Letters were sent to the employed people. In the letters, the place of meeting as well as the time and date was stated. The location was the airport of Grufford city. The time was a week from when the letters were sent. The letters were proof of employment as well as the boarding pass for a blimp ship. For the employed, lost of the letter would mean lost of opportunity.
Aircrafts are generally owned by the kingdom, wealthy nobles, as well as business corporations. They are used to transport goods as well as animals and citizens. Traveling by aircrafts can prevent the citizens from having to journey through the harsh terrain and avoid running into carnivorous colossal creatures of the lands. Therefore, flight companies was born, providing services for the citizens to reach their destinations safely in exchange for a bit of wealth.
Weeks ago, the doctor had requested the guild to seek qualified people to aid him in his exploration of an ancient temple located out of the kingdom's border. Who the guild hired was a wonder to him. Once on the blimp ship, they meet each other.
"..4, 5, 6 and 7, there she is. Boarding dock E-07." Leo sighed as he passed several wooden constructs meant to gain access to airships of all varieties. The man stopped several feet in front of the relatively small blimp in front of him, dropped his stuff, then gazed over at the more impressive ones in the distance, meant to transport nobles and royalty. They looked like floating paintings, so beautifully decorated they were, whereas the one Leo was about to board was nothing more than a flying piece of wood. It was an E-class blimp, those were reserved for travellers or adventurers who needed a cheap, one-time flight. Luxury wasn't meant for those people, it was all about the transportation. Leo knew that this would be the case, an airship for a handful of mercenaries, but he silently hoped it would be a little bit more impressive than what floated in front of him.
Despite his dissatisfaction, Leo was still impressed with the floating construction. He had always been fascinated with flight, and this machine was, in his mind, one of the pinnacles of modern technology. It was his dream to build one of these things himself, better than anyone else's of course. Blueprints for his perfect airship were ready and waiting to be created at home, but he didn't have the money for the necessary resources yet, despite putting a lot of his earnings on the side. Perhaps if this job pays well enough he'll have gathered enough.
However, the dreamy man's thoughts were interrupted by the dock beneath his feet starting to vibrate as though they were being hit with hammers. Leo quickly turned around in surprise, only to find a giant man walking towards him, making the dock shake with every step he took. It was pretty frightening to see such a bulky man in armour walking towards yourself, but Leo had seen the guy inside the guild before, and he was carrying a scroll on his side, most likely the same letter with boarding pass Leo had received.
The other man walked right past Leo without saying a word, so Leo decided to board the blimp as well. He picked up his belongings he had set down earlier before walking over to the single guard sitting there to check passes and items. There was also someone sitting on the ship's bulwark, carving a piece of wood as she waited for her passengers. It was most likely the owner of the ship, there were several freelance pilots and they were usually the cheapest ones, too. She seemed rather carefree, just like Leo wanted to be when he'd get his own airship, though for now he'd refrain from leaning over the protective railing. He wasn't used to being this high up, yet.
The other man had less items to be checked, and was already standing at the edge of the forecastle of the ship, enjoying the view probably, though Leo went inside immediately to double check he had everything. He wasn't sure what to bring with him on this quest, so he simply went with everything. He had a toolbox and a backpack with him as well as a list with their contents.
Toolbox:
Hammer
pliers
screwdriver
box of nails
box of screws
crowbar
wrench
box of nuts and bolts
10 needles
3 spools of thread (white, black and brown),
a spool of metal wire (50m)
magnifying glass
chisel
file
roll of sandpaper
sharpening stone
Backpack:
Crowbar
axe
handsaw
pickaxe
oil lantern plus oil can (three day's worth)
20m of a thick strong rope
a 50m ball of thin rope.
flint & Steel
three parts of a spear that can be screwed together (two halves of a shaft and a head)
a waterskin that can hold up to 5 litres (currently empty)
a set of knives
three towels
a blanket
a small bag of candy
"Good." He sighed, everything was with him. With all this stuff, there weren't many situations which he wouldn't be able to handle. Leo certainly couldn't think of anything that didn't involve dragons or otherwise monstrous creatures, but chances of that are so slim he didn't even bother thinking them over. Now he could enjoy his adventure.
Then the blimp began to move and his stuff slid over the wooden floor a little. The trip began, adventure and clean air awaited. The adventure was nice, but the clean air was what he really looked forward right now. While beautiful in the ways of untold possibility, Grufford wasn't very pleasing to be in due to the dirty air. Leo quickly ran outside again without caring for his belongings, they couldn't be stolen on this ship anyway.
Once on the main deck, he sniffed the freshened air as he walked over to the edge of the deck. Leaning over the railing, he could see the ground far beneath them and gazing forward, it seemed like the horizon was infinitely far. It might've been stressful to make sure he had everything with him, but this was more than making up for all that trouble. From this close, he also had a better view of the blimp itself. The materials with which it was made, the shape and size, the way in which it was built, everything really. The tinkerer inside him was enjoying himself.
Grufford city, a place of trade, technology and airships. The modest half-orc was admiring the many buildings that rose sky-high from the ground, some with moving parts, some with smoke coming from their top and some decorated to look beautiful. He ofttimes found himself impressed with what his fellow men were capable of should they work together, and despite the unnatural look and colours, everything about this city was beautiful in its own way. Far more impressive than his hometown, at least, where some of the buildings were still completely wooden with thatched roofs that the local builders made themselves.
But what impressed him the most were the fleets of ships that swam through the air as though there was a river flowing in the sky, unbound by gravity. Belros had seen airships before, but usually while they were high up in the sky and he was gazing at them from far below, dreaming of flying through the sky. Now those wondrous inventions passed right by him as he walked down the docks, close enough that he could almost touch them.
"Boarding dock E-07, this is it." Belros said to himself as he read the sign in front of the pier leading to the airship Doctor Weaselhoffer had chartered for their trip. There was a man standing there already, gazing at the ship in front of him as well as other ones in the distance. The half-orc smiled, he wasn't the only one impressed by these things then.
With a tug on the sack hanging over his shoulder, Belros began walking towards the airship to board it. The wooden platform beneath him began creaking underneath his weight a little, but it was drowned out by the jingle of his scale mail which covered his entire upper body as well as his lower arm and his legs, aside from the knees. His boots were of a similar fashion.
As Belros reached the guard, he quickly grabbed his letter and showed it, before dropping his bag to reveal a helmet, a blanket and a day's worth of rations, most of which was dried meat. Aside from that, all he had to show was the sword hanging on his side and the steel shield covering his backside. The guard gave him a nod after a quick inspection and allowed him entry on the ship. Belros thanked the man and said a quick hello to the woman carving a piece of wood, though she seemed uninterested in any conversation, so he left it at that and instead went for the front-most part of the ship where he had the best view of the outside world. There was only one empty dock before them and the runways for smaller ships like these weren't as big, so anyone could see lands far beyond the city boundaries. It was a sight to behold, really.
When the blimp departed, Belros hadn't moved from his spot at the very front of the ship. If anything, he wanted to move away less now. From even higher he could see into the distance, making the scenery far more beautiful than it already was.
Allana had already boarded onto the airship before many others and may have been waiting here for quite some time. She wears her turban and robes, and following suit, carries the guise of a man. She sits in one of the back corners of the ship and quietly reads a small book. A bag is flopped next to her seat and it carries some more books, scrolls, and a water skin and some food. Allana is fully aware of the quality of the blimp. The wealthy had far more luxurious means of transportation. However, the blimp was functional and that is what matters at the end of the day. It would also keep them much safer than traveling by land. The fact that they could even use such a device for this task was blessing enough to not complain about wanting something more. Allana turned the page in her book as her eyes studied the words carefully. The book was a simple religious text, but it was knowldge. But it felt small compared to the wealth the blimps and city are. She thought it best to maybe shift studies to these blimps for now and learn just how they work. A question for the crew if possible.
Allana takes the moment to gaze upon the new entrants of the ship. Mostly the Orc who stumbled in baffled by the technology. There was something oddly stereotypical to that but Allana would not comment. Never anger an Orc. By now she'd just be hoping for some fresh air as the fumes of fire from the city are suffocating. She'd turn the page in her book and adjust the face mask of her turban, quietly mumbling something inaudible to herself. Or maybe it was just a cough.
The Blind Bull was among the top ten seediest taverns in Grufford. The entire place smelled like a mix of smoke, waterlogged wood, and something fishy, but at least the drinks were good and they didn't ask questions. Casden knew better places for a drink, but the Blind Bull was a great place if you didn't want someone rich finding you. The wealthy avoided this part of town like the bloody plague. Too many urchins running around and the chances of getting mugged tend to skyrocket. Especially on weekends. Casden took took a drink of ale and made eyes at the waitress. He peered into his mug and considered getting another drink to talk to her, but she had gone somewhere, so he'd have to wait. He started picking at something in his teeth with his pinky finger when the Drulock twins walked into the bar.
Unfortunately for Casden's (relatively) peaceful pre-journey drink, not everyone he was trying to avoid was rich. At least, not in the usual sense. He started to get up, hoping they wouldn't see him, but he made eye contact with Givent, the older brother by about four minutes. The (supposedly) half-orc put his hand on his brother's shoulder and pointed at Casden, caught with his finger still in his mouth. Casden was already on his feet when the younger brother, Bivent, pushed him against a wall with a big meaty forearm.
Givent and Bivent. Whoever had fathered the twins had been about as dumb and uncreative as his kids. Bivent's voice was deep, and his breath betrayed a breakfast of nearly spoiled beef. If there was ever a stereotype for orcs, the Drulock brothers fit the ticket perfectly. They told everyone they were only half orcs, but most people suspected they were full orcs. At the age of eight, they'd both been the size of a small man. They'd been able to beat one senseless, too. Now they looked big enough to carry a few bears around.
The tavern's patrons peered at the scene, but most went back to their drinks. Bar brawls weren't uncommon here, even the bartender gave up trying to stop them. The damn things happened several times a day.
"Where you fink you goin', Casden. We wants our moneys."
Not even a master wizard's will could have kept him from wrinkling his nose.
"Ooh, Giv- Bivent. Bivent, you're looking... chunky today. Did you something with your hair? It looks goo-" Givent stopped him there.
"You ain't funny no more, Casden. Fegrin wants 'is money. We wants it too." Fegrin was the twins' boss. Technically, Casden owed him the money, but the Drulock twins were the man's muscle and fingers. "'E's gettin' impatient; says to give you a good beatin' if you don't gots the money."
"Woah, woah, let's slow down now. Come on boys, let's- let's just talk about this." The twins liked throwing things more than talking. So they threw Casden out the backdoor and into the alley. The waitress from earlier dropped the crates she'd been stacking and shrieked. She ran inside and closed the door. If they were going to kill each other, they were going to have to do it outside.
"Where's the moneys?" growled Bivent.
"Do I look like I carry pouches of gold around?" The brothers looked at each other and began to get into proper beat-them-till-they-die position, "But! That doesn't mean I don't have it." The brothers looked at each other again and the position was dropped. "What I mean to say is, I've got your money, just not right now. Look, tell Fegris I'm going to get him his money, and a little extra. I've got myself a little job, okay? Easy mercenary work. Just a couple of days and I'll bring him his money back. Okay?"
Givent scowled and rubbed his chin. "'Ow much money?"
If Casden was an honest man, he would have told him that even if he donated all the pay the job promised, it would only cover about three fourths of his debt. Although if Casden was an honest man, he wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.
"Plenty. More than enough to pay Fegris back with a nice bonus for his trouble. I can even make sure some of that money gets to you two. Believe me, it's a LOT of money." The twins looked interested, "Just give me time and we can all make some money from this. Enough to pay everyone."
Bivent counted something on his fingers. He looked at his brother, "Tha's a lot of moneys, Givent. Tha's more'n..." He counted a bit more, "Tha's more'n wot we got now!" Givent nodded, pleased by his brother's mastery of basic arithmetic.
"Alright. You gots till... uhhh... when do you get back?"
"Uhhh, couple of days?"
"You gots till a couple of days and then you gives us the money."
"Ah... Actually gentlemen, I think it might be a couple of weeks, now that I think of it."
"Oh... uh, right then. You gots till a couple of weeks and then you gives the us the money!"
Casden wholeheartedly agreed. The brothers were enormous, intimidating, but they were also stupid. The result of living in the slums of Grufford and never having successfully read an entire page from a book in their combined lives. And their half-orc story wasn't very convincing either. With that settled, Casden went home to get his gear and headed for the airship. Along the way, he tried not to think about the possible repercussions of his little escape strategy. At least he hadn't been beaten to death.
Casden adjusted the brown cloak around him. He always got cold up on the airship docks. Underneath, his leather armor chafed against some rather uncomfortable places. The armor wasn't his, but he thought he'd need it. He was only borrowing it of course, he'd give it back sooner or later. Armor is expensive.
He walked along the woodwork, looking up at some of the more colorful airships. After years of living in Grufford, one gets used to seeing them. At first he'd been amazed, of course, but they became less fantastic when he saw them all over the place. You've lived in Grufford too long when you yawn at an airship dock. And Casden's yawn was long and loud. He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and tried to find the dock number. E-07. He looked up from the sheet to realize he was standing in front of it, looking in the wrong direction. He turned away from E-06 to see the little wooden airship. Not as fancy as he would've liked. He walked onboard and nodded at the guard. He kept his bag on him. Wasn't anything too important inside it, but he liked keeping his things close to him. Some rations (stolen), blanket (borrowed), two water skins (one stolen, one borrowed), and some other basic necessities were in the bag. The sword on his belt looked nice, but that's about all it did. It was actually one of the swords they give to the city guardsmen. He acquired it a couple of years ago, but he seldom used it. The most original object he owned was perhaps the bow strung on his back. That one had been a gift. There were some arrows wrapped around the bow, but they were nothing fancy.
Casden stood on the deck for a while, feeling the subtle swaying of the ship when he remembered why he hated standing on these things. Casden got airsick quite easily. He held his arms out, and sought the nearest rail to lean on. Sure, the ground several hundred meters below him was pretty and all, considering it was lethal drop; but it didn't help. Casden convinced himself to take some deep breaths and try not to vomit on the pretty scenery. He would've tried talking to the other members of the ship, but airsickness took top priority. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes, trying to get the nausea to pass.
Hours ago, when the sky was still dark, Conroy was the first to arrive at the chartered blimp. He had his own private quarters inside the small but sufficient airship, thus there he stayed. He didn't thought that he needed those fancy expensive airships scattered all over the Grufford. He didn't thought to wait for his employees up on deck. But he had told the blimp's attendant to depart as soon as all of the employee arrived. In the quarters, he sat near the window, looking out the bustling view of the port. Cargo was being shipped in and out, people exclaiming orders about. He had lived his entire life in Grufford but he was still not used to the city. Perhaps the reason was because most of his time, he had kept himself in his home, messing with his chemistry set. Occasionally, Conroy raids nearby ancient ruins for knowledge. Most of them were already swiped clean by other treasure hunters and archaeologist. He found nothing of importance until just recently. He found the letter and map mentioning the Swords of Weathers. He was fortunate enough to find a hidden path in the last ruin he visited and found the letter and map in a broken desk of a ruined ancient office. It was the letter and map that had brought him to the current situation. The map drove him to seek an ancient temple out of the borders of the kingdom of Telmark.
He hoped that the temple was still intact and that it hasn't been discovered yet. There were innumerable ancient ruins throughout the lands. Some located underground, some above ground, some under the sea, and some floating in the air. Treasure hunters raids these tombs. Some found their death inside these ruins, but some was known to find miraculous artifacts from the ancient times. Doctor Weaselhoffer seeks the truth about one of these ancient artifacts. One that had been told in lore as well as children's story book. He was searching for The Swords of Weathers.
The guild had informed Conroy of the men that was hired for him. Of all the names, he only recognize one name. The name of the orc who had invented a device he thought was an innovation. A device that aids beast folks such as himself in speaking words correctly and acts as a second mouth that theoretically could also cast spells. The person was Yama, without a last name, and the device was the Sundered Echo. Conroy heard that the Sundered Echo turned out to be faulty and it was no longer funded. Parts of the device's function seemed illogical but it was still incredible. Conroy was interested in meeting the person who created the Sundered Echo.
Alun glanced down at the boarding pass that had arrived on his doorstep a week ago, idly turning it over and back again in his hand as if attempting to divine more information from it before he settled his eyes back on the large sign that stated E-07. Walking up toward the dock, he offered his boarding pass to the guard before hefting his pack up to a more comfortable rest on his shoulder. The tabard bearing a symbol of Uirmyd worn over the top of Alun's light brown traveling clothes was sufficient to gain him passage onto the airship with only a cursory examination from the guards; a glance inside his pack revealed only spare clothes, a few books and a number of miscellaneous medical supplies that the guard had neither the time nor the interest to determine the purpose of.
After giving the guard a friendly nod, Alun tucked his boarding pass back into his pocket and stepped up onto the airship, glancing around nervously. It wouldn't be the first time that he had left the city, but it was certainly the first time he had done so via airship. He patted his pockets briefly to make sure his coin pouch was still where it belonged, and that his water skin was still hanging from his belt before he glanced around the main deck of the ship and caught sight of a brown-cloaked man clinging to a railing and looking more than a little green.
Grimacing briefly, Alun muttered a silent prayer that he wouldn't be joining the poor fellow in his motion sickness before shrugging off his pack to dig through it, retrieving several leaves that smelled of mint. Hefting the bag back over his shoulder, Alun approached the man and offered up the leaves, "Hello, friend. I apologize for the interruption but I couldn't help but notice your," he motioned vaguely over the railing of the ship, "illness. I don't know of any real cure for airsickness, but chewing on the leaves for fifteen minutes or so should ease the nausea, at least."
The woman is the captain and the three are the crew of the blimp ship. Fans of underground boxing would recognize them. Other than earning money from their transportation services, they also occasionally earn money by contending in the boxing arena. They aren't the most famous group, but they have their own fans and followers.
The primate beast folk's name was East. He was working high up on the blimp, checking and repairing any damages that is found. His strong arms allowed him to climb and hung with ease. The people of the deck could see him swinging from rope to rope, if they were to look up.
The man with the large beard was human, but he has a sturdy build to match an orc's and a dwarf's. His name is Erik. He had a nonchalant face and was the guard who inspected the boarding pass.
The swine beast folk's name is Gait. A wide smile could be seen smeared on his face. What he was sneering about, no one knows. Gait was just a slight shorter compared to Erik and he did not have the same muscular built as the human. Unlike East and Erik, Gait was not a boxer. He only tend to the two in any match.
The captain, Sara, was passing the time by carving a wood into a statue. Few people are daring enough to mark their body with the ancient runes. Sara has tattoos of these ancient runes marked on her flesh. She knew the meaning of each one of them. Some of them were meant for protection, and some for offense.
Though she'd never admit it to herself, all of Yama's life problems derived from her own shortsightedness. Blinded by her own delusions of grandeur she missed obvious flaws that she could have solved within moments if she didn't see them as beneath her. And because of her inability to perceive into her own actions Yama was once again living life on the edge. A few weeks ago Yama had withdrew what was left of her scholarship money to purchase traveling equipment. With limited ability to carry and purchase, her belongings were largely spartan. While she signed on as an Arcane caster she only had enough money to purchase one gem of decent quality, with the rest of her money going into basically survival equipment that was largely meant for herself. While she may have rode on the coattails of her success for a large part of her adult life, she still remembered the crushing poverty that was her childhood, and knew that revisiting it was not going to be comfortable, but at least it would be familiar.
Aside from basics, other notable items that Yama had was a rather peculiar knife on her belt. To the unenlightened it was just a knife, but the more knowledgeable would recognize it specifically as a type of bayonet. Yama had very little experience in using a knife in a fight, but she was confident that with a steady hand and no hesitation, she could make her blade land into the enemies soft parts. The bayonet was a fairly slender blade, the entire weapon less than a foot long, but it's main purpose lied with the weapon on Yama's back: A musket rifle. Buying the parts individually to save money, Yama put together this boomstick as it was the only "real" weapon she had any experience using, which itself was limited to the occasional recreational hunting trips. Hunts that she never really succeeded in bringing game down in, but at least she knew how to use it. Not only that but she knew what sort of intimidation factor she could create even with an unloaded rifle, and combined with the fact that she was an orc mage, her musket was more useful as a weapon of intimidation. There was a grove on the underside of the muzzle where Yama could lock her bayonet into place, turning her rifle into a spear once she ran out of ammunition.
Other possession included an armored coat, another object of her own design. Heavier than most concealable body armor and no where near as durable as bonefide ballistic armor, Yama's armored coat was more of a medium weight, with a hood to give her some head protection and went down to her knees to give her lower-body protection. It wasn't even all that subtle: anyone with eyes could plainly see that her coat was meant to see trouble. The only real advantage that Yama's armored coat had over other more conventional armor was that it was easy to remove and don. If for some reason it was going to weigh her down it was just a matter of undoing three or four straps, or if Yama is in a real rush, she could simply tear it off.
Another item in Yama's possession was a satchel bag with a bandolier as it's shoulder strap. In Yama's satchel bag was ammunition for her rifle, as well as a journal where she keeps a log of anything worth noting. That was rather important as well: It contained just about five years worth of notes she's written during her stay at the Academy. Magical theorems, summaries of lectures, important notes from histories, generally everything that Yama couldn't be bothered to remember. It also served as her blueprints for all the construction that she had in mind, with various levels of details and convoluted jargon known only to her. She also keeps small bits of supplies there, like medicine and a lighter. It was supplementary to the main back on her back of course, which contained everything else Yama could afford after her hefty purchase of the gem and crafting materials.
But that would mean little here in Telmark. Hired guns were a dime a dozen. An orcish mercenary, even operating on her own, was not unusual. Indeed if this was all Yama had she would have been indistinguishable from all the other armed men and women loitering the area. But one thing made Yama stand out, not only for it's unique design but the legacy behind it. Though largely useless Yama still wore the Sundered Echo on her face, the original one and perhaps the only one of it's kind, if previous owners hadn't yet scrapped it. The Sundered Echo itself looked to be more mechanical than magical, and it would not be hard to mistake it as a respirator of some sort. But the Sundered Echo did indeed once hold powerful magics in it, powerful enough to give voice to the silent. Or at least that's how Yama advertised it. And that was before they started to systematically break down. Yama would have liked to say she knew what the problem was, but she doesn't. She knows that it's linked to the materials used to create the Sundered Echo, but beyond that she needs to do more research. And that would not come cheaply.
Thus brings Yama to the air docks of Grufford . Desperate times called for desperate measures. Not too long ago the esteemed Doctor Weaselhoffer advertised the need of some mercenary types to delve head first into danger for a task that wasn't entirely described in the fliers. Not that Yama needed a sheet of paper for her to know that Weaselhoffer was looking for the Sword of Weathers. Her information network, small as it was, revealed that much to her when she too looked into finding the Sword in order to make another fortune. While she wants to claim the magical weapon for herself, she had no delusion that she'd be able to get it herself. And at least by joining with a group of mercenaries, she doesn't have to pay any of them to throw their lives away for this insanity. Yama wasn't exactly going to throw her life to the wind either, but sometimes these things require a bit of risk taking. Yama would have never made it this far if she wasn't willing to bet everything on a single play.
Yama soon found the ship they were to be taking. Compared to some of the others in the docks it was thoroughly unimpressive, but at this point Yama could care little about how it looked. Airships in general were something that Yama had a moment of passionate interest at some point in her life, but was quickly dropped for other things. She was certain in her journal she might have drawn up some hypothetical design for airships, but right now all that mattered to her was if these ships were going to make it to their destination. A smaller ship was generally faster than larger ones, and what they lacked in cargo they made up for in mobility. Usually anyways. Admittedly Yama had a hard time trying to get a gauge on what this ship's capabilities was. She did feel a bit uncomfortable if they were going to end up riding some junk of a ship that's only good for running in fair weather. But it was too late to back out now. The best she could do was see if she could find a parachute on board before the worse happened.
Others had already gathered, none of them Yama were familiar with, and she didn't really bother looking at them anyways. Knowing that she had finally reached her destination she did one last and lengthy equipment check, to ensure that she had everything on her person. She'd make introductions later, once she figures out who amongst them were actually here for the job and who was just horrible lost.
As everyone boarded, the female captain switch her eyes from one character to another, one by one. With a deep sigh, she placed her finished carved statue of a sea dragon on a barrel and stood up.
"If everyone is ready, we shall start our venture to the borders of the kingdom and over."
Although a smile had replaced her nonchalant expression, her voice was stern.
From the blimp above, the primate folk descended down to the ship's decks. Although it was a long way down, he managed to land without a sound and without a scratch in a crouched position. He slowly stood up and assessed the people on boards with a curious expression.
"If everyone is ready, we shall start our venture to the borders of the kingdom and over." Leo heard coming from behind him, interrupting his thoughts and ruining the blueprints he had sketched in his mind. The tinkerer forgot to bring paper with him, so he couldn't draw anything out, but it was too late for any last-minute shopping now. He'd have to refrain from drawing anything for the duration of this adventure, which was actually a shame. They were bound to run into beautiful sights and while he'd never admit it, Leo wasn't too bad an artist.
As he turned around to answer the captain to be polite, he saw a man drop down on the deck several feet in front of him. No, this wasn't a man, he was too hairy for that. That thing looked like a monkey more than anything. Beastfolk? Right, that's what it was. Leo knew about those things, but most he'd met were cats or ferrets or other obvious things, not primates. The man was actually very disturbing to look at. He looked very human, but at the same time he didn't. It made Leo's stomach twist, so he quickly averted his gaze as he walked towards the captain, only giving the primate a quick hey.
"Captain.. Miss.. Miss captain. Uhm.." Leo stammered, then shook his head hoping to prevent a blush from forming in his cheeks. He cleared his throat before trying again. "The name's Leo. I was just wondering if you had some spare paper and maybe a pencil or two I could buy off you. In my haste to bring everythign with me, I forgot to bring that along." He explained, before reaching towards the pouch hanging from his hip. Shaking it lightly, it sounded like there were a few coins in there and to someone with a trained ear, it sounded like mostly copper. "I'm willing to pay double."
Belros Urthadar
"If.. ready.. start.. borders.. over." Was all that Belros could make out over the wind blowing in his ears, though he figured it was the captain informing everyone that the blimp was about to depart. He quickly turned around to go and greet the rest of his team, though his attention was taking by something up above. A very hairy man dropped from the envelope of the blimp to the main deck below. Despite the long drop, the man made landed surprsingly softly, though with his heritage, he was probably used to falling from such heights. Belros clapped his hands lightly as he chuckled at the display.
Standing at the very front, he had a clear view of the entire ship and everyone on it. Two people were off to the side, with one man seemingly comforting the other. Air sickness, maybe? Another man with a well-kempt beard was saying something to the captain, then held out a pouch. Weird. At the very back in a corner sat a bunch of towels, presumably wrapped around a person as it was reading a book. Mysterious.
The last person Belros figured belonged to his team was the most interesting one to him. A woman wearing some sort of mouth mask, though that was not what interested him about her. She looked like a human, but there was a slight deviation which peaked his interest. Was she a half-orc, too? Usually, Belros wouldn't bother asking anyone about their heritage, as he treats everyone equally, but he rarely meets other Half-Orcs, so he couldn't help himself and approached the woman. "Hello, Miss. My name is Belros Urthadar." He said and held out a hand before continuing. "I don't mean to be rude, but are you of orcish descent?" He asked before flashing her a smile, revealing the tusks in his mouth to show her he was, too.
With the call of the captain, Allana would grant her attention. It was now that her focus was finally brought to the rest of the crew and what she saw was worrying. The two normal men off to the side was not what bothered her, nor the captain. No, it was the literal ape who landed from the top of the ship to the rest of them. Allana knew better than to judge on sight but she'd be lying if she said she felt completely comfortable with him around. She would snap the book shut and turn it away for now. Another concern was the second Orc. Once again, Allana knew not to judge but stereotypes do exist for a reason. That being said, she would not be aggressive or rude. That sounded like a terrible idea with Orcs. And so long as jobs are done and she's not torn to shreds, Allana will be content. They began conversing and Allana figured she'd not yet join. The other two men positioned themselves by the railing of the blimp and have yet to properly join the conversation as the third man has. Allana figured it best to join them. She'd eye the ape once more before deciding to waltz over to the captain.
She'd stand now and adjust the backpack lazily across her shoulder. Another adjustment of her robes across her face and she'd step up. "I've no objections..." the soft and rough rasp of her voice would speak from behind the mask. Her interest peaked elsewhere though. The rasp spoke again. "...Will Dr. Wesalhoffer be joining us soon?" She had much to discuss. Much to learn. She could properly learn and study from the doctor and it was only a matter of time before the group got on to their quest.
By the time Yama finished her gear check the captain announced that it was time to board. Now that people began to mill about Yama was able to get an idea of who she would be working with. The first to catch her eyes was the monkey from the blimp and the captain herself. Obviously they were going to be important considering that this is their ship. Another figure that she noticed was what seemed to be two humans, one wrenching over the rails and another who was trying to help him. At least that's how Yama saw it from her position. She hoped that he would get over his illness soon, as the air was not going to get any better once they left port. A bearded human went to the captain holding out a small bag, likely coins. What he was paying for Yama wasn't sure of, but if he was hoping to get a better cabin on board through brides... Lucky him, because Yama couldn't do something like that. There was also a heavily cloaked man, but something about him seemed off to Yama. When he spoke it was soft and raspy. Yama couldn't understand it over the sound of the rabble, but she figured that if it was important the man would speak louder.
And before Yama could make any more observation she was approached by an orc. A half-orc, Yama could tell. Bulkier than most humans but not particularly large, either he was a orc with a stunted growth or a half-orc. He himself confirmed that he was at least orcish when he made his introductions, giving her a toothy smile. Yama was not entirely interested, but for the sake of appearances she at least shook his hand. She gave it a short but firm shake, much like how men would shake. "Yes, I am an orc. My name is Yama." This was the part where she'd hoped that Belros would recognize her name and be in awe, but the fact that he didn't even know she was an orc led Yama to believe that Belros wouldn't know Yama or her accomplishments. She was going to have to work on that.
Yama than began to toy around with her mask. A force of habit, something she does when she was idly thinking. Currently, she was thinking that they should get on the ship. If she was going to have an extended conversation with this Belros she'd like to have a comfortable seat. "We should find a room. We may speak once we are settled in." Yama said matter-of-factually as she made her way onto the ship.
The swine beastfolk rushed over and placed himself between Leo Mithall and the captain. "Buy? Pay double?" he repeated Leo's words enthusiastically. He grinned widely, revealing his uneven and yellowish teeth. "Yes, yes, I have some spare empty scrolls in my quarters. How many rolls do you require?"
Sara the captain took a step back from the two. She ignored them and turned to the woman in disguise, Allana Flavel.
"I do not know, sir," she answered. The smile still plastered on her face. "I was only given orders to depart once everyone has boarded." She headed to the steering wheel.
Once he was done gazing at everyone, the primate beastman walked over to the two, Casden and Alun, leaning against the railings, separating them. "Excuse me," he said to them with his raspy voice. He began unfastening the device which kept the blimp from floating away.
The large bulky bald man with thick beard also began closing the entrance. It will be only moments until they depart.
Leo took a step back, surprised by a large swine rushing inbetween him and the woman he was addressing. The swine grinned as he sleazily offered to sell Leo some scrolls, revealing those disgusting teeth, though other than that the guy seemed surprisingly clean. However, Leo couldn't complain, the man had what he wanted. "I'm not really sure. I don't know how long this adventure is going to take and I don't think there'll be any more opportunities to buy extra. I'll go with a three weeks worth. 6 large ones schould do, or 14 regular sized ones if you have that. I don't think I can fit any more than that." Leo said, ready to follow the swine person to his quarters, already shaking his head thinking about how much the swine was going to ask him for such a small purchase. However, he couldn't protest, he did say he'd pay double, so there was that. Still, even aside from the stereotypes about swine folk this guy seemed particularly ready to haggle him out of even more coin than he would already be paying. That was strange, usually Leo was the one to make a profit out of that.
Belros Urthadar
On one hand, Belros was a little disappointed to hear the woman was a full-blooded orc, rather than a halfblood like him, but on the other hand he was excited to see more orcs integrating them into the allied society. It's mostly orcs who have difficulty keeping peace, their hot-headed nature often conflicts with the other races, keeping the controversy and racism alive, making his own life all that more difficult.
"Nice to meet you, Yama." Belros responded to Yama introducing herself. "Well, it shouldn't take more than a few hours. If you don't mind, I'll be staying on the deck, but you're welcome to join me once you've settled in. There's dried meat and an incredible view at the front." He told her before flashing Yama another smile. The half-orc turned around and headed for his bag which sat idly at the front, leaving Yama to her own devices. Once there, the half-orc leaned on the bulwak again and reached one hand into the bag, retrieving a handful of pieces of dried meat which he began eating one by one, savoring the taste of meat and spices.
That simple snack brought him back to his hometown. While most folks in the North were nomadic, he belonged to one of the first settlers somewhat more to the south than the others, so the weather wasn't completely unfit for farming. Despite that, the main source of food was still animals and most food that came from farming was meant to feed the breeding animals. It was a simple town, though everyone in the unforgiving north was strong enough to keep anything out, so there was little need for walls. In fact, walls would only keep out the wanderers that often visited, bringing items from further north, where the gale winds cut through normal clothing leaving anyone crazy enough to wander there freezing to death. A dangerous place, but it was home.
Alton had just finished writing a journal entry. The small leather bound volume in his hands was more hobby than document, but he was consistent about it. The ship rocked slightly while he sat in his quarters, but it was nothing he wasn't used to. Alton had been on many airships of many different kinds in his life; although even today, flying was still a little exciting. Just a little. He'd arrived on this particular airship some hours ago before the others, but after the doctor. He'd already been introduced to Doctor Weaselhoffer before this, by one of the families he'd worked for. The world of nobility tends to be a little more interconnected than most think and the life of a hermit becomes impossible once one has attained even a little status. With status, one is guaranteed at least one or two visits a week. He wondered whether the doctor had thought it strange to hire a friend's old butler; or perhaps it was the entire reason to why he'd been hired.
He bound the tiny leather book with its twine belt and tucked it away in his pocket. From above, he could hear the telltale sounds of the crew preparing to leave the dock. He made one last sweep over his belongings; some basic survival gear like food and things to keep warm, a mess kit, a sewing kit, the ever necessary flint and box of tinder, a few books for reading, and other miscellanies. He'd even left behind the elegant suit for hiking clothes. Leather boots that went high above the ankle and clothes that kept comfortably close to one's frame to keep from being snagged. After making sure everything was in order, he went onto the ship deck.
There were more members arriving than he'd originally anticipated. It was not a problem, rather a simple breach of expectation. He closed the hatch that led below decks and took a full breath of cold air. The height at which these ships travel is colder than what one experiences at ground level. He watched one of the crew members unfasten the ropes keeping the blimp tied to the dock between two men. He decided he'd rather watch the dock fade away when the time came from a seat rather than his feet. He'd have plenty of time to stand in the wilds.
He sat near one of the corners of the ship, waiting patiently for the trip to begin. He hadn't been into the wilds in years, so he couldn't help but anticipate this excursion.
-------------------------------------------------
Casden turned his head groggily at the sound of someone's voice. A bespectacled man was there, offering him leaves and telling him to chew on them. Normally, when someone offers you strange leaves it raises a little alarm telling you not to put mysterious plants in your mouth. However, this guy was wearing one of the tabards those Uirmyd clerics wore; plus he was probably another member of this little team he'd be getting to know. With all the evidence compiled in the form of a few moments of hesitation, Casden took the leaves and stuffed them in his mouth. They tasted minty, but they also had that earthy taste that plants tend to have. He moved a little to let the ape-man undue the ropes while he felt the taste of the leaves fill his mouth. He chewed on the leaves for a bit more and, while still looking overboard in case he blew chunks when he spoke, he thanked the cleric through a mouth full of leaves.
"Thanksh."
He pulled away from the side and turned to face the bespectacled man. Casden offered his hand to shake now that he was confident he wouldn't lose his breakfast. His eyes squinted as he spoke through minty green leaves that were quickly getting mintier and mintier.
"I'm Caszden. I jush keep these-sh in my moutsh for fifteen minutshes, right?"
The crew finished their preparation, the steam engines for the blimp started. The ship lurched up. The view of the airport gradually shrunk as the blimp ascended.
"I'll get you 3 big rolls and 6 medium sized rolls," The swine beastman exclaimed to Leo Miltall as the blimp ship rose. The wind muffled his voice slightly. "Wait here." He pranced to the blimp ship entrance, opened the hatch, and descended down with a snicker. He didn't bother to close the hatch.
As the blimp ship gained enough height, the rotary engines started. The blimp turned and headed east towards its destination. And so, their adventure began. The city behind them, the wild beyond them.
It was the season of summer. The view from the blimp ship was filled with bright hues. Light reflected off lakes and rivers. Faraway mountains and sky islands looked blue and misty. Shadows of massive islands could be seen cast in the lands below. Buildings gradually became scarce as they went further. The trees took their place, growing larger and larger as they gain distance from the city. The scent of the air changed from smoky odor to the smell and taste of greenery. The wind brushed against clothes and skin as the blimp ship moved across the atmosphere.
Yama simply nodded as Belros mentioned staying topside. There was plenty of time to enjoy the view, but good rooms were for first pickings. Yama headed below deck and looked through all the rooms to figure out which one was occupied and which wasn't. Eventually she found a modest cabin wiht a bit of leg room; more than enough for her to work on things once she manages to find materials. It had a bed, a table, chair, and a bolted closet with a few rags inside. Her own room at the Academy was more furnished than this, but this was expected. She was glad she even found a room with a bed anyways; last time she was on a ship like this they had to settle for hammocks. Yama only left behind her armored coat and larger bag, keeping her rifle and satchel bag on her person. She hide her belongings in the room in the event someone gets greedy and headed back to the deck.
By the time Yama arrived the ship had already left port and was on it's way to leaving the Kingdom of Telmark. For once, Yama was getting a bit nervous. No. She was getting excited. Now that she thought of it this would be the first time she ever left the kingdom. She was on airships to fly to different parts of Telmark, but never out of it. This was uncharted territory as far as Yama knew. It was quite exhilarating.
Looking around the deck Yama debated if she did want to go talk to Belros. Being friendly was going to be necessary if she had any hopes of succeeding in her mission, but she wanted to expand her circle of contacts. She made the mistake at the academy of pushing everyone away, but she wasn't going to make that mistake this time. Sure most likely don't know who she is, but instead of damning them for it Yama was going to take advantage of it. Leave a good first impression. To that end she looked around for someone who wasn't occupied speaking to another, and that's when she saw the rather dapper gentleman. While he dressed the part of an adventurer with smart attire, the air of sophistication was hard for Yama to miss. It was something she both desired and despised, if only because she lacked the social graces to pull of such an aura. Still, if she befriends this one than perhaps she could gleam some of his charm and use it for her own ends. Trying to pull of a noble orc would be difficult, but that was merely another challenge that Yama would accept. She approached the man with a casual swagger, not attempting to disguise her brash nature with a false air of elegance, but her usual bravado.
"Not often that I'd see a classy fellow like yourself on this sort of adventure. What brings you along on this ride?"
Once she got her reply, Allana simply turned back to where she came from and began digging in her pouch. They're taking off now, and leaving the city. The feeling left Allana almost nostalgic. Her people, by nature, would travel for days on end, only to stop at an oasis for water and rest. They were used to long and rigorous travel that beat down upon them. They were used to living day to day knowing it could all be gone the next morning. That is how the desert it. But that's what made her people tough. Only at nights would they relax to sing songs and smoke the vaporized tobacco out of Hookah pipes. And by the next day, they would once again be off. So travel was no stranger to Allana. It was an old friend, in fact. The others seemed busy conversing with themselves. This was fine, as Allana was not really the most sociable one. She was well aware of the others but couldn't help but assume they'd not want to speak to her unless they initiated conversation themselves. After some digging around, she removed some materials and parchment from the pouch.
Inside was a star map dotted beautifully with ink. Constellations were painted all across the map and it was clear that the work was something of someone who traveled often. The sun seemed to be setting on the land, and Allana would want to check her past inks and add new inks as the crew traveled during the night. Many would find such a thing useless, but this astronomy was another source of knowledge to Allana. With this, she could always read the stars and thus read the land. And reading the land is very important to her people. She took in a fresh breath of air. The open skies and fresh breeze was a welcome change having been in that rotten city.
Alun's eyes widened briefly when the airsick man stuffed all of the leaves into his mouth, "Uh, yes. Normally people just take it one leaf at a time and – actually," Alun paused briefly, "nevermind. If you have a lady friend, she won't be complaining about morning breath for the next week or so. Also you may not be able to taste anything for a few hours," he shrugged and reached out to take the other man's offered hand, giving it a firm shake, "and I am Alun Hallows. Good to meet you."
After releasing Casden's hand, Alun took a step back and risked a quick glance over the edge and down below as he felt the ship lurch beneath his feet. One sickening moment later, he jerked his eyes back to his fellow passenger and resumed the conversation to distract himself from the fact that they were floating what felt like thousands of feet off the ground, "It's, uh, a small ship. You wouldn't happen to be here to accompany Doctor Weaselhoffer on his voyage, would you?"
"Yeah, that should do." Leo responded, though he didn't catch the number of big scrolls the swine would be selling him. Darn wind. He did catch his request to stay put and wait for his return, though the man couldn't resist throwing a quick glance belowdecks, even considering following him down though decided it'd be best to just do as he was told and remain on deck.
As he waited for his scrolls, Leo looked around to see who would be joining him on this adventure. Or rather, who he would have to be serving for the coming weeks. Ugh, just the thought of having to pretend to be inferior to someone was a horrible feeling. The man usually thought himself superior unless proven otherwise and right now he was getting a little pissed off. Orcs, sand-people AND beast-folk to serve? What a horrible adventure this was going to be.
To calm his nerves, Leo sat down in front of the hatch and began humming a tune with his eyes closed.
Belros Urthadar
Belros didn't care whether or not Yama would be joining him, he was too fascinated with the airship to care about everyday things like conversations and people. Not even getting acquainted with his temporary colleagues seemed like something he'd need to do, though he didn't really like conversation very much anyway. People can be very shifty with words, and they often wear masks to hide their true self. Only when in danger does one's true nature come to light, and only those who he has fought alongside with can gain the half-orc's trust.
It didn't look like Belros would be doing much for the rest of the trip.
