Ootlunds RPG

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Even in the confines of the library, it took Warren a few minutes to find his quarry. Inquiry with the less experienced quickly turned into an ill-begotten quest for partnership. As much as he was glad to see some support - assuming they would retain that eagerness after hearing where he was going - the man was looking for help, not a babysitting gig. If everything went as planned, the trip to the Darkwood should go smoothly, but even then, it was still far too dangerous a place for a throng of newbies. He would not have their blood on his hands.

"Taleun!" the Hunter called, spotting the man at the other end of the room.

[C S]

Taleun's first instinct was to ignore the hunter, to lower his head and continue writing even when he had very little else to write about. He contemplated attempting to draw the creature that he had helped slay, despite his artistic ability being nowhere near as refined as his skill with a bowgun. Anything to avoid having to deal with Warren would have been a godsend. But then the excited chattering turned to whispers, hushed sentiments being exchanged between the new recruits. He looked up to see a few of them chuckling quietly, resigning themselves to the shadows of the darkened study to evade the irritated soldier's furious stare. The strange look on his face returned.

"Am I surrounded by soldiers, or am I working with children in uniforms!?" he thought, clenching his fists. Now his pride demanded that he confronted the hunter. "They call me Natols around these parts, hunter," he replied as he put down the pen and stood. He might have been injured, but he would not appear weak in front of these trainees. Not when they clearly expected a show to be made out of this.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"Natols, eh?" Warren replied with a thoughtful stroke of his chin. "Lucky dog. I've been all around the Outlands and I still don't have a nickname." That I can repeat in public, the man added to himself.

The Hunter approached the other man, on the opposite side of the table. "Listen, I know we had a rough time last night, and you might not be feeling too well...But I have this proposal, from the guild. Pretty urgent stuff," he explained, leaning on the table with both hands gripping the edge, for dramatic effect. He hesitated with the details, gauging whether or not Taleun would need further convincing.

[C S]

"... How urgent?" Taleun said, raising a brow. His showboating changed to something much more morose as his demeanor returned to its normal state: that of a disciplined warrior of the city. He did not care much for the man in front of him, but the guild's services made the lives of the citizens in the city and in the surrounding areas safer. He would always overlook his own misgivings as long as the fact remains.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"Urgent enough. There's a village in the region that's dangerously low on Jahoyt hair. You know, the stuff for the Blue Death?" Warren said, his easy-going antics bleeding away in the face of such a harrowing topic. "They need people to go and fetch some more. The quicker, the better."

[C S]

Taleun's eyes widened in shock at the mention of the Blue Death. It was a horrid disease, known for its torturous effects on the body. Running its course to the end, the affliction would inevitably destroy the lungs of the infected, making their last agonizing days be ones of gradual suffocation. It was no wonder why the plague was called as such. The soldier shuddered at the thought and said a silent prayer that the epidemic would never find its way past Weywin's mighty walls.

"Very well. I will ready myself for this mission," he said. Taleun took the paper he was writing in hand and nodded before stepping around the table and making his way for the exit.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Warren took a step to his left, blocking the other man's path. "There's one more thing I'd aught to mention. Are you familiar with the migratory nature of the Jahoyt?"

[C S]

"I only know the name of the creature. Even then, I don't know exactly what it is. I assume the guild will be forthright in briefing those who embark on this venture?" Taleun replied, having a feeling that Warren already knew all he had to. Of course he would only explain further after the soldier had declared his agreement in front of the recruits!

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"Normally the shaggy ******** are all over, but, turns out, they pack up and leave before winter sets in," Warren explained. "They end up..." The man hesitated, "...in a very unpleasant place. Long story short, we really need to be back before nightfall."

[C S]

"Then you made the right choice to enlist a soldier of the Recon Corp. If haste through hostile territory is a priority, then my skills will be most useful," Taleun replied.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"A man who doesn't ask questions," Warren said with a smirk, stepping aside. "We might just get along this time."

[C S]

"Don't be so quick to make assumptions, hunter. If there are questions to be asked, I'll ask along the way. As it stands, time for discussion isn't something we can afford." Taleun continued onwards, crossing the hall with a stern look on his face, inwardly reveling in the reaction of the new soldiers around him. The excited chatter returned as he passed the aisles and he thought, "Definitely children, all of them. That will change. Soon, I hope."

Taleun turned in his report at the requisitions depot and informed the officers there of his new mission. They protested of course, arguing that he was still injured, his arm still bound in a sling. In response, he slipped his arm out of the support and took it off of him, tossing it onto their desk. It was all for show, Taleun's steely expression hiding the throbbing pain he felt well. He'd be sure to carry a few medicinal drinks with him on his way out.

A short while later, the soldier was back in his combat gear, leather and metal armor strapped to his body, his horned helmet proudly worn on his head. He had a traveling pack on his shoulders, his bowgun tied to the side of the leather bag. He stepped through the large doors of the Valorium and into the soft light of the lanterns hanging outside of the building. The rain had finally stopped, leaving only the droplets dripping from above in the cool air of the pre-dawn hours.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"Right," Warren said as he stepped out alongside Taleun. "We should swing by the guild rep before we head out. Still need to work out payment, transportation fees, supplies...all that fun stuff the newbies don't like to think about."

[C S]

"Ah, yes," Taleun began to say when he stepped onto the path leading away from the fortress, "I had almost forgotten that noble deeds come at a price when dealing with you mercenary types." The soldier started to walk along the cobblestone at a brisk pace with disciplined stature, various items jangling in his pack. The vegetation on either side of him drooped toward the path, weighed down by the heavy rain. The firelight in the lamps glistened against the water droplets.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"Hey, if we get the job done, we get our money back and then some," Warren retorted, lagging a few feet behind the soldier. "If they paid for all that up front, they wouldn't be in business for very long, eh?"

[C S]

"I suppose you have a point in that regard. I admit that promises of wealth do seem to be good incentives to battle what lies on the frontier," Taleun said to the man behind him. Not too long after, he came to the black iron gate that enclosed the Valorium's grounds. Its metal bars were were curved in such a way that they formed an icon of a single burning flame. He flipped up the latch on the decorative gate and pulled it inwards, stepping off of the path and gesturing for Warren to step through the opening.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"It pays to be a suicidal *******," Warren replied with a smirk. The man moved through the opening as indicated, his hands in his pockets.

[The Kingpin]

Ahead of the duo, the Guild representative's booth seemed to have a customer. A large figure in dull, dark armour loomed over the counter, a leonine head set on wide shoulders looking at the Guild representative. On his back, the edges of a makeshift brown and white hide pack could be seen, undoubtedly loaded with numerous resources required for long treks. To the side of it, a black scabbard held a longsword, the hilt of the weapon glowing a dull blue tinge. a decorative tassle made of iridescent blue rope, hide and fang-shaped beads extended from the base of the weapon's grip. Over the two, a heater shield protected his back and belongings, upwards curved glowing blue 'teeth' covering the surface of the shield. On the left side of the shield, a notch could be seen, shaped purposefully, most likely to be used in conjunction with the sword beneath it. On either thigh, the black grips of a pair of shortswords extended, undoubtedly the Leonine figure's backup weapons. They were relatively small however, and looked to be a last resort. They wouldn't be much good when faced with anything much larger than the hunter himself. "Right. Jahoyt hair...What's the reward?" grumbled the large figure sceptically, showing no sign he had seen the two approaching men...

[C S]

The walk through the city streets from the Valorium to the guild's booth was one made with quick feet. There was nothing much of note that happened along the way aside from the sight of a few officers on patrol. The empty streets were only lit by the mounted lanterns, with many of the shops and homes having darkened windows. A few dangling signs swung back and forth on the chains that held them out in front of buildings, creaking eerily in the late night. Taleun did not pay much mind to the atmosphere of the sleeping city, having grown used to such things over his life. What he did notice, however, was the figure standing in front of the booth as he neared.

"We don't get many beast-men in Weywin. The Jahoyt hair shortage might be having more far reaching effects than I first imagined," Taleun mused.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

In response, Heinz dropped a large sack of coin on the counter. "After you get the job done. And that's split among the members of your party, of course." The man sniffed, as if unimpressed by the sight before him. "Ah, speak of the devil."

"That's...new," Warren thought out loud with a scratch of his head. He had seen such types in his travels, sure, but they were a rare sight in these parts for sure.