A Balancing Act

For the past week, there have been...

... incidents.

That is, perhaps, the best way to put it. They're not the sort of incidents that make the gossip circuit. They're generally expecte to happen from time to time. A brawl at a tavern breaks out between the sea sailors of one ship and the air-crew of another, for example. The first mate of an airship found in bed with a sea-captain's wife, or vice versa.

(Actually, that happened. Both of them.)

Merchants relying on both forms of trade are findign themselves gettinng told to 'pick a side' as the unions representing them are increasingly at odds. Needless to say, should this break out into further conflict, it could have... deleterious harm to the city's economy, and the pace of the incidents that's occurring seems fairly odd. The Guild (and therefore the city) suspects active sabotage may be a possibility and has assigned your merry band to try to find out if tht's the case. You're also to reduce tensions where you can.

Little violence you can't handle is expected here. Mostly, reducing tensions is your goal and how you go about that is up to you. You have a registrar of members of both trade unions and merchants you can speak to to start trying to get a feel for the issues at hand, as well as several taverns where both sides hang out independently (and a few where they hang out together... which have seen a larwge number of brawls as of late.)

Hun'rar's cloak swishes back and forth as he paces, his helmet tucked int he crook of his arm. "Question is, is this just some bad rumors or tales that need to be laid to rest or something more sinister? Perhaps some kind of enchantment that has taken hold?" he offers as a suggestion. "I think we should scan and question everyone!"

Mel works at the Ox-Strength sometimes as a cook, and has seen the bad blood. Sometimes spilled. "Oh, they're fighting mad, that's real enough," he says. "As to how or why, who knows? I've heard everything from gnome assassins to sabotage." He can only shrug.

The Artificer's Guild, as always, is here to help. And that's a good thing. That's what people need to tell themselves in moments like these, anyway.

And who volunteered to represent that illustrious organization in helping to settle this dispute? That would be Aria, it seems. And that's a good thing too. Maybe. On a good day, she's definitely one of the more sane members of that group, at least judging by the fact that she has earned positive repute citywide once or twice, while only earning equal negative repute a number of times really not worth going into, please focus on the positive.

"Oh, it's real. I can personally attest to that," she says. "I happened to witness one of these bar brawls, purely as a neutral observer of course." There are scuff marks on her knuckles. Wait, is that dent on her face shaped like human knuckles? Wouldn't that have self-repaired if it were more than a day old? "Look. I'm not saying they're all bad. Some of my best friends ply the seas." And is . . . is that a Skyguild Engineer's badge on her jacket? "But the Seaguilders really are animals, when it comes down to it."

Kisaiya is being Kisaiya with her dress and all as she swishes about and hums. A look toward one side and then the other and then a reach up to tap her chin with a finger. She frowns, staring, and then nods. "Well, I don't think we really need to question everyone, or even look for enchantments. This sort of thing happens usually through rumormongering and wage gaps."

Kisa nods her head and then sort of balances on one foot as she starts humming, the other off ot the side with a wide spread of her arms. It looks like she's doing a tight rope walk without the tight rope. She's definitely into the merchant-side of things. It's sort of her day job... and evening job. Okay, it's more just like her job. Yes. "If we wanna talk with someone in the Lower or Upper Trades - I can get us in though." She grins.

A red haired woman lowers herself down from the ceiling as she listens. it wouldn't be so bad...if she wasn't upside down and RIGHT next to Kisaiya's head. "SOOOOOO....whatcha talkin' about?"

"I've already heard the truth from the Skyguild, but it seems proper to me that we should go indulge the Seaguilders too for the sake of appearances, even if all they have to offer is lies and black-hearted treachery. I volunteer to go speak to them," Aria offers helpfully. "Does anyone want to join me?"

Hun'rar nods to Aria "Let me go with you, I would like to investigate if there is any magic at work or evil present that we may be able to discover."

Mel isn't really sure how he can help, but helping means getting paid, and he's all about getting paid. "I'll come help as well," he says quickly, and joins Huh'rar and Aria.

Tarragon tilts her head a bit. "ahh...the merchant problems. Perhaps we can get the story from the seafarers if we go talk to them as well....

Aria extends a hand to Hun'rar and then Mel, smiling her unchanging copper smile. "Thank you for your aid, my friends. Let us offer forth the olive branch of diplomacy. Just please bear in mind that these people are undisciplined and renowned for their volatile tempers. Be on your toes, as this could go badly at the slightest provocation. I suggest you let me do the talking," says the golem artificer.

"Lets start with the Seaguild building, shall we?" she asks, leading the way.

Hun'rar nods to the copper faced golem. "Indeed, if its not magic I am sure some sensible diplomacy can resolve the matter. No reason this should get any uglier than it has already."

Mel knows the merchants that spend time at the Ox, and they, at least, resemble Aria's remark. Though he says, "It /may/ help if you use /slightly/ less biased language." But he'll follow along, and be ready to punch anyone as needs to be punched.

Kisaiya finally stops and plants both of her feet on the ground as Aria starts talking to Hun'rar and Mel. She tilts her head to the side, a frown that makes her face kinda squish off to a side as confusion takes over. A blink, a tilt of her head to the other side and finally, "What...?" She blinks and tilts her head to the other side, "Err, well, uh. I guess I'll head off to talk to the Merchants then? Maybe the Upper Trade Merchants?" She slowly jerks a thumb off to where she-

A pause and she looks around, then turns the hand so the thumb is pointing off in a different direction, "Tha-a-a-at way." A nod of Kisa's head.

Tarragon says, "I shall go along with you." She says floating down next to Kisa.....and staying just off the ground..."

GAME: Tarragon rolls diplomacy: (12)+2: 14

GAME: Kisaiya rolls diplomacy: (9)+16: 25

Kisa and Tarragon are smoothing things over with the merchants. In addtiion to serving to reduce at lease some tensions in the process of the conversation with the mercaqnts in quest ion, they're able to get the idea that the uptick in tension and then violence between the sides had started a mere two weeks earlier. No real reason that they, themselves, can identify... just that's when things started getting a little haywire there. No matter how manhy merchants they talked to, /both/ sides started getting in each other's faces around there. Perhaps there was some originating incvdent that served as a sort of tipping point?

"Good question," says Merchant Frieddorf.

Meanwhile, at the Sea Guild, the arrival of Mel, Hun'rar, and ARia does not go unnoticed. In fact, one of them notices Aria as soon as they walk in.

"The hell is SHE doing hre?" asks the leader of a group of sailors signing something into a registrar.

"HEY, I REMEMBEVR HER!" He has a cast on one hand. How could he forget?

GAME: Aria rolls sense motive: (18)+-4: 14

GAME: Aria rolls diplomacy-1: (5)+0+-1: 4

Hun'rar raises his hands "Woah now, I am a Warden of Gilead and we are here to resolve the matter!" he gives Aria a look of 'let me handle this' before looking back at the sailors. "This bad blood you guys have going ain't helping anyone. What is it going to take move past this and enjoy some beer?"

Mel adds, "C'mon, guys, you know me, right?" He's the cook at the Ox who won't give you food poisoning. "We're just trying to get to the bottom of things and see if we can't help come up with some kind of solution!" He puts on his best fake smile for talking to officers.

Aria raises her hands in a show of peace. She really seemed like she was _just about_ to launch into an inspiring speech about peace and friendship (probably), which was very likely to have very good results (OK, not likely at all), but she thankfully stops short at Hun'rar's request. "I'm here on behalf of the Artificer's Guild, not the Skyguild. We merely wish to talk."

Kisaiya nods her head, a bit like a bobblehead (if those existed anyway) as she listens to the merchants. A smile and she continues to nod. What did happen a couple weeks ago if this was the issue? Maybe he knows? "Hey! Did something happen a couple weeks ago? I thought I saw something in the papers besides the Rainbow Dragon and the Rainbow Dragon adopting?"

Tara floats there for a moment as Kisa asks the question....and has her hand in a thought ful gesture. "Two weeks ago. had to have been something undearneath of all of the writing." Tara then looks to the merchant. "Yes. What happened? If no one's talking, it must've been something minor...."

"Hell if I know," answers the merchant of Tara and Kisa's questions, "You're asking the wrong person that question."

That said, it's a reocurring theme. The tension uptick started /then/, and it's jus steadily snowballed ever since. "MAybe the Rainbow Dragon hqad something to do with it." He shrugs.

Meanwhile, the guy with a cast in his hand throws a rock at Aria. It leaves a little ding on hre sin.

That's about it.

"YOU BROKE MY HAND," he yells at her. Technically, it seems more like he broke his hand on her. %r

"Hold on, boys. The other two with 'em, they're from the GUild. I can tell. They got that look to them." MEl's words, on the other hand, stop them for the moment.

"Wait, I DO remember you from the OX!"

GAME: Aria rolls knowledge/local +2: (11)+7+2: 20

GAME: Aria rolls knowledge/local +2: (15)+7+2: 24

GAME: Kisaiya rolls Diplomacy: (19)+16: 35

GAME: Mel rolls knowledge/local: (20)+11: 31

"My friends," Aria offers. "I know that you're angry. I'm angry too. But we've been fighting for weeks now. Surely, we can all agree that the shared prosperity of Alexandria is our common goal, and that our animosity serves nobody. Think of the consequences of our rage. The merchants will lose faith in us if this fighting continues, and at that point, it will not only be us who suffers. Who will feed our families if the freight stops flowing? And what will such a thing do to the lasting reputation of our industries?"

Please stop there. Please stop there.

"Now I propose that we let bygones be bygones. Some people start fights, and some people end them. Surely, we shouldn't hold it against each other if one of us finishes what the other started, even if a few hand bones are crushed in the process? Instead, we should come together and embrace our differences. We at the Skyguild have equipment, training, discipline, and national pride. And the Seaguild has . . . spirit. And . . . spirit. You're well-known for your . . . enthusiasm. And you sure can hold your drink better than we can! That has been amply proven in recent times! Why not combine our strengths?"

GAME: Tarragon rolls diplomacy: (19)+2: 21

Kisaiya sighs and tosses her head back "UUUUUGH!" And then a look toward Tara, a nod and she smiles to the merchant. Once they move a little ways off she leans over and whispers, "They are /so/ stuffy up in the Upper trades." A nod and she starts off toward the Lower Trades with her hand thrust into the air and her finger pointing the way! "ADVENTURE!"

Kisa grins and tilts her head to look back toward Tarragon with a grin. "Why do you float anyway?" She furrows her brow.

"Why do you have a scythe?" Tara says softly. "and yes....the Lower Trade district may provide answers. Upper trades have their noses too high in the air to notice something such as conflist unless it is right in front of them."

Hun'rar pinches the bridge of his nose "Right, that was... said. She is right about one thing though! This fued will harm your prospects for work, lower profits and harm business. Nobody wants that." he says trying to put a positive spin on it.

Mel smiles as helpfully as a buck private serving lunch to the Captain, when the Colonel's come over for inspection. That is to say, he's at his most obsequious. He nods at the fellow that recognized him, as if that gives him some sort of standing. "Yeah, yeah, good to see you again," he says. "We're trying to find out," he says in his best 'I'm here for you guys' tone, "What it is they did that cheesed you off so bad. What started it?" Saying it that way around, they don't have to admit fault, right? That may make it a bit easier. Maybe.

A tilt of her head, "I have a Scythe because... REASONS!" And Kisaiya turns away to look elsewhere as she sweeps her hair back from her face in a totally nonchalant way. See? She's so nonchalant that everyone else is WAY CHALANT by comparison!

Tarragon says, "I have my own reasons then." Now she acts like she's walking. The problem is...she's floating backwards, so she's moonwalking....."

There is silence for a time.

A long time.

They're all staring at Aria. Staring. Staring.

Then they start to surge forwad, intent on grabbing her and trussing her up. Maybe thgey're going to run her out of town on a rail until Hun'rar and and Mel speak again. They pause there, truly.

In the meantime, Kisa and Tarragon are having a bitm ore sure success. Having found their way towards the lower trades. Thre, they are having somewhat more success on account of knowing who has the best deals, the best relations with one side or the other. /There/ they wind up talking to two mrechants, who are act ually in the process of being at each other throats when they arrive. Ranting about their support of one side or the other.

A cream pie is thrown. They're food merchants, of course.

At any rate, the two of the manage to restrain this, but the trouble is obviousily spreading! Once settled, again, they're able to confirm that the trouble started two weeks ago.

"I remember becasue that was right after I got my last shipment of Rosalian creme."

"YOU AND YORU DAMN CREME!"

Tarragon says, "Hey!" She yells at them both. "You're wasting good creme pies. Stop that. If you want to throw pies at each other....use the ones you screwed up....and at LEAST TASTE them then critique! Then you both get better and become better as rivals! but don't waste the pies!" She says as she picks up a pie and tastes one. Ironically, it's an Alexandrian creme pie. "See? THIS one is really good.""

Mel hadn't intended to step up here, he was just going to hang back, let Aria annoy these folks, maybe get into a little rough play, and go back and get paid. But things aren't going that way. "Look," he says calmly, or as calmly as he can fake, "I know you guys got into a fight a couple weeks ago. We -really- need to find out what had you all riled up /before that/," he explains. "Or else we're -all- out of a job. No trade means no goods on boats, nothing on airships, but then no jobs for you, but that's okay cause there won't be any food to buy." Pantpant. "It's like Heth is trying to break Alexandria or something. And you all are going right along with it instead of fighting back." Cue patrotic speech. His captain would give one before the big battles to psych everyone up. "Alexandria, it's more than where we live. It's our home, but it's our turf, too. Where we live, where we work. Where our families depend on us bringing in the coin every day so we can feed them. That all goes down the drain, unless we ... break out of this self-destructive cycle of revenge and smacking people in the face. We've got to pull together. And smack Heth in the face." Doesn't matter who right now. Just need to get everyone aimed at a common enemy.

Kisaiya gives a scratch at her chin as she looks between one and then the other of the pie merchants. A frown that pulls her mouth down and she just keeps looking between them both - listening to the story as she thinks this trouble. Finally Kisa throw her hands up in the air, "DAMN RIGHT! His Damn Creme! So stop wasting them the both of you because infighting breeds more infighting! Healthy competition that's the way to go! And don't set up next to eachother, that's silly business."

Kisa nods her head and gestures toward Tarragon, "C'mon, I wanna go see if we can find more to see what all is going on. We need to find more arguments that are starting." A nod of her head as she continues to ponder, "The game's afoot Tara, and I have no idea what that means."

Hun'rar makes sure to stand in fromt of Mel and Aria if they let him, he is fairly big and can take a hit if need be but after casting a quick sensory spells he shakes his head "This is not like you, I sense no magic, there is no evil here. I know it may seem like a lot but let us all find peace within ourselves."

GAME: Hun'rar rolls diplomacy: (2)+9: 11

Tarragon says, "We'll eventually find out what happened. Just a matter of time." She says floating after Kisaiya. "it's strange though....merchants are fighting each other.""

GAME: Mel rolls diplomacy: (4)+12: 16

"Well, yes, but they always fight eachother because they're merchants." Kisa nods her head and smiles, "Merchants fight, it's what we do. Fight competitors because they're undercutting sales. Fight supplies for raising prices. Fight customers who are trying to get more for less." Kisaiya looks over to Tarragon with another couple nods of her head. "It's the way of a Merchant. We just gotta figure out why they're being /this/ fight-y."

Tarragon says, "That's rivalry....they don't bake pies so they can smash each other in the face with them. And I agree.""

"FIND PEACE WITH THI-,"

The guy with the cast on his hand starts striding forward, itnent on punching HUn'rar right in the face when his compadres grab him and hold him back admist a chrous of 'no no no no no'.

"Can't ya see that be a paladin, friend?"

"HE CAN BE A PALADON'T FOR ALL I CARE"

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

They'r3e squabbling amongst each other for a moment when Mel's words finally sink in.

It's enough, when combined with Hun'rar's steady presence and Aria's... Arianess. They're glaring daggers at her.

SOme of them have actual daggerws.

"Eh, the cook's got a point."

"What the hell does he know? He's just a cook."

"Don't make me remind you about that one time Ol' Shimmy's ship was hijacked and HE was just a cook under siege. They can be dangeropus! all the knives."

"SHUT UP ALREADY. It's the air guild, THEY'RE to blame. It all started when ol' Gravi and Sprinter broke their deal off, I think. Sprinter and Gravi were havin' a contest on which of 'em could deliverm ore Isobaran Port than the other, by sea or by air. Airships traditionally carry a lot less cargo, but go faster, as you know, but we're steadier and generally operate witha higher profit margin. Less crashes, y'know. ANyway, story goes that Sprinter, that's the airship captain, welched on it. This all happened like five years ago."

So... not helping, then, in figuring out what the uptick was in the last two weeks, "when he lost."

"He said two weeks, boss, the last two weeks."

"Oh. How the hell am I suppossed to know? WE weren't even in town two weeks ago." That DOES help a little.

GAME: Kisaiya rolls Perception: (20)+7: 27

GAME: Tarragon rolls perception: (7)+8: 15

Mel eyes the fellows, and wonders, "Where were you, then, two weeks ago?" That could be a clue, too, if they were someplace that something happened. But maybe ... if they can convince this Sprinter and Gravi to clear the air between them, that the others will stand down?

So.

Tarragon and Kisa spend some more time in the lower trades. There, they encounter numerous merchants, most of whom seem... edgy. But for the most part, from waht they can tell, it's understandable edginess based around the fact that they're livelyhoods are on the line if things explode.

Still, this appears to be going nowhere, at the moment, for the two of them when they finally come across a group of sailors at one of the breweries to pick up a shipment of booze to take back to their shipo. There, the tensios are /incredibly/ high. A desire for violence is just oozing off them. Any trigger will do at this point, and they're clearly already slightly inebriated.

GAME: Kisaiya rolls Diplomacy: (20)+16: 36

GAME: Tarragon rolls diplomacy: (9)+2: 11

Hun'rar nods. "Indeed, you know nothing of what happened two weeks ago? Do you know who started all this? I am afraid we may all be being played but neferious forces. Is there someone else who may know?" he asks with a shrug.

"I see. It's all coming together now. In fact, I think I have a plan," Aria begins, sounding strangely confident now. She looks at Hun'rar and then at Mel. "Run?" With a hiss of steam, her body kicks into overdrive as she books it out of there. "Please don't take this as an admission of guilt!" she helpfully shouts to the sailors (and comrades) now behind her.

Kisaiya starts moving at a brisk pace toward the brewery and sailors, getting word that something might be going on over there. She glances toward Tarragon, "Okay, so... I got the talky, you do the hand puppets, we'll get to the bottom of this!" She nods her head, definitively and flings up her arms as she sees them.

"Friends! Friends!" Kisaiya waves her arms from one side to the other, "Help me Sailors and Stockers! You're my only hope!" She says this at a bit of a fast walk, trying to catch them off guard with her rather random attitude before making snapping gestures toward Tarragon and gesturing forward.

"Okay! Scene one, right?" She says it out of the corner of her mouth to Tara, then back to the disgruntled people, "Alright! So, I saw that there was free booze down at the docks but they said there was no free booze! NONE! It was a travesty. But then they said that the problem was at the brewery, and so here I am but there seems no problem! Just good people who want to help me with my need for booze! Did I mention I have rum for drinking? Tami! TAMI!" She looks around, pauses.

"Damn it. Tami is not here. Tara!" She leans closer to Tara, whispering, "Scene five." Sage nod.

"OKAY! So, it will be along shortly the rum! Tami has it. Now so, well, uh. Help! And tell me why so bitter?" Kisa nods.

Tarragon looks to Kisaiya. "you are a lot more diplomatic than I am. You do the talking, I'll keep them from attacking if they decide to fight."

Hun'rar turns to look at Aria and then back at the sailors, shaking his head. "Look, you want to solve this or not? Its only going to get worse for everyone if we don't figure this out." he says to the sailors, trying to stand in the doorway after Aria leaves.

Mel isn't running anyplace. Hopefully, without Aria, they'll have their backs up maybe a little less? "Guys," he says. Because he's one of the guys, right? They know him from the Ox. He's been around the city doing odd jobs for the Guild. "We need to get our act together before they take us -all- down. I mean it, we need ot hang together. When there's a fire on a ship, /everyone/ fights the fire, right? Or you sink together. It's like that."

GAME: Mel rolls diplomacy: (1)+12: 13 (EPIC FAIL)

GAME: Hun'rar rolls diplomacy: (3)+9: 12

...so, the mob looks after Aria. It is now a mob, because more sailors hve shown up. She runs out. Then Hun'rar and Mel speak.

The sailors look at each other and then there is one pair of words.

"GET HER!"

AND THEY'RE OFF. Fortunately for Aria, sailors DO get tired and slow down while Robot Legs do not!

It may behoove (ho ho) Mel and Hun'rar to go after her too before they get trampled.

..because, you know, they kinda stuck their feet in their mouths towards the end there anyway.

"SOMEONE STOP THAT GOLEM!" There is a stop at a bar of some kind along the way, where Aria does... something before moving on, and then rushing off again.

Meanwhile, Kisaiya and and Tarragon have effortlessly put a st op to the problem they were facing. Friends, fr iends! It worked. She's gotten all their attention with her brave speech about how they were were only hope and saying magical words about free booze, confusing them for a moment. They're all staring at her, thre, at the brewery and then back at her again. Something definnitely feels wrong here, something that's telling Kisa she's in the right place, actually.

...about this time, though, is when Aria bursts onto the scene, with Hun'rar and Mel chasing her.

And a large mob of sea sailors. We can't forget those.

GAME: Kisaiya rolls Diplomacy: (8)+16: 24

Mel will do his best to keep up, though not too good. Overtaking an angry mob sounds like a bad plan to him, so while he's following the mob, he's sure not to get in their way. If they forget about him, that'd be fine.

Kisaiya looks over the people and then gives a wave of her hand, "Now! With the booze settled, just tell me what's wrong, yeah?" She gives a wide grin, and is just about to gesture for Tara to start scene eight when...

Kisa slowly turns, blinking, tilting her head and then slowly placing her palm right over her fase. She lets out a long sigh and then pulls up her second hand and applies it to her fase as well, with a twitch of her hidden brows. So close. So close.

A fling of her arms wide and she yells out to the rampaging people, "HEY! HEY! Don't worry about the chrome dome, worry about booze! There's more to be had as soon as Tami gets back! TARA! SCENE TEN!"

Aria dashes through the door. Is she short of breath? Is she looking panicked? No. She doesn't breathe, and her facial expression literally never changes (barring someone punching a dent in it). However, does she slam the door behind her. Only to, a second later, say, "Oh, wait." She opens the door briefly, just long enough to admit Mel and Hun'rar, and then slams it behind her again.

She waves at Kisaiya and Tarragon. "Good day again, friends! It looks like we've ended up in the same place! I imagine you beat us to the punch in figuring this one out. I am really sorry to say that I've complicated matters by inciting an angry mob which is now determined to tear me limb from limb, and by extension, the rest of you as well. Unfortunately, I do have some business to attend to, confirming what you likely already suspect, so I cannot deal with them right this moment. And I'm not sure they want to hear any more from me!"

Artifice can be useful at some point, though. Well, if you live. Aria unclasps a bracelet of three pearls, each one made of glass with inlaid clockwork. She removes one from the string, fingers glowing as the manipulates the gears within. "I've never tried this before, but . . . " She releases it into the air, and it starts to orbit around her. Almost immediately, it starts to glow a bright blue. She laughs nervously at that result, whatever that means. "Oh, dear. I probably should have checked for that two weeks ago, shouldn't I?" She unslings her backpack, opening the largest pouch, and withdrawing what looks like a copper cube. "I can fix this! In a few minutes. I'm not sure I'll be done before we're all killed, though. Do you two have a better plan, by any chance?" she asks Kisaiya.

Somehow, Kisa manages to at least command the (growing) mob to stop. Then on the otehr side of her is an airship crew, ready to smash faces with the sailors that have arrived. "They're here to steal our booze!"

Meanwhile, the folks at the brewery, who work here, are just sort of /staring/ in abject horror and confusion.

GAME: Kisaiya rolls Diplomacy: (19)+16: 35

Why is everything copper with her, anyway? Like is there some practical reason, or is it really just an artifice fashion statement? It does feel a little _last era_, though.

Aria presses the single red button on the surface of the copper cube, and with a whirling, unfurling of parts, a portable alchemy lab unfolds before her. She takes a sample of booze from a nearby barrel and begins to use her not-quite-magical art to do . . . something. She speaks as she works, apparently to Kisaiya. "This will take . . . a little while. I'll rush the work, but it can only go so fast. I'm still not sure what toxin I'm even dealing with. And I'll need you to convince them to actually drink it, once I'm done, without tearing each other apart in the process. Maybe pitch the antidote as a new product sample?"

She pulls what looks like a bundle of medical supplies and medicinal herbs from another pocket in her backpack. Looks like some kinda of nondimensional storage, judging by how much kit she's carrying. She seems to have a big bag of tricks, even if diplomacy is definitely not one of those tricks.

GAME: Aria rolls heal: (18)+14: 32

GAME: Aria rolls knowledge/nature: (7)+7: 14

GAME: Aria rolls knowledge/nature: (13)+7: 20

Kisaiya looks to Aria and just... shakes her head. This whole situation was going sideways compared to how she actuality wanted it to go. She opens her mouth, closes, it, open, close. FISH OUT OF WATER!

Wait, wrong game.

Kisaiya reaches up and rubs her chin as she looks from the sailors to the airship crews. A purse of her lips, "Okay, so, I'm guessing this is all between you two groups right? You seem to be causing problems for eachother and then that means that you're causing problems for who you're selling to, yes?"

Kisaiya looks toward Aria again, checking to see what exactly she's doing - she's not even sure if what Aria is telling her is right but benefit of the doubt! - "And let's face it, no one really wants to have to deal with upset people and annoyed merchants. right? So let's just settle this all with a drink."

"TAMI!" Kisa cups her hands around her mouth, and as if by magic the lady comes in. She's wearing what looks like a very thick robe, slippers, and thick mittens. Tami's also grumbling about sleep, holding out a bottle of rum which is passed to her, and then she continues on through to the other side where she seemingly disappears once more.

"Huh." Kisa looks at the bottle of rum, tilts her head and holds it up, "See?! Let's all have a drink, yeah? Settle this like people."

GAME: Aria rolls craft/alchemy+2: (20)+12+2: 34

Aria explains as she speaks, "It's quite fascinating, actually. The more we heard, the more I realized that every person we were speaking to had a different reason for their anger. When I was told that certain Seaguilders had arrived in port only a brief period before my own scuffle with them, too short a time to absorb the local animus in any natural way, I started to suspect a more artificial cause for their rage. I remembered then that the first such incident happened outside of a bar, one I knew was frequented by the Skyguild and Seaguild alike. When I couldn't find evidence of contamination there, I came to the source of the local brew, which was here. I suspected either poison or magic, and a device of mine confirmed it was the former. From there, I just needed to determine what it is, which I've now done. This," she says, holding up a vial of some muddy extract from the booze, "is a derivative of the drug 'Blue Sky.' Without getting into the nitty gritty of herbalism, this particular variant promotes aggression. Since this seems like a deliberate act, one might call this emotional warfare."

"There's only one lingering mystery. My own behavior was quite terrible, and I'm not quite sure how I was affected by the drug, since I don't eat or dri . . . " She trails off there. The golem looks down for a moment. "Oh." Another pause. "Right." She laughs nervously. "Well, lets look at the positive side of things! We were able to avert this crisis!"

She quickly mashes together a herbal paste, sprinkling some kind of metallic salt on top, pouring in a few vials of unsavory-looking liquids to boot, and combining all of that with the toxin extract. "Just get them to drink this. It's very potent, so it will work diluted just fine. The toxin should wear off on its own if it's not readministered, but this should calm the mob and put them to sleep."

"It seems that you two followed your own trail here, one very different from ours," she adds to the two other women standing betwixt the mob. "I'm curious to hear what part of this whole plot you've uncovered."

The crowd is getting increasingly confused. Wait, what? Kisa is doing an excellent job keeping them back and, by now, the City Watch is starting to turn up. You can't have a mob chase a golem through the city streets without the watch showing up to spoil the fun anymore, right?

Right?

The watch is actually making things MORE tense, despite their efforts. It's just nto something that they can help.

"AH! Perfect! Perfect!" Kisaiaya says as the watch shows up and she starts bustling around with the rum and the antidote. She was hoping that Aria would've put it right in but...! Oh well, anyway! She takes the paste, little in a glass, a chaser of rum, and hands it to a member of the guard. "I thought you would never show up on time! Quickly - quickly - pass out the shots!"

Because that's why the City Watch is here, right? To be servers? Well, I mean, Kisa is very convincing and she smiles a lot. There may even have been an attempt at sock puppets again, but Tara seems to be off doing her own thing and Tami went back to bed. So just smiles and gestures with hand mimed puppets for now from Kisa.

"And so you see, if you give them one - yes, yes - that's it! And now they'll remember the watch as the ones that saved them. See? Great PR to boot!" She flings up her hand not holding important items and then gestures some more, "So then, there you go, oh and you guys can have some too. Not to worry! Not to worry! It's a very large bottle of alcohol after all."

Well that wasn't entirely true, but Kisa refilled the bottle with water and with a little wiggle of her fingers that water tasted exactly like the rum it replaced anyway. And then they won't be getting any more drunk!

Win-Win-Win?!

WHY YES IT IS!