The King of Chaos IC

[Doughguy]

"Five foreigners is it? And all from different lands happening to arrive at the same time, quite interesting. But you'll do, even you with the mask, despite your disrespectfulness. I can assure you everyone here has seen or will see worse than your face, no matter how bad it looks. Now, it doesn't matter where you came from before you stepped into my office." The man's voice grew stern, "You're hunters, all of you, and you have one duty. To protect the people of the mainland from the plague, no matter where you are. I hope we're clear on that." A slight hint of menace crept his voice, "You may not be Lilidan hunters but you're working on our orders now. Do not besmirch our name with carelessness."

The menace disappeared as he continued on in a matter of fact tone, "Since you're looking for the first signs of the plague two doctors will be quite useful. Knowledge is power, and the quicker your minds figure out the weaknesses of the new beasts the more lives we can save. As soon as you discover something return here so we can start spreading that knowledge. There is a nice bonus for the first people to discover their weakness, if you're the kind of person who needs that sort of motivation." His tone was full of disdain as he said the last part.

The man pointed to a region on the map near the coast, "You'll be heading here, a town called Gipla. It's nothing important but it serves as the marketplace for the smaller towns located in the immediate vicinity. You'll see lots of people and hear lots of stories, the perfect place to spot the clues the plague has begun. Remember, for now you must allow the victims to transform before you kill them. Isolate them, keep their loved ones away, but they must transform so you can dissect the corpse. Otherwise it's a waste of their life."

"Now go, we do not have time to waste. May your journey may joyous and bring salvation to the land." His hand touched his heart before sweeping in their direction in goodbye.

~***~

4 days later

~***~

Gipla was all it had been promised to be. Which was nothing much at all. After two days travel the group had arrived to find it was nothing but a simple town. Cobbled streets ran through the central region where the market would be held, while the rest of the town used dirt roads. There were a few hundred homes spread over the area surrounded by acres of farmland. Most buildings were traditional wattle and daub while those in the centre were again fancier with timber and stone. The Lord's manor was in the very centre of the main street with high stone walls and an almost fort like structure within. In the event of an outbreak it was theoretically a place a portion of the populace could take shelter within until hunters resolved the situation. Truthfully, given Gipla's relatively big population, it had no hope of serving that purpose adequately.

Their first day there the town was a quiet, sleepy place with little to occupy the hunter's time. People went about their business selling their wares or working in the fields for the lord. Some of the town guard dropped by to examine the chaos weapons the group held. There was much ooing and ahhing amongst them as they fantasized about owning one as unlikely as it was they ever would. The lord sent a servant to formally welcome them but did not invite them to his manor. It was exactly the sort of reception the hunters would expect.

The hunters founds residence in one of the two inns. The University had given them a small allocation of funds that would last about a week. After that they would be relying on the people's goodwill and whatever donations they received.

As the sun rose above the horizon on the second day things would finally begin to happen. Market day had arrived and it was time to work. The peasants were up early to reserve their stall space and set up their goods for display. The citizens of Gipla were assured the best spots unless someone from elsewhere over got up suicidally early to make the trip. Otherwise it wasn't until around 10am that the other villagers began arriving and setting up wherever they found space on the cobbled roads. It was also around this time that the crowds exploded and people flooded the streets. They came from all other to buy and sell. It was the perfect time for the hunters to mingle.

Of course one of the hunters, the man from Merkath, had chosen to disappear without a word this morning. Doubtless he would return later.​

 

[CasketCase]

Haima had been quiet, something that never occurred in long periods of time. Even as he was scolded for baring that mask in a show of respect, he said not a peep when he was usually known for firing back an insult of his own. No, he simply took it and remained quiet as their employer gave them the rundown of their current assignment. Was it the thought of money that kept him at bay? Perhaps he had some ounce of common sense to pay attention to the objective of their hunt?

Of course not, he was just waiting for the perfect timing.

As they were dismissed, he waited for the others to step out before a dark chuckle overtake him. Approaching their employer menacingly, he slammed both of his hands on the top of the desk, rattling the various objects kept on it. "How about I make you wear this mask!" The declaration was threatening, that was without doubt, but before he could allow it to sink in, the cloaked hunter simply turned away and headed for the door.

"Better yet, that would be unwise, for I would be the UGLY one! Heehee!" Cackling madly, the masked man departed to catch up with the others.

~***~

4 days later

~***~​

"Look for infection? Bah! How boring!"

Even as the villagers had gotten used to the others, Haima was still an oddity worth extended study. This might have been a blessing, however, as the others could operate without so many stares aimed their direction, nor answer-starved children nipping at their heels. He was quite used to the stares, even so used to ignoring them, regardless of what they said to him. "Seeking signs of infection is a doctor's job, anyway." He said to himself, continuing the partial conversation he had begun. The masked man had better things to do, such as deal with one of the stray mutts he had managed to corner. Oh, how it growled at first, yet it would learn that growling and biting would do nothing in its favor and eventually, it submitted to the inevitable.

A few moments later, the unlucky mutt had bellyful of food and was being scratched being its ears.​

 

[Voltin]

Rio had stood with the rest of the ragtag group as they were practically demeaned by the man giving them the assignment. It wasn't long before Rio's patience was wearing thin, and the clacking of her foot against the smooth wood floor soon increased in increment. She hadn't been fine-tuning her skills just to have a simple pencil-pusher go and bad mouth her!

With a final dismissal from the ill-mannered man, Rio turned on her heel and, with a dismissive click of the tongue, was one of the first to leave through the door.

~4 Days Pass~
​

The doctor strolled through the market-place, away from her peers. They were all searching for the same thing and were all more than capable of handling matters on their own, so it made sense for the group to split; to cover more ground, as they say. Still, the people she brusquely questioned had all turned up with negative information -- that is to say, nothing but rumors and hearsay -- so it was all useless to her pursuit.

She passed through the market, her final destination being the town's single fortification against plague. Along the way, she found herself by a stall; a man, selling various charms dedicated to the gods. A remarkable one had been the necklace in the form of an erratically bent gate; a ward from Herenis and his despicable chaos. Rio scoffed at the trinket, and the salesman who tried totting it off to her. Still, another of the few remarkable pieces had caught her eye -- a cold-iron bracelet marked with the common runes that any worshiper of Tennerben would recognize -- a charm used to ensure a good afterlife for the wearer. The girl tossed the asking price of copper at the peddler before leaving with her new accessory.

Arriving at the lord's door, she knocked, using the provided brass ornaments. Rio crossed her arms as she waited. To be perfectly honest, the doctor was expecting trouble; the lack of pandemonium in town despite what she's heard of plague in the area... Well, it likely meant the first victim had relatives with some modicum of power to cover it all up. Hence why she was standing at the lord's door; arms crossed, weapon in hand. A non-threatening posture if she had ever put on one.​

 

[TerraBooma]

"Step right up, step right up!" A friendly voice called to all who passed the bow-weilding hunter, although he needn't clamour for more attention. It wasn't often that some sort of entertainment made its way to the small town. Ed was hoping to fix that anomaly for a short time, at the least. He had set up a targeting range of sorts close to the marker, and as time went by, he was doing what he could with it. Making incredible shots that perplexed even the hunters. It wasn't simple to do either, and required a small amoutn of wind magic to guide his arrows to their location, but he was astounding the crowd with shot after shot after shot. And to boot, he was making a decent some of cash in the process.



The Bow-wielding man was enjoying himself, and the challenge of shots were a good way to train, but Ed had a bit of a secret motive.After he made a shot and his helpers, (Who he was paying a commission, man that made them helpful at keeping things speedy) go to collect his various arrows, he'd chat up someone, ask a question here, learn about the gossip there. It was a slow process, but it would endear himself to the villagers better then his sister's plan, which probably would entail beating the answer out of some corrupt looking official. Chuckling at the image in his head, Ed almost misses, causing a wave of emotion from the crowd around him. Smirking as he reaches for another arrow, he takes aim at, yet another, difficult target.


"Almost peaceful here...I could get used to this." He mutters under his breath.

 

[Doughguy]

Haima​

Indeed the stares Haima received were many and frequent even after a day in the village. The peasants treated him like a leper, assuming there was a medical reason for his covered body and face. But for the man the company of animals was likely much more enjoyable, on both sides as this now full mutt was finding out. The animal snuggled its head into his hand and licked it happily, searching for more crumbs and affection.

Suddenly the animal spun on the spot and bounded off in the opposite direction, heading back onto the town's streets. Turning its head back towards the Hunter it let out a short bark before it starting to run down the street. Perhaps it was expecting the man to follow. Were Haima to follow it he would find he was easily able to keep up with the animal along the journey.

~***~​

Rio
​

Rio's arrival at the lord's manor was greeted with some suspicion, as was to be expected from an armed being storming up to the front door as if they were expected. The guards had been informed of no such thing and only her obvious appearance as a Doctor stopped them attempting to throw her back onto the street. Despite that they still kept close as she waited in case she decided to cause trouble. The guards held spears in hand and large shields were strapped to their backs. The inquisitive eye would note the shields were about as wide as a normal hallway and would block movement down one.

After a few moments the door opened to reveal an elderly man, dressed quite finely in a white shirt covered by a black vest and similarly coloured pants. The look of curiosity on his face was quickly replaced by a one of surprise at the threatening appearance of the guest. One of the guards took a step forward but the butler cleared his throat and recomposed himself. "To what do we owe the please madam hunter." he said, a neutral expression now on his face.

~***~

Ed​

Ed's little show was bringing in a decent crowd and his plan was working quite well. The townspeople had plenty of gossip to share and were happy to indulge the friendly newcomer. Of course if there was plenty of gossip it meant most of it was useless information. He knew a young boy over was sick with the fever and that dirty Graham was charging an extra copper for a bag of apples. Iphila was pregnant with her third child and was hoping for a second boy. The last two harvests had been good thanks to no plague so taxes had gone up and there was much grumbling. It was almost too much for a man to keep track of.

One of the town guard, coming on his day off to see the skilled archer, was the closest person to Ed as he set up his latest shot. Were Ed's memory good he might remember the man had been there yesterday to examine his chaos weapon, otherwise he would appear to be a total stranger. "You should stick around then if you like it. I'm sure the lord could use a man of your talent on his guard, might be able to help his son too. Poor man fell from his horse yesterday. Hunting in the woods and chasing after a fast deer, missed his first shot and his horse tripped on the chase. Doubt it would have got away with you to teach him."

 

[CasketCase]

Indeed the stares Haima received were many and frequent even after a day in the village. The peasants treated him like a leper, assuming there was a medical reason for his covered body and face. But for the man the company of animals was likely much more enjoyable, on both sides as this now full mutt was finding out. The animal snuggled its head into his hand and licked it happily, searching for more crumbs and affection.​

Suddenly the animal spun on the spot and bounded off in the opposite direction, heading back onto the town's streets. Turning its head back towards the Hunter it let out a short bark before it starting to run down the street. Perhaps it was expecting the man to follow. Were Haima to follow it he would find he was easily able to keep up with the animal along the journey.

He had gotten used to the stares, the jeers, the insults, and how they did everything in their power to avoid touching him. Animals on the other hand, didn't judge one from their looks, but rather through others way...of course, animals were just as bad as humans, but at least Haima could do something about that. As the dog desperately sought to consume every microscopic crumb from the food he gave it, the hunter couldn't help but laugh. "Hungry, weren't ya? Don't worry, I'll get you some more in a bit." for now, he was just content to scratch the shaggy dog's head when it suddenly bolted up.

Another reason he enjoyed the company of animals as well; they tend to know when danger is there long before humans would.

Rising with the mutt, he wasted little time in following it. The chase was without difficulty as it seemed to be deliberately leading him somewhere. Of course, just what he was being led to was the big question. It could be anything; more animals, the mutt's owner, or possible the plague itself. Either way, it would prove to be interesting regardless of what awaited him.

 

[Voltin]

Rio was expecting the curious suspicious glares from the people who guarded the manor. It was all the more reason she didn't bat an eyelash at any of their foolhardy antics. Of course, only a simpleton would turn an eye away from the obvious way they were armed...

When the house's butler found her at the doorway, she was of half-mind not to listen, instead launching into her own speech. Still, what the older man had to say was of little importance, and so the doctor was able to cut straight to the heart of the matter; such was her job. "I am Rio Marsues, doctor. I am here investigating for signs of plague, if that wasn't obvious enough, and I have reason to believe you are harboring such an individual here.

"Now, I'm not stupid. Those shields your guards here are carrying were developed rather recently in the scale of things; during the last plague, to be exact. They look relatively new -- no rust, the occasional dent from impact -- and they're much too unruly for anything other than combat within enclosed quarters, such as this house. This all leads me to be on the assumption that your lord has only recently armed these men with them." Rio raised a brow at what she was implying. "There's also to mention the lack of panic that there seems to be in town, if there had been any recent sightings of plague in town, I'm sure the streets would be much more deserted, yet this is not so. I'm sure if word of plague spread, much of the lord's share in taxes and such from the daily transactions that happen here would be minimal. Yet again, I'm back at the shields; why would they be deployed unless you were expecting to use them as intended, hm?

"I'm going to have to ask to see the lord, and the rest of his family gathered here right out the door. Failure to comply will have me back here with the rest of my compatriots, and perhaps a mob, to tear this place asunder." This was, of course, a bluff, but the way she articulated each word gave the impression that this was not the case. "Now, can I have your assurance that you will hand the lord of this manor my demands and that he will fulfill them to the utmost letter, or will I have to be seeing you later?"

 

[TerraBooma]

Ed was in the middle of one of his less complicated shots when the Guard came and spoke up. He had already figured out that there were no signs of plague in the village, the general mood was too happy, too...excited for there to be one. The stories were interesting too. If a boy was sick, the village a few days away may be good to check out, because stories could grow or distinguish easily. He made a note to himself to check out the kid if he went out that way.


On that note however, he finally had something to go off of, the lord's manor. More importantly, he had a way to get INTO the lord's manor without attracting too much suspicion. It'd be a dumb idea to go there and throw around accusations, which would most likely anger the lord or simply have you rejected. But He could go there now with at least an excuse for approaching. Calling the arrow-retrievers back to him. He adresses the crowd. "Unfortunately my friends, I must bid you adeiu for some time." He bows low to everyone, hat scrapping the ground. "But fear not my friends! I shall return with even more grandeur acts, and you will be amazed!" He grins. "Next time, I suggest someone bring an apple, maybe Grahmn would be able to give someone a discount in turn for supporting my show." He flahses them a knowing grin, but he just gave them a new bargaining point, who wouldn't want to help out the town's entertainment for awhile?



On that note, he re-adjusts his hat and flick-twists his bow back into it's walking stick form. And heads towards the Manor he knew belonged to the lord of the area.



"Now, can I have your assurance that you will hand the lord of this manor my demands and that he will fulfill them to the utmost letter, or will I have to be seeing you later?"



Well, Ed noted. It seemed Diplomacy was not in fact one of Rio's strong suits. Time to interject.


"Ah! Hello Ms. Marseus!" Ed declared brightly after Rio had declared her ultimatum. "Pleasure to see you here!" The man strided up to her side before bowing to those in front of him. "Hello my good sirs, I am Ed, a hunter if you will." He finishes his over elaborate bow and returns to his standing height. "I have heard the plauges of the lord's son in the way of the bow, and would like to offer my services." He turns to Rio. "My good doctor here of course would no doubt like to come with me, I hope that would be alright?" He takes a step back to look at the building as a whole, whistling low, he speaks again. "A building as grand as this, it's hard not to demand a way to see more of it."



@Voltin

 

[Zeraj]

Jacob stared at the fire roaring in the back of the bakery. He knew it was an intense flame, burning hot enough to sear flesh. The baker was furiously pounding dough after dough. The baker's wife seemed to be afraid of Jacob. He didn't mind. Most wouldn't dare question why he would always have his mouth covered up. Certainly they didn't know the intricate layers of scars that littered his body. Perhaps that would frighten them further. Jacob was only here to get some bread for later, but perhaps the fire drew him. Certainly its the only big one that would be raging during the day. The wife came hesitantly to hand him a small sack. Jacob payed her some coppers, and left.

There wasn't much news he could gather about the plague. The marketplace was filled with useless items and even more useless people. Certainly he would get more out of the people of Merkath than this land. Perhaps the plague has worn them to the point that they don't even care. If this was Merkath, then they would be much more vigilant. Perhaps he should just set the town aflame. That would stop the plague or at least slow it's progress.

There was no time for this nonsense. Jacob had come to eradicate the plague not stand and listen to gossip of townfolk. Perhaps he should find the other hunters that came with him. They might have found something or at least have a clue where he could begin his hunt.

He noticed something black following something. It had a mask. Jacob remembered one of the hunters. He remembered that hunter was odd, always wearing that robe and mask. His speech was also strange, but Jacob didn't care. As long as the man fought the monsters of the plague, Jacob would follow. He recalled that man's name was something like Herma, Llama? Something similar to that. Perhaps he has found something. Jacob sped up and began following. The fire of his heart slowly grew in anticipation.

 

[Doughguy]

Rio & Ed​

The old man was reasonably taken aback by the sudden barrage of words Rio hammered into him. An unceasing explanation filled with logic and demands he barely followed. The guards approached much more noticeably as she threatened the house and the lord, preparing to detain the woman. However once again the butler waved them off, taking a deep breath and swelling up his chest. He had served the lord's family for many years and felt himself to be more than a humble peasant who would be scared by such demands. The lord's arrogance had rubbed off upon him and he was prepared to defend himself.

As he began his reply it would at first appear Ed's words had been ignored. "I will address your points in order ma'am. Firstly the guard's equipment is not as new as you imply. The lord purchased the shields a year ago to protect his family and any citizens who may hide in his home whom he cares for. They have not been used in combat as of yet and are kept well cleaned so they do not rust. The town is not abandoned because there is no plague here. It has been two years since the last one, and the people are hopeful it is gone for good. Fortunately for us all our lord is more realistic than the peasants."

"Further a lowly hunter such as yourself has no place demanding such things from a lord, even if a plague was occurring. He will do as he wishes and you should count yourself lucky if he does not throw you out of his lands after this altercation. If you wish to examine his family you shall request an audience with him, and he will appear as he wishes, not on your demand. You should take note of your fellow hunter's words which are a much better address of a superior. It is only because of his attitude that I shall grant his request and inform the lord of your arrival, if only to prevent you returning with more demands at a later date. You are welcome to follow him into the house or attempt to raise a mob to storm the house, though I fear you will have trouble there."

With that he opened the door wide enough to allow the two hunters entrance. He flicked a hand at one of the guards before leading the way inside. The guard he had gestured too would position himself behind the pair and follow them as they followed the butler, ensuring they didn't become unruly during their stay. The butler led them down a short stone hallway into a medium sized room with a tiled floor. The walls were tiled on the lower half and painted wood on the upper. There were four other doors apart from the one they had entered through, one on each of the left and right walls and two on the opposite wall to the left and right. Running up the opposite wall between the doors was a staircase.

The butler gestured to the lounges on either side of the room, "You may wait here while I inform the lord of your arrival. If he deems it appropriate to receive such a disrespectful guest you may see him today some time." With that he headed up the staircase, ignoring anything the pair might say.

~***~

Haima and Jacob​

The dog didn't pick up on the fact it had acquired a second follower. This was fortunate as it might've stopped to verify the friendliness of this newcomer, something unlikely to end well. It led the pair of hunters through the town to the eastern edge, the one region that wasn't bordered by farmland. Rather, a hearty forest grew there which the peasants used for a solid supply of timber. Each tree was around twenty feet tall with a thick head of leaves at the top and an almost bare trunk. The bark was rough and dark brown in colour with mottled hives appearing occasionally as the homes of insects. Little light could make it through to the forest floor but there was a sparse cover of brush and thicker cover of dead leaves dampening the footsteps.

The dog penetrated the edge of the forest and carefully walked through the tangle of roots and other vegetation. Around a dozen metres into the woods the hunters would hear a noise coming from further in. It was obviously a human but there were few words audible. The hunters would recognised the sounds they could hear as those one might attribute with fighting, grunts and oomphs. The dog pushed on regardless, even picking up speed in its travel.

Another dozen metres into the forest and there was an area vacant of trees, too small to be a clearing but big enough to be noticeable. Within was a girl who must've been in her early teens, and a small ball of fire spinning around as she directed it with her hands, acting out a make believe battle. Burnt insect corpses littered the area, the results of her work. Upon the dog's arrival she paused in her training to crouch down and scratch it behind the ears, eliciting a happy wagging of the tail. "There you are Rex." she said happily, "I was wondering where you ran off too."

Were the Hunters to keep out of her eyesight the girl would continue her practice for quite a while. However if they were to reveal themselves, or make too much noise moving towards her location, she would notice them very quickly and the ball of fire would disappear instantly. "Who are you?" she would call out in a voice full of fear, backing away from whomever she saw. There was a fearful look in her eyes as she did so and her hands were hidden behind her back.

 

[TerraBooma]

"Well then, I do believe a thank you is in order Miss Rio." Ed said, smiling and turning to the other hunter after the boring and somewhat snobby butler had left their earshot. He decided against giving an elaborate bow, but only because he'd done one once already. He surveyed the room. "Fairly elaborate, is it not? It's a room built to impress, but also to overawe." He walks around, walking stick creating an odd sounding sound to his steps, unlike one would expect from someone in his good health. "A receiving room, designed to placate nobles and shock peasants. Quite well done I must admit." He gives an elaborate shrug before returning to face Rio.



"Now, thanks aside. We should formulate a plan of attack. I do believe we both wish to discover any traces of the plague." He walks towards her. "Given your outburst, I doubt the lord shall grant us the audience we wish, especially if he knows you are suspicious." He brings his walking stick up and then back down with a clack. "Therefore! We must explore ourselves!" He grins somewhat slyly. "With such a grand mansion, it is so hard to resist exploring further, is it not?"

 

[Voltin]

Rio was, in fact, unperturbed that Ed had decided to subvert her threats. There was very little chance that her fellow hunter had been there long, otherwise his reaction to her words would have likely been... much more animated, to put it simply. And the entire rant from the butler's end, well, that just left her amused. Yes, us lowly hunters who your lord would be the first to call if any of the peasants were to contract plague. With anything the lowly servant had to say to the pair, he escorted the two in. The butler began to speak more, but with the rubbish he was spewing from before, Rio didn't so much listen as she did look around the room. T'would be easy to get lost in here..

As the old man began to leave their presence, Rio spoke out to him. "Tell your lord he's done good with hiring non-simpering fools, you have at least a modicum of my respect." She was ignored, of course, but she still didn't care. Humans would be humans; what she had interest in was the rumors of plague in town.

Ed began to speak after oldie had left earshot. "Nothing like the architecture of Kel'Zan, though. Nothing spectacular." Rio herself wan't quite sure where this small talk was coming from; such wistful comments were generally not apart of her wordly repertoire. She paid it no mind, however, and only continued speaking after Ed had finished his due. Something resembling coyness played on Rio's lips. "Yes, that would be an apt idea... However, it should only be one of us. Both of us being missing would draw alarm, yet if one of us stays here, they can make viable excuses for the other." She raised an eyebrow at her impromptu partner. "Now the question is, shall it be me or yourself?"

 

[a touch of dread]

Jaynia adjusted her hat. In truth, she wanted to stuff it in her mouth where it'd muffle the scream that threatened to rise up. She'd not always found people so irritating, so she blamed it on them. This crowd and their... smells. Utmost, their sounds. The children were the worst culprits. The way they screeched, you'd wonder if they weren't summoning a vulture to come down and whisk them away. Now wouldn't that be amusing. And a godsend.

Scoffing, she removed her hat to wipe the beading sweat off her forehead. She'd always liked white. Especially on leather. But maybe it wasn't the best choice for her hat. For her outfit. What'd started off looking pristine was already sporting dust and grime. She flipped her hat concave-side up after inspection, and placed it back on her head.

It's stinkin' hot, she frowned, feeling the sting of heat under her arms and on her back. She'd have throttled the nearest man if it meant an ice-cold shower and something to suck up all the humidity around. Hell, she'd throttle a dozen men for the latter.

Still, the heat wasn't what caused her bad mood, though added to it generously. It was the utter lack of anything useful, and on top of it, hearing the most mundane, brain frying conversations. As if the sun wasn't doing a fine job of that already. Her eyes kept sweeping the market stalls, to feign a browsing Hunter... then again, she was looking for something. Something of her father's, anything. A longshot. And if she had found some peddled something of his here, it'd be a bad sign. Both her eyes and ears were open; she had no more than a sweat-drenched outfit to show for her vigilance.

 

[Doughguy]

Jaynia​

Just as her brother had, Jaynia was able to gather much information by simply being around the people of Gipla. And just like what her brother had heard, most of it was useless gossip. Alicia was as rebellious as ever, she just couldn't be kept in line ever since her friend had died in the last plague. Overton had almost been crushed during the last logging trip but had dived out of the way with only some scratches. The lake to the south was producing less crab recently and the seller was worried about their livelihood. They were digging a new well to the north just to be safe after the infection they'd got last plague, but their equipment was all rusted. There had been some sort of attack on a group leading into Gipla just this morning with no survivors.

That last one seemed less useless. If Jaynia were to stop and listen she would hear how a trio of corpses had been discovered on the western road shortly before the market began. They had been one of the last on the way into town and almost went undiscovered. The town guard had meant to be notified but someone else had done that. No one had been willing to approach too closely, but it looked different to a bandit attack, more like an animal savaged them. There were worried mutterings and a few words of departure to the dead before the conversation moved on awkwardly as if no one wished to acknowledge the event any further. The fear was clear in their eyes.

 

[TerraBooma]

Ed sighed. They were in quite the predicament, Rio and himself. As much as he'd like to speak to the lord himself. Having an explanation for the woman to be missing would be...difficult at best. In reality they'd know something is up in a heartbeat if she disappeared. He sighs. "Well, in thinking, it appears we've dug ourselves into a corner, haven't we?" He shrugs an extravagant shrug and sits down. "Then perhaps it would be wise to....how do you say...hold our hand?" He smiles knowingly. "Let us see if this lord should give us an audience first, I do believe that is something akin to the simplest option, which I do believe my dear, is normally the best." Chuckling softly, he takes a seat. "In the meantime, I'm sure we can find some pleasant conversation to pass the time. You are a doctor no? So is my sister. I believe my knowledge on the subject will surprise you." He grins.​

"So have a seat Ms. Marsues, I have a feeling we might be here awhile. The lord no doubt wishes to remind us we are beneath him, and will see him when he sees fit." He ponders a thought. "Or at the very least, will take some time to dismiss us with some made up reason. To do so right away....now that would only confirm our suspicions, would it not?" He smirks. "Now a question, if you will. What gave you the bright idea to walk up to the lord's manor here and demand everything right in front of you? We both know your smart Ms. Marsues. So I can't help but wonder." A pause. "Do you perhaps have a bigger goal in mind here?"

 

[Voltin]

Rio's mouth moved a tick downward; a blemish held on her otherwise stoic face. Of course sneaking off wouldn't be as easy as said, particularly since they had been left with a watchman; always a wary eye on the particular pair. "Yes, 'holding our hand' would be a rather apt decision, hm?" Rios said this to Ed without casting him a glance. However, when he mentioned having some doctoral knowledge, she readjusted her sight to be on him. "Are you perhaps interested in a second-hand education? I have been proven rather passionate about the subject-matter..."

The woman coughed -- slight embarrassment from her unconstrained behavior -- before continuing again. "My reason for doing so is just as you've explained; any lord would be remiss to turn down such a simple request, especially if all it did was bring suspicions about his family. So while I may have been a tad blunt, it was only to hasten matters and halt the inevitable stalling such as this before it happened; too much red tape. If he had complied, I would have offered my sincerest condolences and moved on in my own search Excuses as to why he would go contrary to my would be rather easy for me to discern, given all the gossip that wanders this merchant-town."

Taking a seat and crossing her legs, she continued. "Now, if he does turn us away after all this meandering on our part, I do believe we should go to town and raise a bit of a ruckus."

 

[CasketCase]

​

Another dozen metres into the forest and there was an area vacant of trees, too small to be a clearing but big enough to be noticeable. Within was a girl who must've been in her early teens, and a small ball of fire spinning around as she directed it with her hands, acting out a make believe battle. Burnt insect corpses littered the area, the results of her work. Upon the dog's arrival she paused in her training to crouch down and scratch it behind the ears, eliciting a happy wagging of the tail. "There you are Rex." she said happily, "I was wondering where you ran off too."

Were the Hunters to keep out of her eyesight the girl would continue her practice for quite a while.

By the time he had seen signs of a clearing, Haima ceased his chase and chose to drop to a knee instead. His decision proved to be a wise one as the hunter quickly found that the dog did indeed have an owner; an owner that just so happened to practicing with magic. For a moment, he felt almost betrayed by the dog. He had fed and pampered that mangy mutt only to find that "Rex" didn't need neither act of kindness. 'Must be gettin' soft in my advanced age...' Haima have thought to himself.

As for the girl, well, she was also quite interesting. People did just randomly start using magic. That meant that someone had to have taught her. Since the girl looked nothing like a hunter, it might have been the results of a hunter who decided to teach a random, innocent, village girl how to use fire magic. About as implausible as Haima having eyes lining his brain. There was no doubt that this girl would have to be interrogated and examined by one of the doctors...and if memory served the masked one right, one of those said doctors looked to be a brutal wench. She had his sympathies.

Before he could make any decisions, however, Haima's masked visage turned to the other hunter who had followed him for...whatever reason. Would this one immediately confront the girl, or would he remain hidden as well?

 

[a touch of dread]

A mix of the heat and growing hunger made Jaynia more and more irritable. Yet she came across a small prize; a peculiar rumor in the air. Animals? They seemed afraid, the townsfolk, whispered the rumor under their breath. It was nearly impossible to catch all the details as she lingered by a stand, feigning interest in a beaded bracelet. The western road, then... Her brother's plan wasn't working in finding anything about their father. But that had been a long shot to begin with.

Letting the multi-colored accessory drop back to the stand, Jaynia sauntered westward. Might as well do my 'job.' At the end of it all, there was gold to be gained. Gold that would fiance their hopeless search. Wait awaits there, I wonder. Probably no more than a predator attack, grossly exaggerated. What, with they way these market-goers gossiped, that'd be no surprise.

It took some time, especially with the forced relaxed pace, but Jaynia made it to where the city led out to the western road. Part of her grew more and more curious, she even went so far as to entertain a few imaginative possibilities as she passed the gates into the road. With the rumor as vague as it was, locating the bodies would take a little patience and wide-open eyes. Nose. And nose. Fresh corpses always had that distinct scent... Rotting corpses, much more so. Mmm... it'd been a while since she'd inspected a body, this would at least make for a prime opportunity.

If she could bloody find it.

 

[Doughguy]

Jaynia & Paxton​

It was only a short time walking before Jaynia could smell evidence of the attack. Too little time had passed for the corpses to begin rotting but little enough had that the scent of blood was there is its place. A few hundred metres from the edge of the village, out of sight for anyone looking from its edge, she would discover the bodies. There were three of them, two close together who were adults and one of each gender. The third, who was a short distance away as if they had tried to run, was a teenage boy. A family torn apart both literally and figuratively.

Blood stained their clothes and the ground around them. Three bags of produce lay on the ground with their contents spilled from being dropped carelessly. From a cursory glance the attack did indeed look like an animal or chaos beast had struck. The wounds were easily visible thanks to their long length and were always in groups of three. They covered the bodies which had clearly been further savaged after they fell. It would take a closer inspection of the scene to glean any further information.

Coming from the west Paxton would encounter the scene shortly after Jaynia arrived. He would have a view of the scene from a distance, but with the wind blowing towards the town he wouldn't smell the blood until he was close. Fortunately for Jaynia her attire was typical hunter garb, unbloodied as well, and it was unlikely there would be a misunderstanding over the culprit of the slaughter.

OOC: Really rough map, cause its 1am, showing what you know atm

[spoili]

[/spoili]

~***~

Ed & Rio​

The guard was a little astounded to say the least with the way the two hunters went on talking in his presence. They must've forgotten he was there to so boldly plot their infiltration of the lord's manor. Such information did not paint them in a good light and were the lord to hear of it it would only help fuel the unfavourable view the nobles held of all hunters.

Fortunately for the two hunters it was this guard in particular who was watching them and not the old butler. Silently he urged the pair onwards, hoping one would break off and begin the search. A noble had a hundred ways to hide anything incriminating from those he granted audience too. But why should he be able to break the law and protect his own just because he had money and influence? He should be subject to the same scrutiny the common people were, at least this guard believed so. Had it not been for the chance of being overheard he would have encouraged them to enact their plan. However if they had gone ahead with the plan he would have played along willingly.

But that chance was always there and the man stayed silent, readying excuses as to why he was not interrupting their plotting if they were caught. it hurt a little inside to let the opportunity pass but he had a family to feed as well.

It was around twenty minutes later that the lord finally appeared with the butler nowhere in sight. He was dressed finely as befitted his station. A clean white tunic covered by a red surcoat with a Lilidan crest on the front. His legs were covered by black breeches and polished black boots that came up to his knees. Rings covered his fingers and a gold chain surrounded his neck. The final piece was a large gold belt around his waist further emphasising his wealth. The man himself was brown skinned with dark eyes and long black hair tied into a ponytail. The very end of the tail had been died a red to match his surcoat.

"So you are the two hunters who have been causing my staff trouble." the man said without greeting. His voice was deep and had a booming quality to it. "Demanding my presence or threatening a rebellion." He paused to give each of them a hard look. "Well here I am so you can put down the torches and pitchforks. now why are you here? What do you want? Quickly, before I follow my butler's advice for dealing with you."

~***~​

Haima & Jacob
​

Alone Haima might've managed to stay hidden from the girl to observe her. However Jacob's armour made stealth an impossibility and the girl quickly noticed him. The flame disappeared quickly enough that one might believe it was just a flash of sunlight and she turned to face the hunter, hands hidden behind her back. With his black cloak Haima further might've been able to hide in the shadows of the forest. Unfortunately his new friend was fast to betray him a second time, running over to lick at his hands and giving away his position. The dog's friendliness to the masked man did not put the girl at ease, and she backed up to the other end of the small space, putting herself against a tree so no one else could sneak up from behind. There was obvious fear in her voice as she called out to the pair, "Who are you?" her eyes flicked between the two men trying to keep track of them both at once, and her knees were bent, ready to take off in an instant. She had short black hair and was brown skinned and wore plain clothing, a white linen shirt and dark brown pants. With her attention on them it was easier to judge her age, she was likely 14-15.

 

[Voltin]

Rio was the first one in the room to notice the dark-skinned lord of the town enter the room in which they had waited. To the doctor's eyes, he wasn't very impressive with the typical displays of opulence; long, dainty hair; and the curious choice in fashion as to match such a thing with his overcoat...

The man began to speak to each of them; Rio was particularly amused by his attempts to intimidate the pair with a stare alone, as if neither of them hunt monsters which had men like him whimper in fear much of the time.

As the lord with no name finally presented the chance for one of them to speak, Rio stood. "I am Rio Marsues," she said, "and I was also under the distinct impression that introductions were the 'polite' way to start any conversation, no matter what turn they may take..."

She cleared her throat. "Anyways, I am here along with a small group of hunters investigating rumors, of which I am sure you already know the nature. We simply wish to tour the premises on the look for anything remiss. Were you to allow us to do this, we will both leave cooperatively and offer our apologies; matter of course, this is being asked after we had discussed the possibility of touring without your implicit permission," Rio gestured to the guard. "Ask him for the details, if you would desire."

Rio cleared her throat again, all the talking making it hoarser than usual. "So please do show us a little gratitude for not being the snooping simpletons we could have been."