Retainer Ad-Venture Contest (EU) - Entry Thread

[yazpanda]

Ivoryrose, or Ivy for short, was finally ready to take on tougher 18 hour mining ventures. She took her pay, politely said her farewells, and wandered off in deep thought towards Western Thanalan.

A few weeks ago Ivy had heard whispers at the Miners’ Guild about a cart which magically followed its owner. However, as she was only there to purchase some ore rather than gather it for that particular venture, she didn’t stick around long enough to hear more. But now the time had come to seek out the truth for herself, and she believed it was hidden in the Copperbell Mines.

With this cart Ivy planned to outshine her fellow retainers who had brought Yazi back useless things like overweight cats and tiny yetis, but which she for some reason adored. Ivy instead wanted to acquire mountains of precious ore, which in her eyes were far more valuable, especially in gil!

“Argh! Curse the Tw-“

Ivy wasn’t paying attention, so caught up with gil signs for eyes, she’d literally stumbled into the mines. But before she could gather her bearings she saw movement ahead. She quickly jumped to her feet and hid behind the nearest boulder, peeking around the side for a better look.

In the distance was a light, casting several moving shadows. There were too many to determine individual shapes, but they all seemed very short.

“Lalafells, perhaps? They couldn’t be Hyur children, those rumours were debunked, right? Or… No, please don’t be spriggans!”

As these thoughts rushed through her mind, her eyes caught a glint. It took her a moment to register what she was seeing, but there it was, a cart moving of its own accord and without rails! It was another moment before she realised just how small it was.

“Surely the light is playing tricks with my eyes? Why, that’s practically miniature!”

She must have said that last part too loudly because suddenly she heard rustling and grumbles coming towards her. Without another thought or glance towards the approaching silhouettes, she ran as fast as she could towards the cart, grabbed it, ran back out of the mines and hid behind the beams of the entrance. And then there wasn’t another sound, from her or the miners, for what felt like an age.

When she thought it was safe, she quickly set back to Ul’dah. Although there was still a few hours left before she expected to be summoned, Ivy was exhausted and had lost a lot of motivation from the disappointment of such a small cart, so decided to rent a room at The Hourglass for the remainder of the night.

When the inevitable ring of the summoning bell came, Ivy put on her best smile and decided to just hand over the miniature minecart so she didn’t appear empty handed. To her surprise and relief, her employer loved it.

As Ivy departed on her next venture, she spotted Yazi running in circles, laughing joyfully as the cart followed behind her.



Words: 500

Character Name: Yazi Fairhammer
World: Cerberus
Prize Choice: Ahriman Choker

[Baeroth]

After receiving her glimmering venture coin, Olivestra decided enough was enough. She didn't want to spend another hour scouting Thanalan to only come back with a rusty spear, she wanted to earn her venture.
She sat down on the warm pathway of The Goblet, devised a plan and disembarked to Zahar'ak! With Grimoire in one hand and a charged Ruin in the other, she made quick work of the guards at the gate and began her trail of righteous fury throughout the complex. No matter whether the onslaught came at her through flame, spear or fist, she successfully smote the accursed Amalj’aa and fought her way to the heart of their hearth, the Bowl of Embers.
There, she bore witness to a truly frightful sight to behold; the rebirth of a Primal. Looking on with awe and sadness, she saw the tempered lay down their lives as sacrifice to call forth the mighty Ifrit. Emerging from a firey cocoon, he looked around for the danger to his kin that had been the reason for being pulled from the void, and laid eyes on one rather petrified Hyur.
Knowing her only options were to fight or flee, she wouldn’t let the monstrosity before her make her quest a wasted one. She chose to fight with all she had, and called forth from the aether her trusty carbuncle to stand by her side. As quick as a flash, Ifrit darted toward her, reaching out with his claws, like talons preparing to tear through their meaty prey. She sent her carbuncle to intercept while bombarding the primal with curses and poisons to fog its mind and damage its body. The carbuncle defended her as best it could, but after a swift slice by the peccable primal, it fell to the floor and faded back into the aether. Saddened and angered by the loss of her companion, Olivestra unleashed a fury unknown to even Ifrit, and began casting a spell that would obliterate the primal once and for all.
She could feel the heat of her surroundings as she attempted to concentrate, the hot stones on the back of her legs, burning away at her skin. But she wasn’t touching any stones, or so she thought. She blinked, she stretched and she realised that off, outside of The Goblet from which she decided to ‘plan’ her venture, albeit while asleep, her master was requesting the results of her heroic escapade.
Realising the only thing she had manage to accumulate in the past 59 minutes was sunburn and drool, she ran to the nearest vendor and purchased all she could afford with the gil she had. No matter how she turned her head, the jellyfish cnida would never glisten the way a flame imbued greatsword would.

Shyly handing over her seemingly pitiful prize, she got exactly what she expected, a warm pat on the head, another shiny venture coin and a request that she at least tries to, if possible, not fall asleep this time.



Character Name: Baeroth Foehammer
Server: Cerberus
Item: Ahriman Choker