He ducks back into his cave, only to pop out a moment later, "No kill Gozreh crabs if can." Then goes into his cave again.
When Faith gets back to the Sargava Club, he gets a slight surprise - Ishirou - looking uncomfortable and his inscrutable face obviously grumpy (since you did eventually figure out how to read him). He sighs a little under his breath when he sees Faith. "Would be the priest."
He doesn't smile, but walks over to Faith, resigned.
She shakes her head, "I was in a bad place before we got wrecked here, more so than I even realized." Looks at him shrugs, "Walking around three sheets to the wind three-quarters of the time is normal right?" A deep breath, "In retrospect, it's not a state I'd have wanted the Captain to see me in."
"Different." A pause, taking in all of his look, "Good. Mostly?" A pause, a smile, "And you mean you didn't expect to be taking an ex-cannibal on your adventures?"
She shivers at the touch of his lips, "You have been very clear on that point." She moves her hips, just a little. Sleepily, "I'm going to go price out travelling gear tomorrow morning." A kiss on his hand, "At least a tent is a pretend private place when we are with the group."
"I feel ambivalent to see you, too," Faith says to Ishirou. "What news?"
Faith laughs. "The ex-cannibal is not the most unexpected aspect. It's the..." Faith starts to flush all over again.
"Betrayed by my face," he says and shakes his head, but he is grinning as he says it.
"It sounds like you're the right woman for this kind of expedition," Arcadia says. "And I'm sure you already have maps and the like, but before we detoured to the Shiv, I was actually intending on ending up in the Expanse and have fairly detailed maps of the place. I would be at your disposal if you had any questions."
Arcadia dips her head and smiles politely as she takes the seat. "Grazie mille, you flatter me." Her smile warms. "I prefer to eat outside in the garden, anyway. It's a good choice."
"So, do you often make a habit of finding strange women in hat shops to compliment and ask to share meals with?"
She asks this after picking up a menu to run her eyes over the list of wines and foods alike, flicking her gaze up to meet his for his response.
At Pakshee's comment, her own smile fades a little. "Once," she says, "and it was beautiful. Since then, only little loves, brief. Have you had love before?"
"I was uncomfortable for all of a minute, and then it was like slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes. Or a hat." She runs fingers along the brim of her own. "Admittedly, it's a hat with a burr stuck in it. I'm no longer as comfortable as I was." She frowns a little, then shrugs. "Maybe it's better that way."
"How did you feel, walking through a temple district?"
Áine perks up her eyes going sideways, apparently searching for something that is not yet there.
Faith flashes a smile to Arcadia. "I did not become a warpriest because I loved people. But I wasn't so antisocial as to become an inquisitor. I'm still fit company for man and occasionally beast."
Faith sighs. "Walking through the temple district made me think of choices that I made in my early days. And some of the reasons behind those choices." Faith shrugs. "...and, I'm going to be honest, Eleder is a little overwhelming today."
"I found us food, we got Pakshee some clothing, visited the temple of Aroden, made it here, and didn't stab anyone that didn't deserve it." Again the flash of smile. "Was only tempted once or twice. I wonder how long it will take me to re-acclimate. Did you do anything exciting?"
Kassata looks at the wall with no little pride in the collection of information she's put together and smiles at Arcadia. "When it comes to something as serious as my crew's lives and my pocket, more information is always welcome."
A grin, "I'll take you up on the offer." A beat, "Especially if you all don't take me on my offer, it'll be more useful to me then."
Kassata keeps the food and wine flowing, happy to answer questions and not pushing the expedition issue. If Aerys's writing happens to come up in conversation, she seems very interested.
You have most of the day free to explore the city, shop, visit repositories of knowledge, become embroiled in local politics. Whatever grabs your interest.
That evening though, Gelik is waiting at the Sargava Club ready to lead you a bit across the city to the local Pathfinder lodge. A villa style building on a small bluff that overlooks Eleder Harbor. The door is opened by a mountain of a man that solidly fills the doorway. Light reflects off his dark bald crown and there is a flash of white within the heavy beard. He chuckles at the inclusion of the dinosaurs in the party. "Gelik, good to see you managed to collect all of them." To the group, he bows, still smiling, "Venture-Captain Finze Bellaugh." He motions them in, "Glaus is in the meeting room which Gelik can take you to."
He pauses, "Do any of you have any requests for dinner?"
He pours a crisp white wine into his glass then hers before replacing it in an iced bucket. "Only When they are exceptionally beautiful." He says with a smile.
He breathes in the wine before taking a taste, "And if they happen to have a flair about them that suggests they have seen adventures, all the more so."
He waves at the waitress, encouraging Arcadia to order as she wishes.
A little smile, "Faith try teach that not true with new tribe."
Ishirou looks uncomfortable. "I would not be bothering you all," a slight smile, "I owe you all a debt for keeping us all alive on the Shiv." A pause and Faith can almost see the mithral case that now contains the Tian man's treasure maps. "And for the other."
He looks around making sure you aren't being observed, then pulls down his shirt enough so that you can see a mark that has been branded into his flesh. "I had been told I'd my debt was clear with the Consortium." A grim stoicism, "I was going to go and see which of the maps I'd collected had something true."
"I've just been informed by their representative in Elder that my debt was miscalculated and my first duty was to invite the" he pauses with an apologetic look, "I quote, 'misfit adventuring group who discovered the Azlanti temple' to come to see Mr. Etters about a job opportunity."
A pause, "Between you, me and the railpost, I'd look elsewhere for partners. The Consortium always looks out for their own interest before anyone they are allied with." A weak smile, "Plus, I'd hate for any of you, even Gelik, to be stuck the way I am."
A pause, actual consideration, "Do you think a gag would actually help muffle the noise?"
When Zaine stops by the room during the third day, Sasha reacts to the opening door by quickly having her saber in hand. Armor firmly in place. Her grip relaxes when she sees it is Zaine and she goes back to a nervous perch on the edge of the table. Near the door, Zaine sees her new bag, clearly packed with the gear she's purchased in Eleder.
Her voice is hollow, "The Mantis are doing an expedition for Saventh-Yhi as well."
That evening though, Gelik is waiting at the Sargava Club ready to lead you a bit across the city to the local Pathfinder lodge. A villa style building on a small bluff that overlooks Eleder Harbor. The door is opened by a mountain of a man that solidly fills the doorway. Light reflects off his dark bald crown and there is a flash of white within the heavy beard. He chuckles at the inclusion of the dinosaurs in the party. "Gelik, good to see you managed to collect all of them." To the group, he bows, still smiling, "Venture-Captain Finze Bellaugh." He motions them in, "Glaus is in the meeting room which Gelik can take you to."
He pauses, "Do any of you have any requests for dinner?"
"No fish," says Zaine. "And some raw meat for Tulip here. I'm Zaine Kildare."
Zaine runs a soft hand from her hip up to her ribs and back again. "Is that something you'd want to try?"
Zaine raises his eyebrows. "Well, then I feel sorry for them if they try something." He steps forward. "Sasha, you have nothing to worry about. You have friends now." Another step, and this time a winning, if cocky grin. "You have me now."
She breathes a little easier at his words, but her body is still tight. When she looks up at him, there is the light of anger in her green eyes not the dark fear, "The b+!*& threatened Tulip and Zephyr."
She shakes her head, her knuckles white on her sword, "She wants all of you at her disposal for the exploration." A pause, "Not Mother." A hint of relief at this.
"Chivane." She spits out the name. "She knew that we were all on the Hurrah last night."
He worms his left arm beneath her head, and his right comes to rest on the taut muscles of her belly. He erases the distance between them, his body a perfect echo of hers. His breath is sweet against the back of her neck. She can feel him, hard against her, though there is no need in it. She knows that with a single twitch of her hips, she could summon that need. She knows that with every look he throws at her, that faintly disbelieving, I can't believe she wants me look. But his body is also soft, tired. She can tip him into peaceful slumber or passionate lovemaking.
Zaine will approach Sasha at some point when they're not shopping, preparing for their expedition, or making love. "Sasha, we talked about getting rid of your tattoo. Are you still interested?"
"Oh, someone talked to you? That's a bit different. I mean, I'm almost interested in seeing her try to hurt Tulip, mostly because that'll save me a little money on feed for her." Zaine thinks it over. "This sounds like something we should bring to the group if you're willing."
"No requests," Faith says, and introduces himself. "Non-shipwrecked food is still a novelty."
Faith frowns at the brand. "That is not the best way for them to make friends," he says.
"Thank you for the invitation. I will pass it along to the rest of the group. Apart from allying ourselves with your charming Mr. Etters, is there anything that I -- or we -- can do to help you out from under this Consortium? People who recalculate your debt once will do it again-- But you already know that."
Faith sighs. "I was about to order myself a drink. Can I get you anything?"
The look on Faith's face makes it clear that the offer extends beyond drink and food.
Faith gestures to encompass the entire island. "Ancient temple? Tribe of cannibals? Ghouls and ghasts and revenants? Predictable. Plausible. I know how to handle. Faith Dagger plus one?" He shakes his head. "The world's gone mad or I have."
"Or both."
"Thank you." He bows deeply.
A blush, "I mean hankie-pankie is something you see commonly on long sea journeys. And I'm used to the faithful of Besmara and Cayden. Neither of which are much on restraints of the id."
A pause, the softly, kindly, "Is it your faith that made you find it surprising or just something you weren't expecting for yourself?" A pause, a pip, "That question doesn't make more sense even with the alcohol."
Her eyes light up with her bright smile. "Yes." A brief thought, "I remember getting it being long and painful," a shrug, "I can handle pain, but wasting days getting it removed would.... That's when I started sleeping on my side." She comments apropos for nothing.
The tightness in Sasha's body breaks with a small laugh at Zaine's words. She nods, breathing deep, "Sounds like its going to be crowded with the number of groups that are actively hunting our dinosaur city."
She walks up to Zaine, brushing a kiss on his lips. "I'm glad Zephyr is staying in with Tulip. He isn't as good at taking care of himself as she is." She's still tense, but no longer on a razor's edge.
Zaine gives her a sleepy smile and drifts off to sleep.
"I was thinking Jask should be able to do it. Let's go find him."
He returns the kiss, putting an easy hand on her hip. "Shall I call the group together?"
"I have definitely been adventuring, and that you saw beauty under the layer of accumulated grit from said adventure means you're a pretty liar or have a good imagination." She grins.
She orders with some restraint, in that she doesn't order the entire menu. She sticks to fruits, veggies, and whatever red meat there is on the menu, making an "oh!" sound when she also spots an interesting sounding cheese.
After ordering, she also breathes the wine in before tasting, and makes an appreciative noise before setting her glass on the table.
"Have you been outside of Eleder? You mentioned being local, but I don't want to assume."
"I think Faith is a good teacher, then," she says with a smile of her own. "I'm glad you've decided to join us, I think there is a lot you'll find off the island that you enjoy." She declines to bring up the fact that there are probably things she won't enjoy, too.
When she gets time alone, Arcadia would definitely visit repertoires of knowledge. She would want to read more information, if it existed, on what they found on the island. Myth, lore, etc.
She would also look around for people who were interested in information (or items) about/from the Expanse. She would do this as low-key as possible, without spreading the information about her upcoming expedition.
Lastly, she would look for a bakery of high repute to find something she thinks Pakshee might be interested in trying.
Arcadia doesn't shy away from the contact, and the hug is only stiff for a moment before she settles into it.
"Thank you," she says after a moment. "Just as I'm not accustomed to talking about the less cheerful aspects of my past, neither am I accustomed to being comforted."
She chuckles at the hip check. "I don't have a proper picture…" she trails off, reaching into one of her many pockets. She pulls out a small scroll case, opens it, and pulls out a very well worn piece of parchment. It's a drawing, more a general sense of two people than a very detailed and photo realistic piece of art. In it, Arcadia laughs at something and a man, Paolo, looks at her with adoration and a broad grin. She's careful not to touch anything but the edges. "I had a better picture before, but I think this is enough. He's still very detailed here," she taps her temple.
She looks to Áine. "Have you found love?"
"I would have been shocked to discover the island didn't change everyone in some way or another," she agrees with Faith's statement and her gaze falls to the sleeping woman as well.
"I did not become a warpriest because I loved people. But I wasn't so antisocial as to become an inquisitor. I'm still fit company for man and occasionally beast."
At this she laughs, trying to keep it quiet so as not to disturb the sleeper. "Inquisitors are difficult to get close to, yes. I only ever tried to question one once, and after that, I try to give them a wide berth. True to the title, she gave me a run for my money when it came to asking questions."
She nods sympathetically after his comment about Eleder being overwhelming. "Going from a quiet island to a loud city is jarring, no matter how used to people a person might have been before. Did you introduce Pakshee to something new, then? Did she like it?"
She pulls her hat off her head, brushing out her hair with her fingers. "The most exciting thing that happened to me today was discovering my hat was salvageable." She says with a grin. Then a little blush touches her cheeks, hardly there before disappearing again. "And a very assertive man approached me while I was getting the hat cleaned and was… very assertive." She finishes. "Before the Shiv, I would have played nice and stonewalled him until he left me alone. But today… I don't know. Maybe it was that I opened up more than normal to you all, maybe I wanted conversation with someone new… or maybe I'm overthinking and overexplaining." She tries to hide her sudden awkwardness with a long drink of water.
"Sounds good to me," she says. "What interests you about the Expanse, anyway? What drives you to lead an expedition into it?"
Arcadia has the look of an excited child about her when they enter the building, but she manages not to dash off and touch anything she shouldn't. Yet.
"A pleasure, Venture-Captain. I'm Arcadia Thorne, and..." she hesitates for just a moment, "I guess I'll be the first one to make a suggestion. Not for the entree, anything sounds good right now, but at some point, if something sweet from a bakery should find itself on a plate in front of me... I would not at all be disappointed."
Faith shrugs. "Who can say?"
He takes a deep breath and continues. "It is not the physical aspects that surprised me, but the emotional ones. It's not something I expected for myself because of my faith. Being called to fight evil puts a damper on these things -- or so I assumed." Faith frowns at his words, and re-phrases. "So it always has in the past."
He puts his hands together, flat. "Physical, temporary, parting simply," he pulls them apart with ease. Then he puts them together and entwines the fingers. "Pakshee," He tugs his hands apart half-heartedly, and the fingers keep them together.
He puts his hands down. "As I say, unexpected."
Faith grins. "She really liked pork buns." The smile only slides a little when he adds, "Although the smell reminded her of eating something different."
"I am pleased that your hat was salvageable." Faith recognizes the awkwardness and tries to fill it by talking. "I imagine you must be used to hearing answers that you don't like. Is there much difference when the answers aren't preceded by a question?" ...and then he realizes that this probably isn't helping, and you can almost see Change Subject Gear engage. "Did you find a bakery? What did you start with? The choice must have been overwhelming. Tart, bread, croissant, muffin ... I tend to go for the thicker baked goods, like scones, but many people prefer light and airy."
"I do really like what she's wearing, the bright colors suit her." At the comment about pork buns, she grimaces slightly. "I have heard the two are not dissimilar."
Arcadia looks slightly relieved as the topic moves on. "To answer your first question, yes, there is a difference. Hearing answers I don't like after I ask a question is, at least, expected some of the time."
She drops her hat back onto her head and shifts it slightly. "I did find a bakery. Maybe two or three." She grins again. "It was overwhelming, it took almost all of my will power not to order one of everything. Scones are delicious, but I went for a croissant with marionberry filling and a dusting of powdered sugar." Her eyes go a little glassy.
"It was exactly what I had several dreams about while stuck on the Shiv. How about you, did you find the food you were dreaming about?"
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"What interests you about the Expanse, anyway? What drives you to lead an expedition into it?"
"Treasure." Kassata says with a piratical grin. "Enough to buy a seat on the council." Though she is grinning while she says it, there is a dead seriousness in her amber eyes.
The number of people on the council is highly variable and buying your seat is a well honored tradition. Normally the money coming from picking on merchant ships that have to travel through the Shackles and haven't bought protection from the Pirate Council.
Finze grins at Arcadia's excitement. "The meeting room only has the maps and books Glaur thought would be useful for planning." A smile, "As friends of Gelik," his face gets a somber for just a moment, "and, more importantly, as you found the fate of the crew of The Nightvoice, you are all welcome in the Lodge to look at the resources we have."
He leans a tiny bit closer to Arcadia, speaking in a quiet voice that isn't at all quiet or secretive, "I even have extra copies of the chronicle were I wrote of my adventures with Mirian and Jekka when we found and explored the Fortress of Fangs in the Expanse."
Unless there are more questions, he takes his leave, presumably to arrange for food. Gelik leads you down a hallway, into a large room with enormous windows that overlooks the bay. Open wooden slats below the window allow some of the evening breeze to cool the room. Although there are few people in the room, your attention is drawn to the ginger-haired man with a mustache and small beard. He shifts as he stands, talking to the others, looking uncomfortable in the Cheliaxian suit - even though the tie has already been abandoned on the table and the top button of the shirt undone.
Everyone in the room turns when the door opens, the conversation trailing off. The red-headed man smiles, "Your adventurers, Gelik?" And a appraising look. A smile as he sees Tulip. "That's just a baby, Gelik." He sounds a little disappointed.
He motions for everyone to come in and you can see what a number of papers filled with notes, books open with certain passages circled. In particular, you see a number of notes referencing someplace called Taizon.
He nods, "Amivor Glaur, Pathfinder." He motions to the group of four other, giving their names. "My seconds, as if you've really found a path to Saventh-Yhi it will take bodies to discover things quickly." A grin, "Wouldn't do to let government bureaucrats make discovers when there are Pathfinders on scene."
He sits, his legs moving as if he wants to prop them on the table but retaining himself at the last moment. "Gelik has told me about your adventures on the Shiv." A pause, "Even if I discount it for good storytelling, I'd much rather be allies than enemies if we are looking for the same lost city."
"There is a lot of information here," Faith says, looking around. "How do you sort through it all to find what's relevant?"
Faith introduces himself to Glaur as well as each of the seconds, turning his head so they cannot miss his tattoo.
"The adventures are true," Faith says, smiling a genuine smile, "although I cannot speak for Gelik's stories. And I'm sure if we choose not be allies, we would be rivals, but not enemies. Isn't the Expanse dangerous enough by itself?"
"I dreamed about coldwater fish from my youth," he says. "It is not available in these waters." He inclines his head. "I am sorry it wasn't something more exciting."
Faith raps gently at the breastplate he is wearing under his robes. "Tomorrow perhaps I will see about improving this. But you -- you must have ingredients and reagents and..." Faith waves is hand in the air, looking for the word, only to settle on "...more ingredients to buy for your potions. Books to read and scholars to harass. I suspect your days will be much fuller than mine for a while."
Glaur waves at the plethora of information, "Happily this lodge has a good cross reference system," he looks at the pile, "Once we know enough to have an idea of how far we have to go, I'm sure we'll parse this down to something more reasonable."
Glaur laughs quietly, "I'd always prefer a friendly rival to an enemy that will try to kill me to keep a discovery to themselves." The way he says this implies he's dealt with both.
Mario's own repast is much lighter - but he hasn't been going without the fine food and wine of a big city for months. He does make a few suggestions for her meal. He dunks a piece of bread in spiced olive oil as they wait for the meal.
He shakes his head, "Only for day trips, hunts and the like." He shrugs, "The family always talks about sending me to the home country, but Cheliax doesn't hold the fascination for me of the ancient empires." A smile, "Which are not something the family is willing to fund."
"Instead I am just a man of leisure." A grin, "And I get my fill of the world by associating with adventurers. Much to the disappointment of my dear grandmama were she ever to find out."
He considers her, "Makes us like two sides of a coin. You from Cheliax but exploring the world, me from an insignificant ex-colony and content to read and collect the exciting places of the world."
Other than the Pathfinder Lodge, which does have a good set of information about the Expanse, there is the Colonial Archives as Eleder's sole library and seat of learning (outside of private collections).
The Archives house detailed collections of local interest, including maps, exploration and trade charters, ethnographic studies, and even a few volumes of the Pathfinder Chronicles, mostly dealing with exploits within the Mwangi Expanse. The librarians, once they find out who you are, are greatly interested in obtaining a copy of both the rubbings and the notes from the Azlanti temple.
As for the bakery, the best one Arcadia finds is remarkably similar to [url=http://www.anticofornoroscioli.it/en/products/]THIS.[/url
Faith, shirtless, is on the bed - a small table has been pulled close and a number of what looks to be torture implements are on the top next to pots of multitudes of colors. On Faith's chest, just above his heart, Arcadia can make out some black lines. A bloody cloth is laid over a bowl of cool water.
Pakshee smiles, "Need help with something?" She motions to Faith, "This take time, breaks not bad idea."
"Thank you." He bows, formally.
Pakshee spends a good two hours talking to a group of tattooers in a shop. Her bill at the end of it is far from insignificant.
She takes another pip, contemplating it before popping it in her mouth, "Are you worried that the emotional ties will damper the zeal with which you fight evil?"
She doesn't actually pull Zaine out of the room to go looking for the old priest, but there is encouragement of speed. Jask for his part is easy to find. Sitting at a window table sipping a mug that steams in a quiet conversation with Briga. The older man smiles when he sees the pair approaching. "Briga has an exceptional tea blend." He takes in Sasha's overt excitement. "But I suspect you may have something in mind."
Sasha nods, "Zaine knows I," she changes her word choice moments before speaking, "am not fond of the tattoo on my back. Back on the Shiv he told me that we could get it removed in Eleder." A bright smile, "Could you help?"
Jask listens, starts to nod then stops. "Are you certain? I can attempt to erase the tattoo but the magic works in an instant. If you change your mind the only thing you could do is go through the long arduous process of being tattooed again." He holds up a hand to the quick answer. "Think on it. I won't be able to help until after midnight, since destroying the written word is not what I normally ask for help in doing."
He looks at Zaine, "Anything for you or for your fine feathered friend?"
She nods, goes over to her bag to pull out a small book. "I'll try to remember everything I've heard of Chivane."
And a appraising look. A smile as he sees Tulip. "That's just a baby, Gelik." He sounds a little disappointed.
"She," corrects Zaine, taking an obvious and immediate dislike to the man.
During dinner, Zaine stays quiet and alert, alternating between feeding himself and Tulip.
At some point in the day, Zaine stops by everyone's room. "Hey, if you could all join Sasha and me for a quick drink, we have something we want to let everyone know."
Zaine doesn't look especially nervous, though it's clear he doesn't have good news. "So, as it turns out, Sasha's old group the Red Mantis are on the trail of this missing city themselves, and they want our help. Thought it would be a good idea to threaten Tulip and Zephyr while they're at it."
Zaine shakes his head. "We're good."
"Good. I'll get everyone together."
" I'd always prefer a friendly rival to an enemy that will try to kill me to keep a discovery to themselves."
"That makes two of us," Faith says. "It sounds like you have mounted expeditions into the Expanse before...?"
Faith looks disappointed at Zaine's news. "I was hoping you two were announcing an engagement."
"I cannot imagine there would be a building left standing in Eleder if they went after Tulip and Zephyr."
Faith sighs. "I have something similar to report. A certain criminal consortium that has leverage on Ishirou has asked that we meet with them to become partners. I frown on this method of doing business."
"The breaks are for both of us," Faith says, turning his head a bit, but trying not to shift too much.
He grimaces briefly. "But mostly for me."
"Go in peace," Faith says. He seems to be at a loss for words, otherwise.
Faith watches Pakshee and clearly enjoys seeing her happy as she talks inks with the artists.
Faith inquires about having his breastplate enchanted, or finding an enchanted one to buy.
Faith taps his nose. "The emotional ties will damper the zeal with which I fight evil," he repeats. "Well put. That is exactly my concern."
"Plus.... I have seen others in relationships." Faith shakes his head. "I know what to do the same way that reading Adventures of a Cabin Boy in the Mid-Latitudes prepared me for a life as a sailor." He rolls his eyes.
"When there are real problems to focus on, it is easy to put these thoughts aside. But sometimes when it is quiet, they demand attention. It is not a vast problem, but it is mine. And I never saw it coming."
Faith looks toward the lighthouse.
"And this is just short-term. Long-term? There are too many stories that start with the faithful knight leaving behind his family. Also not a concern I expected to face."
Faith looks disappointed at Zaine's news. "I was hoping you two were announcing an engagement."
Zaine coughs. "We're... ah... we're not quite there. It's going really well, though. Thanks for, um..." the gunfighter trails off.
"I cannot imagine there would be a building left standing in Eleder if they went after Tulip and Zephyr."
"Generally speaking, threatening Tulip is a great way of getting fed to Tulip."
Faith sighs. "I have something similar to report. A certain criminal consortium that has leverage on Ishirou has asked that we meet with them to become partners. I frown on this method of doing business."
"Oh, fun," deadpans Zaine.
"Being popular has its downsides," Faith says. "Anyone else know of any other groups that want to partner with us? A priest of Iomedae pointed me toward a guide, but I brought the subject up with her."
Faith looks disappointed at Zaine's news. "I was hoping you two were announcing an engagement."Zaine coughs. "We're... ah... we're not quite there. It's going really well, though. Thanks for, um..." the gunfighter trails off.
Sasha blinks at Faith, then quietly to the warpriest, "Do you know a lot of people who get married after being in a relationship for a month?" She sees caught between incredulous and worried.
Closer, Arcadia can see the outline of wings in flight.
"The emotional ties will damper the zeal with which I fight evil," he repeats.
"I am a poet. Wordsmith." Aerys says majorly seriously.
"There are too many stories that start with the faithful knight leaving behind his family. Also not a concern I expected to face."
"Those stories always focus on the knight." Aerys says, "Who leaves expecting that his family, all alone, will be," she holds up her hands in a ball shape, "held in stasis, amber, for years."
She looks at Faith, "A wise knight should make sure that the family has a support system so that when an evil villain makes a move they aren't all helpless. Like semi-competent people that aren't dicks."
After talking ink, Pakshee spends a long time looking at the different styles of tattoos they do in the shop. You hear the older woman, clearly pleased to see another female in the line of work, suggest that Pakshee get a drawing book and colored pencils so she can work out possible designs. And she shows her one of the many leather bound journals that live in the shop.
"No," Faith shrugs. "But I don't know a lot of people with dinosaur companions, either. Strange things happen in strange times."
Faith will spring for a drawing book and a set of colored pencils -- because that piece of advice makes a lot of sense to him. When it's time for food, he checks to see if Pakshee is ready to go. He is curious to see / hear about the styles and colors that interest her, but ultimately he will accept the bird she chooses to give him.
Faith looks back at Aerys, and she can see the light slowly dawning on his face. "...a support system. Friends. Colleagues. Family."
Faith shakes his head sharply. "I ... wow."
"Wow."
A look of relief washes across his face, and he gives Aerys a lopsided grin. "Time for a new story, huh?"
Arcadia doesn't shy away from the contact, and the hug is only stiff for a moment before she settles into it.
"Thank you," she says after a moment. "Just as I'm not accustomed to talking about the less cheerful aspects of my past, neither am I accustomed to being comforted."
Áine smiles softly, "..and to be honest, I'm not really used to being in a position to give comfort. But anytime you think it might help...well, I'd be happy to be here for you."
She chuckles at the hip check. "I don't have a proper picture…" she trails off, reaching into one of her many pockets. She pulls out a small scroll case, opens it, and pulls out a very well worn piece of parchment. It's a drawing, more a general sense of two people than a very detailed and photo realistic piece of art. In it, Arcadia laughs at something and a man, Paolo, looks at her with adoration and a broad grin. She's careful not to touch anything but the edges. "I had a better picture before, but I think this is enough. He's still very detailed here," she taps her temple.
"I can tell." she says with another soft smile.
She looks to Áine. "Have you found love?"
Áine chuckles, "Like Paolo? I...could say yes, but I would be lying both to you and to myself." her smile falters, though only for the briefest of moments, "Hopefully one day I will be so fortunate." her smile returns and grows warmer, then she nestles in, placing her head on her companions shoulder, "Tell me a story about you and Paolo." she says. It is a request, not a demand. "What are some of your happy memories?"
"Treasure." Kassata says with a piratical grin. "Enough to buy a seat on the council." Though she is grinning while she says it, there is a dead seriousness in her amber eyes.
Áine's eyes lock onto Kassata, studying her, lips tight and yet a tacit approval beneath the surface.
The door is opened by a mountain of a man that solidly fills the doorway. Light reflects off his dark bald crown and there is a flash of white within the heavy beard. He chuckles at the inclusion of the dinosaurs in the party. "Gelik, good to see you managed to collect all of them." To the group, he bows, still smiling, "Venture-Captain Finze Bellaugh." He motions them in, "Glaus is in the meeting room which Gelik can take you to."
He pauses, "Do any of you have any requests for dinner?"
"Áine Aiman" she says with a slightly guarded, tired expression, but a respectful nod all the same, "and none that require mentioning in a Pathfinder Lodge, I'm sure."
...if something sweet from a bakery should find itself on a plate in front of me... I would not at all be disappointed."
it might be noticed that Áine perks up a little at that request.
..."So, as it turns out, Sasha's old group the Red Mantis are on the trail of this missing city themselves, and they want our help. Thought it would be a good idea to threaten Tulip and Zephyr while they're at it."
Faith sighs. "I have something similar to report. A certain criminal consortium that has leverage on Ishirou has asked that we meet with them to become partners. I frown on this method of doing business."
Áine does not appear to be pleased.
"Being popular has its downsides," Faith says."Anyone else know of any other groups that want to partner with us?
Áine shakes her head.
A priest of Iomedae pointed me toward a guide, but I brought the subject up with her."
"Not necessarily a bad idea." Áine muses.
"If you don't mind my asking, how much treasure buys a seat on the council these days?" She holds her hands up. "I'm not looking for a seat myself, I'm not quite ready to settle down anywhere yet."
"I even have extra copies of the chronicle were I wrote of my adventures with Mirian and Jekka when we found and explored the Fortress of Fangs in the Expanse."
"I would love to read one of those extra copies," Arcadia says with a broad grin. "And thank you for extending your hospitality on behalf of the Lodge."
When the group reaches the room overlooking the bay, she sighs heavily. "I've changed my mind, Faith. I believe this is where I would like to die."
After Glaur and Faith discuss friendly rivalries, she chimes in. "This group isn't the sort to kill rivals. On the contrary, we're likely to be the ones who would end up protecting you."
"All the fun happens to everyone else," she says, sounding oddly disappointed. "I think I went looking in the wrong places for people who want to partner with us. As a group." She coughs slightly. "Do we need to take care of the Red Mantis before we go on our expedition?" She asks Zaine and Sasha. Then, to Faith, "I don't think we have enough people to handle that particular Consortium so directly, unfortunately."
She takes his meal suggestions graciously and thanks him.
"No, Cheliax is very different from ancient empires. And honestly, I've spent a handful of years doing the same - living vicariously through the stories of others." She leans forward, a small smile playing at the edge of her lips. "Was it my accent that gave me away, or something else? I'm not sure I told you where I was from."
Arcadia would be happy to share copies of the rubbings and notes with the librarians in the Archives, and she would also like to study up on the Expanse, as well as looking into local collections to get herself as up to date as possible on the happenings with local politics, the Pirate Council, the Consortium.
After Zaine breaks the news of the Red Mantis being active in Eleder and also looking for the missing city, Arcadia would spend some time, as quietly as possible, pursuing information about the group from locals.
Arcadia puts a comforting hand lightly on Pakshee's arm. "I think it is worth it. You'll be fine. And until then, let me know if you feel sick later while we're still on the ship, I'll make you something to ease your stomach."
Arcadia hesitates only slightly when the door opens to reveal the two, then she smiles when she sees what's going on.
"I don't have tattoos of my own, but it's my understanding that long sessions can be very… trying. I didn't come for any particular reason, just to say hello."
She looks around the room very briefly before returning her eyes to the in-progress tattoo. "Faith is definitely a good candidate for not flinching away from the pain of the needle," she says with a chuckle. She looks more closely. "Looks like the start of something pretty - what are you hoping for it to be when it's finished?"
Arcadia shifts slightly to better accommodate Áine's head on her shoulder. "I'm sure you will be. Pretty ladies with open hearts can't avoid love for long." She says, grin evident in her voice. "Even if they try."
"Thankfully, most of our time together was happy. We bickered, and he was good at dodging my questions and not letting me get too melodramatic about my heritage, which I appreciated once I was done being grumpy about it. I think that sometimes, what we really need, is someone in our lives who won't let us get away with…" she gropes for the word, "self pity, self deceit, things like that."
"But a story. Hmm." She thinks for a few moments, silence filling the space between them but for the sound of their breathing. "I told him, fairly early on, that I had a secret love of poetry. Paolo was no wordsmith, though he did have a clever tongue." There is definitely mischief in her tone at that. "So the months passed without further thought on the subject, and one day, I woke to find him gone. This wasn't abnormal, but what I found clipped to the mirror in the bathroom was. It was a sentence, without context, but seemed to be directing me to another part of our home. From there, another fragment, directing me elsewhere."
She shifts slightly. "He hid fragments of parchment with more of the puzzle all around Kintargo. The final location, a quaint little café where he waited for me with a single orange lily, who knows where he came by it, and a waiter with a bottle of wine. Took you long enough, I almost had to send the wine back, he said. Did you like the poem?." She pauses again, longer this time.
"I hadn't noticed, in my single minded focus to find the next piece of paper, but all together, it formed a poem.
Sleepy she looks out the window
Into the little garden, though//
Born of beauty, jeweled fountain,
How loved she is, she does not know//
Smile like the summer sun,
golden halo 'round her head//
Steals a heart in Thievers Row and
Never gives it back, instead//
Keeps it, takes it to the market
Viewing she the jewelry there//
None of it will catch her fancy,
For none of it will e'er compare//
Sharpened wit like sheath-ed sword
Lips like roses, clever hands//
Hides she in shadow, garden lover,
Searching for one who understands//
After this, an even longer pause. Only because Áine rests her head on Arcadia's shoulder would she even notice the slight hitch in her breathing that might indicate someone holding back tears. But when she speaks, her voice is clear and fond. "I gave him no end of guff for the use of 'sheath'ed'. How lazy!" She laughs then. "But I loved it, and the waiter, although annoyed, did find the whole thing romantic enough to let us off the hook for wasting his time."
"What do you mean not exciting? Food from youth is a very good thing to dream about."
She shrugs at his comment, leaning against the counter. "I do have ingredients to buy and scholars to harass," she says with a smile, "I'm not very good at relaxing."
Arcadia looks to Faith, to Pakshee, across the room to anyone else from the group who's still awake. "I'm glad, for the time being, we're all sticking together." She looks back to the warpriest. "How is your infernal coming along?" She asks, in infernal, as appropriate.
"All the fun happens to everyone else," she says, sounding oddly disappointed. "I think I went looking in the wrong places for people who want to partner with us. As a group." She coughs slightly. "Do we need to take care of the Red Mantis before we go on our expedition?" She asks Zaine and Sasha. Then, to Faith, "I don't think we have enough people to handle that particular Consortium so directly, unfortunately."
"I don't think so. This was more a warning to keep on guard. I mean, if I see this woman..." Zaine pauses, turning to Sasha for confirmation. "Chivane? Chivane. If I see her, she's getting a bullet in the head. Not planning on hunting her down, unless she does something very stupid."
Arcadia nods. "Sure, no reason to invite trouble to our doorstep before it gets there on its own." She leans in, looking around to ensure no one from outside of their group is present to hear what she says next. "If you don't mind, I think I'd like to hunt her down, then. I take pride in my ability to do it quietly, and worse case, she confronts me, I would have nothing to do with either you or Sasha." She sits back a little. "Unless she knows more than she should, in which case, trouble will be on the doorstep sooner than later." A shrug. "I'll respect your wishes either way."
"If you don't mind my asking, how much treasure buys a seat on the council these days?" She holds her hands up. "I'm not looking for a seat myself, I'm not quite ready to settle down anywhere yet."
Kassata grins, "It really depends on how much the current council and Kerdak like you. Cheapest way, assuming you've been accepted as a Free Captain of the Shackles, is to enter and win the Regatta." A grin, "My ship is good and swift and I'd lay more than even odds on us surviving but the Master of Gales doesn't like me enough to let me win."
"But I already have a homebase for the Hurrah, so it's more a matter of having the resources to wine and dine the council and the best way to bribe them all." She grins. "Long term goals, but I've already been Captain for," there may be a hint of sadness in the bright eyes, "quite a while."
After Glaur and Faith discuss friendly rivalries, she chimes in. "This group isn't the sort to kill rivals. On the contrary, we're likely to be the ones who would end up protecting you."
"Those are certainly the rivals I prefer having around." His gaze slides to Zaine and Tulip, "Especially as I'm the sort that near constantly puts my foot in my mouth."
Sasha, having nodded when Zaine confirmed the name, looks up from the notes in a small journal at Arcadia's quiet suggestion. She looks concerned, and also quietly, "I don't have too much to go on about Chivane. She and Mother were never allied." A pause, a flip through the handwritten notes, "I've been wracking my memory on what I do know. She's an elf and she's been an assassin for..." she flips through the pages, "at least thirty years."
Sasha bites her lip thinking, "I don't think she's in favor right now. She didn't know Mother had exiled me based on the threats she hinted at." A little more thought, "And if she is watching us, it hasn't been for long or closely. Or she would have threatened," her eyes go to Zaine, a swallow, "rather than Tulip and Zephyr. My preference for animals over most people is not a secret on Mediogalti. But," she looks up, light dawning in her eyes, "I think she must be looking for something specific, like she's been hunting for a while and this was a break she needed."
To Arcadia, "She won't be alone. She'll have a nest of faithful."
"Well then who better a woman to sit the council? Nothing beats experience." She stresses the last word with a smile. She then cocks her head slightly. "The Master of Gales... do you know if he has any particular things that may interest him for us to find in the Expanse?"
Her gaze follows his to Zaine, then Tulip, and she chuckles. "It happens to the best of us." Back to Glaur. "Are you looking for anything more specific than a lost city?"
Arcadia takes her own notes, scrawled in neat shorthand as Sasha explains her situation. She smiles when the other woman looks to Zaine, and nods. "I will be as discreet as I can be, so as not to disturb the nest." She frowns. "You said you think she's hunting for something... have you any idea of what it might be?"
"I won't be the first woman on the council," Kassata says with a grin, "Although there are only two or three right now."
"I've not heard the master of the Kraken is looking for anything." Kassata takes a sip of the red wine, "I'm relatively certain that he would consider letting slip needing anything a intolerable weakness."
A shrug, "That said, I'm sure anything that would make him a predator would make the old druid happy." A pause, then very seriously, "But nothing that would make him associate me with prey."
"The stories of the Azlanti culture that lived there." Glaur says earnestly. "Such advanced cultures and almost everything lost with Starfall." A grin, "Plus who knows what has been living in the ruins."
"She's an evil assassin who worships a giant bug." In the clear tone, it could be anything. A pause, "A very old bug." Sasha closes her eyes thinking, "The Red Mantis as I know them are modern, but it is possible that he was active during the Azlanti empire." A shrug, "Maybe an old reliquary or something."
He nods, "The accent and... the hat." He shrugs, "I'm not as positive of the city, but if I had to wager I'd say Kintargo. Your style is not gothic enough to make one think of Egorian and you do not have that atrocious accent that those born in Westcrown have." He shrugs, "I am a student of cultures, and it would be unforgivable for me to ignore my own."
His eyes light up, "What is the most interesting story you have lived of someone elses, cara mia?"
[ooc]Day 3
The library happily pays for the document reproduction as well as a acquisition fee.
Pirate Council: Arcadia finds a number of people in Eleder are of mixed feelings about the pirates of the Shackles. They acknowledge that the protection means they don't have to fund their own navy since the pirates provide a blockage between Cheliax and the other northern powers, but they resent the protection tribute that they pay. The leaders of the council are all famous pirates with recognizable names though the abilities of deeds of some are not well known in Eleder.
Causal inquiry into the Red Mantis Assassins gets you horror stories of what they are, but no solid leads.
The Aspis Consortium, Arcadia finds, has less of a foothold in the Eleder as they do in many other places - mostly because of archaic laws in the city that give companies founded in the city the right to ignore local laws - something the Consortium would not benefit from.
Moving more into the room, Arcadia spots a drawing tablet - the detailed bird sketches done in a array of colors both realistic and fantastic.
Pakshee gets a slightly later start to Faith's tattoo than she was hoping. She seems to be having a reoccurrence of the hangover she had the day before.
She leans back, "I do remember a story of a Ulfen who spent years at sea raiding and the like, to come home to find his wife had a little three-month old son in his absence and how overjoyed he was to have a new child."
A beat, "And how foolish it was for another man to get his wife pregnant and not be able to claim the child."
Sasha, who has been content to wake slowly, starts to pull out of the bed after only a brief good morning kiss. She grabs a shirt, but looks at Zaine over her shoulder, the white of her back still marked by the red mantis mark - for a little while longer. A smile, "I'm going to hunt down Jask and let him know I am very ready to not be marked as something I'm not."
Her head cocks to the side, "Anything you want me to do while I'm still a dangerous, evil assassin?"
"I wasn't suggesting we kill them all," Faith starts to say, then watches the conversation run around.
Kids these days he very clearly does not say.
"I will always assist in the destruction of evil. And vote for not allying ourselves with the evil assassin who worships the giant bug."
Faith shakes his head at the ludicrousness of the thought.
"I have spoken a little with the recommended Expanse guide. He is..." Faith searches for a turn of phrase, frowns, and chooses, "a crazy holy man type."
Faith looks down at himself. "Not that I am one to judge in that regard. I am told that he has lead three successful expeditions into the Expanse. This is the positive. The negative is that he says Gozreh requires us to undertake a challenge if he is to guide us. Or possibly two challenges. We were yelling from a great distance."
Faith ponders for a moment. "Challenge of Water or Challenge of Wind, I think that was it."
"How do we feel about undergoing some sort of challenge in order to get the services of an experienced guide?"
(He replies in Infernal) "Drink help you relax some. Infernal gooder every each day. Almost gooder as my Polyglot. I also am glad we stay together."
Faith taps his temple. "No one else have hat like you. Very important to group morale. Your hat and Tulip are heart of group."
"And also ... don't know word ..." back into Taldane for "Camaraderie. We get along well. Haven't killed each other yet."
"I asked for Pakshee's name bird, but I didn't want to use up her limited ink supply on the island. So here we are."
Faith doesn't remember Pakshee drinking as much the previous night, so he will check her over and keep an eye on her. Easy enough to do as she is tattooing him.
"So," he reaches for a pip and pops one into his mouth without thinking. Shudders. "Pretzels of the Shiv," he says with a touch of admiration in his voice as well as a touch of horror.
"So, we have solved one of my problems. Is it time to solve one of yours?"
"Ah, yes. I have spent time with several such people. The ones who find needing things a weakness." Her fingers brush her ear, then the brim of her very clean hat.
She's definitely not one of those people.
"Well, perhaps bribery with a specific treasure is not the way to go, then. But we'll keep our eyes open."
"I would be willing to bet there's nothing living there that wants to be disturbed," she says with a broad smile. "So then, a lost city, ancient cultures, and mysterious creatures. I have no doubt you'll find what you're looking for on any expedition into the Expanse, then."
"I would also vote not to ally ourselves with evil assassins, or, in general, bug worshipers. Though that last one I'm a little more lenient of. If the group had been small, though..." her voice trails off, and she shrugs.
After Faith mentions the Expanse guide, she leans over and nudges him with a gentle elbow. "I would not go so far as to call you crazy." She teases. "In any case, I would never shy away from a challenge. Or two of them. That being said, if we have other options that don't require proving ourselves..." she shakes her head. "I have seen the work of gods and goddesses, and what little I know of Gozreh is that he is fickle, but as a deity of nature..." At this point, she mostly seems to be having the conversation with herself. "Bah. I know a lot, and I know nothing. If there is no better option, I will accept challenges for an experienced guide. If there is too much dissent within our group, I will not push the matter."
She finally seems to relax into the chair, nodding at his response and giving a genuine smile. "You would be correct. I spent a great deal of time in Kintargo, and it's one of the few places I find myself missing." She sips her wine, holding it in her mouth for a few moments before swallowing.
"That's an interesting question," she says carefully, giving it full thought. "I met a man once who claimed to have been on a successful expedition to Azlant." She sets the glass down so she has full range of motion with her hands as she speaks. "At first, I didn't buy what he was selling. But the detail in which he gave... the picture he painted..." she shakes her head.
"He told me of ruins, kept in tact for thousands of years by a magic now theorized to be fading from the world. Specifically, he told me about a partially sunken ruin he and his expedition party explored, a cathedral to a god unnamed. Stained glass windows throwing rays of rainbow light into the murky water below, the haunting song of merfolk who took up residence nearby, a night in which a full moon disappeared along with half of his party..."
"Someday, I hope to see such a place with my own eyes." She says finally, looking slightly embarrassed at the rambling. "Your turn, caro mia." She returns the term of endearment with a mischievous smile.
The dead end of Red Mantis information frustrates her, though she expected as much, given what little she's heard about the group. But she feels she wouldn't be living up to either her reputation, nor her duty as a friend (what a weird word for her!) if she didn't try to find out more about what threatened Sasha and, by extension, those she cares about the most.
She will try every trick she knows to avoid going straight to more criminal elements in the city to spread rumors or try and attract Red Mantis attention that way, though she recognizes that asking any more questions is just as likely to lead to the same outcome. She makes sure she's well stocked with poisons and potions, specifically: one Cure Moderate Wounds, a Firebelly, one Adhesive Spittle, two Disguise Self, and a Spiderclimb for good measure. Before she digs deeper, she drinks a disguise self potion and leaves her hat safely locked up in her room.
She goes so far as to change her gender - appearing as a slightly more stocky and definitely taller man in common Eleder style, going slightly more noble than not in the hopes it will get her into more locations.
"These are beautiful!" She says earnestly after looking over the sketches. "And that's very sweet of Faith to ask for," she says, winking at the man on the bed. "Your bird is looking good on him so far."
She takes the offered seat. "Do you want something to take the edge off while she works on you? That sparkly potion I gave you before, I can tweak it so that it diminishes pain for a time." She asks Faith. "It wouldn't take me long to make."
She laughs. "Excellent progress. Infernal is a bit... difficult to navigate." She says in Taldane. She looks down at the counter with a little blush on her cheeks. "I'm glad my hat ranks with Tulip among morale raisers. I still need to ask after a feather of hers." She looks back up. "If not killing each other is the mark of a friendship, I'll take it. But I'll say, if I had to pick someone in the group to do it, I would pick you. At least then I could die knowing it was for a righteous cause instead of a petty one."
She's grinning, and her tone is no where near maudlin.
"Camaraderie." She says in Infernal, for Faith's benefit. "The direct translation is something like "I like you enough that I would kill you quickly instead of slowly", if I'm remembering my Infernal correctly."
She waves the bartender back over and orders another sunset drink, finishing off her water. "I don't know why I bothered resisting the urge to get proper drunk on our first night back. This drink tastes like the idea of paradise."
"Just be careful," Zaine says to Arcadia. "Or failing that, have fun."
"How do we feel about undergoing some sort of challenge in order to get the services of an experienced guide?"
"This is the crazy old man? Yeah, he sounds great. Let's challenge the wind and water just to be sure we get him."
Zaine kisses her back, holding on as long as he can. "Already done everything with that Sasha. I want the real Sasha. I want her in this bed, and every way I can get her, but she's the one I want."
"Everything I do is fun." She says solemnly. "Especially teasing out information about a group that might kill me before I get back to you with what I've found." At this, a grin. The one that's maybe a little mad.
"If you die before we even get started, I will be very cross with you," Faith says to Arcadia. "Bear this in mind." He raises an eyebrow to see if his message got across.
"Áine, what do you think about the guide? I don't relish the thought of trials, but I'm not sure one can put a price on a successful guide."
He looks at Arcadia's sunset drink. "It's very attractive, and I fear it," Faith indicates the sunset that he is still nursing. "The first night is the best night for mistakes. Mine was that last slice of ... I don't know if it was cake or quiche but it was the wobbly thing with the brown crust."
"I wouldn't want to be distracted by side effects," Faith says. "I appreciate the offer."
I have no doubt you'll find what you're looking for on any expedition into the Expanse, then.
"Maybe." Says Glaur, "But a change to find a city that has been warded against discovery, using only the clues that a band of evil outcasts left." He grins, "Plus, he motions to the other end of the table, we have clues for your city."
Finze comes to the door, a few people following. One puts a container with baked goods on the table near Arcadia which looks to have been picked up from a bakery. A number of bowls with curried or stewed meats and veggies are paired with flatbreads.
Glaur sighs happily after eating a bit. "Frankly from what Gelik told us," a pause, "although he really did make the dinosaur sound the size of a building, you have the skills you need." A grin, "And are crazy enough to go for it," he picks up a mug full of some kind of ale, "but it is good to have friends in the bush."
Quietly Sasha comments to Zaine, "We need to get that air pocket magic for you for the water challenge." A pause, "And I should get a spear. Swords do not work underwater."
He leans back, clearly caught in the imagery of her words. He takes a bit of the wine at her question, thinking. A broad smile, "There was a man who passed through Eleder maybe five years ago after adventuring in Qadira. In an ancient monastery, he and his allies found a magic scroll. When they opened it it took them to another dimension - sea as far as one could travel except for a small group of islands. All of the islands filled with genie - shaitan - and every place a wonder of delight."
A shrug, "As with most adventures a trap hiding death, destruction and ruin, but they brought out a beautiful illuminated storybook with many of the classic Quadrian stories told from the view of the genie."
He shifts, "Oddly, I've never been able to read the same story twice in that book." A careless shrug, "What is the most interesting thing you've found that you have not been able to keep." He hands her a piece of bread, fingers careless caressing hers.
Given that the Mantis are not local, Arcadia starts her poking around in the very large Eleder port. About midday she catches a glimpse of an unusual thing, a remarkably ordinary person - nothing distinguishing about him at all. And you see said person on the docks right near the Last Hurrah.
Pakshee smiles over at Arcadia, as she moves back to Faith to start working, "Faith made shell harder, so it will protect him more." A smile, "Have you found things that will help when you find next evil?" She dips the metal spine into the black ink, then works it into Faith's flesh with precision. And again, and again. Listening, but her eyes focused on the image she is creating.
After water, followed by some soft sweet bread, she seems to be feeling better. She pulls open the book to show him the sketches she did after they returned from the pirate ship. She points to one in flight, the movement in the tension of the wings, "Want like is on island?" Pointing to the more realistic colors, the browns and blues with lines of white, or more,"[/b] she stops, not finding the work, "more not like on island." The colors being more fantastical than realistic.
Mock serious as she pulls on the shirt, then pants, followed by her chain shirt, "You'll have to make sure that the real Sasha can live up to your expectations." A smile of promise. Then she's gone.
Not even ten minutes later she's back, locking the door behind her. The armor comes off quickly, but she stands at the foot of the bed looking almost nervous.
Arcadia is all propriety and good behavior when the baked goods appear, and she thanks those who've brought the food in with them. If a person could gracefully snatch something, she manages it with one of the bakery treats. And she doesn't even make any grunting noises while she eats it, either.
"Tulip is the size of a building as far as her enemies are concerned," Arcadia says amicably. "Some of us are crazier than others, and all of us skilled." She raises her glass to those at the table.
Arcadia looks appropriately chastised. "Of course, and that's the only thing that would make me reconsider a grisly death at the hands of an assassin."
"And I should get a spear. Swords do not work underwater."
"They certainly don't," she agrees with a sad shake of her cane.
"It's amazing what's easy to pick up in Infernal," she agrees.
"This drink is absolutely something to be feared," she says with gravity. "And oh, that quiche-cake thing was fantastic. I think the only reason I didn't eat more was because I've poisoned myself enough in the lab that I'm not sure my body would recognize I was poisoning myself with quiche." She pauses. "It doesn't bother me, but we talk about death an awful lot. Is it because we fear it, or because we recognize it as a friend we'll greet one day?"
She seems especially intrigued by his story. "A storybook you can't read the same story twice in? I would love to see such a thing."
When he passes her the bread and his fingers brush hers, she pauses for a moment, frozen like a deer before taking the offered bread with a smile.
"In a small tavern many years ago, I found a song. Sung by a woman, played on a lyre. There were no words, just a sort of... entwining river of her voice and the notes she played. Like everyone else in the room, I was enchanted. She played it like a lover, and when she finished, there was not a dry eye in the room. She left that night, and after that, I couldn't find her, I didn't have a name for the song, and found that I couldn't even hum the melody. Through the course of normal conversation, I discovered that a few people in the tavern, after hearing the song, had been healed of some illness or wound or another. I still hear her in my dreams, sometimes."
She shifts her legs, brushing her foot by his for just a moment before pulling it back.
"And just so you don't feel like you're doing all of the heavy lifting in our conversation, I have two questions for you. The first, the question you asked me. The second; what is something you've heard about that you wish to see with your own eyes?"
"That's admirable," she says to Faith, "it's easy for an alchemist to skip the hard parts of life." She traces a finger along one of the colorful mandalas.
"I do have some things that will help when we find the next evil," she replies, running a hand along a pocket on her coat. "I probably still have a little bit of replenishing to do before we leave, but as you both have experienced, I finally figured out how to create potions for other people. Some of the things I know how to make will be better used in another person's hands."
She picks up one of the paints and sniffs it, then puts it back.
"Will you come with us on our next expedition, Pakshee?"
"Áine, what do you think about the guide? I don't relish the thought of trials, but I'm not sure one can put a price on a successful guide."
Áine shrugs, "Depends on the trials. That being said, I think it likely the advantage of a good guide at the cost of a trial likely to be vastly in our favor." a pause as she wrinkles her nose, mulling around the thought a bit more, "key word being likely"
Arcadia shifts slightly to better accommodate Áine's head on her shoulder. "I'm sure you will be. Pretty ladies with open hearts can't avoid love for long." She says, grin evident in her voice. "Even if they try."
"Thankfully, most of our time together was happy. We bickered, and he was good at dodging my questions and not letting me get too melodramatic about my heritage, which I appreciated once I was done being grumpy about it. I think that sometimes, what we really need, is someone in our lives who won't let us get away with…" she gropes for the word, "self pity, self deceit, things like that."
"But a story. Hmm." She thinks for a few moments, silence filling the space between them but for the sound of their breathing. "I told him, fairly early on, that I had a secret love of poetry. Paolo was no wordsmith, though he did have a clever tongue." There is definitely mischief in her tone at that. "So the months passed without further thought on the subject, and one day, I woke to find him gone. This wasn't abnormal, but what I found clipped to the mirror in the bathroom was. It was a sentence, without context, but seemed to be directing me to another part of our home. From there, another fragment, directing me elsewhere."
She shifts slightly. "He hid fragments of parchment with more of the puzzle all around Kintargo. The final location, a quaint little café where he waited for me with a single orange lily, who knows where he came by it, and a waiter with a bottle of wine. Took you long enough, I almost had to send the wine back, he said. Did you like the poem?." She pauses again, longer this time.
"I hadn't noticed, in my single minded focus to find the next piece of paper, but all together, it formed a poem.
Sleepy she looks out the window
Into the little garden, though//
Born of beauty, jeweled fountain,
How loved she is, she does not know//
Smile like the summer sun,
golden halo 'round her head//
Steals a heart in Thievers Row and
Never gives it back, instead//
Keeps it, takes it to the market
Viewing she the jewelry there//
None of it will catch her fancy,
For none of it will e'er compare//
Sharpened wit like sheath-ed sword
Lips like roses, clever hands//
Hides she in shadow, garden lover,
Searching for one who understands//
After this, an even longer pause. Only because Áine rests her head on Arcadia's shoulder would she even notice the slight hitch in her breathing that might indicate someone holding back tears. But when she speaks, her voice is clear and fond. "I gave him no end of guff for the use of 'sheath'ed'. How lazy!" She laughs then. "But I loved it, and the waiter, although annoyed, did find the whole thing romantic enough to let us off the hook for wasting his time."
"Oh my god, that is so..." Áine's voice trails off, "I envy you..and..I am sorry." she gives her companion another squeeze, holding on, not tight enough to restrict breathing, but possibly tight enough to distract someone from noticing that she is trying to unobtrusively wipe away a stray tear on her shoulder.
"Are you really going to look into the Red Mantis nest?" Áine inquires, looking a little worried.
"Nothing as heartbreaking as yours, cara mia." Mario says with a smile, his mind still caught on the strings of her described loot. "A few years ago, I treated Pathfinder DiGomphrey to a dinner while he was preparing to hunt for Ird in the Expanse. He had with him a mask of gold and gems that would change shape whenever it was unobserved but carried no magical auras." He smiles goodhearted, "I did make an offer but was cruelly rejected."
A pause, "I do hope he someday makes it out of the Expanse." He looks at her, "That is the downside to meeting adventurers, they go off and do crazy, amazing things. Leaving me to worry about them."
He stretches out his legs, just a little, "There are so many things I have not seen," he watches her for longer then necessary, with a small smile, "but something millions have seen that I would like." He spreads his hands, "The metropolis of Sothis. The hulking carapace at its center, a child of destruction either dead or sleeping." He smiles, "Plus my father read me stories of the pharaohs when I was little."
"Back to you cara mia, and what is the best food you've ever had?"
Quietly Sasha comments to Zaine, "We need to get that air pocket magic for you for the water challenge." A pause, "And I should get a spear. Swords do not work underwater."
"You think there will be shooting in the water challenge? I was picturing... swimming, maybe. Like an obstacle course. Maybe retrieving keys from the bottom of the bay or something."
"Who knows what will be in the water challenge," Faith says to Zaine. "He did ask me not to kill Gozreh's crabs, if possible. I think Áine and I are the best swimmers. You and Áine are the best shooters. If it comes to underwater combat...." Faith shakes his head.
"I have a helpful spell which grants the ability to breathe water -- you just can't breathe air for the duration."
"I suspect we talk about death more than people who stay at home and farm," Faith gestures to the bartender, "or mix drinks, or shoe horses. We are more familiar with it. I think we recognize it as inevitable in a way that other people don't. I'll take on an evil greater than my capabilities. You'll ask the wrong question to the wrong person. We fight, we lose."
Faith spreads his hands apart. "Poof."
"What do you expect will happen..." Faith trails off and makes a face. "Yuck. I sound like a missionary. What I meant to ask was if there was a particular god you follow. Irori? Someone else? No one in particular?"
"I think she was asking about the expedition to find the lost city," Faith says. "Although I could be wrong."
"I am happy to help test your future potions, Arcadia. What sort of thing are you thinking that will be more useful for someone else? Keener eyesight for Zaine for Áine? Potion of not-getting-injured for Sasha?"
"I like that design," Faith says. He looks Pakshee over. "Like on the island, I think," he says. "Their colors are closer to your colors."
Arcadia chuckles. "I was terribly lucky to have had him in my life, even for a short time."
She lets a few moments pass in companionable silence. "It's too bad he wasn't around to be shipwrecked with us. I think he could have helped us build anything we wanted." Another pause. "Speaking of which, how are your projects coming along?"
The half-elf smiles in response. "Of course I am, I have a hard time saying no to an investigation. And now… I have more stake in it than someone hiring me to do so." She frowns. "Although, oddly enough, I am not entirely sure I would have taken the job were it not a friend's life in danger. It seems very foolish." She grins, trying to ease Áine's worry.
"That's fair. Overall, we are all familiar with death on some level in this group we've formed."
At his next question, she smiles a little when he interrupts himself, then takes a long sip of her drink. "I could give you a lot of different answers to that question. But instead, I will say that I generally pay my respects to all deities who align themselves with something good, or something more neutral. Nature, the will of the wind, that sort of thing. If there is one goddess I would say I hold more dear?" She seems oddly embarrassed to actually answer the question. "It would be Desna. Everything about her is beautiful, and she was said to prize freedom and luck, both of which I hold in very high esteem myself. She's good, but she's mischievous, too."
She looks sideways to Faith. "Speaking of missionaries… have you ever successfully converted someone, or at least swayed them way from worship of an evil deity?"
"Oh, yes, sorry," she says to Pakshee, "I was asking if you were coming with us to find the lost city." She smiles. "I think I have most of what I need."
At Faith's next comment, she nods. "It was a boon to find those scrolls on the Shiv; learning new formulae can be fairly expensive." She thinks. "I do have one that would make someone more dexterous, and I do have one that could shield Sasha from harm. I also think it would be fun to give, say, Áine the ability to crawl on walls and ceilings like a spider."
She pauses, thoughtfully chewing a piece of bread. "I am not a tragic figure, I promise. I do tend to speak of heartbreak quite often." She makes a face. "I'll work on that in the future."
"That does sound like a beautiful treasure, I can't believe anyone out there would reject someone with a smile as dazzling as yours." At the rest, she sits back in her chair and regards him. "Sothis would be a fascinating place to see. I know you mentioned living through the stories of others, but what has stopped you from joining an expedition of your own?"
At his question, she smiles warmly. "My father used to try his had at elven cuisine to impress my mother." She leans forward, cupping her mouth and lowering her voice, "it rarely did." She leans back again. "But she loved that he made the effort. There was one dish he mastered, a fusion of elven and human meals, a pasta with wild greens, hazelnuts, pinenuts, and this flower that only grew near where my mother's clan lived. That is the best meal I've had, whenever he'd make that for us." She gestures a simple your turn.
Arcadia watches the man from afar, staying well out of sight. Assuming he does nothing out of the ordinary, other than loitering, for at least 10 minutes…
She will come from the other direction, in disguise, as though she's merely taking a stroll along the docks and ship watching. If there is anyone else on the dock, she'll stop them to point out the ship they're near, making some inane comment about "Look, isn't she a beaut".
She does the same when she finally reaches the Ordinary Man, assuming he hasn't already left (in which case, she would follow at a discreet distance).