[Other FULL] Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon [M][IC]

[Sapphire Rose]

A slice of life/adventure M rated RP! things tend to die
OOC​

The town of Ariadna is a town that was settled only 30 years ago in 1586, meaning that it's not very old. Some of the residents are born in this town while others moved to this town while it was being settled. Ariadna is similar to Sharance, a neighbouring town, in layout due to that the first villager moved from that town to an open area beneath it. Surrounding this town are many dungeons and pathways made for travellers to easily cross Ariadna or visit the small town for supplies. Ariadna has a town center with a tree in the middle that is believed to be the residence of a guardian spirit. Although many adults believe this to be a children story. A little down the road lies a lake with a beach.

Ariadna has four seasons in which it always snows and freezes in the winter season while summers are always hot but not humid due to not being a coast town. It's a small town where all locals know each other and every house/building has a small garden in which villagers can tend to crops. Ariadna has several festivals occurring throughout the months. This fantasy world has only 4 months a year. Month 1 is Spring, Month 2 is Summer, Months 3 is Fall and Month 4 is Winter and also the end of the year. Each month has 30 days. Those 4 months feel like a regular year with 12 months for all characters.

Building/shops that have opened in Ariadna:

• Inn/Bathhouse ran by the Solano family
• Tailor the daughter of the Solano Family takes commissions
• Blacksmith ran by the Kellen family and their apprentice from the lionheart family
• Clinic ran by Yua family and their nurse from the Kuchiki family
• Library ran by
• Flower shop ran by a couple and their young daughter
• Farm ran by Reinmann family
• Tavern ran by a MacLeod
• Monster farm ran by the McAbee family head
• Carpentry ran by the Einion family

Important traditions:

• When you want to propose to someone, it's tradition to craft the engagement ring yourself.
• In Ariadna, it's tradition to hold your wedding in the church even when you're not a follower. This differs per town in the kingdom of Norad.
• There is a market board in front of the guardian tree on which citizens can post requests for certain items or request help for anything else.
• It's normal for citizens to also be adventurers or at least travel to certain places with certain monsters for certain items. They can also choose to request the item that is needed on the market board. Old people are not very likely to travel to dungeons.
• There's a harvest festival every month in which citizens compare their self grown crops and can possibly win a prize for best crop.

Monsters all come from a dimension known as "The Forest of Beginnings" and return there if defeated. Monsters come out of this dimension through glowing spheres known as "Gates". Monsters can be tamed but only if the character owns a monster barn. Monsters that are commonly tamed are ones that represent farm animals. Woolies represent sheeps, Buffamoo respresent cows (look at the monster list in Privera forest where they are found)

All weapons in the kingdom of Norad are equipped with Tamitaya. Tamitaya is a magic that returns the souls of monsters where they belong instead of completely killing them. Bodies are left behind and can be looted for monster drops, although the body disappears after a short while.

List of dungeons:
Privera Forest layout: Easy

Spoiler:

Monsters + Drops:

Spoiler:

Name: [FRIENDLY]Buffamoo

Drop: Milk, leather

Name:[FRIENDLY]Wooly

Drop: Wool

Name: Fairy

Drop: Fairy dust, [VERY RARE] Love potion potion is said to deepen your bond with someone. Ask GM for details

Name: Planchoa

Drop: Plant Stem, Root, Strong Vine

BOSS MONSTER ?????

Carmite Cave Layout: Easy/significantly harder

Spoiler:

Ground Floor:

Basement 1:

Basement 2:

Basement 3/Last floor:
This floor is locked with stone doors

Monster list + Drops:

Spoiler:

Name: Orc

Drop: Cheap cloth/fabric, Orc fur

Name: [FRIENDLY]Chipsqueek

Drop: Fur, Quality Fur

Name: Ant

Drop: Insect Carapace, Insect Jaw

Name: Hornet

Drop: Honey, Insect Skin, Insect Jaw, Insect Carapace

BOSS MONSTER ?????

Vale River layout: Medium

Spoiler:

Monsters + Drops:

Spoiler:

Name: Silver wolf

Drop: Wolf Fang, Quality Fur

Name: Turnip Ghost

Drop: Turnip Head, Cloak

Name: Buffaloo

Drop: Bull's horn

Name: Beetle

Drop: Insect Horn, Insect Carapace

Water Ruins layout: [Not accessible right now] hard

Spoiler:

Monster list + drops:

Spoiler:

Name: Weagle

Drop: Bird's Feather

Name: Sky Fish

Drop: Fish Fossil/bones

Name: Tortoise

Drop: Tortoise Shell

Name: Goblin/Goblin Archer

Drop: Blade Shard, Cheap bandage, Arrowhead

BOSS MONSTER ?????

Your characters may fight in battles with monsters or other people. Your character can use any weapon they prefer from the below list:

• Short Sword
• Long Sword
• Spear
• Battle Axe
• Battle Hammer
• Dual Blades (two short swords)
• Gloves (Fists)
• Staff (for mainly magic users)

(You can find the available equipment here: https://therunefactory.fandom.com/wiki/Equipment_(RF4) )

Magic can be used by characters but need to be learned from books. Not every person in the kingdom of Norad is great with magic but the more someone uses it, the better they get at it. Books can be bought from merchant and/or library's. More magic can be learned than what's on this list.

Magic that can be learned:

• Cure - Cures wounds but is not very effective for near-dead wounds. It definitely can keep someone alive a bit longer.
• Master Cure - Strong cure magic that is able to heal deeper wounds and can possibly save someone from a near-dead experience. Once the victim is too far gone, it's not effective anymore.
• Fireball: Hurls small fireballs. Can hurl up to 3 at a time. Not very strong but still able to do plenty of damage.
• Big Fire: Hurls large fireballs. Can hurl up to 2 at a time. Stronger than Fireball.
• Explosion: Hurls giant fireballs that cause explosions on impact, damaging their surroundings. Strongest Fire Magic.
• Water Laser: Emits a water beam that can penetrate stone. The longer you maintain it, the bigger the impact.
• Parallel Laser: Emits 2 water beams that can penetrate stone. The longer you maintain them, the bigger the impact.
• Delta Laser: Emits 3 water beams that can penetrate stone. Particularly effective when surrounded by foes. Strongest Water magic.
• Screw Rock: Summons sharp rocks that substitute for your fists. Designed for fighter mages.
• Earth Spike: Summons stone pillars that track enemies and strike them from below.
• Avenger Rock: Stab its target with a large rock. Also known as the "drill punch."
• Sonic Wind: Emits spinning wind blades that automatically track and shred their foes to pieces.
• Double Sonic: Emits 2 spinning wind blades. Their arched trajectory makes it hard to attack enemies in front.
• Penetrate Sonic: Emits 3 spinning wind blades that move freely in multiple directions, shredding to bits all who get in their way.
• Light Barrier: Emits 2 light balls in front of you, protecting from enemies.
• Shine: Emits 4 light balls that spin around you, protecting you from enemies.
• Prism: Emits spinning light balls. Provides complete protection from all enemies for a short while.
• Dark ball: Emits a dark light ball that travels slowly and destroys everything in its way. Requires a strong mage to be able to cast it.
• Dark Snake: Emits a dark light ball that snakes forward slowly and destroys everything in its path. Requires a strong mage to be able to cast it.
• Darkness: Forbidden spell that summons an entrance to the depths of darkness. Requires a strong mage to be able to cast it.

• This is a sandbox RP, however, storyline events will happen and there is a storyline. The frequenty of changing to new days will be discussed with the group. This is a chill/relaxing RP though.
• No godmodding or bunnying
• Boss fights will happen in Dungeons&Dragons style. You will throw with a D20 during the fight. GM will be the boss monster. If the GM discovers this method is not working, we will switch to the old method.
• Communication will mostly happen in the discord
• There's currently no character limit, however, if there are too many interested RPers the GM may decide to close this RP for new characters.
• New characters will automatically become outsiders, meaning that they still have to arrive in the village.
• This RP is rated M for Mature, however, do not abuse it. Discuss things with the GM if you're not sure what is and what isn't allowed.
  

Characters:

• Alannah Solano / Damien Solano - Inn/bathhouse owner and poster girl - Sapphire Rose
• Dirk Kellen - Blacksmith - Sephear
• Vera Maxwell - Mercenary - Magnificent Magilou
• Soria Lionheart - Blacksmith apprentice - Shak
• Kasumi Yua - Clinic/Doctor - Dragon
• Jessica McAbee - Monster Farmer - Machomuu
• Noah | Vivian | Alice - Flower shop - Songbird
• Laurel Leah - Librarian - Geras
• Lazaro Ilighiari - Scientist - MurkMire
• Felix Reinmann - Farmer/Hunter - MysticalNinetales
• Dai Einion - Carpentry - PastelPhoenix
• Miura Kuchiki - Nurse - Evily
• Amadeus MacLeod - Tavern - Groc

​

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Spring 3 year 1616, it was only a few days ago that the start of a new year was celebrated by the villagers occupying the town of Ariadna. There was a lot to look back to. A married couple with a little girl came to town last year and opened Ariadna's very first flower shop, all the fun festivals that ended well and another year of a bountiful harvest. Ariadna was thriving as ever but when something is thriving for too long, some rain clouds will always pass to bring balance to the harmony.

Because when there is light, there should always be darkness.



Rumors has it that monsters in the area have been growing bolder lately. They seem to be roaming around the outskirts of Ariadna, something they haven't done before. Therefore the bulletin boards is full of quests to get rid of those pesky infiltrators or at least thin down their numbers.

​

 

[Geras]

Laurel Leah Just Another Morning

Laurel's morning routine always began with a quick flight to a stream in the forest, just as the sun was rising. It was a nice chance to stretch his wings, but more importantly he needed water for the day. Clutched in his claws was a carrying pole from which a pair of buckets were suspended.

After making it to the stream, he always took the chance to bathe. In his bird form, of course, as he knew there might be other early risers doing business in the forest. Being caught bathing in his human form by any of the townsfolk was an uncomfortable thought. If he had the money he'd much prefer a daily bath at The Moon, but he had the library's expenses to think about. The tub at home was cramped and hard to relax in, and commissioning a bigger one would mean having to gather more water for it and it was all just a big hassle.

Next was the trip back home, where he would store the water away and get started on his beauty routine. A face wash, a close shave, and a bit of makeup to make it look like there was never anything to shave in the first place. Then bit of eyebrow plucking to keep them thin and finishing off by brushing and styling his hair. Today's hair clip was a light pink.

After that was the outfit. He looked through his wardrobe. It was getting a bit warm for his favorite scarves and coats, but it wasn't quite warm enough for skirts and sundresses. He ultimately settled on dark slacks and a white dress shirt under a light grey waistcoat. He picked a pink tie to match his hair clip.

All dressed up, he put on his apron and made a quick meal of eggs and bacon. Most of his breakfasts were eggs and bacon, the rest of them being butter on toast for the days he was short on time. Lunch and dinner were equally repetitive, except for the nights he went to Cloud Nine for inspiration or The Moon to relax. The Kellens were also happy to feed him whenever he stopped by to visit.

Next on the list was a walk around town. It was still early, but at this point most of the town was up and going about their day. Every day he hoped to spot something interesting or new he could use for inspiration. A dynamic between people he hadn't seen, a visitor to town he'd never met, a fact or story he'd never heard. Today was normal and boring like most days, but the day was still young so he didn't lose hope.

He also went to check the request board. Most of the time it was monster hunting or material gathering quests that he wasn't willing to spend the time or effort on. Despite always loving tales of adventures, he never had any interest in actually going on one, and couldn't now even if he did. But every now and then there was something easy he could do, or something with a reward that caught his eye.

Speaking of eye-catching rewards, Laurel found himself staring at Damien's request. He furrowed his brow. 1200 G and a free bath were certainly appealing, but he'd probably have to close the library for a day to do it. Everything else was the usual fare that didn't concern him, or was nonsense like the doctor's request. He filed Damien's request away in his mind and went back home. It was time to open the library, after all.

The simply-named Leah Library was a modest building. It was an open area that consisted mostly of bookshelves, with a desk for Laurel at the door to make sure nobody tried to run off with any books. He lived in a smaller building attached to the library. He wanted to add some indoor seating but there wasn't enough space for that, so there were some tables and chairs set up outside instead. A chime hung on the front door to alert Laurel of visitors in case he was busy shelving or cleaning away from his desk.

Library customers had a few options when it came to reading. They could read at the library for free while staying in Laurel's sight, they could buy a book to take home and keep, or they could pay a membership fee to check out several books at once, as long as they returned them in a couple weeks. His parents wanted to share these books with the world, but Laurel needed money both to get his hands on new books and to, well, survive.

After a bit of cleaning, he flipped the sign in front of the door to "open" and sat at his desk. He liked to do the deeper cleaning after closing anyway, along with most of the library's other chores. While waiting for customers, he usually spent his time writing. At the moment he was in a bit of a slump, so he'd been novelizing his parent's old journals instead of doing anything original. The stories within were compelling, but it was clear that readability wasn't a priority for his parents. It would serve as a sort of prequel anthology to his original The Sage and the Shadowblade series, S&S for short.

Laurel smiled, always happy to have another reason to look back on these journals. They were special to him. And he hoped that through his writing, the stories within might become special to someone else, too. That wish kept the fire within him burning bright, driving him forward. He almost wished that nobody would come so he could just keep writing, but he knew better.

​

 

[Shak]

-The Forge

Soria Lionheart
Dirk Kellen

​

To Bend Steel​

​

A deftly crafted, fortress of a building sits just off the south eastern-most section of Ariadna, just shy of town center. With smoke rising from the chimney and the quietness of being just in sight of the busiest part of town, it sits as a calling card for anyone curious enough to inspect the intriguing building so isolated away from the rest of the town's residence. The exterior is a finely carved stone structure, plated with metal supports that give the building a sheen and sleekness unlike any other in all of Ariadna.

One such young woman, curious enough to make that venture east was a young Soria Lionheart. An adult now, she is an effortless beauty, one that can truly say 'I woke up like this' and still turn heads. Her mind doesn't waver. Having finished her business in the square and said a quick hello to her best friend Alannah, Soria was quick to make her way straight back to the blacksmith.

Inside, is what's left of Ariadna's smithing dynasty. The clang of hammer on anvil signaled his presence long before seeing him, ringing out his efforts to improve his art. Even passersby could tell what was going on in the yard behind the store.

Dirk spent a lot of time in the open air forge of his home, finding it more pleasant than the stuffy basement that provided a much more controlled, stifling environment. He set his current piece in a basin to a burst of steam, took off his heavy gloves and wiped the sweat off his brow just as he heard the front door open. It was too early for any customers, so it could only be one person. Dirk toweled off the work grime and headed inside to receive his partner.

The walls of the shop were littered with stock and decor. Armour plates, weapons even the benign wares like DIY tools and cast iron pots. He looked in the corner, where Soria had left her orders from the day before. He had to give it to her, the girl had really made her own niche smithing finer objects like wires and needles. In particular, Dirk noticed the box of needles. He knew where they were going.

"Oh, you're up early," Soria joked, as she looked the sweat drenched man up and down. It was far from unusual to see the son of highly acclaimed blacksmith Garrow Kellen working hard to uphold his father's legacy. Soria too was an early bird and the two would often work side by side in the early hours of the morning to have the shop's wares in pristine condition and peak performance ready for any potential sale. Even the oldest and most undesired of stock would be routinely pressed against the workbench or sharpened on a grindstone by the two busybodies to ensure it could catch the eye of the most frugal of window shoppers.

"Yep! The old man isn't getting up before noon lately, gotta get the prep done." Dirk responded brightly but with a hint of concern. "Those sewing and knitting needles are for Alannah, right? Why don't I deliver them for you?"

"Oh, do you just happen to be heading that way or am I your excuse to go see her today?" Soria chirped with a smile. Despite her teasing, she was actually delighted to see Dirk taking the initiative to talk to his crush. He was always too proud to ask Soria to set them up. It honestly made the topic wearisome whenever she had to mention him to her while leaving her completely oblivious, or mention her to him because he always rested on his laurels. That said, she could never miss an opportunity to tease him if he brought it up himself.

Dirk froze and fought to keep his eyes from darting around. "I - ahem, I was heading over there anyways. I really want to become a better cook for… the future and I wanna ask Damien for lessons. This way I can save you a trip." He rubbed the back of his head, all too aware that Soria of all people knew him better. They'd quite literally been through fire together plenty of times, working at the forge. Nobody in town understood him quite the same way, so if he was safe with anyone knowing his problems, it was her. He still didn't have it in him to outright say how he felt about Alannah, but he knew Soria knew and that was enough to relieve him a bit.

"Better cook, huh? That's what you're going with? Well I've just been to town and forgot, so you go ahead and get your girl those needles." Soria said with a satisfied smile. "Oh, I did get you something I thought you might like." As she said that, she pulled out a poster, one of the ones specifically designed for the town bulletin board. "If you can get her some cloth and leather with that, I'm sure she'd be pretty grateful." She continued, knowing her hinting couldn't be any more on the nose.

Dirk eyed the needles up close and picked one up. "It's definitely fine work, I'm sure she'll be elated. All the better if I can add to it. I've actually got some spare leather and bolts of cloth right now from my last trip into the woods. I'd better get a rinse and run, then."

"Hey, blockhead." Soria called, stopping him before he had the chance to leap into action. She tossed the job notice for him to catch. "Might be a little creepy if you show up without that." She said sarcastically, despite knowing Dirk wouldn't catch on to what she was really getting at. "Don't stay too long, remember we've still got these greaves to get polished before we open." She smiled hoping Dirk wouldn't actually rush back to complete the mundane task she was referring to.

"Already did it~" Dirk tossed over his shoulder as he gathered up the box of needles, the bundle of cloth and strips of leather. "You can get started on the dusty breastplate." The door shut behind him. Soria heard the heft of a bucket, a loud splash, then jaunty whistling growing quieter and more distant until it was gone.

Soria couldn't help but scoff. That guy. She thought to herself, shaking her head. It brought a smile to her face. Despite that one weakness he had, he always seemed to get the better of her when it came to the things that mattered. At least, the things that mattered to her. She sat down and began polishing the armour.

Kellen Smiths​

 

[Evily]

In the Eyes of: Miura Kuchiki

​

Aide-Memoire 1: Usual Morning

"Dear, can you do something for me?" "Of course, Gran-Gran! What is it?" "I need you to place this request on the board and here's the list of groceries for this month." "Alright, let me get-" "Oh, I almost forgot! A package for you came in, I think it's from him." "If it is, i'll wear it when the time is right." "If that's what you wish dearie."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A young girl with lengthy white hair stood in front of the request board, holding a small note in her hand with a basket being held on her elbow by its handle. She looked over the board before smiling and using a pin she brought from home to place it on the bottom-right, at the corner. A gentle wind blew, her scarf slightly flying as the girl moved the handle to her hand, looking over the request her grandmother made.
Her grandmother's buffamoo likes to leave the small barn, it was a shed but they asked Mr. Dai the Carpenter for help to reconstruct the inside similar to a barn, right beside their house. For as long as she can remember, her grandmother befriended Bam-Bam the Buffamoo and he's lived with them as part of their family. One of the benefits of having him was the free milk, one item they don't have to buy and search for: his milk was very delicious as well! However, he likes to go out on walks and would often leave the shed-barn daily, but two days ago, he never returned. Her grandmother was worried and wanted to go look for him, but she volunteered to do it in her place. Her grandmother rebutted, knowing the girl will miss her work to go out looking. Instead, she made a request and asked for her granddaughter, Miura, to place it on the request board while they looked for him.
Returning from her thoughts, Miura Kuchiki turns to leave for her next destination. However, she stopped when she noticed the request by her boss, Dr. Kasumi.
"'Boyfriend/Girlfriend Wanted - Sexy doctor looking for partner, come find me at the clinic. - Dr. Kasumi'" Miura chuckled at the request, Miss Kasumi has been looking for a lover, a request might help. Although Miura frowned, what if the person who accepts the request has bad intentions? How many heartbreaks would it take for her boss to find her significant other?
"Baa?" Miura jumped at the noise and turned, seeing her companion, Cotton the Wooly, on her shoulder, looking at her with his doe eyes. Now that she noticed, she could feel his cotton-fur brushing her cheek. "Baa!"
"That's for the wake-up call Cotton. Let's go get the groceries gran-gran wanted." "Baa!" Giving the board one last look, the girl walked away and towards the nearby farm.

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Alannah Solano
Spring 3 // The Moon Inn&Bathhouse

---

On the far south of Ariadna is a large building situated right next to the an area with a huge tree standing in the middle. This huge building was divided in three sections with only one of them having a second floor. The facade of the building had a graceful font that said "The Moon inn&Bathhouse" with a small moon to decorate it. This was Ariadna's well known spot for tourists to stay the night and the town's own bathhouse. The owners? A middle aged man going by the name of Damien and his beautiful daughter Alannah. It was only fair that this young maiden would eventually find a husband and take over the inn but this girl we speak off had different plans.

And so she sat in her room behind her desk as she bandaged another finger she accidentally stabbed while working on a sewing project that sat in front of her. "That's another needle..." She groaned and let out a deep sigh in disappointment. Once a needle had bent like this one, it would make messy seams. The raven haired girl wanted to make absolutely sure that every project she worked on would end up in quality like the dress she was wearing. She couldn't allow any bent needles to finish the job, so she had to take a break for now... again. Thankfully she had already ordered a bunch of new pointy silver's from her best friend Soria.

Soria works at the blacksmith of Alannah's other friend, Dirk. While both were quite good at their occupations, Soria had an eye for smaller detailed crafts such as needles. The ones Alannah ordered should be finished today and that brought her to another idea. "How about I make those two some lunch?" She whispered to herself as her gaze fell upon her basket made from interwoven cane. It was only morning but she did try to plan these things out beforehand. While the girl wasn't particularly good at cooking, she was even quite bad at it, she did try to bring the two lunch as often as she could... edible lunch that is. Her father, Damien, often had to help her out at it too.

Alannah left her room for the kitchen where her father was already preparing their breakfast. "Good morning." He greeted her with a bright smile, finishing up the last pieces and bits. "Good morning, dad." She smiled back at him and took a seat at the table. Their living space was located in the far end of the inn. It wasn't big but it was big enough for their small family. It would even fit another person or two and it's because of that, that Alannah stared at the empty seat on the other side of the table which was something that Damien took notice of fairly quickly. "It's been quite a while since she left us." even though it was a heavy topic to talk about, Damien's voice didn't sound any sadder. "16 years..." Alannah replied, smiling softly at the seat. "I think I'll visit your mother's grave today. Mind to come along?" Damien asked as he put down a plate in front of his daughter and sat down himself.

"I'd love to but I need to pick up my order at the blacksmith." Alannah replied shortly as she took her fork to take a bite from the freshly made omelette while her father's expression seemed to turn a bit sour. "So you're visiting Dirk again?" The tone in his voice changed a bit, he sounded a more stern but tried his best to stay friendly. It's not that he disliked Dirk, far from it. It was exactly because he liked Dirk that he acted like this. Damien was aware of Dirk's feelings for his daughter. How couldn't he after he was always so very obvious? Although Damien thought it was obvious... and the whole town as a matter of fact, there was one person for whom it wasn't obvious enough apparently. As he stared at his daughter with that same stern look, she sat there oblivious to all of this. Just happily eating the breakfast that he had made for her. How could Dirk even think of taking away his cute daughter?

"I actually ordered something from Soria this time. I do want to bring them lunch though. Could you help me?" Alannah's sweet voice warmed the cold expression Damien was had on his face. To him it was like an angel speaking. He was quite proud of the creation made together with his wife. If only she was still here to experience it...

"Of course, my little princess." He blissfully agreed.

 

[Groc]

Another beautiful morning, and as usual, Mac had slept through most of it. One advantage to staying open later was the chance to sleep in every morning. Even still, people wanted food and drink, and Mac wanted to make it for them, so he bustled about the little kitchen, setting things up for the day. It looked to be a warm day, so he didn't bother lighting the fire just yet.

One thing he was excited for was his new menu board. It had been custom ordered, made from the finest slate a modest budget could afford, and everything on it he'd written himself using chalk. He'd even drawn his face in one corner, smiling behind his beard and giving a friendly wink. It looked fancy, but it was reusable and modifiable, and he felt like an artist every time he drew on it.

What's On Tap?​

Kids' Menu:
Honeypot Mead (100 gp) - sweet, non-alcoholic

Lightweight:
Blood Ale (200 gp) - salty and bitter
Cinnamon Stout (200 gp) - spicy
Morning Constitutional (200 gp) - fruity wine
Hair of the Dog (250 gp) - fizzy wine

Now We're Talkin':
Orange Peel Ale (250 gp) - citric, lots of vitamins
Rabid Squirrel (250 gp) - foamy and bitter beer
Wolfberry Wine (400 gp) - sweet, with a bit of bite
Mac's Backyard Lager (500 gp) - extremely spicy, sometimes painful!

Strong Stuff:
Fish Oil Whisky (500 gp) - bitter and oily
Goblin Turpentine (500 gp) - sour vodka with a bitter aftertaste
Peach Brandy (600 gp) - sweet and warm
Red Dragon Spit (750 gp) - bitter scotch, burns going down

Knockout Juice:
Hammer Head (1000 gp) - mildly spicy absinthe with a minty aftertaste

With that done, Mac started the grill, set up the bar, and snacked on an egg while waiting for customers to show up.

 

[Shak]

-The Lionhearts

Noah
Dai Einion
Amadeus MacLeod

​

Tree and a Half Drunks​

​

"Just an ale today Mac. Missus wants me 'ome by eight." A long time customer of Cloud Nine stared down the menu as though his drink hadn't already been ordered. The worn down chunk of wood had been replaced with a newer sign hanging on the back wall, making for the majority of the dwarfish owner's decorations. The rest of it was straight to the point: shelves and alcohol, a jar of eggs, and a simple stove barely visible in the back.

"Well, ye'd best drink fast, then. Hate to see a man go thirsty!" Mac filled a mug with the blood red brew, sliding it down the bar to his friend.

Before the poor man could even get a sip of his ale, a rowdy pack stormed in the place like a herd of bulls at a China shop bargain sale. At the head of that spear of disorderly drunkards were the Lionhearts, Tania and Sigfried, with their young son Willman in tow. Joining them was Noah and Dai. Noah had accepted the challenge they posted on the town's request board, while the latter got dragged into it on the group's way to the tavern. A small crowd of the bar's regulars followed as well, excited for the entertainment to ensue.

"Mac! We've been challenged. Dai and Noah 'ere think they've got the 'eart of a Lion…" Sigfried slammed his open palm against the bar as he made his announcement, leaving a thick square gold coin in its wake.. He was in his element here and commanded the room with authority. The sun had barely passed the halfway point of its arc, yet Cloud Nine's current occupants were all too familiar with the proceedings. "...and the liver of a ****in' dragon!" A raucous laughter erupted in the tavern, the most grating of which being the cackling of one Tania Lionheart.

The flustered dwarf in the middle of the crowd finally spoke up. "I've been trying to say I was just looking to see if anyone had accepted my reque—"

"Get us on the top shelf Mac." Tania demanded, to a forceful cheer from the onlookers which drowned out Dai's protest.

Mac lifted an eyebrow, a faint smile on his face. "Well, I'll try, but I don't think it'll hold all of you!" He laughed at his own joke, grabbing a fresh bottle of Fish Oil Whisky.

"You didn't say top shelf," Dai said, now eyeing the bottle with sudden interest. "I suppose I can give it a shot."

Noah was similarly looking at the shelf Mac pulled from, but more with the eyes of a kid in a candy store. "Top shelf? Is that good?"

"The higher on the tree, the sweeter the fruit," Dai responded. "Now how about we take this first round easy, no need to waste good drink just throwing it back willy-nilly."

Both Tania and Sigfried eyed the dwarf in utter disgust. The taller of the two snagged the bottle and yanked the lid off with his teeth.

"Listen here mate…" Sigfried spat, pouring shots into four different glasses. "When you drink with the Lionhearts, there ain't no bad drinks, ya hear?" As he finished, he slammed the bottle back onto the bar and grabbed his glass. He gave a hearty hug to his wife and son, before stopping and looking to his barkeep. "Mac, give us another glass! My boy's becoming a man today." He added, punching his glass into his son's chest.

Mac shrugged as he set up two more glasses, one for Sigfried and one for himself. "Anyone else want in on this? Let's make it a proper contest, shall we?!" He downed the shot in one gulp, eager to see where this went.

With that statement made, Sigfried raised his glass, making a toast. "To Noah, who accepted this high stakes challenge. To Dai, who's absolute gonna be payin up. To my boy, who's about to grow some hair on his chest. To my wife—"

"Hey Mac, this stuff is pretty good. Get me another." Completely unbothered by Sigfried's boisterousness, Noah had already finished his shot.

"Bloody eager ain't ya?" Sigfried gasped with horror. He watched as his son followed suit, then wife, then the rest of the crowd who still had something in their cups. He looked down at Dai, the only man who hadn't jumped the gun. "It's just me and you dwarf. To Mac!" In a beat, his drink was gone.

Dai glanced at his full glass, then the empty glasses around him before sighing and toasting the air. He threw back the whiskey in a single take and raised the empty glass to show Sigfried. "Tough words coming from someone without a Dwarven liver. If you want this to be a real contest, you know what bottle we need."

"We're gettin there lad." Sigfried smiled, with an approving raise of his empty glass. Another round, and once again glasses were full. Not one to be beaten, Sigfried opted to down his glass about as soon as the bottle finished pouring. "And that's two, but who's keepin count, ay?" he joked to a modest reception from his crowd. "Noah, you're lookin wobbly already."

"Am I?" He stretched his leg out from his barstool and gave it a shake, getting another laugh out of the drunks in the bar. They were barely buzzed. "No, I'm fine. Mac, where's round three?"

The drinks kept coming, and the more they drank the fewer were left awake to drink any more. Sigfried guffawed as he watched his fifteen year old topple off his stool and pass out. Poor Willman only made it to eight glasses before he slowed down, and a mere ten before he couldn't take another. Most of the others had pulled well ahead a while ago.

"Li'l ligh'weight. I swear, when I was his age, I coul' down a whole keg in an hour if I wan'ed ta. Kid can' even handle... Uh, ****, how many've we gone through now?"

For the record, it was seventeen.

Sigfried lazily scanned the tavern, slowly spinning atop his seat rather than turning his head. The majority of other patrons had tapped out and gone home or were knocked out on the floor much like his son.

The last men standing, as it were, consisted only of Sigfried, his wife, Noah and Dai. Mac had understandably dropped out early to still be sober enough to keep pouring drinks.

"Ish been fun boys…" Tania blurted. "Mac! Ged ush the real shtuff."

Mac pulled on a slender chain around his neck, revealing a key he'd kept tucked into his shirt. He turned to each patron still standing, his grin growing wider as he looked each one in the eyes. "The best drinkers deserve the best drinks! Hope yer ready for an experience."

He ducked under the bar, unlocking an old mahogany chest and withdrawing a crystal bottle full of translucent, slightly green liquor. He poured them each a shot, raising his own empty glass in toast. "A night to remember, but one you'll probably forget. DRINK!"

All four participants drank at once, Mac doing the same despite having nothing in his glass. It was the strongest he had in the bar, but it went down mostly easy and smooth. It was like drinking water, but it tasted fruity, like a sour apple wine.

"Yeah... Thash wha' I bee' waidin for..." Tania cheered for the rare chance to taste Mac's best. Unfortunately, although she asked for a second, the alcohol hit her like a punch to the throat, and she was finally out cold on the table before the refilled glass reached her.

The glass ended up in front of Sigfried instead, who was all too happy to take it. Noah and Dai were given a second as well, all three seemingly unaffected so far. The Lionheart toasted to his opponent's resilience. "You took that 'liver of a dragon' thing seriously, boy! Might even give this dwarf a run for his money!"

The trio laughed loud, the only other noise in the bar being the struggling groans of a waking Willman. He sat up, clutching his head with one hand. He looked around at the sorry state of the bar, then up to his father. "Dad? What happened?"

"Got hammered, ****faced and forty-six other varieties of drunk, that's what happened. Now get up, time for a drink." The three still up in their chairs laughed again, and finished their shots in a single gulp.

"I gotta say, lads," Dai said. The dwarf took a little longer with his words than normal, but showed no signs of slowing. "This has been fun. More fun than worrying about my request."

"Oh yeah, something about your wood going missing?"

Dai paused, eyes widening and beard quivering in surprise. "My request… That's right!" He practically knocked himself over standing up, his leg wrapped around his chair's. "Those thieves stole my wood. Ay, Lionheart, want to take this contest elsewhere?"

"Take a drinking contest outside of a tavern?" Sigfried began with a crack. Rather than the derisive laughter he had intended, he followed it up with a confused gurgle. "Outside of a tavern…" he repeated with a stammer, now feeling a serious burning inside his gut. "Y'know, maybe that ain't such a bad idea. Where do you propose?"

"If you wanna fight, we can go looking for those thieves. If you wanna just go muscle to muscle, plenty of trees 'round here."

"Before ye go, there's just one more thing…" Mac quickly counted out some colorful stones he'd been dropping into a bowl. "You lot need to settle who's paying the tab. By my count, we're at 46,380G. But I'm feelin' a bit generous, on account o' the free entertainment and everyone else buyin' tryin' to keep up, so I'll settle for 42."

"Bloody hell, Mac, you're killin' me. We'll pay next time. Just...just watch me wife. We're gonna go fight trees...or knock down thieves." With those words, Sigfried stumbled toward the tavern exit.

"I'm not a babysitter, ye can't just—" Mac protested, but Sigfried wasn't listening. "... Fine, but you're payin' in full."

"Hey, if he's paying, I'm not complaining." After Sigfried managed to get his entire body out of the bar—after slumping against the door frame, that is—Noah slowly stood from his seat to stretch. "Dai?"

"Aye."

They easily decided on the loser of the day's drinking contest, then Dai and Noah made for the door themselves. The sun shone bright before them, afternoon not yet having passed. Before he stepped out, however, Noah turned back to the bartender, who was preparing to clean up. "Oh yeah, Mac! Next time I'm out of town I'll bring you the best booze I can find."

"I'll look forward to it, boy."

The three men were seen again early in the evening, emerging from the forest. They had… well, somewhat sobered up, and were hauling a number of sizable logs over their shoulders back to town. None were carrying an axe, nor were the logs cut cleanly, but their method of choice was evident in the cuts and bruises on their knuckles…

The Cloud Nine Tavern​

 

[Sephear]

A dripping wall of muscle was an unreasonably common sight for such a small town. Dirk was never willing to go to the inn with the sweat of his work clinging to him for many reasons, some more obvious, some left. The well the smithy drew water from for submerging hot metal was great for a quick bucket rinse over one's head. The young man stopped in front of Ariadna's job board and leaned over the bundle of supplies clutched to his chest, shortly grabbing one of the notes.

"Damien needs help? Perfect, it's like crushing an entire bird's nest with one stone...mmm, no. Way too morbid." A few short minutes and several familiar greetings later, Dirk was pushing through the inn's front entrance with his mammoth shoulder. "Ho, innkeep!"

The raven haired man behind the counter held his hand up in the air as a greeting once he heard the sound of a familiar voice. "Good morning, Dirk." although Damien had a friendly smirk gleaming on his face, as always, he still sighed. "What brings you here? Alannah just spoke about going to your place to pick up an order." Even though he asked that, the over-protective father knew very well why Dirk was here.

"A few things, actually." Dirk explained, stepping further in. "I got an early start today and we don't have any other orders right now so we decided to deliver Alanna's. I also happened to have what she asked for on the request board already lying around. Is she in her room?"

"On the request board…?" Damien repeated. Thinking about it now, there was a note hidden behind another one when he went to put up his request. Was it Alannah's? "Yeah, she's in her room. Go ahead." He pointed to the door behind him that led to their own living space although he seemed a bit defeated. To Damien it only seemed to be yesterday that Dirk was so small and kind of cute. Now he's all grown-up and manly and coming for his daughter to make matters worse. Kids sure do grow up fast.

Dirk nodded at the man he intended to one day call his second father and showed off a huge grin as he carried the bundle past the front desk and into the family's personal quarters. "Special delivery from the world's best smithy! Courtesy of Soria Lionheart and Dirk Kellen for the Lady Solano!"

It only took a second for the young woman to stick her head around the door leading to her room. "Dirk!" She happily greeted, opening the door in full and revealing her entire figure including the mess in her sleeping quarters. Bundles of fabrics and leathers were laying across her floor although it did seem she was trying to clean up her room just now judging from the cleaning towels. It only then hit Alannah. "Oh gosh. I wasn't expecting you! I apologize for the mess!" the young maiden panicked and closed the door behind her slightly in an attempt to hide the chaos that was her room.

"Good to see you, Alannah!" Dirk returned the greeting with boisterous warmth and enthusiasm. "You won't be getting any guff from me about a messy room. Only reason mine's clean is there's nothing in there but a bed and a closet! I don't have the patience to tidy up a bedroom after keeping the forge and the storefront in tip top shape and I only go in my room to sleep, so it's easier to just keep it empty." He set the small box of sewing needles on her desk and put the cloths and leathers in their respective areas. "Soria finished these needles last night and I thought as long as I was bringing them I'd take care of that request you put up."

"Oh you saw my request!" Alannah smiled, letting him do in her room as he pleased. He had been here so many times, it didn't feel strange to her at all. "I like having things to decorate my room with around me. It makes me room a bit more… lively." While she brushed a string of hair behind her ear, she investigated the box of needles her dear friend had made for her. "Soria did great work on these as always. I should properly thank her too. I just broke the last one this morning." Alannah put the box back on her desk and picked up something else from it, it seemed to be her purse. "I should properly thank you too. Let me get you the reward." The girl with midnight black hair, decorated with some white flowers spoke softly as she revealed some shiny golden coins. She made her way to where Dirk was standing and grabbed his hand to put the 1000G she promised in the note in his hand palm.

When her hand released the gold he clasped her hand in both of his and turned it palm up, leaving 500G in it. "Actually, why don't I just take half of this to Soria, and instead of giving me the other half, you could do me a favor." He was reluctant to let go, but managed not to linger long before releasing her and bowing his head. "I want to ask your dad for cooking lessons! I really really want to do well in this year's cooking contest it's one of the only things Mac get's competitive about so I can't ask him. Pleasepleasepuhlease help me convince your dad!"

Alannah seemed a bit confused at first but understood. She couldn't help but laugh kindly at the way Dirk was behaving and held both hands in front of her mouth. "Haha, I'm sorry! It's just… Of course, I'll help you." She managed to get out and calmed herself. "Dad gets very competitive as well but I think he wouldn't mind teaching you." She picked a tear away and regained her composure. "Let's go find him."

"Thanks!" He couldn't bring himself to hug her, however much he wanted to but he beamed like a child who'd just been offered a month's supply of free candy. "He should still be by the front counter, come on!" He said, walking as if he were leading her around her own home while Alannah followed him. "Dad's all over the place. I wonder if he's still there."

And she was right. When the two came through the door back, Damien was no longer behind the counter but serving a customer a few drinks by the tables. "There you two are." He spoke a bit too neutral for his doing. It seems like the two had unintentionally taken some time, enough to make the over-protective father worried. Beside him was a regular who couldn't help but nervously laugh at the attitude of Damien.

"Dirk has a question. Would you please hear him out?" Alannah stepped forward with grace, however, the question alone was enough to silence the whole inn at once and worry the father even more. "Dirk…?" Damien turned to the boy who came here since he was a child, but now a man. "It better not be what I think you're going to ask" He thought.

Dirk bowed so deeply and suddenly he almost headbutt the table. "Please train me to be a better cook! I've always loved your food and I can't ask Mac and I'm no good in the kitchen! I'll do whatever it takes to improve so please teach me!" All that casual confidence had boiled down to leave a shaky request given as if the world depended on it.

Damien blinked a few times. "What…?" He repeated, resulting in the customer beside him to laugh. "Looks like you left him speechless boy!" he yelled. Damien, in turn, crossed his arms and seemed to be in thought. "Please, dad?" Alannah tried convincing him.

If he would teach Dirk how to cook, he'd at least no longer have to worry about what Alannah would eat once he wasn't around anymore but… that also means admitting Dirk would make a good… son… in…

Damien shook his head and smiled. No more such depressing thoughts. Besides, teaching him would keep him away from his daughter. It was a win-win situation. "Yeah, of course I'll teach you to cook. Don't think I'll make it easy for you though."

Without any warning, Dirk gave the innkeep the hug he couldn't give Alannah, so tight he lifted him off the ground and embarrassed Damien greatly. "Yes! Thank you so so much!" After a few seconds, he froze, eyes bugging out and let Damien go, dropping to one knee. "I mean yes, of course, master! Nothing will stop me, don't hold back one bit!"

Damien regained his composure and rubbed his poor back. Dirk was a good boy… man but poor Damien was getting too old for this. "We'll start tomorrow. Be here after you're done with your blacksmith duties." The raven haired man said.

"Yes sir!" Dirk gave a lazy salute before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a familiar piece of paper. "By the way, I'll gladly get those materials for you. What exactly did you need?"

"Oh is that the request for the buckets?" Alannah asked curiously. She moved over towards Dirk and pushed a little bit too close towards him to take a look at the note her father had apparently made, causing him to tense up. Even though Damien saw this, he knew his cute daughter was too dense to mean anything by that. He almost felt bad for Dirk. Almost

"Let me show you the buckets." With those words, Alannah ran outside to grab the buckets mentioned in the note. "It's not so much the materials we need. It's the monsters that keep retur-" while Damien tried to explain the situation to the blacksmith boy they heard a loud scream outside, seemingly coming from Alannah. Damien was immediately on edge and ran outside as quick as he could dropping anything he was holding at that moment.

Without a word, Dirk whirled around and charged right out of the inn, pounding the path from the door as if he was trying to trample down an entirely new path. "What's wrong, Alannah?!"

"D-Dirk…" a somewhat terrified Alannah turned around to meet his eyes, shortly following him was her father. In front of her were a couple of killer ants the size of big dogs chewing on their wooden baskets. Alannah was holding a huge stick to defend herself from one whose attention she had caught. Damien didn't think for another moment and immediately picked up something he could hit the monster hard with since his sword was still inside. He leaped towards the overgrown insect and held it in a stranglehold to save his daughter from the predicament she found herself in. The other ants seemed interested in Damien now as well and left the buckets for what they were, making their ways towards the middle-aged man to surround him.

One decided to go after Alannah and while she tried to hit it as hard as she could with her stick, it nearly did no damage at all since… the girl's hits were pretty weak. Just when the ant shook off her strikes and pushed forward a gloved fist slammed it into the ground hard enough to crack the dirt faster than it could disappear to the Forest of Beginning. The ants surrounding Damien paused and looked to see Ariadna's blacksmith glaring at them with a fire in his eyes that put his forge to shame. "You don't touch her." He cracked first his left knuckles, then his right, then suddenly leaped into the air, clasping his hands together and slamming another ant with a hammer blow. Next he spun one of the vicious insects and slammed it into its ally so hard they both disappeared before elbow dropping on the last one. "Ever." By the time he'd finished the yard in front of the inn was a bit worse for wear but was also covered in insect jaws and armored carapaces.

Damien snapped the neck of the one he still had in a stranglehold, officially killing off the last one. Once he turned around to face his precious yard, he rubbed the back of his head. "Damn kid. That's some householding you did there." He sighed, however, thankful for Dirk's interference. Alannah, on the other hand, dropped to her knees and let out a sigh of relief. "Dirk, you're awesome." She said in between the breaths she so needed after that tense moment. "I'm sorry! I went to grab the buckets and they suddenly appeared out of nowhere." She explained, a bit beat-up though since her condition wasn't the best around town.

"That's okay. It's not your fault. Are you hurt?" Damien walked over to her and bent down to her level, Alannah nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks to you two." She looked up at Dirk and smiled softly. She was truly grateful for such a good friend. "I'll make sure to make it up to you." Her smile was as radiant as a morning sun. Blinding her ever worrying father as his lips started to curl as well even though that smile wasn't directed to him.

Damien, however, only just now realised what the younger man said while punching those ants one by one. It made him grumble. Though, if it wasn't for him, this could've ended far worse.

"I just wish I was a little bit stronger than that…" Alannah said quietly looking up at the sky.

Dirk let out a huge sigh as if he'd actually struggled with the ants and wiped his brow. I'm glad they were just basic monsters, I don't have any proper training in anything other than brawling, we could have been in trouble if it had been anything worse than ants." He stretched a kink out of his neck, then smiled so brightly at Alannah's praise the sun looked a little dim by comparison. "More than anything I'm just glad you're okay. And you know what, you did good! Help needed or not, you're so much stronger than you used to be, and you're only going to keep improving! I'm sure by this time next year you'll be able to fight off an entire army of ants all by yourself~" His smile became one of determination and he pumped his fist in the air. "And I'll make the best weapons and armor to help you do it! Nobody will have to worry about monsters causing problems in town, even without guards! That'll show Bado which town has the *real* craftsmen."

Although Damien appreciated that fact he was trying to cheer up Alannah, he couldn't help but grumble again. "Thank you for believing in me, Dirk. I'll try my best." Alannah stood up again to face him again with a bright smile. "Nobody can beat our town's blacksmith! I'll help you show off your stuff however I can!" She cheered brightly. Although her father knew she meant nothing with that smile, he felt the need to break up their moment. It was awkward to watch. "Come come, lovebirds. Back inside." He teased and walked past them towards the door, waving his hand around like he always did. "Huh? Oh yes. Sorry, dad." the raven-haired girl went back inside but the way she just brushed off that tease was worrisome. At least, that was what Damien thought. "You two coming?" Alannah asked once she noticed her father and Dirk were staying behind.

"Be right there, just gotta clean up first!" Dirk called over his shoulder while he began to scoop the loot off the battlefield. "These will save me a trip to the woods!" He was telling the truth but that didn't change the fact that it conveniently kept his now very red face turned away from the father and daughter. Did he really say that? L-lovebirds?! Does he know something I don't? Does she maybe - should I - but no he was obviously kidding but - but...aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

Damien couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed Dirk trying to cover up his red face but the father wasn't stupid. He was once young as well. Looking at those two reminded him of his deceased wife Jiao Mei. Especially since Alannah was the spitting image of her late mother. "Huh?" Alannah watched as she saw her father chuckle, confused to what could be the cause of it. "It's nothing." Damien let out a pleasant last chuckle. At least he could enjoy this for now.

"When you're done, Dirk, meet me inside. I got the quest reward for you. You basically crushed the creatures annoying me for weeks. I trust they will stay away from now on."

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Spring 4 year 1616, the sun of a new day started rising up. For the early birds around town that meant they had to get up soon. It's an ordinary day like any other except that tourists around town are speaking of a bunch of "nitwits" that tried to collect wood from trees with their fists in the middle of the night. Some reported that they were drunk.


Rumors has it that monsters in the area have been growing bolder lately. They seem to be roaming around the outskirts of Ariadna, something they haven't done before. The bulletin board is filled with a new request today while several others have been taken.

​

 

[Ninetales]

Felix Reinmann


Felix's sanctuary was the Bachmeier farm, which consisted of a large, sturdy house that was situated on the easternmost edge of Ariadna. The house was surrounded by a spacious wrap around porch and was characterized by large, shiny windows. The house was originally an ambitious shade of vermillion that complemented the nearby barn, however, the colour had faded somewhat due to the beating sun and was now more of a dusty mahogany. Regardless, the structure stood out from the verdant and terracotta landscape that surrounded them, like an oasis in a scorching desert. Felix's sun-drenched crops lay just just beyond the barn and a wiry chicken coop stood alongside it, paling in comparison to the expensive and gargantuan outbuilding. Both buildings were masterfully built by Nicholas Bachmeier himself and Felix made it his duty to ensure that both the farm and the homestead were in perfect condition.

Felix, Elisia, and Levi resided on the upper floor of the house, whereas Bruno's room was on the main floor, toward the rear of the house and away from the boisterous family above.

Felix burst into Bruno's living quarters, his younger sibling sprawled out on the bed in a tangle of covers, drool seeping from his mouth onto his toned upper body. Felix cocked a brow at his brother and snickered to himself. He grabbed one end of the blanket and in a swift motion removed it, exposing Bruno's half-naked body to the cold air whilst waking him up instantly, the red-head tumbling out of bed in a heap.

"Hey! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?" Bruno questioned, hopping up off the wooden floor and gesturing to the quilt in Felix's hand. Felix laughed before tossing the covering aside. "Get up, you have a job to do. The fields won't tend to themselves." He then left his younger sibling alone before checking in on his wife and child.

Elisia was sitting on the front porch, baby Levi seated on her lap, cooing playfully. Felix paused in the doorway and admired his two loved ones. Elisia, with her small frame, cascading honey blonde hair, and bright azure eyes was the epitome of female beauty. Levi, however, was the spitting image of his father, he had a warmer complexion, silky auburn tresses, and had the same button-nose, he certainly didn't have Elisia's temperament either. She was as serene and patient as one could be whereas baby Levi was already quite a hassle. Felix had a feeling that he would grow to be quite a lively young man.

Felix stepped out onto the porch and the creaking of the floorboards had caught Levi's attention, and he raised his arms up playfully and began to giggle. Felix scooped him off of Elisia's lap and spun him around, causing the baby to burst into a wild fit of laughter.

He handed back his son to Elisia, who began to bounce him on her lap. He planted a sweet kiss in her hair. "I have to check the hens to see if they laid any eggs and I'm going to send Bruno out to the fields. Let me know if you need anything, my love."

Elisia smiled at her husband. "Levi and I should be just fine, we might venture into town today."

Felix paused to gaze at his wife once more before heading in the direction of the wiry chicken coops. As he walked, he recalled the slightly more exciting events of the day previous.

Felix darted through the forest, nimble as possible, so to not attract the attention of any nearby beasts. His evergreen cloak allowed him to seamlessly blend into his surroundings as he tracked the monster responsible for snatching Dai's precious wood. He had a feeling he knew exactly who the culprit was, as he was quite familiar with the lay of the land, being a hunter meant that he ventured to Privera forest a countless amount of times before. When he wasn't overseeing his farm responsibilities, he spent his days hiding in the brush, awaiting game to wander on by, an arrow trained and ready to collide with flesh and bone - ready to make a kill.

This however, was a bit different, he was hunting to retrieve a lost item which meant that he had to actively search for the offender, rather than lie and wait. It was all the more exhilarating. He enjoyed the trek, his fur-lined boots crushing the terracotta leaves scattered about the forest floor. He had no specific trail to follow as there was no evidence of a beast fleeing with stolen property. He was, however, headed to a location in the depths of the forest where beasts and monsters otten came.

Felix carefully listened for movement, pausing momentarily. After ensuring that not a soul was nearby, he advanced forwards once again. Before he knew it, he had reached his desired location. He concealed himself in a nearby bush and studied his target.

It was a faye-like creature that was also somewhat humanoid, with flowing chartreuse tresses and thin, pointed wings that resembled those of a butterfly. It, however, was quite delicate looking. Felix almost felt a tad of pity for the beast, it had no idea what was coming. The creature indeed was holding Dai's stolen wood and as it flew towards the base of a gargantuan, thick-trunked tree, with winding branches and large deciduous leaves. Felix aimed an arrow at the beast and released it, the pointed weapon, colliding with the beast's wing and nailing it to the tree. The creature dropped the wood upon impact and began to thrash about like a wish out of water.

Felix stepped out of the bushes, aiming another arrow. "Haven't you ever heard? You shouldn't take what isn't yours. It's impolite." He chided, moving towards the stunned specimen.

"Let this be a lesson for you. If you attempt to steal from anyone again, you will pay with your life. Do I make myself clear?" He moved to collect the wood which was now scattered about the forest floor. He approached the beast and swiftly removed the arrow from the tree before returning it to his sheath.

The beast instantly became airborne and though it struggled to fly due to its wing injury, it did its best to flee.

Felix journeyed back to town and left the bundle of wood on the carpenter's doorstep. He then headed to his farm, where his wife, child, and brother were awaiting his return.

 

[Shak]

-The Lionhearts

Soria Lionheart
Tania Lionheart
Ariel Lionheart
Tila Lionheart

​

Lionheart Pride​

​

Tila hid under her bed. The shouting, the shouting; It just wouldn't stop. She hugged her little lionbear as tightly as possible, but her soft paws did nothing to make the noise go away. Tila covered her ears, but she could still hear her mother's slurred roars of her mother from downstairs. It just got louder and louder. Soon enough she heard her door slam open and opened her eyes to the sight Lionheart pride clashing and marauding her bedroom.

"This is the last time mum! You and dad need to clean up your act. I'm not about to stand idly while you leave Tila and home to get drunk in the middle of the day!" Soria bit first. Tila could see spit flying from her elder sister's mouth. It was hardly ladylike, but that was something she rarely saw Soria called. In the state she was in now, teeth bared, Soria was far from dissimilar to her mother and father on a regular day.

"You bloody won't! She's a big girl, she can cook for herself! You did at her age. Both of you two did." Tania spat back, with Ariel's hand on her shoulder for moral support. Tila scurried to the other side of her bed.

"Soria, don't you dare do this again. You cant find a man and you're taking it out on mum." Ariel added salt to the already sour Lionheart wounds. "If you just got hitched on Dirk when you had the chance, you wouldn't be losing him to that inn jezebel."

Tila cuddled Lionbear again, her arm like a vice around its neck. It made her feel safe, for just a second, until…

"Tila, we're leaving. Come on." That was just about the last straw for Soria. If she wasn't angry enough, she now had to contend with her family scrubbing her personal affairs, or lack thereof, right down her throat. She wrenched her little sister from under the bed with little regard for the child's arm, causing Tila to melt into a fit of sobbing.

"Don't you dare take my baby away! Don't you dare! Look, you're making her cry horrible, horrible girl!" Tania's words were lost in Soria's tantrum as she'd already dragged the six-year-old to the door despite the resistance for her considerably larger mother and sister. Soria was fitter and not hungover, so pushing past them wasn't too much fuss even with a crying child under one arm. "Wait until my husband hears about this!" Tania screamed one last time as she watched her now disowned daughter and her darling baby daughter disappear into the town.

Lionheart Home​