Richard
It was an unusually quiet Saturday night in Emyn Ael; especially considering the time of year. The planting season was over and the harvesting season was about to start. It was a time when the city could usually be found bustling with activity, but this year, an ominous air blanketed the city. It dampened the enthusiasm of the residents and had drastically reduced the number of visitors they had.

To a newcomer, everyone in the city would seem to be on edge. Their looks carried suspicion instead of their regular openness and their hurried steps gave away their anxiety. 

The only place in the town which didn't seem to be affected by the unease that permeated the village, was a tavern and inn called The Emerald. Cheery voices, music and the lyrics of a talented bard could be heard from well beyond the tavern's doors. 

The owner, Miss Aluriel Ralovar, was behind the bar helping her waitstaff serve food and drink to the partrons who were kind enough to still do business with her; despite the mood of the city.
Jesse
"Eowyn! We need two more plates of your potato and leek stew. And another plate of your mashed potatoes with beef," Aluriel called into the kitchen through the service window behind the bar. 

"Coming right up! 10 minutes and the food will be ready," Eowyn called back. He was an elf who was a native resident of the city and he had been her cook for going on eight years now. 

Hearing his reply, she responded with a quick, "Thank you!," Before going back to serving drinks alongside Rihannon, her barkeep.
Jon
*Having learned all she could about the rumors and troubles surrounding the infamous Morikinda, Svilena decided to make her way to Emyn Ael and found herself entering the Emerald Inn - her rather towering figure out likely catch the notice of those dining and drinking inside.*

*With the latest issue of the paper still in her grasp, Svilena strode over to a section of the bar - once settled she'd aim to stike up a conversation with one of the two bar keepers.* "Seems the paper wasn't denying much about the gloom in these parts, would either of ye happen to know more about the rumors related to the Morikinda?"

*Though before she got ahead of herself, she'd also introduce herself* "I'm Svilena Vihur, I hail from the nearby coastal town of Wai Oromarde - happened to be in Last Steading after escorting a caravan, and caught notice of this entry in the Plumage Gazette - seems locals have been suffering from some nightmares from it." *She'd set her copy of the newspaper on the counter, unsure if this inn had any of the latest issue themselves.*
Carol
The night was quite depressing, at least to anyone else it was but being a doctor, Gideon tended to be surrounded by those upset over some problem, and with rumor spreading about something he wasn't quite interested in, but a coin pocket that was empty, it was time for his journey to make way at quite the difficult undertaking 

"The emerald..."

He says as he approaches the front door of the otherwise quaint looking building, indistinguishable from the other buildings around 

Hopping off the horse and carriage, he tied it to a post, and gathered all the necessary gear he needed before placing his forehead against his horse

"I'll be back soon, you know how to feed yourself and such for the next few days"

He says, pointing to the horse troughs that wanderers may leave their beloved animals for a few days to stay healthy and fed

He flung the doors to this bar open as he sits down on a stool, flipping a coin onto the table 

"Strongest of whatever you have, actually make it two"

He says as he reaches in his pocket, and sighs

"Nevermind... One will do"

A story of the ages told In a few words...

However he held up the paper he took from one of the guild quest boards, and looked it over

"This has to be worth something, I need some cash"

He peered at the person next to him, uncaring about who they where and figured they where on a different quest

"Guess it's time for actual work then.."
Steven
*Little might know, Severus had already made his way to the renowned tavern of Emerald, the main source of rumours he had investigated upon arrival.*

*Emyn Ael was beautiful, but Severus had spent all the day to do a lot of sideline works instead of sight-seeing like the famous elves. Most of them did not really welcome him, a purely dark looking creature trying to step these monstrous footprints on the holy land. It was a miracle that he was able to made his way to the tavern without being mistaken as an Evil general of the Demon lord army.*

*From the very beginning, he was already sitting at a seat near a corner and a window at the beautiful Emerald tavern. His whole feature was blended with the tavern's wall, or as he thought, observing everything outside the window and inside. His waiting session finally ended after a large, pale and pink-ish figure appeared outside. His attention was all focused on that individual.*

"Mhm... Maybe," *He humbled, his low voice echoed inside the metal helmet. Though no one noticed.*

*The slowly emitting Aura caused him to look otherworldly, even the waiteress did not want to come close to him at all cost. Unless he paid for the meal.*

*He carefully stared his glowing eyes at the Serpant looking person, confirmed that she was another quest-taker. Likewise for the other... Doc? His fingeres tapped on the table rhythmically. He clicked his tongue a phew time, which a behaviour was not usually what Severus would do. However, that was his acquaintance, someone... Caused troubles for each others. That was not a really big trouble, but it would be ridiculous.*

*The Dark Knight gently use hig legs with a little bit of force to move the chair, made way for him to approach the two, in a really cautious way. Mostly because he did not want to scare them off... He was aware of the strange phenomenon. Earlier in the town centre, he accidentally scared a coward who got the piece of information that he needed. That man was like he had seen ghost and started to scream like a maniac. Severus fortunately sneaked out of the awkward situation when everything was still chaotic.*

*Steadily and slowly, he walked towards the two, his eyes stared at the physician though. The rattling sound of the armor moving did not attract attention, as everyone was only interested in eating and drinking.*

"Ahem..."

*He grabbed in the air and a mist formed a piece of yellowish old looking paper before his low voice could be heard,*

"I am here in respond for the call of this commission. But... Looking like I also have a lucky reunion here."

*Intentionally, the Dark Knight patted the doc's back while standing behind him.*

"Look like we've met again, Gideon the fish."

*That could probably scared a fine grown man, but Severus was really intrigued in how Gideon would be affacted by his new evil power.*
Dennis
Pnumbru had already arrived in town and, as per usual had set himself up with some rather pleasant accomodations. At least, they were the most pleasant accomodations that this dour city could offer. The accomodations were also free on account of their current owner being quite dead. Pnumbru had had quite the busy day rendering the owner's fat, then seperating bone from flesh so that they could be baked over the fireplace. They still weren't "Bone dry" As he liked to say with a little giggle, but they would likely be ready to be ground by the morning. Jars with his blood sat out on the dining room table.

"Fwaaaah, I'm tired," Pnumbru whined, slumping back in an armchair before the fire. Without his even asking, he felt two powerful hands on his shoulders, rubbing them and making him sigh. "Mmmm, thanks, Lummox~ You know what? I think that I could use a meal and a drink! I'm going out! Fetch me my cloak, Lummox - my *Evil* Cloak!"
Travis
The undead giant continued to knead his Master's muscles while looking down at him sternly. Once the order was recieved, he walked off without a word and returned moments later with a longblack cloak that had a dark, blood-red trim. Pnumbru was already waiting and he dressed his Master, drawing it over the boy's shoulders and fastening the clasp on the neck. The way the cloak was designed its hood hung down over Master's face when it was pulled up and the boy's body disappeared underneatht he fabric, revealing nothing of his identity.
Dennis
"Thanks, Lummox! Now, you be a good boy and watch the bones while I'm away - wouldn't want them getting charred, would we," Pnumbru said, smiling and admiring himself in the mirror. He did look oh-so-mysterious in this cloak! "Oh, and, um, clean *That* Up while I'm out."

He gestured to the piles of flesh and the smears of blood all over the floor in the kitchen. "Its starting to stink. Oh, and one more thing before I go!"

Getting up on his tippy toes, he made grabby hands at Lummox and smiled. "Kiss!"

Pnumbru left his thrall to clean up the remains of the body and made his way to the nearest tavern, where he spotted a group of adventurers. As Gideon passed him and loudly proclaimed his drink order, the boy got a fun idea for some light mischief. He waved over a barmaiden and told her to bring all of the adventurers eying the quest board a full bottle of absinthe. It was a specialty that was infused with many herbs and plant roots grown in the area which also happened to be quite potent.

"Don't say who it was from though," The boy said, flashing her his sweetest little smile and putting a finger to his lips. "I'm a shy bean~"
Meghan
Ara had arrived in Emyn Ael over a month ago, and she had chosen to stay on as the resident bard at The Emerald for a few weeks. It was how she earned money to fund her travels across Eluaria, and in this case, she enjoyed the company of the staff in the inn immensely. 

As she sang, she keenly observed as one adventurer after another entered the tavern and went to the bar asking questions. She was also aware of the rumours that had been floating around the town; it was why she had come in the first place. And tonight was starting to fell like the night she would get some of her questions answered. 

However, she didn't want to reveal her interest immediately. So she kept singing and watching the crowd. There were at least a few people in the crowd who had caught her eye; the towering figure in full armour who was heading toward the bar, and the cloaked stranger currently speaking to the barmaid. Something about the cloaked figure's aura put her off, but she couldn't figure out what it was. 

So for now, she decided to wait till she was done with her set. Then the musicians would take over for the rest of the evening, and she'd be able to have a look around.
Jesse
As she saw the tall snake-woman walk into the tavern, she positioned herself so that she would be the one to serve her drinks. Something about the confident aura surrounding her made it clear that she was a capable fighter. And that was just what Aluriel needed. 

"It's lovely to meet you Svilena Vihur. I'm Aluriel Ralovar, the owner of The Emerald. It's lovely to have you here," Aluriel said in greeting. "Also, before we get to discussing business, do you want anything to drink or eat? It's best to place your order ahead of time."

Aluriel waited for a response about the food and drink, then assigned the appropriate tasks to Rhiannon and Eowyn, before turning back to Svilena to address the questions she had asked. 

Aluriel took a look at the issue of the Plumage Gazette that had been placed on the table and gave a wry chuckle. "Seems like our little town has been put on the map for the wrong thing," She said. Then she looked back up at Svilena. 

"About this, the rumours are true. In addition to owning this tavern, I'm also a healer of sorts. I tend to the minds of the townsfolk using my magic. And many of them have been having the same nightmare about the ruins of Morikinda. It has gotten so bad, that even visitors to the city have been affected." She spoke in a low voice so her words wouldn't carry past the bar. 

"It almost feels like a blanket of darkness has been settling over our town. The once happy and carefree residents are now careful and suspicious. The bustling streets are empty. And the merchants at the weekly market are getting fewer and fewer each week. It's so bad that we've had some disappearances in the town. Folks are leaving their homes in search of somewhere less foreboding." Every word from her mouth carried a deep sadness. Emyn Ael had been her home for close to 20 years now, and it pained her deeply to see it in such a state.
Richard
As Aileryn and Svilena spoke inside, Da'leryn walked up to the stranger who had tied his horse and carriage to the post. As he approached, he could see the man gathering his things and talking to his horse. So he gave him a few moments to finish up before stopping him at the door of the tavern. 

"Oy, you there. Ye can't just leave your horse and carriage like this. I'm the stable master for this inn, and we have a well furnished stable around the back, and space to store your carriage. If ye don't mind, I'll be taking your horse and carriage there for safe keeping. You just remember to discuss the boarding fee with Miss Aluriel; the owner. She's the elf behind the bar with the fiery red hair. Understood?"

Once he got a nod from the stranger, he left the man to head on into the tavern and set about the business of tending to his horse and wagon.
Jesse
Just as they were about to continue their conversation about the Gazette, the main doors flung open, and an average sized man waltzed in. 

She watched him curiously as he plopped himself into the seat beside Svilena and flipped a copper coin onto the table. Without a word, she nodded in his direction and took the coin. 

"Rhannon! The gentleman over here needs a mug of our strongest ale," She called to her barkeep. Once the order had been placed, she was about to turn back to Svilena when the man held up another copy of the Plumage Gazette; only this time, it was a simple clipping of the story about their town.

She looked at him and rose an eyebrow. "It is worth something. But only to the people who solve our problem. What skills do you have to take on this quest?" She asked. She kept her tone low and even so as not to cause offence to a potential adventurer. 

As she waited for a response from the new man, she noticed the towering knight from earlier making his way toward them. He had been the subject of a lot of gossip earlier in the day. So when he came to the tavern, she had decided to keep an eye on him. 

When he spoke up about responding to a commission, Aluriel held out her hand for the paper and looked at it. Surprisingly, it was the same cut-out of the Plumage Gazette. And in that moment, Aluriel beamed. One adventurer was promising, but three? They might actually be able to pull it off. 

"Okay. It seems like we have multiple people who are interested in this quest. So lets retire to my private room. I wouldn't want anyone to overhear our conversation. Is that alright with all of you?" She asked.
Richard
The barmaid who attended to Pnumbru nodded at his request and smiled. "That is very kind of you Miss. A bottle of absinthe costs 1 silver coin. Would you prefer to pay now? Or at the end of your evening?" She asked. 

At his addition, her smile widened. "Don't worry! I won't say anything. A good deed deserves it's reward."
Jon
'So at least two others are interested in this situation, suppose having numbers helps...' *Svilena thought, casting a look over at Gideon, the doctor seemed to be rougher shapes while when it came to the heavily armored knight - the lurking aura touched her quickly as she tensed up. Not in fear, but it was more akin to being threatened and thus her pupil narrowed towards the armored fellow.*

*Being the sort of being she was, Svilena might have bared her fangs and hissed towards him - but it was only his very unpleasant aura that was setting her off. She chose to remain on guard, and focus back onto Aluriel, having listened to the woman explain the various troubles facing the town and its locals.*

"I believe for now I'll have one of your light meads for the time being... Suppose we'll all have to take our drinks with us" *She remarked, nodding her head* "Do lead on Miss Aluriel."

*She had come here to address the matter at hand, and she was going to do just that. Though Svilena did hope that the other two would be also be able to assist, if they were all going to be working together.*
Carol
Gideon paid no attention to the person alerting him of the fee he'd need to pay for the cart, after all if he ignored it, he avoided it

Being handed his ale, he would take a drink, it was bitter, very little honey taste and mostly fermented, it wasn't the best, then again, meads, ales, and beer where never his favorite, but he drank anyways, because after all he did spend money on it, and he'd need it too, after all the looming presence of one particular being which he despised the most happened to now have a leering presence, to some this would be a threatening one, to Gideon, it was a constant annoying reminder

As he turned around to face Severus, he was unappreciative of the nickname, but he was one to clap back, as always

"Is there something I can do for you dipshit?"

He says to him, his tone quite cold but sarcastic as always, he points to his head and continues

"Forget how to get to the collage? Figured as much"

He says, snatching the paper off the board 

"Dumbass"

He says, not hiding his distaste for Severus, though considering how much he hates the undead, he seemed quite tolerant of Severus, perhaps because of his drive to become knowledgeable as opposed to others who seek simple power

"I know what your here for, we are all here for it I think, follow the damn reptile"

He says, pointing at the serpent lady

Though Gideon did notice that the aura effected the others as well, most anyways, he conjured some holy light in his hand and pondered for a moment, before secretly casting a bit of it

The magic was healing, but it left behind what could only be described as a residue, or possibly a blessing, in hopes that it would counter this aura of threat so the others would not seek him as a target should combat arise
Steven
*The aura might have caused doctor Phisher to act so rebelliously, Severus guessed. Since he did not know how strong the negative Aura could affect, he had only tested on a few unfortunate objects. A dog, scared off to insensibility. Another healthy man, threatened to extreme fear. A Gideon Phisher, extreme rude and anger? Perhaps. Severus knew that Gideon was known for his rudeness anyways. So he could not conclude it, but did not feel disappointed at all. He did not notice the serect cast after all.*

*Earlier in the tavern, he had observed a few folks reacted to him when he first entered the tavern. That was the reason why he had sat at a corner so no one had accidentally touched him. At the moment, he stealthy stared his fiery carmine eyes at the so-looking tavern-owner and the Reptilian Woman. He tried to catch any moment that he could for his conclusion about the range of influence as well as their reaction. Unfortunately, the small movement of the Serpant Woman's pupils was too difficult to observe so Severus thought that she was capable of overcoming his power. That was incredible, the Dark Knight thought.*

*Of all the overthinking caused many of Gideon's words to fall on the Knight's deaf ear,*

"Uh huh?.. Going to school when there's still too many things to deal with is not a good idea. Like you should have made lots of money for being a physican but... I don't think you've ever made process," *He intentionally mocked the Doctor about his poor status.*

"That'll work," *Severus looked at the Elf,* "I'm Severus Lavendrature, pleasure to meet you."

"And you as well. We'll make a perfect team," *He affirmed.*

*In the Knight's mind, he knew that companionship would get him to a higher level of success. He was extremely confident in his ability for the quest. So confident that he felt like nothing could stop him for the time being. With a quick thought, the reward for clearing the ruin of Morikinda was not his only intention dor joining this quest. What really got his attention was... A powerful creature residing inside the ruin. A demon? They had gone for eterny already as the local folks told. Dark Elf? There was no way they could perform such a maleficent intimidation, perhaps. Another Undead...? Elder Lich? Or even an Overlord one? Vampire?.. A stupid human mage or necromancer. Severus stared into the blank space as his mind flooded with guesses.*

*He left out a quick soft chuckle about his insane guess. Some might notice him chuckling including the adventurers and the tavern-owner. That said, they would never be able to guess why did he chuckle like that.*

*The noises of the laughing, calling and speaking sounds in the tavern were like carrying the Dark Knight's mind away. All of the guessings earlier were quickly replaced by a pretty dim memory. It was showing an eeire place, the corridor with unlit torches. That memory lived a short time. Things confusingly changed scene. To some weapon racks with a shiny beautiful fragment of a spear-head. Its edge was so sharp as obsidian, it was shining as the sun. So bright that it could blind anyone who looked directly at it.*

*All the chains of strange scenes suddenly broke apart like a shattering mirror by something, brought Severus back to reality...*
Dennis
He watched as all these characters interacted with one another and took down some mental notes of their temperments and what little relationships were budding between them. Relationships were so fascinating to the boy, like little flowers that leaned this way and that for sunlight and branched out their roots in accord with every little pebble and droplet of water. Any thing, really, could set them on a wildly different path and, well, alcohol was no little thing. Perhaps they would become the best of friends, or be at each others throats by the nights end?

"Aren't you just a peach? I can pay now," The boy said, giving the barmaid a bright smile and producing a silver coin and enough coppers to buy a drink for himself and still leave a sizeable tip. "And for myself I will have a mead. The change is yours - for keeping that little secret between us girls~"

Pnumbru waited patiently for his drink and decided that he didn't need the food nearly as much as he wanted to watch this whole scene play out. Would it be a bit too hasty to insert himself? Perhaps, but what was fun without a little danger to oneself? He had brought his most evil cloak, the one that hid his face and made him look oh-so-mysterious and imposing. Yes, he would be thr silent, mysterious type who did not speak, only nodded or shook their head. This was starting to get so fun! He could hardly wait for his drink to arrive so he could slip into their conversation

There was also aomething he wanted to inspect further: a large knight with a foreboding aura. He was intrigued. This aura was the result of some very dark magics and there was an appreciation of the amount of work that went into crafting an aura powerful enough to be felt across a large tavern. Like how a carpenter might notice an especially well-crafted chair that others simply sat themself on and remarked, "Oh, what a comfortable chair." He saw the craftsmanship in this particularly offputting aura and it set his mind to turning. Perhaps his little games would produce something practical, after all? A business relationship of sorts.
Meghan
Ara watched as she started the last song of her set. First one, then two and then three patrons joined Lady Aluriel at the bar. By their demeanour and the papers they were handing her, she assumed they had come here for the same reason she had; the story in the Plumage Gazette. And that meant she was right - She would be getting some answers tonight after all. 

From her body language, she could tell that her employer was pleased about the adventurers. And that boded well for her. But the tension she witnessed between the seated man and the hulking knight made her question if they were going to get along as a group. They had to if this was going to succeed. 

It was also concerning that all of the patrons the knight had walked past seemed to be terrified even though he never made a threatening move toward them. There were many questions to be answered about this group.
Richard
The barmaid serving Pnumbru beamed at the complement. She was eager to do her job well and having such a generous guest put her in a good mood. "Thank you miss," She said as she took the silver coin and 10 coppers from the young lady. When she looked at the money, her eyes widened at the tip. "Thank you so much miss. This is so generous of you. I'm glad you decided to visit us tonight," She said honestly. 

And with that, she set off back to the bar to set the money for the drinks in the cash drawer and get the drinks for both the adventurer group and Pnumbru. She got Pnumbru's drink first and went to serve it to him, before heading back to the bar to get the bottle of Absinthe from the back room for the group of adventurers.

After Aluriel placed the order of light mead for Svilena, Rihannon got a large pint glass and filled it with the appropriate mead. Just as she finished, Aluriel called out for another drink. "I'll get right on it Miss Liri, she said as she served Svilena her drink. 

She then went to get another glass for the newcomer, and filled it with the strongest mead they had on hand. And she discreetly delivered it to them as they continued their conversation about the quest. 

Once she was done, Eowyn placed two steaming plates of food on the sil of the service window. "Two plates of potato and leek stew ready! Ask Miss Liri where to serve them, and then come back for the mashed potatoes with beef," He said as Rihannon approached the window. 

Rihannon nodded and went over to Aluriel to confirm which patrons had requested what.
Jesse
When Rihannon called her attention, she gave the adventurers a meaningful look and said, "Excuse me," As she turned to face Rihannon. 

"The two at the table next to the main door ordered the potato and leek stew. And that lady in the centre table in front of Ara ordered the mashed potatoes and beef. I need to retire to my private room to talk to these adventurers. So please take over for me for the rest of the night," She said.
Richard
Rihannon nodded and went about serving the waiting dishes. It wasn't a terribly busy night given the circumstances. So filling in for Aluriel wouldn't be too much of a pain.
Jesse
Once she had handed over the rest of her tasks to Rihannon, she turned back to the group of adventurers. "I'm sorry for the interruption. I've dealt with the rest of my responsibilities for the evening so we can get going." Just as she finished speaking, the effects of the Knight's dark aura finally hit her. 

Maybe it was because of the nature of her magic, but unlike the other's she didn't feel fear or threat. She just felt a deep sense of discomfort. Like something unpleasant was about to happen; but she couldn't tell what. So for now, she ignored it. 

"Yes, you will. And if you need anything else, I can always call one of the servers or barmaids. So you can still get anything you require," She said in response to Svilena's comment. 

Before she could get a confirmation from the other adventurers, the seated man and the knight started bickering. However, instead of interfering, she chose to let the confrontation play out. It would give her some insight into the temperaments of the people she would be recruiting. 

*'So he's brazen as well as rude... This should be a delight,'* Aluriel thought to herself. *'And the knight wants to go to college. Sihirisium college? If so, he just became much more interesting..."*

She listened on, and had to hold back a chuckle when the knight mocked the physician about his earnings. *'And they know each other. That should spice things up. I have a forthright warrior, a rude doctor and an unusual knight with a dark aura. If the dynamic between them doesn't collapse, this might actually work.'* 

The knight's introduction brought her out of her thoughts. "Fantastic. It is lovely to meet you Severus. And thank you for joining us. Now that we're all in agreement, let's go." 

She swept her hand out toward the end of the bar where the hallway to her backroom was located. And then started on her way in that direction; she knew the others would follow.
Richard
Before Aluriel had cleared the bar, the barmaid who had served Pnumbru stopped her and informed her about the bottle of Absynthe from an anonymous buyer. 

The news surprised Aluriel, but she took it in stride and instructed the barmaid to bring it into her private room. She would share the news with the party once they were all seated. 

The barmaid nodded and headed off to get some glasses and a tray to serve the guests.
Jesse
She turned back to the group and smiled apologetically, "Sorry for the interruption. I'll explain when we get inside." Then she turned and got out from behind the bar. Once she was in the open, she turned left and led them all back toward the staff-only area and her private room.
Jon
*Seeing her other likely 'companions' already somewhat at each others' throats made the serpent sigh mentally - though she returned her focus to Aluriel and nodded her head to the woman's words. Though they were halted by a few minor things, Svilena nevertheless quietly followed Aluriel into the private room so they might discuss the matter at hand more closely.*

*She did ponder how the other two would get along once they did set out proper.*
Steven
*Whatever the dim memory was, it must be a good sight of him becoming better. At least at some aspects. He concluded.*

*Severus slightly chuckled because of Gideon's act after that, they would have to work as a team anyways.*

"Let's do this."

*One little detail that caught Severus' attention was a barmaid stopped to talk to the Owner about something. Was that something important or not? Whatever...*

*He clenched his fists and wriggled his wrists a bit as a way to relax his muscles. Thought there was something bothered his inner mind. The Bar-owner was not affected as well. Maybe there were tons of people who could neglect his power. No animosity, things would be easier for him. Quickly, Severus followed behind the two to the mysterious backroom of the tavern.*
Dennis
The boy beamed back at the barmaid and smiled. She seemed quite simple, but not in a bad way. She had not even questioned his order and had done an exemplary job flattering her. He found himself almost always sizing up potential sources for his many ingredients and, were it to come to that, he might actually feel bad about harvesting her. As she returned with his mead he thanked her kindly and turned his attention back to the group.

They were getting ready to go into a back room to discuss their business. He would very much like to be in the room where it happens. To know what they would discuss and if they would enjoy his special gift. This quest, after all, was for his entertainment now. Pnumbru downed his mead in one long sip and after setting it down right side up, he flipped it over and rested the glass upside down.

"Well, time to insert myself," He said, drawing up the hood on his robe and practicing the deepest, most mysterious sounding voice he could muster. It would do with the cloak and he would speak only as much as necessary. The real art to it was to give them nothing and let their imaginations fill in the blanks. Was he a mysterious assassin or a warlock, perhaps? That was up to them. 

Pnumbru walked up to the group and stood there until they began venturing into the mysterious backroom of the tavern and said nothing. He followed like he belonged there with them.
Carol
Gideon knew that the rest of the would be group of adventurers would need to be able to cooperate even if they where not entirely comparable, and he knew, being the only other person with some semblance of a weapon, was to be paired with Severus, as a warrior of the group

"Well this is just great"

He grabbed all his equipment that he was taking, and walked towards the back room, taunting his hand to usher Severus to follow

"Come on dipshit"

He says in a condescending tone as he begun his walk towards the private meeting place
Meghan
As she was completing her last song, she saw the cloaked figure from earlier down their drink and head over to join the rest of the adventurers. Despite the bad feeling she had gotten earlier, the fact that the cloaked figure was also interested in the quest made her question her original assessment. 

*' If they want to help solve the town's problem, then they can't be all bad. Maybe it was just in my head...'* She thought to herself as the last words left her lips. 

Finally done with her set, she bowed to the crowd and was met with a flurry of applause from them. This part of being an entertainer was her favourite. The high of public appreciation was second to none. 

When she stood, she waved to the crowd and thanked them for their generosity. And then turned to musicians to wish them a good evening, before getting her key harp and hopping off the stage. 

Now free for the rest of the evening, she made her way to join the group of people her patron was leading to the back. She caught up to them just as Miss Aluriel opened the door of her private room to let them in.
Jesse
Standing at the door, she held it open for her guests. As they entered, one at a time, she directed them to take a seat on any of the available chairs around the table in front of them. 

Her private room was usually used for patient appointments or business meetings, so it was well furnished. On the far left of the room, there was a large desk with a comfortable looking chair behind it, and three chairs in front of it. Directly ahead of them was a separate meeting table with eight chairs placed around it. The opposite wall sported a fireplace that warmed the room. While multiple bookshelves were placed against the wall that housed the door. 

First was Svilena, and then the doctor, while the knight came up the rear. However, much to her surprise, there was a cloaked figure who seemed to be following them. And Ara was coming behind the figure as well. 

She stopped the cloaked figure at the door and asked. "Is there a reason you're following the others into my private room? I don't remember inviting you." She was blunt and straight to the point. 

For the moment, she ignored Ara. They had spoken about the quest when she arrived in Emyn Ael, so she had already planned to invite her to join them after informing the adventurers.
Richard
As this was happening, Rihannon served the last of the food orders, and finally took a moment to rest. She had overheard the conversation between Aluriel and the adventurers; and it had sparked some hope in her. Finally, someone was going to do something about the curse plaguing their town. She silently prayed that the group would be successful. 

The barmaid, Terra, on the other hand, was just finishing with her preparations for the group. A large tray was on the bar with the bottle of Absynth, a bowl of sliced limes, and four tumblers. "Now to deliver the gift," She mumbled though a smile, as she picked up the tray and carefully made her way to Miss Aluriel's private room.

However, when she turned the corner and saw Ara and the other lady who had ordered the drink for the group, she turned around. 

*'I'll need two more glasses if they're gonna be joining,'* She thought to herself as she placed the tray back on the bar and searched for two more tumblers for the additional guests.
Jon
*She strolled into the room first, choosing a seat that would allow her the best view of all coming into the room itself - just as she found her seat did she begin to overhear the arrival of some possible 'unwelcome' company if she had to guess by the tone of Aluriel's voice. Svilena would glance over in the direction, just able to make out the odd robed figure, and what appeared to be a young maiden just behind them.*

*She gripped her staff, and crossed her large legs as she watched things unfold - though she did appear to step in if it was likely needed - she doubted anyone wished to waste anymore time.*
Carol
Gideon soon entered the backroom, he took a look at the snake lady, she was the calmest of the group and so, while only a hint, some respect was given, as for everyone else

He took a look back, he knew Severus of course, then Aluriel, but what followed was a hooded figure that likely wasn't even going on the quest, though he didn't know for certain, so he stood in place and waited for the hooded figure to pass by, as untrustworthy figures, even just on the outside, could cause problems

Then lastly, another girl, he never saw her before but, go figure, most of the people here where strangers, she at least seemed more normal than everyone else, a pretty face in the crowd, though, he knew his luck, and also knew she likely wasn't normal, because that's the kind of people he always finds himself around... Weirdos

The thought of this made him audibly sigh, but he covered his mouth as he didn't mean for his thoughts to get out

"This little hooded... Creature... I sure hope isn't just here to make trouble, well, actually, getting paid to babysit wouldn't be half bad"
Steven
*Severus was following just behind the doc, nodded as he when passed the welcoming Tavern Owner as a thanks to her. He had greater gestures compared to him in the past. So much better.*

"Calling someone is a *Creature* Is a little bit rude, innit?" *He slightly smirked, they were all "Creatures" For Severus anyways.*

"Though we are not interacting with mindless objects."

*He pulled up a chair near the said table. That chair must be ensured that it would not break while he was sitting, but that wouldn't happen. One of his hand rested on the table while the other one was on his iron-clad toned-looking thigh. He would simply look at the direction of the entrance to the private room to really see what was happening. That mysterious lady had some good "Life energy wave" With her. It was distinguishable from the rest of the tavern. None of the drunkards laughing and drinking out there was emitting a charming force of life, nor the doc friend. The Serpant lady on the other hand was slightly different...*

*For a moment, Severus thought about how could he tell the difference between two waves of life energy coming from different individuals... Their hardihood? Their life time? Hardly could Severus tell. He needed to do it more... More experiments.*

*The recently appeared girl, obviously, was quite normal for Severus. Really normal. The resting hand on the table occasionally rubbed its surface. The table's quality was great, even thought Severus always had his gloves on, he could tell that by the colour, the rings and the real size the tree used to be. It was described secretly through the look of the table, though was not too hard to notice. Then once again, Severus turned his attention to the unwelcomed newcomer.*

*From a normal person's point of view, the situation might be extremely intense. A Serpant warrior and a Knight sitting at the table one staring and one glancing. A standing physician for no reason decided not to take a seat as was mumbling weird words. There was actually no need to put yourself in the shoes of a normal person to see this, those were the really ordinary things that Severus saw through his dead eyes.*
Dennis
*Ack, sh-shit... A critical failure!* Pnumbru found himself stopped the owner of the tavern immediately and realized that he had made the blunder of assuming that this meeting was a lot less well organized than it appeared to be. Immediately feeling fooling for having stuck his neck out in such a way, the boy's mind scrambled for a way to fix this. *I could just turn around and leave, but perhaps one last saving throw is in order...*

The small, silent figure slowly reached for their hood in such a way that a few, brief moments seemed drawn out to an excruciating degree. The suspense of who, or *What* Could possibly be beneath that robe seemed to mount until suddenly the hood was lowered to reveal what could likely be assumed to be a young maiden who had tears dotting the corners of her eyes as she looked up at Aluriel and blushed. 

"I... I am sorry, I just thought that I could... M-maybe... Be of assistance," She said, delicate voice trembling as she clasped her hands to her chest. A slight tremor went through her and she looked down and off to the side. "I have never been on a quest before and I... I... G-got nervous! I have never seen such a band of powerful adventurers before and I didn't know what to do so I thought I sh-should try and act tough, t-too..."

*Okay, fake tears and a decent sob story. Even if this doesn't work, I'm still pretty damn proud of myself. It needs a little something, though...*

That was when Pnumbru spotted Terra, preparing the glasses and the bottle of absynth. Beautiful, wonderful, oh-so-handy Terra. She just might be that little something. Turning towards the barmaid, Pnumbru forced himself to blush slightly.

"I had also prepared a present, I have heard that b-big, strong adventurers enjoy strong drinks, but I wanted it to be anonymous."
Meghan
Ara was coming up the rear and stopped in her tracks as soon as Aluriel stopped the cloaked figure at the door. Aluriel's words to the cloacked figure brought the unsettling feeling Ara had experienced earlier back to the forefront of her mind. 

*'So they weren't invited? So why were they trying to sneak in?'* She thought to herself as she watched the altercation silently. 

When the hooded figure revealed themselves and spoke, Ara rose an eyebrow. *'Why would a new fighter think they would survive a quest like this?' They would just be a hinderance.* The story wasn't adding up. 

When the hooded figure turned back to the bar, and mentioned the gift, she finally got a glimpse of their face. *'A young lady? Did she really think bribery was going to get her into the room?,*

Perplexed, she waited for Aluriel's response.
Jesse
She waited patiently for the cloaked figure to respond to her question. The long, drawn-out move to take off the hood confused her, but it didn't distract her enough to make her forget what she had asked. 

When the hood finally came down, and the face of a crying young maiden was revealed, her confusion about the situation increased. Who was this young lady and why was she in tears?

The explanation she gave was somewhat plausible, but the delivery made the decision for Aluriel. If this lady was shaking and in tears at the prospect of just talking to them, she wouldn't last on a mission that would likely be quite dangerous; given the rumours of Morikinda and the content of the people's dreams. 

Before she could speak, the young lady mentioned a gift. *'Ah... So this is the person who sent the bottle for us..'* She thought to herself. 

"Thank you for your interest in this quest. We all appreciate it. But I am only looking for experienced adventurers at the moment. This is not a quest for first-time adventurers. However, as a thank you for your generosity, please let the bartender, Rihannon, know that I said you are to receive a free meal and mead or ale of your choice."

As she spoke, swept out her free hand toward the bar. She hoped it would be enough to deter the to-be-adventurer. She really didn't want to delay their conversation about the quest further.
Richard
As Aluriel and Pnumbru spoke, Terra found the two extra glasses she was looking for and placed them on the tray. Then finally ready, she picked up the tray again and made her way toward the back room to serve the drinks. 

She turned the corner just in time to hear Aluriel thanking Pnumbru for her interest, and offering her free service. 

"I'm here Miss Aluriel," She said brightly. "I see our generous guest decided to see you herself! I'd be happy to take care of serving her for the rest of the evening of that's okay with you?"
Jesse
Aluriel looked up and smiled when she heard Terra's voice, "Ah, Terra, here you are," She said, as she moved out of the doorway to allow the barmaid access to the office. 

Once Terra was inside the room, she paused for a moment to consider the offer. "Actually, that would be wonderful. You can let Rihannon and Eowyn know that her food and drinks are on the house."

Now that the situation seemed to be settled, she looked back to Pnumbru and asked, "Would that be alright with you, miss?"
Richard
After entering the office, Terra set the tray down on the table and started serving the guests in turn. 

"Of course Miss Aluriel," She replied. She didn't know that the cloaked woman was trying to join the party of adventurers at this point. So she carried on with her business without paying much attention to the conversation around her. 

Meanwhile, as Aluriel waited for a response from her mysterious cloaked guest, Da'leryn opened the main door of the tavern and walked in. It was past the time for visitors, and he was ready to relax for the night. 

He made his way to the bar, but just before taking a seat, he noticed the group of people standing in front of Aluriel's office. Curious, he altered his path toward them. 

When he got close enough, he realised that she was having a conversation with one of the patrons. So he stood by the wall and waited for it to be over.
Jon
*The tone of the odd 'maiden' sounded perhaps a tad too forced - least in Svilena's opinion, recalling a few so called actors she had met during her travels as a bard before becoming a Bhante - but they did seem rather small to want to join them.*

'Well perhaps they have their own set of skills, even the Dwarves are known for their might - and they never let their height get the better of them' *She thought ot herself. She did eye the drink that was being offered to her and the others in the group, but she clicked her tongue upon catching a faint hint of the smell of it.*

*Absynth wasn't to her personal tastes, and she had already put in an order for a meal and some light mead - she enjoyed the mead of the Corol Ambo region - and she'd rather be sober for this discussion. Thus she'd make sure to politely refuse the drink whenever Terra came around.*
Carol
"Go Home Child, we don't want to have to-"

He stops abruptly, the presence of alcohol was in fact the key to his heart, as he leaned back in his chair

"Well now hold on, maybe this little guy CAN be useful, how'd you know I drink myself half to death"

Though this was a serious issue of his, he never changed, picking up the small glass he put it up to his nose and recoiled slightly 

"Wohohoho, Absinth, don't drink it if you can't handle your shit!"

He takes it into the air as if giving a cheer in hopes of their soon so come fortune of this adventure they will share together, downs it in a gulp and makes a face of disgust, then satisfaction 

"Ahhh, herbal, anybody have some mint leaves"

He leans back again, looking at the tiny person who had ordered their drinks

"Let's seee... Small stature... Could be an assassin but I see no visible weapon... Not that muscular either... A mage I take it?"

He points to the tiny person, then shrugs

"I say we take whatever help we can get, if they get hurt, I'm a doctor, and if they die, well, we will let this asshole deal with it"

He says, patting Severus on the shoulder before shaking him a bit
Steven
*What kind of logic that girl was using. Severus had no idea. At the moment when she believed that "Big, strong adventurers enjoy strong drinks", Severus wanted to laugh at her as out loud as possible. Though, he tried his best no to show everyone his insane side that sometimes went out of control. At the end, he only chuckled a bit. The alcohol would never have a single effect on the mighty Dark Knight.*

*In the realm of heroes, not every warrior like strong drinks, and not every adventurer was "Living". However, Severus had no disagree in letting the petite girl to join as a true adventurer also needed to pave the way for their future adventure. He turned slightly around to see if there was any window here then glanced at the Serpent lady for a short moment when she refused the free drink. Gideon, on the other hand, was obviously in love with it. No need to say, if someone wanted to take that doc down, they would just have to give him a barrel of ale or whatever.*

*When the drink was offered to the Dark Knight, he would thank the waitress before picking up his own glass of Absinthe. Noticing how the faint-hearted waitress recoiled a little bit in fear. He didn't feel annoyed or odd at all when seeing so. As a matter of fact, that was a really normal react he was expecting everyone to have but... Some of the people here simply overcame it.*

*As Gideon gave a cheer and then chugged his drink, Severus would also not hiding any hesitation as he raised the glass as well. Though many might wonder how would he drink when the helmet was still on, that was not a problem as long as it was liquid. A drink would be liquid so he could just pour it right into the rectangle holes on the metal helmet. The absinthe would be just strangely sucked inside neatly just like there was a black hole inside. In fact, the mystery behind that magic was just Severus turning the liquid into "Mist" And stored it somewhere else... And the "Somewhere else" Already had a bucket waiting to be filled. He had got a bucket while he was looking for the tavern. No one even thought that it would be useful in such a situation.*

*Finishing all of the sophisticated process of drinking as an Undead, he gently placed the glass on the table and lift his hand away.*

"I couldn't agree more," *He replied Gideon.*

*He slightly chuckled while pretending to be affected by the absinthe. That was quite amusing, he thought.*
James
"O-Oh, I see..." Pnumbru said, seeming slightly disappointed but not wanting to overplay his hand just yet. There was a way to turn even a defeat at this particular juncture into a victory towards whatever future plans he had. But it all depended on him properly setting the screne for the adventurers. "That is very kind of you, but... U-um..."

The boy put on his best concerned face and it was rather convincing. Pnumbru could be quite the convincing actor. Usually he used his abilities for the purposes of seducing men, but this also seemed like a very good application of those abilities. He looked at all of the adventurers, making sure that they would get a good look at his face. He needed them to remember him. 

"What if somebody gets hurt? I may not be very experienced, but I am a traveling alchemist and a healer. I just thought that, if I came along, at least I could be of assistance if something bad happened. I know that I am not big, or strong, but... I want to be an adventurer someday, too."

*Okaaaay, pretty good lie, but now what are you going to do if they ask for potions? I suppose I could steal some from the local alchemist and pass them off. Nobody better get seriously hurt, though, I doubt I could heal more than a few cuts and they're definitely gonna notice me conjuring the undead to do it...*

Now all that was left was to see how the party would rule. Would they decide to allow this timid, inexperienced little healer along on their first outing, or politely decline her offer? Either way, this would not be the last they would see of him. Pnumbru would be making sure of that.
Meghan
She watched the exchange quietly; silently hoping her patron would react the way she was expecting. She didn't have any logical explanation, but something about the girl in front of her just felt off. And Ara had learned to trust that feeling. 

So when Miss Aluriel gracefully rejected the offer for the mysterious girl to join them, she relaxed somewhat. What she didn't know, was that her relief was going to be short-lived. 

The sound of movement behind her caught her attention, and she glanced behind her to see Terra approaching with a large tray in hand. *'Well, at least this is going to be an interesting evening,'* She thought to herself as she watched the barmaid walk past her. 

Seeing an opportunity to avoid standing, she followed Terra into the office and took a seat beside the hulking knight. It put her close to the door in case anything happened with the cloaked lady. She spared a glance at the man who was standing on the other side of the door, but her eyes didn't linger for long. 

Terra's demeanour and tone, made it clear that she thought highly of their mystery lady. Which to Ara meant one of two things; either her impression of the cloaked lady was wrong, or she was a good actress. Only time would tell which of those was right. 

When the standing man finally took a seat and spoke, she looked his way. *'Ah... An alcoholic... How convenient..'* She thought to herself. Of course there had to be one person here who would be swayed by drink. *'One more person to look out for then.'*

She continued listening to him, and was surprised to find that he seemed to be observant despite his love of alcohol. *'And he's a doctor... An alcoholic doctor... Well then.'* 

When he made the comment about the knight 'taking care of it', she arched an eyebrow curiously. Did the knight have some special ability that would help revive a dead person? If so, this group was turning out to be more *Interesting* Than she had initially expected.

.
When the knight agreed with the motion to allow the mysterious woman into their group, Ara had to work to hide her displeasure. *'Are all men so easily swayed by drink?'* She though to herself. Her last hope was the third member of the party; the reptilian woman who had been quiet up till now. 

She had expected the knight to take off his helmet after his drink was served. So when she saw him pour it *Through* The holes in the helmet, she couldn't hold back the shock that flashed across her features. 

While recovering from the surprise of seeing how the knight consumed his drinks, she heard the cloaked woman start speaking again. So she turned her attention back to the door. 

*'That would make three healers in our group... If they agree to let her join the quest,'* Ara thought to herself. Three healers seemed a bit much, but they didn't know what they were walking into; so it might end up being to their benefit. *'I still don't trust her... But I can't deny that she might end up being helpful...'*

She was also new to the group, so she kept her thoughts to herself for now. She didn't want to be presumptuous. *'I'll just have to keep an eye on her.'*
Richard
As Ara walked into the office after Terra, the only ones left outside the room were the cloaked maiden and Da'leryn. He was there to satisfy his curiosity, but he also had an official report to make to Miss Aluriel; so he didn't feel too guilty about eavesdropping on their conversation. 

To get a better position, he moved a few steps closer to the office and then resumed his waiting. 

Meanwhile, inside the office, Terra opened the bottle of Absynth and went round to the far end of the table to start serving their drinks. First in line was Svilena. After receiving a polite refusal, she moved on to the next chair to serve Gideon. 

As she served his drink and listened to him, she quickly realised that they were discussing the charming lady that had bought the bottle for them. At this point, she decided to listen attentively. If there was any way she could help the sweet woman, she would. 

She smirked and chuckled when the man she was serving abruptly changed his position. *'One of them seems to have good taste,'* She thought to herself as she moved on to the next chair.

The hulking knight was the next she served. As soon as she stepped into his personal space, her heart started beating faster and an unexplainable sense of terror filled her. It took everything in her to stop herself from recoiling as she poured his drink. 

She spilled some of the drink onto the table in her haste, and apologised profusely despite his thanks. After cleaning it up, she moved on to the next guest she would be serving. 

When she stepped outside the knight's sphere of influence, the sense of danger vanished and left her feeling utterly confused. She glanced back at him with a bewildered expression, and then did her best to mask her feelings as she refocused on serving Ara.

.
Ara accepted her drink, and Terra was done serving her in record time. She finished just in time to add her two cents to the conversation. "It sounds like she'd be a good addition, Miss Aluriel. I know Ara can heal as well, but you can never have too many healers on such an important quest."
Jesse
When Ara walked into the office after Terra, she flashed her a small smile as a show of acknowledgement. She couldn't talk to her just yet, but she wanted Ara to know that she was happy she had joined them. 

From her position, she could also see Da'leryn lurking in the background, which made her smirk softly. He had a nose for drama. So she wasn't surprised to see him there. His presence also let her know that it was starting to get late; since he typically only came inside after they received the last of their visitors. 

Refocusing on the situation in front of her, she waited for the young woman to speak. However the doctor beat her to the punch. So she turned her head to look at him. She was glad the he seemed to be echoing her feelings, but his delivery left much to be desired. 

And then he changed his mind. At least she was learning what to expect with the members of the quest. *'Alcohol is the key to his heart. Got it,'* She thought to herself, chuckling softly. 

Absynth was very strong and much more expensive than the average drinker would consider buying. So it stood out to her that this is what their mystery woman had chosen to buy for a group of strangers. It meant that on some level, she was a person of means. And that just made Aluriel more curious about her motives for joining them.

.
When the doctor downed his serving, and asked for mint leaves, she responded. "Sorry, we don't have mint leaves, but there is a bowl of lemon slices in the centre of the table," She said, pointing to the bowl that Terra had brought with the drink. 

She listened to his quick assessment of their guest, silently agreeing with his observations. And when he cast his vote again for the woman to join them, she just nodded. *'At least I know where he stands. I wonder if any of the others are going to speak up,'* She thought to herself. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Terra spill some of the Absynth as she was serving Severus and the corners of her lips turned down slightly. The look on her face was the same as the look on the faces of the patrons Severus had walked by when he came to join them at the bar. 

*'So there is something about him.'* She thought to herself. *'At least it doesn't seem to be affecting the others in the same way. I wonder why? And what effect will it have on our mystery maiden?'*

She saw that Severus didn't react to Terra's behaviour, and guessed that he knew that he had an unusual effect on people. *'If he knows, then is he doing it on purpose? Or can't he control it?'* - And then she watched him finish his drink in one gulp, ***Through*** His helmet. 

Minute by minute, the questions about the nature of the group that had gathered here increased in Aluriel's mind. But she did what she could to ignore it for now - there would be time to discuss after they had decided on what to do with their 'extra' guest.

.
*'That makes two of the group who want her to join us,'* She thought to herself after hearing Severus's agreement. And then finally, the woman decided to respond. 

She listened to her offer of help and considered it at face value. She was inexperienced in combat - based on her inexperience as an adventurer. But an alchemist could be useful. Her skillset did overlap with Gideon's and Ara's, but it still had it's unique merits. 

She was about to respond to Pnumbru when Terra jumped in to add her opinion on the situation; which made Aluriel chuckle. Terra was one of the nicest staff she had, so she wasn't surprised or offended by the addition. 

"As you've heard, we have a doctor and a healer already. But two of our company, well technically three, think that you would be a good addition to our team. So how about we leave it up to the people you'd be working with? Svilena, Ara, do either of you have any objections to this young lady joining your party?"
Carol
Looking at the once hooded figure in the room, he laughed as if someone had told the worlds funniest joke, loudly he continued till he eventually managed words 

"That little shit!"

He, while laughing, managed a face of annoyance and, plainly, disgust, something they said clearly upset him, and when Gideons upset, it's clear why

"Don't go lying when I even vouched for you, fucking prick, you are no alchemist"

He points forward, and suddenly, without warning, came a very painfully audible cracking sound from Gideons direction

"FUCK ME SIDEWAYS!"

He says as he begins to use his holy healing magic, an ironic magic he has for what dirty mouth he also possesses

He stands up, to ease the pain he "Politely" Snatches the bottle of alcohol from the barmaid, no mind for manners, he really didn't care in that moment, and took a large drink, he nearly threw up, but he sat back down, his arm still shaking slightly, though out of pain or frustration was yet to be determined 

"Y'know trust is a big part of these things, either you are all in or all out, now unless you want me to change my mind... GET THE FUCK IN HERE AND TELL THE TRUTH!"

A clearly dominant person, it was, strangely, almost fatherly the way he scolded people, though between his swearing and alcoholism, it seems he no longer liked dealing with people, especially people such as this

He looked over at Severus, and for a mere moment, saw him as a punching bag to relieve his own stress

"Fuck... I still don't object to them coming, so long as they can stop playing the whole cloak and dagger"
Jon
*Given she was asked for her own thoughts on if the odd 'lady' should join them on this quest - Svilena was about to voice her thoughts when the doctor had loudly made himself known. She'd give a long stare in his direction, shaking her head - but his words did click with her.*

'So I'm not the only one getting strange... Vibes yes that would be the word to use in this manner' *She thought, waiting for when the doctor was finished with his ranting. She'd clear her own throat before speaking herself.* 

"I am of mindset that if they so wish to come with us that they must be ready to defend themselves, where we plan to go is likely to have various troubles... While we may have each other's backs; that cannot always be a promise. But if they are hiding something" *She'd pause, letting the words hang in the air for a moment* "Then they should come forth and admit all. If not then there will be little to no trust to give."

*Thus Svilena had stated her piece, but now the possible new arrival had been put directly on the spot - how would they choose to handle it?*
Steven
*The atmosphere was getting more and more interesting for Severus and perhaps everyone in this room. Thanks to Gideon, the room became quite lively. He might be able to add more of his opinions after all of them had said their words.*

*Earlier, he noticed another petite girl, who definitely was the voice of this tavern or whoever she was. However, Severus did not really care much about her as she was not as mysterious as the Serpant lady. Except for one thing, that she was already 'approved' for joining the team. Miss Ralovar must have had a conversation with her even before the time Severus had arrived at the tavern. For the time being, let's just do not mind about her.*

"Do you tur-," 

*He tried to say a joke about 'an alchemist can turn stone into gold' when hearing the Cload Figure mentioning that she was an alchemist. But Gideon's shout abrupted him midway.*

*He was quite leaning to agreeing in letting the Cloaked Figure to join. It was not because of the-more-the-merrier nor the more healers the better. Healing spells would never do anything positive to him. This current situation left him with less clue he could imagine so it was difficult to conclude. If only he could tell the differences in someone's life energy that they were emitting every millisecond. Another idea struck him when he realised that some facts about the so-called "Life energy"... He intentionally sighed. Going to school was still necessary.*

*The Dark Knight navigated his attention towards the miss Vihur when she started to speak her thoughts. At the end, everyone was doubting the presence of that Mysterious Person. On the other hand, Severus was just carefree about the situation. He reached out and rubbed the pommel of the large sword hanging at his side. Usually, he would have three swords with him. But currently, only the Waterfall was with him. It was neatly equipped on this right side. Actually, that was unusual of him as his main swords should always be on his left.*
Dennis
Jeez, what the hell is this guy's deal, Pnumbru thought, giving Gideon an incredulous look that was not in the least bit acting. One second he's my only supporter, the next he's my drunk stepdad. This is fine, I just have to "Prove" I'm an alchemist. I can do that. Sure, yeah, I can totally do that. In fact, I'll do it right now.

"B-But its true! I am an alchemist! I may not look like it, but... I-I know what I'm talking about and I can show you right now," Pnumbru exclaimed. There was a fine line between being intrusive and being adamant and the boy hoped he was leaning more towards the latter as he nudged his way past their host Aluriel and into the room. "So, um, w-watch and... Be amazed?"

It was important to remain just a bit timid, but this was the time to go for broke. As Pnumbru passed Severus again he was hit by a blast of foreboding, corrosive aura that caused him to get goosebumps. It was not that the aura didn't affect him, but rather he saw it for exactly what it was. Some form of incantation that, he was sure, was triggering the adrenal glands in his body, flooding him with panic, or something to that effect. He did his best to brush it off, even using it to get further into character. 

Trembling, Pnumbru picked up a glass and filled it up with Absynthe. He then took a small cloth napkin and set it on the table. From his flask, he dabbed human blood onto his fingertip and began drawing a summoning circle, hoping that none at the table would recognize it for what it was. Alchemy also used runes and circles for transmutations and they could often vary greatly from one alchemist to the next. After drawing the circle, he dusted some bone ash over it and decided to forego the candles altogether.

The boy closed his eyes and began mouthing a silent chant. Unperceptible to any in the room, except perhaps one who was already very close to the dead, he pulled the weakest soul he could find out of the air and channeled it into the absynthe, whose appearance did not change at all. The spell was done. Not my best work, but it should... Suffice.

"H-Here," Pnumbru said, holding out the glass for the doctor. "I'm not experienced enough to make a potion of resist intoxication, but this is now a potion of cure intoxication."
Meghan
Now that the cloaked woman had said her piece, Ara waited to see how Miss Aluriel and the others would react to the suggestion of adding an alchemist to their ranks. The information changed things slightly, so she wasn't sure what to expect this time around. 

At the back of her mind though, she was thinking about the knight beside her. She had seen how Terra reacted to him; it was exactly the same as the way the patrons in the bar had reacted earlier when he walked past them on his way to the bar. And then there was how he had 'drank' his drink...

It was clear that there was more to him than it seemed on the surface. But, he had been polite and non-threatening from what she could tell. So she couldn't understand why Terra had seemed so terrified. And her confusion only increased when Terra came around to serve her drink. 

Now that she was out of his space, she seemed to be back to normal? Ara did her best to mask her feelings as she accepted her drink and thanked Terra. She didn't tend to drink often, but considering the circumstances, she felt a drink was in order. 

*'There is something about being close to him that affects people. But I'm fine? And it doesn't seem like anyone else in the room is affected in the same way? Maybe there is something about each person that determines how they react to him? If that's correct, what do we all have in common?'* 

So many questions rattled off one after the other in her mind as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing around her. 

Her awareness returned to the conversation in time to hear the final sentence of Terra's bid in support of the cloaked woman. Like Aluriel, she just smiled; she'd known Terra long enough to expect her addition. 

*'At least someone said it,'* She thought to herself. And then she looked over to Aluriel, expecting a response from her. When it came, she made a face briefly and then chuckled. Of course Miss Aluriel would put them on the spot.

.
Before either her or Svilena could respond to the inquiry though, the alcoholic doctor burst into the conversation again. 

Her brow wrinkled slightly as her head turned in his direction. *'He thinks she's lying? So I'm not the only one getting bad vibes from her. But why would he think she's lying?...'* - More questions rattled off in her mind. 

And then he screamed in pain. She was about to offer to help, when he stood and snatched the bottle of Absynth from Terra. She looked on as he took a drink straight from the bottle, and wobbled. She was worried he was going to collapse, but he managed to retake his seat without incident. 

She had to grudgingly admit that she was impressed he had acted on the bad feeling the cloaked woman seemed to elicit. *'But does he need to scream all the time?.....'* She thought to herself. In the moment, she was clear about one thing; working with him was going to be an acquired taste.

However, when Svilena finally spoke, she smiled. She seemed to be rational and level headed; which was a welcome change from the impression she had gotten from the other adventurers so far. 

She agreed that everyone coming along needed to be able to fend for themselves. And now that the cloaked woman had been put on the spot, maybe they might actually find out what was making all of them weary of her. 

Because she still wanted to avoid weighing in on the discussion yet, she waited to see how the cloaked woman would respond to the challenge from the doctor. 

She watched quietly as the woman entered the room and asserted that she wasn't lying. *'I guess we'll see then,'* She thought, watching attentively. Alchemy had been one of the courses she took at the Sihirisium College. Not that anyone here knew that. 

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until the woman opened a flask and dabbed something onto her finger. It took a few moments but the scent of blood became clear in the air and her brows furrowed. Some alchemy required blood, but most basic healing spells that she knew didn't need them. *'What is she up to?....'*

Ara became more suspicious when she saw the circle that the woman drew on the napkin. *'That looks more like a summoning circle..'* She thought to herself. She couldn't be completely sure, because circles could vary depending on the type of alchemy, but she had also studied summoning magic as well. And she couldn't shake the feeling that it reminded her of the sigils and circles used in those classes. 

Regardless, she watched as the spell was cast, and the woman offered the doctor something that would help him 'cure' his intoxication. *'Uhhhh... I don't think that's a good idea for an alcoholic...'* She thought to herself dryly. 

For the first time since she joined the company, she spoke up. "So you transmuted the Absynth into some kind of cleansing potion?" She asked curiously. That was quite a feat from such a simple spell. 

"Also, I took both alchemy and summoning at the Sihirisium College, and that circle looks more like a summoning circle than an alchemical one. Though, there is some overlap between them, and I could be wrong. And what was that powder?" 

Alchemy usually required specific ingredients depending on the spell. And it was strange that the 'ingredient' wasn't even added to the Absynth; it was just dusted over the transmutation circle. If this really was alchemy, it seemed to be at a much higher level than she was expecting from an inexperienced adventurer. However, she needed to be sure - hence the questions.
Richard
While the group inside the office had been deliberating, Da'leryn had been listening (as best as he could), from his position outside the room; and several steps from the door. 

When Da'leryn saw that Aluriel had noticed him standing in the background, he flashed her one of his best smiles and winked. They both knew that he liked to be in the know, and he was shameless about it. 

He was intrigued by the conversation happening in his boss's office. It was the most excitement that they had seen in a long time because of the darkness hanging over their town; and he wasn't going to miss even a word of it. 

When he heard an outburst from what sounded like the man he was coming to inform Aluriel about, he chucked. "Intelligent, and a doctor, but no social skills. Definitely an interesting one for sure," He mumbled under his breath.

Then the sound of apologies from Terra echoed out of the room. *'That's odd.. What happened?'* He thought to himself. He would have to ask her about it later. 

He heard some other mumbled conversation from inside the room, and then the cloaked woman in front of him spoke. *'Huh.. An alchemist and a healer. I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover. I'd have pegged her as an assassin,'* He thought. 

When he heard Terra chime in, he chuckled. *'Ever the knight in shining armour,'* He thought. And then Aluriel finally gave her input; which made him smirk. She was as pragmatic as ever. 

It seemed that things would be settled shortly and he could give his report. But apparently fate didn't want it to be that easy. Out of nowhere, he heard the doctor shout that the cloaked woman was lying. *'What on earth would lead him to that conclusion? Did something happened between them before I entered the tavern?'* He thought.

.
Intrigued, he listed on. It was clear that the doctor was eccentric to say the least. And very demanding. *'This is getting more and more interesting by the minute.'*

He listened to an unfamiliar female voice speak out after the doctor. *'That's probably the Svilena that Miss Aluriel mentioned.'* He concluded. He agreed with all the points she made, but in truth, he was more interested in finding out if the cloaked woman did in fact have a secret. 

So he eagerly awaited her response. He listened attentively as she defended herself, and moved to where she had been standing once she was inside the room. He wanted to see her demonstration as much as anyone else present. 

He watched with rapt attention as the woman set up and cast her spell. Everything looked normal to him. So when Ara spoke up with questions, he raised an eyebrow curiously. *'Let's see if she can take the heat,'* He thought, chuckling lightly.

***Meanwhile, inside the room...***

Terra was standing on Ara's other side, holding the bottle of Absynth. She was waiting for the conversation to be concluded so that she could serve Aluriel and the sweet lady; if they agreed to let her join them. 

She silently hoped that Miss Aluriel would let her nice customer join them. So when she offered to leave the decision up to the group, she grinned. At least it was a step in the right direction. 

She rightly assumed that Svilena was the reptilian woman who had refused her drink, so her head turned in her direction. She wondered what the woman would say. 

However, before she could get an answer, the doctor who had initially agreed to let the cloaked woman in, spoke up. He swore at the woman and called her a liar. *'I guess I spoke too soon about him having good taste...'* She thought sourly. 

And then out of the blue, she felt the bottle of Absynth being yanked out of her hand, and saw the doctor take a drink directly from the bottle. "Hey! That's for everyone! You can't just drink straight from the bottle sir," She protested incredulously. *'What an uncouth asshole...'*

She flinched slightly and flashed him a dirty look when he started shouting. *'He's so gods damn rude...'*

"No one was playing cloak and daggers. She's just shy. I don't understand why you're all being so suspicious." She grumbled in response to the doctors comment. She had tried to hold it in, but the shock of the doctor's outburst had left her feeling defensive of her client. 

The woman had been nothing but sweet the whole evening. All she wanted to do was help. And Terra didn't understand why they seemed to be acting so difficult about it.

.
When the reptilian woman, Svilena, finally spoke, Terra just nodded quietly. The woman had brought up valid concerns. And now that there was doubt, she knew the cloaked woman was going to need to prove herself; even if she thought it was unfair. 

"See. She isn't lying," She interjected after the cloaked woman defended herself. She had no reason to think that the woman was being shady. 

As the woman was preparing for her spell, Terra slid an empty glass across the table to her. And then watched her in awe as she cast the spell. *'So much power in such a little woman.'*

The casting all looked normal to her, and she felt confident that it would put all of the doubts about her to rest. But then Ara joined in with the questions. 

She wanted to jump in and protest, but when she heard that Ara had knowledge on the subject, she decided against it. If the cloaked woman could answer these questions, they had to let her join them. Right?
Jesse
After asking Svilena and Ara to weigh in on the decision to allow the mysterious cloaked woman into their meeting, she moved out of the doorway and stood off to the side of it; so all of the people in the room could see the cloaked woman clearly, and vice versa. 

However, to her surprise, the doctor who had been rooting for the cloaked woman reversed his opinion again and lashed out at her. *'Now he thinks she's lying? What's that about? Nothing has changed in the last few seconds,'* She thought. It was clear she had been too hasty in assuming she was starting to get a grip on the doctor's personality. What did he see that she didn't? 

When she heard the cracking sound and the exclamation from the doctor, she started to move in his direction. But when she saw him snatch the bottle from Terra, she stopped in her tracks, confused. Nothing the man did made sense in the moment, and she wondered if his volatility was a good match for the quest they were going to embark on. If he was this volatile in conversation, how could they trust him in a battle?

"Terra is correct Mister Gideon. This is my establishment and I don't abide rude behaviour to my staff or other patrons. And your behaviour was disrespectful to Terra and everyone else that wants to drink from that bottle. It was bought for the group, so please don't do that again. Your cup is right there in front of you. If you can't use it, then you can't drink." She didn't enjoy putting him on the spot, but she needed to be clear about her expectations of his behaviour. 

"Trust is a big part of us working together. So is mutual respect," She looked him in the eye to make sure he got the message. Just then Terra made another comment in support of the cloaked woman. *'She must really feel strongly about this,'* Aluriel thought.

.
Part of her was glad that a challenge had been issued to make sure the mysterious woman was who she said she was. But not at the expense of basic decency. 

Finally, Svilena had her chance to respond to Aluriel's question. She listened to Svilena's thoughts quietly and nodded in agreement at the points she was making. It meant that even if they agreed to allow her join them, the woman would be responsible for her own personal safety. Aluriel was glad that it had been made clear now, before a decision was made. 

The woman at the door finally responded to the challenge, and defended herself in the face of the doctor's accusations. Aluriel was back by the main door by now, and moved out of the way so she could enter. The doctor had invited her in, and she felt no need to press the issue. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Da'leryn step into the doorway of the office, and she couldn't help but smirk and chuckle. And that smirk only deepened when the petite woman suggested that they should watch and be amazed. 

She watched as she walked past Severus and noticed the slight trembling. *'So she's susceptible to his foreboding aura as well..'* She thought. Regardless, her focus was on the spell that the alleged alchemist was about to perform. 

From where she was standing, she couldn't smell the blood, so to her, the transmutation preparation and casting seemed to be relatively normal. It was weird that the powder hadn't been added to the Absynth itself, but she knew there were different niche schools of alchemy. 

She was curious to see if the casting had actually produced the effects the woman said they would. But before they could find out, Ara finally spoke up.

.
Aluriel thought it was fair to confirm what exactly the spell had done. And what the ingredients for the spell were. However, the challenge about the magic circle surprised her. She didn't doubt that Ara was telling the truth; but if she was right, what would that mean?

So instead of speaking, she chose to keep quiet for now to see how the clocked woman would respond to the new inquiries.
Jon
*She caught just a hint of the blood that was used, though Svilena hadn't taken any classes on alchemy itself - she did know that alchemists themselves used many kinds of ingrendiets to craft their creations. So she assumed this was just normal, if perhaps a tad questionable.*

*She'd observe like the others, unsure on the circle being used herself - the final product seemed like the real thing least to her eyes - and already she had stated her opinion on the alchemist coming along. Svilena offered only a nod of her head towards the whole matter.*

"If we are now all upon the same page, I believe we should see about returning to the main topic at hand - less we all forget why we gathered here. Miss Aluriel if you are ready yourself?" *She'd ask, trying to motion things back to the central subject at hand.*
Carol
*"Oh, I see, it's for everyone, I'm supposed to share, right that's the good thing to do... Nah, it's mine now"* 

He thought to himself in silence before making an offer, though fake, towards Severus 

"You wanna drink?!"

He then waves the bottle in front of the serpent lady, who appeared to neglect alcohol

"What about you ma'am!! A big strong reptile like yourself has got to drink!!!"

He looked around, he could feel a dirty stare from one of the others, he thought very little of them however, and in fact looked quite surprised finding out they, in fact, exist

"Well shit, more to the party, but I don't suppose you'd want? Noooo! More for me then I guess"

He holds the bottle from the bottom, with the middle finger sticking out so as he took another drink, he flipped everyone off, however it was directed mostly towards Severus, indeed, the king of all assholes had arrived here tonight, though, for a job like this, suppose they can't really do much to get rid of him

He had dropped the subject of the clearly lying small one for now, though his ill will towards them hadn't diminished, and instead in a moment of rationality decided to agree with the snake

"Ah but yes, there's a job, not a drinking party, so "Boss", fill us in, all the details, leaving things out won't do any good either"

While he dropped the subject of the (supposed) liar, one of the members did ask some good questions, and he was keen on listening
Steven
*"Oh hoh?.. That lady is becoming a little bit active," He thought when the Figure protested and started to advance further into the office. But Aluriel let her do that anyways. Severus was also quite curious about her alchemy level as he heard that it would require some talents. However, most importantly, he wanted to learn more about it to strengthen himself...*

*Left that aside, Gideon was just acting as usual as the doc that Severus knew. It wouldn't be surprised if he started to act like a maniac and pull out a knife to stab everyone. Severus thought about that and slightly chuckled in his mind. He glanced at everyone to check their current expression.*

*Obviously it would not make to an end soon if everyone kept focusing on the newly arrived lady. When the so-called Suspicious Figure started to perform their alchemy, it was in doubt that level would succeed in creating anything. However, things turned out to be completely different from what Severus could imagine. So it was not important for an alchemist to turn rocks into gold. They could just turn absinth into anti-absinth. Was that really true alchemy or not. There was only one option that was to believe as he had no idea.*

*However, the quiet kid of the class who had been silent for eternity rised her voice and spoke her doubt. So at least there was a really seriously educated individual here. Severus had noticed she from the very beginning but the Knight decided not to care much about her until they get to the main point. That said, now he would have to do something, not just sit there and wait for the result.*

*When Gideon offered Severus more drink, he would just recklessly waved his hand to tell that Gideon could keep it for himself. Seeing the Doc flipping everyone off, Severus wondered if that was a way of human talking to others when they were drunk. If yes, that would be useful later on. Heh.*

"I agree with you, we should get to the point now. But first..." 

*Severus turned to speak to the Serpent lady before steadily standing up. He marched towards the Suspicious Figure who was simply ignored by Gideon.*

"Excuse me." 

*Without hesitation, he grabbed the newly crafted liquid from that suspicious stranger and chugged in all in the same way that he used the absinthe earlier. While doing so, his other free hand rested on his hip. After that, he would quickly put the glass on the nearby wooden table.*

"It should not inflict any strange phenomenon on me."

*With a stern face, but well, if anyone could see it... His eyes told its more obvious of his stern face. He pointed directly in the Stranger's face before checking his palms, arms, legs and then turned his head around to examine his shoulders.*

"Hm... Well. Nothing at all," *He shrugged,* "Decide to let her join or not will depend on our Lady Owner."

*He turned to nod at Aluriel as he intentionally addressed it to her. He believed he had done something at least. But well, if that was a poisonous drink, it would not be able to harm him anyways. Whatever it was... Unless it was some kind of holy cow's milk, something really "Oh holy", or fire resistance? Whatever. He chuckled.*

"And you, come with me," *He pointed at Gideon instantly in the face,* "I will deal with you. Being in such a stage would not be good for our upcoming serious discussion."

*As Severus said, he determinedly grabbed drunk Gideon's collar and pulled him towards the entrance. To outside. They would come back after a while. Giving people in the room some time to deal with the stranger.*
Dennis
The little necromancer immediately saw the problem with his ruse. It relied Gideon actually cooperate with him, a thing which he could in no way rely on with any degree of consistency. As the doctor not only refused to take the drink, but flipped off yhe entire room, a bead of sweat ran down Pnumbru's cheek. The look of exasperation and confusion on his face was in no way an act. *Am I being out-playef or is he just like this??*

Then there was the quite valid doubt expressed by Ara off to the side on top of Gideon's refusal to go along with his demonstration. Perhaps it was best to drop this entire thing? Pbumbru was about to throw in the towel completely when Severus came forward and took the glass of absynthe from the boy, chugging it all down in one gulp. It was a full cup of a spirit that was over 100 proof and it still had the strong alcoholic burn, but seemed to vanish the moment it entered Severus' stomach. There was no upset stomach, no sudden intoxication. It felt like nothing more than an ordinary glass of water.

"I-I told you! I made it into a potion that would do the opposite of what alcohol normally would," Pnumbru said. He didn't want to seem too upset, but he had reached that point of lying where he had become so invested in his lie that it was genuinely upset. Granted what had just happened to Severus was that he had consumed a lost soul and in exchange it had cured him of the very specific ailment of being intoxicated. Well, not like it was doing any good floating around like a dumbass.

He turned to Ara and pushed his fingertips together, blush and looking at her nervously. One last lie and then he would drop it. They didn't have to accept him into the group, but it would be nice later if he earned even a little bit of their trust. "Ah? Does it look that way? I admit, I have never seen a summoning circle before. This is how I was taught to do my transmutations by my granmama since I was little."

"Because it was a spell for healing, the circle is drawn with a deer's blood and sprinkled with the Velvet powder from a deer's antlers. We did not have many books in the mountains, so I have always done it the way she taught me... "