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Post by Laertes on Mar 30, 2012 23:50:55 GMT -6
Opportunity strikes at the most odd of times. Stumbling his way onto town just a days ago, Laertes was far from the ideal position he wanted to be in. It was a task to manage and conserve money in the grand scheme of things. While he was able to have the luxury of a few delights, it wasn't something that overly abundant, and definitely far from infinite. There was going to have to be some source of other income, at least for now throughout his travels.
However. There seemed to be something provide a monetary solution for this problem.
Supposedly, there was a group of bandits that some people wanted routed in the town. The various rumors of how many varied amongst the town people, but Laertes chose to focus on the material value of performing such a deed. Odd. The one who couldn't defend himself chooses to defend others. The irony of the moment allowed him to chuckle to himself, as he tapped the hilt of his sword walking around the town in search for the meeting grounds to such a group.
Surely a group of people wouldn't be that hard to find would it? He question himself. The town folk themselves appeared so irregular to him. Somewhat like the ones that wandered the back streets when his father and himself made their trips to conduct their business with Crow. A reminisce, perhaps melancholy urge to remember his last few memories of the old life. Not something he dwelled to much after remembering the stings physically and somewhat emotionally. He shrugged it off, a small chuckle to himself when he noticed a particular group seemingly encircled to themselves. Normally, he might have overlooked everything, if not for the winged beast that a woman seemed to be gently standing by.
"What a peculiar group of people."
Could it be that these were the ones he sought for? Maybe. The curiosity of why one of those winged horses was in such plain sight somewhat intrigued him. A group seemingly battled tested folk peeked his interest even more.
"So. I take it that this is the tact force that wants to exterminate some minor vermin in the area?" He questioned rather loudly, strolling towards the group. What was a little information without the possible instigation of trouble? Laertes wanted to find out.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2012 0:34:53 GMT -6
"What?" Having been attempting to visualize the lay of the land from her limited knowledge of the countryside in Khathelet, Lilly reacted a touch slowly to the Etrurian scu... knight's suggestion. What the hell else would they do with a pegasus knight? "Oh, yes, of course." Her smile was a touch frosty. "That's just elementary tactics, my dear Alicia. What else would one do with a pegasus knight?" She could have sworn she had already described Erica's role as exactly that, but if the hired muscle wanted to play at stratagems, Lilly was going to exact her pound of flesh. Still, at least it hadn't been outright bad advice, just something she'd already hit on herself. "You do seem to have a solid grasp of basic tactics, though. I look forwards to seeing you apply it in battle; the best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley." For an Etrurian was left unsaid, but implied - a compliment and a challenge entwined together intimately.
The battle of wills was interrupted by the arrival of someone else, a raven-haired swordsman who emanated an odd air of apathetic indifference given what they were about to do. She wasn't sure if it was obnoxious or impressive, or how much of it he was faking for that matter, but at least he didn't seem to be outwardly nervous. Bravura, she supposed; a cultivated air of superiority. Something royalty had to do simply as a matter of fact, for who would follow a king who showed uncertainty and fear in public, but he didn't look at all to be of noble birth. Perhaps simply experienced enough as a mercenary to be self-assured without needing any hint of arrogance - but then why would he be responding to a job like this? A yellow brick road to madness, of questions that could not be answered with her limited information. At least he had a sword and looked like he might know how to use it.
Lilly turned to him, arms still crossed. Her smile was still existent but her eyes sharp, analytical as she weighed him. They could use more people, certainly, though it bothered her that he had shown up just as she finished the initial briefing. Repeating herself was not something the mage liked to do, but then wandering around the countryside as a mere mage had not been something she had lived her life hoping to do either; life didn't always work out the way one hoped it would. Learning to roll with the punches, make the best of what happened, and turn it to your advantage was what led to success. "Yes, we are the recon team. Tactical as well when things go as they always do with bandits." As much a joke as a statement of fact, aimed at anyone in earshot who knew how bloody tenacious and widespread the bandit menace was. Ex-soldiers, looters, savages - some bandits could be reasoned with, but all too many reveled in the chaotic conditions of present-day Elibe and refused to give up that freedom. Violently.
"Lillianne, liason for the villagers funding the mission." She nodded to each member of the group in turn as she spoke their names, perfectly willing to give them the chance to introduce themselves properly afterwards but not in the mood to wait another ten minutes of unimportant chatter to get in motion. "Linius, Alicia, Erica." Back to the newcomer, whatever the hell his name was. "I was just briefing the group with up to date intel - are you familiar with the general parameters of the mission, goals, pay, etcetera? Reconnoiter the bandit encampment, determine the best route in, exterminate the entire infestation." Whether or not he knew before, he did now. She raised an eyebrow, a minor challenge. "Here to offer your unique talents, swordsman?"
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Linius
Knight
I am your shield and I am your sword.
Posts: 14
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Post by Linius on Mar 31, 2012 1:36:06 GMT -6
Though he hardly looked relaxed as was, Linius still tensed when Alicia started running her mouth. The subtle underlying challenge did not go unnoticed, and with every word that came from her mouth, he found himself more and more annoyed with her, for lack of a better word. He did not know how the Erturian military conducted it's training, but clearly they failed to instill a proper level of respect into their men and women. Of course, her Ladyship was already armed with a smart reply, not that he'd expected any less. He had a feeling this was going to be a very, very long day.
A rather loud and, in Linius's opinion, obnoxious voice rang out, causing the heavily armored man to turn towards the new speaker. He studied the young man with a critical eye. He was a strapping young fellow, if nothing else. He didn't really seem to have anything that made him stand out as either a soldier or an Ilian mercenary. Probably just a freelancer. He'd always been critical of freelancers, but now was not the time to be picky.
"Lady Lillianne, we should start preparing to move." Linius suggested. "Not everyone in our contingency may have had the chance to check their equipment or have had anything to eat, and to be completely honest, I would like to look over my own effects once more before we head out." he admitted, before looking around to those that had gathered. "However, either way, I trust we can handle this in an effective military manner." he stated with added emphasis, just in case Alicia, and possibly this new face, needed the extra hint.
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Alicia
Knight
In Saint Elimine's name!
Posts: 33
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Post by Alicia on Mar 31, 2012 11:45:43 GMT -6
The knight smiled appreciatively at Erica's support, before her body grew tense once more. Alicia's expression soured involuntarily as Lillianne spoke, growing not quite unlike the one she had when she had swallowed a radish whole, back in her childhood. The sound of her teeth grinding was almost audible to her ears. No. Calm as midsummer's breeze. That was one stormy midsummer breeze, she thought to herself, her mental tone dripping with sarcasm. "Yes, it is rather basic, liaison." The spin on the last word made it clear her use of the informal title was not out of respect, yet she remained polite, her focus entirely on the silvery-haired woman. Or, rather, as polite as was possible while wishing to throttle the Lycian sorceress. It was polite enough, she thought, given the circumstances. She'd ask for Saint Elimine's forgiveness later. "I would expect no less of you. It was but a suggestion. Let us rely on your tactical expertise, then."
She turned to the newcomer as he spoke, her eyes gliding over his figure, examining his equipment before dismissing him from her attention. A sellsword, probably; there never seemed to be a shortage of them. Still, any help was welcome at this point. She nodded at him briefly when Lillianne introduced her, before turning to glare daggers at the older woman once more. She had never encountered someone who could exasperate her like this Lycian did. But lo, the righteous and faithful will receive their just reward in the end, Saint Elimine had said. And perhaps Lillianne's hair would fall off, too. Her gloved hand reached up absently to brush against the tip of her right braid. Wish not curses upon your companions, lest you find yourself burdened by the same. No, she had no desire to end up as a bald old crone. She swallowed, looking away after a few moments, irritated, her lips pursed.
The older knight's words took her by surprise; she had been far too focused on Lillianne to pay any attention to her newest rival. He looked somewhat irritated, annoyed at something, she noted curiously, before giving the equivalent of a mental shrug. Perhaps it was the heat; Saint Elimine knew wearing full armor under this accursed midday sun was difficult enough. Still, a true knight should bear it without complaints. Were they not trained to endure small hardships like those here in Lycia? It was hardly a wonder their kingdoms stood divided for so long, if they lacked such discipline. Still, it was not something that would affect their competition.
His suggestion caused her brow to furrow slightly, but she could see the logic behind it. The void in her stomach reminded her she had not had anything to eat since breakfast, yet she would not give in to hunger. It would not do to show weakness before the group now, after her latest confrontation with Lillianne. As for her equipment, she was confident her armor was expertly secured, and her lance was in perfect condition, as should be expected of a knight. With those and her faith, she had nothing to fear. Still, a quick revision could cause no harm. There was no worse enemy in the battlefield than a broken lance, the master at arms used to say."Very well. Let us do so and be on our way, before the bandits prepare further countermeasures." The knight's last words bothered her slightly, but she supposed they were directed at the mercenary. She knew some of them could be as restless and bloodthirsty as any bandit, after all.
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Erica Winters
Pegasus Knight
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem.
Posts: 39
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Post by Erica Winters on Mar 31, 2012 16:02:52 GMT -6
Erica looked at Lillianne with a continued serious expression. It seemed that she had already thought of Alicia‘s strategy, and in fact assumed it was implied. In honesty even Erica hadn’t thought of using her flying skills to her advantage like that, she truly was lacking in battle experience. However as long as the others were here to make up for that, her flying skills would certainly prove useful. She could sense the sarcastic exchange of tones between the two girls, listening to it was quite frankly a little irritating. While they managed to maintain a professional appearance, the subtext revealed a hidden battle of the tongues. Erica knew better than to get involved or to even point it out. Linius on the other hand seemed to be siding with Lillianne, another action causing Erica to question their previous relationship. None the less she remained neutral, all she had to do was her job.
Erica was relieved for the appearance of a stranger. Within the first few seconds she was happy he offered a distraction from the hidden challenges and insults, but within a moment remembered what he truly offered, a new ally. Her head turned sideward to catch glance of the oncoming stranger. Her long chestnut braid swooping along behind her. Oddly covered raven hair, it was the first thing Erica noticed. She wasn’t sure what to judge of the ma, he looked tough enough obviously a blade for hire. A gentle smile of welcoming broadened across Erica’s porcelain face when hearing his introductory question. He was here to help, splendid. The man wielded a sword, a pleasant addition to a team of magic and lance. While he was armored less in comparison to Linius and Alicia, he could make good use of his movement speed and their wall of defense. Having another striker to rely on helped ease the pressure from Erica. Erica remained silent as Lillianne spoke, allowing her to welcome in the new, what Erica assumed to be, ally. As Lillianne mentioned Erica’s name she offered a usual lighthearted smile and nod of etiquette, before lifting her hand in Kiki’s Direction.
“Erica Winters, my partner Kiki. Charmed.”
She then left Lillianne to brief the newcomer without even giving him much time to state he was actually going to help. However it was probably a safe assumption. Her head curiously turned to the ebony plated knight, reminding her of the task at hand. He was right, it was great to have a new ally but they didn’t have much time left for waiting around. The more they talked the more time Bandits had to gather and prepare. Erica nodded in agreement to the knight, and another to the double braided girl so as not to ignore her.
“I also need to prepare Kiki for battle, when we are ready to leave I suggest meeting outside the town gate.”
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Post by Laertes on Apr 1, 2012 8:56:53 GMT -6
The odd cast of stares fell upon Laertes, which didn't surprise him. He could have come across as bit too direct, and possibly abrasive. Yet the only way to obtain the information needed would be his direct stature. S simple smirk and shrugged followed as the group was seemingly preparing for their recon.
"Charmed. Laertes Domicles." Of course to change of last name was to avoid and all connection to the Aligheri. He didn't need unnecessary association. "A simple extermination really. I think I can hold my fair share, miss Lilliane." Of course, he began to size up the other supposed warriors, assuming she wouldn't be taking charge in the battle at hand. They seemed to be more than a capable bunch, and for the sounds of the villagers, there wasn't that many bandits that required more than the talents of a few battle-ready persons.
Provided each of them had the talent that is.
Still, he assumed they could hold their own weight. It would be up to him to hold his own, but with the need of revenue for a simple life, he wasn't worried about his talents. A tad bit overconfident? Perhaps. But it was gonna take a rough day to shove him off his high horse.
"Well then. I'll await those who need to prepare then."
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Sammi
Archer
Love People Not Things, Use Things Not People
Posts: 23
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Post by Sammi on Apr 1, 2012 11:55:03 GMT -6
(OoC: since this is open I hope I can join if it's not to late)
Sammi wandered around the forest she was currently in and felt lost. She was happy for the freedom and all from being on her own, but she was still fifteen and needed money. However, she was unfamiliar with where she was and how to find her way out of the forest. Forests were practically like home to her, but she still was very lost. She grabbed her bow and shot an animal that ran across her path. "maybe I can trade this." she thought. After about another hour of walking, she finally got a glimpse of a town. Small, but still it was out of these unfamiliar woods. On her way out she thought to herself " But I still need a job and I am practically deepest for money." She hoped there would be people around looking to hire a fifteen year old who had no other skills except using the bow and arrow. And hunting. On her way past, she saw a group of people who seemed like they were preparing for battle. "maybe they will let me come along with them," she thought. "I need the experience and they look like they could use an archer." Worries about their thoughts of a stranger joining them filled her head as she started towards them. "Now, don't screw this up Sammi," she told herself. "This may be your only shot at a job for a while."
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2012 20:29:42 GMT -6
"Hmm." His advice was sound, whether or not the mage wanted to admit it immediately. She had been hoping to get going immediately, but it was true that it would be wise to give everyone a chance to prepare. And she should probably update the impromptu village council of the developments. Lilly briefly considered trying to chew her own legs off as a more pleasant bit of work, but settled for a bright smile while holding back the homicidal rage bubbling within her at the idea of dealing with people who didn't know what they wanted. One of the sods had wanted the bandits ALIVE because it WASN'T RIGHT TO KILL PEOPLE. She had considered leaving right then and there, but dealing with stupid people was in the job description. "Your reasoning is sound, Linius. The sooner we can depart the better, but we will be doing ourselves no favors by leaving before we are prepared."
The pegasus rider - Erica - piped up, adding her own suggestion. It dovetailed nicely with her own thoughts on the matter. "I was thinking the same thing, Erica. That sounds like a good plan - let's do that." Lillianne uncrossed her arms, feeling the fabric re-adjust across her body somewhat less tautly, then linked them behind her, trying to look official, or at least somewhat serious. "We'll meet up in front of the village gate in half a candle mark. I suggest a good meal - the journey alone will take a few hours on foot - but beyond that, you are on your own. Do what needs to be done. Dismissed."
She was no military brat, but enough time spent around the castle watching the actual military folk had given her a bit of an idea, and what noble would be complete without their own unique brand of cultivated bravura? As the group started to disband - and when the hell had it gotten so big - another head popped into view, a blonde woman - no, girl with a bow. She couldn't be over sixteen years of age at the latest. Lilly has half tempted to guess fourteen, but... she had a bow and seemed nervous enough that it wasn't hard to guess why she was there.
Hoooo boy. Resisting the urge to ram her face into the nearest hard object, Lillianne pondered the ethics of letting a kid in on this whole crapstorm. On the one hand, she was pretty certain that her father would have disowned her and probably flayed her flesh from her bones for considering it. On the flip side, the guy was dead, and this kid having a bow meant that she would probably be further out of trouble than some runt with a sword. ...Or maybe she was overthinking this, and the blonde was there to wish her happy birthday and wander off. "Hello there, dear. Here to sign up for the job? Bumping uglies for money?"
[OOC note: I believe that "candlemarks" was how they measured hours historically in that approximate timeframe, so used that instead of hours - might just use hours and damn the historical accuracy. Topic is now effectively done save for Sammi's response; going to start the new one soon and link to it here. If you're planning on supporting with anyone else in the group, the intervening IC timeframe would be an excellent time!]
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Sammi
Archer
Love People Not Things, Use Things Not People
Posts: 23
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Post by Sammi on Apr 2, 2012 4:43:28 GMT -6
Sammi approached and tried to seem as pleasant as possible. "Crap the group is big."'she thought as she walked over. The one girl came over to her and asked her is she was here to sign up for the job. "Yes," she replied. "I need money and you guys look like you can use an archer." "Now I sound desperate," she thought. Maybe it would have been better to have just left the situation, but she wasn't known as one to back down. People were giving her questioning stares. "They're probably wondering if I can handle myself," she figured. She steadied her bow in her hand and pulled out an arrow and aimed for the forest, which was now far away. She wanted to prove herself so she shot the one tree in the middle of it's trunk. It wasn't impressive, but shooting long-distance was practically her thing. You gotta admit it would be pretty impressive if that's what you were basing on. She turned back to the group of people. "Well... I can shoot long-distance," she said nervously. She didn't really no how to prove her skill to them but there would be a time for that later. Right now she just needed to seal the deal.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2012 12:23:39 GMT -6
Well, it was nice to know that she wasn't the only one nervous about this whole impending catastrophe. Lilly couldn't hold back a small but genuine smile at the girl's halting introduction; misgivings about her age aside, she seemed eager enough to fight. Was she Lycian, the mage wondered, here to protect her hometown or country, or a wandering mercenary? She certainly didn't exactly look the part - but she could fire an arrow with some degree of accuracy, and that was better than nothing. The question, of course, was if she could do the same to a human being. "I'll be frank - you look a bit young to be a hired cutthroat, but the more the merrier, as they say. Besides, you're right - we could use a bit more ranged support.Lilly smiled conspiratorially, leaning in slightly towards the girl. "Between you and me, us ranged types need to keep the clunky ones on their toes, yeah?" Never mind that Linius was more likely to tapdance in full battle regalia than both of them combined; it was just always fun to poke a bit of good-natured fun at other branches. Maybe it was a mage thing, she realized. "Well, I'm willing to give this a shot if you are. You'd best be prepared to repeat that trick if you want to make it out of this - on a human being, next time. Just remember that bandits won't stand there and let you line up a shot." She wasn't trying to scare the girl off so much as impress on her that this was going to be more than just hunting for food; the mage was pragmatic enough to accept a teenager for the fight, but not particularly eager to find out that the archer was going into this for all the wrong reasons. "I can't very well call you 'girl' or 'hey, you' forever, though. Have a name you prefer? Preferably something short." Lilly flashed another smile, sort of trying to keep the girl at ease while probing for the information she wanted. The sooner they could get going, the better. OOC: Topic is now closed to further posting. Sammi, if you want to reply you're welcome to, but the group in general has moved to The Law of the Battle for the actual fight.
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Sammi
Archer
Love People Not Things, Use Things Not People
Posts: 23
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Post by Sammi on Apr 2, 2012 13:30:33 GMT -6
(OoC: ya I'll just reply here and then I will go to the other one) -------------------- Sammi let out a sigh of relief. She was just happy that she had the job. One of them had mentioned that she would need to be prepared to fight an actual human being. "Well yes I can load arrows quickly," she said. "I'm sure it won't be as different from hunting for food." She laughed to show that she would warm up to them. They all seemed very welcoming. Then the girl asked her what her name was. "It's Samantha, but everyone calls me Sammi," she said. "I guess I should've mentioned that earlier." For the first time in a while, Sammi felt vey pleased and was excited to grow stronger with her bow skills.
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