The Salted Earth IC

[Aard_Rinn]

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Everyone except Petra and Raziel:

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You are mercenaries. Although your individual backgrounds are up to you, you have all worked for the CotK before. About a week ago, you received a letter from a paladin named Cierdes, requesting you come meet with him for a mission of dire importance. He also requested your silence on the matter. The letter intrigued you, so you came to Raahlsheim, only to be greeted by a group of other mercenaries you had never met before, and ushered into Cierdes' office.

Petra:

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You are on this mission as a Paladin of the Church of the Kirin. A few days ago, Cierdes sent a message to you, requesting your assistance as a representative of the Church and expressing the need for utmost secrecy on a mission of grave importance. Because he is a respected older knight, as well as your superior within the Church, you saw fit to oblige him, and came to his offices at the assigned time, only to be suprised by the arrival of a whole troup of other people (the rest of the party.)

Your role in this mission is to oversee this mission for the CotK, and to requisition aid from the Church in Illis if necessary, because the party can't travel under the official authority of the CotK. All of this was explained to you shortly before the below scene.

Your mission must remain secret from the higher-ups in the Church, who are currently engaged in a pissing contest over jurisdiction with the CotRHM. Ideally, the whole matter will be settled by the time they are done squabbling, and you will be able to avert the political storm that is brewing between the churches.

Raziel:

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You are on this mission as a Disciple of the Raven-Haired Man, and a representative of the CotRHM. Your were informed by your former teacher, Ereman Viilks, that he had a task for you that required your silence, and ordered to report to a Paladin named Cierdes at the CotK. Upon finding this man, you were greeted by the sight of a group of mercenaries - everybody else in the party.

Your role in the party is to represent the CotRHM in Illis. There is no formal Church established there, but nevertheless, there are clerics who serve the RHM in almost every town, serving as healers, defenders, and undertakers. You are to provide the appearance of a formal group in the service of the CothRHM, and to requisition help from these Clerics as needed. Also, you are to report back to Viilks about events in Illis as part of the formal investigation by the CotRHM. All of this was explained as part of your briefing by Viilks.

Your mission must remain secret from the higher-ups in the Church, who are currently engaged in a pissing contest over jurisdiction with the CotK. Ideally, the whole matter will be settled by the time they are done squabbling, and you will be able to avert the political storm that is brewing between the churches.

“Ah. Welcome; I’m glad to see you have all made it here. My name is Cierdes.”

The man who sits across from you is old, but despite his grey hair and the fine lines that edge his features, he still radiates power and authority. He leans back in his chair, fingers steepled before him, and surveys your group, keen eyes examining each of you, as if stripping away your skin to reveal the soul beneath.

“I hope you have all been safe in your travels. However the matters that have brought us all together are serious ones, and so we should direct our attentions immediately to the reason you are here. We of the Church of the Kirin would like to secure your employ with us for a… mission, of sorts.”

The paladin lowers his hands, leaning in towards the table. “There are dire rumors afoot in the land, my friends. Stories have reached the Church on the lips of many a traveler, and they concern us greatly. There is word that in Illis, the dead are… restless. Abominations against life, rising as if by their own volition – you can see why we cannot ignore this matter. But… there is a catch.”

He sighs, and suddenly, the exhaustion in his face is apparent. He seems old, very old, even though his body is still sound.

“The Church of the Kirin cannot act in matters such as this – it falls to the servants of the Raven-Haired Man to handle the dead, as we handle life. Without their permission, our paladin’s hands are tied – we can protect the innocent, but not investigate the cause, not without risking offending the Church of the Raven-Haired Man. But… their Church is smaller than ours, and they have little formal presence in Illis. They lack the resources to pursue this matter, so we are stuck struggling to stym the rising tide. We cannot prevail forever.”

He looks to each of you, his dark eyes finally settling on Raziel. “That is where you come in. I have decided to move on this where those above me will or can not. I have contacted another priest, a servant of the Raven-Haired Man, and had him send me one of his students; you, Raziel. I have chosen one of my own most trusted paladins; you, Petra. And I have hired the rest of you, my friends, in order that we might see this resolved now, rather than allowing the contamination to spread.”

He places a handful of papers on the table, each covered in a different scrawled handwriting. "This is all we have on the situation, my correspondence with agents of the Church within Illis. We know that the undead are rising, but beyond that... nothing. Not a peep. Your mission is to go and destroy whatever is causing these problems. Raziel and Petra’s presence give you the Church’s legitimacy, but I caution you – you are not agents of the Church in this. If I am found to have interfered in this, my place in the Church will no doubt be forfeit, as will my collaborators in the Church of the Raven-Haired Man. I only defy the will Church now because… I am old, children. Soon I will face the Kirin, and answer to her for the deeds of my life. I will not have it said that in my last days, I left people to suffer because of some kind of petty politicking.”

He is silent, for a moment, before he speaks again. “I do not know what has caused the dead to waken – be it will of man or relic or of God. Go to Illis and seek the answer, and when it is found, destroy it and end the undead plague. I will provide you what help I can, but in the end, I can only do so much from beneath the Church’s eyes, and I am still needed here. Do you understand?”

[PersonMan]

Rodrikk is a short, dusty traveler. At least, that's what she looks like. Her hair is cut short, obviously by one not especially good at the task, and has clearly not seen a thorough wash recently. Rodrikk's cloak has clearly been through quite a bit of wear, and bears obvious patches in multiple places.

Although it lacks the trappings of beauty, her face could be called 'cute', especially as it seems to have avoided all but the lightest of scars. Rodrikk's eyes are the only truly feminine quality in her appearance, and seem to contain an obvious warmth, a welcoming gaze, as well as a cold look.

The blade Rodrikk wields is in a similar condition as its wielder. While it was once a fine weapon, now the long sword has little of its former glory. The handle is nearly bare, with only a simple metal grip covered by a few tattered pieces of leather and strips of cloth tied together, an unadorned, worn smooth pommel at the end. The cross guard was once lavishly decorated, but now bears the signs of years of use rather than excellent craftsmanship. The blade itself is in good condition, although its shine is long gone.

"Yes." Rodrikk says, voice soft, more or less entirely concealed by the cloak she's wearing. For whatever reason, she's chosen to crouch on her chair rather than sit on it. Perhaps because she's short enough that she needs to do that to be on the same height as the others. Although she isn't wearing shoes, this could still end up annoying Cierdes, as her feet are quit dirty. She notices the papers the man places on the table and looks to him for some kind of response as she extends an arm towards it. If he doesn't move to stop her, or similar, she will take them and look at the various papers.

Picking the one with the neatest handwriting, Rodrikk places one index finger under the text and slowly moves it to the right, squinting at the text and whispering to herself slowly.

[Lightning Fast]

A heavily muscled dwarf with no shirt and a commanding presence leans back in his chair and smiles, putting his hands behind his head. Judging by his battle-scars and confident demeanor, it is very apparent that he's experienced in the field of mercenary work, or at the very least, fighting overall. Some might consider his lack of modesty to be somewhat grotesque, especially considering his abundance of body hair which contrasts his completely bald head. Granted, judging my his appearance, he does have a reason to show off: his arms and legs are thick as branches, giving the impression that he could snap a normal man in half like a twig. His beard comes down almost to his knees and is tied in an elegant braid, which sharply contrasts his demeanor.

"Killin' zombies? Sounds fun! His accent serves as another indication of how long he's worked in this trade: it is considerably more subtle than the average dwarf's accent, though still very prominent. If we're dealing with a necromancer, would you want 'em brought in dead or alive?

[Aard_Rinn]

"As a servant of the Kirin, I of course wish to see the perpetrator of these crimes brought in to face the will of the law." Cierdes raises a glass of water to his lips. He takes a deep drought of it, and then returns his attentions to you.

"Of course, we can't always have what we want. A living criminal still leaves the issue of jurisdiction - the Church of the Kirin would want him tried in our courts, while the Raven-Haired God's servants have their own way of dealing with such issues, or so I understand." The look he shoots Raziel is cool, but not hostile; it is clear that this is a issue that he has been forced to deal with before, and that he finds the matter wearying.

"If a necromancer is the one responsible for these crimes, kill him. Show no mercy; I promise you, he has shown none to his victims." He looks to Petra, clearly trying to gauge the other paladin's response, and addresses his next words to her.

"While it is not in line with the teachings of the Church, I believe that in this case, the Kirin will be understanding of our mortal imperfections in her service. We cannot risk further dividing the Churches so soon after the end of the war - if there is to be a lasting peace, we must present a united front as servants of the Gods, and I will not see this matter be the tipping point that sparks a war between the faiths. Please, forgive me what I ask of you, and bear with it knowing that we act always to quell the causes mortal suffering."

[razorback]

Lindro sits, impassively as the others come in and join him. As Cierdes describes his story, his face is like the bones of the earth, neither moving or giving away any of its secrets.
As the stout dwarf makes his response to the paladin, he stands and walks behind his chair, leaning softly against the back of the chair. While anyone looking notices the that the loose fitting dark clothes move behind him as if out of synch by a mere moment, once his quick and precise movements stop, the watcher realizes that he moves with a catlike grace and that his thin frame holds wiry and compact muscles like piano wire stretched across stone.
Once Cierdes responds to Darwin, Lindro looks at his finger nails for a moment, mentally noting an imperfection that he will deal with later before responding.
"Your will, my lord. I will abide by your wishes in this endeavor. I have yet to wet my blade on the undead but flesh is flesh and the true strike will end unlife just as it will end a life. Will either of these two " he continues as he sweeps his hand lazily at Raziel then Petra "be in charge of this mission?"

[CrimsonKnight]

Eschewing a chair, Petra remained standing near the back, leaning against a wall with her arms crossed and a thoughtful look on her face as she listened to her superior talk. Tall and sturdily built, under her longcoat of blue, black, and silver, she is clad in well-worn armor and carrying a large sword and steel shield on her back that have all obviously seen much use but are at the same time clean and well-maintained, obviously well-kept for. Her scarred and weathered face, combined with her graying blond hair, are an obvious sign that she has already seen quite a few seasons (and combined with her well-worn gear, quite a few battles as well), but if her age has softened her at all, you'd be hard pressed to notice it.

A look that could best be described as "hungry" crossed her face at the talk of undead, and at the mention of a necromancer, a smile actually crossed her face, though it became somewhat muted when Cierdes informed them of how they should deal with the potential quarry. After a moment, she nodded.

"It is a difficult choice, but I agree. These undead and whatever is creating them must be destroyed, but we must also be discrete. This peace is still so fragile... a single event like this could shatter it."

[Dromuthra]

Raziel had arrived later to the meeting than he had hoped, as his horse had drawn a stone up into its hoof, meaning that he had needed to dismount and lead the horse the last mile. Handing the reins off to a waiting stable hand, he dusted off his banded mail and approached the waiting circle.

Listening to the Cierdes, he wondered why Ereman had been vague about the nature of the mission. He had simply sent a letter to Raziel instructing him to leave his current mercenary group - the Golden Suns - and to travel to Illis, whereupon Raziel was to act as an envoy from the CotRHM.

Raziel had shaken his head when he read that last line.

"Why send me? I've been perhaps the most removed of any from the politicking between the churches."

And here he was.

His golden eyes narrowed at the mention of the possibility of a necromancer, his fists involuntarily clenching as memories from that night flashed across his mind, uncalled. Damping them back down, he concentrated instead on what the others were saying. At Lindro's comment, Raziel turns to him.

"Prior to arriving here, I was only told to meet Cierdes and to help in any I could. Retrospectively, that message makes much more sense since the task involves the undead." Grinning wryly, he continued, "Not telling someone that they were going to be a leader does not strike me as something sensible. So, no, not to my knowledge. I am here, however, to hunt down undead, an action that requires my presence. In all honesty, apart from all of you, the only difference in me is that I can stamp approval on how we as a group decide to handle undead. So. Necessary? Politically, yes. Set up to be the leader? No.

Here he paused to look around at the rest.

Taking a breath, Raziel said,

"Quite frankly, I doubt that any of us know each other, except to the extent that I know that she" indicating Petra "is a respectable paladin of Kirin, and that the rest of you appear to be mercenaries. I'm not saying that you aren't all respectable, but that's what your clothing and bearing tells me right now." Shrugging his shoulders, Raziel said,

"I would much rather deal with the question of leadership after we've been together for a while, so that when we do make a decision it won't be considered unfair." Looking around at the others,

"Make no mistake. I am here to destroy undead and return their bodies to their rightful rest. I would just rather do it either in charge of people I trust or following someone I trust."

[Thokk_Smash]

As the older man finishes his speech, the long silver-haired Jason fiddles around with his lute absent-mindedly. It has long since been ingrained into his muscle-memory, turning the knobs and strumming the strings lightly. His colorful clothing adds a contrast to the clothing of the others, but one can see the tell-tale glint of chain armor underneath. He is uncharacteristically silent through Cierdes' talk, as well as the discourse from the others around him. Finally, as Raziel's words end, he nods and settles his lute on his knees.

Clapping his hands twice, he says, Well said, one and all. To be sure, we are a rather eclectic group of people; men and women of the cloth working alongside mercenaries who fight for naught but the next gold piece. Yet I daresay we can all work together when the enemy is a heartless monster that desecrates the bodies of innocent men and women. Even the faithful and faithless can agree that such actions cannot go unpunished.

As we are all unknown to each other, my name is Jason Verchack, traveling minstrel, history buff, and purveyor of good music. I hope to work well together with you all, providing a bit of levity and the odd bit of lore on this and that; and of course, an inspiring tune in combat. He bows to the general crowd, earrings glinting in the light.

As for the leadership position, I must say that I know for sure that I am not the most experienced, nor the most well-trained of us all; I can tell that just by looking around, he says, a clear and perhaps staged tone of humility in his tone. I do agree, sir priest, that we must become more well-acquainted and more trusting of one another before a true leader can be found.

Regardless of who becomes our leader, I must applaud Sir Cierdes' decision to take steps toward combating this menace. Politics and the workings of those in power tend to leave those below in the lurch, forced to fend for themselves. I take my hat off to you, sir, he finishes, doffing his feathered hat and holding it over his chest as he bows. Donning it once more with a flourish, he sits down once more. He returns to his lute, though his eyes are trained on the group, ready to say more if necessary. Talking comes easily to him, after all.

[Aard_Rinn]

"Well, that is your decision to make; I will leave you with it. Under ordinary circumstances, I would have one of the Church's clerics teleport you to Illis, but in this case, I do not wish to draw even that attention to you. I have called in a few favors in arranging transport; an Abbarati Rider should be waiting for you in front of the statue of the Kirin. I don't know who it is, however - Tierceil wasn't sure who would be in the area, but the Rider she sends has your description, Petra. She should come and find you when you reach the fountain."

The old paladin sighs, looking down at his hands. "Listen, my children... Be cautious, understand? This would be a dangerous job, even with the full resources of the Church behind you. As it is... stay safe, you hear me? A necromancer is no small matter; in a better time, even the hint of one would have us rallying a small army of clerics and paladins... but the world changes, and good people suffer for it."

He looks up at you once more, his face now solemn. "We must draw this meeting to a close, I am afraid. I cannot be gone from my duties for long. Go now, and may the Kirin guard your steps."

Cierdes rises slowly. Despite his age, he still stands proud, his body still muscular despite the fact that he is now confined, for the most part, to the temple. He moves with a solemn grace, each step resolute, and pauses only briefly at the door. "Thank you." This said, he nods to Petra, and strides from the room.

[Thokk_Smash]

Cierdes appears to be carved from pure marble in Jason's eyes as the paladin strides out. The tall, proud figure lights a spark of inspiration in his mind, and he whispers a snatch of rhyme, The brave sir knight, his eyes alight, with tears he does not shed/he must away, he cannot stay, with those that fate has led.

Okay, so the man doesn't actually have tears in his eyes, but a little embellishment never hurt anyone, he thinks. He blinks. Well, it never killed anyone. Well...anyway.

With a strum of his lute strings, Jason stands and addresses the group once more. As I have introduced myself, I would ask that you all do so as well. We can even do so on the way to meeting, if you all deem expedience to be a top priority. He strums a little tune on his lute to give a bit of background music.

[Sidwwinder2k]

Kiira

The young girl who has been standing silently leaning against the wall in the corner thus far tosses her long straw colored hair as Cierdes leaves the room and pushes herself off from the wall. She glances around at her companions, deciding that it is apparent each is a capable being in their own right, and weighs the information which has been presented to her. It’s a job if nothing else, -Animation of the dead though, perhaps… No, it’s best not to raise my hopes.- Her time in this world, while it has been short has given her a way with objects, both mechanical and arcane, and it were these skills which were called for in the letter she had received in the last town she had come to. –Still don’t know how Cierdes knew where I would be…-

“I for one am not much of a leader I’m afraid, but I have a way with things that are either mechanical or arcane in nature.” The girl hefts her backpack over a shoulder, her hands and body not quite seeming to make contact with the bag where they should to those with keen eyesight, and smiles at the rest of the group as the bard makes his introduction and calls for the same from the others.

“Call me Kiira please, the name does not truly belong to me, but it is one I was given by someone who in a way introduced me to this world. I’m afraid I don’t have a name to really call my own if I’m to be honest.” Kiira grimaces slightly, the frustration she feels over her lack of a history such as these beings of flesh take for granted coming to her face for a moment. Thinking of the amount of time it is likely she will spend with this group of individuals, she decides to be honest about her appearance. “Also I’m afraid I don’t usually look like this, but I’ve never been to this city before and I would rather not cause a stir where I can avoid it with my real appearance. I do hope you will all understand at least until there are less eyes about. My existence is… complicated… as I’m sure you can tell.” She frowns, then quickly replaces the expression with a friendly expression as she waits for the others to make their introductions.

[PersonMan]

Before long, Rodrikk's reading (not that she got far) is interrupted by talking. A lot of talking. As one of the standing ones says something about the rest of them appearing to be mercenaries, she raises an eyebrow as he continues. Then the other one starts talking. And talking. Just as it seems like there will be no end, he stops. Jason Vendercheck? Rodrikk tries to remember the name as she turns to the next one who speaks, but in a few moments it's gone. Names were something she hadn't had to concern herself for years. She was making an effort, but it was still quite difficult to keep them in her mind. Still, the man had an instrument and the other's didn't. That would be enough to set him apart, despite her issue with faces. He was probably an idiot, though, since he talked about gaining trust.

Then the girl comes over from the wall and, as she speaks, Rodrikk looks at her impassively. Kiira...no way she was going to remember that one. Couldn't someone here have a long name? That she would at least know that one from the rest. 'Long name guy' wasn't the best of nicknames, but it was good enough. Wait, why was she talking about appearance now? Not her usual...? None of it makes sense to Rodrikk, so for now she just decides to assume that Kirin is a master of disguise, like that one man who had bled all over her left hand. He had been very clever. Until she killed him. Then he wasn't clever. Only dead.

Smiling at the humor, Rodrikk notices after a moment that, with Kirin finished speaking, nobody else has stepped up. Well, metaphorically. Stepping up from a chair could be awkward. So she decides to introduce herself.

"'m Rodrikk," the girl says softly, voice surprisingly smooth for someone with multiple scars on the front of her throat. "I...I'm gonn' forget all your names. It's not personal, just, I'm bad with names. And faces," she shrugs. "They jus' kinda blur when I don't focus on 'em. Think it's from the killing," Rodrikk finishes, tone neutral the entire time. It was fine to tell them this. She didn't need faces for keeping her eye on them

Her bit said, all without actually looking at anyone, but rather speaking to the desk before her, Rodrikk returns to silence, beginning to slowly rock back and forth on her feet. She doesn't stay on the chair long, though, eventually lifting herself off the cushion and stepping down to the ground. The shorter leg of her breeches, bearing a rough cut that makes it clear why it isn't as long as the other, is pushed up slightly, revealing the lower portion of another scar.

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Rodrikk is bad with names. Those who have ones similar to very well known ones will have them butchered, rather than forgotten, which could be a bonus.

[Dromuthra]

Hm. What could the artificer - or perhaps wizard, she wasn't clear enough about that - be if not human? Well, at least this journey would be interesting, if nothing else.

...

Odd to see so many other Aasimar. Raziel looked up from his thoughts at Rodrikk when she started speaking, and when she stopped he introduced himself.

My name is Raziel Blackwing, if we're being formal, or Raziel if we're friends." Looking around, he continued, "I hope it'll be Raziel. Also, I hope that our bard here" pointedly looking at Jason and smiling, "can play better than the last one I saw in the Golden Suns. He could barely carry a tune better than a cat, and when he drank, the cat had him beat. Now, let's move on to this Abbarati. I've only seen one once before, and that was when one flew overhead, so I for one would like to examine one up close."

That said, Raziel reaches to the ground to pick up the backpack that he had deposited there, and moves to head towards to where they are meeting the rider. If others go along, he will go, otherwise, he will take a step, turn around, and wait.

[Lightning Fast]

The dwarf pounces on the opportunity to introduce himself the first chance he gets. "Greetings, companions! I'm Darwin, of the Frigidfist clan: slayer of giants and soldier of fortune! It almost seemed as though he had rehearsed his introduction beforehand. "And I assure you, that regardless of how much I drink, I still have most cats beat: including lions.

He briefly assessed his other teammates. First, the bard named Jason: always nice to have around. His silvery hair and golden eyes were a little bit unusual amongst humans, though. Perhaps he had some celestial ancestors. Actually, that seemed to be a recurring theme among the group: three of the people seemed to have similar traits: specifically the holy-looking ones. No doubt useful for combating the undead. One was a servant of the Krin: Petra. Though the dwarf was typically nude from the waist up, he silently envied her nice longcoat. Raziel seemed nice enough, though he seemed a bit up-tight at first glance.

Then there was Rodrikk: a bit of an unusual name for a girl, especially a human one. She seemed more confused than anything, but she mentioned killing at some point. Perhaps she was just shellshocked. There was another warrior as well with a long, slender blade, but he hadn't said much yet. Last was the mysterious Kiira: the one who spoke in riddles. Darwin figured that she had become grotesque as the result of some sort of magical experiment, and therefore had chosen to disguise herself as an average young woman.

[Thokk_Smash]

Jason skips over to Raziel in time with his strumming, grinning. Oh, nothing to fear from me; my voice could lull a raging tiger into a docile little ball. And I can drink if the situation calls for it, but I confess to disliking it. I've found alcohol does not agree with me. And I shan't be ashamed of it, no sir! he declares with a strum of finality.

And I have heard many a tale of the Abbarati Riders, of their mighty gryphons and their deadly tactics. I look forward to meeting one in the flesh.

The stolid dwarf Darwin introduces himself, and Jason takes to him quickly. Darwin the Dwar--no no, that's too bland. Darwin the Destructive; yes, that should work for now. Looking forward to working with you, Darwin.

Jason continues to strum as he looks over the other members of their little band. The barefoot lass looks to be the roughest of their group; Kiira, the oddest, though with time that spot could easily be taken by another. Petra, obviously the oldest (though he would never say that to her face!), seems like she will be the most mature, alongside Raziel. Lindro, the other dwarf in their company, has only said a few sentences; not nearly enough for the bard to make a decision one way or the other. He shrugs and stands next to Raziel, humming the Ballad of the Abbarati Riders softly.

[PersonMan]

Rodrikk, bare feet now on the ground rather than the chair, briefly looks at the others - all, with the exception of the beard-chest dwarf, at least a head taller than her - before she begins to follow the armored one towards the way out. No reason to dawdle in there, after all. Now, what had his name been again? Restful Baldwit? No, that wasn't it...Rodrikk is certain there is an R involved somewhere, though. Still, he was easy to remember; not many people were armored, carried a shield and had a mace as well. Unless it was a local thing. Then it could become tricky to pick him out of a crowd. There was the especially tall one, with the shield and sword. She was the paladin, P-something-or-other. Then the other guy who didn't talk much.

So in the end they had the short beard guy who didn't lose his ability to fight cats while drunk, a musician guy, another guy, that guy, Kirin the disguised girl and the paladin woman. Quite the large group. Rodrikk wonders how many of them will be dead after the first fight. Generally, the larger the groups that go to fight, the smaller the returning one is. Still, it didn't seem to be too bad. With their armor, they would probably last at least one or two hits before going down, so they weren't entirely useless.

As they walk, the musical guy talks some more about drinking and and taming lions and such. Feeling compelled to add her own bit - if she was going to work with these people, she might as well get in the habit of speaking to them. It was one of the Virtuous Tasks, after all.

"Lions'r not worth it. Too much fight, not enough meat. Drinking ale'n'stuff is asking to die," Rodrikk says quietly, pleased with her contribution. With her excellent handling of conversation, they would all be a great team in no time! Or at least, if all went well. It didn't really matter, she was pursuing a Virtuous Task, that was what mattered more than the outcome. Mostly.

As they leave the building, Rodrikk murmurs under her breath, something like "Sermrnmr 'n'glory, Heaven Queen".

[Lightning Fast]

"Darwin the Destructive? Rough, but I like it! That tagline might even land me an extra job here and there," Darwin's happy visage turned to Rodrikk, "An' I agree: bears are the ones ya really want to go after. O 'course, every once and a while, someone decides he wants to keep an exotic pet, and when that pet gets loose, it's yours truly who's got to clean up the mess, y'hear? Jobs that the other mercs are too afraid to mess up their hair for? Those are my jobs. Love a challenge, I do, and I haven't got any hair! Not on my head, anyways."

[Sidwwinder2k]

Kiira

Kiira smiles around at the others in the group, thinking she would do well to be friendly with those she is to be spending her time with for the indefinite future. As the others introduce themselves she commits their names and likenesses to memory, she has a limited number of friends in this world, and while she has yet to reveal herself to these others; she feels that Cierdes would have the presence of mind not to team her up with anyone who would react negatively.

As the cleric moves to the door, Kiira hefts her small pack to join him, also tightening the simple blue headband she wears holding back her hair. "I'm excited to meet this Abbarati as well Raziel," she says somewhat excitedly, careful to use the name he had indicated would imply friendship "I knew one for a time on my journey to this place, and though I have not seen him for some months, I found him to be one of the more accepting hu... people I've met." She recovers quickly from her almost-use of the term 'humans' something which would be considered quite odd due to her currently human appearance.

She turns to the dwarf as he introduces himself, smiling at how animated he becomes during his introduction, though this expression becomes much more perplexed as the bard twists his name around. "Is it Darwin the Destructive or simply Darwin?" she asks, looking honestly confused. -Names are such odd little things, one would think they shouldn't change so easily all the time...- She looks honestly concerned she will get his name wrong by using one or the other.

As the savage girl who had called herself Rodrikk starts talking about alcohol and the amount of meat on a lion she banishes the confused look from her face and chimes into the debate. "I'm afraid I've never had 'lion' before, though I don't really have the need to eat as most others do..." she trails off as she feels she may have said too much without first explaining her biology, if that could even be considered the right term.

[razorback]

<An Abbarati Rider... hmmm...> Lindro thinks to himself. <A mixed bag to be certain.>

"Normally, I would be hesitant to meet without having better contact information but it would be hard to fake being one of the Riders."
Listening to this group banter about bears and lions, he has a hard time gauging if they are jesting or bragging at first. He razes an eyebrow slightly as Jason speaks, wondering if the mans foppish attitude will carry any weight in battle.
"While both are ferocious, I can't imagine that either would stand long against skilled steel." wondering idly if the dwarf would take this as a jab since he seemed not to carry a blade or axe of any type.
He is almost about to discount the waif of a girl until she stands, noting her deadly grace as she moves about with her weight carried on the balls of her feet. <Interesting>. is all he thinks as he initially thought her some thief of some kind.
As Cierdes, he looks at the others and bows at the waist, hand held on hilt to keep it from moving. "Forgive my rudeness. I am Lindro Takan, Initiate of the Blade Mysteries." Straightening, he continues "I look forward in drawing steel with all of you. May The Kirin's blessing be upon you all. May honor and glory fall upon you in both life and death." he says formally as he bows again.
"I assume everyone is ready to go?"

[Aard_Rinn]

As you stride out into the bright sunlight outside the church, a gentle breeze is blowing. It's spring, and the leaves on the trees in the temple gardens are still the bright green of new growth.

Before you lies a courtyard, surrounded on all sides by the three main buildings that comprise the temple here in Raahlshem; in it's center rises a statue of the Kirin, it's white marble gleaming in the light. Many people fill the plaza around it, clergy, visitors, and paladins all going about their business or leaning against the statues base to talk.

It is only a few moments after you arrive at the statue that a young girl approaches you. She is very young, about 12 as humans age, and her hair is light blond and straight, reaching almost to the center of her back. Her eyes are wide and green as she looks carefully at the rest of your group before reaching out and tugging Petra's sleeve, looking up at the older woman with a smile, before returning her attention to ogling the rest of your group.

[Lightning Fast]

Before responding to Kiirn's question about his name, Darwin raised one eyebrow in confusion before saying reassuringly: "Darwin is fine, lass."

She's a strange one... he thought.

Once greeted by the young girl, Darwin smiled. "Who might you be?" he said politely. Despite the child's age, he made sure not to sound as though he was talking down to her.

[Thokk_Smash]

Jason looks at the child with a little surprise and some curiosity. Obviously she must be skilled, he thinks. Otherwise Cieres would not have entrusted us to her. Yet she cannot be older than, well, the children that the great Liliander enlisted.

Ooh, this is getting even more exciting, he thinks as the possibilities swirl in his head. After all, the Abbarati were close to the Children's Army during the war; why wouldn't they accept younger recruits after such a bloody conflict?

Hiding those thoughts, he takes off his hat once more and bows to the child. Hello there, o Rider, he says. A pleasure to meet you, miss...? He trails off, silently asking for her name as Darwin had done out loud.

[Aard_Rinn]

The girl grins at your acknowledgment, twirling around happily. However, she doesn't speak, only nodding exuberantly when you address her as Rider. She stands before you smiling, looking at you expectantly as she bounces on her heels.

[Thokk_Smash]

Jason chuckles a bit at the girl's obvious excitement. She was certainly charming, in her own way. Although hopefully her lack of vocalization is voluntary and not the result of an inability to speak.

Donning his hat, he says,My name is Jason Verchak, minstrel to our humble party. May I ask the name of our guide?

Settling his lute's strap across his shoulder, he strums out the melody to the Ballad of the Abbarati Riders, humming along as he waits for the others to introduce themselves.

[razorback]

As the group walks into the courtyard, keeps a keen eye on the others, noting how they check for danger even in this place, as his master had taught him.

-Always be wary- was one of his many favorite sayings.
Turning his slightly to keep the glare out of both eyes, he registers a moment of surprise from the mute girl.
<Surely, this cannot be the Rider the Lord Cierdes spoke of? he thinks to himself.
As the bard speaks he holds his tongue rather than repeating the question to the girl and looking foolish. Keeping half an eye on the girl for an answer, he scans the nearby buildings and sky for danger, more out of habit and training than any thought of being attacked in this place.

[Aard_Rinn]

At Jason's question, the girl c.ocks her head. Her smile is still pleasant, but she looks confused for a split second, before realization flows across her features. She grins, shaking her head. Then she turns and takes a few steps off, before turning back to your group and beckoning eagerly for you to follow.

[Thokk_Smash]

Jason blinks as the child walks off without a word. When she beckons for them to follow her, he shrugs and gives another grin. Lead the way, O Mysterious Rider, he says, walking a few steps behind her. Remembering how the child had tugged on Petra's sleeve, Jason looks at the armored woman with a questioning look.

[Dromuthra]

Listening to Lindro, Raziel couldn't help but privately grin.
<Reminds me of some of the older priests. Wonder if he'll take the stick out of his *** when we get to know each other. Darwin is amusing, and Jason only more so. Though, where I can see where Darwin could hold his weight in a fight, I can't see much with the bard. I do remember Ereman saying that they were indeed very useful; I'll just have to see. And Darwin doesn't wear armor, so that means he'll probably need more healing than the others.>

Turning a thoughtful gaze towards Kiira, <Hm. Doesn't have to eat; references others as 'human' rather than other 'people' confirms that she isn't human... and not needing to eat? Well, whatever she is, she's shy. Maybe we can coax her out of her shell.>

When the young girl approached them, Raziel's initial thought was that she was another orphan among many, seeking alms or something. He had almost started reaching for his coin pouch when the girl grabbed Petra's sleeve and started leading them. At Jason's correct guess, Raziel had a new appreciation for the girl.

<My my. I hadn't expected the rider to be so young. Given the Children's War, it makes some sort of sense, but I never would have thought of it. Huh. Learned something already.>

Seeing Jason's look to Petra, Raziel comments, "No need for the puzzled look; Cierdes did say he'd sent on Petra's description. I'm more interested in getting to see this little lady's companion."

[Sidwwinder2k]

Kiira

Kiira waits and listens to the remaining members of their group make their introductions, doing her best to commit their names to memory, thinking once again what odd little things names are. As the rest of the group moves outside she follows along, keeping her silence as she ponders how would be the best way of revealing her true appearance to this group she is to be a part of.

As the little girl approaches them, Kiira smiles at her. -These Abbarati are are always such characterful individuals.- She follows along behind the Rider alongside the others of the party, one of the few who doesn't seem to make much of her age, after all she knows almost anyone is older than the few memories she carries.

[Dromuthra]

As a minor precaution, Raziel is casting Omen of Peril surreptitiously. One can never be too cautious... (Question is: How safe will the travel with the rider be?)