nysalogs | mercenary jobs #3

Entry tags:

mercenary jobs #3 — open to all

Who: Anyone interested in taking some mercenary jobs via Aranea Highwind's offerings. This log is focused on Wyver and can be found on job boards across the city as well as personal handwaved texts.
What: Mercenary posting!
When: N/A
Where: N/A
Warning(s): Possible sex threads based off heat-event for this month. This was posted early for the holidays, btw. Happy Thanksgiving, etc!

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.

JOB #1 — DOOR TO DOOR

With the abundance of new visitors, it seems there have been ample amounts of donations to the temple. Unfortunately, that is not enough. When you approach, you're stopped by a young woman named Igo who is requesting you help her: please pass out 100 pamphlets to refugees enlisting donations.

OUTCOMES:
- For all pamphlets passed out, the Shaman will pay you 100 Silver.

JOB #2 — DRAGON DERBY

In the West, you hear about this month's Wyver Derby, a small event where dragons are put to race on a track. It seems the fan favorite is Fangface but the newcomer Wingslash ranked high in their first few races. You're hired for body guard duty, keeping the peace and ensuring no riots occur. Enjoy drinks as you watch the show, try to bet for the right one.

OUTCOMES:
- Wingslash wins by a nose, so anyone who votes for that dragon will win double their bet.
- Those who bet on Fangface or any other participant will lose their bet.

JOB #3 — AFTERMATH

Tied to Job #2, the Derby went relatively smoothly... You're enjoying discounted drinks at the bar. It wasn't until you notice one of the ticketers cashing out a suspicious amount of extra money to a small group of people who very vocally complained about losing. As the small group leaves, you can either: report the ticketer or two, track them down.

OUTCOMES:
- If you simply report the ticketer, you'll be rewarded with an additional 125 Silver.
- If you track down the group, you'll find they're all in a small gambling ring, petty crooks that drank too much and most certainly had an inside connection. You must be ready for a fight — all 4 will attack you with fists and small pocket knives.

JOB #4 — VILE LITTLE THINGS

You were contracted directly from Aranea Highwind for a monster hunt. A Vileling that was once kept as a pet grew hostile in the past few weeks before finally escaping its owner in Old City and reeking havoc on pet-owners. Your job is to track it down before more pets are killed. Aranea instructed you to 'take care of it', but upon your journey, the Vileling owner (Bekins) has insisted you save it and bring it back to Murkhollow alive. Of course, they offer a good price.

OUTCOMES:
- Aranea is offering a flat 400 silver to wipe it out.
- You can lie or oppose Aranea's order, you which will gain negative CR from the mercenary leader. Bekins will reward you with 140 silver and you must find a way to return it to Murkhollow.

JOB #5 — RED NIGHT LIGHT

Bodyguard duty seems a bit more... mature tonight. With the week waning on and people acting on lust and emotions, there has been a bit more call for those looking to patrol the more savory areas of Wyver. You'll be paid a flat fee of 450 Silver for a night's worth of work.

There are three areas to watch over: a bordello, a herb shop, and a gang's rumored hide-out.

OUTCOMES:
- If you choose the bordello, you will find yourself playing body guard for one of the establishment's ... best worker and favorite client. You can peek in on the woman and her partner at the risk of being caught or you can escort them out afterwards. The woman offers a tip of 100 Silver and also the chance to have drinks with her...
- If you choose the herb shop, you will find yourself sensitive to the mix of aromas. A contact high ensures your inhibitions are loosened and with the lust in the air? Who knows what that means...
- If you choose the gang's rumored hideout, you will find illegal tusk and scale trading. You'll have to contend with 4 possible gang members all armed with weapons. Fight them or flee to report, you'll earn an additional 150 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!

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[ He frowns, seeing the mess. It's hard to tell if their big-little worm friend has been by here lately, and he wouldn't assume such a creature was accomplished at subtlety. ]

Why couldn't it have posted a sign: "runaway worm this way, please no solicitors." Once again, the universe makes things difficult. [ He is going to earn the sharp side of her tongue.

He hadn't spotted the dagger before she took it out. ]

Do you see anything?

[ The question, at least, is as non-sarcastic as he can manage. ]

[ There's a hint of a laugh in her throat as the man complains, though Vex can't help but agree. Why can't anything ever be that simple?

The near-sarcasm of his question is noted (and more likely to earn ire than sarcastic commentary), and the response is the grating noise of metal along metal, before she stands up, angling the blade to look at the residue - mostly mud, unfortunately. ]

Nothing we can use for tracking a slimy beast. If it came this way, anything trace close to the fountain has been wiped away.. But perhaps if we looking around the square itself?

I guess we should be grateful we can't follow the sounds of the screaming.

[ But he's agreeable to her suggestion, and starts walking around the the square's perimeter. ]

What about this?

[ He points to a blob of sludge on the ground. Is it slime from a giant worm, or just faintly greenish mud? ]

Screaming animals would make it easier to find.

[ Said while mouth twists in distaste. She'd been given some descriptions of the desiccated pets, and the victims didn't sound pretty. All the more reason to get it before it got bigger - and decided children were also rivals worth taking on.

Dipping the dagger into the fountain to rinse it off, she's putting it away when he calls her over. Eyes light up at once. ]

Well, what have we here. That is not a natural colouring. [she gives a nod] You follow it north, I'll go south along the wall here, and we'll see if there's more.

All right. I'll be sure to scream if I run into any giant slugs. You'll be able to track me, easily.

[ He smiles, before heading off, to round up this terrible creature. Except he doesn't have to go that far before the trail seems to end— he doesn't think the beast has come this way. ]

Of that I have no doubt, darling.

[ His smile gets one in return, though, along with a cheeky wink, before she moves in the opposite direction. The slurry is interrupted by traffic, yes, but there's certainly more of it once the main thoroughfare has been passed.

And blood. Quite a bit if you know what you're looking for - and what you're looking for is quite small to begin with.

She crouches again, and gives a whistle for her partner's attention, mindful of the scattered feathers everywhere. Once he approaches, she points along the lowest section of wall: ]

Do you happen to know what creatures around here have blue blood?

[ At the whistle, he inclines his head. Despite what Nash said earlier about being easy to track, he treads lightly, though it's somewhat difficult to do in all the mud and glop.

Blue blood… ]

The aristocracy?

[ But that's a joke. He doesn't know. Back home, there were the Oannes, and certain kinds of demon. But she's right: he isn't home. ]

[ That gets a huff of laughter, and glance up over her shoulder. ]

Yours too?

[ Some are probably literally blue, depending on their race. But she's certainly known nobility that pride such things.

But back on topic: ]

Whatever died probably isn't dragonkin, but this happened within the last hour at least. We need to look for more blood tracks, any goo, any handy grates or fence breaks.

[ In a mockery of earnestness: ] Well, I haven't tried cutting them open. [ Which isn't a lie, but isn't the whole truth either.

Anyway, he wants to do the job, even if this place is strange to him and he hasn't done this kind of fetch-work in, well, however long. And lo and behold, about fifty feet away, there's another patch of goo, which he goes over to examine. He grabs a twig from the ground nearby and sticks it in. ]

Green and blue. There's more over this way. I think going, not coming toward. [ The way the goop is scattered, it's leading around a nearby corner. ]

Probably for the best, they get so upset about that for some reason.

[ Well. Depends on the--no, no it doesn't.

There's not much in the opposite direction, but its not long before she notices his attention is focused on a newer, fresher trail, and she abandons her own sad section of mud and misery to look at multicoloured goop. ]

If that green stuff is its blood, could be part of our job is already done. The prey certainly looks like it put up a fight.

[ Reaching a hand over her shoulder, she pulls her longbow into her hand, retrieving an arrow from her quiver with the other. Perhaps she won't need it..but better to be prepared. With a nod to Nash, she moves quickly to the corner then pauses, all the better to peer around it cautiously. ]

[ He nods— his own weapon isn't as obvious as a longbow, but he clutches his left wrist significantly. Nash doesn't have a semi-witty rejoinder this time, no use announcing your presence to the mark, even if the joke is really good. He knows how to walk silently, and a trained ear (or maybe just an elven one) will notice.

And lo and behold, around the corner lies the Vieling. It's momentarily distracted, trying to worm its way down into the sewers through one of the grates. ]

[ Daggers? And given the stealth with which he moves, no doubt he must have rogue training like her, like her brother.

The vileling writhes, trying to squeeze itself down between grating and sewer opening, green ichor dripping along its side. And beyond it, the source of the blue blood: a turkey-esque bird of some sort, though its head is decidedly crushed. One wing has been ripped aside, and its belly torn asunder, and Vex's mouth flattens into a thin line.

Then a shrill squeal, as her arrow is let fly, burrowing itself into the fleshy tail, and it turns towards the source of the pain, bearing thin rows of needle-sharp teeth their way. ]

Your turn!

[ Not daggers— they're more like darts, or bolts, coming from some contraption up his sleeve.

Nash aims for the mouth, and his first shot bounces off the creature's bared teeth. But the impact causes the creature to open its mouth, emitting a strange, broken glass sort of sound. The next two bolts Nash sends into the open mouth itself, finding softer flesh, like he'd calculated.

But it doesn't go down. ]

Damn. [ He steps backward, needing a few seconds to refix his weapon. ]

[ Now that's interesting. Concealed as it is, Vex can't make out what he's using to fire those bolts, but she can certainly see the impact they have on the Vileling - or don't, as the case may be.

She moves immediately away from the wall, forwards and circling to the right as the creature turns towards them, hostile intent screeching like shards of glass across their eardrums. A second arrow follows the first, and misses, striking into the grating beneath the worm; it rolls aside, away from its exit and from harm, and Vex draws a third arrow from her quiver as she moves.

The creature twists, as though following where she goes in spite of blindness, tracking near-silent steps, which has her furrowing her brow. The slithering motion is fast, and there's something unpleasant about the way it raises the two razor-'fins' at her, each dripping something black and likely unpleasant.

Still. Hmm.. They can use this. ]

[ Seeing the way the blind creature tracks Vex's footsteps, he decides he's going to stay put as long as possible. While his eyes track the creature, he thinks, knowing he doesn't have many more darts left and he can't afford to waste them.

But the darts aren't the only thing he has up his sleeve. The next thing he shoots at the Vileling is a finely-spun wire, which loops around the creature's fins and tangles them up. Finally, Nash steps back to tighten the trap. It'll hold for at least a minute, he thinks. With a strained voice, he asks: ]

Did that guy try to bribe you to return his "pet", too?

[ Nash wasn't considering it, especially after seeing the beast up close. But he's curious all the same. ]

[ The Vileling screeches again as the wire catches and tangles it up, and it writhes, rolling from side to side as it attempts to break free. Its talons try to wriggle high and hook into the wire, to try and put enough pressure--

SHUNK.

The creature goes rigid, then tips over as one, then a second arrow slams into it. The tail tip thrashes, but Vex does not approach, a third arrow waiting as she watches the death throws. Only once it finishes twitching does Vex slowly lower it, though it's clear as she circles back around to Nash that she's not dropping her guard. ]

He did. He didn't offer enough then, and having met it, most certainly didn't offer enough now.

[ That and she's a bigger fan of Aranea by far. She's not about to build bad cred with her over this. ]

[ Nash appreciates Vex's thoroughness— he's seen things get back up a bit too many times. With equal wariness, he approaches the unmoving Vileling. He has to retrieve his grappling hook. ]

I can't imagine why anyone would keep something like this as a pet.

[ He agrees, that guy was not offering near enough cash. But now parts of his wire is covered in the suspicious looking black goo. He winces. ]

What a mess.

Apparently it's a rare beast. Prestige I guess?

[ And now its an even rarer species. Not a creature she'd be sorry to see go extinct, that's for sure. Coming to a stop along side him, she makes a face at the mess, and not just from the body. ]

I don't think I'm going to be able to re-use these arrows again. I think whatever it's made of is toxic enough to eat through them even after it's dead. I suppose we should be grateful the corpse isn't melting in on itself.

[ Does beg the question of bringing it back safely for proof of a job well done. And she certainly notices the mess on those wires. That earns a new and equally disgusted face. ]

..I don't know if it'd help, but do you want to try scraping that stuff off with my dagger?

Ah, yeah, all the prestige you get from being smart enough to keep a glamorous giant slug as a pet. I hadn't considered that.

[ But his expression doesn't change, he's still clearly occupied by the problem of his wires and this suspicious black goo. When Vex offers, he raises an eyebrow. ]

Would you let me?

[ He knows people can be particular about their weapons. ]

Anything can be an beloved family member in the eyes of the right person.

[ So sayeth the woman who's most beloved person in the world after 2 specific people is her bear-son.

Pulling it free of its boot holster, the blade is flipped before being offered pommel first. ]

It's my brother's. I won't tell if you don't.

[ It's true enough that he doesn't make the obvious joke about relatives. But when Vex mentions her brother's knife, he responds.]

Oh, don't worry. Discretion is my favorite part of valor.

[ His lips are sealed. He takes the knife and gets to work— he's used to cleaning off his wire, so it doesn't take him too long, with the help of the dagger. He's wearing gloves, which he'll probably have to replace after doing this, but that's what a bounty is for, right?

(He's a little glad he knows a spell that removes most poisons. ]

Do you think we should try to save this? [ The goop. ] We could maybe sell it to the institute.

If it does mark it up, at least it's something we can pass on to any other hunters. That black stuff is nasty, and I don't think I've anything that can store it.

[ The bounty will more than cover the cost of replacing gloves, that much is true.
Alas, the lack of a bag of holding! Or colding, for that matter. A glass jar might work in the short term, certainly, but Vex doesn't have one of those either.

Then she blinks, and starts patting her pockets. Where did she..ah hah!

She pulls out her phone, and flips it open. ]

You can take images with this, did you know that? That should be proof enough of a successful kill if we can't carry it or find a way to.

[ Oh, right. Nash probably wouldn't have thought of that for another couple of minutes at least. He nods at Vex. ]

It's a bit eerie, isn't it? That those things can capture so much of you at once?

[ He can't take the picture, with this gunk all over his hands. In fact, Nash is going to take off the gloves, hanging them awkwardly from his belt. There's nothing weird about his hands. ]

One would think such things might put artists out of a job. It is far faster than a sketch. Or a painting.

[ She's already sliding free fingers across the device, loading up the application. They don't have any technology quite like this back home, so when she looks up it's with a thoughtful hmm. ]

I don't know about eerie.. But I suspect there are spells that could capture such an image, but I'm no mage to confirm that either way.

[ The first two image attempts aren't very focused, earning an unamused look from Vex. But the third and fourth look much clearer, finally earning a nod of satisfaction. ]

Does it have a collar at all? Or a bow. That'd be good proof too.

[ And, in fact, there is a bow. Horror of horrors, it's pink, now stained to something muddier and reminiscent of mucus. The loops of the bow have fallen into disarray, too. But if you squint, you can see the idea.

The terrible idea.

Nash reluctantly points to the remains of bow, now lying in the dirt beside the creature. ]

I guess it makes sense, if you consider that it's the terrible things about life that are always true.

[ Hmmm. ]

We'll probably have to cut it off.

(no subject)

moneytwin - 2017-12-23 01:54 (UTC) - Expand

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