MERC

Herein lies the various threads in which our characters live out their lives
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MERC

Post by Morty »

MERCENARY ESPIONAGE AND RECONNAISSANCE CORPORATION


The Mercenary Espionage and Reconnaissance Corporation is the most prominent faction of mercenaries and adventurers in this world. Their skills are offered for hire to anyone who can pay. More than that, the Corporation exerts considerable control over the teeming masses of the freelance mercenaries, adventurers, hired weapons and troubleshooters of the chaotic land of the Nexus. They offer licenses that entitle one to discounts, legal protection and job offers... in exchange for a cut of the profits. To that effect, MERC has offices in Inside, Riverside and Skyside. MERC does not appreciate competition, so unlicensed mercenaries operating in these cities are subject to a negative marketing campaign. If one proves troublesome, harsher steps may be taken.

Hiring MERC:
Hiring MERC is as simple as providing any information needed and negotiating appropriate payment. Contracts must gain the approval of a MERC member. If the member thinks the job is too risky, doesn't pay well enough or is otherwise troublesome, they may contact Dipsnig or one of his lieutenants for special approval.

There are two categories of official MERC contracts. MERC Member Contracts, jobs to be carried out exclusively by MERC members, and MERC Licensed Contracts, jobs to be posted publicly for any MERC license holders to complete. Note that MERC refuses to deal with slavers, and will not accept contracts that involve returning slaves to their former owners, or sending them to be enslaved.

Every MERC member and license holder will get a commission for protecting Trog's Tavern and Black Dragon's Den from attacks, attempted robberies, random encounters and other events.

Licenses:
Those unwilling or unable to join MERC full-time can apply for their licenses. Obtaining one is relatively simple, requiring only coming to their main base or one of the offices and filing in their name. A license comes with the following benefits:
  • Discounts in Trog's Tavern, Black Dragon's Den, Erin's Emporium and Azik's Enchantments
  • Protection from dishonest employers.
  • Access to MERC Licensed Constracts.
  • Free medical care by MERC's lieutenant and medical robot, CB.
In exchange for the license, its holder is obliged to pay MERC a cut of their profits.

However, the license may be revoked if the holder breaks MERC's restrictions on jobs or glaringly breaches the organization's professional standards. The first time it happens, the license can be returned for a fee. The second time the fee is higher and the third time, the license is revoked permanently.

Membership Information:
In order to be hired as a full-time member of MERC, one needs to prove their worth either to their leader or one of his lieutenants. Usually, it involves being a mercenary of some skill and professional standards, but the organization is also open to those with other valuable skills, provided they can prove that they'd be useful to the group. Full-time MERC members enjoy the access to MERC-exclusive jobs, and a cut of the profits and influence their control over the mercenary business brings.

Members need to sign an enchanted contract that will alert the leadership in case of following conduct:

1) Working with slavers

2) Working with KABAL

3) Intentionally using lethal force against other members

4) Tampering with MERC security measures

5) Disclosing confidential information, that is to say contracts, passwords and security information outside of MERC.
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Re: MERC

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After some transit and a bit of a roundabout trip, Xun, Olvisin, and the newcomer named Jerick arrive through the front door of the MERC offices. Xun has taken up perching on Jerick's shoulder due to a combination of that being easier to provide directions and a typically feline lack of comprehension of personal space. It's a very professional-looking office with a large desk in the front, which Xun will hop onto to get a visitor's badge.
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Re: MERC

Post by Gold »

Solenoid is in the lobby, leaning against a wall, evidently playing a game on her Nintendo DS. When she sees Olvisin walk in, she closes the handheld, pushes her sun hat up, and walks up to her, Xun and Jerick.

"Hi, Olvisin! Nice to see you! Who're your friends?" she says enthusiastically, smiling brightly at the trio.
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Re: MERC

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"Oh, hi Solenoid. This is Xun, one of our members." Olvisin points to the cat, then points to the gnome. "And this is Jerick. He just wound up in the Nexus. He's visiting, but might join."
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Re: MERC

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Ironsmith;25538936 wrote:[Dena's Office]

After an uncomfortably long amount of time staring at Dena, which is clearly far longer than it takes for the lag between their languages to take effect, Septimus finally gives a full and informative answer.

"...It is a weapon. I use it to fight."

So helpful.

"...Would you like to see me fight?"
[Dena's Office]

Dena suppresses a sigh.
It was like being back in the old country again with language barriers everywhere. Perhaps this guy wouldn't seem so dumb if they could actually understood one another.
"Yes, please. Do you want me to bring someone in here that you could fight against or do you prefer just showing me?"
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Re: MERC

Post by ForTheGnomes »

Jerick looks up at Solenoid and says, "Hello, nice to meet you." He takes a moment to look around. "So, is this a scientific institution? It seems much larger than any guildhall I've ever seen."
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Re: MERC

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"No, it's a mercenary guild," Olvisin replies. "But there's a lot of us, so it has to be sizeable."
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Re: MERC

Post by Gold »

"Nice to meet you too!" Solenoid responds. "And you, of course." she says to Xun, with a playful wink.
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Re: MERC

Post by WarKitty »

Front Office

Mercenaries need a lot of equipment though, and we take contracts for more than just straight defense at times. Xun sniffs Solenoid politely. My personal lab is this way, however. Xun starts heading down a corridor that is rather full of wolves. This might surprise Jerrick. It's unlikely to surprise anyone who's been around the place.
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Re: MERC

Post by ForTheGnomes »

Jerick looks slightly nervous. He asks, "Why are there so many wolves in this hallway?"
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Re: MERC

Post by Ironsmith »

Shadowcaller wrote: Aug 04, 2022 5:35 pm [Dena's Office]

Dena suppresses a sigh.
It was like being back in the old country again with language barriers everywhere. Perhaps this guy wouldn't seem so dumb if they could actually understood one another.
"Yes, please. Do you want me to bring someone in here that you could fight against or do you prefer just showing me?"
[Dena's Office]

"...How would I show you without someone to fight?" The elf blinks incomprehendingly. "That would just be swinging a stick. I can swing a stick, but it would be better if I could fight." Septimus tilts his head at the woman and frowns slightly. "...Do you fight? Do you want me to fight you?"
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Re: MERC

Post by Gold »

Xun might find that Solenoid smells of metal (obviously), air freshener, and satisfaction.
"Hey. If I threw a tennis ball down this corridor, what do you think would happen?" she jokes, as she follows the three.
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Re: MERC

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[Dena's Office]

"I meant if you had some special ability you use in combat that doesn't necessarily- actually nevermind. I'm being too obtuse. Let's see if we can find someone for you to fight." She wasn't going to remark on her late pregnancy as that felt like giving it too much acknowledgement.

"Let me just make a quick phone call." And so she will.
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Re: MERC

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[On the Way to the Labs]

"Those are the boss'." Olvisin shrugs. "He's got a whole wolf pack and uses two of them as mounts. They keep wolves where he's from. Not where I'm from, though, so it's as weird to me as it is to you."
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Re: MERC

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[Dena's Office]

After Dena has made the call, Fayyaad appears in her office. He's dressed in his adventuring outfit, which means a reinforced padded jacket that offers more protection than one would guess at first glance.

"Here I am," he says. Then he looks at the man Dena wants him to fight. Well, well. A lucky day. "I gather there's a test of combat to be undertaken?"
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Re: MERC

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[Dena's Office]

"Hello. It is very nice to meet you." Septimus greets the tiefling, with a little bow. Fayyaad, like everyone else the elf has met so far, may note that his lips continue moving long after sound has stopped coming out of them, and there's an awkward length of time between Fayyaad's arrival and Septimus's introduction of himself.

Dena might note that he has also since "put away" the weapon, releasing his hold on it and letting it fade away into nothing. So he is once again just standing there, unarmed, in a loose, open-front robe that doesn't count as anyone's idea of armor. Not exactly an intimidating foe.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

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Here's to us!
Who's like us?
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And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: MERC

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Dena's Office]

"That's the idea, but you're not going to do it in my office of course. You're going to go to the training room and I'm going to watch you through Violet." Dena gestures at the drone which she had floating in the air besides her desk while waiting on Fayyaad. Apparently she's not even intending to leave her office in this state.

"Any questions on that?" She explained most of it over the phone but there might be a few.
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Re: MERC

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[Dena's Office]

Fayyaad nods.

"My name is Fayyaad ibn-Haashid al-Zafar. But just Fayyaad is fine. A pleasure." Turning back to Dena, he tilts his head slightly. "Everything seems clear enough. I'm to test his fighting skills in a controlled sparring match."
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Re: MERC

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[Dena's Office]

For his part, Septimus zones out of the conversation almost immediately. Instead, he finds himself incurably fascinated by the drone, hesitantly reaching up to poke it and quietly studying its reaction amd movements. The expression on his face somewhat resembles that of a toddler playing with a shape box for the first time.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

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Here's to us!
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And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: MERC

Post by ForTheGnomes »

Jerick replies, "If he uses them as mounts and pets, why doesn't he have a stable or a dedicated room and people to watch over them?"
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Re: MERC

Post by Murkus »

Cantie Banties

Fettina attempts to track down Cantata. Predictably, this probably starts with her finding Cantata's quarters. She will poke her head inside like a 4-year-old looking for her mum.
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Re: MERC

Post by Arkhosia »

[Cantie Banties]

Cantata can be found fairly easily in her quarters. Fettina probably knows the way fairly well by now considering she's lived here for quite a while now - although since her relationship with Fettina has intensified, she's really started to live at her wife's place more often than her own.

At present, Cantata is dressed down surprisingly casually in a black tank top and matching trousers. She has a bandage wrapped around her right arm and is sitting at a desk, leaning back in the chair with her feet on the surface. A long knife is in her hand, and she seems to be checking the blade for nicks and rolls before she realizes Fettina is there. The moment she does, her eyes light up, and she puts the knife down and gets up to greet her. "Hey! I didn't realize you were here today!"
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Re: MERC

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[Dena's Office]

"Please don't touch her, Septimus." Dena remarks in a gentle tone as she eyes him from behind her glasses.
Then she looks to Fayyaad again. "That's correct. So why don't you lead our friend here there and see what he got? You've done this before, just test his skill."
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Re: MERC

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[On the Way to the Labs]

Olvisin shrugs.

"He does, a whole beast pen. But sometimes they're allowed to go out into the base. Don't worry, though, they're harmless." She looks up at Solenoid.
"But I would also discourage throwing balls. I don't think they'd go chasing them, but...."
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Re: MERC

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[Dena's Office ==> Sparring Area]

Fayyaad gives Dena a curt bow.

"Understood. Follow me, please," he tells Septimus. He will lead him through the corridors of the base towards the members' training area. Then he steps into the middle of a mat. "Do your best to hit me with any means you have available. I will use my pyromancy, but weak enough it won't hurt you. Do you have any questions?"
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Re: MERC

Post by Gold »

"Heh, don't worry. I was just kidding." she responds to Olvisin. "But yeah, I've found dogs and wolves who hang around mercenaries are usually pretty chill, since a lot of us - at least where I come from - have been out hunting a few times and know how to treat a canine."
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Re: MERC

Post by WarKitty »

On the Way to the Labs

The fact that the wolves are well trained can probably also be seen in how neatly Xun is able to weave her way down the hall without being bothered by any of them. Cat-chasing is definitely not acceptable behavior. Well I wasn't exactly going to set up shop in the section made for humanoids, now, was I? You all design everything for thumbs. This way please.
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Re: MERC

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[Dena's Office => Sparring Area]

The elf reluctantly withdraws his hand from the drone at Dena's instruction, frowning slightly, visibly disappointed. Darn. It was such an interesting little bauble, too. At least it'll come with them while they go to the sparring area.

Septimus listens intently to Fayyaad's instructions, nodding his comprehension a few more times than necessary. He watches the tiefling curiously for a moment, as though expecting him to do something else, but eventually shrugs it off. "Of course. I am ready."

pmf

Is the sound of fabric hitting the floor as Septimus disrobes, standing starkly nude in front of Fayyaad for, seemingly, no readily available reason. Fortunately for both him and any onlookers (including Dena), the elf lacks a number of attributes normally hidden under clothing; no genitals, no mammaries (functional or otherwise), no umbilical scarring, nothing. Combined with his skin's ivory hue and the strange black markings on it, they both might be able to convince themselves he is simply wearing a form-fitting jumpsuit of some sort.

The elf brings his hands together, once again conjuring a shaft of light from them, holding it in a ready position as he slides into a guarded stance. As he dies so, the slight glow from his skin intensifies, becoming properly luminescent and flashing Fayyaad with a harsh, bright glare.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: MERC

Post by ForTheGnomes »

Jerick says, "So, are we almost at the labs? Are they the kind of labs where its only stuffy experiments with predetermined outcomes or are they the kind of labs where I can actually make some progress?" Jerick sounds as if he prefers a chaotic workshop where no one knows what's going to happen to a lab where experiments are meticulously planned ahead of time.
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Re: MERC

Post by Gullara »

[Little Announcement]

One afternoon on her break Valerie comes over to Leis's cubicle and perches her butt down on her desk. She's been going with a slightly different style recently; more loose tops. Today's no exception with her white top with airy sleeves accompanied by low-rise jeans.

"Hey Leis! Going on break soon?" She asks with the customary smile she greets her friend with.
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