[IC] Beyond the Boundary

[DrowsyPangolin]

The snow crunched quietly beneath her feet as she walked. Their journey had been long and arduous. They'd crossed land and sea to get to their current location, and yet they were still so far from their destination... if that destination even existed. Elizabeth pushed forward, feeling a slight ache in her leg as she trudged onward. The 'road' they were traveling on was, in truth, little more than a trail, nearly entirely covered by snow and full of jagged stones and holes. Its status as a pathway was only confirmed every few miles by a series of signs that had clearly seen far better days. If these signs were to be believed, however, they were nearing their destination. As her cane struck yet another inconvenient stone, Elizabeth threw a glance back towards her companion. The bitter cold of Gris was no place for child, but the boy had insisted. Despite the poor climate, however, Noah seemed to be just fine. His nose and cheeks were reddened from the frigid wind, but he still wore his same contented smile, soldiering on without a care in the world. Elizabeth turned back to the road. If she was right, others were likely making the same journey. Tikkis' work had made significant waves amongst some of the more shadowy corners of society, and many would no doubt have also been inspired to set out. The thought of exactly what kind of people they would be running into made her nervous. This nervousness only grew as they rounded the road's final turn.

A citadel of dark grey stone loomed before them, a monolith of darkness in a sea of white. There were stories surrounding the place, and even more surrounding its lord. Alec Cross, the Vulture, Lord of the Reins. He was a man of many titles. According to the stories she'd heard, he'd been born a slave, but had led a coupe of the local government. In Gris, he was known primarily for his cruelty, but he'd held onto his territory much longer than some. Ordinarily, Elizabeth would've opted to avoid such a place, but it was the last taste of civilization they would get for quite some time. As the spires of the old castle grew closer and closer, the blonde woman's grip tightened around her cane. A warm voice broke the silence behind her. "Wow... It's bigger than I was expecting. Especially to be so far out here." Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, it's... impressive."

The great iron gates of Vulture's Roost stood solidly locked before them as they reached the city. The duo came to a stop as a rough voice echoed down from the ramparts. "Halt. Declare yourself and your intentions." The Esterlian woman's eyes rose to the top of the wall, where they locked on what seemed to be the gate's watchman. He was fully armored in black iron, with a stylized helmet that resembled the head of a bird. A longbow rested at his side. Clearing her throat, Elizabeth raised her voice. "My name is Elizabeth Tosli. My companion is Noah Kass. We intend to rest and resupply in Vulture's Roost before heading north." The guardsman leaned over the wall's edge. "North, eh?" For a moment, Elizabeth could've sworn she heard a chuckle. "Sorry Miss, but you're going to have to wait a while. We've got orders to stop anyone headed north until the Lord can speak with them. Seems he's heard some uh... interesting stories." Elizabeth narrowed her gaze with a soft, but furious huff. She had half a mind to just go around the city, but they needed supplies. Noah turned towards her, still wearing the same smile. "So I guess we'll have to wait a little while... But hey, we get to meet somebody important!" Elizabeth sighed, shaking her head. "Yes, I guess we do." Truthfully, she hated the thought of becoming the center of attention, it was not a position that had ever turned out too well for her in the past. She turned back towards the road, taking a seat on a nearby boulder and staring back the way they had came. In the distance, she thought she saw movement. There were very few reasons for someone to travel so far north. As she watched, her fingers tapped nervously on the head of her cane.

[Sightles]

Ira and Ashley had been on a long trek at this point, traveling through wind and snow to reach the destination of Vulture's Roost. Ashley had handled the journey far much better than the slightly shivering Ira, who was wrapped tightly in his thick fur cloak. As the duo made their trek, it was not too long before Vulture Roost was within sight, giving Ira some relief.

The pair continued on the road, able to hear shouting as it appeared a guard was addressing two people outside the formidable gate. Looking upon the structure, Ira marveled at the architect, wondering how many tidal waves of men had crashed upon this wall -- only to be turned back by those chosen to defend the great wall.

Ashley was less than interested in some wall, keen on continuing his trek, keeping a slightly faster pace than his brother. As they approached, Ashley could already make out the two visitors that had been issued challenge at the gate, both appearing child-like in stature from a distance. Ashley glanced down at his twin brother, to see his reaction to the two potential strangers they'd have to meet, as it appeared the guards were turning people away.

Ira watched at one of the people at the gate took rest on a nearby boulder, content to wait out whatever they had to. Barely able to catch the movement from his current distance, Ira noticed the person turned to look in their direction, and that it was a woman. Uplifted by the sight of the more gentle sex, Ira's pace picked up slightly, to match his brothers.

It was not long before the pair were yards away from the other two strangers. Knowing that dealing with people was more Ira's hand, Ashley stopped about 5 yards away from the duo, who consisted of a young boy that had an air of innocence that exuded from him, without needing auditory aid, and a woman that looked as broken as a fell tree.

Ira raised his hand in greeting, approaching closer than his brother had opted to, "Hello! Are you two from around here? My brother and I are heading northwards, but we seemed to of gotten turned around. Is this Vulture's Roost?" Ira said, outstretching his hand towards the woman, and then to the boy. Taking on the role of a naive traveler, Ira wondered how generous and friendly the duo would be in return. Given, it was a child, and what appeared to be his caretaker, Ira did not expect harsh words or cold treatment.

[AirBender]

Long, slender, legs carried Galant through the snow. Unlike many travelers, he had no problem navigating the frigid land and it's hidden dangers. He had grown up here after all, the snow was as normal to him as breathing was. His clothing was made to perfectly suit the weather, and the only thing that felt it's bite even a little was his pale face. The young mage hummed lightly to himself as he made the journey to Vulture's Roost. Every few months for the past two years he had been coming to Vulture's Roost to visit the libraries. At first he had trouble getting in, but now the people almost eagerly awaited his arrival. He shared stories and knowledge with them that they wouldn't get from staying in their walls.

But this time, he wasn't here for the knowledge that Vulture's Roost had to offer. He was here for knowledge much further north. Knowledge on a subject that he kept hidden to himself, but studied the most out of all of them. Magic. Galant had discovered at a young age that he was an Elemental Mage, and been training himself in it ever since. He desired, thirsted for more on the subject. And there was no place better than going north to get it. Perhaps he would even learns the ways of a new element while he was there.

After the trek it had been to get here, seeing the gates were a big relief. Galant noticed that there were a few people standing on this side of the gate. Perhaps they were having trouble getting in? For the moment, Galant paid them no mind, save for the friendly smile he gave them, and walked up to the gate. "Back for more, eh scholar?" The guard said, recognizing Galant instantly. Not many travelers stayed in Vulture's Roost for weeks at a time doing nothing but reading. And practicing magic in the shadows.

The mage just smiled. "Not this time, my business lies further north. More knowledge to seek and all that." He explained.

The guard frowned, "Sorry, but you're going to have to wait here with the rest of them. The Lord's orders."

The smile nearly slipped from Galant's face, but lots of training and control kept it up. "It's quite alright, I understand, politics are politics." With that Galant stepped away from the gate and closer to the small group of people. "Guess we're all stuck here." He said as he reached into his pack, to retrieve a book.

Before he started reading through, one of the people caught his attention, a boy. Why was a child going to the north? It was far too dangerous for him. What a waste of life it would be. The poor thing looked cold to, obviously not used to the weather yet. Not everyone was as lucky as he was. But he couldn't do anything about it. So instead of worrying, Galant opened up his book and began to read, mostly tuning out the world around him as he took in the knowledge the book had to offer.

[Epsir]

Some time within the last interval the cold had begun to set in. It was a wonder it hadn't already, considering she'd had to go most of the way on foot. Finding a carriage driver that didn't throw her out or turn his nose up at the prospect of going to the far north had proven far too difficult to be worth it. As a result, the majority of her possessions were now being held indefinitely in the hands of the smuggler who had gotten her into the country. From what she'd seen that far, it was looking as though that precautionary measure had been entirely unnecessary. A waste of money or not, it was a place she could keep the things that weren't coming with her on the road. That left Lexine, her equipment, the courier bag, and an inconsistent supply of victuals carried therein. It wasn't her first time footing it through a land totally unknown to her, she'd managed to survive, but Gris was a place for adventurers and she no longer fit into that category. The people were rough, the buildings were rough, the food was rough. She described Gris to herself as rough only to avoid using the word cold. Ice had seeped into every fragile joint of hers, what felt like jagged frost impinged on every movement. For a while it was the same as any other winter, but as the towns grew more sparse, same for the stitching of each consecutive blanket, her ability to cope was simply not great enough. Misery was the word she applied to her predicament.

As security against the freezing wind, the belts governing her coat's hood had been pulled tight. Through the ring of fur lining the opening, only a fragment of Lexine's face remained. Two glowering, mismatched eyes directed at the horizon. The ashen color of her hair blended in with the gray striped white surface of her overgarment, and nothing else remained to define her silhouette save the streak of yellow fastened to her arm. Unlike her, Vulture's Roost stood out from the horizon quite clearly. It was the only means she had left of navigation, except for the road signs. They had proven unreliable in the past though, and she was very keen on not being lead away from the main road again by would-be bandits who had the unfortunate qualification of being literate. There was no way of relocating the monolith she chased. It was the only feature on the horizon, a description she had been given of Vulture's Roost by a native prior. The great white empty behind and around it told her that it truly was the last stop on the way north. At least part of her journey was over, in a sense. The more painful part was certainly only beginning. She had a job to do, however, and had surmounted far worse to see her task done before. Her investigation was, for the moment, the only thing she had left.

One dutiful step after the other saw her down her last road. The Roost slowly grew before her, until she stood well within its shadow and could see every impressive detail of the fortress' architecture. Another detail was the crowd at its gate. No admission. For whatever reason, there was a collection of travelers that she was about to join who were being held at the door. It was a castle, there was no point if they just opened the door whenever, but she knew for a fact that she needed at least a chair before continuing on. She trudged up to the assembly, looking between the people present in the hopes of finding some sort of clue about their predicament. Hopefully one that told her that she was fine to head in. Of course, that wasn't the case, and she was one more person stuck waiting outside the castle walls. She stood apart from the quartet conversing, and planted herself on a patch of road by the man wise enough to spend his time reading on the assumption that they were in a sort of line. Given the scarcity of reasons for coming this far north, she also assumed it wasn't going to be the last of this crowd she was seeing. If she could help it, this was a traveling party in the making if only for the sake of convenience.

[Natural Mess]

Sage had spent the last several days trekking up to Vulture's Roost. She could see her destination now. Wrapping her cloak tighter, she picked up the pace, eager to be inside the walls. The cold had not been kind to her these last few days and her face was chapped along with any other skin unfortunate enough to be exposed. Lucky for her it wasn't much. She could use a rest and supplies. Her stomach growled as if to remind her that she had not eaten nearly enough that day. For the first time since leaving her home she was beginning to wonder if this journey would be worth it. But it would take more than a little raw skin to dissuade Sage from something she had set her mind to. Her whole body was practically frozen and she knew she'd definitely have to don a few more layers for the harsher north lands. She detested this idea, already hating the heavy, tangled feeling the thick cloak brought.

As she neared the gate she was met by an interesting group of people. Silently observing each one as she made her way to the gate Sage stated to the guard that she was headed north and was told she'd have to wait. "Of course" she mumbled to herself, sarcastically. With a nod she backed away slowly a moved to a spot away from the others. Socializing wasn't her thing. Sage kept her eyes on the two large men, very similar in features, as they were the only ones who looked immediately like they might be a danger. Her eyes quickly floated through the small group of people, observing them each a little closer. Her eyes landed on a young boy and his rough looking companion. She for the life of her could not figure out why two such people would be heading North. She glanced at the tall man who was engrossed in a book. Interesting way to pass the time. Sage would prefer to be over a blacksmith's anvil, feeling the heat from the fiery metal as she created something that was one of a kind. Not to be deterred from her scoping mission, Sage's eyes landed upon the last member of the part. She was taller than Sage but that was as far as her observations went because she didn't make it passed the woman's eyes. One was discolored and Sage wondered why she wouldn't just cover it up. Careful not to get caught staring, she quickly moved her gaze to the ground at her feet, waiting idly as she listened to her surroundings.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Elizabeth watched as the pair of men grew ever closer. They were quite similar in appearance, definitely related, maybe even twins. As they arrived, one of them spoke up. Elizabeth looked up to meet his gaze, her expression rather blank and unwelcoming. Her eyes hovered on his extended hand for a moment before answering it with a brisk shake. After a moment of utter silence she spoke. "Yes, this is Vulture's Roost... but if you're heading north I'm afraid you're out of luck. The guards aren't letting any northbound travelers in, not yet anyway." The man seemed polite enough, but that only made Elizabeth suspicious. Even so, her earlier hypothesis was being confirmed more every moment. Evidently they were not the only ones heading northward, and she doubted any of the newcomers were just looking to do some hunting. Her gloved fingers still wrapped around the head of her cane, Elizabeth carefully began choosing her next words. Before she could speak, however, Noah interjected.

Noah reached out to meet Ira's handshake, after rolling back his oversized sleeve. He shook the man's hand gingerly with a wide smile, still seemingly unfazed by the weather or their current predicament. "Hey there, I'm Noah." As Ira spoke, Noah's smile only seemed to widen. "Oh, you two are headed north too?" He seemed absolutely ecstatic at the thought of company. "It'll be a lot easier with some friends. I was afraid me and Miss Elizabeth were going to be alone... Not that we usually aren't." He threw an apologetic look towards his companion. "And not that there's anything wrong with that... But some company is always nice." As Noah spoke, he noticed more people arriving at the gates. "Oh, hey, more friends." Speaking up a bit, he presented a broad question to the entire group. "So, did you all read Mister Tikkis' book, then?" His energy was surprising given that he wasn't very used to the cold yet. Despite the frigid climate, there was a warmth to the boy's voice, something like the crackling of a campfire.

As Noah went out of his way to introduce himself to everyone, Elizabeth glanced around at each of the newcomers. There were the two brothers, who seemed the most capable for the journey, at least physically. Next there was a tall, fair-haired, scholarly looking fellow who had just opened a book. He seemed familiar with Vulture's Roost, at least more than the rest of them. The next arrival was a fairly tall woman, mostly covered by her coat. She hadn't spoken, but she seemed to just be quietly waiting for the whole procession to continue. Finally, there was the last arrival. Nothing seemed overly peculiar about the woman. She was quiet, but most people wouldn't be all that sociable, given the situation. However, Elizabeth did note a long scar running down her face. From her own experience, she'd learned that every scar told a story. This, however, happened to be a story she didn't know. Elizabeth's gaze finally returned to the conversation at hand. It was no use trying to decipher each person. She would probably have plenty of time to do that... especially if Noah intended to make friends with everyone.

[Sightles]

Ira smiled as the innocent boy shook his hand, obviously infatuated by the idea of adventure so much so that he seemed to ignore all the small things that would make the trip uncomfortable. Ira watched as one by one, more people started to show up, each being turned away by the guards, and then keeping to themselves. Turning back to Noah, Ira gave him a bright smile, "So, what brings a dashing and daring adventurer such as yourself to this forsaken land? Surely just not for some mythical temple that was in some book." Ira asked, giving in a chuckle to allow a air of informality.

Ashley watched with careful eyes as more vermin scurried up to the gate, intent on scavenging after whatever Ashley and Ira were after to recover. Careful not to let his stares be too long or too noticeable, Ashley did not feel threatened by any of the group whom had walked up, minus the woman shucked in her coat from the cold. While bland looking on the outside, Ashley knew that it was often the ones that did the best at being plain looking, were the ones that were the most dangerous. Tearing his attention from checking on every member of the now growing line, Ashley crossed his arms and stared up at the walls in front of him, eyeing the guards from atop their fortified nests.

[AirBender]

Galant lifted his eyes from his book just long enough to glance at the newly arriving people. That was a good thing about the snow, the crunching of it under ones feet made it hard for people to sneak up on them. It was part of the reason why Gris has much a violent history, outright battles were actually easier than assassinations. The two women who walked up seemed to be rather cold, obviously not used to Gris' harsh weather yet. A kinder, none native, may have cast some fire magic to warm everyone up. But if they were going to survive out here, they would have to get used to it. It was for their own good that he didn't offer them a way to warm up.

The child speaking up was the next thing that tore Galant away from his book. The boy asked if anybody had read Tikkis' book. Ah yes, another reason Galant was out here, seeking knowledge from the Professor. Galant gestured to the book in his hand, which just so happened to be the one the boy asked about. "Three times, so far actually." The mage said with a smile. "You can never gain all the knowledge a book has to offer by just reading it once." It would be sad to see the boy die out in the north. But his chances survival were far lower than the rest of them. His body wasn't fully developed yet and wouldn't be as resistant to cold or injury. It almost made Galant want to protect him. But in Gris, the only person you could rely on was yourself. People may thought it harsh, but it was the truth.

The scholar noticed one of the men was watching everyone, probably assessing them. Galant knew what the man would be thinking about him. He was thin and carried nothing but a staff for a weapon, he didn't look like much. And that was why magic was so interesting. It was a hidden weapon, that people could never guess you had until you cast it at them. Then after that they had to figure out what type of magic a person used. Galant may not have looked it, but he was a tough opponent to face. After another quick glance around at the forming party, Galant returned to his book.

[Epsir]

A slew of looks had been fired around the group almost as soon as they had gathered. She added her own to the mix in turning her head back at the woman who arrived after her. She looked every bit the part of a foreigner trekking through Gris, which was to say there wasn't much to see other than a big warm cloak. Satisfied with only the knowledge that the other person was there, she returned to her idling. It was only natural to make note of new arrivals, only prudent in such a violent world, but Lexine wondered what the split was between assessment and acknowledgment with this crowd. She didn't bother returning any glances or trying to make eye contact. It would have been nice to break the group's silence that way and force an interaction out of someone, anything for answers, but her gut told her to keep quiet.

Fortune smiled on her, as the youth at the head of the group turned to address the rest of them. Tikkis, he said. I've been pronouncing it wrong. She made note of how to properly say the man's name, all the while aware that there was no point trying to act local with her appearance.
"Only excerpts, unfortunately," she said, adding her reply after the man with the book and feeling a tad under prepared.
She was representing the interests of someone else and had expected to find similarly prepared research parties. If not the rest of these eccentric picks - I'm here too, I guess - the man sitting near her was the genuine article, someone with more than a passing interest in the arcane ramblings within 'The Abnormal.' Suddenly, she wanted to know more. She didn't go on, instead adopting silence and waiting for the rest of the party's answers. Were they also similarly invested? It wasn't that she felt unworthy, she felt unknowledgeable which was a far more dangerous thing to be in work like this. With the exception of the male duo towards the front, no one here had an overtly martial presence, but outside the bounds of civilization murder came more often out of passion than orders. As far as she knew they had nothing to compete over in the search for knowledge, but people could be fickle with secrets and if it wasn't ideology that got to them it would be running out of food in a few days. She had done her part to prevent that eventuality but no matter how burdened anyone present was with supplies they did not have a baggage train and that was final. It was unlikely that such a thing could go much further north, though. Shifting uncomfortably on strained legs, she sighed at the back of the group. It would have been so easy to form a team around a carriage. For the time being, she had only to listen to the other's answers. Spurred by a newfound desire to know more, she found herself casting her sight around the group once more. The woman and the kid had to be another personal interest, there were few reasons to drag a scrawny looking boy through all this and none of it sounded like professional work. That left the woman behind her and the other duo, who were just the right level of inconspicuous. Between being like her and being like the man with the staff, she had to place them in the former camp, and thus suspect them.

[Natural Mess]

Sage murmured her "yes" but that was all she offered. She didn't see why anyone needed to know why she was here. Her own personal interest stemmed from Rollan, the black smith that took her in. She had read Tikkis' book after Rollan had told her what an interesting concept it was. He didn't believe it was true but thought the idea interesting. Sage on the other hand did believe it was real, so she set out to see what she could find.

She was fully aware of the appraising looks everyone threw her way but it was understandable. After all she had done it to them. She enjoyed the young boys energetic, friendly nature. It was nice to see such a jovial soul. However, it was not enough to convince Sage to befriend him. She understood the practicality of traveling in a group while going through such a harsh area, but that didn't mean she had to like it. And she definitely did not like it. Some of these people could pose a real threat if she ever unintentionally, or otherwise, got in their way. She began to realize that there would be many more challenges than she first anticipated.

Sage's stomach gurgled again and she began rummaging in her pack for the last of her granola bars. Halfway through the search she decided it wouldn't be wise to show these strangers any sign of weakness and being ill prepared for this journey would show exactly that. So she closed her satchel and and resumed her listening.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Noah's eyes danced about as those around him answered the question. He himself had been pouring over the details of 'The Abnormal' for some time. There was something fascinating hiding in those pages, and he was glad at least one of his new companions shared his interest. Before he could comment, however, Ira replied with another question. Noah pondered for a moment. There were numerous reasons why he had traveled so far. An unquenchable thirst for adventure had no doubt been one of them, and his intrigue of 'The Abnormal' had certainly been another, but there was another reason, a more personal one. After all, had he simply been interested he could've stayed behind like Elizabeth had asked him to. Surely he could have gleaned a fair amount of information from her record... but things being as they were, he had to come along. There were things he needed to see, things he needed to understand. "Hmm... the temple seems interesting, but I'm more interested in what's supposed to be inside of it." Noah beamed, satisfied with his answer. "There are a lot of things I want to know, and there are other things I know but don't understand. If Mister Tikkis is right then what better place to go looking?" He looked at Ira inquisitively. "What about you? You got a special reason, or are you just curious?" Noah glanced around for a moment. "Actually, I'm kind of curious what made everyone come out here. I mean, it's awfully cold and all." Somewhere along the line, Noah had missed the irony that his presence here was by and large the most questionable. It was a thought that had never occurred to him. After all, he'd been doing dangerous things on whims for as long as he could remember.

Elizabeth's eye slowly drifted to each member of the new party as they replied to Noah's question. The scholar proved himself to be just what she had imagined. The others didn't tell very much with their answers, but the woman with mismatched eyes surprised her a bit. She had assumed few would be inspired enough to travel such a distance without a great deal of interest on the subject. It seemed they were an interesting group. Noah continued his conversation with the more talkative of the two brothers, with Elizabeth expecting him at any moment to drop a bit of information he shouldn't have. She didn't like how much the boy talked to complete strangers, but it was something she had grown more accustomed to. He had few secrets, and if they traveled for long his only major one would become obvious to everyone. Elizabeth's gaze fell to Ashley, the quiet brother who was now eyeing the wall with what seemed to be disgust. Something about him seemed unsettling, but not unfamiliar. Her own eye eventually met the wall. Surely they wouldn't be waiting too much longer.

[Sightles]

Ira chuckled as Noah questioned him about his own presence here. Noah appeared to be nothing more than a fun-loving lad, albeit a little over-zealous in his friendliness, "My brother and I," Ira started, gesturing over to Ashley, "were asked by our bosses to come see what the hub bub was about. And when a boss asks you to do something, you do it." Ira ended his explanation of his being in Gris with a nice smile. Glancing up to Elizabeth, Ira held his smile, "You two don't look at much the same. Are you simply traveling companions, or are you some how related?" Ira asked, with apparent sincerity. Reaching over with a free hand and slightly ruffling Noah's hair, Ira spoke again, "Not that a brave spirit such as Noah would require a traveling companion." Ira gave out another chuckle, laughing at his own jokes.

Ashley gave the slightest flinch as Ira openly allowed Noah, and whomever else was listening, that they were here on orders. Ashley wondered why Ira would give up that information so willingly, as it was apparent that just about everyone here were more in the freelance and adventurers column. Letting a slight frown manifest on his face, Ashley turned his head back towards the rest of the group, eyeing of them once more. Momentarily, Ashley wondered how many would buy into the whole 'moving as a group' idea, and how many would split off by themselves. They had to know that by the end of the journey, if some great treasure or artifact lies within the temple, that it'd only end in conflict with multiple agendas collide.

[IncredibleBee]

Al's coat fluttered in the winter breeze as he trudged forward, adjusting the sling on his back. The crunch of snow under boots was accompanied by the metallic clink of several blades knocking together in time with his footsteps.

"Note to self: Buy gloves." he said aloud, raising his hands to breathe hot air onto them. Rubbing them together, he peered ahead. A gray fortress seemed to rise up from the cold. Though it didn't seem particularly cozy, the last town informed Al this would be his last stop into civilization before entering the wilds. He briefly went over the essentials: he'd need extra rations, a spare fire starter, and warmer clothing if he could afford it. He'd also need a pot to heat food. Fortunately, snow could be melted for fresh water; this would save on carrying weight.

Al stopped thinking about his shopping list as he came closer to the front gates. A varied bunch had assembled outside, stopped by a guard. It struck the swordsman as odd to make this of all places a checkpoint. Then again, Al himself had an armory slung across his back, so maybe it wasn't entirely unjustified.
"Is this the welcoming committee?" he called from behind a cheek-splitting grin.
"You know, when it's this cold, people are usually greeted with hot cider.... dammit, now I want cider."

[AirBender]

It seemed that some of the group was horrible unprepared for the journey. One girl hadn't read the book, the twins were just here on orders, probably some kind of treasure hunters or something. Galant made a mental note to watch out for them. If there was a treasure at the end, it belonged with intellects who could study it and find out what it is. Not in the collection of someone who wouldn't appreciate it for anything but it's looks. As he looked at the twins, for a moment his smile dropped, revealing a dangerous and hostile look. Before the smile quickly took it's place again. Out of all of them people here, they would be the ones he kept an eye on the most.

The overly friendly, and probably soon dead, boy asked about why everyone was here. Also making mentions to the cold. "This cold is nothing. Wait until a blizzard hits." He stated, making sure everyone heard him. "But anyway, I'm here seeking knowledge. Let's say magic has always been a fascinating subject to me." It wouldn't be smart to reveal everything right away. If they were going to be travelling together, they'd find out that he was a mage soon enough. Elemental magic would certainly find itself to be very useful out in the wilds. Fire to warm them up, Light to cut through the darkness, even Ice to keep blizzards at bay.

Another arrived shortly after. A man who's appearance screamed unprepared. What was with all these people who were unprepared? They were going into the wilds of Gris, without proper plans or even equipment. The only question Galant had was, who was going to die first? "Fools." He muttered under his breath, not giving the newcomer a second glance. In the spirit of true Gris hospitality. He wouldn't be finding hot cinder and kind faces here. The people were as cold as the weather.

[Epsir]

No sooner than she had likened them to herself, one of the brothers declared that they were there on orders. Did that make them professionals? She certainly hoped so, as that identity fit very well into her assumption that however violent they were they could be called on to act rationally. There was nothing on the table yet for her, so to speak. The goal of her expedition was knowledge, not material gain, so from treasure hunters and investigators she had nothing to fear. Her problems could only begin when someone decided that Tikkis' fairy tale's validity was their secret alone. She went on listening to the other responses to the boy's second question, knowing her turn was coming up. There wouldn't be a point in lying, Elmgrove was hardly a name on this continent, and hardly a name where she came from anyway. They very much liked it that way, so she would be lying pointlessly on their behalf at least.

In the middle of her musing, someone new had arrived to their waiting assembly. The same as the rest, she turned her discolored eyes on them just long enough to acknowledge their presence and make sure they weren't doing something like running at her with a weapon drawn. It was only after turning back around and fixing her feet in the snow that Lexine spun once more to make sure she had seen correctly. The blurry silhouette of her ruined eye's vision continued to dance around the figure, but through her functioning sight there was no mistaking that he had actually elected to bring four great swords into the fray. It struck her like something out of her fragmented memories.
"Yeah, might as well be. Welcome to the line," she said in an attempt to excuse her conspicuous examination of the newcomer. Afterwords, she turned back to the group. Her greeting had held up the procession a bit, but she did intend to continue. Her eyes fell to the boy who had asked. He looked innocently curious enough, which pained her for what she was about to say.
"I report for a scientific journal overseas. Tikkis' claims contradict fairly recent cartographic expeditions to Gris, and it's my job to investigate such discrepancies," Lexine said, smiling invisibly within her coat. It was true enough that, had things fallen slightly differently, it was exactly what she would be doing. Her orders were slightly more specific, and her skill set was slightly more eccentric than a scientist's though. At the very least, her ill fit for the role was justifiable by the ill fitting environment for an ordinary reporter or journalist. She decided to press onward and get her interests out in the open while she could.
"Since we're all either passing around introductions or sizing each other up, I'll say this, I look forward to traveling with you all. If any of us are going to make it far north without a caravan, we're probably going to have to do it together." She kept her voice even, staying reasonable and matter of fact for what was equal parts her dear hope and legitimate plan.

[Natural Mess]

Sage listened to everyone one in turn making sure to note who seemed like they would be trouble. Anyone who was hired to get more than information could prove problematic. She'd make sure to watch out for the brothers and woman with the mismatched eyes just to be safe. In the middle of the the small talk a new member joined there group. and the first thing Sage noticed, was obviously his ridiculous demand for hot cider but more importantly the sound of metal clanging together. Upon closer inspection she realized the man was carrying four great swords across his back. She was taken aback by the insinuations this man was clearly trying to give off with his intimidating armory. Making a note of this man she turned back to the group. When it seemed that it was her turn to answer, Sage gave a small smile to the young boy and said "personal interest." It was a vague answer not because she had something to hide but because she didn't see a reason to disclose more about herself than necessary.

It was then she heard the journalist speak of the possibility of traveling in a group. Sage knew how true her words were and fully intended on sticking at least semi-close to anyone that chose to move in a group. She could tell this was a diverse group and figured the diversity would help keep everyone alive.

Sage's stomach cramped a little and she wished the guards would get this thing rolling so she could prepare herself for the harsh weeks to come. Hopefully it wouldn't all be for not and she could return home with what she was hoping to find.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Noah glanced from person to person as they answered his question. It seemed they all had a variety of reasons for being there. It surprised him that there were people willing to hire others to look into Tikkis' report. Everyone they had met on their way seemed to think very little of the Professor's work, so it was strange to hear that there were people taking it so seriously. Noah turned with a smile when the hooded woman added her last bit of input on the situation. "I do too. Things will be a lot better if we stick together." Noah still seemed quite content. A newcomer approached the party, catching the boy's eye. Noah stared for a moment. One... two... three... four. FOUR SWORDS? Intrigued, Noah waved towards the man. "Hey there, are you going north too?"

Elizabeth broke from staring at the wall, turning her attention towards Ira as he spoke. They were here on orders... that was not something she'd expected. It seemed the situation was going to be a bit different from what she had originally anticipated. As Ira questioned her relationship with Noah, she tried to force her face into a smile, only half-way achieving her goal. "No, we're not related. We've been traveling together for quite some time though." She glanced away for a moment, her mouth finally forming a half-hearted smirk. "I guess in some ways, we're closer than family." 'At least closer than mine...' Elizabeth placed her cane across her lap as Noah continued doing what he did best. Her gaze once again met Ira's. "He's actually the one that insisted we come up here." She motioned towards the boy. "Not that I'm not interested in what might be out there... but my enthusiasm apparently isn't quite up to par." The scholar commenting on the prospect of blizzards only served to reinforce her reasoning. There was a lot to risk going so far north.

The sound of a hurried conversation echoed down from the top of the wall. After a moment, the guardsman who had spoken previously leaned over the rampart. "Oi! The Lord's been notified, so we're gonna open the gate in a moment." The beak-shaped outcropping on the man's helmet bobbed up and down as he spoke. "Lord Cross wants to meet with you in the great hall, so a few of us will escort you there. If you need to buy anything wait until after your meeting, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time." With that, a loud creaking noise echoed out from the gate. The great iron doors were slowly wound open, and the sound of the city within echoed out. The guardsman, along with a few of his brothers-in-arms, stood waiting at the city's entrance. "Alright, come along now." The man, now much more visible than he had been at the top of the wall, wore a meticulous suit of armor forged from black iron. Black fur protruded from a few joints, indicating that the suit was quite well insulated. A well honed poleaxe was leaned against his shoulder, its edge glinting slightly in the sunlight.

[Sightles]

Ira watched with a smile, as a the group of people waiting for the inevitable opening of the gates slowly started to become friendlier with each other, with each person now willingly opening their mouths to interject their own opinion of a window of who they were, and why they were here. Ira's eyes lingered on the the scholarly man. Despite, what Ira would call, fragile look, his attitude was definitely the type Ira had come to expect in Gris. Having seen magic used before, as part of the danger of his job, the man's appearance struck a mage-like chord with Ira. However, Ira only knew of magic on his home continent, and had no idea what kind of magic would be available to be learned on Gris. With the newcomer arriving, along with his impressive arsenal, Ira felt confident that the group could handle most of the challenges on their way north. Everyone here, minus Elizabeth and Noah, seemed like they could hold their own in a decent fight.

Ashley eyed the newcomer, as he approached with his four great swords. Ashley had seen people carry multiple weapons into battle, for versatility and for emergencies, but never had he seen four great swords. Ashley pondered if it was for an intimidation factor, or if the man had actually trouble with malfunctioning weaponry. From what he could see, the great swords quality was at least average, if not above average. Pondering, Ashley could not help but place a mental note to stay away from the man.

Ira's heart jumped as the guard called out, alerting them of what they were to do. Ira let way a small smirk as he waited to file in behind the rest of the adventurers who were no doubt going to head dutifully in. Ira had heard much about Lord Cross, a person of interest that Ira's employer had insisted he studied vigorously before the trip. ~ A vicious land breeds vicious men, and vicious men rule the world. ~ Ira mused to himself, allowing the anecdote to remain in his thoughts, instead of voicing his opinion aloud.

Ashley filed in right behind his brother, switching his gaze between the soldiers still manning the wall, and they others on the ground that were leading them. Ashley didn't like the idea of meeting Cross, or entering the town in a such a way that it was armed escort. It seemed like a ploy in order to get all the adventurers in one room, in order to imprison them or kill them. Ashley had heard tidbits of information from his brother, leading Ashley to assume the kind of character Lord Cross was. To Ashley, Cross seemed like the kind of character that did not appreciate foreigners in his land, trespassing along his grounds, in order to find treasure.

[AirBender]

Galant had long since put his book away, people were talking far too much for him to focus on it. He'd have to continue reading tonight. If he had time that is. Certainly people would want to hear his stories before they left. As it could have easily been the last time they heard them. Some of the stories were his own, others he had read in books. It didn't matter to them though, as long as it was interesting. The children especially liked his tales, because he spiced them up with a bit of magic. A little burst of Light here, a little breeze there, even Fire if he was feeling extra adventurous.

Galant had no idea what a scientific journal was, Gris didn't have things like that, but considering what the girl had said about it, it must have been something involving knowledge. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only one here seeking knowledge. Maybe together they could stop the treasure hunters from taking whatever it was they found. But it all depended on who lived and who died. Hell, they may not even make it to the end at all! They could all perish out there in the wilds. Which was why he was confused over the fact that some of them were so unprepared.

Finally it was time for them to go inside. The gates were opened and several soldiers stood ready to escort them. Certainly to make sure nobody wandered off and got into trouble. If Lord Cross wanted to see them, it was obviously important. Galant had met the man once before, on his first visit to the fortress. The man had been interested in the fact that Galant sought only their library and nothing else. The scholar has enjoyed a very...interesting conversation with the man. Since that time, he had been allowed to come and go from the fortress as he pleased. As long as he didn't cause any trouble.

Switching his staff to his non-dominate left hand, out of respect, Galant followed along behind some of the group. Finding himself behind the twins. It was tempting to mess with them, maybe turn them away from the adventure entirely, but the scholar had more control than that. And more intelligence. There was no need to lift a finger against any of them. There was enough risk of death on this adventure already without them turning against each other. Which was why the scholar would be keeping his guard up at all times.

[Epsir]

She hadn't been able to drum up the exact response she wanted, but at least there weren't any members standing apart from the group and declaring that they were strong enough to go her own way. It was a sign of trying times that she would even expect such a thing, but it was that sort of maverick and reckless behavior she associated with scholars of the occult. A call from above tore her attention away from the group, although she was unable to crane her neck well with her hood secured. Instead of looking, she listened to the guard's voice. They had made it through the waiting without incident, their introductions were over and, for her at least, preparations began. Given the abominable environment around it and the isolationist attitude its glorious walls projected, she expected little in the way of hospitality from Vulture's Roost. Knowing her hopes of a carriage were worthless, she figured that she would at least be able to refill her supply of preserved foods for the journey. In traveling this far, she had barely dipped into her provisions, but she had no idea how far they would have to go to find Tikkis' potentially existent temple of wonders. A grimace dashed her face as she realized, for an adventure with as bizarre a premise as theirs, it was entirely plausible that they would be venturing out onto the ice north of the continent proper.

The procession had started ahead of her, and Lexine made to follow. She reached up with one hand and undid the fastenings of her hood, letting it fall away to her shoulders. After shaking her ashen hair free, she turned her head up to get one last look at the walls of the castle. It was her last chance to see it from this angle, she supposed, as she had no intention of looking back after leaving. She shuffled along after the others, looking back down to the the open gate, and the group of soldiers within. It had been a while since she'd seen full suits of plate such as what they wore, and done up in black the guardsmen of Vulture's Roost were rather intimidating. They were the surest sign of an organized military she had seen since arriving on the continent, although to Gris' credit she hadn't been looking. Their presence gave her hope for finding the amenities of civilization within. The stay in a chair she had set as her minimum required rest seemed all the more closer then.