Completed The Pursuit of Knowledge...and Employment

[Redire Whitevine]

1st of Winter, 514 AV

Redire sat at home, fiddling with the straps of his Leather Armor and gauntlets, it took him a couple chimes before he managed to secure the material. He had recently purchased the equipment in hopes of increasing his odds of survival when he would out to hunt...it was time to put them to the test. Grabbing his quiver of arrows, he slung it across his back, making sure he had enough room for his backpack and bow. Before he set out, he went to his table and sat, joining hands to pray to Morwen:

"Oh Lady Morwen, thank you for another day of life and safeguarding me in my journey. Tis time I set out and show the world what I can do. Watch over my family, keep them strong, and guide me on my way..."

Ending the prayer, he tapped the mark on his right hand and left his home, breathing deeply the morning air. It was still early, but knew that finding the Sanity Center would be no simple task and could take up what time he wished to save. He thought he recognized maybe one or two roof patterns from the day before, but wasn't certain. Twice already he managed to get trapped in a loop, and even had to dive through "water" to get to where he wanted to be.

Finally, after several chimes, he found the familiar moss-covered building. Fortunately, Syna had moved little since last he checked. Stepping inside, he saw Serenity organizing some documents in the back. He was grateful for her help when he moved here and absorbed what he could during his initial visit. But that was in the past, so he stepped near a wall where several papers were posted with various articles written on them.

Of course, most of them were written in Common, and while he was confident in speaking it, reading it was a different matter. So he searched till he found something written in chalk that mentioned a man named Kuv....Kuvar...Kuvarakh? From what he pieced together, the man was searching for aid at Wanda's...Al-something. So he made a mental note and set out to find the shop.

Stepping out of the Sanity Center, Redire sighed as his scenery changed yet again, but at least the previous obstacles were no longer there. Mustering his patience, he wandered off in a random direction to seek his future employer.

Syna was high in the sky now, and the heat was taking a toll on the young Vantha. His eyes reflected his inner anger by turning a deep red but persevered. Just when he was about to give up, he stumbled upon an alley with several brick style houses and in the distance, was a building that stood out from the rest. Carefully approaching it, he noticed that the glass prevented unwelcome eyes to peer inside, on the side of the building was a sign that said, Wanda's Alchemmia Alchae. Quietly thanking Morwen, he opened the door and walked inside, he didn't see anyone at the counter, so he dared himself to speak up and say, "Hello? I'm looking for...Kuva...rakh?" His accent slipped though, and he fumbled when he mentioned the man's name, but stood his ground, waiting to see if his call would be answered.

Language :

Blue is Vani, Green is Common.

[Kuvarakh]

Morning had passed into early afternoon, the morning rush had passed into the steady rhythm of routine work, and Kuvarakh had passed into the lower storeroom to grab some silk for an upcoming transmutation. It was not for the smooth texture he wanted it though. It was all for the ability to generate static.

There was a new customer that wanted to be able to rub two small pieces of metal together and generate a spark. He had some notion that he could light a lamp with such a device, and was planning to mass produce them. Kuvarakh shrugged, silently but sincerely wishing him luck. From the far-fetched ideas of motivated tinkers came the world-shaking discoveries of legendary inventors. For himself though, he mostly just hoped the young man didn't burn himself to death.

And speaking of young men, Wanda came to the stairway door and called down that one such young man was standing at the counter right at that moment. His attention distracted, Kuvarakh got a sudden shock from the square of silk he'd been reaching for. 'Perfect' he smirked with some amusement at his own expense.

The fellow's timing had been convenient. Wanda had just finished her own transmutative task and had noticed the gentleman standing at the counter. In the storeroom, Kuvarakh had not heard him, though he HAD heard Wanda tell the new arrival that she'd be right with him. Apparently though, the young man wanted to talk to him, specifically. Kuvarakh stepped up to the ring chamber, where Wanda was now beginning the clean-up process. After an alchemical activation, there was much dislodged djed lingering in the air. It could have detrimental effects to unsuspecting people, so it was necessary to wash it away as soon as possible.

As a Nuit, Kuvarakh did not worry so much about it. It took quite a few exposures for any real problems to arise. He would be looking for a new body by that time anyway. It had not been that long since the last time he'd been motivated to accelerate such a search. It had been what had prompted him to place the "Help Wanted" sign at the Sanity center. He'd slipped and thrust his hands into the ring while adding a concentration of stone hardness to an activation.

He rolled his eyes at the entire fiasco that had followed...His sudden need of a new body...His timely learning of a murderer that had enslaved a friend...His hiring of a Dhani to kill the villain and bring him the body...The backlash of other criminals tracking that man down...The hushed up rash of assaults and threats that had followed him around town all through the last season...It had been a true "learning experience" for him. One that he ever wanted to repeat.

However, now that the gangs of thugs had been "silenced", or otherwise dealt with by the Womiyu, he still wore the body of that criminal. There were no more feelings of evil looks following him as he passed dark alleys or blind corners. Nor was there one now as he approached the counter to see a leather-clad young man, sporting a bow and quiver. He smiled in as friendly a manner as the overall sour look of his current body would allow. "Hello. I am Kuvarakh. What can I do for you?" He said with his hand extended.

[Redire Whitevine]

Redire didn't have to wait long, having been greeted by a delightful woman who assisted him by calling Kuvarakh. The wait was pleasant, as he took in the sights and smells of the shop, occasionally peeking at the books around him and wondering what secrets each page contained. His curiosity got to him though, as it caused his eyes to turn yellow.

The sudden urge subsided as he noticed a man come up from what looked to be the cellar. Taking a closer look, his behavior gave off the feeling that the man had been through a lot. Once he approached the Vantha and offered his hand, he shook it firmly, "My name is Redire Whitevine, it is good to meet you. You have an amazing place here, I would give much to learn what you have." Letting go of his hand after the brief exchange, he waited to see if he had anything to comment on before continuing.

He let out a soft sigh but quickly brought back a smile, his eyes returning back to their usual shade of emerald green, "Sadly, I cannot afford this luxury. That is why I am here, I saw message saying you need help? I give my skills to you as a Hunter and craftsman if this is true...I am still learning, but I welcome the challenge."

Redire kept his speech short and to the point, although he was hoping inwardly that his host would forgive his lack of practice in the Common language. As a sign of faith, he brought his hand around and light ran his fingers along the pattern of Morwen's mark, already feeling more relaxed. Of course, if Kuvarakh had any questions, he would gladly answer them to the best of his ability.

[Kuvarakh]

Kuvarakh was puzzled for a moment. It diminished his focus enough that he left his hand hovering after shaking the young Vanthan's hand. When the young man had finished offering his services, Kuvarakh asked apologetically, "I'm sorry? A message that I needed help? What challenge?"

It suddenly occurred to him that he'd never erased the message he'd left at the Sanity Center two seasons ago. He grimaced in embarrassment. He hated to have to disappoint this enterprising young fellow. He was no different than the people that had come to him when he WAS looking for help. Probably fairly new in town, looking for work.

"Uhh...Look, I'm very sorry. But I'm afraid that message is no longer valid. That was placed there because I had suffered an accident with an alchemical transmutation, and infused a steadily growing stoney hardness into my hands. It got to where I couldn't do even the simplest things. I had to have Wanda here tie my shoes for me." he waved a hand toward the early middle-aged woman that had come up behind him. He assumed Wanda had introduced herself before coming to get him.

Wanda could sense the disappointment and opted to lighten the mood a bit, "Yes, his hands were debilitated considerably. Prior to THAT, I had to tie his shoes because he was too stupid." Kuvarakh rolled his eyes with a sarcastic laugh, turning to Wanda to object to the timing. Normally he enjoyed the battles of wits he pitched with his boss. Wanda cut him off, again directing her remark at the customer.

"As you can see, his HANDS are better, but..." she let the implied insult hang.

"Come on, I'm trying to give this guy some bad news, and it would go better without your contributions." Kuvarakh scolded with a smirk.

She put her finger to his lips, shushing him. "Pay no attention to him, Redire. He can't help himself. He's a fine achemist, but he's not much for remembering that we need hides for that Syliran armorer?...The one that comes on the ship every Spring?" She spoke with a mocking intensity, voicing her statement as a question to see if Kuvarakh would realize that they did indeed have need of a hunter.

To his credit, Kuvarakh did manage to cover his gaffe, "Well of course I remember! I was just testing YOU. And I'd say you earned the rest of the day off. Why don't you just leave right now?" he winked. Wanda's expression was an essay on suppressed laughter.

She patted his cheek, grinning indulgently, and walked back to the activation chamber, her job done. Kuvarakh turned back to Redire with a smile that radiated innocence, "So, now that THAT'S settled. I am unsure what sort of pay to promise you, beyond saying we will pay the going price on whatever hides you can bring in. Rare, monstrous, exotic...Do you do the curing yourself? Have you been up in the Kitreans before?" he asked referring to the mountain range at whose foot the city sat.

[Redire Whitevine]

Redire watched Kuvarakh as he kept his hand elevated. Had he said something wrong? No, it looked as if the man was trying to piece together what was said. Once he spoke, it sent a chill down his spine, thinking, Does he not remember?

The young Vantha's eyes slowly began to shift to black, reflecting his sadness at the prospect of returning home unemployed. His emotions hung like that for a moment as he continued to listen to Kuvarakh speak.

At the mention of his accident, he would pay close attention, disregarding the sadness from a moment ago. From what he could understand, it was an incident that involved his craft and hindered his ability to do things. Redire was genuinely worried, but when he was about to ask if he was better now, the woman from before, Wanda, came in and lightened the mood. At a glance, it was easy to tell that these two were good friends and the exchange did the Vantha good, restoring his mirth.

Redire had to suppress his own laughter when she silenced him and began explaining that there was a job that he could do. He would have to gather hides for the shop...seemed simple enough, he just had to know what to hunt. Kuvarakh soon dismissed Wanda and the young Vantha waved in appreciation. Turning to look at Kuvarakh, he noticed the smile and returned it with a smile of his own.

He listened carefully to what was said and began to ponder, "No... I am new to this area, I come from Avanthal...so this is new to me. But if you have any advice or know of a library, I can go learn." He blushed, inwardly cursing his own inexperience and gazed off to the side towards a pile of scrolls, he should've searched for information the moment he got himself situated. Noticing the brief silence, he turned back to Kuvarakh and said, "I can do simple things to cure the hides...the finer details will take time, so I do not damage them, I hope you understand...."

It was a selfish thing to say, he knew, but it was better to tell him the truth than a lie. Nervousness was creeping up on him, and he instinctively reached his arm around to caress the Gnosis Mark on his right hand, tracing the delicate designs as he whispered softly in Vani, "Morwen, guide me..."

[Kuvarakh]

"Avanthal?" Kuvarakh said with a tone of wonder. "Now there's a place I have NOT been, though I'd love to see it sometime." Then a slight downcast look came across his face, "But I suppose they have the usual distaste for...my kind."

He realized he may be making Redire feel on-the-spot with that comment, and waved dismissively, "Forgive me. I do not mean to imply any excessive tendency towards prejudice there. The fact is, I have rarely found another Nuit I could relate to. I actually spend time every other day or so in meditation to rid myself of that... "disassociation"... with community that so many of them embrace."

Now he debated the other point of view, "Of course, I understand why they do it. There's a unique pain in outliving all your friends. It's hard to endure even ONE time, hard to find the motivation to go on. And after several times, well, I guess I can see why most are convinced to focus on their goals, and avoid companionship."

He shrugged, realizing he was once again playing the part of "Nuit Ambassador", striving to humanize the typically cold and self-serving loners. "Well, I guess it's getting pretty deep in here...But yeah, I've been to Sultros and Riverfall, Endrykas and Mura, Syilras...shipwrecked on the north shore of Cyphrus. Didn't visit Kenash while I was there, though. To be honest, I hadn't even heard of it then. Not until I got here. A lot of trade with them. I hear one of those Dynasty families is a Nuit family." He shook his head, "I'm not really sure how that works. It's not like we can have kids."

His gaze strayed into the distance. "I was born originally in Zeltiva. Been back there as a Nuit as well. Been up to Nyka...and Ravok." his look became serious. "That's a dark place, son. Deceptively beautiful, but rotten at the core. I was glad to get out of there when I did."

He was about to launch into a similar condemnation of Sahova, when Redire smoothly interrupted him, asking about the possibility of locating a Library. "Well, we DO have a library here. It's called the Sunken Conundrum, and its a very good one. Nothing like the one in Zeltiva, of course, but it holds its own quite successfully. I'm not sure what it is you'd be looking for there though. Maps? Guidebooks? Probably more of the latter than the former. Not really many maps of the wilds. Don't know if there ever really were. And they'd be quite valuable now, if possibly out of date."


He shrugged again, "But I expect there would be books on the flora and fauna, safety preparations, 'What to Bring' and 'What to watch For' advice books. Stuff like that." he leaned a bit closer, "You should know though, before you go, that the library is full of water. Yup, drowned, flooded...But you can breathe in it anyway, One of Ionu's wonders. The books are dry and everything. It's really quite the sight to see...and experience. I highly recommend it."

He leaned back, enjoying the skeptical look on the young man's face. "And as for the curing and whatnot. Don't let it concern you. there's plenty of time. Other than "Be Careful", I've certainly got no advice to give you as far as surviving in the wilds go." he said with a chuckle. "Someone else has always had to save my ass out there."

[Redire Whitevine]

He listened to Kuvarakh's story, the intrigue obvious in his stare. At first, he thought that he would talk about his home and share some of the stories that remembered. That was, until he mentioned his kind. Was he not human? He seemed normal enough, though he personally have much experience with the other races.

Yes, growing up, he had heard tales of the Zith and how none were allowed within the city, not without heavy questioning from the local Icewatch. Hearing Kuvarakh's confession of being a Nuit, he could only remember that his father briefly mentioned that they were to be watched carefully and not allowed near the graveyards. But here he was, speaking with a Nuit who didn't seem the kind of monster that his people made them out to be.

Redire was glad to learn all this about him, in his opinion, information and knowledge was a common ground that everyone could share and relate to. It was this exchange of information that allowed "people" to develop relationships with those around them. Hearing about the other cities, his mind began to wander and wished there was more time to learn what Kuvarakh knew, making a mental note that once his situation was a bit more stable, he would offer him a meal...do Nuits even eat?

Hearing about the town's library certainly sounded like an adventure in itself, if not a danger due to the water. This city definitely had its share of mysteries, but this could be his favorite one yet...if it was actually true. Thinking about the short list he mentioned, Redire nodded in agreement, frowning at his mention of a lack of detailed maps of the area. This of course meant that he would have to go in blind...depending if he could remember to visit the library to read those guidebooks.

Redire's face must've looked funny, since Kuvarakh leaned back and his face gave away his enjoyment. Focusing on his features, he realized that his brow was raised and his eyes were wide...and dry, so he relaxed a bit a and blinked a few times to alleviate the growing irritation.

At this point, he mentioned the hides and pointed out that the young Vantha could take his time with the curing. This pleased him greatly, as he let out a sigh of relief and rolled his shoulders, letting his earlier stiffness go, but he quickly noticed how unprofessional he might have looked and straightened up once more. It was good that he could take his time, that way he could focus on his practice.

Redire tilted his head at the mention of the potential danger the wilds had to offer. He knew that every region would have some sort of peril, but the way he mentioned it....he couldn't put a finger on it, but it unsettled him, causing his eyes to narrow and turn Orange. He spoke then, taking a slightly serious tone once he noticed the pause in his speech, "I will be careful...is there anything I should look for? Are there bandits?"

It was a silly question, but it was better to know. Waiting for his response, Redire took a lighter tone, reflected by the green in his eyes, "About Avanthal...Nuit visits are rare, and yes, Icewatch will follow and ask you to stay away from the graveyards. But I can welcome you as guest to my family Arvinta. I am sure that they will warm up to you, they would enjoy any stories u can share. I know I have from our talk."

[Kuvarakh]

"I'm not sure anyone "warms up" to anything in Avanthal." Kuvarakh said with a grin and a wink. The one bonus of the criminal's face he was currently wearing was it's affinity for sly smiles. He couldn't help but chuckle, as he muttered "...Stay away from the graveyards..." under his breath.

"Nahh, It's just wishful thinking. I'm no outdoorsman, son. I would either need a major caravan or escort, or a ship, and I don't recall ever hearing of a ship to Avanthal. It's in the mountains, as I recall." He refrained from mentioning that, on the plus side, the cold temperature would be a boon to keeping a body in "storage" for such a stay, figuring such dark practicality would put a damper on the good spirit of their discussion.

He suddenly did a slight double take, "Wait a tick...It seems to me I heard from a Svefra that there's someone of some sort of high authority there named "Whitevine". Any relation?" He went on to briefly describe his adventures in the mountains around Sultros. How he'd escaped a lethal mauling by a dire wolf by leaping off a cliff. How the motivation of certain death gave him the courage to face merely likely death. "I'll tell you, there is a big difference between being "torn up", and being "torn apart". That was worth avoiding." he said with an air of deliberate understatement.

His mild tone continued, "Of course, I'd hoped to catch the branches of the trees protruding from the cliff face as I fell, not break every petching bone in my body." He gave Redire a sidelong look, not sure if the young man believed him. He's not sure he would have, had he not lived it. "The gods were watching out for me that day though, believe it or not. There was body, drowned and washed to that same area, at the bottom of that cliff. I was able to, very painfully, make my jump into that one."

He said no more about it voluntarily, as it would have gotten into political maneuverings he'd not fully understood himself. As it was, he knew he'd be taking a risk if he returned to Sultros. Instead he directed the subject to the topic he'd intended, the presence of very dangerous animals in the wilds. "There's other nasty creatures out there besides wolves, dire or otherwise. So don't feel like you HAVE to take this job now. I won't deny the danger. It's totally up to you. Wanda and I have resorted to simply buying prepared hides from The Bizarre for our Syliran contact. We can do so again. When we sell it to this Syliran, it's after doing a few alchemical modifications to them. So it's not as if they're fresh off the carcass anyway."

[Phobius]

OOC*seamlessly slips in*

It was a fresh, new start to a fresh, new season. Whether it was imagined or not, Phobius was almost certain that he could smell that familiar Winter chill hanging in the air, as if a pleasant snowfall was waiting on the horizon. And it'd be his first Winter away from home...though the feelings that came with that realization were muddled and all lumped together in a big, confusing ball. The boy didn't try to make sense of them, keeping himself focused on his walk and the buildings that he passed by, his mind prepared to alert him if the homes and shops started to repeat themselves.

Today was probably the only day when Phobius had actually planned to go and do something. Usually he would just leave the inn and let either his feet or the streets themselves lead him around, happy with wherever he'd end up. Today, however, Phobius had reminded himself that he needed to pay a visit to Kuvarakh. The boy was in no way low on funds, nor did he necessarily like to bring up the subject of money around the alchemist—he was always afraid of sounding unappreciative—but the onset of the new season had brought ideas to his head, and it seemed like some extra Mizas would be needed to help them along. It seemed like a good time to ask the man about his pay for last season; once that was taken care of he'd thank Kuvarakh, leave him to his work, and then find some quiet place where he could sit and think up even more ideas.

Chimes passed, and after some time Phobius came upon the front door of the Alchae. Smiling, he let himself in. "Kuvarakh, are you in here?" the boy said, his back to the rest of the shop as he closed the door. "I'm sorry if you're busy with stuff, and I promise I won't bother you too much, but—"

The Inartan boy stopped himself when he turned around, noticing that the alchemist was currently talking with some stranger who looked to be about his age, if not a few years older. Phobius tilted his head at the new person, his expression shifting from surprise to curiosity. Then his gaze flicked back over to Kuvarakh, and a pink, embarrassed flush came over his cheeks. "O-oh, okay, you're busy, I'm sorry," he apologized, looking down at the floor for a moment. "I didn't meant to interrupt anything..."

It was hard not to feel as though he'd walked in on some important conversation. They'd probably been talking about alchemy or business or...something, but now he'd ruined it by popping in at an awkward time. He kept his gaze set on the floor for a while longer, much too embarrassed to look up, again, until he forced his eyes away from the wooden floorboards and, instead, settled his attention on the stranger. A friendly smile made its way onto his face, getting rid of some of the awkwardness, and he outstretched a hand to him. "Hi! I'm Phobius. What's your name? And I'm sorry I interrupted you. I can leave and come back later, if you want," the boy said, looking from the stranger to Kuvarakh as he made his offer.

"This is speech in Nari."

This is thought.

[Redire Whitevine]

Redire couldn't help but laugh at the joke, Kuvarakh had a point, it was difficult to stay warm back at Avanthal. The persistent snow storms we're at the top of the list, along with the need to pave tunnels daily so that the people could get from place to place. Having seen what this city was like, he found a small similarity and smiled to himself.

Deciding to share a fact about himself, he removed the glove on his right hand before raising it up with the back facing him to reveal the delicate patterns that made up his Gnosis mark. "You are right, it is hard to be warm in Avanthal, but we Vantha find it easier thanks of Morwen's blessing. My father told me it was the power of her mark that cold bothers us less." He kept his hand raised a moment longer in case he wanted to examine it before putting the glove back on.

When Kuvarakh mentioned traveling, he nodded, letting out a soft sigh to reflect the long journey he took to start his life. He was about to mention this journey till the man asked about a certain individual known as 'Whitevine'. The question would have been simple to answer, if it wasn't for a certain detail his race had, "Do you have a first name? The name Whitevine is used for those who were born in that hold. Same for the other holds in Avanthal. But, the only person who is really important, is Seffarah Whitevine, she is the Pavintu Janta....leader....of my hold."

Thinking back to his time in Avanthal, he had never met his leader, but still held her image with deep respect. It was then that his host began describing another one of his adventures, this one involving his fall down a cliff and how he escaped death by...jumping...? Into a nearby body. The young Vantha didn't really understand, but the connection came a chime later and he made an audible click of his tongue. Nuits could transfer bodies should the one they have at that moment fail or get damaged. That explains what he said earlier...

Redire was about to ask more about his adventures, but stopped when he began mentioning the creatures of the wild and how he normally purchased the hides. "Wolves I understand...but these other animals sound like a problem. I will talk with other people if any hunting paths exist or the safest area, I should be fine. Maybe we can talk about a number and size of hides so I can...."

He cut off at that moment when the door opened and a young boy with crimson hair entered the shop. By the sound of things, the boy had business with Kuvarakh, but the look of surprise was noticeable when he noticed he had company. Phobius, as he introduced himself, was quick to apologize and offered his hand with an apology. Redire smiled, shaking the boy's hand and spoke, "I am Redire, it is good to meet you...Phobius."

It took a moment for him to pronounce the name, but he soon lowered his hand and placed it at his side, suddenly realizing the stiffness that was growing there. "I am ok with you here, but that decision goes to Kuvarakh. We were talking of work and how I need to learn about the city and its wilderness..." He gave a curious look to his host, a puzzled expression that betrayed his thoughts if he knew Phobius and what they should do next.