Before Serafina arrives, the dwarf hastily picks up each item, waffling away even though they have already figured that vin cannot understand. They tap the torch and the cross bow bolts with excitement as it occurs to vin that wood is a very rare material in this plane. The dwarf holds up the torch and then two fingers pointing at Vin's pack questioningly, they then push the pistons and the cross bow bolts back and wait with the vial to see if vin has more torches.
As Muir enters the building marked with the raven he finds a clean space with a few doors, a kind of wide hall way or cramped lobby space based on one's own perception of these kinds of things, but there is no one around. A 5ft basin is in the center of this corridor and filled with completely clear water. Roughly carved crystal cups sit around the basin waiting for general use.
Vin takes back the bolt and the piton, draws out two more torches, and then points to the silver vial and shrugs. He then points to the vial again and puts the finger to his lips.
Muir feeling a little parched decides to take a drink using one of the cups. He figures someone will come out to greet him and that the water is for guests.
Sam frown and mutters and tries carving in the rune again. And again, if need be. Getting angrier and more annoyed each time yet more careful and precise. He quietly scolds himself for not trying this earlier, it would have been helpful to have asked Ömertyr about this... Instead he thinks about sending a note back to Hog inquiring of his thoughts on why it won't take but it seems to much a bother and Elthana may take it wrong, him wanting to use the bag so soon after grudgingly giving it over to her care.
"Screw it," Sam finally says to himself with a shrug and decides he may as well give up on it for now. Shoving the ring on his finger he decides there'll be time enough to think about it after this mission is done.
As Sam looks up from his tinkering he sees a distinct lack of Muir, Vin and Neferox (that's what a 0 investigation gets you...) Sam just stretches his legs out in front of him and leans back against a wall and waits. He figures they got themselves poking around some shop or another and he'll just grab a rest while they do their thing. At least he doesn't have to hold their purses while they shop.
Elthana seems a bit lost at the shops and in all honesty, she doesn't want to rely on Serafina to translate. The way the elf looks at her? its like she is looking right through her...
She sees Muir head through a door with a raven above it and decides to follow him.
The dwarf happily takes the torches and then gives vin an enthusiastic nod and makes a drinking motion with his hand. Talking in its odd language, Serafina enters the shop having got bins message just as the silver liquid goes down vin's throat. It's thick like warm syrup, tasting sickly sweet vin feels it travel to a point in his throat where it eases the muscles there, his face flushes with warmth and his ears grow hot. Neferox senses Vin's discomfort and begins to growl at the dwarf. Serafina seeing things possibly escalate pushes herself between neferox and the counter, drawing her blade sheath in front of her to shield both herself and the shopkeep. And that's when vin hears it, a voice coming from the dwarf behind the counter "no, no, it's quite harmless, it'll just make him understand me, understand anyone really, Seraf can you calm the beast?", Serafina shouts back in aggressive auran at the dwarf, "what the Hells does it look like I'm trying to do!? Get under your counter until I can get the beast out" and vin does indeed understand every word.
As Sam gives up and starts resting, Griff approaches, and begins talking to him very quietly out of earshot of the onlooking stall attendants who have gone back to packing up their things "I am glad that the hector man is being gone for now, but it is making me nervous, he could be telling anyone who I am, what I am, we could return to there being angry mob wanting to be killing me... But it also means I can be having my bow back yes? I am thinking I will be needing it if we are fighting maybe. Though I am being worried on who we may be fighting..."
"I'm thinking is Hector wanted to cause you more trouble he's already had plenty of chance to do so," Sam responds in a similar tone but reaching into his stuff to return Griff all of his items. "I know you disagree and all, but he and his see themselves as oppressed and put upon by your side. I'm not taking sides, I don't know enough to even try and I don't think I care enough to be bothered. No offense... Point is just this: They've let you get to this point, I don't see them backstabbing you know. I think THEY think their best tactic is to let you see things... How they live, what they have and don't have, what they have to deal with... In the hopes that it'll lead to a better understanding between the two sides. If that makes sense to you at all..."
"Hopefully there is no more fighting. Hopefully we can just beseech whoever... Whatever... Explain what we need and why and maybe are allowed to have it," Sam adds, his tone not as hopeful as his words. "But yeah, there does usually seem to be fighting, doesn't there?"
"if I am going back and telling of what I am seeing here, I may be being branded a traitor, Akiin's forces would be saying I am believing in the false histories of brainwashed cultists. It is true I am seeing no cult here, but I am being suspicious... What would you be doing in my position?" Griff asks earnestly as he takes back his longbow.
"What would I...?" Sam asks, a bit surprised to be asked. "As I said, I don't really know all the ins and outs well enough to have an opinion. What I do know is this - Any side afraid of hearing the truth is the wrong side."
Vin's eyes widen slightly with the surprise of suddenly understanding the dwarf and Serafina, even as he struggles to clear his throat. Luckily, he doesn't need to speak to communicate with Neferox, and for good measure he reaches up and grasps the fur on the back of her neck gently. It is an action to let her know he was there and to calm her, rather than to restrict her.
He has to wait a moment as the warmth spreads, as he feels the heat in his throat and especially his ears.
"Don't do anything aggressive, she knows I am ok, she will calm down in a moment. Just all be calm", he says eventually as his throat clears, not knowing whether his words will get through to the shop keeper, but knowing at least Serafina will understand him. The way his throat had felt different, changed, he has a little confidence that the magic might work to let others understand him as well.
"both sides are thinking the other is trying to be hiding something, and now I am being caught in the middle of it... And for what? Because I am stupidly trying to be paying back a favour owed from the people who helped me to be getting home. My children had been losing me once when I was falling through the rift, and now they may be losing me again." Griff says staring at the floor as he sits on the floor next to Sam stretching his talons out before him.
In the shop Neferox backs up and sniffs around Vin for any adverse effects. "Oh oh I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding, it was all fair trade yes? You can do business as you'd like and I get these funny bat things made from... What is this made from, it's like big hard straw! Heh!... So what is it you are wanting to trade for, this is a potion shop, I can sell you potions! Yes!" The blue dwarf chirps excitedly.
Serafina straps her sword sheath back to her side and sighs in relief, happy to have not had to draw her sword properly, she keeps a close eye in neferox as she takes one of the lists from the walls, "here, let me read this out for you, what you took was a potion of tongues which only works on spoken language, but tye rest of the things on sale are..." And Serafina, still with an eye in Nef, divulges the available potions. (See shoplist in discord)
"Well look at you, playing diplomat," Gewyn says, appearing behind Sam and draping an arm over his shoulder, though he quickly ducks away and walks over to Griff's side.
In contrast to his usual garb, Gewyn is now sporting a rather dreadful looking bucket hat and boots made from the rubbery halfgufa leather, but has somehow pulled the look together by choosing to go shirtless, wearing tight black leather pants, and folding up his magical cape to wrap around his neck like a scarf. Between the scarf's endless billowing, and the puckered scar now showing clearly on his muscular chest, there is certainly a... unique drama to his appearance
"Any debt you feel you owe us has been paid by now, I assure you. As for expecting life to be fair or easy..." Sam says to Griff just before Gewyn arrives and chimes in.
"Diplomat? Me? Maybe in a rock quarry... Cause, you know, I'm good at hitting things...?: Sam says and then explains, feeling as if they joking deflection didn't quite go over. "And what about yourself? What is this getup here? You look a cross between an emo fisherman and a wannabe pirate."
Vin nods, "Yes, it was a fair trade, do not worry". Neferox is still not looking overly happy, but she has sat down and at least stopped growling now.
He listens carefully to the list of potions, "Well, you do have what I was looking for. I was hoping to get some of the potions of lightning resistance. And the potion of haste is of interest too. And the I guess the longstrider potion might help". He frowns, realising the cost of the tongues potion meaning he can't afford to get many more.
He puts his remaining seven torches on the counter, and the crossbow along with the bolts. He finally very carefully tears an empty page out of his notebook and places that down.
He looks at the dwarf like shop keeper, "How about these for six potions of lightning resistance, a longstrider potion and a potion of haste? If the paper is to your liking, I can supply a little more".
"hmmm lots of potions then, this is a great day!" The dwarf scrambles to take the torches and the crossbow along with the bolts, the paper is very interesting to them and they lift it up to the light marvelling at how thin it is. "This is for writing or this is for clothes?" They ask as vin realises that everything he has seen written this far has either been on thick and greenish vegetation pulp card, or a thinly tanned rubbery hide.
"Hmm, the tongues is cheap because I make it in bulk for the school, it helps with language teachings, but haste and lightning resistance I make very few, longstrider is cheap, you can get longstrider and 4 lightning resistances for all this..." The dwarf states, and serafina leans on the counter back to the dwarf and signals to vin that it seems to be a fair enough trade but vin could push for a little better.
Griff looks to Sam and sighs, "if my debt is paid then I am not needing to go further with you... I could be staying here and waiting for a chance to be going home. But it would be feeling like such a waste, how many generals would not take the chance to meet the dragon that betrayed the people and have them explain why, I am feeling like it is my duty to see this through, to be finding the truth, but I also have a family that I must be able to return to." As Gewyn joins the conversation Griff looks him up and down " your dress is being... interesting. But with the winds you are going to be freezing to death. With your weird flesh nipples falling off" and for the first time since before the fight on Gojiin, Griff chuckles.
"The paper is for writing. Where I am from, people often collect small feathers that have fallen to the ground, as the ends are just the right shape", Vin explains. "If you were to write your list of potions on paper, that would surely impress your patrons. I would even let you borrow my pen and ink to do so now", he says before clarifying, "Borrow means you will return the pen and unused ink to me after you have written your list".
He pulls out the ink pot and pen and demonstrates in his notebook.
"Perhaps that will help us seal the deal for all the potions I requested, along with maybe another page or two of the paper if I could have another potion of tongues as well?", he says hopefully.
The dwarf looks slightly peeved and serafina chuckles as she rubs her palm on her forehead muttering to vin in common "tongues translates spoken words into things he will understand, so uhhhhh the explanations aren't entirely necessary, but they are amusing, at least to me."
"The paper is new and exciting i will admit, but practically it is more of a novelty than something useful and therefore worth more in trade... I have enough resistance potions but you'll be leaving me with only two... Is there anything else you could trade? If not I'm afraid I can't go higher than those four and the strider." The dwarf states not budging on their price point
"Perhaps the potion does do that, but when trading with a new culture I think it is better to be safe than risk misunderstandings", Vin replies, a little put out at being mocked.
He turns back to the shop keeper, "Well, I guess this rope might be made of a material unfamiliar to you". With that said, he puts his rope on the counter. "There is 50 feet there".
He watches the shop keeper to see the reaction, having no idea what all this is really worth, and not entirely trusting Serafina now.
"50ft is a good amount, and the fibers are strong, rope is good to have in a plane where you could be blown into the vast at any point, what do ya say, worth two of the resistances?" Serafina asks the shop owner attempting to help vin. The dwarf squints their eyes and takes a closer look at the rope making a big meal out of it. Serafina rolls her eyes and opens a bag pulling out two jars one with thick pale cream in it and one with a black liquid, "here, add burn cream and a jar of flying serpent venom, that along with the rope is worth more than the remaining lightning potions and the haste. So I'll take however many alacrity you can offer to make it fair.."
The dwarf quickly puts the rope under the counter and takes the two jars. Organising themselves they rummage around In their sticks and hand over the last two lightning resistances and the haste to vin and then two potions of alacrity to serafina, who stows them happily, "pleasure trading with you" they both say almost at the same time to each other and then the dwarf turns to vin and repeats the compliment with a smile.
"A pleasure trading with you", Vin mimics, assuming it is a formal phrase to be said after a trade. He collects the potions offered to him and whispers, "Thank you", to Serafina for the last ditch help.
He then walks out of the shop and looks for his companions, making his way over to those he sees.
"Hey Gewyn, did someone convince you that was the fashion here?", he says with a chuckle as he notices what Gewyn is wearing.
"I managed to procure us some potions to protect us against lightning", he then says, holding out a potion to Gewyn and a potion to Sam. He looks to Griff, "I couldn't get enough for you as well, but I kind of assumed you were a bit more at home around lightning. Sorry about that".
He hands another different potion to Sam, "You gave me that potion that helps against the cold, so I thought I would get something that might help you. It should make you move much faster for a little bit, but you will feel shattered momentarily when it wears off".
Before Serafina arrives, the dwarf hastily picks up each item, waffling away even though they have already figured that vin cannot understand. They tap the torch and the cross bow bolts with excitement as it occurs to vin that wood is a very rare material in this plane. The dwarf holds up the torch and then two fingers pointing at Vin's pack questioningly, they then push the pistons and the cross bow bolts back and wait with the vial to see if vin has more torches.
As Muir enters the building marked with the raven he finds a clean space with a few doors, a kind of wide hall way or cramped lobby space based on one's own perception of these kinds of things, but there is no one around. A 5ft basin is in the center of this corridor and filled with completely clear water. Roughly carved crystal cups sit around the basin waiting for general use.
Vin takes back the bolt and the piton, draws out two more torches, and then points to the silver vial and shrugs. He then points to the vial again and puts the finger to his lips.
Muir feeling a little parched decides to take a drink using one of the cups. He figures someone will come out to greet him and that the water is for guests.
Sam frown and mutters and tries carving in the rune again. And again, if need be. Getting angrier and more annoyed each time yet more careful and precise. He quietly scolds himself for not trying this earlier, it would have been helpful to have asked Ömertyr about this... Instead he thinks about sending a note back to Hog inquiring of his thoughts on why it won't take but it seems to much a bother and Elthana may take it wrong, him wanting to use the bag so soon after grudgingly giving it over to her care.
"Screw it," Sam finally says to himself with a shrug and decides he may as well give up on it for now. Shoving the ring on his finger he decides there'll be time enough to think about it after this mission is done.
As Sam looks up from his tinkering he sees a distinct lack of Muir, Vin and Neferox (that's what a 0 investigation gets you...) Sam just stretches his legs out in front of him and leans back against a wall and waits. He figures they got themselves poking around some shop or another and he'll just grab a rest while they do their thing. At least he doesn't have to hold their purses while they shop.
Elthana seems a bit lost at the shops and in all honesty, she doesn't want to rely on Serafina to translate. The way the elf looks at her? its like she is looking right through her...
She sees Muir head through a door with a raven above it and decides to follow him.
The dwarf happily takes the torches and then gives vin an enthusiastic nod and makes a drinking motion with his hand. Talking in its odd language, Serafina enters the shop having got bins message just as the silver liquid goes down vin's throat. It's thick like warm syrup, tasting sickly sweet vin feels it travel to a point in his throat where it eases the muscles there, his face flushes with warmth and his ears grow hot. Neferox senses Vin's discomfort and begins to growl at the dwarf. Serafina seeing things possibly escalate pushes herself between neferox and the counter, drawing her blade sheath in front of her to shield both herself and the shopkeep. And that's when vin hears it, a voice coming from the dwarf behind the counter "no, no, it's quite harmless, it'll just make him understand me, understand anyone really, Seraf can you calm the beast?", Serafina shouts back in aggressive auran at the dwarf, "what the Hells does it look like I'm trying to do!? Get under your counter until I can get the beast out" and vin does indeed understand every word.
As Sam gives up and starts resting, Griff approaches, and begins talking to him very quietly out of earshot of the onlooking stall attendants who have gone back to packing up their things "I am glad that the hector man is being gone for now, but it is making me nervous, he could be telling anyone who I am, what I am, we could return to there being angry mob wanting to be killing me... But it also means I can be having my bow back yes? I am thinking I will be needing it if we are fighting maybe. Though I am being worried on who we may be fighting..."
"I'm thinking is Hector wanted to cause you more trouble he's already had plenty of chance to do so," Sam responds in a similar tone but reaching into his stuff to return Griff all of his items. "I know you disagree and all, but he and his see themselves as oppressed and put upon by your side. I'm not taking sides, I don't know enough to even try and I don't think I care enough to be bothered. No offense... Point is just this: They've let you get to this point, I don't see them backstabbing you know. I think THEY think their best tactic is to let you see things... How they live, what they have and don't have, what they have to deal with... In the hopes that it'll lead to a better understanding between the two sides. If that makes sense to you at all..."
"Hopefully there is no more fighting. Hopefully we can just beseech whoever... Whatever... Explain what we need and why and maybe are allowed to have it," Sam adds, his tone not as hopeful as his words. "But yeah, there does usually seem to be fighting, doesn't there?"
"if I am going back and telling of what I am seeing here, I may be being branded a traitor, Akiin's forces would be saying I am believing in the false histories of brainwashed cultists. It is true I am seeing no cult here, but I am being suspicious... What would you be doing in my position?" Griff asks earnestly as he takes back his longbow.
"What would I...?" Sam asks, a bit surprised to be asked. "As I said, I don't really know all the ins and outs well enough to have an opinion. What I do know is this - Any side afraid of hearing the truth is the wrong side."
Vin's eyes widen slightly with the surprise of suddenly understanding the dwarf and Serafina, even as he struggles to clear his throat. Luckily, he doesn't need to speak to communicate with Neferox, and for good measure he reaches up and grasps the fur on the back of her neck gently. It is an action to let her know he was there and to calm her, rather than to restrict her.
He has to wait a moment as the warmth spreads, as he feels the heat in his throat and especially his ears.
"Don't do anything aggressive, she knows I am ok, she will calm down in a moment. Just all be calm", he says eventually as his throat clears, not knowing whether his words will get through to the shop keeper, but knowing at least Serafina will understand him. The way his throat had felt different, changed, he has a little confidence that the magic might work to let others understand him as well.
"both sides are thinking the other is trying to be hiding something, and now I am being caught in the middle of it... And for what? Because I am stupidly trying to be paying back a favour owed from the people who helped me to be getting home. My children had been losing me once when I was falling through the rift, and now they may be losing me again." Griff says staring at the floor as he sits on the floor next to Sam stretching his talons out before him.
In the shop Neferox backs up and sniffs around Vin for any adverse effects. "Oh oh I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding, it was all fair trade yes? You can do business as you'd like and I get these funny bat things made from... What is this made from, it's like big hard straw! Heh!... So what is it you are wanting to trade for, this is a potion shop, I can sell you potions! Yes!" The blue dwarf chirps excitedly.
Serafina straps her sword sheath back to her side and sighs in relief, happy to have not had to draw her sword properly, she keeps a close eye in neferox as she takes one of the lists from the walls, "here, let me read this out for you, what you took was a potion of tongues which only works on spoken language, but tye rest of the things on sale are..." And Serafina, still with an eye in Nef, divulges the available potions. (See shoplist in discord)
"Well look at you, playing diplomat," Gewyn says, appearing behind Sam and draping an arm over his shoulder, though he quickly ducks away and walks over to Griff's side.
In contrast to his usual garb, Gewyn is now sporting a rather dreadful looking bucket hat and boots made from the rubbery halfgufa leather, but has somehow pulled the look together by choosing to go shirtless, wearing tight black leather pants, and folding up his magical cape to wrap around his neck like a scarf. Between the scarf's endless billowing, and the puckered scar now showing clearly on his muscular chest, there is certainly a... unique drama to his appearance
"Any debt you feel you owe us has been paid by now, I assure you. As for expecting life to be fair or easy..." Sam says to Griff just before Gewyn arrives and chimes in.
"Diplomat? Me? Maybe in a rock quarry... Cause, you know, I'm good at hitting things...?: Sam says and then explains, feeling as if they joking deflection didn't quite go over. "And what about yourself? What is this getup here? You look a cross between an emo fisherman and a wannabe pirate."
Vin nods, "Yes, it was a fair trade, do not worry". Neferox is still not looking overly happy, but she has sat down and at least stopped growling now.
He listens carefully to the list of potions, "Well, you do have what I was looking for. I was hoping to get some of the potions of lightning resistance. And the potion of haste is of interest too. And the I guess the longstrider potion might help". He frowns, realising the cost of the tongues potion meaning he can't afford to get many more.
He puts his remaining seven torches on the counter, and the crossbow along with the bolts. He finally very carefully tears an empty page out of his notebook and places that down.
He looks at the dwarf like shop keeper, "How about these for six potions of lightning resistance, a longstrider potion and a potion of haste? If the paper is to your liking, I can supply a little more".
"hmmm lots of potions then, this is a great day!" The dwarf scrambles to take the torches and the crossbow along with the bolts, the paper is very interesting to them and they lift it up to the light marvelling at how thin it is. "This is for writing or this is for clothes?" They ask as vin realises that everything he has seen written this far has either been on thick and greenish vegetation pulp card, or a thinly tanned rubbery hide.
"Hmm, the tongues is cheap because I make it in bulk for the school, it helps with language teachings, but haste and lightning resistance I make very few, longstrider is cheap, you can get longstrider and 4 lightning resistances for all this..." The dwarf states, and serafina leans on the counter back to the dwarf and signals to vin that it seems to be a fair enough trade but vin could push for a little better.
Griff looks to Sam and sighs, "if my debt is paid then I am not needing to go further with you... I could be staying here and waiting for a chance to be going home. But it would be feeling like such a waste, how many generals would not take the chance to meet the dragon that betrayed the people and have them explain why, I am feeling like it is my duty to see this through, to be finding the truth, but I also have a family that I must be able to return to." As Gewyn joins the conversation Griff looks him up and down " your dress is being... interesting. But with the winds you are going to be freezing to death. With your weird flesh nipples falling off" and for the first time since before the fight on Gojiin, Griff chuckles.
"The paper is for writing. Where I am from, people often collect small feathers that have fallen to the ground, as the ends are just the right shape", Vin explains. "If you were to write your list of potions on paper, that would surely impress your patrons. I would even let you borrow my pen and ink to do so now", he says before clarifying, "Borrow means you will return the pen and unused ink to me after you have written your list".
He pulls out the ink pot and pen and demonstrates in his notebook.
"Perhaps that will help us seal the deal for all the potions I requested, along with maybe another page or two of the paper if I could have another potion of tongues as well?", he says hopefully.
The dwarf looks slightly peeved and serafina chuckles as she rubs her palm on her forehead muttering to vin in common "tongues translates spoken words into things he will understand, so uhhhhh the explanations aren't entirely necessary, but they are amusing, at least to me."
"The paper is new and exciting i will admit, but practically it is more of a novelty than something useful and therefore worth more in trade... I have enough resistance potions but you'll be leaving me with only two... Is there anything else you could trade? If not I'm afraid I can't go higher than those four and the strider." The dwarf states not budging on their price point
"Perhaps the potion does do that, but when trading with a new culture I think it is better to be safe than risk misunderstandings", Vin replies, a little put out at being mocked.
He turns back to the shop keeper, "Well, I guess this rope might be made of a material unfamiliar to you". With that said, he puts his rope on the counter. "There is 50 feet there".
He watches the shop keeper to see the reaction, having no idea what all this is really worth, and not entirely trusting Serafina now.
Insight: 8+1=9 (Passive: 11)
"50ft is a good amount, and the fibers are strong, rope is good to have in a plane where you could be blown into the vast at any point, what do ya say, worth two of the resistances?" Serafina asks the shop owner attempting to help vin. The dwarf squints their eyes and takes a closer look at the rope making a big meal out of it. Serafina rolls her eyes and opens a bag pulling out two jars one with thick pale cream in it and one with a black liquid, "here, add burn cream and a jar of flying serpent venom, that along with the rope is worth more than the remaining lightning potions and the haste. So I'll take however many alacrity you can offer to make it fair.."
The dwarf quickly puts the rope under the counter and takes the two jars. Organising themselves they rummage around In their sticks and hand over the last two lightning resistances and the haste to vin and then two potions of alacrity to serafina, who stows them happily, "pleasure trading with you" they both say almost at the same time to each other and then the dwarf turns to vin and repeats the compliment with a smile.
"A pleasure trading with you", Vin mimics, assuming it is a formal phrase to be said after a trade. He collects the potions offered to him and whispers, "Thank you", to Serafina for the last ditch help.
He then walks out of the shop and looks for his companions, making his way over to those he sees.
"Hey Gewyn, did someone convince you that was the fashion here?", he says with a chuckle as he notices what Gewyn is wearing.
"I managed to procure us some potions to protect us against lightning", he then says, holding out a potion to Gewyn and a potion to Sam. He looks to Griff, "I couldn't get enough for you as well, but I kind of assumed you were a bit more at home around lightning. Sorry about that".
He hands another different potion to Sam, "You gave me that potion that helps against the cold, so I thought I would get something that might help you. It should make you move much faster for a little bit, but you will feel shattered momentarily when it wears off".