[b]Eon Tower - Mid Morning[/b] [sub][@PaulHaynek][@ReusableSword][@Inertia][@Enkryption][@Hammerman][@FrogRFlowR][/sub] [hr] Arteus took a moment to look everyone over, taking note of Leon who decided to leave for the library. For the most part the newly gathered reavers were silent, simply ready for whatever task awaited them. It honestly surprised him a bit, perhaps some were nervous. No, he saw the looks in their eyes: they were prepared. This, at least, filled him with some reassurance. Of course, some of the attendees had some concerns they wanted to have addressed, some more personal than others. Understandable. [sub][@Blaze Gamma][/sub] He turned to Aldin first, as his concern was the most personal. [color=662d91]“Ah, yes, of course. Aldin, you’ve my promise that your mother is being provided the best care the Tower has to offer. That being said, please do visit her in the infirmary before you set out. You’ll find it further down the hall on the west wing when you exit this chamber. Our apothecary is tending to her now.”[/color] He then paused for a moment, the shift in his expression quite noticeable. [color=662d91]“As for what that man you passed in the hallway was alluding to…I’m afraid that’s a bit more complicated. We’ll go over that in a bit.”[/color] The estranged elf Leon had left the room before he actually got to tell him where to find the library, but given his skill set Arteus figured that he could easily find it by himself. [sub][@Polaris North] [@The Irish Tree][/sub] The questions posed by both Shavis and Hector were fair and understandable; he felt it would be best to address them both at once. [color=662d91]“Good questions. The best direct answer I can give is that it depends on the nature of the work. Due to our position in relation to the Association and the simple nature of the work, jobs with a myriad of characteristics come across our desk. Some will be relatively easy and will require only a small group or can even be accomplished single-handedly. Others, however, will be very difficult and require a larger group to safely carry out. As for whether team assignments will be permanent or rotating, that’s something you’ll have to work out amongst yourselves. Within this group of fine magus, I understand that some of you know each other already, so perhaps more often than not you’ll want to sortie with them. Or maybe you’re the more outgoing and social type, and are enticed by building rapport with new people. Whatever the case may be, I’m hoping that you’ll make the best call when deciding which missions to take up.”[/color] He stopped to glance at Hector for a moment.[color=662d91] “I understand that this may be different than what you’re used to, Hector, but I hope you can acclimate all the same.”[/color] [color=662d91]“Hmm, I was honestly expecting more questions out of all of you. But, I guess I should expect as much from a group as focused and resolute as the one before me.”[/color] The sage smiled at Tilnak, who only asked when they would begin. Arteus clasped his hands together, after which a peculiar shimmering sound filled the room. Before the team appeared a few images, perhaps generated by some sort of magic, that contained various information printed on them. Of note, they seemed to be marked with stars, some had more than others. “[color=662d91]These are the current objectives that have been brought to our desk at this point in time. From here on, you can see any new requests posted in the main hall of the tower, but for convenience I’ll show them here for you”[/color] [hider=Croc Crush] [h2][b]**[/b][/h2] [color=0054a6][u][b]Croc Crush[/b][/u] To the southwest of the Republic lie the ZoHo Marsh, an expansive wetland area home to a myriad ecosystem. There are few villages that make their homes on the outskirts of the marsh and live off the land. As of late, an increasing number of Makara have began encroaching on the borders of the villages and have become a large problem for the locals. Much of their livestock have fallen prey to the amphibious creatures, even worse that some of the locals had the misfortune of being attacked. The village elder had reached out, pleading for immediate assistance.[/color] -Naomi’s notes: [color=f49ac2]"These creatures usually live very deep within the marshlands, despite their imposing and predatory tendencies they actually shy away from human settlements. Most never see one in their day-to-day lives. We feel that something may have disturbed them and caused them to leave their usual feeding grounds. We prefer it (myself especially) if you can resolve this without killing too many of them and investigate what may be causing this shift in behavior."[/color][/hider] [hider=Badland Heist] [h2][b]***[/b][/h2] [color=007236][u][b]Badland Heist[/b][/u] A well-known magitech manufacturer in the Republic has a plant stationed in the northeast region, a remote area known for its rocky terrain. The director of the plant has stated that several high-end weapons and tools have been stolen. This is especially alarming as the weapons are unapproved prototypes and pose a large threat in the hands of the thieves.[/color] -Donovan’s notes: [color=a187be]“Ah yes, my corporation was in a joint-venture with this group. The prospects looked quite promising as well. As this location is in a remote area, support for their plant is fairly limited as compared to in-home sites. Still, if word gets out about this or if the thieves ensue attacks with the armaments, their reputation will go under. Please do what you can to see to this matter to avoid unnecessary destruction. Not to mention I’d hate to have to break ties with this group."[/color] [/hider] [color=662d91]"Naomi Schuller and Donovan Krausser are two key members of the Tower’s staff. Naomi serves as a researcher who specializes in the study of magical beasts and Donovan owns a firm that specializes in the research of apparitions. Both are wellsprings of knowledge, so if you’ve any questions about the aforementioned quests, I’d suggest talking with them before leaving."[/color] [color=662d91]"Now then, about the last one…"[/color] [hider=Necropolis] [h2][b]****[/b][/h2] [color=9e0b0f][u][b]Necropolis (Special Request)[/b][/u] Recently there have been various attacks in the western plains that have rendered much of the region uninhabitable. Naturally, this is in part due to an abomination that has been running loose for the past few days. This one is quite powerful, far more than any average fell creature one would come across. However, more than just the beast, there is an issue where the overflowing miasma has created more monsters in the area. Naturally, this won’t stop until the beast has been destroyed and the fell energy purified. This was a special request made by the leader of the last squadron who attempted to combat the creature. Only she, and a couple of others, survived the attack. While this is obviously a top priority assignment, I’m afraid I’ll have to put my foot down on a few things for those of you who want to take on this request. I ask that only those among you who have direct experience with monsters and dealing with miasma to undergo this task. Also, Roze or Ruecian will accompany anyone who takes up the job - no questions. Right now this is just an investigation into the state of the matter at this point, the beast has moved on to another area and you’ll be tracing its steps from there. If at any point the situation gets too dicey, you are to retreat. While I understand you all are skilled in your own right, we simply don’t have the manpower to lose people on the field in such ways. Just focus on purifying the area and mopping up the lesser beasts for now.[/color] [/hider] [color=662d91]“With all that said, decide what jobs you want to take and feel free to disembark when prepared. Feel free to reach out if you need anything. Some more of my friends are currently out handling some business of their own, but they should be back soon.”[/color] Arteus then vanished in a violet veil of light, leaving the newly formed party to their devices. They were now free to either choose a quest and be on their way, or they could perhaps speak with some of the staff mentioned earlier to gain some more insight into the respective job. They could even take some time to become more acquainted with the Tower if they wished, Arteus didn’t seem to be pressing them to take up the presented tasks. [color=6ecff6]“I don’t much like the fact that there’s a disruption in the ecosystem, it sounds like the Marshlands would be perfect for my fist mission.”[/color] It seems that Lapis had made her pick. [color=ec008c]“Hmph, if you want to go splashing around in some dingy old bog, be my guest! Meanwhile, that 4 star mission certainly sounds promising.”[/color] Replied Evelyn [color=00aeef]“When hell freezes over maybe.”[/color] Said Ruecian. [color=00aeef]“Like I’d ever let you anywhere near a place like that.” [/color] [color=ec008c]“Excuse me??” [/color]Evelyn grew noticeably upset [color=00aeef]“You literally graduated from the academy and received your license a few months ago, do I even need to explain this to you?” [/color] [color=ec008c]“But-”[/color] [color=8882be]“That’s enough Lyn.”[/color] Roze interjected.[color=8882be] “He is correct. You’ve never even seen a monster before and you’ve no experience in dealing with miasma. You will have to choose between the other two missions.”[/color] [color=ec008c]“...Fine…”[/color] Evelyn said in a defeated tone. She thought for a moment, perhaps taking up the arms plant job could be lucrative. It was, after all, owned by a large firm. [color=ec008c]“Then I’ll go to the magitech plant, I’m sure the firm would appreciate assistance from a genius like me.”[/color] And it seemed Evelyn made her choice as well. [hr] [sub][@Silverstein][/sub] Leon found himself in the library, reviewing any pieces of information that could aid him and his allies in the coming trails. [color=2e3192]“Is it just you who decided to drop by? Guess among the new recruits, only you have a sense for preparation. I can appreciate that.”[/color] Leon would hear a sudden voice, turning to its source he would see it coming from [url=https://i.imgur.com/XcsArbT.jpg]a man with long black hair and a shady disposition.[/url] [color=2e3192]“Sorry, should probably introduce myself. Name’s Kiff, Kliff Luther, and I manage things here at the Eon Library. Nice to meet ya, think I might’ve heard about you before. Somethin’ about some dude wearing a mask fighting bad guys in the dead of night?”[/color] He chuckled a bit, though he was probably the only one amused at the moment. [color=2e3192]“Regardless, if you’re looking for something that’ll help you with the current jobs, I would suggest looking up info in regards to aquatic beasts and how to deal with the effects of miasma. Two of the three jobs the head cheese had lined up for you will involve the aforementioned dangers. I’d personally recommend staying away from the latter for right now, though. At least until some of our stronger members get back.”[/color] His tone and demeanor were relaxed, yet his words still carried an underlying foreboding with them. [color=2e3192]“As for the third excursion, ‘fraid there’s not much here that can help you. It involves the theft of state-of-the-art magitech gear that’s currently not on the market. The top brass wants to be hush-hush about the whole fiasco, but a fine gentleman named Donovan could probably tell you more about it if you’re curious. Or you could just go directly to the site and speak with the director yourself, up to you.”[/color] Kiff then stared at Leon for a moment, as if examining him. Sitting straight up, his left hand was visible above the table, but his right hand was not. He then leaned forward, his chin resting on both his clasped hands. [color=2e3192]“Say, you have the look of a rogue. You know, you guys are free to use the library as you please. However, we’d prefer you all understand that it’s more of a give and take relationship. As in, generous donations of whatever you find out in the field every now and again would be most appreciated.”[/color] He sat forward in his chair, his eyes full of intent and desire. [color=2e3192]“I think you know where I’m going with this: if you decide to take up the issue at the magitech plant, say you find the perpetrators and obtain the gear back. I certainly wouldn’t mind it if in some way, one of those nifty tools ended up in your hands. Then say, you decided to donate it to the library in a fit of generosity~”[/color] This man was quite the character it seemed. [color=2e3192]“Of course, it’s not like I’m demanding you do it or anything. I’m sure you’ll come across many treasures and wonders during your time here. But, I’d definitely make it worth your while if you did.”[/color] Kiff then looked off to the side, as if disturbed by something. [color=2e3192]“Umm…anyway, f-feel free to take what you need to prep and may the Scions bless you on your journey!”[/color] He said in a nervous tone, putting an abrupt end to their conversation.