[Open] Treasure in the sands 2.0

[Mysticsage]

The door to the guild hall open abruptly one evening, loud enough to draw a large majority of the attention. In strides a man dressed in fine silks and jewels. He is one of the well known merchants who has mad this town his home. An 'enterprising' man known for his trade routes to far lands and exotic goods. His name is Reginald Hals and he carries himself as a much younger man then his hair that betrays him.

He and and a quivering attendant move up to the notice board and calls to everyone.

"I am looking for a few brave souks willing to go on a little errand for me to the desert kingdom of Shadar!" his voice boomed jollily as he stroked his goatee. "I have made an important purchase and now need reliable escorts to get it back here unharmed and as you all know the guild is the best!"

"Anyone going of course will be rewarded greatly!"

[spoiler]   
4-6 players
    At least level 3
    Total 9000 exp
    2000 gold and any treasure you acquire
    Will require both combat and diplomacy [/spoiler]

[Alti]

Thin fingers tapped the edge of harrowing card, the only card face up on the table in a row of nine, the rest of the aged, and well cared for, cards lay stacked to her right. The normally blushed tone of her cheeks drained away to leave a glacial expression of utter shock. After what seemed like long moments she was startled back to reality by the booming voice of a man who obviously had the look of a merchant, with assistant in tow.

A moment later, with a flourish of her hand, the nine cards were returned to the deck. She caught the merchants eye as his words fell onto the crowd. She was on her feet in the same moment, the deck being shuffled thoroughly, as she started toward Reginald Hals. From below the crimson cloak, mantling her now grim countenance, came her silky voice.

"I believe that we will." referring to his statement of reward.

She was obviously alone, no companions sat with her, none of the other guild members had even so much as startled at the voice, before her words had fallen silent. Her hand deftly stowing the deck beneath the long full cloak, which was clasped with a well manufactured semblance of the guild crest. She sidestepped, with a fanciful twist, and was standing at the merchants side. Waiting patiently for the "others" who would surely appear, her hands clasped lightly at her waist.

[Linwelin]

Feet up and chair leaning back, Kin was in his usual seat at a table near the guild bar, casually drinking his favorite mead. The one oddity that stuck out, though some were beginning to get used to it, was that he had beside him a little girl; she was showing next to no emotion and practically attached to his side, with her chair pushed up beside his, carefully drinking what seemed to be a cup of fruit juice. The halfling didn't budge at the merchant's entrance, as he was more concerned with relaxing after training. But suddenly his interest was piqued.

"Shadar? A desert civilization, eh?" Kin put his hand to his chin, looking upward in thought. "There could be some interesting smith techniques to be studied there, and cultural styles that may work into my craft. As for combat...eh, Master Suttikul showed me the Desert Wind style. Wasn't my thing. Though who knows?" While he's on the verge of deciding, he watches an unfamiliar half-elf step forward confidently. He couldn't read her at all, and thus became a little curious. "A new land AND a new face?" Kin smirks, then downs the rest of his drink. After slamming it down on the table with a satisfied gasp, he turns to Anastasia, the girl beside him. "How does a bit of fun in the sun sound, Ana?"

With that, the two of them walk up. "I'm in, Regi."

Suddenly, he has a passing thought. One of a certain underground cavern. An unbearably hot one. The memory causes the Halfling to grimace for a moment before shaking himself out of it. Cautiously, he asks a question. "...We'll have plenty of water...right?"

[Anastasia Sheel]

The young girl had been staying with the guild for sometime now, and though she was still getting accustomed to the different people, she still was only comfortable with Kin, and continued to follow the halfling around where-ever he had went. She was mostly quiet, proceeding to only stare and listen to whenever her hero, Kin, decided to have conversations with others. She would listen and observe, absorbing as much information as she can, as she kept her distance from the other guild members. At times Kin would speak with her, and as usual Anastasia, the name Kin had given her, would respond back in her own way. Usually it would be a silent stare, with a slight nod, but for one reason or another decided to respond back just a bit more livelier.

"How does a bit of fun in the sun sound, Ana?" Kin had asked.

Hero is excited, I should be excited too, right?

Anastasia nodded slightly more vigorous than usual, her movements surprisingly springy. Though she barely showed it, the keen eye would have noticed the slightly warmer visage of her features. That said, the usually emotionless girl was known for her supposed aloofness, and any normal onlooker probably would have dismissed the slightly livelier reaction as a fluke.

But there was no denying it. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and her eyes, though still kept its usual blankness, looked just slightly more inviting.

[Mysticsage]

"Wonderful! Then it seems we have a deal It is always good for the heart to see such people rise to the call of Adventure!" Reinald gives a full belly laugh that seems to reverberate throughout the entire guild hall while his attendant jumped at the loud sound wringing his hands and looking like he might pass out at any moment. After a few moments of continued laughter that verged on the level of the obscene The large man seemed to sober himself up. He had a new predatory air about him as if he could smell fresh meat.

"Now lets get down to business shall we?" he said with a grin moving to the table where the halfling and young girl had been siting. He beckoned for his young attendant, who quickly jumped forward into action from his place at the door and ran to his master's side. With another grunt for action from Reginald the attendant searched through the large pack on his till he found a table sized scroll. Laying it flat the group would see the world laid before them. The coast where the guild and the city it lived in was easily mapped which made sense since it was a larger trading hub. If they turned their gaze far to the east where the plains turned to sands They would see the Sadar empire sprawled across the central sands.

"Now then I don't know how much the guild has dealt with the Shadar in the past, but my package is somewhere in the capital city of Izole. He pointed to the large dot somewhat close to the sea in the southern central sands. My associate their who has procured my goods will be in the Dancing winds Tavern somewhere in the night after your arrival. His name is Nelif I believe. From there I simply need you three to protect the cargo for a few days till the next of my ships can come and pick you up again. I would have done such a simple job myself, but i've had a bit of a complication with some affairs here so I thought it better to hire some professionals."

He handed motioned for his attendant to hand him something, and the boy quickly dug out a wrapped package, which he handed to Kin. "That has  all the paperwork and seals you will need upon entering the country as well as notification for passage back home. I'm sure I don't have to tell people like you how difficult it can be moving through their territory. Shadar for having one of the world's largest military forces they are extremely isolationist in nature, Getting anything out of them is no simple task. They protect their natural resources with everything they have. I would Swear those mages are Xenophobic All those Mana Stones and they horde them like dragons!"

Reginald continued to rant for a number of minutes to no one in particular. Before he took his leave. "if you want any more information on the region i''m sure their is someone else in the merchants guild who can help."

[spoiler]You now have one day to prepare for the trip talk amongst yourselves do as you please the Ship will leave at 6:00 Pst as the latest when  i make the next post. I will deal with anything your characters need btwn then. Info checks ect [/spoiler]

[Alti]

Tatyanna's cloak made nary a ruffle as she matched pacing with the men. Following to their destination, her face came into view of the others. The soft skin of her cheeks had a warm glow. As she looked over Kin and Anastasia, her yellowish eyes, critically assessing the two as the merchant, Reginald Hals, prepared the table for the reception of the large map his assistant was supplying.

Stooping down to Anastasia a warm smile spread across her velvety rouge lips. Placing a hand on the girls shoulder. "Well met young one, my name is Tatyanna. It looks like we'll be traveling together dear. I want you to do your best and learn. Keep your eyes open, always. Watch everyone and everything, then remember it." Her thin, jeweled, fingers straightened the gals hair moving it from her eyes. Lingering a moment drifting away in thought she added. "...but you do that anyway don't you..." almost a whisper.

She turned her eyes at Kin, with a look of incredulity, those eyes seemed to scream that he had better know what he was doing. Seemingly also, 'You can bet we are going to talk about this.' She intended to do just that.

Just as suddenly, she turned her attention to the map and the directions the merchant was bantering about. Her eyes glazed over as she listened to his description of the mission at hand. Kin would get the details surely. What did she know about the Shadar, about Izole? Surely she would remember if a story or some rumor had crossed her path.

She snapped to attention and out of her moment of reverie, as the the words "....those Mana Stones and they horde them like dragons!" hit the air. She had to know more. but she had to act fast.

[Alti]

Knowledge: History
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 11 + 8, total 19[/blockquote]

Knowledge: Geography
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 6 + 7, total 13[/blockquote]

[Linwelin]

Kin caught Tatyanna's glance of judgement seeing that he was bringing a child along. "Oi, oi! Don't give me that look. The girl here won't leave my side, and if I tried to leave her here in safety she may run out to try to follow. I'd rather have her under my protection than possibly running through the wilds. Besides," He gives a little 'Hmph', "she's more capable than you think." He gives a gentle pat on Ana's back in assurance.

Right as he finished his defensive statement, he has the package of paperwork shoved into his hands. "Ugh, paperwork. That explains why I never bothered to travel there." Kin says disinterested. Still, he recognized the importance of it, despite wanting to hand off the duty to someone else. "So all we're doing is guarding some cargo for a few days in the port? From the sound of things, yer paying more than necessary. You'd be an idiot of a merchant to do business like that, but you seem well off enough that that's not the case. What trouble can we expect? Is there someone seeking yer goods? It's best to be upfront now." Kin was always suspicious of not knowing the exact goal of a job. That's why he preferred exterminations and escorts more than guard duty and intrigue. But guard duty it was.

[spoiler]I also want to note that I think Tatyanna is asking the Merchant about the mana stones and such. Is that right?[/spoiler]

[Alti]

[spoiler=Clarification for Kin]That is incorrect. It was mental. Though there was a noticeable reaction when he spoke about the Mana Stones.[/spoiler]

[Alti]

     Shimmering amber eyes dart to the Halfling as he attempts to defend himself.  She was slightly taken aback at his statement. She hadn?t intended to get that sort of response from him. As she thought about it, Tatyanna didn?t know much about Kin. They certainly have never been formally introduced. She had seen him from time to time and knew that he had a propensity to speak his mind. Her head nodded slightly, more in acknowledgement to his quandary than anything.  Taty?s finger idly picked at the brass buckle that was hidden under her robes, out of sight. It made a distinctive, methodic, metallic ticking.

     She watched Kin closely as the merchant wrapped up the interaction; she eyed the documents he now held gawking over. The metallic ticking noise stopped abruptly as her arms were withdrawn from behind the curtain of the crimson cloak she wore. As it peeled away Kin and Anastasia could make out the deep twilight color of the reverse side. Also visible were various pieces of jewelry, which emitted tinkling noises of their own.  She lowered the hood of the cloak now as well and her fiery hair fell around the folds of the fabric in a cascade of auburn flame. Kin and Anastasia could catch the wafting scent of exotic perfume and earthy incense.  She extended her hand to Kin, with a similar warm smile that she had given Anastasia only moments before.

     ?I think that we may have gotten a bit ahead of ourselves? she extended her jeweled fingers to Kin, as sign that she expected civility in a hand shake.  ?Perhaps it is pertinent to start over with a formal introduction. I am Tatyanna Vaeles. It is my extreme pleasure to have fate destine that we should travel together.?

     After introductions she walked around the table looking at the map and beckoned Kin and Anastasia to gather around as well. She cleared her throat and started softly. ?Kin, as the senior member of the guild and seemingly a capable warrior of some repute, I believe that you should take lead here. ? She wore a look of satisfaction, which turned in an instant to grim severity. ?We need to address a few points of concern for the upcoming journey. As you know knowledge is valuable, in more ways than one. This is a deadly serious situation we are heading into. The land of Shadar is built very largely on a caste system and everyone who is anyone there values the worth of their mages and magic above most else.  There are a few things that might get us into trouble while traveling abroad, so if you can keep the ?outbursts? you are well known for, to a minimum while around anyone of importance. That would serve us well. It?s very likely that we will need to turn over any goods that we find while there before being permitted to leave Shadar on the return journey.?

       She paused for dramatic effect, ?If we make it that far. For that to happen we need to prepare thoroughly. I have several preparations to make for myself. I assume that you will be handling preparations for this young lady? If you need assistance just let me know.? With that she let up a bit and smiled to Kin. She waited silently. 

(Modified only for layout issues)

[Anastasia Sheel]

When the one who introduced herself as Tatyanna had first placed her hands on Anastasia's shoulder, the young girl couldn't help but have her eyes drawn towards the new stranger. She hadn't met the well-dressed lady before, but Anastasia had begun to get used to the idea that every day staying with her hero, meant that every day she would be meeting new people. At the very least, there were enough other guild members who went in and out of the guild building that it seemed that there would be no end to the entire parade. It took her only a few days after she had been first brought to the guild to realize that it's members were usually out and about completing various tasks that other people had asked for. Anastasia could still remember each of the times when someone had come in asking the guild for some sort of favor or request, and though she didn't always quite understand what was being asked for, she was able to recall word for word what was said and how it was asked.

Some of the guild members who accepted the requests looked warm and inviting, but still there were some that looked large and scary, which had always given the little girl pause as she considered them. Large creatures reminded her of a dark and dank place and though she couldn't understand the strange whirl of emotions that ran through her mind as larger guild members loomed over her, she didn't feel entirely comfortable either. Whenever that happened, rather than showing an outward reaction of unease, Anastasia would clutch Kin's shirt just slightly tighter.

Kin was always around, and as long as he was, she would be okay.

As Tatyanna finally let go whispering a few select words to her, Anastasia drew her eyes towards the newcomer again. She thought about talking with her in her head, perhaps tell the lady her name. But she stopped, remembering the words of a particular individual. The young girl shuffled in closer to Kin, her wide eyes staring at Tatyanna taking in as much information about her looks, scent, and demeanor as possible. Tatyanna would be one of the people going with Kin, right? Then she had to get used to her as well.

But more than that, Anastasia was intrigued by the lady, she seemed very smart. No... Anastasia thought finally deciding on the word.

Observant.

[Ella]

Callista Fae

Callista was bored. None of the kids in town were available to play with her. They were all either stuck doing chores or some other lame excuse, like being sick. Simon did not have any work for her to do today, something about business being a little slow lately, and she had already finished fixing all of her faerie clothes wardrobe. She was not sure where Annia, Gandin, or any of the others she usually hung around were at. If something did not happen soon, she might have to go back to the guild and prepare a massive guild-wide prank. Kehehe... Now that would be epic!

Entering the guild hall, Callista, found a well-dressed stranger talking with a few guild mates. Hey! That was that one guy who had saved her from the circus people! And Ana! And some pretty new guild member she had yet to meet! They were all looking down at a map and pointing at places clustered in a particular area of the map.

Curious, the faerie flew over and plopped herself down near the area where they had been pointing.

"What's this place?! Are you guys going there?! Can I go, too?! I've never been there before!" She sprung question after question at the finely dressed man and her guild mates.

[Mysticsage]

Reginald watched the interactions with a look of slight amusement on his face as he watched the group's interactions.

In regards to Kin's questions he just starts to laugh, "Oh no I doubt their will be much trouble your contact is a very reliable source of goods within Shadar. From the information I've gathered I doubt that anyone will try to stop you or even care about what's going on before you even leave."

"As to why I'm choosing to hire you adventures a merchant in my business has to be extra safe with their goods. It's better to pay for more protection up front rather then losing all your profit from the back end." He leaned forward resting his head on his fingers. "The life of a merchant is a cut throat one after all. No one else knows about this deal and I'd rather keep it that way if you understand my meaning."

[spoiler]though you doubt you'll get much more from him.

in future when asking these kinds of questions its better to just roll diplomacy ect when looking for sensitive info.[/spoiler]

[Linwelin]

Listening to the merchant's explanation, Kin nodded quickly in understanding. "Got ya! Hire it out so anyone watching you doesn't take note of the business. I KNEW there was more to it. We're meeting up with the ship, captain, and crew...where, exactly?" It had been a while since Kin last sailed across the sea, so he'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little excited.

Once he obtained the meeting location from Reginald, Kin gave a short, conclusive farewell. "You've got yourself a deal, Regi. We'll be there, and keep your cargo safe. On my honor as Kin Sheel, of the Guild of Galas'nor."

At that he turned to address his stranger of a guildmate. At turning to greet her once more, he blinked a few times. "Oh ho! So there is a person under those robes." Despite his exclamation, the woman before him still stuck out her hand in a offering of friendship. One Kin quickly grabbed hold of in a firm shake. "No hard feelings meant, nor taken. And though I guess I just announced it, the name's Kin Sheel. Well met." After releasing the handshake Kin follows her to view the map as the conversation began. He nodded along at the points made, but as soon as Tatyanna began to bring up the politics a smirk grew across his face, "Now, now, Robes. I'll take lead, sure, but when it comes to talking pretty with nobles, I've no interest in the first place. I live to smith weapons, fight fights, and help those who I think are right. So when things shift from the blacks and whites of that simple point of view, to the greys of politics. I'll either step out, or distract myself while others do the talking. Which in this case, silver-tongue, means YOU!." He emphasizes the last statement, pointing right at her face determinately. "Because those silly caste systems and endless debates going nowhere can drop down to the ninth hell o' Nessus for all I care."

"But if you're asking me to shut up, well, no need. I've nothing to say to them. But guarding the goods and military organization, now that I can manage." At this he turned his pointing finger to a thumbs up, and his smirking features went to a full grin. "Either way, I'm more concerned about Ana, here."

At the mention of preparations, Kin thought a moment. Did Ana even have travel gear? I could be ready in an hour if needed, but... Kin's thoughts trailed as he looked down toward Anastasia, thinking of things she'd need.

"Yup, I guess I'm going shopping." He said bluntly, turning back to Tatyanna. "After all, were headed to a desert. It would be best if we had something to ward off the heat. Among other supplies. Well, I'm sure Ternadan's markets have SOMETHING of use."

Right as he was getting ready to gather up and start his supply run, a familiar, tiny figure plopped down before them.

"What's this place?! Are you guys going there?! Can I go, too?! I've never been there before!"

"Ah! Twigs! Well, sure. But...it's a desert. You DO know what a desert is, right?" Kin asked pressingly.

[Ella]

Hmmm... A desert... That was a type of dessert, right? In which case, it should be delicious. Wow! An entire place made up completely of deliciousness! Callista imagined chocolate rivers flowing into pudding ponds. And lakes of jelly that instead of skating on, one could use as a trampoline AND food. She imagined mountains made of cakes, with their peaks made up of cold ice creams. The trees and other plant life must produce the candies and other sweet treats. They were all going to get fat on their journey! Hahahaha~

"Well, duh!" She replied. "A desert is a land full of delicious desserts!" Then she thought of everyone getting fat on all the sweets again and could not contain herself. "Hahaha~ You're gonna eat too much and get so fat we'll have to roll you back! I bet I'll have to be rolled back, too!"