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"You know nothing of what has befallen your village except the name. Your village has known about the Frostfire Soul for a long time, haven't they? What stories do they tell?"

Dorul's eyes fell on the demon but softly. There was something in the nature of the question being posed that hinted at a greater knowledge. Or rather, a greater understanding. As many here likely saw Dorul as an outside poorly dressed, and numb of tongue, Dorul saw them all as the multicolored characters of legend and myth from a culture millenia and miles away from his own, all more complex and more full of regalia than anything or anyone he had seen in his life time. It was hard to see how something so different could help, but Joshua's words spoke of an understanding of his culture at its basest level. Dorul nodded once in Joshua's direction. He felt hope for the first time, and with it trust that he would be allowed to present the answer.

He reached a large hand, easily twice the size of the hand of man beside him, into the inside of his jacket and pulled something from its inner pocket. A trinket of sorts, at first glance. It was a small figurine in the shape of an eagle, hand carved, and very used as made evident by its uneven angles and faded colors. And yet, Dorul held the tiny thing with a sort of unspoken reverence.

"I, too, would like to hear the stories from your village."

Dorul met Nighthunter's glance straight on and bowed his head and then turned to Maximos, filling his chest with a deep breath and steadying his posture as a man might when approaching a King or Lord, he said. "With your permishon?"

Maximos neither King nor Lord or the object of Dorul's reverence nodded once and said. "Of course."

Dorul clasped both hands around the small trinket, and closed his eyes bowing his head slightly. Through the haze of red hair that was his beard his lips began to silently move. And before anyone could develop any feelings of threat or concern Maximos stepped forward and spoke. His voice carrying its usual gentle and warm aplomb.

"As a Stormcaster, Dorul is responsible for communing with the spirits. Be they the spirits of the deceased or the ambient spirits of nature. Most of what he has seen or knows has not been witnessed by his own eyes, but by these very spirits. He, infact, knows very little." The Shadow set down his cup of tea and gestured openly to the other larger man's hands.

"What he holds is a talisman, or totem, used to open a link with spirit world. Through this link Dorul can access direct answers to our questions. Meaning, he has at his disposal the resources to know alot. This however can leave him vulnerable. So, understandably, he was unsure about opening himself to attack in front of a group of near complete strangers." And then all at once the larger man's body went limp. His ankles gave, his knees dropped and his massive weight seemed about ready to crash to the ground when it was stopped cold. Dorul rose, not standing persay but simply lifted erect. His posture was reminscent of a limp noodle being held by its head and hung in place. Only, his large feet were firmly on the ground. It seemed the slightest shove could send him toppling over worse than the drunk Black Knight in the corner.

Finally, the Stormcaster's eyes opened. Slices of sky blue light poured from the slit of his eyelids before both peeled back to show not eyes proper, but glowing pits with no pupils and no focus. And then the Stormcaster spoke. His voice his own, but without its previous accent. Each spoken word was associated with a soft echo from a younger, lighter voice.

"I believe we may begin the questioning proper now." Said Maximos taking a step aside yet again.

"This is indeed a mysterious case," said Tenkai, "From what you've told us so far, your village is being haunted by something not of the material world. Though that doesn't necessarily narrow it down. Although you say it is a spirit, there are many more things capable of what you described."

"We have seen it." Said the dual voices of Dorul and his spirit. "No shape, no voice, no trail. It travels through our world, and your world and is part of neither and part of both."

Dorul's mouth hung open as if he was going to continue speaking and yet for a moment no words escaped. He suddenly gasped taking in a deep breath with such force that rocked his body backwards, the motion rolling fluidly through his entire form before he straightened again. As he settled, he took another softer breath. Either something was wrong or the spirit simply forgot that flesh bodies need to breath in order to speak.

Regardless, though Dorul's eyes were without recognition they fell meaningfully on Joshua, and Nighthunter respectively. It took another deep purposeful breath, and then spoke.

"Some very long time ago there was a monster in our northern home. A man of flesh, and of steel who lived in a tower made of dark metal and who's presence blanked out the sun with clouds. He was mad, and he was a doctor. And in his months in Guldor he created many monsters and beasts and fiends." Another drawn out breath in, immediately followed by a short breath out. And then...

"The mad man stole away the son of the village chief while he was hunting Worg for our families. Using his dark medicines and magics he turned the beloved prince, into one of his abominations." Dorul's fists clenched at his side, then loosened, then clenched again. He took another robotic breath.

"When the Cheiftain and his warriors came to claim the boy, the prince declined them. Mindtricked. And when the mad medicine man appeared, he had with him an affront to all things flesh, and all things spirit. The monstrosity was burned alive in the snow where it stood before its terrible creator had the chance to defend it. This drove the doctor into an insanity which lead to his ultimate downfall and final death. Our spirits saw a male Valkyrie in midnight clad take him away." There was a particular accent placed on those very last words, and with that noted accent Dorul's head rolled to Maximos, and then to Joshua specifically. He paused for a breath, and continued.

"We know no time, but this Stormcaster believes that it was three of your years ago, when treasures began to vanish. Before this there was peace. A child's toy. Symbols of marriage. Heirlooms. Totems. Some time after that, the first child vanished. Later children, then adults. Hunting parties never returned. No bodies were found. Homes and whole families began to vanish only recently." Dorul's raised one hand, and despite the heat it appeared frost had formed in the center of his palm. He curled his fingers slowly inward then turned his fist so that his knuckles faced upward and continued.

"Every treasure taken, every missing person, or home, had this left in the very last place it was seen." The palm opened, and in it, scored right into the leather was a burn mark. Only, unlike all sorts of heat based scars, where the a black center would lead into ash this lead into frost. A black charred core that extended into a dull blue and dirty frost. The hand was shown to all in attendance, and then closed.

"Or this." It opened again, and as it opened the same pale blue light that leaked from Dorul's eyes like steam seeped between his fingers in slices and beams, and by the time his fingers were all the way opened what lie in his palm was a small jagged formation of ice. Except, while the ice was pure and white at its center it extended out into burned uneven tips stained with black soot and ash that seemed impossibly embedded in its surface. As previously, the hand was displayed for all to see and then the ice faded and it fell limp at the Stormcaster's side.

"We are expert hunters in, and keen watchers in death. This was not the work of beasts, or men. This we know. This is not within the realm of a simple restless spirit, or we the Watchers would quell it. Nor is it a magical treasure, it darts and hides between worlds with too much skill and thought for such. This is more...We know not what, or why, or how." And then, fluidly, as if dipping in a breeze Dorul's head turned to face Tenkai just moments before the monk spoke.

"If you may, Mr. Dorul," said Tenkai, speaking to the Stormcaster once again, "could you tell us why your people call this phenomena 'The Frostfire Soul'?"

The Stormcaster's face looked puzzled for just a moment, and then his lips pulled down in a tight frown and his eyes fell on Maximos. The Shadow was chuckling lightly into a cup of tea, which he very slowly lowered to show his grinning face. And then waved with a free hand. "That would be me. Dorul's people have an almost deistic reverence for any spirits, even this one. They did not name it, for speaking that name may give it power and because giving it the wrong name may insult it further. But..."

Idly Maximos lifted on of the many fliers everyone here was sure to have seen and continued. "If I stated that we're looking for something mostly unknown, with no name, and no real leads...well I doubt anyone would be in attendance. Plus, I think the name sounds neat."

If Dorul could have frowned harder without tearing his cheeks, he would have. Though while his facial muscles did not allow, the spirit present seemed to be trying earnest to make an effort of it.

Maximos met his glowing eyes with a brilliant smile that was something akin to a child about ready to go an amusement park. He picked up his pocketwatch, and scanned the time when, low and behold. A talking cat.

Dorul's attention turned to the feline with seemingly no evidence given toward an surprise that a cat could or would talk. Maximos did the same, meeting the cat with a friendly smile. But...just after the red-eyed cat finished his first statement, and before he began his second, Maximos' head quirked oddly to the side. He snapped his watch shut, folded his arms across his chest letting his guest speak and waiting patiently for his turn.

When the cat finished speaking and posed his question, and Dorul's said, "Yes a--"

Maximos spoke first cutting the Stormcaster off. "Excuse me Dorul and Sir Watcher. Just one moment Mr. Levay."

Again Maximos gave no evidence as to how he had come across the cat's name was so ever. "You'll have to pardon me for being so forward, and stepping on my guests feelings but, I do believe that if anyone should feel suspicious it is us. We are the ones left standing before a man very evidently hiding behind the guise of a cat and shrinking, expanding, and now..."

He made a gesture toward the teacup. "...Destroying my housewares for seemingly no reason."

The Shadow shook his head, not like an angry man but more like a parent attempting to softly and patiently explain why it was wrong to take from the cookie jar before dinner. "I understand. You must be some sort of young magi or illusionist eager to test your powers with exuberant displays when you could have just as easily asked for a smaller or differently shaped cup, and requested or drank less tea. And that's grand and natural and all, I appreciate it and thank you for attending. But, your also a guest, as I am a host. And as these fliers say nothing about me providing food or drink, that in your paw is a gratuity. And this, that your sitting in, is a shop."

Maximos faced was the smiling, kind, and warm face that had greeted everyone who had entered. It did not immediately shift to such, but it seemed as he spoke to have slowly slinked back into it so that as the words came out and his facial expression became key...it was pleasant and bright as his tone. "So, I most certainly hope that if your intending to ruin my wares, your also intending to pay for them. Otherwise, please stop that."

And then his eyes lifted, addressing the crowd. "Now, everyone, any other questions?"




"Oh yes I believe I'm me, or at least Id hope I am, or Id have to start raising my prices. They always say peoples works in life aren't fully appreciated till they are dead.

But then I don't need to explain that to you do I Maxi?"

"No, no you certainly do not my friend." Maximos said with his trademark bright smile and a soft laugh on his voice. Yes, this was certainly Dante. The one and only Dante Decker. Though, he was just as certainly not the Dante Maximos remembered. Then again, he was hardly the Shadow that Dante remembered.

It was funny how that seemed to work. Maximos had come to know so many people in his tine on Gaia and all with such levels of innate secrecy that he sometimes forgot how many of them actually knew each other.

Now, Lucind was giving him a suspicious glance, but Maximos had stated that they all knew her, not that asked if they knew her. So, returned to her a curious and confused look and made a mental note to ask her later.

But as he smiled, and as happy greetings and small talk passed over the moment like a table cloth thrown over a crowded table, Maximos began to see the shape of things beneath the smiles. Dante was a man, when last he saw him. His soul was not easy to read simply because Maximos not developed the skill sufficiently, but it was certainly a crisp image. Now, it was half that. The eyes were the window to the soul, if an eye was compromised the image was distorted. And yet, Dante didnt seem to have any problems getting his hat on to the rack. This said alot of things. Likely that Dante still maintained some sort of vision in his missing eye, and that the transition from eyeball to coin was likely anything but intentional. Simply put, if he was intentionally replacing an eye, Dante would have done it perfectly.

But things went deeper then that. The two men had been in contact through messages and businesses. There was no hostility in their relationship, but at the same time there was no time or immediate need or opportunity to meet face to face. But, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Dante invented, or more precisely, made time. There had to be a need. You do not assemble a God, a Reaper, and the single most legendary weaponsmith on Gaia for tea. You do not call the corners, simply to have a picnic. There were...

"I'd better go see to those letters, I'll be back in a little bit, once Dante's filled in the details."

Details, of course. The devil is in the details. Maximos face never twitched or belied anything other than happiness and he was happy. He waved and nodded a friendly nod, the grin on his face stretching from ear to ear as he watched the red head depart. It was good to see him home. He hoped his vacation served him well, Nocturne knows he needed the rest. Hopefully this was trouble wasnt too abrupt and end to that rest. Yes, quite literally, Dante's face meant trouble.

And yet, in the sight of it, he never once imagined Dante's arrival as a bother. He could only think how he could possibly help his friend. To make it better. Perhaps, make it so that they could, peacefully enjoy some tea once this was all said and done. They alot of catching up to do. The Shadow found himself caught in a moment of nostalgia, thinking of old fights, old training and...

"Business has been more than slow recently, though I do have something waiting for our host. Perhaps later I can deliver it to him. Had I known you all were this close I would have brought it with me, but alas it seems my tracking instincts aren't what they used to be. I should probably leave that to a younger generation."

...swords. He could never forget the swords. Not just the on the owned, but the sight of them lined up in racks and rows in Dante's shop. It was craftsmanship so skilled you could practically smell it. And the very idea of this mysterious something, nearly made Maximos bombard his guest with a thousand curious questions like that over excited fan he very definitely was. But, he restrained his exuberance behind an ear to ear grin and instead said. "You, my friend, are far far too kind, and far too good to me. Beside, its not your fault Dante. Its part of the whole shadow bit. You understand, enigmatic and such. I cant be too easy to find."

Maximos said and chuckled warmly and softly. And then, as if not addressing a potentially potent topic he said. "Now, my curiosity is absolutely bubbling. What are these details Sun mentioned and how do we best go about getting them filled in? And where are my manners, would you like some tea? Coffee perhaps?"

((Same post order as before, everyone post one for my one, and extra (if you like) for any post directed at you specifically.))

Maximos eyed the cat like, for instant, he had stopped being a cat and was something entirely else. In the other beings words were the age that should have come with some abilities and an understanding that belied Maximos' previous assumption. He wasnt flustered persay, more concerned. If these acts were a youthful cry for attention, then what would happen if that attention did not come? A fireball blasting across his shop? A monster "accidentally" summoned. Nothing that could not be handled, but all so unnecessarily troublesome. His head cocked slightly to the side. And yet, it appeared he had read the red eyed individual all wrong.

Etiquette dictated a certain response, and so, Maximos bowed. It was a bow as formal as any bow would ever be or had ever been and it was done without the slightest bit of sarcasm or insincerity. As he bowed he spoke one, honest statement.

"Then, I offer my sincerest apologies. A man who cannot laugh at or with the world, is as good as dead." The Shadow left Dorul to his questions and answers and in a few short steps he crossed the room approaching the counter.

"In all fairness however, I do believe your secret was somewhat shattered the moment you spoke. All I gave was a part of a name. You are, after all, still a talking cat. A feline by its very nature is an elusive and enigmatic being in ways I could never hope to undo." At which point he gestured to another shape changing individual present in the room, standing nearby beside Brother Nighthunter. A resident expert as it were. "Isnt that right Raven?"

"You simply cannot convince me you do not have more. Many more. Perhaps..." His gaze shifted back to black furred creature as he turned and leaned his back against the glass counter, taking scope of the Stormcaster for a moment before his hand gestured toward the divided cup in its saucer and a childish upturned curve spread across his lips. "...later you can show me how get the water to stay like that? Its very well done."

Raven's fingers had been itching since she stepped into the shop, her growing need for a snack had been a temporary distraction, but it was all undone when Dorul opened himself... and oooh boy!

Raven was practically lost to the words themselves as she very carefully took a slight step behind Night... it was just a little precaution, in-case the part of her that was normally calm and collected forgot that it was supposed to be in charge.

Worlds..multiple worlds.. there were many worlds, Rae knew that all too well, but now Dorul's spirits were saying that the entity they were about to go looking for was a being that crossed worlds, living in more than one.. or at least that was what it sounded like.

She couldn't help but to smirk as the spirits got a little miffed at Maxi... Naming was a bit of a game, well, most things were a game to Raven, but Naming was one of her favorites. She was always giving people nicknames, and real names in the case of children.. Names, were power.

It was about then that Maxi named the cat, and Raven was having even more trouble.. not being smug now!

After all, she had acted as if the cat was just another person from the very moment she realized that he wasn't acting like a cat. She waved from behind Night as Maxi tried to let Mr. Levay know that he wasn't the only animal in the room.

Rave was starting to think that she needed to spend more time in her animal forms, it was kinda annoying to be lumped in with the humans all the time. Instead she shoved her hands deep in her pockets to keep from snacking on someone.. at least until she got out of Maxi's store.

At long last it seemed that some light was being shed upon the nature of the shamanistic man from the north. It was not uncommon for people from cultures that have strong ties to the land to use themselves as conduits for the the spirits that reside in nature. It was unclear what exactly the Watchers that were spoken of were but as much as it was unclear it was equally unimportant to know what manner of spirit they were speaking with.

For the moment it seemed that no new travelers were going to interrupt by knocking upon the shop's door, and so the man behind the counter stood silently with his hands apart upon the edge as the spirit began his story...

"Some very long time ago there was a monster in our northern home. A man of flesh, and of steel who lived in a tower made of dark metal and who's presence blanked out the sun with clouds."

The black tower in Guldor and the Doctor that resided within it were two things that were not unfamiliar. It was something that he had watched over at a time before the continent had been sundered and the two halves of Guldor were still whole. When the man called Ruuvan had gone beyond the veil in search of Maximos he had been the one that had anchored that man's soul to the mortal world; and when that search lead him to the black tower in Guldor he had crafted the portal that connected there. That was four years ago.

Joshua knew of the unnatural things that went on there but the specifics had never been a concern. The Doctor toyed with lives but his work had never been a problem in that way... at least, he had never been given an order concerning what went on in that tower. Though from the sounds of what the spirit said next, it seemed that someone else had.

"Our spirits saw a male Valkyrie in midnight clad take him away."

He could not help but to smirk in response to the knowing look that was passed towards them. There was no doubt in his mind that the spirit was speaking of Uriel. The man behind the counter met the spirit's gaze but said nothing.

There was a story to tell, though in the end the one to interrupt it was not himself but their host when the cat unsurprisingly spoke up. Unsurprisingly, not because it was expected but only because it would have been surprising if it had been nothing more than the average magical cat.

It seems, then, that we will be heading into this mystery mostly unversed in the ways of the phantasm plaguing your village, Mr. Dorul. Your particular problem will no doubt require all of us to show some form of caution when dealing with it.

"So we're heading off into the frozen wilderness with no idea what we're looking for and only gut instinct to guide us in the right direction - going after a being that, for all we know, is responsible for devastating an entire village of northmen without so much as being heard." He paused and looked at the others gathered in the shop, leaning forward slightly over the counter as he looked from one face to the next to ensure that they all were well aware of what it was they were getting into. And then he laughed.

"Fantastic. It wouldn't be an adventure otherwise."

No, if they were merely going to an obscure corner of the world in order to hunt down some manner of aberrant existence that blurred the line between living and dead but they knew why, then it would be a job. This was an adventure.

"Now, everyone, any other questions?"

"Just one..." Pressing his fingertips to the glass top of the shop's counter, he dragged his hand across it as he walked to the end and then around from behind it; the other hand placed upon the top of his hat, sliding it down on his brow just before he stepped into the square of light shining through the windows and onto the floor.

It was quite the crew that had been assembled. A mercenary, a soldier, a knight, a samurai, a cat, a bird, a bear and a dragon. Not only these but even more had come to the door in answer to the flier and, if they stayed to see this thing through to the end, it would be an army with nothing at all in common. It would be perfect.







(( I feel... like I've failed at this post. It did not want to work with me. =( ))

Again, Night stood silently and unmoving. Listening to the story the spirit, or spirits, he couldn't quite tell, Dorul was channeling, had to tell, and what they had to show. It cleared up some of the questions he had, and clarified that there was in fact something quite peculiar going on up north, to put it mildly, but it also brought a few new questions. It of course left some others still unanswered, but they weren't of great importance right now, and likely could only be answered as they went along.

He noticed Rave move slightly behind him, wondering why, but keeping quiet about it for now, and coughed to stifle a chuckle at the look the spirits were giving Maxi when naming was brought up.

Opening his mouth, he was cut off before he could speak by Maxi reprimanding a talking cat, which didn't really strike him as out of the ordinary, then he opened his mouth again to speak.

"I have but one more to ask now, any others can wait as I've already made up my mind to go. Sounds like fun."

Night was silent for a moment as he took a look around the room at the undescribably mixed group gathered to go traipsing across some frozen tundra in search of god knows what without so much as a description of the thing, until his eyes fell on Maxi, and he smirked at his brother.

"While why it's called frostfire is apparent, I like the name by the way, catchy,"

His eyes went to Dorul and the spirit(s) inhabiting again.

"This is probably me just being out of the loop, but what makes you think there's a connection between whatever is doing this now, and this mad scientist guy?"

As suspiciously as before the creature acted without and before any verbal communication. As if, despite its current housing inside of the flesh it was far more used to being outside the confines of flesh and blood, and thusly more accustomed to reacting to different symbols of intent than gestures. Only Nighthunter would be able to notice it, but it was following the very moment that he decided and before he actually took in the breath that the Dorul's empty yet glowing eyes fell on him quizzically.

"I have but one more to ask now, any others can wait as I've already made up my mind to go. Sounds like fun."

Dorul seemed otherwise unphased by Maximos banter with the black cat. Not in that he noted and ignored, but in that the Stormcaster showed no outward signs of recognizing Maximos' speech, movement, or reaction at all. As if, as it was not intended for him, it never reached him. At Nighthunter's question however, his uneasily stillness and slow purposeful breaths even. He gave a nod.

"While why it's called frostfire is apparent, I like the name by the way, catchy,"

Max tossed night a smirk in return, coupled with an appreciative bow of the head. At least someone like his naming skills. Dorul's eyes met his, though as they were devoid of pupils it was difficult to tell.

"This is probably me just being out of the loop, but what makes you think there's a connection between whatever is doing this now, and this mad scientist guy?"

The possessed man paused for a good moment. His face went grim, his lips tensed in a thin pale line. For a single moment his breath was inperceivable, perhaps even absent. And then all at once his face tightened, scrunching up as if all of his features were being sucked into his nose. Then nothing, his face went blank again. He took a deep breath in and spoke.

"We have been told so, by our -- " And suddenly he froze, his entire large rigid and statuesque. His eyes belied some sort of his shock, while his mouth hung partially open and caught in the moment. Dorul's eyes snapped shut, his body lurched forward as about to fall before he caught him, doubled over with his hand pressed into his stomach. His eyes slid slowly open, not empty and glowing but mundane and human as they were before. After a few gasps, the Stormcaster spoke again.

"I am the sorry. I can not be sharing this. Chief says no. Not..." Another gasp as he righted himself, a short breath in followed by a long breath out. "...not part of qvuest. Village business."

"It seems, then, that we will be heading into this mystery mostly unversed in the ways of the phantasm plaguing your village, Mr. Dorul. Your particular problem will no doubt require all of us to show some form of caution when dealing with it."

Dorul turned and was about to offer a nod when another spoke interjecting over the first. He heard the question, though blunted, and took a note to discuss the subject in more detail with the white clad man later.

"So we're heading off into the frozen wilderness with no idea what we're looking for and only gut instinct to guide us in the right direction - going after a being that, for all we know, is responsible for devastating an entire village of northmen without so much as being heard."

Dorul's eyes hit the floor. Those were the facts of the matter, that was in direct words what he had said, but...when stated so bluntly the quest seemed less like a task in which Gaian adventurers were questing to the north to provide aid and assistance, and seemed alot more like he was sending them to their death. He knew the words, though he hesitated to speak them. He drew in a breath...

"Fantastic. It wouldn't be an adventure otherwise."

...And let out a sigh of relief.

Maximos laughed lightly from his perch against the counter. It seemed the meat of the assignment was out there. If there were any suspicions in his mind about the information that was unable to be shared, he did not voice them.

"Now, everyone, any other questions?" He asked.

"Just one..." Maximos' mismatched eyes met the demon's with a grin. "When do we leave?"

"Two thirty!" The Shadow responded as warmly and cheerily as anything. He slipped a hand in his pocket and slipped out his pocket watch, flipped it open and noted its face, then clicked it shut again. "I've made an appointment for us at the docks right here in Latent. A ship should be waiting, but..."

He paused, and looked around the room specifically to those who had yet to speak, and then back at Dorul, and finally back to Joshua. "...we still have plenty of time if anyone else has anything else to ask? Or is everyone ready?"




Maximos just couldnt imagine it. While Dante was most definitely the sort to keep secrets, he did not keep them in such a way that anyone was even remotely curious about them. He kept the hidden and locked away so that no one knew to even ask. He imagined, that if Dante required his services alone this meeting would have very much been planned in advance and either secrecy would have been made absolutely key in the invitation. Or, Dante...and he certainly had the rare resources and even rarer strategy to do so...would have made it a complete surprise. Even to Maximos.

Just saying he even knew someone like that made the Shadow grin from ear to ear. And then Dante was beginning, and despite grinning as he was Maximos' eyes and attention were focused on the weaponsmith completely. His arms crossed his chest and hand slipped under his chin instinctively. Whatever this was, it was important.

"Why I'm here is somewhat hard to explain, but put simply I'm here to find those of upright moral standing seeking to make the world a better place..."

There was a wet sort of pop, the sound of Maximos' jaw popping open and hanging slack. In a single moment it was more than evident that Dante had clearly gone completely insane. He was fishing for saints in the river Styx. Looking for holy light in the house of Shadow. He was mad. And powerful, and intelligent, and most of Maximos' friend. What little color there was in the Shadow's pale face drained away. This was not going to be an easy job. He mentally took stock of the inventory currently surrounding them. Dante wouldnt go down without...

...laughing? Was that a joke? Did Dante Decker just tell a joke? He did! And it was a damned good one! It took Maximos a few minutes to realize the chuckles and chortles were not further signs of insanity, but when the realization sunk it stood. And then Max laughed, albeit a softer. That was something of a mood lightener.

"Hehe, no, I'm sorry I just couldn't help myself... phew hehe let me try that again.."

Here Max was expecting something that could very well shift the fate of Gaia. But, this levity made him think he had read the situation entirely wrong. There was a still seriousness on the other man's face, but not so much as to smother the humor. Max smirked lightly, nodded, and once again listened.

"Plainly put I'm seeking adventurer's willing to face a mechanization that could potentially destabilize my former homeland and place what remains of my slighted family back into power..."

Shock. That was the most fitting description of Maximos' reaction. Being a rather reserved man, shock did not show itself on Mr. Lucillien Dark by means of panic or a raised voice. It made itself known by the way Maximos became completely still and said absolutely nothing. His lips even kept his smirk even though all traces of a smile left his eyes. Homeland? Call it what you will but Dante had always seemed to type that came out of no where, as if as a living legend he had simply walked out of the infinity some mythological text. And yet, here he spoke of a home. And then family?

You have family!? The Shadow found the words about ready to leap out of his mouth, but he restrained them. The notion of Dante with family seemed as initially impossible as Dante having a home. Part of him wanted to immediately break into laughter and call Mr. Decker out in his joke, claiming he wouldnt be gotten a second time. But Dante's face had become so serious. In it, he saw not only deep contemplation. But concern. It was so easy to forget Dante Decker was a legend, sure, but he was also a man. Family, friends, a home, of course he had these things.

"...And if they regain their former power, that's bad bad news for me. My sister Sarah is enough of a pain in the a** for me, god forbid the rest of the family is able to use the political and financial resources they once wielded to track me down."

And that was all he had to know. The rest of the details would be important once they made, or planned to make, a move. Maximos didnt need names or a location to decide whether or not he would help his friend.

"Bad news? That's all I need to know to know where I stand." Maximos' posture straightened. He raised his right hand, balled it into a fist and thumped it against his heart, in a traditional Arian salute. And then he said.

"You shall have my sword." The very same saluting hand slid up through waves of navy blue hair and scratched the back of Maximos' head. "I mean, you did make it after all."

(( Well, I'd wanted to put off on posting for a day or two in order to let some other people have a few words seeing as I seem to be ending up as the first one to ask a relevant question each time, though I guess a lot of people have just stopped checking the thread so it can't be helped. ))


The-man-who-was-no-longer-behind-the-counter chuckled slightly at the response his words had garnered from the rest of the room. Dorul had gone silent with what seemed to be guilt-ridden apprehension, their host had cracked a grin in a way that he only did when something caught his fancy, and still others reacted with mixes of uneasiness and exhilaration.

Though the shop was positively packed with adventurers to be few of them had spoken up to ask questions. There were a few surprised looks among them, perhaps even surprised enough that they had been speechless for the duration of Dorul's possession; but many had simply chosen to remain silent and listen as others spoke up, spoke out, and made themselves heard.

He could instantly recognize which of them had their hearts in the right place by the look on their faces. Every person that smiled at the word 'adventure' was here to become lost in the moment and revel in the thrill of the unknown. Every person that didn't... well, there were two kinds of people in the world: mud-rollers and skirt-lifters; and they were defined by how they reacted when they were left with no other choice than to wade through it.

This person, standing as he was with the sunlit windows at his back and looking like he was liable to burst into laughter at any moment, was no skirt-lifter. He was the kind that would swim in the stuff and pull others in with him - if they really were getting ready to march off to their deaths at the spectral hands of some ill-defined ghost then by god he planned to die laughing.

Neither silently nor subtly he raised his other hand and counted heads in the room, one by one pointing to each as he counted them... not by the number of people in the room but by how many of them had that feeling and showed it on their faces. You don't on an adventure looking for safety or for money or for treasure, you go on an adventure because... it's an adventure!

That's all the reason necessary.

"Two thirty! I've made an appointment for us at the docks right here in Latent. A ship should be waiting, but..."

...but it wasn't two thirty yet, and that was all. If their ship was scheduled to depart at two thirty then that is when it would go; Maximos Lucilien Dark neither arrives early nor late, but precisely when he intends to be there. There was still time for more questions to be asked, if any member of this party who had not spoken up wanted to ask them or if others were not satisfied with their answers.

"A ship? I never knew you were the type Max." He spoke up jokingly, baring a fanged grin and a leisurely shrug. "No portal this time? No flying sidewalk tiles or shortcut through the forth level of the abyss?"

With a turn and a flick of his hand he waved off the question entirely; it wasn't important and just a mere jab at the habits of their host, but there was nothing wrong with taking a ship to Guldor. It would give the group a little bit of time for bonding, seeing as most of them probably didn't even know the others' names.

"I have to say though, some of your recruits look very... fun. I can hardly wait to see what they're hiding up their sleeves."

For the most part Liliana had focused on Dorul and Maximos. She was late to some of the conversation, so she wanted to make sure she understood exactly what the quest was about. At first she thought it was to save the village, but then she realized there was more to it than that. It was similar to every other quest she had been part of. The man or woman behind the funds of the quest had something to gain from it. She didn’t look at the person differently. She knew if she had the knowledge to gain power or to keep someone dangerous from gaining power she would take it too.

The only two things that worried her was the last time she was on a ship she got seasick, but she hoped this time would be different. She had a feeling it wouldn’t, but there was nothing wrong with a little optimism. Other than that, she didn’t see any problems with this adventure. “I’m in,” she stated.

The people around her she knew nothing about. She hoped to find some exciting adventurers to mingle with. It would make this boat ride a little more interesting.



“You look fun too,” she smirked. She wasn’t looking at him long though. A commotion caught her attention. That was when she saw that in the crowd of people there was a man with a panda next to him, and he was thumping the panda over the head. “I didn’t know we could bring pets,” she said. To say this situation was unusual was an understatement. This was one of those moments that she would come back later and share this comical memory of a man bapping a panda over the head.

The tea she was still holding had grown cold. She set the cup back down on the counter. She was ready to get the show on the road. Quests got her keyed up. She had a feeling this was going to be one hell of an adventure.