Freeing the very frozen sack with fang's head from her backpack Vigilance holds it up to the guard at his desk, clearly making an offering of it.

”Fulfilling.”

Feldrin flashed a small smile at the person, though it was a little forced due to his mood. "Greetings."

He gestured towards Vigilance. "We have come to deliver the head of the bandit Fangs and collect on the bounty."

He then let his arms drop to his side and waited.

"Always with the heads," the bounty sergeant grumbles. He moves around his desk and takes it from vigilance, tossing it in a corner. "I'm impressed. Not many go into the deserts, probably why he holed up in there. I believe the reward was a hundred," he returns to the desk and pulls from a drawer a small leather pouch which he places on the table. "How far into the deserts did you have to go to get him? My curiosity wants to know."

Feldrin looked over at the Bounty Sergeant with one eyebrow raised. "I mean...it's not like we want to decapitate someone and carry around their head. If you don't require proof like that, I'm happy to not do that anymore."

At the question about the desert, he let out a small sigh. "It was a bit. Few days either way if I remember right." He glanced at the others for confirmation.

"Too far, a good number of us got far too warm. It was a grand adventure to be sure though, a midnight twilight duel with the bandit, a battle with a force of orcs!"

Esra leaned on his staff as he watched the exchange, glad to be done with the hunt for Fangs

"Apologies for the state of their head."

"Well, it's about as concrete proof as you can get. And no apologies necessary. Sometimes they'll have some sort of personal and identifiable trinket that can be used, but that's not always the case. Regardless, job's done and I thank you for its completion and the extra effort you went through to do so." Rulf gives a nod. "But, seeing as how you lot are clearly skilled to some degree. Might you be interested in a more permanent position? Official bounty hunters for the Lydan Guard?"

Feldrin looked visibly surprised and taken aback at the question. He clearly hadn't been expecting it. "I...uhhhh...." He blinked and calmed himself. Then he asked, "Um, I don't know. More information would be good to make a decision. What...does that entail and offer exactly?"

Ranna looked at her nephew, wondering what he was thinking. He'd likely jump at the chance, but then again the two were on a sacred quest and deviation from it was the quester's decision, not the guardian.

"There'd be . . . matters to discuss, should we say yes. Not just pay, but materials. Some members of this crew need better lodgings. And must we all say yes or no, or will you take what members agree?"

While she doesn't reply to the question as quickly as the others Vigilance does provide a more definitive answer as soon as she is done passing off the head to whoever will take responsibility for it on this end.

”I can not speak for any of the others, but if you are empowered to make the offer official I would gladly accept a permanent bounty hunting position, that would considerably reduce the risk of more confusion causing bounties to escape.”

"Well," Rulf clears his throat and begins as if he's said this more than a few times, "first I'll answer that you all don't have to join. Unless, for some reason, you're absolute shite individually and only good together, you can each choose to join or not on your own.

"If you do wish to join, and assuming none of you have had any issues with any of the guards in the other districts, you'll be considered officially with the Lydan Guard. That doesn't mean you will hold the power and responsibility of a Guard member, so no arresting and patrolling and what not. You will be expected to conduct yourselves accordingly, so no illicit acts or general problem-causing. The benefits would be more bounty opportunities and better payouts for them, you'll have access to our resources for blacksmiths, research in the libraries if a job needs it, as well as our safe havens. If you have to travel, we can help arrange transport and you can usually bunk up at other guard houses in most other cities.

"However, being part of other organizations may not allow you to join and - and this turns away most of the adventuring sorts - you won't be able to take other free-hung bounties unless you can petition them through official channels. Usually that means the target'd have to have committed some crime worth pursuing. And it's not always glitz and glamour. You won't always be hunting down danger. Sometimes a bounty may be infiltration to find necessary information that we can use to push forward a conviction, or observation of dangerous situations but not being able to engage.

"In short, you'll be doing jobs the Guard can't cause it's outside the city or it's in dangerous, difficult, or complex situations."

He looks at Vigilance, "So you still wishing to join up? I'd just need to know your name, if you're part of any other factions or organizations, and that you understand the commitments and restrictions."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:59, Thu 17 Aug 2023.

Feldrin listened with interest to the Sergeant as they spoke, but his face visibly showed a little bit of waning interest as the speech and rules kept going. It wasn't that it sounded bad, per se, more that it meant potentially losing some freedom. "So all of the responsibility of being a guard, none of the power, but access to resources. Hmm."

He scratched his chin. "And joining would mean not being able to take things from the Job Board in Predator's Cove?" He frowned at that. "Yeah, I don't know..."

"I'm on a holy quest, and there will be times I need to wander and move. If bounties can be found, either with the guard or at the Predator's Cove, which allow that travel so that the artifact I escort can trace the lines of the ancient seal, then I would accept . . . but that's not what you're offering is it?"

Esra smiled a bit, chuckling nervously

"I want to help, but you've got so many restrictions."

Bounty Sergeant Rulf nods, "Yes, it's a tradeoff. The reason being since you've got the responsibilities of a guard, you can't be going around taking jobs that may show us in a poor light, and to expect a review of every possible personal bounty or job would overwhelm us and cause nothing to get done. But the upside it you wouldn't have a shortage of jobs.

"I'm going to assume your travel is more off the beaten path," he says as he looks to Esra. "In that case we wouldn't likely have much that would be at wherever you're quest takes you. If it's another city, then maybe.

"But also, it's not going to be where you are expected to turn in a bounty on sunup every day or anything like that. You'll get an assignment, or your choice of a few at times, and have a deadline on some and just an expectation of eventual completion on others. So you may have time during or between jobs to wander as you will."

Although she had already decided for herself Vigilance asks a question inspired by the other ones.

”Would it not be a good idea to create a list of targets of opportunity as well, smaller or more unpredictable bounties that may overlap in area with the larger or more urgent targets?  This would allow for more than one to be turned in at a time and save considerable travel expense.”

Feldrin hesitated only a little longer before finally shaking his head. "Okay. Thank you for the offer and the information, but at this time, I am not ready to commit to that obligation."

"It is a good idea," Rulf answers Vigilance. "And we do when we can. If you get assigned a task that is not pressing and is more open, you can take a more urgent one to work simultaneously.

"So seeing as how you appear to be the only one still interested, which I take no offense to, what's your full name, do you have a residence, and are you in good standing within each Lydanian district?"

In reply to Bounty Sergeant Rulf (msg # 490):

"If the quest takes us to a city, would it be prudent to check with you for outstanding bounties, simply to be helpful? Or would you prefer we don't assist if we're not members of your group?"

Vigilance doesn't seem offended by any of the guard's questions and answers them as clearly as she can in the order asked.

”My name is Vigilance, I do not have or generally require a residence, and I am in good standing in all districts.”

Rulf smiles and nods to Vigilance, "Excellent! You can now consider yourself having a residence here if you'd like. The bunks are luxurious, but they're better than nothing." He points further into the building towards a door at the back. He hands over "They're down the stairs through there."

He shrugs to Ranna, "You can check, sure. As you all found, we'll occasionally hang one in taverns and whatnot as a sort of recruiting method as well as to help just work some that need completed. That'd be the best place to check. You might be able to catch some work that way, but more often than not I may not have anything for you if you're not officially on. Like I said, it's a trade off, sure. But you won't lack for work, I can promise you that.

"Unless you all have any other questions or a nice bottle of Crystalbeard Gin for me, then don't let me keep you any longer. Inquisitor Vigilance, you'll need an insignia," he pulls a flat, palm-sized (for a human), dark-wooden carving of a tree. On its trunk you can the the image of a scroll carved into it. "I'll have it for you by tomorrow morning along with the first official job. Welcome to the Lydan Guard."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:58, Thu 31 Aug 2023.

Feldrin watched as the Sergeant talked more at length with Vigilance about the new position. Once that was done he addressed them, "Well...Inquisitor Vigilance...it was an honor to have traveled with you and known you before you became...official." He grinned at that, but was sincere. "I wish you...fulfillment."

He gave a nod to the Sergeant, "Thank you for your time and the information. Have a good day."

And he turned and headed out to Predator's Cove.

Esra clapped heartily as Vigiliance was invested with the tree carving

"It's a very handsome carving! Very nice! I hope we see you around, though under nice circumstances!"

When Feldrin went to leave, Esra followed to the tavern, letting his aunt come along in her own time.

Accepting the soft little carving gently it takes Vigilance a few moments to figure out how to store it safely before she turns to follow her already departing companions out.

"I hope we'll meet often, I look forward to being whatever help I can be to you Vigilance, if the guard doesn't know they need it yet."

OOC: Sorry, did we get paid already and how much was it? Not sure if I put it on my sheet already.

Lol, and I suppose is there xp for completing the bounty/quest? =)
This message was last edited by the player at 20:43, Tue 05 Sept 2023.

You did get paid. Don't know if you all split it yet or not
100 gp to share.

I did forget the XP. Apologies.
You each gain 200 xp.