Disturbances on the Lakefront

[Rickter]

Disturbances on the Lakefront
Glade 8th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

The map room was quieter now that meetings weren't regularly held here, that is unless Rickter's own father needed to conduct business with certain officials. Truthfully, the wolf had every intention to try and learn more about the man's business, as he wanted to see it flourish and one day bring about a better change for the rest of Kalzasi as a whole. Maze Shipping Industries was not his to rightfully inherit by Rickter's standards, and yet even so, his father welcomed the idea of having another grown son take on the mantle.

The old man was probably eager to find retirement, especially after all the hard work the wolf himself had put him through the last couple of seasons. Still, Rickter felt glad that there was some small sense of peace, even if these trifling times provided such rare occasions few and far between. Almost like now, as the rhythmic pattern of footsteps on the floorboards indicated someone approached and judging from the alcoholic aroma he always carried; Rickter knew exactly who it was.

"Hey, big guy! Just the man I wanted to see." Patrick greeted as he entered the office area with a chipper tone of voice, leading the wolf to look up from the map he stood next to in the center of the room.

"Oh boy, what are you after now?" The wolf inquired almost sardonically with an expectant look, leading the Atinoran to grin as he brought his hands up innocently.

"Whoa, hey, c'mon now! Thought we're best buddies." As he lowered his hands to reach for the pouch of the leather belt strapped over his shoulder, Rickter narrowed his eyes with a half-amused grin nearly pressed into the corner of his lip.

"But you usually don't come asking me for things, unless you try to be a 'best buddy' as you call it." He reasoned with a shift in his posture now, lifting his arms to fold them over one another, while the bartender approached with what looked like a folded parchment pulled from the pouch.

"Okay, okay fair enough. I'll just have to switch up my love language a bit." Patrick humored still with a grin, before nodding down at the paper he presented to the wolf. "But seriously though, Mum's asked me to bring you something. Said you should probably look into it when you have the time?"

"Let's see then..." Rickter sighed as he accepted the note, confident it wasn't just another 'thank you letter' that she'd sent his way. As much as he would've liked to entertain the notion, he had had enough of those sent to him lately. And despite the amount of effort spent helping them, he knew the woman wasn't keen to just send word without any other motive or incentive behind it. Thus, he unfolded the parchment to appreciate the quality of the woman's handwriting, before narrowing his eyes to consider the contents he read within.

► Show Spoiler

Hello Rickter,

Firstly allow me to send the warmest blessings even to you, dear Lord of Frost, as I understand that life within Kalzasern affairs ought to keep you incredibly busy. Even so, I hope that the time spent in solitude is among those you cherish dearly, for my clan would not be whole without the aid you provided throughout the past few seasons.

That said, it isn't lost on me that the North is a domain under your protection, and as such, I feel that it is important that I alert you of the news I've heard of late. My husband and I have heard tales of a rising issue along the lakeside, and the neighboring towns which remain threatened by the presence of it as well. As the Eclipse continues the Shadows have yet to wane, and as such, an alarming swarm of them gathers en mass along the lakefront of Udori.

I've a couple of new friends that are good souls to keep an eye on things, but knowing the horrors of the Onishio swarm you and your Kin have survived; I had thought to reach out to you in earnest. If you can provide any aid, then surely, a lot of good people will be in your debt.

With regards,
E

"Never one to beat around the bush is she?" He admitted with a crease of the paper, laying the half-folded parchment down as he focused back on the map table next. From the side he stood at he was looking at the Astralar Mountain range earlier, before Patrick had come to pester him, but now his gaze drifted from that to the chartered out waters of Lake Udori itself.

"Who?! Ma?! Absolutely!" The Atinoran remarked with a hearty chuckle. "But she does mean well, and I doubt don't she would've reached out to you without good reason."

"Oh, I'm well aware." The wolf remarked with considerable thought spent on the matter, pondering the relevance between the Onishio his pack fought that night, and whatever exactly could be the source of this growing menace on the lakefront. If it were possibly another Demontide attack, then surely, he would need more than just one Greater Illumite shard to tackle the job. Especially if he wanted to keep his packmates from being involved this time around.

"What's going on?" Hannah's tone cooed out curiously as the wolf almost didn't hear her footsteps down the hall, then again, Rickter also didn't bother to look away from the map as he contemplated the situation a bit more in turn.

"Nora sent word. Doesn't sound very exciting either." He summarized with a thoughtful stroke of his chin spike, his eyes narrowed on the detailed contours of the lakefront and the few villages still residing there. If there really was another Demontide, then odds were those townships would be overwhelmed immediately. Not that Rickter wasn't pressed to help his fellow Northerners already, but where Talon had greater influence here in Kalzasi, the wolf likely would've been better off helping out along the shores anyhow.

"Oh? Well, aren't you just the man of the hour." The brunette rogue teased as she joined him at the table, taking a seat at the edge of it as she leaned to look into his occupied stare. "I touched base with one of my guys, they said they haven't seen any 'dark Illumite" stones since the tower went down."

"And?" The wolf inquired with a quick glance at her, admittedly curious that they suddenly haven't turned up since the Illumite tower for House Zatrian went up in smoke.

"Apparently someone else is interested in them, said a guy sent our way may come poking around later." Hannah added with a steady lean away from him, not entirely put off by the news as Rickter was once he heard the statement. The wolf could only rub the side of his head woefully, before giving the both of them a slightly exasperated sigh.

"...Eikean spare me from the both of you..." He murmured with his fingers curled before his mouth, admittedly just a little flustered by this sudden development. Rickter wanted her to just simply find information on the matter to either confirm or eradicate his suspicions, but clearly that wasn't going his way either now that another unknown party was interested in his investigation.

"Hey! You're the one that wanted to go up into the mountains to find more anyway, I just wanted to save time and buy a quality one for cheaper if I could. Since you clearly wouldn't let me just swipe one for you." Hannah quickly argued with a raise of her hands while she hopped off the table, a casual strut made around the map as she eyed the folded parchment itself.

"It's different!" Rickter tried to contend quickly, eager to hide the other reason as to why he wanted to return to the peaks of Astralar.

"Wait, what?" Patrick finally weighed in with his usual confused demeanor, and glanced from Hannah to Rickter with a tilt of his head. "Why are we going into the mountains?"

"We're not... Hrm..." The wolf was ever more flustered than before now, clearly not intent on letting the proverbial cat out of the bag just yet. It wasn't that he didn't trust the two at all, in fact, it was probably better to trust telling them... but at the same time. "Alright, you know what, can you two promise you'll keep something secret?" Rickter eyed the both of them seriously with a low and stern tone, leading both Patrick and Hannah to eye him a little waringly. "Swear to me, not a word leaves this room!"

She looked to debate it but Hannah knew when Rickter grew stern, it was a matter that needed to be taken seriously. "Okay, Wolfman, I solemnly swear not a peep or word." She promised with a raise of her right hand, her eyebrow raised as she curiously looked to Patrick next.

"... I swear too, yeah." The bartender agreed as the pair of misfits turned their gaze to Rickter, leading the wolf to take a moment with breathing in deeply, and then finally sharing with them the other reason why he wanted to gather Illumite dragonshards.

"Dialogue" Monologue
"Hannah" "Patrick"
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"

[Ivar]

.

Earlier in the day Ivar had found himself nursing a drink at a secluded corner of the local tavern. His mind was a web of thoughts, spinning around a piece of information that had recently reached his ears. Most of it was worthless drivel which was typical. Still, he tried to commit it all to memory on the offhand chance that someone was willing to pay for it.

One of the more useful sounding bits of intelligence he’d gathered had to do with illumite. Before the semi-recent global happenings he wouldn’t have given two shits about illumite… but seeing as though it was a damn near necessity for spellcasters even he had one sitting in his pocket.

Ivar couldn’t remember many specifics about the conversation other than people were interested in finding more of it. He was given a location to go asking for more information so he decided that he might as well go check it out.

He thought that he might be able to gleam some information as to where people would be searching for the shards and hopefully join them. His motivations, however, were far from noble. He wanted shards for himself or at the very least information on a good spot that he could sell to others.

It wasn’t that he didn’t care about things happening outside of the city, he just didn’t keep up with that sort of thing. So far he’d only specialized in local happenings confined to the inside of the city. He hadn’t the brainpower or the time to track such a breadth of information especially since he had school to attend along with his much more lucrative work as a scrivener.

“This is quite the scene,” Ivar thought as he walked along the streets and came across the southeastern section of Adira's Promenade and found the home he was looking for. A home like this wasn't his usual playground. He belonged to lecture rooms and seedy taverns. Yet here he was.

His eyes traced the elegant, towering silhouette of the manor, a monolith of granite walls adorned with rich, dark oak panels. The slate grey tiles of the roofing looked sturdier and more refined than he was used to seeing. As he approached the manmade pond, he couldn't help but pause. The water was dotted with fish whose motion caught his eye. The sight was oddly calming, an oasis away from the bustle of the city.

Ivar's gaze shifted from the pond back to the manor, a nervous knot forming in his stomach. He took a deep breath and went up to knock on the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Not too long afterwards the door swung open and Ivar came face to face with a servant.

“Hello,” Ivar said, “I am Ivar Shipper and I uhm…” he pulled out a piece of parchment and realized he hadn’t written down who exactly who he was supposed to be meeting. “Sorry, I know this might sound a little strange but I was told there’s someone here interested in obtaining illumite. I believe they’re expecting me but I forgot to write down their name.”

Ivar was dressed in a fairly simple set of black robes that he’d worn to classes earlier. They were a functional ensemble that would probably obviously identify him as a student at the circle of spells. They flowed around his form in a silhouette that was neither too loose nor too tight. Fastened at his waist was a simple yet sturdy belt of leather which served to bear the weight of his katana which he hardly knew how to use, but nobody needed to know that.

.

[Rickter]

Idreka was always the ever busybody among the other few servants found within Nami No Ie, and while she would've elected herself as the chief among her peers, her candor might often offend those who worked with her. Regardless she was a hardy middle-aged lady, quick to grumble about the rambunctiousness of the bratty twins she had fed earlier, as she rested the washed linens on the table the moment she heard a knock at the main door. Seriously. How did anyone get anything done when nothing but traffic and chaos continued to flow in and out of this house, regardless of her personal feelings though, Idreka huffed a quiet little sigh and took to her duties as a proper house servant would.

Upon opening the door to greet their new guest, the dark-haired woman remained quick to appraise the stranger who had arrived. Ivar Shipper was his name? Strange since she had never seen nor heard of this one, but, not unusual since the new head of the household brought in so many different guests. "I take it this is a business meeting then." She ruminated with a stroke of a finger beneath her chin. "Very well, come inside young man."

As Idreka moved to allow Ivar inside, it would become apparent that shoes were left in the foyer near the door. Whether he opted to remove his or not, the servant would shut the entrance behind them, and then proceeded to lead Ivar straight into the main hall where guests were oft received. There were plush sofas and lounge chairs found centered within the room, with end tables decorated with glass vases filled with Frost Lilies from the mountain range. Framed posters of the lake itself and even of the sea decorated the walls, and of course, the linens that Idreka had placed on the table were picked up once she approached them once more.

"Please, have a seat, sir. I shall notify the Kozoku of your arrival." With a practiced bow of respect, the servant quickly sauntered off to first fetch the lord himself.

---

"No! Fucking! Way!" The rogue had practically gasped as her expression went wide with awe, excitement already filling her eyes as she gazed upon Rickter in a whole new light.

"Wow that's-" Patrick on the other hand looked baffled by the admittance,"Congratulations, she'll be thrilled about that." He enthused with a wide smirk at that, admittedly not as excited as Hannah was about the news.

"It's a lot more complicated than that..." Rickter started with a slight bashful aversion of his gaze, admittedly caught up in the already overwhelming amount of effort needed to even dare attempt this. Let alone the courage. He had a lot he had to work for if he wanted things to go the way he wanted, and that was even if Queen Sahfri herself would have word with him by the time he was ready.

"Yeah, numbskull, it's not just Telion he's proposing to." The rogue retorted as she clearly remained fixed on the glamor of it all, then again, it wasn't every day their alpha mentioned the potential idea of proposing to the three who changed his life.

"And apparently neither of you are no longer listening to me..." The wolf sighed with a brief shake of his head, trying not to let their enthusiasm overbear his need for discretion.

"Wait, what?!" Patrick looked to Hannah wide-eyed with astonishment after that, giving Rickter a look of pure confusion when he did.

"There's two more that he's gotta pop the question to. Royalty even." Hannah elaborated with a proud smirk shot to the wolf, leading the Atinoran to tilt his head once more with clearly a new outlook on Rickter.

"... I now have more questions than I had before." He then admitted with a thoughtful glance cast back to Hannah, who playfully giggled while she still eyed the wolf expectantly now. At this point, she might as well be planning the catering, the details, and the whole extravagance of the event. But if Rickter wasn't set on letting her, then he felt confident Talon nor Aoren were going to either. There was just... too much that would have to be worked out in the long run, but regardless of that, he felt the rogue already putting the cart before the horse as it were.

"Malgar spare me of this nonsense." He muttered in response as he pinched the bridge of his nose, before a gentle knock on the panel door led him to turn and gaze at Idreka next.

"Pardon me, Kozoku Maze." The servant greeted with a modest tone. "Forgive the intrusion, Kozoku, but it seems you have another visitor." To that Rickter raised an eyebrow in turn, before silently thanking the Gods for sending whoever this blessing in disguise was. As exciting as this conversation was for the two of them, he would've rather waited until the other affairs were handled first.

"Looks like your underground contact came through," he remarked with a thoughtful glance to Hannah, "thank you Idreka for letting me know." The middle-aged woman gave another hearty bow, and then started off to resume her earlier task of putting away the linens. "Alright, Patrick with me, I've a feeling you're gonna be needed for this expedition."

"Wait, really?!" He checked to make sure with a look of disbelief, though, Rickter merely looked at him before he focused on Hannah next.

"Your 'friend' can obviously do a bit of digging on our guest, I take it?"

"I can pull a favor or two and see what he finds out." The rogue cooed playfully with a grin at him, which led Rickter to nod patiently as he gave them both one final look.

"Remember, not a word-"

"Leaves this room, we know!"
"Leaves this room, we know!"

The wolf looked at them both a little more satisfied now, apt to nod for Hannah to head on out first, before he and Patrick followed her down the corridor of the East Wing. Being the first to saunter out into the main hall, the brunette caught a gander at their guest, admittedly casting him a playful wink before she made her way toward the foyer in turn. After her came the two gentleman which followed, Patrick donning his Atinoran garb which consisted of leathers fitted over his red tunic.

Rickter himself wore the fur-padded vestment along with his leather trousers, as both men took to find a seat on the sofa across from where Ivar had sat down. "Greetings," the wolf started with a polite bow of his head to the man, "I am Rickter Maze, Kozoku of the House of Waves. What can I do for you, sir?" He addressed in a tone of formality, though, quick to observe Ivar once the inquiry had been given.

"Dialogue" Monologue
"Hannah" "Patrick"
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"

[Ivar]

.

"I appreciate your courtesy," Ivar responded, his eyes taking in the elegant interior of the house. His boots were removed with practiced ease then tucked neatly to the side of the foyer. He tread lightly on the wooden floor, eyes flitting across the well-decorated hall. The furniture looked comfortable and inviting, while the vases filled with flowers were a delightful touch.

With a nod of acknowledgment to Idreka, Ivar said “thanks,” then selected one of the sofas, settling himself onto the soft cushions. He wished he had a sofa like this. His chairs at home were all wooden and gave him a backache to sit in for long periods of time. He could get used to this level of comfort, he thought, his mind already turning back to the business at hand.

As he waited he crossed his legs and pondered what someone living in this sort of house wanted with illumite. Were they planning on hiring people to go get it for them? Perhaps they were looking for intel on some merchants? Ivar knew his fair share of magical merchants but none of them had anything particularly rare or powerful. He felt as though he might be wasting his time here… and if he made a fool of himself that couldn’t help his reputation.

Speaking of his reputation, anyone looking to dig his history wouldn’t have much difficult in doing so. He didn’t make a habit of committing crimes, even if he did deal information to people who did. Aside from a brief phase he went through as a teenager where he’d gotten away with minor forgery his past was squeaky clean, legally speaking. It probably went without saying that he was part of the Circle of Spells’ College of Entropy based on his garb. If they had contacts within the institution they’d be able to tell Ivar had been learning Traversion and Scrivening for a few years now and was somewhat competent at both. There was also the matter of his family, which was nothing out of the ordinary.

Ivar straightened his back when he saw someone new come into view. It was a brunette who winked at him and made him blush. He was easily swayed by women, especially those who were nice to look at. He thought that she might be the one he was here for but she passed by and made her way to what Ivar assumed was the door.

“Must get a lot of guests,” Ivar thought, “if I had a house this nice, I’m sure I’d want people to visit too.”

Behind the women were two men that Ivar would have stood up for to greet but he’d assumed they were also heading for the door. He settled for returning Rickter’s bow with a slight bow of his own and then one to Patrick.

“It’s nice to meet you two. I am Ivar Shipper. I got word that someone here was interested in obtaining illumite, and I’m guessing that’s you.” He struggled to match Rickter’s formality, pausing at times to collect his thoughts.

“I’m here to lend my services as a man who deals in rumors or perhaps as a Traversion mage. I don’t know exactly what you have in mind but I’m more than willing to contribute for a chance at getting my hands on more."

He casually pulled out the shard in his pocket. It was nothing impressive, average in quality. He turned it over then stuffed it back within his robes a moment later. “As I’m sure you know, this stuff is highly sought after and is essential to the use of magic in these dark times. The more of it we have, the better.”

He laced his fingers together then leaned forwards. “I’m guessing our mutual connection thought that I might be able to help, if not then I apologize if I’ve wasted your time.” He felt himself relaxing a bit more and taking on a more casual tone.

.

[Rickter]

The head wolf found that a smile came with ease once Ivar had introduced himself, as Rickter and Patrick both situated themselves to sit comfortably on the sofa across from their guest. The Atinoran himself leaned heavily into the cushion with an arm relaxed over the arch, while the wolf took a more focused position with his forearms rested over his knees instead. Rickter wasn't one to ignore the interest of a stranger who came knocking on his doorstep, not when he knew there was likely business involved between them.

One way or another, he'd come to figure out things about Ivar on his own. Rickter had spent a long time learning to gauge people and their characters, even before he grew out of his introverted shell he always remained withdrawn in. He could tell right away that the younger man was a little nervous, perhaps because he hadn't come here to outright bargain with the alpha right away. Which was actually fine, given it pulled Rickter out aside from his normal duties. The wolf needed a distraction every now and then, and really, Ivar seemed to be the type the wolf needed to assess firsthand.

"Aye," he tactfully agreed initially, "we're definitely in the market for gathering some Illumite." So this man had informants of his own it seemed, albeit, he was also quick to come forward with the services he was willing to provide. An info broker as well a personal mage, not that Kalzasi wasn't riddled with either of those when one knew where to look. Judging from his attire he was also most likely a circle mage, leading the wolf to commend him for his dedicated study.

Anybody who emphasized their time on honing Traversion had to have incredible guts, or endurance even, for it took the wolf what felt like ages before he overcame his own Traversion sickness at the time. The dragonshard that Ivar pulled from his pocket received a brief narrow in Rickter's gaze, as he assessed it to be nothing more than an average gem held by the owner. There was something about Ivar... Something familiar in the way he not only spoke, but carried himself with the way his posture sat as well.

If the wolf had to guess, the Traverser before him wasn't from this part of Kalzasi. Comparing that with the scents that the wolf picked up, it became a bit easier to tell where he lived in the city in turn. There was the redolent presence of dampness that saturated his natural air, permeating it enough to give Rickter indication that this man either lived in the Low City or perhaps even deeper. But beneath that? An acrid musk that would've warned the wolf of people similar to what Ivar smelled like, leading him to briefly speculate as he listened to what the rest of the man had to say.

Ivar did not give off any real threatening aura or vibe, but then again, Rickter hardly found people in general threatening anymore. It could've been that it was difficult for him to tell, regardless, he decided that the Traverser before him was harmless in the end. "Aye, Illumite is indeed in high demand. I've a couple of friends who are well connected to the Great House Novalys that are kept busy frequently, and it just so happens one of them once taught me where to find it and how to mine it."

The wolf reflected on those earlier days when he'd undergone those trials, determined to stand by the sides of those friends... before he even knew what grand fate lie in store for them all. "My colleague here, Patrick, and I were both about to discuss a business venture to procure some."

"Wait, we were?" The Atinoran looked at him a little dumbfoundedly, before remembering the conversation earlier and chuckling at himself in turn. "Oh, yeah, we were."

"See, your timing is rather fortuitous Mr. Shipper." The wolf admittedly rather plainly but still with a friendly grin at the Traverser. "While I hadn't planned on needing a third hand, I think we could actually use one for where we're going. But first I just have a few simple questions to ask, more or less to get a better background on your experience with Illumite in general."

After he expressed this, the wolf cleared his throat with a bit more of a hearty grin. "Have you any experience in travel, particularly along the range of the Astralar Mountains? And if so, have you ever managed to mine dragonshards on your own?" The wolf had no real intentions to trick or test Ivar when he asked these two questions, mainly, he wanted to better understand the experience of this particular individual. It was one thing if Ivar wanted to gain benefit from Rickter in some way, but when he could potentially help more than just himself along the way?

Well, that was well worth the extra set of hands with where they were going.

"Dialogue" Monologue
"Patrick"
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"

[Ivar]

.

Ivar’s confidence faded as his host spoke. "A trip to the mountains? Really? This is way over your head," he thought to himself. "I’m hardly the type to go out there. I suppose I could always flee if need be.”

He visible squirmed a little as he imagined the dangers that awaited travelers, the steep cliffs, the lurking predators, and the merciless weather. His stomach churned at the thought. "I'm definitely not prepared for this," he thought, his pulse quickening. "But, it's illumite we're talking about," he argued back, the lure of the precious gemstone rekindling his wavering resolve. "Think about the rewards, the opportunities this could bring." His mind drifted to the riches he could amass if he was able to get his hands on a powerful dragonshard. For once, he wouldn't be the one scraping by in the underbelly of Kalzasi.

He wasn’t a complete stranger to adventure. He’d been to the midden a number of times, both to meet up with contacts and also to kill slimes. It was rough down there but he’d always survived thanks to his ability to teleport away from danger. Though, he had a feeling that dangers in the mountain dwarfed those he’d encountered down below. He knew little about dragonshard mining other than it was supposedly dangerous.

Ivar’s thoughts turned back to the actual question at hand. Did he have experience with travelling in the mountains and had he ever mined dragonshards? No. Did that mean he was of no use to them? Should he lie? He decided not to since there was little chance he could successfully fake knowledge of activities completely foreign to him. Plus, one did not make a good reputation as an information broker by lying.

As Ivar contemplated his next words, a thought occurred to him, one he had been ignoring in his internal debate over his own capabilities. What if they didn't even want his help? He'd been so wrapped up in his self-assessment, gauging whether the trip would even be worth his time, that he'd forgotten to consider if his services were even needed. He didn’t look particularly strong, he couldn’t handle a weapon for shit… he could think of a hundred reasons why he wasn’t the right person to pick for manual labor.

Ivar finally spoke with a slightly disheartened expression on his face. “I’m afraid my experiences outside of the confines of the city are quite limited. I’ve been deep within the Midden on numerous occasions if that counts… but that’s hardly the kind of terrain I’d expect to encounter in the mountains.”

He scratched his head with one hand and looked at the ceiling to let out a deep breath. He then returned his gaze to Rickter and finished, “as for mining, I’ve never been to a mine before so, no. I figured I’d be most useful working with transportation of the shards, equipment, etcetera. Not that I mind getting my hands dirty, I’ve just no experience so I’d have to be taught.”

.

[Rickter]

And there it was. Even as Rickter expressed the fact they could use an extra hand, the scent that Ivar gave off then told the wolf enough about the man's disappointment. Perhaps due to the fact his knowledge was so limited when it came to the outside world, whereas the streets of Kalzasi were also entirely a frontier of their own at times. Rickter understood that very well given his days spent as a lone wolf, but he had hoped this conversation had not swayed Ivar from this cause.

Because honestly, a good number of people were going to need those shards. And to claim the best quality they could hope to afford, Rickter intended to help both Ivar and Patrick brave incredible heights. With the answers that he received though, the wolf nodded thoughtfully with a more humbled expression. He may have possessed Semblance and could've used it at any point in time during this conversation, but Rickter could tell that the man had yet to honestly lie to him thus far. Besides, it wasn't impossible to learn the art of mining dragonshards, if the wolf could do it himself then certainly others could too.

"Believe me, dangerous as it sounds, the practice is actually more sound than most realize." He assured the Traverser with a brief glance to Patrick, before pondering if he needn't have a few things fetched for example. "There are several tools one can use to mine dragonshards, and you can honestly pick them up within the Artisan's Guild for varying fees. But we'll only be using regular miner pickaxes though, as I am already in possession of an aether net." He expressed with a brief fluctuation of his hand, pointing to himself before he shifted his left shoulder a little more forward.

"The deal here is, where we're going will be incredibly high up. As you're probably well aware, the Astralar Peaks themselves can get pretty frigid, and there's chances that we'll find wildlife among them as well." It was then Rickter pointed to the Rune on his left shoulder, shimmering faintly of the fluorescence found in the Northern Lights. "I can guarantee our protection from such elements and obstacles, but even so, you're best bet would be to prepare for those in mind."

"So you're really dragging us up there to freeze our asses off?" Patrick remarked casually with a fold of his arms then, a little anxious himself in regards to the idea of going. The wolf merely grinned at him before giving a response.

"You've got Elementalism, you can use Deference." He boldly answered the Atinoran, before he focused on Ivar once more. "You won't have to splurge on a lot of gear, just something that'll insolate you while you're with us. I'll have tools to spare if you're intent on learning the mining process."

"So why don't you go ahead and share what the plan is, big guy?" Patrick pushed for which led Rickter to momentarily side eye the Atinoran, as he wasn't intent on sharing such a thing right away with a total stranger. Then again, it might've helped sealed the deal for Ivar if he did. It wasn't like anyone else could hope to pull this expedition off, at least, not without the magics he had to apply them coincidentally.

"Very well," Rickter reasoned as he leaned back into the cushion, "The plan is to reach the very peaks of Astralar Mountains. Terra Nimbus. I've contingencies in mind to help protect us both from the cold and from wildlife, the trick is getting that high up to mine the dragonshards in general."

"And that is?" The wolf nearly sighed through his nostrils at that point, but he didn't relent from sharing the rest of the details since Patrick clearly needed this information as well. One would've thought the Atinoran trusted his Alpha leader a bit more though.

"Magic, of course. With Negation to keep us safe, I can use Kinetics to lift us to the underside of the floating peaks. The clusters there receive a healthy dose of Dawnlight each morning from Kalzasi's deific power, so there ought to be some high-grade dragonshards waiting for harvest there." He expressed with a thoughtful gaze from Patrick back to Ivar, curious as to what the man might do with such personal information. In the long run, it could potentially help out many if shared with the right people. But at the same time, said people would have to have similar resources in order to achieve this feat.

"Alright so we mine the shards from the underside of Terra Nimbus... What happens when they start falling to the ground?"

"The aether net will catch them, but once that becomes full, someone at the base of the peaks will have to be ready to catch. Seeing as how all three of us possess Traversion, that shouldn't be so difficult either." He remarked as he knew that little fact would intrigue Ivar, given he expressed services for that discipline earlier. "So how about it then?" He finally addressed the younger man across from him. "Will you be interested in joining us for this expedition? More hands means faster mining, and of course, a reasonable share of the shards for your effort."

It really was a considerable opportunity if one thought about it, which was why Rickter still felt inclined to make the offer to him. But in the end it fell up to Ivar to decide if he were ready, and willing, to brave the outside forces of the world beyond Kalzasi's walls.

"Dialogue" Monologue
"Patrick"
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"

[Ivar]

.

A warm smile spread across Ivar's face as he observed the playful exchange between the two men before him. Initially, his impression of Patrick was that of an aide, a subservient figure working under the direction of the commanding Rickter. But as the conversation unfurled and the underlying camaraderie between them became more apparent, his perception changed.

Patrick's responses weren't those of an obedient employee, but instead, had the spontaneity and familiarity that were the hallmarks of friendship. Their banter, the light-hearted jabs, the shared laughs - it was a dynamic that spoke of years of shared experiences and mutual respect.

Ivar leaned back, taking in the depth and detail of the plan. There was a part of him that could barely believe the words coming out of the other man's mouth. Terra Nimbus, dragonshards, the use of such profound magic. It was staggering to comprehend. It was also enough to make Ivar realize that simply knowing the general mining location was a small part of actually obtaining them.

"Quite the plan you've got there," he said, his voice slightly strained as he tried to hide the anxiety. "I have to admit, it's more... ambitious than anything I've done in the past."

His mind raced, trying to visualize the different elements of the proposed expedition. There was so much to consider, so many potential risks, and yet, the potential rewards were tempting. The dragonshards, the experience, the knowledge he could gain... It was an opportunity that was hard to ignore.

The whole trip sounded like a pain in the ass. He assumed that’s why shards were so expensive. Just an average shard could cost more than an entire season’s of discretionary income. A man could work an entire lifetime and still not have enough to afford a greater shard. And if they found something more expensive than that… Ivar didn’t want to think about that lest he set himself up for disappointment.

"I won't lie, it sounds dangerous. And challenging. And frightening, to be honest." He admitted, "but...it also sounds like you know what you’re doing. I can’t promise that I won't stumble along the way. But what I can promise is this… I'll give it my all. I'll do my best to pull my weight, to learn and adapt, to help make this a success. I’m in."

In the back of his mind Ivar thought that worst come to worst he could just teleport back home to safety. Hell, they all could… unless there was something up there that prevented magic use. He was too naive to consider the possibility that if things went wrong they might not have enough aether to escape.

“When are you planning on leaving?” Ivar asked as an afterthought, “If all I need is some warm clothes I could be ready within the hour. Also, do you have any idea how long the trip would take? Days? Weeks?” When an information broker went missing it was rarely a good sign. He didn’t want to worry his regular contacts with an unexpectedly long absence.

.

[Rickter]

The wolf admittedly couldn't help but chuckle when Ivar remarked on the plan, truthfully, Rickter was never always such a diligent planner when it came to these sort of things. No, that didn't happen until after he had gone to war. Against Zaichaer, against the Imperium, and to a degree even against Fate itself. Once he realized the futility of that rage though, he put such thoughts to better use instead. "It is rather ambitious, I'll admit, but as of right now a lot of people will be counting on those dragonshards."

Rickter didn't think he could stress that fact well enough. What with the horde of shadows encroaching from the lakeshore, there would need to be reinforced defenses throughout every village or hamlet found there. The wolf wasn't even sure if his shields would be enough alone, but powered by greater shards, they would certainly last a while before their energies needed replenishment. This led him to wonder about the countermeasures he'd need to prep for this expedition, and to the consideration that an all-nighter would be necessary for the project at hand.

The wolf could see that Ivar was definitely weighing the decision with considerable thought, granted, it was a proposition well beyond the call of what the man was likely used to. Not that Rickter nor Patrick would blame the guy, they were literally going to exercise a lot of mid-to-high-end magic for this effort. And a lot of it would correlate with their teamwork as well, granted the wolf and his partner already had that mostly down. "It will be dangerous, yeah." Patrick agreed wholeheartedly with a glance to Rickter, who in turn, looked to his companion before eyeing Ivar seriously.

"Rest assured, I've made a similar climb up the mountain before. Knowing what the dangers are while we're up there, I can say with confidence that we, you especially, will not be in any real danger once we arrive." There came a promise from the young Traverser that he'd do his best, to apply himself and learn what he can from the experience altogether. Such an admittance brought a hearty smirk out of Rickter, for he knew the decision was a sound one made with considerable thought.

When asked on the time of their departure, the wolf looked upward in thought for only a moment, and contemplated the prep time necessary to make all this come together in a timely manner. There would be the night spent prepping all the warded lodestones, and perhaps the antigravity lodestones he would scriven as well. He knew he'd need to at least go out and get a couple more pickaxes for the mining effort as well, but that would be done after their meeting had passed. Then of course, the initial trip to the peaks themselves, which the wolf could get them halfway there as is. Therefore...

"I'll need the day and tomorrow to have everything prepared. Illumite shards are best harvested at the crack of dawn, and since we have to rely on our patron of the city for that, we'll have to leave late in the night when it is darkest." That meant traveling the peaks while shadows plagued them too, nevertheless, Rickter hadn't forgotten to take those into account as well. "For now, you've a twenty-four hour period to prep for the trip. We won't be gone any longer than half a day, granted, it'll be midnight when we leave for the mountain tomorrow eve."

"You'll be home in time for dinner once we're done!" The Atinoran quipped with a light chuckle, leading the wolf to glance from him back to Ivar with another realization.

"If you have family or friends that need notoriety of this trip, then use that time to give it to them, and, you're also welcome to one of the guest rooms here in the manor if need be. In the event you need to rest before we head out on our trip." The wolf finally leaned forward if only to scoot to the edge of his seat, with a hand brought out so that Ivar might shake it as though to cement the agreement between the three of them.

"I take it we'll see you tomorrow evening." He figured with another light grin tugging at his lips.

"Dialogue" Monologue
"Patrick"
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"

[Ivar]

.

Ivar met Rickter's gaze, his own reflecting a kindled determination. The stakes were higher than he initially thought, though if the trip wasn’t going to last more than half a day then maybe he was worrying a bit too much. He would definitely be letting a couple people know that he was intending to go on this trip, so that if he didn’t return at least his parents would have some closure. He didn’t want to tell them or they’d surely talk him out of it.

"A trip at night in these conditions sounds arduous. I suppose I should have known that the shards needed to be harvested at dawn.” He chuckled then continued, “I’ll pass on the guest room as I’ve got things to attend to. I’ll arrive here tomorrow evening then," Ivar responded, extending his own hand to meet Rickter's, sealing their newfound partnership with a firm shake. He didn’t really have that much to attend to but he always felt like a burden whenever he stayed at someone else’s place.

He stood up, the gravity of the commitment he'd just made felt in the tension of his shoulders. But despite the dangers and uncertainties they were about to face, there was a sense of eager anticipation within him. With a final nod, he turned and exited the room, ready to embark on a journey that he knew would leave an indelible mark on his life. He contemplated vaulting back home but he remembered that he’d left his shoes at the foyer. He went and put them on before closing his eyes and focusing on a specific store. Then, he was gone. He had a whole new set of clothes to buy, thicker than he’d ever owned before.

When he finally bought everything he needed he went to a tavern to meet up with some friends. “You’ll never guess where I’m going.”

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