The Crescent Isle.

He has only ever touched its shimmering white beaches once in his life, and he did not have the pleasure of remaining for long. Even now, he has not come for a vacation, but for a mission of sorts: an investigation into the Sol Stone, of which rumours have bounced about quite incessantly. The same Sol Stone which, many months ago, he tracked to a jungle in the woods; and the same Sol Stone which he has picked up yet another lead to Starlight City.

Each tidbit, each rumour he picks up; makes him all the more encouraged to find it before The Crimson Hand can get their hands on it. But, his lead pulling him to the Crescent Isle came as a surprise to him. The Isle off the Moonglades is rather notorious for keeping to its own business and not involving itself in the affairs of other lands... but it seems not everyone shares that sentiment upon its quiet and humble beaches.

Leading him and his cohort into the City of Stars is a dark-haired elven woman who hails herself by the name of Yumi; she was his escort to the Crescent Isle the last time he had come here as well. "I do appreciate you shipping us over here on such short notice," he remarks to the woman, tucking himself further into the shade of his cloak as he looks out at the glistening waves of the Luna Sea. The boat is just beginning to drift into port, swaying in the foaming waves as they arrive to the dock.

Yumi offers him a sly smile from over her shoulder. "It's been a long time since you last had a job here; I was surprised to hear from the family again... They just can't leave me to retire in peace, can they?"

It's interesting how news hasn't reached Crescent Isle yet; he takes a breath to keep himself from scowling. "Indeed; hopefully this will be the last for a while..." he bemoans, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And... your friends are?" As the boat rocks into the port and comes to a slow halt, she looks to the man that Caedes has come to the Isle with; a man by the name of Gerhart, who he had met in a tavern at the Moonglade; and one other he had more familiarity with.

Gerhart had never been to the Crescent Isle, so it was hard to hide his awe. Growing in the Moonglade it wasn't often he saw great open waters like this. Most of the things he had seen recently were new to him though, working with Leni-Aura's group was the first time he'd really had the means to travel outside of his home. While he would do his best to keep his composure and give the slightest air of confidence, the boyish excitement of him burbled to the surface every so often.

Tracking down this Sol Stone and the cultist seemed right up his alley, these were the kinds of stories his father would tell and make plays of. Gerhart travels at the heel of Caedes, straightening out his armor a bit and resting his hands on his knives as they come to rest. His eyes scan over the area, partially to make himself look busy as if he is constantly scouting out for dangers and partially just to try and get a look at everything the port had to offer. The pull of seafood and the different smells and sights was hard to resist.

Hearing himself being addressed, he perks up and offers a hand, "Gerhart Stanislav of Moonglade."

Vasilia has also not been to the Crescent Isle, this was a completely new area for her. She hoped the journey would be worth it this time. After searching for the Sol Stone on a number of expeditions now, she was hoping she would now finally get one step closer to finding it. Caedes had provided the means and Vasilia had gladly obliged the invitation.

"And I am Vasilia of the daughters of Lunala" said Vasilia as she arose from the back of the vessel stumbling slightly on the boat. She did not look particularly well.

She tried as hard as she might to hide the fact she was not a person who had sea legs. She'd made sure she was sick before they pulled it, but it was very hard for her not to feel that sensation, even in the stillness of the port.

Yumi listens patiently to the two as they introduce themselves; although Vasilia looks particularly unwell after the boat ride to Crescent Isle; but, not everyone has sea legs. She doesn't make a fuss of it, instead, looking towards Caedes with an unspoken question; he simply nods in return, and her smile reappears. "Gerhart Stanislav of Moonglade, Vasilia of the Daughters of Lunala— welcome to the Crescent Isles." she greets, her voice warm, as she reaches out to shake Gerhart's hand. Once she has shaken his hand, she offers Vasilia a polite and shallow bow. "It is not often we welcome outsiders to the shores, but, a friend of the phantom is a friend of ours."

Afterwards, Yumi takes some time to throw down the ramp before she leads the way off the ship; stepping over the lift and down the slight, shemotions for the rest to follow. Caedes follows; and he hits the docks next to Yumi, then makes room for Gerhart and Vasilia to unboard the ship— goodness knows the latter would likely love to feel solid ground beneath her feet again. "Now, what is this job that you all are here for, exactly?" The elven woman requests as she watches both new acquaintances as they move about on, or from, the ship. "Am I going to need to make a quick break out of here with you all on it?"

"Nothing like that— hopefully." Caedes remarks with a shake of his head. "Vasilia and I met some time ago in search of the Sol Stone; you've heard of it, I presume?"

Yumi looks at the elven woman, then back at the changeling thoughtfully. "Vaguely."

"The first expedition that Vasilia and I embarked on, we were beat there by some individuals; cultists of Solaria, actually; we've reason to believe their kind have bled into Starlight City in secrecy. Gerhart is here to help us take care of it; he's quite talented with a blade, so I've heard."

"Fanatics of Solaria? In the Crescent Isle?" Yumi looks surprised. "That's... well, that seems awfully unlikely. I know everything that goes on in the city; you're sure about that?" Caedes gives her a grim nod; she crosses her arms, looking between the travelers with a slight frown. "Mm. Well, I do hope you'll report back; that is... quite troubling, if it's true." She takes a breath, looking towards the gentle bustle of the beach, leading into the lush bamboo-sprinkled forests. "Well, Starlight City, then; first stop, we should get you all fitted to blend in a little more with the locale."

Yumi begins to back away from the docks, motioning for the small party to follow.

"If your information is true, then your fanatics may very well be locals to Crescent Isle... they'll see you coming from a mile away. My good friend owns the tailor's here; she'd be happy to fit you with something that'll make you look just a bit less like tourists." She looks playfully over her shoulder at them as she steps from the dock, onto the beach; a few locals pulling crab traps from a dock across the way glance in their direction for a moment, before going back to their business. "I hope you're both okay with that? It's further in the heart of town, so we'll get a bit of sightseeing in on the way."

A friend of the Phantom? A fancy title Gerhart was previously unaware of, but it serves as an important reminder that he is a working adventurer now. There would be plenty of other titles and names to get used to and in time he'd likely earn one of his own. 

Gerhart tries to hold himself confidently as his blade skills are mentioned. He gives a small smile at the mention of this being an unlikely place for cultists, "That's sort of the thing about secret cultists though, isn't it? If they only went where it was obvious to find them, they would be easy to root out."

He raises an eyebrow at the mention of a tailor, looking down at his own clothes. The rough cloth and dour color scheme did seem a bit out of place in a more vibrant place. Gerhart shrugs with a little laugh, "I guess it is a bit obvious from the looks of us, huh? New clothes couldn't hurt I suppose, this will be a lot easier if people are actually willing to talk to us."

Vasilia was happy to get off the boat and put her boots back on dry land. She took some breaths as she regained her composure. She was now ready to fight some fanatics and merely wanted the chance to get some revenge for previous encounters. There was no way they would miss out on the opportunity again. She wondered what kind of clothes they might have on the Isle. Vasilia accepted the bow and did a small bow in return. Then she listened to the others speak and followed Yumi. She wondered how Caedes had acquired that name, the “Phantom”...she wished she had such an interesting name.


“Don't worry Gerhart, I'm sure they' have your size and odour available at the tailor...” she said with a muffled laugh as she mused as she wondered how good his sword skills really were. She felt eager to test them herself, but Caedes would not have brought him if he wasn't up to the challenge.

Yumi smiles at Gerhart as he mentions the cultists. "Well... I suppose you're right." she sounds reluctant to admit it, even as she leads the trio across the white sands. The forest ahead of them is lush and beautiful; with greenery reaching to the sky, and bamboo fronds reaching even beyond it. A lovely wooden path, fashioned like a bridge with rails, leads them through the first stretch. The sun glistens through the boughs of trees and the leaves of the bamboo; highlighting the dew of rain from the night before. "Indeed; everyone could use a little splash of colour, don't you think? Especially you."

She eyes up Caedes with a playful but accusatory glare; he is cloaked almost entirely in his black hood to avoid the sun. He rolls his eyes, but her eyes turn to Vasilia next. "You, though... I like your look." she compliments, hands behind her back as she strolls ahead of them to guide them.

Yumi makes mostly small-talk with the group until they emerge on the other side of the forest; Starlight City, with its traditional architecture of purple-rooved housing standing tall, is a lovely and unique sight unlike anything in Charon thus far. Brightly coloured and formal individuals line the streets of the main road; a griffon pulls a wagon down the main stretch of road as Yumi motions her small entourage towards the side; laughter bubbles from somewhere across the street, from a group of young women glancing at the visitors.

The occasional food vendors call out; the smell of seafood skewers, roasting treats, and other traditional Starlight City cuisines; permeate the air as they stroll past. "If you want to stop and grab a bite, you best be quick about it." she chuckles, looking over her shoulder. "Not much time for sightseeing right now, but I know we didn't have much to offer on the ship on the way over here."

"In my defense, I would have better clothing if I could afford it. Not much money in hunting, so the hope is jobs like this make a bit more." He grins with a little laugh, never one to get discouraged especially by something as simple as coin or clothes.

Gerhart follows a half-step behind the group, taking in the conversations and the surroundings at the same time. They might not have time on this trip to be tourists, but that didn't mean he couldn't take advantage of what opportunity they did have. The young adventurer refrains from reaching out to pet the griffin, but the little giggles from the group of women gets a smile and wave in response.

At the mention of food, Gerhart pats one of his hip pouches, "I don't know about the others here, but I have a few days rations packed. As amazing as everything smells around here, I'd rather keep going. Never good to fall behind a cult, I'd rather suffer rations if it means we have the time to try and get ahead of them."

Admittedly he was already hungry though, so he pulls out a piece of unleavened bread to bite at as they walked.

It was nice to get complimented thought Vasilia. She wondered what the laughter was from the women across the street, but maybe it was their appearances. They were not used to their kind here. At this point Vasilia felt her stomach grumble and looked around towards the streets. 

After spewing her goods out aboard the ship Vasilia was hungry and the smells of the street food attracted her tentative nose. She moved through the people and picked up some small kebabs with various meet on them. She paid for a couple and consumed the spicey meats on them and succulent vegetables. She then came back to the main group "The food here is very delicious..." she said as she offered one of the little skewers of cooked food to Caedes. "You want to try?" 

She wondered how many cultists there would be as she bit down into the meat. Hopefully all this energy would help her unleash her blades and destroy them. 

“Oh?” Caedes inquires, “There’s good money to be made in the line of mercenary work, that much I can assure you; much more than a couple of rabbit pelts might get you.”

As Gerhart takes a moment to smile and wave at the women, one of them looks a bit sheepish; she giggles and hides her face, whispering something to one of the girls nearby. Yumi rolls her eyes, looking towards the lines of traditional buildings as she leads them by. “I have to admire your enthusiasm; for a hunter, you certainly have your work priorities in order.”

“I didn’t pack anything.”

Caedes smiles as Yumi looks over her shoulder at him, a bit exasperated. “You never do.” He only chuckles at her; then looks towards Vasilia. “Mm; thank you.” he agrees, taking one of the skewers from her; he takes a tentative bite of it— the spice reminds him a bit of Darkveil. “It is quite good, actually.”

“You’re going to spoil that one.” Yumi sighs, then perks up. “Oop, here we are,” she chirps, gesturing towards a small, but quaint little building that seems to be a little shorter and stouter than the rest— in the windows, there are lines of lovely and colourful clothes, and small lantern lights dangling from the purple roof. “Starlight Sewery; come, come.” She opens the door for the little group, waving them in; and steps in last after they’ve all entered.

Inside, an old halfling woman looks up from where she’s sitting, a roll of bright fabric under her arm. “Oh… Yumi, I wasn’t expecting you today; and you brought friends?” She smiles at the group as they enter, “Good morning.”

“We’ve got a job coming in, Miss Rika; could you get these three fitted with something a little more… colourful?” Yumi asks, nodding back towards them. Miss Rika looks at the three, studying them for a moment, before nodding. “Is there anything in the lobby that you’d like to try on? Otherwise, I can pick something out for you.”

"Thankfully, those rabbit pelts and the meat has been enough to keep the others going, but yeah...the hope is with more money coming in we can do more than eek out a living....Maybe move everyone to Eclipse City someday." Before he can let himself get too dour ruminating, he smiles at Yumi. "Those priorities got me this far, so they can't be too bad."

Gerhart takes a moment to survey the shop as introductions are made and the others file in. His hand reaches out just to test how some of it feels, the silk is a new experience, far softer than his canvas blankets at home. He takes a step back to let Caedes and Vasilia talk through their options first. With both of them far more likely to know what they are looking for it would be easier to wait.

When the attention does finally come back to him, he can't help but shrug and give a sheepish smile. "I'll be honest, I'm not sure what I should take. Do you have some things in maybe a more lavender shade? I've always liked that color most probably.....Anything that looks new would be an improvement, wouldn't it?"

It was nice to see Caedes enjoying the food life herself. This was going to be an interesting mission for sure.

Vasilia entered the building to see a wide range of nice clothing and inside there was a halfling woman. There was some lovely attire and Vasilia was tempted to buy something for herself she could take back.

“This is a lovely store” said Vasilia, quite happy to see some decent clothes on offer.

“Do you think I'll be fine what I'm wearing then Yumi?” asked Vasilia as she watched the others move over to get fitted.

“I don’t really need anything,” the Changeling remarks with a careless shrug; he’s baiting the elven woman into a response, quite clearly; the way they speak to one another, even in argument, gives the impression that they’ve known each other for quite some time. Annoying one another, almost like family.

“Like hell you don’t; go find something— you look like living death.” Yumi claps him on the shoulder, and Caedes rolls his eyes at her as he drifts away from Vasilia and further into the store to peruse. Colours are, genuinely, not his thing though; he actually doesn’t want anything from here, but he’s going to tolerate it.

“Thank you, darling.” The halfling woman smiles at Vasilia; and then, Miss Rika looks up from where she’s standing. “Lavender…?” she inquires, tilting her head. She studies Gerhart for a moment, looking him over with a neutral expression. After a moment, she smiles. “I think I have just the thing, sweetheart. Lavender is a noble colour, don’t you think?” The old woman sets her bolt of fabric on a desk nearby, and walks past him. She motions Gerhart to follow as she strolls to the other side of the room; she starts picking through shades of bright colours and pastels, looking for something particular. “Lavender is one of my favourites, too… In fact, my wedding dress was lavender.” She smiles at him, warmly, like a grandmother— and then pulls something off the rack.

A lavender shirt, collared with flared sleeves and loose hems; it doesn’t seem too tight, leaving room for movement. “How about this? Why don’t you try it on?” She gestures to the fitting room.

Yumi crosses her arms as she watches the others, and looks at Vasilia as she regards her. “Better than those two,” she chuckles, nodding towards the two boys. “They wouldn’t know what colour was if it hit them upside the head.” She knocks on her own head for dramatic effect, then chuckles and shakes her head. “Part of what I hated about Darkveil; everyone wears dark colours there. Not for me.” She looks towards the entrance, ensuring no one else has entered, before nodding towards the lobby. “I think you’ll probably be fine; but if you want to look around anyways, now’s the time to do it. Miss Rika’s a fine tailor; one of the best on the Island.”

Caedes, meanwhile, is trying on a red cloak over his usual outfit, not bothering to use the dressing room at all.

He can pretty much feel Yumi rolling her eyes.

"Somehow I think saying he looks like living death is a compliment to him." Gerhart chuckles watching Yumi and Caedes interaction. He smiles as he is handed a shirt. "I don't know anything about noble, my dad just has a big duster that's kind of a lavender shade and I always liked that, but we are far from nobles that's for sure."

The young adventurer excuses himself to get changed, test how it feels, doing a little shadow boxing in the mirror just to make sure it's going to move fluidly enough with his body and fighting style. Satisfied, he would rejoin the others with a grin.

"I think this will work well, thank you so much!" He takes a moment to readjust his armor and weapons to the new clothing, picking out a little shoulder cape to go with it to complete the outfit. "There! I probably look a lot more suitable to adventure and much less of a little urchin."

Vasilia nodded and then when to look at the various footwear on offer and finer things. She always admired the intricate details of cloths. It was not something she had in her skill set, but she could admire it. It seemed they were almost ready to vacate the store and get on with what they were after. 

Vasilia then came up behind Caedes looking bemused at the red cloak. She put her hand on his shoulder and motioned him towards the mirror. "I like the living death look personally...but I must say, red suits you well" she said putting her hand on her waist. She looked at the two of them, imagining what they would find at the end of this quest.