The group had actually met at the city where Princess Adrie summoned them. Kyle was traveling there to sell some goods for his family's business. Archer was looking to get a decent team together. Conner had come upon being summoned, but he looked like one of the more serious people at the meeting, despite his obvious youth.

There were a lot of strange people there at the meeting. People of all shapes and sizes. A kobold and a gnoll were even there.

After the meeting, Conner agreed to go with Archer and Kyle. Interestingly, Conner shared Kyle's passion for getting paid. Though it was also clear to Archer that Conner had the smell of a nature lover about him. This much was easily found out even before leaving the meeting.

But after leaving the meeting, Conner looked at the two others and comments, "We'll need a front man. Someone willing to take point. And no offense to you two, but I don't think any of the three of us qualify for that."

  Kyle, Checin, and Rhagar had such a grand reunion.

 

  "If it is of any comfort, I do try to stay relatively close to the frontliners rather than hang back unless it is particularly suicidal for me to do  so."  After all, can't buff the bejesus out of the melee types without being close to them.

Archer was an archer.  Or maybe he was an Elf archer.  But he was still Archer!  Guy doesn't talk much.  He nods to the boy, impressed with his apparent leadership ability and connection with nature.

"Then let's ask around."

Even as Archer suggests asking around, another adventuring team comes into view and two are laughing among each other while one looks uncomfortable.

Conner eyes them and says, "Only three. Like us. But it looks like they just came back from outside the city. I'm going to ask the quiet one why he isn't laughing..."

Conner follows the group until he finds a time to pull the guy aside. When he asks, the guy responds, "They think it's funny we left our team mate behind... but I sure don't. I don't wanna die or get left behind either, so I plan to get the authorities on this soon. What's worse... she's a tough and tenacious one. They might think she'll give up on us, but I don't. I think nature girl will track us down and get justice."

Conner hmms... "Nature girl, eh? Where did your group leave her? I'm a ranger... I will find her and get her out of whatever mess your so-called allies left her in."

The guy glances over his shoulder then back to Conner. "Out in the woods. I left a marked trail along the tree trunks for the authorities to follow later... just follow that."

Conner says, "Thanks."

He then turns to his allies. "Sounds like we already have someone to rescue."

  "Hopefully, they are still alive then." Practical thoughts hope she isn't dead because then they will have waste their time even more in that case.  That pesky conscience meanwhile hopes she is not dead because that would be lame and you are going to do unpaid heroics that Chekin keeps laughing at you about anyways.

Archer nods.  "I will be sure she knows you were concerned for her.  It would be a good gesture for you to accompany the authorities who come after us."

He doesn't mention that he's rather good at tracking as well.  With a marked trail, a child could...  A child will.  He heads in the direction the adventurer came from.

The trail is, in fact, as obvious as stated. Trees are marked and the very young ranger is following the trail with ease.

Eventually, the trio comes upon a pit wherein they can hear the sound of a female crying. Just peaking down, they can see what looks like it could be a werewolf. Whatever she is, she is crying into her hands, bodies of dead goblins surrounding her.

Conner calls down, "Help is here! Just hold on!"

And soon, he is pulling out his rope and tying it one of two pegs that seem to be at the edge of the opening to the pit.

  Kyle... Oh right, too low level to bust out magical silk ropes willy nilly.  Fortunately Connor is on hand as it is to help set up similar things.

  "Are you in immediate risk of death?" or A immediate risk of death?  Prooobably not, Kyle's are more familiar with crybaby shifters.  Not that we are pointing fingers at anyo-it's Tim we are not fooling anybody.

Archer then realizes he doesn't know the name of the person they are looking for.  Oh well.

"I am Archer.  An adventurer.  We were told to look here for an abandoned nature woman."

He's relying on implied questions again.

"And I'm Conner. And this is Kyle." Conner says, completing introductions.

The lady replies, "My name is Rain... I am in no immediate danger." she then takes the rope and begins climbing. "Thank you for helping me." soon, she is climbing out of the pit and stays on her hands and knees to look down the pit, contorting her face in a pained expression of both anger and sadness.

Rain soon stands on her feet. "I am indebted to you. How may I repay you?"

  Well, that's more like it-  "You don't have to repay us for pulling you out of a hole" Damnit, conscience!

  "Though an explanation for how you ended up in that situation would be welcome.

Apparently implied questions didn't work this time.

"You're welcome.  If you are injured, Kyle here is a healer.  Please describe the man in your team that did not approve of your treatment."

That's one way to make sure this is the right girl.

Rain gives a description of the man who Conner spoke with. "I could smell it. He didn't object out loud because he was afraid his allies would kill him if he did. And given they left me here the way they did, who can blame him?"

She turns to look at Kyle. "We found this hole in the ground with a rope ladder and investigated it. There were goblins. They had treasure that had been obtained by robbing people along the road. Once we retrieved the treasure, I helped them carry it out. I was at the bottom, handing things up. After the treasure had been carried out, some goblins that had survived came and attacked me." she holds the back her her fist to her mouth, eyes watering. "That's when they pulled the rope ladder up and said "have fun with that, pooch" before heading out. I slew the goblins, but there was no other way out I knew of. All the rope that had been in the place was taken out with the treasure and my own rope had been used to tie some treasures together."

Conner's fists are clenched.

Rain adds, "I do not have money to offer you, my heroes. But I do have gratitude and will serve you for what you did."

  Jerks, AND Unprofessional!  Kyle is displeased.

  "It is true that we will be going into dangerous situations ourselves.  Any help would be appreciated, though I intend to see you get more out of it than mere gratitude."

She must have already healed up while she rested.

"Impressive that you survived alone.  We were looking for a tough front-lines adventurer for our group, so your aid will be welcome indeed.  Let's head back toward town.  The princess wishes for all adventurers to attune to her crystal.  Very important.  And considering the respect afforded gnoll, shifter, and kobold adventurers by the crown, I'm sure your former allies will be dealt with appropriately when you tell your story."

He offers her his canteen and a ration pouch.

Rain is very grateful and takes the offered food and water. It also becomes clear the lady is well enough, though she still accepts any aid given her as they travel.

Conner is quiet for most of the trip there, only speaking when spoken to. On the way, Kyle and Archer are able to ascertain that Rain is indeed a tough one; a warden of life. Druids are the wizard/clerics of nature. Shaman are the spiritual healers of nature. Rangers are nature's scouts and guard. Seekers are nature's fangs. And wardens are said to be nature's walking fortress.

Rain also discovers the other three are just as new to each other as they are to her and she soon feels less like "the new girl" and more like one of the team.

Once the group presents the case to the princess, she promises justice and sends out guards to apprehend the ones Rain describes. Then attunes Rain to the crystal.

Adrie adds, "It must be fate that tore you from those terrible people and brought you here with heroes, Rain. I feel safer with the world in the hands of you four than in the hands of fools like those who turned on you for a few coin."

Eventually, the team is on their way, now complete with a fourth member and tank.

  Kyle feels heroes is an exaggeration, but then he'd file 'saved existence by punching Tiamat in every single face' under mercenary work if the paperwork was all proper like.

  "If do the job professionally, whatever your method or origin is doesn't really matter to me Rain."

Archer knows what Elf culture considers professional, Kyle notsomuch.  But such discussions are best left when not having just been addressed by royalty.  He bows.

"Thank you, princess."

Or was this after they left?  Either way he heads on to the next adventure with the others.

Elven royalty at that.

Rain says to Kyle, "Thanks. Though I would likely need to know what you mean by professional since... well.. I am not used to civilization."

Even as the group is heading out of town, they pass by 5 guards who have the two jerks in custody. They look at Rain in anger. Rain averts her eyes, growling under her breath.

Conner grips his sword's hilt, but keeps moving with the group.

Archer is usually pretty unemotional.

"Meheh.  Muhah!  BWAHAHAHAAA!"

He points and laughs at the prisoners.

"Enjoy your prison, foohools!  Oohoo!  And if the princess didn't already specify, I'm sure she'll see the justice in having them share a cell with gahablins!  Ohoh!  And if there's a shifter warden or guard...  GWHAHAA!!"

He wipes a tear from his eye.

  Kyle doesn't even dignify the thugs with a look.  "Not selling eachother out, for a start.  You do what you can to keep your team and civilians alive, unless it would get you killed.  You can't help anyone if you are dead.  Services rendered deserve payment, as hard as that can be to manage at times.  Somebody you help might never repay you, and call you selfish for even asking.  But watching people die just because they were broke is not something I make a habit of."

Conner does a double-take on Archer's reaction and calms down a little as if the laughter startled him out of his anger. He even affords a smirk as a result and lets go of the hilt to his sword.

Rain isn't really cheered up by the laughter, though, and keeps her eyes averted from the prisoners.

The prisoners start to yell back and get backhanded by the guards. "Her highness told us what you did. Do not speak out, lest you earn an even worse punishment."

Conner then listens as Kyle explains professionalism to Rain. "There is a lot of loot involved in adventurer jobs. But even with that, most jobs for adventurers have an offer of payment to get adventurers interested in the first place. Oh right. Loot is to be split evenly, but don't forget the rule of dibs."

Rain asks, "Rule of dibs?"

Conner nods. "Yeah. If someone calls dibs on something, that thing is theirs."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:08, Fri 08 May 2015.

While Archer is not surprised, he is disappointed.

"A custom usually associated with children, though sadly practiced by some immature adults.  I will not tolerate any such rule for this group."

  Kyle is just going to ignore the dibs discussion entirely as long as he can.

  "Speaking of jobs, if things are as urgent as claimed then we can continue this as we travel."

The group never did stop walking.

Of course, Conner acting like a child shouldn't be surprising.
Even Maverick acts like one from time to time.

(For reference, I was imagining Conner to be about 14)

Conner folds his arms and humpfs. "Archer here clearly doesn't understand what I'm talking about." he glances at Archer. "How are you supposed to split a magic sword into four? And who here besides Rain can use a shield properly?"

Rain says, "I propose we consider everything to belong to all four of us. Then when we are done, we take it all to be assessed by someone who knows what things are worth and then we will sort out what we each want from there."