Babe returns her mallet to her belt alongside the machete and then takes a lump of hard black, shiny coal from her bag.  It's a little small for a cricket ball but it still has a vaguely aerodynamic shape.  She looks around and nods.  "Back in a moment".  She walks over to the wall and, using some charcoal she draws a circle on the wall before returning to Fran and Lyn.  "By the way", she says, "My friends call me Babe.. and this is Robin.  Strap on please Robin."

With that, the Pixie holds on tight to one of the dimples on her 'helmet' as Babe takes a five step run up and demonstrates her fast bowling technique, sending the coal unerringly to the centre of the target where either it or the wall shatters.

"Great job, Babe!" Gwen drew her talons together, politely clapping at Babe's technique. She sure did throw that ball at that target successfully. Gwendolyn wasn't particularly all that great at the whole 'doing things from a distance' thing, so it was nice to know Babe and Fran could be counted upon for any 'far away issues' that might crop up. "And it's good to meet you too, Robin."

Fiereljep was distracted its tiny frame flittering to something or that along its path. Though only the size of an apple it was this androgynous little splat was was too cute with his tiny twig and leaf wizard hat. And the tiny bow looks so cute you wonder if it will even hurt if you are shot with it. So as the others where gathering the tiny thing messed with some leaves and a discarded cherry. The sound of something being thrown really hard into the wall startles her and Fiereljep squeaks in a way to cute tone that isn't helping in gendering either. But he seems to have realized he was supposed to do something and flutters over. It waves his short arm and nods his head at the poor wall.

"What did he do to deserve that treatment? Fiereljep is the name I am supposed to help someone over here with a hill."

Gwen lowered and gently shook her mask-clad head, her voice taking on a tone far too somber to be genuine. "That wall committed the only crime none of us can escape from: existing. Truly, this marks the cruelty of Tethys." Looking back up at Fiereljep, she let out a light chuckle. "Sorry, being silly. You're in the right place, Fiereljep. I'm Gwendolyn, that's Fran, that's Babe, and that's Robin." Hopefully, repeating everyone's names like this would help keep them in her memory. "We're just gonna wait until everyone's here before we head off to the hill. You do... plant stuff, Fiereljep?"

The Tusker walks with a slow but steady gait, but when he sees the others waiting for him he breaks into a trot.

"Greeting and well met," he says once he catches up. A pair of straps cross the front of his gleaming breastplate. One is the strap of a satchel-type bag (which appears to be mostly empty), and the other bears hook supports holding a greatsword.

"I am the Right Honorable Brakenjawz, at your service." He bows with the formality of a courtier.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:59, Fri 23 Feb.

Bobbing her head down once again to nod at Brakenjawz, Gwen gestured to the rest of the group. "Ah, the Right Honorable Brakenjawz, welcome. Glad you could make it. The name's Gwendolyn Gloine. Welcome to the crew! Oh, by the by, I've heard you know a lot about courts and stuff. Been wondering, does that make you a judge? Or a lawyer? Or something else? I admit, I haven't had much experience with courts."

Brakenjawz rubs his chin and somehow manages not to make much noise, even though his gauntlet fingers are clearly in contact with the metal ridge of his gorget.

"While usually I think of the courts as the places where those who desire an audience with the ruler meets, it is indeed also a place where judgements are made. I have argued both for and against those who have done evil... depending on their degree of guilt, the atrociousness of the act, and what reasons the guilty had for engaging in such despicable behavior. Mostly, though, it is knowing who to talk to, when to talk to them, and about what."

Two final members of the Guild approach-- an elven woman and... a human man? Or is he human, exactly? There's something different about him...

The last two members of the group approached, and the main group could hear the elven woman, looking very fashionable in a finely made cloak that covered her green and brown leathery armor, talking to her traveling companion, mostly asking questions about them, as if interviewing someone for a book they might be writing.
As they finally approached the group, the elven woman, who seemed young but with an air of someone older, looked up distractedly, as if she hadn't realized there were people standing at the meeting spot ahead of them.  She raised a surprised eyebrow and nodded politely.

"Greetings, Salutations, and Other Assorted Pleasantries.  Sorry for my tardiness, but I had to make sure my temporary replacement in the Guild Archives knew what they were doing.  Unfortunately, they still don't, but seeing that it was a lost cause I gave up and hurried here to make my appointment."
The woman looked around, slowly, as if appraising antiques for a collection.
"We certainly have a diverse set of Operatives here, and many the best at their vocations.  It should be a very successful endeavor ahead of us.  I am pleased to add my expertise into the mix, and look forward to a fulfilling, and profitable, Adventure."

Alongside the elven woman, was a young man. He appeared human, but he had a certain (figurative) ethereal or exotic quality to him that was hard to peg. He had soft, almost downy-looking brunette hair, crisp and sleek regal features, and pale features otherwise. His lips that were full and hinted at a certain vitality or perhaps, a restrained sensuality beneath the surface. But this was contrasted by his piercing eyes. They were piercing, beautiful, deep...but cold. It was an icy coldness in his eyes that contrasted the rest of his features.

He was dressed in leather armor, and had a bow and arrow on his back. At his side, was a sheathed blade with an exotic-looking silvery hilt. It had a strange symbol on its hilt (ooc: if anyone has an asset that could identify either druidic or druid-adjacent stuff, religious stuff of Chirosa, or maybe something involving a lore of things like magic items etc...let me know if you try to identify it). Even more unusual than the exotic blade was the fact that he was adorned in a cloak made entirely of what looked like white feathers!

And if THAT all wasn't weird enough, perched on one of his shoulders was something a small creature, no larger than a kitten or cat, that could only be described as a tiny dragon of some sort that had monarch butterfly wings! It was dozing a bit, but not totally asleep.

OOC: How strange. My picture from my google cloud isn't in my profile anymore. It's there, but it isn't showing. I'll have to try and fix it tomorrow but it's really late here tonight.

And one thing that every single person assembled noticed immediately, was that regardless of their normal preferences and their species, etc...they each in their own way suddenly noticed how...alluring the young man was. He had an a cold, ethereal beauty to him that was hard to describe. But this wasn't a feeling of lust, but he was coldly appealing in a universal way. But at a very low level that did not affect one's agency. It was more of a mild but entirely pleasant sensation than anything.

...Except for Gwendolyn Gloine. She experienced this young man in the feathered cloak in a whole different way. To, her...holy CRAP was he appealing and interesting! He was beautiful to her, in all the ways that an avian-mind like hers could perceive beauty that is, but it wasn't a feeling of lust or desire so much as a low level of awe. And oddly...she had this innate, deeply ingrained feeling that this young man would get her. Like really get her. Like she could sit him down, and spill her worries to him and he'd just absolutely give her the time of day. She had her free will still, but oh boy was he on her radar as someone she wanted to cozy up to, or at least...screw over last depending on her temperament. And the sensation she had from the young man felt natural as well. It wasn't a spell or magic item etc. It felt more instinctual.

"Gosh...are they always this weird on Tethys? Like...is it normal to throw cooking utensils at walls with lethal force?" the young man asked the elf who was walking beside him.

"Or is it just yet another way this guild is...peculiar in its um...sub-culture? Yes, we'll call it sub-culture. I know we're here to look for some hill thing, and I also know never to trust a thin chef. Which must mean the lady who threw her helmet must also be among the most dangerous of people here. But then, why would she throw her helmet? Was it some sort of power-play with those other guild members perhaps? Or perhaps she is doing some sort of odd courting ritual or flirtation with that Tusker guildie there?" he said to the elf beside him once again.

He seemed fairly genuine in his questions. And he seemed like a fairly honestly blend of haughty yet nice, pleasantly warm yet cold as ice, innocent yet piercingly aware. He was like a piece of ice that was wrapped in down or velvet.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:44, Fri 23 Feb.

OoC: umm what Babe threw was a lump of anthracite. not her helmet. She asked Robin to hold tight because she was. about to bowl a fast ball and she didn't want him to be inconvenienced.
Bab frowned at the new arrival. She found him appealing. She never found people appealing, she asked about this when she answered.  "I'm a chef. Babe/Ruth by name and the object that I threw was not a kitchen utensil but fuel.  May I ask you in turn sir? Is your appeal magical and if so, is it inborn or did you cast it?"

Fiereljep nods and nods and then nods some along as the group is introduced but it doesn't look like it registers much of the names being said. When asked about the plant stuf on the other hand its 'Meat is Murder' flag flutters in the wind and his eyes spark up and you know you stepped on a landmine as she starts to rattle off its plant stuff accompanied by grand apple sized gestures.

"Ah yes i am a veganomancer!! The greatest magic of all I bring back a semblance of life and improve upon it in agility and skills to all those plants that no longer are alive. I can say that ........ Insert a 1000 word essay saying 'I do plant stuff' ........ And that is the grand power of Veganomancy!"

The arrival of new people or even the fact that people are not interested in her story seem to be bother it little on that virtuals soap box up there. You wonder if the pleasant droning voice not be a great asmr thing to fall asleep to.

Being the one who's called Fiereljep's whole deal 'plant stuff', one might have expected Gwendolyn to tune out every part of the pixie's speech that wasn't merely the basics. However, if there was anything the glassblower knew well beyond glass, it was passion in one's craft.

That wasn't to say that she understood the whole essay — she'd probably have needed to be able to read and re-read Fiereljep's words to truly understand the intricacies of Veganomancy — but she got the passion and knew this magical power was important to Fiereljep. Heck, the only thing keeping Gwen from doing something similar on glasswork was that she didn't think she could say so many words in a row.

Whatever the case, she'd been rather focused on Fiereljep's words and hadn't quite noticed the two new arrivals yet. "Ah, I see! That sounds incredible, Fiereljep. Thank you." It looked like there was an elven lady... "I just wanted to ask, you said you could 'bring back a semblance of life' to plantlife, but is that permanent or only temporary? If so, how long can you..." and a... guy? He looked human, but she also got a few bird vibes off of him, though maybe that was just his feathered cloak... but maybe something else? And he was just so... so... beautiful? Sure, he didn't exactly seem perfect, but he was clearly genuine and would just get stuff. "can you..." Stars, she was staring. On the bright side, that meant her mask would likely pick up any illusions around the man, but as he was still just him, there didn't seem to be any.

But still. She was in the middle of speaking and she should probably try to finish her sentence. "Sorry, uh, lost my train of thought there. Veganomancy sounds really cool."

That done, she faced the two newcomers. "Hey there, you two. I'm Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn Gloine. You can call me Gwendolyn, or Gwen, or Lyn, or, uh, maybe not Do. It looks like we're all here then. Could I get your names?"

Give Babe a nod after her display of power.

Fran smiles at Fiereljep "Great!  Fier, you can make the veggies walk off my plate at inns!"  she nods to the other in greeting and as she takes a good look at Reed, she cocks her head and narrow's her eyes at him.  Like she is trying to figure him out.

OOC: @Ruth I totally mis-read that, LOL. But I'm gonna go with it anyway haha!

The man in the feathered cloak looked at Ruth, the chef-adventurer, with his piercing eyes.

"Ah...my apology. I must have looked too fast. I thought it was some sort of cooking implement you were tossing there. Well either way, is it normal is this region of the world to throw things at random walls like that?" he asked, actually half-seriously.

"And my appeal? A spell? Goodness no...I'm all natural here. And well aren't you the female Casanova yourself. You're already flirting with me, and you haven't even cooked me dinner yet. I'm not that easy, you know." he said with a chuckle. "You should cook me dinner and get to know me better before you go that route. You may find I'm not the man you're looking for, but I'm always up for a good meal. Especially one prepared by an actual battle-chef!" he added.

He turned to the apparently vegan pixie, Fiereljep.

"Oh aren't you the cutest little thing! And a veganomancer? You know...count me intrigued! I'm not a true vegan myself, but I'm picky about the meats I do eat. For instance, I never eat poultry or eggs. The occasional side of fish or insects, though, is part of a healthy diet. But I love plants and such though too." he said.

His face suddenly lit up.

"Oh my gosh I just got the most epic idea! What if you and the adventure-chef there teamed up! I bet you two could cook up the ultimate vegetarian dish!"

He turned to address everyone else.

"My name is Reed Silverfeather, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I suppose in the terms that our guild would use, you can say that I'm something of a Ranger." he said.

His eyes then settled on Gwendolyn, and he began to silently scrutinize her as she in turn was scrutinizing him. He seemed interested in her for some reason, but not in an obviously bad way or anything.

OOC: Gwen? If your mask has some sort of ability to see through illusions or something you will notice that Reed registers as "normal." Whatever sensation he is causing you, it isn't an illusion.

"Ah, sweet! Another insect-lover." It had been a bit since Gwen could chat about bugs. Most people she'd tried to talk about them with had looked grossed out, so she hadn't really tried in ages. Maybe this was what those nice vibes she was getting from him meant? Did she have a special sense for other bug-eaters? "I love beetles. When you roast 'em, they have the most amazing crunch!"



Aaaaand now Reed was staring at her too. Yup, he probably caught her. One of the mask's best parts was that it partly disguised where her eyes were looking, and Gwen had absolutely abused that feature in the past when she was too bored to pay attention to something, but that didn't exactly do much when you turned your whole head to look at someone. And stumbled over words while doing so. Thankfully, the guy didn't seem particularly upset or anything. Gwen did not want to get on someone's nerves before they'd even headed off to their objective (again, at least).

Oh, wait... She just made a comment about beetles being delicious. In front of someone carrying a "Meat is Murder" flag.

Mmmmaybe Fiereljep was fine with murder?

OOC: Just some good ol' Truth Seeing for illusions and such! I'd kinda assumed it wouldn't pick up on anything (s'what I meant by "there didn't seem to be any", but yeah, that's not entirely clear, I admit). Good to know though, thank ya!

Fierljep was delighted. Normally most people wandered off halfway his epilogues. He certainly would have as there where so many new faces there. Even that big bloke that had poor bird lady 'whats her name again?' drooling all over him. He couldn't see the appeal though. Way to big!! Maybe it was the feathers? At her appology she nods at her.

"Its okay. He is quite fluffy isn't he?"

Then another of the new ones seems to understand him and the need to not to kill for food. And boom there he was roasting bugs. It went through an plethora of emotions and then simply beams a broad wide grin. On the other hand someone was having the great ideas and it flutters over to Fran.

"I can do that. And you know what too? Some people wear linnen pants. Thats a lot of fun to animate!"

@Gwen: No, you did the right thing by trying to use your mask! You separated IC and OOC knowledge, which is good! And now your character knows he's not (currently) shapechanged or anything. lol.

Reed looked at Gwendolyn more purposefully now, as he was responding to her statement.

"Beetles, despite how they look, are absolutely loaded with nutrition. Although some are better than others. But Don't forget things like mosquitos, and oh yeah dragonflies are great! I tried a butterfly once, but it was kind of weird so I don't do down that rabbit hole unless I'm desperate." he said.

The little faery dragon on his shoulder seemed to bristle a moment when he mentioned eating butterflies, but seemed relieved and zoned out again when he then said he didn't like to eat them though.

Reed then stared at her a bit longer, in silence. Like he was inspecting something curious, but once the pixie started speaking up again his attention turned to Fierljep.

"Oh! That's an interesting take on your powers. I suppose being able to animate things like maybe rope, or like you said linens actually has very power and practical applications! And it probably makes doing your laundry such a cinch." he said to her, in a friendly tone. He seemed less icy in his gaze now, once they got him speaking a bit.

Brakenjawz's eyes glaze over as the conversation turns to treatises on plants, but he puts on his most thoughtful face as he listens -- the one he often uses for politicians who liked to talk at length about nothing in particular.

As the new folks show up he looks over and waves at them, but notes that others have already stepped forward to make introductions. This group, like most groups made up of AGMs, is somewhat ramshackle and undisciplined, but he reserves judgement. For the time being, he simply listens to the others as they get to know each other.

*shrugs* "All this talk of food is making me hungry" she reaches into her cloak and pulls out a small treat for herself, but she never takes her eyes off of Reed.

"Thanks. I didn't realize they made people this fluffy." If nothing else, Gwendolyn was very glad no one could see her blush. It wasn't her fault Reed's coat/cape thing looked so soft! She just needed to get to know the guy and she'd be able to calm down a bit.



"Exactly! Beetles are tasty, crunchy, and good for you, to boot." Gwendolyn nodded her head with the force of a headbutting barbarian. "Dragonflies are pretty alright too, but I'm not a big fan of mosquitos. Too spindly. Bees are way better."

The way that he kept on looking at her though... Was there something on her mask? Did he have something to say? She felt almost overwhelmed by him, but he thankfully shifted his attention away.

The elven woman nodded
"I am Mistress Quintavia Bergantal, Head Archivist for the Adventurers Guild Library.  Since we shall be Adventuringtogether,  pleasecall me Quintana"

She listened intently to the others, tales of vegomancy and cooking skills, and magical creatures.  Quintavia was always eager to hear the stories of other people.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:06, Sat 24 Feb.

Reed nodded.

"I am actually quite fluffy, in my own way. I do bite though, so no unsolicited pets please. Because you know, the biting thing." he said with a quick grin.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:27, Sun 25 Feb.

In reply to Reed Silverfeather (msg # 33):

Quintavia raised an amused eyebrow
"Duly noted"

Gwendolyn looked at Reed a moment longer. Quintavia had already acknowledged his statement — there was no need for Gwen to add her two cents. Even so, she couldn't help but want to try a little petting.

But later. With permission. Less to avoid the biting, more to do with how he'd asked for no unsolved petting.