A meeting of empty pockets [Crawlers (you know who you are)]

[Vitalos Umbreffigia]

Vitalos turns to the Isurian, flashing a grin, but he couldn't muster up the will to be as excitable as he was before; the near battle had put him on edge. Not to mention the fact that Emma had practically shunted aside all of his advice without even so much as a word.

"Ah, gods, I have a bad feeling that this is task going to get us all killed..." he mutters to himself, shaking his head. He stretches out luxuriously, then leans back against the wall. He folds his fingers together then places them on his chest, his eyes going half-lidded, as though he were either tired or bored. Contrary to his appearance, however, he was paying close attention to his surroundings. He had put his own eccentric facade out there to test how others would react, and that hadn't gone so well. Now it was time to sit back and gauge how they interacted with one another - from a safe emotional distance.

"Hello, there. I'm Vitalos Umbreffigia. Call me Vit."

He inclines his head slightly, studying her intimidating gaze and wondering about it. It was mildly unnerving, but nothing that Vitalos couldn't handle. If anything, what got to him more was her clothing.

Fantastic, he thinks ironically. A religious type. As if my sense of peace weren't at risk enough...

"Quite a look you've got. Well, go ahead and sit down. Would you like anything to drink? I've already ordered something for the rest of us."

He sighs, then turns over to Griffith, smirking slightly. He couldn't exactly ignore the man who was the closest thing he had to a friend.

"If we all end up horribly maimed and murdered, I'm blaming you for dragging me into this."

[Mindi]

Mindi nodded as Emma spoke. To be honest, she hadn't the slightest clue what the Cat-girl was trying to say by comparing Mindi to an Akalak, but pretended as if it she had. Mindi took her seat by whoever it was that had a spare spot for her butt next to them. She replaced the hood to her head and glanced at Vitalos, nodding her head once for affirmation. "Vitalos." She felt it wasn't necessary to accept or decline offer of a drink, mainly because she brought her own pitcher of wine. Vit must have overlooked that small detail. It was apparent that as of this point, Mindi had no desire for nicknames, she wasn't even convinced she would join these people, she came to learn of their motives, and so far she had gotten absolutely no responses.

Only about thirty seconds with these people, and Mindi had already begun to jump to conclusions. Emma, in Mindi's eyes, was a child. She seemed poorly educated, a poor leader, and would probably lead them to death should they unquestioningly follow her. Korin was quite unreadable due to his lack in action or movement in general, though his roaring laughter at almost nothing led Mindi to assume he was an idiot or easily amused by something nobody else understood. Vitalous seemed friendly while equally challenging, he was the only one that offered a preset nickname for himself. Griffith could use Djed, which was read by Mindi's mild touch in Auristics, and even though she couldn't distinguish exactly what he could do or to what extent, it was obvious that he was manipulating something where they couldn't see.

"What are you looking for?" Mindi repeated her question, except this time it was aimed at everyone, not just Griffith (though she made a point to look him in the eyes, signaling she wanted to know what he was after) this time. Should she feel that these people were liars or had unjust motives, she would leave without a word, but should they seem at worst to be selfish and money hungry, she would consider, mainly because she was desperate to find a few signs of Izurith anywhere possible.

OOCSorry for taking a while and it being a bit short. I'm a little stressed on my free time and tired. I'll do better later, I promise.

[Griffith]

Griffith did not respond to Korin's whispered advice, despite knowing it was sensible. And perhaps unnecessary. The Benshira avoided rash actions if he could. The orb of Res was, at this point, strictly a precaution.

All sorts of characters could respond to the want ads Emma had put out. There was no guarantee that a few people who showed up wouldn't be prone to violence. As such, he very much wanted to be ready for a fight if it came up. He'd been on edge before, but the near-fight between Emma and Vitalos hadn't helped.

So when the Isurian sat down next to Vitalos, evening out the sides, the mage breathed a bit easier. She wasn't here to start trouble, in spite of her entrance. He let the azure sphere beneath the table settle into his palm, whereupon he began to reabsorb the material. Energy was lost in the conversion, of course. He did not regain anywhere near all the Djed he had spent. Old Man Vincent had told him that the more skilled he became in the arcane art, the less he'd lose in the process. For now, he would have to treat it as a learning experience about jumping to magic too quickly. Korin was right on that score.

Vitalos was likewise heard but unanswered. The new woman - who hadn't given her name - was asking what they were searching for again. So his last response had proven unsatisfactory. That, or Emma hadn't seen fit to speak to his recommendation. Possibly both. But... She was taking the time to ask all of them what their reasons for being here were. And if she was asking a second time, it wasn't a casual question. She had addressed him the last time, and he had nothing to hide in this regard.

"I am Griffith, of the sons of Benha," he spoke up first. The surname told two things: the first being that he was a Benshira, and the second being that he claimed no Tent, or family. If Mindi knew anything about the Benshira, she might know that the people were distrustful of magic. So why was one of their kind capable of manipulating Djed in some way?

The scholar shifted in his seat, meaning to offer his hand for a shake, but the Res was still being assimilated back into his skin. Revealing that wouldn't do. The longer he could keep his magic a secret, the better. He settled for a respectful nod of his head. "And you could say that I am searching for knowledge. The only treasures I seek are artifacts from near or prior to the time of the Valterrian."

[Korin]

As the newest arrival sat, Korin could not help but think of how much fun this was going to be, and how little their odds of success were. Korin did not join for treasure, or artifacts, or even lost knowledge, he has no interest in any of those things. Griffith told him about the group, and he thought it sounded like fun. It was to Korin's surprise, that the leader was a young women, to be generous. Throughout the Kelvic's young life, he has so far learned, that women are crazy, and while he doesn't hate them, he figured that one leading them might not be to bad, especially with Griffith their, whom Korin trusts. Now that a second, equally odd one has appeared Korin could not help but laugh.

Out of the corner of his eye, Korin watches the new arrival, her arm appears, to be covered in strange metallic scars. While Emma called her an Isurian, that name means nothing the Korin. To him she is just some small women, with a weird arm. He tries to find weapons, or some hint as to what she does, but he can not find anything, though it could easily be hidden by her clothes. So far Korin knew what Griffith was capable of, and Vitalos told him he is an unarmed fighter, and the two tiger hooks on Emma's back seemed dangerous enough, while they seemed capable, and Korin would not give commands, he still liked to know the strengths of those around him.

Korin is deep in thought, when suddenly, he is broken out of it by the new women asking a question to all of them. He looks at her directly now, and as he looks up, Griffith answers her question.

Old artifacts, I knew that was Griffith's reason, but what can I tell her, I haven't really thought of a reason for doing this yet...

After Griffith is done speaking Korin says, "I am not looking for anything, I just felt this sounded like fun."

[Emma]

Emma sighed as Mindi spoke again, seeming to ignore her own statements and Griffith's on her being the one to ask about this in order to voice her own question to the group. Mimicking Griffith's earlier action, she applied the palm of her hand to her forehead rather hard, letting it slide down over here face, the grips on her gloves pulling her skin slightly as they moved. Still, when she removed the hand, it seemed as though everyone was at least sitting where she wanted them, so she began to speak, resting her palms on the table and standing in the little open area available, golden eyes moving from one person to the next, her tone serious now.

"Look, I'm just going to get to the point here. This is a treasure hunting mission. We'll be looking for valuables lost to the ages, riches beyond your wildest dreams. It's dangerous, but if we succeed, the payoff will be astronomical. Never again will we need to work if we find what I'm looking for. The mother load."

Smiling, the Kelvic girl trailed off dramatically. She always had a flair for such capturing of the imagination, she felt, but this was more planned than one might think from such an impulsive person. She knew she needed as much help as she could get, and was fighting to reel in all the fish, so to speak. After a second, she went on, her smile suddenly returning to her earlier, serious expression.

"I have in my possession two things. The first is a book, written in the ancient tongue. It survived the Valterrian, and tells of all the locations of the wealthiest estates in the land at the time."

Turning her head to look directly at Griffith, she gave a small, crooked grin. She knew this next part was unnecessary, as the Benshira had already signed on, but it would make the others feel "In the know" about their situation.

"Griffith, you can read the ancient tongue. Hence why you're here. I need a translator, plain and simple, and you fit that requirement."

Yet again, her smile faded away as quickly as it had come, and she now looked between the other Kelvic and Griffith's other clownish companion. She had no time for joking now, and would just as soon eave either of them were they unwilling to do their part.

"You two are here mostly on Griffith's recommendation, and for safety purposes only. I will be the first to admit I am not an incredibly strong fighter. You're here for the sole reason of muscle. It's a dangerous career, and I can take care of myself for the most part, but I can't mess around protecting our scholarly friend. All I ask is you keep us alive, act as a shield for the rest of us if necessary."

Yet again, Emma moved her gaze, this time to Minda. She was curious about the woman, and very eager to learn more about her. Plus, it would be nice to have another girl around on longer trips, if only so she could have some time to escape the testosterone every now and then. Still, if she was just going to be dead weight, she was as good as gone already, and her questioning had put Emma a bit on edge.

"You, I don't know why you're here. You don't seem like a fighter, and if all you can do is pick locks or read old books, you're gone. Also, if you don't like our reasons, leave now. I'm in this for the money, plain and simple."

The last part was a complete lie, and Emma knew it. She didn't give a damn about the money. She was int his for the adventure, and maybe to... no, now wasn't the time for self-pity or sentimentality. Shaking herself slightly, she took a deep breath, then addressed them all as a group again.

"Now listen. I don't have many rules. I hate them, and I hate being in charge. But more than that, I hate being bossed around. Therefore, where I say we go, we go. You can argue anything else, but if you try to make commands where it isn't your place, so help me I'll leave you in the middle of nowhere with nothing more than the clothes on your back."

Yet again, Emma sighed deeply. Then, the unexpected happened. In one of her seemingly random mood swings, she suddenly grinned from ear to ear. Her eyes closed as her cheeks pushed up slightly, and her pointed ears twitched a bit, causing the gold hoop in her left to wiggle slightly. She was suddenly very content, even excited, and without a second thought she plopped down in the sole chair at the table, tipping it back and putting her feet up with her hands behind her head, the suddenly cheery mood seeming infectious if not for the suddenness of it. Tipping her head to the side, she again opened her eyes, looking around before speaking one last time.

"So, who's in?"

[Vitalos Umbreffigia]

Vitalos leans back in his seat, his well-cut arms folded over his chest. He stares out at the group through half-lidded eyes, the only sign of his interest being slight twitches and lifts of his eyebrows. He decided to answer Mindi's question first, as it was a simple answer; he honestly had no ulterior motive in this.

"I don't care about this treasure hunting one whit. I'm only here because I want to get out of this damned city. There's nothing for me here; I only want to find if there's something for me elsewhere. Maybe this is it; I don't know. Worth a shot, though. Oh, and thanks for the wine. Much appreciated."

He listens to Emma's speech and inclines his head slightly. It was relatively intriguing, but ultimately uninspiring. More so than he would have expected from Emma, but he was quickly learning that she defied expectation almost as a personal creed. As soon as she was done speaking he shrugs his shoulders and speaks with great nonchalance.

"What the hell. It'll more than likely mean my death, but I'm in. And I'm not just muscle; I've got some experience with battle strategies. Oh, and I can cook a little."

He yawns heavily, still seemingly bored.

"And as for the whole leadership thing, fine. Your treasure hunt, your rules. But I'm going AWOL as soon as I think you'll get me or anyone else killed."

The whole thing sounded ludicrous. There was no real purpose for Vitalos to be here, and he knew it. Nothing about this sounded interesting to him; he knew he wouldn't find any purpose here. Not only that, but the people...

Emma's orders and erratic behavior seemed more likely to get them all killed than any trap or guardian. He didn't trust her judgment for a second, and though she talked big, he trusted that if it came down to a power struggle he would come out on top.

Griffith was reliable in some ways, but Vit knew he was a far cry from being worth squat in a fight. He imagined a lot of time would be spent protecting him.

Korin seemed a large, reliable man, but ultimately Vitalos didn't know enough to judge him properly. Still, he seemed agreeable enough. Perhaps the greatest boon in this party.

And this new woman, well... Her enigmatic appearance and her cold, unforgiving stare, not to mention her lack of words - she hadn't even given her name, after all - all seemed to point to the idea of an anti-social zealot. And that was something Vitalos would have a hard time getting along with. Still, she had brought wine, so at the very least she seemed to be making an effort. Perhaps she was not so much enigmatic as she was awkward...

Either way, every instinct told Vitalos to get out of this entire mess, to go somewhere else and be on his own. The entire mission screamed "death," at him, shattered his ear drums with its strength, crippled him and forced him to his knees.

I should be running from these people as fast as I can. So why am I still here..?

[Mindi]

Mindi slowly turned her gaze towards Emma, her comments were blunt, not particularly meant to be cruel or hurtful, but it was obvious what was going on. "You assume I'm worthless. Perhaps a celibate woman, devout to the God Izurith as my people have for years, possibility of a scholar, but you can't image a woman of five feet in height to have purpose or use. Perhaps you think this, perhaps not, but you have led me to believe you do. Since your trust in me is rather fickle (though with good reason, I am a stranger after all) I am forced to reveal myself as well. I do not tell my name frivolously, but because of your words, all of you, I feel that you are respectable and it is necessary. I am Mindi, Isur of the Vizerian Clan, I come from a long line of respected priests and priestesses, men and women of the Gods. Because of this, Rak'keli found hope in me and blessed me with her mark, and because I have proven my desire to heal other from what I am able to as Rak'keli's own desire, I have been blessed to keep it, and I intend to prove my worth to Rak'keli herself to earn more blessings. Izurith as well is a God I worship, and he is the reason I want to join you, or part of my reason. I wish to find whatever of his greatness I can, should it be found. In short, I can heal with the power of Rak'keli, I have a history of blacksmithing, although it is minor, and I have considerable strength in my arms." Mindi nodded as she placed both her hands on the table top, the right arm, shining in blue, making a sturdy powerful noise as it hit. "And I can throw a punch just fine."

It might have shocked the group, it was the most Mindi had said yet, and it was quite the mouthful. She explained about everything of importance, and kept eye contact with the 'leader' the whole time. Mindi then turned her head to face Griffith, smiling faintly as he claimed to be searching for knowledge. She could respect that. "There are other ways to obtain knowledge. I will assume that you are searching for something specific and that you have thoroughly explored your options. Have you tried searching for knowledge in the Gods though?" Mindi was not being sarcastic, nor was she pressuring him into believing into the gods (at least not intentionally), but it would probably be a question he would hear from her quite often. "At any rate, I like your answer the best, you have a specific reason for doing this."

Mindi then turned to Vitalos, still holding the faint grin and nodded, she spoke, but not to Vitalos, it was to Emma. "I agree with Vitalos here..." She turned to face Emma. "If it seems you are growing careless or view any one of us as expendable, it will be me that leaves you in whatever desert you led us through." Mindi sighed lightly as she grabbed the robe around her neck and pulled it down, revealing the mark of Rak'keli, which Mindi was very proud of. The tattoo-like mark was between the shoulder and her neck, not really on one more than the other, equally shared. She pulled the robe back up. If that didn't prove she was worthy for this little journey, then it was probably more foolish to join than she thought.

Regardless, she was in.

"If you will have me, I'll come with you four, and I will protect you all to the best of my ability as long as you are wise about your actions and considerate of each others' limits." What Mindi really meant was 'don't hurt yourself so much that I die trying to heal you', but it turned out quite differently.

[Griffith]

Griffith listened to Emma's speech, nodding solmenly when he was mentioned. The Kelvic was underestimating his Reimancy, but her words weren't entirely untrue; as far as magicians went, the Benshira was a toddler in an army camp. Moreover, while he could read and write in Nader-canoch, he was not overly versed in it. Translating from a text was something he seldom got to practice, and was only more difficult to boot. The language was used in scholarly circles everywhere. There had been others who were more capable than himself in the very academy Emma had tracked him down in. So the question became a matter of 'why me?' in the desert man's mind. He didn't particularly have an answer to that. He'd had time to dwell on the question, though hearing it summed up by his 'boss' certainly helped drive it home. It dampened his mood, even if he did his best not to show it. That enthusiastic smile did little to brighten his demeanor. "You know my vote," he muttered loud enough for the Kelvic to hear when she was finished, sitting back.

Vitalos and Mindi were the quickest to respond after him. She had underestimated both of them as well, but in a manner worse than she had the scholar, apparently. So the religious woman favored the use of her fists if a fight came up. Looking around, that made the majority of the group composed of unarmed combatants. That could be problematic. His own weapon of choice had no blades, either. If they encountered something in the wild big enough to ignore small arms blunt trauma, they'd be in serious trouble. And there were more than enough such creatures.

But the Human and the Isurian were raising another point. If Emma proved an unfit leader or seemed likely to get them all killed, they'd leave. That was not such an unreasonable declaration. Only fools would follow someone when it ceased to be beneficial. On the other hand... His gaze tracked to the Kelvic who had gathered them here. Just how far could she be trusted? So far, she had proved herself flighty, easily distracted, and whimsical. Those were all traits which could be forgiven at times like these. But could she really keep those quirks under sufficient control to lead a group of people into what would be dangerous work without a doubt? The Benshira wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt - really. After all, not only had he signed up for this, he'd also signed up the only two people he could really call friends on the same trip. And Emma seemed capable of focusing when she wanted to - sometimes. The wizard sighed heavily, but was prevented from commenting on the matter immediately when the Isurian - Mindi - addressed the group to tell them her name and the reason she was with them.

The irony of the group's reasons as a collective was not lost on Griffith. He, searching for lost knowledge. Korin, trying to relieve his boredom. Vitalos, lacking anything better to do. And now Mindi, here to prove herself to her gods. Of the whole group - of all the people it might have drawn - the only one who truly seemed to be out for gold for gold's sake was Emma. Treasure hunters - from what he'd heard - were usually much more mercenary than this group had turned out to be. Perhaps he did not need to worry as much as he thought. He could breathe a bit easier over that.

Then Mindi addressed him, forestalling the idea he'd gotten from being voiced yet again. He nodded once she was done, and kept his voice even when he spoke. She spoke like the religious zealot she seemed to be. "The short version is yes, and they had no answers." If there was a long version, the Benshira seemed disinclined to share.

He waited until Korin had given his response to Emma's piece before raising a hand to catch the younger Kelvic's attention. "Since I'm already foreseeing conflict, I have something of a proposal. Appoint someone here as a mediator, of sorts. This one person could communicate any issues anyone has in this group to you, could help you keep us organized, and so on and so forth. The only thing I would ask is that you genuinely lend whoever you appoint your ear. An adviser, as it were. Would you be willing to give the notion some thought?"

[Korin]

Listening to Emma speak, Korin heard exactly what he expected to. Korin has never understood the desire for wealth, why would one want to collect little shiny coins to buy things from other people when you can find all you need in nature. As he listens, he leans foreword, resting his elbow on the table, with his chin laying on the top of his hands he listens to Emma, then the others give their response.

His mind was already made up, and once he decides to do something Korin rarely changes his mind. Even though it looked like Emma was probably going to get them all killed, it took more then common sense to make the large Kelvic back down.

Leaning back, the Kelvic folds his arms across his chest and says,"I spent to much time finding this tavern to back out now, I'm in."

[Emma]

Emma only smiled as each member voiced their opinions. Well, it wasn't intentional, but she supposed the more fiery responses to her words were important to note. Already, she could tell who she liked, who she could trust, all thanks to this. Again, it was by no means what she had intended to do. She had tried to fire everyone up, and get her few rules out of the way. Now, if only the fire wasn't directed at her...

Korin was by far the easiest to read. It helped that they were both Kelvics of the feline variety, giving the youngest member of the group some interesting insight. The man seemed brave enough, determined but relaxed. Like a mellower, more predictable version of herself, oriented towards fighting. Reliable. Something of a grunt man, but also a great shoulder to lean on.

Mindi was more difficult. Emma had never understood religion that well, never been called on by any of the gods for some greater need, and had no intention of leaning on divine favor to get her jobs done. She had no problem with the woman, however. In fact, though their ages had the greatest difference in the group, she already felt quite friendly to the feline. She was quiet, but seemed very down-to-earth. Perhaps a bit boring, but she'd work on that. Besides, it was nice to not be the only girl for once.

Then was Vitalos. He was already showing good leadership qualities. He had stepped up once before even in this short meeting, and now he was stating that he would do what he felt was best both for himself and for the group. She was starting not to like him. He was too loud, too bossy for her taste personally, two-faced between that and the joking. Still, he'd be a great leader for the group, so long as he remembered who was actually finding the treasure.

Griffith took less assessment, so she saved him for last. He was easily the most interesting to his Kelvic employer. He was driven by a thirst for knowledge, the closest to Emma's own goals. He was the most necessary part of the operation other than herself in terms of finding their booty. Atop all that, he was a mage, easily the most intriguing of all those gathered, though she would never admit it. Not to mention... well, he wasn't exactly bad looking. Korin's height made him too intimidating, and Vitalos wasn't her favorite person there right now, but she smiled a bit at the thought of riding with him. She was still barely beyond her species adolescence, after all.

Emma was still contemplating that last thought with a small chuckle when she realized that she was being addressed by Griffith. Shaking her head quickly and blinking a few times, she took a moment before looking at the mage and shrugging. Her smile faded a bit as she spoke, but only for a moment.

"Don't ask me. Those were my only rules. Other than finding the way and money division, I could care less about what happens. I say Vitalos is in charge other than that."