Quest - In Search of a Killer II

Quest Details: Link
Quest LFG: Link
Quest Part I: Link

Participants: @Claire Thalassa @Eleanor Loan @Eldhi
Party Method Brisshal
---

A few hours into their investigation, the party of three female adventurers deduced the following. The murders weren't random, they were targeting specific individuals who fit their criteria much like a hunter would to their prey. The victims' body was marked in a certain way, opening the possibility of this being some kind of demented ritual killing.

Additionally, the trio's further probings revealed their suspects were a group, not an individual, calling themselves with the hypocritical title of 'Convicted Saviors', the name alone was enough to burn the flames of rage in the white-haired Judicator. "Taking pride in unjust murders... these scum must burn in the light of justice." Eldhi growled, whipping her head at the party just as they left the Beginner's cave.

"We have our leads, we know where we must go." The swordswoman stated, eying @Claire Thalassa and @Eleanor Loan , "The murderers make their base in the tainted land of Norfova." Of course they'd be there, no other region except Druuk Island provided a safe haven for society's undesirables, the corrupted region and the monsters there would deter most effort to hunt them down. most, and Eldhi wasn't one of them, she would chase all the way to the end of the world if she had to.

"We have two viable routes, either we go around through Brisshal or enter Norfova directly. The former is safer but take longer, the latter is riskier but will take us there faster." She mulled over her thoughts, "I suggest we push through Norfova, I am confident in our abilities to take care any monsters that may come our way." She paused, letting her words sink in, "What say you, Eleanor, Claire?"

 

With the information that they had gathered, Eleanor idly mused over it. Like coordinates on a grid, she placed the known and unknown variables, before attempting to connect the dots in ways she had not previously imagine. This deep though, though unsuccessful in bringing a new idea to the table, was enough to at least increase Eleanor's understanding of the situation, by reviewing her own notes.

There was more to these murders. There were threads that tied them all together, many of which still unknown to her, but they were there! Somewhere between the lines, information hid it's head in shame, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Convicted Saviors, eh." Although she had not spent much time gaming in her youth, she did remember a time when her younger brother had issue with other gamers. Her sibling, one who preferred to play even multiplayer games by himself, was occasionally picked on and even pushed around by the more experienced players, to the point where he gave up on a few of the games. It seemed that there was always someone, or someones willing to ruin the fun for everyone else. Eleanor did not like the idea of those people much. Pair that with the partially edgy name, the detective was ready to get to these criminals and put a stop to their cruel antics.

"I suggest we take the safer route. The one through Brisshal." She spoke in response to @Eldhi. While she desired swift justice to come to those who deserved it, there was a little more to it than that. Their haste would place themselves in danger, and if they managed to parish along the way, it would be a pitiful way of becoming one of the dead. Eleanor did not wish to die a second time. "We don't have a deadline or anything." Shrugging her shoulders, she noted this, holding the comfortable expression of a procrastinating teenager, regardless of her age and status.

She then turned towards @Claire Thalassa for the final input on the matter. Differing opinions presented the opportunity for a tie breaker, and whilst she did not wish to go down the more dangerous route, she would settle on the option if the group felt it the correct choice. After all, in a world with killers, it was better to stick together, no matter what the environments.

 

Trying to follow up with that victim hadn't worked out. It appeared that @Eldhi was correct, and whoever played him decided to not log in again. After such a gruesome death, it wasn't entirely unexpected, although still quite the disappointment. However, it did look like both Eldhi and @Eleanor Loan had more success finding out more. So, the Convicted Saviors are the group behind the killings, eh? Distasteful and horrendous, what they were doing, but it would make for an excellent section of a longer feature piece. Violence always sold stories.

"They're trying too hard with their name," Claire said wryly. "We should see what they're up to. Maybe we can even find out the purpose for the killings."

Eldhi's whole vigilante streak was getting a bit grating. But what were they all but vigilantes, if she was going to get technical about it? At any rate, having someone there to wander first into danger would be useful. And it wasn't like she or Eleanor would just leave the girl on her own in that case, she wasn't that callous.

Still though, avoiding the need to get into any fights at all was the better choice in her mind. "I vote for Brisshal. Eleanor is right, we're no use if we end up dead ourselves and with some sort of affliction that prevents us from going through with this. To have gone unnoticed for so long, whoever these Saviors are must plan their killings very carefully, and that should take a lot of time. A few extra hours on our journey can't make that much of a difference."

It was 2-1 for the safer route, and so that was what they were going to do. She hoped that Eldhi wouldn't pitch a fit and decide to go off on her own as part of some asinine 'challenging her strength' thing. If she had any hackles, the thought of anyone deciding to split off would have raised them.

 

"I see..." While to say she wasn't at the least disappointed by her companions' decision to take the longer detour through Brisshal, Eldhi could see where they were coming from. @Eleanor Loan was no warrior, she was an investigator who also happened to possess great talent in magic, arguably a scholar. @Claire Thalassa , on the other hand, was a practitioner of clandestine rogue arts. It should be quite obvious that someone who dabbled in subterfuge wouldn't put herself in danger if she could help it. Eldhi had no choice here really, the votes were against her and while she could go off on her own, she needed their talents. Also, as much as she wanted to believe otherwise, the Justicar wasn't sure the murder group wouldn't just overwhelm her if she went solo.

"Actually, we do." Before she made her agreement clear, she wanted to address her companions first, "If we take too long, the so-called Convicted Saviors will no doubt have more time to react and just move their lair. Scum they may be, idiots they aren't or they'd already be caught after the first murder or two." Eldhi shrugged her shoulders, turning towards Claire, "I possess the power of Illumancy, I'll be able to heal any wounds or afflictions we may gather along the way." In the end, she sighed, "However, I acquiesce, Brisshal it is."

"Do any of you own a mount? I do but we need at least one more." ...ah, just her luck. Still, should she just go ahead and summon her stallion, Merlin, so they could travel faster? One issue, there were three of them and she was pretty sure the prideful steed wouldn't take more than two riders, no matter how many apples she could offer. If only either Eleanor or Claire had their own but such was life. So a journey through the longer route on foot, Eldhi wouldn't be surprised if they ended up arriving at an abandoned camp later, not a killer in sight. "Let us not dally then." The knight huffed as she began walking, her heavy armor clinking with her steps.

 

Eleanor kept her hands in her pockets, as the party would set out on foot towards their destination. Whether it took them hours, or perhaps a full day, the detective had no qualms in regards to the time spent traveling. As long as they kept to the path, and held a steady pace, their target would certainly be in sight soon enough. All her strategy required was a little patience.

Instead of favoring some sort of social interaction during the journey, the woman in blue much preferred the silence. This was not due to some cruel brooding or the shadows in her heart. No, she merely enjoyed the quiet, and if one came to break such noiselessness, she would not be overly disturbed by it. Long journeys were like road trips, and although it had been many years since she was packed into a car, traveling with associates, it was a lovely change.

The duties of the game forced her onto her toes. It kept her within her tight posture, seeking things like leads, and never thinking of pleasantries, only necessities. The potential hours they would spend traveling allowed her to relax though conscious muscles, while idly playing catch with ideas.

While @Claire Thalassa appeared to be just as she normally was, a reliable ally to the detective, the stranger seemed much more... Well, strange. Although signs of distress or possible future conflict were few and far between, there seemed to be something else beneath the surface.

Upon the previous discovery of their corpse full of leads, the detective had been subtly taking notes on the initial responses of her companions. After all, strict observation of other's reactions seemed to be quite a useful way of discovering further information regarding their character. Claire had responded just as Eleanor had assumed that she would, much similarly to her own reaction. This brought a minimal, yet evident sense comfort to the woman in blue. @Eldhi, on the other hand, had reacted differently from the both of them, seeming to become more angry than investigatory.

Briefly glancing over towards her fellow party members, Eleanor lagged behind just slightly so that the pair walked just in front of her. During this time, she opened up her palm menu, scribbling notes down regarding the situation. Her posture and gait supported the idea that she would prefer not to be spoken with, regardless of how much as her consciousness did not agree with that ideal.

 

Well, she and @Eldhi could agree to disagree. They were going through Brisshal anyway, so Claire didn't see a reason to kick up a fuss about things.

It was quite the peaceful trek thus far. However, Claire wouldn't make the mistake of assuming that it would remain so through the entire journey. She'd apparently thought so on numerous occasions, and it was her own fault if she was surprised by a monster ambush at this point. Therefore, she kept a very close watch out for any creatures. As they approached the Norforva border, it was likely that creatures would get bolder, or more desperate. The rocky wasteland was a far cry from the abundant forests of Brisshal, and a hungry beast was one that was willing to fight.

But, for now, it seemed as if the creatures were more timid. The clanking of Eldhi's armor seemed to be quite the excellent deterrent, though it would eventually draw the attention of some beast or another.

Well, no reason for their journey to be unproductive. "How do you think we should approach their camp?" Claire asked aloud, giving a brief glance to @Eleanor Loan at the back, and then to Eldhi up at front. "We can't just run in, after all."

She had a pretty good idea of what Eleanor was going to recommend. 'Passionate outburst' seemed to be Eldhi's default response to anything to do with these Saviors, but she did seem to occasionally have a cooler head about other things. It'd be interesting to hear what her partners would think.

 

To no one's surprise, the journey was quite uneventful, well what did one expect from traveling through what was practically the game's 'beginner area' with a trio of not-so-beginner players? Eldhi resorted to just resisting her impetuous urge to charge forward to their destination or start barking orders to force-march her companions like an angry drill sergeant.

It was at times like these that the Justicar wished she was leading soldiers instead of mercenaries of equal standing. A strict hierarchal chain of command was needed in situations where the popular vote wasn't necessarily the best one. "We aren't in any danger, I say it is safe for us to increase our pace." Even if by just a bit, over the long period of time, it'd make a difference. That was all she could manage without stepping too much on anyone's toes.

However, the white-haired swordswoman became more twitchy and annoyed as time passed. It would be well past sundown by the time they arrived and waiting until tomorrow wasn't an option, the killers would have already disappeared, turning their investigations moot and the player's death all for naught. "We investigate the weakest point of entry. You can be our eyes and ears with your skills at subterfuge." Eldhi regarded @Claire Thalassa , if anything, she'd take a conversation to occupy her thoughts, "Then I will set a distraction, gathering their attention to me, as I said before, I am confident in my endurance."

That said, she glanced to the slightly lagging detective, "After that, @Eleanor Loan can set up a powerful attack with her Arcane powers. Once the bulk of them lay scorching beneath our boots, we will mop up the rest." She finished, see if they had anything to say.

 

Eleanor was not much fond of making plans so early, but it was somewhat a comfort to her cautious pretenses. Though fearful she remained, knowing that many times, plans were thrown out the window once 'shit hit the fan', so they say. Still, discussion on the topic could not hurt. Allowing her companion to speak first, Eleanor gazed up towards her fellow party members, twisting her train of thought down a similar track as their own.

"I like the idea of integrating stealth, though I'm unsure of what much can be said as of this moment." She quietly mentioned first. "With so many variables still unknown, that is." How large, how powerful, and how equipped were all unknown ideas to them, as of this point. "We should assess our enemies from afar. Let us not dismiss fleeing and requesting aid as viable options as well. Hopefully, we can manage it, but if not, we must be prepared to..." She had been speaking with such fluency for a few moments, it was only near the end of her statements that she remembered her social timidity, stuttering over herself for a moment, like the scuffing of shoes.

"Prepared to... Preserve our lives?" While she spoke it with the higher tone of a question, it was the correct idea that she wanted to get across. Another idea that scared her was how one of her party members had thought her a being of great power. As far as Eleanor was concerned, her power was nothing more than a clumsy party trick. Once and a while, it had stunning results, and at other instances, it became quite an embarrassing mistake. The fact that the lives of her companions would rely on her magical competency brought a nervous tremor to her heart, even at the mere mention of the idea within her thought.

"It seems I've lost track of time. Do either of you have any idea of how much further we will be traveling?" She changed the subject a few moments, after her tonal mishap which had posed her statement in a much more awkward light. Truly an amateur socialite, her eyes flickered between the two other females among her, a subtle smirk on her face in an invisible attempt to mask the wracking of her heart. Why was it always like this with strangers?

@Eldhi @Claire Thalassa

 

Claire didn't mind picking up the pace. Brisshal was a bit boring to go through now, and it didn't look like they were in any danger of being ambushed by creatures, or bandits, or whatever dangers lurked around the forest. "Sure," she said to @Eldhi's suggestion to move faster. That meant she wouldn't have a chance to keep practicing her stealth skill, but it would probably be better to conserve the energy.

Conversation was good to pass the time. She's rusty with small talk, but this kind of talking was good. It made her feel better to have a good idea of what was happening, especially if things went wrong and they wouldn't have time to talk later on.

"Sounds acceptable," she said to Eldhi's proposed plan of action. She hadn't developed those skills much, but it was better than nothing. "As long as you're confident you can handle their focused attentions, then that's fine."

@Eleanor Loan had a point about not knowing much. She nodded along as the other woman spoke. "No reason to throw away our own lives by sticking around to fight a battle we won't win." Claire noted the questioning tone that Eleanor's last statement took. Hm. Did Eleanor think they would have reservations about fighting? Eldhi certainly didn't seem to, and Claire had no compunction about fighting those who would take advantage of others. Not to the extent of risking her own life, of course.

"Yes, we'll be ready to fight them should the need arise," she said.

At the subject change, Claire brought up her palm menu. "We have been walking for a while." It took a bit of navigating about the icons to reach the objective tracker, but they seemed to quickly be approaching the Norforva border. "We shouldn't be too far now. If we keep up this faster pace, then we should be able to reach there as the sun sets."

Well, as long as they didn't run into any complications on the way.

 

It Eldhi had managed to start the quiet detective's train of thoughts, good, at least they could spend the time discussing topics relevant to the mission instead of complete uneventful silence all the way to the killers' lair. "True, scouting is a very important step to any well-coordinated assaults." The Justicar agreed with Eleanor, "Hence why I mentioned for Claire to investigate the enemy first. She is the only one among us who can do so reliably without being spotted and ruining our element of surprise."

The red-eyed knight slightly tilted her head in mixed curiosity and confusion as Eleanor suddenly paused, a sudden sheer change of flow from the analytical detective to a stuttering buffoon who couldn't make up her mind, similar to one of her friends, Magi Heart. Great, Eldhi didn't need that now. "I sincerely hope your doubts won't cloud your decision during combat, Eleanor, or you will certainly not be preserving our lives." Eldhi stared at her with a cold no-nonsense stare. She didn't care if her words stung, she was speaking the truth without any sugarcoating, doubts would spell her downfall in the battlefield. The Justicar turned at the snow-haired woman with a huff.

"I have confidence." The knight answered promptly, without doubt, "It is my best role as of the moment. In addition, I can also heal myself and project my own barriers so they will have to get through both armor and my Illumancy to take me down." She diagonally crossed an arm over her chest as she struck her breastplate once, giving a small assured nod at the icy spearwoman.

"As for that..." She turned her red eyes at the horizon, the afternoon soon casting an orange glow over the land, "We should be there soon. the border is just a few miles away." The Justicar assessed then slightly hastened her walk into a light jog, "I'd very much prefer we arrive at Norforva before sundown. We don't need to give our enemies an edge in the darkness."

---

Moments later

The group of three female adventurers finally reached the edge where the peaceful Brisshal region skirted the dark, tainted, land of Norforva. The differences were staggeringly stark. Lush green grass gradually shifted into darkened weeds, leafed trees into twisted thorny vegetation, and not to mention the hordes of mutated abominations that made their home here compared to the bunnies, deer, and wolves of Brisshal.

It'd be less than an hour until the sun would cease its reign for the day, they arrived... a bit late than Eldhi would like but tolerable. "Alright, we are here." The Justicar turned to her teammates, "Last chance for a briefing, once we enter there, we can't afford any distractions. if you have something to say, say it now."

@Eleanor Loan @Claire Thalassa

 

With her hands in her pockets, they had finally managed to come upon the camp. Thinking back to earlier in their meeting, Eleanor remembered the talk of riding horseback. The idea of purchasing a mount of some kind had up to that point eluded her mind, but it was not the worst idea. Nevertheless, she had no skills or experience in riding, she could always learn.

As @Eldhi spoke, she quietly listened, eyes glued to the encampment of what were most probably hostiles. Squinting, examining the terrain around them, it was much foreign to Eleanor. Entering investigation mode, bringing two fingers to her temple, she did not see the usual name tags and labels floating above the vegetation in her proximity. The eerie tone of the setting brought an unnerving shiver down the detective's spine. There was a reason that she avoided traveling to these sorts of areas. To state it minimally, it gave her the creeps.

"We take as many as we can alive." Peering back towards her other party members, she pointed her gaze mostly at the heavy armored one, before shifting towards @Claire Thalassa. Raising her hands, she cracked her knuckles, regardless of the fact that such palmar preparations would do very little to assist her magic channeling capabilities. "Only kill when necessary. Information should be our primary objective. Let's not lose sight of that."

She did not expect her other party members to agree with that train of thought, as it was much unreasonable. Even she would admit to herself that it was absurd to think they could get in and out without casualties being left in their wake. She merely desired to plant the idea within their heads. Eleanor was not much fond of the usual idea of 'heroes' stomping their way through the world, piles of dead bodies in their wake, and hordes of loot in their banks.

 

Well here they were at long last. Norforva was as desolate as always but knowing that there was a band of unrepentant murderers making their home here added a whole new layer of sinisterness to the region. The camp was far in the distance but they had quite the clear view. Granted, whoever was patrolling the encampment would also probably be able to see them clearly if they made any overt moves.

Well, it was time for her to do what she was here for, in that case. Before toggling on her stealthier movement, she looked back towards Eldhi and Eleanor in case they had any final contributions.

"I'll do my best," she said to Eleanor's reminder. True, they wouldn't find out any more if they killed everyone... But that would take care of the threat immediately. Still, the reminder that they had things to learn here was important. She couldn't speak for Eldhi, but at the very least it seemed that she and Eleanor would try to ensure that there would be someone they could question, once the majority of the threat was neutralized.

Otherwise, it didn't seem like there would be much else to do. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her at even the thought of having to split from the others, but she steeled herself. This was important. With a deep breath, Claire watched her energy meter tick lower as she felt her stance change.

"I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere." The setting sun cast long shadows across the land. Taking advantage of that, Claire darted off to scout the camp.

Thrown die:

87

@Pandora