry, but she lost her composure and giggled. He smiled back. "Okay, I owe you one. Remind me later, but for now, let's go."

The walk to the school was brisk. It was known to both of them that the Lover's Incident ended up lowering their reputation, though the looks weren't common, most likely due to the morning rush. They arrived at the school, just as a group of other kids crowded Fay. The clock tower above them rang, signalling that 8th hour. Alyssa and Verelik walked up to the group, and Verelik patted Alyssa's back and slightly nudged her forward, while smiling in the general direction of Fay and the kids. "Good luck, try not to beat the boys up."
"Dad..." She looked sheepish.
Verelik chuckled. "Alright, alright, have fun now, yeah?" He looked over at Fay and nodded. "Nice to see you again, Fay. Look after Aly for me." As he said that, Alyssa walked over to the group, looking for familiar faces.

[User]
Fay smiled sweetly and tucked a stray strand of hair behind the ear of Emma. "That's quite alright, dear." The young teacher looked up and waved at Dillan, but he didn't notice. With a pat on the back, she send Emma towards the other kids before counting them all again and letting her finger land on Alyssa, who was walking over together with her father. All complete, she thought to herself. The administration of the school had already signalled her Alyssa would be joining her class again. Alyssa was a lovely and bright kid, and Fay of course had no objection. She expected her to turn up this morning. She did not, however, expect her father to come along with her. She pushed her glasses back up her nose as Alyssa and Verelik stood by her side. She hadn't seen him since he left to Water Leafs. Something that, in some way, did something to her. "Hello Alyssa, good to have you back." She smiled sweetly at the young girl before she took off to her classmates.

Fay turned towards Verelik as the children made their way to the stone steps that led to way towards the school building. The small woman had to arch her neck to look the tall man in the eyes. "It's good to see you again too. And ofcourse, you know I always will." She had to push up her glasses along the bridge of her nose again. "Thank you for dropping her off."

---

Lee smirked as Dillan sat down with a sigh and a sarcastic comment. Dillan, his partner in the Guard, was the total opposite of him. He was more laid back, sarcastic, and a little grumpy, while Lee was cheerful, active and above all, a real morning person. But that did not mean that Lee couldn't be serious, and that Dillan couldn't be fun. As partners, they complimented each other. Lee could easily call Dillan his best friend. They weren't always like this, of course. They didn't grow up together. But they bonded over the fact that they both have to raise little girls. Even though his little girl fay is now a big girl, she's still little in Lee's mind.

They even had a bromoment, when Dillan didn't for the life of him know what to do with a girls hair. Lee taught him the trick: braiding. It was easy to do and kept the hair in place. They practiced it on Fay, much to her dismay. Emma was already 10 years old. Time goes fast.

"Good morning sunshine. He grinned as he threw Dillan a water bottle. Up here, it could get kind of warm. He took a sip of his own bottle and already longed for the lunch his sister would be bringing him.

Mid stretch, Lee heard a voice outside the gates. He leaned over the wall and looked down into the face of Astor. "Hey Astor! Good going, my man. My coat game is good, but I've been wanting another carpet."  He smirked before signalling down to open the gates for the hunter. "And you should be in the market for a shower."  he added.

[Assistant]
"Ugh." Astor said dramatically, waving a hand under his nose in an exaggerated motion, smiling. "Don't remind me. I'll have to head home and scrub down before my shift at the pub tonight, or Mom'll give me an earful."

Continuing on into town, Astor waved to Lee and Dillon as he passed, calling back; "Hey Lee! If you're serious about that carpet, swing by my place in a few days! I'll see if I can get the pelt treated and ready for you by then!"

With a few new items on his itinerary, Astor made his way towards The Damn Pub - where he had a small apartment built into the rear face of the building. The trek seemed much less strenuous once he didn't have to worry about snagging on tree roots or looking over his shoulder for the rest of the wolf pack, and he found himself leaning his pole-bound carcasses against the stairs that led up to his dwelling within twenty minutes or so.

"First thing's first." He muttered, kicking off his boots, stripping off his outer jacket, and trudging up the smooth wooden stairs with them in his arms. Showers were never quite a pleasant affair for Astor, given his jury-rigged setup (something that didn't quite qualify as plumbing). But he was eager to get clean, and didn't want to go through the steps necessary for a hot shower.

Stripping as he went through his "compact" apartment and dumping his soiled clothes into the laundry tub, he stepped into his cramped tile shower stall and pulled on the rope that would allow some water to cascade down over him from the water tank that had been installed on the roof above. Rainwater, mostly, though he would occasionally climb up to collect some for boiling and drinking or cooking.

The shower was quick and miserable - freezing cold water, rough soap, and a too-coarse towel made sure that he was all too happy to be done.

"I've got to look into a bathtub some time. Maybe I could get a wooden one if I brought one of the carpenters some prime game." He muttered, teeth chattering as he dried himself off and jumped into some fresh clothes.


[System]
Nickname(Optional): Pfft, no.
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Physical Appearance: Of Average build with short dark hair, Neil isn't exactly the most unique specimen. He is fit but not noticeably so. He isn't big at all, but he is also not small. He has a face girls can find cute, but not exactly dreamy. Tanned skin and a ruddy complexion from all of the machine's he's worked on, coupled with the calluses on his hands gives him an experienced look despite the very youthful appearance he has. All in all, other than the twinkling of his eyes and the trademark grin, he is essentially average. He has dark eyes and very dark brown hair, enough to be considered black under most light. He's about 5'10 and 165 pounds.
Clothing: He often wears baggy pants, mostly military cargo. He likes to wear single colored T-Shirts. Usually he wears red.
Personality: Oh, now that is a question. To say Neil is eccentric is...well, that hits the nail on the head. Very good with hand-eye coordination, competent combatant, good engineer, and a daring pilot. But prone to sarcasm, snide remarks, unorthodox behavior, and just good old fashioned explosions. He's a born jokester, though behind his charming yet insufferable demeanor belies a certain intelligence, and to those he enjoys, he does tend to have a big heart.

[User]
The room seemed to quiet down, and everyone took a breather as the floating disks were no longer a threat for the moment. York smiled through his mustache, amused as usual. "Well, that was a bit more hazardous than I had hoped." he said. The next move from Neil was sudden. As if Neil's arm was being used by some unseen force, his elbow shot back and struck York in the chest, sending the man skidding across the ground.

Sparks shot out from Neil's tattoo, and he blinked, anyone in his line of sight could see that he had somewhat regained control of himself. "What?" he mouthed, confused as to what was occurring. He didn't have time to continue however, because suddenly his body began to spasm and contort, and he fell from his standing position to being curled up on the ground. The soldier's trained their guns on him, superstitious fear evident in their eyes.

"Hold fire!" York declared, gathering himself up and and dusting off his vest. Those that were physically closer to Neil could hear his seething breathes of pain. It was a new sound. He had been hit, thrown around, cut, and even shot, and he had never made these kinds of agonizing noises. It was as if something was touching and stretching his very nervous system. Sweat began beading off of his arms and what part of his face people could see through the thrashing, and a shoulder 'popped', though whether out of place or back into place, no one was certain.

And then the pilot slumped into the floor, limp and motionless. The marines held their rifles up, but they relaxed a bit after moments of no movement. Taya turned and buried her face into Sayeeda's shoulder, unable to process what where they were or what was happening. Saxon gave a guttural chuckle. "It looks like his luck had finally run out." he rumbled. Woods and Sven gave him a sideways glare, though for different reasons. Woods for romantic plans foiled, and Sven because logically, Neil was their best chance for escape.

It was fortunate for everyone that Neil groaned moments later, and a few gasps were heard as he drew himself up to a sitting position, looking more or less his old self. "Fuck," he breathed, scratching his head and blinking, as if to get used to light his eyes weren't used to. "That hurt more than I thought it would."

Woods and Junebug both looked relatively relieved, though it would only be if one looked close. Taya instead ran to him and gave him a hug. He hugged her back, appreciating that was always going to be the one with her heart on her sleeve. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he repeated to her questions of what happened and how she believed him to be dead. York cleared his throat and stepped forward, inclining his head. "It is good to have you back as yourself, my boy. What exactly did happen?"

"Just me having 2 million years of Alien knowledge uploaded into my brain." Neil said.

"Bullshit." Woods said, eyeing him.

"...Yeah it is. Well, mostly. I do know the layout of this place better, and its function." he said, getting to his feet and stretching. He continued to explain at York's insistence. The men lowered their weapons with a wave of Wood's hand. "I was being whispered to in my mind." Neil explained. "Echoes in my head... I did see images. Images I never thought I would see. Places in the universe I had never been to. Monsters I had never seen. Science beyond ours...I even saw early man. I don't know. But, what I mostly saw was the history of this facility. And I know it's a fail safe facility, against the God Machine near the equator."

"Where do we go now?" Junebug asked.

Neil pointed down the leftmost corridor. A lowlight hall with hexagonal dimensions that never quite closed into shape, defying the eye's expectations for what was meant to be and what was. Neil cleared his throat. "The rest of the facility is that way. The other three doors go to living stations, or have collapsed." He said. The air through that tunnel did smell more fresh than the stale, recycled air that permeated the room they were currently in.

"Let's move out!" Woods called, and the men hopped to, moving into Delta formation and keeping their rifles trained on their 9 and 12s, though they visibly blinked and shifted every time their eyes passed over the strange proportions of the hallways interior. Neil strode at the front, walking through and speaking about the things he garnered from his brief entrancement. "You know, it's pretty wild they developed their civilization two million years before we invented the written word. I think they began their first interplanetary travel with Muon-catalyzed fusion, like we did."

"Neil?" Junebug asked. He zipped his lip and looked at her, expectantly. "You said this place was a failsafe, as well as a research facility."

"Yeah." Neil said.

"Failsafe how?"

"By Decimation." a voice said behind them. They all turned in an instant, guns trained on something they least expected. One of the Old Ones stood there, though it was not flesh and blood. It was a hologram. Sven immediately scanned the apparition, and confirmed it as an A.I. system, albeit a bit rudimentary for the heights of technological advancement this race could usually achieve. The hologram continued. "The chosen one is correct, it is a failsafe. Something to be activated in only the most dire circumstances."

Junebug gave Neil a questioning look. He nodded. "In other words, we're standing on a star system sized bomb."

[Assistant]
Junebug swept the barrel of her rifle back and forth through the head of hologram experimentally. The picture shimmered slightly but showed no other sign of having noticed. York was looking at Neil with an expression she couldn't read but didn't seem to her to bode very well. Everyone else seemed frozen by the unexpected turn of events.

"What happened to the men who vanished?" Junebug asked, walking in a circle around the alien projection. No matter what angle she assumed it seemed to be facing directly at her but there was no transition whatsoever.

"All non essential querants are to be terminated," the hologram responded. Junebug glanced to Woods who looked grim but clearly hadn't expected any other answer.

"Are we in danger now?" Junebug asked.

"All non essential querants are to be terminated," the hologram repeated.

"Can N...er 'the chosen one' deem us essential querants?" Junebug asked.

"That is not the function of the chosen one. That functionality is not essential."

"Why do you…" the hologram flickered and vanished and the whole building shuddered. Dust rained down from the ceiling. A second later another hammerblow struck the structure.

"That's orbital bombardment," York noted, he rubbed at his chest and cast an irritated glance at Neil. The Chacedon ships must have either destroyed the November Sky or driven it back into the RIP long enough to resume their attack. The shield that had held the Terran's off must have been immensely strong to prevent them from being instantly obliterated. Junebug didn't want to think about what that meant for the Highlander right now.

"Neil, whatever the fuck you need to do we need to do it now," she snapped grabbing Taya by the shoulder and pulling her away from the pilot. Seconds mattered right now and she couldn't afford to waste valuable seconds calming the girl down.

"Wait just a min…" York began but Junebug had nonchalantly swung her weapon to bear on the spook. She didn't make a point of it but it was obvious that the Terran recognised the threat.

"Not a discussion," she said in a voice that held no more warmth than a blizzard. Woods and her surviving two marines shifted uncomfortably. Saxon raised his arm and Sven seemed to produce a knife from nowhere. It still wouldn't have been great odds. Sayeeda was confident she could put down York but the angle would preclude her from taking any of the remaining three Terrans. It was possible that Saxon and Sven would put them down, but it was vanishingly unlikely they would manage it before the chamber was filled with an unsurvivable amount of gunfire. Another tremor shook the building, this one was worse than the last by orders of magnitude.

"Its not the Chacedons," Neil said unexpectedly. Everyone paused and looked at the pilot whose eyes were very wide.

"Its starting to wake up."

[User]
The planet shuddered beneath them. Even so far underground, the tremors were undeniable, meaning it couldn't be local shockwaves in the surrounding area. "Wait, wait!" Neil said, holding his hands up to calm the situation down. He placed a hand on Junebug's rifle, looking her in the eye. Her gaze met his, and it took her many moments before she lowered her gun.

"We can do both." Neil said, snapping his gaze at York to make sure he would hold himself from drawing any weapon. Luckily, he seemed to not be making any sudden movements. Instead he motioned for Neil to continue impatiently. The pilot guessed he wanted as little bloodshed or chaos as possible at the moment.

"We need to leave. But you can grab whatever technology you wish on the way out. You have more to see." He explained. "But we need to hurry, so if we're done threatening each other, I can lead us the fuck out. Is that good for you guys?" He sounded as if he was talking to children or particularly slow learners. He realized that probably wasn't the smartest tone but he had just had his entire internal being violated by an alien presence.

Once they were underway, there was a palpable tension that could likely by cut by a blunt knife, but they still moved and stayed alert. Sven watched the walls of the corridor, analyzing the dimensions and finding an odd calculation. The dimensions were akin to the Pi equation, unending in figures. At least as far as Sven's processing power could tell, the figures have not ended yet.

The end of the corridor led into a chamber made of what seemed to be glassteel, with a large console on the left and blast doors to the left and forward. To the right was an exhibit, with what seemed to be stasis fields holding various certain beings in a floating suspension. It was an odd thing to see, for in the stasis chambers, there was what looked to be one of the Xenos that was in the monoliths earlier, along with a cro magnon man, three unknown Xenos of probable ancient origins, and a very slender version of an archaic Hexanagallion.

Saxon's visage was hard to determine, but he seemed both conflicted and in awe at viewing what was likely an ancient ancestor of his race, and what this meant. Woods and the other marines had a similar view on the situation. York and Sven on the other hand were interested in the console. "Neil, can you activate it?" York asked. "What does it contain?"

"Information," Neil said, stepping forward and moving on instinct and operating the console. "I can extract it for you so you can shut the hell up about it. But we need to open the forward door as well. I just need a minute of time and we can get out of here."


[System]
Desperado

---

-------STATISTICS-------

-------MASTERIES-------

| VIT -- 16 | 50% | BLADES -- D
(-5 Accuracy / -1 Might)

| MGT -- 5 | 60% | POLEARMS -- E
(-15 Accuracy / -1 Might)

| SKI -- 8 | 45% | AXES/BLUNT -- E
(-20 Accuracy / -0 Might)

| SPD -- 6 | 30% | BOWS/RANGED -- E
(-20 Accuracy / -2 Might)

| SRT -- 1 | 25% | THEURGY -- N/A
(-20 Accuracy / -2 Might)

| MND -- 6 | 60% | MYSTICISM -- D
(-10 Accuracy/ -1 Might)

| LUK -- 7 | 30% |
Secondary Statistics

WGT -- 1
ACC -- 22
AVO -- 13 / 18-Buckler
RES -- 2
CRT -- 9
MVT - 6

---

Traits:

- BURGLARY -- Can steal gear not currently equipped from an adjacent enemy unit. Provided your speed or skill is greater than theirs.
- CLEAN GETAWAY -- +1 Movement, may use remaining movement after opening a door, opening a chest, stealing or using an item.

---

* Bronze Curved Blade

	+ MIGHT | 3 / 5
	+ ACCURACY | 80 / 117
	+ WEIGHT | 3
	+ CONDITION | 29/30
	+ RANGE | 1
	+ SPECIAL | +5% Crit Rate
	+ COST | 265

* Leather Armor

	+ DEFENSE | 2
	+ CONDITION | 20
	+ WEIGHT | 2
	+ SPECIAL | N/A
	+ COST | 125

* Seep -- 𒊮

	+ MIGHT | 1
	+ ACCURACY | 90
	+ WEIGHT | 3
	+ CONDITION | 10
	+ RANGE | 1-3
	+ SPECIAL | A wave of toxic wind rushes over and chokes a target. (50+MND% - Defender's RES) chance to poison. (1/6 VIT lost per turn. For three turns)
	+ COST | 220

>list>

Possessions:
- Boiled Leather Cuirass
- Bronzed Curves Sword
- Lucky Bandana
- 40 Aurums

- Personality / Appearance* Ashür bears the frame of a man who is not unaccustomed to a life of labor, but as to what exactly those labors have been, none can say. Rarely seen without a bandanna covering his mess of filthy blond hair, he stands around 5'11" and at 210lbs. The man bears some fairly toned muscles, though certainly no thicker than his similarly thick companion Lyun. Despite this, he harbors a certain deftness to him. Like that of a greased boar as it were.
* Cynical, aloof, irreligious; Ashür is very clearly not a man of Akkad. And though he has found a 'home' for the last year in the company, he still reveals little of himself or his past. Which is not to say he's difficult to get along with, so long as one can get beyond his loose sense of morals and craven nature. For indeed, he is bluntly honest about the last fact, if ever there was a choice between the company and his own life, he would take the latter one million times out of ten. So when, not if, he abandons you alone under insurmountable odds, don't say he didn't warn you. . . It's just practical.

- Backstory* Ashür no doubt comes from lands to the north of Akkad, whether west or east is not clear, for he's revealed his homeland as Nörgard, Elbe-Saale, Pannonia, and many others countless times. Regardless, his countenance and manner of speech certainly pin him to the more temperate lands, though his command of the Akkadian language and beyond wouldn't make this quite as obvious as it seems. What little else you likely know of him is that he was a bounty-hunter before offering his blade to the company, at least he let the captain know why; he's been on the run for a long while now, it seemed a safe place as any.
* 'Blackhollow' as refers to his name could not even be found upon a map. . .

[User]
Although Lyun's absence perplexed Siris, it was definitely not going to stop him.

Siris: "Zarif! Allow me to follow!"

Siris moves 6 tiles to 13-33 equipping his bronze throwing knife

Nearby he spots a axe warrior surprisingly similar to Lyun, however not nearly as intimidating. Pointing his knife at him he shouts

Siris: "Come fight me nameless warrior, unless you intend to run home to your mother!!"

[Assistant]
Etor missed lyun and felt a little uncomfortable without him in their formation. Knowing Lyun would break the tactic of whatever team they opposed made Etor a more confident fighter. Eavesdropping on chatter throughout the camp the idea that lyun might be part of the opposing team rattled him. His youth and inexperience became apparent in that moment as he didn't know how to be most useful on the battlefield. He'd have to talk to Siris to find out what makes him so confident and headstrong.

Etor: "...Wait for me! I'll go into the house to make sure we don't get ambushed."

This served two purposes. Etor would have more time to regroup and formulate ideas to find the best role he could play in this mission. There was also the possibility of more coin. Etor has heard of but never seen gray metal. He'd need more coins, as all sellswords do, to purchase stronger weapons. In the young spearman's the stronger he becomes the less likely he'll see people around him die and the less likely they are to leave.

Etor moves 6 tiles to 13-36

[User]
Makeen

The finer details of the mission went over Makeen's head, but the big guy has gone rogue and the archer helped clear the path to house with potential treasures inside.

Makeen: You guys charge ahead. I'll help myself to whatever is in here.

Makeen moves 8 tiles to 12-34.

[Assistant]
Though Iddin's words carry a hollow weight across their backs, the Hellions can't ever help but feel emboldened by the man decrying their foes. Still, ahead, the bandit's keen eye takes ample note of the dissident Kassites, broad of chest and stout of spirit much like their companion Lyun. Ashur interplaces himself between one charging forth for their priest, gleaming iron in the figure's hand, a detail that in that split moment, goes unscrutinized.

ASHUR moves to 16-35 and equips FLAME

---

 LAHAMU: "Iddin-Darling!" A soft voice parts the rumblings of battle. A young woman of slender build and one striking purple eye uncovered by her hair rushes to the gray-drabbed priest. "Don't leave me behind like that! I'm not some useless girl that you need to protect!" She huffs, her goldenrod clothes fluttering in the winds of the broken siege. "Now, how can I help?"

RALLY: SPIRIT+5 To adjacent unit when taking the rally action until end of next turn.

---

KASSITE PHASECOMMENCE
 KASHTILASHU: "Fight harder you louts! The main forces are in retreat! No sand-sucking coinblades will get the better of us!" The Kassite chief stands from the escarpment of the throne chamber, raising his axe in pre-determined triumph. "Down with the Imperial elites! The day of the Kassites has come!"

The so-called 'Barbarians of Zagros' shuffle about the ruinous outer walls of Der, darting between ruins and yet-still occupied homes brandishing their ill-gotten implements with a fervor and zeal unknown to the likes of mere sellswords. With no proper formation, one of the brigands makes a break for it, barreling across the road towards the exposed Iddin with their iron axe outstretched. There was no doubt that without Zuzu's grace, Iddin's head would be felled. But before the blow could be struck, the bandanna wearing merc steps in.

KASSITE BRIGAND #3 attacks ASHUR with their IRON HAND AXE, but misses!

ASHUR counterattacks with his FLAME, dealing 5 DAMAGE! Gaining 5xp and 1 Mysticism proficiency

With the Divine Language flowing through the black tongue of the Desperado, a streak of vermillion fire erupts from the inscrutable rune glowing midst the dry air. The flying axe is burnt to cinders while the remaining heat strikes out at the warrior, leaving welts and bad burns upon their sun-cracked flash yet hardly putting them down for the count. ASHUR: "Use that head of yours, priest, lest you be throwing stones in thy glass house." The bandit's eyes shifted to their east, two more of the Kassites brandishing spears of bronze crept upon their position. 'Hm. If I'm caught by them, I'll surely be dead-meat.'

---

HELLIONS PHASE

COMMENCE

---

FOES

KASSITE BRIGAND x4
KASSITE REBEL x10
KASSITE HUNTER x10
ANGAL KASHTILASHU
LYUN
KASSITE BRIGAND #1
VIT 20/20
KASSITE BRIGAND #2
VIT 20/20
KASSITE BRIGAND #3
VIT 15/20
KASSITE BRIGAND #4
VIT 20/20

KASSITE REBEL #1
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #2
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #3
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #4
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #5
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #6
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #7
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #8
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #9
VIT 16/16
KASSITE REBEL #10
VIT 16/16

KASSITE HUNTER #1
VIT 0/14
KILLED BY ZARIF
KASSITE HUNTER #2
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #3
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #4
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #5
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #6
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #7
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #8
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #9
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #10
VIT 14/14
KASSITE HUNTER #11
VIT 14/14

TRAIT: ALTITUDE CONDITIONING -- Reduced movement penalty to 2 on mountain tiles. +3 Defense when defending from mountain tiles.

TRAIT: ALTITUDE CONDITIONING -- Reduced movement penalty to 2 on mountain tiles. +3 Defense when defending from mountain tiles.

TRAIT: ALTITUDE CONDITIONING -- Reduced movement penalty to 2 on mountain tiles. +3 Defense when defending from mountain tiles.

TRAIT: INDOMITABLE -- Character permanently gains +7 VIT.

ALLIES

RALLY: SPIRIT+5 To adjacent unit when taking the rally action until end of next turn.
Forts/Castles
- DEF +2 / AVO +20
- Heal: 20%
- Move cost: 2
- Other details: N/A

Towers
- DEF +1 / AVO +15
- Heal: 0%
- Move cost: 2
- Other details: RANGED class weapons attacks may originate from the top or base of the tower tile, their maximum range is also increased by one when at the top of a tower tile.

Houses / Villages
- DEF +0 / AVO +10
- Heal: 10%
- Move cost: 1
- Other details: N/A

Mountains / Hills
- DEF +2 / AVO +10
- Heal: 0%
- Move cost: 4
- Other details: Mounted units cannot enter this tile type.

Forests/Trees
- DEF +1 / AVO +10
- Heal: 0%
- Move cost: 2
- Other details: Mounted units movement cost is increased to three on forests.

[User]
Perhaps some need to prove her worth to both her aloof husband, and further perhaps to her father, Lahamu darts from Iddin's side, her hands flurry out from the confines of her thin robes, tracing scorching patterns and divine utterances as she does. Before the brush for which the spearman stands she bellows out a cry, a ray of blistering flame sears through the earth, going wide past the first, but crisping the rebel beyond.

LAHAMU moves to 17-36 and casts SCORCH, missing KASSITE REBEL #1

Standing unfazed by the gouts of fire from the mercenary, the Kassite sucks at his teeth before her. "Hey girlie, that nearly burned my lucky shirt. . !"
 LAHAMU: "Shit!" Was all she could muster, the failure of her spell right beside Iddin after that proclamation flushed her face with heat.


[System]
Age: 16
Race: Human(?)
Gender: Female

Appearance:
Druid Girl is an attractive young woman with healthy, shiny caramel-colored skin, long, silky and glossy black hair as well as bright, sunny eyes with the color of gold. She stands at just above average height, with a well-defined body, ample bosom, taut stomach and curvy legs. She is not slim or slender though, but neither is she chubby or overly plump, instead she sports a healthy and trim physique, with well-sculpted limbs and digits.

As for her attire, it is very simplistic. During late spring through to early autumn, she wears a cropped, hooded vest, a white tight-fitting bandeau on her chest - exposing her midriff completely, along with a pelvic curtain - held in place by a long-tailed sash - with many fabrics woven into it. On her feet she wears a pair of multi-strapped, but simple, sandals and on her forearms she wears a pair of simple cloth bracers. She also adorns her hair with two, long, snow-white feathers - one on each side of her head. Also worth noting is that the sash she wears has a handful of small bells hanging from it. During late autumn to early spring, her "winter clothes" consists of a hooded coat instead of the vest, a woolen shirt instead of the bandeau and a long skirt, with leggings underneath, isntead of the curtained skirt. She also wears boots and gloves instead of the sandals and bracers.

Druid Girl's voice is sweet and gentle, but full of life and vibrant energy. She is very expressive, both in her face and body-language. She has no qualms about showing physical affection for those she likes or cares for, hugging or embracing them without a smidge of embarrassment. By the same token though, it's eaasy to tell when she's upset and/or angry. Also, despite being a human, her unnaturally colored eyes seem to hint at some non-human blood running through her veins, though exactly what is far too distant and far-removed to have any actual impact on her psyche or body.

Height: 5'5" / 166 cm
Eye Color: Gold
Hair Color: Black

Personality:
Druid Girl is a friendly and kind person, with a love for life and the world around her. She is bright and cheerful, but can be mischievous and physically playful - especially with other girls. She loves nature and animals, which were the main reasons she chose to train as a druid in the first place. Additionally, the young woman loves good food and almost all manner of sweets, which often leads to her getting depressed as a druid should not eat or want more food than they actually need. While she likes animals she does not keep pets, and does not like the concept of domestication.

Also, Druid Girl loathes those who are cruel, and even more so if its targeted against those that are weak or unable to defend themselves. She also cannot stand for pointless destruction or those who indulge in great excess. She has a very hard time for anyone who believes in racial supremacy too, as well as those who discriminate agains others because of their species or gender. Unlike many druids or nature-lovers though, she does not begrudge the construction of towns and cities, as long as they don't grow too large or cause too much damage to the surrounding areas. She prefers to be out in the wild though, or at least outdoors, to being couped up inside buildings or indoors, as it can cause her to feel a slight bit of claustrophobia.

Druid Girl also doesn't hold grudges, nor does she stay mad for long. Even if insulted or angered, it will fade rather quickly and she has an easy time returning to her regular, happy and kind self. This, of course, does not apply to beings of an unnatural state though, such as the undead or beings that don't belong in this world. Any and all creatures of this kind are abominations in her eyes, and should be expunged with extreme and immediate measures. She can also get irritated when people whine about things like rain, winter or the sweltering heat of summer, finding it pointless to complain about things that they cannot change, but can handle in one way or another.

In her spare time, she likes to take walks in forests and meadows while singing, as well as checking on the local wildlife and tending to plants and trees.

Likes: Animals, Nature, Kindness, Delicious food, Sweets, All seasons
Dislikes: Cruelty, Wildlife exploitation, Senseless destruction, Unnatural beings (undead, demons, etc), People complaining about weeather and seasons
Hobbies: Singing, Forest strolls, Tending nature, Snacking on foods & sweets, Bathing, Teasing

History:
Druid Girl was born and grew up in a rural village in the western parts of the kingdom. Her parents were simple folk, her father a farmhand and her mother a daycare nurse. From an early age, she was brought along to both parents workplaces, being shown both the importance of crops and the kidness of caring for others. The girl never complained about this though, she loved her family and was happy to be with, and helping them. She espcially liked working with her father, who would show her how different crops grew, how to deal with animals and even how and where to do simple foraging. Her mother taught her more in the ways of showing kindness, the values of helping others and that why not to be spiteful or mean.

It was a peaceful time and though life wasn't always easy, it was still full of warmth of joy. As she grew older, she would take more and more interest in the things that nature could and would provide - flowers, mushrooms, nuts, roots, various types of grass and even the wild beasts that lived there. This growing interest however meant she spent less and less time aiding her parents willingly, which began to cause friction. Eventually, these little disagreements became arguments, and eventually full-blown conflicts. Finallye, Druid Girl left her house after a particularly nasty confrontation with her parents.

She left her home and her village and began to wander the great outdoors. However, even with the little information her father had provided, surviving on her own proved far tougher than she had expected. On the verge of both freezing to death and starving, she was found by a wanderer - a wanderer who happaned to be an arch druid himself. After being fed and being allowd to share his campfire, the girl told her tale and explained herself, her interest and curiosity about nature and the wilds. At first the old man urged her to return to her family, but she insisted that she wouldn't do so until she could prove that her desire to know and explore nature was more than just self-indulgence, she wanted to prove that it could be useful to both her and others. The old druid sighed and told her that, if she so desired, she could become his apprentice - on the condition that once she finished training, she would return to her family and show off the fruits of her labor.

Agreeing in a heartbeat, with the brightest smile this side of the world, Druid Girl had no hesitation or doubts when taking the old man up on his offer. The next few years were spent studying and learning from her mentor, who taught her many things, both about flora an fauna. He taught her how to speak to animals and plants, where to look and how to move to find things or places, as well as teaching her the basic arts of druidic magics. Once she reached about her mid-teens, her master eventually told her that her training was complete, congratuating his student and wishing her well - in addition to reminding her of her promise and the responsabilities she now had as a druid herself.

Returning to her home, Druid Girl was sure that she would be able to show off her knowledge and skills to her parents, allowing them to mend the rift that had been caused those many years ago. Upon her return though, she found that her father had fallen ill and her mother was worked to the bone, having to both care for her sickly husband as well as do her job to bring home money for the pair. When she first arrived, her mother was quick to lecture and scold her, then pointing out her father's condition. However, once the daughter went outside and returned with some plants and herbs, brewed a tea and used her spellcraft to help heal her ailing father, the tune changed quite rapidly. Much bawling and apologizing was had - from both parties - and the reconciliation was a success.

With her father on the road to recovery and with her mother's tearful blessings, Druid Girl agains set out on the road, heading eastward. She had heard that there was a new town in the far-frontier, a place which surely could use the help and skills of a druid to aid in keeping the wilderness in check, or at bay. So she began her journey, on the slippery, slithering pathway of adventure.

[User]
Steppe Archer couldn't help but cringe at the sight of the quest detailing the slaying of roaches...after what had happened to the Guard lady she'd been adventuring with, she hated to think of one of her companions or herself contracting that disease as well. But thankfully, it seemed her companions weren't intent on doing that one, what with the question Big Red posed of whether they could take on two quests nearby. She had a feeling he meant the Goblin Nest extermination as well as the escort mission; It sounded like a good enough idea. And they'd net over 100 copper each if they managed to complete both. Even more if they found the adventure party that had departed before. Still, she had to wonder what happened to them...were goblins such a huge threat out here? She'd heard they were tricky, and liked to gang up on stronger people to take them down fast but...she figured adventurers were tougher.

Still, it was an opportunity to earn a huge sum of money...so long as they dealt with the goblins. The escort sounded simple.

Smiling, Steppe Archer would give the Druid Girl a smile, saying: "An escort sounds super simple. Plus with the three of us, we're covered for basically anything. We have my bow, your magic, and Big Red's strength!" The girl was fairly confident they could manage. But, she would quickly add: "If we're going to take on that goblin quest while we're there though, we should bring things to heal ourselves with. After all, goblins don't fight fair."

[Assistant]
The reptilian man listened and waited calmly while the Guild Girl checked her information about the option for taking multiple jobs. Her answer pleased him and earned her a nod. "Alright, thank you for the info." He rumbled out before moving up behind the two girls. Druid Girl poked at the Escort Quest and Archer Girl was all for it as well. The bow user made a good observation as well.

"Nothing that's fighting for survival fights fair. I'll see if there's more information on the Goblins." He said to the pair as he took the two quests down. "But for gear we'll definitely need torches, probably at least one antidote each, and one healing potion each." He said while handing Druid Girl his portion of the reward from the Patrol Quest. They could shop while he got the information desired.

Back to the Quest Counter he moved and slid the two quests over to the Guild Girl to register them. "I'd like some information these two jobs. Potential dangers on the Escort Job. Also rough amount of goblins, what was the size of the previous party, anything that'd help honestly." Big Red requested. Best to be prepared than dead right?

[User]
Druid Girl nodded, both at her archer and reptile friend. Though it took a while before the proverbial candle lit above her head as Big Red handed her his portion of the night-patrol's payment. Eventually, the dots between what he had said, and the reason for why she had gotten his money, clicked, and she smiled and looked at her bow-wielding ally.

"Well, while Big Red handles the paperwork, why don't you and I hit the market and shops?" She suggested before heading for the door.

Meanwhile, the lizardman would find the Guild Girl at the reception-counter putting on a polite small, though it was obvious that she was sighing internally at the big brute's questions and poking regarding the two quests he had just brought to bare. She straightened the glasses atop her nose and balled her hand into a small fist, using it to cover her mouth as she half-coughed, half-cleared her throat before speaking.

"I'm sorry sir, but quests are issued by petitioners and clients, not by the Guild. If there isn't any information specified on the quest note itself, we can't really offer much in the way of additional knowledge." She explained, holding a finger up as she talked. "Given that the farmer who posted both fo your quests managead to get to the town yesterday, without being accosted, I don't think you'll encounter. annything too bad. But, for all we know, you could be ambushed by bandits, wolves, a rogue troll or maybe even have a roc or thunderbird swoop down on you." She ewxaggerated. "Or, you might only see a lone field mouse during your entire trip." She added, as a counterwwight to the previously dangerous-sounding scenarios, after which she took a small breath of air before going on.

"As for the goblins..." She paused thoughtfully. "The quest was posted three days, and a group of four porcelain ranked adventurers initially accepted it. Like I said earlier though, if the quest doesn't list any vital information, the Guild doesn't really have anything we can add. I doubt the man who posted it was brave enough to go into the little monsters' lair and count them himself either." The woman spoke, politely but also matter-of-factly. It was true though, just because someone posted a quest to the Guild didn't mean that the Guild had any specifics or important details about the job or its hazards. Adventurers accepted quests under the knowledge that they were potentially hazardous and could well end their lives - that much was made evident by the documents one signed before receiving their guild-tag.

"Still though..." The woman said, placing a hand on her chin and furrowing her brow - a look of concern on her face. "Let me check something." She said, leaving the counter to go into a backroom. Big Red was left alone for a minute or two, before she returned with a small number of papers in her hand. Once back with the lizardman, she began flipping through the pages, reading them in a muttered voice with quickly moving eyes. "Ah, yes. Here we are." She suddenly said, pulling one of the papers from the small pile. "The quest was accepted by a group consisting of a young swordsman, a priest, a female padfoot rogue and a female bard. They were all porcelain-ranks, just as you and your two party members, and they had previously completed only one quest as a team." The Guild Girl divulged, looking up at the lizard from her notes. "Does that help you?" She asked, since she really couldn't do much else for him.

At this point, the Guild Hall had become more lively and full of people. The quest board was being clogged by many potential takers and the tables and chairs were filling up slowly but surely. A group from ysterday, consisting of Bruiser and his two padfoor girls, were being particularly noisy, complaining about the crappy selection of Steel-rank quests. A group of two youngsters were looking dismayed, mumbling about how they didn't want to go squashing roaches in the sewers, casting jealous glances at Big Red for having snagged - what was probably - the best porcelain quests before they arrived.