Toenail’s Trashpile

As they walk back, Vuokko mentions noticing Ves doesn't like touch and wants to know if she can hug her. Vespera says it's just the hands. Vuokko wanders why, but doesn't ask and side hug Vespera as they walk.

Vuokko ooc: Yeah! Vespera ooc: Yeah! Bri ooc: I hope those yeahs were in character. Vespera ooc: It was not for Vespera. She is smoking right now and a little high. She's coping.

At the cafe Amir is finishing his food. Vuokko apologizes to Vance for yelling at their job. Vance isn't bothered by it, since there's no one else there. She then goes to Bri and asks if she still wants to go shopping. Vuokko's ready to go shopping!

Amir asks 'are we all here?' Vespera is physically here.

Vance says we don't know where to go. Vuokko says something about a 9? Bri says 11. Vance goes 911 67, whatever.

We all oocly have "oh you did noooot" Vespera ooc: another dragon has hit the mounds

We take the half an hour journey along the train lines. We have to change trains about three times and luckily Vance knows the city very well. We see in the distance the Machine Markets. Colorful rows of stalls in the primary colors. There looks to be some proper greenary, a little bit more natural, less synthetic trees. They have lights strung up in the trees that would be pretty at night.

GM tells us they had already created what is at the market before we said what we'd like to look for. No Zuiar visors today. The markets look different from when Vance last visited; there is a collection of sea elves here, taken over many of the stalls today. Many things we've never seen before.

Traders of the day: Ruos (assamir homeland) Sabaktos (Pleasure) Calicem (Mor Choille) Dragonborn trader (Port Cullis) Sea Elves Uncommon for sea elves to come out to Temprea.

GM asks for a nature check to see if we know where sea elves come from and Ves smashes it with a 22. Sea elves come from an inland sea called the Huaka'i Basin. They would have had to traveled VERY far. Vespera looks concerned upon realizing this. She tells the party how far sea elves must have traveled to get here, like they have migrated. Vuokko muses that money might be good here, Vance muses they might be refugees. GM says they don't look like refugees, they all look happy to be here, chatting as they move about. Amir chooses to approach one that looks youthful. He finds one carrying some cargo, dressed with shells and has kept like hair, and Amir asks awkwardly why so many of them are here--while he is new here, he's never seen any of their kind before.

Vance right now, trying not to laugh:

Amir rolls a 14 in persuasion. The sea elf has taken what Amir said as an insult, make a quip at dogs walking around too. Vespera goes to help Amir not be awkward. The sea elf suggests we take a look at the news, passed around by news boys. Bri finds one and we learn that the Saint of the Sea (Aetum), who has been missing for 100s of years, has returned. She will be coming to speak at the Free Church in 2 weeks. She has invited all those who have been pushed to the sea to share in her message. Bri moves to speak with our sea elf and tries to save it. She says how she has heard of them from where she lives, but never been down there. She asks (stumbling over her words) about books she could find, maybe about the saint. While books aren't useful in the sea. They get directed to a sea elf with an angler on their head. His name is Silver.

As Vance, Carrier, and Vuokko walk past the merchants (who are talking about the first half of the party), Vance says "as your tour guide, I should keep the dog on a shorter leash." Vuokko laughs out loud at this.

The shop has holy symbols and arcane focuses. The shop keeper speaks about themself as "this one" (x33) GM says Bri or Amir can roll religion. They do with Amir assisting Bri+guidance. She gets a 23+2 (25!). Bri gets a lot of info about the sea elves religion based on this roll and what she can see on the tablets. Bri has some knowledge about Los/Lows[?] from her growing up in Ruos. She asks how she can find out more, the shop keeper says she can go to the cathedral. Bri wants to buy a holy symbol to donate to the proselytizers.

Shop keeper says they have other wares and Amir asks if he has other--he gets elbowed by Bri. He hid stuff away b/c of ppl with too much coin and asking too many questions. He brings out proper magical items. An item emitting a chilling aura and another item that is hot(?). The chilling item is 2,000 gold. Bri says she'll have to raise funds. She gives half the party's names. Silver offers her 8 gold for the holy symbol and Amir pays for it. Bri picks out a symbol that isn't too fancy.

Vespera is looking for a gift for her son who likes storms. She is directed to a shop that is selling spells and other other magical things. Ves is looking for something like a Barometer, which the shop keeper has never heard of. She does ask about a spell, Tidal Wave, which is 600 gold. GM has Vespera roll insight check, which she rolls a 6 and a 10… Seems like a good deal.

We go over what items we'd like to pick up while shopping. Carrier wants to sell his Gelatinous Whip, which he rolls persuasion w/ advantage thanks to Vespera (23), and he sells it for 350 gold. Our new clothes will cost 15 gold each, with +5 gold for anything extra. New studded Leather armor is 45 gold and we can sell our old armor for 10 gold.

Lots of dice rolling for us to find items on our shopping list. Lots of money going around. Everyone has a base 200 gold from breaking up a platinum bar. Bri gets a deal to trade The Pocket Cottage for a Tomb of Perfect Constitution, which will allow the user to raise their con by 2 points after studying it for 48 hours over 6 days. It recharges after a century and one could boost their con up to 30! ((We joke that Bri can use it twice then give it to Vuokko at the end of her life xD)) Carrier is looking for something to cast a spell he could use in battle like an Azorius Guild Signet. Both Vespera and Carrier need to go to the Alchemagical institute to get the signet and Ves for her barometer. Ves does an arcana roll with advantage because Carrier is helping. She rolls a 20! Woo. Ves gets her barometer. Carrier can get his signet either by buying it or joining the Alchemagical institute and do jobs for them. [MORE CULTS WANT CARRIER? xDD]

Vance ooc: Costco Memership Vespera ooc: omg Carrier gets costco hodogs.

Carrier chooses to persuade, rolling a 23+2=25 (from some psychic power). They will sell it to them for 600 gold. They are able to get it with Bri's help for the gold.

Back to actual rp time. This has taken up most of the afternoon and now for something Vance is familiar with. The city moves.

Bri ooc: Wut?

At six PM and six AM the city turns. Sirens go off warning of it, bridges pull up, and ships leave the docks. The city turns. The domb on top of the city is still above, blocking out stars, and keeping the city lit.

We oocly talk about using the mirror at Vance's apartment instead of at the hotel. However, Carrier oocly disappeared from the call. [Lost power :(]

So we're going out of order a little. This stuff should happen after our visit to the Bastion. Bri tries to contact her patron and rolls a religion check with disadvantage, hitting a 14. She sends out a "can you still see me?" and she can swear she fells a hand on her shoulder for a moment. Bri knows she has to tell the others before the professorship brings it out. She also doesn't know why her patron has been watching her. Bri feels a sharp pain from her wings. She also seems to have caught the gaze of something in the trees. Bri uses prestidigitation to light up the area but doesn't see much (perception roll with disadvantage, rolling a 1). Bri hurries to the group and grabs the first person she can find, Amir. (Vuokko makes a face at her grabbing him xDD). Bri insists Amir comes with her because there is something is the trees, something that is watching her. They don't see anything at first. Amir does an investigation roll with advantage, rolling a 18+4 (22). Amir finds something carved into the tree, the symbol of the Temple of Morals, but upside down. Bri knows what it is, but says it is upside down. Temple of Morals is a different order than what Bri's. Amir does a religion check, hitting a 25! When it is drawn like this, it means an infernal (fiend) has been there. The two talk about how Bri saw someone at the market from Sabaktos, which is known for fiends…They talk to each other about minor racist things. Amir casts Detect Evil and Good and he can sense fiends all over the tree line, they seem to be waiting.

Amir ooc: Are there hundreds of them? Bri ooc: Probably more than two.

GM answers that there's probably double figures of them. They try to back away slowly, watching the fiends but they aren't moving. As they are backing away Bri feels from behind her embrace her on her shoulders for a brief moment. She rolls a 12 on insight so she doesn't know what it was. Amir knows it wasn't a fiend. The two huddle close, Bri says she was trying to contact her patron when they showed up.

Vespera is also going to contact her patron. She uses her new compass to find north, going to the northern part of the little forest. She opens her grimmore to a blank page, pours two glasses of liquor, then cuts open her palm to drip blood into the page of her book. She then shuts the book. Her lantern is set between the two glasses and she waits in a state of meditation. She rolls a 16 religion check.

The sound of the city grows quiet around her and darkness comes over her. "Mothling. You call upon me." In that exact moment Vespera breaks down a little bit. She tells him she made it, she is alive. The darkness takes physical from as his face comes from the shadow. It feels as though time stops. "you grow closer to answers, Mothling." Ves tells him of the things she found (atlas, map, barometer for the son) and how much she hates this place (its all metal, it moves, and grass is the color of vomit). She tells him one of the hags are dead. She'll show the relic to the professorship. He reaches a hand out to wipe a tear from her eye. "You grow more powerful. Perhaps this will be the one. I have doubts." Softness forms in his eyes. "I grow weary of doubting you." She smiles at this and says she trusts him. He holds her gaze then looks to his lower left, seeing Themocles peeking out of the darkness hair. Vespera reaches out for him and at first they can't touch probably because of the protection from her patron. Themocles asks where she's gone, she didn't even even get to say goodbye. Then Eirmaat pops out of the lower right. She tries to cuddle with Vespera and makes an animal cry of longing. Vespera tells both to keep following him a little longer. She'll be home soon.