"And furthermore, what kind of provisions or equipment we would be provided with. Tools of trade or of war, potions of healing and killing, or plain old food." She gestured toward the dwarf when she mentioned tools of trade. A blacksmith such as him could use some extra tools. Then an idea sparked.

"Sir Mayor. What say we celebrate with a small meal to renew our vigor before our journey, lest this quest of utmost urgency?" Just as the words left her mouth did she realize the utter pompousness of her words. Tinged with shame, she soon followed up.

"I feel that we are not quite ourselves when we're hungry. Let's have a small snack to calm ourselves, yeah?"

Amon stared at the map that the mayor pointed to a while ago, finding Highmount and other places on the map. "Horrid creatures of fur and claw, standing on two legs such as we do." he heard the mayor say. "Werewolves?" he thought, he has never seen a werewolf in his entire life since he trained in a monastery for quite some time. He walked toward the mayor and the group staying a bit behind the small human, trying to look as disinterested as possible. Afterwards, he heard the short human say something about healing. He tapped her shoulder twice "Hey we don't need to worry much about healing, I can heal pretty well."

While the party conversed with the mayor and each other, Edward had simply stood by cradling his sword.

"Moon? They said moon. Lycanthropes... they steal your power... We must smite them should we come into contact. Perhaps these Sisters will know of you..? I am excited. Very excited." he whispered to his sword.

"Well compatriots! I will be ready to embark whenever you are, my fellow party members! Perhaps if we encounter any beasts and witness the gift of the God of the moon first hand, you will no longer doubt his power?" Edward giggled with this last line and walked at a brisk pace, still cradling his sword, towards the front main doors.

"How fortunate! Our group has a dedicated healer! Nice to meet you, sir..." Wait, the elf wizard hadn't introduced himself, right...?

He was all by himself most of the time, admiring the scenery and map. An aloof and chill character, fitting for a mage.

She glanced at Edward. God of Moon? She'd never heard of it. The Moon is the domain of the goddess Ferianne. To think she had a servant. Or he was deluded. Whatever. If mad faith is strength, then so be it.

Rhea simply sat on the couch and looked everyone over as they were briefed and people began talking. She already pinned the annoying ones and said a silent prayer to no God in particular for a timely end to this journey. A journey that had not even begun and that she was already beginning to regret.

Rabbit was a bit depressed about his ol' failin memory. Wait a sec... old? Rabbit pondered this for a moment.
"Huh, my brain is agin' but my body be youthful. Strange. I do have a feelin I should know this mayor."

He decided to flip to a back page and write a few thoughts, before joining up with the rest of the group.

"That's another one in the book, anotha' mystery tae solve. You know what, I'm gunna solve it real soon, once everythin' is ova."

"Ah, Rabbit!" Lera called out to the grizzled youth. She tilted her head to him, looking quizzically.

"Can you tell me more about that book of yours?" It looked very unique, with an ancient binding and perceived only by her sense, emanating essence. Few objects do that, unless...

The mayor simply raised an eyebrow when he met face to face with the Illumian. Roderique had his own tales spun around him back in his prime, Illumians were part of it and the menacing glow of this one did not intimidate in the slightest.

"The pay is indeed good," the mayor replied as he looked to the knight captain. "It has to be if half of you was escorted all the way here. Off you go then, captain. Kindly tell your men to help with the repairs."

Dreimon nodded and took his leave, passing Visage and Mari on his way out.

The mayor approached the dwarf and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I do believe we have some extra silver we may be able to spare¹. However, it would be only enough to silver a few items. Our forge is your forge, master dwarf."

The mayor then look apologetically to the resident store owner. "Sorry, Lera, you must know we need most of the werebane here so your blade would have to suffice.

While this may be off the path to Highmount, if you are really out to find silver, I believe there be a small rundown chapel of Petrania someplace. It was abandoned during the first Amber Ring, well, more ruined in fact; allowed Ytra to reclaim the land it stood on. If you do find it, I believe you will be able to find some silver there²."

The mayor looked at everyone from where he stood now. "I know you must be tired from your travels and I apologize that I won't be able to cast you off with a fond feast of thanks but I will at least give you food and shelter for the day, unless you wish to leave sooner."

FOOTNOTES
¹The silver available would be able to silver to broadswords worth. I leave it you how much you can muster for other weapons with this much.
²Offerings to Petrania usually consist of her patrons offering precious metals to her chapels. The Priests there would then smelt this metal.

"I understand yer plight so any is more than enough." Rudolph stroked his beard. "Hope ye have enough iron and steel though Mr. May'r. But more ain't a bad thing so first let's use the silver we got, then have us a little expedition thataways." Rudolph ruffled through his rucksack and pulled out a shelled walnut which he popped into his mouth and crunched down on. "So who's gun be joinin me to the temple? Cause it be best I coat yer weapons before I begin makin weapons for the others." He looked over to Aurea. "How bout you lass? You willin to get yer feet wet? An' you two laddies?" He directed his attention to Visage and Edward. "And you miss?" He went back to Rhea. "You willin to join or ye gonna relax here?" He finally talked to Lera, Rabbit, and Amon. "Think you lot should just stay here where it be safe. Don't know what a gal with a wooden sword, a boy with nothin, and an old man with a stick will do if we run into some nosties. Besides get in our way." He ended gruffly. The dwarf didn't ask Mari, she didn't seem interested in anything the group was doing and he wasn't one to drag someone along.

"I didn't plan on resting anyway...I'll go." Aurea proclaimed. "Profanation of an already destroyed shrine should be less of a sin than letting these creature run the woods..."

"It's not like I can get my hands any dirtier with that..." The last part remained unspoken.

As Mari headed for the door, she felt a hand drop on her shoulder and halt her march. When Visage appeared in her line of sight, the two crossed eyes almost in a clash of wills. And as he began to communicate telepathically with her, she saw it: the sweet talk intimidation he was so reknown for. But she wasn't impressed; in her younger days she dealt with such people on a regular basis, during the uprising of the Fangs in Lantern Cross. Nevertheless she had no intent in backing off, so she replied in kind, her Illumian marks glowing ever so slightly as she mimicked his spell.

"You may have convinced yourself that you took this job because of your noble intent, your will to do good. And yes it might be true. I might have made burned ground around me during the years, but I've also built a career by sticking to those same principles that you speak of. In lives like mine you can only rely on yourself. Having to put your trust in others is what brings to your own demise. But what do you know about it? From what I've seen you're putting up this facade of nobleness and kindness, but I know enough about you to not trust you, Visage. I took this job for a reason and one reason only: gold. That's what thieves do. You should probably ask yourself that question too.

As the two stared into each other's eyes communicating, Mari picked up the background conversation. She stepped around Visage and walked forward, rejoining the party as soon as they mentioned heading to an abandoned church. The knight in armor volunteered to go.

"I'll join you." she added, glancing over to Aurea.


Cast Telepathy

Visage nodded to Rudolph. "I'll be happy to join you. I'm not metalsmith, but I have several spells that might prove extremely helpful for smithing in the middle of the wilderness...or anywhere else, for that matter."

He turned to leave, talking back to Mari. Who ever said I was doing this for any reason at all? We work the same job at different ends, you and I. Besides, I trust everyone and no one simultaneously -- that balance has been my key to success. We're both aberrant creations, after all, grown from the same breed of insanity and corruption. My reasons are my own and no questions need I ask, but I can assure you that were not my nobility and refinement traits as true and deep as any others my name would be feared the world around, not respected. One thing you learn as a Druid -- take everything to heart, keep everything in hand, use everything to live. Wise saying, that. Gold? Ha...that is but a child's bauble, ephemeral as the breeze, mere fodder for theft and tarnish. Power...not of magic but of men...well...that's another thing entirely, my dear...

She shook her head to Rudolph, "I think I'll stay here, instead." Rhea lifted a leather bag from off the ground and sat it next to her on the couch, then proceeded to lay down with her head resting on her bag. She flicked a button on her hip and pulled a long hunting knife from it's hiding place on her hip and fished out a whetstone from a pocket with her other hand. With the bow resting at her side between her body and the cushions, Rhea proceeded to rub the stone down her blade.

"Ah, dis book right here? Nothin special 'bout it." Rabbit humbly stated, like the freakin savant he is.
"Just a chronicle' o sorts', my own travels' and the like, miss." A slight energy pulse emanated from the book as he thumped it.
"Really, nothin' special. I mean, I coul' git into detail' and de' loike, but don't wanna bore ya."

He looked to Rhea and nodded, "Yer choice lassie." The dwarf then turned to Mari. "Huh didn't think ye be interested. Alroght then, glad to have ye on board. Now if I can have yer weapons please." He indicated to the three that accepted his invitation. "I'll get to coatin them in silver then we can make some headwind on these werebeasts." Once he had the weapons in hand he would make his way to the forge. There were two orders he had to fulfill, one was to melt the silver to appropriately coat the weapons, and the other was to create a weapon for himself to fight the werewolves. His weapon would be considerably unorthodox as he had a special weapon. He kept his heavy coat on to protect him from the forge's heat and to get back into the rhythm, he took out his pipe and filled it with tobacco, using a coal from the forge to light it. With a few puffs, he felt back in place and began his work. He prepped two crucibles, one which he filled with steel and the other with silver, he fit the steel into the forge and went to work on his weapon. Using a mold box, he filled the create with clay, packing it densely until it filled the entire wooden frame. He then created a prototype of the tool with wood, pressing it into the clay until he got a good mold. He capped the box and then poured the molten steel within, encasing it within the box until it cooled. As it cooled, he put the crucible full of silver into the forge and then went to sharpen the weapons he was given on a sharpening stone. Once each possessed a keen edge, he put them aside as well. He prepared frames where he poured and spread the silver until he had a thin foil which he wrapped the weapons in, then he used the forge to create a more sleek and uniform fit, heating the silver and then tempering it with a hammer. He dipped the finished weapons in water to accelerate the cooling then went back to his own project. Pulling the steel weapon out of its mold, he sanded it down and made sure he could grip it properly before dipping the entire thing into the remaining molten silver. From the molten silver he went to the water, cooling it immediately and then sanding off the remaining silver which he swept back into the crucible. He fit the silver knuckle duster over his right hand, the pummel felt comfortable in his palm and the knuckle was wide and bulky, just how he liked it. He had spent a few hours in the forge, and taking the weapons back up, he handed them back to their owners. He put his rucksack down by the fireplace and pulling out his gauntlet, put it in his pocket before going back to the front entrance, ready to set out.