[3.5] [Brew Test] The Kingdom of Eraxis

[lord pringle]

The people of Koritan, the gem of the west, have been very nervous over the last few months. At first the city was overjoyed with it's new found wealth, but then ships began boarding trading vessels, and children started to go missing. Soon the attacks became less subtle. Monsters began roaming the streets at night, and Fleets attacked the harbor during the day.
This is the climate the town is in, when you receive a signed note baring the mark of the Three Rivers Mining Company. It reads, "We believe you are extraordinarily well suited to assist us in dealing with a fey incursion into one of our dig sites. We will pay you 2000 Eraxian Gold Pieces upon completion of the mission. If you are interested, please come to our mine depot at high noon tomorrow. All questions will be answered then.
Sincerely,
Hope Azorius, Chairwoman of the Three Rivers Mining Company"

[Jormengand]

Kharrus Nessurion considered the note in front of him. "Two Thousand. Hmm... quite a lot, I suppose." He silently wished that the incursion could have been carried out by something slightly easier to hit, but supposed that you couldn't have everything.

He was sat on his bed in the house he shared with his long-time friend Deyla, and he looked over at her and her identical missive - save the name on the top - before asking: "Well, what do you think? Should we?"

[Elfstone]

Tern took barely half a second to read the note. Without another word he slipped it into his coat and started getting ready. If there was one thing he was more interested in than adventures, it was dealing with the fey. Who else to better understand him than the mythical creatures of chaos themselves. There was no doubt in his mind, he'd be up for the job and eager to learn more about why the fey would be involved in what he hoped was a simple mining operation.

[supernerd]

Haru looked to his note, thinking to himself, "Well, Let's hope I can do some good with this. It's not like I necessarily need the money." He shrugged himself off the wall on the side of the mine depot's warehouse. He looked around to see if he would be part of a team again. It looked like he was. Wonderful.

[lord pringle]

Anyone entering the depot finds themselves in what is basically a waiting room. There are some chairs and a pot of tea set up, with a few cups placed near by.

[Moonwolf727]

"I suppose we can..." Deyla replied to Kharrus, tentatively fiddling with the bottle necklace she kept on her person at all times, mumbling more to herself than for anyone who could hear her. "Pretty sure he can protect me.." She checked her empathic link with Gilligan quickly, as was her habit. Like always it was present and felt like the mental equivalent of a dial-tone. Not very reassuring.
She allowed her gaze to flit nervously around the room for a moment before rising suddenly from where she had been laying on the floor. "Yeah we can do this!" She spoke loudly before remembering herself and dropping her gaze to the floor and softening her tone. "Uh, sorry... I meant as long as you're not opposed..."

[Jormengand]

Kharrus looks at Deyla and smiles. "Don't worry, I don't mind. I think that we can do this, too." He reaches a caring, albeit tentative, arm about Deyla. "After all, you've got an ooze, an earth elemental necromancer, a bigger ooze for emergencies and an irate tiefling protecting you, and you're hardly inept yourself."

He smiled at her, and gestured with his free arm. "Shall we go? I'm eager to see what this place is like, even if we're a day ahead. We didn't have anything planned anyway, so...?"

[Moonwolf727]

Deyla smiled, shying away from the touch, and rolled her eyes as she replied "I object to the last part of that list y'know. And yeah, we're both eager. Let's go then." From there she gathered her things, just a tan leather backpack really, and held the front door open for Kharrus, trailing behind once he had passed through and locking it behind them.

.....

As they arrived at the company depot Deyla completely failed to take in the surroundings, instead walking right in, casting her eyes about for people at the same time, and paused at the door. Turning to face Kharrus she gestured softly at the door "You go first. I don't want to look stupid... "

[Jormengand]

"All right, Just let me load up. I don't plan on fighting anything quite yet, but..."

Kharrus has already prepared the spells on his sheet, but is also going to load the following spells into his guns:

Revolver 1:
Invisibility
Invisibility
Shocking Grasp
Ghoul Touch
Resistance
Touch Of Fatigue

Revolver 2:
Silence
Ghoul Touch
Ghoul Touch
Flare
Acid Splash
Ray of Frost

Rifle:
6 Acid Splashes, 6 Rays of Frost. Will I use them? I doubt it.

Kharrus smiled at Deyla as she held the door open for him. "Thanks, Deyla. Come on, now, let's go."

-----------------------

"Heh, because I'm definitely going to look less stupid than you. They'll probably take a look at me and run away." Kharrus laughed, but he knew that there was a worrying level of truth in what he said. He sighed, and entered the room cautiously...

[Elfstone]

Sweeping into the room Tern makes quite an appearance. Clad in full steel plate with a massive tower shield strapped to his back he should be weighed down by the metal but instead he appears quite at ease with it, walking as if he was wearing nothing more than a wizards robe. Taking in the room even as he walks in he eyes one of the chairs but decides against it. Giving a curt nod to the others he examines the tea carefully before trying a cup. Returning his gaze to the others present he speaks at last. "Hello. Name's Tern Halfsnake. I assume you're here for the mining company's problem as well? Been awhile since I worked with others."

[Moonwolf727]

It was all she could do to offer a meek and polite, waist-high wave accompanied by a smile as Tern nodded at each of them in turn, imposing as he was he did seem fairly nice, if intimidating. "Erm, yeah... we are." she half-muttered in reply to his question, shuffling her feet somewhat. Then, speaking more firmly now, she introduced herself "I'm Deyla Marai, and this" she said, gesturing to Kharrus "is my partner, the competent one. It's good to be working with you?"
After saying her piece she retreated to the nearest corner of the room and assumed a position leaning against the wall, hoping to fade into the background.

[Jormengand]

Kharrus smiled at Deyla - noting silently that she was cute when she was embarrassed - and turns to the man. "Name's Kharrus, hereby dubbed "The Competent One." He smiles. "Though my friend here, shy though she is, is just as competent, if indirectly." The tiefling doesn't elaborate. "Well, here we are. Who do you think the others are going to be?"

[Elfstone]

"Glad to have you as well. Haven't a clue as too the others. If there are any others. For all I know it could just be us. Im pretty handy with a sword and the occasional spell. Can't imagine we'd need more than someone to patch us up and shoot people from farther than I can stab them. Im more interested in the fey." Tern responds, his eyes flicking about, only focusing on those he was addressing for seconds at a time.

[Jormengand]

Kharrus cracked a moderate grin. "Did someone just say "Patch us up and shoot people from farther than I can stab them."? Because if so, I'm the man for that." He took a revolver out of his coat in what he thought of as the least threatening way one could take a revolver out of one's coat, and smiled. "These are usually pretty hard to get a hold of, but here I am. Not very long range, but I doubt you can stab someone from more than a few feet, anyway." He shrugs. "In any case, you're probably better at stabbing things than I'll ever be."

He sighs. "Anyone else get the feeling that something should have happened by now?"

[TiaC]

Varia reads the note. 'Hmm, it would be nice to have some ties to the Three Rivers Mining Company. I have passing familiarity with Hope Azorius, she does get things done. It does sound a little more physical than I would like, but my ready funds are running low. The chance to kill a few Summer-Born is just a bonus.' She begins her preparations for leaving.

At the depot, a tall, elegant woman glides in. Glancing at the others, she gives them a small smile before pouring herself a cup of tea. She takes a sip before looking up and saying with a smile, "I'm sorry, I didn't get your names. I am Varia Icewalker and it is a pleasure to meet you."

[lord pringle]

A woman strides in from an office door. She smiles and says, "I take it you didn't have trouble finding this place?" She removes her glasses and rubs her eyes, "I'm Hope Azorius. You are all here for the job, correct?"

[Elfstone]

Setting his tea down on the table carefully, Tern steps forward. "Indeed. Tern Halfsnake, as Im sure you know. How else would I have received that letter. Anyway, glad to meet you." Tern extends his hand for a quick shake before stepping back to the others.

[TiaC]

Varia gracefully rises, "Of course, it is always a pleasure to work for an acquaintance. How would you like us to go about this?" She strides over and greets Hope with a light embrace before stepping back.

[Moonwolf727]

Deyla stepped forward carefully, no longer leaning on the wall in the corner though still staying at the back of the group. Inclining her head politely and smiling slightly, she spoke "It's nice to meet you madam, I'd also like to hear what you've got in mind if it isn't any trouble for you to explain?"

[Jormengand]

"That is correct," replies Kharrus. "Now, if you could explain a bit more about what you actually intend us to do...?"

[lord pringle]

Hope nods. "Certainly. Mineshaft number 14 was compromised last week by an incursion from The Labyrinth. The two survivors stated that parts of the mine had bled into The Labyrinth." Please roll me Knowledge: Arcana or Knowledge: Planes to learn about The Labyrinth.

[Jormengand]

(Not trained either of those... why isn't your silly Labyrinth Architecture and Enigneering, huh?)

[roll0]

[Elfstone]

Tern squints and tilts his head. "Im afraid my training didn't cover the fey very well. I'm unsure of how our job relates to the Labyrinth. Or what it is for that matter."

[Moonwolf727]

At this, Deyla raised her voice, reaching out to tap Tern's arm to get his attention before speaking. "Uhm, I can cover this one, I have a friend from the far realms, so I looked it up a little, eheh." A nervous, faint laugh and then she carried on. "The Labyrinth is part of the far realms, a relatively large expanse when you consider the size of everything else, it's essentially infinite and a massive hedge maze as well. None of the fey royalty actually rule it so we don't have to worry about stepping on their toes but uhh... it has it's own problems" She paused, eyes cast downwards again as she shifted nervously, bad news was never something she wanted to bring anyone. "It has recently been coming to resemble the rest of the far realms more and more lately, that is to say, it's slowly warping and becoming a completely-dead, blighted space." With that, she shrunk into herself slightly, steadfastly clamming up.

[Elfstone]

Adopting a bemused expression at Deyla's shyness Tern nods and thanks her. "Much obliged miss. When do we leave to fix the problem. Are we to stop the "leak"" the last part directed towards Hope.

[lord pringle]

Hope nods. "Yes, and ideally you would stop what came through the leak as well.

[Elfstone]

"Excellent. When do we leave? Transportation?" Tern inquires.