Amazingly enough, Alora does find a snow globe with a tiny representation of the castle in it, but is rather turned off by the price: 300 gp. She notices that when you look down at the castle, the Citadel Union and towers resemble a large open-mouthed smiley face.
Jan feels, that as an elder short person and a mage, he is obligated to protect the little and cheerful Alora, who reminds him of his distant cousine. He follows her to the Bazaar, yet his true interest lies at the Herbalist's shop.
I wonder what kind of turnips they sell - mutters Jan as he follows Alora to the Bazaar.
Hello good sir! I can see you have quite a big selection of wares. I am in search for something that I might get for my little nephew. He is quite the fan of griffins, you see. Do you happen to have a souvenir griffin in stock?
"I've already got one like this but mine is much bigger," Alora announces airily before making sure the proprietor can see her putting it back. However, she places it on a shelf much closer to the door - planning to steal it on her way out of the castle if she gets the opportunity.
...The Herbalist's shop resembles a little indoor forest, lush with green, growing things and the smell of flowers and herbs. The windows in this shop are particularly large, letting in plenty of light, but are also lit by continual light globes that shine with that peculiar intensity of sunlight. Jaheira feels like she would love to go in there, like a little forest in the middle of a wasteland of stone. Khalid also feels a bit at home here as well, but less so than Jaheira...
"Nature could find a place here," Jaheria muttered in a much softer voice: one pretty much always reserved for Khalid. The false sunlight could only come from deep magics of nature, so she was not bothered by this artificiality in the slightest. "Come," she continued, suspecting that he would likely follow her within; especially, since her mood brightened at the signs of life that she saw. Besides, her wifely urges were often inspired by nature's beauty, and her husband was the sole recipient of such good fortunes...
Aerie is attracted to the door with all the symbols of the Gods, but also a bit turned off to see the symbols of Gods she knows to be evil along with those of the good and neutral gods.
At first, Aerie was delighted to see a temple dedicated to so many gods at once! Until...she noticed Cyric and Myrkul and Talos and all the other baddies up there as well. Aerie frowned. What sort of temple would put Talos on the same level of regard and love as Lathander? Or Ilmater? Good, kind, righteous gods who watched over their world and protected it, rather than wreck havoc and destruction.
But her disdain melted away the instant she recognized Baervan Wildwanderer and his holy symbol, the racoon face of Chiktikka Fastpaws. Chiktikka! Baervan was a gnome god of forests and nature, but all of her favorite stories centered around his animal companion, a quick and charming sentient racoon. Aerie might be an avariel elf--or she was, as she bitterly thought of the humps on her back where her wings used to be--but she'd been rescued by Quayle and the other gnomes of the circus. They were her family, and she loved every aspect of their lives.
So, despite her initial reaction, she proceeded toward the temple to pay her respects.
(OOC: I just feel you should know, copy-pasta was my best friend for this post. )
"Souvenir?" the man asks, sounding amused. "No, only a stuffed one. Full-size that is. But it can be yours for only 40,000 gold pieces. Still looks like it did when it was alive, I guarantee! I only sell the best here in m'shop."
Inside the Herbalists, you find a human in her mid 40's with lightly graying blonde hair. Her eyes are the green of leaves deep in the forest, and she wears a rough homespun dress streaked with soil around the edges of her sleeves. Not only does her garden include all kinds of herbs, shrubs and trees, but also a fungus garden, each of truly prodigious size, and all in the best of green, blooming health. The air in the shop is very restful to Jaheira, and she can smell the scent of flowers she thought only grew in the deepest of forests.
"Greetings!" the woman says with a smile. "I rarely get such unusual visitors. Half-elves, I ken. Most elves seem to want little to do with this place- I suspect for the same reason the Golden Bough Druids are so annoyed with this place."
The temple resembled nothing so much as Aerie had visited in some shrines in human cities too small to have a temple- except this one had a glut of priests milling around, each in robes dedicated to a different god or goddess. When Aerie entered, the activity stilled, then a hubbub broke out around her. "Milady elf!" a woman robed in the garb of Aerdrie Faenya (elven goddess of air) called out, followed by other voices, and a gnome in the robes of a priest of Baervan called a greeting to you in the midst of what became a mob, each offering her blessings, a regenerate spell on her wing stubs (from a scroll, no less!) and all of them promising "reduced prices" for their services.
She got the impression that the priests were 1) bored with nothing much else to do besides argue theology all day (and they were probably bored even of that) 2) desperate to make money and thus prove their deity "best/most respected/fill in the blank" 3) Like an army of relic-sellers who hung out at shrines trying to get the faithful to donate.
The man snaps his fingers and an actual griffin levitates out of somewhere out of the back of his shop. Dang! He must be a mage of some sort… or the many rings he wore on his fingers were more magical than Jan realized…
The griffin was, as promised, not only stuffed, but *very* lifelike. It looked like it could come to life and snap off someone's head at any minute. Every inch of skin was pristine, the feathers on its wings, breast and head perfect and without flaw. The beak was posed slightly open, as if it was cawing, or preparing to bite, one paw out menacingly, black talons gleaming.
Alora finds herself letting out a squeak of dismay. She was used to liking animals, but this one was very… menacing, somehow, like it knew she was planning to steal the globe and coming for her… She wants to beat feet out of there. Her heart is beating very, very fast indeed...
You really didn't promise too much! This griffin looks very much lifelike. This must be the second best stuffed griffin I ever seen. Do you know where this one comes from exactly? Can I expect it closer?
OOC: Jan attempts to pull his attention on himself to allow Alora to get what she wants from the shop. Can you roll to see if my attempt is working?
Alora has totally changed her mind about stealing the snow globe. In fact, the look on the Griffin's face is making her think that she might not ever steal anything again (at least not from any establishment that has levitating stuffed griffins).
"Gosh, is that the time. I was supposed to be somewhere else ages ago. In fact, unless I run I will be late." she says in what she hopes is a convincing voice.
Alora runs out of the store as if the very hounds of the hells were after her, leaving Jan feeling puzzled. She's so distracted, she runs down the stairs and finds herself in a lightless underground area. She finds herself in front of a store that proclaims "Stuck Doors B Us".
"Yes please.," says Alora, who is slightly confused about what this shop sells. "I would like to see a selection of the ones you have in stock. I'd really like a green one"
"Greetings!" the woman says with a smile. "I rarely get such unusual visitors. Half-elves, I ken. Most elves seem to want little to do with this place- I suspect for the same reason the Golden Bough Druids are so annoyed with this place."
Jaheira did not know what a Golden Bough Druid was, yet she was not going to put her ignorance on display here. "Perhaps they lack the appreciation of nature that I possess," she ventured, although she rather doubted it. Suspicious of everything, now, she gave everything a careful look. True elves and druids were opposed to this place, which meant that there was something for the finding... probably.
"Oh," said the Dwarf to Alora. "We don't sell 'em. We open 'em." He guffawed "Sell stuck doors! Good one!"
The woman smiles at Jaheira. "You haven't heard of Herzog Akitrom's "Fireball fun in the forest" extravaganza? The damage was most impressive, or so I hear. Sadly, the mages who were involved are gone, but the druids blame Akitrom for the destruction."
The woman smiles at Jaheira. "You haven't heard of Herzog Akitrom's "Fireball fun in the forest" extravaganza? The damage was most impressive, or so I hear. Sadly, the mages who were involved are gone, but the druids blame Akitrom for the destruction."
"And who, exactly, is this Horrzag Kakkitrom?" Apparently, Jaheira was expected to know who this was, but that did not necessarily translate into actual knowledge. Lore was never, and probably never would be, Jaheira's strong suit - nor was it Khalids. "And where are the accursed bards when I need them most?"
"And I," Jaheira replied, "am Jaheira, with my husband," she added, just in case Beannie got ideas, "Khalid." After all, he was the type of half-elf that one would want to get natural with, and Jaheira was jealously possessive.
The temple resembled nothing so much as Aerie had visited in some shrines in human cities too small to have a temple- except this one had a glut of priests milling around, each in robes dedicated to a different god or goddess. When Aerie entered, the activity stilled, then a hubbub broke out around her. "Milady elf!" a woman robed in the garb of Aerdrie Faenya (elven goddess of air) called out, followed by other voices, and a gnome in the robes of a priest of Baervan called a greeting to you in the midst of what became a mob, each offering her blessings, a regenerate spell on her wing stubs (from a scroll, no less!) and all of them promising "reduced prices" for their services.
She got the impression that the priests were 1) bored with nothing much else to do besides argue theology all day (and they were probably bored even of that) 2) desperate to make money and thus prove their deity "best/most respected/fill in the blank" 3) Like an army of relic-sellers who hung out at shrines trying to get the faithful to donate.
"Oh, my!" Aerie struggled to get a word in over the babbling priests. "No, that's quite all right, I-I don't have much money, I just thought I'd visit, a-and--"
She lost her soft voice over the mob, and quickly found herself overwhelmed. She reached for the sky with one arm, stretching as far as she could, and grasped at air. "M-Minsc! Oh, would all of you please back away a bit!? I would like some room to breathe!"
The fact a huge man like Minsc could move around making practically no noise often surprised mos people. Hearing Aerie's call he quickly moved in front of her pushing away anyone who didn't move fast enough to get out of his way.
You and you... And you. You let my witch breath or you'll soon meet my boot and.... SQUEAK! What Boo? SQUEAK! I'm not... Squeak!
Boo says I don't need to shout and that I should apologize... Are you all right little ones? He extends his hand to help the people on the floor who by this point do not know whether to keep looking at the huge warrior in front of them or at the tiny rodent on the warrior's shoulder who seems to be ordering him around.
Comments
I wonder what kind of turnips they sell - mutters Jan as he follows Alora to the Bazaar.
Alora wonders what would happen if she were accidentally to drop it into her sack?
She looks round the store to see if anyone is watching her.
*whispering* Don't worry, I got a plan!
Hello good sir! I can see you have quite a big selection of wares. I am in search for something that I might get for my little nephew. He is quite the fan of griffins, you see. Do you happen to have a souvenir griffin in stock?
...when they came...
But her disdain melted away the instant she recognized Baervan Wildwanderer and his holy symbol, the racoon face of Chiktikka Fastpaws. Chiktikka! Baervan was a gnome god of forests and nature, but all of her favorite stories centered around his animal companion, a quick and charming sentient racoon. Aerie might be an avariel elf--or she was, as she bitterly thought of the humps on her back where her wings used to be--but she'd been rescued by Quayle and the other gnomes of the circus. They were her family, and she loved every aspect of their lives.
So, despite her initial reaction, she proceeded toward the temple to pay her respects.
(OOC: I just feel you should know, copy-pasta was my best friend for this post.
Inside the Herbalists, you find a human in her mid 40's with lightly graying blonde hair. Her eyes are the green of leaves deep in the forest, and she wears a rough homespun dress streaked with soil around the edges of her sleeves. Not only does her garden include all kinds of herbs, shrubs and trees, but also a fungus garden, each of truly prodigious size, and all in the best of green, blooming health. The air in the shop is very restful to Jaheira, and she can smell the scent of flowers she thought only grew in the deepest of forests.
"Greetings!" the woman says with a smile. "I rarely get such unusual visitors. Half-elves, I ken. Most elves seem to want little to do with this place- I suspect for the same reason the Golden Bough Druids are so annoyed with this place."
She got the impression that the priests were 1) bored with nothing much else to do besides argue theology all day (and they were probably bored even of that) 2) desperate to make money and thus prove their deity "best/most respected/fill in the blank" 3) Like an army of relic-sellers who hung out at shrines trying to get the faithful to donate.
The griffin was, as promised, not only stuffed, but *very* lifelike. It looked like it could come to life and snap off someone's head at any minute. Every inch of skin was pristine, the feathers on its wings, breast and head perfect and without flaw. The beak was posed slightly open, as if it was cawing, or preparing to bite, one paw out menacingly, black talons gleaming.
Alora finds herself letting out a squeak of dismay. She was used to liking animals, but this one was very… menacing, somehow, like it knew she was planning to steal the globe and coming for her… She wants to beat feet out of there. Her heart is beating very, very fast indeed...
OOC: Jan attempts to pull his attention on himself to allow Alora to get what she wants from the shop. Can you roll to see if my attempt is working?
"Gosh, is that the time. I was supposed to be somewhere else ages ago. In fact, unless I run I will be late." she says in what she hopes is a convincing voice.
She makes a hasty exit from the shop.
OOC: That is my 2,000 post! Woot, woot!
The woman smiles at Jaheira. "You haven't heard of Herzog Akitrom's "Fireball fun in the forest" extravaganza? The damage was most impressive, or so I hear. Sadly, the mages who were involved are gone, but the druids blame Akitrom for the destruction."
She lost her soft voice over the mob, and quickly found herself overwhelmed. She reached for the sky with one arm, stretching as far as she could, and grasped at air. "M-Minsc! Oh, would all of you please back away a bit!? I would like some room to breathe!"
You and you... And you. You let my witch breath or you'll soon meet my boot and.... SQUEAK! What Boo? SQUEAK! I'm not... Squeak!
Boo says I don't need to shout and that I should apologize... Are you all right little ones? He extends his hand to help the people on the floor who by this point do not know whether to keep looking at the huge warrior in front of them or at the tiny rodent on the warrior's shoulder who seems to be ordering him around.