Meeting the Landers: The Mayor of Rovia

An invitation had been passed on to Prophylaxis, after the Scale Emblem Alliance managed to bug the civilians enough that they had managed to complain to the Mayor of Rovia. An invitation with the rather hermit like and supposedly 'eccentric' Mayor of the city.

One might have expected a nice mansion. A small little place perhaps. The City of Rovia certainly is a proper city, but it wasn't the richest place in the world. Yet, as Amalthea and Prophylaxis approach through the forest to their destination, they come upon...

Well, calling it a Mansion isn't doing it justice. It looks more like a massive boarding school! Four floors, four towers, angled slightly inwards towards their direction. Beautifully done flower pathes. Meticulously kept grass. Purple roofing upon pure and pristine white walls. Perfectly trimmed hedges, an archway above the entrance.

A blue haired young woman looks up as they approach, just finishing the last touches on some flowers. Hey blue eyes following them, but she doesn't approach. If they seek to approach her, the young woman whose Inspect indicates: Rem, and has the symbols of a Lander, points for them to keep walking towards the entrance.

Once at the door, they are welcomed by a red haired young woman who looks like she could be twins with the blue haired one, and motions for them to follow through the halls. "Please be on your best behavior when interacting with the Mayor." The young woman remarks while leading them.

When Prophylaxis had received an invitation to visit the (EXTREMELY RACIST) hermit city of Rovia... He was certainly not expecting this. How does a place so isolated from the world manage to build itself into a self-sufficient city, let alone one with a place like...

Well! It seems that they've figured out where all the Magical School Isekais got quarantined into. Fortunately, Prophylaxis is not set upon by a legion of scantily clad, airborne women flying at him butt-first in too-short skirts, so clearly whoever runs this place must be doing something right.

...Or maybe it's just that whoever lives here is *fabulously* wealthy and is absolutely not doing anything to hide his tremendous bank account. The doctor has put on a somewhat more formal garb for today's meeting, though that mostly means he has turned in his vaguely mushoom-like outfit for a version that incorporates a more traditional labcoat, which he has augmented with a simple golden bolo tie bearing a briliant, red gem. Something that one of the Scale Emblem's craftsfolk put together, evidently, for looking fancy at a diplomatic meeting.

It's a shame that the good doctor also had the foresight to wear a hood and cowl that concealed his more bestial aspects, or he might very well have been a sight to behold as he had been led through town.

He doffs it once he feels it's more of a faux pas to keep it pulled up and over his head-- specifically when the Red Twin meets them at the door.

"Of course," Prophylaxis says with a smile. "I wouldn't think of doing anything otherwise. This /is/ quite a home your Mayor has, though. I hadn't expected anything quite so magnificent."

He has, of course, brought along an escort. The people would probably be less concerned about a cait sith wandering about if a human was seen at his side, right? Right.

    And that escort would be Amalthea.
    She sure does remember this floor of the tower. And the town that didn't take kindly to anyone non-human. She remembers sniffing through the town for information on the boss and not being able to find a lick of information on the mayor aside from the fact that he's 'an eccentric hermit'.
    So she decided it would be best to accompany Prophylaxis rather than let him go about alone somewhere where 'being a cait sith' could get one into trouble.
    Emerging from the forest, she... Pauses.
    "That sure is a place to live."
    Though she does pause to Inspect the blue haired young lady, she keeps moving with the good doctor.
    As well as inspect the redhead.
    "Mmm. I've no intention of misbehaving, don't worry." She says gently. "... Can't say I expected such grand accomodations, myself, though." Murmured a little more quietly as she follows along.

The yellow-to-orange danger ratings on both the redhead and the blue haired twin quickly explains why the people within the Mansion seem hardly afraid of the visitors. For such a massive place, it's notable just how... quiet it is. One would expect people to live in such a place. But it has this 'lonely' air to it.

They step into a beautiful dining area, where a pale faced Mayor awaits them. According to their Inspect, they quickly notice that his name is 'Roswaal L. Mathers', but far more notable is the Red level danger level to that name.

"Ahh~haaa, it's the adventureee~ers." Roswall remarks, poking his silver fork into some salad, and finely eating his dinner. "How woo~oonderful it is to meet you aaaa~all." He motions for them to sit near him, while Ram approaches and ends up sitting protectively right next to him.

The man's speech pattern is... strange. Upsetting perhaps, even. Not malicious, but there's just something clownish about it that seems to match the markings on his face. Or perhaps, 'Pierrot' would be a more accurate denomer for his makeup.

"Yooou~ have been upsetting my people quite a bit. Iiii~iii suppose they have forgotten what non-humans look liii~iike~."

Amalthea's presence is very reassuring. After all, what would a wizard be without a tank? Dead, that's what! At the top of the aggro tables and dead very shortly thereafter!! Prophylaxis follows after the strange red-head, keeping quiet so as not to disturb the frankly distressing silence. Does the hermit Mayor live here alone, with only his two servants for company? Are there other guests that have simply vacated the premises for their visit? Such a large place to live, and yet so empty...

It's a shame there aren't more people living here, considering how well the home is kept.

But then they are finally face to face with the mayor himself. He is... certainly eccentric. That much is clear just from looking at him, but it's absolutely solidified when he opens his mouth and begins to speak. Prophylaxis inclines his head graciously and takes the seat when it's offered. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Prophylaxis, Doctor of Tolbana and emissary of the Scale Emblem Alliance. My companion here is Amalthea, also of the same."

They have been... upsetting the townsfolk? Prophylaxis had heard that they were xenophobic, but he hadn't realized it was /that/ bad. "My apologies. We hadn't intended to cause your people any distress. I can understand the feeling, however. Having large groups of strange-looking newcomers wandering through one's lands can be quite troubling indeed."

    As long as they don't give the high-tier maids any grief there shouldn't be reason to worry, right? Amalthea has no intention of causing any trouble, anyway, as she continues to follow, hands folded behind her back as they are led into the dining hall.
    Another quick Inspect says not to piss the mayor off, either.
    "The pleasure is ours." She says, dipping into a formal bow. "As the doctor says, I am Amalthea of the Odysseia Knights." She follows suit in introduction. To her credit, she manages her stonewall poker face very well in the face of that strange manner of speech.

"Aaa~ah-I've heard of you~oou. Don't pay the people any mind, they are just easily scare~ee~ed." The Mayor answers them with a sly smile on his face. "Some interaction with do them some gooo~od." He then adds, looking to Ram for a moments, before Mathers turns his attention back to the two visitors.

"Iii~iii hear you are looking to start mining operations, and have encountered that whaaa~ale." He then adds, wondering what the Adventurers may have to say on those two matters, while he contineus eating. He doesn't offer them anything, which might be considered a breach of hospitality. But it also brings home a very specific message.

The mayor intends this meeting to be brief.

That, at least, is a social cue Prophylaxis finds it hard to miss. Too many 'dinners' with the hospital director or some other bigwig have drilled the ability to detect the unspoken message keenly into his situational awareness. "On that subject," Prophylaxis answers, "I am interested in learning more of how your people managed to thrive under the relatively isolated conditions of the fourth floor. If you would allow me, I would be glad to lend my own skills and knowledge as a healer to your people, should they need it."

On the subject of the whale and the mine, Prophylaxis nods in the affirmative and folds his hands neatly atop the table. "Correct on both accounts. That creature consumed several of our compatriots while we were exterminating the other monster living in the lake. If you know anything of its nature, I would be most appreciative if you could tell us. As for the mine-- I hope that the location we decided upon is far enough from Rovia to avoid causing any undue stress to its people?"

Normally he would be content to take his time with this sort of thing, get to know the mysterious Mayor a little better, familiarize himself with the man's idiosyncrasies... But given the time constraints of this specific meeting...

"...You mentioned that they had forgotten what non-humans look like," he probes, cautiously. "What exactly /happened/ to the non-humans who lived here?"

    Briefly. Ever so briefly, Amalthea's poker face breaks when the topic of that whale rises. Her lips purse into a thin line as she remembers full well the kick to the gut- both literal and metaphorical- of another Adventurer pushing her aside and getting swallowed by that great white whale in her stead.
    The whale that not a soul had mentioned to her before, when she had been hunting down information about the boss.
    The old Paladin quickly recovers her composure.
    "I've met the whale personally, yes."
    She left half of her first sword buried in its eye last time she did.
    But even she can tell this meeting is going to be short. She lets the doctor ask the more pertinent question that's on her mind after moving from the topic of the mines.

"We mi~iined out the mountains to make our city. Hard work, any many generations." Mathers L Roswaal explains to Prophylaxis rather simply. "The same way cities are normally boo~ooorn." He seems to take some kind of strange pleasure out of this entire conversation. Giving Prophylaxis simple answers to simple questions; "No help is neee~eded."

He looks towards Amalthea as she mentions having personally dealth with the Whale, but doesn't go in on the topic. Instead, he looks back to Prophylaxis. "You lost compatriots to it? How iiineresting. That means you must remember theee~em?" He inquires, a small glint appearing in his eye. It's as if the other topics were dependant on that one.

Normally cities are born from the migration of people in the countryside to urban environments in pursuit of trade and greater opportunities, but there /wasn't/ much of a countryside around Rovia, none that Prophylaxis knew about, anyway. But then...

Then the Mayor raises the subject of the whale's... unique properties, and it all suddenly clicks into place.

"...They were devoured," Prophylaxis says with the breathy, hollow voice of someone who has just come to a terrifying realization. "I thought it strange that a city were here, but not any surrounding towns and villages. The whale is the answer, isn't it? But why only the non-humans? Unless..."

Unless the answer lies in the way the floors are structured. They know that Gilgamesh tried to climb the tower, and left companions behind when he did. But he didn't remember any towns or villages being present. So where did they come from? If they had to emerge because there was no other choice, then it stands to reason that they had likely /tried/ to escape, but for some reason could not. The monster that locked the floor transition was living /right next to/ where that whale had been sleeping...

"...Were the non-humans wiped out during an attempt to slay the whale...?" Prophylaxis murmurs, his thought process leaking out into spoken word. "...We could properly remember those who fell to the whale, but only /after/ they returned to life. But what if they never did? If information was simply... wiped out?"

Oh. Oh that /is/ troubling.

    That. That is a question more loaded than a double barrelled shotgun.
    And just like Prophylaxis, Amalthea is stricken with the dawning light of realization. The doctor answers the Mayor, and the old Odysseia Knight can only nod numbly.
    "Swallowed whole." She confirms.
    "Remembering them became difficult afterwards. Fuzzy. Like it was there on the edge of the mind but unable to be recalled completely. At least until the resurrected." She also confirms the Doctor's answer, after a hesitant moment.
    But Landers don't respawn, do they?
    They wouldn't have the benefit of returning to memory proper on coming back to life because they simplt don't come back to life.
    "Is that how it happened, then?"

Roswaal L Mathers shows ever the slightest quirk of his lips as Prophylaxis goes through his theories. "We haaa~~ave countryside around the village, you just didn't spoo~ooot it from where you entered. And very few monsters, thaaa~aaanks to the sacrifice of the oldest generatiooo~on." The man explains to Prophylaxis. He's taking this entire matter far too casually.

"Weee~e also have underground faaa~arms." He then adds, in case Prophylaxis was wondering. Still, at his question of whether all of the non-humans were wiped out, there's a single sad nod.

"Leave that old experiment alo~oone." Mathers then adds. "And you will be allo~oowed your mining rights."

"Were they the companions of the one who set out to climb the tower, then...?" The sacrifice of the Oldest Generation. What could that mean? That they sacrificed themselves fighting the monsters to the point of extermination, or... something else? How is it that /every other floor/ seems to contain some kind of terrible secret!?

Well. That's just how it is, he supposes.

"I see. Don't worry, I don't think any of the Scale want to have anything to do with the whale. Though I can't speak for the other Alliances," Prophylaxis admits, then. "Would you permit us to interact with the townsfolk more regularly as well, or is that still a bridge too far? We are intending to build a road from island to island to link this floor to the two adjacent, so we may be able to construct a trade depot if that would be preferable."

There's a beat before Prophylaxis asks, at last: "...I don't suppose you'd be willing to say what you mean by 'experiment,' would you? Or why it is that you remember all this, even though the whale has erased all other traces?"

    Leave that old experiment alone?
    What could that mean? Amalthea can tell he's referring to the whale of course, but what about it was... And experiment?
    The faintest twitch of a frown crosses Amalthea's expression, but she doesn't voice her thoughts. Not here anyway. Not yet.
    "I get the sense some of our number never want anythign to do with that whale ever again." She does note. As much as she'd like to settle the score with that beast, she can let it lie if it means getting the mining rights that the doctor wants. "It could do well for the people of Rovia to experience more outside interaction." She does agree. But that's ultimately the mayor's decision in this and she knows it.

"Iii~im just their mayor. I can't say they'll enjoy you being that close. Whhyyy~yy don't you build a small outpost near the town, but far enough away, if you want trade." He suggests to Prophylaxis and Amalthea in a way that sounds rather similar to Dejima. "Buu~uut in the end, it's up to theee~em if they accept or not."

He then lays his fork and knife down on his plate, and dabs his lips with a napkin. "That Whale was created by the ones who created the Crystal To~oower." Mathers L Roswaal then explains. "Weee~e leave it be no~oow."

"That, we can do," Prophylaxis answers with a nod, "I'll consult the maps and see if any location sticks out as appropriate for a trading post." It would also have the benefit of creating a stopping point in-between floors. Given how long it presently takes, even the road will not make transit instantaneous. A place to stop and rest that isn't right next to the mines would be nice.

That can wait, though.

But... Ones who built the Crystal Tower. Is it the Alvs? Or is there something more...?

Roswaal sets down his cutlery and dabs his lips. The meeting is nearing its end. "...Thank you again for your assistance, Mister Mayor. If there is aught that the Scale Emblem may be able to help with, please let us know and we will see if there is aught we can do. Perhaps we shall speak again sometime? Though if you prefer your isolation, I can respect that as well." There's a pause as the doctor glances up at the mansion. Its emptiness looms so very large. "...You do have quite a lovely home."

"It is a looo~vely home. But it is lo~oonely now. But soon, I will get a fortuitous visitooo~r." The man answers Prophylaxis, right as there is a knock at the door. The door opening on its own, as a rather old man steps in with a sly grin.

Prophylaxis would recognize the man as the head of the Tower of Mages.

"Thank you for your viii~isit. Be saa~afe." Roswaal remarks, as he stands up and approaches Jered Gan with his hands out, to shake his hand. Waiting for the Scale Emblem pair to depart. Ram getting up to guide Amalthea and Prophylaxis out of the house.

    And the Mayor has finished eating. That seems as good a cue as any to take that this meeting will probably be ending very shortly. "I can help you with that later." She does offer to the good doctor in regards to poring over maps and choosing a location. But that indeed can wait.
    Once again the old paladin dips into a polite bow as-- it looks like the meeting is indeed over then. She'll see herself out with Ram's guidance.

That's that, then. Though as they go to leave, the sight of... /THAT MAN/ standing there in the doorway sends a chill down Prophylaxis' spine. "...Jered Gan...?" What is he doing here? What connection does the Tower of Mages have with... all of this? Any of this? Prophylaxis' lips draw into a line and his expression turns briefly unreadable-- but there's nothing more to it now. How do those two know each other? How does any of this connect...?

Somehow, something isn't quite adding up. It feels... like he's missing something, somehow.

"Thank you again," Prophylaxis says, before turning to follow Ram and Amalthea back out of the mansion.

...But why can't he shake that strange, lingering feeling...?