mercenary jobs #1

[unweave]

Who: Mercenaries.
What: Jobs.
When: Whenever.
Where: Various.
Warning(s): Possible drug substance, violence.


After a few days, if you've shown interest in Aranea's offer for a mercenary group — you'll get a text sent to you. Honestly, she'll post this in a public forum for anyone who wants try before they buy. The following jobs are up:

1. WING TRADERS | MONSTER HUNT
Lucky for you, one of the city guards (named Leren) is willing to 100 SILVER for a live AMENSOREA. It is to be delivered to South Olympia — where he hopes to gift it to his wife as a pet. If the creature is killed, no coin will be provided.

2. FOREST FIRES | GENERAL ACTIVITY
The North Outpost is suffering from a forest fire on its outskirts! It has begun to spread towards the small camp of travelers and merchants resting between their journey. All recruits who assist with this will be given 50 SILVER from Aranea Highwind herself.

3. SHAKE DOWN | GENERAL ACTIVITY
It seems there's a gang beginning to enlist taxes on travelers going south of Olympia. One of the leaders of a travel caravan of questionable goods is offering 175 Silver for elimination of the gang. The word "elimination" was very subjective. There's a small bridge leading towards the South Outpost where they were last seen. They are armed, but apparently not too smart. Kill or scare off the 3-Man gang.

4. STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL | BODY GUARD / ESCORT
SIMWE INSTITUTE is making great strides to research new metals and crystals that have been extracted from the ruins south of Olympia. Their findings prove the new metals as highly valuable with possible qualities that can improve potion-making and decrease cost. The formula is highly coveted and with that, it requires escorting to the drop off point in North Olympia. There are thieves that have attempted to steal the formula, which requires you to protect it for a good 200 SILVER. Get the formula to Sax'le in North Olympia.

5. WISHING FOR WISPS | MONSTER HUNT
A small girl has reached out to the group in hunt for an elusive WILL-O-WISP. She's used her entire allowance for the past year to offer 170 SILVER for a capture of a WILL-O-WISP. She so desperately wants to get one for her sick mother, as they are believed to bring good luck. However, a merchant has caught wind of this and is offering 300 SILVER for one to put on display in his shop. Who will you choose?

6. RED LIGHT ALARM | GENERAL ACTIVITY
One of the brothels in the Red Light District had a pipe burst in its basement. You were initially hired for 150 SILVER to rescue all illegal substances the brothel has been storing in the basement, but truthfully? You have an option to turn the Brothel owner in for illegal distribution to a city guard for a reward of 275 SILVER. What will you do?

---

Feel free to use these for top levels or put your own private log up in the comm. There's no limits on how many you can claim, but be realistic. Please label the job numbers you're doing in your top levels and have fun! Duplicate job hunting is handwaved, so don't worry if you take the same number as someone else!

If you're not planning on joining the mercenary group, feel free to just have your character get caught in the middle.

Comments

wishing for wisps - ota

[frombetrayal]

[This job seems relatively safe - and honestly, Haru's heart goes out to the poor girl who made the request in the first place. The merchant who made the follow-up offer? Well, it's tempting, but he's clearly a man of means. She told him that she'll think about it, but really, her mind is already made up.

If she catches a will-o-wisp, it's going to that little girl.

So anyway, here's Haru, at the edge of the woods as she looks over her gear. She's not sure exactly how long this will take, so she's brought some bread and water just in case she gets hungry, but more important are the bottles she's brought along - they're what she'll be using to try and catch the thing. She's got a couple of different sizes, since she's not sure exactly how big they'll be.

Right, here goes...!]

I suppose I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be...

[Interested in teaming up? Now would be a good time to catch her, before she proceeds into the depths of the forest.]

[jewelling]

[ For a jobless bum, 300 silvers did seem like a lot of money, and it'd be just enough to get her by, well, until she needed more money. Of course, that was the second offer; the first offer was made by a young girl who merely wished for her mother’s quick recovery. Her story is a bit more heartfelt, and admittedly, Rin had half a mind to do it for free. How could she accept money from a little girl? It just seemed immortally wrong.

Rin also danced with the idea of aiding the girl regardless of the outcome. She had her connections and knew a certain priest who could be some assistance to the mother. While Rin isn’t keen on the idea of putting all her faith in Kirei, he's the only person best fit for the job to her knowledge.

Either way, putting those thoughts to rest for the time being, she strolls past the girl, who’s more well-equipped than Rin was. Taking a peek over her shoulder, her eyes immediately lock on the bottles and other goods she carried. ]

Hmph. I don't think it's wise to have a picnic out here on your own.

[ Okay, Rin knew very well the girl isn't planning some fancy-pancy picnic, but she needed an excuse to jump-start a conversation if she wanted to borrow her stuff. ]

[frombetrayal]

Oh, that's not why I'm...

[Haru begins to answer her even before looking up, but her voice trails off when she sees who's there in front of her. What a cute girl! She seems like Akira's type.

There's a pause, during which she considers why Rin might be out here. She's already said it would be unwise to have a picnic on her own, so surely she's not here for that. And she seems a little too smart to just be out here for a late-night stroll.

So...]

Are you here for work as well, Miss?

[ownit]

[Well, this guy isn't gonna be stopping anyone to ask for a team up. At least, not unless he's planning on trying to swipe the wisp for himself when his would-be teammate is unaware.

Fortunately, that's not what's happening here. At least not right now. In fact, he's not even where Haru can see him...but she will hear shuffling somewhere deep in the underbrush, accompanied, once she's close enough, by a mysterious hunched figure. It might not be anything resembling a wisp, but...well, does she really wanna leave something skulking around all creepily to it's own devices?]

[frombetrayal]

[...well, that's disconcerting.

Haru looks up when she hears that shuffling - and, because apparently just avoiding it and going about her day is impossible for her, creeps closer to investigate. Getting closer doesn't really answer any of her questions, though.]

Who's there?

[So maybe actually speaking up will!]

Shake Down + Wishing for Wisps | OTA

[guidetoblivion]

[ A – Rowdy Rumble ]

[Riku can't say he isn't curious about just what this caravan leader is transporting exactly – he thinks back to the simulation the Natha made him run through, and he can't help but think that there might have been some truth to that – but well.

He's practical enough to put it out of mind for the moment – silver was promised and regardless of how shady the traders are, extorting them isn't the way to go either.

A few blocks away from the bridge where he climbs up on the roof, silently jumping from house to house to get a good look of the terrain and whether he might be able to drop in on the three-man-gang from above. Nobody ever checks the skies for a threat after all. …Or do they?]


[ B – The Secret Whispers ]

[Monster fighting isn't anything new to Riku. Monster hunting? Catching the monsters alive is a slightly different challenge than what he is used to, but one that he gladly welcomes. It isn't hard to decide who he is going to give the Will-O-Wisp to, should he manage to find it – the little girl's Heart shines brightly, a gentle light that is definitely only thinking of her mother, and Riku doesn't need the silver so badly that he'll have to sell out to the merchant.

He has wandered the forest for a couple of hours when he finally comes across the shining lights of the Wisps, smiling to himself as he pulls out his jar. This is going to be easy he figures, quietly approaching before quickly swinging the jar through the air… only to come up with nothing. He tilts his head at the Wisps:]

Stubborn things, aren't you? But, so am I.

[Their blinking glow seems almost mocking to him… but well. Now that he's found them, he isn't going to give up so easily. Though huh, he's kinda going pretty deep into the forest, isn't he?]

A: Lets get money for beating people up!

[smithandwesson]

[Sorry to say Riku, you may not have been the only one who took up the case. The moment Sanzo saw it posted up on the public bulletin it immediately caught his interest. Money? For kicking the shit out of some lousy launderers? Sounds like fun.

Lets just ignore the fact that the caravan leader who requested the job may have been a part of the same group of people that he had previously shot down only a month prior. Whatever, there was no evidence to prove he was the one who did it.

Now, Sanzo was no where near a flashy as Riku had been in his attempt to stalk the three-man gang. Taking the easy route of simply walking directly into their stomping grounds on the bridge, he was happy to initiate the conflict rather than wait for something to happen to someone else. Which was why, before he knew it, he was surrounded on all sides by a group of thugs all sporting cheeky grins and asking for the contents of his robes.]

'Tch. And what it if I were to tell you assholes all I've got under here is a great big pile of fuck you?

[Probably not the best answer to give, as suddenly his instigators all seemed to each pull out their weapons with agitation. Surely to anyone spying from above it would look like this wayward priest had gotten himself into a bit of trouble.]

b!

[jensaarai]

[This isn't the sort of work that Ren is accustomed to. Following leads, tracking things--that comes easily, so in a sense he's equipped with the skills needed to find a will-o-wisp. Capturing one is going to be a new thing for him entirely.

Still, it's a welcome challenge, and Ren finds himself enjoying the solitude of the forest. It's quiet, and he hasn't seen another person in hours. That eventually changes, and while he could easily head off in another direction, he finds himself observing from a distance.

Eventually, he moves close enough to speak.]

Looks like you're doing the same thing as me. Having any luck?

Wing Traders | ota

[saucius]

[ While not precisely what she had in mind, the Exile has no issue to go and do her part for this group thing. There's also the fact she has always had a special touch with animals, more so when considering her specialized Force skills...which seem to have been diminished upon entering this world, but she supposes they will still do the trick.

And if they don't, she can always go the old fashioned way. Not the first time she would need to hunt a small, sneaky little beast after all. Finding its favored terrain isn't too complicated. Finding one of them though... the Exile sits down and waits. She can almost make the sound of the wings flapping, but it'll be a moment until she can spot one.

For anyone wanting to team up, this would be the perfect chance to sit next to her and prepare for either an easy catch or-- wait, what was that about attacking those that feel guilt?

This mission might not go as easily as she thinks, after all. ]

[frombetrayal]

[Haru isn't here specifically to go after an Amensorea for herself - rather, she's here to provide support in case some other member of the mercenary group needs it.

In this case? It seems like the Exile might, because Haru spots her a moment before she feels a rush of wind at her cheek and hears the sound of fluttering wings. She gasps as the bug makes directly for the woman sitting on the rock, and calls out a warning:]

—look out!

shake down + escort

[veneries]

[ooc: I'm happy for more than one response to each prompt!]

3. SHAKE DOWN: open to other mercenaries

Look, it's simple. You sneak around to the other side of their camp, and when I give the signal we'll jump out and surprise them.

[The sun's just set, the moon hiding somewhere behind clouds. The past few hours have been spent with Ramsay - calling himself Willem - and others tracking down the gang. They're crouched in darkness, far enough from the campfire they've found that they can whisper without being heard.]

Even you can do that, I assume?

[Ramsay doesn't intend to wait for anyone else. Once he's ready he'll make use of his bow and start shooting- but whoever he's working with doesn't need to know that.

NOTE: Ramsay will advocate for torturing any bandits they don't immediately kill to get information out of them, so let me know when you reply if you're not okay with that and I'll avoid that.]

4. ESCORT: open to other mercenaries OR passers by

[The moon's out tonight, lighting up parts of the streets with a flat white light. Ramsay likes it, as it'll glint off all the metal anyone trying to sneak up on him won't have covered. He has no uncovered metal on him- the dagger at his back is covered by his cloak, and the bow hung over his shoulder is all wood.

It's times like these he wishes he had a good hound to sniff out anyone trying to lie in wait ahead of him.

There's a sound down a street on his left and in a fluid motion he turns and looses an arrow in the direction. From the sound of it it's gone wide, not hitting whatever it is that's made the noise. Ramsay assumes it's someone coming to steal the formula he has tucked into his pouch. If it's not... well. No one sensible wanders about at night, they deserve to get shot at.]

Come on, don't lurk in the shadows. I might be luckier with the second shot. [He sounds almost delighted at the idea.]

Shake down!

[guidetoblivion]

[Honestly, Riku is pretty sure he doesn't need the help or company – taking down three man sounds comparatively easy when you are used to fighting a dozen Heartless at once – but he supposes, the other might need the help if he's only going to work with a bow for a weapon and no means of close combat. Willem's words do get a face that says 'Who died and made you the boss?' but there is little about this plan that he can actually dispute so Riku just nods and asks:]

What's the signal?

4

[jensaarai]

[It's sheer coincidence that Ren is on the street at the same time as Ramsay. 'Errands' elsewhere took longer than anticipated, and it's well after nightfall when he finally begins heading back. For the most part, it's quiet, apart from the occasional drunkard who is easily ignored.

That changes when an arrow is shot toward him. It takes no effort to divert the arrow's path, just to the side of him, where it lodges itself into the wooden facade of a nearby building.

Ramsay's words follow, and it's almost a shame they're at far enough of a distance that the other man cannot see the faint smirk of his lips.] You're welcome to try.

shake down + strictly professional || OTA

[doggo]

SHAKE DOWN.

[For a task with such a large payout, this will be easy. No matter what the readers of the Daily Prophet might claim, Sirius is not interested in the widespread death of muggles, or whatever it is you'd call a bandit without magic on an alien planet in some other system of planets or dimension.

Which is why, just as they approaches the bridge they were told about, Sirius turns to his fellow mercenary.]

I'd prefer a permanent scare to killing anyone. If we're taking a vote.

[He's had his wand in hand since they set out. The evening gloom has deepened into true nightfall by now, and Sirius has his wand lit to guide their path. Now he snuffs it out, a simple enough spell to end wordlessly, and they're in the dark, the light of the foreign stars suppressed by the cover of the forest canopy.]

All right with that?

STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL.

[On the road to Sax'le, there is a burning tree.

Sirius Black is not altogether near the tree in question. He's got his back to another tree, some twenty or thirty feet away, and his wand is tight in his hand. His other hand is empty, because the formula he's bringing through the woods is tucked away safely in a pocket, wrapped up and charmed and generally warded against thieves. Sirius is listening, intently. Birdsong, the sound of insects, any rustling of animals--all of it has fallen silent. The crackle of the burning tree is the loudest sound, which means that any tell-tale crunch he hears will be a footstep.

Which, speaking of--when Sirius hears a crunch just to his left, he snaps his wand arm up, aim fixed on whoever will emerge from the treeline. He doesn't shout a warning. There's a tension in his arm, fixed in his face, which should be warning enough.]

shake down!

[frombetrayal]

I don't have any particular desire to take a life.

[...says the girl holding an axe.

To be completely fair, it's mostly for the sake of intimidation, since Haru herself isn't especially frightening to look at on a normal day. That's the same reason she's in her Phantom Thief getup, too - "Noir" is infinitely more intimidating than "Haru" is, after all.]

In fact, I'd much prefer it if we didn't. [She keeps her voice soft - the light going out is more than enough of a cue to keep quiet so as to not alert their targets that they're approaching.] Accepting money in exchange for their blood wouldn't feel... right.

Strictly professional meets Forest Fires?

[jeronimo]

[The man who emerges has an ax held loosely in one hand, and ash in his hair and smeared across his hands and brow. He's got a bag full of ashes at his side as well, that hangs low and heavy off his belt.

But his eyes go to the stick the man is brandishing like a weapon, and then the posture, and he sets the ax slowly down so it's standing on its head. A gesture of yielding, outwardly, but really just freeing up Cassian's dagger hand so he can go for it if the man becomes a threat.]

Take it you're not part of the crew fighting the fires. [Given he's just observing the burning tree, with no apparent movements toward putting it out.]

Forest Fires & Red Light Alarm. OTA

[jeronimo]

Red Light Alarm
[Cassian doesn't yet feel an obligation to the city, and while he has none to the brothel owner, either, the business that goes through the brothel would be helpful to be able to slip around and through now and then. People's mouths tend to loosen where they don't feel like eyes and ears are on them, and a seedy place like this fits the bill.

If he stays in the owner's good graces, he might be able to use the brothel in the future to glean some information from some useful, loose-tongued sources. He negotiates for a pail to go with the silver reward, and between trips, grabs someone from the street, slipping a handful of silver into their hand.]

Help me clear out some water, and there's more where that came from. [He could do the job on his own, but the faster he gets the substances safely and dryly out of the basement, the more likely the owner is to remember him positively. He can afford to lose a part of his reward. The prospects of the future are worth more than the silver itself.

He sloshes back into the basement, tying the jacket he had picked up in the market earlier that week around the burst pipe to mute the flow and spray of water, and buy himself more time, and grabs a still dry crate off a wall, packing in the contraband with various, more innocuous supplies.]

Forest Fires
[Cassian doesn't consider himself the type for this kind of thing, generally. Putting out fires wasn't usually hi go to when it came to helping others, and even when he was helping others, it was usually within shadows and secrets. This was straight out in the open.

People's lives were at stake, but as well if the forest continued to burn, more than just the outpost could fall into the path of the fires. There are those better suited to this task, with magic or abilities that make putting the fires out easier.

Cassian's methods so far have been to stomp and choke the lower fires out, or helping cut down trees with the ax he borrowed, to attempt to slow the path of the fire.

It isn't going well. The fire moves faster than he can, and he could use some help beyond the pails of water and his too-slow work with the ax.

He drops the ax to his side, the tree chipped down all around the base, and gives a shout.]

Heads up, tree coming down! [And with a hard kick and the creak of wood, the tree groans and topples heavily to the ground. If they actually manage to get the fires put out, the outpost will have plenty of wood for their own fires for a while.]

shake down- ota

[jensaarai]

[If he's to be honest, Ren doesn't think he needs backup with this. He's handled far worse than eliminating a few men before. Armed or not, he is confident in his ability to hold his own without issue.

This is what brings him here, and against his better judgement, he's not alone. It doesn't hurt to have back-up--or a decoy--he supposes, even if it's unneeded. The trek to where the group was last scene doesn't take long, though from there it's a matter of finding the three men.

Fortunately, tracking is something he knows a thing or two about. And, well. Fresh footprints are easy enough to follow anyway.]

You're not a complete novice, correct? I will not be holding your hand through this.

[It's something that needs to be discussed, and at least his voice sounds normal since he's refrained from wearing his helmet.]

(ooc: he fully intends to kill the men once he has the information he needs, as a heads-up.)

oh boy

[saucius]

[ She's only here for his presence in the Force, really. The Exile wants to make sure nobody goes causing trouble with the Force, and judging by the way this young man acts... yeah, she better stick around. ]

You do your thing, guy. Just try not to hurt yourself while doing so.

[ Better let him handle things and see how he acts. She'll step in if he needs help... or to be stopped. ]

Shake down + Strictly Professional - OTA

[panzersoldat]

3
A three man gang? Only that few? It seems that the large armored man with the massive war hammer is a bit of overkill when it comes to going after bandits. However, that is exactly what's going after them. Reinhardt can't stand by and let some villains tax travelers. Of course, he isn't really interested in the 'questionable goods'. All he cares about is the bandits. He'll take care of the other when and if he has to but this first.

However, he's not made for stealth. Not when he's clanking his way towards the bridge. "Bandits! I am Reinhardt Wilhelm and I am giving you this one chance to surrender peacefully!!"

4
[ Escort missions had been one of the things he had been very good at. Stay on the payload, shield it, make it to the point. Easy. Only this time, the payload is a formula. Reinhardt wonders how he's supposed to get a piece of paper from here to there, but at least he has teammates. ]

How good are you at memorizing? Because if I stick this under my armor, there's a good chance that the ink is going to run. But I think in my armor would be the best place to put this.

Strictly Professional!

[guidetoblivion]

[His partner in this case, just raises an eyebrow – if the ink is going to run under the armor, is there really any point of sticking it there?]

I'm not bad at it usually, but I think this might be a little too complicated for memorizing. [Being a complicated formula and all.] I can put it on the inside of my coat though… I don't think it's going to be harmed if we have it there.

Wing Traders | OTA

[strontiumdog]

[Now this is something he's used to. A return to the familiar. Mercenary work isn't so bad after all, and this job should be relatively easy. He'd received some information on the creature's properties which could complicate things, but it's nothing he shouldn't be able to handle. He's itching to get out of Olympia anyway, so he doesn't particularly mind the little bit of travel it takes to get to Murkwell Hollow.]

[Apparently the Amensorea engorges itself on guilt and regret, size growing proportionally to the amount the individual feels, but he came prepared for that. Like hell he's going to get stung. Johnny stalks through the Hollow, a... very large jar at his hip that looks more like a repurposed urn, and a weighted net in his hand. Just how large did he think that thing would get? ]

[If he hears movement for anything that sounds much larger than an insect, he'll draw his gun carefully and ask in a non-threatening tone:]

Who goes there?

[hurtled]

[She shouldn't laugh, she really shouldn't. While Kanade manages to refrain from doing so right to his face, there's something about the sight of a guy his apparent age, looking like a kid out on summer vacation ready to expand his beetle collection, that still leaves her momentarily speechless.

When she remembers to respond, she'll keep her distance, wary of the gun.]

Don't worry. I mean no harm. [Not to him, anyway. A rusty machete is in her hand, but was meant for clearing foliage, and not her weapon of choice to begin with.] I came because I heard some unusual animals can be found around these parts.

[Judging from the equipment he's carrying, perhaps their objectives are the same.]

[CLOSED] Wishing for Wisps - closed to Keyleth and Pike

[moneytwin]

[ With the chaos of their former lives behind them, it's nice for the ladies of Vox Machina to take time to work together on something that, theoretically, shouldn't be life threatening to people with their skillset. Vex had jokingly referred to it as a girl's working day out, but it turns out that she's not entirely wrong.

They have done their research, and their map is now marked with confirmed and not-so confirmed sighting locations. Said map is now spread out on the grass, dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves on the edge of the forest they're about to enter - after their brief stop for an early lunch. Wiping some crumbs from her armor, the ranger leans over and taps the paper thoughtfully. ]

I say start here, and work our way west. Unless someone else has a plan?

[zephrah]

[ Keyleth nibbles thoughtfully at a strip of jerky and peers at the map. ]

I could go Minxie and scout out ahead a little ways?

[ She tears off another bite, chews it up and swallows. ]

Though, maybe it would be better if we stuck together. When we were hiking up to the city from the landing point, there were some really awful spiders in the forest. They can mimic voices from your memories, like, people you care about calling for help, to lure you into their web. And who knows what else could be out here.