Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co.
Established
Roleplay posts: 29
Physical Description: The Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Company is a mercenary group based out of Bayonne, in Gauldin. Currently accepting members and jobs of all types.
Registered: Mar 6, 2016 17:15:31 GMT -8
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Post by Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co. on Mar 8, 2016 12:02:47 GMT -8
 Located a few miles outside of Bayonne, the country estate of Lady Giselda has been plagued with a recent series of thefts and odd events. Many of the servants have fled, too afraid to linger, and the easily-excitable lady has requested aid from the Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Company. Roxanne Fletcher and Krenna have been sent there to figure out what's going on. The lady herself sits on the front porch in a rocking chair, her intricately-piled hair frizzy with stress and a glass of wine in her hand as she fans herself, despite the not-quite-springtime weather. From her flushed cheeks, it's clear this isn't her first glass of wine.
Upon spotting the approaching mercenaries, she lurches to her feet, batting her lashes furiously. "Oh, my goodness! You must be the mercenaries. I'm so glad you're here. It's simply awful." She sniffled, snapping her fan shut and wiping away tears - careful not to smear her eye makeup - with the back of her index finger knuckle. "All the servants are leaving, they're frightened by the food and other items that keeps going missing, and then there's that horrible noise! I'm simply beside myself." |
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816 
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Mar 8, 2016 13:20:55 GMT -8
Roxanne walks up to Lady Giselda, smiling. She pets Lucky absently as he lies around her neck like a scarf.
"That's right, ma'am. We're the mercenaries. Where are the thieves?"
As Lady Giselda explains her situation, Roxanne's expression turns from a friendly grin to a skeptical glare.
"So...you've never seen these thieves? Are they ghosts or something?"
Ghosts are difficult. They're usually impossible to stab, or behead. Normally, she wouldn't take a ghost job.
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Krenna
Committed
Roleplay posts: 61
Age: 19
Physical Description: Krenna is a half-orc, graced with more of her mother's human parentage than her father's orcan. She stands nearly six and half feet tall, athletic and well-built like her father's people. Her yellow-brown skin is clean and decorated by several well made tattoos. Shoulder length black hair with a center part is highlighted by stark white streaks at the front and decorated with small bird feathers in bright colors. A mole on her left cheek is the only obvious blemish, but her dark eyes and permanent smirk draw the eyes away from it.
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Clothes and Equipment: Krenna keeps her clothing and armor fastidiously clean. The bright red leather weave armor is supple and conforms to her musculature, weaving like a snake skin around her frame. Draped around her waist are several daggers and a long sword with a decorative hilt. A sanshin of her own making is always strapped to her back, giving the impression that it could snap at any time, but never actually doing so.
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Registered: Feb 21, 2016 15:48:17 GMT -8
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Post by Krenna on Mar 8, 2016 13:43:42 GMT -8
"Ghosts? Sounds like a stray cat to me..." Krenna had never been on such a large estate. She had of such places from some of her merchant patrons when she was still working with the carpenter's guild, but imagined she'd be there under different circumstances.
"Could you describe the noise you speak of, Lady Giselda?"
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Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co.
Established
Roleplay posts: 29
Physical Description: The Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Company is a mercenary group based out of Bayonne, in Gauldin. Currently accepting members and jobs of all types.
Registered: Mar 6, 2016 17:15:31 GMT -8
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Post by Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co. on Mar 9, 2016 22:27:29 GMT -8
Lady Giselda shook her head vigorously at Roxy's question, and snapped her fan open again, fluttering it vigorously to try and cool off her wine-flushed face. "No, no one has ever seen the thieves. It all started last month, with the kitchens. Food started going missing overnight, and the cooks would arrive in the morning to find that the pantry had been completely ransacked! Then they started branching out into the rest of the manor. So much of my heirloom silver is missing now, but all my jewels are still present, thankfully."
Looking at Krenna, she eyed the orc disdainfully, and stuck her nose up in the air. Turning her gaze away from the bard, she gave her answer to Roxy, despite the human woman not being the one who'd asked the question. "It's an absolutely awful scratching noise. You can hear it in the walls, but only at night. The servants said it was loudest in the kitchens and their quarters, but I heard it in my room, too."
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Mar 9, 2016 22:33:35 GMT -8
Roxy shrugs.
"Well, maybe it's magpies. They like shiny bits. In any case, we'll stay in the kitchen tonight to see if we can track down the sounds. Seems like the easiest solution."
She strokes Lucky's tail absently as it flicks back and forth.
"Do you mind if we break open a wall to get to the root of the noise? After all, we have to catch...whatever it is."
Glancing down at her sword, she sighs. She'd just sharpened it, and doesn't want to have to use it to stab through a wall.
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Krenna
Committed
Roleplay posts: 61
Age: 19
Physical Description: Krenna is a half-orc, graced with more of her mother's human parentage than her father's orcan. She stands nearly six and half feet tall, athletic and well-built like her father's people. Her yellow-brown skin is clean and decorated by several well made tattoos. Shoulder length black hair with a center part is highlighted by stark white streaks at the front and decorated with small bird feathers in bright colors. A mole on her left cheek is the only obvious blemish, but her dark eyes and permanent smirk draw the eyes away from it.
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Clothes and Equipment: Krenna keeps her clothing and armor fastidiously clean. The bright red leather weave armor is supple and conforms to her musculature, weaving like a snake skin around her frame. Draped around her waist are several daggers and a long sword with a decorative hilt. A sanshin of her own making is always strapped to her back, giving the impression that it could snap at any time, but never actually doing so.
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Registered: Feb 21, 2016 15:48:17 GMT -8
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Post by Krenna on Mar 9, 2016 22:41:44 GMT -8
Racism was certainly something Krenna had become used to, but as openly and brazen as Lady Giselda's was, it was hard to swallow back her irritation. Still, she let the woman explain the situation to Roxanne instead.
At Rox's suggestion that they spend the night in the kitchen, Krenna just nodded, hoping to get away from Giselda as soon as possible. Once they had gotten out of her presence, she asked Rox, "doesn't it just sound like rats to you?" She smiled at Lucky. "Maybe your cat can help us out."
"Anyway," she continued, "I know a song or two that will help bolster our stamina and keep us awake through the night. My mentor taught me a few helpful melodies saying that tales aren't just for entertainment, but for inspiration as well."
She followed Roxanne to wherever they were going, only bothering to make small talk if Rox initiated it.
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Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co.
Established
Roleplay posts: 29
Physical Description: The Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Company is a mercenary group based out of Bayonne, in Gauldin. Currently accepting members and jobs of all types.
Registered: Mar 6, 2016 17:15:31 GMT -8
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Post by Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co. on Mar 10, 2016 10:44:11 GMT -8
Giselda looked miffed at the idea of them breaking open a wall, but she was distracted by the sight of a carriage rolling their way as a few servants came out of the mansion, lugging several trunks. "I don't care what you have to do, just get this solved! I'm leaving the manor for the city, so I'll give you your payment when you get back to Bayonne!" As she clambered into the carriage, she rapped on the roof of the conveyance to signal the driver to proceed.
The few remaining servants - less than a dozen - eyed the pair warily as they moved into the mansion, although one of them approached. He was a teenaged boy, barely old enough to shave, with shaggy blond hair and green eyes. "So you're here to solve the theft problem? I'll set you up a couple of cots down in the kitchens. The cooks have all fled, so feel free to help yourself to whatever food is left." Stopping briefly to speak to one of the other lingering servants, he then led them toward the kitchen. Down a hallway, into a more secluded area, and finally into the kitchen itself.
The big open room was abandoned, just as he'd said. Left with pots overturned, cabinets agape, and drawers pulled out. There were three doors, excluding the one they'd come in through; one that led outside, one that opened onto a mostly-barren walk-in pantry, and another that was padlocked. As another couple of servants bustled in with cots, he pointed to the door as he helped set them up. "That leads to the root cellar. The Lady is afraid of the place, so she ordered it locked up. The cooks think it's haunted, and that ghosts are our problem."
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Mar 10, 2016 11:46:39 GMT -8
"Hmm."
Roxanne looks at the heavy lock on the door dubiously.
"That won't stop a ghost. I'm pretty sure about that. Take the lock off, please. We'll have a look down there later."
She begins searching around the open pantry for something to eat, then heads down to the second pantry when it's opened.
"Come along, Krenna. We're going ghost hunting. And snack hunting, I'm hungry."
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Krenna
Committed
Roleplay posts: 61
Age: 19
Physical Description: Krenna is a half-orc, graced with more of her mother's human parentage than her father's orcan. She stands nearly six and half feet tall, athletic and well-built like her father's people. Her yellow-brown skin is clean and decorated by several well made tattoos. Shoulder length black hair with a center part is highlighted by stark white streaks at the front and decorated with small bird feathers in bright colors. A mole on her left cheek is the only obvious blemish, but her dark eyes and permanent smirk draw the eyes away from it.
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Clothes and Equipment: Krenna keeps her clothing and armor fastidiously clean. The bright red leather weave armor is supple and conforms to her musculature, weaving like a snake skin around her frame. Draped around her waist are several daggers and a long sword with a decorative hilt. A sanshin of her own making is always strapped to her back, giving the impression that it could snap at any time, but never actually doing so.
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Registered: Feb 21, 2016 15:48:17 GMT -8
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Post by Krenna on Mar 10, 2016 13:02:50 GMT -8
Krenna looked around the overturned kitchen. It was quite the mess as the young man had explained. "It looks like most of this was done by the fleeing workers. There are probably no clues to what's been doing this left in this mess." She looked around the room where the walls and floor met, searching for rat droppings or left crumbs with gnaw marks. She was still convinced this was just mundane rats.
Shrugging, she followed Roxanne after a quick look around the kitchen and pantries. "Seriously, you still believe in ghosts," she asked the warrior, looking down with a friendly smirk on her face.
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Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co.
Established
Roleplay posts: 29
Physical Description: The Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Company is a mercenary group based out of Bayonne, in Gauldin. Currently accepting members and jobs of all types.
Registered: Mar 6, 2016 17:15:31 GMT -8
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Post by Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co. on Mar 10, 2016 13:19:11 GMT -8
The boy shot Roxy a disbelieving look. It was clear that he gave at least some credence to the ghost rumor - or else he was just afraid of the dark, creepy part of the mansion. "Sure, I'll just go get the keys..." With that, he tore off into the mansion. It was only a few minutes before he returned, a large ring full of keys in his hand. Flipping through them as he muttered, he finally found the right one and inserted it into the padlock. With a twist and a click, the lock fell open, and that was when he retreated.
"I don't want any part of that place. Gives me the willies. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask - the rest of us are living in the barn and stable while this is going on." After that, he took off again, and doors could be heard closing all over the manor, signifying the departure of the staff to safer areas. Upon opening the doors and venturing down the small flight of steps, Roxy and Krenna would find themselves in a long, cavernous area of cold, damp stone, filled with barrels and casks. The far end, which was shrouded in shadow, was sloppily walled up, the facade covered with hastily-applied mud that had caked up and was slowly crumbling.
Contrary to Giselda's dramatic information, there was no scratching sound.. yet. Maybe they'd have to wait till nightfall? If they returned to the kitchen proper, they'd find that someone had been thoughtful enough to leave them a basket filled with bread, cheese, meat, apples, and two flagons of wine, one red, one white. The materials for a fire were laying in an open hearth, along with flint and steel on the mantle above. Nightfall was only a few hours away.
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Deleted
Roleplay posts: 0
Registered: Nov 21, 2024 4:11:51 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2016 13:33:20 GMT -8
Lucky absently flicks his tail. He didn't like this place, it smelled musty. He hadn't really been paying attention, so he didn't know why they were here. Still he assumed it was important. After all his human would only do important things. The cat drops from Roxy's shoulders, and begins to search around. Perhaps there was a mouse, or rat for him to hunt.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Mar 10, 2016 19:37:12 GMT -8
Roxanne turns to Krenna as they walk down the stairs.
"Believe in them? My grandpa is a ghost. He comes by sometimes and watches my little cousins. Nice guy."
Walking through the cellar, she finds nothing of interest. After a quick look around, she heads back upstairs and sees the food.
"Well isn't that nice?"
As Lucky hops off and goes to do cat things, she starts cutting open one of the pieces of bread to make a sandwich.
"Go and eat something, Krenna. We'll be here for a while."
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Krenna
Committed
Roleplay posts: 61
Age: 19
Physical Description: Krenna is a half-orc, graced with more of her mother's human parentage than her father's orcan. She stands nearly six and half feet tall, athletic and well-built like her father's people. Her yellow-brown skin is clean and decorated by several well made tattoos. Shoulder length black hair with a center part is highlighted by stark white streaks at the front and decorated with small bird feathers in bright colors. A mole on her left cheek is the only obvious blemish, but her dark eyes and permanent smirk draw the eyes away from it.
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Clothes and Equipment: Krenna keeps her clothing and armor fastidiously clean. The bright red leather weave armor is supple and conforms to her musculature, weaving like a snake skin around her frame. Draped around her waist are several daggers and a long sword with a decorative hilt. A sanshin of her own making is always strapped to her back, giving the impression that it could snap at any time, but never actually doing so.
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Registered: Feb 21, 2016 15:48:17 GMT -8
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Post by Krenna on Mar 10, 2016 19:52:52 GMT -8
Krenna shakes her head at Roxanne's description of her grandfather. Ghosts don't exist, they're just scary stories made up to scare children.
She notices Roxanne take stock of the cellar, but doesn't seem to make any certain observations. But the odd wall at the end has gotten Krenna's attention. "You go ahead upstairs, I want to check this out," she says to her companion.
Krenna walks over to the wall, where the mortar is falling away to small piles on the floor. "What have we got here," she asks rhetorically. The wall definitely wasn't the same age as the rest of the cellar. Perhaps she could take it down and find out what was behind it. Drawing one of her daggers, one with a short and stout blade, she starts chipping away at the mortar and prying at the stones.
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Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co.
Established
Roleplay posts: 29
Physical Description: The Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Company is a mercenary group based out of Bayonne, in Gauldin. Currently accepting members and jobs of all types.
Registered: Mar 6, 2016 17:15:31 GMT -8
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Post by Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co. on Mar 10, 2016 20:29:48 GMT -8
The wall was sturdier than it looked, and although Krenna would eventually manage to get a stone loose, all she'd find in the area beyond the hole.. was darkness. There was a musty smell, something of mold and stale water, and.. perhaps a bit of rot. Mostly it was just earth and old things.. although if Krenna lingered long enough, and listened close enough, she might hear an odd, muted sound, that was a mixture of.. something slithering, and a scrabbling noise.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Mar 11, 2016 7:42:49 GMT -8
Roxanne finishes making her sandwich and peeks down the stairs at Krenna.
"Find anything? This bread is actually pretty good, you know. You should try it, there's lots!"
She puts a little bit of meat aside for Lucky and heads back down, chewing on her sandwich.
"There isn't anything down here, Krenna. Aside from maybe rats."
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Krenna
Committed
Roleplay posts: 61
Age: 19
Physical Description: Krenna is a half-orc, graced with more of her mother's human parentage than her father's orcan. She stands nearly six and half feet tall, athletic and well-built like her father's people. Her yellow-brown skin is clean and decorated by several well made tattoos. Shoulder length black hair with a center part is highlighted by stark white streaks at the front and decorated with small bird feathers in bright colors. A mole on her left cheek is the only obvious blemish, but her dark eyes and permanent smirk draw the eyes away from it.
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Clothes and Equipment: Krenna keeps her clothing and armor fastidiously clean. The bright red leather weave armor is supple and conforms to her musculature, weaving like a snake skin around her frame. Draped around her waist are several daggers and a long sword with a decorative hilt. A sanshin of her own making is always strapped to her back, giving the impression that it could snap at any time, but never actually doing so.
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Registered: Feb 21, 2016 15:48:17 GMT -8
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Post by Krenna on Mar 12, 2016 16:38:45 GMT -8
"Come over here for a minute," beckoned Krenna. "I think there's something moving behind this wall. Maybe it's the source of the scratching. Probably just rats like I keep saying."
"Are you going to keep filling your stomach," Krenna asked, eyeing the half-eaten sandwich in Roxanne's hand, "or are you going to help?"
Krenna continued chiseling and prying at the stones, trying to make the hole large enough to possibly stick a torch or magical light through.
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Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co.
Established
Roleplay posts: 29
Physical Description: The Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Company is a mercenary group based out of Bayonne, in Gauldin. Currently accepting members and jobs of all types.
Registered: Mar 6, 2016 17:15:31 GMT -8
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Post by Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co. on Mar 13, 2016 10:37:01 GMT -8
The noises had ceased, and there was no sign of life. Whatever had been there, Krenna had apparently either scared it off.. or made it decide to wait until the two mercenaries were easier to attack. Should they manage to pry more stones out and put any light source into the hole, they'd see a rocky cave that went for no more than a few yards, and abruptly ended in a hastily-piled tower of uncut natural stone that had been erected in an opening. It looked like the entrance to a cave system, maybe, a natural arch that had been chiseled open to make it a larger point of access.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Main Character
Roleplay posts: 816
Age: 22
Physical Description: Roxanne is tall with white hair and a narrow, athletic build. She has a pleasant face and only a couple of scars.
Clothes and Equipment: Heavy armor, Elven bow (stolen), and a longsword.
Player's online availability : Early mornings and late evenings
Registered: Aug 2, 2015 8:58:10 GMT -8
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Mar 13, 2016 10:52:13 GMT -8
"What? I'm hungry." Roxanne peers into the cave, still holding her sandwich. "I wonder what's down there? Rat hole, maybe? Lemme get Lucky over here." Running upstairs, she catches blackcat and carries him down. "C'mon, Lucky. Let's keep an eye out for cats, alright?" She places her sandwich down and lights a lantern, then knocks down the rest of the wall and steps into the cave. "Who would have thought there's a cave down here?" |
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Krenna
Committed
Roleplay posts: 61
Age: 19
Physical Description: Krenna is a half-orc, graced with more of her mother's human parentage than her father's orcan. She stands nearly six and half feet tall, athletic and well-built like her father's people. Her yellow-brown skin is clean and decorated by several well made tattoos. Shoulder length black hair with a center part is highlighted by stark white streaks at the front and decorated with small bird feathers in bright colors. A mole on her left cheek is the only obvious blemish, but her dark eyes and permanent smirk draw the eyes away from it.
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Clothes and Equipment: Krenna keeps her clothing and armor fastidiously clean. The bright red leather weave armor is supple and conforms to her musculature, weaving like a snake skin around her frame. Draped around her waist are several daggers and a long sword with a decorative hilt. A sanshin of her own making is always strapped to her back, giving the impression that it could snap at any time, but never actually doing so.
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Registered: Feb 21, 2016 15:48:17 GMT -8
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Post by Krenna on Mar 13, 2016 13:32:28 GMT -8
Would they have even found this place if Krenna hadn't bothered to investigate? She sighed. This is why teams were important, she supposed, because if they did run into anything, Roxy would probably be much better at the brawn part than Krenna.
"Hold on, Roxy," Krenna said to the other woman. "Let me summon a will-o-wisp so you don't have to carry a lantern." Krenna reached into one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out a tiny flute with four carved holes. She put the flute to her lips and played a short tune, calling a tiny fairy-like magical creature into being. It shone easily as bright as a torch in colors shifting between greens, blues, and purples. The fairy would hover above Krenna's head, staying within a few feet at all times.
"It will last for a few hours or until I dispel it, so we should be alright." She put the flute back in the pouch and put her right hand on the pommel of her sword. Roxanne had made no move for hers though, so she relaxed and ducked into the cave behind her fully armored companion.
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Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co.
Established
Roleplay posts: 29
Physical Description: The Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Company is a mercenary group based out of Bayonne, in Gauldin. Currently accepting members and jobs of all types.
Registered: Mar 6, 2016 17:15:31 GMT -8
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Post by Bolts & Brawlers Mercenary Co. on Mar 13, 2016 13:54:29 GMT -8
The cave beyond the tumbled rock wall was dark and damp, its walls coated with moisture and moss, its stone floor rough and littered with all sorts of things. Pieces of glass, scraps of fur and leather, and as they went further on, bits of bone began to appear. Everything from whole tiny skulls to fractured pieces of larger bones. As they moved further on, the tunnel twisting and turning and angling slowly downward, the stench of rot would become stronger and stronger, as would an odd scratching, chittering sound.
Finally Roxy and Krenna would come out onto a large cavern, its depths lit by luminescent insects trapped in glass jars and clusters of phosphorescent mushrooms. And the whole cavern, from every rocky ledge, to the floor, to the walls and ceiling, was practically writhing with rats. On a pile of bones at the far side sat a large figure, its red eyes glowing in the lights of the cavern. It didn't notice them, at first, as it was gnawing on a bone, trying to get off the last scraps of raw meat.
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