Headed by a Snake

"I don't like it," Bannok glared at Tycondrius, who sat across from him at the planning table.

⟬ Bannok, Gold-Rank Human Weaponmaster. Guild Brazen Guard. ⟭

"I gathered, Brother-Bannok," Tycon nodded. "As the name of the dungeon is the 'Halls of the Dead Serpent', I'd imagined you would not enjoy being here."

"I was talkin' about your banner, guy!" Bannok scowled. "It's got a snake on it. I hate it!"

Tycon glanced over at his left shoulder plate, the one painted with the Guild Letalis snake skull... but he had a perfect excuse, prepared for the human's suspicion, "Ah, this? Well, Brother-Bannok, a dead snake has a much different meaning than a living one."

"Makes sense!" Ariadne clapped her hands together, "Husband, be nice! You know that Mister Tactician don't mean no harm!"

⟬ Ariadne, Gold-Rank Elven Priestess. Guild Brazen Guard. ⟭

Ariadne... or Aria, as she preferred to be called, was a powerful Priestess and the wife of Bannok of Kasydon. Her dyed blonde hair and white rune tattoos clashed against her bronze skin-- apparently an accepted cultural style in the Eastern States.

Her style of speaking was... influenced by her upbringing in that area. Tycon tried to decipher what exactly she had said... It sounded... positive? But the words she used...

"We all know how much you prefer yer snakes dead rather 'an alive and kickin'!" Ariadne rolled her eyes before turning sharply and complaining in her charming drawl, "Say somethin', Fel!"

The reticent hooded elf, Felinus, was rubbing conditioner onto his leather arm-guards. He glanced over to the war table, "Snakes have no legs, Sapling, therefore cannot kick."

⟬ Felinus, Gold-Rank Elven Hunter. Guild Brazen Guard. ⟭

Admittedly, Tycon was thinking the same thing.

"SOMETHIN'. ELSE. FEL!!" The Priestess scolded.

"Very well," Felinus returned his attention to his maintenance... "Bannok, I advise you to have faith in our Tactician."

Bannok rolled his eyes and rubbed at his bald head, "Not you too..."

Athena shyly picked at another of Aria's cupcakes, a guilty look in her eyes... "Um... I... I chose the final design. It's sorta my fault?"

The young girl bowed her head, "I'm sorry, Mister B."

⟬ Athena Vanzano, Iron-Rank Frostblade. Guild Letalis Serpentia. ⟭

Bannok swayed back as if he'd been physically struck, "Alright, alright. It's fine. Stop apologizing, all of you's."

Tycon did not apologize but chose not to call attention to that fact.

"The Tactician did not apologize," Felinus said aloud.

Tycon sighed, unsurprised by the elf's sudden, but inevitable betrayal.

"Whatever, ughhh," Bannok groaned. "So tell me about your guild, then? I hope you guyses are worth as much as your fancy black armor."

"He's just jealous," Ariadne teased.

"W-we have extra sets..." Athena offered.

"Ahem," Tycon cleared his throat. "We technically have two armored classes, a Raging Flame Knight and a Heavy Gunner... as well as a half-dozen heavy-damage ranged classes."

Bannok whistled... "A Raging Flame Knight... never heard of that. Is it a Knight subclass?"

Tycon frowned... "I believe it stems from the Berserker class."

The bald Weaponmaster blinked... "That's... terrifying, almost... So they'll be part of my close-combat line... What rank is he?"

"Gold. And Korr is female, though she will be wearing her full helmet to avoid discrimination."

"Oh, I can't wait to meet her!!" Aria giggled. "Have another cupcake, little one."

"Korr is really nice! Kinda quiet, though? But she's really pretty," Athena explained between nibbles of the baked goods Ariadne had provided. "These are really delicious, Ari!"

Though Tycon did not particularly enjoy eating sweets, their scent was pleasant.

Banana? ...How did Ariadne manage to get bananas in the Holy Country?

Tycon addressed Felinus. The Elven Hunter was responsible for coordination amongst the ranged classes in combat, "Our gunners are trained to move and shoot as well as archers. Will you accept them under your command?"

Felinus pursed his lips as he stared at one of the tent walls... "I do not like the smell of guns and cannons... but yes, if they are prepared to follow orders, I should have no issue with them."

Tycon frowned but nodded. The Hunter would expect the sweet smell of burnt Orcish Sugar, but he would instead sense the discharge of volatile evocation magic. If he'd had any prior dealings with Bael Turath-- which was likely, due to his age... then he'd identify the source immediately. While Khyber Crystals were not inherently good or evil, Felinus would have questions that Tycon would have to answer eventually.

"Ooh, ooh!" Athena wiggled in glee, "We have Sorina, too! She's amazing!"

"Oh! What class is she?" Ariadne asked, tapping her paper fan to her chin.

Tycon smirked, leaning forward on the table, "My Quartermaster, Sorina Capulet, is a Calculator."

Bannok raised his eyebrows, more surprised that Guild Letalis had a Calculator than a Gold-Rank... "How good we talkin'?"

"Bronze-Rank, but she has developed the ⌈Parse⌋ skill."

⌈Parse⌋ was one of the most powerful skills in the Realm... but as rare as it was, it was only valued by military leaders. With Bannok as a retired Pilus Prior, he would not take one lightly.

Sorina's skill could judge both the strength and effectiveness of anyone she observed in combat. With the information provided, she could identify efficacy flaws that could then be corrected by training.

Sorina could calculate a percentage determining whether or not an adventurer was performing to the best of their abilities. If she declared that an Iron-Rank Fighter performed in the lower 20% of all Iron-Rank Fighters or a low 10% of all close-combat classes... then that person was better off performing guard duty than in the front lines. Conversely, the men and women that performed at the *top* 20% would be best protected and nurtured by the Brazen Guard.

Doubting a Calculator's judgments would lead to nothing but embarrassment. Their ability analyzed nearly everything in combat... amount of time spent not attacking, taking injury, relative stamina and mana usage, willpower...

Such things were quantified into numbers... numbers that she could provide at a moment's notice. Numbers could not lie... and neither could Sorina, while her skill was active.

How it worked was beyond Tycon or anyone, but the Calculator class and its ⌈Parse⌋ skill was beholden to the indisputable Laws that governed the Realm.

Bannok snorted, "I like it. No one's slackin' off, this sun. Else they'll find my foot in their arse."