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Over the Hill; For Max
Topic Started: May 31 2013, 01:46 PM (207 Views)
Brackenwood
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The city of Voclain; to many, it stood a towering wonder of innovation, a titan of industrial production, and a gleaming beacon of knowledge and scientific advancement. From dawn till dusk the city streets were abuzz with activity. Man sized automatons stood beside the door ways of shops and other businesses handing out flyers to any interested, while others of their kind who had been fitted with an anberic chip zipped along the city streets, stopping to make deliveries every few blocks or so, while others simply went from point A to point B, letter carriers, delivering correspondence from one business to another. Motorized coaches also clicked and whirred down the pavement, belching out puffs of steam as they carried human cargo to and from their destinations, never stopping except for the loading and unloading of passengers. And then of course, there were the people. Human beings as far as the eye could see, hustled and bustled about the city.

Some were businessmen on their way to work, others were well-to do ladies just out for a day on the town. And of course there was a large number of everyday working men and women. The hearts and souls of the factories that had not yet switched over to an automated workforce. And then there were those like Wilhelm, mercenaries and guns for hire. Though the rarest by far, they were perhaps the easiest to spot, what with most of them being armed with at least a pistol and some other form of firearm or melee weapon as they milled lazily about the bounty bored or stood guard in front of the banks or store fronts.

Of course, all of this activity was lost on Wilhelm for the moment, who was neither out on the town, nor on a job. In fact, the middle-aged mercenary though wide awake, wasn't even out of bed yet, still wrapped in the slumbering arms and fiery haired curls of a beautiful young thing as he was. Last night had been a good one for the old dog. The sunfish that he had been trapped on for two weeks had finally docked in Voclain sometime around 9 p.m. As Wilhelm recalled, he had barley set foot on Volcainian pavement when the lovely Vixen that he was currently lying next to stepped of the skiff behind him, locked her arm in his and practically dragged him to the nearest bar, of course, she didn't have to drag too hard. From there the night had been filled with drinking and merriment, the lady had told him that her name was Genevieve and was even nice enough to inform him of her devote practice of Mistressism, which suited a man of change like Wilhelm just fine. In just a few hours the couple had drank their fill and departed, ending up at "The Brass Knuckle" a nearby inn where the two became "properly antiquated" the best part was, the carpet had matched the drapes.

But that was then, and this was now, and judging from the angle of the sun entering the room from behind the curtains, "now" was about 10 O'clock. Gingerly removing the arms of newest lover from around his shoulders, Wilhelm sat up shifted, stood and stretched, only to be greeted by a chorus of pops and cracks form his skeleton and a slight stiffness in his lower back. He quickly passed it of as a mild case of dehydration caused by lasts nights drinking and subsequent romp. After all, such a sudden burst of activity after two weeks on a cramped sunfish would leave any one sore, it had absolutely nothing to do with his age, right? Right. Either way, he had a whole day ahead of him, free of obligation or payment all thanks to lovely Genevieve, who had footed the bill for everything. All that was left to do now was get dressed, and maybe some brunch.
Edited by Brackenwood, May 31 2013, 01:57 PM.
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Volksgeist
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SPACE SHAMAN
Wilhelm quietly moved about, collecting his clothes and his rifle before slipping them all on and into their proper places and skipping out the door. Voclain was one of the most beautiful cities he had seen - though the sites he had seen were more or less tied to the eastern side of Sisumara. He heard that Dargaud was especially lovely and he wanted to see it before he got too old... which was certainly not now. Yup, he had plenty of years of adventure ahead of him, him being so very young and all, so very young and spry and good with the ladies...

Wilhelm headed down below in the inn to see what they had for breakfast and to catch any word that he could. As long as he was in Voclain, he might as well catch up on local rumors and see what was going on. If a quick cup of coffee and a full plate of Corpsebird eggs didn't suffice in providing enough time to get some hints on jobs, then chances were he would just have to take a jaunt and find the Bounty Board. He figured that with such opulence around on every street, there had to be some pretty well-paying jobs around.

His stomach grumbled. Breakfast first, bounties later.
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Brackenwood
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As Wilhelm descended the old, but still quite sturdy wooden staircase he was greeted by a quaint little sight. The first floor of the building was almost entirely comprised of a quiet restaurant. Circular oaken tables with tiny candles atop them, and hardwood chairs with brass inlays sat a comfortable distance away from each other, while still maintaining a certain "friendly" closeness. Three large tinted windows made up the majority of the front wall of the building, offering a lovely view of the street ; all while keeping the sun's glare at bay. Brass pipes ran along the top of the walls, pumping in cool air scented with fragrance of oasis flowers into the eatery. A large counter with a full bar and a simple wooden door leading to what Wilhelm guessed was the Kitchen, sat at the far end of the room. The dining area, it seemed, was rather full of visitors this morning, most likely other passengers on the sunfish. Despite this however, there seemed to be one table open right in the center of all the activity. It was the perfect place to overhear gossip, or strike up some conversation.

"Good morning, Sir! I hope you slept well."

A chipper voice piped up to his left side and addressed him. Turning to look, Wilhelm came face to bun, with who he could only assume was the woman who owned the establishment. She was middle-aged, perhaps in her late thirties to very early forties. Her eyes were bright green and her hair has blonde, though graying slightly around her temples and was kept in a bun gathered towards the top of her head. Her clothing was fairly standard for a girl of her position, i.e. a corset and dress combo with what sounded like woman's high-heeled boots and a somewhat stained apron. What wasn't standard however as her metal hands. Both of them a striking mix of orange copper and brass up to her forearms. She was quite the pretty woman for her age, and she was smiling at him.

" Hello dear, My name is Anna. If you're hungry, and I'm sure you are after last night, you may have a seat wherever you'd like and I'll be with you shortly to take your order. Or, since I'm going to assume that gun isn't for show, I can answer any questions you might have about work before while I'm here. Your choice sir, and of course, the information is free."
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Volksgeist
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Wilhelm sat down as close as could be, slipping the strap of his large rifle across the back of the chair so as not to cling on to him awkwardly while he addressed her. "Thank you, Anna. Now, for breakfast, I'm thinking some coffee, some Corpsebird eggs over-easy, a little bit of toast with any sort of jam you might have, and a little bit of hash if you've got it. On the side of business, however, I would like to ask you what rumors are about town currently. I am supposed to be just 'passing through' but, as I would have it, there seems to be plenty of bustle around here - and bustle means business. Formal and informal contracts, I don't care which. Just give me the know-how and I will be on my way... after trying your fine dining, of course."

Wilhelm gave Anna a little wink. It seemed that she already knew what had happened the night previous, and though his bones still ached from having so much fun in the bedroom (and that was the only reason, most assuredly), he wouldn't be averse to doing such a thing again. Anna was pretty, in the very least, in her own, semi-elderly-going-into-her-golden-years kind of way (that Wilhelm totally didn't share) and he couldn't say he had ever felt the caress of metallic hands, though he hoped they weren't too strong. It was then that he realized that while thinking all of this, he had been staring directly at Anna's breasts. He snapped his eyes upward, hoping the woman wouldn't have noticed and would still be willing to give him information - and not spit in his food.
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Brackenwood
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As soon as Wilhelm began orderign, Anna pulled a notebook and pen from her apron Pockets and jotted it down, before slipping both items back into her apron and smiling. If she had caught him staring, it didn't seem to bother her one bit.

"That'll be right up dear, you’re in luck, Corpse bird-eggs are our specialty. Now, as far as contracts weeeeeell lemme think." Pulling out a chair from the table, Anna put a metal finger to her lips and took a seat. Clearly deep in thought for a moment before snapping her fingers and pointing at Wilhelm."Ok, there are quite a few contracts in Voclain as of late, so you're in luck. There are plenty of your average everyday fetch quests, and pest elimination jobs, though I feel that only a few of those would interest you in any way. You also have a few protection jobs from the local stores and banks either as a body guard or as a guard for their shipments.

Oh! I almost forgot, the Council also has a set of jobs out right now, at least one for each councilor! Now let's see...details, details.... Ok! Two of those mundane jobs include animal elimination. A group of Throng Vipers and a pack of feathered Raptors I think. Both of those contracts are being handled by the Voclain Farming and Logging Union at the far end of town, in the factory district. The council jobs are pretty open from what I've heard, no takers so far. Councilman Du'vals' job includes setting an argument between two scientists so they don't blow up a building again. Councilwoman Rivers needs Someone to hunt down some Aether ore for her. Councilman Hough is looking for someone to track down the man who saved his life a few years back. And Councilwoman Nolan has two jobs out. One deals with assassinating a group of hydrochemists, and the other has to do with some killing some sort of underwater creature that is impeding her research. There's also one last job, brand new, just got put up this morning.

There's a group of marauders that's been sacking military and scientific shipments to and from Voclain for about 4 months now. The military was supposed to handle it but so far, all its done is sat around with its thumb up its ass so now it's open to anyone who wants it. From what I've heard this group is semiprofessional, no stupid name, no calling cards. They only attack at night and they all wear some kinda strange luminescent patch on their clothing so they can see each other. They hit their targets quick and hard and anyone who resists gets killed. After they're done raiding taking what they want off the ship, they march all the crewmen and passengers off and blow the thing to hell, and then they leave everyone stranded in the dessert to either walk back or die. Now, here's the kicker. For some reason, none of the sunfish's cannons or Gatling guns, work seems to work properly during these attacks, even though they apparently passed inspection before leaving port. And because the sunfish all get blown up after each attack, no one can get any clues as to how they manage to disable the weaponry. It's quite the mystery. If you feel up to it, the bounty board is in the center of town, you can either sign your name there or go straight to the council to announce your intentions. The job is being given out by the harbor master, so be sure to see him before you go. Now, how about that breakfast?"


With a bright smile and a gentle pat on the hand Anna hopped from her seat and moved into the kitchen, returning about 15 minutes later with Wilhelm breakfast, at least 4 kinds of jams and her signature smile.

"Here you are dear, enjoy! And...one last thing..." An uncharacteristic sad expression flashed across Anna's face as she spoke. "If you do take that job, be careful. The leader of the marauders is said to be a giant of a man, at least 7 feet tall...and a Juggernaut."

With that, Anna turned and went about her duties, leaving Wilhelm to what was probably the best breakfast he he'd in ages. Once he had finished that, the choice on where and how to proceed would be up to him.
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Volksgeist
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Wilhelm thanked Anna for all of her help and, after eating the food, he didn't skimp on the compliments: "Best damn Corpsebird eggs I have ever had. I dare say, Anna, your cook is a fine one and, if that be you, well you are one hell of a chef. Most delicious breakfast I have had in ages. How much do I owe you for?" After he had settled the cost and everything, he got up and slung his rifle over his shoulder. "That military job sounds like it's about up my alley. Believe it or not, I used to know a couple of guys who did something similar, albeit with a little less luck." Wilhelm grimaced. "Either way, I figured I would let you know I am gonna head to the harbor master's from here. If I don't come back, name some sort of breakfast dish after me." Wilhelm gave Anna a wink and then, after straightening his jacket and his hat, departed out into the open city of Voclain.

First it was to the harbor master's to get some more news on these raids and, after that, he would head over to the council's offices and notify them that he was planning on taking the job. From what he had heard, Voclain was the only place that really asked anyone seeking bounties to declare their jobs. All of the other places took it as, whoever came with the job finished first, they were the ones who took the cash. Voclain, however, seemed to have some priorities - after all, it was perhaps the most strictly controlled in that sort of means. Everything scientific was a free-for-all, but when it came to jobs and issues, the council had to have the know-how.

Checking his pocket watch for a brief moment, Wilhelm hefted the rifle on his shoulders one last time and took off by foot.
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Brackenwood
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OOC
 
And they called it "Desert Light" has been added to your Bounty Book.



Luckily for Wilhelm, the walk to the harbor wasn’t a terribly long one. As it turned out, Anna was not only a marvelous cook, but also a shrewd business woman who had the sense to run her establishment fairly near Voclain’s Harbor, most likely to attract all the tourists, drunks, and sailors who frequented any of the numerous, nearby bars whenever a sunfish or cargo ship made port.
After a solid ten minutes of walking the bars, and inns began to give way to row upon row of warehouses and shipping companies. And after another five minutes, of walking Wilhelm was fairly sure that he had most assuredly found Voclain Harbor.

Like the rest of Voclain, the harbor was a wonder of technological ingenuity. Half Dry-dock and half port it was obvious that this location was used by both Sunfish and water craft. As Wilhelm continued on, he was able to notice that save for the men onboard the ships, a few foremen, and some crane operators, the harbors’ workforce was mostly automated making the short bull of a man barking orders all the more noticeable.

As Wilhelm approached, the man ceased his yelling (much to the apparent delight of the men,) took one look at Wilhelm or rather his rifle and moved to him, grabbing Wilhelm hand with a grip like a vice and giving it one firm shake before ushering Wilhelm inside a nearby building and filling him in on the details.

Just as Anna had said, the attacks were coordinated, only happening at night and were conducted by a band of marauders that did indeed where luminescent patches on their persons, their right shoulders to be exact. It was also true that all of the guns defensive weaponry was rendered useless by some unknown means and that the crew had been forced to start carrying rifles on with them. Not that those did much good. And finally it was confirmed that the leader of the Marauders was indeed a hyde, a juggernaut, however he was not the sole leader of the gang. In fact there were at least two others. One was a chemist of undetermined gender and the second a male soldier of some sort.

And there it was. Granted “it” wasn’t much to go on, but all the information possible had been laid out for Wilhelm to take in. With one final handshake, and a complementary and the stroke of a pen, Wilhelm was excused from the office and told that he had 3 hours to kill before he was due back. It seemed as though he and a few other mercs who had heard of the job through the grapevine would be on the first ship out. All he had to do now was visit the council to announce his intentions and get in some last minute shopping before setting sail.
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Volksgeist
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Wilhelm had scarcely made it to the harbor and marveled at it before a short man with a bark in his voice and a grip like a vice grabbed him and yanked him into a room. There, the man had proceeded to divulge all of the information that Wilhelm had heard from Anna, albeit with slightly more detail and a little bit of addition. The thing that Wilhelm found most troubling, however, was the fact that other mercs had inquired about the job and taken it up already. That meant competition.

"Alright, well, I got ya covered." Wilhelm smiled at the man. "You might have all manner of other mercs, but none such as me in your force yet. I have experience. That Hyde's head, and those of his cohorts, for that matter, will all be gone without me even needing to get near it. Granted, it is a little troubling to hear that artillery isn't going to help... but, hey, I don't remember the last time a good crack of the butt end of this rifle didn't do a good job at stopping a baddy." After giving his word, Wilhelm left the small place. He had three hours to kill.

Knowing full-well what came next, Wilhelm decided to hail a motorized cab and hitch a ride to the Council of Voclain's halls. There, he would let them know about his enrollment in the job.
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Brackenwood
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All it took was a wave of the hand to flag down a coach and the utterance of the word "council" to get Wilhelm underway. The view from the coach was amazing and luckily it was going just slow enough for Wilhelm to actually enjoy the scenery. The inns, the warehouses, the ships, and the most beautiful sight of them all, the vast sea reflecting the light of mid-day sun. Wilhelm took it all in as the coach chugged along the road towards the council building and before he knew it he was there, well almost.

As they neared the council building, Wilhelm caught sight of his cabby tipping his hat to another coachman on his way from the council building. The resemblance between the two was so striking, that they could have been brothers. The cabby merely chuckled, before telling Wilhelm that he prided himself on driving the other cabby insane by dressing and even shaving like him so that they would be mistaken for each other, just for laughs.

Finally, the coach putted up next to a central fountain in front of the building and came to a stop. After paying, Wilhelm was let out and the cab chugged away. The council building was an Impressive one to be sure. Two massive angelic figures of brass flanked the sides of the massive doors, each one presenting a gear upward toward the sky and looking at them as if in awe. A deep purplish with veins of black, the stone that the Council of Voclain's halls were made of was a strange one, a beautiful one. The doors were large and brassy as well, and the halls rose higher and higher, bands of brass wrapped around the tower-like structure. Massive gears and pipes of steam came out in all directions causing something not unlike fog to form all around the tower. Ghostly lights hovered within it.

Wasting no time, Wilhelm made for the doors and was inside, down the hall, and standing at a clerk’s desk in a matter of minutes. Raising his head up from a mountain of paperwork, the Clerk looked Wilhelm up and down before lowering his head and returning to work.

"Please state your name and business with the council"
Edited by Brackenwood, Jun 9 2013, 03:38 PM.
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Volksgeist
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"Wilhelm Winchester, merc. I've come to speak to the council on behalf of my choice to undertake a particularly dreadful-sounding mission from the harbor master. It seems they have an issue with bandits who know how to disarm artillery, are run by three potentially very dangerous people, and that like to wear strange, luminous markings on their night raids. I mean to put an end to that with this baby here." Wilhelm flicked a thumb toward the rifle that was slung across his back. "Now, I want to make this a simple, quick, in-and-out kinda thing. I'm not a big fan of authority figures." Wilhelm smiled and, then, absentmindedly almost, he checked his pocketwatch.
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