[center][h3]Antaeus[/h3][/center]

Barthen's doing the accounting on his recent shipment of goods when Antaeus arrived. Closing his book he smirked while he listened to the young miner ramble on. When he finished Barthen chuckled. [b]"Is that how you flirt with girls, lad? It could use some work."[/b] Barthen picked up his book and led Antaeus further into the shop, where a wide variety of equipment was on display. Not just weapons and armor, but other adventuring gear for a discerning adventurer as well; hardy backpacks and camping supplies to rough it in the wilderness, alcehmical concoction that can burn your enemies alive or heal your wounds, even a few magic scrolls kept behind a dwarven made lock. While this was nothing compared to an adventuring shop in the big city, it was nice for a Frontier Town. 

[b]"Now, while all of this is procured locally, that doesn't mean it's cheap. I pay an honest price with the folks of this town to buy and sell at a fair price. And I'm not in this business to lose money either lad; if I start selling cheap just for anyone asking for it, not only will I end up losing money, I'm essentially devaluing the work and effort that goes into these things."[/b] Barthen picked up a shortsword made from the iron dug up from the Black Mines, forged by the smiths at the Temple of Torag. [b]"A lot of time and effort was put into making this sword. Days of backbreaking digging in those mines, followed by days of smelting, forging, and tempering. All of that time and labor was put into the price tag. What does that say about me if I decide to sell it for cheaper just for you? That somehow you're worth more than the same folks who do the same thing as you?"[/b]

Putting the sword away Barthen turned his back on Antaeus, looking through a barrel. [b]"That being said... Bookie has a good eye for investment. After all he was the one to convince me to put a shop out here in the Frontier Town, and so far it's been great. The mines get plenty of ore, the smiths make great equipment, and thanks to them I can ship and trade these goods for a great profit for the village. All that on his recommendation. So, I'll give you a chance."[/b] Barthen turned back to Antaeus holding a rather vicious looking device; it looked like a giant metal maw, with teeth made of steel. [b]"Since you fancy yourself a hero, how about doing something heroic? I hear that that's a white stag in the forest. Bring me the pelt and I'll help you get some proper equipment befitting a hero. I'll even throw in this hunting trap so you'll have an easier time with the hunt. But until then, you pay the same rate for gear as everyone else. How's that sound?"[/b]

[@Zeroth]

[hr]

[center][h3]Livia[/h3][/center]

Nicolas handed the kittens off to Monita who gathered them in her arms and played with them down on the rug, taking out a small toy from her pocket that got all the little cats to try and lunge and claw for it. This allowed Nicolas to focus on Livia. [b]"Well, the town has been doing quiet well for itself. We did have a bit of a conflict with a tribe of orcs a few months ago. While we have no problems with the idea of neighbors, they were less than cooperative of the idea that we share these forests, and intended to drive us out from the forest so that they could hunt and gather as they pleased. We lost a lot of good men during that time, so a lot of our own villagers are distrustful towards orcs. But aside from that? We've had nothing but good days, or at least not enough bad days to consider them entirely horrible."[/b] Nicolas said about the well being of the village. Indeed, most of the village seemed prosperous, though the conflict with the orcs would also explain the notable militia patrol before. It wasn't just a small group of five or six young men; they were well equipped, and there were at least twenty of them.

[b]"As for the need of arcane knowledge, I'm not sure if she needs any specific teachers but miss Maeda could always use some learned individuals to help teach her students, though most are young children who may not even understand the fundamentals of magic. Then again, who really does? If teaching isn't what you're interested in, I do know that Meada tries to pursue some sort of research during her free time, so perhaps you could assist her in that regard."[/b] Nicolas sipped his tea while Monita ended up next to Livia, trying to reign in the kittens who suddenly got very interested in the newcomer. [b]"Sorry!"[/b] The little girl said frantically while she tried to pull the misbehaving cats away from the noble woman. 

Nicolas seemed to take a few moments to gather his thoughts as he spoke about what him and Nartul was talking about. [b]"As I mentioned before, we had problems with a tribe of orcs who intended to wage war on us. While we managed to drive them off, it did sour the relationship most of the villagers had with orcs. Nartur was here with us long before we had battled that tribe, and she's been nothing but a loyal and productive member since she first arrived. But that battle shook everyone's resolve, including her own. She wants to prove to me- no, to everyone in the village, that she and her fellow orcs are loyal members of the Frontier Town, regardless of how others of her kind might have been. And to that end, she wants to go into the mines and investigate a new and unknown crypt that was discovered."[/b] Nicolas sighed as she took one of the cookies and nibbled it. He looked over at the coat of arms with a forlorn look.

[b]"She just wants to help of course. Not only to mend relationships between her people and the folks of the town, but also make sure this crypt won't end up being a bigger problem down the line. But the fact we don't know what's down there is precisely why I don't want anyone down there unless they're just guarding it. We have no idea of there's anything down there that might be alive and malicious, or if it's simply filled with poisonous gas that killed a few people from an age long pass. The fact that it's a mystery mean we can't simply send anyone down there and expect results; this sort of thing requires preparation and planning, not blind fearlessness and determination."[/b]

[@Rune_Alchemist]

[hr]

[center][h3]Ethan[/h3][/center]

The path that Ethan would have to take diverged from the path he took to get to town. For the most part, it was easy enough; a small dirt road that led around the mountain and pass into an more open field. However it wasn't long before Ethan would run into his first roadblock. Or rather, a crossroad; a divergent path that wasn't specified in the map. One path went left into the forest, while another path moved outside of the forest but appeared to have ended in the tall grass. The map only showed a single path forward and no indication of a forest, field, or fork; simply a pass. He would know that he is going in the right direction since he did follow the road around the bend of the mountain, but now he must decide which way would he go: through the woods or through the tall grass? Or perhaps he would choose his own path, going his own way in this untamed wilderness, or possibly return back to the Frontier Town in defeat.

[@Searat]

[hr]

[center][h3]Kael[/h3][/center]

As Kael approached the temple, the dwarf looked at him and stood at attention. Though she was shorter than the half-elf by a solid foot, her armor, demeanor, and hammer made her seem more stalwart than a fortress bulwark. She looked at his insignia, seemingly familiar with it. [color=ed1c24]"Hmph. You may enter the Temple of Torag and seek whatever knowledge you hope to find there, however the head priest will not be able to entertain you. He's far too busy in his work to grant audience to anyone at this time. If you would like my advice, seek out one of the clerics inside. If your father has been here, we should have record of him if he did any business or stayed for any period of time. Otherwise I would suggest asking around the garrison or the tavern, perhaps someone from either has seen or heard of him."[/color] The Dwarf stepped aside to let Kael pass, watching him carefully. Her hand was on her hammer constantly, ready to lash out if he tried to force his entry or otherwise acted unpleasant.

[@Guy0fV4lor]