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[b][center][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr8WslV4cEw]The Lion’s Funeral[/url][/center][/b]
[b]Mourning[/b]

Days pass since the events of Tabul, and the funeral for the Lion begins. Guilders from across the Kingdom of Artar all convene on Clockwork Town, wishing to extend their final respects to the man who helped and inspired them all. A giant funeral service is given, with thousands of Guilders in attendance. The Guilders are consumed with grief at the events that have transpired, and each demonstrate it in various ways – whether secluding themselves or lashing out in anger. 

Of all of the Guilders, only Estelle abstains from being a part of the funeral – blaming herself for the death of the man who helped her so much through her childhood. 

The Clockwork Town Guild secretary Marise leads the service, delivering an inspiring eulogy to all those in attendance. Selan sings a final song in Largo’s memory, a beautiful melody that remains on the ears of all. 

[b][center][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqmofWAAh1U]I Do[/url][/center][/b]

Meanwhile, Estelle releases her frustration and anger in her working out. As she does, she comes to a stark realisation about what she wants to do next. She reaches out to find Marise, and asks her that she informs all of the Guilders whom were a part of the mission in Tabul to meet her in the Guild’s basement. They all turn up. 

[b]"We are the Pride"[/b]

In the Guild’s basement, Estelle makes a startling proclamation – she intends to take the letter Largo entrusted her to deliver to Marise to dliver it to its true intended recipients – the Clockwork Town Guild leaders Rize and Kara, whom have been missing an incommunicado for the last six months, with Marise’s permission. She asks each of the Guilders whom she bonded with whether or not they would be willing to follow her, and aid her in her mission. All of them - with the exception of Tobi, who still suffers from injuries in the mission and wishes to help rebuild Tabul, and Cole, who holds himself at a distance from the group and needs to return to his hometown – all join. They take the name of “The Pride” in Largo’s memory. 

Marise has a surprise for the group – two new members joining the team. One of them is a diminutive sprite of herself conjured by Marise’s natural cloning abilities, to serve as liaison and guide: [b]Lil’Mari (Rank C Secretary Sprite)[/b]. The other is even more of a shock… bursting into the basement with a song and dance routine and dramatic flair, before revealing himself to be the Pride’s own former enemy, ex-bandit leader turned Guilder rookie: [b]Sylvester ‘Don’ Capuello (Rank H Bro)![/b]

[b][center][url=http://youtu.be/ceU4ANZKdOM?t=1m21s]Smooth Criminal[/url][/center][/b]

The Pride are given the next day to gather supplies and prepare for their journey in searching for their missing Guild Leaders. Amongst the preparations include Moira, Syed and Estelle’s shopping of explicit underwear, Marcus’ ominous encounter with two strange individuals, and Don’s mass theft of a clothing store, believing a ‘Guild tab’ would neatly pay for everything.

[b]Vow[/b]

On the day of their departure, Estelle visits Largo’s grave. She makes a vow to him and to herself to succeed, no matter what, leaving behind a picture she drew years ago, before racing off with her friends on their next adventure.

[b][center][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Pu92St5O0]Father and…[/url][/center][/b]

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[b][center][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnoMrUt4tlw]Travellers[/url][/center][/b]

The Pride’s first destination in their quest to find the missing Clockwork Town Guild Leaders, Rize and Kara, was the market town of Fenaru. They travelled the road whilst performing an escort duty for the father-daughter merchant team, Otis and Maybelle. With the sun shining down on them and a pleasant breeze greeting them, the day was considered, for all, to be a good one. 

But of course, all good things can’t last forever.

[b][center][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K64mb5KUhhs]Bloom[/url][/center][/b]
[b]Budding Flower[/b]

Halfway through their trip to Fenaru, the Pride were suddenly ambushed by a Guilder popping out of a roadside bush, holding the team up and placing Don under arrest for his misguided robbery of the Clockwork Town clothing shop. Amidst confusion and talks breaking out between the Guilder and Estelle, they were all suddenly ambushed, by a roaming band of underground monsters called Varren, who delighted in stealing the belongings of passing travellers. 

The battle was hard fought but quickly won, with the Pride’s combined efforts quickly sending the Varren packing. But as they fled, they also stole Don’s Herculean backpack carrying the clothing store’s stolen goods… thus disappearing the evidence. The Pride and the Guilder were left not knowing what to do, until the summoning of Marise’s sprite form helped to smooth things over. The Guilder, Lisette, and her baby capybara companion Kapi, had actually been set up Marise with the intention of having the archer hopefully join Estelle’s team, and this entire situation had been a test. Marise also took responsibility for Don’s robbery, paying back the clothing store in full, leaving Don massively in debt to the secretary… with his other companions now becoming more wary of him. 

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[b]The Market Town: Fenaru[/b]

Lisette joined the Pride’s remaining trek to Fenaru, where the group started to bond. Upon arriving in Fenaru, they briefly split up to peruse the many stalls and their wares. Along the way, Estelle, Trixie and Lisette met a businessman named Del who sold the trio ‘Artar’s most rare and popular of cuddly toys!’ Toys which quickly died after he had already fled after payment. Eventually the team regrouped at Fenaru’s Guild, where they met the town’s secretary: Gray Aramati, and learned of a dilemma afflicting the town – a serious of break ins and robberies, with the stolen items revealed to be, of all things, cats. The Pride were left to ponder this strange mystery, as the town’s only Guilder, assigned to the mission, returned to the Guild.

[b][center][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMX2lPum_pg]Fat Lip[/url][/center][/b]
[b]Hoverboarding Punk[/b] 

Trent Walker was no stranger to some of the Pride, having already some affection for Selan (enough to call her Grandma) and polarising animosity for Estelle. After meeting the Pride, and arranging the details for how they would go about their mission; breaking into smaller teams and canvassing the town at night, the Pride briefly split apart for lunch. Whilst most of the group went to a new, opening chicken diner’s called Grungy’s, Moira, Syed and Thunderhawk explored the town on their own, and became embroiled in trouble when they were taken inside as hostage by a kindly old lady and made to have dinner with them. An action that enraged Trent, who considered the woman akin to his real grandmother, and blamed the trio for taking advantage of her and her unassuming nature. The trio were reprimanded, with Thunderhawk being deranked to serve as a lesson and reminder. 

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[b]Rooftop pursuit[/b]

As dusk fell, tensions were high. The Pride surveyed Fenaru from all directions, each team having a firework to launch as a signal if they discovered the would be thieves. Don, Moira and Syed’s team were the first to notice a prowling figure on the rural streets, and took off after them. However, at the same time, Marcus and Nikki were ambushed by another mysterious pair, who took to kidnapping the nekomimi in her cat form. Two simultaneous fireworks were launched, and the Pride’s efforts divided. What was happening?

Estelle rejoined Moira, Syed and Don in chasing after the strange, portly man who’s fleeing took them through alleyway after alleyway and eventually into the sewers. 

Nikki, whom transformed back into her normal form, was confronted with shock at the identity of the two cat-thieves who kidnapped her, who were actually revealed to two of her closest childhood friends:- the nekomimis Java and Lyja! The pair having taken it upon themselves to help liberate their feline friends after decades of mistreatment and abuse under human hands:- the neko race were often treated as slaves or hunting game by wicked individuals. As hard as it was, Nikki had to fight against her friends. Whilst she could sympathise with their hardships, it didn’t excuse their actions. What followed suit was another chase across the Fenaru rooftops once Lisette, Amy, Trent, Selan, Trixie and Thunderhawk arrived. Java and Lyja, sensing the tables turned and the two unmatched, decided simply to flee, racing for their hideout… also hidden under the sewers. 

Across the town, in two separate places, the Pride would discover each other drawing closer, and closer to one another… 

Don eventually got separated from his friends, and ended up obliviously finding the man they were chasing, who was the same con-man Estelle, Lisette and Trixie met earlier in the day: Del Dennis, one of Moira’s many brothers. Don took the man to be a friend and not the person he was chasing… until he was suddenly knocked out cold by Java and Lyja’s arrival in their underground hideout, filled to the brim with the town’s stolen cats. Del, caught between the two cat thieves and the Guilders behind, was suddenly knocked out by Java. 

The two cat thieves had no time to flee, however, with the Pride right behind them, having boxed the two in. With no other option, they took to hiding in plain sight – transforming into their cat forms and mingling with the rest of the now liberated kitty brigade. A somewhat anti-climatic end to the mission, but one that was peacefully resolved. 

[b]New Adventures[/b]

The next morning saw the cats returned to their owners, and Java and Lyja taking the opportunity to flee. Nikki, who could have identified them before, watched them depart, a listless feeling consuming her. She parted ways with the Pride to hook up with Trent, who vowed to catch the two cat thieves no matter what. Nikki had other ideas, hoping instead to find and talk to them and resolve things peacefully. The Pride meanwhile, welcomed their newest member once Estelle formally asked Lisette and Kapi to join them on their crusade, and the Pride welcomed a new friend.

Gray found the details of Rize and Kara’s destination following Fenaru, and with that the team disembarked onto the road again, this time heading to the lively town of Museo.