Complete Main Story Vintergard (S4) Camp Hope IV

[Raid Boss]

Camp Hope (Dawn)

Guidelines

• This is a joint thread between 3 teams before they split up.
  • Pouting Scouts: @Seigi Ling Ling @Cleo Looker @Ueno Mizuki @Magi Heart @Yugam
  • Team Jastor: @Jester @Rael @Ash Vargold @Kyra Vashtana @Luthien
  • Team Ego: @Ilusa Nakhalee @Zelrius @Seto Kurama @Schilva Flasch @Jin
• Maximum of 700 words, no minimum as long as it's not one sentence (for the times where one's muse does not cooperate).
• 1 reply per cycle.
• The next cycle will be posted in 36-48 hours.
• Each reply should include 2 phases (arrival - where you are with your group, and post-split-up - after you head off to your area of interest).
• Each of the Camp Hope actions below serves a different purpose. Their effects may happen immediately or later in the individual threads. Although you are free to discuss what significance they may have, the choice is for the individual to make themselves.
• Each character will get their own narrative feedback next cycle.
• Camp Hope's Comms

Pouting Scouts

For one reason or another, you have all volunteered to join a Survey Corp that would head into the enemy's territory to update the Kingdom about the ongoing situation with the Dragonships. From the initial Whistle reports you had received from Camp Hope, it seemed that the magitech defense forces had widened their sphere of control recently, becoming more aggressive and territorial as time went on.

Team Jastor & Team Ego

You are tasked with retrieving the current King of Astorea, Astor, who is stuck on the other side of the Dragonship, which Defensive Units have been aggressively expanding their field of operation. The strange thing is that the Astorean Astra-intelligence Agency (AAA) discerned two identical signatures of the King, each in a completely different direction. Something is amiss here, but the Kingdom would rather not leave the blonde to fend for himself in lieu of increasing Dragonship's aggression.

~ ✦ ~​

It would have been a slightly cloudy morning when you arrived at Camp Hope. But even though it was barely dawn, many of Camp Hope's personnel were already deep into their work. The camp was neatly organized into several areas of interest, all of which used the Hope Vouchers earned on the day of arrival and each day the arrived person works in or outside the camp. This means that everyone starts with 1 Voucher.

How do you spend your morning before heading out?

Food

Food is being served at the blue tent with a pillar of smoke billowing from its chimney. In front of said tent are wooden benches and tables for people to eat and socialize.

Each menu category costs a voucher. The buyer must pick a category for their group and put a food pack together to share with the group. Each food group has a different effect on the body... and palate, yum!

The menu for the morning includes:

Drinks (served hot or cold)

• Vinterbean Coffee (black, caramel, french vanilla)
• Tea (Black, Green, Darjeeling, Jasmine, Oolong)
• Milk (cocoa, banana milk, strawberry milk)

Breakfast (served hot or cold)

• Morning Grains (oatmeal or granola served warm or cold and with toppings including dried fruits, nuts, honey, or chocolate)
• Fluffy Pancakes (toppings: fruits, whipped cream, syrup, jam, butter, white/dark/milk chocolate crumbs/glaze/chunks/syrup/honey)
• Crunchy Waffles (toppings: fruits, whipped cream, syrup, jam, butter, white/dark/milk chocolate crumbs/glaze/chunks/syrup/honey)

Full Meal

• Deluxe Sandwiches (smoked tuna, roast beef, salami, all of which are served with toppings that include various sauces, vegetables, or spices)
• Steamy Soups (chicken, beef bone, clam chowder, tomato, rock lobster bisque)
• Traveler Noodles (pho, shoyu ramen, miso ramen, udon, fried noodles, cold noodles)

Kitchen Staffing

• You could also give the kitchen staff a hand. However, they run a tight ship, and a fraction of chaos could hinder their operation.

General Supplies

General supplies can be found in an open area in front of a large square tent where a long queue of people was waiting to exchange their camp vouchers for one of the few items offered.

Each of the items below costs a voucher. The items currently being exchanged include:

• [ Elemental Resistance Potions: Choose one: fire, air, water, or earth ]
• [ Tinkering Kit ] A full kit with tools that allow one to work on Magitech and a difficult-to-decipher Magitechnic Manual.
• [ Movement Pack ] Rope, harnesses, climbing pick, climbing gloves, or other items that could help at scaling terrains.
• [ Explosive Kit: Choose one: small, medium, large ] A hazard to carry the bigger they are but could be used for something spectacular?
• [ Vintergard Atlas ] A collection of Vintergard maps compiled by the League and some cool drawings.
• [ Equipment Mobile Repair Kit ] An emergency kit for when equipment fail.
• [ Clothes and Attires for a variety of weather and environment: choose enough for your party: versatile, wet, windy, or fashionable ]
• [ Mix Bag ] A bag of random items that may or may not be useful.

Knowledge Exchange

A series of tents where you can exchange knowledge with one another. This area costs a voucher to enter and involves a bit of a wait as you search for the right person or workshop with the relevant topics to engage in.

• Lions: Attend information exchange about the Dragonship's Defensive Units combat ability.
• Whistles: Attend an information exchange about Vintergard's local topography, geography, secret locations, pathing, and landmarks.
• MIT: Attend a lecture on Dragonship's Magitech to understand how they work and brush up on Magitech 101.
• Guilder: Attend a theoretical and practical workshop to practice various adventuring skills such as climbing and hiding.
• Share: Hold a Ted-ex about your area of expertise. You will certainly gain some favors!
• Investigate: Spend time and find a specific person or persons for more information on a specific question. If the relevant person is not at camp, a Comms Operator will help you connect with them. Comms Operators are a part of a communication network and can pass along information with some delay. (Run your question through me first so I can tell you whether or not it's possible to investigate.)

Personal Training

An open dirt-stamped field with the sound of combat in the background. You will find yourself motivated to train and hone your skill here as everyone is deeply engaged in their morning self-improvement regimen. It costs a voucher for the right to get in (sparring equipment is included).

• Combat Demonstration: Showcase a technique, and a trainer or peers will provide feedback to help you improve.
• Sparring: Spar with a peer or a trainer to test out particular techniques.
• Image Training: An intense internal training to invent a completely new technique.
• Solo Practice: You've done this often; who could make for a better opponent than yourself?
• Train: You take on the mentor role, helping others improve their skills.

Relaxation

A series of secluded tents at the edge of the camp with sound barriers surrounding it. Each of these services costs a voucher.

• Sleep: A Bard is playing a gentle melody with her harp, soothing your soul as you sleep on one of the many fluffy cots. Take a few deluxe sleeping cots with you when you go.
• Masseuse: A tent with massage tables set up. [ Choose your massage: Thai, gentle, just right, or rough ]. You learn a new massage technique.
• Makeshift Hotspring: Everyone could use a relaxing morning soak. The men's and women's areas are divided by a bamboo wall. You can take some fresh, unused hot spring water with you when you leave.

Spoiler: Posting Template

[hp=00]00[/hp]
[status]
Location:
[/status]

Phase 1: Together with the group

Phase 2: Action time

▣ Action: Summarize your action here

 

[Zelrius]

140 / 140

Location: General Supplies

(Phase 1) Zelrius bent his back backward, hands down on the small and pressing forward to force his spine to crack loudly. Sure, he had just logged back in, but after a day or so of travel, the older Adventurer needed to limber up a bit. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, having only gotten a few hours since the last time everyone was together between a double shift at work. And now they'd have something else to do here. He turned to those he came here with, shooting a thumbs up to @Seto Kurama and @Jin - having caught up with the both of them on their way here. It was always good to see old faces. And to slowly come to terms with the fact that Cessia has talked at length about her interesting in resucing Astor. And in sneding some people to go do it. And then Zelrius himself getting the opportunity. It was almost like a dream come true. A Chance to meet this King again after all these years, to travel with friends. To prepare and WIN. Something straight out of a fantasy story, the kind of stuff that heroes do. Immediately, his expression soured as he turned away. Maybe Toko or Brutus should be here. Someone actually heroic like Moonsong, hell even Trevis deserved this more. That'd be for the better, they'd be better at saving people. Especially, this time, he didn't have someone like Harveste or the woman in the red-dress to cover up his fuck ups this time. Just like with the fight against the Trinities. How ready he was to run away. His fingers found his little platinum tag, his fingers fiddling with the name plate. he swallowed his doubt, choking it back and trying to steel himself. He'd go home with a good story to tell her today. With that, he was off into Camp Hope. To take a look around, and decided where his voucher would go.


(Phase 2) Cut an hour or two later. Standing in front of a massive, square tent. His head tilted, looking over the tables and boxes that were strewn about. Mortimer, Lucia's lich butler, had preached openly about the need to be prepared. To sharpen your knives against many situations. Given who his team was, they didn't need combat sharpening. As much as the man wanted so badly to go spar and practice. A team as headstrong as Seto, Ilusa and Jin, as well as the newly acquainted Schilva was set combat-wise. They were headed out, and needed more than just their collection of weaponry and masteries. The land was just dangerous as the creatures and people in it. Which is why Zelrius stood between the packs of clothing, and the intricate box that was separated into a neat packaging of compartments inside. Each compartment differently sized to hold spikes, and rope, as well as gloves and nets. All used for scaling. "Bingo!" He smiled to himself, reaching forward for it to pick it up and examine the casing. Pulling little drawers out of the side to inspect their contents, confirming what the man already knew. This was his prize for the day. He dug around in the pocket of his black and gold cloak, holding out his voucher for whoever it was working that area for the day. "I'll take this." A simple statement, now the owner of the [ Movement Pack ].

▣ Action: Buying the [ Movement Pack ] with my voucher.

 

[Luthien]

.

.

Explorer's League - Gold Whistle

120 / 120

Location: Food (Blue Tent)
Voucher Count: 1

[ Phase One ]
The elf hadn't been back long before her superior in the League had approached her with a new task, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as the man had tried to keep the briefing as short as possible. A spicy conversation later Lúthien had come out with a better understanding of what her latest task would entail, and a nice bag of gold that she had managed to negotiate as an advancement for the part she was to play.

Besides, those wagons rides were always so very awful and uncomfortable...

Valeria had cleared her schedule for the next week in preparation of this mission, having pre-tapped content to release into her streaming channels so as to keep her fans entertained while she deep dived into TerraSphere 2 as much as her body would allow. She had even taken it a step further as the woman had gone to bed the earliest she could ever remember doing in a long time... turned out it'd been too early as she'd woken long before dawn.

With little else to do Lúthien had logged into the game, deciding she would use the remaining time until they reached Camp Hope to work on tuning her newest acquisition from a shop in Finweald. Should @Jester shown any interest the elf would've happily showed off the bow and set of arrows to the fellow elfkin, happy to have come across the friendly face of Jester when the players had been divvied up into different wagons.

"Mmm...! Feels so good to finally be out of that thing~"

The second their ride had stopped Lúthien had almost bolted right out of the wagon, the elven woman happy to stretch her limbs and crack some joints back into their proper places, before her eyes swept over the camp for the very first time.

"Now this is a proper camp!"

* * * * *​

[ Phase Two ]
Camp Hope continued to impress Lúthien even long after the girl had a proper breakfast to start ehr day, the many sections and activities available for those present almost overwhelming. She had taken a gander around the place even as a few options seemingly tempted the elf to come closer... though she had given the Knowledge Exchange a wide berth, last thing Lúthien wanted was a headache before heading off on a wild goose chase to see which of the two teams actually managed to find the missing King of Astorea.

"A king, huh...?"

She had done a little bit of digging here and there to learn more information about this Astor person, learning in the process that he was actually an UI Locked player. A glance had been given to the General Supplies area that had been set up, spotting the familiar mane of fiery red hair of @Zelrius perusing the available wares, even as the sounds of sparring and cheering carried over the air from the dirt-stamped combat fiel that had been provided for the use of those that wished too.

Finally her steps came to a halt as Lúthien reached the now familiar blue tent once more, giving a shrug of her shoulders before she stepped back inside. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything...? Just thought an additional pair of hands might be useful." The team running the kitchen had looked rather small during their morning breakfast, at least when taking in consideration the amount of people that seemed to inhabit the camp.

Granted, Lúthien knew she was no Iron Chef... however the blonde felt confident enough that she could at least follow instructions and assist where possible, anything to lighten the load the staff would have to bear as they prepared for the eventual lunch and dinner rushes that would follow later in the day.

---

▣ Action: Helping the kitchen staff~

 

[Yugam]

145 / 145

Location: Knowledge Exchange, MIT

With the MIT lecture over and done (and his mind more than a little fried) Yu stepped out of the lecture cracking his knuckles, flexing fingers, attempting to stretch them and release the tension from gripping his pen for so long. "Okay, while I'd love to say I learned a lot, I understood maybe three fourths of that..." Yu complained to Unmei as she strode beside him.

"Better than I did. I don't think I understood half of that. Catalytic converter? Isn't that that thing from Back to the Future?"

"Yeah. Also an actual thing in old cars, not wonky sci-fi," Ari nodded, shaking his hand. "But what they were talking about in there was a catalytic accelerator. Something about...using catalytic reactions playing a part in magitech, and the accelerator increasing output? Wait, don't catalytic reactions increase the rate of chemical reactions?"

"I...think so?"

"God, I can't believe I passed chemistry..."

No sooner had Ari finished speaking did he notice a familiar face walk out of the lecture tent. "Th-Jin?" As soon as the other man turned to look at the one who addressed him, Ari stepped towards him. "What are you doing here?" he asked, unable to put together why the man would have any interest in the camp since he wasn't in the scouting team. Maybe helping find King Astor? Although that seemed far too altruistic for the other man...

More importantly though..."Wait, hey, did you come outta the League lecture? Care to trade notes, I got some stuff on the Dragonships that might be useful if you're in one of those search parties."

▣ Action: Exchanging knowledge with @Jin

 

[Jin]

140 / 140

Location: Knowledge Exchange, Whistles

Phase 1​

His knuckles cracked as he curled each finger in turn and pressed down firmly against them. Half-open eyes appraised his physiology as it responded to the stimulus, aware of the subtle increase in blood flow and awareness as the area was flooded. He then rolled his wrists out and twisted slowly at the waist, leaning down to his his chest to one knee, then the other. His spine cracked as built-up gases were released and he could feel the tension in his body slowly dissipating.

Jin was more than interested in the job. The fact that the King of Astorea had not been present in the city for any amount of time and this was the first that Travelers were hearing about it sparked several questions for the Bloodsworn. What was it that the man had been doing, and why had they kept his absence close to the chest? More importantly, perhaps, is why they would chose a handful of Adventurers to expose the truth to, and subsequently task with his safe return?

Was there some kind of critical state weakness that they did not want exploited? Were things not what they seemed in Astorea? This was the perfect time to learn more about the state of the World, and the precarious position of Travelers in it. He wasn't going to miss such an opportunity. He headed into Camp Hope to prepare for the mission ahead of him, dark cloak and a singular platinum tag fluttering ominously in the breeze behind him.

Phase 2
​

There were many options set out before them, but for Jin, there was only one real option. Intel was everything. The more he knew, the less of a chance that an enemy could take him by surprise. He stood in front of the Knowledge Exchange for a moment before handing over his voucher and stepping inside. He immediately saw @Yugam , which he had not expected. He hadn't seen the other man on the short list of people in the escort group, but he imagined that names and identities for the various teams were kept on a need-to-know basis so that word didn't spread too far and unsavory persons would not be able to identify and glean information.

Which only made Jin more curious. What were the Astoreans afraid of? Why were they going to such lengths to keep information secret? These were exactly the kind of precautions he would have instituted if it were his enterprise. That meant there was at least one person as paranoid as he was in this world.

It meant that he needed to be on guard, more so than ever before.

Between the two major groups that stuck out most to him, the Lions had formed a talk about the Magitech and their combat abilities and the Explorers were holding a seminar about the layout of the area, various secret locations, and alternative paths. For Jin, the possibility of avoiding conflict altogether, especially given the threat level of Vintergard seemed like the absolute best course of action. If they could even avoid the most dangerous automatons and stick to fighting sentries, that would be ideal. While he could have focused his energy on knowing the enemy, he opted to know more about how to outmaneuver the enemy.

Their priority was the safe return of the King rather than combat superiority in Vintergard, and he surmised that they lacked the resources or manpower to stage a long term operation at this time to begin with. Jin settled into the Explorer's League workshop and waited for the conversation to bear fruit.

▣ Action: Knowledge Center, Whistles

 

[Ash Vargold]

190 / 190

Phase 1

Ash found himself jittery as the carriage pulled into Camp Hope.

He'd told himself he wouldn't come back here - not to this place that had nearly become his second grave mere minutes after he started playing again. There wasn't anything for him, and considering how long said expedition could take, it would have been incompatible with "his" work schedule.

But things had changed since then. For starters, participating in exactly this sort of thing was his job now. He still wasn't used to that thought - that the only thing stopping him from playing this game full time was his own restraint and need to go touch grass every now and then...

Well, whatever the case, right now his "job" was to try and curry favor with the apparent king of Astorea. Who was named Astor. Of course he was. But he was probably one of the most influential Traveler in the game... or former Traveler now. Someone like that had to know plenty about the game's history.

As he hopped off the cart, he looked around at the others who had taken on the mission. He didn't recognize most of them, other than vague glimpses from the Red Fever expedition. But he did recognize the woman he'd escaped the ruins of Vintergard with, as well as @Kyra Vashtana, who he'd only recently met. It wasn't all strangers, and that eased his heart a little.

They could make this work. He just had to not die, right?

Right.

Phase 2

Ash looked down at the voucher in his hand with an expression approaching disdain. Surely a job like trying to rescue a nation's king warranted access to more supplies, and yet here he was, having to pick and choose from the many options the camp offered.

He'd ended up wandering towards the food tent, drawn by the scent and the grumbling of his stomach. Must be nice, being able to actually pick racial traits instead of getting a bunch of legacy traits.

He spotted @Luthien wandering towards the kitchens. She was one of the people in their squad, but he didn't know anything about her... or her cooking skill. Hopefully she was good at it. Fate always seemed to twist weirdly around travelers...

His stomach growled once more, and he pulled his attention away. Among the powerful scents wafting from the tent, the familiar smell of beef stew drew his attention most of all. Vintergard was cold, and beef stew was something that was hearty and kept fairly well. It'd be an excellent meal to have while they were on the road... and also right now. He couldn't keep enough for everyone in his thermos, but maybe they'd be willing to just... give him a big pot to shove in his inventory.

It was worth a shot. Ash got into line, waiting for his turn.

▣ Action: Buying food (Steaming Soup), -1 Voucher

 

[Seto Kurama]

The Pantone Demon

190 / 190

Emotional State: Fine
State: Normal

Phase 1

He had already been logged into the game for quite some time, having just eliminated the remnants of a pirate fleet off the coast of Falderen and saving the Astorean citizens they had captured, along with a player named Charlotte, when he received word to return on the behest of the government. As one of Astorea's foremost protectors, he really had no choice but to oblige, not that he would complain. It was his duty after all, and It wasn't as If there was many he entrust this duty too, especially those who were new to the game. So, after thanking the messenger for doing his part, he returned to his homeland with all haste. With his mastery over the arts of speed, lightning and even time itself, he made short work of the distance between himself and Camp Hope, though he would be lying to himself If he wasn't fatigued a bit when he arrived. Regardless, having arrived early in the morning, It seemed he was in luck as everyone, including his party was still present. It seemed they had arrived only a short time earlier. Regardless, having arrived early in the morning, It seemed he was in luck as everyone, including his own party was still present. He couldn't figure exactly when they arrived but he could only imagine It was only a short time ago.

Before he could do anything however, he was confronted by a representative of sorts and presented with some sort of voucher he could use to acquire equipment of intelligence. He eyed the individual but said nothing, only giving a nod of his head as confirmation before moving on. He like to say he was surprised but given his in depth knowledge of Astorea's government, he really couldn't. Sometimes he understood why his former, possessed self did the things he did, even If he didn't agree with his methods. Upon entering the camp, he stumbled across @Zelrius and @Jin in the distance. He didn't know Zelrius that well but It was impossible for him to forget a warrior who had put his life on the line for him, not once but twice. While he didn't know If they would mesh well in terms of personality and belief's, the man still had his respect so when he gave him a thumbs up, he returned the favor with a smirk, a nod of his head and hand gesture of in the form of a two finger salute, using his right index & middle fingers, as he passed by. He would do the same for Jin when he passed him by, holding him in a similar light as he did with Zelrius. He only fought alongside him once but that was enough to earn his respect. He was hopefully they wouldn't stumble across anymore malfunctioning mascots any time soon.

Compared to the others however, things would be a little different when he made out @Ilusa Nakhalee mingling in-between the crowd. As a powerful healer he had fought alongside during Astor's confrontation with the Mad King, as well as being the place of his first demise, It was quite literally impossible for him to forget her, especially when she had gone out of her way to heal him when his possessed self really didn't deserve it. From gossip amongst the court and his own prior intrigue, he also knew of their relationship of sorts. He couldn't help but feel her pain so with that in mind, he immediately made his way and approached her, taking a sympathetic smile as he spoke.

I'm glad your here Ilusa. There's few people I can rely on for something this important....and If anyone has any right to see Astor, It would be you.....I know.....He's important to you, as much as Alia was to me.....We'll save him alright?.....So don't worry too much.

Phase 2

Location: General Supplier
Vouchers: 0

After taking his leave of Ilusa, he decided to make his way to the General Supplier and pick up an assortment of maps and drawing that would surely aid them.

▣ Action: General Supplies, Vintergard Atlas, -1 Voucher​

 

[Seigi Ling Ling]

220 / 220

Location: Camp Hope Massage Place

Phase 1
"Hey, you. You're finally awake."

Seigi opened her eyes just in time as the wagon that @Yugam, @Cleo Looker, @Magi Heart, @Ueno Mizuki, and herself were on, finally arrived at their destination.

"So this is it..." She murmured half-loud to the others. A dangerous scouting mission. Together with new and old faces alike. Into a territory, she was already familiar with thanks to the past four years. Though, most recent her rescue of a Magia and the meeting with some weirdos were still fresh in her mind.

And now? The already dangerous ex-capital was showing even more danger!? Thus it came as no surprise that Seigi would help. With Camp Hope being a forward camp into enemy territory of sorts the girl, together with the others, dropped off the wagon and was now met with a lot of choices...

Phase 2
"The famous Ora-Ora One Thousand Strikes in One Second Redux Premium Parlour!?" Seigi tugged @Magi Heart's skirt as the two stood in front of a wooden board that showed exactly how Camp Hope was set up. A part of her considered spending her time in a more meaningful fashion. Though as far as food went, Seigi's meat-and-booze-only diet had her always carry along her own rations anyway. There was still plenty of the Kurungaar Jerky left, too! And anything else could be excused to be taken care of in some way, too. Though mostly thanks to the courtesy of Vintergard being just a place the heroine could exercise Justice and rescue those in need.

"We- I absolutely have to try that out!" She told Magi. One thing Seigi was certainly lacking, however, was a simple nice relaxing bath. Or a good nap (as the wagon lacked in comfort). Or, a massage! In fact, thinking back on it, Seigi wondered if she had ever gotten a massage!? And what better opportunity to get one, if not right now? And all that for free even! Truly, a steal.

"Mhm, yeah, one's mental well-being was very important, you know. It'll help you keep in synch." Keeping it ambiguous, Seigi set forth. With Magi or without. To the massage parlor-tent that was set up close to the hot springs and sleeping area!

...Which lead her to the next difficult choice.

Thai or rough? One, a unique technique honed over generations of lives and tradition. A unique experience one couldn't get anywhere else! The other, just muscle and force..... well, Seigi could do that to herself anytime probably. But...

...

AAAaaaaaahhhh this was too difficult!
A flip of a coin later, however, Seigh had her decision:

"Let's get this Thai treatment started!"


▣ Action: Seigi wants a THAI massage.

 

[Magi Heart]

Camp Hope Preparation

180 / 180

Location: Camp Hope Massage Place

Phase 1:

Wendel sat silently beside @Seigi Ling Ling in the wagon heading to Vintergard. It had not taken very long for the Sunset Sage to go and chase after another dangerous mission after the Dark Heart had reunited with her.

It didn't bother Wendel though.

The pinkette expected it in fact. This was what Raina did, for as long as she could remember. Whether it was rebelling against her own family and responsibilities or here constantly avoiding a bad ending no matter the enemy. Wendel intended to keep it that way. Heroes were weak idealized losers, but she would keep the fantasy going for Raina while everyone else can get easier solutions to their problems.

@Cleo Looker
The others here were not as important but she took the chance to see who they were. One was a red-headed woman that had the gear of a pro but seemed reserved and maybe even a little clueless. it was hard to discern much else even with Wendel's experience in Terrasphere.

@Yugam
A man in dark attire but looked basic to her. Someone randomly mentioned an MIT or something when he boarded the wagon. She would have to figure out what that was again, since she didn't remember it being a thing until her return to the region.

@Ueno Mizuki
Finally, there was a Caenis. She remembered her last encounter with those... when she was weak and useless. The Caenis had eyes that made Wendel think of herself and Raina. It wasn't the same though.No one was the same as them. Even now, a desire to yank on the doggo ears and tail burned within her.

There was little to do, so she would look to Raina and ask what this Vintergard thing was about and why they needed to even be there.

Phase 2

"Magitech stuff.... that's a pretty new thing here right? I wonder how different it is from what we saw before on our journey back."

Chibi Magi sat on Wendel's shoulder and rubbed her chin in thought. as a therapist worked magic on Seigi.

Wendel had followed Seigi into a massage parlor tent thing and was now laying on her side with her head on her arms. She didn't want any of these people persons touching her or Raina, but Raina said a massage is good so she allowed for it. If even one shout of pain came to her, it would not be good for the therapist...

Watching this grew extremely boring and uneventful as her eyes became heavier.

Wendel fell asleep.

▣ Action: Fall asleep while watching over Seigi.

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

180 / 180

Location: General Supplies

Phase 1

Mizuki had taken the opportunity to take a nap as she and her allies were brought to Camp Hope by way of a wagon. Her two packmates were curled up right next to her, providing an abundance of soft fur which the caenis used to make herself a bit more comfortable. It seemed like the wolves had become more comfortable with wagons and other vehicles, which might simply be because they'd had multiple opportunities to get used to it. That certainly made things a lot easier, since it meant that Mizuki wouldn't have to constantly persuade them to get on board for longer journeys.

Once they arrived Mizuki opened her eyes and swiftly left the wagon, her packmates uncurling themselves and following her example. Once her feet were back on solid ground the luna wolf stretched before looking around, judging the activities of the camp. Their scouting group was hardly the only one present, and it looked like while they'd be trying to gather intel on the situation around Vintergard other groups would be busy with their own tasks.

It looked like Yugam was the first one to get busy, leaving the group and heading to where they'd be exchanging information that could be useful for the upcoming task. Mizuki was tempted to join the man, but as she considered what they'd need for a scouting expedition she figured that they'd need something a bit more tangible. Data which they could check up on rather than having to rely on their memories.

Seigi and the pink-haired girl that Mizuki vaguely remembered from four years ago also left, heading for the tents set up for those who wished to prepare themselves through rest and relaxation. The luna wolf wouldn't have figured Seigi for the type to prioritise rest over preparations, but she wasn't going to question it.

Mizuki looked at the last member of their party, her own dear friend @Cleo Looker. The two of them had joined this expedition together, each with their own reasons. The luna wolf reached out and placed a hand on Cleo's shoulder to catch the redhead's attention.

I'll check the supplies and see if there's anything we could use. Could I trouble you to check whether there's anything for us to eat? (She smiled.) Of course, you could follow Seigi's example and rest up before we set out.

Once she received Cleo's response she'd head for the section of the camp that was dedicated to the exchanging of vouchers for supplies. Mizuki found the voucher system a bit odd, especially since they were helping out the organisers, but there was no point in arguing it.

Phase 2

Arriving in front of the large tent where the supplies were stored Mizuki noticed that two people she knew personally were also present. She'd raise a hand towards @Zelrius as a greeting before turning her attention towards the goods laid out on tables, her mismatched eyes taking in the various options while her two packmates sniffed everything. A small motion from Mizuki made them pull back so as to not bother others, but that just left the two lupines to look at everyone around them, golden eyes studying the people intently as they waited for their pack leader to finish her business.

Mizuki walked over to where @Seto Kurama had already purchased a set of maps. Fortunately for the luna wolf, there were still plenty of maps left.

Greetings. I don't remember you joining the scouting mission, so I'm guessing you've been contracted for another task.

As she made small talk with the tall dark man Mizuki exchanged her voucher for a set of maps similar to what Seto had bought just moments before, the luna wolf studying the meticulously drawn landscapes. They were good quality, and unlike a seminar on local geography, they'd be able to consult these while on the move. As she studied the maps a bit further Mizuki reached down to scratch one of her packmates behind the ears, noticing that the male wolf was beginning to feel a bit anxious surrounded by so many people.

▣ Action: Bought a Vintergard Atlas.

 

[Ilusa Nakhalee]

160 / 160

Location: Knowledge Exchange - Guilder

Phase 1​

Ilusa was fretting.

At long last, she had the chance to see him. Astor was returning. And yet, his return was ripe with dangers; enough so that a call was given to Players to assemble a team to retrieve him.

Of course, Ilusa jumped on this.

So now, on this slightly cloudy morning, in Hope Camp, she was fretting, feeling nervous and tense.

Of course, she was using various means to calm herself down, to not become too nervous. In a way it was easy; it was falling into a mindset used in her past. From the other side, it was harder, because Astor was the target and she cared way too much about him to be completely at ease.

Ilusa looked around the camp, noticing the changes and the Vouchers and the many places to make use of. Keeping a distant eye on her Party members (two people that she knew quite well from many years ago and again having fought along them against the demonified bug queen, one Player she has seen during that fight and one Player she had not noticed before) which was made easy by the fact that none was UI-locked and they were in actual Party, she pondered where to use her Voucher.

Ilusa was not calm. She was fretting and she was not even hiding it; there was no use of it, no need to use up her energy on this when it was obvious she would be worried. After all, she was who she was and the quest was to pick up Astor. Her ears flickered and her tail swayed in agitation.

Her thoughts were running in circles, but even that did not stop her from noticing the blue-haired, longsword user approaching her. Because she kept eye on their party members.

The felis turned to face him @Seto Kurama , looking up at him with a silent question. Almost immediately the man spoke.

"Ah." She gave him a small smile, her tail and ears perking up. It was always nice to be appreciated. This was also why she was not hiding her fretting and slight worry; any veteran who kept an ear on politics knew of her and Astor. Did her eyes water a little as he spoke how if anyone had the right to see Astor it was hers? Yes.

"Thank you Seto. I too am glad a man of your calibre is here too. This is after all an important mission and your and Zelarius's presence is most heartening." And she really was, veterans were veterans (and she had noticed other veterans in other groups), and their experience was invaluable.

"..Yes. I'll meet him at long last." Ilusa clutched her hands, feeling bit overwhelmed by this; by the fact that soon she will meet him again. She kept missing him and missing him and now, when she was so close to meeting him, she missed him even more.

Then, Ilusa shook her head a little and perked up, clearly forcing herself to be positive. "Let's prepare now Seto!"

Phase 2 ​

For a while Ilusa dithered.

There were many places and it was hard to make choice. She stood before the massage parlour for good few minutes, before with force of will she tore her eyes away. It was so tempting, the thought of after the escort, time between them both and a massage to release his tension…

But there were more important things to check and get; things to actually reach him. So even though she wanted, Ilusa ruthlessly chose to get something that she needed instead.

The quick check of the party chat, made her even more determined. Yes, they needed what would make things easier and safer.

After walking between few places, in the end, she decided to attend a theoretical and practical workshop for various adventuring skills, to brush up on those. It was better to brush up already existing skills and learn few new things.


▣ Action: Knowledge Exchange: Guilder

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra

220 / 220

Location: Hot Springs

Phase 1:

Her feet hurt, immensely. That was her first thought, as she stepped into the camp, carefully skirting away from the large four-legged beasts that had pulled a number of carts, and riders into Camp Hope. Her eyes lingered on the creatures only long enough to ensure they were far, far away from her - their neighing sounds bringing back memories that she'd rather have remained repressed.

"Someone really needs to get rid of those things for something more...well, else."

Her ears twitched as she tried to turn away from the creatures, facing the camp instead. She'd thought for sure that she was arriving early, likely to be there far before anyone else had even begun to trickle in. She'd been wrong, however. The camp was already filled with bodies moving to and fro, a busy setting that bespoke of the coming adventures, the call that they had all received.

She skipped through the encampment, spotting a few familiar faces as she went. A few appeared consumed with their priorities - likely getting prepared for the travels ahead, gathering whatever would be needed in order to ensure they all returned. From what she had heard, there'd be a few different teams leaving from Camp Hope, each with their own mission.

Which brings the question of, how in the nine hells did you end up getting wrangled into this? You're a healer, not an adventurer. Not a Whistle. I mean you belong to MIT, for Morrighan's sake. A damned book worm, and yet here you are... Preparing to head out on an adventure, to the dangerous lands beyond the safety of the camp itself. It was outrageous. Which means people may get hurt...and that's exactly why you're here.

A flash of pink caught her attention as Kyra peered around the camp, the colour causing her thoughts to disappear on the wind as a new excitement rose in her. Rushing forwards, she took a leap onto the other's back, screaming into their ear as she curled her arms around the Elf in a loose hug.

"Rael! I had no idea you'd be here! It's so good to see you! Are you coming on the whole adventure-to-find-the-king-thing too?"

Another flash of movement caught her eyes, bringing more familiar faces into sight. From the Elf's back, she called out, raising a hand in greeting to the two others as her smile widened, beaming with a happiness that could almost be felt.

"Jester!! Ash! You two are here as well?! No way! It's so good to see you all! This is Rael! She's been helping me with an experiment, just like you Ash! Oh! And Jester! Jester's awesome, you two are going to love her!"

She clung to the back of the Elf, feeling a happiness that she hadn't felt in a long, long time at seeing others. A brief emotion passed over her, wondering what it would be like to feel this in the real world, before her enthusiasm returned.

Phase 2:

The hot springs hadn't been a lie. Kyra hadn't believed the gatekeeper when she'd first come across it, thinking it was a joke of some sort. But as she'd slunk into the hot waters themselves, her doubts had been entirely erased.

"I could get used to this...who needs to go out on adventures when there's comfort to be found here..."

Her head tilted back against a rock behind her, she closed her eyes, letting the hot water sooth muscles that she hadn't even realised were sore. Her ears twitched ever so slightly, a sudden reminder that her tail was getting soaked - something that she normally hated, but figured she could put aside this time around. It was worth it, or so she tried to convince herself.

"The uncomfortable time will come soon enough, might as well enjoy this while I can..."

▣ Action: Relaxing in the hot springs

 

[Raid Boss]

Special Event

@Luthien

The kitchen was a complete warzone, each battle station was up to its neck in churning out food to feed the sea of hungry camp personnel outside of the kitchen. Chef Olga, the taskmaster grabbed and tossed you onto the breakfast station the moment you walked to the kitchen to volunteer. The portly woman instructed you on how to assemble the morning grains, the fluffy pancakes, and the crunchy waffles according to the ticket and let you at it.

Make an expertise check (Knack) to see whether or not you can keep up with the tickets. Min DC 40 to barely keep up, 80 to be faster than expected, 120 to work at the speed of light.

Regardless of how well you do, the closer you got to finishing your tickets, you noticed that your ingredients were going missing… If you slow down a bit and pay extra attention, you can see a tiny gold mouse sneaking ingredients when you're not looking.

What do you do?

OOC: This is a free action. Feel free to use your mastery, expertise, or just about anything you can think of. This post is not a new cycle; only Luthien can respond to this prompt.

 

[Luthien]

.

.

Explorer's League - Gold Whistle

120 / 120

Location: Food (Blue Tent)
Voucher Count: 1

When Chef Olga had first approached Lúthien had been pretty certain the woman was about to sack her right out of the kitchen for intruding, and for a split second she questioned her decision to come in the first place. Instead she was promptly deposited onto the breakfast station no sooner than the words had left her elven lips, an apron and some basic kitchen necessities shoved onto her arms.

Immediately the ranger found herself multitasking as she donned the apparel, Chef Olga already instructing Lúthien on how to assemble each available breakfast menu. Her guidance was surprisingly detailed down to the most minute of details... however it was also delivered quickly, and the second the last words were out of the woman's mouth she quickly turned away as other kitchen matters drew Chef Olga's attention.

"Okay, right, it's just the assembly line... how hard can it be?"

These were words Lúthien would soon come to regret uttering, and the elf could only be thankful that their wagon had arrived early as it had since it meant she and her companions had barely managed to avoid the true breakfast rush hour. Tickets soon began pouring into the station as starving personnel stepped into the blue tent to pick their prefered meal—each order more unique than the last as the morning options allowed for a wide range of customization of each individual's plate.

One of the members in the station would quickly call out the next order, the tickets pinned above their station for viewing, and immediately she and two others dove right in as plate after plate of grains, pancakes and waffles began to leave their station to meet the hungry mouths impatiently waiting for them. A glance showed this was just business as usual for the regular staff, they barely seemed to bat an eyelash as tickets continued to pour in with no end in sight. At first it caused the blonde to feel almost out of place, her movements awkward and childish as Lúthien tried to figure out her own rhythm in the station.

However no comments were ever made to disuade the ranger from her actions, though if it was out of kindness or simply because they couldn't afford not having there was something Lúthien wasn't entirely sure of. She was thankful regardless, determined to quickly find her footing so as to not be a bother, and before long the young woman had seemingly fallen into a grove of sorts as she began to fulfill order after order without errors... at one point almost blending in with the rest of the staff as Lúthien kept her pace against their own, almost as if she'd been doing this for a while.

It was then she first realized something was amiss, her hands reaching for a strawberry she had just placed to the side only to find it missing. Thinking that perhaps another of the staff had taken it she moved on, but when the same situation happened with a second ingredient, and then a third, it caused the elf to become suspicious. After all no such thing had been happening before, so then why would things change now after they'd all found their groove like cogs in a well oiled machine?

"¿En serio? Of all the times for one to show up...!"

The moment Lúthien had slowed down her pace, taking extra time to remain aware of the things around her, she'd finally spotted the little culprit—the tiny golden mouse sneaking up when it thought the elf wasn't looking and sneaking a few blueberries into its mouth before trying to scurry off once more.

"Oh no, you don't...!"

She immediately let go of the ladle that the ranger had been using to stir the warm grains to avoid them clumping together, acting on reflex as a hand shot out to try and grasp the tiny little creature before it had a chance to jump off the counter...

---

Kitchen Nightmares- Can The Conqueror handle the heat?
1d100 (57) + 20 = 77
Knack | Luthien | 1206C1 Special Event

Attempting to catch the sneaky little Fievel that's snatching the ingredients...

@Raid Boss

 

[Schilva Flasch]

130 / 130

Combat Log:
N/A

Status:
Encumbered

Phase 1

Striking out from the unenlightened masses, having braved the Red Fever, the rising star of the new Traveler crop, greatest swordsman in the land, make way for Schilva Flasch!!!

Heralding his name as strides into the camp, his robes billowing dramatically with a sneaky bit of Aeromancy flair, Schilva announces his arrival loud and proud for all to hear. For some present, his claims and clamoring may appear in an almost credible light, considering the formidable company of his party members - @Zelrius of the fiery blade; @Ilusa Nakhalee of the four orbs; the Pantone Demon @Seto Kurama; and @Jin the Bloodsworn.

Of course, he was a relative no-name next to his companions, whose shoulders he unwittingly rode upon as he secured himself a spot on the escort roster of those who would meet the semi-legendary Astor Balthas. Their deeds had built up this kingdom in the past, yet Schilva had no idea the enormity of the task before them, political and personal.

He just wanted to meet this Astor guy face-to-face and find out whether he really was "all that". Being a king couldn't be that hard, and surely there was some reason he was all the way out in this godforsaken place. That, and being chummy with royalty probably meant good things for (future) heroes of the land, right?

Phase 2

...I mean, have you seen him before?

Sir, I'm- look, that's not the point, the point is...

Asking less-than-wise questions as always, Schilva weaves his IQ-damaging rhetoric strategically into his haggling within the volatiles section of the supplies tent. He had already spent almost half the hour trying to coax and cajole the adamant quartermaster to slip him a satchel charge free of charge 'for the greater good', to no avail.

The point? The point! The point is that I absolutely need that explosive charge to save the king. Come on, not even for the sake of the future of Astorea?

The quartermaster pinches the bridge of their nose and grunts exasperatedly, waving Schilva off like a particularly insistent mosquito.

No. Also, there are people waiting behind you. So you can use your voucher here or move on. Please.

I- well- you- FINE!

Grumbling, Schilva resigns himself as the queue behind him starts muttering, handing over his voucher hastily and pointing to the largest sized explosives bundle that he could see.

Can I have that one? Thanks. Please?

▣ Action: Buying Explosive Charge (L A R G E)

 

[Cleo Looker]

180 / 180

Location: Food tent

Phase 1

Cleo hadn't paid much attention to who her fellow travelers in the wagon were, content with the knowledge that she was alongside her friend @Ueno Mizuki for this particular endeavor. Of course the woman had once again brought some wolves along with her, she'd caught sight of the woman's wolf companions during the issue with the giant bug monster.

When they had arrived, though, it seemed that Mizuki had an idea for what Cleo should be doing. The agent nodded, watching the woman for a moment, before nodding.

Okay then. I'll try to get some of the good stuff. I'm not quite in the mood for a massage or anything like that.

Phase 2

Of course, when she'd actually gone to look into getting food for herself and her allies, she'd realized quite quickly that she had no clue what people would want. So then, she'd defaulted to getting something with the most meat, the Deluxe Sandwiches, assuming that Mizuki would have a preference for those.

▣ Action: Buying Deluxe Sandwiches

 

[Rael]

.

120 / 120

Location: Knowledge Exchange

Phase One

Rael's eyes fell upon them in the same way one needed to breathe - like a reflex. Beyond the smattering of purple comfortably seated not far from her, the only one she recognized from earlier meetings, all others were unfamiliar as could be. That wasn't to say she would remain quiet in their presence, however desirable the prospect itself seemed.

Without proper communication, all their efforts would crumble in due time.

Taking in a deep breath to steel her nerves, she turned to a male beastfolk seated beside her in the carriage, her own expression betraying her nervousness. "I-It's, ah, nice... It's nice to meet you, sir. M-My name is Rael, pleased to make your acquaintance."

With a low, hesitant chuckle, she moved on to the two elves (@Luthien & @Jester) sitting across from herself, engrossed in a conversation of their own about something one of them held over her lap. "Th-That is a lovely instrument you have-- Oh. It is also a weapon? Most fascinating indeed."

For one @Kyra Vashtana, the mere sight of her would make her lips curl into the slightest of smiles, leaning forward as to better peer at her. "It was a surprise to see you here, Miss Kyra. A most welcome one. I fear I must trouble you and put myself under your care once more."

The surprising combination of the rumble of conversations held amongst peers, along with the ambient noises of their travels, made for the most relaxing precursor for what would undoubtedly become a stressful expedition. Unknowingly, no sooner had she closed her eyes did she feel the comfortable pull of sleep, leaning her head against someone else's (@Ash Vargold) shoulder. However long it had lasted, it was a bump of the carriage that jostled her awake.

"M-My apologies," whispered the pink-haired elf as she sat upright the moment realization of her actions struck her. Suddenly embarrassed, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, stifling a yawn that threatened to spill forth. The experience alone was enough of a reminder to stay alert at all times, for some mistakes could be harmless and merciful, but others would not.

Suffice it to say, she was most grateful when the carriage pulled to a full stop once they had reached their destination, grabbing what belongings she had brought with herself in preparation for the journey ahead. Being a storyteller, however, it wasn't much other than her casting instruments and other trinkets of choice.

"Let us..." Too quiet, she started, pressing her grimoire tighter still to her chest as if it'd steady the beating of her heart and grant her strength. "Let us reconvene here after we have all made our preparations. D-Don't wander t-too far. Do message me if you have need of me."

Phase Two

A question remained.

It circled through her mind even as she danced her way through the bustling activities of Camp Hope, swerving out of the way of others going about their pursuits for the day while she herself sought one that could help her on her own.

Why, she had spent the better part of the morning looking for that someone, striking conversation up with individuals and others who looked to be in charge, all who had pointed her in the exact same direction. Now that she stood in front of the tents set up by the different factions, it occurred to her that none did quite speak on the particular subject she desired.

With a hopeful mind, she peeked her head inside each of the different tents in turn, asking her question not even a second after excusing her interruption of their meetings.

"Is there anything else you might be able to tell us on how best we might go about tracking the King's signature? Perhaps how it is that you were able to discern his location, what tools were used, and how we might employ them?"

This, too, was something important if it'd elevate their chances of finding the King.

@Raid Boss

▣ Action: [ Knowledge Exchange - Investigate. ]

 

[Jester]

140 / 140

Location: General Supplies

Phase One

The worst part of the day was the early morning, where the butterflies beneath Jester's sternum refused to let her sleep while everybody else in her group had been logged out for the morning and got an actual rest worthy of tackling the dangers ahead with. While alone, she leaned back with half-lidded eyes accompanied by a slight and sad smile as she gazed out of the wagon. The sights along the path to Camp Hope could only draw her attention so much given it was too dark to see most of them, so most of her time was spent thinking about... less pleasant things.

Her skin crawled at the thought of what could happen from here on out. Even if she had a healer on hand to revive her, she knew first-hand what it was like to die, and after having Death Afflictions explained to her she was in no hurry to dive in the line of fire for anybody right now. In that sense, was she really a 'Top Ten' pick for going to save the king? She wasn't part of any faction, nor was she established by lore or by commendation. Quite the opposite, Jester could tell: she was vastly the least fit to protect a king out of anybody here.

By the time Luthien woke up, Jester had successfully managed to keep her smile from fading the entire time, and now it only brightened as she tried to make it contagious for her friend. "Buenos días, Luthien~! Nice to see you again~!" She whispered with a spread-fingered wave as she moved a bit closer.

Others in the wagon eventually stirred, and just in time for conversation to sprout up about an instrument-weapon hybrid that was quite beautiful. After getting permission, Jester checked Luthien's tuning and began to play a short piece fitting of the dark morning while the others conversed. Rael's comment had earned her a friendly grin as the elf closed out the piece and handed it back to the other elf. "I'm just a bit rusty, but that's A-okay! Thankfully I don't need to play again today!" With a laugh, she dusted herself off, just as ready to get out as Luthien.

Kyra met up with them all at some point and had introduced her to Rael and Ash, but the last thing she expected was such a powerful vouch from anyone. She couldn't really focus on giving a proper introduction at the moment for one reason or another, but she gave her team a wave with a wide grin.

Phase Two

Despite her eagerness to do something besides sit in a wagon, Jester found difficulty in deciding what to do in the first place, so she watched everybody else's movements--primarily those in her own taskforce.

@Ash Vargold was in line for some soup from the kitchen,
where the staff were being assisted by her dear friend @Luthien,
while purple-haired @Kyra Vashtana was trying to relax,
and the pink-haired @Rael had some questions to ask.​

So obviously it fell on her to go get some equipment. She only needed as long as it took to walk over to the General Supplies tent to eliminate most of what she could see beneath it. Elemental Resistance could be dealt with using magic, and she didn't know if anyone in her party could tinker, or use explosives, or read maps, or had fragile equipment, or wasn't wearing their preferred adventuring attire. Taking full responsibility of any of those kits was a recipe for disaster for the inexperienced Jester, which left her with two options.

As she stepped over to take the Movement Pack, she stopped as @Zelrius had the same idea. She was a bit sad she couldn't be there to help him, so she put a different spin on the team divide: she wouldn't be there to hold him back. With a sincere and joyful smile, she instead took the Mix Bag with a laugh. It's not as though climbing gear would keep her from death, just being able to climb. With some last words to Zelrius, she took her leave.

▣ Action: Spending 1 Voucher on [Mix Bag]

 

[Raid Boss]

Camp Hope IV - Cycle 1.5 (Day 1 - Late Morning)

Guidelines

• This is a joint thread between 3 teams before they split up.
  • Pouting Scouts: @Seigi Ling Ling @Cleo Looker @Ueno Mizuki @Magi Heart @Yugam
  • Team Jastor: @Jester @Rael @Ash Vargold @Kyra Vashtana @Luthien
  • Team Ego: @Ilusa Nakhalee @Zelrius @Seto Kurama @Schilva Flasch @Jin
• Maximum of 500 words, no minimum as long as it's not one sentence (for the times where one's muse does not cooperate).
• 1 reply per cycle.
• The next cycle will be posted in 36-48 hours.
• This cycle is optional.
• You cannot take any major action this cycle. Instead, spend this cycle replying to one another, wrapping up your scene, or interacting with your personalized random event.
• If your group has already chosen to depart from camp, your group must leave before noon. Keep the time frame in mind as you exit at the end of your post, you will be posting in your party's thread next cycle.
• Those who vote to stay will have their 3rd cycle in this thread. In that case, most of the information has been revealed already, so the camp actions will be used to build rapport (extra modifiers), acquire things, or reveal extra mini-events at the cost of time.
• Camp Hope's Comms

Food Tents

@Luthien – (nat-1 / failed) Your hand snapped toward the golden mouse like a cobra striking its meal. Although you managed to wrap your digits around the rodent, your grip might have been too hard since you heard a loud crunch before the mouse went limp.

You've gained a [ Golden Mouse Corpse ]. What might you do with it?

---

@Ash Vargold – Nothing particularly interesting happened for you as you acquired the Steaming Soup. While you waited in line, you did hear a lot of murmuring, mainly conveying how pensive other groups were about heading out. Apparently, there was a rumor about a Dragonship raid that would hit Camp Hope any day now, and any camp personnel present at that time would have to defend it.

---

@Cleo Looker – Similar to Ash, you also heard the rumors about a Dragonship raid that would hit Camp Hope any day now, and any camp personnel present at that time would have to defend it.

General Supplies Area

@Zelrius – While you exchange your voucher for the [ Movement Pack ], the slightly older man who was working the vendor took a second longer than necessary to hand the item over.

"Ah, sorry. It may be out of line for me to say, but if you see a speck of blood on the underside, it's the reason why the previous owner didn't make it back. Other people say it's ill-omen, but the pack's been added to, maybe her spirit will watch over you," he shook his head.

"Also, Dragonship Defense Units are deceptively fast, you best not underestimate them, brother."

---

@Jester – Nothing, in particular, happened as you exchanged your voucher for a [ Mixed Bag ]; however, you did overhear Zelrius's conversation and decided to act on it.

[ Free Action ]​

"Her spirit will watch over you? That sounds pretty nice...
But why wait 'til you're deep in danger? Let's go break the ice!", Jester said when she caught up to @Zelrius.

Zelrius, examined the box before looking up at Jester with furrowed brows. "Now? Like, go to the training ground and let you hit me until a spirit pops out?"

The nearly-magicless magician couldn't help but laugh in response,

"More like see if someone here in Camp can 'magic up' what her death was about!" Jester rhymed with him.

"Spirit Magic, seances, that sort of thing! Do you know of anybody with whom that bell would ring?"

Zelrius blinked, thinking for a moment. "There's Kyra... Oh! I think I saw that well-dressed catboy. During the Kurungaar fight, he had some wonky spirit stuff, no? One of them will do."

Jester tapped her chin a few times, "I think I know the one you mean! He was in the food line, last I'd seen!"

She started to practically skip off with her Mix Bag in tow.

---

@Seto Kurama – While you picked up the maps at the exchange, a tall human man came up to you and gave you a small bow.

“It’s a surprise to see you here. Were you not one of the King’s vassals? We owe you, his majesty, and many of the Traveler nobles our lives and I’ve always wanted to give thanks. So, uh, thank you.

Though… many of us commonfolks haven’t seen his majesty in months, do you know what is happening? Everyone’s starting to worry about whether something has happened. Travelers may not care about royalty or nobility, but for us landers, it’s an important part of the culture. The Astorean crown is a symbol of hope and it would be nice for the commonfolks to see it from time to time.”

---

@Schilva Flasch – You acquired the large explosive, which would normally require landers to carry physically, but for you, the endless UI inventory came in handy. Regardless, it was heavy enough to weigh you down a bit.

When you left the exchange, you bumped into a samurai, who immediately took great offense to you bumping into him.

"OY! You dare bump into the greatest blade in Vintergard without so much as an apology?"

He drew his sword and challenged you to a duel right then and there on the road.

Choose:

• Accept. Make a standard attack roll (DC 55) to show him the error of his way (should you lose, your pride will be tarnished and the next time you take damage, take an extra 15)
• Deescalate, maybe you can talk some sense into this fool (you could perhaps turn the aggressor into a friendly contact)
• Ignore the fool and head on your way

Knowledge Exchange Tents

@Yugam – There was a lot of information to keep in mind, especially for someone who did not have a background in Magitech like you. However, with a journal in hand, you transcribe anything and everything that you possibly could.

In the case where relevant knowledge about the Dragonship Magitech is required, your note will help tremendously.

---

@Jin – You are surrounded by whistles when you headed into the tent. The atmosphere was noticeably tense. There was a lot of chatter before the workshop started. It seemed that each whistle was there for one reason or another. However, when the workshop began, the whispering died down as everyone there began taking note of the presentations from higher-ranked whistles who have experience traversing the former capital.

In the case where relevant knowledge about Vintergard’s topography, geography, secret locations, pathing, and landmarks is required, your workshop will come in handy.

---

@Ilusa Nakhalee – While you were attending the Guild’s workshop on essential adventuring skills, you brushed up on many of the basics, many of which your real self should have known already. Regardless, Terrasphere is a different beast, with a completely different set of tools to kill you with, so it was to pay some attention to what was being shown.

While there, a short male felis chatted you up, “Hey, can you hear the high-pitched kettle a few tents away? I knew it, you can hear it! This is just a tip, but it might save your life. If you hear a high-pitched mechanized whining sound, you should leave that area immediately."

He sighed before continuing, "On my last mission, I tried convincing my group after I heard it, but they didn’t believe me and got completely decimated… the fools. Either way, I was the only one who returned unscathed. So, uh yeah, just remember that piece of wisdom.”

---

@Rael – Though you happened upon the right tent, it wasn’t at the right time. All eyes within the Communication Operating tent immediately fixed onto the elf the moment she interrupted their breakfast with a not-particularly simple request. It elicited a huge sigh from the faerin woman who was sitting at the receptionist desk, meaning that she had to receive the girl.

"Hi miss, if you would give us a bit of time, we'll connect you with the..." she trailed off as she cracked open a book with many different names recorded on its page.

"Hey, which team track stuff again? The AAA? Ah, okay," she asked her colleague.

After she figured out a point of contact, you can see her quickly fiddling in thin air, most likely navigating her UI. After it looked as though she had sent a message to someone, she gestured for you to have a seat on the side of the tent while she waited for a reply.

"AH! Miss, I've got a ding the AAA said that uh," she squinted as she read a UI panel that you couldn't see.

"So it seemed like they had given Astor a beacon spell before he left for Hylands, he was supposed to activate it after he finished with his trip and the AAA would have contacted the right people to escort him back. They gave me a long string of spells, but it seemed like high-level Astramancy (A+ to discern), if you still want it, please accept my request."

Friends

Meriam Fairweather has sent you a friend request.

Relaxation Area

@Seigi Ling Ling – You have never heard your body produce such terrible cracking sounds as the female masseuse ben you in every which way. Each time you are guided into a position and forced to stretch, you were able to feel the lactic acid bursting from your joints, producing terrible yet, relieving pain.

At the end of the session, your body felt like pliable noodles, and with it came the added mobility that you couldn’t believe was possible up until now.

---

@Ueno Mizuki – After you exchanged your voucher and briefly spoke to Seto, you noticed a lander coming up to him to dialog. However, before you were able to join their conversation, an elf with long blonde hair bumped into you and knocked the atlas out of your hand.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” she apologized and immediately bent down to pick up the atlas with the only arm she had. If your eyes lingered for a second too long, she would have become a bit subconscious, quickly returning your atlas before tilting the marred side of her body away from you.

“Ah, this? A bad encounter with the defense units, I thought I heard my friend’s voice, like a crying? Next thing I knew, I was left with this. You should be c-careful too if you’re heading out,” she remarked before walking away.

---

@Kyra Vashtana – While you relaxed at the hot springs, you overheard a gaggle of lady adventurers talking about their last trip to Vintergard where they encountered some Dragonship enemies who behaved strangely after they slashed it with the hot spring water. From their anecdote, it didn’t seem like it did any damage, instead, it slightly altered the enemy’s behavior.

Free Action

Somewhere on the outskirts of camp, there was an abandoned tent with a high ceiling and many holes letting the sunlight in. There, team Jastor gathered after Jester spent a lot of time gathering up her party members.

@Zelrius, @Jester, @Rael, @Kyra Vashtana, @Luthien, and @Ash Vargold stood in a circle with Ash holding onto Zelrius' movement kit upside down, revealing a large blood mark. With everyone's acknowledgment, the caenis put the backpack on the ground and opened a spell gate beneath the supposedly haunted object while hovering his hand above it. The others joined in assisting the spirit mage with his seance.

Spoiler: Rolls

Condition: 20, 40, 60, 80, 100+ the higher the roll result, the smoother the summon and the potential to gain better insights and answers.

Mastery Check
1d100 (20) + 15 = 35
Spirit Magic | Ash Vargold | Attempting a seance...

Inspire
6d6 (5 + 1 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 2) = 16
+16 to 3 targets' checks
Spirit Magic | Kyra Vashtana | Attempting to assist the attempting a seance...

Inspire
3d6 (4 + 1 + 2) = 7
+7 to 3 targets' checks
Harmonic Magic | Luthien | Violin vibes to seance

Seance Result: 58

The spirit of a woman in tattered adventuring gear as a sizeable chunk of her head missing appeared in thin air. She screamed in agony as the surroundings became chilly and dark.

"How did you die? What is the greatest danger we might face in Vintergard?" Ash asked.

Luthien started playing her instrument, hoping to soothe the pained spirit.

"... sm----smash. Wat----cher..." the ghost spoke in a broken voice.

"The vendor who had you in their possession said they were deceptively fast, the trackers. Assuming they closed in on you. they would've had to spot you from a distance. How did they?" Rael asked.

"Wat----cher... see all... send fast... in... head... be----ware... de----stroy" the ghost replied.

Although Rael tried to get another question in, the ghost's agonized scream intensified before she disappeared.

Spoiler: Posting Template

[hp=00]00[/hp]
[status]
Location:
[/status]

▣ Action: Summarize your action here

 

[Zelrius]

140 / 140

Location: ???

He rushed off with Jester to gather up the others they had talked about. Happy to follow the energetic elf around the camp while she sought out Rael, Ash, Luthien, and familiar Kyra. The bubbling feeling of excitement starting to rise. A small grin appearing, as he thought of a way to maybe entertain her once they were all in the tent, and the backpack was handed over to Vargold. "A toast of friends, so that we can ask this ghost about her ends." A bit dark, but he was more proud of the rhyme than anything. Blue eyes looking between the faces of those present to see if there was any sort of response. That was, until focus went to the ghost.

---

And then she was gone in a wail, just as @Rael asked another question. He blinked, and then blinked again, looking around. "That... wasn't that helpful..." A downturn to his voice, a frown forming on his lips. Watching the bag, hoping thatthe ghost was just playing a trick, and she'd pop back up and reply to them in full sentences suddenly.

It never happened.

"Watchers see all. So how good is stealth really?" He asked looking around the room before leaning down to pick his [ Movement Pack ] off of the floor. It was like someone had just completely extinguished his fire. His eyes were down, his back slouched, holding his pack to his chest with a hand on either side of it. "Ah well, thanks anyways guys. I better go finish the other things I have today, I guess." Genuinely feeling like he had fucked it up somehow. Everyone else had helped, and all Zelrius did was stand there and watch. Didn't ask any questions, didn't try to get clarifications, didn't help with the seance. He turned and left the tattered little tent, leaving Team Jastor to their own devices and conversation.

@Jester | @Luthien | @Rael | @Kyra Vashtana | @Ash Vargold

▣ Action: Leaves the Seance to meet up with the rest of Team Ego