Masquerade Part 1: Evil Dead

[Nanami Touko]

"I doubt it, hmmhmmhmm..." It was an expected reaction. "Worry not. I don't pry past first names unless someone asks for a reading." He did sit down though, which made her think he did want one. "Hmm. Don't worry about paying, it's your first time. Besides, you need to take care of that dragon of yours, right? If you're still fine with this...then give me your hand, please." She held hers out, waiting for his with a calm smile.

Edited January 18, 2014 by I have opinions

[Xinnidy]

Maja stood with dazzling eyes and an open mouth as she observed how the city's structure made use of the trees and environment. "Wow, that's so neat!" She gave a mild hop in place, as if she suddenly became 10 years younger, not that she was that old or mature to begin with...

"I-I want to try one of those! I'm going up!" She chimed in as she tried going in one of the mystic-looking elevators. Finding herself headed to the Town Center.

[Vestige]

"Wow lady, you're pretty good at this," he said. "Alright then, if I don't have to pay, then there's nothing to lose," he said as he outstretched his hand. Am I supposed to turn into a returning customer after this or something? I mean, how do you even make your money...? He looked back at Vriska, who had been rather bubbly as of late. Maybe it's her grandmother...Hmm.

[Nanami Touko]

"You'll see," she said in response to nothing, though she thought that perhaps he'd understand what she was answering to. "Let's see..." she quieted her voice as she took his hand, closing her eyes entirely. "Your name, Raith...Ereld. And you come from... Bau Berg? My, so far away." She chuckled softly. "You own a dragon, yes, and she's a beautiful one isn't she. Enough of your past, let's take a look into... Oh my."

Her expression hardened. "You've another lizard in your life. And she's going to get you to try something reckless, you and...your mercenary friends. Oh... Oh my...!" Hilda almost appeared to be in shock, at which point she let go of Raith's hand. "Well. It seems you'll be having an exciting couple of days ahead. Do try to take care of Vriska when you go. She may not be my grand daughter, but she does hang around here quite often. Oh, do wait just one moment..." She got up and disappeared into one of the house's back rooms, quickly reappearing with a small bottle in hand. "You use staffs, do you not? Here, drink this. It will help, somewhat. And I wouldn't worry about paying for this either, it's quite easily brewed from the forest. Just need to know what you're doing."

"See, Raith?" Vriska said, finally piping up, "isn't she amazing? She's been helping me with my magic for as long as I can remember. It's why I'm so good at it." That same smug look held on her face, quite happy to have come here.

[riariadne]

"Sounds good with me! Uh, gettin' there is the first step..." Valha flew around aimlessly a bit before getting the idea to actually ask someone where to go, approaching a centaur nearby. "Hey, do you know where the fortune teller is 'round here? Me 'n my friend were hopin' to go there, and I've never been in these parts."

[Vestige]

"How did--?" he wanted to ask her how exactly she knew the things she knew, but he decided to remain silent and let Hilda say her piece. Another lizard? Yep, that's the boss alright. Just as he was about to speak up, Hilda got up from the table and reappeared with a bottle in her hand. "Okay, for my own person sanity, I think I'm going to go ahead and refrain from asking how it is you know stuff about me that I've never told you before, but thanks for the uh...fortune," he said. He then took the mysterious bottle and eyed it, the contents were somewhat dubious at best, but Vriska had done nothing but sing praises for this woman, in fact, she continued to do so. So he decided to take his chances.

"She's...certainly interesting, that's for sure," he said, neglecting Hilda's presence as he spoke. "If this is some elaborate ploy to drug me, and then steal my money, I'm going to be kind of upset," he said aloud before taking a large gulp from the bottle. The taste was...well it was something..."Well, thanks for the uh...the drink and the fortune and stuff. Don't worry about Vriska, I'll be sure to keep an eye on her. She's had some interesting companions as of late, but I'm sure you know all about that already don't you?" he said with a smirk. "Nice meeting you Hilda," he said before stepping out.

[Baldrick]

Joel goes into the Blacksmith. Might as well see how the competition works.

[Nanami Touko]

"Oh? Old lady Hilda? You'll find her at the other end of the city, down here. Right beside the back gates. Not too hard to find, eh?" The centaur walked off, realizing afterwards that he'd spoken to a harpy, and how curious that was.

----------

"Would it surprise you to know that I've no idea how I do it either?" she asked with a small laugh. "No matter. Thank you for taking care of her. She'd gotten into a pretty bad spot recently, though there wasn't much I could've done to help. I'm glad someone did. Enjoy yourself in Ward," she called out as he left her house. "Go along, Vriska. He seems like a nice man. You'll be fine there." The girl hopped on out after Raith.

"I dunno why she gave you that, to be honest. It's supposed to help with your magic. But you just use staffs, right?" Vriska seemed slightly confused, but she wasn't about to question Hilda. "Oh, yeah, that's how she gets people to pay. When she stopped there? If you went back in and offered some gold she'd probably tell you more. But it's pretty expensive. Clever, huh?"

----------

"Old man, come on! You've known me long enough! Give me some kind of discount!" As Joel made his way into the blacksmith's, he found Ingverd there, arguing with the elderly man. "It's just a scratch! Do it as a favor, for me, just this once."

"No favors. I've known almost the entire city longer'n you. I don't treat no one different around here. Y'pay the price or you don't get what y'want. You want that scratch fixed it's costin' you five hundred gold." He Grunted and started beating on another sword, hammer in hand. "It's the same price whether it's a scratch or the thing's about t'break. Maybe you should've used it more before y'got here."

Ingverd sighed and furrowed his brows. "Fine, it's not worth it. I'll keep my gold for now. But that price better not change if we come back through here!" He turned to leave, seeing Joel in the entrance. "Oh! Joel. Hello. Come to get something fixed or sharpened, eh?"

----------

Maja elevator adventures were magnificent, and she found her way into the tree top town center fairly easily. It was bustling! There were people shouting prices here and there, selling things on the spot, music being played, smiles, laughter, anger, yelling, and all sorts of other emotions. It was certainly the most excited place in Ward.

One of the younger looking merchants took notice of Maja, through her strange attire, and waved at her. "'Scuse me little miss! Are you interested in anything? Perhaps I can help!"

Edited January 18, 2014 by I have opinions

[scorri]

Kadin had been following Raith and Vriska in his unmaterialized form, interested in the possibility of what a Fortune Teller might be able to tell him. Seeing the two of them leave the shop, he slipped in and paused for a second before fully materializing. "Hello. I uhm... I don't suppose there's any chance you can tell me who I am, can you? All I really know is my name and a few small flashes. Everything else is... like moonbeams. I know it's there, but I can't... grab hold of it."

[riariadne]

"Okay, thanks! C'mon Lanos, we don't have all day!" Valha flew off towards the mentioned area and landed when she noticed two of the others traveling with them. "Hey, you guys went here too! Was it interestin'?" Edited January 18, 2014 by Reinfleche

[Vestige]

"Yeah, I'm not really sure either," he said. He was lost in thought for but a moment, "Hmm, maybe if I make Ophelia drink the rest, she'll start breathing magical fire. Oh how cool that would be," he laughed to himself. He swirled the rest of the liquid inside the bottle, watching it slosh back and forth. "I don't know if you could call it clever...I mean, I do feel kinda bad for not giving the ol' lady anything but, hey, free is free," he said.

As he started to walk aimlessly, he looked back towards Vriska. "So uh, do you want the rest of this? You use magic more than I do right?" Or maybe that lady already fed you a ton of this stuff. I bet that's why you're so supposedly good at magic. Yeah, I bet if I drank twenty bottles of this stuff, I'd be casting thunder magic all day long without a care in the world.

But before he got a reply, the two resident harpies of the group had flown up to him and Vriska, asking about the fortune-teller. "Ah, how lucky I am to be graced by your presence, my Queen," he said, adding a graceful bow at the end. "It was certainly something I'll tell you that much. She's kinda old, but I suppose she's nice. She goes by the name Hilda. Oh, and I swear, I have not told her anyone's name..."

Edited January 18, 2014 by Vestige

[Xinnidy]

Maja appreciated both the ride up, and the liveliness of the place she found herself heading for. It's so lively on the top of the tree! That's such a cool place!

Already mesmerized further by the town, Maja found herself addressed by whom seemed a merchant. "Oh, uh... sure thing! What do you have there, hmm?" She smiled and tilted her head, waiting for a response.

[Nanami Touko]

Talking to Ghosts

"I wonder if the rest of his mercenary friends will stop by. Well, no matter, first time's always free." Hilda absently spoke to herself, not noticing Kadin had appeared in her home until he'd actually spoke at her, causing her to jump and gasp in surprise. "Goodness! A ghost! My, today is going to be exciting, isn't it?" She took a moment to compose herself before sitting down where she had before. "Well, I doubt I'll be able to get as good a grasp on you as something living, but... I'd be willing to try. Please, come over here. Hmm..." She had to think of how to approach this. "First, tell me your name. And what you can remember. If I can't touch you I'll need something to work off of."

Magic is Fantastic

Vriska frowned a little. "Most people are interested enough in knowing their future, so it pays more than you'd think. And no thanks. No fire breathing dragons, please." It's always back to the dragon with this guy, isn't it? Why doesn't he just marry his lizard if he likes her so much? "I don't want it either. I'm surprised you drank it without gagging, I think those things taste awful. Hilda would try to get me to drink them and I'd never be able to get more than a few drops before my stomach revolted against me."

Vriska suddenly hid herself slightly, as the harpies from before swooped in. "Oh, uh... Hi."

What're You Buyin'?

Alright! I snagged a customer! My boss'll be proud of me! The young man quickly looked over Maja, noticing the obvious staff on her belt, and lance at her side. Good, I've got choices. "Well well well! Welcome to my humble little stand. I see you've got magical powers and enough strength to wield a formidable weapon. I've got a few things you might like!" He produced a physic staff from underneath his table, and rather peculiar looking lance.

"This, my friend, is a physic staff! Or at least, that's what I've been told. It looks a bit different from the ones I've seen before, so maybe it's something else? All I know is that it's definitely useful! And the lance..." he said, setting the staff down. "I know what this is, that's for sure. This is a Winged Spear. Easy to wield, light, and good for hooking into things! Not very strong though, bit of a tradeoff. But I can assure you both are of fine quality, even if I can't vouch entirely for the staff. Wha'd'you say? In the mood for some buying? I'll give you the lance for just four hundred gold! The staff, though, I don't think I could part for without one thousand gold..."

[scorri]

"My name is Kadin. As for what I can remember..." He paused, staring off into the distance for a few seconds, "Today there's a set of pale blue eyes that I feel are important, a... a dragon over a... a star? That one comes up more often than anything else. There's a sunrise as well, but that could be from after I died I suppose. But... something tells me it's not?" He sighed. "I'm sorry if that's not helpful. If you can't help me, I understand."

[riariadne]

"Haven't mentioned anyone's name, huh? What's that supposed to mean?" she asked in a puzzled fashion, ignoring the queen remark and instead turning to the other with him. "Hey, what's up? You got your fortune told too?"

[charlie_]

"Huh." Angus muttered. This was definitely different to anything he was expecting, so for a moment he just stood in awe. He'd grown up on the other side of the woods but he'd never actually been to Ward. He and Kyle had always planned on going, but they went back home before they had the chance to. Unsure of what to do, Angus decided to look around the town center. Maybe something would catch his eye.

Angus goes to the Town Center.

Edited September 23, 2014 by SB.

[Nanami Touko]

Ghost Busters

"Kadin... Blue eyes... A dragon over a star...and a sunrise?" Hilda seemed perplexed, putting a hand on her chin and crossing her legs. "The dragon and the star, well, that's easy. That's part of the Felson crest. Give me a moment, please." Unlike with Raith, Hilda seemed to be concentrating very hard, in an attempt to grasp some form of the ghost in front of her.

"...Fahl." She looked up at him, eyes wide open. "That's your last name. Ahaha. I've managed to impress myself, today. I'm sorry, but that is all I can find. I do have one thing for you, though. Something I've owned for a while, without having something to do with it." She once again hurried off into her back room, coming out with another bottle. "Here. You'll be surprised that you will actually be able to carry this, though you won't be able to ingest the liquids inside without... Well, you'd need a body. But it is a very curious potion that allows a ghost to once again become ethereal. I say I've never had a use for this because, it only works on ghosts. I've attempted to use it myself, but it does nothing for the living. I'm sure you'll be able to find some use for it." She attempted to put a hand on his shoulder, only for her hand to go through him, causing her to chuckle to herself. "Sorry. But you'd best be off. I feel I may have other visitors, soon."

Scaredy Cat

"N-No, just him. Hilda's told me things plenty of times before. Not enough, apparently. Don't be too surprised by her, alright? She's very nice, but sometimes she can scare her customers," Vriska warned the two. No one's ever gotten violent, but it could happen. Having someone you've never met tell you all about yourself can be frightening.

Town Center Round Two

Angus was greeted by the same menagerie of sounds and emotions, a more mature looking salesman spotting him from across the way. "Hoy! Mercenary; or at least you look like one. Come, browse my wares! I've surely got something that you can take, and put to good use!"

Edited January 18, 2014 by I have opinions

[scorri]

"... Felson? And Fahl. My thanks to you. You have given me more than I ever had. Regardless of what you might be used to giving people, this I will treasure." He stepped back and bowed to the lady. Walking out, he decided to try and find somewhere quiet to try and think over things.

[charlie_]

Angus looked over at the salesman and shrugged. He didn't have anything to lose from just looking. "What are you selling?" He hoped it was something good, and not just a man trying to pawn off a half broken sword. If it wasn't anything he could use himself, he could at least point them in that direction, he supposed.

[Baldrick]

"Hello, Ingverd. I've nothing in need of fixing yet, but something sharpened? Possibly, it depends on what I can get for what remains of my cut."

Joel brought out his weapons and took them to the counter, still in their sheathes. "What can you do with these two?"

[Oersted]

"Well let's hope there's nothing too scary in the past or future then," Lanos said, not entirely thrilled at the thought that there actually was something unpleasent looming in his future. "Well we should probably get going Valha, we still need to check for better weapons after this."

Edited January 19, 2014 by Oersted

[Xinnidy]

"Hmm..." Maja tilted her head to the left and grasped her chin with her left hand. She was looking at the merchant and thinking what to say back. I... don't remember if I got up to physic, back then... "Um, excuse me, if you're not sure, could I examine that staff? I'm sure physic staves are something I can't quite cast a healing spell with, but I could check right here if you're not sure, too. I won't damage it, I promise!" She saluted the merchant, though it wasn't quite necessary.

[Nanami Touko]

A Bow Enough For a Dragon

Hmmhmmhmm. "I can see you've got a bow, and the arms to string it, my friend. But how about, this?" He pulled a massive bow out from beneath his table, setting it down with a thud. "This is a Greatbow, made from the very trees of this wood. If armor's a problem, this will shoot right through it. I'll even supply you the arrows for it! They're much larger than your regular ones. What say you, seven hundred gold? I can promise you there's not a bow that'll fire better in these woods... If you can wield it, that is. Feel free to give it a hold, t'see if it's to your liking!"

Forging with Fire

"If you need something sharpened, then you'll look no further than--"

"Burk. Quiet, Ingverd. Let me inspect these." Tossed aside by a few words, Ingverd quieted up, and Burk came over to look at the new weapons. "They're not very good, are they? I hope you didn't make 'em. I could probably sharpen them up for you, adjust the weight on the hilt so you can swing 'em better. It'll cost you. My prices are dependent on the weapon. For the axe, you give me one hundred gold, I'll look at makin' it a bit sharper. Not sure I could do too much to it other'n that." He picked up the sword. His expression softened slightly. "Weight's alright, but the blade's been done by an amateur. Could sharpen that. Gimme either one hundred or two hundred. I'll do as much work as you pay me."

A Savvy Merchant

"Uh, sure! As long as you don't actually use it, I don't see the harm in that." Her salute set him on slight edge, but he kept a professional attitude about it and simply laughed a little. "Here," he said, holding it out for her, "give it a whirl and see if you can channel your magic into it. But, tell me you'll buy it if you can! I haven't seen a staff like it at all, here today!" He thought for a moment. "Y'know, if it actually isn't a physic staff, I'll give you a discount, make it eight hundred gold instead. Go on, let's find out!"

[Xinnidy]

"Yay! Alright, then." Maja replied cheerily, receiving the staff and closing her eyes in focus subsequently.

A small light could be seen from the tip, though it was very faint, though no effect seemed to happen. Maja slowly opened her eyes, and the light fainted. "Yeah, I'm sure I can use this one. It must be a weaker version, for those that want to learn the basics of a physics staff, or just want the heal more spread. I think I used one like this before..." She looked at the staff intently, trying to remind the learning he had gone through.

"That is handy, though! You said it would go for eight hundred, hm? Well, I think it's fine, then!" Maja looked back at the merchant cheerily. "I'm buying it!"

Edited January 19, 2014 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

A Good Sale

"Wonderful. I'll have to take your word for it, as I'm not the best at these magical weapons. I'm sure my boss'll be pleased either way, as I doubt we were going to sell that any time soon. Thank you for dealing with me!" He gladly took her gold with a wonderfully large smile, pocketing the sack and looking for another customer; his job for the day wasn't done yet. Actually. "I...don't suppose you'd want to purchase the lance as well? I realize it might be a lot of gold to spend, but it's a wonderful weapon, I assure you!"

Edited January 19, 2014 by I have opinions