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[Vasin]

Timestamp: 10th of Spring, 519 A.V.

Vasin slowly blinked his eyes as he lay there on his back, the morning sun seeping through his tent's walls as he lay there barely awake. He had awoken mere moments ago at a sound which had yanked him from his sleep. What was it? What was that sound? His mind tried to work out having been kicked into action. He glanced around himself, everything appeared to be normal as he lay there. But then, he heard them. Voices outside, talking about something he could not discern as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. He sat there for a moment more trying to listen in all while his mind and body caught up. Had they woken him up? No, the sound that had woken him was much more sudden. Rubbing his eyes and hesitating for a moment he slowly got up wearing his sleeping clothes. Vasin placed a hand on the lip of the flap to his tent before opening it. Sticking his head outside he squinted the sun directly in those eyes. The 'fresh' Sunberthian air his nostrils with renewed vigor. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to that smell. He tried to ignore it, but sometimes it caught him off-guard. Or maybe, it was because there was something added to it this morning, something fresh.

Ah, there was a group of people whom he had heard. They were huddled up and looking at something while talking. A body. It lay there splayed out in the mud in front of someone's tent. The neck of the corpse had a deep long cut in it and what appeared to be multiple stabs in the gut and chest. Blood mixed in with the mud below it. Vasin blinked upon noticing something else, there was a woman crouched next to the tent staring at the body. She seemed like she had been startled. Oh! That was right. Vasin realized what the sound was now. It had been a sudden high pitched scream. Vasin couldn't blame them for being startled by such a grisly sight. He would have been as well, especially if he had just woken up and seen that right in front of his tent. Seemed whoever had left the body did not care who found it later. Or maybe they did care? Was this a message to someone? Vasin didn't know and didn't really care to get involved. It, after all, was just another dead body in Sunberth. It would have been one thing to catch whoever did this in the act, but the deed was done. Asking around would usually prove fruitless due to the paranoid nature of the people of Sunberth. Sad really, but it was a fact of Sunberth that very few people wanted to see changed.

So with that little morning mystery solved Vasin ducked back into his familiar tent. It wasn't much, but it had been his home for some time now. He was a denizen of the tent city outside of Sunberth. A place where the people lived poor and in squalor. Perhaps even worse off then the slums that the gangs had unspoken agreements to not operate in. These people lived on the edge and did not have much in the way of hope. Vasin himself knew that he could not afford to live here forever. It was dangerous for his own health, as he had seen people sink deeper and deeper toward death. Some of starvation, and some from a disease. Perhaps it was even worse here back before the winters stopped coming in. Back then as Vasin recalled, people would freeze to death. But, in some cases, he had seen inspiration from it. People would rely on each other more, even if forced into it. Forced to huddle together for warmth, and even if it ended there, it was better then the cold distance most preferred to keep from one another. Or perhaps he was just thinking about it too much? He glanced over to the jacket he had bought for winters, which now sat in his tent unused.

[Vasin]

Now fully back inside the tent, he sat there on his bedroll, one knee up as he rubbed forehead. Maybe just a few more minutes of shut-eye? Nah, he always felt worse afterward when he decided to try that. No, the best option was to just stay awake now and to have an early start to the day. Actually, what was he going to do today? The question only traveled through his mind for a moment before it was interrupted by yet another sound. A low grumble that was difficult to ignore. Where did it come from? Himself of course. The sound was his stomach's growl, and it was accompanied by an empty feeling deep inside."Well, I suppose eating would be a good start..." Vasin mumbled as he reached over for his bag. Rummaging through it he found his breakfast! What a fine breakfast indeed! A waterskin to provide his beverage, some dried meat for protein, and finally hardtack which he snapped in half to create his 'slices' of bread. Out of this he tore off a piece of meat and placed it between the two pieces of travel biscuit and started eating his improvised sandwich. He washed it down with some water before giving a stretch. A quick and easy meal, even if it wasn't the tastiest. It did the trick, and Vasin was not one to complain. All right, now that he had some fuel what would he do today? He questioned to himself as he sat there shifting atop the bedroll. Absentmindedly he brushed some crumbs off the bed.

He figured today would be a good day for one task in particular. Something he had discussed for some time. He would make maps, or at least try to make some. He rubbed his chin before reaching into his bag again and taking out a piece of paper. It had a whole bunch of notes on it from his studies. It simply would not do if he wanted to make a map. He would need to get some new paper for this. Putting the old piece of paper for notes away he got out the rudimentary map he and Kelski had found in the library. Or rather, it was a copy of that map. He briefly considered adding onto the map or making changed himself. But no, he figured it best to follow this map as a guide when creating his new one. All right, it was settled as to the order of things he would do! Firstly, he would head to the Seaside market and get some paper. Then... his thoughts stopped there thinking of the next part. He looked to the copied down map and looked at it thinking of what part needed the most improvement. However, in this, he let some of his own inner biases come through."The outskirts..." he said quietly noticing how rough they were on the map, and how much they lacked in detail. It was decided, that was the order of things.

But there was one more part of today's plan as a whole, a kill two birds with one stone sort of idea. Today, he was going to test the set of armor he had put together. Not the mere costume he had put together for the costume party, but honest full-on armor. He looked to it, at it was neatly piled on top of itself, the nasal helmet on top of his studded leather vest. Some of the pieces he had acquired needed to be custom ordered. Others had simply been picked off the shelf so to speak. The Knight's Armory had been very helpful in putting together what he needed, and some more. The quality impressed Vasin so much, that after putting it together he had gone back for something more. Specifically, he did so after going to a group session at the proving grounds. It was after that he had commissioned a Cold Iron long sword which now proudly sat next to his armor. The armor and weapons he had acquired had cost him a great deal of course, but for someone in his line of work, it was all very well worth it. So today, he would give it all a test run so to speak. See how he felt wearing it around Sunberth as he goes shopping, and as he explores the outskirts a little.

[Vasin]

With a plan in his mind, he got to work putting on his clothes and armor for the day. After dressing himself for the day he worked on his Gambeson which a great many referred to as padded armor. Then, after buckling it into place and ensuring a proper fit he would grab his chain shirt. This was a bit more difficult to work on then he had expected. Wriggling it over himself and his Gambeson he managed to get it on. Sliding it into place while unkinking some caught parts along the way. It fit over rather nicely once it was in place. He patted the armor a little before he would then grab his studded leather. He would try to put it on only to find it awkward and a bit tight of a fit. Well, that wouldn't due he thought to himself as he began to reach over. A tad awkward of a maneuver but he started to loosen the straps of the armor and some of the fastens at the side. He did this until he found it to be comfortable to wear. With that out of the way, he knocked on his chest a little with a closed fist. Felt rather sound, and once it was on and in a standing position it was not all that difficult to move in. But now it was time for the rest of the armor. Sitting down he would strap on his splint greaves, and then strap on his splint vambraces one at a time. Making some minor adjustments Vasin then move onto putting on his coif which he tied the bottom of. This was meant to provide some padding as well as protection to his hair from the chain. Speaking of which, he grabbed his Nasal Helmet with attached aventail and put it on. Surprisingly it did not obscure his vision too badly, as the gap between the chain and helmet was sufficient. Also, peering down he could look through the gaps in the chain.

With the majority of the armor on Vasin would then move to stand up. At first, finding some issue with doing so. The added weight throwing him off balance at the first attempt. Then, after taking it easier this time he was able to stand up. The movement was a little more awkward in this armor and he felt as if some of it was restricted as well. As a test he gave a stretch raised both his hands up in the air. At a certain point, he felt as if the shoulder portions of the armor would not allow his arms to go up any further. It wasn't like it would impede him in a fight too greatly, more like it restricted the more extreme ranges of motion? It was just something to keep in mind perhaps? Or more realistically, become used to. People wouldn't wear armor like this if it made them at a disadvantage Vasin reasoned. With a couple of experimental small kicks and stretched more he grabbed the rest of his things. This including his new sword which he slid into the scabbard he attached to his belt. He also put his new shield on his back and put a throwing ax into a holster, which was the other side of his torso. Staring at the flaps of his tent he deeply breathed in, mostly out of reflex, as he immediately regretted it as the oh so wonderful stench of the slag heap wafted into his sinuses.

With a cough, Vasin departed his tent ducking out of it and stepping onto the muddy pathways of the tent city. The body was still there, but the people were not. Apparently having gotten their fill of gawking at a corpse for now. Looking around himself he, of course, saw the slag heap, eternally smoldering in the not too far off distance. A point of pride for the people of Sunbath, even if a smelly one. Vasin had to admit, it had it's own odd character to it. He couldn't really imagine Sunberth without it. After staring for a moment he started to walk towards the city heading deeper in from the outskirts. He would take the straighten path possible, as he did not want to mess with side routes. So, he would head through The Sunset Quarters and then cross to The Seaside Market. That was the most direct route he figured. So, he got to walking.

[Vasin]

Walking out from the outskirts and into Sunberth proper he moved through the streets of the slums. A number of buildings and associated alleyways lined the streets. Perhaps he could take a shortcut? Best to not, as while one could be lucky, it was best not to test one's luck for very long. So keeping his eyes forward he kept his eyes forward, and on the people, he passed by. Vasin kept his ears open, and try to avoid bumping into people. From past experiences, he knew that many would use bumping into another as cover for a quick pickpocket. Vasin had no intentions of losing the money he was taking along to get map paper. While not born in Sunberth, Vasin had lived here long enough to where the culture of the city had become his own. Paranoia was the best way to survive without becoming someone else meal ticket. Wearing armor was no guarantee that thieves or muggers would leave him be. All it might do is make them believe he is rich or something. So, it was an extra incentive to look with his eyes and occasionally swivel his neck.

As he walked he was finding that he was becoming thirsty again. The extra weight which he was not used to probably did not help. However, when grabbed his waterskin and brought it to his mouth under the chainmail he discovered something. There was only a little water left, which still left him parched. Licking the top of his mouth a little he wondered about where to get some more water. Ah! That's right! He looked ahead to see his answer rather obviously there. Yedra's Fountain, a safe water source to fill up on water. So he approached, though took note of where the urchin gang kids were. He didn't want their little fingers to take anything valuable in a moment of distraction. Avoiding them he came up to the fountain. It was a still pool and did not work yet it was safe to drink. It was a mystery, one which he had heard some rumors about. Stuff that was dropped in there never came back. Vasin figured it was only because it was really deep. Also, those flashes of light people saw on occasion were probably just them being high on drugs.

Kneeling down next to the fountain he would look in and dunk the water skin in. Filling the vessel before taking a swig from it. The water was salty yet sweet and had a very unique taste to it. Though, it was sometimes annoying to drink from here not just because of the Urchins, but also because of the mosquitoes in the summer. Vasin would start to pull away, having just filled up on water but something made him pause. From the corner of his eyes from the depths, he thought he had seen something. He swore in fact that he had seen something as he looked directly at it. Leaning in a little he looked deep into the depths of the fountain. Squinting as he saw a flash of something. A place? Did it look sort of like a forest? But before he could really process it the image had left his sigh. Vasin looked to the waterskin, wondering for a brief moment if the water really was safe to drink after seeing that.

[Vasin]

Shaking the thought from his head as to what he had just seen he would stand up. Properly refreshed from the fountain. Looking around he saw a number of people here. They had come to fill up on water, and this made sense considering it was a stable source of water in Sunberth. Vasin looked to the fountain one more time, he considered investigating further. But the stories of people falling in to not be seen again was enough to dissuade him enough for the time being. So, leaving the well behind he continued on. Coming to the waterfront it was time to charter a ferry across into the Seaside market. Peering up and down the waterway he spotted a ferry that was not in use. Walking down towards the ferry at a relaxed pace he came upon it."Hello there, can you take me across into the market?" he asked the ferryman who turned to meet Vasin with a rotten smile."Aye! of course! For the right coin I mean..." they said pinching their fingers together."Fair enough." Vasin responded as he boarded the small vessel and would pay his fair to the ferryman.

Upon reaching the other side Vasin gave a brief nod before saying his fair-wells. Stepping out of the boat he entered the market properly. Looking up and down the streets he proceeded to venture deeper. He didn't know where to look, so he would just have to explore the market and it's stalls as well as stores. It was busy today, people moved through the streets of the market browsing its wares. So Vasin would join them while trying to keep a healthy distance. He made sure to walk with some confidence. A wider stance so to say as if to project himself without saying a word. It was something that did not come naturally to him, and that he had to keep adjusting for. He took a wider gate of course in addition to this, though not in a silly fashion. He wasn't entirely sure if it worked or not, the Journal he had read on the subject had merely suggested it. Perhaps in combination with his armor, it would keep at the very least pickpockets away? He also at that moment realized something else, it would be difficult for people to get a read on him. That was because of the curtain of the chain that hanged around his head from the nasal helmet. Would that be useful when trying to keep people from targeting him?

These questions had distracted him enough to where he nearly passed by a stall that was of interest to him. He took a nearly skipping stop as he doubled back and gave the stall a closer look. He had thought he had seen some paper stacks. But rather, he had spotted white cloth that was on the stall. Vasin considered for a moment using a cloth to write with. After a moment of consideration, he shook his head, figuring he would try that as a last resort should he not find any paper. Turning he began his walk again, eyes scanning the stalls and storefronts as he passed by. Occasionally he stopped thinking he saw something through a group of people, only for it to be a false alarm. Surely the people of Sunberth had some uses for the paper right? Couldn't be as rare as books he figured as he kept on going. Finally, after some searching, he hit the jackpot so to say. Smirking he spotted a stall with a stack of paper. The stall had an assortment of goods, so the owner was obviously not dedicated to any one thing. With the prize in sight, he approached the stall."Oh much for a sheet of paper?" Vasin asked the stall keep who looked at him then the paper."Uh, let us see..." the stall owner started to seemingly count his fingers as if doing the math."8 Silver Mizas per sheet." the stall owner concluded."All right, I'll take four sheets." Vasin said knowing he would need more than one for what he was doing. Reaching for his purse he began to pick out the silver mizas for the purchase. By the end of it, he had taken out 32 of the silver coins and handed them over."Pleasure doing business with ya. Say, you don't look the type to use paper." the stall keep mentioning."I don't blame you. I'm using it for a hobby." Vasin responded not wanting to give him too much detail. That was how one ended up being followed and stabbed for their possessions.

Ledger:
4 Sheets of Paper = -32 Silver Mizas

[Vasin]

With the newly acquired sheets of paper in hand, it was time to head to the outskirts to begin his map making journey. So, Vasin turned himself around and headed for the waterfront. If he was lucky then the same ferry would be there. Making sure along the way to not let his guard down, and to keep on trying to non verbally persuade people to keep away he made his way through the market. Vasin knew that having so many people around was not exactly a deterrent. Especially in a place like Sunberth where people were just as likely to walk off as if they saw nothing as they are to take a personal interest. His encounter with a pair of muggers in a back ally had proven that rather true about the market. Plus, pickpockets could use the crowds as an advantage for covering up a crime. It was far from safe and lent itself to a healthy sense of paranoia and mistrust. Vasin took a look around briefly at the shops. Various states of being in disrepair or kept rather well. Stalls lined the streets for merchants who could not afford to peddle their goods from the safety of a store. No laws to say whether or not you had to run a shop from a building. No tax, or anything like that other than perhaps protection money.

Making his way back to the waterfront he found that the ferry he had taken was nowhere to be seen. Rolling his shoulders a little he sighted another one. It would do just as fine he figured. So, he would go up to the rowboat and hire them for the brief crossing. This ferryman simply nodded at being asked if they could take them across. They wore a dark hood and did not speak, and would only respond with nods, and the occasional grunt or shake of the head. Not the most talkative person in Sunberth, that was for sure. But, they got Vasin across no problem and Vasin would give him a nod before stepping off into the slums. Now all that was left as he stood there was to make it through the slums back to the outskirts where he could begin. So once more, Vasin set off at a modest pace walking down the road. Walking past the occasional person he swore as he came to a corner in the street he could hear something up ahead? It sounded like a sudden crying. Vasin paused momentarily and listened carefully trying to focus in on the sound. It sounded like a child crying. Curious, Vasin rounded the corner to see a kid, probably ten to twelve sitting in front of an alleyway balling his eyes out.

There was something else, people passed him by on the street as he kept shouting for help between his cries. From there at the end of that street, Vasin looked on. Coldly people ignored the child, occasionally someone looked with mild concern. The first thought that came to Vasin's mind was that they thought it was a trap. Well, perhaps it was? Vasin remembered when he was a kid growing up, people had him lure people to ambushes. Vasin shook the thought, thinking he was just being too cynical about it. Well, if he wanted to help people maybe this was the place to start? Probably just hurt their knee or something silly like that. Kids did have a tendency to overreact to things, especially if they were raised soft. With his momentary caution, he approached the crying child."Hey kid, what's wrong?" he asked kneeling down a little, his hands on his knees. The kid looked almost scared for a moment at seeing this armored figure come up to them."I-I-I!" he started to sob."My momma got hurt in the alley and I don't know what to do!" they sobbed out to Vasin once more."All right, well I can help her. Can you bring me to her?" Vasin asked, a cord having been struck at hearing that this kid's mother was in trouble. They nodded and started to get up."T-This way!" the kid said as they would turn to the ally and hurry inside. Vasin would stand up straight and start to follow trying to keep up with the kid as he sped up.

[Vasin]

Vasin followed the kid as best he could, the sound of his chainmail could attest to that. He was at a healthy jog as he tried to keep up. Even if he didn't have this armor off, the kid seemed to sprint around the corner at blinding speed. Vasin had seemingly made a mistake however, he got tunnel vision as he rounded the corner, and didn't even check the other direction. Vasin would blink in surprise as he found himself at a dead end. The kid seemed to be crawling under the foundation of the boarded up the back end of a building. Vasin didn't bother to ask where the kid was going, as he already knew what just happened. He had been lured right into a trap by the kid. He sighed as he reached down towards his scabbard. Vasin expected the worse in this sort of situation. Grabbing the handle of his Flamberge Long-Sword he drew it. In one motion he freed the blade from the scabbard without having to work it too much. The waves of the blade bumped back and forth a little as he pulled it out. Thankfully however the waves were not too severe so it did not impede the drawing out. The rasp of his blade being drawn out was followed by the sound of another from behind. He took a step to the side and turned having heard the ambusher now.

The mugger ambusher wore ragged clothes with holes and tears. Over them, he wore a simple chain shirt with some punctures in it. Some dabs of rust here and there. Bald and with a rotten smile he stared at Vasin while rubbing his chin. They seemed to be sizing Vasin up from what he could tell. In their hand was a bastard sword which they held at their side. The mugger let out an impressed whistle."I got to say, you are the most expensive looking thing da brat has brought me yet. How much ya spend on dat armor?" he asked twirling his sword a little in their right hand."More then what you make mugging people in a back ally." Vasin responded in a rather simple fashion as he got to work taking a stance. The guard was known as a posta de vera crose, and he had learned it at the proving grounds from observation. Today, he would be putting it into practical use it seemed. Without sudden movements, he began to maneuver his body. Taking one and two steps as he turned his back to the mugger. Exposing both his back and armpit to them. He kept his eyes on the mugger as he maneuvered himself into this position watching carefully. With back and armpit exposed, he grabbed the blade of his sword with his gauntlet-clad left hand towards the end of the blade. Gripping it in this way for the first time. The blade was pointed up and away from the mugger and nearly out of sight as the way he had positioned his body.

The mugger seemed entirely unimpressed as Vasin got into position and chuckled a little."You got a big mouth. When I'm through with you I think I'll cut it a little bigger." the mugger said as he gripped their bastard sword with two hands in a low guard."You can feel free to try." Vasin quickly taunted back to them."I think you are a bit too confident! let's fix that!" the mugger said rather loudly as he charged forward. Vasin watched and waited, remembering how he had been told this was an invitation to attack. The mugger thrust their blade forward right at Vasin's armpit and at that moment Vasin went into action. He pivoted in place taking a step to turn the other way towards the attack. Then, he raised his sword and pushed, deflecting the thrust. Their swords rasped as they slid against one another, the bastard sword bumped along slightly against the curbed blade of Vasin's own sword. Now, blade locked Vasin thought quickly and pushed forward to further move the blade out of the way. That was when he then thrust the blade forward at the mugger's neck. The mugger saw this coming however and panicked. They disengaged as best they could side stepping in a stumble. Vasin's neck strike barely missed, catching on their shoulder chain mail. As they were still moving forward Vasin met them with a shoulder check.

The mugger backed up a little not liking how close they had come to having a new breathing hole. Angry and on adrenaline they raised their sword up over their shoulder and charged Vasin once more. Vasin took up a posta sagittaria very quickly. This involved facing his opponent as he had no time to turn back for another of his previous guard. In this case with his left hand still gripped towards the end of the blade and the sword pointed in an upward direction Vasin leaned in towards the mugger slightly. He kept a bounce to his feet as best as he could as he then in an instant watched as the mugger tried another attack. They brought the sword down in a cutting downwards motion aiming for Vasin's neck. Pushing and raising his sword up Vasin blocked the swing. Their swords clanging off of one another as Vasin pushed up blade locking the two of them. Quickly as this happened Vasin let go of his sword with his left hand and reached under the mugger's armpit. Wrapping their arm around their shoulder he could feel their blade tap and drag over his helmet. Then, with all of his might, Vasin began to pull and turn him downwards. The sword of the mugger was trapped between himself and Vasin's armor while Vasin pulled his own sword back.

[Vasin]

However, before Vasin could get a stab in on their neck the mugger delivered a knee blow to Vasin's leg. The suddenness of this caused Vasin's stab to miss. Just long enough for the mugger to gain some leverage on Vasin and push him off."All right, you got some moves. But I'm too slippery for ya!" the Mugger said spitting on the ground. Vasin breathed in and out catching his breath. Some of the warm breath blew back onto his face, deflected by the chain covering his face. He rolled his shoulders once more, offering no reply to the mugger who really was not catching the hint. Lowering their guard for another attempt at a thrust Vasin faced them head-on, left hand returning to the blade after having let go before. He gripped it through that leather gauntlet watching the movements of his attack. Blade pointed up and at them. The mugger started to circle around Vasin, and Vasin followed slowly turning to track them.

They gave an experimental thrust without committing this time, and Vasin brought his sword up. Redirecting the thrust away from him, but unable to use the leverage to get a blade lock."I see..." the mugger said with a chuckle."You want me to attack first..." the mugger mumbled in understanding, perhaps not as stupid as he looked. Vasin again was silent not responding, but he knew they were correct. Was easier if they attacked first when he was doing this. He would be more offensive had he managed to get his shield out beforehand. All while they circled around Vasin kept their sword pointed at them. Vasin knew however he could not keep this up forever. The mugger gave an upwards thrust aiming for Vasin neck but pulled back as Vasin raised his sword, battering it to the side. They were testing Vasin's defenses, and he knew that clearly as he watched them noticing their eyes. Vasin at that moment then decided a course of action was required. If they wouldn't commit to an attack anymore, then he would simply have to.

The mugger came at him again with another experimental thrust! However, this time when they did so Vasin met then head on! Taking and then two steps forward as he raised his blade to block and deflect. The bastard sword rasped over the curved edge of his long sword before it was locked. Vasin kept moving forward not letting him pull back! The mugger tried to back off but found himself backed into a wall as Vasin came right at him! Blades locked between them Vasin pushed his against the bastard sword! Then he did something new! He turned his blade while ensuring the mugger could not move their sword by placing his arm under the sword arm of the mugger's elbow. He turned the blade and delivered a pommel strike to the side of their head. Fast and powerful dazing them for a moment. Then as this was going on Vasin worked his leg between and behind their right leg. Hooking it with his before pulling and then pushing on their body! Vasin threw them down to the dirty filthy ground in a daze. Nearly panting Vasin could hear his heart pound as he then stepped on their back and put their sword to the back of their neck.

[Vasin]

"Toss the sword!" Vasin shouted between breaths."Now! Or I will thrust this sword nice and deep into your neck!" he threatened pushing the blade a little to highlight his point. The mugger complied tossing the bastard sword away from himself."All right, I'm going to let you go bastard. When I step off you, you are going to run your little behind on out of here. I see you again pulling the same ambush trick, I'll gut you without a thought." Vasin said not really in the mood for bloodshed today. Then slowly he stepped off, ready to go after the mugger should they be stupid enough to go for their sword. Lucky for them, they decided to book it for the ally exit. Disappearing around the corner. Upon seeing this Vasin slumped down to the ground taking a seat and catching his breath. Having worked up a sweat he took out his waterskin and began to drink it heavily. Vasin took a mental note not to get himself into such a situation again. Figured also had he been smart he would have walked past the kids like the others. But, he couldn't have helped it at that moment, for it had struck a chord with him.

Vasin sat there a moment more before he would awkwardly sheath his sword and start to stand up. Using the wall as a point of stability he got himself up onto two feet. Then, he left the ally intent on making some progress on that map. He went out to get paper, and he wasn't going to let a mugger ruin the rest of his day. So, with a stumble onto the street, he started to make his way back to the outskirts. A wary eye kept watch for any more trouble along the way. Viewing people along the way with suspicion not wanting a repeat of what had just happened. He didn't bother to tell anyone, as simply no one would care. But, soon enough he made it back to the tent city. Stepping onto the crude streets made of mud and dirt between tents he walked on through. The smell of the poor and downtrodden in the air. Sitting himself down inside his tent to duck away from sight for a moment he decided on where to start the map.

The tent city would be a good place to start as any, and it was his home after all. The problem was the tents, they didn't always stay in the same place. So, how would he draw a map that would be accurate? The thought then occurred to him! Just draw the mud and dirt pathways between the tents. Wait no, even those could drastically change with time, and it wasn't an absolute. He would need to come up with a better solution before he would try and accurately draw it. So, for now, he took out his ink and quill and thought for a moment. he could always just do the general shape of the tent city at the moment? That should suffice he figured as he left the tent. Looking around he could not really get a good feel for the shape of the tent city from here. So, he walked to the edge of it and then would start to walk around it. As he went he traced the outline mentally, and in the corner of a paper sheet would draw a line indicating a turn slightly or not. He counted his paces as well as he went along. By the end of it, he had drawn a crude yet blobish shape that represented the tent city. Next, to it, his wrote tent city, and how many paces large it is in diameter.

[Vasin]

The start of his crude map started he looked at it before taking out the copy of the library map. There was a place not too far from here that was absent from this map. He thought it was the hot springs. Never visited it himself, only heard passing word of it. If it was missing from the library map he would add it to his. So, he would walk to the edge of the tent city which face towards the hot springs and would start walking. Vasin along the way started counting paces both verbally, and occasionally mentally as he walked. He wanted to keep a scale to mind when he drew it on the map. Otherwise, he would have just plopped it down without reference. Walking over the grass he realized something quickly but made a mental note of the pace count. Hills, the southern hills were here but not on the library map. Climbing to the top of the hill in front of him he drew a little bump on the map. He counted the paces in his head he had taken, compared it to the paces for the tent city. Then he put it to a very rough scale distance from the tent city.

After that sat up on the hill he started to count the hills around him that he could see. Drawing a little bump in the map to represent each of them. The map was becoming a little more lively as he moved to a slightly taller hill to get a better vantage point. From there he drew some more hills on the map. After that, he titled the area the southern hills. Recalling his pace count he continued off in the direction of the Aquillar Hot Springs. He found it nestled between the hills and sat atop one himself staring down at it. He drew a little box on the map with it being titled the Aquillar Hot Springs. Making sure it was roughly the scaled distance away from the tent city, much like he had done with the hills. It was rough, and without a doubt had many crude flaws. But, it was at least there as he put the paces away next to it. But what was next to try and draw on his map?

Well, the Plantation was not too far away. But he was not too certain he wanted to draw attention to himself. But, he figured he would have to eventually if he wanted an accurate map. So, he got to counting the paces as he would pass the Hot Springs and head towards the Plantation. he made to stop a fair distance away from it. Guessing the remainder of the paces to it before drawing a rough square on his map. Putting his guessed number next to it as it was an even rougher scaled distance. Further off from here he could see the twin watchtowers. Which, deciding to not draw too much attention from the gangs he guessed the remaining paces to it. Vasin did not like the gangs, but he knew to keep a respectful distance from them. They were a nasty lot, and he would rather not bring their attention to himself. He already had enough problems with being a debt collector as it was. So, putting two small squares on the map an estimated distance away he titled them the watchtowers. Then, he considered what to do next having gotten the southern outskirts on his map. The mudway blocked him from making an easy crossing into the western outskirts. Sitting there as the breeze came in he could smell the slag heap, and see its glow from the distance."Always tomorrow..." Vasin muttered as he would then get up, and head back to the tent city.