darkSpyro

Eydis took the key and give a small thanks, glad that the woman was so gentle with her, unlike the bitter little man she just faced. She was a little upset for not saying anything else to him, but she didn't have the time or energy to spend it on petty discussions. If only there was another blacksmith to prevent giving promotion to that one, but he did promised a discount, something she wasn't going to let him forget.

Eydis entered the room, not without giving a very quiet knock first. When there was no reply, she entered the room without making a sound when she saw the large Muta asleep already. And who could blame her? This place was so peaceful, so pleasant. Just what they needed after the exhausting, stressful day they had. Eydis didn't know what the others faced, but wondered if it was worse than what she and Nolis faced. Perhaps it was for Todd if he lost his companion after just the first battle. She didn't want to think about it. She took a cold shower to avoid the warm water from making her fall sleep in the tub. The place smelled a little of fish, but some incense (or at least that what it smelled like) masked the odor remarkably well. After the quick bath, Eydis plummeted onto the vacant bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Out like a candle.

As the fireflies slowly dimmed their glowing bodies, so did the moon and in perfect juxtaposition did the sun then rise upon the quaint town of Squall. The lampposts that lined the street all had died down, bells dinged and clanged as people entered their destinations and the now streets of the town were filled with all creatures of all species and creed. The lights in the windows of every shop were bright and welcoming as lamps hung from the sky illuminating their surroundings. A man stood on the stage of the town square, juggling what seemed to be iron daggers, laughter and yelling accompanied each other and echoed throughout the town and its acoustics. The sun was fully in the sky and the gear powered clocks all read 8 am. A loud metallic ringing noise rung out throughout the entire town, signalling morning.

Gallan shot up from his makeshift floor bed, sweat poured down from his forehead and his breath was sparse. God it was just a dream... The nightmare that had occupied Gallan's dreams seemed all too real. The sight of Muta and Nolis being devoured by a large, black, flying demonic creature, its wings torn with holes and yet still it hovered in the air with ease. Its long black snout blowing out smoke, long thin arms that ended in claws of poison that shot out and could grow back again shot through Eydis, he'd seen the creatures long lance like tail stabbing right through Todd and Phillip's dead corpse, rotted, maggots crawling through his eye sockets as he lay there, the rattling echo coming from his bones "Why weren't you there to save me..." Gallan's tears felt real, and they were, he'd been crying in his sleep at the horror that transpired. But it was all a nightmare, none of it was real...Right? No, no it was a dream, Gallan turned his head either way and saw Todd and Nolis. He hoped it was just a dream...

"Guys? Are you up?" Gallan began to stand up and stretch out his arms to the sky, he knew they were in for a long day ahead of themselves and he wanted to get started. "Guys I don't know if you're awake but--" Gallan's pendant began to glow, it was as if a suggestion was thrown into his head and he couldn't deny it...It told him to go to the Blacksmith.

Each Pendant glowed, giving each of the group the same suggestion. Something important was at the Blacksmith.

//sorry if you guys had plans to explore other places, you all will be able to explore but i gotta explain forging at the blacksmith//

OOC: No worries. We'll just follow along

In the other room, Eydis was slowly opening her eyes, still feeling tired from yesterday's terrifying ordeal. Despite still feeling traumatized by the creature that nearly put an end to her and Nolis' short lives, surprisingly, she didn't have a nightmare about it. The night was quiet and dreamless for her. As she use to do every morning, she got her back to check on Adaon and give him breakfast, only to discover the messy state of his home. When Eydis looked at the room, she could see that some parts were disarranged. Some claw marks were visible on the floor below her and there was a fallen table. She knew too well who the culprit was.
"Adaon, you pig! Couldn't you wait until morning?" she scolded in a whisper, just in case Muta was waking up. It wasn't the first time the little creature got out of her bag to hunt. There was probably an insect or mice somewhere in the room last night, and Adaon, being quite a glutton, couldn't resist the temptation of a night meal. Getting up quietly, Eydis proceeded to clean the room as best as she could, trying to leave everything exactly as she found it yesterday.

OOC: What Felines said.

"Ugg.. I'm up. I'm up.," Todd said having been woken up with the loud metallic ringing. The sounds of the hustling bustling city soon caught up to him and he knew he couldn't fall back even if he wanted to. And just as he had started to get ready, his pendant glowed and same suggestion came to his mind. "The blacksmith, huh? Well-- we probably needed to head there anyway.," he than said still not quite awake. As comfortable as the bed was-- it didn't do quite enough to fully ease his guilt and he too had his own version of a nightmare. Still, he wasn't explaining and that was likely more sleep then they were ever going to get again throughout their journey. 'I could use some more arrows at least.,' he thought to himself as he checked his supplies and made sure that nothing was missing. You never knew what can happen in such a large place like this...

Eydis cleaned the room as best as she could, being careful on not making a single sound. It was a lucky shot the falling table didn't wake Muta, or at least that's what she hoped. Eydis was so exhausted last night that she didn't hear a thing. Plus Adaom was quite sneaky when he wanted to be.
"Hmm... close enough." she muttered to herself, seeing how the room was not quite exactly as it was, but at least it was in a convincing state. Having the distraction of the room and the fact that she kept her pendant hidden inside her worn shirt, she didn't noticed it glowing. The grumbling sound of her stomach let her know that she was quite hungry. She barely ate a thing yesterday, and since they were finally settled someplace safe and populated, she wanted to make sure she had a good meal before heading to the blacksmith. She left the room quietly and wondered if this place had a diner or something, or maybe even a market nearby to make sure she had enough food statched for the next journey...

Despite all the surrounding noise, Muta still slept soundly in her bed. Metallic ringing, as well as the occasional bumping and thudding sounds of objects, was hardly anything new to her ears, even at this hour. Her home village was known for its blacksmiths and miners, so even if the streets weren't busy with people, the town was often still filled with some sort of noise. However, all the sounds hardly bothered those who lived there, as they were used to it. So what was noise to visitors was music to the ears of the townsfolk.

While the noise did nothing to wake the half-orc, the glow from the pendant on the bedside table certainly did. Muta groaned, blinking open her eyes. "Who turned on the light...?" She was still sort of half asleep and took a moment to register her surroundings. Once she noticed the pendant, her eyes opened fully. "Oh, okay. Didn't realize I set it for a wake-up call." She reached for the pendant with a yawn and received the same suggestion. "The blacksmith?" Muta threw off the covers with a grin. "Ha! No suggestion needed! I wanted to go there anyway!" She hopped out of bed and hurried into the bathroom to change. She was in such a rush that she didn't even pay attention to the state of the room, or that her roommate wasn't there.

After being washed the previous night, her clothes were all clean and ready to go now that they were also dry. Muta quickly changed into them and tossed the cloths she had used into the bin. She braided her hair into a ponytail and then headed out of the bathroom. She made sure to grab her equipment off of the desk before she headed out the door. It was only just upon leaving that she had noticed that Eydis wasn't there. Muta figured she must have already gotten up and went on ahead. Maybe she was waiting in the lobby for the others. Were the boys up yet? Muta wondered if she should knock on their door to check, but surely they got the same suggestion that she had, right? She figured they must be getting up now, so she decided to wait in the hallway for them.

Upon the voices of the two other boys, Nolis breathed a hiss-like sigh from his nose, stirring and peeling his head from off the sheets. Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, he registered where he was, as well as his current company, but not before noticing the steady glowing of the pendant around his neck. Like the others, he knew what was to be done before it was even spoken. With yet another sigh, he pushed himself upright, sluggishly pulling his legs over the edge of his bed-- which was still somewhat damp due to the bathwater he had decided to not dry off-- as he reached for his satchel and belt, which had been placed haphazardly on the bed's corner. "I guess we should get going, then."

The early birds crowed their crows of morning and the song birds sang their songs of serenity. Up high in the sky did the clouds roll as if moving with the group of adventurers, and in perfect occurrence to the beauty of the day was the serendipitous smiles of the previously tough looking Jawmax's from the previous night. Eydis had been able to find a free loaf of bread at a travelling food cart, the woman who had given her the bread seemed kind and definitely could afford to lose a loaf of bread or two considering the large quantity she had. Finally all caught up together; dressed, bathed and much more pep in their steps, or at least Gallan's, the gang made their way to the blacksmith, a tall square building made of what looked like black stones dyed with coal. One of the windows was pristine and clear despite the dirty look of the building but the other window was covered in iron shavings and soot. The sign on the door read 'Open' so the gang, some reluctantly (Gallan) entered to find two men behind a large dark oak counter, the floor was stone, also dyed black, hardened clay surrounded the individual stones that lined the floor and walls. Behind the count stood two men, one from the previous night that had met Eydis, he stood at 4'5, slightly chubby and with a graying beard, he wore a red handkerchief around his neck, his head was balding and his small blue eyes seemed faded. The other man who stood opposite the Dwarf was tall, standing at 6'2, he had a short, pointed and rough beard, his skin was darker but still light, his muscles bulged from the ripped at the sleeves black shirt that he wore, on his left arm was what looked like an outline of a four leaf clover, a scar. He wore a purple handkerchief around his head and a white but dirty large cloth around his waist. The two were arguing.

"I've told you a million goddamn times to wipe that window!"

"You've told me a lot of things, I don't do most of them!"

"You're such a lazy piece of trash! I let you stay here, I hire you as my apprentice, and all you do is nap! I could kick you out! In fact I should!"

"I do good work, I make your weapons perfectly, you wouldn't have the heart to kick me out, you didn't the last 500 times and you wont do it the next 500 times you threaten it either!"

"I swear if I ev-..."

The large man had noticed the travelers in his store. "Oh for the..." He muttered under his breath, his voice was deep but soothing.

His demeanor changed completely and he threw his arms to the side in a welcoming display. "Welcome! I am Eldon! Proprietor of this here establishment and the key to all your weaponry dreams! I ha-...Ahem...You're...Oh, I see now." He became more stern and serious now, his eyes seemed to focus on them all at the same time. "You're them. I was told you'd be coming." He threw his arms out once more and returned to his happier personality. "The Wielders of Magic have come to my family for generations! So of course when they told me I was to look forward to the arrival of six new Wielders I-..." It was as if the air inside the store had become thin, the man didn't take a single breath more as he stared at the children. "I'm sorry." It was as if he could tell what had happened. His condolences seeped out like ooze just by looking at the group in a certain way of empathy. "As I was saying.." Eldon cleared his throat and took a bow. "Weapons. Magic. Enchantments. Armor. I am your one stop shop for all of your needs. I believe you were looking for someone to teach you magic? Unfortunately that's not me. I can only enchant weapons with magic, but only if the wielder is able to use it. If you don't have the bloodforce of magic coursing through you then my enchantments would be rendered useless. However, in the meantime, I can explain how forging works."

The small Dwarf looked on in annoyance, grumbling to himself silently.

"Here you can buy base weapons: Bronze Dagger, Standard Short Sword, Standard Long sword, Standard Broadsword, Throwing Knives, Wooden Bow and Arrow, Whip, Standard Axe, Standard WarHammer, Heavy Mace, Flails, Falchions, Greatswords and Wooden and Iron Shields...Unless I'm forgetting some, and if I am you can check the base weapons chart I have on the bulletin board. Anyways, for these things all I need from you, to put it lightly, is your gold. Standard weapons all cost the same base price which is one hundred gold, now keep in mind you can't carry too many unless you want to be weighed down. We do have weapons holsters which you're all welcome to for free but you're limited to only two large weapons, a shield and a side weapon which would be the whip, throwing knives, daggers, Katar, Kukri and any of the light weapons."

The large man took a breath before continuing.

"Now for forging...Basically you can't defeat higher class enemies with just a ****ty bronze dagger. What I can do for you however is forge your weapons to have different enhancements OR upgrade them. These enhancements and upgrades include but are not limited to: Iron, Bone, Titanium, Serrated, Poison touch, Flame touch, Electric touch and Ice touch. Unfortunately if you wanted say, a serrated dagger, you'd need to bring me materials. I'd need a base dagger, 30 teeth and 20 steel plus a small, er, fee. I have a chart up on my bulletin board about the weapons I can make and what items I need for what. I'm always updating it so don't worry if nothing catches your fancy quite yet. Payment for base weapons is 100, payment for rare weapons is 500, payment for epic is 2000 and payment for legendary weapons is a steep 5000.

Now I've been instructed to give you all one free weapon plus a wooden shield. My weapons are the finest in all the continent and as much as I hate to admit it, my apprentice here, Ardole, is quite the craftsmen aswell, especially when it comes to magical enhancements which your magic friend will get into once you meet him. These weapons were imbued with magic by the WoM, that means that whichever weapon you pick will bond to your magical aura and you'll be stuck with it your entire journey, as you see on the board it talks of upgraded weapons, you may only have one and that is the one that will be bonded to you. So choose wisely and remember only one can be upgraded, think of it like a symbiote, if another weapon tried to bond with you it would cause disastrous results.. Any questions? Or are you all ready to take your pick of weapon? Also, I was instructed to give you basic leather armor, I've placed them in a pile over there under the bulletin board, if you want better armor you'll need to come to me with more money and for the better armors you'll need to give me a few days to order them in if I don't have the materials, unless you can bring me enough, but don't worry about that til much later."

---

Gallan tried to take all the information in best that he could and he thought he was pretty sure how everything worked, he didn't have any questions at all. "Um...Could I try the Katar actually? I think my sword is still in alright condition..." Eldon nodded and handed Gallan the pair of Katar with its holsters which Gallan promptly wrapped around his waist. He also was given a wooden shield and a holster for his back which he put on and then shoved the shield into.

//Here's the base weapons minus the throwing knives, bow and arrow and whip: https://s7.postimg.org/vrr98fx4b/weapons.png

This is WiP but here's the weapon forging chart. I still need to add rare weapons, more epic and legendary weapons and prices. it will be updated frequently and I'll place it on the OP as well as the base weapons https://docs.google.com/docume...dit?usp=sharing//

OOC: Those are really nice charts. You're so organized and detailed
Edit: I changed my post to make sense with your change.

Eydis listened with interest as the man explained everything he got and the price. The first thing she did was take the leather armor, glad to have some sort of protection, even if it was so basic. She avoided contact with the dwarf, not wanting to be reminded of the foul time he gave her yesterday. The woman who gifted her food made Eydis' day with so much kindness, and she didn't want to ruin her current good mood. Now that it was daylight, Eydis could have a better look on the variety of weapons the place had to offer. She knew that it wouldn't come cheap. With what little she could see yesterday, that became obvious. She still had her bow and arrow in good condition and one of her spears was intact, but the other one was bent after the battle with the squid. And the dagger wasn't used, so no change there. The throwing knives sound great, but those could be lost easily. The whip could be nice too, but she didn't have any experience with it. Swords were out of the question.

"Excuse me, do you have a knife that works like a boomerang? I once saw a traveler using something like that. If not... well a bow will do. Also, I will like some extra arrows and this spear repaired. And additionally, I wonder if you can tell me about this fang...." Eydis commented as she took out the Tentacla fang, doubting such requests would cost very much. She wondered if something like a dagger could work as a boomerang or if it was that travelers invention. If the blacksmith didn't have such a thing, then a bow would suffice. She didn't want to risk her luck with a sword or a mace. A boomerang knife will be ideal though considering she could somehow use it as a throwing knife and then having coming back to her.

//ive made an important edit in my post above and put it in bold text//

There was no hesitation to enter the shop on Muta's part. She strolled right on in with a certain bounce in her step. She paused to take a deep breath that turned into a contented sigh. It smelled almost like home. The rustic, dirty look of the place only added to the familiar, comforting presence. She'd argue that the blacksmith shop was more inviting than the inn, but she figured she was likely the only one who felt that way. Muta turned her attention to the two men behind the counter. While she tried not to be rude and listen in, she couldn't help but overhear, what with how loudly they were arguing. She raised a hand in an attempt to hide her amused grin. Their bickering was reminiscent of a couple of miners she knew back home, who rarely seemed to get along, despite how much they worked together. With a sigh, she felt the slightest bit homesick, even though it hadn't been too long since she left.

The blacksmith's greeting caught her attention and she listened with an eager grin. Her grin faded when the man continued and brought up the number of Wielders who were supposed to be here. Muta cast her gaze to the floor, reminded of the companion they had already lost. It was a terrible thing to have lost him so soon, or at all really, but she didn't want to dwell on it. She looked back at Eldon when he cleared his throat and continued. She listened intently when he explained about enchantments. So only certain people could use magical weapons, that made sense. She didn't remember anyone back home who was capable of using such weapons, or at least no one skilled or magical enough to be able to craft them. Well, that must be why. The residents of her home village weren't exactly well versed in magic.

Muta nodded along when he started listing off base weapons, a subject very familiar to her. If nothing else, she at least knew plenty about the standard weapons. She chuckled quietly to herself about the weight limit, remembering a time in her youth when she had foolishly tried to carry more than she could hold. She had learned the hard way then that she simply couldn't handle all the weapons she had wanted to use. So she knew Eldon was right about that, much to her dissatisfaction, as she knew she could be indecisive about choosing her weapons at times. Muta nodded once more at the explanation on forging. Of course, any self-respecting blacksmith knows that you need the proper materials before you can craft anything. You can't make something out of nothing. It's not like someone could make a weapon out of thin air, that would be ridiculous.

At the mention of being given a free weapon, Muta grinned. Granted, she already had three decent weapons, but she could already tell that the quality of Eldon's was much higher. Now to only decide on what to add to her arsenal. When he spoke up again, she blinked, and her grin faded. She could only choose one to fully upgrade? She had never heard of such a thing before. These magical weapons must really be special then, since they apparently bond with you. The half-orc didn't know what to think of that. How was she ever supposed to decide? Muta had practiced with nearly all of the standard weapons, at least a little bit, and didn't really specialize in any of them. There were so many that she liked that it was hard to pick a favorite. The ax was one she really liked and chose a lot, but the hammer is cool, too. Oh, and there's also a mace, and a greatsword, and--Muta shook her head gently. She couldn't get carried away. She needed to focus and choose one.

Thinking on it more, she began to weigh her options, but she still had trouble deciding. She just didn't know what to specialize in. Maybe there was a different way to go about this. So she began to think of what her uncle would do in this situation, only to remember that he didn't specialize in anything either. If only he were more of a fighter. A thought occurred to her. Her uncle wasn't much of a fighter, but her father sure was. Remembering all the stories her uncle had told her about him, Muta knew for sure what his weapon of choice was. Scanning the room, she quickly found it and pointed with a serious look in her eye. "I'll take that one, the Spiked Glove," she stated, firmly.

The half-orc remembered fondly how much of a powerful brawler her father sounded in stories. Her uncle made it sound like he could level a mountain with a single punch what with how strong he apparently was. Granted, she figured the stories were horribly exaggerated, and her imagination as a child didn't help, but she was still sure her dad was strong and she felt stronger already with his chosen weapon at her disposal.

Eldon's puzzled look stretched for miles, he'd never heard of a boomerang knife, although lots of blacksmiths loved to get creative and so it wasn't out of the ordinary for weapons like that to exist. "I'm sorry I've never heard of that..." He tried to place the invention in his head but couldn't, it's possible it was just a silver boomerang with sharp ends, but he didn't have that sort of thing, plus if he did it wouldn't have bonded with her, he'd have needed the WoM to enchant it and that could take days. He decided to answer her fang question first. "Well, fangs are bones, all teeth are, if you bring me enough you can get your weapons made of tough bone, excellent hard hitters and durable too. I can easily repair your spear within the hour and arrows are no trouble but...I only have one of each enchanted weapon...and I noticed you eyeing the throwing knives and Whip. Let me try to peak your interest on those before you settle on the bow. The throwing knives come in a pack of one hundred and since they are bonded to you your Pendant will draw them back to you, that is with all your weapons, you will always know where they are and if you learn magic well enough you could easily use them like a boomerang, although they may get caught in enemies...The Whip is an excellent weapon that I cannot recommend enough, I was told about all of you by the WoM and the Whip and its poison attributes seem to match your personality plus its range is excellent and it requires less accuracy than a bow making it much easier for aiming, of course the Bow is still an option but you'll need to fight over that with your Halfling friend over there as I've been told he's in love with the Bow aswell...The Whip is quite easy to use if you train for a bit with it, and I was meant to tell you by the WoM that there's someone here that can help you with your weapons and training, there's actually a training field near the Graveyard. Anyways, I recommend the whip for you but if you do still want the Bow I'd talk it over with your friend first to decide."

Eldon then turned his attention to Muta and Gallan. "Ah, I like you, so decisive, and you Miss, I hear you have roots in this sort of thing, I'd be happy to show you around and teach you a few things if you ever have the time."

Eldon handed the Katars to Gallan and the Spiked Glove to Muta. As the two held their new weapons aura's seemed to expel from the weapons and surround their beings, Gallan surrounded by Orange mist and Muta by Green. Their Pendants glew and the bond was complete. "There, congratulations, you've bonded with your weapons, treat them well as if they were a loved one."

Eydis pondered for a moment, and decided that it was not worth discussing on who should have the bow. She already had a bow herself, one that she knew how to use well. And if it was true that the pendant will help the weapons return to them, then a boomerang of sorts wasn't necessary.
"Alright then. I'll leave the bow to my... friend. I have one already, so I want something different. I've decided on the throwing knives and my spear's repair. The whip looks fine, but I don't have any experience with it. Plus, my opponent could pick the whip and draw me to them, giving me a tremendous disadvantage." Eydis pointed out, always being very analytical with everything. She was good at throwing things, particularly cause she preferred to keep herself away from the heat of the battles. She couldn't heal herself, so getting injured was out of the question.

As per usual, Nolis had idled at the rear of the pack, bare feet dragging across the ground and quickly collecting dirt and dust as he went. While his mood was still dampened by the loss of Phillip, a surprisingly restful sleep and the start of a new day rekindled the natural curiosity he had for his surroundings. It seemed like everyone was taking advantage of the early morning, from merchants selling their wares on the streets to birds catching the metaphorical worm, this case being scrapes and debris left of people's breakfasts. The morning itself was also quite pleasant, a faint breeze teasing at his dark strands of hair. He was at least thankful that it wasn't scorching hot, like the desert. It was only thanks to his rough scales that he didn't wake up with terrible sunburns on his neck and arms. He could only wonder how Eydis was faring.

Upon entering the blacksmith behind the others, he couldn't stop the hiss of a sigh from exiting his nostrils. Arguing. He did not like arguing. The raised voices, the tense atmosphere. Why couldn't people just resolve differences sensibly, he thought. It wasn't that hard to keep one's emotions in check. He had done it all his life. In fact, he was doing it now, rubbing his thumbs against the index knuckles of his balled hands. Thankfully, the two shopkeepers ceased their quarreling once they realized that they had company. Good, they wouldn't have to intercept the verbal showdown themselves. That had been too common an occurrence with his cantankerous grandfather when he lost his composure towards the neighbors that kept setting hay bales on fire... for some reason. Maybe the lack of reason was why it had been so hard to convince him to grit his teeth and leave them be.

Trying to ignore the heavy silence that had befallen the store when Eldon realized the loss they had suffered, Nolis kept his focus on the man's words, taking in the instructions and options being laid out. He scowled in uncertainty at the notion of them possessing magical prowess. He didn't quite doubt that the WoM were correct regarding them; yet, it was still hard for him to believe. He wasn't one to trust in faith, or hope. No, this young man only believed what he saw. And for the sake of the group-- and mainly his sanity at this point-- he allowed himself some hope that he'd see tangible proof of his so called "bloodforce of magic".

He watched and listened with intrigue when Muta and Gallan had made their choices, the response issued after the question about the purposes an object such as the fang could serve, and Eydis's eventual choice. Nolis had already decided what he was going to settle with. Although he hadn't yet been given an opportunity to use the flail he had brought from the dome, the lizardboy had already geared up for using such an item, imagining the the possible scenarios in which he'd have no choice but to wield it. That was the closest thing he had to any training with the thing.
... Now that he had thought about it in his head, it sounded rather stupid.

"I'd like to take the flail," he began when a silence offered the opportunity to speak, "but I have no battle experience. Not even with the one I have. I don't know where to start, so I'll ask what you'd recommend first."

As Todd followed the others and entered the blacksmith, he was excited to see what they had. He wasn't sure what he was going to pick, if anything, given that he had already had his trusted bow and that it had served him quite well. However, as the short but chubby Dwarf explained the rules, he was intrigued by the rather unique properties of the weapons. 'Weapons that bonded to the user-- and for life?,' he thought to himself. As the others managed to speak up and Eydis had more-or-less willed the bow to him-- he gave a nod indicating that he was alright with that decision. "I'll-- I'll take the bow as long as Eydis is alright with it and some arrows if you have any. I'm running a little low it seems.," Todd then spoke up looking around the shop and picking up one of the basic leather armors that been left for them.

As he looked up at the board, he grew exciting at seeing the possibilities that presented themselves. Not only would he have two bows to start out with (including his own)-- that bow could also be upgraded to shoot light and eventually generate arrows seemingly out of thin air. Of course, the requirements were heavy as expected and he didn't know what it meant by requiring a 'shining star.' Still, if the remaining members of the party managed to survive whatever future ordeals challenged them-- they would at least get some sweet weapons out of it. 'And hopefully not at the cost of more lives.,' he then thought to himself briefly looking down.

Eldon had supplied Eydis and Todd with more arrow and happily accepted the spea-Well happy wasn't exactly the word for it, he willingly took the spear from Eydis, his mood not completely patched from the earlier argument with his protege, but his mood seemed to be lightening, and so did Eydis's aura as she took the Throwing Knives and Todd following suit as Eldon brought Todd's bow to him. Eydis and her weapon began to glow a wondrous ocean blue and Todd and his Bow a blinding white signifying their bond. "I'll never get tired of seeing that." Although Eldon's amazement was cut short as Nolis piped up, which wasn't a bad thing, the show was pretty much over as he only missed the last few wisps of smoke like aura dissipating into thin air.

"You're Nolis." He stared at the Lizard boy, sternly and intently as if staring deep into his very soul. "You don't like to fight do you." It wasn't a question more of a stated revelation put into rhetorical form as the Blacksmith stared into Nolis' eyes. "You're inexperienced and you're scared. As well as you should be. The flail can help ward away your enemies, the sight of a sword is tame, one stab and you're dead, one slice and your arm is gone. But the flail. At the sight of the flail one is terrified, the idea that someone could bash their skull in but not concede or die for a hundred painful hits if one was so sadistic...They'd run in fear. Don't you think?" Without even letting Nolis give out so much as a breath he reached over and opened the boy's hands and placed the flail in them before closing them around it and just like with the others an aura of purple glew around Nolis and his new flail.

"You've all bonded with a weapon. This is your friend, not just a weapon. It will help you in the darkest of times even when things seem impossible, and though the upgrade requirements are hefty, they will be worth it. Remember you can still lose your weapons, but trust in your Pendants to help you if ever that is the case. Speaking of Magic I believe you're on a quest to find someone...I can't tell you where he is but I know he dresses in red dragonscale armor, I know he is powerful and wears a red cloak over his face and I know that he is one of the only people with enough Bloodmagic to carry more than one magical bonded legendary weapon. The Flame Buster and the Beast Bellows. He can teach you more than any other magic wielder on the continent. Seek him out. Ask around town. Find him. Good luck on your quest."

Ardole piped up, "You're gonna need it."

-----

Gallan couldn't believe all that he'd experienced, he'd fought Goblins and an Ogr-He'd watched Muta fight Goblins and an Ogre, he'd ridden a magical minecart throughout a beautiful forest, he'd met wizards and he'd seen giant shark like creatures, he'd been surrounded by magical auras and now he was going to learn how to use magic, it was awe inspiring and he was going to be the first to find this mystery man. "I-I'm gonna head to the bar! Who wants to come!? Nolis?" He'd gotten a vibe from the Lizard, although Muta was someone he highly respected and seemed to get along with he wanted to develop relationships with the others, after all he'd be travelling with them for a very long time and Nolis had something about him, he seemed similar to Gallan. He seemed afraid, like he hadn't quite unlocked his full potential just like himself, he thought maybe they could help each other with that.

Muta took the Spiked Glove and put it on her left hand. She watched as the green aura surrounded her. Had she not been told beforehand that these weapons were magical, the mist might have surprised her. She still wasn't used to all this magic, but at least she had been aware of its presence. Still, magic or not, this gauntlet was her chosen weapon now, and she could already feel an attachment to it. Muta smiled as she studied it, making a fist with her gloved hand. It mine as well have been a loved one, since it was the same weapon her father had used. She felt closer to him now, like a part of him was with her.

The half-orc turned to Eldon with a grin. "Yeah, I'd love that! My uncle is a blacksmith and he taught me everything I know about weapons and forging. A weapon is an extension of yourself and can be your greatest ally on the battlefield, that's what he would always say."

She grinned even wider when she heard about the magic wielder they were supposed to meet. With red dragonscale armor, and a fully upgraded sword and mace, they sounded like a powerful warrior. Muta already couldn't wait to meet them. Maybe using this magic stuff wouldn't be so bad after all, especially if it involved magical weapons. Still, while she wanted to go help with the search, a part of her wanted to stay in the blacksmith shop. Muta felt at home here, and she admittedly wanted to learn more about forging as well.

Eydis looked in atonishment how the Throwing Knives sparkled blue along with her, and she was as exited as a child receiving a fancy toy. Her healing magic was green, but apparently, her aura was blue.
"I'm not much into violence, but I can't wait to try these on the next gluttonous, stupid beast that comes our way." she said with an air of hate, the squid experience still being too fresh in her mind. Her trauma was slowly becoming anger, for she came to realize that the monstrous squid had already devoured a bunch of travellers and even a humongous sand shark, and yet wanted to dine on her and Nolis as well. That wasn't hunger or survival, it was pure greed. The creature wanted to eat them for the sake of it, and Eydis believed such animals deserved no mercy.

Despite her brief venting, Eydis did listened when Eldon described the one they should look for, and was pleased. Someone with those attributes shouldn't be too hard to find, and if he was a magic user, perhaps he could help her with her own abilities. Healing magic was good, but it wasn't much help in times of battle. She wanted to believe she had other hidden talents besides that. Their world was changing drastically, with creatures losing their natural fear of humanity and overall danger, and the loss of Phillip just showed how much peril awaited them. Eydis wanted to be ready for anything.

Todd took the bow and opened his eyes wide as he felt the magic of the bonding course though his short nimble body. As he handled the new bow-- it felt different somehow almost as he if were more connected to then any bow he had used or crafted prior. And he was, he supposed. He gracefully accepted the arrows as well and placed them in his quiver. He couldn't wait to try it out on the next deserving creature; an odd feeling seeing that he normally tried to avoid killing things when possible. Still, he could already feel the bond and it only made him wonder what else their magic was capable of.

As Eldon described the man they were after, he was glad to some sort of clue as to who to start looking for. At least they had an idea now and at least chance of finding the magic wielder. 'And possibly learning to wield their own magic.,' Todd delightfully thought to himself. "Red dragonscale-- got it. Thanks.," he said thanking the blacksmith. He was so briefly distracted, that he had missed the offer concerning the bar.

//Map picture URL expired so here's the map again, you're free to visit anywhere on your own or with a partner
//the brewery means potion brewery that's my bad//

Eldon relieved himself of a well needed hearty bellowing laugh straight from his belly, he hadn't found anything particularly funny but he was ecstatic at the gratitude towards his line of work that this girl expressed. The man hadn't shown a lot of emotion outside of his genuine love for explaining his job but he didn't seem particularly happy until now. The darker skinned man stretched his large unending muscles out towards the sky and yawned, something which could have been construed as simply him yelling to the heavens for no reason. Once he was finished with his 'task' he turned his attention back to Muta. "Well, I'm always looking for a new apprentice" He said with an air of animosity towards his current apprentice who was within earshot, it seemed however that it wasn't meant to be completely irreverent towards him, rather that they liked to take shots at each other for the fun of it but deeply respected each other otherwise.

"You should show her the door, and while you're at it show it to yourself."

"Calm down Ardole, the asshole convention isn't here until next week, aren't you setting up a stand there?"

"I set up something inside of your mot-"

"Anyways, the tour! Ah, follow me!"

Eldon untied his now dirty purely from the air work cloth and placed it to the side of the counter perfectly folded. "Watch your step, miss." There were several stairs leading down into a lower level, although not enough for it to be a basement, there weren't even a dozen stairs, but down those stairs and behind a pair of lavender sliding curtains made of out what seemed to be ragged cloths was a large room of nothing but weapons, anvils, work stations, armor a forge and anything a blacksmith could dream of. "This is my home. Lived here for about fifteen years now..." He seemed to be taking pride in his little area, remembering all the times he'd had there. "The stories I could tell you..." The place was dark, being lit only by a couple measly torches. Eldon let out a sigh, it had been a long time since he'd met anyone interested in what he did, of course Ardole didn't really count, he'd been with Eldon a long time and was more interested in Magic Forging, which Eldon thought was silly since magic users weren't exactly the norm around the town, but he figured that now was a good time for his skills so perhaps his lack of work was worth the wait if it meant these children were to save the world.

"So what do you wanna know first?" Eldon had gotten a bit distracted in his thoughts, he'd almost completely forgotten where he'd been, the sweet smell of burning coal had almost completely drifted him away from reality, something Ardole often would have a field day on scolding him about, although it wasn't like Ardole was any better, always letting everything get dirty, sitting on the counter and sleeping when customers would come in.

Nolis kept his unfaltering focus at the words spoken to him alone, ready to take to heart any wisdom and knowledge Eldon had to offer. And once he had finished speaking, placing the desired weapon into his hands, a comprehension he hadn't possessed prior ventured to the front of his mind. The squid monster-- his first fight, and his first kill-- had not hesitated in the slightest on its attack. It had made the mistake of underestimating Eydis, but the point stood that they were both rather unintimidating in appearance. Perhaps if it had overestimated them instead, it would have relented? It wouldn't get him far to ponder on what-ifs, but as he stared at the flail in his hand as it released a cloud of violet magic around his person, he couldn't help but imagine the possibilities.

The lizardboy followed the other three out of the blacksmith after taking the given shield and armor, his feet no longer dragging but rather walking with more intent. Gallan's invitation didn't pull his gaze away from his new weapon until the issue of his name reached his ears. After a moment, he shrugged. "I don't have anywhere else to go."

Since everybody already seemed to established their destination, Eydis decided to went along with her original plan and go to the store.
"Well, have fun in the rest of you. I'm going to the store to purchase a few things. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll meet this mysterious stranger." Eydis commented casually, leaving the blacksmith. Even though she doubted anyone cared where she was going, she nevertheless made sure everyone knew her whereabouts just in case anyone decided to continue the journey while she was still out there. She wasn't going to stay in such a hot place. Even though he was regretting a little not getting to know a little about Muta while they were roommates, she didn't share her same interests and left.

This town was certainly a sight to behold, not because of it's structures, but because of the variety of people and creatures walking. This really must be an exceptional place if everyone could get along that well. This was something rare to witness. Even after entering the store, Eydis made sure she was looking everywhere for the one they had to find. They already had the description, so he had to stand out, didn't he? Even during her little shopping, Eydis was paying attention to her surroundings...

Muta watched the display with an amused smile. While she wasn't sure exactly what had caused the blacksmith to behave in such an ecstatic manner, he did at least seem happy. She figured happiness didn't necessarily need to be questioned, so she simply allowed him to enjoy the moment of bliss. At the offer, no matter whether it was serious or not, Muta's eyes practically lit up. "Really?" Granted, she could have simply worked in her uncle's shop, but the opportunity to work with someone so skilled got her excited enough that she wasn't thinking clearly at the moment.

The exchange between Ardole and Eldon brought her focus back to them, and she couldn't help but let out a stifled snicker. She tried to keep quiet, though, so as not to be rude to either of them. She just happened to find their interactions amusing. Muta took a deep breath to calm herself down while she followed Eldon down into the lower level. She gazed wide-eyed at all the equipment and couldn't help but grin. While she was very familiar with everything there, she was still just glad to see it, and could tell that the quality was top notch. The scent of burning coal filled her nostrils, reminding her of home. Muta gave a smile to Eldon. "I like hearing stories. I always liked listening to my uncle, he just seemed to have a way of making everything sound so exciting." While he had mostly told her ones about her parents, he had plenty of other stories to share as well.

The half-orc gave some consideration to what she wanted to ask first. There were several things she could have inquired about, so she needed a moment to decide. Once she did, she smiled and turned to Eldon. "So how long have you been a blacksmith? Have you always wanted to be one?" Granted, Muta figured that was technically two questions, but hopefully it was fine, since they sort of went together.

Gallan smiled with delight as Nolis accepted his invitation, although it wasn't exactly a warm acceptance it was an acceptance nonetheless. Gallan had been wondering how he'd work together with the others since the very beginning, he'd chosen who to go with by logic, but this time he decided to choose Nolis because of their emotions, he was no empath but it seemed that Nolis wasn't too fond of fighting and Gallan while having no problem with it, was terrified plus Gallan wanted to maybe see if he could get any tips from Nolis on how to not care as much, that seemed to be a trait of the lizard boy. "Alright awesome, okay so um, alright so the Bar is just across from the Inn so um, it's only a couple minutes away so we can uh, we can talk a bit!" Gallan wasn't the greatest conversationalist, though that wasn't to say he was introverted, just that he didn't exactly know where to start, but at the moment his mind was jumping around with thoughts and questions to ask Nolis, so when they left the Blacksmith and headed for the bar Gallan finally spoke up. "So how was your guys' trip? I mean...It looked like you two were a little beat up. Me and Muta had to fight this giant Ogre but...Well I just got in the way..." Gallan's usual perkiness almost disappeared completely before shooting back up to max level. "But I bet you did great! Right, Nolis?"

-----

As Eydis looked through the shop she would all the items for sale, there were gems and crystals, bottles, compasses, canteens, trinkets of all kinds, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, mysterious stones and much more. Eydis as she looked around noticed a man behind the counter, tall and hunched over, an apron draped over himself, his long green nose sticking out even as he was turned away, he rubbed his hands together muttering to himself.

-----

Eldon had to think for a moment, placing a finger upon his smooth looking dark black beard, "Ah, well...I started when I was fifteen, we didn't have much, I started out making horseshoes at a small wooden makeshift, ahaha, a little makeshift stand I made, oh god," He placed his hands on his hips and looked to the ceiling as if picturing it right before himself. "It was, oh god it was terrible, and I had this little sign that said "A Horseshoe that HorseCanDo and I got probably four customers out of pity...Yea, I uh, I lived on the streets..." Eldon made his way farther back and towards the corner of the room, a ragged brown cloth curtain on a rail, he pulled it back to reveal a bed and on the wall old pictures, most likely from a rare Magic Sunlense Box, it would capture light fragments reflect them off a mirror and turn them into what the magical device was looking at, like a camera. "Ah, these are pictures...Not sure if you've ever seen one before, but back then there was lots of magic and innovative inventions were being made left and right...I still have that Sunlense box. Doesn't really work without the magic though, and magic wielders have slowly been dying out over the years...After that first fiasco with the Evil one people started giving up magic in fear that it would be used against them...It's a shame..." He took a moment to wipe his almost unnoticeable tear that was rolling down his face before grazing his hand over one of the pictures, his hand collecting dust. "This is me with my stand...I lived on my own on the streets and that's what got me started. I found someone who was willing to take me in as an apprentice, I was so ****ing horrible haha, but here I am now..." He turned to face Muta, "I really did mean it...I have Ardole for magic forging but I could use a real weapon apprentice...When your quest is through, I'd welcome you, I was given a chance I think you should be given one too."

Eydis looked at all the items in display. She was quite amazed how much variety this store had. It looked so small from the outside. As interesting as everything was, she knew she couldn't distract herself with pretty stones. She came for a canteen and a compass only. She looked at the former's display, but they didn't looked much different from the one she had now. After thinking for a while, she decided that another canteen was unnecessary at the moment, and that another one would simply weighted her down a little more. Plus, she wasn't p,anning to navigate another desert anytime soon, so that could wait. She instead focused on the compasses for sale, and they looked much more convincing than the canteen.
"Excuse me, can I have one of those compasses? Something not too expensive please. A simple one will do." Eydis said cautiously, the man's appearance giving her the creeps. As soon as she got her compass, she was going to leave immediately. She didn't want to risk this man resulting rude or just plain creepy. She was still in a good mood thanks to the lady that gave her food earlier, and she didn't want a silly thing to ruin that. Eydis could change moods very easily, which was a habit she hated.

As the party split ways in various numbers, Todd wasn't even sure where to start looking. For someone like him who was used to the much simpler life of hunting and the occasional failed farming-- a place like Squall represented a huge unknown for him. And even more so considering his reduced statue compared to most. "Wait!," Todd preparing to catch up with Eldis as soon as she made a public appearance again. He honestly didn't want to be by himself and also wanted to get more familiar with his fellow party members. Besides himself, Eydis was one of the shortest members and seemingly the youngest too-- appearing to match his age if not only a little older. If all else failed, he would simply go off on his own and see what was around. He was curious as to what the town had in store anyway...

OOC: Yikes! Did you have to edit so many times? I should've waited a little longer for your post

Eydis has failed to notice Todd following her when she headed to the store. The crowded noise of the people mixed up with his own voice, and since she was walking at a fast pace, she didn't see him either. She wanted to get over with her shopping so that she could avoid being left behind just in case their special stranger was found early. Even though she didn't mind staying in this pleasant town for a little while longer, she believed they were going to be left with no choice but to continue their perilous quest as soon as they could.

OOC: Sorry-- DarkSpyro was being a pain and/or I'm a little tired from a headache.

As Eydis was soon lost in the crowd, Todd decided to look around and see if he could find the dragonscale-wearing stranger on his own. 'Surely, it couldn't be that hard to find someone like that-- right?,' he thought to himself figuring that someone wearing bright red dragonscale would stick out like a sole thumb. However, he would soon prove himself very very wrong as he once again watched the wide variety of various species and professions walk by... from human traders to even a richly dress Jawmax or two. The variety was truly astounding. He decided to look for any local venders to ask, while also keeping an eye out both for any interesting trinkets and the red-scaled stranger himself.

Nolis trudged alongside Gallan, his indifference contrasting the latter's excitement as they made their way. The boy didn't bother him in any way, really. At least, not him in himself. Truthfully, he found it admirable that he could keep such a positive attitude in the absolute hellhole they had just been thrown into. The lizardboy could barely keep himself from losing his mind, let alone look on the bright side. It was a little difficult to bear with at times, as it clashed with his more cynical, worldly perspective, but there was no reason for him to deny Gallan the time of day. It seemed that he had a reason for inviting his presence first.

"Well... yes. We were attacked by a..." He tried to remember what the pendant had informed them. "'Desert Tentacla', it was called. A giant squid of sorts. It gave us a beating before Eydis was able to injure it, and I managed to make the killing blow by chance." He gave a dry snort. "And it wasn't even hungry then, because it had just eaten a huge land shark, which almost ate us."

Muta listened intently, occasionally nodding along. She chuckled quietly while he described the makeshift stand that he had used for his horseshoes. Her amused expression quickly turned sympathetic, though, as he revealed that he had lived on the streets. Muta followed Eldon towards the back corner of the room. She turned her gaze to the wall of pictures, surveying each of them. She shook her head gently when he explained what they were. It was new to Muta, since the only pictures she was familiar with were painted ones. She listened as he went on to explain how magic wielders had been dying out ever since the first encounter with the Evil One. Muta sighed. Perhaps that was why she didn't recall any magic wielders from her home village. Maybe no one practiced it there anymore.

She nodded once more as he described his past, looking to the picture for a visual reference. "It's great that someone was willing to give you a chance," she said, quietly. When Eldon clarified that he meant what he had said earlier, Muta turned to him with a small smile. "Thank you for the offer, sir, I'd like that." She paused and her smile faded as she thought of her experiences in the shop back home. Hesitantly, she began, "but are you sure your customers won't mind... Someone like me... Working here?" Muta sighed. "It's just... I've tried working in my uncle's shop before, and while he was happy to have me, the customers... Well... They always seemed in a bit of a hurry to leave the shop once they saw me there. It got to where I'd have to stay downstairs whenever the shop was open, just to avoid scaring off customers." She paused and sighed again. "I just would hate to risk hurting your business like that."

The man in the store turned around, his face now visible, it was a dark green and covered in bumps. His nose could have been used for jousting and his arms were held up oddly like he was a T-rex staring at its prey. He snorted. "Mmmmhello traveler, you are looking for something, a compass, yes you have told me, but you look for something else too yes? I have just thing for you," The man? thing? spoke in an accent that was unheard of to Eydis, it was thick and his broken english didn't make perfect sense. The man reached under the counter and pulled out a black pearl necklace. "This is for you yes, you take you wear, okay make protect good for light yes, you like light? Okay yes no i give better." The odd man threw the pearls behind him, resulting in them breaking and rolling all over the floor behind himself. He then pulled out a white bracelet. "You take this yes for to get back dark again, nothing stop, except light is not as good when use...No, no not good enough." Once again he tossed the bracelet behind him, pulling out one more thing, a twisting bracelet that looked like vines. "You put on arm, like band, make you strong for when use green plant magic yes? I see aura, I see future, I see you are green plant user maybe yes? okay you take and wear and you get stronger promise yes?" It probably wasn't wise to take the item from the man but he seemed adamant on selling his products, although his mind quickly changed. "No this not for you, you pay me for compass no bonus for you no now not. Okay yes you pay 20."

-----

As Todd took in the sights, hoping to find the magical man he seeked he caught a mans eye. The man was short but not like Ardole, taller than him but not too tall, his skill was green and he stood behind a shoddily made wooden stand. "Ah, you." He called to the Halfling. "I am Gob. My name is very apt...Aptly...It's ap...I am not sure which word I'm looking for but that is not the point. You look around like you're trying to find something. But look no more." The creature, who seemed to be a Goblin, pulled a rope and his entire stand popped up like a storybook, it was now a wooden cutout of a bunch of trees. "Let's say you're in the forest...You're mind your business, cooking fish upon your makeshift fire and all of a sudden....BOOM! An Ogre attacks! Well...." He pulled the rope once more, now the trees formed to make the figure of an ogre. "Just one spray of anti-ogre repellent will take care of them quick! With Anti-Ogre Repellent: It'll be Ogre before you know it!" The rope was pulled a final time to make the shape of a dead ogre and a boy standing on top of it, holding a can of spray and smiling brightly. "....You don't seem so impressed. You want something don't you. What is it, you have a question?? Just cuz I know a bunch don't mean you can come waltzing up to my stand and waste my time! I'm tryna run a business here so scram! ...Actually wait I'm curious, what do you want? Not that I'm gonna help it's just...Okay Goblins are curious alright?"

-----

Gallan listened to Nolis as he told his tale of wonder and danger, of near death and victory. "Whoa.." His eyes were wide with excitement, it was as if he was staring at a pile of sparkling gold, "Y-you really took down a giant squid?!? That was in the desert!?!? That is so freaking cool! We only took on...Well, I took down some goblins but..." A sigh left his mouth as he continued. "I was really stupid, jumped out at this Ogre when Muta already had it handled...I really messed up I mean....I dunno." Gallan rubbed his shoulder, his eyeline now at the dusty streets, his head hung in shame. "But..." He lifted his tiny skull back up and looked forward towards the Bar he could see in the distance. "I did save Muta's life...After risking her life...I guess that evens me out right?" He laughed. "Hey so, I was thinking when we get there we could ask the bar tender, I used to read this comic in the paper and they always hung out at this bar and the barkeep knew everything."

-----

Eldon couldn't help but take a glance at Muta, the Half-Orc that stood at his side. "..." He began to circle Muta, inspecting her up and down, back to front and all the way around before deciding to stop in front of her, an inquisitive look upon his previously stoic face. "Ah, I see why people were wary of you...Your ponytail. You're a blacksmith! Let your hair down! Get messy! They probably didn't know if you were up to the challenge of forging their weapons into masterpieces if you kept so clean and proper! I let my hair down all the time!" Eldon laughed louder than ever before, almost causing the room to shake. "Well I like to imagine I still have hair so that I can! Other than that, no problems! I mean if you're worried about people judging you don't worry! This place is full of different species and they all get along with one another! And just because you're a girl doesn't mean you can't be a great blacksmith! So if you were worried about that too don't be! My master's first apprentice was a woman, a Grizoar. Bear like humanoid! She's famous a few towns over!" He'd hoped he'd quelled Muta's worry, she was a good kid and he could see the sparkle of love for the line of work in her eye.

Eydis remained silent when the strange man talked. He spoke so much he barely left any space for her own words.
"Listen mister, I'm in a hurry, so..." she managed to say somewhere in that whirlwind of words, until she heard the price and he stopped. That wasn't so expensive, and she could afford that and more.
"Alright. Here's your twenty." Eydis said as she handed the money and grabbed her new compass, still disturbed by this individual. His accent was as strange as his appearance. After her purchase, she wanted nothing to do but to leave, but as she prepared to do so, the vine bracelet still lingered in her thoughts. She knew she was going to hate herself for this, but nevertheless, she was anxious for anything that could enhance her magic. She knew nymphs had much more power than simple healing, and she really wanted to have offensive magic as well.
"That bracelet... how much does it costs? And does it really works?" she dared to ask, believing that was the man's strategy to make another sale. But she was desperate. She was more concerned about the price than with the fact of him deducing what kind of magic she had. She simply deduced he was just another aura reader like the blacksmith, or maybe her nymph descendance was quite obvious.

The terrifyingly shady man that owned the establishment that Eydis and her small companion Adaon stood in rubbed his hands together as Eydis inquired about the bracelet. He ran back to the where he'd thrown all his trinkets, it was dark but he managed to easily find the bracelet after rummaging around for a short few seconds. Returning to his counter where Eydis stood opposite he held out the spiral bracelet towards her. "Okay for free yes, you are take to put on arm, only for one time offer, you come in store as first so you get free, nobody else after get free, you take yes?" At the inquiry at its ability to work the man shook his head profusely up and down. "Oh work it does, enhance aura power, increase magic of blood once learn. You take?"

Nolis seemed perplexed by how impressed Gallan was by short rundown of yesterday's fight, until he gave the matter some thought. He supposed it really was impressive, considering that it was his first fight and he didn't die. He still ached from the bruises that thing gave him, though. He didn't have much to say regarding Gallan's confession of his blunder, either. "We're bound to make mistakes at the beginning." At least what he did say was something a little more positive. "Most of the townfolk make their rounds to the bar, so they'd bound to know a few things about everyone. I'd say it's likely we'd get a lead."

Quote: Grizzle

The terrifyingly shady man that owned the establishment that Eydis and her small companion Adaon stood in rubbed his hands together as Eydis inquired about the bracelet. He ran back to the where he'd thrown all his trinkets, it was dark but he managed to easily find the bracelet after rummaging around for a short few seconds. Returning to his counter where Eydis stood opposite he held out the spiral bracelet towards her. "Okay for free yes, you are take to put on arm, only for one time offer, you come in store as first so you get free, nobody else after get free, you take yes?" At the inquiry at its ability to work the man shook his head profusely up and down. "Oh work it does, enhance aura power, increase magic of blood once learn. You take?"

"...Yes... I take..." Eydis answered after much skepticism, the man still creeping her out to no end. Just what was he? He couldn't be an orc, his skin looked like that of a goblin, but he was too tall to be one, or was he standing on something? His appearance reminded her a little of Nolis, only much, MUCH uglier. Whatever he was, Eydis didn't want to question. She just wanted the bracelet and be on her way. He just said it was free, wasn't it, or was she misunderstanding something? Eydis was too focused on the bracelet to notice that one of her companions was merely a few feet away, looking at stuff. One thing was for certain right now; the strange man wasn't going to keep her there for long and brainwash her into purchasing another thing. She just wanted the bracelet and reunite with the rest of the group.

Without taking a step or turning around, Muta watched Eldon curiously, glancing over her shoulder occasionally as he circled her. She was confused at first, until she figured he was probably just studying her, although she still wasn't sure why he had to. His conclusion made her even more confused. "My... Ponytail, sir?" He had to be joking, right? She just blinked a couple of times while he explained. "Get messy? B-but I have to be clean, or else--" Eldon's laughter cut her off, although he likely would have drowned out her words anyway. He continued on before she could explain. No problems? None? Was the man blind? Muta wasn't sure what to think. He seemed almost oblivious to the issue, or maybe why it was an issue. He did mention the other races here and that they all get along just fine. Maybe this town was just used to other races, so even an Orc wouldn't feel out of place here.

While still unsure of how to handle this, Muta did catch mention of this other blacksmith. At this, her eyes widened. "A Grizoar?! Wow!" She was now grinning. She had never seen one herself before, but she had heard about them through her uncle's stories. Now Muta wanted to meet this woman someday. She sounded like an amazing blacksmith. Maybe Eldon had a point. Maybe there was nothing to worry about here. Perhaps it was only the residents of her home village who were close-minded.

Quote: Grizzle

As Todd took in the sights, hoping to find the magical man he seeked he caught a mans eye. The man was short but not like Ardole, taller than him but not too tall, his skill was green and he stood behind a shoddily made wooden stand. "Ah, you." He called to the Halfling. "I am Gob. My name is very apt...Aptly...It's ap...I am not sure which word I'm looking for but that is not the point. You look around like you're trying to find something. But look no more." The creature, who seemed to be a Goblin, pulled a rope and his entire stand popped up like a storybook, it was now a wooden cutout of a bunch of trees. "Let's say you're in the forest...You're mind your business, cooking fish upon your makeshift fire and all of a sudden....BOOM! An Ogre attacks! Well...." He pulled the rope once more, now the trees formed to make the figure of an ogre. "Just one spray of anti-ogre repellent will take care of them quick! With Anti-Ogre Repellent: It'll be Ogre before you know it!" The rope was pulled a final time to make the shape of a dead ogre and a boy standing on top of it, holding a can of spray and smiling brightly. "....You don't seem so impressed. You want something don't you. What is it, you have a question?? Just cuz I know a bunch don't mean you can come waltzing up to my stand and waste my time! I'm tryna run a business here so scram! ...Actually wait I'm curious, what do you want? Not that I'm gonna help it's just...Okay Goblins are curious alright?"

Todd actually gave an slight half smile at the Goblin's display, getting a small degree of entertainment of it even if just slightly. He was about to politely move on when Gob posed the question and he figured he might as well entertain the idea. Afterall, he was out here for information no matter the source. "I am actually looking for something-- actually someone if you can help. You wouldn't have happened to seen or know a man who dresses in red dragon-scale by chance, would you? He would've likely been wearing a red cloak or cape over his face. And.. and I would very much be interested in any information you just happen to have.," Todd said hoping to stir the little goblin's curiosity. He gave a smile trying to make his demeanor as lighthearted as possible.

Gallan with Nolis slightly behind entered the bar and as they did they both noticed the difference that those two wooden doors that led to the outside world had made. The sights, the sounds, the smells, they were all so intense, it was like a vivid dream at the view of so many different beings together in one place clinking their glasses and chugging down ale. Jawmax's and Grizoar's wrapped their arms around each other in drunken friendliness, Kobolds grouped together played darts (badly and dangerous), A halfing and two dwarves accompanied each other upon a raised wooden stage as they played their melodic symphony of cheer and wonder. Behind the bar was none other than a Goblin, the only real normal thing there. Goblins usually had menial tasks and were thought of as lesser creatures, but that wasn't to say they were slaves, they enjoyed their work and couldn't have cared less what others thought. This particular Goblin stood behind the counter facing forward, his hand wrapped in a cloth as he cleaned out a small glass most likely used for rum.

Gallan leaned over to Nolis, reluctant to go any further in fear of all the terrifying species that took up the bar. "H-h-hey maybe you should um..." He gulped. "Ask the bartender about the m-man..." I would but um, I...I uh, am allergic? To uh...." He didn't bother finishing his sentence he knew it was ridiculous.

------

The odd scaly man nodded his head up and down once more in a fast motion. "Yes okay store down now, you get go, I must...I count stock now thank you." He hadn't much to say, it was strange since he seemed friendly enough, just terrifyingly creepy, although perhaps that was due to the way he spoke. The man shuffled himself backwards into the shadows and into a backroom where a man awaited him. "Okay I do what want yes? You go leave my shop yes?"

The figure who was holding a dagger with serrated edges grinned under his purple hood. "Yes. You did good. Which is why I feel slightly bad about doing this. But alas, we can't have anyone squealing.

"N-no! No squeal! No squeal! No squea-"

It was silent and quick. His body fell to the floor in a puddle of blood. "I hate cleanup."

-----

"Yes," Eldon said, his demeanor back to normal and his voice strong as ever. "Grizoar's are revered as one of the most terrifying of species in Alagorn, but this one...Dwinda...She was amazing. I...She's very old now. I feel like...I feel so awful but we haven't seen each other in years. We had a falling out, it was my own fault really. I disobeyed her and did something stupid that almost got myself and others killed I...Hm.." He gripped the middle of his chest as if grasping something under his clothes. "Maybe another time...Muta, was it? Muta, you won't find your magician here. Try exploring town. I have some things I need to...to think about." Eldon dragged his feet as he made his way for his destination, that being his bed. "I'm sorry, old memories you know...They, they have a way of making us feel weak, powerless...Don't be like me. Don't let your past take over you...and if you see...if you see that Grizoar...Tell her I'm sorry, tell her that I lo-...Tell her I'm sorry."

-----

Gob stared at the Halfing, he wondered if maybe he could turn this into a win-win situation, financially for himself of course. "Listen kid, I know who your mystery man is but it ain't gonna come cheap." He pondered to himself, the scheming little creature that he was, Goblin's were notorious for trying to strike deals with others for monetary gain and Gob didn't seem to be an exception. "Let's see....50 Gold Pieces and you've got a deal. Deal? Good. No no no you don't even have to answer, I can see in your eyes you're desperate right?" Goblins were also notorious for being swift talkers, but Gob took the cake. "Graveyard, you'll wanna look there, can't give you much more but I hear a lot y'know? It ain't as simple as just goin' there but maybe ya can figure it out on yer own, you seem smart, I know you know a good deal when it smacks ya on the head like a goddamn egg. So," he held his palm out. "I'll take that fifty gold please."

Eydis was still very disturbed by the man, and unaware of his gruesome fate, she left the counter as quickly as she could. She still had some money left on her, and wondered if there was anything else she could use that would be useful. Before doing so however, she took a look at the bracelet. Did it actually worked? Even if it didn't, she got it for free, and it would make a nice decoration even if it didn't have any magic in it. She put it on quietly... feeling nothing at all. Perhaps it would work when she used magic? It didn't matter now. She wasn't going to try her powers in such a public place. In her bag, Adaon had been restless and whimpering ever since she arrived at the counter, but typical of him, he soon fell asleep, succumbing once again to the gluttonous meal he had last night plus the little breakfast Eydis gave him earlier.

OOC: Just a little advice, I've seen others mark each user-specific section with @Felines, @Redwes, @Waaksian & Cynder, etc. It helps.

Todd blinked, barely even having a chance to reply before the goblin was already holding his palm out for his reward. "You better be telling the truth.," Todd simply replied as he handed over fifty gold and placed it into the eager palms of Gob. It was possible that he was being played, although it did almost make some sort of sense for someone in hiding to be somewhere one normally wouldn't look. 'The graveyard huh? Well.. I better tell the others before they get too drunk.,' he thought to himself. If he was walking into some sort of trap, he definitely didn't want to be doing it alone. He would first look for Eydis before going back to the others.

OOC: That's not a bad strategy, though I prefer when the character's name are used at least once to know that the comment is addressed to them

As Eydis put on the bracelet, she never even noticed Adaon's initial uneasiness, although even if she did, she would have dismissed it as the mysterious man creeping him out as well. He did have this disturbing aura in him, or has it been somebody else in the store? The place was quite crowded after all. As she took a look around the store, trying to be as far away from the previous counter as possible. She needed a breather from that place, so she left to get some fresh air, where she soon spotted the goblin's stand. But it wasn't him that took her interest, it was the customer he was attending. She tap the shoulder of the rather small lad.
"I know you... yes... you're in our group. Tom... was it?" Eydis said, saving Todd the trouble of finding her, and showing how difficult it was for her to remember a name even if they were very easy.

In an unmistakable contrast to the nervous human boy, Nolis had been standing at the entrance taking in the atmosphere of the place with intrigue. His hometown had a bar, a placed that reeked of alcohol and sweat that was always full of drunk brawlers and flipped tables. It was a place he had no interest in spending his time at; mainly because any time he chanced a visit, said brawlers seemed intent of riling him up to get him to fight them. It was a bizarre constant in which one explanation alone made any sense, that that was... Ah, there's no use in dwelling on that now. The point is, the patrons of that bar had always consisted of angry, confrontational people who wanted to take out their anger regarding wilted crops and failed appeals to merchants. The vibe there had always been one of sorrow drowned by rage and rum. This place, however, had such an easy-going, friendly atmosphere. One such as Gallan might have thought the lizardboy was crazy for thinking the place could be considered "friendly" with the large, beast-like races that lounged about. To Nolis, however, that fact alone was the icing on the cake. He had never seen a place with such a diversity of races and people in one sitting, all enjoying each others' company and having a good time. It felt... welcoming.

Nolis looked at his companion with confusion, which had been prompted by the evident absurdity of his claims about allergies. If he couldn't come up with a believable excuse, then why not just be honest and own up to the fear that gripped him? He shrugged off the thought, staring at the boy for a long second before nodding and making off to the front. His posture was a hair straighter as he stepped up to the bartender, his strides wider and hands held in loose fists, a subconscious attempt to look the part of the fellow bar-goers. "Excuse me," he asked bluntly, eyes locked on the Goblin and brows furrowing as he focused on the mission at hand. "I'm looking for a man in red. A cloak and dragonscale armor. Have you seen anyone like that?"

OOC: That too. I always make sure to mention my character's name and any specific character I'm referring to at least once.

"Todd turned around, taken slightly back by surprise albeit an welcome one. "It's.. it's Todd actually. And you're Eydis, right?," he asked with a slight grin. "I-- I was actually looking for you. I believe I may have found out where our red dragon-scale wearing stranger is, assuming my Goblin friend over there was truthful.," he then said motioning towards Gob but not making the call-out obvious. Of course, he was now 50 gold shorter but that was to be expected dealing with a Goblin. He looked up at his slightly taller party member, hoping he hadn't said too much.

"Is that so?" Eydis said with a coy glare to the goblin, not looking forward to the idea of believing one. She knew a goblin's tricking ways, and also that they could be quite greedy when the opportunity presented itself.
"Well, we know our mysterious stranger is somewhere in this town, so even if he doesn't tell us the truth, we will still be able to explore it and see what other things can be useful to us." Eydis suggested, still having some gold in her and wanting to make sure she spent some more on something useful. Gold was heavy and she didn't need too much of it to weighed her down. She was kinda glad that at least someone in the group was with her. While she was never truly alone with Adaon with her all the time, he wasn't much of a company sleeping and eating all the time.

"Agreed-- it at least gives us a starting point. After all, he has to be somewhere.," Todd said in agreement. He hoped he hadn't been doped, though he was sure they would soon find out. "So... where are you off too next? Now that we're both here, we might as well stick together.," he then added with a faint smile. He still had about 450 gold left, so hopefully that was enough for anything that caught his interest.

"Well, the store is quite spacious, so maybe there's something else we can buy. I got this decent compass for just twenty. And this bracelet, which supposedly helps with magic. I got it for free... so I doubt it works, but at least it makes a nice decoration." Eydis commented, somewhat glad that she had someone to talk to. Nolis had been nice company, but he was too tall and had strange skin, which made her uneasy, although she never had the heart to express it to the kind reptile humanoid. At least Todd looked more normal and small.
"Well come, we'll keep looking around here for now...just not where a goblin is the seller." Eydis whispered, not trusting anything offered by a goblin. She also wanted to stay away from the counter she just left, but she wouldn't stop Todd if he wanted, since the prices there were far more fair. She entered the store again, this time with Todd's welcoming company. She noticed that the counter where the strange man was was empty now, so perhaps the strange creature closed it after her purchase? One would've thought he would at least put a sign for the customers, but alas, she didn't think much of it afterwards.

Muta nodded as she listened, intrigued by this revered species. Grizoars sounded incredible and she wanted to learn more about them. However, the conversation shifted, not just to Dwinda, but to a more personal subject. She gave a more sympathetic look as she continued to listen. She honestly didn't really know what to say. She could tell it was a sensitive subject. It was also something she had no personal experience with. Maybe staying quiet would be better than possibly saying the wrong thing. Muta gave a simple nod in confirmation of her name. She watched as Eldon headed over to his bed. "It's fine, I'll just... I'll just go then," she nearly whispered. She gave a nod, "I will, I'll tell her." She paused before continuing, "I'm sorry about... What happened. I hope you two can manage to patch things up," she added softly. With that, she turned to leave.

She headed up the stairs, back to the upper floor. Muta made sure to grab the leather armor and wooden shield that had been provided for her on the way out. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the shop and onto the street. She paused a moment to consider where she wanted to go next, and where this magician person might be. Muta figured that the bar would be a good place to try looking or asking around, but she was sure that Gallan had mentioned going there, and that Nolis had gone with him. Surely the two of them had the bar covered. Perhaps the shop? Although, wasn't Eydis going there, and what about Todd? Either way, at least one of them could check the store for the trainer. Muta wasn't sure if she needed to go shopping for anything anyway. Besides, she wanted to find whoever it was they were supposed to meet. She wondered where they were, and where to look.

She let out an almost irritable sigh at her own indecisiveness. Usually, this trait of her's only reared its ugly head when the choices involved weapons or armor. However, sometimes it applied to other things, like her current issue of deciding where to go next. Muta took a look around and noticed that there was another shop right next to the blacksmith's. The brewery. Well, it sounded interesting enough, mine as well check it out. At least if she learned nothing new about this person in the dragonscale armor, there might still be something cool in that shop. So with that settled at last, Muta headed to the brewery.

Heads in the bar turned like hands on a clock, time stood still as Nolis stared down the Goblin bartender. The creatures deep brown eyes dilated and then shrunk in the span of a second, indicating some sort of adrenaline pump through his body, but not a good one. A patron dropped their glass at the mention of the man in red, it shattered on the hard clay floor, another man began to choke on the ale he'd been downing like a ball down a mountain, probably because of a bet one of his friends made. Not even a whisper after that, just eyes watching from every corner of the establishment. The barkeep didn't dare show fear, he continued to dry the glass mug still as he leaned closer to speak to Nolis.

"This is a happy place. I have paying customers here, they don't come here to talk about him they come here to forget about life and you better forget about that ****ing freak."

He stood back upright and yelled out to his customers, accompanied by the wonderful acoustics of the tavern. "Just some kids playing a joke everyone! No need to worry! Next round is on me!" After a silent moment the bar uproared in hoots and hollers of every pitch.

"Listen you two, you ain't gonna find what you're looking for here so scram!"

Gallan, who had been shaking uncontrollably, his legs like wobbling jelly, finally stood up to the plate. "Sir, this is important we have to find this guy, he's got something important to teach us! Please we have money, w-w-we can get you whatever you want just please."

"...I doubt he's got anything to teach you outside a' violence, and ifs he ever owes ya money he'll just come inta your bar and smash up all your **** like a ****ing maniac. So what the hell is this guy s'posed ta teach you, eh?"

"Magic."

the entire bar burst out into laughter at the mention of such hokum.

"AHAHAHA! MAGIC! HEY GUYS!" he shouted out, "THESE KIDS REALLY ARE SOME GRADE A JOKESTERS!"

He leaned back over, mug and cloth still in hand, almost as if they were a part of him. "Listen kids, magic hasn't been around this realm for ten goddamn years outside a' the Wielders of Magic, and even they're dying down, some folks ain't even believe in magic no more! Everyone says that some 'Evil One' is comin' down ta' smites us all cuz our 'Magical Forcefields' have been compromised but that's just a load a' crap, RIGHT FELLAS?!?"

The bar echoed out in a collective "AY!"

"Listen, you two crack me up, so ifs ya really needs ta' find this guy, check out tha' empty house near the North side a' the town, maybe you'll find him tryna catch some ****ing mice, guys like a goddamn cat, always chasin' **** and breakin' ****, he ain't know any magic! Idiot is the town drunk! g'on get outta here!"

-----

As Eydis and Todd entered the store once more they found the counter empty, not a single soul was in the store, but that wasn't unusual, it seemed people shopped at the vendors more than the store, which was an odd phenomenon considering how fair the prices were. But it seemed that the creepy nature of the man who previously did reside behind the counter was the cause, which seemed unfair to judge a book by the cover but when you looked like a lesser creature people tended to judge you. Inside the shop was dark, someone had shut off and blown out all the lights and there was a sign now on the counter that said "Closed" Outside however vendors gathered from miles around to sell their wares, perhaps it was worth buying from them? Or Todd and Eydis could search the graveyard, but is Gob really to be trusted?

-----

Muta entered the brewery, it was a mess, not dirty, but just cluttered with kegs and weird looking machines powered by gears. Someone had their back turned to Muta behind the counter, whoever it was was whispering to themselves.

"

Okay so, I put the rat tail inside of the crushifier, ooh yea! Yea that'll be awesome, cuz then that'd make some really sexy lookin' smoke, yea oh and if I add a Tentacla tentacle I can make it have the attribute of climbing...Imagine climbing up a wall like a frickin spider!

Upon Muta's first footstep on the creaky wood panel flooring the one behind the counter perked up straight and swung themselves around. It was a girl, maybe 20 years old, she had her hair braided and in thin pigtails with a pink and yellow bow on either side. "OH MY GOD DID YOU HEAR ME MUTTERING, I AM SO SORRY YOU ARE SO PRETTY I LOVE YOUR TUSKS." She threw her body half over the counter, her stomach lying on the spruce wood crudely constructed surface. "Oh I am so frickin' rude, I am Malara and you are a beautiful specimen, oh. my. GOODNESS. You would be so tasty in a potion!" She slunk herself back and fell to the floor and immediately jumped back up. "You have come here to seek my expertise in potion making, a very good choice, okay so um like, this is your first time so lemme just...Okay ooooooooooooooh" He shut her eyes tight, scrunching up her face in the processes as she put two fingers on both of her temples and rubbed them in circles. "I am griiiiinding my mind gears, it has been so long so I've had to explain this stuff, okay so like um." Her eyes shot open, they were like the eyes of a deer, twinkling like stars and wide open. "Okay so like, you can bring me stuff like, monster parts or like different stuff like um...Like bottled stuff and uhhhhhhhh, OH MONKEYS, I GOTTA, HOLD ON AHHHHHHHHHH!!" She ran to the back and tucked and rolled, nearly head first into a cabinet, but she narrowly missed it. Opening the cabinet she took out six bottles and ran back to the counter. "Okay so like you get this bottle right? and you can y'know like, we have this special promotion like you can get six bottles and give five to friends but ONLY IF THEY COME TO MY SHOP SOMETIME WITH SOME TASTY BOTTLED SLIMEEEEEEE JUICE YES?" She laughed hysterically to herself. "Okay so like you can bring me different liquids or like bottled stuff, you can bring me thorns, slime juice, water, fairies, magma rocks, whatever the hell you find, there's no real science to this you just bring me random stuff, tell me what to brew with what and I'll try to like, um, make something useful to drink and power you up! Okay so um...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH any questions?" She smiled so hard it looked like it hurt.

As Eydis entered the store with Todd, she found it disturbing how the store was suddenly empty and dark.
"Now this is too eerie. Wasn't this place packed when we left?" she asked, although it seemed more to herself than to Todd. She lead the halfling outside the store again, knowing that a purchase there was out of the question now. As they went outside, Eydis wondered if it was really necessary to try and purchase something else or if it was better to just save the money she had left to try and buy something very useful and expensive later on. Despite not wanting to have too much gold slowing her down, she decided on the latter, believing at the moment that it wasn't wise to spend money just like that, although if she did found something very useful from the available stands, she won't miss the chance. Plus, she wanted to buy some food for the next journey just in case it extended too much... that is, if Adaon didn't eat it first.

Once outside, Eydis took another look at her nibbled map, and encountered that there was indeed a graveyard nearby, something that she didn't noticed before.
"Well, I don't trust that goblin, but it couldn't hurt to check. We need to check every part of town if we are to encounter this individual." Eydis suggested to Todd, not liking the idea of visiting a graveyard, but it was their only lead at the moment, and even if it was a false one, they had to work with what little they had. What could go wrong at a graveyard? Ghosts? Zombies? As if such things existed. Perhaps the grave keeper was creepy? Whatever it was, Eydis didn't want to take anything for granted. She didn't think there was much else to do in this town anyway, so finding their mysterious man was the priority.