In a town called Mirfield, a crowd of people were in the Shouting Grotto Inn, the lighting was very dim and mostly came from the candles placed on every table. Every person in that Inn belonged to the Blackguard guild.
As always, Guerrans, a quite tall blond ranger, can be found near the barkeep drinking his grape juice. He might not be that close to his brother but he still goes to his meetings with the guild, also to get away from the castle walls. Emmerson, a huge barbarian with brows that cover his eyes and who is the barkeep of this tavern, points to a table and asks Guerrans if he could bring it to the table over there. Guerrans brought the plate to the tiefling and made a littles small talk with the green tiefling that was waiting for something or someone. When he got back, Emmerson was gone.
A red rogue tiefling with purple hair soon arrives at the Shouting Grotto at the time that the letter she found on her desk said. She scans the room a little before perceiving a green tiefling, Thexus, through the crowds. Guerrans had just left a plate of Gurdats and Cheese. (Fried mushroom with a cheese sauce to dip in).
"Hey Kalsolis, have you seen Kallia?"Asked Thexus.
"No, I thought she was with you." responded Kalsolis.
A small aasimar bard with yellow skin and medium length brown hair met up with Emmerson, in the back of the tavern. Emmerson had asked him to play music in the background since the last troop left without warning. He sits down on the counter next to Guerrans who has his head down and is surrounded by empty bottles of grape juice and plays away while everybody is having a good time.
"Hey yellow boy, play the new song from Flowstar." shouted Thexus.
"My name is Caspien." retorted the aasimar before playing another song.
Emerson had asked Hozan, a wild magic sorceress raccoon shifter with black and white hair, to bring deliveries around the town. Once she finished she arrived at the tavern and made her way through the crowd. People would go out of their way to not be close to her. Whispers of the wild witch spread like wildfire around the town. She ends up next to a blond boy and a brown haired boy, Guerrans and Caspien.
They all notice a girl awkwardly making her way avoiding eye contact and sitting behind Kalsolis's table. A man stands up on the counter, his head is high and filled with determination, Horace said:
"For tonight's exploration, we will map out the dungeons once more and try to find that crystal. Another team said they saw a hive-city built by Formians and if we go through it, we will find a new, unexplored tunnel. So when I call out your name, please form a small group in front of me."
"Harrison Hawkons", as the name was said, a tall muscly man emerged from the crowd, people clammore. "Kallia", everybody looked around and worried whispers started traveling throughout until she dropped from the ceiling. "Lee Estrella", a small and skinny man joins the group, the heir to the throne. "Amanda and Ruby Pecks", two identical twins walk up, one had a bow and arrow and the other had a bear sigil on her hand.Before Horace could finish, Lee cut him and added: "I'm also adding a new group that my little bro will direct." He picks up and side hugs Guerrans before continuing:
"This includes Kalsolis, Hozan, my brother Guerrans and..." He looks around before pointing Caspien. "You there." He says while pointing at Caspien. You four will take care of the quests our town added to the quest board. That is it for this meeting.."
But before he could finish, a green hooded girl bangs the table behind Kalsolis's, the same awkward girl they had seen stumble through the door. "I've waited 5 years to be named", rage fills her voice as she removes her hood revealing her dark brown eyes and coiled hair. "All I want is to be drafted, please give me a chance. You literally just chose a bard over me." She points at Caspien. The leader looks at her and says : " You are more useful here as our blacksmith, Echo. Remember your place and your job. Everybody is happy with their roles. Why can't you be?" The girl looks around a little with eyes silently asking for help, for support, but when nobody says a word, she storms out of the door.
Caspien, Hozan, Kalsolis and Guerrans leave the tavern and stand outside.
Hozan takes the lead and addresses a rumor she's heard about Guerrans:
"So, Guerrans, How do you feel about... magic users?"
"Well you know, they're o-kay." Guerrans says, trying not to show the panic in his voice.
He has heard a lot about magic users. Some information from the castle's library, but mostly from his brother. He has heard bad bad things about wizards and illegal magic users. About their razor sharp teeth and spells that only can cause harm and pain. Let's just say that today wasn't his lucky day. He heard the rumors about the others. Caspien can turn himself into a lightbulb, Hozan turned a guy into a flower accidentally and Kalsolis went to prison as a teen for illegal magic use.
"Are you sure about that?" Hozan says with a lot of attitude. "Because from what I've heard you're a cold blooded magic user killer who shows no sympathy for us."
The group looks at Guerrans and takes a step back. He franticly shakes his head. He starts hearing Idelis, his quori spirit, a spirit that talks in his mind. He then rushes to get to a space where he is alone, the tavern bathroom.
"What are you doing with them, Guerrans?"
"Look Idelis, if that<s even your real name. They look nice, they look pacifist, not like what I've heard. They look like I could befriend them."
"You only think that because you are naïve. They are going to backstab you."
"Just leave me alone."
He leaves the bathroom to join his team.
"Sorry guys. I had an indigestion from all that grape juice." He laughs nervously.
While he had been gone the others learnt about each other like Caspien confirmed to the two others that he wasn't educated but judged them for asking him if he lived in a circus caravan his whole life, Kalsolis didn't share that much except that she did go in prison for illegal magic use and Hozan didn't confirm nor deny if she digs through trash.
"So, Boss, what do we do?" says Hozan and everybody looks at Guerrans.
"Um, we should probably check out the quest board since its our task."
Since Caspien knows the town like the back of his hand, the whole team followed him to the middle of the town, where you can find the quest board. Three quests laid in front of them: Parchment Killer, Silver Long Grass Picker and Firecanes Harvester. The team collectively chose to start with The Parchment Killer Quest. Caspien leads the way to the closest opening to the Underdark. A place crawling with monsters during the day. They make their way to the den of Parchment Golems. Before them stood three golems made of paper and they all had a purple stone in their chest and torches lighting the open room. After an intense battle they manage to kill one and put the other two to sleep with Hozan's spell. They removed the parchment and Guerrans was very intrigued by the crystal.
"Could one of y'all get me a crystal?" Asked Guerrans.
"I could do it-" started Kalsolis.
"I'm gonna control the fire from a torch and burn them. After that we can collect the stones."
"Why would you burn them, they're sleeping?" Caspien asked.
"Because we just skinned them alive, so I'm going to put them out of their misery."
Hozan then urges everyone to get behind her and she casted create fire which allows her to modify fire and or move it. She then moves the flame to the closest golem. As it slowly burns it reaches the stone and- BOOM!!! Explosion. Guerrans jumped in front of Hozan to protect her and after the other stone caused a chain reaction and once the fire and explosions stopped nothing was left. Everything was destroyed leaving behind a burnt charred mark. During the fight Guerrans was injured in the leg, so Caspien used his bless touched and healed him.
They look at each other and they head to the person who requested the parchment, Echo Steele, The Blackguard guild's blacksmith.
Upon arrival they see Echo working on a project and she is putting all her rage into hammering the metal and maneuvering the sword in the way she wants it. The group walked up to her. Caspien gave her the parchment, the team gained money and a 10% discount on next order and before the team left, Guerrans decided to talk to her.
"So it was quite the scene you performed earlier."
"Yeah?? Well they deserved it."
"Can I ask why you outburst?"
"Well, maybe you should ask them why they never chose me, I didn't do ANYTHING wrong."
Echo is getting heated and Guerrans tries to calm her down by adding:
"Well I think you're really amazing and they lost an incredible fighter. But more importantly I wanted to ask you about the sword you're working on."
"Oh yes," her smile comes back and she looks calmer, "This is a greatsword made with mithral and I'm just adding a fire rune to make it, well you know, fire."
"Very interesting.. Could I buy it, from you, perhaps?"
"Well I only take orders so this is made for somebody else, but if you get me a rune I can make you a similar one."
"How much?"
"40 julara is my price for this sword."
"Perfect I'll just note this down in my notebook anddd i'll see you around. Bye Echo."
Out of nowhere Kalsolis exits their house. She had left to go to the 'bathroom'.
"Anything of worth?" Asked Caspien.
"Nope, but I found a portrait of a happy family, a wedding picture and a certificate that said the name Dale Steele, ring a bell?" answered Kalsolis.
"No, why?"
"Well I don't know who he is either."
The team goes back to the quest board. They decide on the Silver Long Grass Picker. The grass could be found in between the town Mirfiled and the tavern named Wandering Crow situated close to the town, Conniston. When they arrived at the patch of this grayish grass, Guerrans hid behind a tree to talk with Idelis.
"You see that drunk green tiefling over there?"
"Yeah?"
"Do not talk to her. She is a magic user named Edelina and she cannot be trusted."
"Well I think that the castle, that my brother and you have been wrong about magic users. My team has treated me with only kindness."
"Maybe not them, but she is no good. Trust me. She is what we call a rebel and she hurt my friend's feelings a couple years ago."
"Oh?"
Guerrans suddenly heard a deeper voice that said 'Idelis, we are late for the meeting.' and then Idelis left and he went back to the group where Hozan and Kalsolis were picking grass bundles and Caspien went to the tiefling.
The tiefling was stumbling out of the Wandering Crow Tavern. She had a lot of muscles and trinkets on her tool belt.
"Hello, how are you and what's your name?"
The lady looks at Caspien before answering:
"hI, my NamE Is EDelIna aNd I'M HorrrIble." she says while crying.
"Oh? and why is that?"
"I lIkeD a PerSon WHo sAw mE aS A FRiend. LiKE WHat??"
Before Caspien could get anything out of her, she passed out and the bartender and waiter came and dragged her back.
When Caspien came back their there had finished picking everything up and Guerrans questioned him about what the tiefling said:
"Yeah, she was just sad because she got rejected."
"That's it? Well then let's go bring these to Elmclaw." said Kalsolis
Elmclaw was the town apothecary. He was a tree, but could talk and move. He was tending to his plants when Hozan approached the counter.
"Thank you so much for bringing me this. Here is your reward"
The team acquired money and a small health potion.
"How much for a flight potion sir?" Asked Guerrans.
"30 Julara for 1 hour."
"Perfect, I'll buy it."
The team goes back for the last quest: Firecanes Harvester. The firecanes were totally opposite from where the grass was. The canes could be found close to the docks that were currently empty. Hozan approaches and picks up a cane before immediately dropping it since it burnt her. Kalsolis, thinking she's immune since she's a tiefling, also tries and burns but less. Caspien then uses his hands with Guerrans help to extinguish them for a couple seconds and they put the firecanes in Caspien's shawl. They then bring it to Gisela, the one who wanted these fiery candies.
Gisela Wane was the town baker. She worked in a small but very colorful bakery/candy shop. When they entered, Gisela was handing out candies to the local children. Gisela thanked them and gave them money and a candy called liquor'ice. Kalsolis was too embarrassed to ask for candy so Guerrans asked for her instead.
"Oh yes of course, I'll give you one of my new ones. It'll warm you up for sure."
Gisela hands a red ball to Kalsolis and she eats it in one go. Nothing was happening until she breathed fire on one of Gisela's stands. She was disappointed, but she decided to keep her head high.
"Are y'all excited for the Snow festival?"
The group looked at each other. None had been before.
"How about y'all catch a ride with me. The festival is in two weeks and will be at Ascott."
The team agreed and left the shop. They then went their separate ways. Caspien went to sleep in his caravan, Kalsolis went to her small apartment and Guerrans invited Hozan for a sleepover since Hozan didn't have any place to go.