[hider=Croc Crush]
[color=#0054a6][CENTER] [img]https://i.imgur.com/FvetaES.png[/img][/CENTER]
[table][row][/row][row][cell][center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/NNM745n.png[/img]
[color=0054a6][sup]_______________________________________________[/sup][/color][/center]

[indent][b]Difficulty[/b]: ⭐⭐
[b]Reward[/b]: 2000G

[b]Inventory[/b]: None

[/indent]


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[/hider]

[@Enkryption][@Polaris North][@The Irish Tree]NPC(s): Lapis

"[color=red]Oh, sorry about the smell. It's toxic waste... well, toxic [i]magical[/i] waste. I got hired to get rid of them.[/color]" The goggled man replied. "[color=red]Name's Keith. Keith North, world-class mercenary and a guy-you-hire-if-you-want-something-done kind of guy.[/color]"

At his answer, Lapis would look at the man as if he were in dire need of a mental evaluation. [color=6ecff6]”[i]Toxic waste??[/i]”[/color] She pressed. [color=6ecff6]”First of all, of all the places you could’ve dumped these chemicals, you chose a populated ecosystem with magical beasts? Second, who hired you to dispose of this gunk in the first place you scoundrel?!””[/color] She was going to yell further, but she nearly gagged and held her nose. The smell of the waste was too strong, which was made worse by Lapis having a stronger sense of smell than others. Shavis also joined in the interrogation, thinking it was strange that he had access to this location in the first place. [color=6ecff6]”Ugh… Ms. Shavis, how can you tolerate this smell??”[/color] 

Scarlett had completely ignored the stench and began inspecting the laboratory thoroughly. She paid special attention to the various drums that likely were filled with the toxic substance in question. What she did next, however, shocked everyone in the room, including Keith. Lapis, herself, was left speechless by the side. A part of her felt that Scarlett would quickly expire as a result, but given what she’s seen of her perhaps there was a method to this apparent madness. 

When Scarlett dumped her head into a vat of the waste, Keith would join in on the panic. "[color=red]Hey, whoa, whoa! That stuff's dangerous! Not edible![/color]" He then shrugged. "[color=red]Well, I mean I haven't tried. Maybe it is and if you like it, I guess I can give it to you. It'll save me all the trouble.[/color]"

[color=6ecff6]”You know, my teammate may appreciate your sense of humor, but I don’t care much for it!”[/color] She said, breaking her silence. [color=6ecff6]”Ms. Shavis, I don’t understand how you can be so calm about it. Is there something about Scarlett’s biology that you’re aware of that we aren’t? ”[/color] She asked, honestly curious. Hector had , in Lapis’s opinion, a much more reasonable reaction to the situation as he and Herne promptly worked to pull Scarlett from the drum. 

Fed up with the current state of events, Lapis took it upon herself to escalate the matter.  [color=6ecff6]”I believe it’s obvious to anyone that you’re the source of all the problems that have been plaguing this area! Because of you, the Makara have gone rampage and in turn disrupted the lives of the locals!”[/color]

Keith opted to take a stance to defend his character. "[color=red]Hey, now! I was hired to throw this stuff away and now I'm throwing it away in the place everyone agrees to be the nastiest: The swamp.[/color]" Keith retorted. "[color=red]And who cares if the Makara gets messed up, they'll get it out of their system in the next fifty years or so. Not that long, to be honest.[/color]" He replied, seeming to not care one lick about the ramifications of his actions. 

[color=6ecff6]”Your short-sightedness is making me more ill than all this filth you’ve stored in here!”[/color] She spat.  [color=6ecff6]”Since it’s clear that you won’t be backing down from this point, I’ll gladly deign to persuade you by force.”[/color] She said coldly. Hachigan grew into its monstrous form, with Lapis channeling watery mana in her palms. 

With Lapis already prepped for battle, all Keith could do was rub the back of his head and shrug. Following suit, Keith assumed a defensive position, letting the Reavers make the first move. "[color=red]Aww, and we were just getting along.[/color]"

Hector seemed to still be busy with Scarlett, so it was left to Shavis if she decided to aid Lapis in her imminent confrontation with the merc. 

[hr]

[hider=Badland Heist]
[color=#007236][CENTER] [img]https://i.imgur.com/QfTqgf1.png[/img][/CENTER]
[table][row][/row][row][cell][center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/JITx4pu.png[/img]
[color=007236][sup]_______________________________________________[/sup][/color][/center]

[indent][b]Difficulty[/b]: ⭐⭐⭐
[b]Reward[/b]: 3000G, New magitech inventory available in shop

[b]Assigned Reavers[/b]

[sup][@PaulHaynek]
[@Silverstein]
NPC(s): Evelyn[/sup]

[b]Inventory[/b]: None

[/indent]


[/cell][/row][/table][/COLOR]
[/hider]

From the safety of her rock, Evelyn looked on at Leon as he made quick work of more of the thieves. With deft acrobatics, Leon unleashed a fluffy of slashes and punctures via throwing knives; The grace the Fae boy displayed made it appear as those he was flying. [color=ec008c][i]That guy…he’s not bad, actually…[/i][/color] She said to herself. She then snapped herself out of her stupor, focusing on the task at hand. This may have been her only chance! Her instructors at the academy had taken steps to ensure their students had practiced certain CQC tactics in the event where magic either failed them or was unavailable to them at the time. Evelyn felt that she was decent enough at such maneuvers, though this was the first time she’d have to put it to real use. 

Her thoughts were broken by Einer, who hobbled up beside her. She immediately noticed his side wound, blood slowly dripping from it. His speech was labored as he spoke, eyes squinted as he strained to fight through the pain. [color=ec008c]”...Eh? Perhaps you should stay back, you look like you’re about to keel over.”[/color] She said. [color=ec008c]”After already saving you, I’d rather not have your death on my conscience…”[/color] But, it would seem that the witch’s words fell on deaf ears, the young bard brandished his knuckles and again threw himself into the fray. Though, perhaps things wouldn’t go too bad for him. Thanks to Leon’s efforts, the herd of bandits had been thinned out and retaliation had greatly weakened. If anything, she was more worried about the look Einer had in his eyes as he went back into the fight. He looked like he was enjoying himself…

She didn’t have time to focus on that though, she had her own matter to worry about. Taking full advantage of the diversion created by Leon, Evelyn had made a mad sprint toward the hooded brigand holding the orb. He as well seemed too distracted by the fae boy to notice the witch coming at his flank, being too busy barking orders at his incompetent lessers. By the time the man noticed her coming, it was too late. Wielding her staff in both hands, she gave the man a harsh bludgeon to the back of the head. Making a pained grunt, the man toppled over and dropped the orb to the ground. [color=ec008c]”I’m not a fan of it, but I can get my hands dirty every once in a while!”[/color] She taunted. She made a dash for the orb that was now rolling on the ground, but fell as the hooded man grabbed her by the leg. [color=ec008c]”Waahh?!”[/color] She let out in surprise as she fell. The man, now unhooded, revealed that the mask was part of an elaborate helmet he wore, it absorbed some of the impact of Eve’s whack. Though, it was cracked and the man’s head was bleeding a bit. 

[b]”No you don’t, you little shit!”[/b] He spat, not letting go of her leg. However, unfortunately for him, with the orb no longer in his hands it wasn’t active. Looking at him with a vicious glare, that was the last thing he remembered before being enveloped by a bright vermillion light. Eve blasted him several yards away with her now restored magic. [color=ec008c]”I’m SO over this. Time to clear out the herd…”[/color] She uttered. Eve blasted away the mob that Einer was dealing with, then ensured that he and Leon stayed out of the way. [color=ec008c]”I’d advise the both of you to steer clear. To be honest, I don’t have much experience with this technique.”[/color]

Letting go of her staff, it floated behind her and began to glow a hazy indigo light. Eve made a strange sign using her hands, this seemed to cause the glow to grow in size until it enveloped the rest of the bandits. Soon the glow began to change into a darker color, and starry constellations formed around the vicinity. The bandits found themselves unable to move much at all in this field, seeming unable to even lift up their weapons in retaliation. Their firearms ceased to work at all, either appearing to jam or the bullets immediately fell to the ground upon the trigger being pulled. With confused and fearful gazes, they could do nothing but observe the young witch, wondering what type of spell she was conjuring.

[color=ec008c]”[i]Void Domain: Nebula Field. Plasma Fall[/i]”[/color]

After stating this incantation, the stars that formed above the brigands began to grow in size, growing in a shining brilliance. Soon the doomed bandits were subjected to a barrage of large star blasts, the impact of which drowned out their panicked screams. After a little bit, the entire force had been completely decimated. Satisfied with the result, Evelyn dispelled her field, and the surroundings turned back to normal. All that was left were the bodies of numerous criminals that littered the ground, which was covered in a multitude of craters of various sizes. With there apparent leader defeated and their forces decimated, it seemed that the Eon team won the night. 

From the charred entrance of the stronghold, a young man slowly came out in a sheepish stride, holding his shaking hands in the air. It was the worker from the factory. [b]”I surrender, please mercy!”[/b] He pleaded with the team of reavers. [b]”I’ll give back the equipment that was stolen, I’m sorry…”[/b] Recognizing him, Eve began walking over to him slowly, her walking appeared to be more like limping. [color=ec008c]”All right you dolt, you’ve caused us a lot of trouble tonight, so…you’d…bet-”[/color] Unable to finish her sentence, Eve stumbled face first into the ground, kicking up a bit of dirt as she made a thud. It seemed that her technique used up the remaining mana she had in her reserves. Barely managing to lift her head up, she turned to Leon. [color=ec008c]”H-Hey, Fae boy. I may have…made a small miscalculation and used up too much mana with that last attack. It’s not like I need it but, I certainly wouldn’t mind a little bit of help either…”[/color]

The young worker looked at Eve with mixed emotions of surprise, concern, and perplexity. At any rate, now that the thieves were defeated it’d probably be wise to follow the young man into the stronghold and recover the lost goods. The orb that the hooded man from earlier used was also lying on the ground, free for the taking. 

[hr]

[hider=Necropolis]
[color=#9e0b0f][CENTER] [img]https://i.imgur.com/oQ93ZTC.png[/img][/CENTER]
[table][row][/row][row][cell][center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/e25aL6N.jpg[/img]
[color=9e0b0f][sup]_______________________________________________[/sup][/color][/center]

[indent][b]Difficulty[/b]: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Special Request)
[b]Reward[/b]: 5000G, Notoriety increase

[b]Inventory[/b]:

[/indent]


[/cell][/row][/table][/COLOR]
[/hider]

[@Hammerman] NPC(s): Ruecian, Rozemyme


Ruecian did his part in holding back the newly formed beast and its bony minions. Lanus certainly wasn’t a slouch either, not faltering once during the sudden development and directed Renee to assist the azure Belua in attacking the beast while he dealt with the lesser creatures. His nymph created a barrier of water that dissolved any monster that got near it, buying Rana more time. The Fae couple then combined their attacks with Rue’s to create an all-out barrage against the giant creature. The creature seemed to be taking a decent amount of damage, covered in singe marks and rime that made it hard to move its large limbs. It was still standing, however, and with a hideous roar began to blow wretched air at the team of magus. Thankfully, Rue’s summon Mizuchi and the barrier that Lanus’ nymph made shielded them from the attack. 

Rana looked to Lanus in response to his offer. [color=0076a3]”I think it’s better that you focus on killing that thing! I should be almost done here.”[/color] At that moment, a hand grasped her wrist, stopping her healing magic. 

[color=8882be]”You’ve done quite enough, we’re ending this now.”[/color] Said Roze, the effects of miasma poison having been purified from her. 

[color=0076a3]”Wait!”[/color] Rana protested.  [color=0076a3]”You’ve been purified, but your wound hasn’t fully closed.”[/color]

[color=8882be]”It won’t be a problem.”[/color] Roze solemnly responded. [color=8882be]”All we have to do is win. Come to me, Icarus!”[/color] As the jewel in her staff glowed a bright emerald glow, her giant armored bird familiar materialized before her and Rana. The latter seemed to be rather impressed with the level of summon Roze possessed. [color=8882be]”Icarus, dance your great wings, and rend this fell creature with your frenzied winds![/color] With a great shriek, Icarus flapped its wings with such speed that they appeared as a blur, The gale force winds generated combined with the blast of frost and hydro to create a large blizzard to hit the creature with. The creature bellowed in agony at the blast, attempting to flail mindlessly in a vain maneuver to mitigate the damage. After the snowstorm cleared, the creature was little more than a pitiful mess of its former self. Missing both arms and having half its head blown away, it may one last small snarl before falling to the ground in a large crumble. The lessers around it followed suit, whatever others were already vanquished by Ruecian and Lanus’s efforts. 

As the creature dissipated, it revealed itself to be made up of countless malfested corpses. As Rana looked on, her eyes widened in bewilderment as she caught a glimpse of some of the bodies. They were ones she recognized from that night. She began to shudder, having memories of that skirmish flood her head. 

[color=00aeef]”Gods above, we’re finally done.”[/color] Rue said, stretching his arms. [color=00aeef]”Nice one on that whirlwind, Roze. I’ll admit that got a little dicey, but that just comes with the job. Gotta say, Lanus and Renee, you guys kicked some ass on this mission.”[/color] He said, complimenting the couple. 

[color=8882be]”I’m inclined to agree, despite the sudden development, you both adapted quickly and responded impressively.[/color] Roze added. She winced as she held her side, now on one knee. 

[color=00aeef]”Shit, Roze! Rana said that your wound hadn’t closed, don’t over do it! Hey, can you continue healing her?”[/color] Rana didn’t respond to Ruecian, only continuing to shudder. [color=00aeef]”Hey, c’mon, I know you heard me! What’s your problem?[/color] 

[color=0076a3]”Those were the men who were under my command.”[/color] She said in a hushed tone. [color=0076a3]”It’s my fault that happened to them. This is, all my fault…”[/color] [url=https://imgur.com/kHbiMVO]Tears began to flow from her eyes as she began to break down.[/url]  [color=0076a3]”I - we - didn’t ask for any of this…”[/color] 

Rue got a bit uncomfortable, realizing he came off as being insensitive. [color=00aeef]”Uh, look, I’m sorry about your fallen comrades. But, it’s not your fault! You did the best you could given the circumstances. Besides, this way they’ve been put out of their misery.”[/color] 

[color=0076a3]”You think this is mercy.,, huh?![/color] She snapped, her sudden anger catching Ruecian off guard. [color=0076a3]”Is it mercy that they initially gathered a bunch of ragtag magus with no real battle experience as an expendable team to assess a situation they weren’t equipped to handle?! What a joke?![/color] She said, sobbing. 

[color=8882be]”Rue, you never were good at pep talks..."[/color] Roze chimed in. 
[color=00aeef]”Godsdammit Roze, you’re not helping![/color] Rue retorted in an exasperated tone. [color=00aeef]”Lanus, can you heal Roze? I’ll…try and help Rana.”[/color]

Regardless of the situation, the mission was now over. The matter of fully purifying the area was best felt to the encampment, who should now go undisturbed with the bulk of the monsters having been destroyed. There was also, of course, the matter of fully healing Roze and Rana’s current mental state to think about.