Not entirely sure Magnus had asked the group a question, Sparky was slow to speak up. The compliment about being well constructed elicited very little response but not none. Warforged might not be the most expressive race, but they certainly had emotions. Sparky's lower hinged jaw and head raised slightly, barely noticeably. Obviously pride if you weren't inclined to dismiss the idea something built having feelings. In Cannith training camps Warforged who won training combats were praised, most Warforged took pride in things that would help them win fights, because this is the training Cannith imprinted into them in the first formative months of their existence. Being well constructed wasn't something a Warforged could control, but there was no denying it's importance in a fight.

Jack's introduction made less sense to Sparky. Definitely not Brelish, we embrace Democracy. Not a Mourner either. Doesn't seem Aundairi, or Thranish. Lightning rails go most everywhere these days. Could be Karnathi, but hard to imagine him among the zombie hoards. Could be a Reacher, but a Reacher would probably take more interest in the druid. I bet he's a Marcher. She's most likely a Reacher, and House Kundarak I believe is Karnathi in origin though their bankers end up everywhere.

"Orders to report here for a mission, did not mention Master Renfold himself." The construct spoke plainly in a strangely flat voice as most Warforged did. The pacing was slow enough to suggest, this was an observation based on Master Renfold's absence not special knowledge about what was going on. Otherwise the warforged hadn't moved since assuming this at ease stance.

Radira had rarely seen warforged. The Last War had spread across the continent but the deep forests of the Eldeen Reaches held little of value to the Five Nations for them to see the need to send the false men to wage battle there. This specimen concerned her. At first she believed him to have been made of silver, the moon metal, but as he passed she could smell it was not so. Still, the false man was clearly dangerous. A weapon made to kill. She found it odd to let such things wander free. But the so-called civilized folk were full of such folly.

Her study of the warforged was interrupted by the arrival of the dwarf of the shifting colors. Such garb went against Radira's like night and day. Clearly the dwarf felt no need for stealth. Indeed, such riotous colors were like a warning of poison she knew from many bugs. She did not know what to make of him. His assumption she was nervous or shy was off the mark however. She was wary. Wary of strangers, her surroundings. And like a cat she would rather watch and observe, and move only when it was in her interest, not when he wanted..
This message was last edited by the player at 16:00, Thu 11 Aug 2022.

As the man he had yet to address was the first to speak, and gave a slight bow to the women, before withdrawing his hand and moving on towards the fellow against the books.  He spoke about being in a militia, and how he was a scout and such.  And how they might be spending time together.

"Well met, Jack.  Which Milita did you fight with?  And perhaps we might be able to aid one another in knowledge seeking.  I tend to make traps, and the like.  All part of my services. Some of the best protection in Khorvaire."

He went to sit down in a chair, as he moved it in a way to see the other three still, the Warforged speaking.  "Well, it was an assumption on my part.  After all, this is his office.  But I had recieved such an offer as well.  Quite the group, if we have a scout, a.."  He paused as he stared at the wolf girl.  "Attire and the pet remind me of Druids.  So I am guessing that is what she is.  And then, of course, one of the best units of protection from the Last War."

Jack watches as he knows that pretty much everyone is listening to his answers....

"I served with House Vadalis, I am from a very small place indeed, known as greenblade village, my family has a small farm near to the village proper, if that helps.  Always travelers coming through so meeting people was easy, because news spread everytime anyone came through and especially if they stay the night."

Jack is pretty excited about the whole thing

“Locally since 959  Sylbaran, Greenblade, and Erlaskar, have had a treaty and militia; as we expect no help to prevent a future occupation, so that was my initial training.”


"I have also spent a bit of time in both the Byeshk mountains and the towering wood...Not places to roam without proper care."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:59, Sun 14 Aug 2022.

He had not intended to be unobtrusive.  He had not intended to to be hidden and silent.  He had merely sat down in a corner opposite the desk near a softly glowing lantern set upon a table next to a very comfortable looking chair, after quietly selecting a book from the shelves, on the pre-Galifar history of Khorvaire, seemed to be missing, a book the young man has opened across his lap, and is currently reading.  It is the quiet scrape of parchment against parchment, heard only during a lull in the conversation, as he turns the page, that attracts attention towards his presence.  He continues to read until he can feel the gaze of everyone else in the room upon him.  Then he looks up with a friendly smile.
Well, hello there, he says simply in Thranish accented Common.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:23, Tue 16 Aug 2022.

The Warforged having no need to blink, watching the office door was a bit confused by the man awkwardly failing to sneak through the only obvious entrance with no means of cover, and more than enough light for the construct to see perfectly clearly, but as he seemed only interested in grabbing a book and rather than try to steal it, sitting in a chair the reaction wasn't immediately hostile. The construct stepping out of the way of the entrance had been in anticipation of Master Renfold entering through the only obvious door so keeping that in peripheral vision was the most natural thing to do.
The initial thought was that this new man was embarrassed to be arriving late, but Master Renfold wasn't there yet so it was all for naught. The Warforged a veteran, wasn't going to snitch on someone over sneaking into a briefing late. Grabbing the book might have seemed thief like but then no sane thief would attempt to sneak into a crowded business office full of armed mercenaries and a rather large dog waiting to begin a meeting. Taking the book seemed more a cheeky rascal sort of decision sitting down in a reading chair seemed to suggest waiting for the meeting as well. The dress suggested this man was a friar of the Silver Flame, and the behavior was a far cry from the exhausted war hardened Crusaders the construct had fought beside in Cyre.
The Warforged twitched, it wasn't much but it was a rather un-Warforged-like behavior as the comparison triggered the vivid memory of that menacing grey mist that killed everything that it touched. The instinct to run was strong but there was not mist here, these allies weren't dying in the impossibly large spell that had seemed like it would consume all of Khorvaire, the crushing weight of the guilt of survival pressed down, but no word of it was volunteered.

"Hello."

Jack turns finally revealing beyond the bow and arrows, what he has on his person a hand axe in his belt and a spiked gauntlet on his hand....

So here we are....I am glad I left my polearm in my room, this office is getting a bit crowded."

Updated my ooc post....FYI
This message was last edited by the player at 13:15, Tue 16 Aug 2022.

Radira had noticed Jusepus as he entered, but had simply watched. But it was when he spoke up she noticed the pendant he wore. The Silver Flame. The Purge. She snarled at the monk, her body tensing to pounce. Fang picked up at his master's fury and similarly tensed.

"Curse you and your kin murderer! Why are you here?"

This got the Warforged to shift out of standing at ease, into a resting boxer's stance. The constructs eyes moved between the two members of clergy.

"I have a duty to preserve the peace. Keeper Jolan Sol, spoke against attacking natural born shifters 179 years ago. Illness is not kinship. The Puritan heresy is in opposition to accepted canon. His vestments do not indicate he is a Puritan. He does not appear old enough to have taken part in the Silver Crusade. Religions are an academically interest."

The construct seemed inclined only to try to talk the two of them down.

OOC:
Taking mild liberties with the knowledge check they have a +14 to the relevant check (other worldly whispers invocation) it's only mildly uncommon knowledge and that's mostly because they have the names and dates
This message was last edited by the player at 14:30, Tue 16 Aug 2022.

He cocks his head at the shifter's outburst.  Actually, I was invited.  I'm truly sorry about what happened to your kin, but I was not even born when that happened, nor have I murdered anyone.  He shrugs.  As a priest, I am primarily a healer and a sermonizer.  Though, I do not really like giving sermons.  Most people do not seem to want to hear them.

Magnus listened to the man speak about his time with House Vadalis.  And then about some of his travels.  Animal Handler but said he was a scout..  possibly indicating ranger of some sort.

He was going to reply when he noticed another walk in.  He took a book then took a seat, Magnus watching him a minute with bemused interest as he suddenly spoke.  Again he was about to set a greeting when the druid sparked off at the newcomer.

Sparky was trying to defuse the situation and he got up between the two. "As our metal friend says.  I doubt this fine gent was part of those crusades.  But if just seeing the symbol males yah that irate, I would steer clear of Sharn near the 25 of Barrakas.  Its a day dedicated to one of the Fathers torn to pieces during the crusades."  He stated more to just give friendly advice then anything before turning to the newcomer.

"Well, a flamer as well?  We got quite the assortment growing.  If our employer ever gets here it will be an interesting job to say the least."
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 05:38, Thu 18 Aug 2022.

Jack for his own idea starts to leave the office....even the hallway would be a better place to be..

"I for one will be somewhere other than guildmaster Renfold's office when people make bad choices for themselves...this business should be held until we are no longer in sanctuary.."

Having John Wick flashbacks.....

"He joined them." Radira replied to those who made the case for Jusepus' supposed innocence, slowly getting up from her crouch, the fury clear in her eyes. She she spoke her lips peeled back showing elongated canines.
"The Silver Flame hunted my people. Burned children on the stake by the hundreds. Tried to eradicate us like we were a plague and nearly succeeded. They are the greatest evil on this continent. And he JOINED them!"

I did not join The Church.  I was an orphan of the war who they took in.  For that, I am thankful, Jusepus informs.  Otherwise I would have had to fight for survival in some war-ravaged town or in a refugee camp.
He gives a sigh.  The Purge happened a long, long time before either of us was born.  You were not one of the victims, I was not one of the perpetrators.  Are you going to spend your life feeling an anger and a hate that are not your own?  I, for one, have no hatred within me.  You are the first shifter I have met, and I find you absolutely fascinating.  You can do something I can scarcely conceive of, and I want to ask you all kinds of questions.

The Construct nodded stiffly. "Many shifters joined them, Fathen the Martyr, the priest of the Silver Flame, Magnus mentioned, famously a shifter. You seem to have been given only one view of the event. The Silver Crusade took place in a time of Pandemic. The werewolf and rat infection had spread to all cities of Galifar. A man infected with the curse would unthinkingly murder his own family in his fevered transformation. People were more ignorant back then. You know they thought Shifters and Lycanthropy were connected to Rakshasa. Ha." The warforged seemed to awkwardly attempt a joke with this last factoid as evidenced by the flat unvaried tone was punctuated with a laugh. They looked to see if the others appreciated how absurd and backwards people were two hundred years ago. Whether they'd calmed the Shifter any.

"I remember studying this, I thought that surely everyone blamed the entire unfolding events upon the deviant mechaniations of the rakshasa's.  Now that I think about it I never read the histories from either side, I read the works of events based on my local region, second hand reports at best, certainly not the generational trauma that has followed....The animosity remains strong..."

The bird shuffled slightly at the argument between shifter and priest, clicking its beak in agitation. The beady black eyes watched with interest, before it opened its beak. "Master Renfold will arrive shortly, shortly. He says no blood to be shed, no blood to be shed. CAW!" The bird spoke, ruffling its exotic feathers and flapping its wings as it adjusted its grip on the perch.

Raining calm and serene, Jusepus does not feel he is being argumentative with the shifter woman.  He is merely explaining why she should not be angry with him.  Meanwhile, she seems to be the one spoiling for a fight.
I do not want to shed blood even when it is necessary.  Bloodshed here is far from necessary.  So very far from mecessary, he says politely.

Jack only gets a step or two away from the bird when it speaks, he stops and returns to examining the bird now that it has spoken, he had suspected the bird was more than meets the eye.....perhaps a magical bond of some sort...

Falling into his arcane training he goes ahead and examines the bird with detect magic, perhaps he too would one day bond a familiar to his service, it is something he had yet to understand... Casts detect magic...

"A long long time ago, in a place far far away....."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:29, Thu 18 Aug 2022.

The shifter snorted at how the others in the room weakly attempted to explain away the Purge.
"The greater part of my people was hunted to extinction. But if this was such a terrible mistake, where are the apologies, the reparations? What has the Silver Flame done since to make right the genocide? Nothing! They regret nothing! And they will happily do it again one day. Murderers and hypocrites all! And fools are any who flock to their blood-drenched banner. All happy to slay innocents, women and children, in the name of their faith."

PM

As Radira rails against the follies of prior generations, a small doorway of energy opens behind the desk, stepping through is the vaguely familiar Guild Master Renfold. He wears robes of deep blue and muted brown fringe, with a high white collar around his neck. He looks around the room, snorting slightly, before taking his seat.

"Be that as it may, Radira, not all shifters were innocent during that time, and while I do not condone the actions in which I do not agree with, the past is the past, and it is better to learn from the mistakes of it so that history does not repeat it. Perhaps Jusepus can change your mind about the modern followers of his faith.

Now, you have all been summoned here as part of your contract with the Adventurer's Guild, and to fulfill a work order we have received from a Lord Braun ir'Vachlan. He is requesting the services of dedicated guild members to aid in the transport of the bodies of fallen knights from the Last War to return them to their families in Karrnath. He himself has been here for a few days, waiting for the Guild to agree to the terms of the contract, and will accompany you on the lightning rail with the cargo. Part of the reason I was delayed was the...delicacy of dealing with nobility, and Karrnathi nobility at that.

Although you have not worked as a group before, the Guild believes that as solo agents, you will never have the opportunities to advance quite like you would as a group. Perform well, and you might earn the favor of Lord ir'Vachlan, but you will prove that you are capable agents to be sent on more interesting and far-reaching missions to the Guild itself.

You were selected not just because you have been solo agents for the Guild, but also because your skills would potentially mesh well.

Magnus for his knowledge of traps and artifice, Radira for her wilderness skills, Sparky for their unique eldritch talents, Jesepus for his healing magic and martial skill, and Jack for being able to fill in any gaps the group might hold." He spoke, indicating to each of you in kind. The bird remains at its perch, having been preening itself while the Guild Master spoke.

As the guild master enters Jack snaps to attention his instincts from the militia still sharp and crisp, once the guild master is seated, jack stands at ease.  He listens as the guild master outlines the assignment.


Jack smiles as the word capable rolls around in his mind, it is the thing he wants more than anything else the world of knowledge and secrets were still waiting for him and who knows what he might discover if sent into places he has never been before....

Jack waits to see what maps or other information is forthcoming, before he adds anything....

Jusepes is about to say something when the guildmaster makes his rather dramatic entrance.  He stands silent as the man speaks his peace, first about Radira's tirade, then about the job at hand.
Thank you, sir, for inviting us to this mission.  I am sure we will make you proud, he offers when the GM has finished
This message was last edited by the player at 08:25, Fri 19 Aug 2022.

Radira held no belief in Renfold's words on the Silver Flame's changed nature. But as the taskmaster continued on explaining the job at hand her thoughts hurried to keep up with the nature of the mission. She had never met any nobility, nor recognized their authority. She would make her own judgement of the worth of Lord ir'Vachlan. The task to transport bodies seemed a wasteful one of effort and time. A small distance to a nice burial spot she could understand, but to go through all this effort seemed excessive. But if this is what the lordling desired, then she did not mind taking his coin. It seemed like a straightforward task and the cargo being largely worthless meant it likely would not be the target of raiders.

But what piqued her interest most was something that Renfold had passed over as something plain and commonplace; the Lightning Rail. Radira had heard tales of the marvel of House Orien. She had never expected to set foot on it herself, nor to see one of the distant great cities rumored to house a thousand thousand people. Such a journey was a rare opportunity. It would allow her to see a corner of the world she had never considered.

She nodded acceptance at Guild Master Renfold.

"Sparky" had move to standing at attention as Renfold entered and offered a quick salute. After listening attentively and waiting for the more eager responses the construct asked, "what state are the bodies in, what state are they expected delivered in? Cargo, or passengers, sir?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:18, Fri 19 Aug 2022.