Soron Bal Taren's Story

The guard looked at R'Nieth only to say "Fuck off, you scaly tree sucker!" His pose showed that of ready to fight, and his eyes showed a distinct hate. The way that he walked off was that of a noble passing up a pauper in the street, with a little extra spit.

R'Nieth would then feel someone tapping on his shoulders. The man would say, before R'Nieth finished turning around, "Need some questions answered?" The man he would turn to see was wearing dirt colored clothe pants and t-shirt. His hair was the color of an old persons, but his pale skin and excited expression spoke far differently about him. On his back was a sword, with a courier's pouch on his hip.

Before R'Nieth could ask the question, the human continued. "I am Soron Bal Taren, the merchant who can get you nearly everything... even answers." He bowed with a level of flair to his movements.

---

Wolf watched to pale human approach R'Nieth. The man smelled of happiness and cheer, but looked ready to arm himself if threatened. His approach was a silent, yet cheery, walk over without fear of the beastman. He seemed to be either more open or more informed than most humans.

The guard looked at R'Nieth only to say "Fuck off, you scaly tree sucker!" His pose showed that of ready to fight, and his eyes showed a distinct hate. The way that he walked off was that of a noble passing up a pauper in the street, with a little extra spit.

R'Nieth would then feel someone tapping on his shoulders. The man would say, before R'Nieth finished turning around, "Need some questions answered?" The man he would turn to see was wearing dirt colored clothe pants and t-shirt. His hair was the color of an old persons, but his pale skin and excited expression spoke far differently about him. On his back was a sword, with a courier's pouch on his hip.

Before R'Nieth could ask the question, the human continued. "I am Soron Bal Taren, the merchant who can get you nearly everything... even answers." He bowed with a level of flair to his movements.



Wolf watched to pale human approach R'Nieth. The man smelled of happiness and cheer, but looked ready to arm himself if threatened. His approach was a silent, yet cheery, walk over without fear of the beastman. He seemed to be either more open or more informed than most humans.

R'Nieht was fairly offended by the remark the guard made, he noted that particular response and was wandering what to do next if he was going to gather intell and lodging. When the man touched his shoulder, and spoke fairly quickly about answers. R'Nieth turned around ready to fight, but not suddenly, for if the man posed a threat, R'Nieth would have sensed it the instant this man was within 20 feet of him. However, R'Nieth couldn't smell very well between all these new wondrous and odorous smells. The reeked and were very disgusting, or rather very pungent. Either way, his sense of smell was going haywire, even if he couldn't show it. What was worse was his eyesight, although he could see for a couple miles, half of that relied on his sense of smell. R'Nieth was growing more and more frustrated the more time they spent in this place. It was going to start showing, if he could not find some answers on how to lodge, his top priority right now. Thinking of....

"How would you, or rather, a beastman find lodging around here? I smell dozens of taverns and inns, but they all look unfriendly. From this reaction of the guard I take it we are not wanted, but from some of the crafting techniques of the clothing and building I can see we are around...in some form. So to double up on that question, how also, would we find a liaison to show us around?"

R'Nieth asked as he was staring and analyzing the man. Sizing him up, gauging his aura with his nose and eyes. "I suppose you being a merchant extraordinaire will allow you to answer with you being the answer to both questions?" R'Nieth responded in kind but without a smile...snakes have no smile..not really.

"You would be hard pressed to find an innkeeper who would be hostile to you for longer than it takes the sound of gold to hit his ears. Most humans would rather have advancement and comfort over trees. And before you ask, humans don't mind a place like this because are senses are far duller than yours. I can tell you right now that only humans built any human city, but who am I to know what was going through their minds when it was done. And I cannot provide you lodging as, alas, my home is barely big enough for one. Best way to keep the bad people at bay." Soron spouted off almost naturally, taking note of the fact that the beastman didn't smile, but looked kind over the rest of his body. It both put Soron off and made him only more interested.

---

The sensory input was finally getting to Wolf. As he began to accept his environment, his senses began to return, and with them came waves of pain. The scents were overpowering, the sounds migraine inducing, and the disruption of magic agitating in all aspects. Now Wolf was being forced to use his eyes, a tool built into him broken.

The world around Wolf was blurs of color with rapid pulses in every direction and no feeling of distance. Everything was close. Everything was far. Everything was here. Everything was there. All was a blur, and nothing could be defined. What made it even worse is that the colors would often blend into indistinguishable patterns, only to lead to greater confusion.

Wolf leaned on the wall next to him, relying on his only remaining, functional sense... touch. His legs and arms wobbled as if he was drunk, and he looked no better, his eyes fogging over and his irises getting wider than shrinking and repeating.

"You would be hard pressed to find an innkeeper who would be hostile to you for longer than it takes the sound of gold to hit his ears. Most humans would rather have advancement and comfort over trees. And before you ask, humans don't mind a place like this because are senses are far duller than yours. I can tell you right now that only humans built any human city, but who am I to know what was going through their minds when it was done. And I cannot provide you lodging as, alas, my home is barely big enough for one. Best way to keep the bad people at bay." Soron spouted off almost naturally, taking note of the fact that the beastman didn't smile, but looked kind over the rest of his body. It both put Soron off and made him only more interested.



The sensory input was finally getting to Wolf. As he began to accept his environment, his senses began to return, and with them came waves of pain. The scents were overpowering, the sounds migraine inducing, and the disruption of magic agitating in all aspects. Now Wolf was being forced to use his eyes, a tool built into him broken.

The world around Wolf was blurs of color with rapid pulses in every direction and no feeling of distance. Everything was close. Everything was far. Everything was here. Everything was there. All was a blur, and nothing could be defined. What made it even worse is that the colors would often blend into indistinguishable patterns, only to lead to greater confusion.

Wolf leaned on the wall next to him, relying on his only remaining, functional sense... touch. His legs and arms wobbled as if he was drunk, and he looked no better, his eyes fogging over and his irises getting wider than shrinking and repeating.

R'Nieth did not liked being told what he could, and could not do. But the information of lodging was all he needed. For starters, if what this man said was indeed true, then all they had to do was walk in an pay. That would get them a room. Second, this man was saying that their was not connection of anyone other than human having built the city...he would be lying. One would only need look around to notice. But this man was human, how could he possibly know what a beastman's technique was? Or what thier crafting looked like? Hmph. Something was not right here. But R'Nieth would keep a close eye on thier new acquaintance.

"Since you were kind enough to allow me that information. I shall grace you with my name. I an R'Nieth Volger of the Volger family, you probably don't know of my legend, or my family. But nice to make your acquaintance." R'Nieth said with said nonchalance, but respect. He did not expect his family name to win him any points, all though his families crafting skills were known throughout the kingdom, he was still a beastman. R'Nieth had an edge on him with everything in general...but...

R'Nieth turned his head, looking at the previous spot of the explosion from the thing called a 'Shadow'. R'Nieth has heard of the legend, but it was all fairy tales where he was from. He would hold off on the questioning.

"Anyways, this here is..."

R'Nieth was going to introduce Wolf, but his eyes glazed over, and he started to fall against the wall. R'Nieth caught him and took his arm to help him lean on him. It was especially hard because of the large backpacks they were wearing, but R'Nieth tried anyways.

"Help me get him to an inn now!" R'Nieth yelled, his senses heightened and him eyeballing a Tavern that was the closest. It read The Smoking Lamp Inn, R'Nieth hurried toward it. "Hurry towards that inn."

"Hold on Wolf, I got you."

"This place is wrong. So many things are wrong. They have gone so far as to wrong the land. It is so deep." Wolf said in a sort of groggy way, his mind being scattered by the sensory input. The journey to the Smoking Lamp was filled with the mass of fur and muscle not being able to go in a straight line, disoriented with every step that he took.

The Smoking Lamp Inn matched its name very well. The walls were covered in lamps that were burning a unique fuel that gave off more smoke than they were meant to, while the smell of food shot out from the kitchen. It was mainly meats with the faint smells of alcohol and fruit, and the occasion yell was not foriegn to the kitchen.

"A room is 10 gold a night." Said the innkeep as he saw R'Nieth nearing the counter. Soron stood outside the door, knowing that he didn't deal with the drunks very well. Nor did he take his alcohol peacefully, as it brought on rage for him and he didn't know why.

"This place is wrong. So many things are wrong. They have gone so far as to wrong the land. It is so deep." Wolf said in a sort of groggy way, his mind being scattered by the sensory input. The journey to the Smoking Lamp was filled with the mass of fur and muscle not being able to go in a straight line, disoriented with every step that he took.

The Smoking Lamp Inn matched its name very well. The walls were covered in lamps that were burning a unique fuel that gave off more smoke than they were meant to, while the smell of food shot out from the kitchen. It was mainly meats with the faint smells of alcohol and fruit, and the occasion yell was not foriegn to the kitchen.

"A room is 10 gold a night." Said the innkeep as he saw R'Nieth nearing the counter. Soron stood outside the door, knowing that he didn't deal with the drunks very well. Nor did he take his alcohol peacefully, as it brought on rage for him and he didn't know why.

R'Nieth was happy to pay the gold, he handed over 30 gold, intending to stay for a couple of days. He was about to complain about the sudden lack of Soron's presence, but was not put off, for he had his own worries. R'Nieth understood what it meant to have to worry about someone else's problems, so he would not pester him on the subject.

"Thank you very much. Where do I head to?" R'Nieth saw the clerk point to the corner of the room, where there seemed to be a winding hall that had a stack of staircases. R'Nieth was handed a key and an envelope, the envelope seemed wrapped in a peculiar way. Which R'Nieth did not have time to examine.

"Hold on Wolf, your going to be ok." R'Nieth half dragged, half carried Wolf into the hall. He had looked at the key then, that was in his supporting hand. It read 312. Wolf would have to be carried up three flights. R'Nieth decided to call upon his inherent animal strength. He took a moment to breath, at the bottom of the stair case. He drew upon his strength, able to now pick up 10 times his weight, temporarily. He used it all, picking wolf and the heavy pack up, onto his shoulder. He climbed the stairs three at a time. The further up going, the farther away from sound they seemed to get. The smells were still strong. But they may be do to the random filth, sex and grossness happening in the halls and on the stairs, drugs being administered to patrons.

R'Nieth reach the 3rd floor and walked down the hall. He noticed the pack that Wolf had on was touching the ceiling, he could do nothing about it. But he reached the room 312. After a winding walk and confusing roaming of 2 minutes time. He put Wolf back into the original position on his side so they could fit through the door. R'Nieth opened the door, expecting filth to the ceiling. But he was surprised to see a neatly cleaned room, with enough room to fit a troll in. The place was rather big. R'Nieth would wonder about this later, realizing that their was two beds. He placed Wolf onto it, after removing his pack.

R'Nieth looked at the sweating Wolf, he used his small affinity for the elemental magic he had towards water and gathered the sweat into a ball above his fist. R'Nieth went in to the next room where there was a bathroom. He dropped it into the contraption that seemed to have water filled already into it....that was weird. R'Nieth hurried back. He saw Wolf still as rock, R'Nieth performed a healing spell, and coated the room with a shield. Much like the one he used for thier camp. The smells stopped being so strong, and the sound even dampened. This should help. R'Nieth went to work on getting to food prepared, some soup would do well.

R'Nieth started preparing soup, using his pack utensils and wear to assemble it.

R'Nieth looked at the envelope that was handed to him, he had dropped it where he threw the keys on the counter next to him near the bed. He would observe that later.

"Finding someone with more knowledge than us might help a little." Wolf said, finally spitting the leaf into a trash bin, noticeably less sensitive to the worlds extremes. "Right now my head feels like a jumbled mess. Can't quite get all the memories after we entered the city, or their order for that matter."

Soron

"I can't give you that much for it. What you are asking for is outright outrageous. If you don't lower your price, you might never sell your wares." Soron spoke, with an aura of sense to him. The man he was speaking to, a small human with an extremely high opinion of his own work, would simply not listen to reason. Soron couldn't tell exactly why he was trying to help this man, but he was none the same.

To the other humans passing by, the action Soron was taking looked like a group of businessmen trying to rig the game somehow. That was part of living in a transportation and trading hub, there was always at least one person trying to tip the scales. In this case, Soron was far from trying to trip them in his favor. Of course, he could also find someone who would pay more than what the little man was asking for the idol. Then again, Soron could find someone who would give their spare summer home for a piece of quality dirt.

"It is well worth a quon and three ravi." Spoke the little man in his own defense. "I would have to say that it might be worth, on the high end, a tou and 53 ravi."

"I would not be opposed to telling you the events up till now. If that is what you wish. Because it would help if we had a plan. I have a plan, but I have no idea if it will work. However, I would need leave you for some time, and come back with hopeful information. Would you be opposed to this?" R'Nieth had planned to do some recon, and a bit of interrogation in order to find out what he needed. Whom to trust, whom not to trust. These things seemed essential, next to the inhabitants of the city and the ways humans operate, thier currency system. All of this seemed important. If was well known knowledge about what was used for currency, but not the worth. He intended to find these things out, and quickly.

Soron was now walking down the street. His attempts to talk some sense into the other merchant were far from successful. So, now that the other could not see how buisness worked, Soron was walking through the dark alleyways. He didn't notice that he was stepping through something until it made a small hissing sound. Soron stopped, turned, then looked down. He was in a black, oil-like substance. The one reason that he never carried fire down these alleyways. Now, no longer feeling threatened, even though the goop was hissing, Soron continued walking towards his home.