Having finished up with his training back in Frost Gale not all that long ago, Rinn had set out across Charon in hopes of finding his next lesson in unarmed combat. Up to this point, there hadn't been all that many brawls that he had been apart of. Aside from those that were exhibited by wildlife, there simply weren't any to be had! Even when he had tried to throw hands with a few of the monstrosities that he had encountered, they had found themselves either too preoccupied to interact with him or simply didn't believe that he could pose any sort of threat to him. In all honesty, it was a bit embarrassing.

Hoping to wash away those sorrows, Rinn had decided to head out to one of the few bars that he had heard about, back when he still lived in Moonglade. According to some of the adventurers that had passed through, there had been a nifty little tavern within Lilicors Village that had caught the fancy of a few people. It was thanks to this rumor that the Moon Elf had currently found himself here. At present he had been sitting atop of a shoddy wooden stool that was placed directly beside the bar counter. In his silvered left skeletal hand had been a bowl of roasted and seasoned Swampkin seeds and in his right had been a mug of ale. Not very good ale, if he were to be honest with himself. All in all, Rinn had successfully been managing to pass the time without any real issue.

Of course things wouldn't always remain as peaceful as some might have hoped. As Rinn had sat at the counter and feasted upon these Swampkin seeds, only taking a few sips of his ale from time to time, a fight had run out across the tavern itself. One of the wait staff had accidentally spilled a mug of ale upon one of the patrons after having tripped on a piece of wood that stood a few inches above the rest. This had led to the rather plastered patron to grab the waiter by his shirt before hurling him a few feet away. A few of the less drunk individuals within the tavern had attempted to dissuade the plastered patron but this had only led to a small brawl breaking out between them all.

As all of this was going on, Rinn would allow for his gaze to run over the waiter that had been tossed a few feet away from him. From what he could tell, the man was likely to make it out of this situation with nothing more than a few bruises. If it hadn't been for those other drunkards that threw themselves into the situation, this waiters condition might have been much worse. Once Rinn had come to notice the state of the man beside him, of course, he would come to return his gaze back towards the brawl that was happening a few feet away. Should he join in and put an end to it? A large part of him had strongly wanted to do so. So much so that the Moon Elf could feel his blood boiling. The only reason that he hadn't was simple.. He didn't wish to get kicked out of the tavern when he hadn't done anything yet. A heavy emphasis on that yet.

Tatalia stared down at her spilled bowl of pot soup with a quiet anger.

Sure, "pot soup" wasn't the most inventive of names. It was so named because Tiny Two Toes simply had a pot that always had something cooking inside it, a massive cauldron he kept filled to the brim with hot soup. Whenever the soup started running low, Tiny Two Toes would simply add more ingredients to it, and he wasn't picky about what he threw in. Water, juice, ale, meat, vegetables, roots, berries, mushrooms, bugs, worms, herbs, fish bits... it really didn't matter. The pot had to stay full, and it had to keep boiling. It meant that the pot soup never tasted quite the same as the last time you had it, that it was always a surprise, and that if you didn't have a strong stomach you'd be puking your guts out in five seconds flat.

Tatalia loved the pot soup. She loved the surprising flavors it could pack. That was why she was so livid when some ignoramus stumbled into her table while he was brawling with other patrons, spilling Tatalia's wonderful, bug filled soup all over the floor. The wooden bowl clattered and spinned in place like a sad top before slowly buzzing to a flat stop.

Tatalia set her spoon down. She took a deep breath. When the goblin opened her eyes a second later the fire of vengeance was burning within her.

The big lizardman that had bumped into Tatalia's table was putting a brawny half-orc into a choke hold when the little goblin leapt up into the air¹ and came crashing down on him from behind with an elbow drop to the back of his head. She wasn't a very skilled unarmed combatant, nor was she the strongest person in the room; however, Tatalia knew exactly where to hit people from behind.² The brawny reptilian fell forward and atop his orc-blooded opponent with a dazed look on his face, his jaw bouncing off the uneven planks of the floor.

"Hey! What're you doin', pipsqueak?!" snarled a barbarian man from nearby. He'd just seen his lizard companion get knocked out, and he was not happy about it.

"Avenging my soup!" retorted the goblin with a wry grin.

The brutish man didn't like that answer. He grabbed a bottle from nearby and rushed at the little goblin, but she dipped her hands into a pouch at her side and grabbed a handful of soft powder between her fingers. With one quick motion, Tatalia hurled the powder at the man's face. It popped and hissed, bursting in a series of bright flashes of light that blinded the man and threw him off-balance.³

The now very enthusiastic goblin then leapt up onto the man's back and started smacking him repeatedly in the back of his head with many repeated, sloppily thrown punches. She didn't hurt him much, but he struggled vainly to so much as touch the goblin clinging to his back with her feet. She just couldn't be shaken off, and she couldn't be grabbed! Honestly, it was a comical thing to see.

Honestly, brawling was just another form of conversation for the people of Lilicors village.

---

_{1. Hoppers; 2. Backstab; 3. Flash Powder}

As the brawl before him had continued to grow all the more hectic, Rinn would set aside his mug of ale and his small bowl of Swampkin seeds. It was clear that things were going to continue to grow out of hand if he hadn't stepped in. It honestly wasn't even something that he was all that concerned about in the earlier stages but once that barbarian man had grabbed a bottle and rushed off towards the small goblin woman, Rinn had felt as though it was about time to step in. Of course, he hadn't quite been expecting the goblins quickened reaction, so by the time he had stood up, he could only tilt his head off in interest.

If he hadn't already stood from his stool, Rinn would likely have just left the situation alone. Especially now that the goblin had taken control of things. Given that they pushed him to the point of standing though, the Moon Elf could do nothing more than sigh, a bright smile on his face as he had done so, before proceeding to approach the small group. And once he had found himself closing in on the distracted and blinded barbarian? He would simply reel back one of his silvered skeletal fists before throwing it directly towards the mans gut. This was enough to cause the man to tumble backwards a bit, hitting one of the tables. Thankfully it wasn't dangerous enough of a situation to result in the goblin being crushed beneath the mans weight. After all, he hadn't quite fallen yet.

"You know.. If there's going to be a fight, we should really take this whole thing outside." Despite having joined in the situation late, Rinn could feel his blood boiling away at the thought of combat. If it wasn't for the fact that he didn't wish to cause any further problems for the innkeeper, he would have attempted to put a mans head through a table by now. That was still a possibility of course. There was no real telling how the goblin would react at this point. She already effectively took down two others. What was to stop her from lashing out at him as well? "After this, I'll even get us all a round of that soup," he teased whilst glancing towards the small goblin.

Tatalia had to admit, there was something very impressive about the way the elf struck the barbarian's stomach. It wasn't that he applied some magnificent amount of force, because he didn't. No, it was about how controlled that force was, how focused the warrior was, and how precisely he struck the man's chest. There wasn't enough power to do serious damage, but there was stopping power in that strike. The elf was clearly an expert in matters of pugilism, and it showed.

Of course, there was also the fact that the elf had a very fancy bone arm covered in silver. That absolutely caught Tatalia's attention!

The little goblin scrapper had to cling on a little more tightly as the big barbarian was knocked back by the brawler's punch. She wound up leaping off at the last second, preferring to avoid having her back slammed into walls against her will. She landed on the floor in a three point stance, then hopped back and found herself standing next to the elf. Tatalia quickly decided she was on his side.

"I appreciate the soup, but don't worry about taking this outside!" the goblin answered cheerily. "The inn's designed around bar brawls, and it's customary for the losers of a scuffle to pay for any damages to the inn! It adds quite lively stakes to every fight!

"So, what say you go high and I go low?" Tatalia suggested, grinning up at the elf beside her. There was a wild twinkle in her eye; she clearly was enjoying the scrap. She lowered herself into a fighting stance and licked her lips.

The goblin didn't wait long for an answer. She just assumed the elf was going to cooperate.

Tatalia darted forward, swiping an empty bowl off a nearby table before hurling it at the barbarian's face like a throwing disk. He was able to catch it, but the act threw him just enough off his guard for the goblin to slip between his legs... and then shoot some webs¹ out from her wrist at his foot! She swept the poor man off his feet with a quick, sharp tug, leaving him prone and open to attack!

---

_{1. Spider Silk Tattoo}

"Oh?~" To hear that these were the rules of the bar.. If true than this was a place that Rinn would have to frequent. He loved the act of fighting and had firmer beliefs in himself than most might have. If those that lost the fight were truly the ones that would have to foot the bill for any damages than well.. He might as well give in to his baser instincts and join the fray! "In that case than count me in..!"

A look of relief and a deep-seeded hunger could be found within the Moon Elf's eyes at this point, a wide smile splitting across his features as he rushed after his newfound goblin companion. As she had slid through the barbarians legs, spinning a web and lobbing it towards the direction of the barbarians feet, Rinn would rush towards the man, his intentions of bringing down the barbarian clear to all that had been watching. In the next instant, as the barbarian had found himself locked in place before being thrown to the ground. Now prone, the barbarian had been a prime target for Rinn's efforts. Wanting to make the most of this, Rinn would slide against the ground until he was perfectly over the barbarian.

Effectively mounting the burly man, Rinn would interlock his Durabone legs with the mans own, holding him in place and preventing him from moving. As this had happened, Rinn would start to throw jab after jab towards the mans face. Each strike had been straight and narrow, almost embodying perfection when it had come to the throw. With each instance of the Moon Elf's silvered fists colliding with the barbarians maw, the man beneath him had grown closer to a state of unconsciousness. If it wasn't for the fact that he needed this man to pay for the damages, Rinn would likely have followed through with the act until the barbarian had either given in or fallen into that aforementioned state.

"Come on now.. You can't be done so early, can you? I was expecting more of a fight.. Guess that's what I get for taking on an inebriated target." A soft sigh would escape the Moon Elf's lips as his vision had turned towards the goblin herself. "I guess that that's that, yeah? We make a pretty good team." He couldn't help but laugh at this point, that crazed battle hungry look now fading from his eyes. "Guess that means that we should get to know one another." Rinn would proceed to offer the goblin a playful wink before rising from the barbarians body. "They call me Rinn. And yourself?"

Tatalia had to admit, the fist fighter had good form. She didn't even really have to get involved once the big barbarian was on the ground. He brutalized the poor warrior with his silvery fists until the big fellow surrendered and admitted defeat.

Of course, Tatalia had never been much of a fighter, herself. Her specialty always lied in subterfuge. Maybe having a brawny friend wouldn't be so bad? She hadn't had such company in a while...

"Well, Rinn," the goblin answered, firing a sharp toothed grin up at the elf, "my name is Tatalia! Scholar, historian, archaelogist, and explorer extraordinaire! At your service!"

Perhaps she was chewing the scenery just a little bit, but Tatalia didn't really care. She loved first impressions! She bowed with practiced, poised form more befitting a noble's court than some bar in the swamp, and certainly not befitting a goblin at all. Then the cheeky little adventurer popped right back up to a proud stance, her chest puffed with pride as she laid her wrist over her short sword's pommel in a relaxed position.

"I can tell you're a fellow adventurer... if only because you're not exactly the standard fare of persons to dwell in the Marsh! Are you heading anywhere in particular?" the goblin asked curiously, pulling up a seat at the bar next to where the elf had been sitting earlier. "And were you serious about that soup? I could use a fresh bowl right about now!

"I'm also curious as to how you came to be so peculiarly equipped with bony protrusions in place of flesh-and-blood limbs. Is that... something you would permit discussion of?" Tatalia raised a concerned eyebrow up at the man, quickly adding, "If it's a private or touchy matter then I will not press, of course. I just can't help but find myself curious as to what manner of circumstances leads someone to developing the particular look that you do."

"Tatalia, huh? Now that's certainly an interesting name~ And to have such engrossing titles! I must say-," he would go on to say whilst performing a deep, playful bow for the goblin, in response to her own. "-you've certainly got my attention!" Of course, unlike Tatalia's own, Rinn's had been a far cry from an actual bow that one would perform for an individual of noble standing. It was simply too unrefined to hold any real power. Whether this was intentional or not, he quite simply wouldn't reveal.

"As for the answers to your questions? Well, first and foremost, of course I was serious about that soup. What better a thing to get to know one another over other than soup?~" A sharp laugh would bellow forth from the mans lips at this point as he took a seat beside the goblin, ignoring those that he had just beat up, and turning his attention towards the barkeep. He had offered the barkeep a bright smile and a soft nod, indicating that they should indeed bring over some soup in accordance to his desires. "As for my current aspirations and obligations? I suppose that one could consider me to be an adventurer. There's no real destination in my mind at the moment though. I'm simply going wherever I can to grow. Feel as though it's best to know ones self before settling down for good, y'know?"

After a moment of waiting, the barkeep would eventually come back with a pair of bowls with soup inside. Each of these bowls would be sat before the two, the barkeep heading off to do business with the other patrons at this point and time. Rinn would take the time to thank the man for a moment before turning his gaze back down towards his skeletal arms. "One thing that you need to know about me, Tatalia, is that I'm more or less an open book. Any questions you have, no matter how deep and profound, will likely be answered by me. Even the pervasive ones that would leave most uncomfortable." A soft shrug would be offered to the goblin as he decided to taste some of the soup. To his surprise, it was actually rather decent. "These skeletal implements of mine of actually something known as Durabone. It's a graft that more or less replaces one of your limbs with these exceedingly durable bones. In my case, the procedure was a bit more complicated. The shaman actively did something with the marrow of my bones, ultimately resulting in my bones growing into this Durabone and pushing away the flesh. Both my arms and my legs are like this. Of course I can really only say that my arms are silvered at the moment. That, in and of itself, was a separate procedure."

Tatalia was never one to say no to the pot soup. It was the one thing that kept bringing her back to the inn despite... well, everything else. And, okay, it was a good place to meet people, and she sometimes heard some very interesting rumors, but... most everything else about the inn made her own bed beckon to her loudly.

But the soup was worth it! The silver fisted stranger was true to his word, and Tatalia was happily slurping down the wild mixture and growing a very happy goblin gut. She set her half-finished bowl down on the counter, stopping to give the elvish man's story a proper listen.

"Even an adventurer must have a real goal in mind!" Tatalia countered, folding her arms over her chest. She leaned on back on her stool and folded one leg over the other, eyeing the pugilist curiously. "Mister Rinn, surely you've got some destination or goal in mind! Are you out to become the greatest warrior? Is there a particular feat you'd like to accomplish? Revenge for an old master?"

Tatalia was really just listing off ideas she'd gotten from stories. They seemed fair guesses to her.

"I mean, for example, you must have had a very good reason to replace your limbs with bony exteriors!" the goblin exclaimed, her eyebrows shooting upward. "Goodness, I can't imagine doing that to myself! It's a bit extreme, isn't it? Which tells me you have a reason, which tells me you have a goal. So pray tell, Mr. Open Book... what would drive a man like yourself to transmute half his body into bone and metal?"

"Hmm..." While it was true that he hadn't exactly answered her question, he hadn't realized just how much he hadn't done so. He didn't have a physical destination in mind. This was the most accurate. But a goal? He definitely had one of those. "Ah, I misunderstood what you were asking. My apologies. I indeed have a goal in mind..! In addition to getting to know myself, before I ultimately settle down for the good life, I'm hoping to traverse the world and test my battle proficiency. With each failure, I only grow. Hence why I am so frequently finding myself involved in fights. Just.. Different ones that the one that just took place here."

Taking a moment to playfully nudge Tatalia's arm with his elbow, Rinn would take the moment to use his other hand to feed himself a bit more of the soup. After a delightful slurp, he would respond to her in kind. "The kinds of battles that I intend on having, before settling down, aren't likely to be easy ones. No matter how powerful I may become, in the future, it'll all come to an end if I find myself broken before reaching my end goal. This is why I invested into the Durabone surgery. The same could be said for the silvered aspects of my fists. When it comes to battling against monsters of beings of an evil nature, my fists are about as effective as those with the holy element."

His gaze would soon wander away from his bowl and back towards Tatalia, settling in on her fully as his body swiveled around with him. "This isn't even as far as I'm willing to go. By the end of my journey, I'm sure that I'll be chock full of grafts. It might be difficult to note but I also have a gland within me that prevents me from feeling the effects of the cold. All in all, with enough time, I'll be the closest thing to a perfected being. Physically anyways. There's no perfection without faults after all."

Figuring that he might as well turn the tables on her, Rinn would lean down a bit towards Tatalia, his smile growing all the wider for a moment. "And how about yourself? What is it that sent you out into the world? A vested interest in knowledge isn't all it takes to achieve what you have after all. Scholar, Historian, Archaeologist, and Explorer. There must be something that drives you to such lengths~ Do you mind sharing it with me? I'll understand if not, of course. The same way that I could understand if you chased me away with my next offer. That being my offer to stand by your side in the event that you delve too deeply into trouble. I'm always looking to make new friends~ And friends that traverse the world in search of a truth.. Well those are the best kinds of friends to have!"

Tatalia couldn't help but boggle a little bit at one of the elf's answers. Up went her inquisitive eyebrow and she leaned on back in her seat with a curious smile.

"Then you seek battle for battle's sake?" marveled the goblin, her yellow eyes glowing beneath the shadows of her hair. "Interesting! I have known many a thrill seeker and am absolutely one myself, but there aren't many fighters I know whose goal is the fight. Your passion must be particularly raw!"

It was true, too. Tatalia had met many adventurers over the course of her travels, but she couldn't remember a single one whose purpose for their journeys was purely to fight. No, fighting was usually a means to an end, a way of achieving some goal. For some it was even the last resort, the thing they would not do unless absolutely necessary. Tatalia herself often straddled the fence that cordoned off that last camp, more than eager for action but never wanting to take a life she didn't have to... and she'd taken a few too many already.

That last and most uncomfortable thought took Tatalia out of the conversation for just a few seconds. She snapped back to attention and had to remember what the elf had been saying just moments before. Ah, his - his own question! For her!

"Well, I'm out in the world because out here is where real historical significance is found!" replied Tatalia, grinning and leaning forward in her seat. She moved so quickly that the chair scraped audibly against the wood, and her eyes returned to their normal look as soon as they were out of the shadows. "It's all very political in nature in the end, and I'm not sure that you're interested in that, but..."

The goblin scooched her seat a little closer to the elf, glancing around briefly to make sure nobody was watching. She lowered her voice.

"Suffice it to say there are enough discrepancies in the official history of Charon to leave one wondering how many lies are woven into the texts," Tatalia mused, casting another sharp toothed grin up at Rinn. "The accepted narratives are far from kind to peoples such as my own, and I hope my research will poke holes in those frankly abusive narratives and help us achieve a more perfect understanding of the events that occurred in the past."

The goblin leaned away again, folding her arms behind her neck and stretching her feet out.

"Mm! Anyway, that's my chief reason," the goblin continued at her normal volume. "My other reasons include, well... just the fact that history and stories have always been my favorite topic! How can I resist the call of adventure when all the best stories are about discovery and exploration? Plus, all the best research is field research! I would scarcely have gained even half the knowledge I have if I stayed inside some stuffy old library with my nose stuffed in books!"

The goblin laughed heartily, then started lapping up more of her soup. She was enjoying the conversation, though she didn't say everything there was to say about her goals. In the dim light of the inn and in the company of an elf who might not even share her ideals, well... It wasn't safe to share the totality of her dreams in such circumstances. No, just a taste was enough.

Rinn's smile would grow all the wider as Tatalia had finally understood where he was coming from. While he was rather good at charming his way through various situations, he wasn't exactly the best at expressing his own feelings on certain matters. His drive to fight having been one of those situations, unfortunately. No matter how many times he had tried to express these feelings to his father, or to any of the other guards of Eclipse City, they had always just thought that he was some kind of strange battle junkie. It was more than that though.. Thankfully someone had come to understand him.

Once the goblin had begun to speak on her own reason for traversing the lands, Rinn's appreciation for her had only grown. Her goal was an admirable one and quite frankly one that he could agree with. There were far too many things that were supposedly hidden from them. Even those that were more favored amongst the world had found such hidden truths only later on. A perfect example of this would be the situation with Vulcadreaus and Scern. While Rinn didn't really know all that much about either situation, he had come to understand that these were things that were being kept from the general public. Whether those in higher ranks had known about it was unknown to him. But for the truths of the world to be exposed to everyone, and not just a select few... Well that was something that Rinn could get behind.

"You know something, Tatalia? I find myself quite enjoying the way that you think." So as to keep her desires on the downlow, Rinn had chosen to be rather open ended about what he had chosen to say. "Based off of what you've told me alone, I'm sure that the two of us could develop quite the rapport. Perhaps in the future, we can achieve what it is that you've set out for." In between his sentences, Rinn was sure to collect a bit more of the soup from within his bowl before pouring it down into his belly. "I know that I've said it already but if you ever need assistance in these endeavors, I'm only a message away. I can imagine that our paths will allow for us to come across one another quite often so.. Just know that I consider you a friend in arms." Rinn would then laugh once more, lightheartedly, before picking up the bowl of soup and simply downing the rest of it in its entirety. Afterwards his belly had become a bit more round but this much could be worked off through training.

"A friend in arms? Well, I hardly think I've earned the right to call you friend just yet!" Tatalia replied. She slurped up the last of her soup, then set her bowl down and grinned up at Rinn with a sideways glance. "Unless, of course, maybe I can help you find a fight worth fighting? Then you'll have a good excuse to help me with my future endeavors!"

The goblin reached for the satchel hanging at her waist and pulled out a map of the region. She held it out for the elf to inspect.

"Why don't you tell me what sort of monsters you're looking to fight?" she asked the man seriously. "While I don't endorse hunting for sport, I do endorse fighting beasts that threaten people's lives and livelihoods. And it so happens the Marsh Flats are full of such things! Displacer beasts, trolls, giant spiders... You even get the occasional baloth wandering in from King's Valley!"

Tatalia gestured at the map as she spoke, pointing at different locations on it where one was likely to find the different sort of dangers. She flicked a glance now and then at the elf's face, trying to gauge what seemed to pique his interest most. In the end, though, she set the map on the table and fiddled idly with the earring she wore in her left ear.

"What I'm trying to say is: if there's a particular sort of fight you're trying to get into, I can help you find it. So..."

Tatalia leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. She grinned yet again.

"How can I be of service, Mr. Rinn?"

Tatalia certainly had a point. While they might have thrown themselves into a bit of a bar brawl with a couple of drunkards, that could hardly be considered a fight. Especially when one considered how quickly the pair had dealt with these drunkards. "Hm.." Taking a moment to look over the map that the goblin had displayed for him, Rinn would think on how best to answer. Much like she had suggested, or at least endorsed, Rinn had been hoping to take on a creature that was more or less causing problems for the locals. If he were to take on such a creature than he would feel far less guilty after pummeling it into the ground.

"While all of those creatures sound like they'd be quite entertaining to throw myself against.. I think I'm aiming for something more along the lines of physical strength.." As his eyes had continued to roam over the map presented to him, Rinn would rummage around throughout his mind, hoping to recall what sort of creatures had been within the area. His father had allowed for him to read the town bestiary long ago but that didn't exactly help with things outside of the Moonglade region. Just what would suit his needs..?

After a short while of thinking, a thought would appear within the Moon Elf's mind, in addition to a toothy grin replacing the smile that sat upon his lips. For the briefest of moments, Tatalia could very likely note the battle intrigue that welled within the Moon Elf, his heart having been set aflame as a thought settled within his mind. "How about takin' on a Rune Bear? I hear that they're resistant to magic and are known to prey upon both animals and people alike." If not that then another had settled within his mind as well, albeit one that he felt less excited about. "There's also the Giant Spiders that are supposedly roaming about in Moonglade at the moment. From what I hear, they are stirring up a storm in the Shadewood."

Having settled on two possible targets, Rinn would turn his attention back towards Tatalia, his grin only widening as his vision ran along her body, inspecting her for any sort of telltale signs of how she might fight. Calloused hands, a blade or whip at her side. Anything for that matter. "As for how you can be of service? Well that's simple~ Just tag along and be my partner! With the pair of us focusing on things, I'm sure that we can overcome just about any matter."

The interesting thing about assessing Tatalia's fighting capabilities was that it was... hard? Sure, she had a sword sheathed at her side, but it was a fairly small sword; nothing terribly intimidating to say the least. She was lean and athletic, to be sure, but didn't exactly have the musculature of a mighty warrior. And she was a goblin, so she couldn't have been that strong. She did have a wand, but she didn't look like much of a spellcaster, and there wasn't a spellbook visible on her person, though perhaps one was stashed in her backpack.

But if someone knew what to look for, perhaps they'd notice other little details that told them what Tatalia's secret fighting style was. Someone with especially keen eyes could notice the dagger tucked up the sleeve of her shirt if they concentrated hard enough, though that was doubtful. They could note that her clothing was in fairly dark, fairly plain colors; easily forgettable in a crowd. She had tons of little belt pouches, a few different potion bottles, and numerous small tools and odd devices attached to her belt. In short, the goblin just packed a whole array of trinkets and gadgets that would inform those in the know that maybe she was more than just a scholar with a sword. Maybe she was an experienced adventurer whose strength simply wasn't all that obvious.

Not everyone noticed such things, though.

"Oh, I'm quite done with giant spiders, thank you!" replied Tatalia with a laugh, shaking her head at that idea. "Ooo, no. No, I hate spiders! And I've seen more than enough of them for one lifetime!

"A rune bear, though... Rune bears are impressive foes, that's for sure. And they have a tendency to cause those of us who dwell in the Marsh Flats trouble." Tatalia peered up at Rinn then, a clever smile bouncing about her lips. "It would be a good first test of our abilities as a team. Sure! Let's seek out a rune bear. In fact, I heard there's one that's been giving one of the local tribes some trouble. We could probably get a nice, big feast if we managed to take it down! That sounds just a tad better than pot soup, doesn't it?"

Unfortunately for Rinn, there wasn't much that he could pick up about Tatalia's methods of combat. He had been able to pick up on several of the gadgets and gear that she had adorned but they weren't enough to sway him in one direction or another. From what he could tell, Tatalia simply had an incredibly interesting sense of fashion! Given his overall lack of experience outside of his home city, excluding the few adventures that he has had since his departure, Rinn hadn't quite known what to look for. In his eyes, this goblin was nothing more than an interesting scholar whom he hoped to befriend. Outside of the few weapons that she might contain on her person, and the odd webbing that she had displayed earlier, Rinn figured that there wasn't all that much she might have been willing to show him. And that was okay with him. If she ended up in any trouble, after all, he would just have to go out of his way to protect her!

A soft smirk had played out across the Moon Elf's lips as he watched Tatalia's reaction to the Giant Spiders. This was the kind of reaction that he might have expected from a regular person dealing with regular spiders. One could only imagine how grossed out an arachnophobe would be when standing against their giant cousins! "Alright, alright. No Giant Spiders. I'll be sure to take that into consideration when things play out in the future." He would then laugh a bit before returning back to the conversation, the pair now focusing on the topic of Rune Bears instead.

"I like the way that you think..!" Another hearty round of laughter would belt forth from the elf as he thought about what kind of feast the locals would provide to him in return for his assistance when dealing with the Rune Bears. Not only would he be able to get in some decent training for himself but the pair would come to know of how they would function as a team. And of course there was the matter of free food involved! Or, well, free in the event that they completed their task and the tribesman were willing to accommodate them. Rinn wasn't foolish enough to push others for a reward for his own deeds. Especially when not asked to handle the situation by those in need.

"Whenever your ready, and willing, then we should head on out! I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what the pair of us are capable of~ And worst case scenario? We could always add a third to the mix and try again. Perhaps someone along the lines of a dedicated healer." His mind had begun to run back to the stories of heroes that he was told as a child and how their lineup usually consisted of a damage dealer, a tank, and their support. While Rinn could likely fill in two of those roles, given his unique nature, he was curious as to which of the roles Tatalia would fit. "Either way I'm looking forward to spending more time with you."