In the center of a bustling city stands its crown jewels, a trio of grand, enormous pavilions. Within the facade of this old palace churns a city all its own, bodies chattering and exploring and roving about in search of the exotic and new and awe-inspiring. After all, no place could be better, for here, in the form of these stalls and displays for this fair, is where the worlds have chosen to convene. On the convention floor, they hawk their creeds, their products, their livelihoods, all competing for the attention of attendees as diverse as they are. But who is this 'they'? Why, anyone, from anywhere at all. From friendly small businesses to ominous corporations, from rebellions trying to gain ground to dying regimes attempting to rekindle their glory, from scientists and scholars to artists and storytellers. If an attendee can think of it, it could very well be here. Who knows what you'll find?
- Current Time: Noon/Early Afternoon (Day 2)
- Current Weather: Clear
Hello, Writer's Block, and welcome to the latest installment of the Character Development Threads! These shared story exercises give you the opportunity to develop your characters, practice writing, and have fun alongside your fellow writers, no signups, profiles, or GM approval necessary. Want to join? If the thread's gotten long, there's no need to fear Archive Panic- just head on over to our discussion thread
and say so, and we'll give you a recap of what's going on and good spots for working your characters into the thread; how you choose to do this is up to you. A little communication in endeavors such as these can go a long way towards having fun, helping others, getting that kink in your character worked out, getting your characters out of their comfort zone, or whatever you're here for, so if you ever have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. We're all for helping each other out.
This thread's designated trope page is here, and its map is here
◊. Don't forget to add your contributions to the page!
In this thread, as the introduction and name suggests, your characters will be coming to a convention, a gathering open to the various and sundry worlds of our stories, whether as attendees hoping to see something cool... or as parts of the exhibition themselves. Yes, you, the writer, will be shaping not just the cast and plots, but the setting as well in the form of stalls and exhibits. Note that this necessitates that we keep a few small things in mind to keep things running smoothly.
- Our standards of location for this thread are intentionally vague to allow ourselves the freedom to make up stalls on the fly as our plots demand, as well as to account for the fact that wandering around between stalls and chatting with your friends is as much a part of the convention experience as the stalls themselves. For the sake of keeping track of people, in lieu of standard location tags in the vein of [Market Hall], we recommend that you also append the names of the characters you're with.
- Though you're welcome to bring a piece of home in the form of a stall and control the characters running it, you're also welcome to bring a stall that exists solely as a plot device without ever mentioning it again. The basic rules to keep in mind are to write a stall as long as it takes to fulfill its raison d'être, whether that's to develop a faction or similar in your work or to keep the plot moving along, and that stalls can be anything. More specific info can be found on the trope page linked above.
- If you find yourself unexpectedly busy in other endeavors after entering the thread, there are easy ways to back out, whether you're writing for attendees or stalls. Attendees can step out into the covered walkways connecting the convention buildings or the adjacent courtyard for some fresh air and relief from the constant noise of the crowds, while stalls can suddenly become flooded with enough nameless background characters to render the stall too busy to reply to any troper characters that were interacting with it at the time.
With all that out of the way, we cordially invite you to stay and experience the Character Worlds' Fair! Onwards!
(Credit for this post and much of the work on the thread belongs to Crystal Glacia).
Fair has now concluded.
edited 31st Mar '15 2:06:36 AM by nrjxll
Market Hall (Youkai Showcase) (Mahiro, Nagako, Ila, Adelphos #1)
"Yes yes, feel free," Mahiro responded with an eager nod, "But do be careful. If you injure yourself than I'm not to be held responsible for it." He held up a hand. "Not that I believe you're at risk. You seem to know what you're doing, yes yes. Just a customary warning."
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
NO ONE SUSPECTS THE LAMP!
[[Market Hall – Youkai Showcase – Ila Locera, Nagako, Mahiro]]
Adelphos held back a sigh as Mahiro denied the blades having any powers. So, garbage, he thought. As Ila questioned Mahiro further, Nagako called out to Adelphos. He walked up to her side of the stall and said to her, “My apologies. His bond with me is strongly empathetic. I think ‘Maybe I should go talk to the girl as well’ and he rushes off to do just that; though how he hoped to do the talking is beyond me.” He laid his hand on the table and the squirrel quickly scurried back to his shoulder.
He smiled and added in a low voice, so as not to have Mahiro overhear, “You don’t seem very pleased about having customers around, at least not as much as your father. What’s your name?”
[[Showcase Hall – Martian Dynamics]]
“I see, that clears things up considerably,” Adelphos replied, “So I assume that is where your guild is located? I never really thought a place like that could exist, but it sounds like living there is more trouble than it’s worth.”
“So,” he said, turning to the machines on display, “What do these things do? I can’t say I’ve seen anything quite like them.”
[[Entertainment Section – House of Horrors]]
The man looked at Leo with visible annoyance, but if he was so eager to jump in, who was he to stop him? “Get to the end of the line and wait your turn,” he replied to Leo, “Or better yet, come back later when the crowd has cleared off.”
edited 20th Sep '14 9:34:50 PM by Elfhunter
If I knew how I know everything I know, I'd only be able to know half as much because my brain would be clogged up with where I know it from
[Market Hall - Tevarian's Booth with Tamara]
"Enjoy!" Tevarian said to Alan as he left.
Then noticing Tamara, he said, "why, hello there! Interested in the sword? I've been told it's a great mystical artifact - from somewhere beyond time and space. Perhaps even a place like this one."
"I'm not entirely sure what it does, because its enchantment doesn't seem to work for me," he said, "but you never know, you might have better luck! Perhaps you are the chosen one to wield this honorable weapon?"
She seems small for a Terran, Tevarian thought, is she one of their young, or just smaller - I can never tell.
[Market Hall – Youkai Showcase – Ila, Mahiro, Nagako, Adelphos #1]
"Don't worry, I'm experienced in handling things much more dangerous than these," Ila said, as she picked up the first sword, and examined the scabbard.
Once finished with that, she unsheathed the sword as if it weighed practically nothing, and looked over the blade very carefully.
Is the craftsmanship good? Ila would be able to see imperfections even down to the microscopic scale.
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
Market Hall (Youkai Showcase) (Mahiro, Nagako, Ila, Adelphos #1)
The first blade the woman picked up appeared to be a katana designed with humans (or more likely the almost-human youkai) in mind. While bearing the same simple beauty of any sword, it lacked decoration. However, it more than made up for this in function. If there were any imperfections in it at all, as there were certainly none visible to usual sight, they had no bearing on how the weapon performed. Furthermore, it was perfectly weighted. It was clear that whoever it was that forged this blade did so with extreme care, and Mahiro had done his best to keep it and presumably the other weapons he had with him that day in the best shape he could.
"This particular blade was forged with the royal army in mind," Mahiro explained once a few moments had passed, "Does it strike your fancy?"
Nagako followed the man with her eyes as he approached her part of the stall and recalled his little critter. "That's all right," she said in the process, "I just wanted to make sure he didn't cause too much trouble. Father's a bit particular about the quality of his goods, and I don't know if he'd find my beetles appetizing or not."
She gave the man an odd look when he noted her apparent displeasure. He wasn't completely wrong; she really wasn't happy with just standing here waiting for customers and she was certain she didn't have the right sort of head for this business anyway. It didn't help matters that she found both of the current customers to be unnerving to some degree.
She wasn't about to tell the man this, however. Instead, she said, "I'm Nagako, here with my father Mahiro to help him with his business here and maybe sell some pet stag beetles. I just didn't think you or that woman over there would be the sort who would be interested in a beetle. I definitely don't think a beetle would be able to match your little friend there." She gave the critter another look, before adding, "Unless you are interested in a beetle...?"
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
Just flowing with it.
[Entertainment Hall - House of Horrors] (Leo, Adelphos)
Leo was displeased.
“Was this haunted house really that good?” He commented, apparently half bored to death waiting in line. This was not what he signed up for. He wondered how Lyra and Aida fared at the stall, perhaps they, too, are bored by the non-encounters a stall at a fair typically gets.
After minutes of waiting, he finally stood at the forefront of the line. The screams of terror had repeated countless times as different people entered the house, that one’d expect Leo to become bored by it. But, contrarily, because they screamed (including a tough-looking guy before him), Leo thought that this house of horrors might be truly scary.
Probably being the only person possessing the stubbornness to explore it with a 'torch' of his own, Leo was last in line to enter the building. Subconsciously, Leo also began to put up his guard. With a hint of anxiety in his mind, Leo held the glowing shard firmly, stepping into the dark halls.
[Showcase Hall - Bindery of Leison] (Lyra, Amanita)
Lyra was surprised when the witch took notice of the water’s disappearnce, was the phenomenon so unusual to another? "Mainly, because I did not wish for it to stay. If so desired, I grant it permanence of form, but doing so requires more magic to be consumed. When the mass of water is formed, I expend magic, yet when the water disappeared, I regain the same amount, minus the magic used to manipulate its movements." she explained.
Lyra noticed the witch’s unusual reaction, “Also, the moment I declared its perpetuity, I can no longer manipulate it with the shard. Shards that manipulate existing elements exist, but are limited in use.” Lyra said. She then took a deep breath, “If I may ask, miss, who exactly are you?” Lyra asked.
[Showcase Hall - Bindery of Leison] (Aida, Rosa)
Aida was surprised when Rosa made her entrance. “Wings”, were the first thought Aida had upon seeing her. She had heard tales of winged humans, living up high near the peaks of Mir, they feast upon flesh of those magical to further their wings’ reach, and someday ascend to the realm of Sol, burning off their wings in the process. Of course, Aida being herself, the surprise didn’t take hold for too long.
But it certainly felt pleasant to see things like this, Aida now understood why Lyra took her little brother here. “My name is Aida Lena-Aventa of this Bindery, do you wish to know of those shards of glass?” she asked, an unusually bright smile on her face.
She also hoped that Leo was seeing people like those, creatures of fantasy and lore not of their world.
daird, please make it a point to mention your character's name at least once when you post. It greatly cuts the effort when replying to your posts.
edited 20th Sep '14 11:34:44 PM by FlowingCotton
[Market Hall – Youkai Showcase – Ila, Mahiro, Nagako, Adelphos #1]
"Yes, it is well made," Ila said, "I only have a few more questions."
"First, is the maker of these swords noteworthy, or the swords themselves noteworthy, such as participated in a great battle or something?"
"Second, do you have any certificates of authenticity, signatures on the sword, or other means of verifying their true nature?"
"And third, how much are you asking for them?" she said, looking at Mahiro.
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
The future of warfare in UC.
Showcase Hall [Martian Dynamics]
"Dynamics has almost complete control of heavy industry on Mars. If it's big and it's got metal in it from simple nails to solid steel armor, we probably built it and we probably made the tools did so. Construction and manufacturing." Dimitri explained. "There are a couple of sectors where this not true, though. For the military, we build armor and vehicles, but as for weapons..."
He gestured to the five-meter-long gun. "You're looking at our sole commercial success right there. The other big thing," Dimitri gestured to the construction vehicle, "is from the civil equipment side of the house, and is designed for digging in pretty much any conceivable environment where a human will not be instantly killed despite wearing protective gear. Construction purposes mostly. The other stuff is power generation, in one shape or another."
Nous restons ici.
[Market Hall - Fellow And Neighbour's Make Your Own P Int-Automat]
Somewhere in the middle of the marked hall and in the back end of this particular stall towered a 1x4x9 perfectly black box. The shape and color had no other function than to catch people eyes and curiosity. In front of it, closer to the front of the stall stood a vending machine, one of the standard stall tables with brochures, promotional material and whatever else one might find on such a stall table.
Two bearded men in t-shirts just as black as the tower and the black parts of the machine stood in front of the table. One of them handed out some brochures and other promotional material to people passing by. The other one stood closer to the machine and demonstated the it to a small group of people.
"In this menu you find copies of many beers. Here you can choose different styles. Here you can modify them or design one from scratch..."
{Showcase Hall- Bindery of Leison. Aida, Rosa]
Rosa inspected the glassware, feeling that there was definitely magic in them, but she couldn't tell what exactly they could do.
"Hello. My name is Rosa, and I'm in the market for magical artifacts of all kinds. Protection, elemental abilities, even just stuff to help around the house. What sort of things are these objects capable of?"
edited 21st Sep '14 8:56:22 AM by daird
Forward, boys! For God's sake, forward!
[Showcase Hall - Bindery of Leison]
Amanita paused for a time. "Amanita," she said aloud. Then, quietly enough that Aida and Rosa wouldn't overhear unless they strained or had supernatural hearing, she continued, "Goddess of swamps. Decay. Rebirth. Even if my powers and influence have, heh, decayed. Fitting, yes." She examined the water-creation shard thoughtfully, trying, and thus far failing, to make sense of how its lines formed a spell. (She was intelligent enough that she could figure it out given time and a willing assistant to demonstrate or a few well-written books on the topic, but doing so immediately and on sight would have been absurd.)
"Don't ask for miracles," she added. "Not much power left." She continued to speak, more rambling to herself than talking to Lyra. "My altars, overgrown, my worshipers, beneath the earth. Or fools who've forgotten the old ways." She shook her head.
edited 22nd Sep '14 5:09:51 AM by KillerClowns
Back; Makoto can be interacted with now.
"Doki Doki Lit. Club" is a happy game where nothing bad happens. seriously tho? not for the faint of heart.
Market Hall (Youkai Showcase)
"...I take it such things are customary of this place?" Mahiro asked in return, "As unfortunately I do not have any of them. However, I can tell you that the swords have not been used. I make it a point to not sell used goods as to ensure they're all in their best conditions. As well, I make it a point to not sell inferior goods, and you are welcome to return it should you not be satisfied."
He shrugged. "I would like to believe that I am being honest, but it is ultimately up to you as to whether or not you think my word holds any value. As for price...." He clasped his hands together again. "A blade like this often goes for somewhere in the range of one to two million yen, but here I am willing to accept a deal. If you have an interesting artifact from your own homeland, we may be able to work out a trade."
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
[Courtyard]
Makoto did not seem to notice the rest of the group; she was singing to herself, apparently along to whatever was playing on her headphones. Eventually, she saw Solin and removed the headphones so that she could hear what was being said.
"Doki Doki Lit. Club" is a happy game where nothing bad happens. seriously tho? not for the faint of heart.
NO ONE SUSPECTS THE LAMP!
[[Market Hall – Youkai Showcase – Ila Locera, Nagako, Mahiro]]
Their names were certainly unusual, very much in keeping with their appearance and clothing. And from Ila’s off-handed comment from earlier, it was clear they weren’t ordinary humans. If he could befriend the girl, he could probably get more out of her than those scrolls Mahiro was selling. But he’d have to get her off the defensive then.
“Might be that I am,” Adelphos replied, and then looked down at the cages, “Do the…Youkai society, I believe your father called it, boast any great achievements in beetle rearing?”
[[Showcase Hall – Martian Dynamics]]
Adelphos nodded occasionally throughout Dimitri’s explanation, noting that his initial assessment about their guild seemed more accurate as the latter went on. But it was a shame that they focused mostly on construction, which was useless for anyone who knew how to transmute. Weaponry, on the other hand…
Adelphos pointed at the gun and asked, “Does that perhaps shoot a big piece of metal at its target? If so, then I actually might have seen something like it before; though not shaped as such and nowhere quite as big.”
[[Entertainment Section – House of Horrors]]
As Leo would enter the first room, he would encounter the same two beasts as the first pair - and every other pair after them - standing motionless like statues. And as he would move forward, he would see the same figure in the shadows as all the others had. Though, depending on the strength of his light, he might be able to see that it looked like a statue as well. However, on its chest, there was set of bright green concentric circles, irradiating a faint light.
As Adelphos hid in the closet in the adjoining room, with his eyes closed, he could see that Leo was in position. He willed the two beasts at the entrance to move and trap him. At this point, Leo would hear growling behind him.
If I knew how I know everything I know, I'd only be able to know half as much because my brain would be clogged up with where I know it from
[Market Hall – Youkai Showcase – Ila, Mahiro, Nagako, Adelphos #1]
"Hmm..." Ila said, thinking for a moment. Without any verification or provenance, these will be practically impossible to resell, even if the price is reasonable, she thought. "I'm afraid these aren't quite what I'm looking for," she said, effortlessly sheathing the sword, and placing it back on the table precisely where it was before.
"I'm looking more for collectibles, rather than useful implements," she said, "thank you for your time nonetheless." She gave Mahiro a bow, and floated back up into the air above them, creating a gentle breeze with her wings.
Leaving this open in case Mahiro has something else to say, but she's probably leaving and going to another stall anyways.
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
Market Hall (Youkai Showcase) (Mahiro, Nagako, Ila, Adelphos #1)
"Yes yes, that's perfectly fine," Mahiro said with another nod. Although his voice was just as jovial as it was when the woman first arrived, there was a noticeable hint of annoyance. "Feel free to return if you change your mind, yes?"
As soon as she was gonenote , his smile turned into a small scowl. What was with this verification nonsense, anyway? None of his customers in the Capital asked for such things. Why did other places think it was so important? Were the youkai just a bunch of idiots or something?
Even more frustrating was the fact that neither of his first two customers saw it fit to buy something. He had made it a point to collect the best he could find just for this occasion, and no one was interested? Then again, it hadn't been very long. Certainly he would have more chances later. He shook his head and sighed, before putting a smile back on and trying to look pleasant for the next batch.
Nagako shook her head. "Not that I know of. I just raise beetles because that's where my interests lie. Father wanted me to try selling something if he was going to bring me here, and I figured I'd just go with what I know." She shrugged. "Don't know if I'll actually sell anything, but for Father's sake I should probably try."
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
Market Hall
Amid the many different beings that had come to the Worlds' Fair walked two women whose relatively normal physiques belied the distance they had travelled.
The first was Nioba, a former Vyzobian Liberatrix, sworn to destroy slavers wherever she found them. She was tall and muscular, with finely-tuned instincts. Her epicanthic eyes and ponytailed hair were jet-black, while her skin was dark brown. Curiously, she had a vaguely feline nose. She wore a suit of weathered and faded oxblood-colored leather armor, with similarly-worn boots and gauntlets. A short sword hung at her hip; she normally favored much larger swords, but this was a crowded area, and there was not supposed to be much danger.
The other was Lihiri, a Zinji "Avatar of Suffering", created by mad Azikathi priests to unleash plagues upon the Nine Worlds of the Spectrum. By sheer luck, those demented idiots had all died from the diseases they'd sought to let loose upon others, leaving her more or less free to do as she wished. Thankfully, she had no particular wish to spread diseases, and in fact, had yet to demonstrate a single mean bone in her body. In contrast to her partner, Lihiri brownish-pinkish skin and a slender build, with big grey eyes, a small, pointed chin, an upturned nose, and pointed ears. Her shoulder-length black hair was tied back in two long tails that hung forward. She wore a dark green tunic stitched together from what looked very much like velvety but durable leaves, with green silk trousers and green shoes made from the same material as the tunic.
Normally, these two spent their days adventuring around the world of Muttra, hunting beasts and bandits alongside the notorious rogue Jonard Kast, frequently risking life and limb for the seldom-fulfilled promise of money.
Today, however, they were on a date. A great portal had opened outside of the city of Baystone, and those who travelled through and returned had spoken of a "Worlds' Fair" where beings from hundreds of different worlds were gathering to exchange goods from their respective worlds. Nioba did not trust portals, and having just spent a week trying to bring down a small Kulshe dragon, she was wary of going off on another potential adventure. But Lihiri was ever-curious and wanted to see the fair, and Nioba had absolutely no way of saying "no" to Lihiri, especially not when those big, trusting grey eyes were focused on her.
And so here they were, looking around the largest marketplace either of them had ever seen.
"So," Nioba began, "Where shall we go first?"
edited 8th Jan '15 1:25:19 PM by StrixObscuro
By now, it should be clear to all except the most dense of us that sheep are secretly conspiring to kill us all and steal our pants.
The future of warfare in UC.
Showcase Hall [Martian Dynamics]
"Among other things. Explosive rounds are stock, actually. Certain alloys in current use resist impact alone exceptionally well, though we do have solid rounds available." They had managed to make the various round types have a difference in impact point at five kilometers no greater than thirty centimeters, a work of bloody-minded determination and artistry more than one of engineering. Most people would have let the computer support do all of the work by adjusting the aimpoint for the user, rather than trying to reduce its workload as well. "Annoyingly difficult to cast with those alloys, mind, but people have been doing it for some time and it's not as hard as it used to be, so they're getting more common as armor. We actually have several projects on those lines ourselves."
Dimitri chuckled. "As you can tell, it's not actually meant for human hands, despite its rough shape."
Nous restons ici.
[Courtyard] (Solin, Nore, Makoto, Adelphos)
Solin glnaced at Adelphos with his usual suspicion, but Nore just smiled. "Indeed," she said, offering a slight bow. "Wonderful place so far, all these different people from across the Void." She noticed his eyes — mismatched, how strange! — but figured it was rude to inquire, so after a moment said, "what manner of creature is that on your shoulder? I have never seen anything quite like it. It's very well-behaved."
Solin looked at Makoto, slightly annoyed. "You couldn't actually hear me through those ear-things, could you?" He sighed. What was the point carrying around a gun that size if you couldn't hear a threat coming? It was asking for a knife in the back or the neck.
He gave their names again: "Solin ul'Oriyith, serving as guard for Nore ul'Alitoth. Haven't met the fellow with the mammal yet. So like I said," he pointed to the firearm, "expecting some kinda trouble?"
edited 22nd Sep '14 5:02:11 AM by KillerClowns
NO ONE SUSPECTS THE LAMP!
[[Market Hall – Youkai Showcase – Ila Locera, Nagako, Mahiro]]
“I see,” Adelphos said, “Well, I could find uses for some beetles if I put my mind to it.” He glanced out of the corner of his eye when he noticed Ila hover in the air. Done already? He thought, I haven’t even gotten a name out of you yet.
“But I’m curious,” he continued, “what do you plan to do when all the beetles are sold?”
[[Showcase Hall – Martian Dynamics]]
“Ah well, neither was the one I mentioned before,” Adelphos said, “That one belonged to a dragon, though how it managed to fling projectiles with that much force I cannot fathom. How does yours work?”
[[Courtyard - Solin, Nore, Makoto]]
Adelphos rubbed the squirrels head and said, “I doubt there are enough of his kind out there to justify the effort of naming them. He’s probably the result of some demented Sorcerer’s attempts at making a chimera. I think he ended up with strong empathic powers in the process, which I assume is why he’s so motionless when he’s on my shoulder. He’s much different when I let him loose.”
“I am Adelphos,” he added, with a bow to Nore. He could sense she had an air about her that suggested she was someone of importance. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. And yours, as well, to be sure,” he said, turning to Solin and Makoto.
edited 22nd Sep '14 9:11:55 AM by Elfhunter
If I knew how I know everything I know, I'd only be able to know half as much because my brain would be clogged up with where I know it from
Just flowing with it.
[Showcase Hall - Bindery of Leison] (Lyra, Amanita)
Lyra never thought that, of all sorts of possible entities that'd be here, it'd have to be a goddess that took particular interest in her family's stall. Her identity was believable, even if only for her appearance (or her particular aura of what Lyra would associate with divinity). Still, having Amanita explain her position put Lyra at relative ease, because the goddess she was talking to appeared to be a rather benevolent one.
But 'Amanita' was still a goddess of decay and rebirth. That alone was reason enough for Lyra to be wary. Those two concepts strongly reminded Lyra of Taint and Purification, a method of primitive spell-casting born near the age of spellshards. It ignored the concept of proper magic circuitry, and were renowned for being a very cruel form of combat magic, both by its practitioners and its victims.
"Concerning miracles, I find myself blessed with enough recently, that I must refrain from asking for more." Lyra said, mostly not commenting on Amanita's ramblings, for the fear it would be rude to do so, "But we in Arlond believe that countless gods plays countless roles in our lives, all under the ultimate guidance of Sol." She said. Then Lyra stole a quick, almost reflexive and unnoticed glance at Aida, before asking, "It is unreasonable to the goddess of swamps if I pray for the well-being of a life reborn through decay?"
[Showcase Hall - Bindery of Leison] (Aida, Rosa)
Aida had trouble diverting her attention from Rosa's wings; they looked almost unnaturally beautiful. After a clearing her throat to focus, Aida began speaking, "These are spellshards. By themselves they are hardly magical, only containing leftovers of magic from previous use, or absorbing minuscule amounts of ambient magic. Only when held by an appropriate spellcaster does their quality shine. Put that way, they are capable of a lot of things," Aida said, "including those you have just spoken of, and hopefully more." she added. "Allow me show a few." Aida said, before drawing from a small pouch three shards. "This blue-colored one is a shield, it creates a floating, tangible semitransparent barrier resistant against impact. Immobile, but long-lasting."
"This dry-blood shard allows its user to retrieve a mass of earth from ground near them, and manipulate it to their liking." Aida explained, then she traced a faint line on the second shard as she spoke, "If I remember correctly, this particular shard is rather taxing for its user, a rather bad example." Aida said, a bit dejected.
"And this one," Aida held a shard colored pale lime, looking rather excited, "is the one. Its invention is a collaborative effort by several different binderies in the Kingdom of Arlond." Aida said. The shard has noticeably more lines when compared to the previous two. "It's a water-wind creation-manipulation shard, creating small, continuously moving flows of alternating elements: wind and water. Due to the level of precision to which its user can control them, its value to house-cleaning activities are without equal." As odd as it may seem, Aida looked slightly proud when showing that particular shard.
Aida quickly monitored Rosa for reactions, "Before you get your hopes up, I warn you that you most likely won't be able to utilize those shards. They are built for people who had underwent... a ritual." Aida said, avoiding the particular details of Branding, a sensitive topic for her and many who were Branded against their will.
[Entertainment Hall - House of Horrors] (Leo, Adelphos)
Meanwhile, Leo were taking slightly heavy steps as he treaded the first room. "Talk about a lot of effort. I guess they have to entertain visitors from more alien worlds as well." Leo commented on the two statues he walked past at the entrance. It sure looked scary to him, but at the same time, it was trying a bit too hard at being so. Lifelikeness was certainly not a thing it lacked, though. Leo, having explored the lush forest near his hometown countless times, did not feel the fear.
Leo intentionally adjusted the light coming from the shard he held to match the torch's illumination. But when noticing the dark... 'thing' in the shadows as he treaded the room, the light became brighter in respose of Leo's curiosity. It revealed that the figure was just another statue, but light from Leo's 'torch' undermined the light the circles emit, making them go unnoticed.
Nearing the exit of the first room, Leo heard a growling sound. It didn't take him long to notice the ripe intimidation those growls contain. Turning to the direction of the growls, it was apparent that the entrance had been blocked by the not-statues that Leo walked past, showing their impressive array of teeth and nails. Gone was his plan to scare his sister; this house of horrors did not merely house horrors.
There was a short moment of stillness, where Leo's left hand soundlessly slipped to his pocket; a force of habit when he encounters wolves in the forest. It grasped a shard Leo, and many other people who consider themselves adventurers, always had in their person: a barrier of protection. Should the creature try to attack him, it would find itself stopped by a solid wall a mere meter away from Leo. In the back of his mind Leo also considered the other statue he turned his back to. Assuming it's the same creature, Leo should ideally be able to notice its growl and react appropriately in case it also attacks.
Naturally, such was the worst case scenario unfolding in his mind. Leo knew that every person before him had walked out the building with naught a scratch, a sign that those beasts, while definitely real, might not really attack him.
edited 22nd Sep '14 9:32:12 AM by FlowingCotton
[Showcase Hall- Bindery of Lesion] (Aida, Rosa)
"A shame. Still, I'd like to buy the protection shard. I'm an artificer, among other things, and if I can reverse-engineer something similar, it could be quite useful."
Rosa rummaged around in her pocket before pulling out her wallet. "Would a hundred dollars suffice?" Rosa really hoped it would. She had some silver coins on her, but not many, and she was hoping to save those for emergencies.
Forward, boys! For God's sake, forward!
[Showcase Hall - Bindery of Leison] (Lyra, Amanita)
"I don't answer prayers," Amanita replied. "Except children's. Even then only if it's important." She leaned forward on her staff, putting more weight on it. "I take sacrifice." She looked into Lyra's eyes, pausing an instant to let her words sink in. "Blood of beasts. Or willing human, yes. Ritual reminds people of who I am. Keeps requests important." She looked around the shop, studying Aida for a moment, then her face softened. She said no more, but she seemed to be reconsidering her stance, ever so slightly.
edited 22nd Sep '14 3:54:25 PM by KillerClowns
[Market Hall – In the air]
Ila floated away from the Youkai Showcase, hovering above the stalls to get a view of all that was on display.
Which place to visit next? she thought, looking around.
Will post her approaching a stall tonight, when I get back from work.
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
[Tevarian's booth-> Market Hall floor]
Alan paid the alien merchant his fee, and as he was leaving the stall, he spotted a little girl make a beeline straight for one of the swords he saw on display. Well, that figures, he thought, as he headed back onto the floor. Every big market sale I've ever been around, there's always a kid who finds something sharp to play with.
But it wasn't important to him right now. Right now, he had to find a way to get back to the booth and hide this gift before Nick noticed.
[the booth]
But Nick's attention was elsewhere at the moment. His new customer suddenly had her attention brought to the Bindery, as if something there was calling. Our break can't come soon enough, he thought. This could get a bit messy
Of course, don't you know anything about ALCHEMY?!- Twin clones of Ivan the Great