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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 9169006" data-attributes="member: 2012">As the noise dissipates, Falen quickly comes to understand that there is the potential for so much more, but it will take a lot of practise. He won't be able to read anyone's mind with more training and some focused effort, but his senses have expanded beyond what is normal for either a human or a hobgoblin."I've heard of Amba but I've never been to The Equinox," Tuck says. He gets up from the table and follows Falen out of the hall. Mutt breaks away from Vitus to follow the kobold. "I'll tag along. See what she has I might be able to use."The young cleric of Tyche finds that Falen and Tuck have a comradery that is quite genuine. They chat as they walk while Mutt eagerly runs ahead then comes back. Several times, the big dog comes up to Vitus and urges him to 'play'. The two Exemplars turn to watch in bemusement several times as Mutt tries to break through Vitus' natural state of being.Once they reach The Equinox, Tuck orders Mutt to stay outside. The dog whines but follows the kobold's command.Inside, the shop is a wondrous maze of magic. There is almost anything that a budding adventurer could need and Amba is a gracious host to her customers. The cleric of Tyche watches as she diplomatically 'puts off' the gnome with a grace that leaves the large-nosed gnome red in the face. He quickly exits the shop.Tuck lets Falen take the lead with the shop owner. The kobold looks for something that will help him in a pinch. He does a good job of blending into the backgound.Despite her elegant features, Falen doesn't detect any sign that Amba might have elven blood, let alone an ancient bloodline of a near mythological and infamous elven people that has never been proven to exist in the world. Yes, there are ancient tales of dark elves living in the Underearth, but Lord Max once told him that such tales were often dark dirges sung by bards during holidays devoted to death rites.Yet, there are the Nevaequarlani, or Navae... also known as the Dark Souls. An elven people who swear that they are descended from both the elves of surface world and these legendary dark elves of the Underearth. Perhaps Amba is one of these Navae? No, more likely she originally comes from somewhere to the south. Peoples from the Exicalan Coast, as well as visitors from Assylonia and Gath, often walk the streets of Tânger. That city has a very cosmopolitan demographic, after all."I hope to see you again," she says to him. Her voice is like exotic honey. She turns towards Tuck. "Did you find anything that you might like to purchase?"Tuck isn't surprised that she had noticed him. "Yes, I'll take all of these items." The kobold appears next to Falen with a pair of goggles, an interesting looking box, a nice looking bag, and several potions."All excellent choices," she says with a smile.Tuck pays the woman and stows everything into his haversack, except the goggles. Those he puts on and looks at in a mirror. He nods and turns and thanks Amba."My father chose the name when we first came to Bluffside," Amba replies. "He loved the sun and loved magic and felt the name was a good choice. There might have been more to it, but he kept that to himself. I keep the name to honour him.""As for those wizards who are the most powerful," she muses. "The obvious choice is the Headmaster of the Academy of Arcane Arts, Finus Lomusin. However, politically, the Head of the Wizard Council, Gruber Hustberon, has a more significantly more powerful position in Bluffside. There are also many retired wizards who were once adventurers and now live in either the Wizard District or New City, but they tend to keep to themselves and don't get involved in magical matters or the city's politics." She smiles. "Ivar Thorn comes to mind. But... he's not a wizard. He's an elementalist and a cleric of Sky and Air."Amba comes up as humanoid and Falen sense she is intelligent. Falen already knows that Tuck's mind is sharp. The kobold's instincts are better than average. Vitus too. Falen can sense Mutt outside, as well as another animal inside. He pinpoints it to what he thought was a stuffed owl on a high counter. The owl is very much alive, and sleeping.There are many people going about their business outside the shop. Workers, traders, nobles, and other mundane folk. All humanoids. At the edge of his senses, there is something else. Someone who is not humanoid. An aberration. Falen's Mindsight locks on but then he sees two glowing eyes in his mind."Do not so casually probe the minds of others, outlander," the voice chastises Falen. "Or next time, you might get hurt."Then, there is nothing. The aberrant man vanishes completely from Falen's mindsight.Spoiler for Aust Thale Only: [ISPOILER]Amba has an INT score of 18. The mysterious aberrant man had an INT score of 29.[/ISPOILER]The Palace:Vitus had known the inside of the Palace would be grand, but it is larger than even he thought possible. Could there be some sort of magic at work in the structure?No matter how hard Falen concentrates, he cannot sense anything from the magically sealed area. nothing. Not even the minds of animals or insects. It is like the area above the main floor is a void that cannot be probed. It is unnerving.There is massive open staircase that spirals up to the heights of the first floor's ceiling. There is an obvious magical barrier where the stairs meet the ceiling. There are also four sets of stairs that ascend up the interior walls -- north, south, east, and west. The stairs look as though they were sized for someone akin to Sir Tymbeck."A prudent choice," Mortician Felbrigg replies. The woman leads them to a back room that is colder than the front room. "There is some minor magic here that reduces the temperature and the room is enchanted with gentle repose magic."There a half a dozen stone slabs with bodies on them, which are covered with burlap coverings. She pulls back several of the coverings until she finds both the enchantress and The Butcher. Both have been stripped bare. The Butcher's (un)natural red skin colour makes the fiend-touched man stand out. There is no hair on the man's body. There is only the pitch black short-cut hair on his head and rough stubble on his face. His entire body is covered with Infernal-style tattoos."He's quite the specimen," the mortician says. She seems impressed with the man's physique. "At first I thought he was a true half-fiend, but his physiology makes me think he's probably more humanoid than fiend."She looks at Vitus and bows again. "I will leave you to call upon your goddess."She then looks at Akos. "When you are done, Loremaster, please put the coverings back over them. I know they were your enemies but in here, they are under my charge."</blockquote>

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