[X] Go talk with the priest. - 10 votes
[X] Sit with the... adventuring party? - 5 votes
[X] Approach the suspicious gnoll - 1 votes
You avert your eyes from the adventurer party, shaking off the nostalgia. Maybe later, if time shows they are consistent with how they present themselves. You have a feeling there is something more to them, but they'll probably show themselves again if that is so. This isn't the place for you to involve yourself in whatever they're doing anyways.
Waiting for the people around the priest to disperse, you quietly stand up and make your way over to him. Looking closer, you can see that he is a cleric of the Light, and that his face has some light scarring. No priest or listener then, you note. From his bearing, he clearly tends to the more combative side of a cleric rather than a traveling sort. His white and gold vestments hide his fit figure and no doubt some armor and other tools to use against servants of demons and similar foes.
The cleric quickly spots you and gives a warm smile, though you see his eyes quickly looking you over as you did to him. He seems to squint a little, as if recognizing your face but unable to place it.
"Greetings," you call out first. "I couldn't help but notice an honored cleric of the Light aboard this vessel. Are you traveling to spread the blessings of the faith or returning home?"
Few would catch the narrowing of his eyes, but you do as he responds, "Both, actually. I've been recalled to Nokoyo from where I was originally sent to. Ah, but where are my manners. No need to refer to me by any titles. Call me Eze. And you?"
You acquiesce by answering, "I am Deirdre Pathstrider, but feel free to refer to me as Deirdre. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance."
"Ah, yes, I—" Eze stops as he seems to register your name. "I'm sorry, did you say your name was Deirdre?"
The cleric seems to have noticed that he blurted that out when he looks around the two of you suddenly to check for anyone listening in. Mindful of him. The conversation might have been more difficult if he didn't recognize you, so you're for once thankful for the attention your fame has brought you.
You subtly lift a side of your beanie up, revealing the signature pointed ear, "Some have called me by other names, but that is the name I go by."
He takes you in and looks over you again, his mind mentally reevaluating his assessment of you. Eze hides his shock well though and adopts a considering expression as he thinks on what to say, but you can still see the disbelief in his eyes at who just walked up on him all of a sudden.
"It is… an honor to meet the last of Ismael's companions," he intones. "Many of his texts have at least a small reference to your wisdom and insight, even if less studious followers of the Light do not often realize it."
You incline your head, "So long as my contribution to the Light continues to guide and aid the faithful, I do not mind the lack of attention it receives."
"It has certainly helped guide me. But, pardon my assumption, I sense you are not here for a conversation to pass the time. As much as I would enjoy that." He finally presses, gathering himself even if he is no longer suspicious of you.
"Unfortunately, no," you confirm. "While I wish I could say I've come to visit Nokoyo out of nostalgia, I heard tell that there were a few… old disturbances that I wished to investigate."
It takes a moment for the man to process that in his mind, but he sucks in a breath when he does.
"I see. It seems that the Light has guided the both of us to meeting. This isn't the place for such a discussion, however. All I can say right now is that yes, I suspect we've both come for the same purposes. Come to… the temple and ask for me. Do you know where that is?"
You tilt your head in thought, "I think so, yes. Thank you for hearing me out. Now, did you still want that conversation…?"
The two of you move on to less heavy topics, the cleric eager to ask someone who actually knew Archbishop Ismael and spoke with him on various clarifications with the texts. The atmosphere never fully relaxed between the two of you however. When it came to demons and their followers, one could never feel totally at ease. Whatever the case, you secured a meeting with someone who might be clued in and could put in a word for you with any other individuals investigating the cultists.
Nokoyo, Wazobia, Sumeri - 8/17/1493
You wander through the ancient streets and paths of Nokoyo, its people wearing a mixture of traditional attire with colorful fabrics and modern clothing, jeans and shirts mingling with robes and cloth. Some buildings you might have recognized from the Second Crusade sit near stores and other businesses with neon lights, recently built skyscrapers towering over it all. Cars and other vehicles rush past people walking on foot doing their day to day activities, the two much nearer to each other than in most other cities as they travel across new roads built in an old city. You breathe deeply of that unique scent of a modern city with delicious food being sold on the street, fumes from vehicles driving by, and the various smells of a place with large gatherings of people in one space.
Through it all, you take in the general atmosphere of the people. All in all, the people seemed blissfully unaware of any issues. It was a lively city, and it only seemed to become more active as evening and the nightlife came. As you watch a large group of friends laughing and talking walk past you without a single glance, a realization comes over you. Nokoyo is one of the biggest cities in Sumeri, and certainly the largest in the region. Finding signs of cult activity here would be like finding a dwarf doing something to help others. Nearly impossible, and a surprising coincidence to all involved parties if it occurs.
Hopefully that means you have some time to settle yourself here. Cults are insidious, but a place heavily touched by demonic activity would still be noticeable to you. Right now, the person who looked at you and walked away before you could react at the airport could have been entirely coincidental for all you knew.
Cleric Eze has opened the temple's door to you, but they are only one facet of this city. No matter how talented the clerics and demon hunters are, they cannot comb through the place by themselves. Still, going there soon now that you've acclimated yourself to the city might be wise, as stumbling blindly in a city as big as this seems to leave much to chance. They might grant you a bit of legitimacy as well, though they're probably limited in how much they can vouch for you at this moment.
Your first thought after the temple is to go to a bar. Perhaps it is a tad too traditional, but such establishments can always give a good general overview and impression of the city. Bartenders talk with a lot of people, and they may know at least some rumors that may be helpful. The common person's perspective can be valuable at times. Other patrons or interesting figures may be there as well, and to be honest, you are a little parched and hungry.
There is a police department you can try visiting. They would have the most information on any illicit or strange activities going on, not to mention being granted some manner of official permission to investigate the matter would help immensely. The thing is, you highly doubt they will hear you out. Not now. You can try going anyways, but perhaps it'd be best if you have some results or backup from a respected local first?
When you were walking around, you spotted a commotion around a large museum. It could be unrelated, but this was really the only "lead" you found for the past few hours. Cultists often have inscrutable goals, and in today's age, you imagine there's many activities they can hide behind as normal criminal activity. It might be worth checking out anyhow, as you know from experience that investigating one unrelated event can quickly lead into an entire mess of connected activity.
You furrow your eyebrows. Usually, big cities have at least one place set aside for magic practitioners, or at least have magicians on hand to deal with any magic-related problems. Nokoyo had some cultural magic practices in its history, but you don't really know if they have a formalized academy system that churns out magicians. Such things were hard to build a proper infrastructure for. If there is a gathering of magicians here, they could be helpful in determining any anomalies in the city. Or if they are the anomalies.
It's getting late, so you don't have a lot of time to do much today.
Choose Two:
[] Head to the temple: Take Cleric Eze's invitation to the temple. This is your only guaranteed way of getting involved with things, and it's best to be as informed as early as possible. You could technically hold off on this though. It's not like they'll suddenly refuse you if you come by tomorrow.
[] Go to a bar: Gain the common citizen's perspective on the current state of the city, rumors, and possibly meet helpful patrons. Also, you're hungry, thirsty, and tired. (Gain 1 bonus scouting action if taken, where Deirdre will be energized enough to look into another course of action and gain information on the option, though you will not have a full interaction in those locations)
[] Try your hand at entering a police station: They would probably have the most information on criminal and suspicious activity, but there's a low chance they'd actually hand it over to you right now. (Requires several rolls if chosen as a full action)
[] Investigate the museum commotion: It's a lead, unrelated as it probably is to cultist activity. You know from experience such things could lead to more. Asking around can't hurt, surely.
[] Find out if there's a proper magic institution here somewhere: Obtaining the help of the magicians here would help a lot. Of course, you don't even know if there are more than just the required few to maintain a city's defenses.
AN:
Experimenting a little with an option. I feel that in a story about travel and adventure, the different food each place has gives it a bit more flavor. If you pick the bar option, just put the bonus scouting action underneath it in a plan format. May do something like this in the future, we'll see.
This chapter fought me a little and I sorta feel like the pacing is a bit slow, but I think things will pick up in a chapter or two. There's just a few set-up stuff that I feel like a random person walking into a new city can't ignore. Eze probably won't be too important of a character either, though that might change. Thought about maybe including a little neat recognition check, but it's probably unnecessary without rolls. I feel like description is often one of the weaker parts of my writing, so I hope I gave enough of an idea of how the city feels.
I think plan voting would be good, since the thread already has a history of doing that. Edit: clarification on the bonus action, just post it under the bar action in the plan.
[x] Head to the temple: Take Cleric Eze's invitation to the temple. This is your only guaranteed way of getting involved with things, and it's best to be as informed as early as possible. You could technically hold off on this though. It's not like they'll suddenly refuse you if you come by tomorrow.
[x] Go to a bar: Gain the common citizen's perspective on the current state of the city, rumors, and possibly meet helpful patrons. Also, you're hungry, thirsty, and tired. (Gain 1 bonus scouting action if taken, where Deirdre will be energized enough to look into another course of action and gain information on the option, though you will not have a full interaction in those locations)
[X] Plan Drunken Wizards
[X] Go to a bar
-[X] Find out if there's a proper magic institution here somewhere
[X] Investigate the museum commotion
Honestly, the temple isn't going anywhere. I'd rather get an overview of the city, and asking around at the bar is a nice way to find out where they stand in regards to magic use.
Alright, I'm closing the vote now. I apologize for any confusion the voting for this update caused. Next update will be a longer one, and I'll toss in a little extra at the end.
Alright, I'm closing the vote now. I apologize for any confusion the voting for this update caused. Next update will be a longer one, and I'll toss in a little extra at the end.
You stare up at the statue of the god Orishanla, the patron deity of this city. As a divine being whose domains included concepts such as light and purity, this city was chosen by Archbishop Ismael as the first in the region to spread the new faith. There was some friction at first, but the process was remarkably smooth once your friend publicly paid his respects to the god and met the skepticism of the local faith with open arms.
Eventually, they came around to the new religion. Perhaps mostly because it would be easier to convert other cities and regions to the Light than to a specific god, but Ismael didn't have the luxury to make sure everywhere he visited adhered strictly to his vision. He preferred people find their own way in understanding their Light anyways.
Shaking your head, you set aside the memories and make your way into the temple. It's been renovated and rebuilt many times, but the shape is still familiar enough to you. A large rectangular building constructed with beautiful white stone with touches of yellow and brown stood before you, a long pillar stretching up from the center holding up the symbol of Light for the city to see. Walking up the polished steps, you take in the grand entrance and soak in the atmosphere.
Almost immediately, a sense of serenity runs through your body, soothing your weary form. You take hold of the Light chain you decided to wear for this visit and press it to your forehead as you close your eyes, bathing in the aura of safety and acceptance that all buildings of the faith exuded. As your muscles relax and your worries dissipate, you see the glimmers of your own Light. Slightly dull and faded, but still shining.
After a few moments of this, you sigh and open your eyes. You could meditate like this the whole day, but it's time to do what you came here to do. Putting aside the chain, you push open the doors and step inside the temple. The entrance area is surprisingly not that large, but it is tastefully decorated with only some ornamentation. You catch the attention of the person at the front desk and ask for Cleric Eze. After a moment of confusion, she looks like she remembers being told of your coming and takes up a tablet once she confirms your identity. You catch sight of her excited expression before you leave for the main area.
Once you enter the large room however, you detect something is off quickly. The initiates and others here hide it well as there's no panicking or shouting, but there is a sense of urgency that you can see various people walking with. What were quiet spaces a visitor could sit in for a while praying or talk privately with a listener was now almost crawling with people dressed in various vestments of the faith. Some guests seem to be noticing it too with how they're looking around, but the clergy do their best to not disturb them while the listeners speak to those in need of their counsel as always.
Stepping through the arches and past various depictions of Orishanla and the Light on the walls, you glide past the various initiates and clerics with ease towards a less busy area. Taking a seat, you close your eyes once again to bask in the Light as you wait.
A few moments pass. Then a few more. You crack open your eyes once you feel like you might actually fall asleep. It's been a little too long. Debating on whether you should go back and ask the receptionist for an update, you finally spot the old cleric almost stomping towards you out of the corner of your eye. Slivers of irritation can be seen through his posture, but none of it seems to be directed towards you.
"I apologize for the wait, Ms. Pathstrider," he says once he's within speaking distance. "I brought your situation up with the priest and other figures here. We are willing to host you in our sanctuary, should you wish. The temple here is prepared for these kinds of situations."
You tilt your head, "I sense a however…"
He shakes his head, "It's a mere formality, in my opinion, but there is someone who wishes to speak with you before involving you further with the investigation. She was quite insistent on it, and her word unfortunately takes priority over most others when it comes to dealing with fell cultists and worshipers."
"I have no issue with that. Is she available now?" You ask.
"Fortunately, yes. Come with me and I'll lead you to the room she's set aside for the meeting."
You consider Eze's words in your head. Truthfully, you aren't too surprised that someone here might be a little suspicious of your presence here. Cultist activity must have ramped up recently, and all of a sudden a figure from legend appears to offer their help against the scourge? Even if you being able to stay here at all prevented you from being an outright cultist, there are still many possibilities one could think of if they were more doubtful of you.
Cleric Eze leads you to a nondescript door and opens it for you. Stepping inside, you take in the rather spartan room before catching sight of the two waiting for you here. A human dressed fully in some type of gray-gold armor stands behind a miu sitting at the table, her rifle leaning on the wood next to her. She has her long coat hanging from the back of her seat and a wide-brimmed hat resting on the table in front of her, yet her sharp, slitted eyes and posture tells you that she has little plan of being open with you.
The two look out of place after seeing so many robed clerics and priests, but you have no doubt as to who they are. You've seen their type many times, especially during the Crusades. These are the demon hunters, witchfinders, inquisitors, seekers, hidden knives of the faith, and other such titles. Jaded, pessimistic, and suspicious, they either cause more harm than they help or are the most ardent opponents against the various evils targeting society.
Time to see which they are.
"Hello," the miu finally says after staring at you for a moment. "Ms. Pathstrider, correct? Please, take a seat."
"Yes, thank you."
Both of them maintain their neutral gaze on you as you walk towards them. There's not a whisper of awe or wonder in their expressions or posture, though you do catch them shifting as you remove your beanie entirely and sit down. You catch the miu looking over you for a moment before hearing the door close behind you.
She starts talking when you set your bow down, "It appears Cleric Eze told the truth then. Deirdre Pathstrider herself has come to grace our halls. From what I've heard from the man and half the other people here, it seems I should be thanking the Light that you have come to save us in our time of need."
You shake your head, "I am no miracle worker. I simply wish to offer what I can to support the investigation against the cults here."
The miu begins to tap a finger on the table as her whiskers twitch slightly. You look at her closer. Her dark fur was impeccably maintained along with her white buttoned-up shirt, yet signs of weariness can be seen. Despite her efforts, her eyes seem to be drooping slightly, and her rigid posture is one of someone desperately trying to hold themselves together against the exhaustion crashing down on them.
Suddenly, she asks, "Why have you come here, Ms. Crusader?"
You blink, "To hunt down the cult—"
"No. I understand what you came here to do," she interrupts. "What I want to know is why. From what I understand, you've been… a traveler your entire life. There's been demonic activity and cults here for over a thousand years. Why come here now, all of a sudden? If you're so against the threat of demons, I would assume that traveling all across Sumeri battling against it would've consumed much of your time."
She leans forward, "But from what I know, you haven't been doing that. You simply decided all of a sudden to come here now over a thousand years later after the Incursion to deal with the cults. Explain it to me. If this is just some whim of yours, Ms. Crusader, I would rather I know now so that I can prepare for your departure whenever you get bored."
You lean back a little, though you maintain eye contact with her. You're unsure how much to tell her, and to be honest, the miu isn't completely wrong with her suspicions. The Second Crusade was so difficult precisely because it had to balance overeager volunteers and crusaders with people that could actually be trusted to stay and do their duty. You yourself had to vet and test your fellow crusaders at times.
Eventually, you decide honesty is the best move here. Things are too serious to risk some misunderstanding later down the line.
"I am unable to stay in one place for too long. Sumeri is vast, but eventually I will look for new horizons. It is difficult to understand for other races, and I don't expect you to, but I have been made to seek new sights, lands, and challenges. I've long discovered that my long life was designed with a … cycle of sorts in mind, in order to help weather the ravages of time."
The miu looks to the armored human behind her, and he nods.
You continue on, "But yes, even with that I could have come here before. I don't remember every single moment of my life, but I must have surely heard of cultist and demonic activity down here previously. I also could have tackled any number of issues plaguing Kiengir. Ultimately, I simply wished to involve myself in the world's affairs once more and believed Sumeri would be a good start once I heard of the problem here. I intend to stay in the city until the problem is resolved."
Opposite you, the two figures glance at each other once more before the paladin, you realize now, nods a second time. The demon hunter starts tapping the table silently in thought again, her eyes furrowed now instead of piercing straight through you. You can tell that you're making progress in obtaining her trust, but that she wasn't quite ready to give everything just yet.
"Thank you for answering honestly. It was informative," she says after a few moments. "The offer to host you here remains, as you may be here a while until the problem is 'resolved', yet I have a few more questions for you if we are to be working together more closely."
"Of course." You agree.
She stares off to the side, "What, exactly, can you do for us? I mean no offense, but are you aware of how to conduct an investigation in today's time? Do you understand the evidence we can collect now on a scene, or how the cults do their recruiting in the present day? Cyber crime on the web is a large part of what we deal with as well with how much the cults enjoy using it for their various plots, and unless you tell me you learned to be a hacker, I don't see how you can get involved with that."
"So tell me," she says as she looks back towards you. "What do you offer, Ms. Crusader?"
Choose one:
[] "I have fought in battles against hordes of powerful demons. Orbis and its people haven't seen a demonic incursion in over a thousand years. Let me engage and be one of the first people in any physical confrontation in case the threat is more serious than we thought."
[] "I have millennia of experience in dealing with various problems relating to the Currents and demons. While I do not doubt the power of the Light, there are some matters that one capable of using and sensing magic can better deal with in the investigation."
[] "I don't believe things have changed as much as you say about the cultists. I participated in the decades of intrigue that the Second Crusade was involved in against the demons, and I plan to use that experience here once more."
[] Write-in
"Thank you." You say as the bartender hands you a small plate of food.
He nods as you slowly start to dig in. Rice tinged an orange-brown with various seasonings sits before you, with small pieces of onion hidden between the grains. As you take your first bite, the heat from the peppers used in the sauce makes itself known, though you bear it with long years of experience with such tastes. You can detect the garlic, ginger, and notes of other ingredients used to flavor the rice, and a comfortable feeling settles over you as you take your first sip of the drink next to it.
You speak up once the bartender nears you again, "It's been a while since I've come to Nokoyo. Have any new or interesting events occurred recently that I should know about?"
The man cocks his head, "Interesting, I'm not so sure. But there's been some new things that's come up."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," he nods. "Some of my patrons joined some sorta… support groups, I think they're called. Lots of people with things they feel they cannot speak of in this age, I suppose, and the recent murders can't have helped."
"Hmm," you let out, rolling what you just learned in your mind. "Thank you for letting me know."
The man nods again before leaving to tend to another patron. Support groups…you don't know enough about such things to tell if they're normal or not. Investigating them further can't hurt though. And the emphasis on murders? That is a more sure sign to you of something occurring. Not that Nokoyo is free of violent crime, but cultists almost always resort to violence and death whenever they feel like they can.
As you're about to finish your drink and ask for another, you hear a loud cheer to your right. Turning, you startle as you find the "adventurer group" from the airship sitting around a table laden with food and drinks. They're still wearing their outfits, and now that you're looking closer, you suspect that the human is wearing a real, actual breastplate. The sight tugs at your heart, and you look back down on your meal.
Ever since the World War, you've been mostly traveling alone. A large percentage of your life was mostly quietly traveling from place to place and taking in the sights, of course, but you know that you have avoided making closer connections in the past few centuries. Sometimes, those connections found you instead like with the Doom Commandos, but even with them you disappeared and rarely stayed in contact with them as they grew older. You promised yourself to shake yourself from that habit and communicate with them more, but does that extend to making new companions where you have to watch them age and wither over the decades all over again?
You hesitated on the airship, but whether it is the liquid courage granted to you by the drink or the welcoming ambiance of the bar, you stand up abruptly and make your way over. When is the next time you'll encounter something like this? If they truly are an adventurer group, then you can bond with and learn more of them, perhaps even guide them if they get involved with the cults here. If they aren't, then it's a humorous story you can tell people later.
They don't seem to notice you at first, with them listening to the normal-looking person that you realize is an amethyst yuren declaring that he 'won't be wearing a damn wizard hat'. This gives you the chance to get a better look at them, and despite how out of place they look, you grow more confident of their identity as actual adventurers the more you see of them. The sphatika dressed in strange red and white medical robes has what you think is actual protective armor underneath it all protecting his crystalline body. A closer inspection of the sylvan musketeer reveals a tool belt and other pouches on her person, and despite how obvious the bake-danuki's outfit looks, the dark cloak is well-made and conceals what you realize is a gi underneath.
Once you appear at the table, the human finally catches sight of you and blinks in confusion for a moment. Then a wide, bright smile forms on her face as you wave.
"Ho there, fellow adventurers," you cry out. "May I share in the excitement with you all?"
A quiet groan is heard to the side, but the armored human stands up and grins in response. You blink as she matches your height, and note that the young human is much more powerfully built than you assumed.
"Why, of course you may, my lady. It is a pleasure to meet the acquaintance of another on the road."
Smiling and caught up in the moment, you don't realize you're already doing a little bow until you catch sight of the widening of the eyes from the woman, "My thanks, ser knight."
You watch the internal cheering coming from her as she attempts to form a dignified expression. She pulls out a seat for you before gently pushing it back in when you settle yourself on it. As you take in the curious glances from the others, the knightly human goes back to her own seat and gestures to herself.
"I am Ser Amina, my good lady, and I lead my fine companions here in what will soon be the greatest band of heroes in all of Kiengir!"
You widen your eyes dramatically, "Truly?"
You're playing it up a little bit, but you are genuinely interested in her response. Despite the act, she doesn't seem like she is lying about going around as a party of wandering figures like in the days of old. You're curious on what exactly that entails.
As she is about to respond, a tired voice interrupts her, "Alright, alright. You don't need to humor her so much."
Amina pouts as you both turn to face the yuren dressed in a baggy shirt and sweatpants, who despite his remark gives you a small smile.
"Yo, I'm Dan. I somehow got roped into this by these people. Glad to see another normal person who knows they don't have to dress up in order to 'adventure', whatever that means these days."
You carefully don't react as you take the drink that Amina suddenly offers to you, "Oh? I am not sure what you mean by that, master wizard."
The young man groans as he rests his head on the table, though you sense he isn't quite as annoyed as he appears. Next to him, the sphatika in the healer's outfit pats Dan on the back, a gentle smile on his face.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you. I'm Kiran, and this is—"
"The name's Rowan!" The sylvan in the musketeer outfit beams at you for a moment before her attention is quickly grabbed away by something she's viewing on her tablet. The feathered hat and puffy shirt doesn't match her leafy hair or dark brown-red of her skin very well, but somehow the chaotic ensemble comes together still.
The bake-danuki in the very noticeable covert outfit simply says, "Aya," before going back to eating her food quietly, bushy tail swishing behind her.
"Yes," Kiran coughs before continuing. "Like I said, it's nice to have someone approach us so early on our journey."
Rowan nods excitedly, "I know, right? Do you think she's here to offer us our first quest? Oh, oh, or maybe she's the one who introduces us to the main storyline and is some secretly super important member of the grand conspiracy to save the world?"
You blink, "First quest? Main storyline?" What on Orbis is she talking about?
Amina laughs nervously as she cuts in, "Ah, please forgive my companions. They're all a little excited to finally relax after traveling so long on the road—"
"We took an airship here." The yuren points out.
"—and getting ready to camp out in the deep wilderness—"
"We reserved hotel rooms days ago."
"—and following through on our plans to comb through the ancient ruins and dungeons in Sumeri—"
"We're probably just going to stick to the city and save cats or something."
"Dan!"
"What?" He questions, lifting his head up to look back at her. "Any actual ruins are probably just going to be guided tours or something. And no serious person is going to entrust a bunch of strangers to do anything actually important."
"I know, but getting into the spirit of things is important!"
As they both begin to bicker, you lean back with a smile. This feeling of simply observing the interactions between a group of friends comfortable with each other... aside from the Doom Commandos, it must have been centuries since you got the chance to do so. Taking a sip of the drink given to you, you set it down on the table and gain the attention of the group once more.
"So, you five truly are an adventurer group of sorts?"
Dan raises a hand before anyone can answer and wiggles it back and forth, "If you really squint, sure. These guys are mostly cosplaying—" he ignores the indignant cry from the group. "But! We're all capable of taking care of ourselves. I really did graduate in the field of psionics at my university. That… does make me a wizard of sorts, though I really prefer being called a magician or magic practitioner."
Amina nods as she leans forward to continue, "We've all left Avista to venture out in the world and make something of ourselves. We'll explore dangerous areas, take on difficult missions that no one else can, and yes Dan, perhaps we will save a cat or two!"
You raise an eyebrow, "How do you plan on finding such tasks?"
"We'll walk around and see if anyone needs something, of course, but we also make use of various sites that people use to ask for help. There's even one maintained by the Adventurer's Guild, and they have branches in just about every nation." Kiran answers.
Dan shakes his head, "They exist, yeah, but don't be fooled. They're not much different from any other site offering commissions or random jobs. It's not a real profession people train for anymore. The only way we're going to succeed in my opinion is if our social media accounts get popular enough."
"Which it will, along with everything else we're set on accomplishing," Amina says, steel lining her voice as she looks around the table seriously. "Whether it is by doing small chores, facing dangerous encounters, or making our names known, I'll do my utmost to ensure we end up looking back on our adventures with pride. I swore an oath to you all."
For once, Dan didn't look exasperated from the words coming from his leader's mouth despite her still maintaining her persona of a knight. He merely turns away, and you sense him fiddling with his magic in the way most magicians do out of habit. His eyebrows furrow though suddenly and he looks towards you from across the table, eying your bow once he spots it.
"Say, I don't think we got your name yet…"
You widen your eyes. Right, somehow that slipped your mind. You open your mouth to give it, but hesitate for a split second. The past few minutes have been enjoyable despite your earlier reluctance to approach them. Bantering with and learning more of an eccentric group of people, you admit selfishly to yourself that this is something you want to indulge in for a little longer. A party such as this might have a bit more knowledge of the elves than most, and that probably includes your existence. You don't know how that'll change the tune and dynamics of the group if you continue accompanying them…
Choose One
[] "I'm… Dee Strider. I was interested in some of the history Sumeri has and decided to visit."
[] "I'm Deirdre Pathstrider, just another adventurer traveling on the road."
You frown as the officers stationed around the museum stonewall your questions. They set up tape and other barriers blocking off entry to the place, and most of the crowd that surrounded the area before have been dispersed. The most you've been able to divine was something being stolen. Sighing as the male miu rattled off another practiced statement of how they cannot say anything until the investigation concludes, you step away from the scene and begin to head back to the temple.
There is one more thing you need to handle though.
After a few minutes of walking, you suddenly veer into an empty alleyway and walk down the path. Stopping near the fence blocking off the other end, you pause for a moment before quickly whirling around and locking eyes with the gnoll who has been following you ever since you left the temple.
"Well? Have you come to talk or are you here just to stalk me?" You ask out loud.
The gnoll pauses for a moment before sighing and adjusting her tie. She enters the alleyway after you without a hint of worry on her face while staring at you with a somewhat annoyed expression.
"I told them that following you like this wouldn't work." She says once she's within normal speaking distance.
You tilt your head, "Who is 'them'?"
The gnoll looks around very obviously before shaking her head, looking at you intently "Not important right now. I'll let you know later. You wanted to know what happened at the museum, right? And perhaps some other recent events here? Very daring for a tourist such as yourself, aren't you?"
You catch her meaning that it somehow isn't safe to talk here and nod, "Yes, that would be appreciated. I would need to verify such information however…"
"Of course," she simply nods before taking something out of her pocket and handing it to you while leaning closer. "If you want to discuss things, all my details are here. I and my friends are willing to work with the Light's faithful, even though the temple here has been firm in their refusal of our aid. We would appreciate a more... open-minded individual to bridge the gap between us."
She turns and leaves shortly after, leaving the card sitting in your hands. You don't quite care though as you stare at the golden letters written on the minimalist and tastefully decorated dark surface.
Noor Maamoun
Advocate
A sigh escapes you as your annoyance from the police interactions grows. How are the devil worshipers involved with this? Do you really want to get involved with them?
[] Yes, the Advocates are well-connected with a lot of resources on hand. They probably know a lot of the various dealings behind closed doors in the city, and despite everything, they are almost as opposed to demons as followers of the Light.
[] No, they're self-interested and rarely provide help without a cost. The local authorities and the Light can handle this without the Advocates dangling the aid they provided towards them later.
AN:
Edit: This and other future votes will be line votes, the option with the most votes in each choice will win. Current plan votes will be counted accordingly.
And here we go! I originally wanted to have you guys choose who to talk to in the bar (and there may have been a third option, unsure), but decided to give you both after the confusing vote and somewhat quiet update. It also helps speed things up I hope. I think I might slow down updates a bit, but I hope you enjoyed the potential cast of characters for this arc. I decided to leave a write-in for the temple conversation. The current options work, but if there's a particularly good explanation I may or may not give a slight bonus to how the demon hunter reacts. We'll see. They won't strictly limit you to any set course of action, but it'll help sort of determine the demon hunter's attitude towards you.
[x] "I have millennia of experience in dealing with various problems relating to the Currents and demons. While I do not doubt the power of the Light, there are some matters that one capable of using and sensing magic can better deal with in the investigation."
[x] "I'm… Dee Strider. I was interested in some of the history Sumeri has and decided to visit."
[x] Yes, the Advocates are well-connected with a lot of resources on hand. They probably know a lot of the various dealings behind closed doors in the city, and despite everything, they are almost as opposed to demons as followers of the Light.
[X] Plan: Screw you, I'm the elf and I'll handle this
- [X] "I have millennia of experience in dealing with various problems relating to the Currents and demons. While I do not doubt the power of the Light, there are some matters that one capable of using and sensing magic can better deal with in the investigation."
- [X] "I'm… Dee Strider. I was interested in some of the history Sumeri has and decided to visit."
- [X] No, they're self-interested and rarely provide help without a cost. The local authorities and the Light can handle this without the Advocates dangling the aid they provided towards them later.
[X] "I have fought in battles against hordes of powerful demons. Orbis and its people haven't seen a demonic incursion in over a thousand years. Let me engage and be one of the first people in any physical confrontation in case the threat is more serious than we thought."
[X] "I'm… Dee Strider. I was interested in some of the history Sumeri has and decided to visit."
[X] No, they're self-interested and rarely provide help without a cost. The local authorities and the Light can handle this without the Advocates dangling the aid they provided towards them later.
We're best equipped for shooting things in the face so let's do that. Far as the adventurer party goes, it's tradition for the wise old mentor to hide their true identity.
as for the devil worshippers, nope, I'm not getting suckered into a contract. Never deal with devils, it's never worth it.
