Fire Emblem on the Forums: Sea of Crossroads [IC]

[Anstane]

 

"Wh-woah!" Darius exclaimed as he got almost literally dragged into the institute. There are some things he would like to ask Helena, in particular the timing of the storm, but he decided to leave it for a different occasion.

 

Soon enough, the two of them make it to the central desk and are greeted by a lady, asking if they want a tour.

 

"Y-yeah, we would appreciate it." he spoke out, trying to take in the sights of the institute.

[Zetaark]

"Very well then," the lady chuckled before getting up from the desk. "Seeing as you two appear to be mages, there's one thing in particular that may interest me. Come now," the woman says as she leads the pair through the hallways. "For a bit of history, this institute was specifically made to find ways to integrate magic and merchantry into something that could be of great benefit. Currently, that mostly extends to new means of transport. Seeing as how you two aren't locals, you must have noticed quite a few manaketes around. Were you surprised?" the woman asks.

[Anstane]

 

"A little bit. I had passed through the island before, but I didn't know there were so many Manaketes..." the shaman remarked. Indeed, he only briefly passed through the island of Z'ark on his travels and any Manaketes he might have seen then were in human form.

[rokubiraijuu]

Another . . . manakete? Staring curiously at the green orb still, he has half a mind to ask what 'hybrids' are -- presumably, from their name, a mix of human and 'manakete', but is that even possible? He would not think that a draconian race could even have children with humans -- when Cass says something to him before he can open his mouth. 

 

Head snapping up, he looks at the other, then at the assortment of instruments lining the shelves and walls. "I'm most familiar with instruments that use wind . . . " he remarks. "In my tribe, we often use pipes fashioned by reeds. But it looks like you favor strings," he concludes, glancing to Cass' guitar slung across his back.

[Bfroger6]

"Yeah well, but I can still play the other stuff well enough too, y'know." Cass shrugs and sighs, slumping his shoulders. The parchment he bought earlier comes to his mind though.

 

"Oh right, I forgot...lady, I bet you'd know this lyric, right?" Cass pulls the Ninis' Grace from his pouch and unfurls it for the Manakete merchant to observe it. "Maybe we could go from there, eh? What's this meant to be played with?"

[Zetaark]

Rayne and Clarisse are invited into the living room of the house, quite spacious and well furnished. Inside, another woman could be seen sitting on one of the couches. 

 

"Did the people finally come to let us know about the shipment?" the woman asks before seeing the two guests. "My...Clarisse! You've come home. I take it you've finished your travels?"

 

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"I recall hearing rumors that Manaketes existed in large numbers here, but I didn't think that they would choose to live in such a populated area like this," Helena answers.

 

"I see. Well, there are plenty of rumors about Manaketes here and there, but here in Z'ark most of them tend to be merchants themselves. As you know, travelling between islands can be a bit of a tricky endeavor at times, more so in the past. Some merchants saw a few of the Manaketes around and tried to convince them to help them out with moving goods between islands. In exchange, the Manaketes would receive heavy compensation. Those were some of the original deals that led to the current state of this island. If you just sailed in, you probably saw the large landing pads. Those exist all throughout the island so that the Manaketes can land wherever they need to," the woman explains, telling some of the local history of Z'ark.

 

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"Oh, this is an uncommon piece. I take it Percival and Anna have come back then," the woman remarks. "Anyways, flutes and whistles work rather well with this piece I find. I'm fairly sure I have some. The flute would be 400 vespers, and the whistle 800."

[Chevaleresse]

Myrdwyn walked up to the trio, smelling faintly of something alcoholic. She squinted at them, Belros in particular, before speaking. 

 

"What'cha all standin' around lookin' all serious for? Did Bel piss off a bunch 'a folks again?"

[Sutoratosu]

"No, surprisingly," Cade answered, "At least not this time. We found a certain poisoner's shop not too far away, nestles itself into a back alley and has a crap ton of security around the door. We both went there a while ago to buy some new gear, and when we left, we bumped some the shady looking noble who went in. I was warned about that same dude by a different shop owner earlier. 

    Anyway, we both got suspicious and went back to scope the place out, but the door was locked tight and even had an enchantment guarding it. We're fairly certain that whatever's going on inside right now though, it's nothing legal. Actually, ya know what, maybe it would be better if you saw the place yourself. Words... words alone can't describe how sketchy it all was."

[Chevaleresse]

"So we've gotta do some actual guardin' then? Well, guardin' as in doing the stuff guards do, not necessarily the bit where we strictly beat one guy up so he doesn't beat up a different guy, but ya get what I mean. Sounds alright, just show me ta the place." 

[Anstane]

 

"Huh. So the human merchants and the Manaketes reached a mutual agreement. That's quite interesting, I must admit." Darius spoke out. Then, a thought flashed in his mind. "Hm...would this new method of transporting shipments between islands involve the Manaketes somehow?"

[Twinwolf]

"Mother." Clarisse says, respectfully. "It's good to see you, but no - I'm just visiting while I'm on the island."

[Bfroger6]

"A whistle and a flute, eh?" Cass smiles. "Well then, not quite my style but I'll take the whistle. It's been a long time since I last bought a new instrument. Gotta get my skills less rusty."

 

Buy the whistle for 800 Vespers (bye bye money)

 

"Say, you should be good with the whistle thingie, right?" He turns to Idei as he rummages through his pouch to get some money out. "Still not traditional nomadic but better than those war drumlets."

[rokubiraijuu]

"I'm no musician," Idei replies good-naturedly, looking at Cass' newest purchase. "My father always scolded me for refusing to practice. That doesn't look too hard to play, but I think I'll leave the instruments to you. And I thought you mostly used your guitar. Where did you learn to play all of these?" He pauses for a second. "And you still haven't told me about the other nomads you traveled with."

[Bfroger6]

"And it's your own loss you never practiced." Cass grins. "It's a damn whistle though. I don't think anyone could go wrong with it."

 

He gets a bit serious for a moment when Idei starts asking questions, though it fades momentarily and he crosses his hands and complacently sighs.

 

"It's not nomads, it's a nomad. I know what I said but only one person mattered among the nomads I met. And there were some others, just people, musicians. I can't say I remember lotsa 'bout them, no matter how much I try, so I don't think I can tell ya much about the person. I know he was a guy and that he is dead now, but not much else. About where I learned to play all these...on the streets, pretty much, and from the same people I can't remember. There are some things that still boggle me. We've sold our songs to our curiosity and I've sold an eye for this guitar." Cass shrugs at the end of the short tale. He wasn't really comfortable talking about this, but he also wasn't a jerk not to tell Idei if he was interested. Idei was a nice fella', after all, and when he, out of all people, was interested in conversation, that meant he actually gave a crap.

[rokubiraijuu]

Cass' short tale catches him off guard, and he's not sure what to make of it — while telling it bluntly, he also seems to be reluctant to say much, and Idei isn't sure whether Cass' assertion that he doesn't remember much of anything about the people he'd traveled with is true or simply a way to get out of having to say more. There are things that don't make any sense to him: if this one person had mattered to him, why couldn't he remember anything about him? If Cass had learned how to play instruments and songs from them, then he must have kept their company for at least quite some time, and Idei knows that no nomad, of his tribe or not, would have willingly shared their travels with an outsider unless they trusted them.

 

What had happened, then, to separate them? And why couldn't Cass remember someone who'd clearly kept him in his confidence?

 

" . . . I can tell you don't want to talk about it," he says quietly, tone returning to its usual subdued quality. "I will not force you. They say every man has his secrets. I'm interested because — " For some reason, his gaze drops to the whistle in Cass' hand, and he frowns.

 

" — You are the only one I have met who has known my people, and the only talk of them that I have heard in half a decade. I can't help but be curious."

[Bfroger6]

"That's sweet and all, until it takes things too far." Cass shrugged. "Look, something happened and I got messed up. We all got messed up. Maybe we were messed up in the first place, not that it changes anything." He sighed. This was getting him frustrated. 

 

"Look, I'm glad you're interested in what I have to tell you. There was one time when I knew someone from your people. He took all of us to see the desert. He taught me how to play stuff like...well this." Cass raised the whistle in his hand. "Only better 'cause it was the actual nomad stuff." The urge to shake the thing angrily was strong. So he did it. Like it was gonna accomplish anything. His face grew as red as his hair as he focused on shaking the damn thing. Afterwards, he looked away and crossed his hands, breathing deeper. He'd flustered himself. "What's important is that you're the nomad I know right now. Not anyone I've known in the past. And that's enough for me. Okay?"

[rokubiraijuu]

" . . . I understand."

 

He can't quite keep the note of disappointment from his voice, however he tries. To run into someone who knows something of the nomads, maybe even of his tribe . . . maybe it's too much to ask for — after all, there are at least a dozen other tribes that inhabit the Arcadian sands — but if only Cass could remember even how long ago he had known the man, there might be a chance he could have some hope that the goal he had been working towards isn't just a fruitless one.

 

But it's clear he's not going to find anything about it here. Cass is more than happy to put whatever had happened behind him, and focus only on events going forward. "Thank you for at least telling me this much, then." The rest will be up to him, it looks like.

[Zetaark]

Cadence and the others, after a quick briefing, head over to Biden's shop to gather information. They arrive and find Biden at the counter, counting some change.

 

"Oh, you're back with friends. Need something else?" he asks the group.

 

--------------------------

"Technically yes, though the methods involved...we'll I'll just show you," the lady finishes, opening a door to a rather large room. In the center of the room was some sort of construct, though it is clearly unfinished. Around it were various individuals, some manaketes, some people, but all acquainted with magic in some way. "The current goals are finding faster means of transport through either the seas or air. Though the air-based travel methods are still in prototype stages, there were a few successful short distance flights. It integrates the properties of wind magic and various forms of levitation spells to function. For specifics though, you'd have to talk to the project director. Let me find him," the woman says as she walks off, leaving the pair of mages at the door. Helena can only stare at the project in awe.

 

--------------------------

During their conversation, the shopkeeper seemed to have left the immediate area, but soon after she returned with some sort of box in hand. "I couldn't help overhearing your little conversation. But if you don't mind me asking, are either of you from Arcadia?" the woman asks.

[Sutoratosu]

"Yeh," Cade answered "sorry to bother ya with this, but I checked out that shop you mentioned. You weren't kidding when you called it shady, and I ran into that nobleman you mentioned the second I left the place. I was just wondering if you might be able to point us to someone who knows a bit more about that place or who that guy might be; I've got a pretty bad feeling that whatever's going on in the back ain't legal, and chances are we're gonna end up having to take action against them."

[rokubiraijuu]

Having momentarily forgotten about the shopkeeper, Idei blushes to hear that they had been overheard. It had been something of a personal matter for both of them, but the shopkeeper's next words catch his attention.

 

"Yes. I am a nomad, of the Nayavu tribe. So, not from Arcadia as most people think of it."

 

More often than not, Arcanos is what he's come to realize people associate with the desert island. As it's the only center of population, it's not surprising, but people seem to readily forget that there are other pockets of civilization that thrive in the sands.

Edited May 27, 2017 by rokubiraijuu

[Bfroger6]

"Ga-the only way I'm gonna forgive this is if you have better hearing 'cause you're a Manakete." Cass says to the merchant lady.

[Zetaark]

"Well I can't say too much about the noble personally. I've never actually seen his face, so I couldn't quite give you a good description. All I can say is that he goes around with some sort of armor and has brownish hair. Maybe it's a bit more tannish, but I couldn't say for sure. As for info, the taverns closer to the east side of town may have some good info. The ones close to here don't get much attention. Hope that helps," Biden answers.

 

---------------------------------

"Ehehehe, you'll find that this shop isn't all that big, and the walls aren't the thickest in the world. And besides, how was I supposed to know that you two were going to have a talk like that in the middle of my store," the woman pouts slightly, though clearly in jest. "Anywho, Nayavu tribe hmm? Not quite the same one I'm familiar with, but maybe it could work out. You see, a couple of years ago I took a little flight through the deserts there. I ended up finding someone stranded out there and I decided to help him out. Some time passed, and we became rather good friends, but I haven't kept in touch. If you do go towards Arcadia at any point, could you give this box to a man named Wes? I don't think he was one of the nomadic people, so he may be in the capital, but I couldn't say for sure. He supposedly was part of the Seyrm tribe, but he wasn't exactly dressed how I would have expected. Still, if you manage to find him, give this to him alright?" the woman asks the pair.

 

 

[Sutoratosu]

"Hmmm..." Cadence sighed in thought for a few moments, before

"Then he's most definitely the man I saw, without mistake. Thanks for the info, it's a good enough place to start." with that said, she turned to the others, heading for the front door. "Come on, let's make this quick. The longer we take gathering probable cause, the more time they'll have to finish whatever they're doing and get away."

 

Cadence leads the others out of shop and proceeds to check out the Taverns Biden mentioned.

[Anstane]

 

Darius, like Helena, could merely look upon the construct in speechless awe. Using wind magic to be able to fly such machines through the air? Such a machine would be a truly incredible feat.

[Zetaark]

"Just visiting you say? We'll soon see. Nevertheless, let us eat. There will be time, and there is food prepared, so we might as well enjoy it," Clarisse's mother replies. After some moving around, the 4 individuals are seated at the table with a rather modest spread of food prepared. "Incidentally Clarisse, who is the woman with you?" she asks, just noticing the presence of Rayne.

 

--------------------------------------

After a bit of travel moving over to the other side of town, the group found a rather large tavern that appeared to be of high quality. Entering, they found a rather packed bar. The group managed to find seats directly at the countertop, where the bartender greeted them. 

 

"You look like new faces. What can I getcha?"

 

--------------------------------------

Both standing in awe, the pair of mages didn't notice the project director and the tour woman coming towards them.

 

"So you're the ones who came in for the tour. Well I certainly didn't expect the future head of the Vulcan family and her friend," the director says. The man is rather tall and bulky, but appears to have a gentle face. "Come, someone as esteemed as you could definitely have some good input for the project, along with your friend. But first, what do you think of the project itself?" the director asks the pair as he leads them down to the working floor.