Just one more question. Are there any books that could give me the basics of magic? Like, how to train or learning affinities?There are thousands of books for that, and about a dozen are actually worth the effort. Everybody wants to write something about magic, because of it's potential, but actually understanding it is nearly impossible. If that wasn't the case, we'd have more than one Orc Tower. The people there are exceptional. But, I do believe you'd be able to find something in the mage's tower, in the nobles' district. You'd need to prove yourself, but I believe they'd be interested enough if you show that you've got six more legs than most. They're mostly just bored, honestly.Alright... Thanks a lot, Ambrosious. Really, I mean that. Do you need something done before you go? I'd like to repay you before you leave.Ambrosius gives a smile, although it doesn't really reach his eyes. He seems to think for a little while, and eventually says:
Before I go, i'd like to have someone fix up my family emblem... I found it frivolous to waste time on, but if you're willing to take the time and take it to the local carpenter, I'd appreciate it. You're going to have to climb up to get it, but I suspect you won't have any issue with that. It's just above the door on your way out.All right, I'll take care of it. Thanks again, for all the years.It's been a pleasure.When you go outside again, you see that Yunikki and your father are close to coming to blows. A small crowd has begun to form around them as they circle around each-other, clearly intent on fighting. No weapons have been drawn, but this could still get nasty. You decide to intervene, working your way through the crowd using your pedipalps and arms. People are quick to make way for your intimidating figure, and both of the would-be combatants stop when you enter, standing taller than both of them.
Just what the hell is going on here?He called me an honor-less bandit! Am I supposed to just stand for that!?Are you going to imply that you didn't steal from people!? Bite me, old man!Shut up! You're both adults, here, are you really going to come to blows over this? Dad, you're better than this!I...eh.And you! If you can't handle a single insult without coming to blows, you will not last long, understand? But he... Gah.. Fine. I get it, boss. Alright, so is this defused? Or do I have to make you two shake hands? Honestly, I'm HALF your freaking age! I-I'm sorry... It's just that... we can't just trust someone you've known for less than a week, Sydney.That would be MY business, dad. I love you, but you need to trust me on this.You look around you, as the crowd doesn't seem to have lost anything in size. Apparently, a drider cutting in to defuse a potential fight is more interesting than an actual fight. You shout at the people to clear off, nothing to see here. They do so, although many still stare at you. You tap two feet in annoyance, and eventually people get the point. Once the crowd dispersed, you take a deep breath, and ask your father where the market district is while you remove the emblem.
You need some weapons.
As you walk to the market district, you decide to try experimenting with your little undead critters. Keeping the lizard in the palm of your hand, you try to make a little bigger, to help it in getting around. While magic power certainly flows into the little creature, based off the glowing and the electricity zapping through the ribs, not much seems to come from it. suddenly, however, the skeleton is encased in orange flames, and it seems to add a little extra height. It's giving you a bit of a headache, but eventually, you manage to make it stick. The skeleton is, on a whole, not that much larger, but the legs have gained around two centimeters in length. A satisfying result, even if you feel like you've got brain freeze.
When you arrive in the market district, your first stop is the carpenter. A young girl is manning the shop, and happily takes the shield to be repainted and fixed up. You hand her ten coins for her work, upfront, and are told to pick it up in a few hours. once that is done, you go to the blacksmith. There is a thin, bookish looking young man behind the counter, as a large man in the back works the forge. You ask him for the prices on the weapons, and the young man begins explaining. For an iron weapon, the price range would be between twenty and fifty gold coins, depending on the size and quality. When you want proper steel, however, the price easily doubles, ranging from fourty to even one-hundred and twenty pieces. Ilithian steel is simply not available in the shop, and for any magical materials, you'd need a different kind of smith. You decide you need some time to think, but in the meantime, you want to know about what kinds of weapons there are, specifically something to administer poison with. The young man scoffs at the notion. Hollow blades are fragile, and if you managed to stab your opponent, you probably have them dead anyways. He does mention there are some goblin swords that add serrated edges that allow for poison, but that those blades are basically disposable. If you really want to poison somebody with your sword, you'd need a box to let the blade "marinate" in. You thank him for the information, and tell him you'll be back later.
Before you go, however, you take note of the different types of shields that are also available. There are some basic wooden bucklers here, and two shields that look very similar to your old one, but there are some shields here of stronger make, using metals. You could certainly use one of those, but the pricing is a bit steep on the metal ones. The cheapest one is fifty gold, and most expensive one, a tower shield, costs 170 gold pieces. You wouldn't even be able to properly lift that, anyways, but still. The price tag is something to remember. The shields similar to your old ones cost 30 pieces.
When you walk through the market, you ask your dad what the deal is with the mages tower. He quickly explains that some nobles, in their eternal boredom, decided to add a tower where mages can perform whatever experiments they wish. Considering that most of the royalty here uses magic to begin with, it was applauded, and put into place. Of course, they need somebody to clean the place, and with the nature of magical experiments, they need janitors with combat experience in case one of the experiments tries to bite. Of course, whatever potions and vials are around are also dangerous. As a result, the janitor there is well-paid, but few last for longer than a few months. Most leave, some explode, others find their body re-arranged...
You move the topic to something else, and ask where one could get a proper bit of leather armor or even just some fitting clothes. The tailor shop is closeby, and the pricing is... wide. For a personally tailored outfit, you would have to pay up to 200 coins, but for a cheaper variant, you would only need to pay 40. The price depends on the material and make, of course. You could also get some clothing off the shelves for a mere 20 coins, but it wouldn't be nearly as comfortable. The leather armor is at 50 coins. After looking around for a while, you decide to ask the group where there would be a good place to unwind for a bit. Yunikki is quick to point out the brothel, but your dad would prefer the closest inn. Looks like you've got the choice, however. You just need a place to think things over, after all.
Go to the brothel.You could use some entertainment, and it gives similar things to an inn. This is a classy brothel, however, the working people there are mostly just for company, and there's some fine dining available. Of course, you could get a cheaper meal, but it'll still be more expensive than the inn.Go to the inn.You can get some good food at a decent price, not to mention all sorts of people are in there. OtherRemember that you should, perhaps, look into acquiring food soon.StatsLevel: 4
HP: 18/20
Mana: 3/8
Stress:20/100
Equipment:
Old shirt
Items:
Around 315 coins
Magic:
Resurrect vermin: Allows you to resurrect very small creatures such as rats(1) (invests 1 of your max mana)
Reshape minion: Allows you to slightly change the appearance of your resurrected minions. (//.......) <== advancement bar
Skills:
Poison Stinger (Potentially lethal)
Major experience in blocking and swords.
Climber
Crafty: Bolas
Cooking skill: excellent
Corpse Cutting: Awful.
Author
Topic: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure (Ended) (Read 189846 times)