The Capital Menagerie

You approach the second guardsman, his companions falling into line behind you as he guides the group through the palace corridors; eventually leading out onto the great arching bridge that connecting the castle to the surrounding city. For a brief moment, you find yourself glancing back at your childhood home...a bit off-put at the idea of leaving your life of royal privilege for the hard road of an adventurer. But they're soon blasted out of your mind by the sheer energy and racket as your little group works it's way through the city center It takes you and your men's full attention to make a path through the crowds of merchants, tourists, and day-laborers; having to push your way through a gaggle of inconsiderate university students who were taking up the entire road on your short trip to the Menagerie entrance.

The men manning the gate give your entourage a quick salute as you pass in with the other sightseers; the Menagerie being a public facility funded by the crown. Just walking past the first line of cages put you at ease: reaching between the bars to let the tame monsters nuzzle or lick your fingers. The thought of having to fight their wild cousins became a little less scary as you take in the hundreds of exhibits both strange an fantastic before you finally arrive at your destination; a great stone drum-keep that served as the mage's academy's research facility. Most of the doors are shut tight; only faint echoes and flickering lights from the cracks showing there was currently something going on inside. Eventually though the lead guard opens one of the doors, revealing a small examination room where a mangy, slobbering boar-like creature was flailing weakly in it's bindings; a girl in a purple dress holding a vial underneath his mouth to collect reddish saliva. She turns towards you as the door opens, giving you a smile so warm you'd think she was taking a pie out of the oven, rather than handling a demonized animal.

"Hey there," she said casually, "You must be Ridley. Give me just a second." She gives the back of the creature's head a solid tap with her free hand, filling up the rest of her vial before standing up and corking it. "Nice to meet'cha."

You decide not to shake her hand... not knowing what exactly it's been handing today. "That's me. And you must be Eleanor." You take a few steps forward, getting a closer look at the creature she'd be harvesting from. "What're you working with there. Doesn't look like any demon I've seen before."

"It's not a demon," she answers quickly, placing her sample back on a storage rack. "These boys came from farms near the border...the man who brought them in said they were pigs just a few weeks ago. I'm still trying to figure out just what brought this one." She sounded a bit worried, scribbling down a few notes before looking back up.

"Sounds like you need to do a little...field work." You mention casually, trying to bring the conversation back to the point. She seems to chuckle at this; her voice surprisingly airy.

"I'd really like that. Especially if another mage came along to help out with things." She placed the tome under her arm and began walking up to you. "I'd actually been scheduling an expedition even before I was told the royal family wanted my services. To be honest, I'm not sure why they wanted me specifically... but it'll be nice to have a little company."

The guards look at one another as she stands near your side. "I'm sure somebody else can finish up with things here, if you're in a hurry." She assures you. "Unless there's anything else you need?"