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The Grand Adventure(s?) (OPEN) (IC)

Jakarta

Cutest Mod
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The smell of mead, the laughs, the people looking for a job. Such is a typical night at the drunken adventurer. A bar located at the more seedy parts of Katherinsand, as travelers pass by this most unusual tavern, either scorning at the sheer amount of alcohol consumed, secretly smiling at the various adventures started at this place, or just entering the tavern itself for god knows what reason. This place is a hub for people looking for adventure, and this is where you come in.

You arrive here on a rather rainy night at the City on the hill, the rain pouring something fierce over the city and everyone is looking for shelter within the confines of taverns or inns. Consequently, you see a sign titled 'The Drunken Adventurer' and quickly got in. Unsurprisingly enough, the inside of the bar is warm and welcoming, with the smell of alcohol present in practically every crevice of the tavern, you took a seat, ordered some drinks, and wait for something to happen.

What do you do now?
 
I survey the surrounding, drinking from my stein, looking quite bored and maybe a bit annoyed. Hailing a waitress I ask her what they serve for meal.
 
Khosrow Vahid is running at night on Katherinsand's dimly lit street, desperately trying to find the nearest inn or tavern for shelter from the rain. After he had escorted that hooded woman to her destination in the capital, he didn't think there would be a rain tonight when he saw the sky seemed very cloudy.

The freelance battlemage then sees a sign on a building titled "The Drunken Adventurer". Guessing that most taverns have creative and unique names for their establishments, he quickly get inside the building. It is fortunate for him that he wears a robe over his battlemage armor before the rain began, or else he might have to cast a Heat cantrip on himself to dry up.

Khosrow takes his time observing the establishment's interior surrounding. It is full of excited tavern patrons of many kinds just by looking at their outfits. Some are wearing normal peasantry clothes, while others are in robes, chainmails and gambesons. His ears are swelled with the sound of sweet music, plus the chatter and laughs of a lively public house that is warm and welcoming with the strong smell of ale and spirit existing in the air.

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He takes the nearest empty seat, resting his swordstaff against the table's end before calling a waitress to order a drink and some foods. She seems to be a young blonde woman in her mid-20s, having supposedly tired eyes while maintaining a polite smile. It's not surprising for him given how many people are in this tavern, serving the patrons for hours at night can be a tiring, even though there are several waitresses here working alongside her.

"Welcome to 'The Drunken Adventurer', sir! One of the finest taverns in Katherinsand!" The blonde merrily waitress greets the Deylavan. "Is there something you would like to eat?"

"First, I would like a warm sweet drink but nothing intoxicating. I'm not planning on getting drunk tonight," Khosrow replies, shaking his head as he mentions the last part for emphasis. "Also, what kind of soup or stew you have?"

"We're having creamy chicken mushroom stew, sir."

"Ah, in that case I would have a bowl of that stew with some breads, please."

After the waitress accepted the order and left Khosrow for the kitchen, he sits there at his table surveying the vibrant scene from the tavern's lively customers as he is waiting for the meal to arrive.
 
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A hooded figure finally reached the tavern, she is visibly tired and just about to rest when she entered the tavern. The smell of alcohol immediately pierced her nose and she outed the cloak covering her face.
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A woman from the far west, wearing some intricate gold jewelry on her neck, and carrying a huge sword on her back. She slowly reached into the table and heard the rumblings of another tavern-goer. Goes to show how much people are hanging out in this tavern.

She heard of this particular tavern when she was traveling to Katherinsand. Heard that this is the place where adventure can be legitimately found, so Orisa, being the curious woman that she is, naturally swerved into the tavern the moment she can see the signpost hanging on top.

"Oh, a western woman?" She heard someone softly commented. "Rare to see her kind here."

"Yo Franz, that's a western woman, like, y'know, the people from the jungles and such. Wanna hit her up?"

She can only cringed at some of the comments people here make of her kind, most of them swerve into the more 'natural' curiosity of seeing people like her, still though. She's not feeling too comfortable being stared at like some statue or an exhibit.

Taking a seat right next to another person, she took off her cloak, revealing her clothes, which she immediately regret.
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Suddenly she felt as if the whole tavern was staring at her. Well, knowing what's done is done, she ordered a bowl of the best food in the tavern, some cups of water, and waited for her meal.

She couldn't wait to just get off into an adventure at any moment. Her eyes though, swerved to two individuals right next to her.

I survey the surrounding, drinking from my stein, looking quite bored and maybe a bit annoyed. Hailing a waitress I ask her what they serve for meal.

The first one is a very rough looking man, he has his coat on with him, but he seems like a pretty fierce looking guy. She didn't want to mess with him at all. Nope, not in the slightest.

"First, I would like a warm sweet drink but nothing intoxicating. I'm not planning on getting drunk tonight," Khosrow replies, shaking his head as he mentions the last part for emphasis. "Also, what kind of soup or stew you have?"

"We're having creamy chicken mushroom stew, sir."

"Ah, in that case I would have a bowl of that stew with some breads, please."

After the waitress accepted the order and left Khosrow for the kitchen, he sits there at his table surveying the vibrant scene from the tavern's lively customers as he is waiting for the meal to arrive.

The other one though, somehow looked more... friendlier than the other one. She inched a bit closer to the other guy, looking at him, he doesn't look like he's from any part of the Empire. Is he from Yuishi or, perhaps, lands further east?

"Not from the Empire are you?" She asked. "First time here in Katherinsand?"
 
Khosrow silently praises Ormazd - the creator and almighty god - for allowing him to speak the Centralian language fluently without a problem once more. While Centralian is a second language in most parts of the Great Dividing Desert, he has been struggling to get himself straight with its tenses and vocabulary.

As the Deylavan is waiting for his meal, he unties a coin pouch from his belt and placing the small, yet heavy leather bag it on his lap as he gazes upon its content. 100 écu and some precious gemstones as a reward just to escort that mysterious hooded woman from Shirar - a town located close to the Great Desert-Centralian border - to Katherinsand? Khosrow was suspicious at her when she first asked for his service. She never even gave the freelance battlemage her name.

Given his financial situation at that time, he couldn't say no to her when he was offered that hefty payment. The entire journey to the capital of the Central Empire had been... uneventful and dull. No bandits nor hostile creatures slid down from a dune or jumped out of a hedgerow. Not that he wanted it though.

There was also little conversation between him and the hooded woman as they traveled together. She was a rather reserved and taciturn person when he thinks back about that person. The hooded woman also happened to be wearing a face veil beneath her hood, therefore Khosrow could not know what did she look like back then.

However, he did get a good look at her eyes. Her ruby red eyes which were the most beautiful and mesmerizing he had ever seen. As far as Khosrow remembers, he has never seen a person with scarlet eyes like that hooded woman before.

His chain of thought is suddenly interrupted by a female voice coming from beside him.

The other one though, somehow looked more... friendlier than the other one. She inched a bit closer to the other guy, looking at him, he doesn't look like he's from any part of the Empire. Is he from Yuishi or, perhaps, lands further east?

"Not from the Empire are you?" She asks. "First time here in Katherinsand?"

Khosrow turns his head to the source as he quickly closes the coin pouch. What he sees before his sight is an attractive young woman with medium-length black hair, as well as brown eyes and complexion. The Deylavan also notices she wears clothing that are quite revealing compared to most women he have seen here, wearing only a strip of white cloth around her chest and a large piece of fabric wrapped around her waist.

Based on both this woman's skin tone, facial structure and her clothes, he assumes she is not from around here. Probably from other region in the Central Empire.

"There's always first time for everything," Khosrow shrugs his shoulders as he replies. "And I've experienced two of them today. One of them is what you said before: my first time here in Katherinsand."
 
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Khosrow turns his head to the source as he quickly closes the coin pouch. What he sees before his sight is an attractive young woman with medium-length black hair, as well as brown eyes and complexion. The Deylavan also notices she wears clothing that are quite revealing compared to most women he have seen here, wearing only a strip of white cloth around her chest and a large piece of fabric wrapped around her waist.

Based on both this woman's skin tone, facial structure and her clothes, he assumes she is not from around here. Probably from other region in the Central Empire.

"There's always first time for everything," Khosrow shrugs his shoulders as he replies. "And I've experienced two of them today. One of them is what you said before: my first here in Katherinsand."

"Well, welcome to the Central Empire then." The woman smiled. "My name's Orisa. Where'd you come from?"

"Also, they told me that this place here is where adventurers come and get quests, and yet I haven't seen anything of that sort. Hmmm... weird."
 
"Well, welcome to the Central Empire then." The woman smiled. "My name's Orisa. Where'd you come from?"
The Deylavan smiles back at the woman. "I'm Khosrow from Deylavaz, a kingdom in the Great Desert."

"Also, they told me that this place here is where adventurers come and get quests, and yet I haven't seen anything of that sort. Hmmm... weird."
"There is?" Khosrow raises his eyebrow with interest at the mention of adventurers and acquiring quests.

From what he has learned about "adventurers", they are a little more than freelance mercenaries who come and go as they please. That is where a "guild" comes in, whose purpose is to simply be the middleman between the client and adventurers and offering quests to what is basically a group of armed mercenaries with a centralized system in place to control them.

Nevertheless, the nature and degree of danger of these quests can vary. For the most part, a quest with high rewards means high level of peril that will likely cause from it and it will not matter if such dangerous quest involves monster hunting, escort or investigation.
 
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"There is?" Khosrow raises his eyebrow with interest at the mention of adventurers and acquiring quests.

From what he has learned about "adventurers", they are a little more than freelance mercenaries who come and go as they please. That is where a "guild" comes in, whose purpose is to simply be the middleman between the client and adventurers and to provide what is basically a group of armed mercenaries with a centralized system in place to control them.

As they banter though, both figures slowly noticed that some adventurers went upstairs for something. Orisa noticed and nudged Khosrow on his arm and pointed subtly on the adventures going upstairs.

"I think that's where the adventurers go, wanna go there after we have our food here? c'mon! forming a party means that we will be more successful when we do our adventures."
 
Having looked around, I decide to tail the barbarian. Always put yourself behind the meanest man or woman, as fellow street rats would say and the barbarian certainly fits the bill.
 
As they banter though, both figures slowly noticed that some adventurers went upstairs for something. Orisa noticed and nudged Khosrow on his arm and pointed subtly on the adventures going upstairs.

"I think that's where the adventurers go, wanna go there after we have our food here? C'mon! Forming a party means that we will be more successful when we do our adventures."
Khosrow has some experience of carry out several assignments with other mercenaries back in the Great Desert and Yuishi, but the groups they formed were often short-lived. As soon as they completed the assignment and distributed the rewards with each member, including himself, the small mercenary band broke off and the rest went on to their separate ways.

On the other hand, a long-term venture of forming a party and performing quests with other adventurers sounds like a better idea in Khosrow's mind when compared to solo freelancing. Besides, it sure does not hurt having company once again. It reminds him of his days back when he was in Deylavan Army. He misses those good old days with his fellow friends.

"Sure, why the heck not?" Khosrow responds to the woman.

Not long afterwards, a waitress is approaching their table while carrying their meals on a tray. She puts the tray on the table in front of both Khosrow and Orisa before handing them the meals they ordered earlier. For Khosrow, a bow of creamy chicken mushroom stew, a couple loaves of breads and a wooden mug of warm brown liquid that he can't identify. For Orisa, however, hers are a wooden cup of water and a bowl of food that he also does not recognize but it gives off a really appetizing aroma.
 
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Khosrow has some experience of carry out several assignments with other mercenaries back in the Great Desert and Yuishi, but the groups they formed were often short-lived. As soon as they completed the assignment and distributed the rewards with each member, including himself, the small mercenary band broke off and the rest went on to their separate ways.

On the other hand, a long-term venture of forming a party and performing quests with other adventurers sounds like a better idea in Khosrow's mind when compared to solo freelancing. Besides, it sure does not hurt having company once again. It reminds him of his days back when he was in Deylavan Army. He misses those good old days with his fellow friends.

"Sure, why the heck not?" Khosrow responds to the woman.

Not long afterwards, a waitress is approaching their table while carrying their meals on a tray. She puts the tray on the table in front of both Khosrow and Orisa before handing them the meals they ordered earlier. For Khosrow, a bow of creamy chicken mushroom stew, a couple loaves of breads and a wooden mug of warm brown liquid that he can't identify. For Orisa, however, hers is a wooden cup of water and a bowl of food that he also cannot recognize but it gives off a really appetizing aroma.

The dark skin woman's eyes brighten up when she sees the food presented to her by the server. She expected some food that the people from the Gothic part of the Empire would enjoy, she didn't expected that it would be a food that she is oh so familiar with.
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She grasped the spoon, put the spoonful of soup into her mouth, and smiled as the taste of the pepper food assaulted her tastebuds.

"Yo, server! you sure this is the best food in here?"

The blonde woman only gave her a wink in the eye. To which Orisa responded with a big toothed smile as she continued chowing down on the soup.

As the two figures were eating their meal however. Someone nudged Orisa, she turned around, and saw a hooded figure with a great white beard.

"Brand new adventurers I see. Say, you are interested in going upstairs yes?"

Orisa only nodded while she continued eating her bowl of soup.

"Well, sorry to say miss, but unfortunately, I don't think the guards upstairs would accept people as green as you inside. You have to build some credibility in order to get in. Fortunately, I am here to give you a sort of... pathway into upstairs, are you interested in listening to my proposition?"

The western woman paused for a second, and she nudged Khosrow immediately. "Yo, this guy is likely a quest giver or something. Might wanna hear him out."

I survey the surrounding, drinking from my stein, looking quite bored and maybe a bit annoyed. Hailing a waitress I ask her what they serve for meal.
Having looked around, I decide to tail the barbarian. Always put yourself behind the meanest man or woman, as fellow street rats would say and the barbarian certainly fits the bill.

The hooded figure also eyed The Barbarian and the man standing beside him. "You two might also want to hear this one out. I can tell from far away that you two are new here as well."
 
The barbarian look up from us stein for a moment, listening to the conversation not far from him, before noticing that the woman was talking to him and… someone else ? Checking above his shoulder, he notice what seems to be, in his eyes, a thief. At least he looked as one. The barbarian didn't have much possession, but still. He growled at the man « You better keep those hands away, or else I know on who I'll take my frustration away, understood ? » before looking bored to the woman « Better be interesting… »
 
"A quest is a quest is a quest, I suppose" Jeffrey mused. At least he is in good company. A barbarian to hide behind and a battlemage to deal magic on the field is a boon for a rogue.

"Also, you need not worry about me, big guy. Seeing as we're questing together I'd rather you vent your feelings at whoever is coming our way so I'll keep my hands away from your belongings. Though I call dibs on whatever trinket we found that catches my fancy. Fair?"

Turning to the hooded man beckoning them Jeffrey put on his best smile and gestured to his fellow adventurers. "So lead on, good sir."
 
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The hooded figure smiled for a bit, before he began explaining how he's going to help these new adventurers.

"Alright, so, you want to gain credibility yes? well then. How about I go about it with a quest? see, I have this little thing that I needed recovering, and unfortunately, my caravan that is headed from Côte Bleu was ambushed by a bunch of bandits, recover the items that was stolen from me. And I see to it that you will be handsomely rewarded."

"At the very least, grab this thing for me will you?" The man said, unfurling a piece of paper that shows a picture of a chalice.
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"So, what do you say? bring me the chalice, and all the other things stolen from me, and I'll see to it that more opportunities for you young adventurers will be headed your way."
 
"One moment, sir," Jeffrey interjected. "Did your man described the bandits; how many men, their disposition and accoutrements? Any other details that might help would be appreciated."
 
"One moment, sir," Jeffrey interjected. "Did your man described the bandits; how many men, their disposition and accoutrements? Any other details that might help would be appreciated."

"Shouldn't be much of a problem." The man replies. "Just a bunch of thugs armed with swords and spears, no magician from what he told me."

"Be careful though, they are fierce, that is for sure."
 
"Shouldn't be much of a problem." The man replies. "Just a bunch of thugs armed with swords and spears, no magician from what he told me."

"Be careful though, they are fierce, that is for sure."
"'Shouldn't be much of a problem'? Do you even realize by saying that, you've just invited fate to throw something really bad at our way?" Khosrow says, frowning at the hooded man's poor choice of words.
 
The barbarian shrug, raising his head proudly. "I'm not afraid of fate, it can't wield a sword", before looking to the rogue "Seems you're lucky, I'll got plenty of chance to vent my distraction on someone else… for now".
 
"'Shouldn't be much of a problem'? Do you even realize by saying that, you've just invited fate to throw something really bad at our way?" Khosrow says, frowning at the hooded man's poor choice of words.

"Please, don't deprecate yourself like that." The hooded figure replied. "It is not that hard of a request isn't it? dispatch the bandits, grab my items, and come back to this tavern searching for me. I trust that even a bunch of new adventurers would be able to do that no?"

The barbarian shrug, raising his head proudly. "I'm not afraid of fate, it can't wield a sword", before looking to the rogue "Seems you're lucky, I'll got plenty of chance to vent my distraction on someone else… for now".

"See?" The hooded figure pointed at the Barbarian. "This is the right mindset for this job."

"Now. I will leave you for now, come back in 2 days at the very least with the item, okay?" He said, before he left the tavern into the night below.

Orisa sees the figure walking out, before she turned towards all of the people now in the party. "Well, I guess we are now in a quest isn't it? I don't know about you. But questing on the night like this doesn't seem wise, so why don't we all get some room to sleep, and come back in the morning hmm?"

Quest Accepted. Retrieving the Chalice and Other items from a mysterious figure.
 
"I'm with the battlemage on this; best we prepare ourselves since that old man just jinxed us." said Jeffrey. He called out to the barkeep to ask for a room to rest.

"So, would any of you like to share a room with me?"
 
"I'm with the battlemage on this; best we prepare ourselves since that old man just jinxed us." said Jeffrey. He called out to the barkeep to ask for a room to rest.

"So, would any of you like to share a room with me?"

Orisa looked around, and realized that she was the only woman in the party. With the thought of that, she blushed a little bit and laughed sheepishly.

"Eheheheh. Maybe I should get my own room, I'll let you guys decide who's to share with yourselves."
 
Orisa looked around, and realized that she was the only woman in the party. With the thought of that, she blushed a little bit and laughed sheepishly.

"Eheheheh. Maybe I should get my own room, I'll let you guys decide who's to share with yourselves."

"Drat. Foiled again by plain common sense. Be calm, my poor heart. Oh, the tragedy," said Jeffrey with as much sarcasm as he could muster.
 
Tomorrow, 8:00 AM, The Drunken Adventurer, Katherinsand.

Orisa walked downstairs, her eyes are still drowsy and her head still up semi-dreaming about herself and her sister having fun at the beach.

Ahh, yes, the beaches of Isijam. The so called 'hidden jewel of the world'. She remember the time, the good times she had with her sister. Good times, good times.

She walked towards an empty table, a bit drowsy from her sleep, she ordered a cup of water and some breakfast. As she was waiting for her meal though. She noticed that someone is looking at her. Call it a feeling, but that noblewoman (her clothes suggested someone of nobility) should not be sitting down at an old, run down tavern like this.
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She eyed the woman. And the woman turned to her, realizing her mistake, Orisa turned her face back to the table. Timing was on her side though, as the server served her some scrambled eggs, an assorted combination of cheese, and a bunch of weird elongated meat things on the side. Is this what the people here call breakfast? well, it looks tasty enough.

"Orisa Ngkazikiwe. Isn't it?"

She turned her head to the blonde woman. Now looking at her, exuding no emotion whatsoever.

"Okay, who are you?"

"I'm just an observer. Pardon me, but something tells me that you have great potential to be an adventurer."

Now Orisa is really nervous. She just got a quest from a mysterious hooded figure, and now some noblewoman sensed some 'potential' in her? what in the world?!?

"Don't worry, I won't be here for too long. I've got matters to attend elsewhere. First off, good luck on your quest, and secondly, I'm here to give you this."

She walked towards the Far Western woman, and placed a weird pendant on the table.
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Now Orisa is really agitated. There's this weird noblewoman she didn't know of, and suddenly she's gifting her gifts all of a sudden?

"Yo lady, what in god's name are you doing?" She asked.

"Making insurance policies." She replied. Further confusing the western woman. "Take that necklace with you. When you are in trouble, channel all your thoughts into that necklace, help will come."

Orisa turned her head towards the necklace, It's certainly a weird design, is it some sort of poison or something? She smells it, touches it, and looks at it intensely, she turned her head upwards again, about to ask the woman, but Orisa saw the noblewoman exiting the front door.

Insurance policies? necklaces? that woman suddenly giving her something so very valuable out of nowhere? Orisa couldn't stand anymore. So she rushed outside, intending to confront the mysterious woman. She walked towards the front door, the very same door where that woman was exiting, and the moment she walked outside, the woman is nowhere to be seen.

She spent sometime searching for her. To no avail, as the moments pass, her frustration only grew and grew. Eventually, Orisa returned back to the tavern and finished her breakfast. Feeling ever so confused and frustrated.

Just in time though, for the others to walk downstairs and meet her.
 
Jeffrey walked down the stairs, hoping for a good breakfast and some planning before haring off to quest for some chalice. He was halfway to the table they used last night when he noticed the girl, Ori-something eating breakfast with a troubled expression.

"What's the matter, girl? Did something new come up about the quest?" asked Jeffrey.
 
"It better not be about the hooded guy just came by and said 'Oh, I forgot to tell you. The bandits have pet direwolves with them.' If it was, that would make me so 'happy' about our first quest," Khosrow sarcastically says from behind the rogue.

He is tailing Jeffrey closely ever since both of them woke up earlier, leaving the Barbarian behind still sleeping in the room they shared last night. Both the battlemage, the rogue and Barbarian had some conversation about themselves and each other's abilities. Jeffrey tried asking about the Barbarian's real name but all he got was "No" and some dismissal grunts.

On the other hand, Khosrow and Jeffrey got up at the witching hour, having hard time to get some sleep due to the Barbarian's loud snoring, which forced the frustrated Deylavan to cast a Dampen Sound cantrip on him. An act that won the Côte Bleuish smuggler's approval.
 
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