[Sanity Center] Why Hallucinations are the Norm Here (Stas)

[Cadence]

((Continued from Sanity Center thread)) 27th of Winter, 510 A.V. Serenity leaned in slightly to catch everything that the man was saying, nodding along with Stas’s words. The woman was obviously in her element now, and any anxiety she may have had about the visitor dissolved as she settled into her routine. “Perfect,” she said, picking up a few nonessential papers and stacking them against the surface of her desk. “I’ll have to begin with a little briefing on Alvadas, seeing as none of the other information will make sense otherwise. Not that it would make sense either way, but that’s just how it works here…” She trailed off with an apologetic smile, and continued after clearing her throat. “Yes, Alvadas changes. There is no way to track these changes, or to map a comprehensive model of how the streets rearrange themselves, though our scholars are certainly trying their best to do so. Ionu’s energy fuels these changes, and when the God is present in the city, the illusions become all the more drastic. The appearance of a particular house does not change, even as its location within Alvadas’s walls does.” “You can be walking down a narrow cobblestone alley one minute, only to turn a corner and find yourself on a wide street paved with sand. Never ask anyone for directions in Alvadas, or they may very well bite your head off – some of them only figuratively, others…not so much. Some buildings move more often than others. The Temple of Ionu, for one, rarely moves more than once a year, and The Sanity Center has not moved since it was built. It is said that those who are more open to illusion have an easier time navigating the streets. Someone who has grown up around magic, the theatre, or simply believes in illusions whole-heartedly will rarely lose their way in Alvadas.” “It’s difficult to explain, really,” said Serenity with a note of resignation. “You’ll just have to go out and walk around the city for a while. It becomes clearer after that, or so I’m told.” She added with a rueful smile. She took a deep breath, clearly about to launch into another lecture, “As for stabling your horse, there is really only one option, and that’s Avek’s Stables, or as they are more commonly known – the Unstable Stables. They provide horses with adequate accommodations, and the prices are reasonable. I would tell you how to get there, but you know…” she trailed off, spreading her hands in a helpless gesture. “There is plenty of work to be had in Alvadas – some commonplace, some more out of the ordinary… What are your skills, and do you have anything in particular in mind?” she asked, studying the man from head to toe as she composed a mental portrait of him for future reference. “In regards to residence, are you conserving purchasing a house or would you prefer a good inn?” she inquired, lacing her fingers together and resting her elbows on the table.

[Stas Grigori]

27th of Winter, 510 A.V. "Well, that figures. I am-" And he broke off in the middle of his sentence to clear his throat very loudly, with something of a wet catch heard as he did. "Excuse that, bit of a scratchy throat. I was attempting to say, I am glad at least I'll have some place for Rakel. If I can find it. Slowly shaking his head back and forth at this he found his hair swinging before his eyes in process, and stopped very still. As he continued to speak he hid his right hand down inside of one of the pockets of his jacket, seeking for a gold miza there. He found thumbing the cool bit of coin to ease some of his anxiety, and could set his sights a bit closer to the eyes of the woman before him. "I don't know how long I'm going to be here for. So unless it would turn a trader from Wind Reach into a pauper, the inn is where I'll be headed. For work and skills, I'm a calligrapher. And, wonder of wonders, here you go." And he handed her a small bit of parchment that he unrolled and opened for her, holding the small bit of duck egg blue fabric back as he gave her a sample of his prowess. Sample : Promises of Lovers.gif "If there isn't a place in Alvadas you can think of for that, then I'll have to say I'm only otherwise good at making somewhere tidy, and the odd bit of muscle and hard labour." Stas didn't mention it, but avoiding those would make him quite happy. Making where he worked sensible was fine, but he was not a lover of shoving heavy crates and boxes and things around. Whether or not he was paid. 'Hmm, I may as well get this out of the way now. I can't tell how trustworthy she is, but I'll be she's seen and hear at least half of everything you can in Alvadas.' "Ah. One more thing. Is there any person or place in particular in Alvadas that deals with...problems with illusions and tricks?" Leaving it at just that and no more, he leaned back a bit, trying not to appear too interested in his own question. The less he was asked about that, the better he would feel.

[Cadence]

“You’ll be wanting to stay at The Cuabcious Inn then. The rooms are comfortable and neat, but the price is quite affordable. It’s a yellow building made of stacked cubes, so you’ll have no trouble finding it.” Serenity leaned it to take a look at the sample of Stas’s work. She nodded approvingly and said, “In regards to a job, I can only recommend the Sunken Conundrum – Alvadas’s one and only library. The head librarian often needs people to copy over some of the more fragile texts for future preservation. I don’t know much about calligraphy, but it looks like you’re quite good at what you do. I’m sure she be willing to offer you a job.” Her brow creased at his next question and she tilted her head to the side, as if examining the man under a new light. “There are a lot of places in Alvadas that deal with tricks, though most people here wouldn’t call illusions a problem,” she said carefully. “But if I understand you correctly, you may want to see Kirwen Shenter, the proprietor of the Arrhizal Apothecary. He sells all kinds of potions that relate to illusion – smell enhancers, pain numbing creams, hallucinogens… The man isn’t very friendly and I don’t know if he can really be of any help to you, but he is certainly good at when he does.”