Lyota Silverstar sits at a table in The Lucky Bastard, and looks over the assortment of Challengers sitting alongside her. Two kobolds, another demon - although this one an incubus rather than a fury - and most uniquely, a goblin. The group, despite being unfamiliar with each other, are already laughing and sharing drinks with each other. Although they all show the marks of experience, their discipline appears to be lacking, and none of them show her level of focus on their task.
Lyota does not pass judgment.
It's important, as a fury demon, to learn the differences between various kinds of rules. And oh, are there so very many kinds. Laws. Morality. Ethics. Politeness and decorum. Discipline. Some of which only apply in certain situations, or even if they do apply, may have differing strengths of application. Being rude in front of a king can occasionally be a killing offense. Being rude in a bar? Sometimes it's a requirement. Trying to enforce rules that aren't actually in effect can be a good way to become a social pariah, and could lead to no one paying attention when you attempt to enforce others in the future.
Worse, it could lead to disappointment. To lead you into anticipating a fine, filling meal, and then biting down to discover that it is meager and rotten.
So, Lyota does not pass judgment. For now. For now, her task is to get things in order, and to firmly establish what the rules are. Then perhaps a bit of enforcement...although not too harshly on teammates. For some odd reason, that often seems to lead to teams performing even worse than before the rules were applied. But still, perhaps a bit of enforcement, as a treat.
She begins with a proper greeting, once the conversation hits a bit of a lull and everyone is seated. "Welcome to Grassbrook, I'm glad you're all here, I know this was some distance to cover for some of you." She nods towards the two kobold Mages, one a man in red robes marked by symbols of flame, the other a woman in white robes with golden suns. "Barny, Passy, I understand you two have often worked together in teams before, and some of us may be vaguely familiar with each other from our time in the Association. However, as we have never worked together as a full party before, I believe we should start with introductions."
Before she can continue, the incubus dressed in light leathers and loose-fitting cloth lets out a laugh. "And are you the party leader, then? Is that an official declaration, or are you taking it upon yourself?" The man's golden eyes twinkle, even in the shade provided by the hat fitted around his horns, but his smile appears less than genuine. Lyota isn't surprised - she's never been popular with the incubi crowd in particular.
"I am, by merit of seniority as the only Master-class Challenger present. I am Lyota Silverstar, level 37 Soul Lasher. And you, I believe, are Lionel Fatestealer, the Gambler Bard?"
He nods as she glares at him slightly. "I am indeed, manipulator of fates both good and ill. Fear not that I'll cheat at cards, my dear companions, as it is difficult to play a game and an instrument at the same time."
Barny, the male kobold, rolls his eyes. "Friend, you so much as try whistling during a round and I'll scorch your fancy hat. Tell me, Fatestealer, is the name for your class or did you pick the class for your name?"
This time, the demon's grin seems to come from the heart. "It's a family business, as it happens. Four generations of music runs through my blood - and if you know demons, you know that's quite a long time. What of yourself? The themed outfit tells me fire may be involved."
The kobold nods back, with black markings along the ridges of his red-scaled skin giving the impression of having been born singed. "That's me - Barny, Soulflame Wielder. I'll be the team's healer, I reckon."
At this the goblin speaks up, the first time he's uttered more than four words since arriving. Although goblins come in a vast array of sizes, this particular one stands at a mere four and a half feet. He has a presence despite that however, with his bare arms displaying more muscle than the incubus and the two kobolds put together. "Wait, healing with fire? How's that make sense - are you sure it's not the one in Cleric robes sitting next to you?"
"Passy's no Cleric, but I forgive you the misconception. My flames source their energy from the soul, rather than more mundane fuels. With them I can easily burn out poisons and toxins, and even restoring the body to a hale state is quite possible."
Passy nods, before picking up the conversation. "As for me, I'm a Solar Arcanist. Unaffiliated with any religious groups, thank you." Unlike Barny her scales bare no resemblance to her class, but instead come in a lovely green. Light does reflect from them nicely though, giving them a sharp contrast to the goblin's dark green skin.
The goblin's brow furrows. "Sun magic? No offense, Mage, but I feel like there's gonna be some issues with an underground dungeon like that."
The kobold gives as much of a grin as her snout allows. "Wrong again, sorry! While I can play with the sun's light, my real focus is on recreating it. It's actually way more useful when in dark areas, and it's usually strong against a lot of undead types, too. Which is good, cause I hear this dungeon's got a bunch."
With that said, Lionel turns back towards the goblin. "And you, my stout fellow, are our heavy I assume? You seem light on armor, but I know there are some classes that do without."
This time it's the goblin's turn to roll his eyes at misconceptions. "What, you think I'm gonna stomp in with dozens of pounds of metal strapped on just to make a good first impression? But yeah, I'm more than armor, too. Wetears, Hordecaller Captain. To save you all the trouble of asking, I can summon a horde of kin to help me hold a static defense. If you define a 'horde' as 'four or five magical constructs', at least."
Throughout the conversation Lyota was only half-listening, paying more attention to the auras of the party as they spoke than their words. They all seemed...mostly clear of stain, other than the incubus, but she was also picking up on the accusatory stares many of the other patrons were discreetly throwing in Wetears' direction. "Tell me, Captain, do you have a reputation in this village I should be aware of? Or with the Association? The other Challengers seem less than fond of you."
The man waves it off as he takes another drink. "Nah, it's just me being a goblin. I'm used to it. Mostly. Stopped getting in fights about it a good decade back."
Lionel glances around, somewhat confused. "It's more hostility than just curiosity at seeing an odd fellow, is that what you see, Silverstar? Odd that they should single out him, though - I'm used to some prejudice among the Rainlander set, but goblins are but a bare few on the New Continent at all, let alone in the Domain."
The goblin scoffs as he runs a hand through his black hair, tied back into a ponytail. "Yeah, there's not many of us, but we all came here for the same reason. See, back in the days when the Domain engaged in slave-trading, the other major player in the trade was the Hordelands. And, of course, the Goblin States played middleman for the exchange. If you're a goblin from the Domain, nine out of ten odds you come from a family of slave merchants, one that settled down locally back then."
Lyota frowns, growing more irritated now at the looks from the other Challengers. "But those days are long behind us now! You goblins are not so long-lived - they judge you for the crimes of an ancestor? One should be judged only on their own merits and flaws."
Wetears seems a little surprised to hear it from her. "Glad to hear you say so, Lasher. It is what it is, though, I'm not gonna start shit if the soft-skins don't. So anyhow, think that's enough talking about ourselves, unless we wanna share our hobbies and favorite colors? No?" The man moves on quickly when it looks like Lionel might actually be about to say something. "So wanna tell us what the job is?"
Lyota nods, and taps an amulet she wore today for this specific purpose, causing the sound of the tavern around them to die away. "I'll be using an Amulet of Silence to maintain some privacy, please do not share what I am about to say, or there shall be...consequences." There's a look in her eyes which makes her party wonder whether or not she's hoping someone will turn out to have loose lips, but they collectively decide to pay close attention and remain attentive for now. "You each received a message from Domain agents asking for you to gather here. I'm telling you now, however, that this assignment comes all the way from the top - the Dragonlord themselves."
The kobolds seem effectively wowed by the revelation, although Lyota is slightly put out to see that Lionel and Wetears aren't displaying much of a reaction. Regardless, she continues. "It has come to light that the spirit controlling Worthy Dungeon has come into possession of some artifacts once belonging to the Dragonlord, from when this territory fully belonged to the Domain. Emissary Darktouched herself has arranged a deal with the dungeon allowing it to use the artifacts, but the Dragonlord wishes to keep a much closer eye on the dungeon to ensure the guardianship of their property is handled seriously."
This time, the name-dropping has a stronger effect on the incubus. "Cerise Darktouched is working on this project!? Well, now you have my full attention! If we do well, do you think she'll reward us...personally?" The man waggles his eyebrows, and Lyota stares at him.
"Is that a sexual innuendo about a superior officer, Bard?"
"...Yes? Well, ignoring that we're not officially in the chain of command, of course." The incubus gives her a grin, daring her to find a way to punish him for the comment, but her recollection of Challenger Association rules and regulations fails to come up with anything relevant.
"...Noted. I would consider that an unlikely result. Payment in currency will be generous, however. Mind your tongue in any case, Bard."
Wetears eyes the two demons and the stares being exchanged between them before hazarding a question. "Are you two flirtin' right now?"
"No."
"Not yet." Lionel grins again, and Lyota spends a brief moment wondering if using her lash on him would help or hurt in the current situation.
"...Moving on. Our first objective will be to clear as much of the dungeon currently exists, and to become familiar with its challenges. Then, as the dungeon continues to expand, we are to attempt to learn about its changes as soon as possible and then to report our findings. This includes new floors, bosses, monster types, behaviors, and so on. You have all been briefed on the unusual nature of the dungeon and its bosses, I assume."
Lionel raises a hand and Lyota considers whether or not she should focus her Amulet of Silence on him specifically, but to her surprise he actually has useful information to share. "Well! As it happens, I know at least a little information about the dungeon's latest boss!"
Passy gives him a rather disbelieving look. "What, before you've even seen the dungeon itself?"
"Indeed! For I have been engaging in the devious practice of gossip, and it turns out that on the last official dungeon inspection, something managed to go terribly wrong. The Association Agent's party came back with one fewer member than she left with, and I have it on good authority that their Rogue - a Midnight Shadow, to be specific - not only died but met the dungeon's standards for taking a spot on the boss roster."
Lyota considers the information quickly, and allows a slight smile to come to her face. "That is useful information - thank you for your contribution, Fatestealer. A Midnight Shadow could imply a boss with darkness powers...Passy, I do believe that when we begin our training, I would like to see your skills in particular."
The kobolds sigh. "Ahhh, training? We're all Experts here, let's just hit the dungeon and see how it goes!"
"The last Domain team was made of Experts and above and was almost wiped out to the last woman." From the way the others perk up at that, it's clear that that information was not included in their briefings. "We will be handling this with all proper seriousness. I expect to see you all in the training yards this afternoon - when we invade Worthy Dungeon, we shall be ready."
Lyota Silverstar sits at a table in The Lucky Bastard, and looks over the assortment of Challengers sitting alongside her. Two kobolds, another demon - although this one an incubus rather than a fury - and most uniquely, a goblin. The group, despite being unfamiliar with each other, are already laughing and sharing drinks with each other. Although they all show the marks of experience, their discipline appears to be lacking, and none of them show her level of focus on their task.
Lyota does not pass judgment.
It's important, as a fury demon, to learn the differences between various kinds of rules. And oh, are there so very many kinds. Laws. Morality. Ethics. Politeness and decorum. Discipline. Some of which only apply in certain situations, or even if they do apply, may have differing strengths of application. Being rude in front of a king can occasionally be a killing offense. Being rude in a bar? Sometimes it's a requirement. Trying to enforce rules that aren't actually in effect can be a good way to become a social pariah, and could lead to no one paying attention when you attempt to enforce others in the future.
Worse, it could lead to disappointment. To lead you into anticipating a fine, filling meal, and then biting down to discover that it is meager and rotten.
So, Lyota does not pass judgment. For now. For now, her task is to get things in order, and to firmly establish what the rules are. Then perhaps a bit of enforcement...although not too harshly on teammates. For some odd reason, that often seems to lead to teams performing even worse than before the rules were applied. But still, perhaps a bit of enforcement, as a treat.
She begins with a proper greeting, once the conversation hits a bit of a lull and everyone is seated. "Welcome to Grassbrook, I'm glad you're all here, I know this was some distance to cover for some of you." She nods towards the two kobold Mages, one a man in red robes marked by symbols of flame, the other a woman in white robes with golden suns. "Barny, Passy, I understand you two have often worked together in teams before, and some of us may be vaguely familiar with each other from our time in the Association. However, as we have never worked together as a full party before, I believe we should start with introductions."
Before she can continue, the incubus dressed in light leathers and loose-fitting cloth lets out a laugh. "And are you the party leader, then? Is that an official declaration, or are you taking it upon yourself?" The man's golden eyes twinkle, even in the shade provided by the hat fitted around his horns, but his smile appears less than genuine. Lyota isn't surprised - she's never been popular with the incubi crowd in particular.
"I am, by merit of seniority as the only Master-class Challenger present. I am Lyota Silverstar, level 37 Soul Lasher. And you, I believe, are Lionel Fatestealer, the Gambler Bard?"
He nods as she glares at him slightly. "I am indeed, manipulator of fates both good and ill. Fear not that I'll cheat at cards, my dear companions, as it is difficult to play a game and an instrument at the same time."
Barny, the male kobold, rolls his eyes. "Friend, you so much as try whistling during a round and I'll scorch your fancy hat. Tell me, Fatestealer, is the name for your class or did you pick the class for your name?"
This time, the demon's grin seems to come from the heart. "It's a family business, as it happens. Four generations of music runs through my blood - and if you know demons, you know that's quite a long time. What of yourself? The themed outfit tells me fire may be involved."
The kobold nods back, with black markings along the ridges of his red-scaled skin giving the impression of having been born singed. "That's me - Barny, Soulflame Wielder. I'll be the team's healer, I reckon."
At this the goblin speaks up, the first time he's uttered more than four words since arriving. Although goblins come in a vast array of sizes, this particular one stands at a mere four and a half feet. He has a presence despite that however, with his bare arms displaying more muscle than the incubus and the two kobolds put together. "Wait, healing with fire? How's that make sense - are you sure it's not the one in Cleric robes sitting next to you?"
"Passy's no Cleric, but I forgive you the misconception. My flames source their energy from the soul, rather than more mundane fuels. With them I can easily burn out poisons and toxins, and even restoring the body to a hale state is quite possible."
Passy nods, before picking up the conversation. "As for me, I'm a Solar Arcanist. Unaffiliated with any religious groups, thank you." Unlike Barny her scales bare no resemblance to her class, but instead come in a lovely green. Light does reflect from them nicely though, giving them a sharp contrast to the goblin's dark green skin.
The goblin's brow furrows. "Sun magic? No offense, Mage, but I feel like there's gonna be some issues with an underground dungeon like that."
The kobold gives as much of a grin as her snout allows. "Wrong again, sorry! While I can play with the sun's light, my real focus is on recreating it. It's actually way more useful when in dark areas, and it's usually strong against a lot of undead types, too. Which is good, cause I hear this dungeon's got a bunch."
With that said, Lionel turns back towards the goblin. "And you, my stout fellow, are our heavy I assume? You seem light on armor, but I know there are some classes that do without."
This time it's the goblin's turn to roll his eyes at misconceptions. "What, you think I'm gonna stomp in with dozens of pounds of metal strapped on just to make a good first impression? But yeah, I'm more than armor, too. Wetears, Hordecaller Captain. To save you all the trouble of asking, I can summon a horde of kin to help me hold a static defense. If you define a 'horde' as 'four or five magical constructs', at least."
Throughout the conversation Lyota was only half-listening, paying more attention to the auras of the party as they spoke than their words. They all seemed...mostly clear of stain, other than the incubus, but she was also picking up on the accusatory stares many of the other patrons were discreetly throwing in Wetears' direction. "Tell me, Captain, do you have a reputation in this village I should be aware of? Or with the Association? The other Challengers seem less than fond of you."
The man waves it off as he takes another drink. "Nah, it's just me being a goblin. I'm used to it. Mostly. Stopped getting in fights about it a good decade back."
Lionel glances around, somewhat confused. "It's more hostility than just curiosity at seeing an odd fellow, is that what you see, Silverstar? Odd that they should single out him, though - I'm used to some prejudice among the Rainlander set, but goblins are but a bare few on the New Continent at all, let alone in the Domain."
The goblin scoffs as he runs a hand through his black hair, tied back into a ponytail. "Yeah, there's not many of us, but we all came here for the same reason. See, back in the days when the Domain engaged in slave-trading, the other major player in the trade was the Hordelands. And, of course, the Goblin States played middleman for the exchange. If you're a goblin from the Domain, nine out of ten odds you come from a family of slave merchants, one that settled down locally back then."
Lyota frowns, growing more irritated now at the looks from the other Challengers. "But those days are long behind us now! You goblins are not so long-lived - they judge you for the crimes of an ancestor? One should be judged only on their own merits and flaws."
Wetears seems a little surprised to hear it from her. "Glad to hear you say so, Lasher. It is what it is, though, I'm not gonna start shit if the soft-skins don't. So anyhow, think that's enough talking about ourselves, unless we wanna share our hobbies and favorite colors? No?" The man moves on quickly when it looks like Lionel might actually be about to say something. "So wanna tell us what the job is?"
Lyota nods, and taps an amulet she wore today for this specific purpose, causing the sound of the tavern around them to die away. "I'll be using an Amulet of Silence to maintain some privacy, please do not share what I am about to say, or there shall be...consequences." There's a look in her eyes which makes her party wonder whether or not she's hoping someone will turn out to have loose lips, but they collectively decide to pay close attention and remain attentive for now. "You each received a message from Domain agents asking for you to gather here. I'm telling you now, however, that this assignment comes all the way from the top - the Dragonlord themselves."
The kobolds seem effectively wowed by the revelation, although Lyota is slightly put out to see that Lionel and Wetears aren't displaying much of a reaction. Regardless, she continues. "It has come to light that the spirit controlling Worthy Dungeon has come into possession of some artifacts once belonging to the Dragonlord, from when this territory fully belonged to the Domain. Emissary Darktouched herself has arranged a deal with the dungeon allowing it to use the artifacts, but the Dragonlord wishes to keep a much closer eye on the dungeon to ensure the guardianship of their property is handled seriously."
This time, the name-dropping has a stronger effect on the incubus. "Cerise Darktouched is working on this project!? Well, now you have my full attention! If we do well, do you think she'll reward us...personally?" The man waggles his eyebrows, and Lyota stares at him.
"Is that a sexual innuendo about a superior officer, Bard?"
"...Yes? Well, ignoring that we're not officially in the chain of command, of course." The incubus gives her a grin, daring her to find a way to punish him for the comment, but her recollection of Challenger Association rules and regulations fails to come up with anything relevant.
"...Noted. I would consider that an unlikely result. Payment in currency will be generous, however. Mind your tongue in any case, Bard."
Wetears eyes the two demons and the stares being exchanged between them before hazarding a question. "Are you two flirtin' right now?"
"No."
"Not yet." Lionel grins again, and Lyota spends a brief moment wondering if using her lash on him would help or hurt in the current situation.
"...Moving on. Our first objective will be to clear as much of the dungeon currently exists, and to become familiar with its challenges. Then, as the dungeon continues to expand, we are to attempt to learn about its changes as soon as possible and then to report our findings. This includes new floors, bosses, monster types, behaviors, and so on. You have all been briefed on the unusual nature of the dungeon and its bosses, I assume."
Lionel raises a hand and Lyota considers whether or not she should focus her Amulet of Silence on him specifically, but to her surprise he actually has useful information to share. "Well! As it happens, I know at least a little information about the dungeon's latest boss!"
Passy gives him a rather disbelieving look. "What, before you've even seen the dungeon itself?"
"Indeed! For I have been engaging in the devious practice of gossip, and it turns out that on the last official dungeon inspection, something managed to go terribly wrong. The Association Agent's party came back with one fewer member than she left with, and I have it on good authority that their Rogue - a Midnight Shadow, to be specific - not only died but met the dungeon's standards for taking a spot on the boss roster."
Lyota considers the information quickly, and allows a slight smile to come to her face. "That is useful information - thank you for your contribution, Fatestealer. A Midnight Shadow could imply a boss with darkness powers...Passy, I do believe that when we begin our training, I would like to see your skills in particular."
The kobolds sigh. "Ahhh, training? We're all Experts here, let's just hit the dungeon and see how it goes!"
"The last Domain team was made of Experts and above and was almost wiped out to the last woman." From the way the others perk up at that, it's clear that that information was not included in their briefings. "We will be handling this with all proper seriousness. I expect to see you all in the training yards this afternoon - when we invade Worthy Dungeon, we shall be ready."
