Ren✧

“My mother is suffering, and I will not stand for it,” Emily said. “I need you to either kill my mother or, failing that, find a way for her soul to be at peace.” Amir's eyes grew wide at her request. He faltered; he choked on his words. Fortunately, Neasa took the lead. "I can kill her." Again, Amir was shocked at the response. Both of these women were so quick to embrace death. The concept was alien to Amir, but it made sense that Neasa was better acquainted with it. As she spoke on the practices of her religion, Amir felt a bit jealous. Myria's edicts were not so plain. The cornerstone of his religion, interpretation, guesswork. Hope. Faith. Far more immaterial than the rules that his fellow Watchdog had clearly committed to memory. "I suppose it's a good thing you tagged along, after all." "Mmhmm, should we truly be so quick to end this woman's, your mother's, life? Can we not possibly pray to our patrons for aid?" He turned to look specifically at Emily. "I don't want to give you any false hope, but I feel it is a waste not to at least try to ask for help, no?"

The fire roared in Amir's ears, the heat stung his skin, and his eyes watered in the haze of smoke. He turned away from the pyre, drawn in by the faceless collective of roiling onlookers. The torrential onslaught of their humming vibrated in Amir's head. He called out in warning as a figure approached the fire, drawing from it a log. A shower of sparks rained down on the man, but he did not alight. The humming of the congregation grew louder. And louder. And louder still. Amir covered his ears and closed his eyes. There was no escape. He yelled in pain. His agony swallowed by the chaos. ... Amir's eyes slowly flicked open. The remnant pain and confusion brought about by his dream fleeing into the deep recesses of his mind. He stared at the ceiling above him. The painful cacophony of the faceless congregation had been replaced by the soothing hum of the Swallowtail. This wasn't the first zeppelin he had taken at the behest of his goddess. It was, however, his favorite so far. Perhaps it was the ship's charming name or the fact that he was just one of many Watchdogs that had been aboard the vessel, but regardless he had quite enjoyed his time with the crew and fellow passengers so far. Amir had never met another Watchdog before boarding the ship. Interesting folk they all were. Perhaps that was a requirement of being a representative of a god. Or perhaps he just had the good fortune to be in interesting company. The image of the figure reaching into the fire, unhurt by the flames that had licked at its skin. Perhaps they were another Watchdog. Or a god. Someone that could walk unhurt through fire. Kitt, Watchdog to Taros, sprung to his mind. The Forge Master was no stranger to fire, after all. Perhaps the rest of the gathered people were all the Watchdogs out there. Of course, the bonfire might relate to Neasea's patron as well. He didn't know much about the God of the Afterlife, but the fire could've been a reference to the Order of Ash. Or, maybe the true meaning of prophecy remained as elusive as ever. ... Levanna's speech caused Amir to glower in response. She was a politician to her very core, Amir could tell. He wondered how many people she had to lie to and exploit to maintain the aura of self-importance that polluted the very air around her. Amir cast a skeptical glance in Kitt's direction as he bowed to her. Though she objected at such formality, Amir had no doubt that Levanna enjoyed Kitt stroking her ego. Amir felt Neasea nudge him. "I'll catch up later" Amir turned to see the young girl that was drawing Neasea away. He took another look back at Levanna, his brow furrowing. He had no want to be around her any longer. He shrugged and began to follow the redhead through the crowd. He was in no hurry to push his way past, surely he would be able to follow the bright hair with relative ease.

As Chris took the lead down the tunnel, Sergei covered the group's rear. His instincts were yelling at him to switch places with Chris, but he reigned them in. He might as well start trusting the party to handle themselves sooner rather than later. Estellise's lights illuminated their way. Sergei tensed as Chris drew even with the third tunnel, his sword at the ready. Immediately, Sergei noticed the change in the fighter's body language. Not surprising anybody, they had more company. Chris brandished his weapon and disappeared into the mouth of the tunnel, no doubt advancing on their new adversaries. The soft, wet squelching of metal being thrust through flesh and scale, accompanied by the painful wail of a kobold told that Chris had found his mark. Sergei was already following his lead, moving to the mouth of the tunnel, when Chris called out. “Sergei!” Without the same finesse, Sergei barreled towards the remaining kobolds. This cohort did seem better equipped for battle, but their numbers couldn't possibly compensate for the size advantage that Sergei had. The first kobold jabbed at him with its spear, but Sergei caught the weapon just below the sharpened point and yanked it out of the reptilian creature's hands. Then, with his left hand, Sergei's wrapped his fist around the kobold's throat, lifting it into the air. The second kobold took the opportunity to throw its spear at Sergei. Normally, the kobold's aim would have been true, striking Sergei in the soft part of his stomach. However, Sergei's spell protected him from the weapon's sharp point. The blow caused him to grunt in pain, and would undoubtedly leave a bruise, but he was none worse for the wear. The kobold began to turn tail and run. However, he wasn't quick enough as Sergei readied the same spear he had taken from the first kobold and lined it up to throw. With ease, the weapon torpedoed towards the fleeing kobold, skewering it with hardly a sound. Sergei looked to the struggling creature still in his hand. Its attempts to claw into Sergei's magically hardened skin were growing weaker as it failed to draw air into its lungs. A shadow of mournful regret passed over Sergei's face before he gave the creature's a neck a sharp twist, accompanied by a dull crack. Sergei let the kobold's body fall to the cavern floor.

Amir Qureshi

Noting interest!

Chris took the lead as the group darted from one end of the cavern to the other. Sergei stopped at the entrance to the stairwell to usher Estellise and Lana to the third floor, standing guard just in case any of the goblins recovered quicker than expected. Following his team down the stairs, Sergei offered Estellise some admiration, keeping his voice low. "Great work, Estellise. Saved us all some cuts and bruises." The third floor confronted them with branching paths and more decisions to be made. Sergei strained his ears to catch any more of the faint whispers he had heard just a moment before, but whoever had been making the sound had gone silent. It seemed that surprise would not be on their side this time. "I can check it out first if you want, but you all seemed to get mad at me for doing that last time so…” "No, I wasn't mad," Sergei scratched his head, his cheeks a bit warm with embarrassment. He moved past Estellise and Lana to get a little closer to the swordsman. "I was just worried, that's all. I don't want any of us to get hurt." Sergei thought back to his mercenary work, to the times he had braved the Dungeon before. He was all too aware of the stakes. "I'm sorry if it seemed like I was angr-" The sound of crumbling stone interrupted Sergei's sentiment. His eyes shot down the tunnel, towards the noise. He just barely caught the sight of Lana falling through a trap in the floor. Sergei pushed past Chris, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Lana's hands caught the far edge of the hole. The tattoos across Sergei's body flashed; his arms and legs became a blur as he dashed towards Lana. "Owwww!" Sergei didn't catch sight of the small lizardlike humanoid until Lana exclaimed in pain. The kobold was not alone as another appeared down the hall, also wielding a dagger. "Heeeeelp!" Sergei pushed off with his right leg, leaping over the pit and Lana's struggling form. His momentum carried him the first kobold and sent him careening towards the second. Its small form was not prepared for Sergei's massive frame. The kobold was sent skittering further back down the tunnel. Sergei wasted no time in whipping around and wrapping his hands around the waist of the kobold stabbing at Lana's hands. He lifted it with ease; it struggled in his hands, twisting around and landing a couple of painful slashes across Sergei's arms. Forgoing any grace, Sergei threw the scaled creature into the pit, taking a small pleasure in its high-pitched scream as it fell victim to its own trap. "Come on, let's get you out of there." Sergei reached down and grasped Lana's forearm, avoiding the arm wounded by the kobold's surprise attack. Blood trailed down his own arm, dripping onto Lana's clothes and face. He began to hoist her up, ignoring the angry burning from his exposed wounds. A dull crack accompanied a splitting pain in the back of Sergei's head. A rock, launched from the sling of an unseen third kobold, had found its mark. Sergei saw stars dance across his vision. His grip slipped for a moment on Lana's arm, but he had enough sense to regain his purchase on his dangling teammate. "I've got you, I've got you." Letting out a grunt of effort, Sergei hoisted the smaller girl out of the pit. "I got you." He said. Now that Lana wasn't in immediate danger, Sergei turned further down the tunnel. He drew upon the magic in his veins, the speed in his limbs fading and turning into a fortification spell. His tattoos flashed menacingly as his skin took on a taught, rough texture. He fixed the pair of kobolds with a steel gaze. "You've made a big fucking mistake."

Sergei peeked around the corner as they descended to the second floor. Absentmindedly, he bent his neck forward, feeling a bit closed in by the low ceilings. He had taken the lead as they advanced through the Dungeon, just in case they were ambushed. Best if he took the brunt of the assault. Sergei counted the goblins, holding a hand to still his companions. He took note of their weapons and turned back to the group. "Ten of them. They haven't noticed us yet, but there isn't much anywhere to hide in the cavern." He said, careful make sure his voice was low. He urged the group back a couple more feet to be sure that they'd be out of earshot. Sergei didn't like that they were so greatly outnumbered. There'd be more than 2 goblins to each of them. That could get dangerous very quickly. Their fight with the rats hadn't gone as smoothly as Sergei had hoped. No one had taken any serious injuries, but they had also had the numbers advantage. "Estellise, would it be possible to blind them so that we could get to the other side without conflict?"

"Let's do this again." Sergei rolled his shoulders, preparing himself for the battle with the new combatants. It seemed that the party had learned from their last fight. Lana and Chris readied their weapons, taking point at the front of the party. Typically, Sergei would have stood in front of them to intercept the claws and fangs of the cautiously approaching rats, but he was growing a bit impatient. Instead of casting his durability spell, Sergei muttered a quick incantation to increase his speed and reflexes. The familiar green glow of the tattoos across his body briefly illuminated his figure. Sergei waited until the rats were just a few feet outside of Lana and Chris' range before charging in. He moved past his teammates, a blur followed lazily by the light that Estellise had cast at his shoulder. With a battle cry, Sergei dashed towards the rat on his right, trying to avoid a flanking situation by keeping the wall of the cavern at his back. He reached to grab the rat's skull with a firm grip and smash it into the hard stone of the cavern as many times as it would take to keep it from moving.

"Lana, Sergei, hold still for a moment." Estellise instructed. "Oh, that's really not necessary," Sergei moved his injured arms as if to hide the wounds, "I heal pretty quickly, it'll--" Sergei stopped his protest at the Fereis' persistence. He let the warm magic wash over him. It was a strange sensation, to actively feel his flesh mend back together. “I’ll give you all a shout if I see something. Or I’ll run back if I see something really bad. Or- okay. Be right back.” "Woah, hold up just a second." But, Chris was already gone. He moved down the tunnel with a self-assured speed that reminded Sergei why he had been hesitant about the group in the first place. Sergei fought the urge to chase after him. Normally, he would have, but he didn't want to take a risk of interrupting Estellise's magic and further deplete her energy or somehow make the spell reverse its effects. So he anxiously waited for her to finish, keeping his eyes and ears perked for any disturbance down the way that Chris had disappeared. "Okay, let's hope he hasn't gotten too far ahead of us." Sergei began to follow the swordsman's path. "Thank you for doing that, by the way," Sergei said to Estellise, making sure that she and Lana were close in step with him. "You're very kind and thoughtful for a--," Sergei stopped himself a moment too late. "You're very kind and thoughtful." He amended, his face grew warm. He hoped that Estellise hadn't noticed. Sergei heard Chris before he saw him. “There’s something this way. And bring some light.” "Chris, you can't go off on your own like that," Sergei admonished, his tone not unlike his father's had been when he and his siblings would act up.

Sergei recoiled a bit as the rat bit his hand. Durability spell or not, the hand had many nerve endings that shrieked in protest. "Die already!" Sergei shouted in frustration at the rat. Lana managed to scramble out from under the creature and reclaimed her large battleax. Surely the rat didn't have long to live with the number of gashes that she had inflicted, but he didn't begrudge a single bit as she brought the heavy weapon down on the creature. Lana turned to Sergei, the two of them breathing heavily. Her young, almost cherubic, face was coated in a thick, heavy layer of the rat's blood. The combination was unsettling. She gave him a thumbs up and beamed at him. Sergei paused, caught off guard by her enthusiasm. Then, his boisterous laugh filled the cavern. It exploded from deep within his chest, unannounced and unhindered. Hearing it cascade against the rocky walls of the cavern, Sergei attempted to stifle his outburst, reducing it to a low rumble. He returned the thumbs up, trying to match her cheer. “I guess we keep going, huh?” "First, is everyone, alright?" The duration of Sergei's spell came to a close and he could feel the muscles across his body untense. As they did so, the wounds on his arm and hand began to bleed a bit more heavily.

After his fist connected with the rat, a satisfying crack splitting the cavern, Sergei rolled into his desperate dive. His shoulder connected with the hard floor, though he hardly felt it. He rolled once. Twice. Then, steadied himself on the tips of his toes and his open hand on the cave ground. He looked back to the rat that he had hit; it was stunned but not dead. Launching from his three-point position, Sergei descended upon the creature and rained blow after blow. His fists connected with the matted fur over and over, before it gave away to the flesh beneath. Blood splattered across his face and seeped into his clothes. Neither rage nor fury, escaped Sergei's lips, just his labored breaths. Never assume it's dead, make sure. "Get off, get off, get off!" Sergei slammed his fists down once more on the bloodied creature to make sure it was dead. "Hang on, Lana. I'm coming!" Sergei stood up from his crouched position and went to pull the murderous rodent off of Lana, trying to avoid the frenzied strikes of her ax.

Sergei watched Lana's ax collide with one of the rats, a horrible squelching sound accompanying the heavy blade as it cleaved through sinuous flesh and bone. One down, three to go. Sergei sprinted to Lana's side, the adrenaline pumping in his ears. An intense flash of light from behind him signaled that Estellise had moved to defend Chris. Hopefully, they would dispatch their combatant quickly. As Lana freed her ax from the corpse of the first rat, Sergei took stock of how close the approaching adversaries were. She swung wildly at one of the approaching creatures. All Sergei could do was pray that she found her mark for a second time. Letting out a shout of exertion, Sergei dove to intercept the second creature. He cocked his elbow back, preparing to clock the creature with a flying haymaker.

Sergei knew there wasn't much hope of dodging the rat as it leaped toward him, there wasn't enough room in the tunnel for his large frame to deftly maneuver the much more agile creature. So instead, he raised his arm as a shield and let the rat sink its teeth into his flesh. Fortunately, he had, had enough foresight to magically raise his defenses. The bite was still painful, but he doubted it would even leave much of a scar. Catching a flash of blonde to his side, Sergei caught Chris' eyes he flanked the large rat. With a shout of rage, Sergei attempted to grapple the rodent and position it so that Chris' blade struck true. "Two more where these came from!" Sergei briefly glanced to see the incoming rats. "Lana! Don't split too far away from the group," the ax-wielding girl had charged further into the tunnel and was at risk of being overwhelmed if the approaching rats got to her before he did. Attempting to free himself of the creature that had attacked him, Sergei shoved the creature to the side, hoping to hear a sickening crunch as the rat made an impact with the wall. He then moved to provide back up to Lana.

As the group of them passed Edgar and his compatriots, Sergei adjusted the pack carrying their supplies and moved to say hello to the group. Edgar, however, was quick to dismiss him. Even though he wasn't a part of one of the major families, Edgar wore prominence well. "That was the group I told you all about earlier. I wonder if they already tried the Dungeon." "State your names, your purpose, and any family you represent." This was always a bit of a moral conundrum for Sergei. Technically, he was a part of the Allagi family and surely if he claimed to make any significant progress in The Dungeon, they would be quick to claim him as their own. However, he had given up the rights to that name a long time ago. Fortunately, Estellise was quick to relieve him of that particular burden. He was beginning to like traveling with some that drew more attention than him. Even though he stood a head and a half above the rest of them, most of the passerby and the guards were far more attentive to someone that came from House Fereis. As they descended the steps into The Dungeon, Sergei let the familiar sensation of the breeze wash over him. He took a deep breath and stepped into the long tunnel. Darkness stretched on ahead, shrouding whatever obstacles that laid ahead behind a veil of shadows. As they pressed forward, he watched Estellise's manner change. Whereas before she strode about, nobility tucked beneath her chin, now Sergei could see the fierce spark of curiosity and wonder that she had kept well contained. The sight of it made him chuckle. "Careful." He warned, knowing that danger could strike at any moment. As if to lend greater weight to his warning, Sergei caught the faintest bit of movement ahead of them. He stared at the fork in the tunnel, trying to discern where the sound had come from. "Our first decision! Which path will lead us onward? Splitting up so soon would be ill-advised, but what say you, friends?" "Quiet," Sergei cautioned, "there's something in here with us." "Most people follow a right-hand rule, right? So, if we want to go to places they won't see, we should go left! Right?" Sergei nodded. "That's fine with me. Let me go first though." Sergei concentrated a moment, channeling energy through the tattoos that spiraled up his arms and coalesced on his back. His compatriots would note the dull flash of green. Sergei felt his skin grow taut and grow rough like sandpaper. He stepped to the front of the group. "Left it is."

"Alright, gang. Let's go do it! We'll clear 10 - no 20 floors!" Sergei couldn't help but smile at the eagerness. He couldn't help but feel a bit giddy too. He'd been into the Dungeon a good number of times, but he was realizing that this might be the first time he was doing it to achieve a goal that he wanted for himself. Plus, something felt different with this group. They weren't like the other mercenaries he was used to working with, nor were they too much like the people that would normally hire him as protection. They were ambitious and authentic. Or, at least, they seemed to be from what Sergei could tell. He wanted to do this with them. But, the logistics had been gnawing at the corner of his mind. Undertaking an excursion like this would require a good deal of fina— “Please, eat your fill. Let me worry about expenses.” Estellise's arrival at the table snapped Sergei out of his thought spiral. "I don’t remember if you agreed with either of us or had your own idea or anything like that. Do you have something to pitch in too?” "I think it's going to require a bit of both of your plans, actually." Sergei leaned a bit over the table, taking a bite of the pie at Chris' offer. "What do we know about the Dungeon? It's dangerous, got a lot of monsters, traps, and other hazards. And, of course, it holds the greatest treasure that the world has ever known, but no one has ever managed to get it." Sergei looked around at his new companions. "So, we have to go about this differently than anyone ever has before, right? We can't just count on strength to get us through, but we also can't just run through it or else we'll miss something important." Sergei leaned back in his chair, contemplating how to best move forward. "I think we have to approach this with longevity in mind, be prepared for a test of endurance. And, we have to be ready to learn. There's a reason no one's ever gotten the Spark, there are too many things about the Dungeon that we don't know. So we have to think on our feet." Sergei looked to Estellise before continuing. "No matter what we do, we're probably going to need a lot of coin to finance it. We'll need rations and supplies," Sergei felt awkward asking someone for money, he'd gotten so used to his skills being sought after. "Are you...able to help us with that?"

Sergei marveled at Estellise's boldness. He wasn't a stranger to drawing attention, but the way that everyone in the tavern turned to look at her and the rest of the group made his face grow a bit red. This, he thought, must be what it is like to be recognized for one's surname. Thinking about it made Sergei shift uneasily where he stood. He'd done a good job of divorcing himself from the Allagi name, but it always seemed to loom just above his head. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure a bit as he followed Chris and Lana to a table. His stomach rumbled a bit as he caught the scent of a nearby patron's food. He looked to where Estellise was making conversation with the bartender and resolved to wait until they had finished before troubling the man for some food. “So, uh… plans, guys. Got any?” "I’ve only been to the first floor or two. I want to make some progress this time.” Sergei nodded. Chris, at least, had been in the Dungeon before. That spoke to some experience, at least. "I've taken some jobs going into The Dungeon. It has a tendency of changing things each time you go in," Sergei said, "It makes it a bit difficult to plan for what we might find." “Probably unrelated, but I also want to know who that is. Have you seen her here before?” Sergei didn't need to look to see who Chris was talking about. He had clocked the elven woman as they had entered the tavern. Doing mercenary work had left Sergei with the habit of scoping every room he walked into and making note of the most dangerous people in it. The woman had a cool confidence that communicated she was not someone to be messed with. "Seems that there are a lot of strange folk in the city today," Sergei said, lowering his voice a bit, "I ran into another adventuring group on my way here this morning."

As Sergei approached The Drooling Dragon he was a bit surprised to see his soon-to-be adventuring party all waiting outside. He checked the position of the sun in the sky and he wasn't late, even though he had spent a little longer than he'd intended lost in his memories. A punctual group of dungeoneers wasn't a bad thing, in fact, it might mean that they had the discipline to make it beyond the first few floors. Or, it could mean that they were all incredibly green and overeager to partake in a fantastical adventure. He wanted to maintain an optimistic view, however, so he approached them all with a big smile and hearty wave. "Seems we're all a bit eager to get this show on the road," Sergei said. "I hope you all haven't been waiting for me for too long, I'm usually the first to show up to these types of meetings." He offered a small chuckle. Now that he was close to them all he noted that he stood a good head taller than each of them and dwarfed them all pretty considerably. Immediately he felt a protective instinct kick in. "Should we go in, then? Anyone eat yet, I haven't had a good meal today so I'm famished."

Sergei headed into the city, his thoughts scattered. The morning had been...strange, to say the least. The special attention that the Knights paid to the arrival of Edgar and his allies led Sergei to believe that his venture into the Dungeon to obtain The Spark was perhaps less a personal quest but one that the city was sponsoring. Sergei wondered how good a horse breeder's son could be with that bow. Though he was the son of a tavern owner so it would be foolish, and hypocritical, to underestimate Edgar's skill. Sergei hadn't truly intended to show up at his parents' tavern, The Miraculous Act, but it's where his feet led him. It was a tradition of his, though not one he conscious had established. He looked at the simple building, his home for so much of his youth. It was still morning so the busy hours still hadn't hit yet. Still, his siblings and parents would no doubt be bustling about inside. He could see his sisters and brother in his mind's eye, scrubbing up the filth that the more exuberant tavern goers the night before had undoubtedly left. He chuckled a bit at the thought. "I'm home," Sergei muttered beneath his breath. He imagined what it would be like if he were to walk across the street and open those doors. They would pause and stare, he thought. Or maybe, his mother would just keep on working, pretending like her wayward son wasn't even there. Maybe something else. Sergei wasn't sure. They were his family, but he'd hurt them. And they'd hurt him. It was the same familial story of trauma that stained everyone's family tree. "Great to be back." And with a final look, Sergei began to make his way to The Drooling Dragon. It was a bit early, he knew, but it would do him good to have a moment to ruminate.

"Sergei Allagi." Sergei practically flinched at the use of his last name. He had done a pretty decent job of losing the reputation that his surname came with. His voice caught in his throat, unsure of how to address the situation now. He stammered a bit but was quickly cut off by the green-haired girl's questions. "Allagi, he said Allagi right? Is it true that the head of your family attacked the tester that came to determine her ranking? And that she dances with wolves in the pale moonlight to gain her power?" Probably. Sergei thought, answering both of her questions. He didn't say anything, however. He didn't need the backlash that spreading rumors might entail. He enjoyed not being under the scrutiny of the main family. Brighid, in particular, scared him. Fortunately, Sergei was saved from having to answer by the young man. He let out a small sigh of relief, watching the captain lead Julian and Cleo into the city. "Apologies. You must be confused. We've never met, personally, but when I was a child I came here with my parents and met your own. You share many traits with them. Don't let them hear you say that, Sergei thought. "My name is Edgar Velos." "Velos," Sergei repeated, extending his hand in greeting, "Horse breeders, right?" Edgar nodded in confirmation. Sergei recalled hearing something of the Velos family recently; he couldn't remember what it was though. He refrained from asking, thinking that it wasn't polite to interrogate the man upon his arrival. "Where are you sailing from? Long journey?" "Home." Edgar responded bluntly. Sergei slowly nodded. "Right, so who were those women?" "Allies." "I see. Well, if you want to sit down and get a bite to eat after your travel I know a great pl—" "I need to be getting back to the group." Edgar cut him off. Sergei moved to the side to let Edgar pass. "What business do you have in the city?" Sergei asked, hoping that maybe he could at least get a little conversation out of the guy. "The Spark, of course." "Of course," Sergei repeated, watching him go. He frowned slightly at the interaction. Something didn't sit quite right with him.

Sergei hardly heard the woman as the three inhabitants of the ship disembarked. He briefly mumbled that she could keep the fish before turning his full attention to the group. In particular, Sergei was struck by the man. Where had he seen him before? His heart jumped when the man's attention shifted to him. Amongst all the cacophony and chaos at the docks, he had spotted Sergei amongst the crowd. "Who are you?" Sergei muttered to himself. Noticing that the old woman had left, Sergei continued onto the docks. He tried not to be too conscious of the bowman's intent gaze, trying to appear as just another bystander in the crowd. However, each time Sergei glanced back at the group, he met the man's eyes. Sergei approached the group. It was only at that moment that he realized he wasn't sure what he was going to say. He had no business with the knights or the captain, least of all with this curious group of strangers. Still, he was more-or-less committed now. "Excuse me. Sorry," Sergei said, "I don't mean to interrupt." He did. "Is there a problem?" Sergei tried to keep his eyes focused on the captain and the woman she had been speaking to, but he kept glancing back at the man's piercing eyes. "Something maybe I could help with?"

Happy New Year! I think this is interesting as a fun thematic card. The card art is cool too. Should the card say 'both players take the first monster found at the bottom of their GY that can be Special Summoned and Special Summon it' ? This might be more of a personal thing, but I don't like supporting burn playstyles because stall tactics make the game a lot less fun. But, that could just be a personal preference. I am also a little confused as to how the 1000 points of damage relates to the celebration theme?

My general rule of thumb is that after about a week of it being released that it's on me if something gets spoiled. Though that rule only applies for online/social media spoilers. If a friend of mine tells me a spoiler, and they know that I haven't seen that particular thing yet, then we are going to have a problem! I love being surprised by TV shows/movies. I will say that the pressure to watch something as soon as it is released to avoid spoilers is an interesting consequence of how connected people are today. For example, I saw the new Star Wars just a couple of days after its release but still a few things had been spoiled for me on Twitter, etc.

Sergei indulged a deep stretch as he woke. He rolled his shoulders a few times and was pleasantly surprised to find that the dull ache that had been bothering him the last few days had abated for the time being. It had almost assuredly been the fault of his mattress, if one had the audacity to call it that. He briefly longed for the comfortable beds at his family's tavern, the warm fireplace, and jubilant chatter. He quickly brushed away the memory. What he had now wasn't much, but it was his own. That was something. He blinked away the sleep that still tugged at the corner of his eyes and set about getting ready. He tugged on his leathers, struggling a little with a few of the clasps, and ran a hand through his hair a couple of times. He inspected his appearance a moment in a small mirror that hung on the wall that was perpetually dirty no matter how much Sergei cleaned it. Apparently satisfied, he stepped out into the clamor of the day. The docks were one of his favorite places in the city. The hustle of the fishermen, the flap of the ships' sails in the ocean breeze, and the endless lapping of the waves against the coast were soothing to him. He took a moment to let his eyes wander across the impossible vastness of the ocean. He always found it humbling. Which was something important for people, particularly mages, to be reminded of, he thought. It didn't take long for his eyes to pick out the small collection of the city's protectors at the docks. While not necessarily an oddity, the presence of the Knights was definitely noteworthy. However, the fact that the captain was there to hail a ship was interesting. Sergei had a bit of a complicated relationship with the Knights. He was a mercenary after all, and not all mercenaries were the best of folk. He'd always kept his business above board, however, so for the most part he hadn't clashed with them much. And Theresa had always had his respect. Though he didn't figure that was uncommon. She had a presence that commanded it. Sergei had hardly taken a half dozen steps towards the collection of Knights before the old woman had approached him. "Heeey sonny, you want some fish? Fresh fish! Cheap fish! You look like you come from money. Care to spend a little for a poor soul like me? It's good fish, promise!" Sergei paused. He looked back at his small, one-room shack that he called home. Back to the woman. He wondered what made her think he came from money. She wasn't exactly wrong, if one considered being a cousin to the great and powerful Allagi family as 'coming from money'. "Not a poor soul, surely," he said, "but a warm heart." He smiled at the woman. He rummaged in the coin purse at his hip, pulling out a few copper pieces. "Will this do?" He asked, holding out the coin. He looked back over his shoulder to make sure that the captain hadn't left yet.

I used to be a member of the YCM community but disappeared a few years ago due to college and other irl responsibilities. Took some time but I found my way here. I don't know how many of you all remember me or how much of the old guard is still left, but I am glad to be back. Hoping that now that my life isn't as turbulent that I can stick around with a more consistent presence (I am sure my RPer friends would appreciate that!). Anyway! I used to be known as Renegade, then/now Ren. You can also call me Marcus, my name irl. Some things to know about me: I used to be a pretty active card maker. Not so much anymore, but I am kind of interested in revisiting it. I would, of course, need to completely refamiliarize myself with the game...lol. Primarily here for the RP section Huge fan of D&D and Critical Role!

Right now I am looking at the composition of the party and it looks like there is a fullcaster and two non-casters accepted, which has me hesitant to create another martial character in case we need the magic! I do love my soft brute tho~ Yes! I have a discord but I am not too familiar with it. Will send you the info!