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"Well, sadly, I don't know how to help you with magical power, but I can help you with poison. Are these demons you speak of susceptible to it?" Ever the seller, she offers Zeran her wares once more.
As the conversation shifts to Kagiero, she notices the woman's datapad clicks on.
"Finally, someone with a bit of tech sense."
She will address Josten and Zeran in a comedic fashion.
"Yes, I'm sure good Josten would charm the pants off of any woman. He is the 'Prince of Love'. Or what is your term for a goddess's son? Prince?" she is unsure but also seems to be mockingly toying with him.
"That's fine..." she grins to Morriana as she corrects Britta. "I just wanted to make sure. I don't know who or what you all are talking about so I didn't know if you needed help. Red-hair there went to the bar to look for a job and came back following you, so I assumed in your excitement and interest in this heck-ate, that you might have a bit of work for those here..." She shrugs. "My mistake."
She will now look to Josten, curious as to why he got distracted. Part of her was kind of hoping he found a job. It is good at least that she now knows that Mitchifer has a book of jobs behind the bar four feet thick. She had been relying on word-of-mouth jobs.
With Aleksandros getting riled at the fact people didn't believe in gods, she shifts in her seat uncomfortably. If he is very aware of others, he may pick up on the fact she too doesn't and is trying to hide that fact.
"Yes, I'm sure good Josten would charm the pants off of any woman. He is the 'Prince of Love'. Or what is your term for a goddess's son? Prince?" she is unsure but also seems to be mockingly toying with him.
"'Godling' is fine", Josten smirks down at the officer. "Ms. Starwind, if you will bear my company, I would like to assist."
Finishes up her meal, wiping her face on the sleeve of her robe. She casts prestidigitation to clean herself and the dishes, stacking them up for ease of retrieval by Windchime. She returns to her studies, pouring over the two books and entering notes in her datapad.
Noticing this, Windchime hurries over to retrieve Kagiero's dishes. "Thank you, Mistress," she trills, twirling around to deliver them to the kitchen, but doesn't bother the busy young woman further.
She smiles as the waitress clears her table. "You're welcome! Thank you for the food!" and goes back to her studies.
Zeran realizes that he is focused too much on his feelings about the demons at the World Wound and turns back to the people at the table. He enjoys another bite of a roll with the delicious jam on it. "Poison? Pity but no, most demons are immune to it. Chaotic beasts, immune to all sorts of stuff. And it seems like any time we think we've documented them all another one is discovered. Only good about that is for the people that document them.... They can sell more books when new ones are found."
He laughs when she comments about Josten and the 'Godling' interjects his own answer. "Maybe I should hire the Godling then? Tutoring on relationships with the ladies? An average Joe like me could always some help with that."
The tall red-haired man lets out a small smile. "If sure you do fine, Zeran."
Silvertail lashes her tails (which have not scaled up in size with the rest of her) in annoyance at Britta's denial. As she responds she turns her head--ugh, in her true form she could just turn her ears--as she tracks the conversations around her.
"I've given some would-be hunters a very abrupt lesson in not underestimating foxes," she states.
She focuses on Zeran for a moment. "I do still hunt for myself, you realize."
Her tails wave in slight agitation. It's getting to crowded, too noisy here. She picks up some cards to try to distract herself, but she can't focus on them with the scent riling up her hunger at the same time as all the talk around her is getting overwhelming to track. If she could just... *ugh*!
She slaps her cards down, tails almost writhing behind her even as her facial expression remains impassive.
"Excuse me," she says before shifting back to her true fox form and stalking off far enough to not feel quite so overwhelmed, but close enough to still at least watch.
Windchime returns in time to watch the fox retreat. Its eyes are a dark forest green. She takes a bobbing step forward, as if to approach, then takes two steps back. It seems to hesitate, or spend a moment processing something--it's hard to tell.
She finally walks over. "We have some dividers in the back." Her voice is quiet and a little less melodic than usual. "Would you like some behind your table, so that. You have fewer faces to track?"
Looks up at the commotion, then watches as the many tailed fox moves off, not bothering to hide her interest and hurriedly notating things in her datapad.
Somehow she has pissed off the fox and not knowing proper alien situational gestures for it seems to have failed her. She had done nothing wrong though and patiently waits and watches as the beast gets increasingly frustrated. As evident as Windchime's eyes, Silvertail's tails communicated how she felt. As she leaves the table, Britta doesn't respond, but instead, gathers her cards and belongings back. She lets out a full-cheeked exhale to relieve her stress and then blows off the slight to her. She instead decides it is better to focus on others there.
To Zeran, she replies, "A creature immune to poison? I actually have been working on a method of making poison that would ignore such things. I'm not quite there yet, but I will soon. I have had some early success on smaller creatures, but not to the point it hinders them as poison should."
When she hears Josten compliment Zeran, she smirks and asks, "How old are you, Zeran?"
The priestess looks confusedly at Josten "Eh? Assist me how? Accompany me where?" She asks, perplexed.
As a few of the others offer to help her, it dawns on her what's goin on "Ah, that weasel Mitchifier told ya my sisters and I could use yer help, didn't he? Well, sadly, I got nothin for ya right now. I just woke up, and was comin here for some breakfast, when pretty boy over there accosted me on the way to my table." She says with a hint of a playful smile and a jerk of her thumb at the red haired godling. "If yer eager for work, he has a big ol book full of jobs and tasks behind the counter. Have ya checked that out?"
Zeran grins and shrugs at Josten's response. While nobody would describe him as a 'ladies man', he wasn't concerned....
He is surprised at Silvertail's comment. So it was OK to hunt, just not to hunt foxes? Zeran says nothing though as Silvertail seems to be upset about something. Zeran has no idea what though!
Hearing Britta's comments again he is surprised to hear that she is working on a poison that might harm the poison immune demons. "If you have success with that I know a kingdom that would likely buy as much as you could possibly produce! They might want you to visit to prove that it works. There are ways to cage demons, blocking their ability to teleport and gate." He finds it curious when she asks his age, but answers. "I'm fairly young for an experienced wizard. A mere 'lad' of twenty nine years. I started my studies much younger than most arcane students though, and showed an almost natural knack to learn such things."
Zeran hears Morriana mentions some great big book of jobs.... but decides just to listen. Probably stuff like clear some rats out of a wine cellar? Probably not as fun as this inn, but still worth a listen.
"You could also ask the Starwind sisters if they need any help. They have some jobs listed in the tome, but they're often have other tasks that require assistance. Or you could try to find their cousin Avyanna, who has a residence deep in the Grand Gardenland. She's a powerful druidess, and could likely use some help as well."
His smiles grows even brighter suddenly, and he waves at somebody coming into the Common Room. "Ah, there's the eldest Starwind now, Morriana."
Windchime nods to Eldlen, showing it heard him, but doesn't go over just yet.
Morriana turns her attention back to Eldlen "Thank ye for your honesty. Almost nobody comes through from the Feywild into the Garden, aside from the occasional Server. So it threw me for a bit of a loop hearin you came here from there." She says sincerely to gunslinger.
"Ack, no thanks. I appreciate the offer, but my sisters should be joinin me soon, and we have our own booth. Also, don't be botherin them bout no jobs, okay? If we're needin any help, we know to ask. Let us just enjoy our breakfast, yeah?" She says, hoping to cut off her younger sisters being pestered by this seeming rag-tag group of adventurers.
She finally walks over. "We have some dividers in the back." Her voice is quiet and a little less melodic than usual. "Would you like some behind your table, so that. You have fewer faces to track?"
Silvertail can't quite help crouching down and lowering her ears as Windchime approaches. "It wouldn't help!" she snaps. "I could still smell them, hear them."
With effort she moderates her response. "Thank you for the offer, but what I think I need is some quiet and fresh air. But I don't want to miss out on a job if they pick one, given I don't think I'd be suited to going on my own."
She also didn't want to let the god-descended ones out of her sight, but she was hardly going to say that out loud.
"Ah! I understand, Mistress." Windchime nods, her eyes shimmering into a rosy dawn hue. "Perhaps later you might enjoy visiting the Grand Gardenland, home of the Starwind Sisters. There are many quiet and green places there, and I do not believe they would mind or notice you. But! I am not helping, so I will leave you to your observances."
It turns to leave, then pauses, and adds in soft lullaby tones, "It does seem very strange to me, Mistress, to hunt something one does not mean to eat. I am certain they have their very good reasons, but I am clearly not advanced enough to understand them."
She glides to Eldlen to take his gold piece and give him the cigarillos he's asked for.
Seeing her opportunity, Kagiero puts her books and datapad away, shoulders her haversack, and tucks her sword back into the belt on her waist. She gets up and walks over to the fox, but waits politely as she talks to Windchime. When the construct moves away, she addresses the fox. "Excuse me, but may we talk? I have some questions I was hoping to ask, provided you don't feel they are too personal..."
"Well, despite what the Starwind sisters say; it sounds to me we have ourselves a band of adventurers that wish to venture into the planes", Josten expounded. "Let's at the very least see what is available in Mitchifer's Book of Jobs?"
Morianna gets a nod from Britta when she asks if they had checked out Mitchifer's book. Seeing that the woman asserts she has no job, Britta shrugs and lets her enjoy her breakfast in peace. It does amuse her though that despite Eldlen's clear favoritism for the beautiful woman, she doens't appear interested in his sweet advances. As he plops down and searches for his cards, she finishes putting hers away.
Zeran's surprise and offer is just the sort of connection she needs. Golarion seems like the place for her if she wants to make some real money. She will nod in thanks to him for the information. When he says he was only 29, she thinks to herself of her own age of 22. It appears his form of human ages the same roughly as hers.
"I was a bit of a top student myself..."
She still finds it strange that they use the term Wizard as a positive experienced thing. Given the abilities he demonstrated, it's possible the "lad" would be called a wizard on many words too, but he is far too kind and not weird enough.
"The wizards I've heard of in myth don't particularly seem to have a mentioned age. They were just in generally weird people. Never met one myself though." She offers a faint smile. He could ask her her age, but she doesn't seem to volunteer that information at the moment.
She will look down at her armor reading her vital signs and will place down another coin for a drink, then will raise her glass for a server. A moment later, one of the other Serpent Wenches will come by and fill her ale for her. In the distance, she can see Silvertail now seems to snap and call out. There is a slight grumble from Britta but she ignores it as she drinks her ale.
Instead, she focuses back on Zeran, especially now that Josten heads off to the bar once more.
"How is the food and drink?" she asks Zeran.
Silvertail is just starting to pace when one of the new arrivals comes up to her. She forces herself to stay civil, though her tails are still writhing agitatedly.
"If I think they're too personal, I'll just refuse to answer," she states. "Go ahead and ask."
She hesitates a second recognizing their agitated state, but goes with it anyway. "I am supposedly a Kitsune, well, I think I've pretty much ruled out being cursed, so maybe more to say I'm pretty sure I'm a Kitsune. I hope I don't offend by asking, but, are you one as well? Are you an elder or servitor of Inari?" She pulls out her datapad mid question stream to be prepared to enter notes...
Windchime hurries away, realizing it has inadvertently attracted a bit of a crowd to the skittish fox.
@Britta
Zeran finishes his stout and raises it for a refill, digging out another silver coin to pay. "Top student as well? I find little things like that to be important. So many students.... Well, you know that most students are still barely more than children and it is hard for the instructors to get them motivated. I didn't have that issue, lack of parents and needing a place to live, and smart enough to realize that my years at the college wouldn't last forever and then I'd have to pay my way in life! That, plus my mother had apprenticed me to Bob, Robert Tarran, one of the instructors at the college. He could have had me sweeping the halls instead of learning in the classrooms. And don't think he never reminded me of that anytime he heard me call him 'Bob' to any student! But I could also see how the wealthy lived anytime I felt like glancing out a window at the snooty folk of the Petal district. Personally I don't know how my mother, a moderately powerful priestess of Desna, was able to cover my tuition and expenses at the College. The College of Mysteries is the oldest school of magic in Absalom, and very expensive. They teach all of the mysteries there, from magic to healing, architecture, alchemy, tattooing and several others. I mastered in divination and alchemy." As he rambles about his time in the college he seems to stop paying attention to the goings on around them. "I was casting my first cantrips at 12 years of age, and brewed my first vial of acid at 14. Still took years to master though."
"Well, if you'd never met a wizard before, you have now. But as to the food and drink.... I have found that I prefer a good stout over most ales. But I always ask for a milder one. Sometimes the brewer of a chocolate stout gets it too bitter. I think they're compensating for the sweetness that they think the chocolate imparts, but it doesn't so they're 'adjusting' for something that's not there. As for the food, I asked for some rye or oat rolls, and Windchime brough back oat rolls with butter and something she called ravidberry jam. She described it as an 'extremophile cultivar of cloudberry that forms small rifts to the Positive Energy Plane in its roots to aid in its development. Its berries are known to have. A flavor!' To say that it is incredible would be an understatement. I just wish that I could take some back to my college to have my old instructors try it. I'll bet Bob would even crack a smile at this stuff. Here, you can...." He realizes that he ate it all and calls out for Windchime to bring more if it is still available. "Well, If Windchime can bring some you can try it too!"
Windchime's flicker and flash as she nods along with Zeran's expositing. It finally gives a brisk headbob. "Oh, yes, Zeran! I will bring more at once. I am certain the cook has plenty to spare in our storerooms."
After taking the offered coins and agreeing to retrieve the requested drinks, she drifts back to the kitchen to check.
Some might find the ramblings of the odd wizard Zeran to be too much, but there is a steadily growing but subtle smile of amusement on Britta's face. It's hard to tell what she is amused with though. Those who have spoken to her so far may notice she's fairly blunt and to the point. No one really talks like Zeran in the Order. They are all about business and getting things done. In her squad, she felt even more alone as they often were harsh to each other, belittling each other's skills for a chance to reach the top of the class. His speech has none of that, easily volunteering information and details. She could listen to him for hours rambling. Moreover, he speaks of alchemy, though hardly stops to allow her to comment on it.
She is offered solid foodstuffs and almost so lost in Zeran's words she reacts slowly. She will hold out her hands in denial to both Zeran and Windchime, but Windchime already rushes off to get it. She flops her hands down in defeat.
"Thank but um...uh...no thanks," she communicates to Zeran, knowing full well that a fresh batch of food will be coming with her name on it. At least it is free. "I'm not...well, such things we soldiers in the Order don't often eat. It's too solid. Mostly we stick to liquid-based foodstuffs." She's trying to communicate it'd stop her up without being crude. "I could try a tiny bit, but I am fine with my drink, and am quite full from my soup."
"So you say you were studied in Divination and Alchemy? I am knowledgeable, evidently, in alchemy, though we just call it chemistry or biomanipulation. But what is Divination? Like...divining?"
She hesitates a second recognizing their agitated state, but goes with it anyway. "I am supposedly a Kitsune, well, I think I've pretty much ruled out being cursed, so maybe more to say I'm pretty sure I'm a Kitsune. I hope I don't offend by asking, but, are you one as well? Are you an elder or servitor of Inari?" She pulls out her datapad mid question stream to be prepared to enter notes...
Silvertail sighs--one of the things she'd picked up from her time in civilization that she actually appreciated. "The second person today... I'll tell you that, until a week ago, I'd never heard the word 'kitsune' before, and this is the first I've ever heard of Inari. I'm from Scarn, which apparently has neither. I'm just a fox who happened to be where some gods were fighting, and part of the mess they left behind made me something other than an ordinary fox."
Waiting for an opening in the conversation he pointed the unlit cigarillo in Sivlertail's general direction. "Neat trick turning into a human, seemed kinda like camouflage. I ain't never seen foxes use camouflage." He winks at Silvertail, as he flourishes the cigarillo, "Course I never seen most foxes, too smart, They get in the hen house and back out, almost never get caught."
She looks up at Eldlen blandly. "I've certainly never been caught in a henhouse," she states, with a little twitch of her tails. "The human form is useful, though it took a while before it was very good for camouflage. I had to learn what most of you had forgotten by the time you were old enough to remember--that it's difficult to stand on two legs. Not to mention the whole clothing thing..."
"Master Mitchifer, can we at that table borrow your Book of Jobs so we can look for some work?", Josten asked.
Silvertail sighs--one of the things she'd picked up from her time in civilization that she actually appreciated. "The second person today... I'll tell you that, until a week ago, I'd never heard the word 'kitsune' before, and this is the first I've ever heard of Inari. I'm from Scarn, which apparently has neither. I'm just a fox who happened to be where some gods were fighting, and part of the mess they left behind made me something other than an ordinary fox."
Kagiero nods and puts away her datapad."I see. I should have known, really. I only have one tail in my fox form, and I can't speak 'people' languages while in it like you can. I come from a place called Agartha. There are others like me, and others that are blessed with stronger magicks. I hadn't run into any of them in my journeys so far, but...anyway, I meant no disrespect to you by asking. I've never heard of Scarn, though. Are you the only one of your kind there? Sounds like your circumstances are quite unique. At least now you can say you've met a Kitsune! I'm Kagiero, nice to meet you, ma'am."
He turns towards the dark-haired girl with the unusual braids. Putting the unlit cigarillo in his mouth he extends his hand, "Evenin' names Eldlen, you new here to?"
Kagiero turns as she is addressed. She looks at his offered hand but doesn't take it. Instead she bows to him bending slightly at the waist. "I'm Kagiero. Yes, I only just arrived maybe a half hour ago." She ends her bow, and addresses both the fey man and the fox. "Is it common for people to suddenly find themselves here? I did not intend to come here, as interesting of a place as this is, but the timing was convenient, for sure. Did either of you come here on purpose?"
At the many-tailed fox's other comments to Eldlen she says "Oh! I lived in human form until my teens, so the fox form is newer to me than the other, but my natural shape has the conveniences of both. Do you have a form that's a mix of the two shapes?" She concentrates for a couple seconds, then shifts into a slightly taller humanoid fox form, complete with snout and fox ears and tail, her fur a reddish brown with white accents and tip of the tail. She holds this form for a bit, then shifts back. "Still getting used to the fur..." she says sheepishly.
Thrilled to actually talk about his specialties Zeran focuses completely on Britta. "Chemistry or biomanipulation? More like the first one I'm sure. I can figure out what biomanipulation only by the parts of the word, bio for living things and manipulation for.... of course."
"My alchemy would probably be like your chemistry, mixing reagents together to produce the desired product. The earliest lessons were on simple stuff like creating flasks of acid that could be used as a thrown, splash type weapon. Later was the more dangerous or difficult stuff. Alchemists Fire was the favorite because if the student doesn't cap it correctly it would spontaneously burst into flames like a small fireball. I'm sure you have something similar. A safer one would be a tanglefoot bag. Satchel that you throw, it bursts open when it hits and covers the area with a tar-like goo that quickly dries and holds everything in place. Good for capture-not-kill."
"But Divination? That's my favorite magic. It is divining and detection. A simple one would be the cantrip Detect Magic. Assuming that you don't mind?" He casts the detect magic and scans her quickly. "With it I can see where there are magical auras indicating that an item has magic potential. If I see an aura I study it, first to determine the 'school' of magic, evocation, necromancy, alteration, and the like. Then I study it more for details, to understand it fully and determine what it does." He takes another sip of his stout, considering the spells that he frequently uses. "On a more practical use there are spells like Heightened Awareness that makes me more observant in a dangerous situation. It can also help me react quicker if someone tries to attack me by surprise. And there's another spell, True Strike. It makes it almost impossible to miss a target if you even try to hit. We used it in school to hit flying bugs with crossbow bolts. The only issue with that spell is that it only works for one attack. You have to cast the spell, then attack, and cast it again if you need to attack again.... I'm not really into combat magics much. Probably why I chose divination."
When the rolls and jam arrive he holds the plate out so she can try 'just a touch' of the jam. "It really is heavenly." Setting the plate down he proceeds to smear a light coating of butter on a roll, then the jam and he takes a bite. "How about your poison? How do you go about making them? The school avoided such topics. Something about conflicting interests and guild rules. Politics is another subject that I avoid when I can."
As Zeran explains what he has made in the past, she subtly shakes her head no again as he speaks. While she is checking off things she hasn't made, she definitely could. They sound easy to her. Stims were her favorite, as they ramped up people for training.
She folds her hands around her cold ale and sips from it again as he speaks of divination. To her, divination was a con job. Most backwater planets read your fortune for a price, so when he asks her, there is a slight roll of the eyes as she offers her hand to him. When he casts a spell in a different manner than perhaps reading her palm, she is more curious if he actually sees anything. She can tell he isn't lying.
Notable magical effects: (I'm sure he can pass his spellcraft checks)
--A belt that empowers her force powers to return her knives to her hand.
--A silver locket that has attuned to her soul, that should something drain her lifeforce, it works as a battery to replace her life.
--Her boots, while touching the earth would draw life from the very ground and root her there, also healing her to some degree.
--The ring upon her finger, strengthening her punches and allowing her to tear through reality to some minor degree. He figures that if she wanted to, with a finger, she could ignore the hardness of the table and just push her finger through it.
--There are what he can guess as tattoos under her clothing that if she wishes, she could pull a weapon from one, and is given insight into unseen dangers from another.
--Her gloves are empowered to increase her own expended power, to shower her foes with bursts of energy.
--Even her simple kunai blades have taken on an aspect that grant her more ability with them. In one of them is something strange, something that draws power from other things and infects itself with what it absorbs. He would figure that if he were to place his staff upon the crystal in her weapon, her weapon would destroy his staff and absorb the power from it.
--Under her sleeve is a charm bracelet that has been imbued to alert her when poison, disease, or invisible creatures are near her.
--Although she has not cast it, she can continually discern lies of anyone speaking right now.
--There is a magical shield around her, not unlike mage armor, however, it is almost natural to be there. It is empowered to last a very long time.
There is clearly more to this simple, beautiful officer than meets the eye. It also may be possible she doesn't even realize that her own powers are channeling through these items and that the effects may just manifest because of who she is. She is truly an oddity; a beautiful jewel in eyes of the world of Golarion research.
"Why can you not make the spell last longer? If you like it that much?" she asks the wizard about True Strike.
When the roll arrives, she seems skeptical and sniffs the jam first. It does smell good. She enjoys jams, but the roll doesn't appeal to her much. She will lick the jam off of her finger and make an interesting face.
"It's good. It has about as much flavor as a Kartooshian tart filling I tried in the Mid Rim territories. There was a particularly good baker there offering pies to people. We typically don't eat solid foodstuffs like I said, but our ship had yet to come in and we had no supplies. I don't regret eating it."
She actually smiles brightly when he asks about her poisons. It is clearly a good subject.
"There are worlds in my galaxy who think the same. On some, poisons are outlawed, but I don't concern myself with that planetary laws so much, and especially not local laws. The First Order is in authority above all of that, and we are kind of a separate unit anyways outside of some more restrictive rules..." she hints. "Some I manufacture from scratch. I have an innate compositional knowledge of poison structures and can make them via alchemy or by extracting them in the field. I've trained myself to recognize plant and animal genetic markers on over hundreds of planets. It just kind of becomes second nature to see something that is poisonous and to know it is now."
"I am Silvertail," the four-tailed fox replies to Kagiero's introduction, waving her eponymous tail as usual. "I certainly haven't met another fox like myself."
She watches the kitsune change forms with interest. "No, I can't do a mid-way form like that, and I'm a bit jealous," she responds with a flick of her tails. "It solves a lot of the issues I have with my human form. Really, how do you deal with such... dumb little ears and noses? They're so pathetic. Every time I change forms I find myself trying to turn my ears to listen to something or catching myself trying to sniff to get a better whiff of a scent."
Turning back to Eldlen, Silvertail comments, "I've no particular desire to go back to Scarn, so I haven't kept track of which door I came through myself. I've debated picking one at random, but that sounds like it might be a bit too risky for my tastes."
"I am Silvertail," the four-tailed fox replies to Kagiero's introduction, waving her eponymous tail as usual. "I certainly haven't met another fox like myself."
She watches the kitsune change forms with interest. "No, I can't do a mid-way form like that, and I'm a bit jealous," she responds with a flick of her tails. "It solves a lot of the issues I have with my human form. Really, how do you deal with such... dumb little ears and noses? They're so pathetic. Every time I change forms I find myself trying to turn my ears to listen to something or catching myself trying to sniff to get a better whiff of a scent."
"Well met, Silvertail" she says with a smile. "I've always had the 'little ears and nose' so I guess I'm just used to it." She shrugs. "Maybe now that you've seen it, you can polymorph yourself when you need that form?"
She turns to Eldeln. "I have no idea. I just came in through the front door...and how based on what Silvertail has said, I'm no longer sure it will lead back to my world."
Silvertail lashes her tails in annoyance. "Human is the only other form I can take, trust me."
Her gaze wanders back over to those who most interest her as she continues, "So Kagiero, how is it you apparently didn't know you were a kitsune? Is it something that doesn't show up until you're older or something?"
"And Eldlen, it seems like there's no shortage of fast ways out of this place, though I hear accidentally getting into the back rooms isn't the best idea."
Materializing out of the mists almost as if she were apart of them, a tiny young lady in all black and wrapped in shadows, steps into the common room. Her long, lustrous white hair cascades about her shoulders, and her red eyes are in stark contrast to her pale white skin.
She looks around, spotting Morriana, who she smiles at, before seeing Eldlen. She glides over to him, waits for a pause in his conversation, then taps his arm to get his attention. "Excuse me mister, but did you just come through the Grand Gardenland?" Shes asks, bouncing on her feet as she waits for his answer.
Her gaze wanders back over to those who most interest her as she continues, "So Kagiero, how is it you apparently didn't know you were a kitsune? Is it something that doesn't show up until you're older or something?"
"Probably only me, to be honest. To make a long story short, my human parents wanted a daughter, and someone looking to gain influence had an orphaned Kitsune baby. So they used magic to lock me in my human form, and offered me to my parents. I grew up thinking I was human, then one day I woke up and had fur. That was about four or five years ago. So...yeah. I do not believe, from what I've learned in books, that this is what happens to Kitsune normally...they seem really family oriented, you know? Close knit. So, either something really bad happened or I was stolen, I guess." She sighs and makes an awkward face...then the Drow appears. She immediately shifts, putting weight on her back foot, and grasps the hilt of her sword, steady and ready. Silvertail probably hears the quiet growl she makes, though everything about her is 'focus' at the moment, stonefaced.
Windchime has departed from Britta's and Zeran's table and is pouring tea for another guest when Kagiero's hand touches her sword.
It flinches, eyes flickering with a tiny pulse of feedback. It looks around for the source, foot tapping rhythmically against the floor, and its gaze settles on Kagiero. Then on Elistra. Then the sword.
The warforged drifts over, subtly placing itself between the pair. "Oh, we are so fortunate to have two of the Starwind sisters in attendance today! May I get you anything, Miss Elistra?"
Since Britta didn't object Zeran casts his detect magic cantrip again and studies a little more carefully. He does still listen so he tries to answer.... "Well, that's a good question and it might be an excellent idea for magical research later. You see, that is how THAT spell currently works. To make it last longer.... Well, metamagic might work on the existing spell, to extend it to two strikes? But to just change the spell would require research and testing and it would be a higher level spell, taking a more powerful mage to cast. But it's still a great idea."
Ending his spell he meets her gaze. "I wasn't studying your body.... I was actually studying the auras of your equipment. It's.... Well, it's hard to explain. I'll try to explain from the point of what my magic detection indicated to me."
"First off, you are magical. But, while I pull magical power from the balance of the positive and negative material planes, you seem to be your own source of power while your body pulls power from.... well, I don't understand it exactly, but pretty much everywhere. And while I and most wizards focus more on one or another school of magic, and leave off others, you are more of a universalist."
"And I do see auras on some, well, most of your equipment. It's not exactly like my magic, but close enough that I see it like this. Your belt causes weapons that you throw to return to you. You have a locket that holds some of your life energy, and it will restore you if something else drains you. Your boots will pull power from the ground to hold you in place and heal you. Your ring will strengthen your punches, and.... I'm not sure of this but will let you easily penetrate armor or hardness of objects? There were some auras from under your clothing, possible other garments or maybe tattoos? One stores a weapon and the other provides you guidance about unseen dangers. Possibly like my Heightened Awareness spell? And, let's see again, your gloves let you attack enemies with bursts of power. Your blades give you additional power in combat, drawing powers from the weapons of your opponents? You wear a bracelet that alerts you to the presence of poison, disease, or invisible enemies. And finally, you have a field of protective energy around you that is very similar to my mage armor spell. But you didn't cast it and if I cast mine it will only last for 8 hours."
He reaches into a small pouch on his belt. "By the way, if you detect poison on me, it's just my familiar here, and she's harmless. To a casual observer she's a bug, a scorpion. But to me she's a friend and a little helper." "Nod hello Greenie." The scorpion seems to dip forward a little, it's tail slowly 'bowing' as well. Then Zeran tucks it back in his pouch.
Zeran turns his head suddenly, "Another drow, I think? And almost like she came through shadow to get here. Interesting!"
Kagiero relaxes a bit, her hand going to merely rest on the pommel of her sword, as Windchime takes position between herself and the Drow that popped out of misty air.
"Well, if research is what you use, you should do it," she answers.
Britta half blushes and slides her hands from her ale to her lap as Zeran says he wasn't studying her body. It was revealing to find that she was magical, but she didn't need him to tell her that. She assumed she was some sort of oddity. She could feel the auras of her items, and while he explained what they could do, she marveled as she had imbued them to strengthen her in such ways, but the power was hers. She blushes a bit further when he says he can see her tattoos.
"What, can he see through my clothes??"
By the time he finishes, she realizes that Zeran is no street performer trying to read her fortune.
"I feel you are not quite right. I connect myself to what I wear, and it connects to me. I did not put auras on the things I wear, they are me. And these things you mention are extensions of myself."
Her eyes trail to the scorpion and she considers getting poison from it.
"Greenie? Hmm. She does have a poisonous sting? Do you need any extracted? I could..."
"Ya mean the book ye left right here on the bar to go chase after Morriana? Aye, I suppose you can borrow it." He says in a voice that suddenly sounds just like the eldest Starwind's accent. Almost like they might be related.
"Windchime, keep an eye on the book, and make sure there's no shenanigans from the redheaded godling. He doesn't seem too right in the head." He addresses the Warforged server, in his normal accent.
"Windchime, keep an eye on the book, and make sure there's no shenanigans from the redheaded godling. He doesn't seem too right in the head." He addresses the Warforged server, in his normal accent.
"Master Mitchifer, you wound me!" Josten said in exaggerated apprehension. "I guess I shall endeavor to earn your trust in the future."
Walking the Book of Jobs back to the table, the red-haired godling found an open seat and opened the tome, investigating its content.
"Hmm...let's see..."
"That...is a BIG book..." she comments. It is the biggest book she's ever seen in her life. In fact, most books she knows are on datapads. Only writings from thousands of years ago were written on paper. Maybe some Outer Rim planets use paper for books, but most don't. It seems primitive to her, especially when it is something so large.
"That...is a BIG book..." she comments.
The red-haired godling chuckled to himself.
Josten stopped himself completing that thought.
No, Josten! Not in mixed company you just met! I got too much of my father's humor in me.
"Indeed. There's lots to choose from. And not all of it is in Common. I recognize some languages. Some in Celestial. Some in Giant!"