[Story] Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles

[briar]

Every grand adventure begins by being at the right place at the right time.

...unfortunately, you weren't.

Prelude
How the Cookie Crumbles

In the southern-most part of the Principality of Rouge, in a run of deep, valley-cut land known to locals as the Lofty Shadow due to its proximity to the Skypillar Mountains sits the quaint, sleepy little town of Tradewinds, which had been hitherto unknown till more recent events that thrust it into the world stage, much to the chagrin of its residents.

This was largely to do with the miraculous rediscovery of the now-famous Light Bloom Mountain, which was a once lost-to-legend dungeon that belonged to a wizard in the ancient past who had hoarded three magnificent weapons of great power...or something such along those lines, anyhow. Apparently some random hunter from the village happened upon the ancient doorway purely by accident!

Ever since, whole of the area has been a hotspot for adventure and, once not even a stop along the main road, Trade was soon teeming with would-be adventurers from all overs from all over the lands looking to make their fortunes.

You see, adventuring is a bit of a hot topic in the present state of the Seven Kingdoms. Everyone from the Harvest Plains to the Golden Coast who has the strength to swing a sword or the mental fortitude to cast a spell has got it into to their heads that plumbing dungeons and seeking out ancient nemesis is the way to make proper coin in this day and age. Its so popular, in fact, that the market has become completely oversaturated! Its almost impossible to get a decent paying job in the capitols unless you're already well-established!

And the worst of it is, the only way to get established is by completing quests! At this point, it almost seemed like a hopeless endeavor to even try!

That is, until Light Bloom Mountain popped up on the map. Finally, new opportunities! A huge dungeon, waiting for some intrepid heroes like yourselves to plumb its depths and drag its secrets out into the light! All you need to get started is to join the local branch of the Adventurer's Critique and rise up the ranks until you're able to make the cut for the deeper expeditions and you're set! With the treasure you'll undoubtedly find down there, you'll finally be able to afford that thing you've been chomping at the bit for!

...unfortunately...things aren't really going as planned...

[briar]

Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles
Date: 11th Day of The second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After UnificationA.U.	Time: ~ 10:00 AMMid-Morning	Weather: Fair / 68° F	Locale (Environ): Tradewinds, Rouge (Town Center)

"I...I'm really sorry..."

Celluey Brandock, Adventurer's Critique

These are the words spoken from the furthest edge of the crowd of people who had gathered in front of the Job Board for the local Adventurer's Critique. Despite all the noise, the voice is clearly heard from across the swath of individuals, delivered with such harsh timidity as to suggest a deep set feeling of regret.

The voice belongs to a young woman who is of the Critique's employ, and if the shakiness of her tone didn't automatically give her away, the way she bent her body forward apologetically and the meek look on her face surely did. Clearly she was even less enthusiastic to deliver this news as everyone else was to receive it.

"U-unf-f-fortunately there, umm..." she stammered amidst a cacophony of anticipatory groans, "That is...there aren't any...jobs left. F-for today!" She tried to sound conciliatory at the end, but it was much too late. Already the great crowd was dispersing, many of them angrily muttering to themselves, which only increased the anguished look on the poor girl's face. Likely none of them bore her no ill will for her announcement. After all, it wasn't her fault and everyone knew it. This was a common theme everywhere in the Seven Kingdoms: there just weren't enough jobs to go around.

The difference was that the Recap: Tradewinds is a small, out of the way little town that is perched near the southern border of the Principality of Rouge. The nearest main road is only an hour from the city. Tradewinds was originally just another stop-off on the road leading to the southern pass that splits the Skypillar Mountains to the south and the Reigncrown Mountains to the west and connecting Rouge to the Great Forest of Wrenhollow. Now, however, the road leading to the town might as well be its own highway, what with all the recent foot travel.Tradewinds Recap: The Adventurer's Critique is an international organization that was originally founded by adventurers just like you. Back then, it was just called 'the Traveler's Guild' and there were less than a handful of them throughout the realms. Following the alliance of the Seven Kingdoms, it was officially endorsed by the leaders of all seven realms, who wanted to use the Guild as a way to create a new job market full of eager citizens who were willing to undertake of peacekeeping in places where military action either wasn't necessary or practical.

The Guild was renamed the 'Adventurer's Critique', and now acts primarily as a supply hub and public contractor that pairs jobs in need with adventurers of the appropriate skill level.

The Critique does not accept members like it did in the old days, however. Rather, adventurers, after undertaking a trial quest, are 'certified' to work as freelancers and commonly found 'guilds' to represent them. Some guilds may be small, with only one or two members, while others are larger with hundreds of adventurers and attendants.

As the name suggests, the Critique valuates jobs and services of guilds, and issues payment based on these factors. To aid in this, they also have working alliances with various other guilds in order to provide reasonably priced adventurers gear, mounts, equipment, and various other services. The guild also provides several other benefits to higher tier adventurers, but you'll have to grow your reputation to find out what!Adventurer's Critique had been rumored to be bustling with 'plenty of jobs to go around'. And that rumor hadn't exactly been wrong in the beginning, but in the short time that word circulated, it had attracted hundreds of adventurers and would-be hopefuls to fringe town. A hundred jobs became half that number almost overnight, and by the time you arrived...

"I-I'm sure that tomorrow, we'll...!" the girl tried to say in an almost pleading voice, but it fell on deaf ears. After all, many of those present had come a long way to get in on the rush, only to find yet another barren job board.

"...have...more..." she finished, though by then, most of the crowd was already dispersed, leaving only a few stragglers alongside yourselves. The poor girl slumps her shoulders and sighs, clutching a tome tightly to her chest, giving you one last remorseful glance before trudging back to the counter where guild services are normally employed and many other attendants much like herself are busy assisting those adventurers who were lucky enough to arrive early and land good jobs.

...well, now what? Anyone who wants to work with the Critique needs to undergo a trial quest, but if there aren't any quests...

As you ponder this question, it occurs to you that with the dispersal of the great crowd of adventurers, the Critique's subsidiary functions are also now more accessible, which includes a small alcove where a member of the Info: A loose confederacy of merchants who seek to moderate trade of vital goods within the Seven Kingdoms. Originally, this mostly only covered specialty goods unique to each kingdom, like Blacksnake Iron of Anhketakhnas or Jade Coral of Maer, but since the institutionalizing of the Critique, it also now deals in adventuring necessities, such as weapons, armor, gear, mounts, and potions.

Though it is a common misconception, the Alliance itself doesn't restrict trade, but rather, they work with local artisans to source goods, and they aren't particularly picky about who they buy from, so long as the goods themselves are of a certain quality. As a result, the Critique is always well-stocked on goods, and no adventurer need worry that the local shops might be out of a necessary healing potion or a strong sword.Merchant's Alliance sells basic equipment and camping necessities, as well as a seating area with a small library available for public use. You also know that each Critique has an attached hostelry for adventurers, but maybe since you came all this way to join, they might make an exception?

There is also a patio section just off the foyer where several adventurer parties are seated at cast-iron tables, enjoying the mid-morning sun as they play for their upcoming missions. One of these is empty right up next to the east-most side of the patio where a thin, metal fence laden with creeping vines shades the area. Why on earth no one is utilizing such a perfect spot is beyond you, though there appears to be set of empty mugs there, turned up-side down in the center.

GM's Notes Welcome to Epicurean: Made to Order Gourmet Adventures! At long last, we are finally ready to begin our adventures. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there are any adventures to be had! ...or are there? If you're unsure of what to do or where to go next, I might suggest... 🌺 Say Hi!: Whether or not they know one another, all five PCs are present here. You can see each other and, if you like, talk to one another. If nothing else, you're all companions in unemployment at the moment! And as we have previously established, some of you even know each other, though whether you've been travelling together up until this point, I leave it up to you. Its perfectly reasonable to suggest, considering the huge influx of adventurers to Tradewinds, that you all might have merely met up by chance on this fateful day! 🌺 Look Around: The Critique is a bustling place, and there is a lot going on. Why not look around a bit longer? Each Critique is different, after all, and you might happen upon something interesting! You could snoop around with an Investigation check (WIS or DEX), or could try talking to the staff or the other adventurers to see what's new on the grape vine with a Negotiations check (CHA). If you don't feel like chatting up the locals, though, you could always just people watch with a Insight (WIS or INT) check to gauge the atmosphere of the place! Or if you want to learn more about the local area, you could always grab a book at the library and study with a Lore or Nature check (using WIS or INT). 🌺 This Stinks! I'm Leaving! I don't blame you! You're welcome to leave the Critique if you want to and explore the town. The entry on Tradewinds in the BioDex should give you a good idea of what there is to see in town, especially those listed in the Special Features section! If you want to procure a room for the night, you can do so at the Critique, the local inn, or even the tavern for varying costs! Or if its a bite to eat you're looking, you probably have already heard that the Crooked Corner is the local bistro of choice. All of these places are in the Town Center Environ of this Locale, so you don't need a Travel check, but you will if you want to visit the Southern Gates or the Old Road.

[Xyza]

Khrysa

Khrysanthenum Silverscale squeezed through the door of the Adventurer's Critique Tradewinds branch. Having overslept a bit, she was stuck at the back of the crowd gathered around the job board and had to crane her neck to see what was going on.

Khrysa had been out traveling on the road, mostly alone but occasionally with friendly faces heading the same direction, for a few months now. It was tough going for the young chef who had never left her home region of Drakkator before then, but between her magical skill, previous experience slaying low-threat monsters for ingredients, and open good-natured heart, she'd been able to manage okay. Of course, her main expertise - cooking - had also been very useful on her travels, whether for herself or in exchange for currency and favors. She'd also been achieving one of her goals in setting out by trying out all kinds of new recipes and ingredients, recording her observations in a makeshift notebook she'd brought along.

Now though, her coinpurse was feeling quite light. She'd started out with an ample amount, her saved allowance from working at her family's prosperous Silverscale Inn, but it was almost entirely spent now. Lodging and travel supplies were necessary of course, but much had also been used on impulsive purchases in pursuit of the culinary arts. New cooking equipment, specifically designed for travel and camping! Fresh cuts of meat and seafood! Local 'special seasonings'! Not all had worked out, with some types of meat being ruined due to Khrysa not being used to preparing it, and some 'special seasonings' being a scam of ordinary salt mixed with colored sand, but the new experiences were still entirely worth it to her.

Unfortunately, continuing these experiences meant needing more coin, which is why she was now at the Critique looking for work. She could only barely hear the meek employee over the chatter and grumbling, but picked out enough from the girl's words and expression of despair to know that it was not good news. "Oh..." Khrysa muttered, slightly disappointed. But she wasn't going to give up that easily!

The young draconic-human followed after the Critique employee who had made the announcement. Khrysa felt a pang of sympathy for her, reminded of her own experiences dealing with unsatisfied customers back at the hotel, and getting similarly flustered. Khrysa would usually try to deal with it by radiating more enthusiasm and friendliness, but this would sometimes backfire with frustrated guests, leading to scolding from her family. She hoped that in the current situation, her personality would work better.

"Oh, hi hi there!" Khrysa approached Celluey. "Sorry about all that, I know it isn't your fault! Sometimes they just don't understand that things aren't under our control!" she sighed in solidarity.

"Is there really absolutely nothing left, though? It doesn't need to be a trial quest, or even pay much...or uh, at all!" Khrysa hesitated a split second, not sure if she should have said the last part; her family had always said she didn't value money enough. But she wasn't one to hold onto regrets for long, and actually wouldn't mind just having something to do. Surely everything else would work out eventually. "Maybe just something you need help with around here? It's so busy!" She glanced around the bustling guild hall before turning back to smile at the employee.

OOC Rolled 15 for Negotiation, assuming I remember how to do this correctly. Don't have a posting template yet, but will work on making one (or maybe finding one )

[Kaigen]

Rahat At the back of the crowd, from which she had a perfectly good viewpoint thanks to her height, Rahat watched as the stammering functionary declared that there were no more jobs "for today." Rahat tried not to look too disappointed. She had come to Tradewinds in hopes of earning some coin as a healer, her head filled with visions of newly-wealthy adventurers in need of medical care after harrowing adventures. People who could afford to pay her a nominal fee for her skills, and thus enable her to continue offering those same skills at next-to-no cost for those who could not afford to pay. Her order charged her to help anyone in need regardless of their ability to compensate her, and she was glad to do it, but she also had to restock supplies, and it would have been eat something she hadn't foraged herself. Things hadn't worked out the way she had hoped. The successful adventurers in need of care, it transpired, had been far outnumbered by the unsuccessful adventurers who had barely gotten out with their lives and had little to show for it. Moreover, successful adventurers had the resources to avail themselves of Guild-approved and certified healers, and so had little reason to call on a strange, masked centaur from the south. And so, faced with a dwindling coin purse, Rahat had decided she had better try to take on a job herself, and perhaps prove herself to the Critique in the process. Alas, that notion wasn't panning out either by the look of things. Rahat's ear twitched at the sound of a familiar voice shaking her out of her introspection. She saw a pink-haired head moving through the dispersing crowd to comfort the functionary. I know her, Rahat thought to herself. The potwatch from Drakkator, and then Wrenhollow. How lucky of me to run into her again! If nothing else, Rahat might be able to talk her into helping her make a meal. Again. Rahat knew the recipe for mulukhiyah by heart, but somehow it never quite turned out how it was supposed to when she tried to make it, between inexperience and unfamiliar ingredients. Adjusting her black jackal mask, Rahat shamelessly eavesdropped on Khrysa's conversation while also casting an eye about for anyone in need of assistance. Even if there were no trial quests available, if she could attend to someone's health complaint, that might get her hoof in the tent, so to speak.

OOC Rahat is eavesdropping people watching with a roll of 15

[morgantha]

Langtree Langtree hovered by the wall, a good foot of space around her as the clamoring would-be adventurers sought to avoid the deathly-still stranger in their midst. Though her face remained impassive, a wave of relief rushed through her as the announcement was made that there were no more adventuring jobs to be had. Magic weapons and heroic adventures were great in theory, but she'd been around long enough to know these things were rarely what they seemed. No, she was quite content with the administrative side of things... at least, she would be if it only paid a little better. At the thought, her mouth turned down to a scowl, earning an alarmed look from a young adventurer who skittered away quickly to rejoin their friends. Sensing the change in her mood, one of her bats crawled from her inside pocket onto her shoulder and pressed it's miniscule weight into the side of her neck. Most of them spent their travel time in a rattan basket strapped to her back, but this one was particularly well behaved and rode inside of her coat most days. "Better luck next time," she whispered to him. From another pocket she withdrew a handful of seeds and began feeding him bites as she considered her next move, scanning the room. "We could ask around to see if anyone needs a message carried," she said, but she had never once found the courage to approach strangers to ask for business before, and of course nothing had changed, so she knew she wouldn't actually do it. "Or perhaps we could follow one of the ones who got the job, eat them, and take over the work ourselves..." Langtree chuckled to herself--she hadn't tasted human blood in many years, and had no intention of starting any time soon. Realizing she'd been standing in the corner apparently laughing to herself for some time, she straightened and would have sighed had she the living breath to do so. Now that most of the crowd had cleared away, she noticed Rahat, standing towards the back. The centaur was quite hard to miss, standing well above most. "Oh, good," she said, edging along the wall until she was just to Rahat's left. "...hello." She paused. "I remember you," she added. "Oh, I mean... I'm Langtree, remember? From that one time we sent that guy to jail? Because he deserved it, not for fun. Not that I'm saying you send people to jail for fun. Or, at least, this time you didn't. Maybe you usually do." She paused again, assessing Rahat's expression for signs of recognition. She pointed to herself seriously. "Langtree." "Anyways, are you looking for a job too?"

[briar]

Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles
Date: 11th Day of The second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After UnificationA.U.	Time: ~ 10:00 AMMid-Morning	Weather: Fair / 68° F	Locale (Environ): Tradewinds, Rouge (Town Center)

Celluey Brandock, Adventurer's Critique

Despite everything, the meek girl still almost jumps out of her skin when Khrysa approaches her. A slight, wiry individual that stands roughly just over ~ 5'0''150cm tall, Khrysa's keen gaze picks up a hint of a swirl in her tan eyes, suggesting an Considering she doesn't have any other outward features, then she is likely a half-blood.elemental heritage, but if she is, then this girl's personality certainly doesn't betray it. She holds herself close, just like Info: Adventurers who are certified through the Critique have their names, statistical values, and job histories recorded in special books called the Adventurer's Codex. These magical tomes are all interlinked with one another, allowing them to share information across vast distances. They are typically carried by assessors of the Critique, who are responsible for maintaining and updating the records therein.the book that is buried deep in her chest.

"Ah-!" the girl stammers, clearly taken off-guard, though at the very least, she is quick to try and put on airs. "O-oh, it's fine, I understand their grief..." She pauses, listening to Khrysa's inquiry, her gaze downcast by the end of it. "I'm afraid its true, see for yourself..." she motions to the empty, barren Job Board nearby, which has not even a scrap or a corner of a page tacked to it, though nevertheless it is very well-used.

The dragon-blooded girl is insistently though, and the Critique Info: An assessor is the name of someone who creates records for those who fall under the purview of the Adventurer's Critique. They are responsible for maintaining accurate records of adventurers' stats, skills, training, and job history, which is all taken into account when rewards are to be issued for completed tasks. As their name suggests, they are also the ones who decide the rank of an adventurer, and 'grades' performance on jobs.assessor--marked by the dark green Info: Lapels are a common identifier for numerous things throughout the Seven Kingdoms. There are lapels with family insignias to signify heritage, shaped lapels to signify nobility or places of high rank, and even lapels with multiple colors to signify gender identity, pronouns, and sexuality. Lapels are typically worn high on the collar or somewhere else close to the face when possible. The Adventurer's Critique assigns dark green lapels to its assessors, and certified adventurers themselves are typically marked with a brass, silver, or gold lapel to show their ranking.lapel on her collar--blinks a little at the offer of free service.

"You're just...looking for something to do...?" she asks after some thought, then nods, "Actually, now that you mention it, the porter who usually takes the Critique's lunch catering order to the local tavern hasn't shown up yet, and we were a little concerned that it might not get in on time at this rate..."

She seems a little reticent still, but Khrysa's friendly demeanor seems to put her a bit more at ease, and she straightens up a little, "I can't really offer you more than a meager stipend for the delivery, but it would really help out if you could deliver it. The tavern only takes orders for the next three-quarters of an hour."

-ˋˏ ─────────────────────────────── ༻❁༺ ─────────────────────────────── ˎˊ-

During this exchange, Rahat, who stands out like a sore thumb among most of the adventurers, takes the time to look around the Adventurer's Critique from behind the façade of her black mask, ears open to the plights of those around her. There are, of course, aid requests happening at the counter for medical treatment, usually by adventurers who are already well-established, which is normally followed by one of the attendants recommending one of the other physicians of the town and discussing the process of payment.

From what Rahat gathers, the Critique contracts the medical services of physicians like herself, paying a steady wage in exchange for keeping seats available specifically for adventurers, and adventurers, in turn, pay the guild a percentage fee from their last quest. Its a very convenient little system for adventurers, which is likely a contributing factor of why it is so difficult to find work among the adventuring class.

Unfortunately--or perhaps fortunately, at least from their perspective--most of the adventurers who seem to be coming in today aren't coming in for much more than jobs, and what little medical services are requested are handled with a simple signature and the passing of a note, which no doubt has the address of one of Rahat's many rivals of local medicinal affairs.

"So hey, did you hear about Lakry's team?" a voice says a little ways from where she is standing. It appears to be the voice of one of the adventurers--a portly human with a comically small horned cap adorning his head that would sooner do a better job of protecting a toad than the guy's head.

The way he and his companions are talking in hushed voices suggests rumor-mongering, but honestly, there isn't really much else of interest to hear.

"I heard they were ambushed by one of the mountain's guardians," comes another voice--one of his companions, who appears to be a dainty, green-garbed elven girl with long tresses of golden blonde hair. A bow rests lazily across her midsection.

"They were attacked, but it wasn't an ambush," says a third individual--a heavily armored...man? Well, he has the shape of a man, anyway, but there isn't an inch of him that isn't wreathed in metal, and there is only blackness in the gape of where his helmet sits. He speaks in a hefty, gruff voice, "They attempted to pass through the Sphinx's territory and failed to answer its riddle, so it attacked them."

"Yeesh..." the bulky one says, lacking the chinking accompaniment of armor, "But aren't the Sphinx's questions, like...super easy...?"

"I heard the only reason they got it wrong was because their wizard was trying to show off and ended up blurting out answer without thinking. He's over at the tavern now, trying to drown his shame in Info: 'The creature', which is actually spelt 'craythur', is a colloquial term that is often used to describe alcohol. It is a term of Wrenhollow origin, particularly of the Northern Highglades.the creature."

"They'll make it, though, right? I mean, they're under Desriah's care, and they're the best around."

The armored man makes a motion that is reminiscent of a nod, though because his armor doesn't bent, he has to 'nod' with most of his torso, "Yes, I heard they'll make a fully recovery."

"Whew...that's good. I mean, I don't really like all this competition lately, but I certainly don't want anyone to die out there..."

Afterwards, the conversation devolves into more mundane things, but by that time, a curious--and familiar--individual seems to be trying to catch Rahat's eye.

GM's Notes -----

[Xyza]

Khrysa

Khrysa wasn't the tallest individual, but still towered around half a foot over the other girl, making the employee's jitteryness even more apparent.

"O-oh, it's fine, I understand their grief...I'm afraid its true, see for yourself..."

"Ahh I seee, too bad." Khrysa hadn't doubted Celluey's word that all the standard jobs had been taken, but took a look anyway to try and make the girl feel more comfortable. What she was actually looking for was a quest that wasn't listed on the board, so she continued to smile and chat with friendliness until the assessor came up with something. Yay, success! she cheered to herself as Celluey indeed had a task.

"Actually, now that you mention it, the porter who usually takes the Critique's lunch catering order to the local tavern hasn't shown up yet, and we were a little concerned that it might not get in on time at this rate...I can't really offer you more than a meager stipend for the delivery, but it would really help out if you could deliver it. The tavern only takes orders for the next three-quarters of an hour."

"Oh, of course!" Khrysa enthusiastically responded, almost before Celluey had finished talking. She had been ready to accept almost anything, but something food-related was an easy decision. She'd rather be the one cooking lunch, but was fairly experienced at taking orders as well, and was happy to get the chance to survey the local cuisine. She'd only arrived at Tradewinds recently and hadn't gotten much of a chance to explore.

"So, do you know what the order is? What's good to eat around here? What do you like to eat?" Khrysa could hardly contain her excitement about food. She might need to put in an order for herself too at this rate...

[Touketsu]

Merris Further back in the Critique, hidden in the quiet serenity of it's charming library, a firbolg crouched by the hearth, stoking the dying embers of a fire. Dying, but not dead yet... and unlike in his quest for work, it seemed in this case at least that Merris had arrived just in time. Pushing about the red embers and exposing them to the air as he added small pieces of wood to a slow-growing flame, his earlier disappointment was already washing away, replaced with the simple contentment of a task accomplished. Or, the first step of one anyway. Humming as he set aside the poker, Merris passed a hand over the open top of the small iron kettle next to him, which began to magically fill with water as he looked momentary for a chain hook or fireplace crane. After reminding himself he was in a library, Merris, shrugged and picked the poker back up, hanging the kettle from the end an sliding the handle into the gap in the metal of an adjacent shelf. Satisfied with his improvised solution, the firbolg watched the kettle over the flame, thinking about what his next move would be. There was nowhere for him to go... not at the moment anyway. The contrite young women had mentioned the chance of more opportunities tomorrow, but it was possible something might crop up in the interim. Either way, Merris didn't see any reason to hurry back out into the streets in search of fame, fortune, and instant gratification. Adventurer's Critique was where he'd meant to come, and where he felt he belonged at the moment. If one day passed, another would come, and Merris was fairly confident he could convince the folk here to let him bed down in the hostelry for the night if needed. Before the water came too close to a boil, Merris pulled the kettle away, gently lowering it to the stone and putting aside the poker. Taking hold of it's cord-wrapped handle, he stood up and began to look around... the firbolg was confident he'd seen a nice spot to sit with cups ready. Sure enough, as he walked out toward the patio area, his eyes fell on the shaded table in the eastern corner, and Merris moved to claim it. Within a few moments, he'd readied a pot from his bag, lovingly dropping in an expertly measured pinch of green tea leaves before he poured the steaming water over them. Topping it with the lid, Merris left the tea to steep as he sighed and looked around at the many other adventurers sitting there, presumably less jobless than himself from the sounds of their murmuring. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?" Merris smiled warmly at the people assembled at the table closest to him. "And what sort of fortune do you find yourself in pursuit of today? Hopefully nothing too dangerous." It was entirely possible they'd brush him off; since leaving home, Merris had learned that the vast majority of people out there were not as enamored with aimlessly conversing with strangers as he was. Still, he had nowhere to be and a few minutes to kill.

Rolls & Actions Merris tries to chat up adventurers on the patio and see if he can learn anything interesting. Negotiation (CHA): 9 (oof)

[Kaigen]

Rahat As she watched the sparse trickle of adventurers going to the medical services counter, Rahat listened to the conversation happening nearby. Another group of adventurers come to harm, but with better options than her, and likely not in possession of many resources if they didn't even make it into the mountain before getting ambushed. Not helpful to her predicament, but she nevertheless started to wonder if she shouldn't check in on the wizard. If his companions were injured and undergoing treatment—or else cross at him for putting them in harm's way with his overconfidence—then he was likely to be drinking alone, attempting to drown his guilt, with no one watching him in case he tried to do something unwise. Originally Posted by morgantha Realizing she'd been standing in the corner apparently laughing to herself for some time, she straightened and would have sighed had she the living breath to do so. Now that most of the crowd had cleared away, she noticed Rahat, standing towards the back. The centaur was quite hard to miss, standing well above most. "Oh, good," she said, edging along the wall until she was just to Rahat's left. "...hello." She paused. "I remember you," she added. "Oh, I mean... I'm Langtree, remember? From that one time we sent that guy to jail? Because he deserved it, not for fun. Not that I'm saying you send people to jail for fun. Or, at least, this time you didn't. Maybe you usually do." She paused again, assessing Rahat's expression for signs of recognition. She pointed to herself seriously. "Langtree." "Anyways, are you looking for a job too?" In the midst of those thoughts, Rahat became aware of someone sidling up to her around the edge of the room and turned her head just far enough to get a look at who. Oh, it's that vampire agent, this place really is drawing all sorts of people. Rahat was excellent at remembering faces, but not so much with regards to names, so it was something of a relief when she identified herself without prompting. Langtree asked her multiple questions, but Rahat found herself caught on the other thing Langtree was saying. "Jails are not practical in the desert," she said impassively. "And they do not strike me as fun for anyone involved." Good job, Rahat, you're really improving on your small talk. "I remember you, and I remember that guy." It had been rather embarrassing for her to have so totally misread the situation, but at least she had managed to get things sorted out properly with Langtree's help. She pointed to herself and said, "Rahat," in case Langtree also needed a reminder. "And yes, I was looking for a job, though it seems those are not to be had today." Now is the time when you're supposed to ask something in return to demonstrate interest. "Are you also looking for a job?"

[Homestarbaby]

Goop

Drip drip drip...

Goop took a deep breath and tried her best to hold onto her form. The breath actually made it harder, but she held the bubble of air inside of her. She would need it for talking later.

Conversation was a difficult art, especially when it required speaking. But Goop had been practicing for years: forming vocal chords inside her throat area that sounded human, making sure the air came out of her mouth, altering the shape of her mouth to affect the sounds coming out so that they sounded like speech words, and all while gesturing and making facial expressions that matched the thoughts and feelings she was trying to convey.

It was difficult, but Goop felt she had mastered it. The only problem was time. By the time she had prepared herself and practiced everything in her head, the Critique was practically empty. There had been no time to ask about jobs before the announcement. Or during. And what few people remained seemed to be meeting each other, or getting reacquainted.

Goop considers leaving, but she's already gotten enough air and formed her vocal chords. It seems a waist not to use it. So she decides to speak and let whomever wants to answer her do so.

"Hello!"

Judging from the reactions of others, she realizes that she forgot to account on the affects that using that much air for a single word would affect her volume. Perhaps "mastered" wasn't quite the correct word for her handle on the art of speech.

Hopefully fishing would prove lest difficult to master.

OOC Quick note, there is nothing mechanical in the slime folk race that say they don't require breathing or anything. I'm just being creative with my character, not setting her up for unfair advantages later. I think I'm the last one to post. Happy everyone made it!!!!

[morgantha]

Langtree "[...] and they do not strike me as fun for anyone involved." "Hmm," Langtree said, pondering what about the desert might make jails less practical than anywhere else. She couldn't really think of a reason as she'd never been to the desert (too much sun, though not as fatal to her folk as lore might have one believe), but she thought it would be rude to ask. Instead she said, "I always thought public hangings were a much better solution to most crime, and entertaining, too." Nothing on her face or in her tone suggested whether this was a joke or a genuine suggestion, but she moved on quickly. "Rahat, right. Yes, I was looking for work as well. Turns out civil service doesn't pay all that well," she said grumpily. She affected a long sigh, a gesture that often put the living more at ease. "I was thinking I might wander town a bit. I only just got here so I haven't had a chance to catch any gossip, and even if there's no adventuring work there may be more mundane pursuits about. I can't say I'm a fan of doing other people's laundry, but last night I slept in a burned-out church and it gave me the willies. I think tonight I'd like to earn a bed somewhere." "You're welcome to join me if you like. If not, I'd be interested in sitting down to a pint later tonight to hear about what's been on in your part of the world," she added.

[briar]

Prelude: How the Cookie Crumbles
Date: 11th Day of The second month in the Summer season.Aiou, 334 After UnificationA.U.	Time: ~ 10:00 AMMid-Morning	Weather: Fair / 68° F	Locale (Environ): Tradewinds, Rouge (Town Center)

Celluey Brandock, Adventurer's Critique

Assessor Celluey continued to seem genuinely surprised by Khrysa's enthusiasm, despite her being unable to offer the dragon girl a proper quest, and it was enough to broker a very slight smile. "Ah, well..."

Celluey glances over towards the long counter where her own compatriots were busy at work. Rather, her eyes fixed on a set of double doors behind it, which anyone present might've seen employees of the Critique going in and out of all morning. "There is a board in the back where we sign up for midday meals. If you give me but a moment, I'll go and copy the information for you and return...I, um, always get the same thing, a salad made from seasonal vegetables, and since its Summer..."

She stays long enough to hear out anything further Khrysa wishes to say, then goes off to collect the information from the mysterious back room which, as she disappears through the doors, Khrysa gets a glimpse of and can see that it is easily twice as large as the room she is in, and there are at least three times the number of people back there.

-ˋˏ ─────────────────────────────── ༻❁༺ ─────────────────────────────── ˎˊ-

As she and Rahat exchange pleasantries, Langtree becomes aware of the fact that someone has set their gaze upon her, and after a cursory glance to her right, she spots a pair--no, three pair--of small, curious eyes from the window.

Local children, by the looks of them, and they seem to have taken quite an interest in the vampire. Its entirely possible, Langtree suspects, that they may never even have seen one before--or more likely, they probably have and just never knew it. After all, many undead go to great pains to fit into normal society without drawing gaze, which can be more difficult the more corroded one's body is. Vampires, fortunately, heal quickly and maintain a mostly human appearance. Other undead, like zombies or ghouls whose skin is flimsy and sometimes riddled with decay, are not so lucky.

Of course, the moment they realize she's spotted them, the children duck from the window. Or maybe they were just startled by the rather loud greeting of a certain gelatinous individual just now.

-ˋˏ ─────────────────────────────── ༻❁༺ ─────────────────────────────── ˎˊ-

For his part, Merris finds that the patio is well-kept and slightly shaded at this time of day to where he can move the chair to either catch the rays of the morning sun or under the shadow of the overhanging oak that towers above the Critique building's western-most corner.

As he waits for his tea to steep, he surveys those who share the veranda at the neighboring table. To the firbolg's eye, they look to be a crew of highly experience veterans, and each one is personified by their look and demeanor, to the point where Merris almost feels like they could be characters right out of a novel!

The most imposing figure is that of a red-haired human man, whose brawny figure and cut, jagged features gives him an almost knightly bearing of high leadership. Seated to his left, the wide gait of a stocky dwarf can be seen through a thin plume of smoke that seems to perpetually emanate from his pipe, the other end of which is buried in the tufts of his great, magnificent and well-trimmed beard.

Aside him, coiled in a black cloak, Merris spots the milky white limbs of a young, listless-looking woman with eyes as green as granny apples and no other garment saved for being clad in fine tattoos. A little green snake peeks out from her hood and watches everything that is going on around them with keen interest.

The final member of this quartet Merris had previously thought was just someone's backpack turns out to be a small, thin, green figure that is huddled in what the firbolg thinks must be an old, discarded blanket, having turned to look and see who was talking to the group. She--or at least Merris thinks it is a she--appears to be of Info: Gremlins are fey-like goblin-kin. Not much is known of where they came from, but they are often given the bad image of being deceptive and mischievous. When something goes wrong and no one can explain what happened, it is a common fallacy to assume that 'the gremlins did it'.gremlin, and a rather skittish one at that, as she quickly pulls her 'cloak' up to hide as much of her greasy face as she can. After a moment, however, Merris sees why: there is a glint of something gold buried in her robe as well, something that she clearly does not want seen.

The gremlin whimpers and turns away, clearly not used to being addressed so directly by strangers, and Merris notes that the whole of her 'form' jingles with the sound of clinking coins as she shivers on her chair.

"Now now, Tik-Tik..." comes the deep, mellow voice of the similarly-shrouded, but obviously much less concerned woman next to her, "Let usss not be so impertinent." Her eyes drift up slowly to settle on the firbolg, "Ssssorry about them...they are...sssupsiciousss of outsssiderssss, you sssee."

The dwarf gives Merris a similarly incredulous glance with a piqued brow, while the human seems not to notice the interruption, sagely pulling at the curls of his mustache as he looks at a map sprawled out onto the table before them.

"Ssssuch an adorable little thing you are," the woman continues, leaning forward over the table and resting her chin atop a dainty fist as she eyes Merris, "Why, I could just eat you right up. Pity that we've already had broken our fasssst for today, no? Yessss, I'm afraid we are bound for much danger today," she continues, sounding a bit too dramatic in trying to come off as distressed, "One hasss to be, after all, lessst we not be able to afford treatsss for Ssssylvia here..."

As if to respond, the snake lets out a deep hiss and its long, red tongue flicks into the air, but it doesn't so much as glance Merris' way. Similarly, the dwarf lets out a low grunt of disapproval, but soon joins the human in their strategizing.

-ˋˏ ─────────────────────────────── ༻❁༺ ─────────────────────────────── ˎˊ-

After her somewhat loud introduction, Goop finds herself the center of no small amount of attention, but short-lived, as it turns out, as most of the denizens go back to what they were doing shortly thereafter.

As she is about to decide what to do next, however, she feels a tingling sensation in the back of her leg and looks down just in time to see that something--or perhaps someone--has just walked into her! Quite literally in fact! A troupe of little mouse-sized and mouse-like people, all carrying curiously oversized knapsacks across their backs.

It seems that one of their own, a slightly shorter mouse near as Goop can tell, has managed to accidentally walk straight into her gelatinous form and gotten themselves swallowed up in her body! The poor creature frantically tries to swim around, but apparently making no progress, and Goop can hear the vibrations of its stifled voice ringing through her body.

Something along the lines of "Help! Help! Someone I--wait! Ahh! No! Its in my mouth! Blaaaaaah!" Of course, nobody outside of her body can hear the things cries, but it is quite a comical little pantomime nonetheless.

GM's Notes -----

[Homestarbaby]

Goop

Goop is just taking another breath, a much smaller one this time, when she feels the tingling sensation of something getting inside of her. It tastes like a living thing and thrashes about inside of her. The tiny creature sounds frightened as her voice ripples through Goops body, not quite making it out of her gelatinous form.

Worried by the tiny person's distress, Goop tries to at least get the little mousling at least to the surface so she can breath. But all the thrashing makes it hard to get a grip inside of herself. So she instead sucks the little creature up into her torso and lets the air bubble move down to where the poor dear can at least breathe.

"Hello, little one." she tries to say internally so the little person inside of her can hear. The voice is somewhat monotone, as she has a more impromptu "mouth" to work with. "You seem to have gotten stuck in me. Are you alright? You taste very nice, by the way."

This last comment was meant to be a compliment. Slime people can taste with every part of their body, so for Goop this is the equivalent of complementing someone's perfume or appearance.

OOC OMG THESE MICE PEOPLE ARE ADORABLE!!!!!!!! It would be wrong of me to try and keep them, though. Probably wiser to attempt to befriend first. DEX DC 12 save to get out of her Engulf once trapped inside me, just FYI.

[Xyza]

Khrysa

Khrysa was glad that the Assessor girl was beginning to warm up a bit.

"Ah, well...There is a board in the back where we sign up for midday meals. If you give me but a moment, I'll go and copy the information for you and return...I, um, always get the same thing, a salad made from seasonal vegetables, and since its Summer..."

"Sure thing! Ooh, a seasonal salad, huh? That sounds really fun!" Salads had not been on the menu at the Silverscale Inn, but it seemed to be fairly popular around other places, so Khrysa was interested in learning more. "What kind of ingredients do they use in the summer compared to-...oh, well I guess I'll see once I go over there! I'll let you go now!" the eager chef managed to catch herself before bombarding the poor employee with a dozen more cuisine-related questions.

She continues smiling as Celluey heads to the back room, and takes a peek through the doorway. "Wow, it's even more grand inside there! Are there really that many more Critique employees here? Or is it maybe...some kind of secret room for VIP adventurers as well? I guess I'll see how many orders she comes back with...

In the meantime, Khrysa took a look around the lobby, with some other adventurers still around despite the crowd dispersing. She liked the hustle and bustle of these kinds of places, with people from all around mingling at a stop on their journeys. It reminded her of the good memories from home, and promised a chance for even more interesting experiences in the future.

Two of the bystanders stood out to her - with their distinct appearances they likely would to anyone, but in this case Khrysa also recognized them. There was Rahat, who she'd had some nice chats with when the centaur stayed at the inn a while back, and then had the opportunity to dine with again in Wrenhollow. It wasn't a surprise to see the traveler again nearby here. And joining her was someone familiar...ah! Another former guest. Khrysa had had some interesting, if a bit awkward conversations with the pale woman about traveling...but then later was scolded by her supervisors for neglecting her task of getting the guest to stop sitting in a reserved area. Khrysa smiled and waved in the direction of her acquaintances.

"Hello!"

A loud yell caught her attention, and she turned to face a newcomer with a fluid-like appearance Khrysa hadn't seen before. Still smiling, she gave a nod to the woman, unsure if the greeting was directed at everyone. The new person seemed occupied by something else, however, and Khrysa turned back to the doorway the Assessor had entered. "So many things to see and people to talk to! But first, I need to make sure to finish what I promised here...

[Kaigen]

Rahat Originally Posted by morgantha "You're welcome to join me if you like. If not, I'd be interested in sitting down to a pint later tonight to hear about what's been on in your part of the world,"[/b][/color] she added. Rahat was about to remark that executions were at least more practical than captivity when the basic necessities of life were scarce, but Langtree had already moved on. The vampire didn't strike her as the squeamish type—was there such a thing as a squeamish vampire? She supposed there could be, given that there were people who would happily eat meat but turn gray at the sight of a slaughter—so perhaps that was meant to be for her benefit. Or perhaps Langtree merely didn't care, and it was all small talk. "Joining our skills may be wise." It had worked out well enough when dealing with that necromancer, at least. Rahat still wasn't sure how to fit people like Langtree into the way she saw the world, and she had avoided visiting Soulstice on her journeys as a result. "I had been intending to check on someone at the tavern—" Originally Posted by Homestarbaby "Hello!" Rahat danced two steps to the side, hooves clattering against the floor, as her head snapped in the direction of the sound. She hadn't registered someone else coming in and certainly hadn't been prepared for them to announce their presence so loudly. As she looked the newcomer up and down, she saw a mouse person walk right into her and realized why. The person wasn't entirely solid, and so would have sounded like part of the environment to her. This must be one of the slimefolk. Rahat had yet to meet one—the desert was not necessarily conducive to them, she assumed. Still moving her legs in place nervously, she made up her mind to approach. "Excuse me," Rahat said, "But will they be alright?" She pointed at the mouse person currently floating in the midst of the slimefolk's body. "Do you need help getting them out?"