2945/Exploring Kakariko Village

Exploring Kakariko Village
Date of Scene:	02 September 2015
Location:	The Hylian Mainland <LoZ-5>
Synopsis:	A visit to Kakariko Village.
Cast of Characters:	Deelel, 73, 108, Sarracenia, 787, 788, 789, 790, 826, 864
Tinyplot:	Clearing the Twilight

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Agahnim (864) has posed:
     Some discussion has happened, and the party has decided where to head first: Kakariko Village. It is, overall, an incredibly logical first stop. Located right near Death Mountain and the Gerudo Desert, it is the nearest town to the border of Hyrule. And, luckily, it is not covered in Twilight.

     A large wooden gate leads into town, reading 'WELCOME TO KAKARIKO VILLAGE' in Hylian text. The village itself is rather pleasant, albeit small. The main road is a dirt path, though the village itself has a fair amount of greenery. The homes are a mixture of different style. Adobe buildings, wooden structures made of wattle and daub, log cabins. It's location has brought out a vast number of different styles.

     There are a number of different places one could start. A simple tavern/inn is located near the front of the town, in a large two story building. The sign reads 'The Dancing Cucco'. A number of different stores are in town as well. A potion shop in a shack. An adobe building that has a sign reading General Store. A metalsmith working out of an adobe brick building with a large smokestack coming out of his business. Near the end of the main street, a farm house, with various animals in fences outside. Chicken looking creatures, along with cows, stand in diferrent fences off areas. Off the main street, there are numerous homes. And, up on a nearby cliffside, up a long staircase? A windmill. A quiet sound of an accordian can be heard coming from that home.

     A few people walk up and down the street as well, mostly going about their business. Ignoring the party, aside giving them simple nods in greeting.

Sarracenia has posed:
     Princess Sarracenia opted out of her usual grand airship entrance today. Instead, her personal ship floats down just outside of the town entrance. It is a one-person craft, so it is just her without any soldiers or anything today. She is unsure of how the Unionites will react to her presense and the presense of the other Confederates that may show up, but she is merely looking about town for the moment.

     Her hammer is nowhere to be seen for the moment, but one can be sure she has it somewhere nearby. "So, what this is where the search starts, hmm?" she says to herself. "It is a rather...quaint village. Can they really help us?"

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
Sarah comes down out of the inn where they stayed overnight. After all, she DID say she was tired. She also put out word over Pesterchum about this area and how there are potential opporunitues for smashing and higher learning. And Loot. Always loot.

I guess there's that saving the world thing too, whatever.

So they need to gather these Tears of Light and free the Spirits of Light to take out the Twilight. Solid enough overall goal but no one knows what the hell to do.

Sarah decides to start by hanging out in the tavern, possibly checking some pots and grass outside for some Rupees so she can buy some milk and listen in for rumors. Taverns are perfect classic information gathering areas.

Bertram Silent (826) has posed:
Bertram hasn't been here before, so he's coming by foot. He looks to be in a somewhat serious mood, but nothing too too serious. He's holding his staff tight, perhaps a little overly tight, and has put on a forced smile. He just stands in the center of the village and appears to hope that the tall bearded fellow in white mage's robes stands out sufficiently for people to figure out he's here to help out.

Noa Nuquerna (788) has posed:
     Noa is an Elf, which is the prettiest form of humanoid there is by scientific fact (it's true, look it up: noted elfologist J.R.R. Tolkein once described them as superior to men in every way, and since then, no elf has ever let go of that descriptor. Ever.). Dressed in his long black leather jacket, his black leather pants, bits of metal that presumably serve as armor, a belt that says FREE around his waist, and another belt wrapped bandolier-style around his chest, Noa simply strolls into town with a scowl on his face.

     "Look at this place," he complains to Sarah, "LOOK at this place. This is ridiculous. It's like somebody took Old-Timey Oldsville In The Middle Of Oldtown, Oldcountry, Oldworld, and plopped it down in the middle of nowhere. What are these?"

     He points at the chickens. "What even are these? These aren't chickens. THese are like if chickens were assholes. I can tell. They're asshole chickens."

     Noa fixes one of the cuckoos with a stare. He brushes long black hair back down his back. It's a very pretty motion. "You seriously think there's loot here?"

Winnowill (108) has posed:
    Unsurprisingly, Winnowill has not shown up as her normal appearance. This is actually a bit odd, considering she normally has pointed ears and all that. She'd... not actually fit right in, but possibly more than her current look. Instead of Winnowill, the strange party known as BLACK SNAKE is attending this matter, ostensibly in an attempt to get out of Equestria. Being (supposedly) from the Equestria with humanoid sorts, she has the nub of a horn on her head, and her long dark black hair is accented by a silky black tail that flicks out from her robes.

    She isn't going to let on how much(or little) she knows of the situation for now. Introductions are all that she does, before lazily following the lead of the others who have come. The farm gets her immediate attention though, so it isn't long after that she murmurs a soft excuse and wanders up toward the farm to get a better look at the animals. And maybe talk to anyone there. But mostly to look at the animals.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel has come down out of the inn, it would hav ebeen strange for anyone seeing her sleeping. She didn't move she didn't breath, she didn't move at all. It was like she was a corpse. She sems quite chipper and yes she does actually eat a meal when she gets up. She's in good spirits as she hiking about taking in the landscape as she goes. A few times she'll pause to work on a strange holotech item of some sort.

"Well this is quite the lovely place..."

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Frederica does her best to remain discreet and appear local as she always does. Sadly, her best really isn't very good considering she favours short skirts revealing plenty of leg, detached sleeves, and of course a hooded cloak with animal ears. She makes her way to the gathering point.

    "So. We're not actually going into the Twilight today, I guess?" she asks, sounding slightly disappointed. Between yesterday and today she's kind of come around on the whole hedgehog thing. Probably because people pointed out how cute she looked. Cute is a big deal to her after all.

Victor Ellsworth (790) has posed:
    Exploring a village sounds like a nice break.

    And VICTOR ELLSWORTH, GAMBLER SUPREME, also not a girl despite his dashing young looks, hadn't been out and about in a while. He could use to stretch his legs! That's why he's with SARAH, although ever grumpy she's the one he stuck with.

    "Please, Noa, this is obviously A starter quest, There will be loot, and It will chain into a Large series of events Leading to some legendary Prophecy or some other shit Like that. Come on you Should know your clich�s Better than that. This is the Sort of place where a hero Starts."

    Being in the TAVERN/INN as well, he glances about. "I think we Should split up though, we're Wasting time being in one place. Our Odds are better if we go Multiple places."

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     As Sarah enters the Tavern, the bartender looks at her. He is a rather heavyset man, wearing a tunic, baggy pants, an apron. He also has the /most amazing beard and moustache/. Braided, long, exquisitely done, and it obviously hasn't been washed for years. He raises an eyebrow looking towards Sarah, narrowing his eyes as he looks at her.

     "...Hey. You aren't from around here, are ya? Traveller? Don't see many of those recently, not since the trouble started. ...We have some rooms to stay upstairs if you need one, though they're pretty spendy. We also have a common room, if you want." And, a brief pause. "...Also, you're way too young, so don't even /bother/ trying to buy any milk from me, we don't sell it to kids. Fair warning."

     ...Why is milk prohibited to kids? ...Also all of the adults in the tavern are sitting around drinking frothy mugs of milk.

     Victor, on the other hand, proves a bit luckier. Despite his age, the moment he coems into the tavern? The bartender slides him a glass of milk, and smirks at him. "...Going on some sort of quest? What, is someone finalyl going to look into that group of Moblins and Gerudo that came through a while back?"

     Bertram, unfortunately, gets nothing but incredibly strange stares. One small child, as passing, hands him a green rupee, before running away. Apparently they are assuming he is homeless. Perhaps it speaks to the times?

     A stray cucco apparently managed to get out of the fence. It is, currently, walking towards Noa, even if he follows Sarah into the tavern. It sort of rubs at his leg and nuzzles against it. For some reason.

     Black Snake is getting some more stares than the others. The few who try to talk to her or ask what a farm animal is doing out hear the murmered excuse, shrug, and move on. They do look back at Black Snake quite frequently, though. So out of place, in so many ways. The cows and cuccos move near the fence, looking curiously towards the pony. They tilt their heads, considering.

     As Black Snake observes the animals, a man comes out of the farm's building. He looks like a traveller himself. He wears a fairly nice purple coat, with purple clothign underneath. Upon his back is a gigantic travelling backpack, covered in various places with different masks. All of them look rather interesting and unique. Sarracenia, should she glance at him, will even notice, of all things, a /Mario/ mask on his backpack.

Noa Nuquerna (788) has posed:
     "I knew this thing was an asshole," Noa grumbles. He did not, in fact, follow them into the bar. The chicken stalking him gets a Look, as Noa tries to decide whether or not he's alright with it. On the one hand, it's a chicken, and thereby one of the most evil creatures on the planet. On the other hand, it's a chicken and an asshole, and thereby one of the most evil creatures on the planet.

     "Fuck it," he says, and picks up the chicken, utilizing his ELF skills, because elves are good with animals (yes, really) "You just became my Number One lieutenant. Your name is literally Number One, and you are the first of a vast and powerful army."

     "Welcome to the team, Number One. I promise that at some point I may hide a shard of my soul inside you in order to survive a horrible apocalypse or violent beating at the hands of people who do not understand me."

     Number One now acquired, Noa looks around. The Mask guy looks cool and is Nearby, so Noa just saunters over that way. THE BAR IS WHERE ALL HIS ENEMIES ARE.

     THEREFORE HE GOES THE OTHER WAY.

     NOALOGIC.

Sarracenia has posed:
     The princess, with nothing else catching her eye, raises an eyebrow at the Mario mask. She approaches the mask salesman, then pauses a moment and looks around in a rather paranoid fashion. She shakes her head, then continues toward him. "Excuse me," she says to the salesman, "...but, where did you get that mask?" She points to the Mario mask, then leans in a bit closer. "And...do you have anything special? I enjoy masquarades, and so few merchants deal in high quality masks."

     Sarracenia speaks softly, so that only Black Snake is likely to hear her other than the merchant.

Victor Ellsworth (790) has posed:
    Oh, milk! Victor accepts the glass, grinning at Sarah. "On the other Hand perhaps you needed my Much smoother presence to really Get anywhere. It seems as ever Odds would have us team up. As you would put it, We are once more Fated to to team up, because Your limited point of view and Experience means we must work Together."

    He sips from the glass.
    He grimaces a bit.

    "This Milk tastes odd."

    Back to the bartender, thouh, he inquires: "What are Moblins and Gerudo? Is it Unusual that they are seen Together? Did they do Bad things while here?"

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Being apparently snubbed by the villagers, Frederica considers where to go for information. The farm would be nice... but then, the strange horse-woman went that way. And, unfortunately as Frederica might like to get to know her a bit better, she's stealing all the attention (or so the pyro girl thinks) so she decides to head another direction to get her own admirers.

    And so Freddie heads in to the General Store, looking around for priceless (or at least cute) things for sale for cheap. And people to pester for information on fairies and tears and stuff.

Bertram Silent (826) has posed:
Bertram hands the kid his rupee back, with another one. "Thanks, I don't need it. Use this to buy something nice for yourself." He smiles, and decides to head for the local eatery/boozehouse. Maybe there's people he recognizes there, or at least, people who seem as out of place as he does. "I'd like some milk and a bowl of soup." He orders, sitting down.

Epicea Chelid (787) has posed:
    Exploring a village? Sounds great!

    The grey-skinned troll is wearing a beanie atop her head which... doesn't hide her horns really at all, but it's comfy! So, with blatant nubs sticking out, and her normal slacker-clothes, Epicea Chelid is here to...

    "Sarah, buddy, what are we doing here?" She asks, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

    Apparently? Especially exploring a tavern. A tavern that... Serves milk. She scores Victor's milk glass, taking a drag (she can do this because audacity), and begins to look very confused.

    "Oi, barkeep. What sort of bovine makes milk like this? Tastes like if I put it in a microwave before bed I'd have a bad time."

    Noa is rambling about being a huge jerk and having a lieutenant. This is summarily ignored. It'll work out.

Winnowill (108) has posed:
Black Snake's ears flick, perking up a little. Okay so she does look kind of adorable, even if her attitude is 'standoffish' at best. SOme might call it 'icy bitch' from the way she looks at the animals, including people. She is considering the creatures when the saleseman comes out, and that gets her interest much more than simple farm creatures. "Hmmm?"

Well then. Time to check out the salesman. Sweeping over toward him, she speaks mildly, "Hello. You do not seem quite like the others in this place. Merely visiting?"

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
"Deal with it, Noa." Sarah replies. "Not every place can be full of willowy assholes living in trees. Look, you're even attracting your spirit animals."

She stomps off, leaving Noa to the Cuccos.

A MINUTE LATER

Sarah kind of stands there with a blank look on her face as she looks to the adults sitting there drinking... milk. And that Victor, who is her age, justgot casually served.

Jumping Lowells, he didn't even get carded for the milk bar. What is this crap.

Epicea asks her what's up, and Sarah looks to the Troll Princess with an aggrieved air. "How many times do I have to tell you, we're looking for leads on the Tears of Light and the Spirits of Light so we can score some cool gear and maybe save the world, probably in that order. Don't sleep through this one, Epicea, this one seems like it might actually not be terrible."

Sarah allows herself to facepalm as Victor tells her to spread out. "That's not increasing the odds, that's the opposite of playing the odds. It is in fact removing chance from the equation. One of these days you are going to get that through your insane luck cultist head." She pauses, and adds an exasperated, "Ugh." to make sure he knows just how irritated she is at the moment, especially since he got handed the obvious quest pickup. "I'll go investigate out there, then, and maybe get some more information while pushing things into an inevitable conclusion." She takes the opportunity to make a face at Victor with much tongue-sticking out involved before she scurries out.

A MINUTE LATER

She steps out and separates from the group, spreading out and doing exactly what Victor recommended (but not because he said so, that is Very Important), instead approaching the first guard she finds. "Hey there." Sarah addresses him ."I heard there's some thing going on about evil Moblins passing through and some junk. Did you see where they went?"

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     The chicken is happily picked up. It is hard to tell if it knows its name, but... It gives a /little/ nod. Yes, the Cucco is a little bit sapient. These species of dangerous chicken-like beings have a /lot/ more to them than meets the eye.

     Also it lays an egg in Noa's hand, before leaping onto his head.

     Noa has acquired one NPC.

     The Mask Salesman turns to Sarracenia, smiling at her. He clasps his hands in front of him, bowing slightly towards her. An incredibly wide smile is upon his face, his teeth showing. His eyes closed. In fact, his eyes almost never open.

     "Ah, this mask? I know little of it. I found it outside of Hyrule, in a kingdom filled with mushrooms. I decided to pick it up, and take it for myself... But let me think. You enjoy masquerades? Yes, masks can be /quite/ a thing, can't they? Let me show you some of my wares, then, for a woman as lovely as you!"

     He's a pleasant salesman, at the least. He kneels down on the ground, before Sarracenia. The backpack is pulled off of his back, and set on the ground before him. Slowly, he shifts through the various masks, pulling them out. There are all sorts. Bunny hoods, Keaton Masks. Masks resembling various species of the land. Goron masks. Zora masks. A heart shaped mask. A Deku mask. Eventually, though, he pulls out a masquerade mask. It is black in color, with elegnant gold trim. Black feathers come off of it.

     "This is the fanciest masquerade mask I have! Certainly suitable for a lovely woman such as yourself. Should this not be fitting, I can almost certainly take a comission to make a proper design!"

     The Mask Salesman turns up to Black Snake, the pleasant look on his face still. "Ah, yes, I am a travelling merchant. I go across this land frequently, and often off of this world in general. It's been a fairly fruitful bonus, this Multiverse. But, still, I wish that Hyrule was more cheerful. Though this is not my homeland, Hyrule was where I set up a more permenant shop. With the Twilight here, no one wants to buy a mask..."

     A pause. "...Would you like a mask as well, though? If you want a custom one, I could even start a project. The farm has been letting me use their basement as a workshop, and so we could step inside and discuss your order. It would not take long for me to modify a mask for your taste, or to create a new one for you."

     Victor's milk, of course, tastes odd for a very specific reason. It is /really potent alcohol. But, the bartender frowns a little, shaking his head.

     "...Well. Wasn't just Moblins. Bulbins too. Moblins are monsterous pig men, and Bulbin are these green fellas. Mostly small little imp like creatures, but some big and tall fat ones too, usually the leaders. The Gerudo are a warrior woman race. None of them really work together ever. But... Some time back, we saw them up to the northwest side of town, near the Spring of Eldin. None of us have any clue what all of them were doing there. Was a few years back. But..."

     The man frowns a bit. "...Well. They came back through, recently. Mostly the Bulbins, though a few Moblins and Gerudos helped them too. They had a girl with them. A Hylian girl, one of our race. Bound, gagged. Took her off to the desert. Some people say they when much further northwest, past the Great Fairy's Spring, and all the way to the Forsaken Fortress. We were going to rally up some able bodied men to chase them, but... There be Twilight over that way."

     And a glance towards Epicea.

     "...The milk is alcoholic."

     Sarah hears basically the same exact thing the Bartender just said, except a bit more polite as opposed to casual and gruff sounding.

     The General Store is rather simple and plain. Wooden shelves, various objects on all of them. Bombs, seeds, nuts, sticks, all seemingly mostly used for combat. A simple wooden shield is for sale. They have a vast variety of other goods up on higher shelves, out of reach without a ladder. Bug nets, Magic Bottles, and even a boomerang.

Noa Nuquerna (788) has posed:
     A small demon plucks the egg from Noa's hand, makes a face, and vanishes.

     Noa looks up at the chicken on his head. Well, people called him a cockhead all the time. Apparently it was literally true for the moment.

     "Come on, Number One, let's find out what's up with this guy with all the masks. Those are some creepy fucking masks."

     Noa, cucoo on his head, makes his way over to the Happy Mask Salesman without a second thought. He glances at Sarracenia and Winnowill with the sort of lingering glance an elf tends to give non-elves, e.g. a slightly arrogant inspection that results in the elf in question mentally labelling them as NOT ELVES, although Winnowill's ears draw a moment of ELF? instead. He also looks at the Happy Mask Salesman with the same look, but the Salesman also has ITEMS FOR SALE, making him worth Noa's time.

     "I want one," Noa points at the masks, "What's it cost and what's the Loophole I'm gonna have to jump through to either get it off my face, change back, or otherwise make it an actually useful thing for an up-and-coming Adversary instead of a cunning test of character, wisdom, personal strife, or other theoretically Heroic virtue I'm supposed to have?"

     Number One makes a Cucoo noise.

     Noa points up at the chicken. "He wants one, too."

     He holds up a hand at Sarracenia and Winnowill. "Sup. Noa. This is Number One, my Arch-Lieutenant. We're here to buy some masks."

     "You?"

Deelel has posed:
Deelel is leaving the chicken be she doesn't have any desire to try and piss it off. She's going to break off and now look ot the merchant whom is selling masks. She's curious about what he's seleling she'll wait for an opening to speak.

"So you seem to be quite well traveled sir, is there anything else of note you might have heard while peddling your masks?"

Frederica (73) has posed:
    After certain experiences in a certain online game Frederica has a bit of affection for wide-area explosives. Not that she really likes weapons that can hurt her friends, but there's still a certain glee she has for things that go BOOOM. Though she lacks local currency the land of Hyrule's been part of the Multiverse for a while, so exchange rates should be set. The only question is how much Union bucks it'll take to buy a bag of bombs, and how much fun Frederica will have haggling for it.

    While she's purchasing, as an afterthought, "Oh, can you tell me where the Spring of Eldin is around here? I've been told I shouldn't miss it!"

Winnowill (108) has posed:
Black Snake hmmns. "Well now. I think I might take you up on that offer," she murmurs. Glancing back toward where the others are working, she curls her lips into a 'pleasant' smile and considers the various masks, making a big show of which one she is thinking about.

In the end, she gestures to the heart-shapedd one. "I think that one will be fine. How much would you like for it?"

Victor Ellsworth (790) has posed:
    Victor nods to the barkeep, allowing Epicea to take a sip from his glass before being told what it is. He glances down at it, and places it back on the counter. "Oh. I'm too Young to drink. I think. I'm not Too young for death games Though so I guess it's an Oddly arbitrary thing like that." He pushes his glasses up, dramatically. "Nonetheless, Thank you for your information. We will go Investigate the Spring of Eldin, and then Later, we will go investigate the Forsaken Fortress. Did you see what the Girl looked like, so we Know what to look for?

Victor Ellsworth (790) has posed:
    "And also," Victor remembers, "Why is it called the Forsaken Fortress? Who lives there besides Gerudo, Moblins and Bulblins?" Because, that turns out to be an important thing to ask too.

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
Sarah nods and thanks the guard for their time. It's better to be polite than an asshole to random people when they give you help, there's no telling when you might need their help again.

The rest of the people she's dealing with, however, they don't get such mercies. She putters along, following Frederica as she gathers the last information they need to set out.

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     The Mask Salesman's look never changes as he faces Noa. Just the constant smile. "...Well. I can almost certainly get you, and your cucco, wonderful masks! I am not sure what you mean about loop hole. Though, if your'e asking if any of these are magical... Some are. Very few are cursed. Let me see if I can find the /proper/ mask for you, though. It will need to be a custom job for your Cucco!"

     He reaches into his bag, pulling out a mask. It looks like a skeleton face, covering just the nose, eyes, and forehead. He holds it out to Noa, "This one has not been selling well, but perhaps you would like it?"

     A glance is given from the Salesman to Deelel, and he shakes his head, "Ah, I've only had bad news, recently. Moblin and Bublin raids across the Tribly Highlands. Even Lon Lon Ranch has been struck. No one has been able to get to Zora's Domain, because the pass is blocked. Twilight comes and goes through the land. There are only two nearby regions mostly safe. The Gerudo Desert, aside from the area around the Forsaken Fortress, and the Kingdom of Gamelon. In fact... The Duke of Gamelon, the King's brother and Zelda's uncle? He is currently working on gathering an army, last I was there. Planning to strike against the ursuper. He is a good man. I met him several times, and he wants nothing more than to have his niece take the throne."

     As Winnowill asks for the heartshaped mask? The shopkeeper shakes his head, just slightly. "Ah, I am sorry. But, this Mask is not for sale." He pulls the mask out, just so the top of it can be seen. It is heartshaped, with yellow spikes. Purple and red markings are drawn upon it, and it has large eyes. No eyeholes.

     "...This mask. It was once used by an ancient tribe in their rituals. I simply hold onto it for now. And, as said, it is not for sale. You may look at it, briefly, though." He'll let it keep being at the top of the pile of masks for a moment, as long as Black Snake is willing to look at it.

     The shopkeeper is rather harsh on prices for the bombs, and the bags. Buuuut a lot of debate later and Frederica can probably negotiate for the bombs at a significant price. Not quite a whole month's salary, but still astoundingly high. Most of the price is for the /bag/ itself, made of pure Dodongo leather. The question is at least answered easily. "...Well. The Spring is just to the northwest, on the edge of town. There is a little forested area near the cliffside, and the spring is against the cliff. Not been a lot of visitors to it recently, though. The magic seems to be gone from it."

     The barkeep ponders a bit, thinking back, "The girl... Blonde hair, blue eyes. Some people actually knew her name, too. Frequent visitor to this town, actually... Ah! Ilia is her name. Usually wore farm clothing. From Ordona Village. She used to come into town on occasion with this boy her age, another blonde haired youth. ...Haven't seen him since the Twilight fell, either. She was a nice girl... We're all wishing there were a way to save her, but...."

     "And the fortress is called that for a reason. There are legends. Ancient legends. It is a castle from times /far/ past, ruled by a Gerudo King in times which history has lost to us. We don't even know his name, but. Legend tells that he was the King of Evil. He invaded Hyrule. And, a young boy wielding the Master Sword fought him. Defeated him. And, that, his former castle, now serves as a home to so many evil beasts. No clue what else lives there, though. No good folk would make their home there. Just those dirty desert thieves."

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     The Mask Salesman, for the price of the mask, notes, "Ah-- almost forgot, apologies! This Skull Mask? It is worth about fifty credits, in the currency of the Multiverse."

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Frederica isn't about to buy bombs without a bomb bag. That'd just be silly. For one thing, how would she carry them around? It's not like she's got a magical videogame inventory or anything weird like that... but a BAG is easy. And of course for the other thing, if she's carrying bombs around openly it'll probably make people nervous. Especially her allies.

    Once she settles the purchase, she slings her purchase too-casually over one shoulder. With a bag like that, all special leather and everything, it's clearly a fashion accessory! And an expensive one at that! Never mind it probably bulges in weird places like it's full of melons or something. She makes her way out towards the group, eyeing the Northwest. Wherever that may be. Chances are she gets it wrong. She's not exactly a rural sort of girl despite vast experience in Alfheim Online.

Noa Nuquerna (788) has posed:
     "Sold," Noa replies, dropping coins into the man's hand, "Number One will take a similarly awesome mask, I'll pay for a custom job, whatever."

     The Cuccoo puffs itself up imperiously and bobs its head up and down. Apparently it's gotten used to its new position as Arch-Lieutenant. It casts an approving eye over the masks, nods, and settles in comfortably in its nest of Elf Hair.

     Noa fiddles with the mask for a moment before a demon plucks it out of his hands, sticks its tongue out at him, and vanishes.

     "You little bastard!" He shouts, "Give that back! And my compass!"

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia watches as the many masks are presented, but one in particular catches her attention. Perhaps because it is a giant heart. She points at the heart mask. "That mask is unusual. What is it for?" she asks before she admires the offered black and gold mask. She looks it over, then takes it from the merchant to get a better look. But, even as she holds the black and gold mask, she is paying close attention to Winnowill and the heart-mask.

Epicea Chelid (787) has posed:
    Upon recieving this key informaton on what the crap they're doing, Epicea promptly ignores it, Victor getting back his milk. His ALCOHOLIC MILK.

    The female troll finds this to be stupid as hell, but then she comforts herself by realizing that this place is basically Hero Quest World. Which gives her an idea.

    "Wait, so, there's a place filled with dirty thieves that a hero once cleared out, dark stuff fell all over everywhere, and... A magical spring? Well, alright."

    She starts a mental checklist. It goes something like...
    <x> Inquire at Quest-Guy for Quests
    <_> Investigate spooky fortress
    <_> Investigate magic fountain
    <_> wtf is twilight
    <_> apply violence things with 'blin' in the name

    With this mental plan in place, Epicea heads out of the tavern - not even leaving a tip! - to go find Noa to recruit him for the violence. And then... happy... mask... salesman. "Noa!" She calls, over the Happy Mask Salesman's massive bag. She doesn't hop but she does wave her arms.

    She looks to Sarracenia. "You look important. So, tell my asshole friend -" she points at Noa, who if he's not ignoring her due to not-noticing her, is ignoring her due to being Noa-who-is-a-huge-jag - "That we need to roll out the violence crew. Thanks."

Victor Ellsworth (790) has posed:
    Epicea's ability to BULLET LIST that shit is hugely appreciated by Victor, who would give her a thumb up if she made a real physical list instead. But she didn't, and didn't speak of it, so he doesn't do anything about it. Shame.

    "I see. Thank you Again for your information. I promise My compatriots and I will try to Rescue Ilia if we can. We are with Prince Fassad, maybe you have Heard of him?"

    Though, if there's nothing else, Victor will aim to regroup with everyone so they can head for the Spring of Eldin!

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "humm so it sounds like there's bandits who need dealing with them. That's helpful hopefully I and some other can change that shortly. So a man that wants to put the rightful ruler on? If this is true he's going to need all the support he can get, thank you. Also I would be interested in a mask they are works of art and I was given life orginally to make art and music. I'm always curious to learn and collect from other cultures."

Deelel is bouncing slightly on her feet while this is serious she's getting a whole new world to explore.

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     The Masked Salesman's eyes remain slightly opened the whole time he holds the mask. He lifts it up, just slightly, "...Again, for rituals. I do not know the full details, but. Great curses were placed on the enemies of this tribe, is the rumor."

     The eyes on the mask are too much for him, though. He puts the mask back in his bag, and then closes it quickly.

     But, he at least pulls off a mask for Deelel. A mask in the shape of a head of a Zora. He hands it to her, smiling and eyes closed again, "I /think/ this would be the most fitting mask for you. One hundred credits for it."

     And a glance to Noa, "Ah, if you give me an address in the Multiverse, I can have the mask for your assistant shipped to you. Would that work? Good luck on your quest!"

     The Barkeeper looks like he is considering for a moment, and then finally he answers Victor again, "AH! Prince Fassad. The fellow who came through with the Princess Zelda while she escaped. I heard that Prince stayed in Castle Town, mostly. I don't know much about him. But... If you can rescue Ilia? We will be eternally grateful."

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia blinks in surprise as the Masked Salesman puts the mask away. She huffs softly, then smiles. "So, how much for the black and gold mask and the heart-shaped mask?" She realizes she needs to join the others headed toward the Spring of Eldin, but something about that mask calls to her. "A relic with such history would find a wonderful home in my castle. I could brag about it to every foreign dignitary who visits!"

     She pulls her wallet out of her purse and holds it up. It is quite the extravagant...and fat...wallet. "I assure you that whatever reasonable price you name, I can handle." she says, giving a little wink and a playful grin.

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     The Masked Salesman puts his bag back on his back, and frowns. Shaking his head. "That evil mask is not for sale. But. The mask you currently have? ...Well. Consider it a gift, for a beautiful princess."

     The smile remains on his face, as he slowly walks back towards the farmhouse. Seemingly planning to work on Noa's mask commission.

Winnowill (108) has posed:
Unlike Sarracenia, Black Snake does not attempt to buy the heart-shaped mask. She'll use her magical senses to feel out the mask, mentally, but they aren't precise enough to really get a good feel for what the various masks do, only identify if any of them are magical.

But she doesn't try to purchase any of them. Not right now. "I may have a mask for you later, if you would be willing, but we have dallied here enough for now. Another time, I think."

Not that she's stopping the princess from hers.

Victor Ellsworth (790) has posed:
    Victor nods to the barkeep, and he's off!

    As he arrives at the salesman where the group is still gathered, he glances at the man's wares, though upon being told to by the FISH PRINCESS, produces a notepad, a pen, and makes a checklist, which he hands to Epicea after.

    "You should post That on the Syndicate's net or Whatever."

    He's not doing it, you do it.

    "Why are we All buying masks now? I Missed something."

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia blinks as the Masked Salesman refuses her, then her hands clench. "Evil mask? Do not be silly. I am sure it is merely a rumor. Hearts are not evil." She leans forward at the waist and sways lightly, smiling as sweetly and sincerely as she can. "And, even if it is evil, surely the purity of a princess can handle such a thing. I will take the mask and with the power of my own heart I will purify it."

     She is following after the mask salesman. So, if the others are leaving, the princess might get left behind. She seems rather intent on that mask. "I must insist that you sell it. There is enough evil in this land already. Removing some of it could only benefit this Twilight-torn country."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel thinks she cna afford that easily given the union's pay she gets for helping them out. To be honest she'd have trouble functioning without it. She takes a moment to fish the credits out of a pocket and pay the merchant for the mask.

"Thank you, for the information. Keep your ear open for anything else. I'll be back for more business."

With that the BAsic is going to go and try to catch uyp with everyone else now.

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     Inside of the farmhouse is completely empty. The Masked Salesman glances back towards Sarracenia. His face is actually turning into a frown. It doesn't look pleasant. "No. I told you already. Leave me alone."

     He starts heading down the staircase, stopping at a table in the basement. A number of woodworking tools are spread around, along with some unfinished masks. The Mask Salesman keeps the bag on his back, glaring at Sarracenia if she /still/ followed him to the basement.

Sarracenia has posed:
     In true Link fashion, Sarracenia completely disregards that this is someone's home and workplace and just barges right into the basement behind the salesman. "Why will you not sell it to me? Do you not think I can handle your price? You are a mask salesman. Having a mask which you are not willing to sell makes no sense! Is it because I already have this masquerade mask? I will return it to you if you wish, but I must have that heart mask!"

     The princess seems on the verge of tears. Whatever it is about that mask, it has struck something deep inside her. If she can only get it, she might get what she has been wanting all these years in the Multiverse! She just knows it, and isn't willing to just give up because of some stubborn salesman who for some reason won't sell things!

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     The Mask Salesman stares up at Sarracenia. Frowning more. His face, actually looking angry. He takes a few steps towards her, ignoring the fact she is near tears. And, yelling.

     "I have said no! You will /not/ be buying this mask from me! It is /not something that you should have. I will not let /anyone/ hold it."

Victor Ellsworth (790) has posed:
    "Hey, come On, stop pestering the guy Selling shady evil masks, we Have a Spring to go To," Victor says towards Sarracenia, himself not interested by masks! Honestly, masks are a pain to wear when you wear glasses in the first place.

    "Besides, don't you Know how this works? Some NPCs have scripts that Only change after you do Certain things. Maybe after we Clear the Spring, the Salesman's stock and Prices will change. Some games Do that instead of each town having Better gear than the last, You know? Maybe the Next town will have a better Mask salesman too."

Epicea Chelid (787) has posed:
    Epicea looks at Sarracenia. Up and down. And then, there is a soft snort. "Yeah, sure. Purity. Every single princess is super pure." She laughs. "Come on, let's get our violence on, Princess. Plus, being pushy like this isn't really pure or princessly anyway. You know what is?"

    Epicea thumbs to herself. "Punching out goblins and stuff. Take it from grade-a royalty. Violence, along with naps, is what you gotta focus on."

    Then, without further ado, she heads with the others assembled on Violence Patrol to head for the fountain.

Noa Nuquerna (788) has posed:
     "Man, you're cute for a human, but you're a huge bitch," Noa observes, "Leave the dude alone, let's go kill some shit so I can take over an evil castle and we can get treasure and shit."

     Number One lets out a mighty KWEH of agreement, because he hasn't yet remembered that he's not a chocobo, he's a cucoo, and Noa's player doesn't remember the cucoo noise well enough to onomotopeia it.

Sarracenia has posed:
     The princess doesn't back down. In fact, when the Mask Salesman gets mad at her, she gets mad right back. "So! You are simply being selfish! Well, I am a princess, and I deserve such an amazing mask! It will be mine!" she practically screams, then she reaches into her purse and rummages around a bit, then pulls out...a purple mushroom! The infamous poison mushroom that shrinks one down to about 1/4 of one's normal size. She quickly jams it into the Mask Salesman's mouth, and once he has shrunk she looks around for any others that might be about.

     But, they are inside the farmhouse in the basement. No one else is around, right? The slightly unbalanced princess forces the bag open, grabs the heart mask, then dashes for the door. She stops just inside the basement door to pull out some large gold coins of the type the salesman probably saw when in the mysterious mushroom land. She throws five toward him, but not at him, then runs for it. "I am sorry, but this mask is for me! I can tell!" she says to the salesman just before she disappears out into the village. She runs with the heart mask clutched to her chest, the other mask stuffed into her purse. And she doesn't stop running until she catches up with the others.

     "Forgive me. That mask salesman took a lot of convincing." she says once she has reached them.

Agahnim (864) has posed:
     The Mushroom goes into the Mask Salesman's mouth with some resistance. But, eventually it goes in. He shrinks down, the backpack sliding off of him. The mask is taken.

     The walk to the spring takes just a short bit of walking. It's to the northeast of town, literally right on the edge. A small wooded area, and then a clearing with the spring. It is set against a wall, a number of natural sources of water flowing down the cliffside in water falls. Ending in a pool about ankle deep. There is a mist in the air around the pool.

     And only a vague hint of magic. The magic comes fro mthe pool itself, and is soft and warm. It feels painfully weak, though. The magic is, more or less, feeling like it is suffering. Those more sensitive can almost feel the pain.

     And then, finally, the whole group at the fountain can hear a soft voice. A shadow of a voice, speaking to them. It is kind. It is caring. But, it is nothing more than a whisper.

     "...Pleaaase. Help me. My... body... The... the tears of light...."

     "....Forsaken Fortress."

     The whispering keeps speaking, keeps repeating itself, several times. Until, finally, it fades. It stops. And the magic present seems even weaker than it was before, struggling to say even /that/ much.

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
Sarah isn't having any of these shananigans with the Mask Salesman. Right now she is focused on getting things moving along so they can get to the spring. The spring, which could possibly move them along to another optimal location.

They make it to the spring, and Sarah immediately begins to poke around in the corners, diligently examining the area. She tilts her head as she listens. "Huh. do you hear something?" She asks, and then blinks.

And frowns. "The tears of light, your body... forsaken Fortress..."

And then with a grunt, she looks up, realization dawning over her as she calls up an agonized expression.

"... We went to the wrong area first." She says, with a resigned sigh. "Of course we did."

Noa Nuquerna (788) has posed:
     "HAH," Noa shouts pactically in Sarah's face, "CALLED. IT."

     "New Evil Fortress, here I come."

Sarracenia has posed:
     Once she is certain the mask salesman is not following her, nor are any sort of guards, Sarracenia relaxes and slips the heart mask into her purse nonchallantly. Then, they are at the spring. Sarracenia doesn't have much of a magic sense, but she still feels the warmth. Then, she flinches as she hears that voice. She looks around before looking at the water. "...a spirit?" she asks softly.

     she looks over at Sarah, then at the others. "Where is this fortress? We must hurry there if we wish to save this spirit!"

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Frederica has little to do with the mask seller, having come out of the store after that group had basically ended their little negotiation. Fortunately for everyone, particularly herself. She catches up by the time the group reaches the spring however. She wincesat the spirit's voice. Or the fairy, or whatever it is. An undine, she suspects. Not like Asuna, but a real undine.

    Either way, she sighs unhappily. "Don't fret. We'll save you. Save your strength." she says in an attempt to be hopeful. It's not like she could lend energy to the pool. She could lend POWER to it, but her power isn't magic. And honestly, she can't see any benefit of turning this place into a hot springs. Well, besides the obvious.

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
Sarah frowns at Noa. "Look, it was going to happen. There wasn't anything we could do about it." She turns towards Sarracenia, then. "Oh, hi Princess Shadycakes. Glad you could join the class." She forrtaps impatiently and croses her arms. "Turns out as Noa said, we went to the wrong place first. We're going to need to go get the stuff from the Fortress first, and then come here."

Noa Nuquerna (788) has posed:
     "I want to hear you say 'as Noa said, we were wrong' one more time," Noa observes, radiating Elven Smugness. (It's a racial talent.)

Sarah Parsle (789) has posed:
"Get a tape recorder, you ponce." Sarah spits back at Noa. "Even you can be more accurate than usual occasionally."

Winnowill (108) has posed:
Sigh. Black Snake looks a little nettled at something, but smooths out her expression and follows with the others toward the spring. Naturally, hearing the call there is... something she finds interesting.

"Hmm. The right direction, but a little more than we should occupy for now, I suppose."

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia blinks at Sarah. "Princess Shadycakes?" she asks, then hmphs softly and crosses her arms, turning her nose up at Sarah. "I am not sure what you mean by that, but I am not shady. I am always direct and quite pleasant." she says, seeming quite sure of that 'fact'. And the elf boy is getting on her nerves as well. "Alright, we shall gather supplies, rest, then apply the 'violence' that you are advocating." she says, directing the comment toward Epicea.

Epicea Chelid (787) has posed:
    "Well this seems pretty clear cut. Victor!" Epicea points imperiously at Victor. It looks pretty offhand and lazy. "Append the bulleted list. Add 'save the damsel' to it, because that's mad obvious." She notes. This is how a 'leader' operates. Delegation!

    Then, Sarracenia finds her new nickname poor, but agrees with the general plan of Applied Violence. "Sure. Consult my bulleted list. The spooky fort - which we want to do - has the damsel to save, and also the -blin named creatures to violence. I've accounted for every variable. It truly is an excellent, heroic plan. I went to stupid death game school, so I would know. Also..."

    "At least you're not Princess Sleepyhead. That's me. It's true, so I can't complain. Sarah's nickname game is on point usually."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel arrives with the others and she now movbes through this place she can only have an idea about the magic due to the weapon that's bonded to her some time ago but she keeps it away for the moment. She does hear the voice and pauses, at the words. So it seems they have an idea of where to go, she can tell it's not easy for them.

"Sounds like it Epicea, we got a rescue mission, There's the raiders as well. It seems you have been paying attention to your lessons too."

Victor Ellsworth (790) has posed:
    Victor updates the bullet list.

    <x> Investigate tavern for quest hooks.
    <_> Investigate Forbidden Fortress
    <x> Investgate Spring of Eldin
    <_> wtf is Twilight?
    <_> Apply Violence to things with 'blin' in the name
    <_> Save Ilia at Forbidden Fortress
    <_> Obtain Tear of Light from Forbidden Fortress
    <_> Take that shit back to the Spring of Eldin

    He then hands it back to Epicea on a slip of paper.