"Union wage, eight weeks paid vacation a year and great healthcare!" yelled back a wag from the irregular formation.

Some defensive and buff spells go up in response, arcane in nature, but the spellwork is definitely below Aotrs standards. There is some magic capability here but it's deeply atrophied. These strike you as second line, garrison or security forces in terms of training and discipline. Those weapons are a lot to worry about in terms of the sheer damage they'll inflict if they hit - but that's a very operative [i]if[/i]. If there are serious hitters in this formation they're holding back. Despite this they're well trained enough not to clump up and are holding a skirmish formation with good attention paid to minimum safe distances.

"Ha! Oh, clever question. Whichever you prefer. And I know I got paid because I'm still sane. I'm a, how you say," she said another word, 'Ikarani', that made the translation skip; it came out somewhere between [i]supercomputer/genius/doomed[/i]. "Leave me running too long and I'll go mad. Hence," she said, fingers touching her forehead, "my [i]appreciation[/i] if you would help me make this kill."

She froze when you mentioned your antipathy towards honour, and then took a ginger step backwards. "Child of the Crimson God [i]indeed[/i]," she murmured, voice sounding both impressed and appalled. "I mean, I heard [i]stories[/i] but..." she clapped her hands together, and then tossed her head back to send the hood falling from her face. The revealed creature was a slender owlgirl, eyes wide and brilliant gold.

In a loud, clear voice she announced:
[i]
"I am Boldness of the Ikarani Temple, and I dedicate this sacred hunt targeting Archmagos Birstol to the Azure Goddess. 
A violet dawn breaks,
redemption remains denied, 
and the curse shall make itself known, 
to our glory. 
Three are the existences I might end, or one hundred if I am denied."[/i]

She turned to face you, Unlucky, eyes glittering and grinning widely. "But [i]you[/i] can kill as many as you want! Show me what you got!"