Michael
Within the Haupstman estate, tensions are quite high. As the posse of adventurers arrive, the many citizens of the surrounding village glare at them with caution and spite, as if they were the ones causing this whole trouble instead of the peacekeepers preventing it. Nary a single man was in sight, however, with most being driven back to their homes by their angry wives or dragged in by their relatives as soon as they had realized this strange squadron had women amongst their ranks. The men who remained outside were either homeless, or the guardsmen of the villa.

It, however, was closed off for strangers for the day. Two guardsmen then approached the group in general, halting them from their tracks. They wore the standard steel armor commonly seen amongst legionaries, their outfits colored yellow rather than the usual red, signifying their status as private guards than official soldiers of the Empire.

"Halt! You're here for the poster, I take it? The only reason why adventurers come here." One of the guards spoke, holding a spear with his hand and a circular shield with the other. "Baroness von Haupstman is not yet home, but she will be soon. In the meantime, as the Captain of this garrison, I'm to assist you in any way I can. If you have questions, ask. You can only look around the walls outside of the villa, until her grace herself allows you permission to enter when she arrives."

The estate-village was not bad all things considered. It positioned itself above a hill, with a river nearby on the east, with an adjacent forest right next to it. Whilst only the villa proper had marble architecture, the stone and wooden huts of the commoners have hardly any damage, even if age and time are causing them to tear a bit. 

Many of the villagers outside appeared to be hostile women, some murmuring that the team were "Harlots in disguise" And whispering - perhaps a little too loudly - about them being thralls for the succubus haunting this town.

The only people that did not see the group as a threat, besides the guards, was a singular homeless man lying underneath a tree's shade. His outfit was rugged and his complexion dirtied, yet he only gave the posse a couple of glances before returning to his self-pitying habits.

Rules again in case people forget

1. No turn order, however you can only send a message once until the next turn
Krista
To say that it looked as if a town was sucked dry of life was something Wisteria didn't feel described the feeling of the place she'd been asked to visit. The Onyx Creat crew was in need of funds and it had been determined the best way for now was for them all to take quests and jobs that best fit their styles of work. A team was fine and good, but it worked better to split up to gain more funds.

Wisteria was still not used to being buddy with everyone. Even after the mission at Alabaster estate and working amongst another group she'd only met that day with good results, she was still wary. Not every group would be so easy to work with.

And it seemed not every place would be welcome to help. Despite asking for it with feverish worry.

"You'd think they'd be a bit happier anybody accepted a quest like this." Wisteria muttered, raising a brow at the guard who'd pointed his spear and readied his shield at her and the other adventurers who'd answered this call.

She trialed her eye to some of the women who started at then with wary looks. Some concerned. Others fearful. Some even looked angry at them. As if they were the ones snatching up their men.

Wisteria smirked at them, winking at them with her lone eye to mess with them a little.

They weren't going to be of any help with how they looked at them. Best to look elsewhere.

"Surprised you're still around. You'd think a demon snatching men would try to weaken a village's defenses by stealing away the captain of its forces." Wisteria mentioned, tilting her head to look to the captain. "Encountered this demonic menace stealing away poor males at all?"
Michael
*As the group made their way into village, the sight was far worse than she'd expect. A village fueled with loss and anger, with sons, husbands, brothers and fathers torn from their lives. Although, she confused by the damages that a single succubus could cause. Wondering what her motivations were and if the men that she charmed could be returned back to their homes. Almonde hoped to keep the quest free from violence and perhaps persuade the succubus to free the men. Even if the quest poster said otherwise, the succubus could simply be a victim of her own merits and needed a wake up call to the damages that she created. Often times, simple quests can have a deeper depth to them.*

*Upon meeting the guards, she'd listen in to their words and that of Wisteria. The devotee held her staff and shield closely, unsure of what to ask. Perhaps it would be best to wait until the Baroness herself can speak before them, however she was curious about one thing.*

```"Have you and your forces attempted to speak with this succubus? Is diplomacy completely out of the picture? Why was the poster so sure that we can't persuade the threat? Did something happen?"```

*She asked her questions as her attention turned to the singular homeless man that glanced over to them. Wondering if questioning the locals would be fruitful or a waste of time, they were strangers after all so perhaps they wouldn't trust the adventurers.*
Jose
Wonderful, a settlement with a succubus problem. It was time for the great, elusive, grand, magnificent Leu to save this place! Leu had shifted themselves into a handsome human warrior, long flowing blonde hair, yada yada yada, all that basic human fighter stuff. He had a chiseled jawline which would mog everyone here and the succubus with no problem. He wore basic plate-mail with a longsword at his side. He looked at the group of adventurers that had gathered, oh how interesting! He was brimming with excitement, this looked like grand fun! Though, he did not let it show.

Cedric - as was his new name with the character he was playing at the moment - didn't even bother approaching the guardsmen. Instead, he went directly to the walls as the guards had suggested, making a lot of 'Ah yes,' and 'It all makes sense' noises. Well, after about six seconds of doing that, Cedric moved back to the guards as he actually wasn't finding anything at all. 

**"Well, my good sirs! Where was the last place the witch attacked!"** Cedric asked one of the guards who wasn't being bombarded with questions by the others with a jovial and chivalrous tone, in a posh accent as if the man was truly a knight of the upper echelons of society. Of course, he wasn't really, but there's no harm in letting them think so!
David
As Kane arrived, his eyes quickly darted between the villagers. He understood why they were angry, he understood their suspicion. Even though their welcome was anything hut warm, The Sorcerer still wanted to help them. Thankfully, he wasn't alone. Other people, from all walks of life, came together to help these people. There was power in numbers, but was numbers a good thing against a creature such as a succubus? Only time would tell.

While looking around, Kane's eyes eventually spotted and settled on an intriguing person. They appeared to be homeless, but that did not matter. What mattered is that they didn't look at the the group the same way the others did. Kane made a mental note to speak to the man.

>``Halt!...``

Kane stopped when ordered to. The last thing he wanted was to cause more trouble. ``Poster? I'm here for the lively town and friendly people.`` He responded in a sarcastic tone. The Sorcerer would remain quiet until one of his allies brought up diplomacy. ``Not possible...`` He chimed in. ``Its a succubus, a demon. That thing isn't gonna listen to us, we'll be lucky to get even a word in before it tries seducing us.``

Though his words might seem pessimistic, Kane spoke from experience. He's never seen a demon do something out of the kindness of their heart, and highly doubted this would be different. Then again, if the stars aligned and this succubus really could be talked down, then who knows? Maybe he'll try being diplomatic for once. 

``Ah-`` The Sorcerer suddenly turned back towards the guards. ``When do you think the baroness will return? Would you mind if i asked some questions? Talked to some people?`` He wanted to know if he'd be allowed to speak to that homeless person, or if he'd have to sneak off and do it.