Guided Quest - Farm Heroes

[Skie and Avery]

Radasanth was abuzz. South, overlooking the forests of Concordia, a hill had begun to attract attention. It had gone generations without note, crowned with dark slate ruins. The withered and broken walls that jutted haphazardly at the summit had begun to be taken back by nature. Twisting stems of ivy and creeping vine washed up brick, and grabbed the iron gates to the side of the old ruins in a stranglehold. Never before had the people of the countryside or the citizens of the towns and city really or truly cared to know what artifacts of ancient times still lay behind those gates.

It was when thin puffs of smoke began to wander from the courtyard behind the gates that people began to take notice. As always happened when curiosities shone in the world, rich men paid brave men to find the answers. It was at a small dairy farm at the edge of the city, overlooking the rolling countryside with the hill (colloquially called Chimney Mountain by Radasanthians) a faded blue and tiny in the distance.

Skie dan Sabriel sat on the fencing, swaying slightly as she kept her balance against the morning breeze. Dew glistened along the grass, her footsteps a dark trail among the glittering blades. She was clad in elven hunting leathers, the hems embroidered with flourishes that were modestly decorative but still practical. Her longsword was in her lap, ill-suited to be strapped to her side as she sat on the fence. Her long dark hair had been braided and bound behind her and sharp navy eyes were scanning the road for the others she was to meet.

Her face was set in a look of disapproval, not for any companion that might meet her there, but rather for thoughts on what she'd been told may wait for them behind the walls of what once may have been a mighty castle. What had the others been told?

Welcome to the Guided Quest! When writing your intros, really give me a good first glance at your characters. I want to care that they make it through this alive.

[Tythiss]

Tythiss had been traveling this road for some time now; it was only made tolerable by the occasional plant. There were things here he had only seen dried and hanging in shops, to see them alive was quite vibrant.

Walking far to the edge of the road his eyes typically looking into the distance for the splash of color, though mainly he chased the scent, never gathering any as he lacked the tools needed for utilizing the ingredients, but it was always good to know where such things were when one was looking for them. Also, there was painfully little else to do when walking.

Tythiss Wore only Gauntlet and the PWRPK off which the HHMAK hung and swayed as he walked. The Saurian’s scales blended in with the darker grasses rather well. The evidence of his traveling was on his feet and tip of his tail. The brown mud clung stubbornly, though easily ignored.

Tythiss’ tongue tasted the air again, everything tasted odd with so much moisture in the air, unlike the thin and dry air of the Kachuck Mountains he called home. How he missed the taste of impurities being burned from steel.

No matter he was here to learn and grow his skills or make some coin trading his technical expertise. If he had lips he would smile at the thought of wowing some farmer with Technological magic.

His pace picked up a bit with the thought.

[Rhaenar Talon]

The rumors seem to flutter around the atmosphere of Radasanth like leaves dancing on a midsummer breeze, most are just the imagination of a petty farmer who has fallen on his head five too many times; however, some of these rumors bloom into a most needed truth. Most that hear these truths just turn a deaf ear trying to live life in a state of peace with one eye making sure that truth does not come knocking on their door; however, there are a few who look for this truth and when this truth flutters into their ear they don't turn their back to it, but embrace this truth, this adventure. Today, bathed by the towering blackness of the shadow from the mighty iron gate was a lone figure mounted on a stallion that had the same calm, determination etched upon the rider's face in its eyes.

The beast and the rider seem to be of the same state of mind as the steed turned and headed down the overgrown trail, that like the keep behind the pair nature seem to want to claim back as her own. A sweet smelling sent twirled its way across from the field of yellow flowers on the side of the trail along Rhaenar's senses that relaxed the determined grimace etched upon his face.

The sweet smelling flowers of the island nation of Corone were the one of many different aspects he enjoyed of the "outside world". He once believed that the world outside of Fallien was a place filled with strange and frightful things; however, there was always a place of wonder and curiosity he held in his heart for the "outside world", he had a glimmer uncertainty about the world beyond the blazing desert sun. Now that glimmer of uncertainty has taken hold and sprouted into a whole new way he looks at the world, wherever he looks he finds not only the ugliness of the place, but the beauty of it too.

Rhaenar and his steed sped ahead up the path towards the fading blue blur out in the distance. As he pulled his steed up along the dark-haired woman he swings his leg around off the steed, "I was told that I would meet a contact here, are you the contact?"

[Skie and Avery]

She watched the mercenary approach, a feeling in her gut that she would be part of the party heading out. He was vague, though, in his questioning. In turn the girl shrugged and slapped the backs of her heels against the fencing she perched upon. "My name is Skie dan Sabriel. I might be who you're looking for."

The arrival of the newcomer with a steed had prompted the old dairy farmer to his duties. Part of the reason the party was to meet here was that the old farmer had several oxen that had been leased for the expedition. If myths rang true, they'd be in need of a pulling beast to haul back what they might find.

"Are you heading up to the old castle?" she asked as she watched the farmer tie the oxen to the gate of the pasture. There were three there, though Skie had a feeling that the man before her would rather take his charger than bed it here while he went by oxen. It wasn't a problem of hers just yet, though, so she didn't feel it right to bring up or push the argument. Instead, she went back to watching the road.

"If you are, then we only need one more." she added.

[Tythiss]

Tythiss crested the final section of the road. His tongue sampled the air, bringing with it the scent of horse, human and something he could not identify.

Normally he wouldn't really care about these scents, Man and Horse went hand in hand, but there was something else on the air mixed with it that caught the Saurian's attention. Tythiss' eyes lifted from the road, the figures in the distance were blurred to him, but he could make out the horse and two others.

Crossing the road, Tythiss continued to sample the air as he approached, the long black appendage waving at the group and more pointedly at the woman as he drew closer and could make them out.

Tythiss stopped and looked up at both of them.

After a pause Tythiss waved his tongue at the woman again looking at her quizzically.

"What're you?"

[Cahill]

“That’s hardly a fitting thing to say to such a pretty damsel,” voiced Eric Cahill as he came into view from behind the farmhouse, his black trousers and gray vest materializing from the building’s shadow. Moisture from dew around the soles of his dark boots and the hand guard of the dagger at his right hip held by his silver buckled belt glistened in the early sun. It had admittedly not been his best idea to cut across the country instead of following the road, but the idea of decreasing travel time had been very appealing.

His elongated ears twitched slightly in the brisk breeze, his blue eyes gliding over the three people in front of him as he closed the gap between the fence and house. The half-elf’s dark cloak flapped slightly as he walked, the hood thrown back to expose his raven hair. The fence squeaked slightly as he leaned against it, right next to the sword wielding woman, slightly closer than necessary.

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask what you are, my scaly friend?” He said, tilting his head to view the lizard like person. "And I do hope you didn't mean it when you said you only want one more person along," saying this his arm slowly made its way around the woman's shoulders.

[Skie and Avery]

Skie's eyes narrowed, a tense smile freezing on her lips as she slid off the fencing and moved closer to the gate. "The more the merrier," she said as she moved her attention from the elven charmer to the reptilian man who'd questioned her. She'd heard tales of men who were more dragon than human before, but she'd never been to Dheathain to see the Dragonians herself. Surely that's what this man was, but it unnerved her that he sensed she wasn't quite human. While the aspects of her demonic heritage had been burned away by the banishing rite she experienced several months ago, she knew that she still wasn't quite the pure-blooded human she wished she was. For now, she'd ignore his question.

"Just make sure you pull your weight," she added, moving her gaze back to Cahill, her eyes as cold as a winter sky ."I don't know about you boys, but I'm just here for the gold. The more we pull, the more there is for each person's cut."

She cut a dark line through the dewy grass and began to untie one of the oxen from the gate. Halfway through the knot, the course roping scratching against her palms, she paused and threw a glance over her shoulder to mounted mercenary.

"Can your horse pull a cart? The oxen have been paid for us, but we need to take a detour into the forest to pick up the carts we're to use for what loot we find."

[Tythiss]

Tythiss looked to the Elf.

"Saurian." he said plainly as though he said dwarf or human, nothing out of the ordinary.

Pull his weight! Pull his Weight?! He had to pull his weight all the way here, why couldn't he do it some more! At this point since it was assumed he was meant to be here, Tythiss assumed this was the band heading to the castle. Should prove most interesting if he was wrong. As Tythiss followed the conversation, he passively noted the party's displayed armaments. The only thing he hadn't really considered when heading out in search of this adventure, was the danger.

Ahhh, pull that kind of weight... That would be an issue. If his weight happened to be a wet paper sack, he could carry it until the end of this world. Since wet paper sack lords were not the cause of some wealthy man scaping together a band of adventures to quell their soggy uprising...

Tythiss dismissed these thoughts though, his 'skill' in battle wouldn't be needed. Hopefully.

[Cahill]

Eric felt slightly disheartened by the woman’s cold behaviour towards him and the brief interest she showed in the lizard-like being, but it only showed for a fleeting moment before being replaced by a grin. Straddling the fence, he watched the female busy herself with the rope holding one of three oxen.

Then he heard the the reptile name his species. ‘“Saurian.” Definitely haven’t heard about them before,’ he thought. ‘Then again, you do get all kinds in Corone.’ Paying slightly more attention to the short, green scaled being, Eric saw he carried what seem like a weapon in the form of an axe/hammer and also a backpack and gauntlet. Otherwise he seemed completely defenceless. ‘Except for teeth and claws, I suppose.’

After the small inspection the half-elf said in an amused tone, “It was rhetorical, my lizard compatriot. And as for my “weight”,” his eyes on the woman still busy with the rope, “ I wouldn’t be here if I couldn’t well look after myself.”

His leg swung back over the fence, so he was in a seated position as the female addressed the human with his horse. ‘Now to inspect him.’ Standing next to his horse, the tan skinned man, in his armour like attire consisting of iron and leather, he seemed the epitome of a warrior. ‘Especially with that sword of his,’ Eric thought, eyeing the blade, saying nothing and waiting for the warrior to reply to what he supposed was to be their leader in this expedition.

[Tythiss]

Tythiss ducked through the lower and middle runner of the range fence, and started for the 'oxen'. She was clearly preparing them for something, and there were two more so he would help "pull his weight".

This, "oxen" was a large beast with weird feet and dangly bits! It had horns, too! The reptile was starting to get excited. He had heard of humans and the like using beasts as living tools, but never had the opportunity to do anything with them. He poked the beast to judge it's reaction. Why did it do what we bid? How did it understand? Does it like dragging things? It was clearly far larger than he, and larger than a human as well, why did it not gore and maim any human that approached?

The Saurian, caught and held its tail and inspected it. It was too short for balance. Not heavy enough for defense. Why the tuft of hair?

Walking to the other end, his tongue flicked at the "oxen", and he poked its large shiny nose. Could it be used to track? Tythiss knew that mammals used their noses to smell rather than their tongues, and this 'oxen' has a large nose and nostrils. Big ears, and eyes too. Also, a large head...

Tythiss stepped away nervously. If the animals senses and abilities were proportional to it's size, then this creature should have dominion of us all! Look at it's head! The size of the brain! The only thing holding it back from its glory was its inability to manipulate objects on its own.

"The knot..." Tythiss squeaked as he realized it was the only thing keeping them alive was the small knot in the rope that held them in check. He whipped his head to look, stare, at the woman as she freed her "oxen".

Freed her "oxen" so it may consume us all...