[@Xaltwind] [@Guess Who]
[hider=The Mountain Village]
Having completed their task and relayed their information to one another, the fox and the dragon librarian would find little to be done left in the village. However, not before Corona ran over to deliver a piece of the Amberlyte to her. A rather sizeable chunk too. Chuckling, Corona said: [color=f49ac2][b]"Don't tell my dad, okay? It fell off one of the carts. Sooooo...technically, not stealing."[/b][/color]

With the gift received, Corona would depart, heading off to do...something. Probably bother Mars.

The journey back to the Chateau would be rather simple, given that now the twosome could easily scale the mountain now that they knew the path. Albeit, avoiding being seen meant taking a more roundabout path, but the twosome's speed and strength afforded by their high levels meant that it was barely more than an hour's walk. They'd be home by lunch.

Rodias would be waiting for them, poised upon his seat within the library. He was without his cloak and Nightmare Troupe armor, giving him a strange casual look to him. Like a nobleman at peace reading books...albeit, a nobleman with a green pallor to his flesh. Smiling nervously at the two of them, he would clear his throat. [color=f7976a][b]"Ah, um...welcome back...Kath I know I said that I would guard your books but...the mimics of Enderal sort of...managed to grab a few while I wasn't looking."[/b][/color]

It was clear by how terrified he looked that he knew how terrifying a berserk Kath was. And, he figured that at least being honest up front might mean that he wouldn't have to fight a dragon to submission. [color=f7976a][b]"Sooo, how was the village?"[/b][/color] he asked, wanting to change the subject fast.
[/hider]

[@DracoLunaris]
[hider=The Hunt for Answers]
Zouyu was lightly kicking his feet back and forth, gleefully watching the hunters do their thing as he approached while keeping pace with Kaldorna's mount. His ears perked up as he listened to Kaldorna's explanation, eyes shining with amazement at the idea of one person fighting that many high level monsters at once. But then, the heartbreak part came up. He'd never personally been given the privilege to see the fights that had taken place within the Climax Hour, but he had always been assured that it was beautiful to behold. One time, Yaoishisaurus even told him all about the time that a stray magic blast nearly took her head off, before Loss, and Kiss My Axe intercepted. It all sounded so...insanely cool!

[color=fff79a][b]"Why is it heartbreaking?"[/b][/color] Zouyu would ask, scratching the side of his face as he pondered. Rodias was strong, stronger than anybody in the guild so...why did he still fight like someone on his standing was behind him to help?

Zouyu's peanut sized brain wouldn't have time to consider all the possibilities though as Kaldorna ordered for him to go on the offensive. Well, limited offense. They didn't need the thing dead. Plunging his hands into the earth, Zouyu would cry out: [color=fff79a][b]"[Fifth Tier Magic: Wall of Stone!]"[/b][/color] before a gargantuan block of rock and mud emerged to corral the mammoth-like beast, just as Nightshade blinded it. But...it seemed that he'd either slipped up, or not counted on the beast charging dead ahead.

A sneer crawled across Zouyu's usual calm and gentle face, teeth gnashing together as he reactively sensed the killing intent of a fellow beast, before he would stand up, hands swirling with arcane winds. 

[url=https://i.imgur.com/yd01wap.jpg]"Know your place, trash,"[/url] the Gardener would say, lightning swirling around his forehead, and wind swirling around his arms and legs. He seemed especially enraged at the idea of a beast challenging not only himself, but Kaldorna. In an instant, Zouyu's fist would dive into the earth, claw splaying out in the dirt as magic swelled forth. [color=fff79a][b]"[Sixth Tier Magic: Bones of the Earth!]"[/b][/color] he would cry out, before fifty foot pillars of bones encased the mammoth, as if it were surrounded entirely by ribs, the beast's thrashings and beatings mimicking the sound of a heartbeat thudding against one's chest faster and faster, before Zouyu would return to his gentle expression.

[color=fff79a][b]"[First Tier Magic: Entangle! First Tier Magic: Giant's Jump!"[/b][/color] he would say, as a tremendous amount of vines started binding the mammoth within the cage, the Giant's Jump spell causing Zouyu to pounce over seventy feet in the air, before he landed on the mammoth's head. Exhausted and blinded, the beast was unable to resist as Zouyu bound leather and vines around its tusks, making it into a makeshift reign as he waved to Kaldorna. [color=fff79a][b]"Kaldornaaaaa~! Its ready to be made your pet!"[/b][/color] he cried out, adding in: [color=fff79a][b]"Good work everyone! You all made it too weak to break the bones!"[/b][/color] to make sure that all knew he wasn't trying to steal anybody's thunder.
[/hider]

[@Xaltwind] [@Stern Algorithm]
[hider=Valkyrie Code: V]
As his frustration grew, Rodias eventually would start idly stabbing his own shadow as he typed, taking the keyboard to the ground as he entered a sitting position. It was sort of like playing Five Finger Filet, only with a shadow that was animate and really, really good at evading. 

After settling on variations of Salem's name for attempts at a password, Rodias' eyes would alight as he finally saw the screen glow green in approval, a password being accepted after about 700 permutations of Salem. It seemed that he really was Dr. Drd's favorite...albeit the string of numbers coming after the doll's name didn't help Rodias here. 

Accessing the administrative console of the advanced COIN, Rodias would begin powering up its primary systems, switching on the golems that ran it, and, finally, reaching the power switch for the Chapter Keeper Isolde. Slowly sliding his finger up, the switch would flick, and the entire room would flicker for just a moment with the enormous power surge needed to power Isolde. The room would settle soon however, and the hiss of the casket that contained her form signaled the opening of the lid. 

[color=f7976a][b]"Before he vanished, Dr. Drd was working on a side project. Renovation of an abandoned floor, and attempts to improve the intelligence of the beings within along with their efficiency. So, Salem...in a way..."[/b][/color] the Sable Lord would say, directing Salem's eyes to follow him as he went to support Isolde's neck as her systems booted up. [color=f7976a][b]"Isolde is your step-sister."[/b][/color]
[/hider]

[@Lucius Cypher][@Rockin Strings][@Archmage MC]
[hider=Hunting for Inspiration]
Just before Rodias would have been turning in for the night, the knock upon his door was a welcome sound. It was lonely, watching over a library all night and pouring over tomes...he had no idea how Kath did it. And enjoyed it. Then again, he never was a bookish person. 

Answering the door, Rodias was glad to receive the Dragon Maid and Goblin Lord into his chambers, pulling up chairs for the both of them to allow them to get comfortable. Listening intently to Mamoru's explanation, Rodias was clearly in thought as he touched his chin, thinking of what to DO with people that were to be tortured. His still relatively rational, normal mind reasoned that torture was bad, and so was murder...and yet, some part of him had an innate curiosity to figure out this information at any cost. 

[color=f7976a][b]"Ditronius...definitely wasn't a name I remember hearing back in YGGDRASIL. And these resources from description sound new too. Interesting..."[/b][/color] Rodias would say, pouring over the scroll as he reviewed Mamoru's words. It was clear that a decision had to be made, as gathering resources would certainly draw attention. Chuunitrixx's scouting parties could send back resources, certainly, but if there was perfectly good material beneath their feet, who could stop them from simply taking it? The options were conflicting, and it showed in Rodias' eyes. [color=f7976a][b]"Thank you both for this information. I'll consider the possibilities after we receive Kath and Ashara's reports. It might be easier to find a source of income and pay people to gather it for us than to use our own manpower to do it...but for now, that's only theorizing..."[/b][/color] Rodias would say, just before Light barged in. 

Some part of him felt he should be reprimanding her, but...Light was difficult to satiate in her desire for human contact, and her request for payment was unusual, but worked to his advantage. Getting up, Rodias would reach into his cloak before producing a sizeable bag of coinage, saying: [color=f7976a][b]"Well...perfect timing Light. Sadly Kath and Ashara aren't back yet, but...we have someone that we need to talk. And I can tell that you've been bored. As such...I'll pay you for the information you can extract from the prisoner that Gromgard's goblins have in custody. So long as its something prevalent...even something as small as how many days are in a year here, I'll make sure that you're appropriately compensated. Does that sound like a good deal?"[/b][/color]

Realizing that this was about to turn into a Human Resources nightmare, Rodias would produce bags of coinage for Gromgard and Mamoru as well, with much smaller bags being given to the goblins. [color=f7976a][b]"And here, for all your hard work. Speaking of work and compensation, Gromgard, I'd like to commission several art pieces from Penn and Shill. Portraits, namely. They're less likely to wander off if they have their hands full with producing artwork, no?"[/b][/color]
[hr]
Bone Daddy would quickly come to find that there were numerous bones at the ritual site, either buried, or left bloodied upon the ground. More bones to work with...and more music to make. Whether it was by coincidence or some sort of magic upon the place, Bone Daddy would begin hearing the melody of the woods itself in the whistle of the wind and the chirping of the bugs.
[/hider]

[@Enkryption]
[hider=Establishing Territory]
Over the course of the week, the settlements of Gothika would grow at a rapid pace, due to the singularly driven purposes of each. The land itself was a ripe orchard for each settlement, each grower and tender and miner and fisher finding resources in abundance, as well as hardship to follow. One could imagine the reason so few people lived in this area was the savagery of it; Where men feared to tread, beasts pranced bravely.

The first week of establishing the frontier would be hard fought, but soon, the dividends would trickle back to Gothika. Resources that, now with the newly reactivated COIN system, were flowing in abundance to the places they were needed in the Chateau. New ores for creation of items, new plants to experiment with cooking and potion-making, new plants from which cloth could be woven, and, a little bit of information that could only be found from living in the wilds for an extended period of time. 
[/hider]