Debra
The sound of hammer to nail echoed through the town square. A group of six mercenaries watched as their boss posted the notice. Turning to face the now forming crowd, the old human puts his hands behind his back and begins to speak.

 "Attention citizens of Miller-dale! I am Duke Mattias Anfrey! What you see before you...," His hand slowly gestured towards the large notice, its red and black characters surrounding a terrifying sketch. "Is no bounty or job offer. It is a notice. Down the trail that lies southwest, any and all citizens are hereby forbade from traveling until given permission once more. Until then..."

 He took out a dagger from his waist and stabbed it in the center of the parchment. 

 "I need Miller-dale's finest warriors! This is a monstrous and terrible situation for us all and so I need those able to listen and fight, in that order. You will be paid handsomely upon your survival. Feel free to read at your discretion..."

Finally he stepped to the side and began conversing with his mercenary entourage, listening to the latest scout report.

The notice reads:
BY ORDER OF DUKE ANFREY
[Any and all travels done by citizens, merchants or otherwise is punishable by imprisonment or fine of 100 silver pieces.]

[If you are a coward and spot this Daemon of Hell, It is too late, avoid at all cost.]

[Should you find yourself a hero thirsty for riches, fame and glory, inquire to Duke Anfrey.]

[Sketch below]
Mack
"Excuse me, Pardon me, coming through here." *Alinys would say as she is pushing through the crowd. Before making her way to the front of the crowd. Hmm I've never seen anything like that picture in the monastery's library, maybe it's a new creature native to this land only? She pondered while staring. I guess the only way is to ask this Duke guy for more information, but seeing as how no one else is going up it might not be a good idea. Well like the monks said you can read a thousand lives in books, but nothing compares to finding the heart with travel. Alinys steels herself before walking up to the duke.* "Excuse me Duke, sir. My name is Alinys and I am a traveling monk and would like to hear more about this creature you posted a picture of if you do not mind." *Alinys would finish her statement and then curtesy awaiting a response. *
Debra
He turned his head to this peculiar looking woman in robes, silencing his underling with a gesture of his hand. The warm breeze rustled what remained of his long white hair and made his gilded coat shimmer in the sunlight, his deep brown eyes overgrown with an aged and hardened visage.

 "Duke Anfrey, monk. And I posted no creature, your holiness, but something else." Voice like an old hound's growl, he exhaled in exasperation.

 "Its more of a magical weapon, likely in the hands of a traitor to my expedition..." He turned shoulder to shoulder with her to face the bumbling crowd around his notice, scribbling down in his notebook which he took from an interior pocket. 

 "Since I *Doubt* A holy woman such as yourself will be joining us, I suppose I can hire you for the funeral rites of the dead when we return..." He began doing maths in his book, scribbling furiously to estimate an appropriate offer.
Dennis
"Magic weapons, eh? My specialty. You got details?"
*A low, gruff voice rang out from the crowd, a black-haired dwarf pushing through the crowd with relative ease despite his stature. He rested a heavy crossbow in his arms, the bolt held tight against the crank-drawn limb.*
Mae
Lir had been able recently to get out of the house a bit more. Spring filled him with quite a few mixed feelings, but he needed to get out and converse with people to recharge.

So Lir had gone on a walk, in his daywear and with his walking-stick, having left his swords at home. Daggers he still had carefully hidden about his person.

Naturally, the crowd gathered by the community board piqued his interest, and he strolled over to investigate.

Silently, Lir studied the old noble as he announced a closure of a trail Lir hadn't gotten terribly familiar with yet. He turned his attention to the notice board, sighed, and stared at it for far too long, mouthing the words of the notice to himself as his brain struggled through the sentences.

Lir eventually gave up, though he had gotten the general gist of the matter, especially the bit about the thing being a "Daemon of Hell." 

Those words made Lir shiver. He watched the robed monk thread through the crowd and question the old noble and figured he would glean more information by listening to their conversation.

Which confused him, and he glanced back to the notice board, again seeing the word "Daemon." 

Lir strolled toward the slowly-growing crowd, which now included a dwarf with a crossbow. Lir noted this, shelving the information away for later.

"Pardon me, dear fellow," Lir said to the old noble. "But the notice says that the creature is a 'Daemon from Hell,' and not a magical artifact, if I read it correctly." Lir furrowed his brows. "So... Which of the two is it?"
Debra
"Embellishment is needed to keep the cowardly from conscripting and ensure only the capable and strong follow." He waved his hand dismissively at the inquisition, finding it redundant to have to explain lying to masses for their own good.

 He snapped his notebook shut as the gathering volunteers murmured about. The shadows on his face seemed to deepen and lengthen as he gravely elaborated to his potential hires. His gaze traveled from the dwarf cradling the crossbow, to the monk and then to the newly arrived volunteer. 

 "I've dedicated many of my years of life to this artifact, kept it a secret for so long... Only for my work to be undone by some..." He bit his tongue, then continued, "Its a set of armor... Monstrous in size and strength, brimming with magical energy. My own research suggests that once worn, it grants its wearer some immense elemental power... And yet.." 

 He leaned in closer to this array of characters, revealing in a harsh whisper, "There are no signs of massive elemental anomalies. Only a small trail of singed foliage that I forbade my scouts from exploring further without reinforcements."

 He looked over his shoulder briefly then continued, "It seems to me that whoever decided to don the armor has yet to utilize or understand its power. Our time is limited."

 "Anything else?"

 He stood up straight again awaiting questions from this admittedly capable looking group of volunteers. He began to feel a little more confident in this venture.
Mack
*Alinys blinked a few times after hearing that it was in fact an type of cursed or enchanted amour.* "Well you see, Duke, while I am a monk, my priorities lie not in funeral rites but in exploring and cataloging new artifacts, creatures, disease, and more to fill the libraries at the monastery, so why I appreciate your offer to do the funeral rites, which I could do, if you really are gathering a party for this adventure, then I will be coming so I can be the first to catalogue this new existence." *She says briefly before turning to face the rest of the motley crew of people starting to form.* "Well, what say you all, isn't experiencing the thrill of finding a new discover the best?" *She promptly turned back to the Duke awaiting his response.*
Dennis
"Sounds like you know a thing or two about this thing. How's it activated? Which school o' magic? External or internal?"
*The young dwarf rattled off his questions when prompted, caring little for the noble's mutterings. He was raised to mistrust those self-important dwarves in Rouguemont, and had learnt to extend that to the human aristocracy in his travels. Eyes cast downward, he spun a few different bolts between his fingers - some blunted, some sharp.*
Mae
"Ah." Lir leaned on his walking-stick a little.

*So* ***That*** *Sort of noble.*

Lir crooked a smile. "I see," He said smoothly. He bit his tongue at the man's words, but he was a foreigner here, and Lir doubted that upsetting a noble, even a minor one, would do him any favours.

"A magical set of armour? Fantastic." Lir shifted his weight from one foot to the other. 

"I wish you luck in that endeavour. Thank you for the information, my lord." Lir bowed his head slightly.

"Have you got a spare notice I might take with me? I know someone who, while they would not join your adventure, might find the information of personal interest."

Lir grinned at the young monk. "My dear, I've got one eye, a crippled sword hand, and a bad back, not to mention other responsibilities. And I'm rusty at best. I'd only be a hindrance." He tapped at a button on his waistcoat. "Besides, I'm hardly dressed for it."

Lir listened as the dwarf asked his questions, and decided to remain to hear the answers.
Debra
He nodded respectfully at the monk's eagerness. "Very well, you travel with us."

 "As for you," Looking at Lir he rose his hand slightly in the air and a leather clad mercenary swiftly made his way over, "Give this gentleman two pages off the next print." 

 The mercenary saluted Duke Anfrey and jogged off to a nearby tent that had been set up, coming forth a few moments later with two rolled up parchments, the ink so fresh it was visible through the paper. 

 Finally, he turned to the inquisitive dwarf. Had it been different circumstances he would find his questions about the subject of his life's work endearing. 

 "Despite dedicating decades to it, i still only know fragments of its power and origin. Its activated once someone wears it, amplifying their power based on... *Something...* Admittedly i'm still unsure." His brow furrowed with shame. Continuing, "As for schools of magic, your guess is good as mine. It's Dwarvish in origin, but your people's libraries lay inaccessible to me..." His rage made itself known through slightly clenched teeth. "Regardless *I* Believe it to be internally powered, relying on the wearer's life force of some kind."
Mack
*Smiles happily* "Wonderful! I'm, sure our partnership will be fruitful and the amount of knowledge I will learn is fantastical!" Alinys exclaimed
Dennis
"Leave it to the Firebeards to unleash somethin' terrible o' they're own makin'. Cleanin' up their mistakes is my family's job. I'll take you up on this, Duke."

*The dwarf let a grin creep from under his beard, a determination burning in his eyes as the crossbow tip was raised.*

"If it's life force, we'll either need to tail it and wait a while - until this joyrider's flame grows dim, if ya' get me - or kill 'em by bypassin' the armour."
Mae
Once more, Lir politely inclined his head to Duke Anfrey. "Thank you, my lord."

Lir took the freshly-minted sheets and scanned them. Well, he pretended to, at any rate. He nodded in approval; Artudian would want to know this at least.

To the dwarf and the monk, he said, "While I likely won't be able to join you, I can take this back to my employer and see if he has got any advice about this sort of thing. He's more experienced at this than I am."

Lir turned back to Duke Anfrey. "Will you be sending them off on their own, my lord, or will you be joining them?"
Debra
His brow raised in surprise, his pride held back his tongue as a dam's worth of questions pressed against his teeth for the dwarf. 

*H-How could he possess such knowledge freely ..? I must learn more when the time is right...* His brow furrowed slightly as he steeled himself and showed no falter. He cleared his throat,

 "Under different circumstances I would agree with you, sir dwarf, however I'm afraid biding our time is of little benefit. The armor has longevity based properties as well, said to increase the users lifespan." His hand rand across his balding head, sweat beading on his aged skin as the sun bore down between the sparse clouds. 

 "That being said," His gaze swept across his mercenaries and his volunteers, "Make your final preparations, we move Southwest to the Lilac Forest. Sir dwarf, Her Holiness, you may accompany me at the head of the formation."

 He nodded to Lir, unaware that the man's intentions weren't exactly aligned to his own, "Make it known to whomever you serve that any reinforcements to my name are greatly appreciated." 

 At these words about 7 men donned in similar leather armor with sparse plates got into formation at the beginning of the now sanctioned path. The sun bounced off of their shining metal, making the dark underside of the canopy glimmer and shine, they patiently waited the final order to march forward towards the  .
Mack
*Alinys looks around at the rest of the people who will be coming on the journey with her before taking a breath.* "Well then, since it would seem we are gonna be going on the journey together I'd like to formally introduce myself. I am Alinys monk of the 5 venom styles temple and cataloguer extraordinaire!" *She would proclaim,* "Or will be after this..." *She mumbled afterwards before saying a few chants under her breath.*
Dennis
"Right, right. Felfatheas, eh? First time for everythin'..."
*Gitroki mumbled to himself, wondering just how many dwarves will have bothered to make the journey since the end of the Third Age. He cackled at Alinys' elaborate introduction, but nodded to her with a light reverence.*
"Gitroki Magebolt. Never gave her a name, but ol' reliable has dropped a few o' the magically inclined in my time. What was that about cataloguin'?"
Mack
*Alinys perked up at the question involving cataloguing.* "Well you see one of the things practiced in the temple is conquering one's heart and clearing it only then will you be able to become the buddha with one thought and the devil with another, and there are many ways that people decide to go about achieving this enlightenment." *She pauses for a second* "My way of achieving enlightenment is by striving to catalogue the world and its various mysteries, thus this journey with a magical armor potentially made with dwarven magic from your previous statements is a good way to start off eh?" *Alinys chuckles at the end of her statement*
Mae
Lir nodded to Duke Anfrey as the man explained the armour's capabilities. For him, it was easy to assume precisely *Why* The old noble truly wanted the armour.

He did nod to Duke Anfrey. "I will inform him, my Lord." Lir saw no need to give the Duke any further information on his "Employer's" Possession of any reinforcements... Which, in truth, was none.

Duke Anfrey did not sit well with Lir at all, but few nobles did. Still, Lir was glad he was bowing out, yet there were still the two hapless volunteers that the Duke had managed to convince to join him.

Lir turned to Alinys and Gitroki. He was careful to turn his entire back towards the Duke and his regiment. "Alinys. Gitroki. A pleasure. Velir Silivasti. Lir, please. Perhaps when you've returned from your adventure, we can make acquaintances more properly."

Then, in a soft voice that only Alinys and Gitroki could hear, he lowed, "I wouldn't entirely trust the Duke."

Without waiting for a response, Lir smiled and turned back to the Duke. "Well, best of luck on your venture, the lot of you. I hope you succeed."

Twirling his walking-stick through the air, Lir strolled off and disappeared into the still-gathered crowd, whistling brightly.
Debra
His deep green royal garb flittered with the warm breeze, his back to miller-dale as he took position at the forefront. With a crooked hand he held his formation to hold and looked back at the dwarf and the monk, having now heard their introductions,

 "Sir Gitroki, Lady Alinys, your with me." His eyes met Lir's and greeted his bow with his own slight nod of the head,

 "Have any other volunteers rendezvous at our position, Captain Harth!" He barked at a mercenary by the crowd, who promptly saluted.

 He waited with his hand held above his shoulder for the others to take their place before giving the final order to march towards the  .