Horizon Odyssey, Chapter 1, A hopeful fresh start

[sponge7325]

Isaac looked back at his team, looking to see if anybody had an opinion on which way to go. However, finding everyone silent, Isaac sighed. "Looks like I have to choose again. Spending too much time near the steam might attract monsters, so I say we should turn west." Isaac moved as silently as he could through the stream and went the way he said that they should, with a less cheerful expression than the group was used to by now. 'Pretty boring place, too,' Isaac thought to himself, 'One wolf isn't as exciting as the other adventurers at the tavern made the place out to be. Can't jump to conclusions to early though, I guess.'

[Dangerus]

[Rothene]

On a boat en route to Horizon...

The inspection went off without a hitch. For the authorities that is. There was a small haul of scammers, mostly caught due to carrying more Ental than the average passenger would without any supporting documents of their profession. Some better prepared members of the syndicate had forged documents to evade any arrest, which suited the inspectors just fine as all that mattered was the fact they caught those obvious enough individuals to look like they did their job.

With inspection done, the boat made its way to Horizon. But as soon as the Yggdrasil of Horizon appeared in the distance, something in one of the massive rivers that ran through Horizon caught a passenger's attention. It was a large silhouette of a fish, about half the length of the steam boat and when it swam close to the surface of the river briefly, revealed its turquoise coloured scales. The creature had of all things a rather large snout and high forehead, indicating its great capacity to ram into objects. The captain had everyone remain silent and the engines running slower.

The massive fish brushed briefly against the boat before swimming away. By the time the boat reached the port in the East Wing of Horizon, talks on the creature started spreading. No doubt there would be an official issuance of a hunt for the beast will be made in due time.

The port was, at the time of the day, not particularly filled with people as the major loading hours were over.

[Dangerus]

"How odd...", Selendis muttered.

She wondered if that was just the new ecosystem surrounding Horizon. Whatever it is, Selendis wished she could see a party in action defeat the mysterious fish.

Stepping down, she eyed the shops, inns, and taverns in hopes to find the Explorer's Guild of Horizon. It has been a while since she saw this place before. Heck, she lived here! But all those months in the steamboat made her memory a bit hazy. She decided to look inside one of her old books more for details.

[Rothene]

In the labyrinth...

Moving past the stream, and then westward, you are dismayed to discover that the path had led to a dead end. The foliage was very thick, almost disallowing any light to pass through.

Yet in this shady corner of the otherwise verdant labyrinth, things seem to thrive. Amid the nest of decaying twigs and branches, sprout a strange variety of fungus. Purple coloured throughout, it grew extremely tall for its species, supporting its weight with its thin frame. A few stumps nearby indicated places where other adventurers had apparently chopped off samples to bring back to sell as curious goods or perhaps materials for finer equipment.

The smell of decay and perhaps the obnoxious pollen makes even the most stoic of explorer want to leave quickly. Only those of great skill in the art of chopping lumber may find themselves with enough time to precisely chop off a stalk. Amateurs would likely pass out before finishing with hacking even half way through a mushroom.

OOC: The stalk is rather flexible yet tough, making it difficult for those that did not invest in chop to harvest a sample. Yes, this is a Chop Point in EO terms ladies and gentlemen.

***

In a certain guild house with the recruitment sign still dangling outside...

Robin paused briefly from his reading work. He had just obtained some official documents on requests from the council on objectives guilds are required to complete, objectives that generally pertain to the safety of exploration.

It was a sign that the guild was fully recognised by the nation. Flipping through the documents, the the man's eyes twinkled with amusement at what he saw. Sitting upright to better absorb the details of the tasks, Robin felt confident that he had the right set up of explorers in terms of skills brought in to fulfill some of the more well paying missions.

[Dangerus]

Selendis looked eager, wondering which party she'll be recruited to and why. She drew around the Guild's interior as she waited. She remembered filling her first few pages pertaining to Etria. But Horizon. Horizon interested her.