It was midday in the growing heat of early summer. Castle Town street traffic was currently more lacking than normal – for today was an exceptionally hot day for the time of year. Most people were preferring to stay inside. Not a cloud obscured the harsh rays of the bright sun. The library was nearly deserted, only a handful of dedicated staff remained to dust, take inventory, transcribe compromised documents, and re-shelve books and scrolls. There were a few clients as well – a handful of mages doing intensive, critical studies. There was also a duo who looked like young up and coming business partners. Judging by their clothing, they were upper-middle class; judging by their books though, they were extremely dedicated in their studies of economic theory and market trends. And there was a scribe, tucked into the side of one of the upper floors, light streaming in from an open window upon him. He was favored with a cool breeze.

This scribe was the Human known by others as Orpheous. He was leaned over a large workstation. He had a piece of parchment in front of him, which only had a few scribbles upon it. On hand held a corner of the parchment down while the other held a quill dipped in fresh ink. An ink well rested besides the parchment. Stacked as far away from the ink well and quill as possible was a pile of books, apparently all texts from the library. Scrolls, most tagged to indicate they belonged in the maps section, rested by the stack of books. On a stand next to the work station, there was a specific geographical chart unfurled for use as a reference. It appeared to show a very small area of the northern Papara Range. Half hidden by the chart was a small scroll which showed text structured like a military field report.

Orpheous glanced over to look over his chart before bringing the quill back onto the relatively fresh parchment. He was making crude sweeping lines and making small notations. It appeared he was transcribing the chart, or at least parts of it. He wore his usual traveling cloak, but his hood was down to reveal his unkempt dark hair. His body showed signs of fatigue, but his brown eyes shone with determination. It appeared he hadn't tending to the intricacies of his hygiene either. He smelled fresh enough, or at least as fresh as anybody on a day as hot as this, but his face showed signs of sever stubble. Obviously, luxuries such as shaving was being forgone, perhaps in need of time for research.

OOC: This topic will start a story involving a small group of topics, maybe three or four at most, that will feature stat-based investigating and combat. Seeing as how I don't have a lot of experience with moderating a topic using stats, I think I'm only going to allow three players at most to join the story at this juncture. Don't worry, however, there will be other stories in the future, and as I grow more comfortable moderating, I think I'll be able to handle a larger group of players. Also, since Leth has expressed an interest in this topic to me in our correspondence, I'm giving him the equivalent of a reserved spot as one of my limit of three. If he ends up declining though, that spot will become available again. Joining is first-come, first served outside of that, but I only those who post a legitimate reply and not just a placeholder will be considered if there is competition over the spots. Of course, I speculate it won't draw enough interest to have three players join, but I thought I'd lay down the ground rules now as opposed to later.

Each player will be allowed two characters, be it main characters or others. These characters will need to be built to the specifications of the rule book, and the levels of the characters cannot exceed the level of the user. If you'd like me to make an exception to allow higher levels or unique homebrew abilities, we can discuss the matter. I'm hoping to run at least a few of my first topics as a stat-using moderator by the books, but I also have seen unique abilities used very tactfully before, such as in Zelda Veteran's Gossip Isle Expedition. The focus here is more about balance than rules, really. It's just that rules help guide balance along.

A soft breeze briefly flowed through the library as the front door opened and closed, providing an all-too-short flow of cool air to the studious people within. If anyone turned to look at the doorway to see who had just entered, they would find a tall, wiry, handsome sheikah man dressed in a fine green jerkin and linen pants walking towards the staircase leading to the second floor. His black hair was ruffled and unstyled, although it's arrangement had an endearing quality to it, almost as if it had been arranged to look that way on purpose. Above his upper lip were two thin lines of a mustache that extended off of his face in dramatic fashion, one end of which he was twisting between his fingers as the man glanced around the room, deep in his thoughts. Around his neck was a light brown cloak that flapped gently behind him as he made his way up the staircase.

Once he arrived at the second floor, the Sheikah immediately set about scouring the shelves for something, softly humming a light tune as he did so. The song began to drop off, however, as it took the man longer and longer to locate the object he was seeking. As he concluded searching the last shelf, the song stopped altogether, and he stood up with a furrowed brow and a frown on his face.

"Hmm..." he muttered, again twisting his mustache.

He began his search once again, starting over at the first shelf - perhaps he had passed over what he was looking for? As he was continuing his second examination of the shelves, however, he cast a quick glance at the others hanging around in the room and did a double take when he saw Orpheous - or rather, when he saw what Orpheous was doing. He moved away from the shelves and approached the hard-working scribe, looking over him at the parchments he had spread out on the workbench. A smile broke out on the man's face.

"Ah-ha!" He announced softly. "That is exactly what I was searching for." He said, looking at the map of Parapa that Orpheous had unfurled across the table. His voice was as silky-smooth as the pants that he wore. He turned to look directly at the scibe. "Pardon me, good sir, I do not wish to disturb thee. Perchance I might borrow the map thou hast there when thou art through examining it?"



OoC: I love making new characters


Valcus Brindleton, Level 9 Sheikah Bard
HP: 30(base)+1(SPI)+10(Lv. 1 Exceptional Health) = 41
SPL: 2(base)x9(level)+1(SPI)+10(Lv. 1 Exceptional Spell) = 29
STR: 1(base)+2(Lv. 2 Goron Strength) = 3
DEF: 2(base)+12(L1 Jerkin)+2(Deku Shield) = 16
AGI: 3(base)+3(race)+3(Lv. 3 Deku Agility) = 9
INT: 2(base)+1(Lv. 1 Hylian Intelligence) = 3
SPI: 1(base)
Defense Rating: 16(Agi)+9(Def) = 25

Talents:
1 TP - Exceptional Health level 1
1 TP - Exceptional Spell level 1
4 TP - Deku Agility level 3
2 TP - Goron Strength level 2
1 TP - Hylian Intelligence level 1
7 TP - Train: Rapier level 4
1 TP - Call of Din level 1
1 TP - Will of Farore level 1
1 TP - Spirit of Nayru level 1
1 TP - Sonata of Restoration level 1
1 TP - Elemental Burst level 1
0 TP - Shadowmeld
21 Total TP (Same as Leth's)

Equipment:
Copper Rapier, Deku Shield (roleplayed as his scabbard), L1 Jerkin, Hurdy Gurdy, lute, flute

Important Info:
Rapier: 6(base)+3(strength)+2(train) = 11 damage; +6(agility) chance to hit
25% chance to parry - The way I understand this after reading the Hylian Times post about it is that whenever an enemy makes a melee attack at him and misses, the GM may roll a d20. In this case, 25% chance is rolling a 1-5 (or 16-20 if you want). If the roll succeeds, he gets an automatic counter attack with the rapier during that enemy's turn. I'm not sure if you would still have to roll for the parry attack to see if it hits or not; that's not clearly explained, so I'll leave that up to you. (...although I will say that rolling 1-5 is already a pretty small chance of success anyway, and that's at the highest level, so if it were up to me, I would say it's an auto hit if the parry check succeeds.) In any case, it acts as a chance to get in an extra bonus attack.
Spell damage: 2(base)+9(level)+3(intelligence) = 14
Hurdy Gurdy: +1 to stats bonuses from songs
Deku Shield: since a rapier is only a one-handed weapon, I went ahead and filled the other hand with a deku shield - however you won't see me role playing with it. Instead, I'm going to RP him using his scabbard in his other hand - I figured that is closer to his character. Frequently, fencers would fight with their scabbards as well as a way to block incoming attacks, so I figured that would be a fun way to spin it. But if you would rather I not do that, I'll give him an actual (small) shield instead.

I realized part way through creating this character what my subconscious inspiration For him is - if you've seen Legend of Korra, he looks kinda like Varrick. If you haven't seen LoK... just google Varrick hahaha

Given that being surprised while writing in ink tended to make a mess of any documents in question, Orpheous had made a habit of always staying aware of his surroundings whenever he was bringing a quill to paper - especially when valuable books and scrolls from the library sat nearby as well. He would hate to jump up if startled and knock his inkwell over - unable to stop the fast spreading liquid from corrupting the public collection.

The scribe would stop every couple of seconds just long enough to glance up. He had noticed the Sheikah when he entered; one simply couldn't ignore a person with as much presence as that. And, for a moment, all the weight Orpheous put behind the observation was that there was another patron about in the library. Yet, as the man searched about in the sections near Orpheous, the Human took a greater notice. After all, Orpheous knew the library well enough; he could probably help Valcus find whatever he was looking for better than any of the staff working there.

Keeping his brown eyes mostly averted from the man in the jerkin, Orpheous made sure not to falter in his work. He didn't necessarily want Valcus to notice he had noticed him. It would be better to let Valcus continue his search on his own for a bit longer. Besides, the tune that the bard was humming to himself was rather catch - although Orpheous could only hear bits and pieces when he strained his ears at best.

Soon the music dropped off though, and Valcus restarted his search from back where he began - seemingly more disheartened and perhaps even frustrated. Then, he began to approach Orpheous. As Brindleton grew nearer and nearer, it was clear he was probably going to interact with the scribe directly. He only directly looked at the man, and only fleetingly, once Valcus was already peering at the documents on his workbench.

"That is exactly what I was searching for."

Orpheous nearly jumped when the Sheikah said this. It indicated that he desired the chart of the Papara that Orpheous was working with. Yet, it was such a specific map - with details about fauna patterns, water distribution, and bluff topographies. While it could certainly serve as a map in the general sense of the term, there were countless documents that showed just the general layout of the same stretch of land. The information contained in this chart was exceptionally eclectic.

And then another thought came to him. What were the odds that somebody else would come into the library on a day like today and ask out of the countless literature for the exact one that Orpheous was using?Orpheous believed in coincidences, but why would this well-dressed man want the chart in the first place?

When he asked for the scroll, Orpheous couldn't deny him what he'd been searching for though. "Not a problem. Forgive me for being so absorbed that I didn't notice you looking for it. I would have saved you the trouble." He wiped his hands on a handkerchief to get off the ink before he rolled up the library's map to hand to the man. "I've been holding that quill for so long," he explained, "my hand is starting to cramp up. Feel free to have a look at it." With that, Orpheous held out the scroll, his hand forming a bowl-hold under the map for him to easily snatch from the other end.

"Of course," he added, "if you need to use it for a significant period of time as well, then perhaps I should hold onto it. I should finish copying this map before I let anybody borrow it for any longer than a couple of hours. I take it you know what you want from this document though? You wouldn't be asking for it if you didn't." Orpheous spoke with a smile, making it clear that it was obvious a man would only ask for a map if he knew what he wanted it for. His mind was busy though, trying to figure out just what the nature of the man before him really was [Insight Check].

OOC: Well, I didn't think it was going to take this course of action, but it seems I'm the first person dabbling with the rules set here with my character's actions. I could just resolve the check myself, as moderator, but I didn't want to feel cheap. Actions taken by player controlled characters targeted at characters controlled by other players will be determined by the person being targeted. At least for the time being. Mind you, I'm tired when I'm writing this, so the idea may not hold up later. But in this instance, Leth would roll my check and figure out if I beat a per-determined number and glean any insight. Or, he may decide there is nothing to learn at all. Sorry that this puts pressure back on you, Leth, but I didn't see I reason why I couldn't both be the roll of dedicated moderator and fascinated player. You have to admit, you made the character too curious to not perform an insight check against. Once gain, I'm sorry.

Also, for ease of reference, this topic is occurring concurrent to the Southern Crusades, and it occurs slightly after Persecuting the Pilferer's Phalanx. I would have loved to have seen Regis again, but Valcus seems interesting as well, and I understand why you might have wanted to refrain from using Regis seeing as how that topic isn't over yet.

Orpheous did not have to wonder about the man's intentions for long; as the scribe began rolling up the parchment to hand to the Sheikah, the smile on his face gave way to a puzzled look.

"Just the one section? Dost thou not have the full map?" He asked quizzically, glancing back to Orpheous and then back to the rolled up parchment in his hand. He unfurled the map to take a closer look at it. "Oh no no no, this will not do." He commented after a few moments, and he promptly rolled the paper back up and handed it back to Orpheous. "My apologies, I was mistaken. 'Tis the region I need to examine, but not in such specificity - and I must examine the neighboring regions as well. I assumed thou had the whole set in thy possession." The smile returned. "Though I do appreciate thine willingness to assist me - if thou couldst direct my search to the appropriate area, I will trouble thee no longer." He paused for a moment to allow Orpheous to respond, but a look of shock crossed his face and he picked the dialogue right back up, hardly allowing the scribe any time to get a word in edge wise.

"Goodness me, where are my manners? Here I stand, asking for thine assistance, and I have not even given thee my own name. Again I must ask thee for thy forgiveness." He said, dipping his head in apology. "My name is Valcus Brindleton, and I am humbly at thy service." He bowed, one hand held to his chest and the other sweeping back his cloak, and then straightened back up.


OoC: No need for me to roll any dice - Valcus isn't trying to hide anything. He speaks his mind and wears his emotions on his sleeve; it would be very easy for Orpheous to read him. He's simply looking for a map of that region of Parapa, and thought Orpheous had what he was looking for - and was half correct. Really I just needed an excuse for him to be in the library and to speak to you. I figured if he was looking for something you were using, that'd take care of both problems at once.

Orpheous muttered, "Maps?" under his breath while Valcus was still speaking, as though thinking of the ideal map selections the library offered. He also could tell right away this was not a man whose intentions were difficult to discern. He was straightforward and honest, both good qualities in people and even better qualities to have amongst those who adventured together. Realizing that Valcus wasn't done speaking even as he posed his inquiry, Orpheous had not yet even opened his mouth to speak. It wasn't until after Valcus introduced himself that Orpheous decided it was safe to talk.

"Well, you've caught me sitting down, Valcus Brindleton." He then took the map from Valcus' hand that he failed to grab while the bard was still talking. Realizing he already had momentum, Orpheous decided to make the best use of it by standing up. He shook Valcus' hand and spoke again. "You may call me Orpheous - just Orpheous. I don't go by my birth name, it brings back too many memories.

"That being said, I should definitely be able to help," Orpheous got out from behind his workstation, nearly stumbling over the corners of the table he was inscribing on. He hung a sign from a hook attached to the front side of the table. It read: "Up Finding Materials. I Will Return." Orpheous then started walking through the aisles of books, as though tacking a shortcut to where he knew some maps to be.

"So, what kind of details were you looking for in your map? General geography? Settlements? Something else perhaps? It'll make it easier to find just the maps you're looking for. I know you commented that you wanted to study other regions as well, so I'm guessing you wanted more than just Papara too, right?" He asked questions as he walked, hoping to receive answers before the fork in the path in his mind was coming up. Maps for specific purposes weren't all stored in the same place; however, maps for general purpose were all stored together, albeit distant from any of the specialty maps.


OOC: No worries, Leth. I know that sometimes that's the hardest thing to do is to find a way for one of your characters to talk to somebody else's characters to properly trigger the topics intended purpose/events.

"So, what kind of details were you looking for in your map? General geography? Settlements? Something else perhaps? It'll make it easier to find just the maps you're looking for. I know you commented that you wanted to study other regions as well, so I'm guessing you wanted more than just Papara too, right?"

"Ah well, in truth, I was planning on taking a performance tour through the area anon- I hath a few vocal fans in the Parapa area who hath been dying to see a live performance, and it has been a lengthy span since I ventured that way. Verily, 'twas my hope to become re-acquainted with the entire north eastern region, for the purpose of planning several performances as well as re-stocking some of the more exotic plants and herbs among mine collection. As for exactly what type of map I would require..." Here he gave a dramatic shrug; the kind that involved his hands, arms, and facial expression as well as his shoulders. "I had hoped thou wouldst be able to tell me."

Orpheous rubbed his stubble as he thought over the man's roundabout question. "Well, it seems to me like you'd have several options for maps that could aid you. Obviously, you're looking to correlate the location of settlements against places that you believe will either be able to offer you either a few rare specimens or perhaps a large deposit of specimens all around - even if they are more common. Most maps, unless they're exceptionally detailed, won't represent even half of all the plants one might see around Hyrule's varied regions."

The scribed continued walking, moving between the shelves now, as though taking a shortcut to where they needed to go. "Even if you found a map showing you were every plant was, it's labels would probably be lacking as to what species is what. Your best bet would be to check out any maps made by a naturalist or, perhaps even better, an apothecary. While the map itself might by lacking, it should be shelved next to notes relating to the map, which you can then use as a guide to figure out what plants might be were. The naturalist Merlose had a pupil who took up cartography. I think that such a pupil's work would suit you well. As far as settlements go, most common maps will show you all the major locations, even most villages. But if you really want every potential settlement, your best bet would be find something made recently utilized by tax collectors. Anything made in the last five years should be fine. I think I can personally recommend the works of Tym Kayn or Helda Lux."

He turned another corner, and they were back in a main aisle. "It's not much farther now," Orpheous commented. "Though, if you care to hear about it, I have several contacts in the north-eastern area. I require some assistance with an investigation I'm running up there. If you could give me a hand, I could introduce you to some people. I even know the mayor of Naercabgon. Plus, if you came with me, it would help to familiarize yourself more with the region," he was quick to add. Then he came to a stop. "Also, this is our stop. The maps you'd need would be right here." He directed his hand to wave in front of a shelf that was about half of the standard height - so only a little shorter than a standard Hylian. "The maps will be on the bottom three shelves, but I'd start with the bottom shelf first, it'll probably contain what you need." Indeed there were scrolls on that shelf clearly labeled Kayn and Lux as their cartographer, with corresponding regions of Hyrule. Giving him a minute to either search for the maps he needed or think about his offer, Orpheous continued to stand there, but backed away a few feet to give him room to maneuver in his search.

The Posts Time Forgot:

Basically, Valcus agreed to assist Orpheous. Orpheous explained that he believes there to be a group of theives at work who are stealing mostly metal goods and precious gems in the North-Eastern Region. He told Valcus that the group was believed to be using military grade weaponry. Valcus purposed the idea of them being a guerrilla military troop specifically gathering up metal because it is such a precious material, and that perhaps they were assisting a foreign enemy. But, Orpheous didn't believe that the group would necessarily classify as a foreign military unit.

The Present:

"Have you found the map you've been looking for yet?" asked Orpheous casually. They'd been standing by the maps the bard had been seeking for a while now, so Orpheous figured that the man had been perusing the selection. Letting the bard think about his answer, Orpheous went on to explain more of the situation. "Reports indicate that the thieves had gone underground for a couple of years, and only just now resurfaced. They've struck the village of Naercabgon again, a place that they’d already stolen from three times prior in the period before they originally went underground. We believe that the thieves are hiding in the foothills of the Papara Range not too far from the village. But, before we start poking around the foothills, I’d like to start up the return to this investigation by interviewing the townsfolk, speaking to witnesses, and getting filled in on the geography of where we believe their hideout to be situated. Also, the Mayor would like to speak to me. With all these in mind, I’d say the two of us should head to Naercabgon first.�

OOC: Sorry about the long wait. It was just so discouraging to write a reply to a topic that had lost some of its posts. But I've finally gotten around to it. Hopefully I've filled in some of the blanks and stuff.

Valcus scoffed when Orpheous asked him if he had found the maps. "Pish posh, my man! Truly, the thought of these maps has perished from my mind in the greater light of impending adventure. They shall have to wait for another day." He said, placing all the maps he had gathered in his hands back onto the shelves.

A few moments later he turned back to Orpheous, his arms now empty of parchment, and said, "Now! As for Naercabgon, I am like-minded with thee. Assuming thou hast finished all thine research here, I say we depart post-haste. The prospect of thine mystery has me thoroughly intrigued." He finished, once again beginning to twist his mustache.

OoC: short post, but again, you can only stretch out back-and-forth dialogue posts so much hahaha

Orpheous gave the man an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Valcus. Here I am making you itch for justice and I still have a little bit more to finish on my research. I am thinking about leaving in a few hours’ time. The problem is, Naercabgon is over a day’s journey. I plan on moving during some of the night before finding a roadside inn. Then travel the majority of the next day before finding another suitable place to stay. I believe I wouldn’t arrive until a little before noon the day after the full day of travel. Of course, I do plan on travelling on foot, so if you had a horse, you would get there significantly sooner than me. Unfortunately, I’ve made some arrangements with the locals to precede with my investigation, so if you showed up ahead of me, it wouldn’t do you too much good, at least from an investigator’s capacity. But, on the other hand, you could leave later than me if you had a steed, giving you even more time in North Castle. But, I think you’re itching to leave as soon as possible, no? Then perhaps we could meet on the road and I could try to catch up to you. I’d say, if we leave at separate times, let’s agree to meet at the large mill at the southern outskirts of the village. You can’t miss it. Of course, there’s always the chance we could run into each other before than too. But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. No need to think about the complexities of travel if you plan to wait for me to finish my work in the first place, right?� Orpheous looked back at Valcus quizzically. “So, what were you thinking of doing?�

Valcus smiled broadly. "My friend, what good is the open road of adventure without a companion to share it with?" He said, patting Orpheous on the back. "If thou art not ready to leave yet, I shall wait for thee. Shall we meet together at the front gate in two hours time?" He asked. "Forsooth, I do have just a few errands I couldst perform ere we depart, so waiting for thee is not a problem in the slightest."

Orpheous gave a nod of confirmation. “Yes, I do believe I can finish my research in time to meet you at the main gate in two hours. I shouldn’t have that much left to do. And, I shall be dressed as I am now, so spotting me shouldn’t be difficult the crowd by the gate. And say what you want about the residents of North Castle not being out today, that gate is always busy,� he finished his remark. “I shall see you then.� And, needing to take full advantage of the time remaining, he started moving back to where he was sitting earlier.

“...I shall see you then.�

"Indeed thou shalt." Valcus said, and with a smile and a flourish of his cape, gave Orpheous an exaggerated bow before standing bolt upright, turning on his heels, and proceeding down the stairs, out the front door, and into the streets of North Castle.