The Hounds of Sacae (Vincent/pm for entry)

[Mila]

OOC- Aka. Doog Hunt 2. Electric Boogalo.
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Mila had waited two days to organize herself for the job at hand. Today she would be meeting the people who signed up for the job to hunt Doogs. Though the flyer was posted in Taras, the actual job was to take place in a tiny village in Sacae. This village was nestled to the south east of Taras and lay just outside the Etrurian border. This tiny settlement served as a pit stop for traders who wished to trade for some semi-precious ores from the mountain. Alchemists in Etruria liked the ore for it's powder which seemed to have explosive properties when combined with other minerals.

The flyer in Taras directed those interested in the job to here. This small mining settlement dubbed Ashe, was just a half days wagon ride from Taras. The flyer also stated the name of the only pub in this tiny village. That's where those who wanted the job were to meet. They were to ask for Mila. To the east of the settlement were the scraggy wilds combined with the rocky terrain and Sacae's lush grassland. This land was difficult for farming on account for the rocks but that did not stop the the settlement from trying.

Mila spoke with the local villagers in an attempt to get more information. It seems that the doogs enjoyed striking at the trade caravans that passed through the town. Though lately they have been targeting the livestock the village uses for food. Though most sources point that the doogs made their den close to the base of the mountains. Using both the cracks in between the mountains as a den. The large grass to conceal themselves and their movements. There were also a few trees that dotted between the grass and the mountains. Mila had found signs of the doogs all over the trees. She scribbled another note down in her journal. Even using folding in a tuft of fur she had pulled off the bark of one into her book.

It is springtime now. Which meant the monsters were more aggressive. At least the male ones were, charged full of testosterone and looking for mates. She took her seat at the small pub and waited for those who signed up to find her.

[Yorick]

Yorick strolled into town, whistling the Fifth Halley Concerto happily. Her hands were arranging her hair, if by arranging one meant jamming it out of one's face by means of a hairband. While she couldn't play music, she loved to listen to it, and a good pianist was one of her favorite forms of entertainment. Besides drinking and killing monsters.

Hey, it was a good day - she was able to whistle music, drink whiskey, and kill monsters. What more could a woman ask for?

With a triumphant final chord, the Halberdier banged into the pub, her brusqueness in contrast to the broad grin on her face.

"MILA!"

Yorick unloaded her weapons in a pile and collapsed down next to her friend and guildmate into one of the chairs. Taking out her flask, she took a long draught and then looked at her friend, smiling broadly.

"So tell me. What's the scoop? What's the plan? Who all is going along? What do we have in the areas of provisions, transportation, etc... And what's their weakness?"

Yorick knew that there were a lot of things going through Mila's mind, but she had to know what the beasts' weaknesses were. If she didn't, it would be a tough fight, and she really wanted to add another outline or two to her shield. There were beautiful engravings on it... A Revenant. An Entombed. A Bonewalker. A Wight. A Bael. A Gargoyle. And a Giant Revenant.

What fun! What joy! She was hunting more monsters! It was a beautiful day.

[Donovan]

It had been a long journey, but he’d finally made it to Sacae. Perun was a few days behind him, having said he needed to take care of something before he could continue their journey. Donovan had asked if he needed help, but the Giant insisted that he would be safe, and that the young mercenary should go ahead to try and find them work for when they arrive in the green sea. The young swordsman made a very detailed and thorough map to make sure Perun wouldn’t be lost, but was quite certain, that he had at least an extra day or two to work before the Giant stumbled into Taras.

Donovan had seen the flier for this hunt a day or so ago in Taras, and figured he could complete the job and return with some extra coin in his pocket just in time for Perun arrive.

The mercenary was looking forward to hunting these beasts. He’d heard that they were formidable creatures, fast, but not very good at taking a hit. He hoped that was the case.

Donovan entered the small pub and ordered a drink before trying to find his would be teammates. He found it a wise decision to know who your allies are before putting your life in their hands. Casually glancing around the room, he saw some traders and miners, and a gorgeous girl with bright green eyes and hair. Next to her stood a formidable looking Halberdier, with a shield adorned with remarkable engravings of monsters.

Donovan stood and smiled. He would have joined the fight just for the chance to meet the woman with green hair, but the halberdier was what compelled him to join this fight. She sported impressive scars on her face. Perun always complimented people by saying they fought like men with many scars. Well, this woman had scars to spare, she’d be a staunch ally.

“Excuse me. I believe that we may be here for the same job. My name is Donovan.” Donovan firmly shook the warrior’s hand and then gently took the mage’s hand and flashed a charming smile.

[Jule]

Here she was, in a new town, full of new faces, standing in the doorway to the next step in her journey. So, this was where the flyer went: Ashe? Jule felt like she was back in that Santaruzian(Santaruzite?) village with Harold, sans arable land. It felt weird being back in a small town again, after the comforting hustle and bustle of Taras, and that city couldn't even hold a candle to Lycia's former crown jewel that she loved so much. Or even Bern, as drably decorated as it was.

Jule looked at the crumpled flyer again for the umpteenth time. Of course, it took some doing and more help than she liked to admit to even get to Ashe, much less the inn. She would get the hang of this traveling thing eventually.

She had already combed the town at least once to see the sights, so now it was time to get serious. If her last foray with Harold proved anything, the girl needed some experience under her belt. And what better way to get some tenure than the safety net of a monster hunting guild? So she decided on starting smaller, and set out for a new place - a fresh place. A Sacae place. And weeks later, here she was. Way out from familiar territory, but ready for anything Gaea could throw at her. Today was as good a day as any to make good on her words to old man Fleabottom.

As Jule strode up to the front counter, she anxiously made sure her sword was properly sheathed and buckled up her belt tighter. Looks weren't really her first priority, but if the barkeep wasn't just lying to make her look silly, the armed and dangerous people she walked by on her way in was her crew for the job. A first impression was a must.

"Hey!" She called to the back of the blue-haired girl's head, anxiously sipping her drink. "'Re you guys suppos-... is that you, Miss M-yla? Oh. Yeah. That reminds me. I got your flyer, over in T-Taras? About the monsters an' the hunting. I'm here for the job." It took a bit of effort to keep her legs from wobbling as she teetered over to a seat on Mila's empty table. After plopping down in the stool, the girl dug out the pamphlet she stuffed in her pocket not a moment ago, to show to Mila. "My name's Jule, by the way. Who are you guys?"

NAILED IT.

[Mila]

Mila was scribbling something away in the relatively quiet. When she heard her pink haired companion burst through the doors and shout her name. She got a bit startled. Startled enough to drop her pencil. She gave a light sigh and reached down to pick it up. Having Yorick around with her was fun but sometimes she forgot just how loud the halbeirder could be. Yorick took her seat in front of the mage. Then bombarded her with some questions.

"You seem to be in good spirits." She spoke to Yorick while she finished up her notes. She had been with the pink haired woman for some time and started to pick up on Yorick's traits.

"Uh.. to start.. We are fighting doogs and a Gwyllgi." She pulled out the tuft of fur. Unlike regular doog fur which was an orange color this one was clearly a bright bluish green.

"Gwyllgi. Are bigger badder doogs. 3 heads 3 sets of teeth. And they are hella fast. Also it's spring time. So they are super charged on hormones. Which means they are more aggressive then usual. As for numbers.. I... have no idea. I managed to find tracks for at least two doogs and the big one.. but I've a feeling there are more stashed away in dens along the mountain side. I can't be certain though. We might need something to flush them out." She tapped the pencil to her chin trying to think of a way.

"As for how many of us are joining well.." She was politely interrupted when a stranger with black hair approached. He introduced himself as Donovon.

"Well here's the first of our people." She shook his hand and smiled warmly at the young man. "Well met Donovan I am Mila. That's Yorick over there and.."

Again she was interrupted this time by a young blue haired lass. Myla? Eh I suppose that's close enough.

"It's Mila. Don't worry you found the right place. Dear heart welcome to the group." Don't pinch her cheeks. Don't pinch her cheeks. Don't pinch her cheeks... Mila cleared her throat.

"Right. So far that's four of us. I'm going to wait a little more to see who else shows up. Actually I know i'm missing on one more guy. Wonder if he got distracted by the armory around here. This place does carry rare and really good whetstones." She glanced around at the people around her. Trying to guess at everyone's profession and how to use them. Where did Vincent go? She knew she came here with him and they agreed to meet at the pub.

[Isaac Errek]

Isaac strolled into the small town of Ashe, his blue gold long coat catching the attention of a few passersby. He pulled his rucksack, which contained his armour and supplies, higher up on his shoulder and glanced down at the flyer in his hand. It said that there was a Doog infestation around the small town of Ashe, and their exact number was unknown. The main thing was that a guild called the Verdant Cross was requesting aid from any mercenary or sellswords in the general area. He hoped this wasn't a fake like the last one, were he was jumped by a couple thugs armed with knives. The scuffle hadn't lasted long, but it ended up with him buying a new jacket. The flyer also said there would be someone waiting at the only Tavern in town. Isaac headed towards the Tavern, and slowly opened the door so he wouldn't disturb anyone. He glanced around the room to see if anyone had any semblance of a Monster Hunter. A group of people in the far corner caught his eye, they seemed well armed. He walked towards them and upon reaching them, said "Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be the ones hunting the Doogs, would you?"

[Vincent]

Vincent woke in his room at the tavern with a start. What time was it? The sun was out? Oh man, why didn't Mila come get him? He quickly threw the covers and blankets from his body and scrambled about getting dressed. He hopped of one foot trying to get his trousers on and soon found him tipping over and crashing into a wall. Awkwardly sliding down and arching his back he got himself straightened out and quickly finished his morning routine.

He ran down the stairs and into the lobby nearly falling down the stairs, he was still groggy and not clear headed. That entire assassin training did not serve him well here. He rounded the corner and found that everyone was still gathering in the room. One, two, three, four, five… wow. Wait… Was that- “Yorrick?” He knew she was a monster hunter but he did not expect to see her since the Baels. He smiled and walked over to the gathered crowd adjusting his shoulder guard and ensuring he was presentable.

“It’s been quite some time.” Suddenly he was not sure she’d even remember him. He had forgotten others on occasion himself but… maybe? He then looked to all the others around. He nodded to Jule and Donovan who seemed to be better situated in the room and held out an armored hand to shake Isaac’s. Turning his head back to Mila he mouthed the words ‘sorry I’m late.’

“Quite the large group we have here, I must say.” Hopefully this many was not a necessity. But if it was he was glad they were all here. “Oh yeah, my name is Vincent.” With that he let out a sigh and joined the seated. That could have gone smoother but what is done is done.

[Yorick]

Well, there certainly was a hell of a lot going on here. There was a youngish swordsman, who seemed confident and composed. It was a good sign. His handshake was firm - he would be a good ally. Then there was the smallish lady, who seemed a bit out of her element. She had no clearly visible weapon, but perhaps it was hidden under her cloak. That was reasonable. She might be a mage, or one of those shamans... Quite possible.

There was another swordsman, who had an ostentatious cloak. Either he was very skilled or very arrogant, and, judging by his young features, it was most likely the latter.

Finally... There was yet another swordsman. But this one was a familar face... Vincent. The swordsman who had fought alongside her when they tackled the Baels.

"Vincent. It is good to see you once more. I'm glad that you've been keeping well. We'll have to catch up later, though - I believe Mila wants to move as soon as possible. But I must say, you look much stronger and more confident. Maybe we can spar after the job, assuming we're not torn to ribbons."

The Halberdier looked at her shield, holding it so Vincent and the others could see the outlines of the many monsters.

"Mauthe Doogs and Gwyllgi are not yet on my shield. I'm glad that will change."

So that was the crew... It seemed strong enough to take on the beasts. Now it was time for them to move. Yorick was itching to get into battle.

[Donovan]

Donovan was about to comment on how lovely Mila’s hair was when a young thief approached, fumbling with the sword on her belt. The girl went to take a seat and Donovan leaned against the table, fiddling with his sword’s pommel. The thief was awkward in an adorable sort of way, like a little sister. Donovan had to stop himself from mussing her hair as she kept shifting in her chair.

Donovan again turned toward Mila to try and charm her, but was interrupted by another addition to the raiding party. This swordsman wasn’t as adorable as Jule, though, in fact, he seemed a little too sure of himself for Donovan’s taste.

The mercenary shook his head and opened his mouth to finally say something resembling flirting when a third new face marched down the stairs. This time, though, he was less annoyed and more impressed. Vincent was a well known mercenary, he’d fought at the battle for the City of Heroes. Donovan had hoped to get the chance to meet someone of his mettle for a long while. He extended his hand and shook Vincent’s. “A real honor to be working with you, Vincent. The name’s Donovan.”

The Halberdier held up her beautiful shield, and Donovan understood the meanings behind the engravings. “Those are all the creatures you’ve killed? You’ve managed to hunt down 6 breeds of monsters? That’s… impressive.” The Mercenary pulled his targe off his back and fiddled with it. It was a rather strong shield with a complicated spiraling knot design, he’d splurged on it after a particularly bountiful mark he and Perun had taken down.

Donovan turned toward Mila and noticed that she was carrying a fire tome, “So you brought us all together, including a war hero and expert monster slayer. You must be pretty powerful yourself. You're a mage, right?”

[Jule]

"D-Deer heart? Uh, okay." Jule mumbled under her breath. That was a new one. Maybe it was some hip new saying writers used or something. Come to think of it, everyone that started filling in the seats around the table seemed a tad apprenhensive of her. Mila and Donovan, especially. Was it her hair? Her clothes? Or maybe her height? Jule took a slow, deep breath and inhaled the scent of steam coming from her mug of tea. It was no use worrying about stuff like her appearance that didn't matter in the long run. Today, it only mattered how well she could fight.

"Alright, 'Mila'. My... My bad. I've got it now. And Don, Yorick, uh--" Jule's heart skipped a beat. Did the cocky looking one say his name? No, he didn't. Good Gaea. The girl thanked her lucky stars for not fumbling that catch. "Dunno you, red hair. And you, you're V-Vince. Got that."

And speaking of catches, those shields sure looked pretty. But the thief would never understand why people engraved such beautiful designs into hunks of metal designed to catch blows. Even if she wasn't very artsy fartsy, she was a tailor's daughter. Having to constantly destroy such works of art like that appalled her. Yet... she couldn't help but stare. It'd been a while since Jule had the chance to really appreciate art like that.

"So!" Jule piped up after spending sufficient time gawking like an idiot. "We're hunting monsters today, right? Not like spending the rest of the day gearing up or anything like that. Do we head out after role call? Or are we waiting for anyone else now?"

[Isaac Errek]

Isaac waited for a answer, and,when one wasn't provided, turned to leave, almost running into Vincent in the process. Vincent looked at everyone as if sizing them up, but when he got to the yorick paused. Isaac heard them exchange a brief dialogue, in which they stated that they know each other. Vincent glanced at everyone again, before turning back to Isaac and sticking out his hand to be shook. Isaac hesitated at first, but then grasped the armored man's hand. He had the firm, hard grip of a swordsman. Vincent then moved to sit at the same table as milla, yorick, and Donavan. Then the link haired harberdier held up her shield, which had different carvings of various creatures on it. There were walking skeletons and rotting corpses, a giant walking corpse, a strange flying creature, and last of all a giant spider. The green haired man mentioned that it was impressive for her to have hunted down and killed 6 different types of monsters,and Isaac had to agree that he was impressed as well. He went to talk a seat with the young blue haired girl, who stated that she had never seen him before. He spoke a quick replay of "My name is Issac" to the blue haired girl before sitting across from her. He saw no reason to give his last name to people he didnt know. He removed his coat, putting it one the wooden chair to use a cushion, and lowered his bag to the ground with a soft clang sound, before leaning back and closing his eyes, acting as if he was sleeping, and just listened to the green haired woman's explanation of what was going to go down.

[Mila]

OOC- Lots o text incoming. We will encounter the munsters on the next posts.
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Everyone was seated and accounted for. The mouthed off a “don’t worry about it” to Vincent before getting on to explaining what the job was. Most of them looked like capable fighters. She knew Vincent and Yorick knew their way around combat. She tilted her head lightly at Donovan, whom she instantly shortened his name to Donny. The little one Julie looked like she could be a thief, which meant she had sharp eyes. The other man Issac, seemed to be another sword fighter.

“Alrighty, guess that’s all of us. SO here’s what we know. Brace yourself people, i'm going to talk up a storm. We’re hunting Doogs and one Gwyllgi.” She propped up her research book with the two illustrations of the monsters. They were large enough for everyone around the table to see. The doog was colored red and listed as being very quick with sharp teeth. The Gwyllgi was illustrated to be a larger doog, with three heads and colored teal. The words “FASTER, BIGGER, MORE TOOTHY, STRONGER” were written in red capital letters to the side of the creature.

“Doogs are monsters that look and act like wolves. They are fast as heck and like to rip people to shreds. Their bites are toxic to people. If you happen to survive you need to see a healer or apply something to sterilize the bite otherwise you could die later from sickness. They like to hunt in packs and prefer to target the neck or limbs of people.” She took a sip of her drink before continuing on.

“Gwyllgi, are rare, bigger, meaner, more ferocious versions of Doogs. They’ve got three heads and each head has a mouth full of sharp pointy teeth. You DO NOT want to get bitten by any of those heads. Trust me I’ve seen the corpses. It is not pretty. Doogs by themselves are bad enough but this big guy just makes things worse. These guys are usually the leader of the pack and are smart. They don’t camouflage well due to their bright colored manes. They don’t need to cause they are faster than doogs.” She paused for a moment letting her words sink in.

“I managed to count at least four doogs plus one Gwyllgi. Which is pretty average size for a pack. What I do not know is how many of them could be potentially hiding in the mountains. I was thinking we could light some of the grass lands on fire and flush them out with smoke. But realized that wouldn’t work well as it would hinder us hunters as well. Hmm.. perhaps we can light one of those explosive kegs near one of the entrances..” She put her hand to her chin in a her usual thinking position. Before remembering she was in the middle of explaining something. A light blush was on her face.

“Uh.. So in the meantime we’re going to have to injure the doogs and have it howl out for its pack. If we are lucky the whole group of them will rush to its aid. Hell if we can startle the Gwyllgi the entire pack will come to its aid.” She sighed.

“Right. The guild has told me if we survive and return back to Taras we will be rewarded with gold, food, and a free night at the inn. I can’t give an exact number to how much gold we would be getting since.. uh.. I don’t know how many of us will be living.” She had a bit of a sheepish grin and scratched the back of her head.

“I cannot stress how dangerous this is going to be. So if you feel you aren’t up for it, I won’t hold it against you if you back out now. With that being said we will head out in an hour. This gives you time to prepare yourselves, catch up if you’ve met one another before, buy supplies. I managed to snag a small discount with the armory and shop keep for us hunters.” She tried to think of anything else that needed explaining.

“Just mention the Verdant Cross and you should be ok.” She spoke that in a lower voice so as to deter any of those from other tables whom were overhearing.

“I’m going to do a bit more scouting and see if I can pinpoint exactly what cave the monster’s den is at. The doogs usually avoid the town during the day. They like to hunt the horses and cattle at night. What’s problematic is that at this time of year doogs.. As well as other animals are out looking for mates. So they all might not be home so to speak. However, if they sense danger is going on at their home base, they will crowd around trying to defend it. I’d prefer it if I can find the right den and lure them that way rather than have us wander out in the wilds looking for the doogs individually.” She pulled out a small hand drawn map of the mountain sides. There were various circles and X’s crossed out and over little cavern entrances.

“We will meet at the eastern gates in an hour. Though, if you’re already ready, you can join me in my scouting expedition.” She let out a large sigh and finished her cold tea. Mm.. Green tea, ginger, and ginseng. That was a mouthful. The mage waited a moment answering any other questions that popped up before she gathered her things and went out. She liked this little group already. Perhaps we can actually do this.

[Yorick]

The blue-haired one seemed to really like Yorick's shield. Really. That was a bit worrisome. She needed that shield - couldn't have it walking off on her. But she doubted that the girl would be foolish enough to take it before the battle... So she felt decently safe. She'd have to watch that one, especially since she looked a little wispy to be fighting deadly devilish dogs.

The red-haired one looked as if he was taking a nap. Yorick shook her head in frustration. This was important, and he acted as if it were nothing more than a few lines of babble. Well, it would be his loss if anything happened to him - she couldn't be responsible for babysitting everyone. At least the rest of the crew, Jule included, seemed to be sufficiently attentive so as to know exactly what they needed to do when it came time to give the hellhounds hell.

"Mila, if you need people, I'm more than willing to scout with you. I'm set, so... Whatever you need, I can help."

The Halberdier gathered her supplies and stood, slotting her weapons in their respective positions - throwing knives on her bandolier, axes in her belt, broadsword and lance on her back, and javelins in her quiver.

There, that was everything. Picking up her shield, Yorick hooked it on her back over her weapons, smiling at the familiar weight and balance of her equipment.

"Right, then. Whoever's ready, let's move. Capitalize on daylight and all that - no telling how long this'll take."

[Donovan]

Donovan opened his travel bag to make sure he had all of his equipment. Water, check. Vulnerary, check. Targe, check. All the most important things already in his bag, he felt no need to buy anything else. Further, he wanted to make sure he went on the scout. Donovan was never one to undervalue a good plan, and he was worried about some of their traveling companions. He remembered the road back from Skaven and how a manageable situation so quickly became a near death experience. He gathered up his sword, targe, and bag. His arsenal was far less impressive than the Halberdier’s, but he wouldn’t know what to do with anything other than his sword anyway.

“I’ll join you for the scout as well. I’m all set on supplies, and I think it’d be a good idea to come up with a battle strategy before we try to take on the whole pack. Although, it might be a good idea to not take everyone on the scout. They are Doogs after all, I imagine they have a pretty keen sense of smell. Too many people at once might alert them to a threat before we’re ready.” While he believed all of that to be true, the green clad mercenary also wanted to have some time to flirt with the beautiful mage. No reason he couldn’t have some fun on this job.

Looking over the rest of the group he realized that the level in skill was unprecedentedly ranged, here. Vincent and Yorick definitely have  plenty of experience, and Mila seemed to have quite a good grasp on how to handle these monsters, but the rest weren’t nearly as qualified. Donovan had carved his way out of plenty of nasty situations, and knew he could hold his own, so long as he didn’t try to take on the Gwyllgi. But Jule was just a kid. She looks fast, which would come in handy, but Don would be worried about her getting hurt if anything particularly powerful came after her. And Isaac might have the confident sellsword attitude, but Donovan didn’t know how much combat he’d actually seen. The rest of us sellswords tend to lose things like that flashy jacket after the first few months on the job. Too much dead weight and too much attention. Not to mention, the red haired man was pretending to sleep through the debrief. The green clad mercenary shook his head, He probably thinks it makes him seem tougher. If anything, it'll just make the others less likely to look out for him.  When you're allies are the real deal, it's best to not have so much bravado. You might lose their respect.

Realistically, if everyone was going to make it out of this with their lives, they’d need to come up with a better plan than everyone doing their own thing. Coordination would be key. “Whenever you’re ready. We should move out.”

[Jule]

"Ooh, we got some time?" The swordswoman wasn't much of a layabout - idle hands, devil's work, etc. Jule would've been first in line for scouting. But one by one, the others beat her to it. Not that she was complaining, per se, but every missed opportunity was another missed opportunity, dang it! The only silver lining was with all that free time, she had more than enough time to check out the stores in town. With a discounted price, to boot! The thief hadn't done much more than window shop on her way in, perfect. "Then... I think I'll pass on the scouting, yeah. I'll be at the shops instead. I'm pretty set on supplies, myself, but I could always use a better whetstone if they're as good as you're saying, Mila. I'm pretty sure, anyway. Uh... just give me a holler if you get back before I do!"

And at the mage's call, the group went their separate ways: two masters, one mage, and three greenhorns. She felt safe with those two at the helm; Vince and Yorick. And a mage was always nice to have on back up, though Jule still had to come to terms with victory meaning the smell of burning dog hair clinging to her with Mila around. And Meaty McMuscles over there was good company for such a greenhorn. Donovan looked strong, but not very proficient with a sword. Seemed to the girl like he was more likely to take a hit rather than give one. The dude was huge, sure, easy on the eyes, sure, but Donny didn't look nearly as wartorn as Vincent or Yorick. She could respect a fellow newbie though, since everyone in that room started as a Donovan, or a Jule, or an Isaac.

The thief rounded the corner and took one long stretch, cracking her knuckles and neck. If Jule had an hour to play with, she was going to make the most of it. The rest of the day was bound to be an interesting one, for sure.