1st adventure: the Fey one

9:08 AM, 28th of April
The Coins' outpost of the city of Highwind, in the Free Feathers

The three of you were recently assigned to the 113th Adjunct of the Coins and ordered to present yourselves at their outpost in Highwind. You first met each other in the waiting room, but there was no time to introduce yourselves as the secretary immediately informed you that your handler was waiting in his office. Once you entered the room, you saw a man in his late forties sitting at his desk, scribbling notes on a piece of paper. He looks up to you.

"Ah, you're here. Good, good."

He closes an open book, puts down his quill and picks up a file which he opens and starts to read while walking in your direction.

"Steve Oldturn... black mage. Konrad Granger, red mage. And Mihai..."

He stops in front of you.

"...enforcer. No last name given."

His eyes appraise the three of you, from head to toe.

"You'll do. My name is Sonlake Dermold, and I'll be your handler for this mission."

He goes back to his desk, throws the file on it and picks up a single sheet of paper. He faces you again.

"An important object was stolen from an Oracle of Lofell; a journal in which the Oracle recorded confidential information about the clients she advises." The old bureaucrat frowns at his own use of the pronoun she. "The Oracle hired us to retrieve this journal, and neutralize these thieves. You can either kill them or bring them to me, but whatever you do, do not let these people escape. And more importantly, we need this journal intact, so keep that in mind. I also have some info which our agents retrieved."

He reads directly from the sheet of paper he is holding.

"The thieves have stopped just outside the city of Waterglass and are camping in an abandoned fort, presumably waiting for a buyer. There are at least four of them, and they might have placed traps around their camp to prepare for any eventuality. If the buyer doesn't show up, they plan to leave by the morning of May 2th."

He takes out a lighter from his pocket and burns the piece of paper after placing it in an ashtray. You get the feeling he doesn't smoke.

"I will let you borrow three of our horses to travel to Waterglass. It's around 50km due east, so you should get there by tomorrow afternoon if you do not dawdle. Also, managing to extract the name of the thieves' client from them would reward you a substantial bonus."

Silence fills the room for a few seconds.

"Any questions?"

Steve raises his hand to get Dermold's attention. "What do we know about these thieves? Any names? Or anything you could tell us about them, like how many and what they are armed with? Do they have any mages?"

"I forget you three are new at this."

Sonlake Dermold turns to Steve, then flatly says:

"I do not have any other information to share except what I just told you. The thieves were followed by our agents, and there wasn't enough time for an investigation. There were four of them when they arrived in the Free Feathers, but other colleagues might have joined them in Waterglass. Besides that, the intel given to me was labeled "standard operation", which means that your targets will be geared with the equipment you would expect any thug to have; swords, daggers, etc. Our agents didn't notice any use of magic, or they would have made note of it. Any other info is gathered on-site."

OOC:

Abandoned fort near Waterglass, 1 day east on horseback. Four thugs, maybe more. Traps. One intact journal. Perhaps the people of Waterglass may be able to divulge information pertaining to the abandoned fort, and the thieves if they've spotted them.

Smiling, Konrad interjects, "I don't know what you've been told, Mr. Dermold, but I appreciate the Coins giving me this chance to prove my loyalty, and I promise you that we'll do whatever is necessary to retrieve the Oracle's journal and neutralize the thieves who stole it."

The smile fades. "Something's off, though. Something's not standard about this job, and it seems to have you occupied. Should I be worried, Sonlake?"

In spite of his bold attitude, Konrad's charm is directed at their handler's sensibilities to coax the man into opening up about his concerns.

Skill:

OOC:

Sonlake hesitates for a second, but then answers Konrad's question.

"...Sending the three of you on this mission is what I find unusual. This is too important for an adjunct's first assignment, but my superiors made the decision, so I will defer to their judgment."

He sighs.

"Anything else?"

Uh huh...he doesn't trust us. Perhaps we shouldn't trust him either...or perhaps I should keep an eye on the others? He scratches his head, finding almost no resistance from the short caramel tufts of his buzz cut hair. "That was all I had. How about you guys?"

Underneath his scale male, Konrad wears a pair of wool breeches and a loose shirt. Over that, he wears a black vest and a dyed gray leather jacket. Black boots (the best kind) go up to mid calf, fastened with shiny metal buckles and straps. On his left forearm is a red armband, indicating he practices a mix of different magics as a Red Mage.

As he turns to face each of you with his azure gaze beneath his widow's peak, you are able to appraise his pronounced features close up for the first time: earlier, you may have noticed that the right side of his face, particularly starting at his temple, covering and going down his cheek and the posterior of his jaw, is mottled with a texture that unsettles you to think of what it might feel like to run your hand across it. Now that you've got a closer look, you quickly realize that the right side of his face, and very likely the right side of his upper body(as it continues down the right side of his neck), is scarred from what must have been a nasty encounter with something hot.

Aside from his right cheek, a scarred ear and scarred bare skin around it up to the edge of the crown of his head on the right side appear to be the sum damage suffered by his otherwise *very* handsome face. Thankfully, his (currently)cheerful demeanor more than makes up for it.

*not really*

For the Lore Codex:

Mihai is all mild manner and friendliness, with nothing behind the eyes. If he were a cartoon character, he'd probably have them shut all the time.

"They... didn't catch my last name? What on Earth..."

He shrugs.

"Well, certainly the gentlemen up top know what they're doing." - he quips cheerfully - "Either way, time's a-wasting. Maybe we should speculate on the way, before our horses get bored. It's sure to be a long trip anyway."

Steve is tapping his quarterstaff on his right shoulder and chewing on his lower lip as he mulls over the briefing. Or lack thereof. The real thing was much different than his books so far. But is that a bad thing?

The young man, clearly in his late teens or early twenties, is a local by both dress and accent. His clothes are new if not fine. A white hemp shirt, some green hemp breaches, functional leather boots, and a brownish-green cloak--all traditional travel clothes for those on the cheap in the Free Feathers. Steve's dark brown hair is kept in a tasteful twist-in bun, the kind popular in Highwind right now, and his beard and mustache are neatly groomed. His dark brown eyes smolder with intelligence and a kind of pleasant focus, projecting a trustworthy and handsome countenance.

"Eh, may as well. I'm out of questions anyway." He hefts the quarterstaff from his right shoulder and, with a cheeky smile, adds, "Shall we gentlemen?" in not quite a sarcastic manner. It's pretty damn close though.

For Konrad and Mihai:

For Steve:

"One last thing."

Sonlake takes a folded piece of paper from his desk and hands it to Steve.

"This is your warrant. To prove you're there on official business."

The warrant has an official look to it, and along the bureaucratic spiel, there are also two signatures; one written by a representative of the Free Feathers' government and the other by your handler himself.

"I'll be waiting for your return. Virginie, please escort them out."

His eyes remain on Konrad for a few seconds, but he quickly goes back to his desk and resumes his work. The secretary comes in to do as she was asked and to inform you of which stable you must visit to find your horses. The three of you are now left by yourselves in the waiting room.

OOC:

Konrad parts with a very genial smile - wide, toothless, and merry. The secretary gets the same treatment.

Once they're out in the waiting room, he turns to size up Steve. Does this kid even know what he's doing here? I'm a man who appreciates style, but...

"You're a Free Feathers man, eh Steve? You look like you just graduated from mage college."

Skill:

Steve nods. "Yes. Graduated and immediately shipped off to the Coins. It's a...new experience for me. How about you guys? Where are you from?"

The secretary, a woman who wears an elegant gray attire which contrasts with her dark long ponytail, is momentarily disarmed by Konrad's finesse, but she brushes back an errant lock of hair and returns the smile before going back to her post.

"Myrrish, born and raised. Clan trained me to use magic."

After Mihai* answers, Konrad asks, "So, you think you're cut out for the merc life, why's that? I'm not exactly the soldier type myself, but there must be a reason. Something about it that calls to you."

* - Would like a description of Mihai.

description:

"Uh, me?" - he looks thoughtful - "Well, i used to be in the company of a few rufians who did some nasty business, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. So i'm here now. I'm mostly hoping it'll pay. Mostly."

Zeiss:

"I wouldn't say I was called so much as saw an opportunity to pay off my student debt. And I'm looking forward to the travel. I didn't get much of an opportunity for it during my studies."

Steve frowns a little at Mihai's explanation but decides not to push. Instead he changes the subject. "Since we are going to be working together let's discuss our strengths and weaknesses.

"I'm a black mage and don't have much training in hand-to-hand combat. I make up for this with my mastery of black magic spells. My control is such that I can refrain from killing if I wish, which should be useful if we need to capture anyone."

He effortlessly switches from Imperial to Wytrwaly, though he speaks with an academic accent (a little too formal, a little too perfect),

Message in Wytrwaly:

He switches back to Imperial. "I'm also educated in a variety of subjects from the various cultures to arcana but unfortunately I'm hopeless at politics. If there is anything more boring and banal than politics I haven't experienced it." He gives a self-depreciating shrug. Steve then looks expectantly at his comrades, clearly expecting them to share in kind.

Mihai gets a tad uncomfortable. His eyes gain focus for just a second as he glances sideways to his right while scratching his head, then go vacant again, but his speech becomes slightly more provincial, and his voice slightly lower.

"Uh, right. I can sneak and infiltrate, have more or less of a way with people and am handy with my hands, what with locks, traps and the like. I'm a decent shot with a bow and can use a sword." (in short, he's a Rogue)

His manner then goes back to his standard mild politeness, and he adds with a shrug.

"Then again, most people can use a sword; so long as you where the sharp end goes. I wouldn't say that makes me good at fighting." - he concludes with a humble, almost apologetic smile. His tone lacks the characteristic meekness that would otherwise suggest that he'd normally shy away from a fight, though.

"Ah, i also speak a few languages and know a smidge about history and politics, though i don't really see how that'll help us in the foreseeable future. And my blood type is A." - he adds, as an afterthought.

Oh, so I guess we're doing this now.

"Oh? I'm relieved to hear that, Steve. The part about killing, I mean. Good to know you're prepared. And if anything you've learned from school should be applicable in any situation we find ourselves in, don't hesitate to speak up. And I agree, politics are boring."

He looks at Mihai. "At ease, mate! We're in the Coins, and every outfit has need of it scouts and saboteurs. You'll be both, and you'll most certainly be handy."

"You both see what color I wear. I'll let you know when my skills and spells will come in handy. None of us are hardy warriors, so we'll all need to step up and use every advantage we have to beat the odds of a straight-up fight. Shall we go see to our horses now?"

Steve nods agreement with Konrad's suggestion. He'll follow him out, letting the man with the armor take point.

Mihai will happily follows suit.

The journey to Waterglass is peaceful and boring.

The three of you ride along the main road, which puts you between the forest and the sea. You encounter many travellers, mainly merchants and farmers who come and go to Highwind to do business. The snow has now completely melted and a cool breeze is sweeping across the land. Far on the horizon, you can recognize the tip of the Dome, its surface reflecting the light of the sun.

Around 6:00 PM, you stop at the Storming Maiden, a popular inn which marks the halfway point of your trip. Well, the inn is popular because it's the only one in these parts, but it still offers good accommodations. Once you leave your horses at the stable and go in the building, you are welcomed by the innkeeper's son who show you around and tells you the prices of the services they offer. While the weather is clear enough to let you sleep outside, you can still pay for a room and enjoy the warmth of a bed. As for entertainment, there is a bard from Lofell who has been here for a few days and who will sing this evening.

Cost:

Around 8:00 AM, you leave the inn for Waterglass.

Even if you're travelling at a slow but steady pace, you still arrive to your destination by 1:30 PM. You noticed the first signs of human presence by the forest which gradually recedes and gives away to multiple farms. The village of Waterglass itself, which is one kilometer away from the main road, is but a small group of wooden buildings that serve more of a meeting point than anything else. Nevertheless, you can still find an inn, a forge, a shop which deals in general goods and the city hall, along with a few residences and specialized buildings. Before you can enter the village however, you are stopped by a young man who is wearing a long cloak which covers his whole body. You can still see his leather armor beneath it though, and his ruffled black hair which is hood is trying to hide, to no avail.

He raises his hand in a gesture urging you to stop.

"Hello travellers."

His gaze falls on the three of you.

"I'm Saemon, the chief of local militia. And I'm afraid I have to inquire as to what business you have here. People usually get a little jumpy when two mages and an armed man decide to stop here."

A smile materialize on his face.

Konrad smiles back naturally. He is about to open his mouth to speak when he rolls Deception...

Skill:

Oh so sorry, forgot about the inn! I almost skipped out on the fun.Before we go any further, here's what I'll be doing at the inn.

a) Food, etc.
b) Gather Info for any suspicious people who've been passing through over the last...three days, we'll say? Talking to the innkeeper, his son, the regulars, the wife of either if they're married, and lastly the innkeeper's daughter.
c) Suffice to say I'll be looking for someone to spend the night with.

d) Diplomacy and Deception where applicable. Read "finding company".

Expenses:

Kolson: I'll offer to spot young Steve's rounds on alcoholic proclivities with 1gp and try to persuade him to have a drink if he's not into it, or unsure.

Finding company for the night...:

Mihai
If the daughter's(of either the innkeeper or his son) dump stat happens to be Charisma, I'll find someone else, but before I go to my room with one of the patrons, I'll ask Mihai to tail us up the stairs when we do, and put his ear to my door when it shuts. And wait there listening. If he hears no cries for help or sounds of any unplanned struggles after the 10 minute marker, he can go down stairs again. "Or stay and keep listening. Whichever floats your boat, mate, you'll hear no judgment from me!   "

We will focus on the events at the inn until they are over; I just figured you guys would prefer to get to the village faster, but I don't mind a roleplaying stop if you guys want to do it. If not, just tell me. Either way, I'm in no hurry.

Inn - For everyone:

Inn - For Konrad: