nysalogs | mercenary jobs #2

Entry tags:

mercenary jobs #2 — open to all

Who: Anyone interested in taking some mercenary jobs via Aranea Highwind's offerings. She will be texting people she's made contact with in her initial mercenary network post. However, newcomers can find jobs posted in Wyver.
What: Mercenary posting!
When: N/A
Where: N/A
Warning(s): Nothing particular!

Thank you for stopping by to check out this month's job postings for Highwind Hires — a freelance mercenary group!

Aranea Highwind will ICly be contacting characters and offering them jobs based off the assumption she will receive 30% of the cut. Due to the change in settings, Aranea has waved her fee and is allowing people to keep the full cut of the payment to help them get on their feet.

JOB #1 — DRAGON RESCUE

With the infection in Wyver, a local dragon-nursery is in need of workers to help tend for sick dragons. They will need baths, feedings, and even surgery in some cases. Will you answer the call and provide the support Wyver needs in this trying time?

OUTCOMES:
- The nursery will pay you 100 silver for a day's work.

JOB #2 — REDEMPTION FOR FAMILY

An elderly woman named Vetmir has somehow got in contact with Highwind Hire, hoping to find her son's killer. Her son was murdered weeks ago by a former lover. The woman is hiding in The Old City, Alora, is often seen among the trading market near the evening making a living a drug trader.

OUTCOMES:
- Vetmir promises 140 silver with delivery of a locket her son gave Alora.
- Sparing Alora's life will earn you her side of the story, where she had to defend herself after a drunken encounter with Vetmir's son. This earns you 40 silver in appreciation and the locket, which nets you Vetmir's 140 silver if delivered back for a total of 180 silver.

JOB #3 — BONES FOR A CURE

Criny, a medicine woman is looking for a large supply of Puox bones from their camouflaged exterior. This crucial parts are needed to craft some potions to help relieve aches for the sick. While definitely not the cure, Puox is needing someone to travel to Murkwell Hollow and someone to help assist in potion making.

OUTCOMES:
- Anyone who brings her 6 bonespurs from Puox will receive 170 silver.
- People who help in potion making will receive 30 silver per potion with a maximum of 6 potions a day.

JOB #4 — SEARCH & RESCUE

Jillam, a street vendor, has not seen their fruit supplier in a few days. Worried they were lost in The Undergrowth, they are enlisting a search and rescue. Traveling to the Undergrowth will prove difficult — gather a small party for back up.

The vendor cart is abandoned with a broken axis, the fruit still good but the driver missing. Exploring further will allow the players to rescue Qun from a man-eating plant.

OUTCOMES:
- Anyone who participates in the search and rescue will receive 200 silver.
- Players can attempt repair the carriage and return the fruit back for cut of the food for free.
- Players who explore for the vendor will be able to fight a large man-eating plant similar to a venus flytrap with sentient vines. If Qun is rescued, you will receive an additional 100 silver.

Have fun! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me! These are all loosely based on your choices, so feel free to go wild with them. The outcomes only are indication of what the jobs would offer. If you're interested in having your character offer a job in the future, please let me know!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A rescue mission? [He tilts his head, curious.] What about it makes the Undergrowth so dangerous? [And why would a fruit supplier go in it alone, then?]

I was only given the bare minimum of information regarding the Undergrowth. Several dangerous creatures call it home, or so I was told.

You don't have to come with me, but I would appreciate the backup.

Dangerous creatures, is it...

[A bit out of his league, but that isn't going to stop him from offering help anyway.]

In this sort of circumstance, I'd be better suited to give technological support. You alright with that?

[That word almost gives him the chills. People do love their tech here and Venom will never understand why. But he'll hear the guy out.]

What kind of "technological" support?

[Yusei shrugs.]

Navigation, travelling supplies, maintenance, things like that.

[So, he's the loser that carries the tent and the guns. Or something like that. He pauses, thinking, then seems to remember something else.]

I do vehicle repair, too, so if that supplier's actually just stranded due to some kind of broken mechanism, I can resolve that.

[The man brings up an excellent point. Venom nods.]

That might be very useful, honestly. I'm sure they'd be grateful if you were able to take care of their vehicle.

Consider yourself on board, sir.

[Yusei nods, smiling.]

I'll do what I can. When and where should we meet up?

We can meet at the edge of the Undergrowth. Should half an hour suffice for preparation?

[So he can triple check his equipment and find a good landmark for their return.]

Mm. I can work with that. I don't have much to prepare with, at any rate.

[In fact, when they do meet up, Yusei doesn't have much with him other than what's in the rucksack he'd used to carry his things to Wyver and a metal pole he'd picked up back in Olympia to use during the journey. It's long enough to help navigate underbrush and to test foliage for anything lurking within, so there's a practical bent to it, but it says something about his fighting capabilities that he doesn't exactly have a specialized weapon to bring.]

[The small amount of equipment is noted as it's probably best not to take too much into the area. All Venom has is his pool cue, a couple of torches, and a bag of rations for two.]

I should have mentioned this before, but I am Venom. A pleasure to meet you.

[Way to introduce yourself too late, dude.]

[You know what? Fair enough. It's still better than Yusei who wouldn't have introduced himself without any prompting.]

Yusei. Likewise.

[He inclines his head, looking at the undergrowth. Shall they get going?]

So the person we're looking for is a vendor, right?

Correct. Why they would enter such a place is a mystery. Perhaps there's a special type of fruit or vegetable that grows only here.

[Venom starts walking, making mental notes of any unusual growths that can serve as markers. He'd use his billiard balls if they didn't fade after a few minutes.]

I can't imagine coming through here if that's the case. This place is exceedingly creepy.

You'd be surprised what people would do. Maybe for profit, or maybe just for convenience...or even just a thrill.

[Yusei smiles a little wryly himself. He'd admit to being one of the thrillseeker types, to be honest, even if he doesn't act like it.]

A merchant especially...if there is some kind of rare and valuable plant, and he's been experienced in harvesting it...I don't see why he wouldn't.

A thrill-seeking vendor... not quite what I was picturing but it sort of makes sense with that explanation. Telling clients what risks they took to gain such rare produce would be alluring, and then selling it for a high price.

Perhaps someone gained wind of his secret harvesting spot and that's why he went missing.

That's how they raise prices of things in the black market, you know?

[Probably the regular market too, but it's not like he had much experience with the latter.]

It could be that. You'd have to be pretty confident to try and take over a risky product like that, though. [He pokes through the underbrush with the metal pole, turning over leaves carefully so he doesn't end up stepping on a snake or something.] Or he just could have screwed up. A risky thing like this...you only have to mess up once, no matter how experienced you are.

[Despite his former position, Venom rarely ever dealt directly with the black market. And even then it was mostly for weapons. His predecessors were much more involved than he ever was.]

That is true, and this area looks like it can mess someone up easily.

[The plant life is thick and abundant, making it tough to navigate in spots. Venom's been casually breaking off leaves and stems to keep track of their path along with the mental notes.]

[Where he came from, the black market was less an oddity and more of a necessity. It leaves him with a very skewed sense of what's valuable and what isn't.]

Thick woods like this...I'm not familiar with them, but they always hide something dangerous, right?

[Yusei looks around warily as he says that, as if he's expecting a lion or some other strange beast to suddenly leap out at them.]

In my experience, yes.

[Like those mindfuck monsters that tried to lure Bucky away. But he chose this job to help someone in need. He won't let the foliage get the best of him or his new ally.

Soon he spots something in the vicinity. It appears to be a fruit cart that has seen better days. The produce has mostly been devoured by the local wildlife, leaving but a couple of leftover scraps.]

I believe we've found our first clue...

[Don't remind him of the mindfuck monsters. He's still embarrassed that they reduced him to a screaming fit.

Nevermind that, though. Yusei's eyes widen at the sight of the ravaged cart.]

This... [The cart itself doesn't seem that damaged, but the goods...] You don't think the wildlife attacked him for the food, do you? You'd think he'd have prepared for that sort of thing...

[Venom's cautiously approaching the cart to get a better look, in case anyone or anything is still nearby.]

No. This looks more like the work of scavengers. Meaning he's been missing for a while.

[He examines the scraps, and it appears some pieces might still be viable to eat or sell. They have a couple of tiny blemishes, and the rest can be easily washed off.]

He probably left the cart and intended to return within a short period of time. Then whatever got to him struck... [Pause] I'm going to scour the vicinity for more clues. Can you stay here and see if the cart can be repaired?

[He realizes that might come off as his cold leader self, and adds:]

I promise I won't go too far out.

[Yusei pauses, then nods, starting to pace around the cart.]

I think I can manage something. It's what I came here for, isn't it?

[He looks determined, at least.] If it's scavengers that raided this cart, then they won't try and come again if someone's here, I think. Only the desperate would come back to an already raided spot.

Right. But if you see or hear anything strange, call for me. I'll return immediately.

[With that, Venom is off to investigate the vicinity around the cart. This whole saving lives thing is different compared to home, but at least he can put his tracking skills to use. Within minutes, he finds a couple more scraps and a piece of torn cloth hanging on a thorny bush.
It's something, but not much.]

Hmmm...

Will do.

[Yusei nods sharply, before turning to the cart. A more thorough look shows that while the cart itself looks banged up and ravaged in the aftermath of whatever scavengers looted the cart, the only major thing keeping it from moving is a broken axis, which he finds he can use the metal pole he was wielding as a sufficient replacement that can last until more appropriate repairs can be made. It's a bit thin, but sturdy enough.]

[Venom makes sure he can hear Yusei working on the cart as he explores the surrounding area. But then a weird noise catches his attention. Something like dragging and scratching, followed by grunts. The former assassin raises his cue and follows the faint sounds.

He reaches a small clearing before he spots someone tangled in vines.]

Damn-!

Yusei! Can you hear me?! I think I found our missing person!

[He tries to tear off the vines but they're very stuck, and soon he sees the plant the vines are attached to...]

[Yusei pushes himself out from underneath the cart with a grunt, just in time to hear Venom calling out.]

What-?! Hold up, I'm coming!

[He can't exactly take his pole back, but he can take one half of the cart's original broken axis in return, it's sturdy enough to suffice. It also does the same job of pushing away plantlife that threatens to tangle around his feet, and it doesn't take long for Yusei to make his way into the same clearing.]

Wh...what is that...?

[He's suddenly reminded of his first meeting with Aki. The dread feels about the same, after all, there's nothing quite like running into a murderous plant monster.]

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