mercenary jobs #2 — open to all

[unweave]

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

Comments

[poolhall_killer]

Your assistance is always appreciated.

[And being protected, as well. He feels they can watch out for each other, though.]

I'm looking for a creature called a puox. Someone in town wishes to obtain some of their spines for a potion. They plan on using it to treat those who are infected.

All I have to go on is a description and that they camouflage easily.

[judicia]

Oh. That must be why I haven't found one.

( He looks a little more pleased about that he had been before. Maybe because he knows that he'll have some help gathering the bones, which Venom is free to take the reward for, since Anders'll be working with the old lady to brew the potions. )

I was out looking for the same thing, actually. Isn't that a coincidence? Or maybe it isn't, really, there.... isn't a whole lot here, is there? Where do you think they could all be hiding?

[poolhall_killer]

It will depend on their habits. Since they spend their lives hiding, there might be a way to draw them out.

[With a hand gesture, he summons a ball.]

Hopefully this will work.

[Soon that ball is sent shooting through the area, crashing against a random tree. If any puox are in the vicinity, that should shake them up and/or cause them to move.]

[judicia]

( It only takes a few moments for one of the puox to scamper out into their line of sight. Anders tilts his head, watching as it makes its way out from under the rot of the tree that Venom hit with his billiard ball. )

That must be it, then. ( The bonespurs make it almost unmistakable. Fortunately for them, though, this one seem has quite a few of them. Anders approaches it cautiously, his boots crunching softly against the ground so as not to startle it. )

It's alright. We're not going to hurt you. ( He reaches out, taking the creature into his palms and cradling it there until Venom comes to see it. )

[poolhall_killer]

[When Venom turns, he sees Anders gently picking up the bizarre creature. So that's what the puox looks like, and thankfully, it does appear to have plenty of bone growths to spare.]

Good... I'm glad I didn't harm it, though I didn't mean to scare it like that.

What an odd creature...

[He reaches out to gently touch one of its spurs, gauging its response. It doesn't really seem to react.]

[judicia]

( It may just be scared stiff. Anders can't imagine that it would encounter too much wildlife out here in this wasteland, besides the scavenger-type beasts and the humans coming out to harvest its bones for potions. )

We shouldn't take too many of these. He may need them to ward off predators. ( The spurs will more than likely grow back, but he doesn't want to leave the thing defenseless while they do. He runs a thumb over one of the smaller growths, mulling over how to best take them out. )

They're pretty thin, so we may be able to cut through them with a knife.

[poolhall_killer]

And if too many are broken off, that might give their position away. We only need a couple, correct?

[He starts assessing which spurs to harvest without putting it at risk.]

Don't worry. We won't keep you much longer. My friend and I just want to help some very sick people.

[judicia]

At least six. That's what the old lady said.

( So that's as many as they'll take. The longer spurs would be the most desirable, considering that they could be ground up into a larger quantity of powder. Those are the ones they should be looking at. Anders reaches down for the newly-forged knife he has strapped his belt. )

Do you want to do the honors or should I?

[poolhall_killer]

You do it. I know how to use a knife, but I feel more comfortable being the one holding the puox.

[He reaches out for the little creature.]

[judicia]

Alright.

( He releases the bony critter gently into Venom's grasp, his fingers wrapping tighter around the hilt of the blade, sliding it out from its scabbard. He's cut through bones before, severed limbs from patients' bodies when they were either too mangled or too infected to heal.

This shouldn't be any more difficult or painful than that. Anders takes one of the puox's longer spurs into his grip and, with his usual clinical detachment, begins sawing at it with the edge of his knife. )

[poolhall_killer]

[It's clear the creature is a bit uncomfortable with being handled, but Venom keeps a firm yet gentle grip on it.]

Shhh... it'll be over soon, little one.

[He watches Anders sever the bone with surgical precision, getting just enough of the bony protrusion without cutting too close to the puox's flesh or shell.]