|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:08 pm
A familiar thrill coursed through Mikaril's spine as he sprinted out of the outskirts of the city of Llurth Dreir. He fancied he could still hear the alarm spreading out to the city from the house he had just escaped from, the cause of their distress clutched in his right hand. It had been a surprisingly easy theft; apparently Lolth didn't think enough of that particular house to offer it any protection from those who would make off with it's treasures.
He climbed upon a ledge and leaned against the cavern wall to catch his breath, slowly uncurling his fingers and peering at his prize; a finely crafted pendant on an unremarkable chain. It was shaped like a small rectangular box, with an intricate symmetrical design on both sides that reminded him of splashing droplets and decorated with miniscule dots. One side was decorated further with gleaming black gems, the other with larger dots of shining mithril. He had heard from a reliable source that this strange piece of jewelry had the magical ability to dispell the globes of darkness that any drow had the ability to conjure. He had revelled in the chaos he would cause in lifting such an item rather than it's abilities, but he had to admit, if it truly had such magic, it would definitely come in handy.
The sound of many footsteps reached his ears along with a few barely perceptible cries. The time for rest was over. He carefully leaped down from the ledge and disappeared down one of the many tunnels, one that he knew would eventually take him back to the Glimmersea and out of harm's reach. 3nodding
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 4:17 am
The docks of the Glimmersea were congested, as usual, with riff raff and nobles alike. Sailors, slaves and well-dressed merchants all clamored for space within the undulating crowd, each attempting to yell louder than the next, either to hawk their wares or to screech after a thief who had just taken off with their money purse. Ilphonim wandered aimlessly amongst them, humming to himself good naturedly as he was buffeted by elbows and pushes. allowing himself to be bounced about. It was easier that way; it allowed him to be propelled through the throng faster than he could have managed on his own, and so long as he continued to move, the blows were only glancing.
The ship he was waiting for was not due in for another hour. It had been delayed some time by an unexpected attack by a giant squid, but the crew had fought it off with minor casualties and no detriment to the cargo. Of that Ilphonim was grateful; had he returned to the House of Luana with salted earth, broken pottery and an empty purse, not even a hundred roses for the Lady Nisha would save him from a terrible beating.
And so Ilphonim meandered and wandered and stumbled his way through the makeshift marketplace dockside of the sea, only slowing now and then when some trinket caught his eye. He bought several; gifts for his mistresses to curry their favor despite his eventual late return. He was considering a black pearl and onyx comb for Zari when a glint caught his eye and he turned, spotting a peculiar pendant around a male much too shabby in attire to have paid for it properly. A thief. Ilphonim pushed through the crowd now, struggling to make it to the drow.
"Excuse me!" he called, " Excuse me, but is that pendant for sale?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 8:23 pm
Surprised that he had made such good timing, Mikaril soon smelled the slight tang of the waters of the Glimmersea and heard the distant hubbub of the docks and markets. He wondered if the theft he had just committed had shaken him up more than he had thought, for him to travel so quickly. He shrugged and paused momentarily to fasten the pendant around his neck; it would be easier to keep track of and less likely to vanish.
He entered the crowd and let it carry him toward the docks, where he knew his small boat would be waiting to soak its underside in the inky waters of the Glimmersea and bear its lone passenger along a familiar route to.....where? Back to his family? He found himself making a face; he had no desire to return to them; he never did. And with a pendant like this, Haellara would undoubtedly claim it for herself, and though he had no yearning of his own to keep it, he would rather toss it in the Glimmersea than see it around the neck of his spoiled selfish goblin-kin of a sister.
He had just sighted the docks and was meandering toward where he knew his boat would be waiting when a call made him stop short. He turned and saw another male heading toward him, and when he got close enough for Mikaril to get a good look at him, he found that he couldn't immediately look away. The shining green tattoos on the other's face drew his eyes in, and he had to squash the rather infantile desire to reach out and touch them. When he finally managed to tear his gaze away long enough to observe the rest of the male, he raised his eyebrows at the other's unusual appearance.
Realizing that he was staring unabashedly, he cleared his throat and looked down at the chain around his neck, then back up to meet the eyes of the other and shrugged. "I suppose it could be, if the offer is tantalizing enough. Though in fairness of pricing I should warn you that this has been rumored to have magical properties." He had already made up his mind to part with the item, since coin was a lot easier to work with and less recognizable, though he was curious to see if the strange drow before him would offer something other than coin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 8:48 pm
"Pricing is no matter, depending upon what you are willing to take in return. I can deal in either coin, or in magic, whichever you prefer."
Ilphonim smiled goodnaturedly, and reached into his satchel, to dig out a few of the pieces of jewelry he had just purchased.
"Or, if you like, we can bargain for unenchanted trinkets. They will be less difficult for you to sell later, and safer to travel with than coin."
As he spoke, Ilphonim considered the thief, considering his strange attire, which from afar had appeared shabby. Up close Ilphonim realized his mistake. The thief's armor was a thing of great beauty; seemingly made of beryl, with glowing glyphs which seemed to allow the wearer to blend into a crowd. With the heavy cloak swept to the side, the lavender and gold front piece was displayed, in itself a work of artistic craftsmanship. Ilphy quickly came to the conclusion that this was no ordinary pickpocket. Meeting the drow's crimson eyes with his own, he smiled again, only to have an elbow dug into his ribs by an impatient merchant. Rubbing his side, he muttered wryly:
"Would you like to move to a less congested area to discuss this? I'm afraid we'll have no peace, standing about in this crowd of ruffians."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 7:12 pm
Mikaril tried not to let his face reveal his excitement at being offered magic; it did appeal to him, it's various uses. But then the leering face of his sister filled his vision, and he could just hear her poisoned honey voice. "What's this, Miky? Something magic? For me? Aww, that's sooo sweet. Tell you what; why don't we go right now and test it out? I PROMISE I won't aim for between your legs this time."
Chasing away the inevitable flush, he forced himself to focus on the trinkets in front of him. He nodded at the male's suggestion, noticing that he was sizing him up pretty much the same way he had been sizing HIM up moments ago. He could only imagine how he must look to someone who looked so strange to him in turn.
He nodded again at the mention of relocating to a less congested area. "Good idea. This isn't exactly the best place to be waving such things around. Besides, I think I owe it to you in terms of price at least to see whether or not this item is truly magical. Do you have a preferred place? I'm afraid I haven't taken much time to familiarize myself with the general areas outside the docks."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 10:31 pm
Ilphonim looked about in surprise, as if just noticing that others beside himself and this thief were in close proximity.
"Ah, yes, it is getting rather..congested, as you say."
Ilphy nodded, his expression one of sagesse despite his apparent lack of common sense. Mages were not exactly known for their down-to-earth personalities, and Ilphonim was more flighty and stunned than most.
"I admit that I myself am also unfamilliar with the area, but there's always time for an adventure!"
He tramped off towards the outskirts of the docks, completly oblivious to the curious stares which found the odd drow. Once they'd managed to tuck themselves away into a side tunnel, Ilphonim turned to face the thief once again.
"Now then, I'm afraid you misunderstood before. I have no magical artifacts to trade; you see, I'm a mage myself. I would trade my skills for the thing you wear around your neck."
Outstretching his hand, Ilphonim offered an example of his skill. A small seed sprouted and grew, in seconds, into a blooming rose. It wilted just as quickly, only to be transformed into a red saffron plant; the staymen of which was used to make expensive, brilliant yellow dye. The saffron itself wilted, only to re-blossom as an exotic bird of paradise. Closing his hand reduced it all to a seed once again.
"As you can see, I offer goods for trade which are hard to come by in these parts."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 4:36 pm
(( surprised How on Earth did you know that not a week ago I was thinking of how Mikaril would react to flowers? XD He's never seen surface stuff. X3))
Mikaril allowed an easy smile as he walked with the strange drow, amused at the strange looks people were giving him. Even though the stares were not aimed directly at him, it still felt sort of strange having so many eyes in his general direction. Kind of uncomfortable, he came to realize, since he was so used to being unnoticable. Too many eyes was often a prelude to hostility. Still, he mused, he didn't think anyone with half a brain would bother him or his exotic-looking companion.
Mikaril looked a tad disappointed at first at the mention of no magical items, but he watched as a strange plant seemed to materialize out of the mage's hand, and his eyes went wide with wonder as he gingerly reached out his hand, not quite touching Ilphonim's hand. "W-what was all of that? I think the first was a plant, but such a smell it had.....like incense, only....gentle. And that strange creature...it had so many colors, and then it vanished....." He looked at the seed, and then up at Ilphonim, failing to mask the confusion that was so clear on his face. "I thought you said you didn't have any magical items...?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 4:47 pm
(I had no idea! I'm a genius! 4laugh sweatdrop )
Ilphonim laughed gently.
"The seed isn't magic. It acts as a focus for my own magic. What I'm offering is any type of plant you can imagine, which will last much longer than any natural one would here in the underdark. Most would wither without sunlight, but these will be fed with magic for awhile. The first thing I showed you was a flower called a rose. It is used in teas and kept for it's lovely perfume. The second was saffron, used in dyes, and extremely rare and expensive. And the third was an exotic flower with the appearance of a bird."
As he spoke he created each plant for Mikaril to see again, then once again allowed the seed to go back to its natural shape.
"So you see, I can offer you many things in return for that trinket on your neck."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:49 pm
((Yes j00 are! blaugh ))
"Oh." Mikaril chewed on his lower lip and looked rather sadly at the seed. "A rose......" He felt as though a live snake was squirming in his gut. Such a pretty and fragrant plant, and it came from a place that though he had never been there he hated with every fiber of his being. Somehow it didn't seem fair.
He looked back up at Ilphonim and tried to understand the nature of the wondrous offer. "So...it would last longer, but not forever, and they run on magic." He poked his tongue out the side of his mouth thoughtfully. "But....how much does it take? Does it work for an ordinary drow like me, or only for one like you.....who obviously has more magic than average?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 8:36 am
"If you would be willing to wait a short time, I can give you something that will last longer..."
Ilphonim had begun to smile wide, a thought suddenly occuring to him.
"I'm waiting on a shipment of pots and soil. If you will wait until the ship docks, and the cargo is unloaded, then I can give you a rose bush; it will produce roses for as long as it is cared for properly. It will simply need water, and re-potting if it gets too large. However, there is one catch; you will need a sunburst crystal to keep it alive. But that too I can help you with. I have it on good authority that there is a drow who deals in such rare items close to the city- the infamous leader of Clann Claddep. The docks are abuzz with his presence, which means that certainly his band will be moving on soon. They never stick around for long."
He nodded, still grinning, proud of his quick thinking.
"And you won't have to supply the rose bush with magic; I will suffuse it into the soil, so that it will give you a week, maybe two, to track down a sunburst crystal. Even in that time it will produce many flowers, so even if you fail you will have rare items to sell nevertheless. The flowers last perhaps a week or so after they are cut, and they need to be placed in water. So what do you think, do we have a deal?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 1:46 pm
"A whole bush?" Mikaril's mind reeled. A common plant wouldn't have any magic traces, so it would be less likely his sister would find it, if he hid it really well. He remembered finding a few places deep in the bowels of House Torlyl that seemed like places that hadn't been used for so long that nobody had thought to put them to any other use. He recalled one in particular that he had found near the treasure room by moving aside a statue and following a dusty set of stairs. He had imagined that one of his ancestors had used it as a safe area for when the house was under attack, or maybe it was used by anotehr just like him who just wanted a place to get away from his family without leaving the safety (somewhat) of the house. It would be the perfect place to hide a rosebush.
"So, if I give you the pendant, you will give me such a bush, and the means to locate a crystal?" He thought he would be more than willing to submit his eyes to a stinging light if it would help to keep such a wonderful creation alive, and more than worth the risk of sneaking it in. He looked Ilphonim in the eye and nodded. "Okay, you've got a deal. I'm sure once I speak to this clan leader I can be able to work out a deal for purchasing a crystal. I might even ask him if he's interested about becoming a regular with purchasing some of my....acquired items whenever I don't feel like turning them over to my house."
"Now then," he said as he reached down and adjusted the pendant so that it hung in plain sight. "How would you prefer to test this item to assure that it does what I say it does?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:43 pm
Ilphonim quirked an eyebrow in what could almost be construed as arrogance; although he was usually meek and awkward socially, he was a true academic and when it came to matters of magical lore and ability, he was prone to feeling rather insulted when another questioned his abilities. Without bothering to warn the thief, Ilphonim spoke a single trigger word, and held up his hand.
From the outstretched palm an ever increasing orb of pure jet darkness emerged, quickly enveloping the pair, then growing to cover much of the surrounding area. All of this occured in a matter of moments. Suddenly, Ilphonim began to sweat, feeling the perimeter of the orb begin to shake. It was a struggle to hold it, and for the first time in his life Ilphonim felt magic begin to slip out of his grasp. He cried out, throwing his head back, almost falling to his knees.
When he opened his eyes, the orb had dissipated completely, and Ilphonim was struggling to stand.
"Well..." he licked his parched lips, " that was equal parts stupid and incredible. I believe I just proved this little charm does the trick."
With a smile he reached out to thouch the pendent, which still flared slightly with magic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:37 pm
Mikaril's eyes widened at the sudden demonstration, then blinked when it was over in moments. Slowly reaching up, he began to unclasp the chain. "Are you okay? You look like you could use a drink." He successfully undid the chain and with the charm grasped firmly in his hand and the chains dangling out from his closed fist, he held the charm out to Ilphonim. He felt a little sad parting with it, but now every time he tried thinking too much about it, the image of a blood-red flower giving off a heady perfume and glistening with drops of water.
He had trouble containing his excitement when he relinquished the pendant. "Now, I implore you; give me the name of this drow who sells the roses, and I'll no longer trouble you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
