Hunter's Market
Log Info
- Title: Hunter's Market
- Emitter: Aimarra
- Characters: Aimarra, Tawyse, Sjach, Cryosanthia, Elyanna
- Place: W01: Wilderness Pointe
- Time: Tuesday, November 24, 2020, 1:06 PM
- Summary: Aimarra is purchasing arrows at the fletchers market, and hoping to encounter Tawyse, whom she has been leaving messages for in the forest. She's in luck, and does. They are soon joined by Sjach, or Silence, the recent arrival to Mictlan, and discuss the dangers Aimarra has encountered, namely infernal sheep. Cryosanthia arrives soon after, with a swiftclaw and a kobold youngling, that she loses control of and has to ask Sjach for help. Elyanna, and her horse, are one of the reasons. Once things are under control, Cryo talks about her mission to Alexandria, and offers some maps of the strange things she and Un'eth have been documenting in the nearby forests. This covers several potentially deadly encounters with corrupted wildlife and other things. Kobolds, and whether they can be civilized, are briefly discussed. Soon after Aimarra returns and the group splits up, as Cryo has to make it to Alexandria in time.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* W01: Wilderness Pointe *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
Wilderness Point is the last-ditch point of civilisation before the great northern woods. It stands as a last bastion of trade, and a hub of activity between hunters, traders, and townsfolk.
A fairly wide path, flanked on either side by shallow ditches and tall trees, makes its way into the village from the southern roads, whose borders are outlined by a low stone wall. Sections of the wall have fallen apart here and there. At this point, it's more of a decoration than anything else.
The largest building in the village is an inn, a sign hanging over its door reading 'Wayfarer's Inn'. Its stone chimney has a thin wisp of smoke drifting off into the sky overhead.
At the center of the town is the Hunter's Market, beyond which the town ends along the river's banks, with the ferry providing passage to the other side.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Aimarra 5'1" 128 Lb Half-Elf Female Brown hair and eyes, breastplate, leathers, pointed ears. Tawyse 3'0" 33 Lb Gnome Female An orange-haired Gnome in green leather armor. Sjach 7'0" 268 Lb Sith-Makar Male Lithe emerald and charcoal sith male. Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. Elyanna 5'11" 153 Lb Half-Arvek Female A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
For the last several days, Aimarra has been openly leaving tokens in the wilderness areas south of the druid grove and Mictlan, the area that Tawyse normally looks after. Obvious ones. The sort that nobody who knows the wild leaves by accident, and the last one was one of her arrows, buried in a log. An arrow that is scarred and dented and has a smear of blood on it.
Today, though, she's with the fletcher in the Hunter's Market, having several arrows re-fletched, and a few re-shafted. Those are mere arrow-heads, in a small pile on the fletcher's worktable. Worth noting is that there are several piles - finished arrows, unfinished arrows, arrow-heads, and a few whose heads are much darker than normal steel. More than one shaft has bloodstains on it. Aimarra herself looks hale enough, although there is a nasty-looking healing scar across her right cheek from cheekbone to the corner of her jaw, completely closed but still a raised, angry red, and it is obvious that the scar will be permanent.
The wee Druidess rides into Wilderness Pointe from the north, astride her giant beetle. A large brace of rabbits hangs from the beetle's side, bouncing with each step. Tawyse looks about the small town curiously, searching for something or someone. Her eyes settle upon the market, and with a few whispered words to the beetle, the Gnome drops to the ground running.
"Aimarra!", she calls out, waving a hand. As she comes up to the woman's side, she slows to a stop. "I found the signs you left behind... oh goodness, are you alright? Do you need help?" Tawyse stands on tiptoe, attempting to ascertain the seriousness of the healing scar.
An unfamiliar figure- that is, if one is familiar with Sith in general- makes their way into the little village, though he remains near the outskirts of the village. The Sith seems somewhat wary of the softskin settlement, though he has a couple of rolled up pelts and some antlers hauled over his back, so perhaps he's here to trade. He is accompanied by a young swiftclaw- her head comes up to about his hip. He slowly approaches the place, his nostrils flaring, the tail behind him flicking back and forth, and the bony spines on his skull and tail bristling. But he approaches nevertheless.
The fletcher is quite busy and isn't talking to her at the moment, so Aimarra's attention is immediately drawn by a shout and a short stack of wild hair that is both extremely familiar and a welcome sight. "Tawyse! Thank the gods, you did figure it out! Yes, I'm all right," she adds, leaning down so that Tawyse can inspect the scar, no doubt a deep and serious wound when it was taken, but recently healed over. "I need your help, though." She straightens, looking down at the gnome. There aren't many people the short half-sil looks down at, and the sith will tower over them both.
Speaking of, Sjach will find that he is not the only sith here in Wilderness Pointe, and the sight of a sith bearing antlers and other hunter's prizes doesn't seem to frighten the softskins here in the slightest. One of the vendors, across the market path from the fletcher, waves a hand at him to come closer. She's an older, matronly woman with a kerchief over blonde curls going gray and a beaming smile.
The beetle makes its ponderous way towards the fletcher... rather, it is aimed at Tawyse. It halts to allow the emerald-scale Sith to cross by in front, it's head tilting slightly to take in the swiftclaw.
Tawyse's worried expression fades slightly, and she nods. "I am sorry I did not find you sooner. It has been a busy time, preparing for winter, dealing with the usual poaching, a few crazy monsters..." She blinks at Aimarra. "What can I help you with?", she wonders softly.
Sjach slowly approaches the softskin woman, and shuffles from foot to foot for a moment before her. Eventually, he speaks in- clearly quite unpracticed- tradetongue, judging by the heavy accent and halting pattern. "Thisss one, hasss goods." he finally says to her, his eye ridges furrowing in concentration. The Swiftclaw by his side looks at the beetle. Specifically, the brace of bunnies hanging from it's side. Its nostrils flare, its jaws part, and it lowers its stance, backside waggling in the air. Until she is distracted by a chirp from the Sith. She scrapes her claws against the ground sulkily, and continues to stare at the bunnies.
"Thiss one needsss... coin, and arrowss." Sjach murmurs to the woman, as he begins hauling his hunting trophies off his shoulder to lay out infront of her for her inspection.
"Of course, of course." The woman is as efficient as she is cheerful, inspecting each hide and fur and set of antlers and bones in turn, examining the state of curing and tanning of each with a practiced eye. The inspection takes several minutes, but at the end, she looks up and names him a sum of money. A little low, but it would suffice to purchase him arrows to refill his quiver and some food and tools. She waits with a smile, though, clearly expecting something of him.
Across the way, Aimarra leans against the rough wooden post holding up the roof over the open-air fletcher's counter, looking down at Tawyse. "There's something spreading infernal disease to the trees and animals, west of Alexandria along the Kultari road in the forest there. There was a whole flock of sheep, mostly rams and only a few ewes, but all with razor-sharp horns. They've damaged and maybe infected some of the trees. We need to find out who is responsible, and stop it from spreading."
The giant beetle nudges the Gnome with its horn, and she turns to pat at the beast's head. "Good boy.", she says softly, "Go ahead and settle down." While the beetle works at getting itself comfortable, Tawyse leans into Aimarra, hugging at the taller woman. "I am glad you're okay." She looks up at Aimarra, her expression full of worry once more. "This has to be the Felwood's doing, certainly. Or perhaps, someone interested in the Felwood's legacy. Have you seen anything else, besides the sheep, and possibly demonic trees? You left behind clues that were bloody, and you've been injured... what have you been fighting?"
The Sith hunter just stares back at the woman for a few moments, a bit awkwardly. While he is no stranger to barter, he knows little and less about the currency in these lands, not the value these softskins place on things. And so after some hesitation he says, "That isss... good." to the woman. The swiftclaw by his side is now beginning to salivate as she stares at the bunnies, and she claws at the ground again. Her backside begins to wiggle once more, and it takes another chirp from the sith-makar to distract her again from her desire to pounce. She lifts her head, emitting a plaintive chitter and stomps one of her clawed feet, her tail lashing back and forth.
After accepting whatever coin the woman offers, perhaps a bit less than the odds for his haul, the Sith looks towards the fletcher's building he'd passed. He begins to head over that way, and the swiftclaw ends her minor tantrum to follow him. In no small part because this will bring her nearer to the delicious smelling bunnies.
Unbidden, Aimarra's hand goes to the scar on her cheek, visible to the Sith hunter as he passes. He can clearly hear the discussion they are having. "Some refugees were infected with it, and attacked us. It's definitely not a normal affliction, and I don't want to hunt it until I can get my bow enchanted. I left the bloody clues so you'd know that whatever was afoot, it wasn't a social call and it was something dangerous. As soon as I can get my bow enchanted, I can take you and whoever else back to the area."
The Sith will find, if he counts the coins, that the sum she gave him was more than what she'd named, a sum closer to the goods' true value. Meanwhile, the fletcher is hard at work already, and waves at the sith in a gesture of acknowledgement. It seems likely from what's on the counter that the little brown half-sil is doing much the same thing he is, and not all of those arrowheads are plain steel!
"It's enough to make me wish to pick up the bow as well.", the Gnome says in reply to Aimarra. She looks over the goods she has available, seven rabbits, a few dozen arrows, small loops of string and a few bits and bobs to make traps with... "I'm not really geared up for a big fight, let alone a demonic one."
Tawyse waves at Sjach a moment, before looking back to Aimarra. "Did they shoot you in the face then? I've seen groups of people wandering the forests south of the grove. I erred on the side of caution and stayed away. They didn't appear to be doing much, if anything."
Sjach peers at the coins in his palm curiously, though still has little understanding of their true worth. Another thing he will need to learn, he reminds himself. As he passes by the other two his spines bristle once more as he overhears a few words he understands, and they don't sound pleasant. He turns to regard the two shorter women, the membranes on his eyes blinking slowly, while the scaled lids remain open. It's a slightly unsettling sight. The sith, still oblivious, begins inching closer to the giant beetle with it's rabits. She clearly thinks she is being sneaky, but her whiplike tail sways back and forth.
"What... affliction?" the Sith finally enquires of the two of them, regarding them cooly with his amber eyes.
"Yeah." There's a shrug both in Aimarra's tone and in her shoulders, but it hides something else, something regretful. "I'm not paid to be pretty." The address takes her by surprise, and she looks - up. And _up_. "A demonic disease that has been planted in the animals, and by extension the trees, in a place. I know where. Why, I don't know for sure, but our arcanist with us thinks the sheep so afflicted might be being used for a ritual of some sort."
Tawyse reaches for one of Aimarra's hands, to squeeze gently. "You're safe now.", she says gently. "And while you might not be paid to be, you are pretty." The Gnome smiles brightly then, and blinks, looking up to Sjach. She eyes him curiously, the emerald coloured scales of interest. His gear is also visually inspected, as is his posture.
"Hello, sir.", she offers politely to Sjach. The Gnome listens as Aimarra offers up a bit more information, and she squeezes her hand once more. "So... I don't need to say it, but, you have my help. Ask and I will do my best."
The beetle hisses noisily at the swiftclaw, who has just managed to snag one of the rabbits from the line on the beast's side. It begins to stand, obviously intent upon retrieving said rabbit. Tawyse's head turns at the hiss, and after a moment's pause, gestures with a hand. "Chaucy, no. Good boy, you warned me, settled back down." The beetle's head turns to regard Tawyse, and after a few moments, it begins to settle back down upon the ground. The Gnome giggles.
The sith'makar has a slightly hunched posture, and would likely be even taller if her stood entirely upright. He has a bow, currently unstrung, made of dark wood and carved horn. His breastplate is old and slightly battered, but clearly well taken care of. He has an alert, tense mein to him. On the topic of a demonic affliction affecting the Wildlife, his nostrils flare and his spines bristle again, "Isss... not good." is about all he manages to express in words, likely due to his apparently burgeoning grasp on the common tongue.
The swiftclaw hops back away from the giant beetle after retrieving her prize, and promptly begins swallowing the rabbit whole. The emerald sith, who had been distracted counting his coin and asking about the infliction, makes a dissapointed clicking sound with his tongue and reaches for the swiftclaw, but she hops away from him, and starts swallowing faster before anyone can take her prize away from her. She looks very proud of herself.
The sith shakes his head, "Sshhaaa." he utters, "This one apologissessss." he mutters, and then picks at the coins in his hand. "Will pay..." he says, still trying to figure out which denomenation is what, he eventually holds out some coppers hopefully towards the gnome.
"I know." Aimarra squeezes the hand in return, but turns to watch the companion-animal interchange, with a small smirk. Not her issue, so she shuts up and lets the other two hash this one out.
Tawyse smiles brightly at Aimarra. "So I've just a few things I was going to trade here, but other than that, I have no pressing business." She looks to Sjach momentarily, and then back to Aimarra. "Did you want to talk more about it here?"
She looks back again to Sjach then, when he goes to offer her coin. Holding up a hand, she shakes her head. Her other hand pats at her belly, and she strikes a little pose, as if flexing her muscles. "Don't worry about it. I am well fed, and have no great need of coin. Half of my catch goes to the pot here, and the other half is traded for useful things. If you feel poorly about it, you can make it up by accompanying me for a time. That way you can hold onto your coins for important things. The swiftclaw is just being a swiftclaw, and I can't be mad about that." Tawyse grins again, and offers up her wee hand to the Sith. "My name's Tawyse. And my taller friend here is Aimarra."
"She knows it is food, and in the wild, if you don't defend your kill, it's there for the taking," Aimarra shrugs agreement. "Pleasure," she adds at the introduction. "I've told you what I know so far. I'm not going back out there until I can get my bow enchanted, and I might have enough coin to have the blade done too if the right person does it. I'm sure the Guild knows people."
The sith relaxes somewhat once the two don't seem angry. This went much better than when the claw helped herself to some chickens. "Thiss one is... Sjach." he speaks his name, which is pronounced more like Szash on his reptialian tongue. "In your tongue... 'Silence'" he says after some thought putting the words together in his head. "Ssshe has fed, already. Greedy." he says, and casts a rueful eye towards the swiftclaw, who is done eating the rabit and is now hopping in place and scraping at the ground, a little joyful celebration of her successful theft.
"Thisss land is not familiar." he says to the gnome, at her offer of accompanying her. "But thisss one will help." he adds then.
"Sjach.", she says, her tongue making a mostly correct sounding of it. "Silence. An interesting name. If you are a hunter, it would be a suitable one for such." Tawyse smiles brightly at the swiftclaw's victory hops, and she gestures with her head at Aimarra, "She's right, if you don't protect your kill, it will get away from you."
The Gnome peers up at Sjach. "Well, then I can do you a favour, and show you the lay of the lands, yes? Which I am perfectly happy to do. And I can show you a few hidden little camps, if you need a place in a hurry."
Glancing back to Aimarra, Tawyse cants her head slightly. "So you're going to have your bow enchanted, and I do believe the Guild can help with that... but it's not like you can swing a dead cat and /not/ hit a mage in that city so..." She shrugs and chuckles. "Are you going to approach the Guild for help in rooting out this danger, too? I could speak to the Ygdrassil Union. I am certain they would want to know, and would be up to lending assistance."
"Whatever you think, Tawyse. They probably ought to at least know. Yeah, the Guild knows about it, we found it on a Guild job." Aimarra is leaning against one of the rough wooden pillars holding up the roof over the fletcher's stall in the Hunter's Market, a nasty-looking healing scar across her right cheek. "I expect the Guild will commission a job to finish rooting that out, yeah." A rider on a swiftclaw moves through the Hunter's Market. It is a whites sith'makar female who seems under-dressed for the weather, in swashbuckling leathers, mithril and a shimmering cape. The gleaming white clothing does not blend at all, so not a hunter, unless she's one planning early for winter. On her shoulders is a youngling, over-dressed and lost in a puffy pink parka. The youngling holds onto the horns of the larger female who seems to be looking for something.
The newcomer to Mictlan, Sjach, is not what she's seeking but she diverts towards him anyhow. Riding over she calls out, "Peace on your Nests. You have found friends already Silence? Thiss is good. Hello."
Sjach dips his head towards the gnome then, as the introductions are given. Andlistens as she talks about the lay of the land and hidden camps, turning his head slightly so one of the ridged ear-holes faces towards her. "Thiss one would be grateful." he offers. He seems to recall something, after a while.
The arrival of the larger swiftclaw draws the juvenile's attention, and she lowers her stance a bit, eying it cautiously incase it decides she's on its territory. Her tail whips back and forth slowly.
Sjach offers a nod of his head towards Cryo, "Peace on your nesst." he says. He's speaking tradespeak, today, although seeming to have a bit of a hard time of it.
"It will be nice to have company, for a time.", the Gnome says softly. "As Aimarra here shows, it can be dangerous in the rough."
Tawyse nods to the Half-Elf then. "Ah, you have things underway already, this is good. Again, I do apologize for my absence, things have been busier than usual. Perhaps the two things are related? I will pass on what you have told me. Perhaps the Union might have more information, which I will happily share with you. Aside from what, what else may I do to help you?"
Cryo's arrival is greeted with a smile, and a wave. "Peace on your nest.", she says, in reply to the white-scale's greeting. "We have just met."
The Gnome looks to Sjach again, "Ah, are you new here, freshly through the portal?"
"On yours too," Aimarra greets Cryosanthia curiously, openly eyeing the marked scales. Dressed for the weather as she is, the cold doesn't affect her too badly, but she lets the sturdy wool cloak she wears fall over her. She appears to be waiting for the fletcher, who is hard at work. "I am not in need, Tawyse, but the wild is. The Guild knows about it." She seems content to lapse into silence as more slow up.
The whitescale's tradespeak is oddly accented. No trace of the expected sith'makar traits, it's not Alexandrian or some other recognizeable human ethnicity. It's almost Diplomatic Standard Tradespeak, with clear pronunciations, but her words have been rounded with something elvish, or perhaps syvlan.
"As have we," the white lizard gestures to herself, then her youngling, "This one is Cryosanthia. This one is Lily."
"Peassse." Lily lets go of a horn to wave a white mittened hand.
Cryo tilts her head to look down at the gnome. She shifts, and slips off her Swiftclaw, holding the reins tight. She was a little too tall in the saddle, "The Ygdrassil Union? Do they finally move against Vidor. Ah? Apologies, this one did not intend to interrupt your conversation."
Sjach's tail tip flicks as the gnome mentions the danger of the wilds, "The wildsss are always dangerouss." he says. He speaks not on matters of the guild, unfamiliar with it, but the mention of the Ygdrassil union draws his attention. "Thisss one has heard that name. Ygdrass- Ygdrassss- Ygdrassssil Union." he says, finding that word particularly difficult to pronounce in the trade speak, apparently. "It isss the name for Shamanss of thiss land." he says. offers the gnome a nod in confirmation of her suspicions, "Yess, a few nights passt." he says in regards to his recent arrival.
"Well then the wilds will be protected.", the Gnome says, confidently, to Aimarra. She reaches for the Half-Elf hand once more. "I am glad that you are alright. I would be really unhappy if you weren't. Especially since I could have helped if I'd been there."
Tawyse looks up at Cryosanthia then, and rolls her shoulder. "I cannot speak for the Union or what it is or is not doing. I work with them, but I am not privy to their inner circle's workings. I was going to bring Aimarra's words to them and ask if they would act. I hope they do."
To Sjach, she grins. "Shamans, druids and others interested in protecting the wilds. What do you think of them? The wilds, I mean."
"Aimarra. Peace to you and yours." The ranger's eyes are on the small one atop Cryosanthia's shoulders, and while she raises eyebrows, she says nothing.
It's about at this point that the fletcher comes back to the counter with multiple bundles of arrows in hand, and sets them on the counter, waving a hand to get Aimarra's attention. She'd been about to take the hand Tawyse offered, but instead pats it and turns away to settle up with the fletcher. "Thanks for the help."
Along the road comes another traveller, this one walking unhurriedly beside a somewhat troubled looking horse. Reddish fingers clutch to reins, while a common cavalry style saddle is draped over the cloaked escort's shoulder. The woman's voice rolls in a soft, wordless melody; a soothing cadence, as much for her benefit as her limping mount.
The small youngling on Cryo's shoulders is looking about with unbridled enthusiasm. It's clear she enjoys crowds, hustle and bustle. She's lost within the puffy, down-filled coat that covers her from head, to toes, to tail and has white-fur ruffs. Aimarra doesn't seem to get any more of her attention than everything else. Lily is standing and leaning, using Cryo's horns as anchors.
Cryo for her part, is holding her neck steady. So instead of nodding she makes a small gesture in Tawyse's direction. "Perhaps they will listen to a Shaman more than a Speaker. This one is more indoorsy, a city sithy if you will. That perhaps prejudices my information. Good luck with your communications." The half-elf gets a wave, as she seems to be departing.
It is Lily who notices Elyanna approaching, and her limping horse. Immediately she points and peeps, "Whorresss!"
Now that the fletcher is finished with Aimarra, Sjach pads a step closer towards him, "Thiss one needss... arrowss." he says, a bit awkwardly. He holds out a gold piece he obtained selling his hides and antlers earlier, "Asss many as thiss can buy." he says to the fletcher. He turns his attention back to the others, then, looking between them.
To the gnome, he says, "There isss little to think. The wildsss are the wildsss." he says then, as though that explains everything. He offers a small dip of his head to the departing Aimarra.
Meanwhile, his Juvenile swiftclaw has wandered off a ways, snuffling at the air, and periodically digging at various places. She turns over a discarded piece of wood, and discovers some delicious insect-shaped treats on the underside of it which she snatches up with a flicking tongue.
The Gnome stares at the Kobold, and looks to Elyanna and her horse. She looks back at the Kobold, then to Elyanna again. And then bursts out giggling. She bends over for a bit, eventually straightening and letting out a sigh. She bids Aimarra goodbye with another hug and a wave, "Be well and be careful."
To Cryosanthia, she nods. "I think they will listen. And hopefully they will act. Nonetheless, I intend to do so."
She looks to Sjach then, and nods. "I have heard that Am'shere is jungle, though. Does it get this cold where you are from?"
Long distance to Elyanna: Cryosanthia holds for your pose
Elyanna continues leading her horse, mostly ingorant of her errant misappellation as the melody, a blend of 'it's alright' and 'you can do it' carries on. The red woman's eyes lift from the road and her thoughts to find the settlement and the gaggle of folks thereat, particularly the familiar beetlerider and more Sith than she's seen in one place since Am'shere. Hmm. Her free hand lifts in silent hail, not wanting to lose the effect of her inspirational efforts just yet.
"That's a... different kind of... this one will explain when you're older, Lily." Cryosanthia says, the kobold is pink enough for the both of them. She does not blush. She hisses something similar in draconic, then continues in tradespeak, "more forward in the mouth, more 'huh', less 'wuh'. 'Horse'."
"Horrrsss," Lily tries again.
Cryosanthia blinks. She makes a clicking noise with her mouth. "Try 'Pony'."
"Pony!" The pink youngling chirps eagerly as Elyanna approaches, "Pony, pony, pony!"
"Much better..." Cryo doesn't seem convinced. Everything will be pony now. She attempts to focus on the adult conversation again, "Am'shere is always hot. There might be parts that freeze, but this one has not been there."
Sjach is just as oblivious about the word as the youngling seems to be, so stares curiously at the gnome's outburst of laughter- quite confused by it, and his tail flicking with iritation as something goes so completely over his head. As it turns out, that word is not one that makes up his limited vocaubulary of tradespeak. However, cold is, and so he lets out a breath, "Ssshaa, no, it iss warm there." he agrees with Cryo's comment. "But the wood isss drier, and burnsss more easily." he says then.
The swiftclaw scratches the ground a bit, and settles down, apparently having decided the domesticated larger claw is no threat, and that she has stolen enough food for one day, she scrapes her head along the ground a bit, and then lays down, tucking her tail around herself, and blowing some errant twigs and dirt from her nostrils.
Tawyse chuckles a little bit, and nods to Cryosanthia. "From the mouths of babes, as they say. It is much more hilarious because she is innocent." The Gnome looks to Sjach then. "I will tell you why I laughed later. It is a crude humour and there are little ears here." She begins to walk towards Elyanna. "Miss? Are you alright? Is your horse injured? I have a few healing spells that could help, yes?"
Cryosanthia keeps a careful hold of her Swiftclaw's reins, and Little Fang keeps a tight hold on Cryo's horns, so when the sith'makar turns, it's with her whole body. She does so to face those approaching. She doesn't have healing spells, there's not much she could do to help.
"This one is going into Alexandria," She tells Sjach, "to see friends, but also investigate a Charnese delegate. This one is concerned she might interfere with the Treaty between Am'shere and Alexandria."
Elyanna turns to her stricken animal and nods, gently stroking the beast's neck before answering, "Yes, please.' she answers, her accent distinctly Bludgunni, "He threw a shoe, and he is favoring his rear leg." She gives a little bow of the head and, "I have not seen you since the kobolds." Speaking of... the Hobkin turns curious eyes to the mounted Sith and her own rider in turn. Her brows knit. Wait, isn't that...?
Sjach nods at the gnome, absently as she speaks about explaining what was so funny. But his amber eyes sweep back over to Cryo as she mentions going to Alexandria. He looks apprehensive, but eventually says, "Thiss one can accompany. One musst see the city, eventually." he says then. He doesn't sound like he's looking forwards to it.
Then amber eyes return to the horse and it's companion, and he offers her a nod of greeting as she arrives but no words, for the time being.
Tawyse looks to Sjach then, and nods slowly. "I suppose showing you around up here can wait til later if you've business in the city." The Gnome looks a little disappointed, and turns her attention to Elyanna and her horse. "Oh! I do apologise, I recognize you. How have you been faring since our fight with the Kobolds?" She crouches down, to peer at the horse's leg. Whispering softly, she extends a hand, a gentle white light flashing briefly. "Your horse should be alright. You're lucky, they can shoe him here. Just over there, I think." The Gnome gestures to a spot on the other side of the little market.
"You should stay in the wilds, get assistance from these new friends." Cryo suggests to Sjach, "This one has many Speaker things to do, much talking, that even this one will not enjoy and there is no fast way for both of us to get there. The city will always be."
However, 'kobolds' does catch the whitescale's attention and she approaches the gnome and the hobgoblin. Her head inclined, she asks, "You have seen kobolds? This one is searching. Seeking information." Elyanna shakes her head, "I find myself entangled in seeking the right in other troubles, of course." she says, a weary note of bitterness in her voice, "But it is of no moment, now." She patpats the horse's side again as the druid assuages his hurts, "I thank you... What have you been about of late?"
She returns the green Sith's nod with a formal, "Greetings." before the white one makes her inquiry, "Some weeks ago. A mixed clutch(?) of Kobolds troubling a bridge outside of Alexandria, carrying a thunderbelcher. PLaying at brigandage, though to that point they had only hurt us, who sought them. Sent under false pretenses." Here, she sounds outright annoyed, but, "I have not heard of them, since, though our..... 'client', will doubtless have no interest in my services."
Tawyse grins.
The emerald Sith seems a little relieved to be excused from visiting the city, for the time being, those bony spines of his relaxing from their upright state to lay flatter against his scales. "Very well." he says to the whitescale, with a respectful dip of his head. Though he hasn't known her long, he seems to have settled into that rather familiar reverence for those sith older than him, and females. To the gnome, he says, "There it iss." he offers. He then watches her work her magic on the horse with intrest.
He looks towards the horse's owner as she speaks of Kobolds, and that word he does know. "Ssshaa, thiss one has some experience. Tracking koboldss." he informs her.
"I have been well.", Tawyse replies to Elyanna. "Busy with my duties to nature and the wilds." He looks to Cryosanthia. "I did do some battle with Kobolds some time ago. They'd been armed with dragonspitters or something, waylaying people on the roads. I don't have much more than that."
She grins brightly at Sjach, potentially having a travelling companion once again. Her eyebrows rise up slightly. "Ah, a tracker then?"
Cryo is using both hands to hold her swiftclaw now. While it has eaten recently, it is also practical and is being taken towards a meal on the hoof. It's trained, but it needs to be reminded and the sith'makar gives it a firm, "No."
Lily is also standing with one foot on Cryo's head, holding herself up on her horns. She looks ready to leap for the hors..pony. "Lily, Ssassa is speaking, get down please."
The whitescale is swiftly becoming overwhelmed. She soldiers on, "Ah. Oh. That is news. That sounds like a different group. This one has a Hunter friend seeking some out, but could do with more assisstance. Some mercenaries have been capturing kobold tribes and taking them to a necromantic region of the Felwood. This one has been attempting to determine what happens next. This one has a map... Little Fang! Down please!"
There is some further hissing back and forth in draconic.
Elyanna nods, "My intent was to see them steered to a course less likely to end with their deaths." A little shrug, and the Hob blooded woman shrugs, "Some of my fellows were... differently inclined. Ultimately, they escaped to whatever mischief they have found, since." She gently shhhh's and strokes the horse's neck as he becomes aware of a large Eater headed his way, "The mount is a loan, but I would very much like to return him intact."
The further issues with kobolds deepens her expression into a frown, but, "Show me, please?"
Sjach nods his head at the question from the gnome, "Tracker, Hunter." he says to her, rather simply. Although his armor is the sort you're more likely to see on a warrior- metal plate and all. There's surely a story there. He nods his head slowly as they talk about the Kobolds, but he seems wary. Eventually, he speaks up, "Are the Koboldss in thiss land not... evil?" he finally asks. It's something that has been on his mind since their earlier discussion at Mictlan, and given how the others are discussing the ones in question.
Tawyse watches Cryo's tussle with Little Fang, and stifles a giggle. "It can be hard being momma, eh?", she wonders of the white-scale. "But I am curious to hear more of these Kobolds.
She looks to Sjach then, and shrugs her shoulders. "It is complicated. Oruch, Arvek and Goblins all have become civilized over the years. They're no longer considered monsters. One should not assume they are automatically evil."
"Silence! This one has run out of hands." Cryosanthia says, fighting to hold back her Swiftclaw while Lily climbs on her head, "Would you assist, with my mount or my youngling. One can only hold one of them back."
While the whitescale hopes for help, she answers Elyanna first, "That is my wish also, that your mount return intact and the kobolds are shown a different path."
The other question is a harder one, but Tawyse has thrown her a lifeline, "It is. A challenge being a mother. And kobolds are intelligent, they are not beyond reason. However, they are beset by many other races and have some strong instincts towards territory and possessions. One easily imagines they have the avarice of a Red Dragon. Met with hostility, they will be hostile. Met with opportunity, they may still be hostile and take advantage. One needs patie... Lily please... patience."
"One needs assistance."
GAME: Sjach rolls handle animal: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Sjach rolls cha+2: (16)+cha+2: 18
Sjach snaps out of his musings by Cryo calling out to him, and then nods his head, moving towards her claw. He issues a chirp and a click of his tongue to get the claw's attention- apparently deeming that the easier task than dealing with the child, and moves to place his hand on the swiftclaw's muzzle. It is not particularly pleased with the attempt, it seems, though, or on someone interposing themselves between it and the horse. "Sssha." he mutters. "It has been a while, dealing with an adult claw." he mutters. He reaches for the reigns, to at least free up one of Cryo's hands even if he isn't entirely sucessful at calming the claw.
He stares it in the eyes, his own slitted pupils fixed on the creatures. It begins to bare its wicked fangs at him at the challenge, but he does the same, the bony spines on his scales quivering, his tail flicking back and forth, and his hunched posture straightening out to make him appear bigger. The stand off is rather tense, given the size and power of an adult claw. "Sshhhhaaah." he hisses. The juvenile claw, who had been napping, has awakened at the clicks and chirps she is accustomed to responding to, and her tail lashes back and forth as she regards the exchange.
Eventually, the swiftclaw backs down, and is rewarded with scaled knuckles rubbing the scales between her eyes. Sjach's spines relax, too.
Elyanna leaves with her horse, "There is a vendor of there I must see." She eyes the sith'makar struggling with their various lizards as she goes.
The Gnome blinks at Cryo's distress, and holds her arms up. "I can help with the little one, if you need." She eyes Sjach then, as he becomes the claw-whisperer. Tawyse suppresses a giggle at the smaller swiftclaw's response, and looks back to the white-scale.
Hands free, Cryo is able to catch Lily before she leaps off her head. The mittens and boots have slowed the youngling down. There is a launch, an intercept, and then the sith'makar has the coat and kobold in her embrace. A similar stand-off stare commences between the two, sapphire versus ruby eyes, with the whitescale hissing quietly then making a deep rumbling noise in her throat. "Little Fang, you are safe. Ssassa will protect you. Here, kill Infernus."
Cryo reaches into her haversack and brings out a well-chewed wooden scorpion. Lily immediately takes it, and bites on it. Cryo holds her out to Tawyse, she seems wary, "Please be careful with her."
Now she is able to take a scrolltube out of her haversack, and a scroll out of the scrolltube. It's a map of area, showing the forest, the wilds, and borders for the Felwood, old, and recently changed. Also marked on the map at the details of the necromantic swamp, "Un'eth and this one worked on updating it, with the help of the Union and Guild teams, to see how things changed once the plague withdrew. This is the compliation results."
Sjach continues knuckling the large swiftclaws brow for a while, and then he tugs her reigns slightly to turn her attention away from the horse and its owner as they leave. Finally he relaxes his grip on the reign, no longer holding her back and allowing the claw to look about freely now that it's calmed. He gives her side a pat, and then looks down, as he discovers smaller teeth wrapped around his leg. The juvenile claw is not biting hard, but he stoops to knuckle the jealous one's brow as well, which satisfies her.
Though awkwardly positioned, he seems quite happy with the company of the two beasts, and turns his head towards Cryo as she takes out the maps- to listen to her words.
Tawyse oofs at getting a squirmy, coat-wrapped package, and she peers at the toy-chewing Kobold. "Hello Little Fang. I am Tawyse. Are you making sure Infernus is being good?"
The Gnome looks to Sjach, and giggles at his predicament. "Hah, she wants her attention too. Jealous girl doesn't want to share her hunter."
"Yessssss." Little Fang says. Infernus is being chewed in her little mouth. Perhaps that is good. She chomps mightily and seems quite satisfied.
The white sith'makar is looking a lot more relaxed too, as the swiftclaws surround Sjach and come under his control. She holds the map out and indicates various details.
"Here is the original Felwood borders, they retreated here, back to the ridgeline. It expanded out here into this swamp. Giant wasps were in this area, there were some corrupted elementals here. This is where ... a kobold nest was cleared out. Two other nests, here and here. This is the Necromantic swamp."
She exhales, and her breath is visible in two small clouds of mist, "This one calls it that because it is... unsettling. Strange oily colours float on the water. There are dead bugs that move, corpses, that move a little. A dead bird on the ground will move its head to follow you. Nothing... that attacks, but we did not go deep."
Sjach cranes his neck to peer at the map as best as he can from his stooped position, and listens quietly. The very tip of his tail flicks back and forth as he listens, his amber eyes do not blink, but the translucent membranes do, occasionally. Finally, he speaks again, "Thiss one has known such swampsss." he says then, "The dead did not move, but there wass oil and tar, and scent of decay." he says to Cryo. "Placess where the death-snatching dragon hass alighted, and the soil ssswallows the unwary." he says, reitterating the old superstitions about those dark, rotting places.
Tawyse giggles at the Kobold's reply, and the Gnome does her best to hold the carnation-scale aloft. She lets out a low breath. "So the Felwood is not dead, it's just moved to a difference place. These are ill tidings, certainly." She cants her head to look at Sjach. "Feel like rooting out some evil before it sinks its roots in?"
"The mercenaries went deeper. The kobolds taken in have not come out. This one and my assistant were not able to track them. This one is Speaker, my help... an assassin. More skilled for populated areas. It is more than a dead area, it was chosen for some purpose." Cryo shakes her head.
"You may keep this map, this one makes copies. Mark details and bring it back, the master will be updated." She watches Tawyse with Little Fang, who is not struggling too much. She has a lot of wiggle room in the coat. "The border of the Felwood breathes like a living thing, but efforts to beat it back do work."
It's at this point that Aimarra, having finished with the fletcher and turned away to complete some other errands, returns with pack a little fuller and coin purse a little lighter. "You're still here?"
The emerald scaled sith looks towards the Gnome then, and doesn't seem particularly roused by the fighting evil, but he does say, "Thossse places are unatural." he settles on, and offers asmall nod of his head. A glance at Cryo, "Thiss one iss good at tracking, but it iss difficult in swamps, moreso in dead oness." he says to her.
He is currently surrounded by swiftclaws, the little one by his feet, and he is holding the reins for the larger one Cryo rode in on. Seems he's placed his own order with the fletcher, who is going about preparing it. He looks back up to Aimarra, "Ssshould we leave?" he wonders, blinking his actual scaled eyelids, once, slowly.
The Gnome grins at Lily, and then nods to Cryo. "Do you have more copies with you? Aimarra may wish one too." She blinks as the Devil herself appears, and chuckles at what she says. "We have been speaking on different things happening around us. We have a map, generously supplied by Cryosanthia here, and kept up to date by herself and Un'eth. It should prove useful in our tasks."
Tawyse nods to Sjach, "Indeed, they are unnatural, and should be cleansed so that they do not expand."
"Yes, this one does." Cryosanthia takes another rolled map out of her scrolltube and offers it to Aimarra. She summarizes her earlier explanation, "It shows things that teams have encountered. The new borders of the Felwood, places with elementals, giant wasps, corrupted wolves, a necromantic swamp. This one encountered some infernal giant scorpions, here, quite distant. Un'eth and I, update as new information arrives."
Aimarra starts to bare her teeth in a softskin smile, but quickly closes it and settles for a snort that those familiar with softskins are likely to interpret as laughter. "No, Sjach. I've no right to make you go or stay. I was only surprised." She takes the map, unrolls it, and considers it for a few minutes. "Drawn by those expanding it. Huh. How long as this been going in?"
Tawyse hands Lily back to Cryosanthia, "I have to head off for a short bit."
The emerald scaled one seems mildly perplexed by Aimarra, but nods his head in acknowledgement when she says they don't need to go anywhere. He turns his gaze back to the gnome, offers her a nod as well. And finally back to Cryo, as she is doing the bulk of the talking. He bristles slightly at the mention of giant scorpions- while most of the other threats aren't ones he's had to deal with, he has heard second hand tales of giant scorpions from the deep forest. "It iss a dangerouss place." he contemplates, quietly.
"The updates were started in the late summer, after the Magic Plague had cleared, to see what changes that caused." Cryosanthia explains, showing the old and new borders, "Explorer Groups and Druids were sent. In some places the Plague had pushed back the Felwood and it stayed. In others, it expanded into the cleansed areas."
She looks up, focuses on the half-elf, "Some expeditions had to be rescued. They did not go too far in. If you have updates, they would be invaluable."
Cryo picks up her youngling, noses her, and holds her. Lily continues to chew happily on a wooden scorpion. "This one's forestcraft is not that great, but I am good with maps. It should assist."
"The Felwood's no joke, that's for sure. I'm not sure all the rules of forestcraft apply in that place." Aimarra is continuing to study the map with apparent dispassion. "Yeah. I need to get my bow enchanted as fast as I can before I take any of this stuff. Does the Guild offer coin for this?"
Sjach nods his head as he peers at the map again, not especially accustomed to having anything resembling a detailed map of the land to go by, but still clearly impressed with the cartography skills of the silverscale. On the topic of enchanting her bow, he glances towards her, "Magic iss a benefit." he agrees then. His own bow is currently stowed through a loop on his back, unstrung, with the string bundled up neatly.
"Yes. There are contracts up in the Explorer's Guild, from Mictlan, with Wilderness Point Inn as the meet area. This one has been trying to assess the Necromantic Swamp, but that may be listed soon. It is a personal project, so this one will find the coin." Cryosanthia explains.
"Yes... magic would be very good. Cold Iron. The Infernal Scoprions exploded, the wolves too. There was a giant wolf that exploded, it had some kind of shadow spikes." Cryo twists her head to examine the notes on the map, "If a beast appears warped or twisted, be wary. Even elementals, showed some signs of corruption. This one did not think that was possible."
"Cold iron I have a few of. It was effective enough. Not a disease, like a weird-looking fungus?" Aimarra stands a little straighter at that, her tone a little warier.
Sjach nods his head on the topic of cold iron, and he looks up, his spines twitching, "The darker arrow headsss." he says- apparently he had noticed them earlier, though hadn't quite grasped their significance at the time. He rises from his slouched position, the younger swiftclaw has fallen asleep again. The larger one remains relatively relaxed. "A funguss?" he wonders then, his eye crests furrowing and his nostrils flare. "Thiss fellwood soundss... like a dark mirror of am'shere." he says eventually. "The ssame threatss, but twissted by shadow." he explains his point after a moment.
The whitescale shakes her head, "No, spikes, like thorns. Solid but connected to shadow energy. Twisted by it, exactly." She nods to Sjach, then puts her hand to her chin, taps it in thought, "It was absorbing it, I remember. The group told me the wolf was webbed down, one of them was watching with Detect Magic, and saw power growing. She told the others to stop. They didn't, kept firing Magic Missiles into it, it grew more powerful, died and then exploded the shards."
She's looking over the map, "Fungus... I don't think... No. You've seen a strange fungus? That's... new."
Sjach listens to the account from the Silverscale then, and shakes his head a bit at it. He doesn't seem to have much more to add to the topic of strange corrupted eldritch beasts- he is more familiar with the natural kind of man- and sith- eating beasts that prowl the forests and jungles of the world. "This one will be cautiouss." he says then, quietly. He glances up towards the sky, perhaps guaging the weather, says, "It will get very chill tonight. Thiss one needs to make camp." apparently, he hasn't even considered staying in the inn in town. "Thank you for your warningss." before switching to draconic, to offer Cryo a farewell. Aimarra gets a dip of his head. As he moves, the Swiftscale stirs, and he hands the reins of the now calmer large one back to Cryo.
Cryosanthia takes the reins, and makes a little flash of her ear-fins as farewell to Sjach, "Peace on your Nest, Silence. Thank you for the assistance. Come to Mictlan if it becomes too cold."
She is rather a fan of Inns, having worked in two, as the ice-girl for several others, and frequently staying over. It's not a practice she would suggest to another sith'makar though, as she's aware how skittish it can make some. She turns to address Aimarra.
"This one must ride for Alexandria. I hope the map will help you. Seek the contracts for updating it. This one is also interested in news regarding Kobolds should you encounter some. Say goodbye Lily." She instructs her youngling, transferring her to a saddle arrangement of sorts that is attached to the haversack on her shoulders.
"Peasss." The pink lizard says in a high pitched voice, still chomping on her toy.
"Yes, Peace on both your Nests." Cryo echoes, then rides away.
