Welcome to Chrysalis

Mory spread her arms wide, welcoming the two new guild members with a warm smile. Despite the embarrassment flickering in her eyes, she remained enthusiastic, determined to mask the bleakness that emanated from the guild. The newcomers took in the scene: a woman with green hair, adorned in a white scanty garment that delicately wraps around her, embellished with golden ornaments, and a somber, dark-haired man clad in generic adventurer clothes. Behind them lay a dark grove clearing, where a shabbily made camp barely held together. A dying bonfire cast weak shadows over their scattered provisions and equipment, its faint crackling overshadowed by a loud snore from a nearby tent. Nameless's legs protruded awkwardly from the single worn-out tent, which was clearly too small to accommodate her muscular frame.

"Grnghhh..." Nameless muttered, gripped by night terrors. The slight shift in her sleep was enough to bring the tent crashing down around her. Unfazed, the muscular girl used the collapsed tent as a makeshift blanket. The added warmth seemed to shield her from the cold that had fueled her nightmares, and she calmed, a peaceful smile spreading across her face as she slept.

"I just fixed that..." The other woman, Mitra, with her subtle bitter expression, tended to the sticks and added firewood to the bonfire, casting a flickering light that highlighted Mitra's already lethargic demeanor. You could see from her face her regret for feeling any sympathy toward Mory. As smoke drifted her way, Mitra swatted it away irritably as she muttered a curse under her breath.

Mory gestured enthusiastically, "Welcome... to Chrysali-" cough cough

The smoke had apparently shifted toward Mory who shot a sharp glare and a wry smile in Mitra's direction.

"Anyway, you see, we've relocated to a more... less than habitable spot, so forgive me if the address on the pamphlet misled you about our 'headquarters'... It was just a rented space, and we got booted out."

"I heard Chrysalis was one of the top guilds in Balsam... Is this really what it's come to?" The green-haired girl's white face veil and amiable sheepishness couldn't mask her deep disappointment.

"No, this is just a temporary fix. We'll find a proper place soon."

"Is it really just the three of you?" The somber man questioned skeptically.

"We'll be five once you two join, and that's close enough for a small guild, isn't it?" Mory replied unabashedly.

The two newcomers exchanged doubtful glances, silently signaling to each other their inclination to leave.

The green-haired girl approached Mory hesitantly. "I might join if you can offer more stable accommodations for your members... But in this current state..."

"It's pretty bad," the dark-haired man interjected.

"Hmm, okay then," Mory waved it off with a brazen grin. "We'll bunk down at that sketchy casino for now, I suppose. Nameless is friends with the owner!"