She was getting good with her magic. Not perfect, but she could at least focus a steady stream of sparks from her hand enough to light the kindling she'd prepared. A bit of a rough start, sure. But Eyas was practicing and that was all that mattered at this point. Well, that and the fact her partner in crime was hanging out around a fire with her. That definitely helped, yeah. Casting a quick glance over at Maddy, the brawler stood up, popping her neck. "Alright. Fire's good. Food?" Popping a chunk of Venison jerky into her mouth, she checked her sword was secured at her left side, before turning in full to Madison, tossing her the leather bag full of the jerky anyways. Was more of a 'you're taking my food either way' deal, then she sat herself down on a log, pulling out the sharpening stone, running it over the blade, wind blowing smoke into her face and over the woods. She hadn't the time to really examine their campsite, she just knew it was nice and sandy loam that wasn't likely to send the entire forest up in flames, which was a damn good thing considering how volatile the wind was acting lately. Or maybe it was just her? Who even knew anymore. Turning her nose skyward, over the top of what she could only assume were some sort of pine trees, Eyas checked the air for rain, before speaking up again. "Just imagine it. Fuckin' top players in the game, settle down in Brisshal and dominate the scene here. Nice and open, can grab new players soon as they pop out, show them the ropes and bring 'em in. Can't hate the idea."
There was something unique about Brisshal that set it apart from the rest of Terrasphere. The calming chirp of the birds that filled the forested trees. The soft babble of brooks that cut through rolling hills, from which deer and wolf alike drank during a rest from their natural strife. The deafening cries of GOLD FOR SALE! from the local gold farmers, who traded in-game currency for real-world money to any newbies that joined and wanted a fiscal edge... only to get scammed or banned when either the gold farmers or the game moderators swooped in. It smelled like starter gear and eagerness. Like determination mingled with fear and doubt. It smelled like the perfect place to just... totally fuck with people, with almost zero consequences. It felt like home. Logging into the game, Temperance found her character alive and well where she had placed it: high up in a tree, tied to it by rope so that the avatar didn't fall out in the dead of night and break its neck or get eaten by wolves. Undoing the knots, she put the rope back in her inventory and prepared to slip down to the ground when a voice drifted up towards her from not too far off. It sounded like a young woman's, perhaps just a girl's, but it was excited and determined. Two qualities she most appreciated in newbies, because it made them that much more fun to grief and crush! Going Incognito, Temperance slipped down to the ground and listened as Eyas began to speak, recognizing the voice before she even saw the girl. CAMPFIRE BITCH! The small shout-y woman that Temperance had met, all too briefly, before a witch had appeared and totally messed up Temperance's chances of sleeping at an actual campfire. That had resulted in the rogue/healer strapping herself to a tree, much as she'd just climbed down from, in order to stay safe upon logging out. It was... a rather large coincidence that Eyas happened to be making another camp near to where Temperance had recently logged out, and subsequently recently logged back in. She smirked, and listened as Eyas spoke to what seemed to be a nearby friend... a woman that Temperance also seemed to recognize, if only in passing. So. They were planning some sort of Human Trafficking operation, to kidnap and pimp out lower level players and turn them into pawns. An impressive scheme, but the organization of such a thing would be a headache... the kind of logistical nightmare that Temperance always avoided. She much preferred to remain one of the active elite that ran about doing things, rather than telling others what to do. It made her an effective pawn for others. Or perhaps a bishop based on her... unique positioning and utility. Also, bitch-queen, but that was unrelated to any chess analogies. She waited in the shadows silently and returned her attention to Eyas and her companion, zoning in again after realizing she'd gone into a small reverie for a few seconds. Stepping out of the shadows, Temperance put the biggest of grins on her face and looked the two women over, then focused her attention on Eyas. "Not a private encampment, I hope?" she announced, repeating almost verbatim her greeting to the other woman from some time back. "I could use a place to kick off my boots and rest my weary legs. And I am alone." She kept a grin plastered across her face, amused at the situation and delightedly waiting to see how the other woman would react to this... but she was more than prepared to bolt, if necessary. @Eyas Amari @Madison Freebird
Madison snatched the pouch out of the air and dug in. Despite having played Terrasphere for well over a month now, it still surprised her how real food and drink could taste here. If it weren't only sensory input and the game could actually nourish her rail-thin body in the real world, she'd cut out the ramen and pizza entirely and only log out when she went to work. That being said, the jerky was okay. Lightly seasoned and a bit tough to chew, but she'd deal. "Nope, can't hate it at all," she agreed, still tearing away at the snack. "A lot of players have no clue what to do as soon as they spawn. They usually fumble around in the woods for a week before finally getting their shit together and save up for some gear." An idea like this had potential. But there were a few concerns she had to voice. "We can pick them up, dust 'em off, and arm them, sure; but what do we get out of it? And what kind of tasks are we giving them?" Madison leaned back on her log, resting against one of the many trees that surrounded their little camp. "We just gonna' make 'em mess around with a bunch of slimes and wolves and shit? Because that'll get boring awfully quick." The witch shrugged. "S'why I've been in contact with a few groups, myself. Seeing if they had any openings for someone spec'd into Spookymancy like myself." She tossed the jerky back at Eyas. "We just have to keep their attention by feeding them missions with increased danger and rewards, otherwise we'll lose 'em as soon as they hit a certain level. Sure, we can start with the small things; but we need to branch out quick. Bandits, witches, dungeon delves... Some quests with more punch to them. It'll keep them around longer." Madison's sapphire eyes twinkled, and not from the dancing light of the campfire. "And it'll keep our purses fatter." No sooner had Madison finished speaking that a familiar face seemed to materialize out of the darkness, approaching the murderbuddies. Maddy recognized her from an evening's fun in Stokbon, where the two of them decided to chase after some shady-looking sons of bitches who were trying to kidnap a young girl or something. The celebratory drinks afterwards kind of made a lot of the details fuzzy. Madison exchanged a quick glance with Eyas, and motioned for Temperance to sit. If it came to it, she'd just shut up about her plans with the brawler and they could chat later.
"We could toss 'em at the spire, maybe. Hear 'bout that new quest or sommat?" Plucking the bag out of midair as it passed over the fire, Eyas smirked as she took another bite of her jerky strip, chewing on it noisily before swallowing, considering. She had more than a few ideas, but none of them were really up to the task of what they needed. "Could start some legend shit that nobody's hit the bottom. We could support 'em with a cut of rewards if they make it. Build some loyalty, eh?" Her focus was entirely on this plot of theirs, or mostly so. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up for a moment, and Eyas spun and drew her blade, the black-edge katana coming out with a smooth, fluid upwards motion, pointing at Temperance as she began to speak, and she herself recognized the person. Nothing to get all fighty over, at least nothing she could tell. Just her being on a hair's trigger, almost literally, in case something decided to ambush them. "Oh. It's just you." Taking a brief moment to glance over to Madison, she saw her gesture to share the fire. Which meant that, at the very least, the witch trusted her. And if that was a mistake, well. Two of them working together could probably handle this one person, right? Hoping it wouldn't come to that, Eyas held the sheathe tied at her waist in her left hand, sliding her blade back into it with the distinct sound of wood on metal. And then it was back to her seat, resting her elbows on her knees and shrugging off the sudden surge of adrenaline that kept her heart racing. "No crazy fuckin' witch followin' you this time?"
Haru wondered why he spent so much time in Brisshal. Out in the wide forests he hardly ever met any other players (or other life greater than critters for that matter), and it's not as if he were here for any quests. As much as he'd hate to admit it, he'd also almost explored all of the "map" of this land, so to speak, and a nagging voice in his head told him to start looking other places for more interesting sights as soon as he could. And he would, but just not now. He needed to rest somewhere before he went off in the true adventuring fashion. That's what he told himself anyway- every time he thought about journeying past this starting area once more, he couldn't help but imagine icy walls and freezing blood. Maybe he'd go south or east this time. Only just a little bit further from Brisshal. ...Was he even qualified to leave this place? A grimace adorns his once serene face as his thoughts go further and further down a rocky hill until he realizes the way he's thinking about things. Damn. Haru knew well enough that this was the kind of thinking that would put him lying in some bed somewhere without any desire to do anything at all, and that just wasn't any good. He really needed rest so he could think clearly again. Lying back against the tree he was sitting under, Haru closes his eyes in the dark forest. Something tickles his ears. It was the faintest kind of noise he could recognize with ease: the sound of a human conversation. There were people out in these parts of the woods? Odd. Haru stands back up, peaking in height as his curiosity does the same. Perhaps he could find a warmer place to sleep than the early spring night outside were he to go talk to them. Striding over to the sound of people, Haru whistles short and loud, beckoning his stag to get his lazy butt off the ground follow him. He just hoped they weren't bandits again. Haru trods over to the campfire with no intention of hiding himself. Making his way through undergrowth, he at least finds relief that he hadn't walked among bandits. Two people he didn't recognize, and... Temperance, was it? Well, they weren't bandits, though from the sound of the conversation from these people, they might end up being labeled as such. What scary plans... He greets them all, though inclines his head to Temperance with a serene smile on his face and a lazy wave of the hand, "Aha, ha, ha, no witches here. Sorry for walking in, but it was chilly out there and I'd rather not sit in the cold at the moment. Does anyone mind?" He idly holds a hand behind him and the stag stops, lying down on the ground before he gets too far into the clearing. Hopefully he could at least have a conversation tonight.
Madison exchanged another glance with Eyas, her lips pursed into the thinnest line across her face. Discussing the plans would have to wait. She had no idea who this new arrival was, this tall but older-looking boy with white hair. The witch kept an eye on him as he strolled into the clearing, drawing closer to the campfire and greeting Temperance. Still wary of him, Madison reluctantly nodded. "Sure, pull up a stump." Madison drew her deck of cards from her inventory and started to absentmindedly play with it. More out of force of habit than anything, but it never hurt to have a response to any violent outburst at the ready.
Yeah. There was another person. Just freaking great. Of all the times for them to attract company, it was now? Offering a nod to Madison, the swordswoman kept her mouth shut, a hand close to the blade and ready to strike if needed. Of course, she was probably going to be beaten to the punch by the card sharp over there, but well. Eyas was fast enough to be able to finish off anything that might've been able to withstand the initial barrage. She hoped. So that left her with one friendly and two unknowns. Sure, they acted nice, but they could always be ... less nice? Fucking words didn't always make sense to her anyways. Subtly tapping the side of her head, by her temple, she pointed with two fingers at the newcomer, then shrugged. Now was the time for silence, anyways. Let them do all the talking, she was keeping her mouth shut. Or, well, filled with jerky. Unsheathing her blade again, slowly, she resettled it on the sharpening stone. Nothing could ever be too sharp, and besides, she needed to keep her equipment clean and fresh. Was better to cut through then to get stuck. So Eyas sat and stayed quiet, sharpening the black-edged katana. Every so often, a small pop of electricity would stroke out from the blade, her intense focus serving as a conduit for her own abilities as she prepared it and listened. To the fire, popping away. To the others, doing whoever knew. To the night, creatures settling in. "More bodies could be good." Wait, what? Why was she even saying that? More people was never good, that always ended in trouble. But she had to admit to herself, there was a point there. More people meant more workers, which meant more stuff could get done. If they were smart, they could easily make up the lost split. Yeah. She didn't like the idea, but it was still out there, a brief muttering to Madison over the fire and the blade.
"Unbelievable..." Temperance frowned as Haru appeared from the woods nearby, just moments after herself. "Just friggin unbelievable." Why was it every time she entered a camp Eyas had made that somebody else appeared SECONDS after she said she was alone. But there was no cackling witch this time, so she rolled her eyes and went to plop down near the center of things, kicking off her boots and appearing to relax instantly. If she was worried that she might be attacked, she didn't show it, which spoke volumes of either her self confidence or her general ignorance.
