Palace Lands: Dol Dona

Having traveled into the greenery of the Thor Kingdom's center, they have stumbled across many a village and even proper towns along its periphery. There's road signs and proper roads that have been paved and are being well kept, even if they are just cobblestone roads - it's a long way away from the dirt roads and the jungles they used to venture upon.

Approaching the great City of Dol Dona, they pass through a large forest path, domed with trees and mystical lights that hang upon the ancient wooden structures. Their path descends ever so slightly, yet noticably, making the air feel a bit warmer, now that they are out of the reach of the cool winds. It is after all, still thoroughly in the grasps of winter at this point. They've just been lucky and snow hasn't been too much of a bother to them.

Coming down the path, they are met with a group of people who appear to wish to halt them. Wearing green uniforms, the Pooka warriors hold their hands out towards the Adventurers, politely bidding them; "Halt, Adventurers. I, Leafmen Evergreen, requests you please wait there."

It isn't long, before a beautiful blonde Pooka steps forward, dressed in whites and greens, touching his hand to his chest, and bows his head - having been summoned forth. "Please, welcome, weary Adventurers. I am Potimas Harrifenas. Have you come to rest your heads upon these lands?" There's a sharp and wise look to the man, but a trustworthy smile. The signs of a ruler.

This is not exactly what Jazz expected.

But wait she does. Stop dead she does, actually, hands tucked into her pockets. A glance over at the others, then back in front of her. Seems she's watching her fellows, seeing what theyy're making of things. A tip of her hat and a stomp of her boots to shake the dust of the road off them,. "Potinas?" she mouthed. She does, at least, look fairly tired. It *has* been a long way, and now her eyes are turning towards the domed structures. She's going to let someone else tackle initial greetings. She'd probably just put her foot in her mouth out the gate somehow by being, well ... Jazz.

    Merek walks along with the party to the gates of Dol Dona, and will take the time to flank the side of Wake, looking to her while he then will nod to the soldiers, and when the king comes forth, he will incline, "Greetings to the Thor Kingdom, we come as emisarries from another land." He nods to the woman with him, "This is Baroness Wake, of our lands we call home."

Despite her shy nature, Mikage had taken time to stop and greet the various Landers they had encountered along their way towards the city. They were new in these lands, so it only made sense to try to portray themselves as more kind and sociable than some of them, mayhaps, actually are.

However, as they made the approach to the city, the Ranger has hung back more and more. She isn't as fine with words as many of the others, feeling more comfortable in smaller settings. Rama nudges at her knee, as if trying to encourage the girl, but all he manages to get out of her is a hand reaching down to ruffle the lynx between the ears. A lynx which... might look more than a bit unusual to the people of these lands, since there is no creature like it here.

"Greetings." She offers, softly. "I'm Mikage Yurei, this is Rama." There is no fanfare with her introduction, just a quiet voice and a polite incline of her head.

    Having not had a chance to establish just who is in charge of this embassy on behalf of the New World Alliance, the Baroness Wake has elected to stay near the front of the group. Which is well, since Merek has introduced her so politely.

    Wake did not expected to meet the king on the road, but she takes it smoothly in stride. Her curtsey is, somehow, even more perfectly executed than normal. It's one thing to have one fit for court, another entirely fit for a king.

    "It is an honor to meet you, King Potimas Harrifenas," she intones gravely. "You honor us greatly with your kind greeting."

Yeowang is probably towards the front of the party, as a scout, but will pause as the strangers bid us halt, and wait. Standing respectfully as the pooka introduces himself, and prepares her own introduction when Merek speaks up. She considers that Wake -is- probably technically the highest in official, in-game social standing, so she will defer to her with an effort.

She will hang just back from Wake and slightly to the side, as an aide might, in case she is needed. Not that she's an official sort of aide. But Wake is familiar with her background, and may find it convenient to have her closeby.

    Standing behind and to one side of the Baroness, Miyako remains silent, letting herself pass as only of moderate importance. She waits while introductions go by, the smallest hint of a smile on her lips. Hopefully all will go well.

    Once the Baroness has introduced herself, Miyako clasps her hands before her and bows, holding it for a few moments before straightening.

So Gwen has been around she missed the fight on the big bridge but here she is once more. Acting like nothing's happened. She can't be everywhere at once after all. She had a pack on and was eager to sell trade, try the local food. Maybe she'd be lucky and find someone selling local crafting plans for outfits and gear. She was looking excited. So excited the towering woman was bouncing and sometimes vibrating. She would look to Jazz and would bow at this pooka. She'd also inspect them as well as she rises up from the bow.

"Hello, this is a kind welcome and I thank you for it. I'm Gwen Pendragon."

The good doctor of Tolbana has traveled a long way from his tower. Possibly the furthest that any member of the Scale Emblem Alliance has been willing to go, in fact. But he has his reasons for being here, just as he always does, just as he always will.

You can't find decent literature just sitting around in a tower all day, after all.

"King Harrifenas," Prophylaxis says, inclining his head respectfully-- and even doffing his hat! What an honor!! "We've traveled a very, very long way to bring tidings from distant lands. And, hopefully, to find hospitality in the city under your protection for a time at least. We've many talents to offer in exchange, skill at arms aside. I am Doctor Prophylaxis, of the Scale Emblem Alliance, a magician and physician. It's an honor, sir."

Giganpor, meanwhile, has been mostly coming and going with the group. He missed the big fight, but well now... Giganpor at least comes dressed in his armor, better to at least seem confident, but has stowed his weapons in his inventory. This was, after all, a city. And near as he could tell somewhere potentially safe. Plus his recent learning under Rizadoman meant that he knew how to defend himself even unarmed. That has lead to his being near the front of the procession as well. His cloak shines a calming blue-green color, as if he has no worries in this case.

And he's sticking to his human form, despite the lion tattoo being visible on his neck for this. No secrets, no surprises. "Greetings to you, King Potimas Harrifens. I am Giganpor of the New World Alliance and the Adventurer's Guild of Grandeur. We are explorers from a distant land, come seeking to know more of this as well as find others like us known as Adventurers where we come from. Our homeland in this world is that of Yamato, across the seas by many a day's travel."

Giganpor, despite it all, can at least project some calm, civility, and such. Which is what he aims at doing now. His voice is calm, firm, and very much his size and bearing have that of a warrior and leader much as he did of old.

"We do not mean harm to you or yours, nor will we ever hopefully mean such. Our journey from where we landed has been long, and fraught with peril that we are glad to finally see someone who is peaceful and friendly. Not to mention hopefully not about to literally disarm a member of our party." He eyes Prophylaxis a bit to the side before returning his look to Potimas.

    Merek considers after all the introductions, then he might be thinking about something. "Ah, Merek Black... I am the owner of the Trade Company local to where we are from. Two Moons," the man offers, then he inclines, "Name pending." Then he's backing up to be with Wake. He does seem to wonder if there are trade opportunities, looking to people.

The King of the Thor Kingdom looks to Jazuhanzu, then Merek, smiling in bemusement. "This would be the first time meeting an Adventurer who spoke for other Adventurers." He points out. No doubt those who've traveled here would have heard this man's name by now. He's the regent of the region after all. "What is the diplomatic mission you were sent here for, and for what party?" He inquires with Baroness Wake, since Merek claims they are emisaries.

In the meantime, to the side, Mikage will notice a murmuring. Confused sounds, and pointing towards her Lynx. The murmuring getting louder, until one of the guards, holding a spear, inquires with Mikage; "What... /is/ that? It's not a Froglynx. It's not a Lynxdog either. It's definitely not a Sphinx." The confusion... is immense.

Potimas Harrifenas coughs loudly in his fist to get the guards to calm down. Which immediately gets him a salute and a 'My Lord'.

He watches as others introduce himself, bowing his head for a moment to Baroness Wake. "An Adventurer who holds the title to land. A Baroness. I must admit, I am intrigued. You must be far from your own lands." He notes. "I do not believe either the Rosenheim Kingdom nor the Kallamore Kingdom have any Adventurers that high up in their ranks." The man proposes.

"I admit, it has in fact been a long time since we've seen any Adventurers. Most of them set out to the other Kingdoms." The man points out, while Gwen is analyzing the people. The Guards are actually each Yellow level, quite powerful for warriors among Landers. Potimas himself appears to be of Red level. Not unexpected. Most of the Heroes and Rulers of the Yamato region are Red as well.

At Prophylaxis' greeting, the Kingdom remarks. "Ah, of course. There's a great deal of beds within these lands. Most of the extra beds are dedicated to our Mercenaries and the Hunters Guild members. But I see that most of you are wearing the symbols of the Hunters Guild, so that should be no problem."

As Giganpor then proceeds to mention Yamato, the king's eyes open a bit for a moment. His hand lifts to his chin. "Yamato? My... that is a word I have not heard in such a long time. Ever since the Leviathans came to the seas, all contact with Yamato and the other Lands has been lost." There's a gleam of joy in his eyes at this discovery.

"Please, follow me." He motions, and the guards part, so the group can step through and into the main square of Dol Dona. There's a healthy hustle and bustle going on at the surface, but there's a lot less people than the enormous borders of this region suggests. The moment some questining eyes are noticed, a young woman amongst the guards speaks up.

"Filimøs Harrifenas bids you to listen, Dol Dona is a largely underground City." A younger looking Pooka offers to them. It sounds like she may be family to the ruler. She's got a bow slung on her shoulders, and is similarly Yellow in risk level. "You are seeing, what I believe some of you Adventurers would call, 'the tip of the iceberg'."

Oh, look, civilization.

/Actual/ civilization. Inhabited civilization. With people in it. And not monsters that con over her. Proteus was getting a little tired of that. Sure, she spends a lot of time lurking around places she shouldn't be, but there's the matter of that ongoing tension and unknown behaviors, you know?

Still, they arrive in Dol Dona, and the place is full of Trees. And this means... Proteus looks somewhat unsurprised to see the Pooka. "Well, at least we know that the race assortment should be somewhat similar." She murmurs to no one in particular.

The Imp waits patiently, holding herself in the back in the typical 'lurking Mysterious Imp' spot in her hooded cloak as is normal. When Potimas arrives, Proteus gives a small bow. "I am called Proteus. I am an explorer and archaeologist, exploring these lands. Though partaking of some hospitality would be fairly nice, I've been in the wilds for some time." She lets the rest of things progress as they will, instead turning her attention to the environment and technologies being used here, to see how they measure up compared to both that used in Yamato as well as the village they had passed through. Culture is important.

After her previous encounters with Landers, the reaction is little surprise to Mikage, though it seems to always tickle her amusement each time such a thing occurs. "He's just a lynx. From the mountains of the Fourland Dukedom." She explains. "Our animals are... a little different than yours."

The Ranger's blue eyes flick over towards Baroness Wake, Prophylaxis, and Giganpor. They were all far better at matters of state and she has little interest in playing that kind of role. In fact, Mikage's posture looks more like that of the guards, as if she were there for the protection of others rather than acting as a representative.

What she does say is simply, "The chance to reforge those contacts seems to be at hand." Then, she is quiet as they are invited in, her wide eyes taking in their surroundings with a wonder that the girl always seems to carry for new places. The world of Elder Tale hasn't lost its awe and majesty.

    Merek makes sure that his weapon is peace tied, and will begin to follow along with Wake and inclines to the King, "It's a pleasure." Then to one of the others standing around, perhaps the King might notice, "Do you all have any Moonlight Craftsmen within your lands?" There's a scratch of his cheek, and he takes the time to consider Wake, then looks back to the King, "It's a long story, it took a lot of work to get here. We are working to restore trade to these lands. With my trading company, I speak for the trade routes, and economies. I am even prepared to offer trade goods perhaps unique to our lands. Do you have a local Merchant who oversees things like that?"

    The Baroness listens carefully to the king's words, picking out her own with care. There is a pause, as she has no intention of rushing to reply.

    "Our mission is to establish a relationship of trust, so that we might open new opportunities to learn and grow together. We are delighted to be welcomed in your realm."

    She curtseys again, showing her gratitude for the warm welcome. It is far kinder than she had even hoped for.

    "You see clearly, as well. I am far from my lands, but I do not regret the distance, for had I stayed I would have lost this chance to behold the wonders of your home. This is a remarkable place. I am confident that we all are eager to learn more about your home and your people."

Gwen looks over to Mikage and seems amusing but it's her friend's place to reply on that. she does seem amused at this. She takes note of the kingdoms that have been named, which could be very useful for later. She does seem to be keeping an eye on Prohylaxie but relaxes as nothing goes wrong.

"Yes the Leviathans are no joking matter even their wakes bring death. I speak from personal experience on that."

She speaks from personal experience from the sounds of it.

"So if i might ask are there any clothing merchants I'm a cook and a tailor and I'm eager to meet and learn from others who have a whole off way of doing things."

She also makes note the local guard are pretty badass. They con yellow, they must have seen some serious action to level up that much.

Gwen's after new fashion, several people here might be getting concerned.

She falls in with Proteus.

Yeowang looks intrigued as Potimas speaks to the party, to Wake and the others. She remains silent and watchful as the party are led into the upper deck, the tip of the iceberg. She smirks with amusement at the Landers' reaction to the lynx, but she keeps her own counsel for the moment and watches warily. She's alert, but seems surprised that Adventurers have gone. Perhaps they left for easier areas. What they've been through has been pretty high-level.

The gentle giant form of Giganpor looks considerate, looking at Merek with a nod, then to the others as he proceeds with the others.

His cloak at least helps give off some light. And his eyes do look around carefully, as if trying to figure out who or what he is seeing. At the mention from the younger looking Pooka, Giganpor looks to her.

"I see. That is interesting. If you do not mind my question, and with our being unfamiliar with your ways, are you related to the King, madam?"

Following after, however, Giganpor looks around carefully once he receives an answer. "An underground city is truly amazing, especially with the dangers we have faced so far. It is remarkable that you have made one. How many generations did it take to do so? Our own world, both our original and Yamato have none such as this that I am aware of."

Giganpor does look to the King on occasion, as if trying to figure out what sort of motives he has. That Yamato caught his interest is definitely something. "As far as the Leviathans, I believe they are still out there. Sea journeys are still dangerous, but at the same time it is possible now. A part of our coming here is also to try to make contact with our fellows and to see if perhaps we can find some sort of means to stop the dangers that threaten this world."

    Rizadoman had been standing in the back for the majority of things, if anything his silent nature and heigh probably makes him look like some menacing body guard. However as they approach and see the smile at the little one, " It's a shame Erufu couldn't make it, she would have been happy to see all these elves...er Pookas. " It was a bad habit, you think of Erufu and you get elves, " Excuse me your majesty, I am curious you mentioned a little earlier something about not having adventurers speak on behalf of the others. Do they not have alliances or guilds over here? " It was a curious statement to say the least.

    With the introductions of the leadership and the welcome completed, Miyako is ready to speak up. "It is indeed a pleasure and an honor to meet you," she begins. "I am Miyako Blacklily, a humble bard. It would be my great pleasure to meet with and learn from my colleagues in these lands, or to entertain with the songs of our distant home." She smiles softly, and bows again, less formally this time.

"The Hunter's Guild's reach extends even here?" Prophylaxis asks, sounding altogether quite surprised. "I suppose that makes sense, in retrospect. I apologize for my candor, the lands surrounding your city are home to the first signs of extant habitation that we've yet encountered. Everything further east is... In an unfortunate state."

He says nothing to certain passive-aggressive jabs in his direction, the doctor's expression is utterly unchanged in fact. A poker face is a /vital/ skill to learn when you're in his profession. You don't want your expression to betray how dire a patient's situation might be, after all.

Regardless, he follows along, passing into the so-called 'tip of the iceberg' casting a curious gaze across what he can see of the foreign Root Town. "Pray tell, if it isn't too sensitive a topic, the Adventurers who travelled to those distant kingdoms-- do you know if they still dwell there? I was... hopeful to find more of our kind here, out of concern for their present well-being."

An underground city, though... The doctor regards this new face with a smile. Captain of the guard, he expects? "Fascinating. We know of only a handful of other civilizations who built their homes underground," the Doctor says with a smile, "The Gnomes of Yamato were said to have had cities deep under the mountains, but I believe this is the first we've seen of one so lively."

"A Lynx?" - "What's a Lynx?" - "Are you sure it's not a Lynxpanther maybe?" - "No, she said just a Lynx." Confused mumbling continues at Mikage's revalation. It seems everyone is quite confused at that one. Potimas however, can't help but just smile at the murmuring going on behind him as he proceeds to lead the party further onto the Main Square, and then turns.

A twin set of Cait Sith approach Mikage, offering her what look like glowing flowers and offer them to her at a reasonable price.

"I do not believe any Moonlight craftsmen have been born in these lands for quite some time. Though I hear some of the Landers who prefer to live out on the clearing to the west might have more information for you on that." Potimas suggests, motioning his hand towards one of the roads leading out to a different district of Dol Dona.

Arriving at the center, he turns towards them, and listens to Baroness Wake as she explains their mission. "Ah, a mission of peace then? Well, you are most welcome. And we will of course be glad to learn of your lands as well. Perhaps, if safe passage can be established, we can send a embassy into your lands? I believe Adventurers have a way of communicating over long distances, so perhaps you could assist us with re-establishing contact with Yamato." He proposes to miss Wake.

The man nods to Gwen, taking in her offers of her various skills. "Please, I do not wish to take advantage of your abilities. I'm quite certain you Adventurers have much to bring to these lands. But please pace yourselves. Culture must evolve at a natural pace." He proposes to Gwen to with a soft but wise smile.

Filimøs Harrifenas bows her head to Giganpor. "I am, but I am simply a Guard within our ranks. Please, heed my name no mind." She proposes to him, touching her hands down along her belly and making for an even deeper bow towards him.

At Giganpor's question about the underground city, Potimas speaks up; "I fear my people did not construct it. It was created by the great Gnomes, to which we owe much of our city, as well as the Alv who helped build this city as well." It's hard to tell if he refers to the Alv as singular or plural in this.

"It is said it was built over many centuries." He proposes to Giganpor, before looking to the others. "I invite you to of course explore the underground of our great city. We are very proud of it. I would ask that you hide any weapons in your... what was it called again?"

A Guard suggests; "Horse Pocket, m'lord?"

"Ah, Dimensional Pockets." Potimas seems to remember. "Though I fear you will not find much danger here, outside of the eastern regions of the Thor Kingdom." He remarks. "Anything beyond the big bridge has been surrendered to the Monsters since hunderds of years ago now."

Potimas then addresses Rizadoman; "In my experience, the Adventurers were very insular. Some formed Guilds, but there was... a lot of infighting and struggle over resources after the Dark Wave trapped them here. I presume you yourselves are also trapped by this 'Dark Wave'?" The man inquires. "I do not believe I ever heard anything about an 'Alliance' amongst them." The man then nods to Miyako, before looking back to Prophylaxis.

"The Hunters Guild is an organization that has existed for as long as history seems to recall." Potimas answers him. He then looks towards the Guards, who remark; "I think there's actually a few out in the field right now who came over from Rosenheim, who're helping deal with some of the monsters, but I don't think any of them are in the city."

Potimas nods to confirm, and then remarks; "Most of them moved to the Rosenheim Kingdom around Naval Monte." He explains, "It's north from here by ship. And the remainder went to live their lives amidst the riches of Kallamore in Lumina Cloth. This Kingdom doesn't hold much for Adventurers. We live a fairly peaceful life. And the lands to the east are - as you have no doubt noticed - far too unreasonable."

As the others take answer, introducing themselves, Jazz looks a bit sheepish. She doesn't love crowds, if we're honest.

A glance towards Gwen whe nshe asks about clothing stores, warily, and a casual step back. Gwen is the most terrifying thing in the Palace Lands by far, easily.

Still, the words of the King having her looking fairly alarmed as she follows along, letting the others take point on the conversation. She did offer her name, of course, with a simple gesture at herself and offer of 'Jazz', and she's already got her charcoal and parchment out, tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth as she makes notes for future mapping and drawing of the city and its environs, first impressions being what they are.

Proteus remains generally quiet. Wake is a far better diplomat than the Imp will ever be. She has no desire to try to navigate the mazes of relationships. She prefers more physical ones. Pookas, Gnomes... And then the mention of the Alv brings a small narrowing of the eyes to Proteus' gaze as she listens. She walks along with the others, continuing to move along. There is much to hear, much to consider. Lots of new nouns to deal with.

"They are extremely unreasonable." Proteus agrees, her tone quiet. "Are the monsters keeping to their lands because that is what they have chosen, or have you encouraged them to stay put?" She brings out some papers and takes notes about locations and their relative areas compared to where they are. The scribbling continues to be in a near-incomprehensible line of letters and numbers for anyone who tries looking at what she's writing.

Yeowang nods subtly to Wake, sharing a glance before looking around the city. Guards' positions, vantage points, ambush locations, those are the things she's wary of. Though she also has an eye for the functioning of commerce, and will eye what may be seen in that regard also, aware as she is that there is certainly more underground.

She smirks at adventurers asked to keep weapons in inventory, but that'll be their surprise if things do turn south. With everyone taking a turn at introducing themselves, she does as well, saying, "I am Yeowang. I look forward to a good relationship in the future between our people and yours. We can almost certainly assist you with things that are difficult for your people to accomplish, as evidenced by our arrival here through the badlands you have mentioned." Though, admittedly, we snuck and hid through a lot of it, ourselves. "Likewise, we have gold and resources to trade, and look forward to strengthening our bonds of friendship."

Mikage leaves the guards to trying to sort out the mystery of the 'unusual' animals of Yamato. Rama, however, seems to trot along, as if trying to catch their attention now and again. The cat, nearly full grown now, is a strange beast.

Distracted, momentarily, from her companion's antics, Mikage seems more than happy to exchange some coin for the strange flowers, "I'm sure Cyrus would love examining these." Of course, her relationship with her own Cait Sith partner would be weird enough that she's the one bringing /him/ flowers. "They're very pretty." She remembers to say, with only a moment of awkwardness.

The invitation to explore the city is met with that same look of interest from the Ranger. Not only is it a chance to experience a new culture, but also to try her hand at her new mapping skills. At the request to stow weapons, though, she is quick to remove her sword, neatly storing it with a few swipes of her fingers. Dawnbreaker, on the other hand, looks nothing like a weapon to the untrained eye. Even so, she unslings it from her back, the mechanically augmented rod shown only briefly before it joins her other weapon.

Of course, Rama was a weapon, but that is something has no intention of dismissing. "The Hunter's Guild is quite prominent in Yamato, as well. Many of us have tested our mettle and risen through the ranks." She motions to a small emerald symbol on her own garb, used as a cloak clasp.

Giganpor rubs his chin, looking thoughtful, "So there are others here." He muses out loud.

A nod is given to the younger Harrifens, then he looks to the guards at the mention of a 'horse pocket' and shakes his head, looking amused, "We call them inventories usually. Dimensional Pocket would be an apt name for them, I suppose, even if they do have their limits."

"As for our being trapped by the Dark Wave, we are the same in that case. I am surprised they made it so far whenever most of what we have found thus far are far more dangerous than our homelands. But if the big bridge you mentioned is what we came across, it is possible that we those lands may have become more dangerous than any of us like to admit." Giganpor says.

"Our respective Alliances formed because of a necessity to keep some form of order among Adventurers, and to place ourselves as a means of different philosophies that have since become... obsolete in a lot of ways, and in others overlap with each other. Usually now we simply call those in our Alliances as friends, allies, and sometimes family in an unrelated way."

"From what you tell us, however, it seems as if we have broken some sort of barrier or the like with the events a month or so past. I find this interesting, in a way. If you do not mind my asking, is there any other name for these lands than Thor Kingdom or the like?" Giganpor's keeping a calm, somewhat amused at the idea of 'horse pocket' among other things going on. Then he remembers his old Nightmare and looks considerate.

And finally admits, "... I believe I may have accidently made a 'Horse Pocket' with a ritual."

    Rizadoman slows as he rubs his chin thinking for a moment, it just seemed natural that like minded people would continue to gather together. It's, well a little demoralizing, he had hoped to find more alliances to work with instead of scattered solo adventurers. He does catch up though , " So that would explain the dragons, and kongs, and other monsters we saw between our camp and those weird red eyes... " He trails off remembering the red eyes that came from that damn sword. Taking a moment he continues to look around as they progress further.

    "We would be delighted to assist you in such efforts," replies the Baroness. "We are investigating ways to reduce the dangers of the journey. As things stand now, it is a perilous crossing. The creatures past the bridge add considerable risk to it. Now that our attention is drawn to it, though, I believe we shall make the roads safe for your people to journey once more. For now, I will be making a return soon. I would be pleased to bear any message you might wish to send."

    Wake isn't certain how long it will take to make things safe enough for a Lander embassy... especially if dealing with a leviathan enters the equation. One epic challenge at a time, however.

    Merek looks perplexedly to a few things that Giganpor notes, though he doesn't comment upon it. Then he's taking a look to the King and nods a bit at the mention of the Moonlight Craftsmen, "I am a Moonlight Craftsmen, many have rediscovered it within Yamato. That said, it will be nice to speak with them." The man watches the place and will explore a little bit, "Do you have any Chaos Gates within the city?" he asks. The man seems about to speak something else of note, except he thinks about it, "... What do you all know of the Alv?" he asks.

Potimas turns towards Proteus as she inquires about the lands beyond the Bridge. "I've heard that a Guardian has been keeping the monsters at bay in the region, and stopping them from coming to these areas. I'd like to believe it is the great Longwang." The man proposes to him. "Though there's others who propose that they remain on that side of the bridge because of some kind of Spider God. The truth is, we do not know."

The Caith Sith finish their trade with Mikage, gladly taking her coin. Mikage will quickly notice that the coinage here is the exact same as in Yamato, and that the exchange rate seems pretty darn equivalent. Speaking of Cait Sith, the population here seems to largely be Pooka, Sylph, and a few old Gnomes sitting around - who look notably richer in dress than others. Cait Sith are seemingly rare, but well taken care of. She doesn't spot any Were Fangs at the moment, nor any Imps or Spriggans or Humans really.

Not that there aren't any, but they're just not in the main square it'd seem.

As Mikage reveals her symbol, Filimøs Harrifenas takes note. "Wow, Emerald. No wonder your people were able to make it across the lands on the other side of the bridge." She remarks, nodding to Yeowang as she also mentions having passed through the 'badlands'.

As people start making their weapons disappear, the King notes bemusedly; "I will never grow tired of that strange magic you Adventurers seem to possess." He remarks, before shaking his head. "A barrier?" He doesn't seem to know what Giganpor is talking about, but he does note; "These lands are known as the Palace Lands. Or the Dragon Lands by some from older generations." He explains. "We used to have palaces in many places in these regions. Many of them far away from these Root Cities. I fear most of them were overrun by monsters, or are just not worth reclaiming anymore."

The man pauses, then asks Baroness Wake; "Is King Gilgamesh still alive?" He asks her. "If so, bring him this gem. I believe he will know what to do with it." And offers the thing to Baroness Wake. "Please keep it safe." The gem that he pulls out from within his robes is folded within cloth. It seems almost like a worry-stone, it's got that indentation of a thumb-sized shape into it. It's a blue opal-like gem, or 'scale', claiming to be a 'Stone of Enkidu'.

Filimøs Harrifenas then points Merek to the obvious rusted looking Chaos Gate at the center of the Main Square. "That is what you seek, is it not?" She asks. "As for the Alv, they were an ancient species that disappeared during a great war, along with many of the Cait Sith and Were Fangs." The young woman remarks studiously.

Gwen thinks for a moment "huh like the legendary Thirteenth Vault! That's pretty neat."

Finding the Hunter Guild is out here doesn't shock her at all.

"I suspect the guild was a worldwide group and just the Levithans cut off their communication. That's just me and if not wouldn't it make sense for such a group to form in any region with monster issues?"

She notes with a bit of a grin. At the mention of moonlight? That gets Gwen's attention hard.

"There are a few Moonlight Crafters who are a part of this but none of us are very experienced."

She looks to their host and nods.

"My more outlandish thing tends to be commissioned by or made for other Adventures. I still seek to improve my skills and learning from others is a great way."

Gwen go wild on an entire land that has no idea about her and her reputation? The real question is what if she finds a kindred soul here and teams up with them for even more fashion power.

"Though if my skills are needed? I would be happy to put them to use."

She's also thinking of new foods to bring back too.

"I have no issues in keeping my weapons in my bag of holding It's a reasonable request. Don't want to spook people will armour such as my plate be an issue?"

"We mingle a lot we had to and want to what good is it keeping alone. Yeah, the local monsters have proven to be very challenging. I wonder though as while we are here ? Is there any quests or other issues you might need aid with?"

Longwang. Guardian. Spider God. Hmm. "... Guardian." Proteus ponders. "Did it happen to be a floating sword and a fire-breathing chicken-dragon?" She asks. "I am curious. Though we have had some incursions from the Palace Lands in Yamato. Creatures using objects to call forth allies from these lands or to invest themselves with powerful spirits to mantle."

The sight of the stone gets a glance, but the Imp says and does nothing, simply noting it. Mmm.

What is more notable is the Chaos Gate. Proteus moves forward to begin examining it intently, immediately looking to the Alvish inscriptions and checking them against those of the other Gates she has had the opportunity to examine... Amongst other things.

The mention of Were Fangs has Giganpor looking at the younger Harrifens, "Some of us are Were Fangs, actually. I am one myself. I am based on a Tusked Snow Lion. It was a powerful monster I fought before."

Giganpor looks to the King again and sighs, "I apologize. We sometimes slip into terminology that is foreign or ideas that are harder to explain. That there is a Chaos Gate here speaks of connections to these lands, perhaps, and that we can perhaps do something eventually."

Then he hears about the Alvs and Giganpor looks a bit sad, his cloak even changing to more muted colors, reflecting it. "What I have found out of the Alvs is... a bit sad. And not for ears here, sir. But that the Alvs were here as well as some of the greater Gnome craftsmen speaks volumes. I trained with Gnomes before as a blacksmith."

Considering a bit, he looks at the King, "Do you have questions for us, Your Highness? I know that we have been bombarding you with questions as well, but if you have some for us I am sure that we can gladly answer what we can."

    Merek looks to the Chaos Gate, and will note it at the moment and its rusted look while he takes the time to nod along to the King, "Thank you. We have them as well, but they don't work either. And, I apologize... I did not want to bring up those memories. Would be nice to speak with your scholars at some point." The man smiles, with an incline. Then, he thinks better about it. With better guards and with protection, he will get to that. Patience wins. The man walks along and then will look to any of the Merchants which he finds, "King Harrifenas. I would like to study your Chaos Gate at a future time, with a little bit of protection. If you would be open to those talks, I will bring about a few people interested with your scholars."
    Then he's smiling, "We will wait for that, for now let's explore the place. I am going to seek your Merchants, and I'm going to see if they would like any of our goods. If I find they like it, we will possibly be open to trade talks, though for now it will be slow as we are limited in travel." He will bring to the Merchants a few things, notably he will only look to Goblinsbane, as well as a diagram of street lamps, the man doesn't show them explosives that he made. Well, he does know a thing about intelligence.

Some care is taken with the flowers, Mikage making sure they are stowed into her inventory so they can be examined later without any significant damage to them. The life she leads is hardly gentle on her gear, but luckily this 'pocket dimension' as they describe it, is suitable for keeping those sorts of things safe.

"We've faced some difficult quests and unusual monsters in our own lands. It's allowed us to be of service to the Hunter's Guild as well as the Landers across the Kingdoms of Yamato." Boasting doesn't come naturally to Mikage, so it all seems simply like a statement of fact.

The fact that there seem to be relatively few Cait Sith, and no Were Fang in the surroundings is enough to rekindle some of that wariness that she used to carry. In the early days after the Dark Wave, the Landers were far more wary of Were Fang in their homeland. How such beings are treated here, she doesn't quite know. So, her instinct is to keep her hood up, covering the mark on her neck. Giganpor, however, seems more open about it, so she only gives him a brief glance, hoping his revelation doesn't come back to bite them in the butt.

"I... would love a chance to speak to any of your hunters, though. The animals here are so different from Yamato and it would be a good chance to learn something new." She inserts, the request certainly coming across a bit strangely since it's not part of the current topics. Miki really does have some issues with social situations, alas.

Jazuhanzu freezes when 'spider-god' is mentioned. Perhaps Jazz does not love spiders? That seems possible. She puts a hand to the back of her head, considering a moment. Her tentacles twitch. The reactions to their varied levels, hunter's guild rank, and more have her looking considerably more concerned, moment by moment. And then Gilgamesh is mentioned. She casts a glance to3wards the man who asked, curious, as he hands that token to Wake. Interested. "..huh," she mutters. TAnd then they're before the Chaos Gate and she stares at it for a long moment. "...ah... ha. Well. This is ... kind of expected, actually," she mutters. She pushes forward to have a look at it herself. She's no Chaos Gate or Alv expert, but she *is* curious, her amber eyes wandering over it for a moment in thought.

"Yeah," she agrees with Mikage as she speaks, "... definitely have a lot of mapping to do, I can see. Guides to write. Monsters to learn about.." She's mumbling to herself, but she has gotten closer to Mikage. Her conversation is of interested to hre at this point.

"I see," the Doctor answers, of the location and state of the present dearth of adventurers. All afield or in other kingdoms, is it? Fair enough. At least it seems hes heard of the Dark Wave-- that aught to make things somewhat easier to deal with. At least the adventurers they might encounter here will be... relatively on the same page.

"Longwang..." Prophylaxis frowns, then shakes his head. "...I'm afraid that it's unlikely to be the Dragon King. I have been attending to his shrine in the far East, and it has been terribly desecrated by the apes-beasts that live in the area. If Longwang is unable to properly protect his temple, then I question whether he is able to cast such protections on your people's behalf, though I admit that I know little of the wills and whims of elemental divnities."

Except, you know, for the one he knows fairly well in fact.

But regardless, it seems that the thing they defeated on the bridge was keeping these lands safe from those very same monsters. Which means the fact that it's /not/ there anymore is... probably a problem.

"...With regards to the lands to the east," Prophylaxis says, thoughtfully. "We would be interested in establishing a settlement there, to act as a port and point of respite for travellers heading east. Perhaps we might be able to reclaim the Dragon King's shrine at the same time...?"

"Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself," he says, then. "The details of diplomacy can be hashed out later. For now... I don't suppose there's a library here, is there? Perhaps a book store? I imagine many stories are different from those in Yamato, and I can't help but be curious."

It's the lorehound in him, probably.

...Probably.

    Rizadoman looks up at the name of the dragon lands, " The land of nagas you say? I suppose that confirms my hope. Dragons still live in this land, is that right? " The blue stone catches his eye for a moment but it's not what he thought was. Turning back to look at Filimas, "I am sure many lizardmen also fell during those times but I am glad to know that my ancestors have made it all the way out here. It makes sense that they would make their way to a place called 'The Dragon Lands' , or perhaps this is where the first lizardmen came from. " It is his own rambling of thoughts now , at the moment before he pulls himself abck to the conversation. The mention of the guardian does bring up one incident, that cost someone here an arm.

    Wake accepts the stone with a bowed head. "You honor me, my Lord. I will place this in no other hands than the King's." She takes note of the name of the object, but does not study it further before storing it safely away.

    The Baroness finds herself admiring the magical lights closely. She files away questions about them. This hardly seems the time to pry into such details. Wake will leave space so that her companions can give voice to their desires. Other matters of state can come in their due time.

Yeowang watches as the conversations move in a dozen directions, each adventurers with their own goals and objectives, needs and wants. She's intrigued to note that the currency is the same as at home, and the values of things quite close. That is entirely unexpected given the difference in the number of adventurers, who are the primary recirculators of currency. But that confirms her understanding that the worlds are all managed more or less centrally, in some larger computer network. Or at least were at one point, and started with the same coins and values in each place.

She nods as our Guild ranks are noted; though she's oly sapphire, she considers herself resonably competent in various adventure-related tasks. Well, she's been working at it. She will keep an eye out for various items that might be unavailable in Yamato, for purchase as trade goods.

    Miyako nods to Jazuhanzu. "Mapping. Songs to learn. Stories to collect." She smiles lightly and turns about, having a look around the city to see if there is anything that looks like a musician or any related things in sight.

    "If I might indulge a moment of curiosity, perhaps you could tell us what the various kingdoms are named for? We know the name of Thor from ancient myths of our homelands, but I somehow cannot imagine that they speak of the same being here."

"A giant... chicken-dragon?" The man looks confused at Proteus. One of the guards remarks; "I believe that was a monster sighting around the bridge area, sir."

"Ah." The King then notes, "There always tends to be something roaming around that bridge. We pay it little mind unless it crosses it and comes to walk these lands." Comes the explaination while the Imp moves to check out the Chaos Gate which... looks and reads the exact same as all the others she's discovered before.

Filimøs Harrifenas nods to Giganpor. "Yeah, I figured you were a Were Fang. You have the tattoo." She touches to her neck, to indicate where Giganpor has his.

At the suggestion of people investigating the Chaos Gates however, a few guards start moving in front of the gate, trying to urge Proteus to step back as well. "I would prefer you did not. They are an ancient teleportation device left behind by the Alv. And I rather not risk any messing around with them." Potimas points out. "I hope you'll respect my request on that matter."

It would not take much to understand why.

Potimas does not respond to everyone, though he's clearly trying. The Adventurers are very excitable, he has noted. But he doesn't seem surprised at this fact. He does notice Mikage's motion towards her neck.

"You misunderstand my daughter. Most Cait Sith and Were Fangs are simply in another Kingdom. There's just not that many of them left since the War against the Eight Cursed Waves, much like the Spriggans." Mikage might notice that the quick jump in logic requires either a great social reader, or someone who knows of what she's found within Yamato and their culture.

"Feel free to speak to the Hunters. Many of them gather in the Clearing to the West." He notes, before quieting as Prophylaxis mentions Longwang's shrine. "That is... concerning to hear. But not surprising. I thank you for seeing to his Shrine. Though I would remind you that many Divine Beings do not particularly care to keep up a shrine where no people live. Shrines do not exist for them. They exist for us, in the end."

At Prophylaxis remark of a settlement, the man rubs his chin for a moment, considering this.

"We have been unable to keep that area safe. I will let you have a settlement there, if you will permit my daughter to monitor it, and keep her safe." He then remarks, looking to the girl - who seems shocked at first... but then bows her head in deference.

"There are not many libraries. But we have some of them in the depths of Dol Dona. You are free to seek them out." Potimas then mentions. He seems to kind of ignore Rizadoman's prattling, though a bemused smirk shows on his face. Behind him, one of the guard remarks that Adventurers 'are so very strange'.

"As for the naming of our Kingdoms, I do believe they were named after kings of old." Potimas remarks. "I admit, often one lives in a city or a country, and not wonder whence their name originates. You simply live in it, and appreciate the name it has been given." Potimas then remarks to Miyako, before asking; "If that will be all, I will let you all explore and enjoy yourselves. I've got business to attend." The King notes.

Giganpor nods, to Filimøs and before he looks to Potimas, "I have one last question, sir? Do you have a port city nearby? Our own landing area has caused us much trouble to get this far, and I would seek a safer way to arrive here than having to go through monsters each time. It would also help us to send word back and gain some aide if we wish to help with any monster problems that the Hunter's Guild might have."

Giganpor looks carefully at Potimas as he says so, and also at Filimøs as if considering things. The gentle giant is obviously intending to at least look around a bit, and perhaps will do so. But he does look at Prophylaxis and shakes his head, looking to Baroness Wake. "You were right about them." He says simply before he looks to Potimas for his reply.

Obviously, this isn't much, and he seems to be considering what to do now. The exploring is something that he might seek out, as is any blacksmiths he can find.

A look is given to Filimøs as he seems to consider, "M'lady Harrifens, would you be so kind as to point me to a blacksmith? As much as I am a warrior, I have found myself also wondering how different armor and weaponry is here, as well as seeing if perhaps I can help with any trade secrets that might have fallen out of style in Yamato or even here over time."

    Merek looks up from what he is doing and back to the King, "I understand," he will note, then he's taking the time to make deals. That will be what he does for the time being.

    Rizadoman looks at the correction and tilts his head, that was an interesting way of correting the misunderstanding. Scratching his head for a moment he looks at the king as he notes the end of the tour. " Thank you for guiding us this far. It has been greatly appreciated. " Now then he was sure someone just mentioned a library. IT would be interesting to see what they have down there, a particular question could be answered down there that had been bothering him for a little bit. In fact a few questions really.

"G... good to know." That slight hesitancy remains in Mikage's voice, but she does leave her hood up, for now. The Ranger glances over at Jazuhanzu, "Seems like there's the possibility of lots to explore."

Though she listens to much of the rest of the conversation, Miki only really nods at the invitation to talk to the other hunters. Though, she does key in on the discussion about a settlement, likely interested in protecting what has already been built in Seeker's Landing.

Still, it's easy to tell that she isn't exactly comfortable at the moment. "I... think I'm going to go do some exploring. See what I can find in the city." Assuming the King doesn't warn her off of anywhere in particular, that would likely be the Were Fang making an excuse to depart and see what else the city might have to offer.

"Yeah, and that's not even getting into what we can learn about the history of this place, the history of the world by extension," she tells Mikage, nodding towards her. "It'll be intersting to see what we can infer, what's in the gaps," she offers quietly to her. And then she's staring after Mikage as she just makes her way off, blinking her eyes once. "...hm," she says. She doesn't wander away from the central group herself yet. Giganpor's question of a port city earns a sharp turn of her attention towards him and the response, though. This, too, is something she's curious aboiut.

"Strange," the doctor murmurs, "The Dragon King's power is absolutely still manifest in that place, but... Perhaps he has his reasons." Inscrutable deities are just kind of a thing in so many places, after all.

The topic turns to that of a settlement, then, and the doctor is honestly somewhat surprised. "Well. Excellent, then," though it has... conditions. Conditions which the doctor seems fine with, if he's being honest. It wouldn't be the first time they've kept someone safe from horrible monsters. "Of course, we will do our utmost," Prophylaxis inclines his head deferentially, "It will be some time before we're ready to embark in any permanent habitation, however. At least, I'd like to cull some of the beasts in the area first."

"...Ah, certain members of the other Alliances were also curious if you would be amenable to the construction of an overland transit system to help facilitate the reclamation of the east? We can hash out the details of such a thing at a later date, however."

What did Giganpor mean? It's not exactly the /doctor's/ idea to build something like a settlement in the east! He's just giving voice to the concept, is all. But what he /is/ interested in, though...

"Incidentally, we've been pursuing a rather large tower in this part of the Palace Lands. We headed towards it assuming that there was civilization at its base. Do you know anything of its nature or name? It's quite a curious construction, isn't it?" Of course the Scaley is interested in the tower! Scales are like cats! They seek the highest point in all the land at all times!!

Gwen gets some information about other thing but also see she'll be on he own for the most part with her own desire there should be crafters and merchants out there. She thinks for a moment then looks to their host for a moment. "Where might I find any tailors and cooks plying their trades here? I would like to see if they are willing to teach or maybe find a place to buy recpies."

    Merek speaks to a few of the people that are buying lanterns from him, and nodding to the Merchants. The man offers them each a few that are pre-made, while he takes the time to write contracts that will detail that there is written upon paper the agreement not to reverse engineer it. "We will work on making the waters safer for travel, then we'll see about what else I can bring you all." The talk of the goblins seems to note that there aren't many in the place. Then he's on a shopping spree to make a purchase.

The Chaos Gate looks exactly the same. Proteus frowns for a moment, considering the situation, but steps back when the guards move in to usher her off. Fair enough. Who knows what might happen otherwise? Her hands rise, placatingly, as she steps back and gives them plenty of space. She will be making no trouble here.

At least, not in this manner. In the meantime, she has a number of new keywords to investigate, places to look...

And then Prophylaxis brings up the tower. The Imp turns and stares at Prophylaxis. "Surely you have enough problems with the one you have." Proteus comments.

"Shhh," Prophylaxis gives Proteus a good natured grin. "All mysterious towers that loom over the land are interesting to me. They're giant mysterious towers! How could they not be interesting?"

At Giganpor's inquiry, Potimas remarks; "We are a port city. Just travel a ways up north, and you will hit the port." He explains to Giganpor. "If you wish for safe travel to your Landing area, you will want to speak to the naval officers there to arrange something. But I imagine they'll wish for a contract and sufficient payment."

Filimøs in turn nods her head. "You will want to hit some of the nearby shops run by our esteemed Gnome population." She proposes to Giganpor. "You will have no problems finding them, I'm sure."

Then, Prophylaxis asks about the giant tower to the east. Potimas remarks; "Ah, you must speak of Babel Tower. In earnest, I do not know much of it. I believe it was built by the Alv for some purpose."

With that said, the King bows his head, excuses himself politely, and steps away. Dropping that name like it's nothing and doesn't take any further questions as he steps into a Mining Elevator and descends.

There is no grin on the Imp's face, as she steps forward and leans in close to the Doctor of Tolbana. Her pointed teeth reveal themselves as she states quite clearly, "If you think for /one moment/ that I am going to stand idly by and let you and the Scale Alliance inflict on the Palace Lands what you and yours have done to Yamato, you are a fool."

"Babel Tower, you say...?" The doctor's gaze suddenly fixes after the King, he looks concerned for a moment, then turns to Proteus, "...You know just as well as I do that the 'Babel Signal' has something to do with that tower. If something is affecting our ability to communicate, we /need/ to deal with it, if not just to safeguard our understanding of one another."

He shakes his head, "...And you also know that I have no wish to generate more of those waves if I can avoid it. But you must be curious as well of the true nature of that 'signal.'"

    Mention of the tower rouses Wake's attention, though for the moment she won't press the matter. Since the King has taken his leave, she finds herself free to reduce her level of formality from DEFCON 2 to something approaching her normal.

    And then of course, things just have to escalate between Prophylaxis and Proteus, forcing her to go back up the scales again. So to speak.

    "Let us not show ourselves to be an unruly lot," Wake says calmly. "Let us discuss this elsewhere. It is not a matter that needs deciding on in this place or at this time. We all know that Towers are a serious matter and it would be unwise to rush into things that put us all in danger. Can we simply agree to study this place together and make a decision once we know more? Details can be determined later, if that is acceptable."

Yeowang has gone on a shopping expedition, and much like the explorers of the Age of Exploration, she mainly seems to be buying local spices that are not found in Yamato. Is there a max load in Inventory? Or can she get as much as she can afford? We shall see, we shall see.

"You think so." Proteus replies, her tone becoming more angry, more aggressive. "The oh-so-delicate methodology that you and yours undertake was only barely contained, Landers and Adventurers dying because of /you/. You keep begging off and saying that you mean no harm and yet you just /keep doing it/. How many times do you think people are going to trust your word when you keep doing this? And you think I am going to-"

Before Proteus goes full tilt, however, Wake speaks, and the Imp pauses, grimacing as she rocks backwards on her feet. ".... Tch." She turns away, flaring her cloak as she does so, and stalks off.

"No... no building roads, no culling monster populations, no stumbling around in the dark. We don't know anything about these lands, and these aren't *our* lands. They belong to them," Jazz points at the Landers, "and the Adventurers native to it. Let's not start off with immedaitely overstepping boundaries we don't know are in place yet, or disrupting a land we don't know anything about. The Good King here has alreayd made his feelings abundantly clear on the matter." And it seems those feelings are one's Jazz stroingly approves of, for what it's worth, seeming pleased it was expressed in the first place. Hey, for once, she and Proteus may even be on the same side of an argument!

All the same, she turns to Wake, giving her a nod of approval. "I think that's definitely what we ought to be doing."

    Merek does peek from a shop at the angry voice of Proteus, coming up to Wake with some information and clearly communicating it to the woman. "Right, I would go back to trading, but I was wondering if you would like to come with me for a drink? I am excited to partake with the culture."

Not having quite stepped away, Giganpor looks to Prophylaxis. "Do not touch it. Do not go near it. I mean it, Prophylaxis. There was something about a signal before, one that had us all unable to communicate. We are all still guests in this world."

He looks to the others, "Let us explore. I will be going to the port, and will be seeing what I can do to negotiate an easier time of arrival among other things."

He rubs his chin, "A Spider God?" He frowns, then comments to the others, "Oh, stay out of the lands of the east. I'll remind you all of the attack on the camp before. A Spider God could mean a very, very high level enemy. We have seen ones that do not even register and others that are black before. They do still exist."

With that, Giganpor moves away towards the north, keeping his eyes about as he goes.

"I /did/ say that the whole settlement and road thing was not my idea," the doctor sighs, rubbing tiredly at his temples, "And the trip across the sea is bad enough as it is. Logistically speaking, we /need/ to have something on the east side of the continent, if we want to have regular trips back and forth. We /still/ don't have a way to make the Chaos Gates work, and until then we need to make do the long way."

But then, there's a rather explosive reaction about the tower. Not one that Prophylaxis entirely unexpected, however.

But ultimately, a response is only going to relieve the ache of defensiveness and vitriol in his gut, and doctors are /well/ versed in keeping that sort of thing down. He only shrugs and shakes his head in response, then fixes the Baroness with a look, "When that signal failed, to say that our ability to communicate was affected poorly is an understatement. I've my hands too full with business in Yamato to commit to driving an entire raid group up a totally different tower on my own, so cooperation would be ideal and preferred. Regardless, it /does/ need to be looked into. Our ability to communicate across the continent in an instant and be /understood/ is key to far too many things."

    Miyako hmms to herself, fingers tapping her chin as she thinks. She tilts her head as she tries to listen to something, then starts humming along with something she hears. She starts to walk off, then pauses to say, "Going to look for the local musicians, see what's what. Ping me if you need me." She waits a moment for any reply, then starts walking again. She pauses as she nears the church, lingering to listen to the music coming from it.

    The Baroness sighs as Proteus stalks angrily away. A hand is lifted to massage the middle of her forehead with a single finger. A breath in, a breath out. She turns to Prophylaxis, frowning thoughtfully. Still, she has no interest in stoking these fires, and so she moves closer, speaking quietly.

    "Can you please take a touch more care not to provoke the other Alliances?" That her voice doesn't sound strained is something she'll reflect on later. And be impressed by. "You know we're going to investigate, but with great care and patience. There is much to do here to make things safe, and some questions to address. Like our priorities. We are finite in number and cannot master all the mysteries of this world or conquer all its monsters at once. Regardless, there are other adventurers here."

    Merek looks along to everyone and will nod a little bit, while he notices that Wake looks to be busy, "I will be about." To Proteus, "Would you like to come with me on my adventure to find culture to partake in? Mind any company?" There are not a lot of other people to ask that he think have the same interest.

Gwen has departd to go looking for crafting respcies and she may very well finds some also she will sell simple thing like socks to recover some money after she goes shoppiung. Also the discovery of the food is normal and goo leaves her a very happy Slyph later...

"The tower and the settlement were not things I came here to seek, Wake. I just wanted a name for the place and to put forward an idea that one of the Grandeurs came to /me/ about, but," Prophylaxis answers with a shake of the head, "I'll take care not to open my mouth in their company, I guess."

With that he shrugs and heads off into the Root Town to look for one of the things he /had/ come all this way for.

    Where did Rizadoman go ? Well he went off to find the libraries and you know from there he smelt something good and now here he is eating frozen cream. It is amazing and they have it in flavors that one can only imagine. He casually enjoys the green tea ice cream as he continues to wander around in circles. Very large circles but eventually one day he would make it to the libraries and then his real hunt would begin.

Staring after Prophylaxis, Jazz just sort of lets out a sigh.

"...wher did Gwen get off to?" she asks, worriedly, havijng perhaps felt a chill down her spine at some point as to what the Sylph could be getting up to.

"..at least there's confirmation that there *are* some adventurers around here somewhere." Even if they haven't met them yet.

She was injured so she told Miyako to work extra hard for her...

Or was she?

Kotono somehow appeared in the background all this time, but she went unnoticed until now... albeit with her arm in a sling. She walks over to Miyako and says, "I have my reasons for keeping quiet and this is one of them." She points at her slinged arm, only to touch it and causing her to wince.

    There are a few things Wake needs to achieve before she can wrap up this mission and put a bow on it. First, the practical matter of understanding the city, how it works, what its people value, and how to demonstrate care and respect for their ways. This she achieves by finding an official of the city of less lofty standing: the kind that has time for an outsider. The conversation is quite pleasant, and as much as Wake learns, she also shares when questions are asked of her.

    Along the way, she requests and gets some help from Yeowang to achieve another serious goal. The Baroness needs flowers. Not just cuttings, but the plants themselves, to spruce up her castle for a wedding celebration. There is a great deal on her plate.

    These things being satisfactory for her visit, Wake must head away, swiftly. Her home is waiting, and she feels an urgency unlike anything she's experienced before. It's time to get back to Yamato.

Yeowang nods to Wake, and expands her shopping expedition to include potted plants. Pretty flowers aren't always front and center in a mercantile district, but Yeowang apparently has some skill at locating trade items, and will find a suitable merchant, who will hopefully be quite happy for a large pile of coin in exchange for a big chunk of inventory. And of course Yeowang is pleased whenever she can bring together two people and work out a deal.

    Standing by the Church, Miyako nods to Kotono. "That should heal soon, I hope. If not we'll have to look up a specialty potion." She's not quite sure what caused it - she wasn't there - but if it hasn't healed by now there must be something odd.

    Still, after listening to the Church music for a while, she nods. "Nothing new here," she muses, "Shall we go exploring for a bit?"

Kotono shrugs off the injruy as best as she can. "Don't ask, it's a long story." She sighs a little before nodding to Miyako. "Indeed, let's see what's around here."

    Miyako nods to Kotono, leading her friend deeper into the city, in her search for interesting music and new sights.