The Demon of the Winds Arrives (Open Intro)

-Silver Wolf Guild Hall, Guild Mistress' office-

Wearing her green-and-gold outfit and Argent Gloves, Leona was reviewing her notebook's worth notes and Professor Rosetta's study packets on the ancient language of Court Heiromesh in preparation for her Expert-level exam on the language. Passing it would mean that she would be officially recognized as one of the few speakers of a long-dead language of Desierto, a feat that appeared to be of questionable value on the surface but one that could open doors for her. Aside from the obvious value of being able to read inscriptions written in Court Heiromesh in the far-flung ruins of Desierto, the skill could also open up the possibility of less risky but more prestigious museum work. But before she could begin dreaming of fortune and glory, she had to pass the Expert-level exam.

That was going to be a tough feat to accomplish because Leona was not a very good student. One of her problems was that she was not of the scholarly mindset required to sit at a desk and pore over notebooks and books and notes on lectures. She had to be out in the field actually doing something related to the language in question like reading an inscription on the wall of a long-forgotten ruin.

Leona would not be doing any of that during the exam. She would be sitting at a table taking a test on the language she had devoted weeks of study to. Or she would be studying if not for her detecting a magic signature nearby... it was another prospective member on the horizon. Leona stood up and left the room, leaving her notebook and study packets scattered across the wooden desk.

-Outside the guild hall-

Leona stood on the front steps of the guild hall looking for the source of the magic signature she had detected and soon saw it. The source was a man dressed in black and violet clothes with a fair bit of armor covering his left shoulder and his heart. The clothing and armor made him stand out among the snow-covered trees and snow-covered ground around the guild hall.
Leona waved to the newcomer from the front step to show him that there was life in the guild hall.

"Yes, you're at the guild hall of Silver Wolf." Leona informed the man who had given his name as Vermilion. He was a polite fellow and a prospective new member of the guild. Perhaps now would be the best time to introduce herself to Vermilion, who did not seem to be familiar with the person he was speaking to. It was not a matter of throwing around fancy titles and basking in adulation. It was a matter of letting him know that he was talking to the right person if he was interested in joining.

Remembering her past experiences, Leona took it slow and introduced herself to him before going any further.

"I'm Leona Jarnefeldt, Guild Mistress of Silver Wolf. It's nice to meet you." Leona introduced herself to him, deliberately using only the title that was most relevant to the situation. He would find out that she was also the Wizard Saint of Courage, but that detail was not quite as important as her status as Guild Mistress. In the meantime, she thought to invite him inside the guild hall to continue their conversation.

"Would you like to come inside the guild hall and talk more inside, Vermilion?" Leona offered to Vermilion. She did not want to make him stand outside like he was unwanted. However, if he wanted to stand outside to continue the conversation, she would not stop him from doing so.

-Inside the guild lobby-

Vermilion had chosen to take up Leona on her offer to take the conversation inside the guild hall. Leona was glad that he did because she did not want to look like she was making Vermilion stand outside just because she could. She shut the door behind them and let Vermilion have a bit of time to get out of the cold and check out the guild hall before renewing their conversation. Once the new guy stated that he was interested in joining Silver Wolf, that was her cue to keep the ball rolling.

"We're always accepting new members, Vermilion." Leona truthfully informed the newcomer. Silver Wolf was always on the lookout for new talent to add to its ranks. That willingness to take in new talent, while hardly unique to Silver Wolf, was how Leona got recruited and how many other guild notables like Eero Saarinen, Song Talea, Aspen Azarov, and more got their start in the world of magic. It would soon be time to add Vermilion to the guild ranks... if he truly wished to join the guild, that was.

"Is there anything you'd like to know about the guild before we talk further about you joining?" Leona asked Vermilion amid the glow of candles and the echoes of their footsteps in the lobby. She wanted to give him a chance to ask questions before deciding to commit to Silver Wolf. Joining a guild was a big decision for new mages. Leona should know... she was once in Vermilion's place many months ago.

Vermilion had opted to ask as his first question what magic meant to Leona and by extension Silver Wolf. That was a fair question. She would do her best to give a compelling answer to the new guy, but it would be up to him to make the final decision. She would not force him to join if he did not want to.

"What does magic mean for Silver Wolf?" Leona repeated. That was just a measure to buy time before Leona began her explanation.

"Magic means potential. There's so much we don't know about magic and how it works. And it's not just the magic that mages can use. There's a lot of magical items in the world like weapons and armor... there's still a lot of mystery around how items can be imbued with magical power. One of our missions is to find out how magic works." Leona told Vermilion. She opted to leave out the part about her research on the Aggression Pack because that was a work in progress. It was also sensitive information that did not need to fall into the wrong hands.

"But you don't have to do that if you don't want to. You can work the jobs that catch your attention. Me, I've done some work for the guild by learning an ancient language of Desierto. Knowing that language has gotten me work with the sultan of the Tri-Council City and with an archaeologist from Crocus Magicka University. It's led to interesting avenues of research, not to mention the practical applications of knowing ancient languages." Leona told Vermilion that Silver Wolf offered more options to its members than just sitting in a library surrounded by piles of books. Some people enjoyed that sort of thing... Yuvon Mu-Myu was the most prominent example of one who was of a scholarly bent. Leona, on the other hand, was more of a fighter who took her brand of problem-solving across Earthland. However, she found herself growing interested in ancient languages and ancient artifacts thanks to her work with Dr. Anna of Crocus Magicka University.

"As far as guild rules go, you're free to have your own morality and take work that appeals to you. However, there's one hard and fast rule you have to follow. Don't betray the guild. That means not doing something that would turn everyone in Earthland against the guild. It also means that you don't do anything to betray your fellow guild members." Leona told Vermilion about the only hard and fast rule laid down by Leila in what seemed like a lifetime ago. Poko Monstar had enforced it during her tenure as Guild Mistress. It was now Leona's turn to enforce it if the need arose. So far all the guild's members had kept to the rule, which made her job very easy. All Leona had to do was file paperwork and do the occasional job to keep the guild's name in the public eye.