Need for Resistance

Log Info

• Title: Need for Resistance

• Characters: Rune, Fidget

• Place: The TarRaCe

• Summary: Rune comes to Fidget to get an upgrade on her cloak, so she can better resist both poisons and mind-control.

Inside the TarRaCe, tucked away in the corner, is an open doorway with a sign above it, drawn crudely on in what appears to be rainbow paint, proudly announcing "Fidget's Magic Shop" with another small sign hanging from the first that says "Open!"

Through the doorway, you can see a clutter of miscellaneous stuff somewhat haphazardly heaped on a counter on one side of the room, whereas the other side of the room has shelves and pedestals carefully displaying pieces of work, some pearlescent spheres, a violet tiara, and a stack of scrolls most prominently on display. Other displays have a piece of parchment with an intricate design of what items could be commissioned, the design visual surrounded by scrawled notes about materials and enchantments, and somewhere among the scribbles, there's a price - often with a few question marks appended.

All this is set up, ready for customers, but Fidget is nowhere to be seen.

It's been a long time since Rune has found herself in the TarRaCe. It seems that there is rarely time for rest and relaxation these days. However, she seems to have made a point to come to Alexandros, likely to touch-base with friends and spend some coin. Spending coin seems to be the reason that she is here.

"So... the guy at the market said that it should be here. Oh!" And so it is. Eyes widening slightly, Rune approaches the shop, or... what looks more like just a room that's been leased out from the proprietors.

"Fidget? You here?" Rune asks, trying to look around as politely as possible and not to jostle any of the mess of items that seem to be arrayed here.

The most perceptive people might hear tiny snores eminating from behind the pile of stuff that litters the untidy half of the room, in the moment of silence after Rune's query and the sudden sounds of shuffling hurried movement, then Fidget's head pops up around the pile with an impish grin and impeccable dress, "Welcome to the shop! Buy things!" she announces with glee, stepping around the pile and giving it a little pat as she steps over to the tidy half of the room where Rune awaits.

"Still in the process of setting up but if you've got anything you want that's here, or that I can source the rare and mystical materials for... then I'm all ears and receipts."

The goblin's eyes sweep the display stands and the items (and item placeholders) available, and says "Regretfully, I don't have anything sharp and stabby, well, nothing *special* available right now - obviously I have some things for general stabbing - but things that are quiet and sneaky so you can do the stabbing, those I can make all custom for you. Assuming you're here for the shop that is, if you just want to hop in the pool and have some drinks, that's good too!" though there's a little bit of her tone that implies a strong hope that's she's got her first real customer since... well, opening isn't quite the right word since it's not finished yet, but since the store was enFidgeted.

"Don't worry, you can touch things, I try not to put anything out that people could break, or which could kill us."

The sudden appearance of the Goblin has Rune nearly flinching. However, it ends up just being a quick blink of her eyes as she furrows her eyebrows, "Were you sleeping?" Followed by, "How do you wake up that quickly? It usually takes me a cup of tea and at least a half hour to rouse properly." Then again, Rune doesn't sleep like most normal people so...

"I'm... actually not in the market for stabbing instruments at the moment, so we're in luck there." The rogue replies, seeming vaguely bemused by the whole situation. "I was actually hoping you might be able to help me with expanding the enchantments on something I already have?" It's phased as a question, her head tilting slightly as she unclasps the cloak from her shoulders and offers it out.

The cloak has some relatively simple resistance charms on it. "I know I can't afford the sort of magics that some of my friends have, but I was hoping to maybe get something just a bit better? I've... fallen victim to mind control and poison lately, so being able to better resist those things is... kind of important to the whole... not dying thing."

"People learn to wake up quickly in Goblintown, gotta make sure noone steals your stuff, or glues your ears to the floor as a hilarious prank. Plus, you know, faster metabolism and all - we have less time to go slow, not like the Sildanari with dozens of lifespans to waste pondering if trees can smell the stars. Can't sleep in if a Gobbo wants to get something done."

Reaching out to run her fingers down the proferred cloak, Fidget nods and mumbles admiration for the work, "Not dying is recommended, yes. Though I did recently negotiate some excellent dying rates with the Arcanists. Seems things keep trying to kill me, lately, too, and it would be totally inconvient if I stayed dead."

Taking a step back, Fidget mutters an incantation and draws a small sigil in the air, and her eyes glow momentarily as the detection spell settles into place, and she peers closely at the enchantment woven into the fabric. "Yes, I can see how this could be improved! If you added another overlapping pattern of crystal thread, and offset it so the abjuration magic flows amplify one another, you could capture an even stronger protection spell inside and it would be twice as effective!"

"Makes me glad that I have never spent too much time in Goblintown." Rune smirks slightly. "Outside of a few deliveries, that is." Leaning forward a little, the half-elf shakes her head, "I'm only half-Sildanari, myself. I've never really understood how some of my kinsfolk can take life quite so slowly."

The fact that Fidget was able to negotiate resurrections with one of the guilds is enough to raise Rune's brows again, though. "Interesting. If anything were to happen to me, I'd probably just be depending on the kindness of my friends. I don't exactly have those sort of ties to any of the organizations here in Alexandros."

Watch the display of magic catches her eyes, but the explanation of how the improvement could be done seems to go over the poor rogue's head. She just isn't all that versed with spells, spellcraft, and other matters of the like. "That sounds... good?" Another question, tinged with uncertainty. "How much would that sort of improvement run?"

"Uhh..." Fidget realizes that perhaps the enchantment theory might not be quite at Rune's level, "Yes. That's good." she agrees, grinning, "I can make it twice as strong, I think. As for how much..." The goblin apparently starts counting on her fingers, though it's not clear exactly how as she's definitely not using them in order, "Materials cost about 1,500 gold for the improvements to the weave, and then it'll take about 3 days of work, so 300 gold for goblinpower." the goblin says with a smirk for her invented word, much better than 'manpower' which is true in neither meaning of the word. "I would need to have it for the three days while I work on it, so you'd need to make sure you aren't trying to get yourself killed for at least that long, though."

"So, 1800 gold total." Rune replies, nodding her head as she reaches to detach a pouch from her belt. She might have gotten quotes ahead of time, because it seems like she has just barely the right amount there, some of which is in smaller coinage. Eventually, though, she manages to double check and make sure it is all there, leaving only a few sparse coins to return to her money pouch. "That should be it."

Then, with a smirk, the rogue nods her head, "I should be able to stay out of trouble for a few days. I was just planning on visiting a friend and getting some insight on some recent trouble. After that, I'll be heading back to Am'shere to deal with some personal issues before trying to make myself a thorn in the side of the Charneth."

Leaning back, Rune folds her arms across her chest, "Three days should be fine. It will give me plenty of time to rest. It's... been a rough bit." Reaching up to rub at her shoulder, the girl comments, "If you ever find yourself up against phase spiders, stay far away from the pointy bits. It's... not pleasant."

GAME: Fidget rolls knowledge/arcana: (8)+12: 20

"Ah, the weakening poison. I read about that one recently while trying to find out about exploding poop monsters. I'd say you probably got the better beast, or at least, Simony and the others would have preferred to deal with poison than the smell." Fidget muses after a moment's recollection, grimacing but somehow still looking like she's bordering on a laugh.

"Oh yeah, and I promised you a receipt." the goblin remembers suddenly, and dances off to the detritus-ridden half of the room, and starts digging in the pile for a moment, before producing a small pad, and then she somehow finds a charcoal nub nestled in her hair inside the top hat. She scribbles on the paper energetically, and produces the receipt.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I O U

1 Stronger Cloak of Resistance

Come back in 3 days

Below, there's a smiling goblin face, and the name Fidget.

"I'd rather deal with the smell than the fact that I nearly died." Rune replies, looking ever so briefly unsettled before she manages to steel herself back to her normal demeanor. "Still, my near-death-experience is your gain. It means I'll be focusing on my defenses again for a while, and you may just be my go-to person besides Mikilos."

Rune accepts the receipt, giving it a strange look, and then tucks it into her belt with a nod of her head, "You wouldn't happen to be able to make anything that helps with those kind of poisons, would you? Things that offer better resistance, or scrolls that can neutralize poisons, anything like that?" The rogue asks. "Not that I have the coin at the moment, but... always good to know."

"I think some of my companions would rather have died, I can show you if you like! It was absolutely foul. If I share the memory with you, you can experience the whole thing like you were really there! Though... maybe outside, some of them were quite sick afterwards." Fidget suggests, becoming uncertain that it would be a good idea to risk vomit on the new floor. You can clean things up with magic, but you'll always know it was there. "As for the poison problem... I don't think so, though I could suggest some things that are somewhat beyond my abilities at the moment. Though maybe come back in a few weeks, you never know!"

"I... think I'll pass. I've had to delve into the sewers beneath Alexandria and into some other pretty foul places in the past. I can imagine all too well what it was like." Rune has a decently strong stomach, but after some recent bouts with unusual illnesses, she isn't about to risk her already uncertain stomach on such a vision.

"I'll make sure to check back, though, when you might have more items for sale. As it is, I don't even have enough for a room at the inn, but... thankfully I can just mooch off of Harkashan for that." She smirks. Then, with a tip of the head, "I have a few appointments to keep, but I'll stop back in again in three days."

There is a pause as Rune half-turns to go. "And... thank you, Fidget. I appreciate it."

The goblin laughs, "I guess it's good you've got someone to stay with on a tough day. Though if you really needed it, I'd have taken the work fee later, since I don't need that to buy the materials. And thank *you*, Rune. I've been looking forward to doing a commerce, and now I have! Many more in future, I hope!" Fidget says, and then turns back to the pile of stuff and starts trying to organize it, in part by stuffing some of the things in a cabinet that's built into the back wall.