Vana'diel: The Final Fantasy (Bastok)

[Nu]

Music selection: The Republic of Bastok

It is early in the afternoon on Earthsday, on the 23rd week of the year 884 C. E. (Crystal Era). A light breeze is blowing accross the the sturdy wooden bridges and stone structures that make up the Bastok markets. The water is flowing through the markets at a gentle pace, and the citizens of Bastok can be found wandering the streets, bartering for goods at the various locales under the only partially cloudy sky that favors the Gustaberg region today.

Slightly south of the Metalworks, near the residential area Mog Houses, a high-ranking member of the Bastokan Legions, Legatus Cleades, patiently waits with his arms folded. He is a hume male of average height, and is fair-skinned with a bald head bearing a strange tattoo on the forehead. He wears a Bastokan tabard over a lightweight chain mesh uniform, that appears to be made of mythril, and he is casually leaning on the northern stone wall that holds the Metalworks and, above them, the political offices of Bastok high in the air. He does not appear to have any weapons in his possession. At his side is a shorter hume female named Rieka, a representative from the Bastok trade department, in charge of Bastok's adventurer's program. She appears more attentive and is dressed in an off-white and light brown government uniform, holding a clipboard and sporting a beret-like brown cloth cap. She has fair skin and short, black hair that is neatly kept. Rieka appears to be awaiting someone's arrival.

OOC

Spoiler

Show

Location: Bastok Markets, south end of I-7 on the appropriate map. Keep in mind that people are mere dots on this map, it's not really representative of a DnD tactical combat map. This is merely to help you find your way around.

"Legatus" is the rank of Cleades. A Legatus commands an individual Bastok legion, which are the largest (and lowest-ranking) group of Bastok's military. The woman is a representative of the government, and the one you're looking for. Bastok people, enter as you please. Consult the map if you want to know where you can enter from.

[Proven_Paradox]

Khoula makes his way through the ports after saying his final farewells to the men he'd been working with. Mostly galka, of course, but there are a few humes strong enough to handle the heavy loads the dockworkers must bear. He hides his eagerness to begin his quest well as he quietly walks to the meeting place; he's quite familiar with the city's layout and thus has little trouble finding his way.

Arriving first, he sees the two humes and approaches them. "You are the ones who will make me an adventurer, yes?" His voice is very deep, and his common is markedly better than many other galka. He speaks slowly and seems to have a look of great concentration as he does.

[Volug]

Masato

Masato see's the galka pass by, he peeks out from under his red hat to look where he goes. After he hears him ask about being an adventurer he chuckles to himself. heheh, your right again Masato.
He stops leaning on the wall he was by and walks over to the two other Humes.
I'm guessing your the ones looking for adventurers eh? Well I'm here to apply for the job.
His voice sounds "care free", also sounds like he's sure of pretty sure of himself. He speaks at normal tone and gets a smirk on his face as he waits for a reply.

[Nu]

As the two finish speaking, Rieka pulls a pencil from behind her ear and begins making notes on her clipboard, while Cleades boosts himself up from his leaning position on the wall and speaks in an steady, but vocal tone.

"Ah, yes, we're in charge of registering you adventurers and setting you off on your first assignment. The republic has great need for your talents, it's getting pretty rough out there these days."

Rieka finishes her writing and looks up towards Cleades slightly disdainfully. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Cleades. Let's take this one step at a time before you start scaring them off." The hume woman turns to face the newly arrived galka and hume male standing before her. "All right, first I'm going to need your names."

[Volug]

Masato

Masato Renoren.
He looks to the Galka curious to what his name is

Spoiler

Show

OOC: I updated my character sheet with some minor tweaking

[Crystall_Myr]

Saressa

"... no, really, it was this big! Black feathers, scales, fangs, everything! I swear!" A young hume female, with a bright face, blue eyes, long, black hair, and two swords hanging on her sides, smiled as she told her story to a wide-eyed commoner.
"How can you have fangs and a beak at the same time?"
"It... uh... hey, look! It's the adventurer program guys! I need to go talk to them!" Saressa began to slip away,
"You didn't answer my question! How..."

The commoner's voice faded into the distance as Saressa made her way over to Rieka and Cleades. Exchanging a nod with the two others, she moved to the front, ""Saressa Talfrey, but people call me Sari. Sign me up with these two," she says, pointing a thumb at the two people she had just cut in front of.

[Volug]

Masato

Masato looks questionally to the female Hume that cut in front of him. He dislikes her lack of manners, but shurgs it off.

Little anxious arn't we?

[wadledo]

Rugu-Woug

It appearys that she isywisys.
Whats there to be nervous aboutaru?

A Tarutaru dressed in the robes of a White Mage of Altana almost dances up towards the humes and galka.

Youses asks for a Healer, yous gets one.
Names Rugu-Woug, the temple sent me.

Spoiler

Show

ooc: I would assume they would at least ask one of the white mage orders to send someone, even if they don't expect a response.

[Proven_Paradox]

"My name is Khoula." He doesn't say anything else as he looks the group over, his face giving away only the faintest trace of interest.

[Volug]

Spoiler

Show

OOC:

Masato

Masato Renoren.
He looks to the Galka curious to what his name is

Spoiler

Show

OOC: I updated my character sheet with some minor tweaking

I already said my name

[Nu]

Rieka finishes her work on her clipboard, then looks up at the group assembled before her. "Good, then. You are all now ready to become adventurers for the republic of Bastok. And so long as you keep adventuring, you won't lose this status anytime soon. Being an adventurer entitles to be rewarded for each individual assignment you complete, as well as access to certain services, such as the moogle-run facilities found in most major cities. These rings I carry are proof of your allegiance." With this, the hume woman reaches into a pouch she has slung to her side and withdraws four thick, ivory rings. She offers them to the four individuals and says, "Cleades, tell them their first assignment. And try not to scare them, it's hardly a terror run."

Cleades grins at this. "Indeed, indeed. Sorry I couldn't provide you with a bit more excitement for your first assignment, but eh, the republic's orders. We gotta prove you're willing to give your all to the republic first. Anyway, Overseer Makarim has requested some aid in the Zeruhn Mines. I don't think it's anything serious, but she's willing to pay you each a hundred gil pieces for your efforts, so I guess it's something worth the trouble. You'd better head over there before they shut down the mines...in five hours...so I guess you really don't HAVE to hurry, but the sooner you get this out of the way, the sooner you get to the exciting stuff, eh? Fighting some beastmen, maybe..."

"Cleades!" Rieka scolds the Legatus, "Honestly. What did I just tell you?"

[Volug]

Masato

Masato takes the ring and examines it a bit before putting it on.
Thanks alot, though I guess your the ones supposed to say it. heheheh

He chuckles a bit and turns to the others who he is traviling with,

So the mines it is then? And if we only have 5 hours we should hurry and get there. Unless anyone else here has anything to do?

[wadledo]

Rugu-Woug

Nopesys, lets get going!

He grabs the ring, puts it up to his eye and says I see yous! in the direction of Khoula.
Now waity there. Rugu moves backward, looking through the ring as though he were to paint a picture. Heeee! Come on you slowy pokies! Turning and skipping off in the direction of the mines, his giggles can be heard as far back as where the captain is.

[Volug]

Well at least someones chearfull. Guess we're going now since there is no stopping him.

He puts on the ring and follows Rugu.

Might as well talk you know? Looks like we are going to be working together for awile.

[Proven_Paradox]

Khoula simply slips on the ring and begins walking to the mines with a decidedly neutral expression.

[Crystall_Myr]

Saressa

Instead of putting the ring on, Sari begins to attempt to roll the ring across her fingers numerous times. Though she is rarely successful, she catches the ring in mid-air anytime it would fall. She repeats this casually while she follows the rest of the group quietly.

[wadledo]

The Tarutaru walks behind Khoula, trying to push him faster and making both of them look foolish in the process.
He succeeds in at least making himself look somewhat like a mime.
So gwumpys, why are youseis here?

[Nu]

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

This is as you enter the mines district. Feel free to continue RPing out that scene as you wish, I'm just giving you a layout of the area outside the mine as you approach it.

Bastok Mines
The mines district is decidedly less busy than the markets. On the way to Zeruhn Mines, you will pass through a massive outdoor excavation site, with a series of wooden walkways and strewn-about mining equipment.

Immediately outside the mine entrance is a broad, light-skinned, muscular galka wearing heavy leather mining equipment and wielding a massive pickaxe. He is sitting on a bench just outside the mine, apparently taking a breather. You'll have to move up a series of stone slopes or several flights of wooden steps to reach him and the entrance to the Zeruhn Mines. Another Galka, this one in full plate armor and with darker complexion stands guard outside the mine. Judging by his position guarding a mine, he's probably an iron brigadier. He has a greataxe strapped to his back. Other than those two, the outdoors area seems fairly clear of life.

[Proven_Paradox]

Khoula doesn't even acknowledge the tarutaru's pushing display, though his words evoke a responce. After a long pause during which Khoula donns a thoughtful visage, he says, "If by 'grumpy,' you mean me, my reasons for adventuring are my own, and I shall keep them to myself."

[Volug]

Hearing the Galka's response, Masato decides toenter the conversation.

Not to bug or offend, but If you want to keep your reason's private, that is fine. However that doesn't mean you have to sulk around. Be happy and enjoy the thrill of adventure! Though if it is a serious matter, I will leave you alone.

Masato Still has a grin on his face, seeing the Galka guarding the mines he decides to be the one in the group that talks.

You the one guarding the mines? If so, we are here because we heard that you are in need of aid in the mines? We would like to help of course.

[Nu]

The galka in armor looks down at the hume red mage and responds in an even tone, "You're the ones they sent to help out? The overseer's in the deepest section of the excavation site. You should go on in and see her."

[Proven_Paradox]

Khoula nods and begins walking towards the deepest section. Since he had worked here in the past, he knows the general layout fairly well.

[Volug]

Masato

Masato thinks for only a second before he says anything.

If it's in the deepest section will we need a map of some kind? Or is the path straight forward and we don't need one? Though if any of us here has already been here...

He doesn't see Khoula walk passed him as he talks to the guard.

[Nu]

The iron musketeer tilts his head. "Your companion seems to know the way. But if you just head for the excavation site rather than the supply room, eventually you'll stumble accross her, since all the paths that don't lead shortly to dead ends will have you end up in there. And I think you'll be able to tell which way is the supply room."

[Nu]

Khoula:

Spoiler

Show

You enter from the "Bastok Mines" entrance. The "deepest section" would refer to the small body of water in the cavern furthest to the south. The black X on the map is a sharp drop from north-to-south with a jagged cliff.

Zeruhn Mines

The Zeruhn mines are a small series of tunnels that once served as a great source for darksteel in the post-Crystal War era. Most of it has since been mined out, though small amounts still may exist in the mine, and so digging continues. Most of the time one only hits rocks and the occasional copper vein, but now and then a darksteel source is discovered and that alone keeps the mine in operation.

A large, stone hallway lit by wall-bound lanterns awaits upon immediately entering the mines. Straight down is the gated-off passageway to the Korrokola tunnel, which is currently sealed off due to the dangers within the tunnel. A large galka wearing full plate armor stands guard at the front of this gate. To the right are several supply rooms and a gated-off dock, and to the left is a tunnel that leads to the main excavation site. There don't seem to be very many miners at the site today, though sounds from the direction of the excavation site indicate that there is some mining happening. The dock (on an underground river) is pretty much inaccessible, since the boat runs to the Palborough mines, and travel from Zeruhn to Palborough is currently prohibited due to the overwhelming presence of quadav in the Palborough mines. There isn't even a boat docked there at the moment.

[Volug]

Masato

Masato follows Khoula, since he apparently knows where he is going.

... I never liked mines. They are kinda dirty in a way.

[Proven_Paradox]

Khoula nods at this. "'Tis hard work, 'tis dirty work, yes. Work we galka are familiar with." There is no attempt to cover the hint of contempt the last part carries.

Khoula will take the shortest route to the deepest section of the mines, making sure to avoid the path with the cliff.

[Volug]

I'm glad there is people willing to do this stuff when most wouldn't... Gets me thinking a little bit... Are we there yet? Sorry I'm a little anxious.

Masato looks around hoping to see whoever they are looking for.

[Crystall_Myr]

(Really sorry guys, I was a bit busy today. Hopefully posting should pick up again.)

Upon entering the mines, Sari finally puts the ring on, then moves with the rest of group quietly. She glances consistently from left to right, both curious and wary of the mine, with its close walls and the uncomfortable feeling of rock above one's head. She shudders, "This isn't a natural place for Humes to be. Whether Galka think similarly about themselves I can't say, but this place just gives me creeps."

[Nu]

You head towards the deep end of the cavern. There don't seem to be too many other miners working here today, though some noise from the storage areas indicates that someone is in there, and you pass another galka laborer as you head deeper into the mines.

Finally, you arrive at the designated area, where there is a hume woman of average height, with blond hair, and wearing chain mail armor in the style of the Bastok legions standing near what appears to be a hole in the ground, filled with water. She was staring at it when you entered, but upon your approach she turns to face you all.

She seems a bit surprised, perhaps not expecting to be suddenly approached by such a large and diverse group, and she asks, "Hmmm? Who are...oh, are you the adventurers I requested be sent?" She scans over the group gathered before her, one by one. "This is probably more than is necessary, but I guess I should be grateful."