Welcome to Galdin, travelers!

Galdin - Festival of Heroes

Adventurers from across the land of Threia, and beyond, had begun to gather in the land's capital, Galdin. A festival to celebrate the arrival of these travelers stretched the entirety of the grand capital. Food, drink, music, and fun as far as the eye could see. But why such an extravagant celebration? What exactly was there to celebrate? Well, if you were unaware you must have been living in some cave as a hermit. Galdin was home of one of the most prestigious and well known Adventurer's guilds, and they just so happened to be accepting new members. The guild was home to the most famous heroes and protectors of their world, and if one were to be accepted then they would surely be promised victory in all of their en devours. They were truly the best of the best, and this was cause for celebration in the city of Galdin.

Our heroes, each brought to the city for their own reasons, were just arriving in the capital. Booths with food, games, and entertainment lined the streets, music filled their ears, and confetti rained down from the windows of tall buildings all around. As they passed by civilians, they were greeted with an energetic, "Welcome to Galdin, hero!" Unless one was familiar with this sort of celebration, it all may have seemed a bit overwhelming.

A large crowd was gathering around the guild house, and as each new possible member entered the building the crowd cheered. What awaited the heroes inside was a mystery, as they were simply told that if they truly wanted to be accepted into the Guild's ranks, then they would be required to pass one simple test. What would they have to do? Would it truly be as simple as described? Only time would tell. It is time for our heroes' adventures to begin!

Ahh, it does her heart good to be in festivals. Cheery music, light-hearted smiles, colorful lights, and lots of food. Cecilia Lostara might be having too much fun visiting each and every booth she passes by, curiously looking around and eagerly sampling every different kind of food that she could find. She'll occasionally chat with the booth owners, mostly about their food, and play with laughing children.

As Cecilia munched down on what seemed to be called a 'dango,' she suddenly realizes that she's practically forgotten what she's came here for. At this, she stopped in her tracks with a soft yelp. One of the children she had been playing with looks at her curiously. "Miss, what's wrong?"

Cecilia laughed and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can play any longer." Lowering herself to the child's eye level, she pats his head. "Can you give me directions to the Adventurer's Guild?" The children point directions and give clear instructions. Cecilia nods seriously, and soon enough, waves good bye to them.

Of course, she ends up lost anyway, and she stares wistfully at the gate she remembered entering the city from. Cecilia tilts her head, humming thoughtfully to herself.

The Festival of Heroes. Galdin's citywide celebration of the Adventurers' Guild's expanding numbers. With excitement and festivities abounding, few could say they were unhappy. So many young adventurers were coming from all over to try their hand at cementing their names in history. All of them sought similar rewards. Honor. Prestige. Fame. Valor. These ideals were what drove new heroes to the Guild of Galdin.

...For the most part, anyway.

It couldn't have been more different for the hooded figure walking through the crowds. For every smile directed his way, an annoyed glare was given back. For every cheery greeting, there was silence. The townspeople had seen his type before. They were, without a doubt, used to some of their new heroes being arrogant or condescending. They laughed to themselves as they went about their business, knowing that attitude would be trained out of them soon.

Mori affirmed he would be the only exception. Unlike the others, he wasn't coming to the guild to become a hero. He wanted no fame or honor. He sought only the protection that the guild would offer. He sought the title of a Galdin Adventurer, to replace the Crow of Cavea, the title he had left behind. With that affirmation, he could finally stop running. His life would no longer be in danger. It was all he wanted. No friendship. No fortune.

Only freedom.

Wordlessly, he walked past the people gathering near the entrance to the guild house. Almost as if they knew what he had come for, the watchers made a path for him, yelling excitedly. Shouts of good luck were heard. As if Mori Corvus needed luck. He had enough skill to surpass luck.

And this simple test of the guild's? Nothing more than child's play.

As a lifetime resident of the capital city, Alisa was not unfamiliar with the festival for new heroes.  She'd attended every one that had happened since she had been born, and although she was much younger during those times, the memories were strong and clear in her mind.  She thought they were lots of fun, then.

However, Alisa had never attended as a participant, and it somehow felt like a much less pleasant experience.  Not that it was any less spectacular than when she was a child, but somehow it was more difficult to enjoy with all these eyes on her.  She stood up straight, trying to look proud and confident as people along the edges of the street cheered towards her.  That part wasn't bad, Alisa thought, although it was a little embarassing.  

"Calm down, they might not even be here." she hissed to herself under her breath, as if saying it out loud would make her any less worried.  It made sense, though.  Even if they were here, Galdin was an enormous city -- it's not like they'd see her, necessarily.  

As approached the home stretch, with the guild house now in view in front of her, Alisa started to feel a little more at ease.  Once she was inside, she could finally get to work (well, there was that whole "test" business, but she was hardly concerned about that). The cheers grew louder, almost drowning out the music around them, and Alisa felt brave enough to smile and wave at the clamoring crowd, until--

"Alisa?!"

"Eek!" The dreaded and all-too-familiar sound of her mother's voice somehow shot through the noise like an arrow, and Alisa felt all of the color drain out of her face.  She bolted, making a mad dash for the door and bumping into a few people before they realized and cleared the path.  In seconds she made it  inside and slammed the door behind her, muffling the cheers as she leaned forward and tried to catch her breath.

With his signature sleepy smile, Adelo slid through the crowd of celebrating Galdinians. With every excited greeting, he tipped his hat and returned the favor. Although lively, these sorts of festivals put the bard's heart at ease. Seeing the smiles of all the towns folk was really a mood lifter.

He had a goal, but Adelo couldn't quite get to it. The distractions of the festival were far too much for him to resist. He found himself slipping into bands and providing his own musical flare, dancing with children, and playing personalized songs to those that requested. He even acquired a few unexpected tips from some generous individuals. He was worried that communication may be a problem, as most people in this region weren't familiar with his accent, but it proved to be quite easy. It was shaping up to be a great day... Ah, and now was the perfect time for a nap in the sun. But hadn't he been doing something...? He supposed it could wait for now. It must not have been anything too important!

Adelo dropped his pack in a grassy patch and stretched out his body. He found a delightful little napping spot right by the city gates. "Huh?" Just as Adelo was about to rest his weary head, he sighted a beautiful red haired beauty that seemed to be a bit lost... Adelo tilted the brim of his hat back and looked around to see if anyone was going to attempt to help the young woman, but it appeared that this was a job he would have to do himself.

He approached the woman and tipped his hat to her politely. "Hello there, miss... Ya seem t'be lost. Perhaps I could help ya out some how?" He offered his hand and smiled at the mysterious stranger. She had an approachable air about her, but she certainly seemed... Out of place. Adelo's curiosity was peaked. The nap could wait... for now.

Pingchow wrote:

He approached the woman and tipped his hat to her politely. "Hello there, miss... Ya seem t'be lost. Perhaps I could help ya out some how?" He offered his hand and smiled at the mysterious stranger. She had an approachable air about her, but she certainly seemed... Out of place. Adelo's curiosity was peaked. The nap could wait... for now.

In her thoughtful humming and closed eyes, Cecilia had begun humming a tune prevalent to the town in a festival mood. She shakes her head, and just then she finds someone approaching her and offering help? "Oh!" Cecilia looks around, then looks back at the scruffy-looking man. An awkward smile and an awkward laugh. "Was it obvious?

"I'm sorry, it looks like I really might need help, so if it won't be a bother?" She bows her head. "Your help would be appreciated. I've been trying to get to the Adventurer's Guild." Cecilia claps her hands together. "You seem like another adventurer so it'd be best if we went together!" Unfortunately, giving directions won't work for me, she silently adds.

She holds out her hand. "My name is... Cecilia Lostara. Call me Cecil!"

Sveta skipped through the crowd gleefully, greeting them with just as much enthusiasm as they greeted her. She was playing the social butterfly, giving high fives and cheering along with them. To think that just a few years ago, she was a hermit in a small village. Now she acted like the life of the party. The commotion of the crowd allowed her unseen friend to speak to her without worry of being heard.

"Don't stray too far from the path. One mustn't forget why they came here."

Sveta replied with a nod, not wanting to appear as if she was talking to herself. She looked weird enough.

Still playing along, she made her way to the steps. Admiring the sights of the door for a moment, she felt a firm push shove her out of the way. Good to see people were eager to get inside! Sveta skipped along behind the door but was met with a door slammed right in her face. Geez, it nearly took the tip of her nose with it...

Only slightly shaken, Sveta gently pulled the door open and peeked inside. She was there, trying to catch her breath.

"Everything okay there, miss? There's plenty of party left to enjoy, no need to rush so much!" The strangely accented elf said, approaching the girls side.

"I'm really excited to get started too, though. I hope we get in!"

pache wrote:

"I'm sorry, it looks like I really might need help, so if it won't be a bother?" She bows her head. "Your help would be appreciated. I've been trying to get to the Adventurer's Guild." Cecilia claps her hands together. "You seem like another adventurer so it'd be best if we went together!" Unfortunately, giving directions won't work for me, she silently adds.

She holds out her hand. "My name is... Cecilia Lostara. Call me Cecil!"

"It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Cecil." Adelo took the woman's hand and shook it firmly with a smile. "The name is Adelo Ley Osdela. You can just call me Adelo!" He winked playfully at his new acquaintance, but a quick realization knocked the wink off his face. Something Cecil had said just now had sparked a memory in Adelo's mind.

"A.. Ah... You're right! I was going to the Adventurer's Guild, wasn't I?" Adelo scratched the scruff on his face as an innocent smile spread across his face. "To be honest, I got a bit caught up in all of this commotion. It was too fun to resist, right? Ah, I'm a Bard, you see. I got a bit distracted by all the music and couldn't help but play for everyone... I completely forgot I was going to the guild house for the," Adelo rose his hands and made finger quotations in the air, "'simple test.' I guess running in to you helped us both out, huh?" He laughed heartily and patted Cecil lightly on the shoulder.

"Hmmm... I suppose we ought to get a move on, huh?" Adelo walked back to the grassy patch, picked up his gear, and slung it on his back. The nap was delayed even further, but at least he had made a new friend. "I'll have us there in a jiffy. I've only been around these parts once or twice, but I believe I remember where the guild hall is. Eh... Even if it takes us all day we'll get there eventually, right?" He offered his hand to her and made his way down the cobblestone street.

"Aha! That was easier than expected, eh?" A large crowd greeted them as they approached the guild hall and split to provide a path for them. He approached the door and held it open for Cecil, tipping his hat to her once more. "After you, miss. Best of luck to you in there, hm? I hope to see you again soon." He gave her one last smile before following behind her into the guild hall and closing the door.

The only thought running through his mind was how excited he was to finally be here, but that didn't stop Adelo from drifting off to sleep once he had found a nice place to sit. Hopefully he would awake soon enough to hear the opening ceremony...

bunnibelle wrote:

"Everything okay there, miss? There's plenty of party left to enjoy, no need to rush so much!" The strangely accented elf said, approaching the girls side.

"I'm really excited to get started too, though. I hope we get in!"

"Huh??" Alisa jumped, having forgotten where she was, and she looked up to meet strikingly bright purple eyes.  The spectacle she had just made started to dawn on her, and Alisa suddenly broke eye contact and stood straight up, hoping to redeem her image somehow.  She'd managed to get away from her mother, but did she really have to make herself look like such an idiot while doing it?? "Rush?? I wasn't rushing, that was just... ah... nothing...!" she coughed dismissively, picking confetti out of her hair in an obvious display of feigned nonchalance.

The girl continued talking, and Alisa finally turned back, now finding that she actually had to look down at her a bit.  She was... definitely an interesting looking girl (those eyes, that hair!), but she looked friendly, and Alisa felt herself start to relax again. She didn't seem too judgmental, at the very least.  "Yeah, I hope so too!" she replied with a small smile, although she might have understated it a bit.  She was sort of depending on getting in at this point.

"My name is Alisa Kastner.  J-just Alisa is fine, though! It's nice to meet you."  she held out her hand for a shake as she introduced herself, happy that she might be able to make an alliance already.

Pingchow wrote:

The only thought running through his mind was how excited he was to finally be here, but that didn't stop Adelo from drifting off to sleep once he had found a nice place to sit. Hopefully he would awake soon enough to hear the opening ceremony...

For a moment, Cecilia was almost concerned as Adelo also seemed to have forgotten what he was here for, but her worries end up for naught when they finally made it to the guild's building. It was a rather grand place as she had expected. And there sure are a lot of people around.

Before she could properly thank him, Adelo immediately started to move towards a bench for a nap. Cecilia gives a small laugh to herself, then looks around at all the adventurers who had made it to this place for their own reasons. She can't help but be curious as to those reasons, but she would not pry.

For now, Cecilia merely stood their silently, appreciating the calm from the festival, thinking to herself and of her own reasons, and also of the 'simple test' that Adelo was talking about earlier.

A silence fell over the crowd of adventurer's gathered within the main hall of the guild building. On the staircase, members of the guild were lined all the way up, and standing at the top in the center was a leading officer of the guild. He was dressed formally, and had a stern look on his face. He looked over the crowd slowly and nodded before eventually speaking.

"I would like to welcome you all to the Galdin Adventurer's Guild Hall..." The man gave a speech detailing the history of the guild, the honor that went with being accepted as a member, and that only the elite will be chosen and succeed among their ranks. "We are your closest comrades, but also your fiercest rivals... Do not forget that."

"Now, I am sure you are all anxious to begin our simple test we have prepared for you... The Galdin Adventurer's Guild would like to invite you on a quest to retrieve an item near and dear to our hearts." Conversation and silent murmurs began to spring up around the room. The man glared down at the crowd, and all became silent once more. "Our guild crest has been taken from us by the monsters that live in this very city. Yes, even the capital has it's fair share of problems... and we invite you to join us in fixing them while also engaging in a bit of friendly competition." The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a long list. "What I have in my hand is a list of parties in which we will be splitting you lot into. We have taken into consideration your fields of expertise and split you into parties we feel will fit you quite nicely..."

The man began to read off the list and giving each group a place to meet. "...Group 10: Cecilia Lostara, Alisa Kastner, Adelo Ley Osdela, Sveta Alakev, and Mori Corvus... You will meet at the Market Square just outside the Guild Hall. Be quick." He finished the listing and continued with his speech.

"Now, you may all be wondering how exactly you are going to retrieve this crest... It's quite simple. You will travel with your newly formed parties into the depths of the Galdin Sewers, where our monsters lay in wait. You see, this is not a straight forward quest, as stated before. This is a competition... The first party to retrieve the Guild Crest and return it to us shall be the party we accept into our ranks. This is no easy feat, thus we will allow you a small amount of time to group with your party and stock yourselves properly... Your quest begins in two hours. You may find your way to the entrance of the Galdin Sewers on your own time, but I would be quick if I were you. Victory waits for no man."

The man dismissed the crowds and the guild members all fell in and went up the stairs as a unit, disappearing into the many rooms above. The heroes had officially been given their fist order of business. Would they join the ranks of heroes, or crack under the pressure?

Ezri wrote:

bunnibelle wrote:

"Everything okay there, miss? There's plenty of party left to enjoy, no need to rush so much!" The strangely accented elf said, approaching the girls side.

"I'm really excited to get started too, though. I hope we get in!"

"Huh??" Alisa jumped, having forgotten where she was, and she looked up to meet strikingly bright purple eyes.  The spectacle she had just made started to dawn on her, and Alisa suddenly broke eye contact and stood straight up, hoping to redeem her image somehow.  She'd managed to get away from her mother, but did she really have to make herself look like such an idiot while doing it?? "Rush?? I wasn't rushing, that was just... ah... nothing...!" she coughed dismissively, picking confetti out of her hair in an obvious display of feigned nonchalance.

The girl continued talking, and Alisa finally turned back, now finding that she actually had to look down at her a bit.  She was... definitely an interesting looking girl (those eyes, that hair!), but she looked friendly, and Alisa felt herself start to relax again. She didn't seem too judgmental, at the very least.  "Yeah, I hope so too!" she replied with a small smile, although she might have understated it a bit.  She was sort of depending on getting in at this point.

"My name is Alisa Kastner.  J-just Alisa is fine, though! It's nice to meet you."  she held out her hand for a shake as she introduced herself, happy that she might be able to make an alliance already.

[[ Outer Rings ]]

Sveta smiled brightly and shook the girls hand excitedly. Careful now, you might take it off...

"Sveta!! Sveta Alakev. It's nice to meet you too, Alisa! I hope we become great friends here! Maybe we'll get to work together!" Sveta chattered on and on.

"I came here from the forest, and happened to stumble upon all of this. It sounded perfect to me, so I'm going in head first! What brings you here?" She asked politely, a soft smile on her pale lips.

Sveta had to maintain a level of carefulness as she spoke of herself. She couldn't speak of Esfir, for the protection of the village. She'd have to bend the truth a little bit...No problem. Still, she felt a little bad.

"I've never seen anything like all of this...It's so fun!"

As more adventurers made their way through the doors, Mori couldn't help but sneak a few glances at them. One of the newcomers had dashed through and slammed the door quickly behind her, obviously having been running from something. Seconds later, another appeared. Something was off about the second girl. No, she wasn't human, but... She wasn't exactly a full elf, was she? It might have just been his imagination, but the wanderer could have sworn he'd seen traces of both races in her features.

Two more adventurers entered after them. One, an obvious warrior. The other, an obvious misfit. What need was there for a musician in a guild of adventurers? ...There had to be something special about that one. Or, maybe not. Maybe he would be weeded out by this simple test. It didn't look like he could do anything of use.

The guild officials arrived without fanfare, contrasting the festive atmosphere that embodied the world outside of the doors. The highest officer began to speak, and Mori remained skeptical of his words. These people? His allies, and his rivals? Please. No one here would last a minute against him. And how did the most prestigious guild in the land manage to get its crest stolen by monsters? Something didn't sit right with him.

And then, things became even worse. They were putting him in a team? Putting him in a group of people that would only hold him back? Didn't they know anything about him? A deep sigh escaped from the exile's mouth, his cold fingers moving restlessly. When the final instructions had been given out, Mori was the first one out the door, already headed towards the Market Square. The very nature of this elimination game meant that time was of the essence.

"Those Passeridae had better hurry up... I will not let them cost me my life."

Paolo de Pazzi wrote:

As more adventurers made their way through the doors, Mori couldn't help but sneak a few glances at them. One of the newcomers had dashed through and slammed the door quickly behind her, obviously having been running from something. Seconds later, another appeared. Something was off about the second girl. No, she wasn't human, but... She wasn't exactly a full elf, was she? It might have just been his imagination, but the wanderer could have sworn he'd seen traces of both races in her features.

Two more adventurers entered after them. One, an obvious warrior. The other, an obvious misfit. What need was there for a musician in a guild of adventurers? ...There had to be something special about that one. Or, maybe not. Maybe he would be weeded out by this simple test. It didn't look like he could do anything of use.

The guild officials arrived without fanfare, contrasting the festive atmosphere that embodied the world outside of the doors. The highest officer began to speak, and Mori remained skeptical of his words. These people? His allies, and his rivals? Please. No one here would last a minute against him. And how did the most prestigious guild in the land manage to get its crest stolen by monsters? Something didn't sit right with him.

And then, things became even worse. They were putting him in a team? Putting him in a group of people that would only hold him back? Didn't they know anything about him? A deep sigh escaped from the exile's mouth, his cold fingers moving restlessly. When the final instructions had been given out, Mori was the first one out the door, already headed towards the Market Square. The very nature of this elimination game meant that time was of the essence.

"Those Passeridae had better hurry up... I will not let them cost me my life."

As Sveta had been chattering seemingly endlessly to Alisa, the moment the man showed up, she froze up immediately. She'd not been too familiar with formal events. Was the Festival of The Stars a formal event? She didn't really know. Either way, she shut up and listened closely as the man who would most likely be one of her superiors spoke.

Competition? Monsters? Parties? Not the fun kind of party...

Visibly jumping when her name was spoken, she looked to Alisa with a big, stupid grin on her face. Sveta made vague hand motions that probably meant nothing to anyone else, but she was trying to gesture: "HEY SAME TEAM ISN'T THAT AWESOME WOW GREAT".

When she was given directions, she followed them carefully. Or she tried to. Little Star did most of the work for her, leading her to the right space. Sveta looked around for her teammates, not being able to recognize any of them other than Alisa.

The guy in the hood looked like an adventurer enough. The half-elf cautiously approached.

"Uh, excuse me. Hi! You wouldn't happen to be a part of Team 10, would you? I'm looking for my teammates and I don't really know what they look like--" Sveta spoke, with a sheepish expression and hand motions. She was a little bit unnerved by approaching someone so...Shady.

bunnibelle wrote:

Paolo de Pazzi wrote:

As more adventurers made their way through the doors, Mori couldn't help but sneak a few glances at them. One of the newcomers had dashed through and slammed the door quickly behind her, obviously having been running from something. Seconds later, another appeared. Something was off about the second girl. No, she wasn't human, but... She wasn't exactly a full elf, was she? It might have just been his imagination, but the wanderer could have sworn he'd seen traces of both races in her features.

Two more adventurers entered after them. One, an obvious warrior. The other, an obvious misfit. What need was there for a musician in a guild of adventurers? ...There had to be something special about that one. Or, maybe not. Maybe he would be weeded out by this simple test. It didn't look like he could do anything of use.

The guild officials arrived without fanfare, contrasting the festive atmosphere that embodied the world outside of the doors. The highest officer began to speak, and Mori remained skeptical of his words. These people? His allies, and his rivals? Please. No one here would last a minute against him. And how did the most prestigious guild in the land manage to get its crest stolen by monsters? Something didn't sit right with him.

And then, things became even worse. They were putting him in a team? Putting him in a group of people that would only hold him back? Didn't they know anything about him? A deep sigh escaped from the exile's mouth, his cold fingers moving restlessly. When the final instructions had been given out, Mori was the first one out the door, already headed towards the Market Square. The very nature of this elimination game meant that time was of the essence.

"Those Passeridae had better hurry up... I will not let them cost me my life."

As Sveta had been chattering seemingly endlessly to Alisa, the moment the man showed up, she froze up immediately. She'd not been too familiar with formal events. Was the Festival of The Stars a formal event? She didn't really know. Either way, she shut up and listened closely as the man who would most likely be one of her superiors spoke.

Competition? Monsters? Parties? Not the fun kind of party...

Visibly jumping when her name was spoken, she looked to Alisa with a big, stupid grin on her face. Sveta made vague hand motions that probably meant nothing to anyone else, but she was trying to gesture: "HEY SAME TEAM ISN'T THAT AWESOME WOW GREAT".

When she was given directions, she followed them carefully. Or she tried to. Little Star did most of the work for her, leading her to the right space. Sveta looked around for her teammates, not being able to recognize any of them other than Alisa.

The guy in the hood looked like an adventurer enough. The half-elf cautiously approached.

"Uh, excuse me. Hi! You wouldn't happen to be a part of Team 10, would you? I'm looking for my teammates and I don't really know what they look like--" Sveta spoke, with a sheepish expression and hand motions. She was a little bit unnerved by approaching someone so...Shady.

The head of the guild arrived and Alisa immediately straightened up.  Her conversation with Sveta was fun, but this was why she came.  She listened intently to his speech, and looked excitedly to Sveta when she heard they were on the same team (although her smile turned into a more bewildered expression pretty quickly as the white-haired girl flailed around).  She turned her attention back to the guild master as he explained their trial, her fists clenching and un-clenching uncertainly as she thought it over.  This would not be as easy as she had planned, but she would have to conquer it swiftly and completely.  Combat was... not something she was accustomed to, and her teammates would have to cooperate with her completely, but she needed to be confident.  Losing was not an option.

As soon as his speech ended Alisa headed for the door, losing Sveta pretty quickly in the crowd but not having time to look for her.  Of course, she knew where the market square was -- she could walk there in her sleep.  She thought that this would give her a distinct advantage, in a small but meaningful way. But, squeezing through groups of other adventurers slowed her down more than she would have liked, and she ended up reaching the designated meeting place third.

She sent Sveta a quick and friendly wave before stopping in front of the other person.  "I assume you're on our team?" Alisa asked the man with the hood, crossing her arms thoughtfully.  He certainly didn't look like an amiable sort, but he was punctual at least.  Alisa hoped that he wouldn't cause any trouble. "There's two more, right? Where are they? We can't afford to waste any time..." she thought out loud, looking back in the direction of the guild and tapping her foot.

Pingchow wrote:

A silence fell over the crowd of adventurer's gathered within the main hall of the guild building. On the staircase, members of the guild were lined all the way up, and standing at the top in the center was a leading officer of the guild. He was dressed formally, and had a stern look on his face. He looked over the crowd slowly and nodded before eventually speaking.

"I would like to welcome you all to the Galdin Adventurer's Guild Hall..." The man gave a speech detailing the history of the guild, the honor that went with being accepted as a member, and that only the elite will be chosen and succeed among their ranks. "We are your closest comrades, but also your fiercest rivals... Do not forget that."

"Now, I am sure you are all anxious to begin our simple test we have prepared for you... The Galdin Adventurer's Guild would like to invite you on a quest to retrieve an item near and dear to our hearts." Conversation and silent murmurs began to spring up around the room. The man glared down at the crowd, and all became silent once more. "Our guild crest has been taken from us by the monsters that live in this very city. Yes, even the capital has it's fair share of problems... and we invite you to join us in fixing them while also engaging in a bit of friendly competition." The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a long list. "What I have in my hand is a list of parties in which we will be splitting you lot into. We have taken into consideration your fields of expertise and split you into parties we feel will fit you quite nicely..."

The man began to read off the list and giving each group a place to meet. "...Group 10: Cecilia Lostara, Alisa Kastner, Adelo Ley Osdela, Sveta Alakev, and Mori Corvus... You will meet at the Market Square just outside the Guild Hall. Be quick." He finished the listing and continued with his speech.

"Now, you may all be wondering how exactly you are going to retrieve this crest... It's quite simple. You will travel with your newly formed parties into the depths of the Galdin Sewers, where our monsters lay in wait. You see, this is not a straight forward quest, as stated before. This is a competition... The first party to retrieve the Guild Crest and return it to us shall be the party we accept into our ranks. This is no easy feat, thus we will allow you a small amount of time to group with your party and stock yourselves properly... Your quest begins in two hours. You may find your way to the entrance of the Galdin Sewers on your own time, but I would be quick if I were you. Victory waits for no man."

The man dismissed the crowds and the guild members all fell in and went up the stairs as a unit, disappearing into the many rooms above. The heroes had officially been given their fist order of business. Would they join the ranks of heroes, or crack under the pressure?

It sounds quite like an adventure. But of course, this is the Adventurer's Guild. Getting here was practically an adventure--though that might apply only to her. The sewers wouldn't have been her first choice, though. What kind of monsters would they find there? More importantly, what kind of monster steals a guild crest? An oversized rat with a silly crown and a squeaky giggle comes to mind.

Deep in such thought, Cecilia almost strayed off the path. Clapping her hands to her face, she shakes her head, and continues following the crowd into the marketplace. She makes doubly sure that she's not following the wrong crowd, either. Adelo comes to mind, and suddenly she grows concerned.

Did he wake up? Hopefully he didn't sleep through the speech? Does he know where to go? Does he need help? Should she return to the building to check? Ah, but she'll only get lost! Considering they'll be teammates she should've gone to him before she headed to the marketplace--or followed the crowd, whichever works.

Her worries are for naught, fortunately, as she found the bard soon enough. Sifting through the crowd, Cecilia reaches out and taps him on the back. "Hey!" she greets him with a grin.

pache wrote:

It sounds quite like an adventure. But of course, this is the Adventurer's Guild. Getting here was practically an adventure--though that might apply only to her. The sewers wouldn't have been her first choice, though. What kind of monsters would they find there? More importantly, what kind of monster steals a guild crest? An oversized rat with a silly crown and a squeaky giggle comes to mind.

Deep in such thought, Cecilia almost strayed off the path. Clapping her hands to her face, she shakes her head, and continues following the crowd into the marketplace. She makes doubly sure that she's not following the wrong crowd, either. Adelo comes to mind, and suddenly she grows concerned.

Did he wake up? Hopefully he didn't sleep through the speech? Does he know where to go? Does he need help? Should she return to the building to check? Ah, but she'll only get lost! Considering they'll be teammates she should've gone to him before she headed to the marketplace--or followed the crowd, whichever works.

Her worries are for naught, fortunately, as she found the bard soon enough. Sifting through the crowd, Cecilia reaches out and taps him on the back. "Hey!" she greets him with a grin.

Adelo had gotten a bit too comfortable before the ceremony began. He had found himself swimming through his dreams in peace until his name was called out; throwing him out of his peaceful slumber. He stood suddenly and looked around at the judgmental eyes of other adventures that had been watching him. He smiled and nodded to them, hoping that would suffice as an apology for being rude. Ahhh, sometimes you just had to let the sleep fairies guide you to dreamland, right?

He had completely gathered the information regarding the quest but... Who were his party mates again? He had only woken up at the sound of his own name, and he felt as if there were names before his own... What to do, what to do...? He knew that he needed to head to the Market Square, but... To meet who? Adelo was about to flee the guild hall until he ran into his new friend once more.

"Ah, Cecil! A joy to see you again so soon." He smiled to her and looked around at the space immediately to her left and right. She didn't seem to be meeting with any of the other adventurers, so... Was she with him? "Ahh... Sorry about this, but... I sort of took a little snooze during that whole talk we were having with the... Who was he? Ah, well! I'm sure I'll find out eventually. Oh! Anyway, do you know where you're headed? I'm afraid I didn't hear all of my party members names, but... I do know where to meet them! So... it's a start, I guess?"

Adelo scratched his scruff in thought. He had a tendency of zoning out, and now was one of those times. When he snapped back into conversation, it was very sudden. "Ah! Do you need help around the city, friend? I wouldn't mind helping you out before I go meet up with... whoever."

Ezri wrote:

bunnibelle wrote:

As Sveta had been chattering seemingly endlessly to Alisa, the moment the man showed up, she froze up immediately. She'd not been too familiar with formal events. Was the Festival of The Stars a formal event? She didn't really know. Either way, she shut up and listened closely as the man who would most likely be one of her superiors spoke.

Competition? Monsters? Parties? Not the fun kind of party...

Visibly jumping when her name was spoken, she looked to Alisa with a big, stupid grin on her face. Sveta made vague hand motions that probably meant nothing to anyone else, but she was trying to gesture: "HEY SAME TEAM ISN'T THAT AWESOME WOW GREAT".

When she was given directions, she followed them carefully. Or she tried to. Little Star did most of the work for her, leading her to the right space. Sveta looked around for her teammates, not being able to recognize any of them other than Alisa.

The guy in the hood looked like an adventurer enough. The half-elf cautiously approached.

"Uh, excuse me. Hi! You wouldn't happen to be a part of Team 10, would you? I'm looking for my teammates and I don't really know what they look like--" Sveta spoke, with a sheepish expression and hand motions. She was a little bit unnerved by approaching someone so...Shady.

The head of the guild arrived and Alisa immediately straightened up.  Her conversation with Sveta was fun, but this was why she came.  She listened intently to his speech, and looked excitedly to Sveta when she heard they were on the same team (although her smile turned into a more bewildered expression pretty quickly as the white-haired girl flailed around).  She turned her attention back to the guild master as he explained their trial, her fists clenching and un-clenching uncertainly as she thought it over.  This would not be as easy as she had planned, but she would have to conquer it swiftly and completely.  Combat was... not something she was accustomed to, and her teammates would have to cooperate with her completely, but she needed to be confident.  Losing was not an option.

As soon as his speech ended Alisa headed for the door, losing Sveta pretty quickly in the crowd but not having time to look for her.  Of course, she knew where the market square was -- she could walk there in her sleep.  She thought that this would give her a distinct advantage, in a small but meaningful way.  But, squeezing through groups of other adventurers slowed her down more than she would have liked, and she ended up reaching the designated meeting place third.  

She sent Sveta a quick and friendly wave before stopping in front of the other person.  "I assume you're on our team?" Alisa asked the man with the hood, crossing her arms thoughtfully.  He certainly didn't look like an amiable sort, but he was punctual at least.  Alisa hoped that he wouldn't cause any trouble. "There's two more, right? Where are they? We can't afford to waste any time..." she thought out loud, looking back in the direction of the guild and tapping her foot.

Mori didn't have to wait long once he'd reached his destination. Within a few minutes, the first of his supposed teammates found her way to the market square. Somehow, the annoyance in his face softened. Of all people, that half-elf was assigned to his unit. This was the chance to see what she brought to the team. She didn't look like the fighting sort. She did, though, seem timid. Afraid.

Afraid of him. Just like old times. He answered her question with a slight nod, not bothering to reassure her. He didn't know what the rest of them looked like, and he didn't really care. All that mattered was that they arrived on time.

And then, another approached. The annoyance returned to his face when he caught sight of her. This was the run who rushed through the door. A disgruntled breath escaped him as the elf's question was repeated by the other girl. At the very least, she valued the time they had all been given. The last two were going to be late.

And if they cost Mori this opportunity, they were going to be dead.

"...The only time being wasted is mine. If they know what's good for them, they'll hurry up."

Paolo de Pazzi wrote:

Ezri wrote:

bunnibelle wrote:

As Sveta had been chattering seemingly endlessly to Alisa, the moment the man showed up, she froze up immediately. She'd not been too familiar with formal events. Was the Festival of The Stars a formal event? She didn't really know. Either way, she shut up and listened closely as the man who would most likely be one of her superiors spoke.

Competition? Monsters? Parties? Not the fun kind of party...

Visibly jumping when her name was spoken, she looked to Alisa with a big, stupid grin on her face. Sveta made vague hand motions that probably meant nothing to anyone else, but she was trying to gesture: "HEY SAME TEAM ISN'T THAT AWESOME WOW GREAT".

When she was given directions, she followed them carefully. Or she tried to. Little Star did most of the work for her, leading her to the right space. Sveta looked around for her teammates, not being able to recognize any of them other than Alisa.

The guy in the hood looked like an adventurer enough. The half-elf cautiously approached.

"Uh, excuse me. Hi! You wouldn't happen to be a part of Team 10, would you? I'm looking for my teammates and I don't really know what they look like--" Sveta spoke, with a sheepish expression and hand motions. She was a little bit unnerved by approaching someone so...Shady.

The head of the guild arrived and Alisa immediately straightened up.  Her conversation with Sveta was fun, but this was why she came.  She listened intently to his speech, and looked excitedly to Sveta when she heard they were on the same team (although her smile turned into a more bewildered expression pretty quickly as the white-haired girl flailed around).  She turned her attention back to the guild master as he explained their trial, her fists clenching and un-clenching uncertainly as she thought it over.  This would not be as easy as she had planned, but she would have to conquer it swiftly and completely.  Combat was... not something she was accustomed to, and her teammates would have to cooperate with her completely, but she needed to be confident.  Losing was not an option.

As soon as his speech ended Alisa headed for the door, losing Sveta pretty quickly in the crowd but not having time to look for her.  Of course, she knew where the market square was -- she could walk there in her sleep.  She thought that this would give her a distinct advantage, in a small but meaningful way.  But, squeezing through groups of other adventurers slowed her down more than she would have liked, and she ended up reaching the designated meeting place third.  

She sent Sveta a quick and friendly wave before stopping in front of the other person.  "I assume you're on our team?" Alisa asked the man with the hood, crossing her arms thoughtfully.  He certainly didn't look like an amiable sort, but he was punctual at least.  Alisa hoped that he wouldn't cause any trouble. "There's two more, right? Where are they? We can't afford to waste any time..." she thought out loud, looking back in the direction of the guild and tapping her foot.

Mori didn't have to wait long once he'd reached his destination. Within a few minutes, the first of his supposed teammates found her way to the market square. Somehow, the annoyance in his face softened. Of all people, that half-elf was assigned to his unit. This was the chance to see what she brought to the team. She didn't look like the fighting sort. She did, though, seem timid. Afraid.

Afraid of him. Just like old times. He answered her question with a slight nod, not bothering to reassure her. He didn't know what the rest of them looked like, and he didn't really care. All that mattered was that they arrived on time.

And then, another approached. The annoyance returned to his face when he caught sight of her. This was the run who rushed through the door. A disgruntled breath escaped him as the elf's question was repeated by the other girl. At the very least, she valued the time they had all been given. The last two were going to be late.

And if they cost Mori this opportunity, they were going to be dead.

"...The only time being wasted is mine. If they know what's good for them, they'll hurry up."

Sveta looked mildly uncomfortable as the quiet boy stood before her. She'd never really dealt with the shady type before and was clearly not enjoying it. Creepy...

Thankfully, she caught sight of Alisa. The tension felt immediately relieved by a familiar face. Sorta. Sveta perked up immediately, giving the girl a wave.

"Alisa!"

When the boy didn't really answer her, Sveta filled in.

"Ah--, he is.  Yes, I wonder where they are... We don't have all day, here."

Sveta grimaced as the hooded boy spoke. Genuinely disturbed, her ears pointed downward in discomfort.

"Ahahah...Y-Yeah. Anyway, I never introduced myself to you, sir. Sveta Alakev. It's very nice to meet you!" Sveta feigned excitement, a big stupid grin on her face as usual. She extended her gloved hand to him. Hopefully he wasn't too offended... He didn't appear to be the type to make friends.

So much for first impressions.

She turned to Alisa, hoping to find a more comfortable conversation with her.

"What are we going to do if they don't show up? Are we just going to go ahead without them, or..?" Her invisible friend looked at her with a raised eyebrow. They couldn't speak, but the expression spoke for itself. "That doesn't seem possible, right...?"

bunnibelle wrote:

Paolo de Pazzi wrote:

Mori didn't have to wait long once he'd reached his destination. Within a few minutes, the first of his supposed teammates found her way to the market square. Somehow, the annoyance in his face softened. Of all people, that half-elf was assigned to his unit. This was the chance to see what she brought to the team. She didn't look like the fighting sort. She did, though, seem timid. Afraid.

Afraid of him. Just like old times. He answered her question with a slight nod, not bothering to reassure her. He didn't know what the rest of them looked like, and he didn't really care. All that mattered was that they arrived on time.

And then, another approached. The annoyance returned to his face when he caught sight of her. This was the run who rushed through the door. A disgruntled breath escaped him as the elf's question was repeated by the other girl. At the very least, she valued the time they had all been given. The last two were going to be late.

And if they cost Mori this opportunity, they were going to be dead.

"...The only time being wasted is mine. If they know what's good for them, they'll hurry up."

Sveta looked mildly uncomfortable as the quiet boy stood before her. She'd never really dealt with the shady type before and was clearly not enjoying it. Creepy...

Thankfully, she caught sight of Alisa. The tension felt immediately relieved by a familiar face. Sorta. Sveta perked up immediately, giving the girl a wave.

"Alisa!"

When the boy didn't really answer her, Sveta filled in.

"Ah--, he is.  Yes, I wonder where they are... We don't have all day, here."

Sveta grimaced as the hooded boy spoke. Genuinely disturbed, her ears pointed downward in discomfort.

"Ahahah...Y-Yeah. Anyway, I never introduced myself to you, sir. Sveta Alakev. It's very nice to meet you!" Sveta feigned excitement, a big stupid grin on her face as usual. She extended her gloved hand to him. Hopefully he wasn't too offended... He didn't appear to be the type to make friends.

So much for first impressions.

She turned to Alisa, hoping to find a more comfortable conversation with her.

"What are we going to do if they don't show up? Are we just going to go ahead without them, or..?" Her invisible friend looked at her with a raised eyebrow. They couldn't speak, but the expression spoke for itself. "That doesn't seem possible, right...?"

Alisa's eyes narrowed at the man's comment; sure, she wasn't happy either, but who did he think he was?! As if his time was any more important than the rest of theirs. She made a quiet "hmph!" and placed her hands on her hips, annoyed but reluctant to start another issue over such a small remark just yet.

"My name is Alisa Kastner." She introduced herself plainly, although unlike Sveta she didn't attempt any optimism as she held out her hand -- she got the distinct impression that she was probably not going to get any kind of courtesy from this guy, handshakes included.  "Let's get along, as long as we're working together.  Your name is...?"

She turned back to Sveta, and it was obvious that the poor girl was nervous.  Alisa was nervous, too; this wasn't exactly a perfect situation, but she wanted to comfort her new friend somehow.  "I'm sure we'll figure something out!" she said with an admittedly not-very-convincing smile. "I don't want to leave them behind, but we'll lose either way if they're too late..." Alisa sighed, her brief smile faded completely as she weighed their options.  Taking on a five-man job with only three would not be the wisest decision, but it might be their only choice if they had any hope of actually doing this.  She hummed uncertainly. "If they're not here in the next five minutes..."

Pingchow wrote:

Adelo had gotten a bit too comfortable before the ceremony began. He had found himself swimming through his dreams in peace until his name was called out; throwing him out of his peaceful slumber. He stood suddenly and looked around at the judgmental eyes of other adventures that had been watching him. He smiled and nodded to them, hoping that would suffice as an apology for being rude. Ahhh, sometimes you just had to let the sleep fairies guide you to dreamland, right?

He had completely gathered the information regarding the quest but... Who were his party mates again? He had only woken up at the sound of his own name, and he felt as if there were names before his own... What to do, what to do...? He knew that he needed to head to the Market Square, but... To meet who? Adelo was about to flee the guild hall until he ran into his new friend once more.

"Ah, Cecil! A joy to see you again so soon." He smiled to her and looked around at the space immediately to her left and right. She didn't seem to be meeting with any of the other adventurers, so... Was she with him? "Ahh... Sorry about this, but... I sort of took a little snooze during that whole talk we were having with the... Who was he? Ah, well! I'm sure I'll find out eventually. Oh! Anyway, do you know where you're headed? I'm afraid I didn't hear all of my party members names, but... I do know where to meet them! So... it's a start, I guess?"

Adelo scratched his scruff in thought. He had a tendency of zoning out, and now was one of those times. When he snapped back into conversation, it was very sudden. "Ah! Do you need help around the city, friend? I wouldn't mind helping you out before I go meet up with... whoever."

The knight scratches her cheek. Cecilia is aware of how spacy she can be sometimes, but she's sure she's never reached this level. I have to find the others quickly, she thinks, remembering that their time is limited. "We're teammates, and we have to look for the others now!" Not bothering to ask if the bard was ready, she takes his arm and pulls him away.

She has no idea how in the world she's supposed to find a stranger by their name and their name alone, though.  A cough. Should she call for them like a lost child? She searched the crowd for vaguely familiar faces that she caught when she entered the building last time, and catches an unusual-looking girl. A half-elf, maybe?

Betting on it and hoping to party with an interesting-looking person, Cecilia closes in on her through the crowd, dragging Adelo along with her. "Um!" she calls, "I'm Cecilia Lostara." She then stops and observes each persons' face in the group carefully, her expression somewhat... deep.

pache wrote:

The knight scratches her cheek. Cecilia is aware of how spacy she can be sometimes, but she's sure she's never reached this level. I have to find the others quickly, she thinks, remembering that their time is limited. "We're teammates, and we have to look for the others now!" Not bothering to ask if the bard was ready, she takes his arm and pulls him away.

She has no idea how in the world she's supposed to find a stranger by their name and their name alone, though.  A cough. Should she call for them like a lost child? She searched the crowd for vaguely familiar faces that she caught when she entered the building last time, and catches an unusual-looking girl. A half-elf, maybe?

Betting on it and hoping to party with an interesting-looking person, Cecilia closes in on her through the crowd, dragging Adelo along with her. "Um!" she calls, "I'm Cecilia Lostara." She then stops and observes each persons' face in the group carefully, her expression somewhat... deep.

"Teammates? Ahh, how nice. It looks like we'll be seeing a lot of--" Before Adelo could finish he found himself suddenly being drug out of the Guild Hall. He blinked, confused by Cecilia's actions, but soon enough his sleepy smile would make it's return. The little things like this were always the most fun. His smile grew as she escorted him through the crowds. It was then that Adelo knew he had made the right decision... This was going to be fun.

They had surely made it to the market square, but were these three standing around really the rest of their team...? It was so hard to tell. Simply going off of names didn't seem to be enough, but these three... They certainly looked strange enough to be adventurers. A boy covered in black with a bad attitude, a spunky looking half-elf, and a stern faced blonde with a strange belt covered in bottles... Definitely weirdos. Adelo liked them!

The bard looked to Cecil as she introduced herself to the trio before them, and only felt it was polite if he did the same. "Ah, hello there, friends. The name's Adelo Ley Osdela... Pleasure to meet you all!" He tipped his hat to them and gave them a wide smile. "Eheh... I assume you all are the other three members of our party? Sorry to keep you waiting. I hope we can get along peacefully, yeah?"

Introductions and handshakes. Always given. Never given out. It was conditioned into the Crow from the beginning. Never give your name to the clients. They never truly needed it. The only introduction Mori needed would have been from the Seal of Cavea, but there was no worse time to reveal it than now. When the elf extended her hand, Mori had only stared at it and waited until she drew it back. The same was true for the girl that had accompanied her.

"I'll wait until everyone has arrived. I do not want to waste my breath and repeat myself."

Within the next few minutes, however, the stragglers had arrived. Pure disdain swept through Mori's spirit. The knight and the slacker were the last members of their 'team.' He might as well have just put a bolt into their skulls now. There was no way this group of Passeridae would help him reach his goal. Nonetheless, he was stuck with them.

Sveta Alakev. Alisa Kastner. Cecilia Lostara.

...That slacker.

And finally, it was his turn. Time to toss his alias into the ring.

"...Don't call me your friend. The last thing I want is for you to go throwing my name around, either, but seeing as it was announced previously, I have nothing much to lose. The name's Mori Corvus. Now, how long are we going to burn time? I have a job to do."

Paolo de Pazzi wrote:

Introductions and handshakes. Always given. Never given out. It was conditioned into the Crow from the beginning. Never give your name to the clients. They never truly needed it. The only introduction Mori needed would have been from the Seal of Cavea, but there was no worse time to reveal it than now. When the elf extended her hand, Mori had only stared at it and waited until she drew it back. The same was true for the girl that had accompanied her.

"I'll wait until everyone has arrived. I do not want to waste my breath and repeat myself."

Within the next few minutes, however, the stragglers had arrived. Pure disdain swept through Mori's spirit. The knight and the slacker were the last members of their 'team.' He might as well have just put a bolt into their skulls now. There was no way this group of Passeridae would help him reach his goal. Nonetheless, he was stuck with them.

Sveta Alakev. Alisa Kastner. Cecilia Lostara.

...That slacker.

And finally, it was his turn. Time to toss his alias into the ring.

"...Don't call me your friend. The last thing I want is for you to go throwing my name around, either, but seeing as it was announced previously, I have nothing much to lose. The name's Mori Corvus. Now, how long are we going to burn time? I have a job to do."

"I'll wait until everyone has arrived. I do not want to waste my breath and repeat myself."

Sveta's cheeks puffed out indignantly at this blatant show of disrespect. She wasn't quite ready to give him an earful, but oh, was he ever getting there. The tiny half elf crossed her arms and looked around the square once more, finally catching sight of a couple of people. They looked like adventurers enough...?

"Keep us waiting, why don't you?" Sveta cracked a joke with a grin and a silly voice. Wouldn't want to come off too serious to them, she wanted to be friends after all.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you! Sveta Alakev is the name."

Sveta politely waited for everyone else to introduce themselves. Even the snot nosed brat in the hood.

"Rude. We have a job to do. Your ego won't be much help to us, unless you can defend us with your blinding rays of condescension."

Sveta felt eyes boring holes into her back. Her slight aggression towards the boy was not appreciated by her friend, as they knew how dangerous of an enemy this kid could be. Sveta's eyes glazed over as she could hear the lectures already.

"None the less, I agree. Let's get this show on the road. Any of you happen to know where we can find the nearest manhole? Time's a wastin'!"

bunnibelle wrote:

Paolo de Pazzi wrote:

Introductions and handshakes. Always given. Never given out. It was conditioned into the Crow from the beginning. Never give your name to the clients. They never truly needed it. The only introduction Mori needed would have been from the Seal of Cavea, but there was no worse time to reveal it than now. When the elf extended her hand, Mori had only stared at it and waited until she drew it back. The same was true for the girl that had accompanied her.

"I'll wait until everyone has arrived. I do not want to waste my breath and repeat myself."

Within the next few minutes, however, the stragglers had arrived. Pure disdain swept through Mori's spirit. The knight and the slacker were the last members of their 'team.' He might as well have just put a bolt into their skulls now. There was no way this group of Passeridae would help him reach his goal. Nonetheless, he was stuck with them.

Sveta Alakev. Alisa Kastner. Cecilia Lostara.

...That slacker.

And finally, it was his turn. Time to toss his alias into the ring.

"...Don't call me your friend. The last thing I want is for you to go throwing my name around, either, but seeing as it was announced previously, I have nothing much to lose. The name's Mori Corvus. Now, how long are we going to burn time? I have a job to do."

"I'll wait until everyone has arrived. I do not want to waste my breath and repeat myself."

Sveta's cheeks puffed out indignantly at this blatant show of disrespect. She wasn't quite ready to give him an earful, but oh, was he ever getting there. The tiny half elf crossed her arms and looked around the square once more, finally catching sight of a couple of people. They looked like adventurers enough...?

"Keep us waiting, why don't you?" Sveta cracked a joke with a grin and a silly voice. Wouldn't want to come off too serious to them, she wanted to be friends after all.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you! Sveta Alakev is the name."

Sveta politely waited for everyone else to introduce themselves. Even the snot nosed brat in the hood.

"Rude. We have a job to do. Your ego won't be much help to us, unless you can defend us with your blinding rays of condescension."

Sveta felt eyes boring holes into her back. Her slight aggression towards the boy was not appreciated by her friend, as they knew how dangerous of an enemy this kid could be. Sveta's eyes glazed over as she could hear the lectures already.

"None the less, I agree. Let's get this show on the road. Any of you happen to know where we can find the nearest manhole? Time's a wastin'!"

The other two members of the team arrived, and Alisa immediately turned to face them.  The moment everyone's introductions introductions were through she began: "Where have you been?! The other teams have probably all left by now!  You--" Alisa abruptly bit her lip, stopping herself before she got too heated, then sighed.  They were still on the clock, and all hope was not lost just yet.  

Not feeling like there was time for more handshakes, Alisa settled for a quick curtsy. "My name is Alisa Kastner. Let's all do our best!" she said as she looked back up towards the final members of their group, examining them curiously.  They were...tall, one being exactly what you'd expect a hero to look like and one the complete opposite. While she was frustrated with their inability to make it to the meeting place on time, at least they were nice. (Unlike Mr. Mori over there -- he was lucky Sveta had told him off before Alisa had gotten a chance.)

She cleared her throat, and everyone's eyes were on her again.  She stood up straighter. "We can still catch up.  I know where the entrance to the sewers is." she announced, sounding more confident than she felt.  Alisa neglected to mention that she had never really gone there, per say; it wasn't in the nicest part of town, and pretty much everyone she'd ever met had told her to stay away from the place if she could manage.  Still, she knew where it was. "Just follow me, and don't you dare get lost or I'm leaving you behind!"

With that said, she turned around and began walking briskly towards their destination, glancing back once or twice to make sure everyone was still there.  She wasn't sure how she'd ended up in this position, but she was certain that she wasn't going to fail them; they'd be there before they knew it!