Sam is surprised by how inexpensive some of these things are even though they are mundane items.
The drawstrings on the bag are pulled and the items disappear just as Elthana's eye and ear is caught by something a couple of stalls over. She listens to an air elemental and a goblin give their sales pitch first in Auran but then quickly in common, the 'trade language', as she inspects their wares, a selection of bottles in a couple of baskets.
Gewyn says quietly to Muir, "From I gather, the place my mirror normally shows me is a liminal space that apparently borders on both the Mortal plane and the Faewyld. The Shadowfell seems to be a similar space, but that it borders here instead of the Faewyld."
In answer to Elthana's question, he replies "Full transparency, it is not new for something to be on the other side, observing me in the mortal plane, but we don't have time to get into that just this moment. What IS new, is my being forcefully ejected. My concern is that whatever saw me is powerful, and I praythat it has nothing to do with Nectyran. That would be just my luck"
Muir takes out the map he sketched from the ceiling "Ah the circles around the circles....this adds a whole other element to this mystery.....There are circles inside of circles inside of circles.....This could change everything if these portals are also opening within these realms. What if now the Shadowfell is opening here, draining the lodestone back home? Or what if that is the missing piece of the Kobolds puzzle? Or what if the alignment has powered their portal to the Shadowfell and this Nectyran is strengthening preparing to enter this world?" Muir pauses for a breath while looking at the others
Griff returns and finds the group only a little more spread out than when he left them, "you are all going to need to be making a choice for your travelling" he states frankly, "there is two who can be taking us to Gojiin, one is being fast and will be having you there within the time frame you are wishing, but it is having no defenses for warding off nomads and dangerous animals.
The second is being slower, but is having more crew and defenses, it will be adding a day to your journey but you will not be needing to fight, you will be having enough time to rest and regain strength yes, you are all being looking like shit, not to be offending... It is up to you, Akiin has giving me money for your passage and I am following only with you until Gojiin."
He looks around and takes in the groups reaction before adding, "Oh and I am almost forgetting! if you are wanting to be buying information or lodgings in Gojiin, they are only accepting tradings, there is being no gold like here on Akiin, I can be recommending warm fabrics or food for trade, yes?"
Gewyn thinks about it. "I think this time, I may vote for speed over luxury. Though speaking of luxury..." He looks around. "It might not hurt to stock up on fabrics. Give us something to trade with, and in the worst case, I can update my wardrobe with any left overs."
He walks by one of the stalls, idly running his fingers over the bolts of fabric until his hand stops on the most expensive one. He turns and inspects it closer, leaning forward to examine the fibers. He whistles appreciatively and steps back to get a look at the price. "Shame, that's a bit rich for me. Ummm..." he looks at some of the others next to it and picks one up. "15GP I can do."He hesitates, as if considering putting it back down, but then sets his mind and reaches for his coin purse. "Here you are. Does that make us even?"
"Speed yes but remember that time is faster here...so if we don't get the right amount of rest the results could be...exhausting...." Muir reminds the group
"Tired or not, the Treasury will fall when it will fall," Sam says. "We need do what we can before that time..."
"Mayhap have Hog pick up something from home and send through the bag?" Sam suggests to Gewyn as he is shopping for trading materials. "Something from home they don't seem to have here? Our mundane may be their exotic and thus more valuable here?"
Gewyn returns from a young Owlin's stall, after puzzling out their broken common hand coming to a deal, he finds himself with a really nice bolt of fabric. Griff raises a feathered eyebrow at this and gives a knowing nod of appreciation, or is that possibly an impressed look?
As the group round on their decision, Vin pipes up, "I can keep going without too much rest, but I'll pass out eventually if we don't get a proper one soon, it feels like we've been going two days straight. And if we have a fight on our hands in the air, and possibly when we get to Gojiin too?" He gives a shrug and sucks air in through his teeth, in much the same fashion that a blacksmith might do when they're asked how much a repair cost would be.
He then has a realisation and turns to Griff. "What's Gojiin like anyway? as a place I mean. Is it like this land?"
Griff winces a little in response, "the land is being much the same yes, crystal and lightning. But the people there are being less civilised, they are not a being a happy people because many are having not so much, they... Well you will be seeing. Is not place for staying if you do not need to, yes?"
"The ships can't be attacked THAT much if this one isn't worrying about it... Can they?" Sam asks Griff. He assumes it is like any theft back home... Always a possibility but still unlikely. "Just how much danger would we be in with the faster ship?"
"eh! Faster is faster, if someone try to board you and be stealing things, faster better, but if you are running afoul of angry death hawks or a roc then it is not mattering much how fast you are being, you need protection." Griff gives a tap to his crystal armour to punctuate his point.
"In nature there's a fable about a tortoise and a hair.....the moral of the story is slow and steady wins the race...I just caution that hurrying could cause uneeded danger but alas I will do as the rest decide"
"Griff is more knowledgable about the lands, I'd be fine with him deciding the wisest course," Sam concedes with a shrug. Haste, torpor, they all have benefits and drawbacks. "Or we could leave it up to Elthana. It is her home about to come crashing down at any moment..."
Gewyn holds up the fabric he purchased and says quietly, "Feel kind of bad for that vendor. He just got ripped off because this is far and away some of the finest cloth I've seen. He had it labeled as a plant fiber-based textile, but if you look closely, this is clearly painstakingly craft from thousands of feather barbs." He looks concernedly at Vin. "What do they say? The flock is only as fast as the slowest bird? We do have extra time. The question is where and how soon do we let ourselves spend it. If you need a break, we can account for it, Vin."
Once Elthana is done perusing the shops, she heads back with the rest and considers the options. "I am concerned about having too much exhaustion when we do face the kobolds and whatever else could be there. I feel at our top shape, we take care of situations well and efficiently, so my vote is to get some rest." She thinks back to all the sleep she had gotten in the Treasurys castle a couple of days ago and how she only felt tired, she wanted to avoid that if all possible.
And with Gewyn stating he has never been evicted from his mirror before, she gives him an odd look, questions percolating under the surface, but she leaves it at that, he is right. Now is not the time.
Once the group has finished their shopping and made their travel decisions, Griff drags you all off toward the large crystalline tree-like spire and to a tavern looking building at the base of it.
The inside of the tavern is well lit, there is a bustle of activity as travellers drink and make merry even this early In the day, there are several groups cloistered around tables, but on each table only one person seems to be sitting, with an empty chair opposite them. The party quickly gather that these groups of drinkers are crews, and the seated people their captains ready to talk business with anyone willing to make an offer.
You are all introduced to a slender but muscular looking air genasi, covered in tribal markings and with a serious gaze, "these are being the group, they speak the trade language, I am hoping this will not be being a problem." Griff asks as he puts a pouch of coin on the table in front of the man. The man weighs the pouch in his hand and gives a stoic nod, the severity in his brows never easing, "and you're heading to Gojiin as soon as possible, correct?" The man asks and Griff nods in response, "you provide your own food and stay to your assigned pod during travel unless instructed otherwise, if you listen to me as captain and respect my vessel then we won't have problems. You all seem... Not local? My name is Gale, we leave in 8 hours, the journey will take three and a half days. Is there anything you would like to know before we agree to this?" One of Gale's crew, a beefy looking black scaled dragonborn, leans in and whispers something in Gales ear. Gale lifts a hand and nods waving the man away once more.
Muir never one to stay silent “Hmm I feel as if there is a lot we should know but what questions do we ask….Griff said the lands we are headed to are less civilized…they use the barter system for example. Are there other customs or cultural differences we should be made aware about? Also on your ship, may we move about or do we have to stay confined to our quarters for the 3.5 days? Can the five of us meet and discuss things on our travels?”
Elthana takes a look around the tavern as they enter, just feeling ill at ease for some reason and follows the group to Gale's table. As Muir starts up his questions, she observes Gale and his crewmates as they are going to be stuck together for apparently 3.5 days. Man... things were getting tight and what if they had trouble locating a lodestone? She nods along to Muir's questions at the moment not having any of her own.
Sam turns to Griff. "This is who you recommend or this is the only one available?" If either are the case then Sam just shrugs and goes along because what else is there to do.
"less civilised?" Gale cocks a head at Muir and then quickly gives a disapproving look toward Griff, "Gojiin is where some of my crew are from, it is a place where people are more... In need, and the crime rate may be higher, but you won't find more decent and loyal people. It's just like a fighter of Akiin to have such lofty judgements of others. Either way, the quarters you will have is shared, it is more like a cargo container than anything else, but it has some bedding to sleep in and I see you have warm cloaks which will do you good as blankets, you will be together for the duration. Myself and my crew will be up on the top of Spier Umar, my bird. But I'll be down to check on you during shift changes."
Griff listens to Sam and responds, "Their layovers are long because they are being at constant work during the long days travel, there is another vessel leaving a little later and it is being the faster one, but less protected."
Sam is surprised by how inexpensive some of these things are even though they are mundane items.
The drawstrings on the bag are pulled and the items disappear just as Elthana's eye and ear is caught by something a couple of stalls over. She listens to an air elemental and a goblin give their sales pitch first in Auran but then quickly in common, the 'trade language', as she inspects their wares, a selection of bottles in a couple of baskets.
Gewyn says quietly to Muir, "From I gather, the place my mirror normally shows me is a liminal space that apparently borders on both the Mortal plane and the Faewyld. The Shadowfell seems to be a similar space, but that it borders here instead of the Faewyld."
In answer to Elthana's question, he replies "Full transparency, it is not new for something to be on the other side, observing me in the mortal plane, but we don't have time to get into that just this moment. What IS new, is my being forcefully ejected. My concern is that whatever saw me is powerful, and I pray that it has nothing to do with Nectyran. That would be just my luck"
Muir takes out the map he sketched from the ceiling "Ah the circles around the circles....this adds a whole other element to this mystery.....There are circles inside of circles inside of circles.....This could change everything if these portals are also opening within these realms. What if now the Shadowfell is opening here, draining the lodestone back home? Or what if that is the missing piece of the Kobolds puzzle? Or what if the alignment has powered their portal to the Shadowfell and this Nectyran is strengthening preparing to enter this world?" Muir pauses for a breath while looking at the others
"What if you start finding answers instead of more questions?" Sam grumbles, annoyed sure but there is also humor in his voice.
"I'd say wraps the thing up and don't use it til we fix the first disaster or two... But I don't really know what it's good for anyway so..."
Griff returns and finds the group only a little more spread out than when he left them, "you are all going to need to be making a choice for your travelling" he states frankly, "there is two who can be taking us to Gojiin, one is being fast and will be having you there within the time frame you are wishing, but it is having no defenses for warding off nomads and dangerous animals.
The second is being slower, but is having more crew and defenses, it will be adding a day to your journey but you will not be needing to fight, you will be having enough time to rest and regain strength yes, you are all being looking like shit, not to be offending... It is up to you, Akiin has giving me money for your passage and I am following only with you until Gojiin."
He looks around and takes in the groups reaction before adding, "Oh and I am almost forgetting! if you are wanting to be buying information or lodgings in Gojiin, they are only accepting tradings, there is being no gold like here on Akiin, I can be recommending warm fabrics or food for trade, yes?"
Gewyn thinks about it. "I think this time, I may vote for speed over luxury. Though speaking of luxury..." He looks around. "It might not hurt to stock up on fabrics. Give us something to trade with, and in the worst case, I can update my wardrobe with any left overs."
He walks by one of the stalls, idly running his fingers over the bolts of fabric until his hand stops on the most expensive one. He turns and inspects it closer, leaning forward to examine the fibers. He whistles appreciatively and steps back to get a look at the price. "Shame, that's a bit rich for me. Ummm..." he looks at some of the others next to it and picks one up. "15GP I can do." He hesitates, as if considering putting it back down, but then sets his mind and reaches for his coin purse. "Here you are. Does that make us even?"
"Speed yes but remember that time is faster here...so if we don't get the right amount of rest the results could be...exhausting...." Muir reminds the group
"Tired or not, the Treasury will fall when it will fall," Sam says. "We need do what we can before that time..."
"Mayhap have Hog pick up something from home and send through the bag?" Sam suggests to Gewyn as he is shopping for trading materials. "Something from home they don't seem to have here? Our mundane may be their exotic and thus more valuable here?"
Gewyn returns from a young Owlin's stall, after puzzling out their broken common hand coming to a deal, he finds himself with a really nice bolt of fabric. Griff raises a feathered eyebrow at this and gives a knowing nod of appreciation, or is that possibly an impressed look?
As the group round on their decision, Vin pipes up, "I can keep going without too much rest, but I'll pass out eventually if we don't get a proper one soon, it feels like we've been going two days straight. And if we have a fight on our hands in the air, and possibly when we get to Gojiin too?" He gives a shrug and sucks air in through his teeth, in much the same fashion that a blacksmith might do when they're asked how much a repair cost would be.
He then has a realisation and turns to Griff. "What's Gojiin like anyway? as a place I mean. Is it like this land?"
Griff winces a little in response, "the land is being much the same yes, crystal and lightning. But the people there are being less civilised, they are not a being a happy people because many are having not so much, they... Well you will be seeing. Is not place for staying if you do not need to, yes?"
"The ships can't be attacked THAT much if this one isn't worrying about it... Can they?" Sam asks Griff. He assumes it is like any theft back home... Always a possibility but still unlikely. "Just how much danger would we be in with the faster ship?"
"eh! Faster is faster, if someone try to board you and be stealing things, faster better, but if you are running afoul of angry death hawks or a roc then it is not mattering much how fast you are being, you need protection." Griff gives a tap to his crystal armour to punctuate his point.
"In nature there's a fable about a tortoise and a hair.....the moral of the story is slow and steady wins the race...I just caution that hurrying could cause uneeded danger but alas I will do as the rest decide"
"Griff is more knowledgable about the lands, I'd be fine with him deciding the wisest course," Sam concedes with a shrug. Haste, torpor, they all have benefits and drawbacks. "Or we could leave it up to Elthana. It is her home about to come crashing down at any moment..."
Gewyn holds up the fabric he purchased and says quietly, "Feel kind of bad for that vendor. He just got ripped off because this is far and away some of the finest cloth I've seen. He had it labeled as a plant fiber-based textile, but if you look closely, this is clearly painstakingly craft from thousands of feather barbs." He looks concernedly at Vin. "What do they say? The flock is only as fast as the slowest bird? We do have extra time. The question is where and how soon do we let ourselves spend it. If you need a break, we can account for it, Vin."
Once Elthana is done perusing the shops, she heads back with the rest and considers the options. "I am concerned about having too much exhaustion when we do face the kobolds and whatever else could be there. I feel at our top shape, we take care of situations well and efficiently, so my vote is to get some rest." She thinks back to all the sleep she had gotten in the Treasurys castle a couple of days ago and how she only felt tired, she wanted to avoid that if all possible.
And with Gewyn stating he has never been evicted from his mirror before, she gives him an odd look, questions percolating under the surface, but she leaves it at that, he is right. Now is not the time.
Once the group has finished their shopping and made their travel decisions, Griff drags you all off toward the large crystalline tree-like spire and to a tavern looking building at the base of it.
The inside of the tavern is well lit, there is a bustle of activity as travellers drink and make merry even this early In the day, there are several groups cloistered around tables, but on each table only one person seems to be sitting, with an empty chair opposite them. The party quickly gather that these groups of drinkers are crews, and the seated people their captains ready to talk business with anyone willing to make an offer.
You are all introduced to a slender but muscular looking air genasi, covered in tribal markings and with a serious gaze, "these are being the group, they speak the trade language, I am hoping this will not be being a problem." Griff asks as he puts a pouch of coin on the table in front of the man. The man weighs the pouch in his hand and gives a stoic nod, the severity in his brows never easing, "and you're heading to Gojiin as soon as possible, correct?" The man asks and Griff nods in response, "you provide your own food and stay to your assigned pod during travel unless instructed otherwise, if you listen to me as captain and respect my vessel then we won't have problems. You all seem... Not local? My name is Gale, we leave in 8 hours, the journey will take three and a half days. Is there anything you would like to know before we agree to this?" One of Gale's crew, a beefy looking black scaled dragonborn, leans in and whispers something in Gales ear. Gale lifts a hand and nods waving the man away once more.
Muir never one to stay silent “Hmm I feel as if there is a lot we should know but what questions do we ask….Griff said the lands we are headed to are less civilized…they use the barter system for example. Are there other customs or cultural differences we should be made aware about? Also on your ship, may we move about or do we have to stay confined to our quarters for the 3.5 days? Can the five of us meet and discuss things on our travels?”
Elthana takes a look around the tavern as they enter, just feeling ill at ease for some reason and follows the group to Gale's table. As Muir starts up his questions, she observes Gale and his crewmates as they are going to be stuck together for apparently 3.5 days. Man... things were getting tight and what if they had trouble locating a lodestone? She nods along to Muir's questions at the moment not having any of her own.
Sam turns to Griff. "This is who you recommend or this is the only one available?" If either are the case then Sam just shrugs and goes along because what else is there to do.
"less civilised?" Gale cocks a head at Muir and then quickly gives a disapproving look toward Griff, "Gojiin is where some of my crew are from, it is a place where people are more... In need, and the crime rate may be higher, but you won't find more decent and loyal people. It's just like a fighter of Akiin to have such lofty judgements of others. Either way, the quarters you will have is shared, it is more like a cargo container than anything else, but it has some bedding to sleep in and I see you have warm cloaks which will do you good as blankets, you will be together for the duration. Myself and my crew will be up on the top of Spier Umar, my bird. But I'll be down to check on you during shift changes."
Griff listens to Sam and responds, "Their layovers are long because they are being at constant work during the long days travel, there is another vessel leaving a little later and it is being the faster one, but less protected."