World Tree MUSH

The way into the recently-connected World of Titans leads out into the middle of a forest. There is a well-maintained path going through the woods, and a sign close to the portal looks like it was put up very recently. On it is a single word, Lantana, and an arrow pointing southeast along one of the paths.

The city itself is not terribly big. A handful of buildings constructed along the side of a hill, with paths snaking up along the slope for ease of travel. There are a few individuals wandering around, as one might expect in any town.

    A new world? A new fantasy world, at that? Yes, Yumi Tachibana is absolutely going to be there.

    It's technically a school night, but she can't really help herself. She can get back in time to finish homework and... well, get /some/ sleep at least! So she's here to poke her head in the door, so to speak, at least get a decent look at the place.

    (the fact that any new world might have clues to her past surely has nothing to do with it whatsoever)

    So with no other clues to go on, the girl follows the signs, which leads to her arriving soon in the town, pausing right out near the edge to look around curiously. "Hmm..."

    Shin wandered in a while ago. It's not hard to tell where he is, since it's pretty much following around random villagers and taking their picture with his cell phone camera, "Yo yo yo out there. I'm travelling Vlogger and Martial Arts Sage: Shin Tokuyama, here on location. They call this the World of Titans, but everyone here seems pretty normal size. And flat to boot. So I'm guessing no part of that name holds up." 

    "We're gonna be on location for the next couple of days, trying local cuisine and seeing what's what around here. Shin out!" He stops streaming and puts the phone away.

    Oh, a newly-opened Vine. Athena is wary of such things! But, she is wary in the way that says she should probably keep abreast of what is happening there. She does go armed, but is not armored and armed to the teeth, since no real mess was indicated. Armored and armed... but casually!

    It's the friendly goddess of war.

    "This seems more familiar to the old me," she remarks, following along with Yumi and... she is curious, to see if Shin is broadcasting.

New worlds mean new opportunities. With a tread of boot upon path, the Sorceror of Midgard walks his way through the forest, working his way towards the hillside town. 

The sighy of the town causes Lezard to frown for a moment. With a flick of his hand, a book appears in a ripple of space, and he looks it over for a moment. Another frown, and he closes it, dismissing it back with another wave of a hand. In the meantime, he arrives at the town and... 

Simply walks straight past Shin and the others into the collection of buildings. He glances about, looking at people, looking for signs, as if he's seeking something out. 

Specifically, some form of library or alchemical shop, hopefully.

>> SUMMARY[Lezard Valeth] >> Lezard: Disregard Protagonists, acquire local lore and alchemical supplies.

Who are all these people? Offworld visitors are new, of course, but there's one who is dressed in a nice kimono and just poking about. Following Shin at the moment, because she seems to have latched onto him(though with thankfully less fervor than a certain priest), Kiyohime is going to try to be friendly here, and...

Well, keep an eye out for absolutely anything that might be useful for her own World. Kind of like Lezard, but less selfish about it.

    "I must be lost again," comes the voice of a blue-haired, bespectacled young woman, whose glances inside a large, evidently hand-written tome seem to yield no amounts of reassurance. No, that city should definitely not be there.

    Which means the Vines shifted again.

    That's an ill omen, but then she treats a whole lot of things like ill omens since seeing Mist burn. Call it survival instinct.

    Shin's voice echoes. Harley would recognize that absurd vocabulary anywhere, but on her way to him, seems utterly distracted by the passing sorcerer and his MAGICALLY APPEARING BOOK.

    Harley only waves to Shin as she passes by but immediatly makes to intercept Lezard and accompany him as though she were a very enthusiastic asssistant. Then again, slap a cape on her and she's dressed to hang out with him.

    "Excuse me! Are you a fellow scholar? Perhaps you might know where we are, I seem to have gotten lost exploring some Vines and don't have this city in my records."

    By proxy of being with him, it looks like she's going to be looking for lore and magical shops, too!

The newcomers get a pretty varied reaction from the townspeople. Most of them just walk on by. A few give a friendly greeting but don't stop. Some of them seem to give the visitors an odd look, as if trying to figure them out.

Except Kiyohime. Nobody seems to look twice at her for some reason.

Maybe it's because Shin is being so loud and pointing weird things around. The observant might notice something before too long, though... none of the villagers are human. Some are humanoid, but others are definitely not. They all seem pretty peaceful, though, going about their everyday tasks.

There is indeed an alchemical shop! The sign on the small building is marked 'Garnet's Crafts' but the smoke rising from the chimney is all manner of strange colors.

    Oh hey, there's Shin. Hard to miss him. "Hello~!" Yumi calls out, tossing a wave to the martial artist. Meanwhile, Athena is here as well; the goddess gets a polite nod, and a thoughtful, "Wish I could say the same... does seem nice enough, at least.

    Oh look, the Shin Wrangler's here. Kiyohime gets a much brighter greeting, warm smile and wave and everything. She's about to call something out, when... who is that man that just waltzed right on in? The schoolgirl watches him for a few moments, wary, but eventually moves on. Mostly because hey, there's very few- scratch that, /no/ humans here. Curious, she turns to the next townsperson to greet her, and waves them down. "Ah, hello, sorry if I'm bothering... I'm not tresspassing here or anything, am I? I notice there doesn't seem to be any humans. I can leave if it's a problem..."

    "Oh man, Kiyo. You seein' this shit? This place is cray. It's like Takemaru Inui's wet dream all up in this planet." Shin comments over his shoulder to her. It's fine if you don't understand him. Few people do. He's referencing the non-human appearances of the townspeople, though. 

    "Fuck. Better hope 2chan and the internet never find out a place like this is real." He remarks to himself as he puts his hands into the pockets of his coat. For Athena's reference, he WAS streaming, but he stopped a few moments ago. 

    "Oh hey! Yo Yu-chan. What's the haps in your world?" But she's soon distracted asking villagers questions. Shin quiets down to listen in.

>> SUMMARY[Shin Tokuyama] >> Shin's just being a tourist. Disclaimer: If you ever need me to explain any jokes, memes, or references, just page me.

    Well that's pretty weird, seeing someone stroll in like that. And all the nonhumans are also strange! Athena immediately gets the idea that human occupation is rare, at least in this region. So much for looking like she was blending in, huh?

    Athena keeps her weapons lowered at least. "Hello again, Yumi," she greets, looking away from the now-dead stream. Oh well. "This is an odd town, isn't it?" Well, odd to her, though she has some quiet skin-crawling uncertainty now.

    She'll follow Yumi to ask about it. "And is this regional?"

Kiyohime gives Yumi a small bow, and a smile. "Hello again, Miss Tachibana." Polite, and pleased! The way Yumi greets her is definitely something that sheers her mood up. Also, she is noticing that she is... not getting much attention. Is it the horns? Maybe she should have come in her snakewoman form.

"You do realize, Shin, that I am quite normal here," Kiyohime points out, unsure if that's good. "Also, did you see the mage from the other day? I wonder what he is here for..." Oh Lezard, you got noticed. "Who is that with him?"

The local inhumanity simply seems to get a thin smile from Lezard, as if he has already come to a conclusion but isn't sharing it with anyone. He basically doesn't directly address any of the townsfolk. What he's looking for is already apparent by the multicolored smokestack. "Ah." He says to himself, turning in that direction... 

And noticing Harley arriving and actually talking to him. There is a blink as he looks over the blue-haired scholar, taking in her mode of dress, speech, and demeanor... And he nods to her. "Indeed. I am Lezard Valeth. An alchemist from a far off land." He says with a little smile. "I happen to have found myself between research subjects at the moment and encountered this land... Lantana, I believe the name of the town was. I lack information on it myself, but there appears to be some signs of learning nearby. Shall we inquire?" He gestures smoothly at the alchemist's shop, apparently all smiles and pleasantries. 

Well, surely everything will work out fine... The Alchemist turns, his cape dramatically flaring behind him (a perk of the trade), and moves with purpose into the alchemical shop, clearly expecting Harley to follow. He smiles to Kiyohime and Shin as he passes, his glasses glinting in certain way as he moves on. Ominous! But basically required.

Once inside, he looks over the shop, assessing the local wares to get an idea of the general stock situation, rarity, tools, and what kind of materials seem to be getting used for alchemy in the area.

    No humans! This warrants writing down. Harley's already started scribbling in her tome, having dedicated a page to this newfound city already. Rapid etchings of the various features and races encountered, the architecture, the plantlife around the city. She writes quickly, but pretty legibly. The only mess about her tome is how many bookmarks and strings are sticking out of it, cross-referencing each other.

    She'd kill for a magical book that can record everything for her. Or just a magical book that she can summon or unsummon at will.

    Ah, but nevermind that, Lezard invites her to follow! Of course she does. He's an ALCHEMIST? She's even more interested now!

    "Is that so? I am a bit of an alchemist by trade as well, or rather, I'm very good at figuring out how to use various items and... monster parts... to achieve desired effects. I wasn't born with the traits to be a dutiful mage, so I make do in my own way."

    Besides, what's the difference between Firaga and using a dragon's fang to do the exact same thing? Science is great.

    "My name is Harley, I am from a land called Troia. I'm afraid the climate there is rather sour these days, sadly..."

    Well, into the shop they go. Let's see!

The next townsperson happens to be a bit short, with scruffy brown hair and pointed ears tufted with fur. "Trespassing? Lantana is a free trade town, you know! There's no problem. But..." He pauses and squints at Yumi, looking her up and down. "What's a human? Are you from one of the outer clans? Ooh! Or maybe the off-worlders that Amo said might come! Is that a human too?" He glances at Shin, then at Kiyohime. "A..are you of one of the scaled world clans? Hey, hey, where--" He cuts himself off, ear twitching. "Ah... sorry, I gotta run. Mother won't be happy if my big brother comes home without me!" And off he trots, meeting up with a shorter... individual walking on all fours, with big bat-like ears and a furry body. Not too different from gremlins of certain other worlds. 

Inside Garnet's Crafts, the walls are lined with shelves containing a variety of bottles and jars and vials. Some are filled with oddly-colored liquids, others with minerals, still others with bits of plants or (probably) animals. In the center of the shop room is a large cauldron with multicolored crystals hanging from the ceiling over it. When the bell over the door rings, a voice calls out from behind a curtain. "Ah, be right there!" There's a sizzling sound, then a *poof!* and purple smoke wafts out from the back. "...wasn't supposed to do that."

Before long, a girl with white hair steps out, looking a bit frazzled. "Ahaha.. sorry about that..." Her outfit is white and purple, with a big purple hat adorned with a ribbon. Oh, and cat ears poking out. "Welcome to my shop! Name's Garnet, what can I do for you?"

    "Oh hey that guy. I get the feeling he's cool." Shin says, making a vast midjudgment of character for the man in front of him, "But that's Harley with him. She's a friend of mine. She's kinda the token meganekko of my adventure. You're the yandere." He confirms for Kiyohime. 

    "Yeah, I'm from off-world." Shin answers to the person asking if he is one, "I'm from a mystical land called Tokyo, where the buildings reach up past the sky and you can buy every meal from a magical box on the street."

    "Not much," Yumi replies to Shin, shrugging lightly. "Culture festival at school, that's about it. Thankfully no one coming from offworld to cause trouble again." He also seems curious about the townsperson's answer, though, so she swings her attention back around.

    And 'What's a human' is the response she gets. "Hm? Oh, they don't have... oh! Well, then yeah. I'm a human." She glances over her shoulder at Athena. "I... /think/ she is? I'm not really clear on your situation, sorry," she adds towards the goddess, with a polite dip of her head. "...to be honest, I can't really speak for anyone else that's shown up here. But I am, at lea-" Off he goes. "Oh, ah, be careful, then." She pauses to look around the village, considering. "Wonder if there's some kind of... adventurer or mercenary guild, or a tavern, or... something." That's how you find stuff out about worlds like this, right?

Listening to Shin's answer actually does let Kiyohime understand something. "Aha... you are saying she is a rival then. I will have to let her place be made clear at some point. It is only proper." Yes, she isn't quite as obsessive as she's been made out to be - possibly because Shin and her aren't actually dating - but she knows the story roles she takes!

    "One moment, Tachibana, and I will look with you," Kiyohime states. She smiles to the one who asks, "Scaled... yes. Something like that." She steps aside, using her natural luck to find a spot nobody is watching, and then she slithers out into view to move alongside Yumi. And Shin and any others who are looking. "This should help, if you are with me. Let's find this place, shall we?" Yes, she has a snake tail instead of legs. She looks... surprisingly happy to be able to use this form without horror.

You never know, Harley, Lezard might be happy to show you how to kill to acquire a book that records things for you. The rest of the fun stuff, well, that costs extra. 

"Really..." Lezard replies. "I did expect you would be of the learned. You did bear the proper look, at least..." And he waves his hand nonchalantly. "Not everyone is born with the ability to be a genius. Even those that do must work to ensure that they make full use of it. While natural talent can vault one from exceptional into the realms of legend, to get there requires dedication to discovering the deepest truths. Making your own way is the destiny of all who become great, for there is no path to /greatness/. One forges it with their own hands." 

Something of a miniature lecture concluded, Lezard steps into the building. "You should tell me of this 'Troia' at some time." He replies. "I am always interested in learning of other lands." And the useful things that can be harvested from them. 

Within Garnet's Crafts, Lezard casts his gaze over the room. His lips purse as he is clearly attempting to identify what is present by sight, smell, sometimes even sound in some cases. The eyes narrow slightly at the cauldron, but he says nothing... Though an eyebrow arches at the purple poof od smoke. 

The girl arrives, and Lezard looks over the proprietor for several moments, weighing her with his gaze before he speaks. "Greetings. I am Lezard Valeth, an alchemist from a faraway land." He says, giving the same introduction he gave Harley. "I have arrived in the area recently and was hoping to prevail upon you for information about the local alchemical trade. Are you the local expert?"

    Athena shrugs to Yumi, leaning on her spear. "Close enough to human..." Lezard gave her the creeps, but she didn't have a reason to say why. Maybe it's something about his arrogance. That always gets on the nerves of Athena. She nods again and turns around to look for a tavern when...

    Kiyohime returns with a snake tail. Instead of following, Athena just STARES at this, taking a step back and turning a little green. "Snake..." Abruptly, she is heading into the ACLHEMISTS shop instead. "You look for that I will be over here."

    So she is in when Lezard talks about himself. "Hello, don't mind me..."

    Harley appears flustered, which she hides by pushing her glasses up. "N-No, I'm afraid there simply isn't much magical lineage in my family. It is possible for the... ah, not-learned... to acquire magical capabilities with training, becoming white or black mages for example, but I showed little aptitude for it. And so I... yes, I set out to forge my own path. Many monsters possess magical powers of their own, and their fragments remain charged for a few months after their death in some cases. Learning to draw those out efficiently may as well make me a mage," she clarifies, though her attention turns eventually to the goods on display.

    "Ah, Troia is... a peaceful land, basking in the light of the Earth Crystal, which blesses our soil to be ever-fertile. But the threat of war from Baron has..." Made everyone rather unhappy and paranoid, of late.

    Oh well.

    Harley reaches for a vial of what appears to be blood, maybe? As Lezard introduces himself, she asks Garnet, "What creature did this belong to?" She turns to look at Athena, whom she assumes is just another client, and so her attention immediatly goes back to Garnet.

It's true, nobody looks twice at a girl with a snakey lower half. Well, a few do, but it's mostly in the way of noticing a cute girl than anything else. Seeing as she's with a group, though, nobody tries to approach. Well, somebody does, but it's not Kiyohime that prompts it! A girl with red hair and orange wings steps up to the group, one hand coming to rest on her hip while the other holds a small brown sack. "I couldn't help but overhear... you're from out of town, so to speak? And looking for the adventurer's guild?" The girl grins and nods toward one of the other buildings in town. "Then you want Mireille in the Tarnished Goblet. I'm on my way there as well, so I'll show you the way. My name is Tiana, by the way."

In Garnet's Crafts, the nekomata owner looks curiously up at Lezard. "A traveling alchemist! Wow, never had anyone but amateurs come through here before. You could say I'm the expert!" She pauses, tail swishing. "...still learning, though. But isn't that half the fun? Ah, welcome!" Garnet leans to the side, waving toward Athena as the door's bell sonds again. 

"It's so busy today!" she says cheerily. "Oh, that..?" Garnet peers at the vial and nods. "It's ichor from a giant fire beetle. Someone just brought that in from Darius the other day, but I haven't had a chance to experiment with it yet."

    Yumi turns to Kiyohime when the Servant addresses her. "Hm? Oh, sure." She waits patiently while Kiyohime first walks away, and then /slithers/ back. Blink, blink blink. "Oh /wow/, that's... that actually looks really cool!" The girl is absolutely beaming at seeing Kiyohime's more comfortable form. And after a brief while of walking, she can't contain the questions. "So is... is that your natural form?" If it is, she feels kind of bad for the poor girl having to hide it everywhere.

    And thankfully their search won't be long, either - they have a guide! "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tiana," she greets, giving a more formal bow. "I'm Tachibana Yumi. Yumi works just fine!" She leaves Kiyohime to introduce herself, however she might choose to do so. "Lead the way! I'm mostly just curious about this place, though. I like seeing new worlds."

    "Shin Tokuyama." Shin says as the girl with wings introduces herself. 

    "Precisely!" Shin says, making a finger-gun gesture at Kiyohime, "A rival. And make sure you let her know." Shin nods several times as he crosses his arms. He seems relatively undisturbed at the idea of Kiyohime coming out with a snake lower half now, "Hey. Pretty dope trick, Kiyo." 

    "I'm always down for Adventurer Guilds, too. Anyone who will pay me to punch shit, really."

"Kiyohime," says the lamia. "Mmm... this is not really my natural form, but what my natural form is depends on how you look at matters. One could say that being an immaterial spirit is my natural state, so I am always not in that." She sighs... then perks up as Tiana seems to want to lead them to the guild. "Oh, excellent. Thank you very much."

Dope trick, huh? Well, that does make Kiyohime smile, even if she looks perplexed as Athena leaves right away. "I knew this shape might disturb some others, but that seems extreme for someone who seems... brave and competent as she does. I wonder what that is about?"

    "Ah... is this a magic shop then?" Athena didn't want to sound unobservant, but she quickly corrects. "No, supplies. How interesting. I'm afraid I haven't studied magic in the modern age of my home, it's so tech oriented of late. That's where my energies have gone." She steps in to browse, trying to look like she knows more than she does. Which... is not actually that hard, because she can spit out myths with the best of them.

    "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have a being called a hydra in this world, would you?" Might as well look for similarities! "Please continue. I heard something about a threat to lands?"

    "A giant fire beetle?" Harley looks at the liquid, curious, and then seems settled on taking it. She takes her pouch out - make a note, Lezard, she's apparently loaded, sometimes it's nice not to have to murder and draw aggro for your groceries! - and then approaching the counter, drops some gil on it. "I don't... suppose that you accept gil? The coins are silver and gold, I am sure you have such metals in your world to make an approximation?"

    The worst part about travel is never knowing if your currency is going to work out. At least Harley has the luxury of having metallic currency, that's usually pretty easy to pass around.

    To Athena's question, she idly answers: "My world. A few months ago now, the nation of Baron sent a knight to burn the village of Mist down, eradicating the Summoners. Since then, things have been rather tense. Troia is the kingdom I hail from. I warned them of the danger, but... it is hard to say what will happen."

    It's easy to tell Harley destests war, from her tone.

"Only a few months? I will have to show you some of my preservation processes, perhaps." Lezard replies. "In the end, you will achieve what you are willing to settle for." The description of Troia, however, gains an adjustment of his glasses. "Hmm... The Earth Crystal, you say. It sounds like a powerful object, to have such wide-ranging touches on your land. And this 'Baron' is threatening your land?" 

Opportunities, indeed. That said, he eyes the coins being provided get a little glance... and a smirk. Does he murder for his groceries? One will just have to find out.

Garnet looks enthused to see a number of visiting Actual Alchemists! That's good. Lezard smiles faintly. "Are they so rare in this world?" He asks. "Surely someone as well stocked as you finds a number of customers. What kind of materials do you normally sell?" He asks. "And do you have a large number of creatures in the area to harvest components from?" He rubs his chin. "Is there anything that is particularly in demand in this region?" 

The arrival of Athena causes Lezard to glance over to her. There is a moment as he watches her, measuring her like he does the others... But he doesn't seem to see anything particularly unusual at this time, as he nods to her. "The advancement of the sciences can be quite useful in many ways..." He nods to her. "Indeed. It might be useful to know of notable wildlife that we might known what to watch out for."

"Yumi, Shin, Kiyohime... are you of the lamia or medusa clam, maybe?" Tiana peers closely at Kiyohime for a moment, then shrugs. "No matter. Just, uh..." She glances at the others. "Mireille likes to tease. Don't take it too personally, okay?" The phoenix leads the way up to a building and inside, walking up to the counter and placing the small bag on it. "Got what you asked for Mireille. It took all day, you know!"

The girl behind the counter looks up and grins slyly, placing some gold coins on the bar. "Oh? You sure your new friends here didn't help?" Her wings flit a bit behind her as she hovers out, toes about a foot off the floor to keep her about even level with some of the patrons. "Welcome to the Tarnished Goblet. You all look pretty new in town. Just get in?"


Garnet tilts her head curiously at Athena. "Well, sure. But the last time I saw someone of the hydra clan, he said he was looking for a way into Tortuga. Haven't seen him since, so... you know. That probably happened." Her ears droop just a bit as she lets out a sigh. 

"Mmm? Oh, yes, this is fine!" The nekomata scoops up the coins and gestures toward Harley. "Just be careful, it'll catch things on fire if you spill it. He was probably right at home in Darius." She glances at Lezard and shrugs. "It's a dangerous profession. You gotta be resistant to the occasional explosion, ya know?" 

Garnet shakes her head slowly. "Not really much in the way of dangerous wildlife in the woods here. It's pretty peaceful. If you want anything dangerous, you gotta go to the Temple of Trials, or one of the Titans. There's always stuff in demand, but... it's really dangerous! Might want to see Amo before you leave. Though most who go in there don't really come back, except..." She inclines her head sadly toward the jar in Harley's hand.

    'She likes to tease.' Quietly, Yumi turns a glance towards Shin. Then she gives Kiyohime a meaningful 'please wrangle your Shin' sort of look.

    It could also be accurately summarized as, 'halp'.

    But in they go! Tiana apparently had a thing to bring in, which gives them a convenient introduction. "We did, as it so happens," the girl confirms, taking a step forward. Today seems to be 'polite introductory bow day', because Mireille gets one too. "Tachibana Yumi. We're all from offworld, I gather the path here is fairly new. I can't speak for anyone else, but I was curious what kind of world this is."

    "Hydra CLAN?" Athena halts. Then she mutters softly, "Echidna's been busy in this world... I hope it isn't like mine after all." She shakes her head. "No matter... ah." She stops when Lezard talks about the technical advancements, then slowly nods instead.

    "My world is very technologically advanced, in fact," she says with some care. "The occasions magic springs up tend to cause problems. I suppose there might be something about balance there, but I still find technology fascinating."

    "I prefer science over magic. Power that can be replicated by all, which benefits all equally. But despite that I am still in awe of the more advanced worlds." Worlds like Athena's certainly stand out, or even the modern Earth of Kiyohime's. They're not what Harley pictured when she imagined a future of technology. It's both frightening and reassuring.

    To Lezard, she nods. "The Earth Crystal is said to be powerful. There are many legends around it - of power, of immortality even - but it has only been used to revitalize the soil, as far as history records. I believe Baron is after the Crystals due to those myths and legends."

    She has no proof, though. She only knows what Cecil relayed, that Baron wants dem Crystals.

    The fire beetle ichor is put in Harley's large bag, and she nods. "I will be very careful with it, thank you." Wildlife, though? Titans? Harley peeks curiously.

    "I, ah... what is a Titan? Where I am from the word would be used to refer to colossal beings, but you spoke of them like they are places, such as this Temple of Trials?"

"Ah, I see." Lezard sounds almost disappointed that the environment seems to be safe enough. Still, he's picking up a lot of Key Words to inquire about. "I will not waste your time by asking about the general landscape." Lezard comments. "But what is the Temple of Trials? And who or what are the Titans? It seems like something named such would be important to know about in this land." He tilts his head. "And who is this Amo, and what do they do that would be useful? I have had the need to rebuilt my laboratory from scratch, you see. I will require a great amount of materials and perhaps skilled artisans to create tha majority of my tools anew." He sighs. "A pity, really, that it is so difficult to find people who appreciate the art, no?" He adjusts his glasses at that, smiling lightly. 

He does nod to Athena. "I see. There is much to be said for both. Limiting oneself to a single discipline, well..." He chuckles. "Perhaps I will have to inquire further." 

Harley's assertion gets a shrug from Lezard. "Most people are fools. Give them power and they will squander it. Or worse, use it to damage something actually valuable. It requires people of intelligence and vision to ensure that such things are put to their best use. Still, one will acquire what one will acquire, will they not?" 

Harley's comments about the Earth Crystal gain a glint from his eyes. "Even immortality? Truly, do they search even for the vaunted elixir of youth in your land as well?" He chuckles, looking to Garnet. "I wager there are legends of it even here. The search for immortality is certainly not unknown to any alchemist worth their salt, no?"

    "Yep! New in town! Taking in the sights! Touring around! Seeing what's what! Shin Tokuyama, Professional Martial Arts Sage." Shin declares to Mirielle with a double finger-gun gesture as he looks around, "So what's the deal with tavern names, anyway? It's always like... Adjective Noun. The Tarnished Goblet. The Scratchy Mug. The Leaky Cauldron. The Sloshing Stein. Is that some kinda tavern-mandated naming scheme or is every tavern owner in every conceivable world just that uniformally in agreement by coincidence?" 

    "Maybe it's the work of some kind of meta-narrative higher entity, forcing conformity in small and head-scratching ways."

"Ah just a visitor!" Kiyohime says to Tiana carelessly. She slithers onward inside and takes a look about. To Shin, she decides to practice her wrangling skills. "The naming scheme is so that people will immediately know that it is a tavern. Seeing that sort of title, the purpose of the building is immediately known, dear. Doesn't it make it easy to identify? I believe in the modern age that is called marketing."

To the one speaking, she smiles. "As Miss Tachibana said. I am Kiyohime, and this seems to be a place that has unusual people. Adventurers, perhaps? I sometimes look for those to aid in a problem I have in my own world."

Mireille can see Yumi's expression. She smiles briefly, but doesn't say anything. Tiana knows the look though. The fairy has found fresh meat. She's distracted enough to laugh at Shin, though. "I just liked the name. Sounded a little bit rough and dangerous, you know? I can guarantee that all our glasses are clean, though." The fairy nods toward Kiyohime. "I'm also the one people come to for requests! There are rewards for anyone who can venture out and fulfill them, though they tend to be pretty dangerous. If you're new here, you might want to steer clear of the Titans until you're used to the place."

Tiana gives a slight shrug. "The lower floors aren't -so- bad, but the Temple of Trials is probably a bit safer. Also, it doesn't move. If you want, I can show you sometime. It's.... mostly safe. Most of the time." Kiyohime is given an odd look, though. "You're looking for someone to help in your world? I might be able to help... especially if I can count on you to help me here."


Garnet clicks her tongue. "You don't have a problem with them, do you? They're perfectly nice folks, you know!" Ah, well. Bias can happen from time to time. Garnet personally thinks feline clans are the best, after all.

"Oh, the Temple of Trials is where you go to be judged by the goddess. If you pass, you can get keys to the upper floors of the Titans... that's where you can petition her for wishes! Most don't make it back, though." Ears twitch, and she glances at Lezard. "The Titans are living dungeons. They've all got cores inside that are temples to the goddess Clunea. Like I said, though, it's really dangerous. Most people who go in there lose their minds."

She perks up a bit as she's asked about Amo, though. "Oh, Amo runs Sakalla Sundries, just down the road! He sells weapons and armor, and I supply him with healing potions and such. He's a nice guy, if a bit nosy sometimes." Which is funny because he doesn't have a nose.

    Something Lezard says seems to make Harley lose a bit of her perkiness, but she doesn't stay silent on it. "I would like to believe most people would do what's right given a choice, and would not waste power given to them. But I also think there are those who would misuse it for their own gains and waste it. You are probably right that there must be someone in charge. Someone who knows what they are doing. Not necessarily a king or emperor, just someone intelligent who means the best for the world."

    Well isn't that just Lezard to a T.

    "Ah, elixirs? Well, they are very rare potions, said to be able to heal all ailments, but I do not believe they grant immortality?" Harley looks at Lezard, puzzled. "I have never gotten my hands on one, so I could not say for sure."

    Replying to Garnet, Harley nods. "I see. I would like to see this temple and hear of this goddess, though I am not very skilled in combat. Perhaps... perhaps I would like to document a Titan, too, but I would prefer not to lose my mind in one. It is my tool, after all." She pushes her glasses up, to make a point.

    "Would that be acceptable to you, mister Valeth?"

    Oh dear. Not only has Mireille found fresh meat, she's found easy prey. "Titans? What exactly are they?" There's a pause, and then something seems to occur to Yumi. "-oh, er. I should probably say this at the start, I'm not... well I mean I /guess/ I'm the adventuring type, but I can't handle anything dangerous on my own. I don't have any kind of magic or combat training, or weapons, really. I know people who do, but mostly I'm just-" -hoping to find somewhere that might have a clue about her past, or even some means to start finding it- "-curious about other worlds." Here, she glances to Kiyohime, and adds, "...alright, so maybe I have kind of a thing for helping people."

Kiyohime tsks, "Of course I would expect some kind of exchange! I barter for such things all the time! I help you, and you help me... or my world. It's the same thing, really, that is my purpose here." She lazily coils around Yumi suddenly, leaning on the girl and head over one shoulder.

"This one is protected, though. I think I like her." Good job, Yumi. That will not bite you in the ass at all.

    "I'm not sure why I'd need trials, but I suppose it makes sense for a test of worthiness," Athena says, picking up on the conversation. Why wouldn't she need trials? Obviously she's a warrior of some sort, but she can't be THAT good, can she? Probably just ego.

    "Science can cause problems if it goes into the domain of the gods," Athena points out to Harley. "A pity, I find it really interesting. Though it seems this world doesn't have anything near my own level of technology, the magic here seems far more common than my own world. Maybe I will take a look at this temple after all..."

"Considering the situation in your homeland, who would you find to be capable of understanding what needs to be done and how? Who would you trust to be that man... or woman... of vision... Harley?" He simply leaves that there, smiling lightly for Harley. 

The mention of the Temple of Trials gets an idle expression from Lezard... Until the specific phrase 'judged by the goddess' is uttered. It's like flicking a switch to see his expression darken. "I see. Dangerous places that cause people to lose their minds... And house temples that people travel to, risking their minds, in order to beseech wishes from a goddess." He nods, pushing his glasses up lightly as the light reflects off of them just so. "Certainly, it is something that bears investigation, Harley." He seems quite agreeable to this, yes. 

"Thank you for your information, Garnet. Please, take this for your trouble." He reaches into his pouch and withdraws a couple gold coins, leaving them on the counter. "I will take your words under advisement. I will return soon once I have determined a more... precise shopping list." 

The comment from Athena gets a swift reply from Lezard. "The gods protect their domains jealously, and often strike down those who tread upon them. Very much like humans, don't you think?" 

At that, he turns, with another snap of his cape, and steps from the shop. 

This land is more interesting than he thought.