Welcome to Gaia! ::

Welcome one and all, to the capital of species, the single place in the world where all races of the globe reside. Here there is not an ounce of discrimination, not a drop of hatred of another kind. We welcome all kinds, keeping the ignorance beyond the thousand foot wall about us.

23/89

- The Rose Thorn (Inn)
- High Council's Tower

Isacc hardly even registered the weight of his abnormally large travel bag bulging on his back. He stared in awe at the tall buildings as he passed, mesmerized by the incredible architecture. This place is gorgeous. The Capitol has yet to disappoint. Lost in thought, he'd nearly forgotten why he'd visited the city in the first place.

He was jerked quite forcibly back into reality when a speeding saleswoman came close to careening into him, missing him by only a hair. He gave himself a moment to collect his bearing before continuing down the street. Looking down at the slip of paper in his hand, he read the name of the Inn once more. The Rose Thorn. It wasn't the classiest the Capitol had to offer, but from what he'd heard, it was quite a pleasant place to lay your head. Isacc was just glad it was relatively cheap. He was by no means short on money, but there were plenty of projects he'd rather save up for.

He looked up from the paper to gaze again at what was renowned as the "perfect city." He left his eyes drift to the clouds and... was that... smoke? Yes, it looked like one of the buildings in the distance had caught fire. Isacc caught bits of sound on the wind. There was panic in the distance. People seemed to be scrabbling in a frenzy in light of the abrupt fire... Perhaps not such a perfect city... He looked down and stopped on the spot. Here it is! He hoisted his bag further up on his back and headed for the entrance. He'd need to get some sleep for tomorrow. He had a Goblin to see.

After half-stowing, half-tossing his stuff in his new room, Isacc headed downstairs. The rumors about this place were accurate. Not anything fancy, but quite cozy and very clean. Even the tavern below smelt pleasant. He supposed they removed anyone that drank too terribly much. It was then that he smelled something foul... and a presence behind him.

He turned to see a man in a second hand formal garb, slightly portly, and appeared to have forgotten to shave that morning. The man smelled of ale and was grinning down at Isacc. "Say, you look lost, kid." The man looked around, checking to see who was listening in. He was very much a shady character. "It's a big city. Wouldn't want kids getting hurt." On cue, two men got up from a nearby table and sauntered to a stop just behind Isacc. "Tell ya what... if you give us something valuable, we'll be sure to protect you." The man bent over slightly, bringing himself to Isacc's eye level, breathing a foul stench into his face. "Does that sound like a good deal to you?"

Isacc was taken by surprise. He'd thought petty crime was something foreign to the capitol. He guessed it was inevitable with any city. His hand drifted discreetly towards his pocket. Narrowing his eyes at the man, he said sternly, "I'll pass. Thanks."

Isacc removed his hand from his pocket, releasing the tool he had ready inside. He was glad someone had stepped in. Isacc could defend himself, but he wasn't too much of a fighter. Training with mechanized dummies can only teach you so much.

"Thanks, I don't know what got into those guys." He looked at the two moaning unconscious on the floor. His first thought was to leave before they got back up, but he was sure this guy could put them back down if he needed to. He'd stood up for Isacc and the two hadn't even known each other's names.

Remembering his manners, he extended his leather-gloved hand towards his new acquaintance. "Isacc Frost, inventor, at your service."

"Yeah," he said distractedly. "I'm from another city. Just visiting to pick up a few parts to use in my workshop. Don't know where else to get them." He thought for a moment, looking down at the two thugs. He'd already been surprised once. He didn't want a repeat. "You think you could stick around? At least until the exchange is finished tomorrow?"

Isacc nodded before heading out the door. He walked at a brisk pace, not wanting to be out after dark. He wanted to scout out the meeting area before he met with the group of goblins. The Inn wasn't too far from the meeting point and he arrived in under 5 minutes. It was a cobble stone courtyard that was small, moss covered, and seldom used.

After looking around for a bit, he hoisted his bag off his shoulder and dumped its contest onto the stone floor. Out tumbled an old boot, a child's toy, a worn and filthy potato sack, and half a candle stick. Moving quickly, he placed each item at equally spaced points around the courtyard. He then walked over to the old tree standing just outside the courtyard and pulled out what looked like a golden beetle the size of his palm. He held it near the tree and the beetle sprang to life, scuttling from hi hand and into the tree. It disappeared within the leaves.

Isacc smiled at his discreet handiwork and headed back for The Rose Thorn.


Isacc awoke the next morning to the sound of metal clanking angrily in his travel bag. Grumbling, he got up and walked across the cold wood floor and kicked the obnoxious bag. It went quiet, but still seemed to be shifting and moving slightly. Isacc wanted to go back to sleep, but knew he had some more preparations to make. He grudgingly put on his day clothes, making sure he had everything he needed in his bag, and headed down the stairs. He nearly bumped into everyone else who was on the staircase before finally stopping at the meeting point he and Dante had agreed on the day before.

Isacc nodded, patting the bag hanging over his shoulder. "Yup, got everything prepared." He looked at Dante and saw the tell tale shape in his cloak that indicated a concealed dagger. "I see you've done some preparation yourself." He grinned a bit before turning towards the door and walking at a brisk pace. He wanted to get there early.


Isacc was sitting on the cobblestones, looking around the courtyard and wondering when the Goblins would show up. He looked up at Dante who was still standing. He looked composed, but a bit paranoid. Isacc didn't blame him. After all, he'd deliberately withheld the fact that he himself had picked the location and that the location was... advantageous.

Isacc finally turned his head to the sound of shuffling boots and clanking metal. A group of 8 Goblins was approaching the courtyard. Isacc had never seen such intricate traveling bags. Their cloaks looked normal, but if one payed enough attention, they'd see the shape of armor with a small frame as the cloth of the cloak tugged against it with the movement of the wearer.

Isacc got to his feet, dusting off his pants and stepping forward. He smiled at the one in the center. "Thank you for meeting like this. I'll try to keep this short and profitable."

One Goblin, about as tall as Isacc was, stepped forward, pulling the bag off of his shoulder. The other 7 stood rigid, their golden eyes staring sternly over the cloth that obscured the lower part of their faces. The air seemed to be fraught with tension. Cautiously, Isacc stepped forward to meet him, pulling his own bag from his shoulder. It clinked with the sound of gold and copper coins. He was paying quite the hefty sum for this particular item.

The two stopped a mere three feet from each other in the center of the courtyard. First, Isacc opened his bag to show the Goblin the money within. The Goblin nodded and opened his own bag. It was hard to tell, but Isacc couldn't help but think he'd seen the other 7 lean forward very slightly as the bag opened. He hoped it was simply his nerves getting the better of him.

The Goblin reached in and pulled out an object wrapped in lumpy, brown cloth. Slowly, the Goblin used his nimble green fingers to unravel the object from its protective cocoon. Soon, a piece of black metal was poking through. The cloth fell to the ground and in the Goblin's hand was a mask crafted from pitch black metal. The surface was smooth and, though it wasn't shiny, it seemed to almost gleam. The face of the mask was human. The mouth was open in a neutral expression, though it's features were oddly square and sharp. Metal links formed a strap with an intricate clasp to hold it to the wearer's head. The top of the mask curved up and back to cover the top of the wearer's head. This was supreme craftsmanship. A true work of art.

Holding the bag of money forward towards the Goblin, he simultaneously reached his other hand forward and grabbed the mask. He tried to pull away. The Goblin did not release the mask. The Goblin did not reach for the money. He stared silently at Isacc, a hate burning in his eyes. Isacc looked at the Goblin in confusion, his features tainted with fear. For the first time since their arrival, the Goblin spoke. "We knew the mask would bring you out of hiding. Prepare for death, Costro Senclair."

Before Isacc could react, the Goblin's free hand shot forward and clamped onto Isacc's wrist. In unison, the other 7 Goblins drew dark weapons from their cloaks, aiming them at Isacc. The weapons resembled crossbows, but were very odd in shape. They were entirely made of a dark metal with two thick rods of metal making an "X" at the tip. There were no strings, but parts of the weapons were glowing. Isacc's eyes widened. Dengen weapons.
He needed to act if he wanted to live. Even his skilled associate wouldn't be able to stop all 7 of them before they fired. With his free hand, Isacc swung the heavy bag of coins at the head of the Goblin holding him in place. It hit with a heavy *thud*, causing the Goblin to jerk bodily away and to the side. He released both Isacc's wrist and the mask. Without hesitation, Isacc spun around, pulling something silver from his pocket. He covered his ears and squeezed shut his eyes. He pushed the button on the top of the small silver cylinder in his hand.

Four random items exploded violently, shaking the courtyard with a deafening roar, a shuddering force, and a blinding light. Amidst the chaos and smoke, Isacc started in a stumbling run, using only his memory to guide him. His free hand caught onto a cloak. He nearly panicked before he realized it was Dante. He tugged hard on the cloak, insisting that Dante follow. He just hopped he didn't need to drag him. They just needed to make it past the tree...