Quest: Escort Duty II
Esmeralda Dusk, first daughter of Duke Erwin Dusk, has invited you to accompany her to a gala event.
Objectives:
Attend the Gala 0/1
Rewards:
Variable
“I apologise again for not realising that your companions had not received a Quest,” the young woman in question said as they sat around the table for dinner, “Hopefully this rectifies that issue.”
“Thank you, Lady Dusk,” Andy said as he looked at the rest of the party, all nodding to say they had gotten the Quest, “That is very appreciated.”
“Please, call me Esme,” Esmeralda said, “Being called ‘Lady Dusk’ all the time makes me feel old. Unless you prefer older women, Ser Strongarm?”
“No,” Andy muttered, blushing heavily, “It’s just…well, Monsieur Harringer has been quite the teacher. I suppose I just forgot.”
“It was in jest, Ser Strongarm,” Esmeralda chuckled, “And yes, I understand that Monsieur Harringer is a rather strict teacher, but I am sure you will be able to gain his acceptance by the time the event is set to begin.”
“I certainly hope so,” Andy muttered as he rubbed the back of his hand.
“Oh, but that reminds me, the tailor shall be in attendance to fit you all for your outfits tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, our fancy clothes?” Shadow asked, bouncing excitedly ion his seat, before pausing, “Wait, how much is this going to cost us, though? It can’t be cheap.”
“Do not worry, you are my guests, my family shall cover the costs for all of you,” Esmeralda hummed, smiling at Andy, “Of course, your lessons in etiquette will have to continue during the fitting, Ser Strongarm. I hope you understand.”
“Of course,” Andy sighed.
------
“If you would, please share your Titles with me,” the tailor, a tall and thin man in immaculate clothing, said as he measured Andy for his outfit.
“Why?” Shadow asked, “I mean, I’m pretty sure that Goldy and I only have the two.”
“Because,” the man sighed in annoyance, “It shall affect the design and details of your clothing. Now, if you would, please tell them to me.”
“World Shaker and Guild Founder,” Andy said, Shadow nodding along, “Like Shadow said, those are the only two Titles we have.”
“Hmmmph, I suppose that shall have to suffice,” the tailor muttered, “Not much to work with, but I can make do. As for you, your lordship? If you would be kind enough to list your Titles?”
Jake nodded, opening his Character Screen to read off his long list of Titles, the tailor going wide eyed as he finished.
“So many,” the man hummed, nodding his head in thought as Shadow and Andy shook their heads, “Yes, I do believe I shall be able to make something quite grand for you, your lordship. I am especially interested in your Title of Champion of the Wilds, as I have never encountered such a Title before. What kind of designs would you like to have added to incorporate it?”
“Oh, uhm…” Jake said slowly, “I’m not sure? Perhaps something to do with plants? I will trust your judgement on that matter.”
“I thank you for your trust, your lordship,” the man bowed low, “I shall endeavour to create a true work of art for you to wear.”
“What about the girls?” Andy asked, “I mean, I’m sure Esme, I mean Lady Dusk, has something already prepared, but what about our party mates?”
“They are being attended to by my wife as we speak,” the tailor replied, “She is every bit as skilled as I am, so you have nothing to worry about, Ser Strongarm. Now, at the request of the young lady I must ask you this, do you object to being dressed in the colours of House Dusk?”
------
“Hmmm,” the woman hummed as she looked over Sophie, nodding to herself, “A dress that incorporates the designs of a Mage’s robes, in a nice bright colour to suit your complexion would be best, young lady.”
“A bright colour?” Sophie sighed, “Are you sure? Won’t I stand out too much?”
“That is much the point!” the woman laughed, “You are to attend a gala celebrating the engagement of the daughter of a Duke, it is a perfect opportunity to find yourself your own partner!”
“M-my own partner?” Sophie stuttered, quickly shaking her head, “N-no! I’m quite alright with not doing that! I’m still too young anyway!”
“Ah, but you shall not be for much longer, am I not correct?” the woman asked, waggling her eyebrows, “And you have the air of one far more mature than your age would suggest! Yes, I think I shall include some flame designs as well, not only to show your dedication to your chosen element, but also to highlight your personality.”
“My personality?” Sophie groaned, looking to Holi for support, the older woman having already been measured and asked about her Titles and tastes.
“Of course, you are an adventurer, if takes quite the amount of bravery to be one, by my understanding,” the woman chuckled, “So one with a weak personality most certainly could not do it.”
“I think you may be embarrassing her, madam,” Holi laughed as Sophie turned bright red at the words, “Perhaps it would be best for us to leave the final decisions in your capable hands.”
“Of course, Priestess,” the woman smiled, “I shall make the pair of you dresses so fine you shall never wish to wear anything else!”
------
The days until the party passed quickly, Andy actually managing to impress Monsieur Harringer with the speed of his learning. Holi and Shadow simply watched from the sidelines, still working their way through the collection of books they’d been given, the Priestess far further along than the Rogue. Sophie had returned to the Wizard’s College on the morning of the second day and hadn’t come back to the manor until late into the evening, a look of contemplation on her face. Miri hadn’t been seen since she first left, but the others weren’t worried about her, figuring she’d just set up shop somewhere again.
Jake, for his part, had gone out and hunted, taking a few Quests from the local Adventurers’ Guild to kill or collect certain monsters or items. He had managed to complete quite a few by the evening of the third day, even earning himself another level and several more in some of his Skills. Now, as he was waiting for the tailor to finish up doing some last-minute adjustments to his suit, he checked his Character Screen and notifications.
Skill [Aim] has levelled up.
Skill [Dissection] has levelled up.
Skill [Identify] has levelled up.
Skill [Gathering] has levelled up.
Skill [Tracking] has levelled up.
Skills at level 10 detected.
Ascend Skills?
Y/N?
Jake quickly accepted the prompt, looking at his new options.
Skill [Gathering] at level 10.
Please choose Ascension:
[Herbology]
[Collect]
[Discover]
Cost: 1 Fate Point
Skill [Tracking] at level 10.
Please choose Ascension:
[Hunter’s Brand]
[Locate]
[Seek]
Cost: 1 Fate Point.
As usual, the names weren’t all that helpful, Jake asking Shadow and Andy for their input.
“Well, [Hunter’s Brand] sounds like a pretty common ability from other games,” Andy hummed, nodding his head as he sat on the plush couch, “It’ll probably allow you to mark a single target and deal extra damage to them when you hit them.”
“Oh, I know about [Locate]! Bertram had that one! It let’s you track a single target just by following their trail,” Shadow added, “No idea what [Seek] does, though. Maybe it’s a more generalised Skill?”
“What about the other Skill?” Jake asked, standing perfectly still as the tall man carefully sewed part of his jacket, “Which should I pick for that one?”
“No idea,” Andy shrugged, “Go with your heart.”
“Right,” Jake chuckled, quickly making his selections, and checking his Character Screen again.
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Character Profile
Name
Jake Grey
Class
Champion
Level
16
Reputation
Known
Health Points
240
Mana Points
240
Stamina Points
320
Fate Points
2
Power
24
Intellect
24
Agility
32
Wit
23
Vitality
25
Charisma
22
Skills (16/20)
Titles
Combat
Evasion [7]
Hunting Bows [7]
Medium Armour [8]
Short Swords [7]
Utility
Aim [8]
Free Movement [9]
Identify [2]
Seek [1]
Silent Movement [9]
Creation
Alchemy [5]
Collect [1]
Cooking [3]
Crafting [7]
Dissection [5]
Magic
Nature Magic [3]
Shadow Magic [3]
Lord of the Dark Woods
Frontrunner
Giant Slayer V
Pioneer
World Breaker
Touched by Corruption
Champion of the Wilds
Persistent
Executioner I
Guild Founder
It was strange to see his Stats without most of the bonuses from his armour and rings, but the tailor had insisted that he remove everything before being fitted. He quickly opened the descriptions for his two newly Ascended Skills, checking what they did.
Seek
Allows for the tracking of one to five individual targets at a time.
Collect
Allows for the collection of any type of material from natural resources at a lower yield than average.
“Huh, I think I can work with these,” Jake nodded, the tailor standing and saying he was done, allowing Jake to step down off the wooden podium he’d been standing on and look at himself in the mirror.
The majority of the outfit was coloured in various shades of dark green, from the pants to the waistcoat and tailed jacket, the colours to represent the Dark Woods themselves, except for the shirt, which was a soft cream colour with a ruffled collar, to show his position as a Lord. He wore a pair of dark brown sturdy and elegantly designed leather boots, decorated in such a way as to apparently represent his Frontrunner, Pioneer and Persistent Titles. A pair of black cufflinks were to show his Touched by Corruption Title, with a bright red tie to represent his Executioner I Title, and a small gold pin on his lapel indicated that he was a Guild Founder. The final piece was a shoulder cape embroidered to look like it was made of leaves, which was what the tailor had come up with for his Champion of the Wilds Title.
Full Armour Set detected.
Combine Armour into Set?
Y/N?
Jake quickly selected ‘yes’, looking down at his new outfit with [Identify].
Lord of the Dark Woods Set
An expertly tailored suit made for the Lord of the Dark Woods by a talented tailor.
Effects:
+1 Wit
+2 Charisma
Quality: Rare
“It’s excellent,” Jake nodded to the tailor, the man nodding back, before turning away and pulling a box from his bag, presenting it to Jake, “What’s this?”
“Well,” the man explained, “As you possess both the Giant Slayer V and World Breaker Titles, you are permitted to carry a weapon on you as a sign of your prowess. I had this commissioned to match your outfit. Though it is mostly ceremonial in nature, it is still a serviceable blade by my understanding.”
Jake nodded as he opened the box, looking at the short sword inside. It was of carefully moulded steel, the edges flat and sharp, tapering gently at the point. The handle and sheath were both made of a dark green leather, with a leaf design embossed into them. Jake quickly used [Identify] again.
Ceremonial Short Sword of the Dark Woods
A ceremonial short sword forged for the Lord of the Dark Woods.
Ability: [Flashy]
Quality: Rare
“Again, thank you,” Jake bowed to the man as he attached the weapon to his hip, matching his outfit perfectly.
“Aw, no fair that Jakey gets a sword!” Shadow pouted, “I don’t have any blades I can hide in my outfit yet!”
Jake looked at the Rogue, his outfit looking more like a modern suit with a fantasy twist. It was all various shades of black and dark grey, with the only way to see the various parts being due to their differences in texture. His shirt was of a silk-like material, with his jacket and pants being a tightly woven linen. He also had a gold pin on his lapel, but other than that, his suit was rather plain.
“Well, he does have a bunch more Titles than us,” Andy laughed, “So I guess it’s only fair.”
His outfit was rather interesting. Again, it looked like a normal suit with slight changes, but the colours were quite striking. The jacket and pants both started as a deep sunset orange at the bottom, before fading into red and a dark purple, before ending in black at the top. The shoulders of his jacket were also studded with small white gems, making it look like a night sky at dusk.
“Though I guess a mace and shield wouldn’t really tie this whole getup together very well,” the Defender chuckled, “Anyway, we’re all done now, let’s go wait for the girls in the foyer.”
The three of them bid the tailor goodbye, the man bowing to them as they left the room. They quickly made their way downstairs, standing in the foyer as they waited for the others. They didn’t have to wait long, each looking up as they heard a quiet call, eyes going wide at what they saw.
Holi was wearing an almost entirely white dress, a pattern of green embroidered vines moving up from the bottom in a hypnotizing pattern. Sophie, by contrast, was in a mix of red and orange, flame-like designs sewn into the hems of her dress and elbow length gloves. Finally, was Esmeralda, her dress elegant and flowing, in the same colourful design as Andy’s suit, complete with the white gems on the shoulders.
“Wow,” Andy breathed, “You all look…well, amazing.”
“You flatter us,” Esmeralda chuckled as the three women reached the bottom of the stairs, “Now, who shall partner with who? Obviously, I shall be with Ser Strongarm, as we match. Perhaps Ser Walker and lady Sticated? They are about the same height.”
“What? No,” Sophie huffed, “I am not going to this event with a brat like Shadow.”
“Hey, I’m older than you!” the Rogue huffed right back, “Fine, I’ll go with Holi, at least she’ll be nice to me!”
“It would be my pleasure, Ser Walker,” the Priestess chuckled, holding out her hand for Shadow to take.
“Then I suppose it will be me and you, Sophie,” Jake smiled at the girl, making her redden slightly, “You look very good in that dress.”
“Thanks,” she muttered, looking away to hide her blush, “Let’s just go already!”
“Of course,” Esmeralda hummed, “The carriage is waiting for us outside, though it may be a little tight with all six of us.”
“I can ride outside,” Jake immediately offered, Esmeralda gasping.
“Absolutely not! It would be improper for me to force a guest to ride outside a carriage,” she said, apparently mildly offended, “We shall simply make do with the space we have.”
“Very well, Lady Dusk,” Jake said as he bowed to her, “I apologise if I have offended you.”
“Quite alright, your lordship,” the young woman sighed, heading towards the front doors, “Come, let us depart for my friend’s gala.”
------
“Lady Esmeralda Dusk of Dusk Keep and guests,” the doorman announced as their group entered the ball room, several people turning to look at them as they entered, the doorman continuing a moment later, “Lord Jake Grey of the Dark Woods and guest.”
That seemed to catch people’s attention, many more turning to look at the newcomer as Jake’s lips thinned slightly in annoyance. They moved down the sweeping staircase to the floor, looking around in amazement. The Ballroom was made of the eponymous white stone, casting a gentle light into the room, meaning there was no need for torches or candles. Tables of finger food lined one side of the large room, while a small band played in a corner. Jake heard Andy stifle a groan as he looked at the tables.
“Why did I have to learn all that stuff about cutlery if we weren’t going to even use it?” he muttered under his breath, Esmeralda covering her mouth to giggle at him as they moved through the crowd.
“Esme?” a melodious voice called out, the crowd parting to allow a young woman of about the same age through, her dress a stark contrast to Esmeralda’s. It started as a soft gold at the bottom, moving up into a gentle pink, then white and finally a sky blue, looking like the early morning dawn. She rushed forwards as she smiled brightly, “It is you! Oh, I am so glad you could make it!”
“Liena!” Esmeralda said happily, “You know I wouldn’t miss this for the world if it were my choice! In fact, it almost wasn’t.”
“What?” the other young woman gasped, “Whatever do you mean?”
“My carriage was accosted by ruffians along the journey here,” Esmeralda sighed, shaking her head as she continued, “A man by the name of ‘Flame Axe’ Oswald and his horde attacked us. But I was saved by my guards, and, of course, my companion and his friends.”
“Oh! Do introduce us, then,” Liena said happily, looking to Andy and the rest of the party.
“Ser Strongarm, this is my long-time friend, Liena Dawnmaker, first daughter of Duke Erwin Dawnmaker. And yes, he does have the same name as my father, that is how they first became friends,” Esmeralda said as she introduced the other woman, “And Liena, this is Ser Goldrun Strongarm and his party, my saviours from the clutches of the bandits.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” Liena said as she lightly curtsied, Andy bowing his head respectfully to her, “I must thank you all for saving my dear friend. I do not know what I would have done should she have been captured by such a vile wretch.”
“It was my duty and honour, my lady,” Andy said slightly awkwardly, almost bowing a second time before stopping himself, “We are all privileged to be here on this auspicious night.”
“Thank you,” Liena hummed, quickly hooking her arm through Esmeralda’s, and pulling the woman away, “Come now, Esme, tell me all about this bandit attack.”
“Well, that went better than expected,” Andy muttered as the party gathered together, looking around at the party as the other guests watched them with interest, “Let’s go get some food. At least we’ll get to sample the high life tonight.”
“Yes!” Shadow hummed under his breath, almost dragging Holi behind him as he headed towards the tables, Andy chuckling as he followed behind.
“Well, that happened,” Sophie sighed, shaking her head, “What should we do now, your lordship?”
Jake cringed slightly as Sophie grinned at him, shaking his head in dismay.
“Please don’t start calling me that as well,” he said, “It’s strange enough when the natives do it, but I don’t think I could stand it if Travellers started doing it as well. Especially you guys.”
“It was just a joke, Jake,” the Mage chuckled, “Come on, let’s go get some food as well.”
“A lord?” the voice asked from behind them, Jake and Sophie turning to see a well appointed looking young man in a pure white suit standing behind them, holding out a hand, “And it would seem that you have quite the list of Titles, judging by your outfit. Antoine Whittenger, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”