The Golden Age. Act 1: Discoveries.

[charlie_]

"While I appreciate your concern..." he began, voice laced with sarcasm. "I'm not afraid of pickpockets or thugs. This weapon chose me, and we will not be separated so easily." Some might call that cockiness, but that's just how it is. A thief wasn't going to keep him from his destiny, and if anyone tried to steal away the Lionheart they would soon learn that it could sting.

[eclipse]

"You need to sleep eventually," came Kolmar's unamused reply. "Or, perhaps, you are looking for a group, so someone can watch your back while you're unable to fend for yourself? How do you know who will make a good traveling companion, and not someone who'll poison your rations and take your weapon from your corpse? I've seen supposed weapons of legends - for sale, parted from the ones that were supposed to wield them. Whether it's a salesman's tale, or truth is known only to the lone survivor of the group, who miraculously escaped from a sudden malaise that claimed everyone else in the group. Or perhaps the only person who managed to escape a midnight bandit raid, with said weapon in their clutches." Those were two common setups used to strip the foolish of their valuables. Sometimes, they were used together, as to keep suspicion low. I haven't even gotten to the juicier details, where people have been shoved off of cliffs, drowned, or otherwise mysteriously disappeared. And this guy thinks he can beat all of that?

[scorri]

Kaya frowned at the response but movved past it and nodded. "Well that's fair. We could always use morefront liners, so if you're able to hold your own, you'd be welcomed. It's as Raz said. We aren't overly well acquainted, but there comes a point when you need to trust people, yes? I'll admit it's a bit disappointing that you've no knowledge of dark magic, but I'm sure your exorcist powers could be useful at some point."

She tapped the head of the much shorter than normal staff that she had strapped to her waist. "Hmm, though I would be interested in the story of your mask at some point. Not now though. More importantly, do you know any of the others here? If you join us, we'll number four. I suspect we will need at least eight or so to make a sizeable group. That would be enough to scare away most threats, but not enough to cause problems whe-- if we find treasure. So we still need some more, if you know anyone."

[charlie_]

"I know the risks." sighed the axeman, not in the mood for a lecture. "I simply believe in destiny. And my destiny, in fact, is not to die in a cold field with a knife in my back." He wasn't stupid - he knew that the other man was right, but he wasn't afraid at all. Fortune favours the bold, after all. "Either way, enough about me." He waved his free hand dismissively. "What exactly are you?" he asked.

"If you're content with waiting to see, rather than hurrying to find any old group who'll take you, you must have confidence in your abilities." Aaron was looking directly at the mustached man now, watching him closely for any kind of reaction. "What kind of skills do you have to offer a group of travelers, besides a sharp tongue?" When it came down to it, that was what (he assumed) they were both here for. Trying to judge whether the other was suitable. He could see a lance on his person, but that didn't say an awful lot about him besides that he wasn't stupid enough to come unarmed.

[Ether]

"I can certainly hold my own, and such expeditions are always safest in numbers... especially if that staff you carry means you might be adept at mending wounds. Many that saunter out alone aren't skilled in such things, so to see that is quite a boon indeed. Sadly, I ventured here alone." Mikhaila replied, fingering at her mask somewhat embarrassedly as it was noted by the woman.

"That's a tale for another time I feel, though suffice to say for now it's a good part of the reason why I am here."

[scorri]

Kaya nodded. "Fair enough. I am a healer, though I have a few other tricks up my sleeve as well." The main thing she was referring to was the staff at her waist, though there were other things on her mind as well. "Any other healers would be useful as well obviously, though I will do my best to keep everyone healthy of course. It's no worries that you have no other companions. We all were in the same boat when we first arrived. If you've seen anyone that you think might be useful, all I ask is that I meet them before any offers are made."

[Xinnidy]

"Huh..." It seemed that this woman preferred her mysteries well-kept, as much as that mask really stuck out. I wonder what's the story behind that... Well, it wouldn't do to put off their newest recruit and press the matter, so Raz just nodded along. "Yeah, so far, things are looking up for us. We've got a wide range of talents covered, for sure." Internally, Raz was very ecstatic, rather fascinated by the group of people they seemed to have gathered.

"Well!" Raz interrupted, "I guess I should scout for one or two more right now, huh? Probably should leave some space for Aaron's choices." With a salute, Raz got her move on again. "I'll be back with something." Now, it was just a matter of finding individuals that looked talented and just the right level of 'not-shady'. Raz believed she had a good eye for that, at least.

[Ether]

"No one particularly of note before you, no. Unless you fancy ruffians with a lecherous eye, or a gang of cutthroats and cut-purses or two... or twelve. Needless to say I found myself none too fond of the prospect of being sold myself, were we not to find treasure to line their purses with." Mikhaila replied with a sigh and a shrug, shaking her head a bit.

"She mentioned an Aaron, who might that be? Ah, come to think of it, I suppose I didn't catch either of your names... I am Mikhaila."

[scorri]

Kaya nodded. "That's my worry as well. We need to be careful who we pick. Especially for myself as defending yourself when you're armed with a heal staff and are facing swords and axes is typically a losing battle. Still, hopefully we can find a few more among this group." She glanced out over the crowd as she answered the next question, "Aaron is a fighter we picked up. Heavy armor, fancy axe. He's somewhere around here looking for some other people as well. Ah, names, yes. Her name is Raz. I couldn't tell you her last name unfortunately. I'm Kaya Bereen. I'm from Fernatia originally. Yourself?"

[Ether]

"I am of Rathuum... were we a generation before, you might have heard of my family, Abraham. My grandfather was rather well known for his exorcisms, I can only hope to build our reputation so high as it was when he was alive." Mikhaila replied, giving Kaya a light smile as she extended her hand towards the other woman.

"Well, so long as you keep my alive and kicking, I'll do the best I can to keep any ne'er-do-wells from sinking their blades or any other such sharp instruments into you, Kaya. Sounds like a swell agreement from where I'm standing."

[scorri]

Kaya reached out a gloved hand to clasp the outstretched hand. "Sounds like a pretty good agreement from where I'm standing as well. I can't say that I've heard of your family, but if we accomplish what I hope we accomplish, all of our names will be known." She smiled back at the other woman, though she found her eyes being drawn to the mask again. Forcing her eyes back, she released Miki's hands with a light squeeze and smile. "Well, I suppose we're in for an interesting time if nothing else, right? The world has a lot of interesting things in store for us. That much I'm sure of."

[riariadne]

Advice

"Treasure there lost for a long time, huh? I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks, I owe you one. That's the sort of stuff you gotta know to be ahead of the curve," Clint responded, seeming positively surprised at what was, at least on the surface, useful info. "I'm chasin' the treasure because I'm a big fan of explorin'. Been to a lot of different parts of Titan, even some of the mountains in Rathuum. Journey matters more than the destination, at least that's how I feel. A treasure'd be a real nice bonus, but even if I don't wind up findin' it I reckoned the chase worth it as long as it turns out alright." He paused to think for a bit, before speaking up. "I think the woods are the worst place to be headed, if I had to make a guess. The other two seem a lot more promisin' locations. And I suppose another quick piece of advisin', if you do get together with a nice group, I'd be sure to keep watches no matter how good you think your spot is. It's all friendly now, but people like this can get real cutthroat when you're out in the wilderness, in the thick of the treasure huntin'."

[Ether]

"You needn't be so conscious of the staring. I've grown used to it, by now." Mikhaila noted, figuring it best to clear the air as soon as possible, to make things as least awkward as they could be. Taking a moment to look over Kaya as well, the woman seemed... rather heavily clothed. It wasn't quite that cold, to need so many layers... aside from a bit of her face, none of the woman's skin was exposed at all. Thoughts of specters allergic to the sun flashed into her mind momentarily, but she didn't feel anything ominous of that sort from her... perhaps she had some sort of condition where she need avoid the sunlight, or need mind the cold severely... regardless, it wasn't really a thing to ask of someone you had just met.

"Quite, though one only hopes it is the lovely, safe sort of interesting. As unlikely as that is... something tells me even if we stumbled across the thing without needing bring ourselves to danger, many folks here would contest our leaving."

[Oersted]

"Magic..." Naylen repeated to herself. 'So she's a mage then. If we can't join a group then at least we'll have most of our bases covered at least. Though we'd still be pretty low on numbers...' However, now wasn't particularly the time to be thinking about that; right now their immediate concern was figuring out what the approaching man wanted from the two of them. Still watching him from the corner of her eye, Naylen saw him stop. 'Just what is he doing? Did he realize-' In the middle of her pondering he had called out to them.

Naylen inwardly relaxed just a tad. He didn't seem to have seen anything, he just wanted a group to join, but then why choose them out of all the other people gathered here? Perhaps she was overthinking it, but as a demihuman in a very human world, she had to be wary of almost every little thing. Or at least she thought she did anyway. "Oh, we were looking for a group to join ourselves..." she said, trying not to seem on guard to his face. "Did you want to, er, join us...?" That was how recruitment started. right?

[scorri]

Kaya let out an embarrassed chuckle as she got called out for trying not to stare. "Ah, well, I suppose I just somewhat recently developed an interest in the abilities of dark magic which that mask so clearly is that I can't help but wonder about it. Still. As you said, it is not something that needs to be discussed right now. So it would be rude of me to focus too much on it."

She sobered up though as Miki talked about how she hoped it would be a safe adventure. Reaching up to play with the feather she had attached to her hairband, she shook her head. "I'm quite afraid it will be the opposite unfortunately. The Gifts, well, from what I know of them they tend to bring conflict. The more well known a Gift, the more conflict it brings. Still. Perhaps your hope will come true. After all, it's impossible to know what the future can bring, right?" She chuckled slightly, more to herself than anything.

[Nanami Touko]

Handle With Care

Just to talk, huh? Nice cover... If it's what he really wants, then he's pretty lax about this whole business. I guess if he's having trouble finding companions then he'd take whoever he came across... Naylen looks strong. She's got the armor, the 'gauntlets'-- even if she's a bit shy, and I know why, she still looks like she could fight whoever or whatever she wanted. Telmara analyzed the situation as much as she could, before slowly nodding, head hid deeply underneath her hood. "Sure, if... If you really want to." There was no harm in talking to him, and if it came to it, they could just run. Most people wouldn't clue into what was going on until they were free of the place. Her horse was still over there. They had exits, so it was fine.

"What's been your, uh... Issue, finding people to do this whole thing with?" Fair was fair; he probably had his own questions for them, and she had plenty for him. She just hoped he wouldn't go about poking for what's underneath the robes. If he did, she was just going to walk away, Naylen or not. Not that you'll be able to wear them the entire time, especially if you're going to join a group, moron. They're going to find out much sooner than later... Not that I'll be taking this thing off in the middle of the crowd and causing a stir. Still, it was a sobering and terrifying thought. That she would get into a group and suddenly be ousted from it because she was now a Demihuman. Were there any accepting humans in the crowd? Was there such a thing, anymore?

Since she'd left Grunan, she hadn't met any that were openly interested in speaking to her. Most were dismissive, some were rude, and a few yelled at her to get away from them. Whatever cruel dragon felt it best to do this to me because I wanted more knowledge, you can go rot. At least she did have Naylen, for the time being. And if her claws were the worst part about her, then she'd have a much easier time fitting in with other groups.

Edited September 4, 2016 by Narmaya

[Ether]

"Yes, it may well be a pipe dream... still, what light can one find without hope? It may be silly... many would do plenty past kill for something as coveted as one of the gifts, we would be blessed to avoid contact with any such individuals insofar as we can." Mikhaila replied, nodding her head. Unfortunate as it was, Kaya was correct, in that regard.

"Are you sure she'll be alright? She didn't manage to get very far without running face first into me, and she doesn't seem the intimidating type."

[scorri]

Kaya nodded in agreement. "Though I suppose none of us truly know if it will be one of the Gifts we find. Still, hope is what we have, as you said. As for Raz, I'm sure she'll be fine. I don't know her well, but I suspect it would be unwise to underestimate her. She was distracted b asking me something when she ran into you, that's all. Still, we could follow after her if you wish."

[Bluedoom]

" I agree with what you've said. The journey matters more than your destination, and yes, you'd need to be careful around the people you'll be travelling with. Speaking of which, what do you feel about the group that you're with? You sound very confident of your abilities and your groups'. I assume your group has a variety of talents?" she asked, curious to know if this man knew more than he let on.

[riariadne]

Teamwork

"That's right. It's all about workin' together." Clint adjusted his hat a bit. "I'm pretty experienced in my archery, so I just need some people better suited to close-ranged fightin', some backup and a healer or two. There's about a dozen of us, which I figure is a fine enough number." A sharp whistle caught his attention towards another man in a hat, and started to head off towards him. "That's my signal to get ready, then. Best of luck with your own travels."

[eclipse]

"Me? Just someone who figured that rumors would lead to possible business opportunities. Right now, the currency is information, and there's precious little to go around. I'm the one that's worked with people you'd never dream of associating with, and one of the few that left that business alive, and willingly. The services I offer aren't what the vast majority of the travelers here would think of requesting. But if you need to get someone out of jail, or slip someone or something past the guards, you need my knowledge." Kolmar crossed his arms over his chest, and waited for the other man's response. He was certain that his spiel would either send the guy packing or earn him some sort of holier-than-thou speech about being a ne'er-do-well. However, a well-prepared group would be more than happy to have his skill set - after all, what if the treasure was behind a locked door? And who in their right mind would POSSIBLY ask a prostitute for leads, despite them being in a good position to overhear things?

[charlie_]

"Hm. What kind of business opportunities are we talking about here?" Aaron didn't know what to make of Kolmar's... unique set of skills. The armoured man couldn't see much use in his skill list, but having someone experienced in dealing with the scum they were likely to encounter on the road could be useful. He needed more information though - there was no way to be sure yet. It was better to see if they had anything else to say.

[Percivalé]

Itzal almost felt bad. These women were so on-edge he could hear the tension in their voices, wires stretched so firmly that a feather's amount of pressure would snap them in an instant. He responded to the cloaked one's question first; she had seemed more defensive than the other did. Perhaps he could ease her, somewhat. "It's just been... difficult," he admitted, "catching anyone's attention for long, and I don't... feel confident in any of the people I've spoken to thus far." He had his arms loosely crossed in front of him--he had nowhere else to put them. "I approached you two simply on the account you seemed interesting. That's... what I've decided to try, this time." He paused. "My name is Itzal."

[eclipse]

"That depends on the group. Some people need things slipped by the watchful eyes of guards, like certain types of books or scrolls. Others may feel that some of their number is more prone to. . .the ire of whatever lord's property they may be on, and need me to spring their more troublesome companions from whatever locks, stocks, chains, or prison they may find themselves in. For you, I can make that weapon of yours look. . .ordinary. Definitely not something that some lord or other would request for 'special safekeeping', or another person in the group would think of selling it for a purse full of coin. Besides, shouldn't people follow you based on who YOU are, and not what possessions you have?" Kolmar was certain that the other guy wouldn't approve of dirtying his weapon, but it was worth a shot. The less attention that weapon drew, the better for all involved.

[charlie_]

Aaron frowned. "I will not have you deface the Lionheart." This was his claim to the throne that they were talking about, and not to mention a relic of the past ages. If he disguised it in order to keep the weapon safe, then it was of no value to him. He wouldn't give a damn if a burglar made off with it afterwards if things came to that. "My fate is intertwined with that of this axe, and both of us are destined for greatness." he continued, clutching the handle more tightly now. He was referring to the weapon of course - not the other speaker, although...

"Despite this, I'm sure that we can find a use for a man with your... unique skillset." Some might've said that it wasn't very kingly to associate with a man like this, but Aaron figured it was like having a spy working under you, or something of that sort. Of course, that would have to come later. For now, introductions were necessary. "I am Aaron Lawson, and one day I will be your king." It was better to let him know now, than to have him find out later, he figured.

Edited September 4, 2016 by SB.