Ryuutarou Ishinori Goes To Marefore!

[The Nottest of Daves]

This quest originally began on Aug 26, 2017.


Cooking Dragon Ryuutarou!

Ryuutarou Ishinori, the Spirit of Ramen (The Nottest of Daves)
Level 39
Spirit, Hope
HP: 14,625
MP: 4,875
STR: 1,100 (20)
AGI: 390 (10)
CON: 585 (15)
MIN: 195 (5)
SPI: 460 (10)
XP- 35,008,135
XP Required- 820,000, Holy Imperial Seal of Power
Fame- 17
Bonus Weeks: 47
Weeks: 0 (+1 Binder, +4 Chef, +1 Diplomat, +2 Monk, +1 Ravager, +1 Shadow Blade, +9 Veilwalker)


Abilities-
Melee Attack
Magical Attack
Ranged Attack
Elemental Attack
Defend
Counter
Guard Back Rank
Use an Item
Cast a Spell
Switch Rows
Unequip
Re-equip
Trade
Transform
Overdrive or Mental Overdrive or Physical Overdrive

Devout Worshipper of Marcus, Galactic God-King of Chefs
Worshipper Benefits:
Cosmically Delicious- Food and Drink consumables used by possessor heal (250 * Possessor Level) additional HP and MP, Worshipper Benefit
Voidwalking- If possessor is Level 20 or greater, possessor gains Immunity to Frozen, Suffocation, Voidstruck, Poison: Irradiated, and Burning against effects that come from sources below Level 40 that are attached to Zones, Terrains or Phantom Terrains, Worshipper Benefit

Blessing:
Aldriel’s Blessing- (Passive Ability, Blessing) Possessor is immune to Fatigued: Sleep
Blessed with Arshubrel's Destruction- (Passive Ability, Blessing) Possessor gains +5,000 Melee Attack, +5,000 Ranged Attack, and +5,000 Magical Attack if possessor is Fire or Destruction element or is afflicted with the status effect Confusion: Berserk
Blessed with Djorgammon's Fortitude- (Passive Ability, Blessing) Possessor gains +5,000 HP, +120 Defense against Stat Damage, and 15% Resilience
Murlakro's Blessing- (Passive Ability, Blessing) Possessor gains +5,000 Max MP and +50 Uncapped MIN
Mystic Power of the Patterned Lizard- (Passive / Active Ability, Blessing) Possessor gains 13% Dodge while in a Zone of Earth or Water, possessor gains +60 to all stats while in a Zone of Earth or Water, Possessor takes 2,500 less damage from traps that are solely Earth or solely Water or only Earth and Water element, Possessor's sell cap for Earth and / or Water element Antiquities increases by 1,000 Gold, Possessor may, up to three times per random quest or per excursion into an encounter area, reroll any encounter that consists solely of Earth and / or Water element Animals and / or Reptiles, Possessor may, once per thread, use an action to summon one Animal or Repile of lower level than possessor that is normally combattable on the enemy list that is neither Elite nor a Boss.

Clearance:
Has a Basic Permit to Battle Desert Corsair Warship- (Passive Ability, Clearance) Possessor may fight the monster 'Desert Corsair Warship' for drops, This ability cannot be used in combos


Assassin:
Apprentice Throwing Weapon Training- (Passive Ability, Assassin) Possessor gains +50 Ranged Attack and +50 AGI when a Throwing Weapon is equipped.
Basic Poisoner Training- (Passive Ability, Assassin) User gains +30 MP for each weapon coating equipped, user's attacks have a +1% chance of inflicting Poison if a Weapon Coating is equipped and they already had a chance of inflicting poison, all Weapon Coatings that do stat damage do an extra point, all damage foes suffer that is caused by Poison status effects inflicted by user is increased by 20 per round
Basic Throwing Weapon Training- (Passive Ability, Assassin) This character gains +6 Ranged Attack when a Throwing Weapon is equipped.
Poisoned Weapon Use- (Passive Ability, Assassin) Possessor's attacks that deal damage deal 200 extra damage if possessor has a Weapon Coating equipped, all Weapon Coatings that possessor has equipped that deal stat damage do 3 extra points of each type they would otherwise deal, all Weapon Coatings possessor has equipped have a 1% chance inflicting Poison if possessor desires such
Skilled at Poison Application- (Passive Ability, Assassin) All attacks that have a chance of inflicting Poison gain a 3% chance if that chance is initally under 3%, all Weapon Coatings that do stat damage do 2 extra points
Strong Throw- (Passive Ability, Assassin) Possessor may use Strength as possessor's Prime Attribute for Ranged Attack action if possessor has a Throwing Weapon equipped.

Auramancer:
Warded Core Essence- (Passive Ability, Auramancer) Possessor gains +30,000 Defense, Possessor gains +5,000 CON, Possessor gains +5,000 MIN, Possessor gains +100,000 HP, Possessor's Defense may not be pierced by sources below Level 20, Individuals below Level 20 may not inflict negative status effects on possessor

Binder:
Basic Binder Knowledge- (Passive Ability, Binder) Possessor's Spirit pets and summons gain +100 HP, +100 MP, +10 to damage dealt, and +10 to all stats
Knows Many Common Types of Spirits- (Passive Ability, Binder) Possessor counts as 3 Levels higher (to a maximum of 99) for the purposes of scanning non-Unique Spirits
Incorporeal Spirit- (Passive Ability, Binder) If possessor is a Spirit, possessor gains 25% Dodge and 50% Dodge against individuals below Level 20
Spirit Traits- (Passive Ability, Binder) Possessor gains Diseased Immunity so long as possessor is a Spirit

Blazing Sultan:
Apprentice Defenses Against Fire- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Possessor gains +500 Defense against Fire
Apprentice Fire Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Fire element item equipped, Possessor's Fire element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Apprentice Weaponization of Fire- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Quantities of Fire element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 500 points
Basic Defenses Against Fire- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Fire
Basic Fire Resistance- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Possessor gains 1% Fire Resistance
Basic Fire Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Fire element
Basic Weaponization of Fire- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Quantities of Fire element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 50 points
Hair of Fire- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Possessor gains +50 Melee Attack, +50 Magical Attack, and may deal 2,500 Flat Fire element Damage to any individual who conducts an offensive action that targets possessor at the end of said action up to 5 times per round
Improved Defenses Against Fire- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Possessor gains +5,000 Defense against Fire
Improved Weaponization of Fire- (Passive Ability, Blazing Sultan) Quantities of Fire element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points

Chef:
Add An Egg!- (Technique Ability, Chef) Possessor may use 'Add An Egg!' in conjunction with a 'Use an Item' action that involves the use of a Food consumable. Said action may also involve the use of an additional Food consumable, provided said additional consumable's name includes 'Egg'.
Add Some Spice- (Technique Ability, Chef) Possessor may use Add Some Spice in conjunction with a Use an Item or Serve Food action, so long as no other technique is used and said action involves a Food or Drink consumable. All HP and MP healing in said action is increased by 500 points and all buffs to any stat that are part of said action are increased by 30 points per stat as an effect that stacks 20 times per target across all applications on said target per stat out of STR, AGI, MIN, CON, and SPI.
Apprentice Chef Proficiency- (Passive Ability, Chef) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Food or Drink equipped, Possessor's Food and Drink consumables that heal HP or MP heal 5,000 more points of each type that they already heal
Baker's Apprentice- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food items used by possessor that restore HP restore an additional 200 HP, Food items used by possessor that increase STR or MIN increase it by an additional 10
Barbequer's Apprentice- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food consumables used by possessor that heal HP heal an additional 500 points, Food consumables tused by possessor that increase STR increase it by an additional 10 points per charge as an effect that stacks 50 times across all consumable applications on said target
Bartender- (Passive Ability, Chef) Drinks items possessor uses provide double normal HP and MP restoration, Drinks consumed by user have a 50% less chance of causing Drunkenness
Basic Chef Proficiency- (Passive Ability, Chef) Character gains +5 to all stats for each Food or Drink equipped, Foods and Drinks that heal HP or MP heal 50 more of each that they already heal
Basic Saucemaking- (Passive Ability, Chef) Once per round, possessor may apply a buff that stacks 10 times to a target that possessor uses a Food consumable on, with said buff disappearing and generating a different buff that stacks 10 times that provides +10 to all stats when a Food consumable is next used on said target
Bussboy- (Passive Ability, Chef) Whenever one of possessor's allies uses a charge from a Food or Drink consumable, possessor may, up to once per round, if said ally is willing, unequip said item from said individual and begin carrying said item
Chef- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food items that restore HP or MP that possessor uses restore double the normal amount
Delicious Cooking- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food consumables used by possessor that buff any stat do so by an additional 30 points per charge as an effect that stacks 20 times per target across all consumable applications on said target
Chef's Conflict-Calming Culinary Confrontation- (Technique Ability, Chef) Possessor may use 'Chef's Conflict-Calming Culinary Confrontation' in conjunction with a 'Use an Item' or 'Metacombine' action so long as no other technique is used and a Food consumable is used as part of said action, this action may be used as a pre-emptive counter to an offensive action that may only target the source of said offensive action (with all other hits from said Consumable being lost), if the Consumable is successfully used, there is a (Possessor's Level - Target's Level)% chance that the offensive action is cancelled and the action lost
Festival Food-Stall Frenzy- (Technique Ability, Chef) Possessor may use 'Festival Food-Stall Frenzy' in conjunction with a 'Serve Food' or 'Use an Item' action. If possessor uses a charge of a Food Consumable that targets 5 or more individuals in said action, possessor may choose to immediately use a second charge of the same Food Consumable (being able to choose different targets if so desired) or gain another action (to a maximum of one such extra action per round) that may involve the use of a charge of a Food Consumable that targets 5 or more individuals
Food Critic- (Passive Ability, Chef) Possessor may choose for any Food consumable that is used on one of possessor's allies that has been used earlier in a thread on possessor to either heal 300 additional points of HP or MP (should it already provide said type or healing), to increase any one stat buff by 20 points as an effect that stacks 20 times across all applications of said ability on any one target individual, or to decrease any amount of HP or MP damage said consumable deals by 500 points or to decrease any one stat debuff said consumable inflicts by 60 points
Grill Fish- (Ability, Chef) 50 additional HP is restored for each Food element consumable possessor uses that restores HP, Possessor may skip a turn deal 500 Fire damage per possessor level to an Aquatic that is judged by a mod to be a fish in an RP thread, or 250 Fire damage per possessor level to an Aquatic judged to not be a fish in an RP thread, out of RP-based threads, this functions on the principle that all Aquatics count as fish
Grillmaster- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food consumables used by possessor that heal HP heal an additional 500 points, Food consumables used by possessor that increase CON increase it by an additional 40 points per charge as an effect that stacks 40 times across all consumable applications on said target
Knowledge of Healthy Food Preparation Techniques- (Passive Ability, Chef) Whenever a Food or Drink consumable used by possessor would have a chance of curing a Minor Negative Status Effect, said chance rises by 5%, to a max of 30%
Knowledge of Nutrition- (Passive Ability, Chef) Whenever a Food or Drink consumable used by possessor heals HP or MP, it heals an additional 300 points
Knowledge of Ramen Recipes- (Passive Ability, Chef) Quantities of HP and MP healed by Food consumables whose name includes 'Ramen' that are used by possessor are increased by 5,000, Stat buffs coming from Food consumables whose name includes 'Ramen' have their value increased by 100 points as an effect that stacks a max of 200 times across all different buffs present affecting any one individual
Knowledge of the Best Ramen Recipes of the Decade- (Passive Ability, Chef) Quantities of HP and MP healed by Food consumables whose name includes 'Ramen' that are used by possessor are increased by 500,000, Stat buffs coming from Food consumables whose name includes 'Ramen' have their value increased by 200 points as an effect that stacks a max of 200 times across all different buffs present affecting any one individual
Knowledge of Unusually Good Ramen Recipes- (Passive Ability, Chef) Quantities of HP and MP healed by Food consumables whose name includes 'Ramen' that are used by possessor are increased by 50,000, Stat buffs coming from Food consumables whose name includes 'Ramen' have their value increased by 200 points as an effect that stacks a max of 200 times across all different buffs present affecting any one individual
Nutritionist- (Passive Ability, Chef) Whenever a Food or Drink consumable used by possessor heals HP or MP, it heals an additional 500 points, Whenever a Food or Drink consumable used by possessor would have a chance of curing a Minor Negative Status Effect, it automatically does so if said effect was inflicted by a source below Level 40
Prep Ramen Quickly- (Passive Ability, Chef) If possessor uses a Food consumable whose name includes 'Ramen', possessor gains a non-stacking buff that provides its possessor with +50 to its turn-order-determining stat sum for turn-order-determining purposes on the round after which it was acquired
Prepare Nightblossom-and-Moonfortune Salad- (Technique Ability, Chef) Possessor may use 'Prepare Nightblossom-and-Moonfortune Salad' in conjunction with a 'Use an Item' or 'Metacombine' action so long as no other technique is used and a Food consumable is used as part of said action, said Consumable, if its unmodified elements include Earth but not Darkness, gains the element Darkness and the text "+15% Darkness Resistance", said Consumable, if its unmodified elements include Darkness but not Earth, gains the element Earth and the text "+15% Earth Resistance", said Consumable, if its unmodified elements include Earth and Darkness, gains the element Fortune and the text "+15% Fortune Resistance, +7% To Hit, +7% Critical, +7% Dodge, +7% Resilience"
Stunning Food Presentation- (Passive Ability, Chef) Possessor's food consumables may gain '50% inflicts Fatigued: Stunned'
Sushi Maestro- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food Consumables used by Possessor that are Water element or contain the words "Fish", "Seafood" or "Sushi" that provide HP or MP healing or buff stats have said values doubled, to a maximum of (200,000 points for healing or 2,000 points for buffs), possessor may ignore the Resilience of Aquatics below Level 20
Taint-Cleansing Culinary Art- (Technique Ability, Chef) Possessor may use 'Taint-Cleansing Culinary Art' in conjunction with a 'Use an Item' or 'Metacombine' action so long as no other technique is used and a Food consumable is used as part of said action, said action may not inflict negative status effects or debuffs on its target and may cure any one negative status effect or debuff previously inflicted by a Food consumable on said target
Technique for Eating the Spice- (Passive Ability, Chef) Wielder cannot inflict Pain on itself through the effects of Food consumables

Commander:
Basic Leadership Attunement- (Passive Ability, Commander) All Leadership spells cast by possessor affect one more target if they already affect multiple targets, and all Leadership spells cost possessor 10 less MP to cast

Countess of Power:
Apprentice Defenses Against Energy- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Possessor gains +500 Defense against Energy
Apprentice Energy Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Energy element item equipped, Possessor's Energy element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Apprentice Weaponization of Energy- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Quantities of Energy element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 500 points
Basic Defenses Against Energy- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Energy
Basic Command of Energy- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Possessor's Energy element pets and summons gain +50 to all stats
Basic Energy Resistance- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Possessor gains 1% Energy Resistance
Basic Energy Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Energy element
Basic Weaponization of Energy- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Quantities of Energy element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 50 points
Improved Defenses Against Energy- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Possessor gains +5,000 Defense against Energy
Improved Weaponization of Energy- (Passive Ability, Countess of Power) Quantities of Energy element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points

Crusher:
Apprentice Hammer Training- (Ability, Crusher) +500 damage for all attacks involving Hammers, possessor gains +20 to all stats when a Hammer is equipped
Basic Hammer Training- (Passive Ability, Crusher) This character gains +6 Melee Attack when a Hammer is equipped.
Dizzying Smash- (Technique Ability, Crusher) Possessor may use 'Dizzying Smash' in conjunction with a 'Melee Attack' action, so long as no other technique is used and possessor has a Hammer equipped. Said attack gains a 20% chance of inflicting Confusion.
Hammer Wielding I- (Passive Ability, Crusher) +5 to all stats when a Hammer is equipped
Hammer Wielding II- (Passive Ability, Crusher) +25 to all stats when a Hammer is equipped, +50 Melee Attack when a Hammer is equipped
Impact Smash- (Technique Ability, Crusher) Possessor may use 'Impact Smash' in conjunction with a 'Melee Attack' action, so long as no other technique is used and possessor has an Hammer equipped. Said attack gains +100 Melee Attack and becomes solely Physical element.
Improved Paralytic Smash- (Passive Ability, Crusher) Possessor's 'Paralytic Smash' technique has its chance of inflicting Paralyzed increased to 30%
Paralytic Smash- (Technique Ability, Crusher) Possessor may use 'Paralytic Smash' in conjunction with a 'Melee Attack' action, so long as no other technique is used and possessor has a Hammer equipped. Said attack gains a 20% chance of inflicting Paralyzed.

Dragon Lord:
Apprentice Dragon Lord Knowledge- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) Possessor's Dragon pets and summons gain +2,500 HP, +2,500 MP, +600 to damage dealt, and +250 to all stats
Basic Dragon Lord Knowledge- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) Possessor's Dragon pets and summons gain +500 HP, +500 MP, +50 to damage dealt, and +50 to all stats
Draconic Age Effect: Spellpower Boost- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) This ability tracks when its possessor obtained it and provides its possessor, if its possessor is a Dragon, with +(100 * the number of months that have passed since said obtaining of this ability Magical Attack, to a max of +4,800) (Acquired 2017-08-22)
Draconic Age Effect: Strength Boost- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) This ability tracks when its possessor obtained it and provides its possessor, if its possessor is a Dragon, with +(100 * the number of months that have passed since said obtaining of this ability STR, to a max of +4,800) (Acquired 2017-08-22)
Draconic Age Effect: Wisdom Boost- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) This ability tracks when its possessor obtained it and provides its possessor, if its possessor is a Dragon, with +(100 * the number of months that have passed since said obtaining of this ability MIN, to a max of +4,800) (Acquired 2017-08-22)
Draconic Aging- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) If possessor is a Dragon, possessor gains Fatigued: Elderly Immunity, This ability tracks when its possessor obtained it and provides its possessor, if its possessor is a Dragon, with +(100 * the number of months that have passed since said obtaining of this ability to all stats, to a max of +2,400) (Acquired 2017-08-22)
Draconic Wisdom- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) If possessor is a Dragon, possessor gains +500 MIN, +500 SPI, and +500 Magical Attack
Dragon Claws- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) Possessor, if a Dragon, gains +200 Melee Attack per empty Weapon slot that possessor possesses, to a max of 6 such slots, and possessor's 'Melee Attack' actions gain '5% this action may gain 2 hits against 1' if possessor possesses at least two empty weapon slots
Dragon-Scale Hide- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) If possessor is a Dragon, possessor gains +500 Defense
Dragon Traits- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) Possessor may, at the beginning of a thread, choose to operate for the entirety of the thread with an effective level equal to half possessor's normal level, rounded up. All changes that would occur with this reduction in level occur. If this level reduction is ever somehow cancelled, the other effects of this ability are simultaneously cancelled. If possessor chooses to operate at half level, then possessor's HP is multiplied by 2 as an effect that does not stack with other HP multiplying effects, possessor's MP is multiplied by 2 as an effect that does not stack with other MP multiplying effects, and possessor's Melee Attack, Magical Attack, and Ranged Attack actions all use possessor's two highest stats as their Prime Attribute. This ability only takes effect if possessor is an Dragon.
Flawless Scale Coat- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) Possessor's 'Single-Scale Weak Point' ability loses its text
Formshift: Dragon- (Stance Ability, Dragon Lord) Possessor's subtype becomes Dragon
Impenetrable Dragon Scales- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) If possessor is a Dragon, possessor is Immune to individuals below Level 20 and gains +200,000 HP as a non-stacking bonus
Single-Scale Weak Point- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) If possessor is a Dragon, possessor obtains -30% Resilience

Elementalist:
Apprentice Elemental Magic Attunement- (Passive Ability, Elementalist) All Elemental Magic spells gain +250 Magical Attack and cost 50 less MP, all Elemental Magic summoned Elementals stay for 1 turn longer and have their stats increased by 50 each and the damage of their damage dealing attacks increased by 250
Aura of Fire- (Passive Ability, Elementalist) 5% Fire Resistance, +50 Defense if a Fire element Elemental Magic spell is equipped
Basic Elemental Magic Attunement- (Passive Ability, Elementalist) All Elemental Magic spells gain +10 Magical Attack and cost 10 less MP
Envoy of Fire- (Ability, Elementalist) Character's spells, abilities, and items respond as though character had already cast Call Unto Elements: Fire
Flaming Pillar of Self- (Stance Ability, Elementalist) User must have at least 3 Fire element Elemental Magic spells equipped, +100 Defense, you may deal 1,000 Fire element damage to anyone who targets you with an offensive action as a counter
Hand of Blazing Flame- (Passive Ability, Elementalist) +40 Melee Attack for each open weapon slot if a Fire element elemental magic spell is equipped, melee attacks may be solely Fire element if no weapon is equipped
Hand of Dancing Fire- (Passive Ability, Elementalist) +5% to Hit with Fire element Elemental Magic spells, +25 AGI if a Fire element Elemental Magic spell is equipped
Hand of Flame- (Passive Ability, Elementalist) +20 Magical Attack and +1% Critical for each Fire element Elemental Magic spell equipped to a max of 10 spells, possessor's melee attacks may, if at least one weapon slot is open, have a 1% chance of inflicting Burning
Knowledge of Esoteric Elements- (Passive Ability, Elementalist) Possessor gains +100 MIN if possessor has any item equipped that is a nonbase element
Speak the Tongue of Flames- (Passive Ability, Elementalist) Fire element spells gain +5 Magical Attack

Eternal Champion:
Apprentice Hope Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Hope element item equipped, Possessor's Hope element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Apprentice Weaponization of Hope- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Quantities of Hope element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 500 points
Basic Acceleration Within Hope's Dominion- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Possessor gains +25 to possessor's turn-order-determining stat sum for turn-order-determining purposes while in a Zone of Hope
Basic Defenses Against Hope- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Hope
Basic Hope Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Hope element
Basic Weaponization of Hope- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Quantities of Hope element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 50 points
Basic Zonal Acclimation of Hope- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Possessor gains +50 to all stats while in a Zone of Hope
Control of Hope- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Possessor has a 20% chance of being able to cancel the actions of Hope element individuals below Level 20, with things that would occur before and after said actions still occurring
Hope Manipulation- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Possessor may choose one of the following at the beginning of each round if Hope element: Create a Zone of Hope, Remove a Zone of Hope created by either possessor or a source below Level 20, Remove an effect attached to a Zone of Hope by either possessor or a source below Level 20, Add Hope to the elements of possessor's first action of the round, place a non-stacking buff that provides +50 to all of its possessor's stats if its possessor is Hope element on a Hope element target, place a non-stacking buff on an individual that gives that individual +50 to all stats while in a Zone of Hope, place a non-stacking debuff on an individual that gives that individual -50 to all stats while in a Zone of Hope, Gain +50 to any one stat as a non-stacking buff until the end of the round, gain +50 Melee Attack, Magical Attack, or Ranged Attack as a non-stacking buff until the end of the round, Gain +50 Defense or +50 Defense against Stat Damage as a non-stacking buff until the end of the round, Unsummon a Hope element individual that is below Level 20 and was summoned by an individual below Level 20 that is below possessor's Level, Add Hope to the elements of the next action conducted by a willing ally, or give a chosen individual +500 Defense against Hope, 5% Hope Resistance, or +50 Defense against Hope and 1% Hope Resistance until the end of the round as a non-stacking buff
Improved Weaponization of Hope- (Passive Ability, Eternal Champion) Quantities of Hope element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points

Flux Baron:
Apprentice Flux Baron Knowledge- (Passive Ability, Flux Baron) Possessor's Shapeshifter pets and summons gain +500 HP, +500 MP, +100 to damage dealt, and +50 to all stats
Basic Flux Baron Knowledge- (Passive Ability, Flux Baron) Possessor's Shapeshifter pets and summons gain +100 HP, +100 MP, +10 to damage dealt, and +10 to all stats
Body of Blades- (Passive Ability, Flux Baron) Possessor's abilities which solely add stat bonuses along with bonuses to Physical element attacks of normal damage or Physical element attacks of normal damage to possessor's pets and summons also apply to possessor
Flux Claws- (Passive Ability, Flux Baron) +50 Damage to possessor's Shapeshifter pet and summon Physical element attacks
Offensive Shapeshifter Instruction I- (Passive Ability, Flux Baron) Possessor's Shapeshifter pets and summons have the Damage values of their abilities increased by 50 points
Offensive Shapeshifter Instruction II- (Passive Ability, Flux Baron) Possessor's Shapeshifter pets and summons have the Damage values of their abilities increased by 500 points
Shapeshifter Instruction I- (Passive Ability, Flux Baron) Possessor's Shapeshifter pets and summons gain +20 to all stats
Shapeshifter Instruction II- (Passive Ability, Flux Baron) Possessor's Shapeshifter pets and summons gain +100 to all stats

Heir to the Future:
Apprentice Defenses Against Technology- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Possessor gains +500 Defense against Technology
Apprentice Technology Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Technology element item equipped, Possessor's Technology element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Apprentice Weaponization of Technology- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Quantities of Technology element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 500 points
Basic Command of Technology- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Possessor's Technology element pets and summons gain +50 to all stats
Basic Defenses Against Technology- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Technology
Basic Technology Resistance- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Possessor gains 1% Technology Resistance
Basic Technology Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Technology element
Basic Weaponization of Technology- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Quantities of Technology element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 50 points
Improved Defenses Against Technology- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Possessor gains +5,000 Defense against Technology
Improved Weaponization of Technology- (Passive Ability, Heir to the Future) Quantities of Technology element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points

Illusionist:
Basic Illusion Magic Attunement- (Passive Ability, Illusionist) All Illusion Magic summons have 200 more HP, 10 more of each stat, last 1 turn longer if they last over 1 turn already, and require 25 more of the relevant stats to dispel
Can Pretend to Be Knowledgeable and Multitalented- (Passive Ability, Illusionist) Possessor may choose to count as possessing one more ability in each class that possessor posssesses at least 1 ability in; This ability works for prerequisite purposes if it is permanently possessed by its possessor
Convincing Liar- (Passive Ability, Illusionist) Possessor counts as being 1 Level higher for purposes of resisting stat-scanning attempts, with said bonus not being able to overcome 'Immune to below Level X' effects

Kinetic Emperor:
Apprentice Defenses Against Physical- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Possessor gains +500 Defense against Physical
Apprentice Physical Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Physical element item equipped, Possessor's Physical element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Basic Defenses Against Physical- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Physical
Basic Physical Resistance- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Possessor gains 1% Physical Resistance
Basic Physical Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Physical element
Basic Weaponization of Physical- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Quantities of Physical element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 50 points
Defenses that Utilize Physical- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Possessor gains +500 Defense if possessor has any Physical-element items equipped that provide a Defense bonus
Improved Defenses Against Physical- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Possessor gains +5,000 Defense against Physical
Improved Weaponization of Physical- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) Quantities of Physical element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points
Matter Over Mind- (Passive Ability, Kinetic Emperor) If possessor is Physical element and possesses a higher Base CON or Base STR than Base MIN, possessor gains +1,000 Defense against MIN Damage and may convert MIN Damage from lower-Level sources below Level 60 into CON Damage (with said conversion able to be applied either directly before or directly after possessor's Defense is applied to said MIN Damage)

Monk:
Apprentice Unarmed Technique Attunement- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +500 Melee Attack if no weapon is equipped, Unarmed Technique spells cost 50 less MP to cast, Possessor gains +200 Defense if possessor has at least 2 empty weapon slots, Possessor gains 5% Dodge if possessor has no weapons equipped
Basic Unarmed Technique Attunement- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +30 Melee Attack if possessor has no weapon equipped. Possessor gains +30 Defense if possessor has no armor equipped.
Black Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +500 Melee Attack, +500 STR, +500 AGI, +500 CON, +1% Resilience, +1% To Hit, +1% Critical, and +1% Dodge
Blue Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +100 Melee Attack, +100 STR, +100 AGI, and +100 CON
Brown Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +100 Melee Attack, +100 STR, +100 AGI, and +100 CON
Green Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +50 Melee Attack, +50 STR, +50 AGI, and +50 CON
Martial Arts Trainee- (Passive Ability, Monk) +5 STR, AGI, and CON
Orange Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +40 Melee Attack, +40 STR, +40 AGI, and +40 CON
Purple Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +100 Melee Attack, +100 STR, +100 AGI, and +100 CON
Red Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +200 Melee Attack, +200 STR, +200 AGI, and +200 CON
White Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +10 Melee Attack, +10 STR, +10 AGI, and +10 CON
Yellow Belt- (Passive Ability, Monk) Possessor gains +20 Melee Attack, +20 STR, +20 AGI, and +20 CON

Mountain King:
Apprentice Defenses Against Earth- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Possessor gains +500 Defense against Earth
Apprentice Earth Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Earth element item equipped, Possessor's Earth element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Apprentice Weaponization of Earth- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Quantities of Earth element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 500 points
Basic Command of Earth- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Possessor's Earth element pets and summons gain +50 to all stats
Basic Defenses Against Earth- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Earth
Basic Earth Resistance- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Possessor gains 1% Earth Resistance
Basic Earth Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Earth element
Basic Weaponization of Earth- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Quantities of Earth element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 50 points
Improved Defenses Against Earth- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Possessor gains +5,000 Defense against Earth
Improved Weaponization of Earth- (Passive Ability, Mountain King) Quantities of Earth element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points

Ocean Prince:
Apprentice Defenses Against Water- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Possessor gains +500 Defense against Water
Apprentice Water Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Water element item equipped, Possessor's Water element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Apprentice Weaponization of Water- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Quantities of Water element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 500 points
Apprentice Zonal Acclimation of Water- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Possessor gains +500 to all stats while in a Zone of Water
Basic Defenses Against Water- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Water
Basic Water Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Water element
Basic Weaponization of Water- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Quantities of Water element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 50 points
Basic Zonal Acclimation of Water- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Possessor gains +50 to all stats while in a Zone of Water
Improved Weaponization of Water- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Quantities of Water element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points
Improved Zonal Acclimation of Water- (Passive Ability, Ocean Prince) Possessor gains +1,000 to all stats while in a Zone of Water

Ravager:
Apprentice Axe Training- (Passive Ability, Ravager) Possessor gains +50 Melee Attack when possessor has an Axe equipped.
Basic Axe Training- (Passive Ability, Ravager) This character gains +6 Melee Attack when an Axe is equipped.
Berserker Rage- (Active Ability, Ravager) +5 Base STR, +5 Base CON, and +3 Base AGI while Berserk, possessor may inflict Fatigued: Berserk on self once per thread as an action
Controlled Rage- (Active Ability, Ravager) Possessor may become selectively non-immune to Berserk-inflicting sources
Directed Rage- (Passive Ability, Ravager) Posessor does not attack allies while Berserk
Gladiator's Pride- (Passive Ability, Ravager) +500 HP and +15 Defense if only Light, Medium or Heavy armor is equipped

Scientist:
Analytical- (Passive Ability, Scientist) Possessor counts as 1 Level higher for stat-scanning purposes, to a max of Level 99
Apprentice Hypertech Attunement- (Passive Ability, Scientist) All Hypertech spells possessor castst that possess a Magical Attack bonus gain +50 additional Magical Attack, and all Hypertech spells cost possessor 50 less MP to cast
Basic Hypertech Attunement- (Passive Ability, Scientist) All Hypertech spells possessor castst that possess a Magical Attack bonus gain +10 additional Magical Attack, and all Hypertech spells cost possessor 10 less MP to cast
Basic Research Skills- (Passive Ability, Scientist) Possessor counts as 1 Level higher for stat-scanning purposes, to a max of Level 20
Knowledge of Basic Scientific Theory- (Passive Ability, Scientist) +5 Magical Attack, +30 MIN, Spells cost possessor 20 less MP to cast
Psychiatrist- (Passive Ability, Scientist) Possessor may cure one ally of Charm or Confusion at the start of each round
Psychologist- (Passive Ability, Scientist) Possessor gains +200 MIN
Therapist- (Passive Ability, Scientist) Possessor may cure one ally of Charm or Confusion at the end of each round
Utilize Researched Knowledge- (Passive Ability, Scientist) Possessor deals 110% Damage to targets below Level 20 whose stats possessor has scanned, to a max of 1,000,000 additional damage

Scholar:
Knowledge of Common Spirits- (Passive Ability, Scholar) Possessor gains +50 MIN if any of possessor's opponents are Spirit

Shadowblade:
Basic Knife Training- (Passive Ability, Shadow Blade) This character gains +6 Melee Attack and +3 Magical Attack when a Knife is equipped
Knife Wielding I- (Passive Ability, Shadow Blade) +5 to all stats when a Knife is equipped
Knife Wielding II- (Passive Ability, Shadow Blade) +25 to all stats when a Knife is equipped, +25 Melee Attack and +25 Magical Attack when a Knife is equipped

Shrine Maiden:
Basic Spirit-Banishing Chant- (Technique Ability, Shrine Maiden) Possessor may spend an action to remove a target Spirit below Level 40 from battle with a (Possessor's Level - Spirit's Level)/2 % chance of success
Basic Spirit-Warding Chant- (Technique Ability, Shrine Maiden) Possessor may spend an action to gain +5% Dodge and Resilience against Spirits below Level 40 as an effect that lasts 5 rounds
Spiritual Assault-Repelling Mantra- (Technique Ability, Shrine Maiden) Possessor may spend an action to provide possessor's side of battle with a non-stacking +10,000 Defense against Spirits as an effect that lasts until possessor's first action of the next round

Slayer:
And With This, I Will Burn You!- (Passive Ability, Slayer) An item that possessor equips as a weapon through one of possessor's Slayer abilities that was an Antiquity at the time it was equipped that is Fire element may gain '5% inflicts Burning'
And With This, I Will Drown You!- (Passive Ability, Slayer) An item that possessor equips as a weapon through one of possessor's Slayer abilities that was an Antiquity at the time it was equipped that is Water element may gain '5% inflicts Drowning'
And With This, I Will Strangle You!- (Passive Ability, Slayer) An item that possessor equips as a weapon through one of possessor's Slayer abilities that was an Antiquity at the time it was equipped that is Air element may gain '5% inflicts Suffocation'
Any Object Is Deadly In My Hands- (Passive Ability, Slayer) Possessor may choose to count Antiquities equipped through possessor's Slayer abilities as weapons as Deadly Items
Apprentice Deadly Item Training- (Passive Ability, Slayer) This character gains +60 Melee Attack, +60 Ranged Attack, +60 Magical Attack, and +5% Critical when a Deadly Item is equipped.
Apprentice Weapon Improvisation- (Passive Ability, Slayer) Possessor may equip Antiquities in weapon slots, these Antiquities provide a Ranged, Melee, and Magical attack bonus equal to their value divided by 1,000, to a max of +5,000
Basic Deadly Item Training- (Passive Ability, Slayer) This character gains +6 Melee Attack when a Deadly Item is equipped.
Basic Weapon Improvisation- (Passive Ability, Slayer) Possessor may equip Antiquities in weapon slots, these Antiquities provide a Ranged, Melee, and Magical attack bonus equal to their value divided by 1,000, to a max of +1,000
Defensive Improvisation- (Passive Ability, Slayer) An item that possessor equips as a weapon through one of possessor's Slayer abilities that was an Antiquity at the time it was equipped may provide a Defense bonus equal to its value divided by 1,000, to a max of +1,000 Defense
Stat-Defense-Focused Improvisation- (Passive Ability, Slayer) An item that possessor equips as a weapon through one of possessor's Slayer abilities that was an Antiquity at the time it was equipped may provide a Defense against Stat Damage bonus equal to its value divided by 10,000, to a max of +100 Defense against Stat Damage

Thunder Czar:
Apprentice Defenses Against Electrical- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Possessor gains +500 Defense against Electrical
Apprentice Electrical Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Electrical element item equipped, Possessor's Electrical element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Apprentice Weaponization of Electrical- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Quantities of Electrical element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 500 points
Basic Command of Electrical- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Possessor's Electrical element pets and summons gain +50 to all stats
Basic Defenses Against Electrical- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Electrical
Basic Electrical Resistance- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Possessor gains 1% Electrical Resistance
Basic Electrical Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Electrical element
Basic Understanding of the Heart of Electrical- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Possessor's Electrical element allies gain +10 to all stats
Improved Defenses Against Electrical- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Possessor gains +5,000 Defense against Electrical
Improved Weaponization of Electrical- (Passive Ability, Thunder Czar) Quantities of Electrical element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points

Veilwalker:
Apprentice Ethereal Magic Attunement- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) All Ethereal Magic spells possessor casts that possess a Magical Attack bonus gain +50 additional Magical Attack, All Ethereal Magic spells that possessor casts have a 20% greater chance of working in regards to natural chance of 'failing to work', and all Ethereal Magic spells cost possessor 40 less MP to cast
Basic Ethereal Magic Attunement- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) All Ethereal Magic spells possessor casts that possess a Magical Attack bonus gain +10 additional Magical Attack, All Ethereal Magic spells that possessor casts have a 10% greater chance of working in regards to natural chance of 'failing to work', and all Ethereal Magic spells cost possessor 10 less MP to cast
Ethereal Magic Casting I- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Ethereal Magic spells cost possessor 20 less MP to cast
Ethereal Magic Casting II- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Ethereal Magic spells cost possessor 200 less MP to cast
Focused Ethereal Magic Casting- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Ethereal Magic spells cost possessor 200 less MP to cast if the only subtype of spell possessor has equipped is Ethereal Magic
Knowledge of Ethereal Pathways- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor's 'Switch Rows' actions may not be countered by sources below Level 20
Phantom Body- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Individuals below Level 15 cannot inflict minor status effects on possessor
Phantom Steps- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor may not be prevented from leaving battle by sources below Level 20
Semi-Ethereal Agility- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor gains +200 Defense against AGI Damage
Semi-Ethereal Constitution- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor gains +200 Defense against CON Damage
Semi-Ethereal Mind- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor gains +200 Defense against MIN Damage
Semi-Ethereal Spirit- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor gains +200 Defense against SPI Damage
Semi-Ethereal Strength- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor gains +200 Defense against STR Damage
Veilwalker- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) All Ethereal Magic spells possessor casts that possess a Magical Attack bonus gain +(50 * Possessor Level) additional Magical Attack, All Ethereal Magic spells that possessor casts have a (Possessor Level)% greater chance of working in regards to natural chance of 'failing to work', and all Ethereal Magic spells cost possessor (20 * Possessor Level) less MP to cast
Visualizer of Drifting Principles- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor may claim Drifting Principles

Warrior:
Accurate in a Crisis- (Passive Ability, Warrior) Posessor gains +1% To Hit while in a Crisis Zone
Apprentice Combat Arts Attunement- (Passive Ability, Warrior) +250 Damage to all damage dealing Combat Arts spells, All Combat Arts spells cost 50 less MP
Arms Training- (Passive Ability, Warrior) Possessor gains +25 Melee, Ranged, or Magical Attack if a Weapon that possesses the same type of bonus is equipped
Basic Combat Arts Attunement- (Passive Ability, Warrior) All Combat Arts spells gain +10 Magical Attack and cost 10 less MP, Possessor gains +10 STR, +4 CON, and +5 AGI
Basic Dual Wielding Training- (Passive Ability, Warrior) +10 Melee Attack to all Melee Attack providing weapons, +10 Ranged Attack to all Ranged Attack providing weapons, +10 Magical Attack to all Magical Attack providing weapons, +2% to Hit, Only works is possessor is wielding two weapons
Crisis Zone- (Passive Ability, Warrior) Possessor counts as being in a Crisis Zone when at 1% of possessor's Max HP or lower
Expanded Crisis Zone- (Passive Ability, Warrior) Possessor counts as being in a Crisis Zone when at 5% of possessor's Max HP or lower
Knowledge of Weapons- (Passive Ability, Warrior) At the start of each thread, possessor chooses a type of weapon, Possessor gains +200 Melee, Magical, and Ranged Attack while said type of weapon is equipped
Swift in a Crisis- (Passive Ability, Warrior) Posessor gains +1% Dodge while in a Crisis Zone
Taunt- (Active Ability, Warrior) Possessor may spend an action so that target individual below Level 20 may not perform any action that does not target possessor until they have targeted possessor with an offensive action, with said effect being a non-stacking debuff.
Tough in a Crisis- (Passive Ability, Warrior) Posessor gains +200 CON while in a Crisis Zone, HP gained from this CON increase does not count toward possessor's Max HP when calculating HP values to determine if possessor counts as being in a Crisis Zone

Wind Duke:
Apprentice Air Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Possessor gains +50 to all stats for each Air element item equipped, Possessor's Air element pets and summons gain +250 to all stats
Apprentice Defenses Against Air- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Possessor gains +500 Defense against Air
Apprentice Weaponization of Air- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Quantities of Air element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 500 points
Basic Air Resistance- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Possessor gains 1% Air Resistance
Basic Air Synchronization- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Possessor gains +25 to all stats if Air element
Basic Command of Air- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Possessor's Air element pets and summons gain +50 to all stats
Basic Defenses Against Air- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Possessor gains +50 Defense against Air
Basic Understanding of the Heart of Air- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Possessor's Air element allies gain +10 to all stats
Basic Weaponization of Air- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Quantities of Air element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 50 points
Improved Defenses Against Air- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Possessor gains +5,000 Defense against Air
Improved Weaponization of Air- (Passive Ability, Wind Duke) Quantities of Air element Damage dealt by possessor are increased by 5,000 points

Misc:
Doctor- (Passive Ability, Healer) Possessor's actions that heal may gain +200 Ranged, Melee or Magical Attack if they already possess such a bonus, Once per round after an enemy attacks one of possessor's allies, possessor may choose to have a 5% chance of countering said attack with a positive action targeting said ally and no other targets.
Infused Casting- (Active Ability, Wizard) This character may use Infused Casting in conjunction with a Magical Attack involving a Wizard Magic spell, so long as no other technique is used and a Wizard Magic Spell is equipped. +50 Magical Attack, this attack's element becomes any one base element
Practiced Swordsman- (Passive Ability, Kensei) +500 Melee Attack while a Sword is equipped
Sneaky- (Passive Ability, Thief) Possessor treats foes as not having acted if it is one of the first five turns of battle, said foes are of lower level, said foes have all of their stats as being lower than possessor's AGI, and said foes have not yet acted twice, +200 AGI


Weapons-
Culinary Keenknives- (Weaponx2, Knife, Physical, 3,000,000 Gold) +3,000 Melee Attack, 40% Critical, Culinary Arts spells cost wielder 30,000 less MP to cast
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Triumphant- This item's wielder becomes Immune to individuals below Level 20 if at least level 20, This item's wielder gains +20,000 to all stats, this item provides +20,000 additional Melee Attack, +20,000 additional Ranged Attack, and +20,000 additional Magical Attack, Enchantment
Unbreakable- This item cannot be Broken or destroyed except by the most exceptional measures, This treatment does not prevent pets or summons it is applied to from being killed, This item cannot be stolen outside of Official Quests and Player Quests, This does not count as a Mystic Treatment for number of Mystic Treatments that can be applied to this item if this item is unique, Affects any type of possession, Mystic Treatment

Armor-
Drauger's Armor- (Armor, Heavy Armor, Darkness & Ice & Physical & Water, 45,000,000 Gold) +45,000 Defense, +45,000 Melee Attack, +45,000 STR, +45,000 CON, +45,000 SPI, +450,000 HP, Wielder may choose to count as up to 10 individuals in its row for row-order purposes, 100% Drowning Resistance, 100% Frozen Resistance, 60% Voidstruck Resistance
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Unbreakable- This item cannot be Broken or destroyed except by the most exceptional measures, This treatment does not prevent pets or summons it is applied to from being killed, This item cannot be stolen outside of Official Quests and Player Quests, This does not count as a Mystic Treatment for number of Mystic Treatments that can be applied to this item if this item is unique, Affects any type of possession, Mystic Treatment

Accessories-
Blood Emblem- (Accessory, Broach, Darkness & Blood, 15,500,000 Gold) +15,000 Melee Attack, +15,000 to all stats, 10% Blood Resistance, Wearer's per-item Melee Attack bonus cap becomes 2x the relevant stat
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Unbreakable- This item cannot be Broken or destroyed except by the most exceptional measures, This treatment does not prevent pets or summons it is applied to from being killed, This item cannot be stolen outside of Official Quests and Player Quests, This does not count as a Mystic Treatment for number of Mystic Treatments that can be applied to this item if this item is unique, Affects any type of possession, Mystic Treatment
First Boss Badge (2)- (Accessory, Broach, Magic, 1,000,000 Gold) +1,000 Melee Attack, +1,000 Ranged Attack, +1,000 Magical Attack, +1,000 to all stats, 25% Dodge, 25% Critical, 25% Resilience, 125% to Hit, +10,000 HP, +10,000 MP, Opposing bosses below Level 10 that are listed as below Level 10 on the Boss List have their Boss Effects disabled, Wielder must be Level 12 or higher
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Unbreakable- This item cannot be Broken or destroyed except by the most exceptional measures, This treatment does not prevent pets or summons it is applied to from being killed, This item cannot be stolen outside of Official Quests and Player Quests, This does not count as a Mystic Treatment for number of Mystic Treatments that can be applied to this item if this item is unique, Affects any type of possession, Mystic Treatment
Great Ring of Life and Magic- (Accessory, Ring, Life & Magic, 36,000,000 Gold) +360,000 HP and +360,000 MP as an effect that stacks 2 times, +36,000 CON, +36,000 MIN, Wearer regenerates 360,000 HP and 360,000 MP at the start of each round
Greater Armband of Purity- (Accessory, Wristwear, Light, 24,000,000 Gold) +24,000 Magical Attack, +24,000 Defense, 40% Resilience, Individuals below Level 40 cannot inflict status effects on possessor
Lord of the Dead's Fur Cloak- (Accessory, Cloak, Darkness & Earth, 30,000,000 Gold) +30,000 Melee Attack, +30,000 Defense, +30,000 STR, +30,000 CON, +30,000 MIN, 20% Ice Resistance, 20% Electrical Resistance
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Unbreakable- This item cannot be Broken or destroyed except by the most exceptional measures, This treatment does not prevent pets or summons it is applied to from being killed, This item cannot be stolen outside of Official Quests and Player Quests, This does not count as a Mystic Treatment for number of Mystic Treatments that can be applied to this item if this item is unique, Affects any type of possession, Mystic Treatment

Spells-
Create Food (Lesser)- (Spell, Other: Culinary Arts, Earth, 500 MP, 50,000 Gold) Caster may create a Food consumable that is in-stock in the Shop that is worth under 100,000 Gold, with said creation costing an amount of Gold equal to the Gold value of the Food consumable and an amount of XP equal to 1/10 said quantity
Drink Your Sorrows Away- (Spell, Other: Culinary Arts, Water & Light & Darkness, 30 MP, 65,000 Gold) Cures Confusion: Depression, Inflicts Poison: Drunk
Purifying Blade- (Spell, Holy Magic, Light, 3,000 MP, 2,100,000 Gold) +2,200 Melee Attack, Demons, Daemons, Devils, Darkspawn, and Undead killed by this attack may not be resurrected by sources below Level 50
Unburdened Weight- (Spell, Ethereal Magic, Air, 900 MP, 78,000 Gold) Target two buffs and this buff may be carried together in one buff slot, stacks 3 times, does not stack with other Ethereal Magic spells that allow multiple buffs to be carried in single buff slots
Untouching Footsteps- (Spell, Ethereal Magic, Air & Earth, 680 MP, 80,000 Gold) Target may ignore the effects and presence of Zones, Terrain, and Phantom Terrain that come from sources below Level 20

Consumables-
Energy Rain Fireworks- (Consumable, Lethal Item, Energy, 1 Charge, 3,000,000 Gold) User may deal 30,000 Flat Energy element Damage to up to 300 targets, with said targets acquiring a debuff that stacks 3 times that lasts 5 rounds that deals 30,000 Flat Energy element Damage to its possessor at the start of each round
Osquiddling Fruit Handybasket- (Consumable, Enchanted Item, Earth, Unlimited Charges, 2,225,335 Gold) Creates 1 Temporary Osquiddling Fruit, Max 200 created at once
Osquiddling Fruit- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 225,335 Gold) Target gains the element Earth if willing or below Level 20, Deals 2,250 Flat Earth element HP Healing
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Unbreakable- This item cannot be Broken or destroyed except by the most exceptional measures, This treatment does not prevent pets or summons it is applied to from being killed, This item cannot be stolen outside of Official Quests and Player Quests, This does not count as a Mystic Treatment for number of Mystic Treatments that can be applied to this item if this item is unique, Affects any type of possession, Mystic Treatment
Wide Ball Summoning-Firework- (Consumable, Summoning Stone, Energy, 1 Charge, 500,000 Gold) User summons 10 Burstsphere from the Enemy List and may deal 5,000 Flat Energy element Damage to up to 50 targets, Max 10 summoned

Pets-
*Glorbuk- (Pet, Humanoid, Earth, Lv.5, 1,000,000 Gold)
HP- 8,500
MP- 7,500
STR- 395
AGI- 395
CON- 280
MIN- 280
SPI- 280
Fame- 1
XP- 0
XP Needed- 10,000 (Standard Multiplier x1)
Minimum Level- 1
Defense- 510
Defense against Stat Damage- 5
Critical Chance- 8%
Resilience- 5%
To Hit- 106%
Dodge- 6%
Resistances and Immunities- None
Prime Attribute- Strength or Agility
Constant Effects-
Warlord's Apprentice- Possessor obtains 25 additional XP per Level of XP-dropping Enemy defeated in threads during which possessor is assigned dropped XP from any enemy if any of possessor's allies have an ability, name, or constant effect that includes 'Warlord' that does not include 'Apprentice', Constant Effect
Slayer's Apprentice- Possessor obtains 25 additional XP per Level of XP-dropping Enemy defeated in threads during which possessor is assigned dropped XP from any enemy if any of possessor's allies have an ability, name, or constant effect that includes 'Slayer' that does not include 'Apprentice', Constant Effect
Chef's Apprentice- Possessor obtains 25 additional XP per Level of XP-dropping Enemy defeated in threads during which possessor is assigned dropped XP from any enemy if any of possessor's allies have an ability, name, or constant effect that includes 'Chef' that does not include 'Apprentice', Constant Effect
Practiced Dodging Elves- Possessor gains +45% Dodge against individuals whose name includes 'Elf' or 'Elven' or who possess the ability 'Elf Essence', Constant Effect
Dagger Parrying- Possessor gains 15% Knife Resistance, Constant Effect
Trained His Eyes To Bypass Illusions- Possessor ignores Dodge buffs granted by Illusion Magic spells or Illusion element actions that come from sources below Level 20, Constant Effect
HATES Beatrice- Possessor gains +1,000 to all stats if any of possessor's opponents' names include 'Beatrice', Constant Effect
Has Stances- Possessor may enter any one stance (or exit all stances) at the start of each round, Possessor may be in one stance at a time, Constant Effect
Plethora of Specially-Developed Anti-Beatrice Stances- Possessor's opponents named 'Beatrice' obtain no bonuses from their stances, Constant Effect
Goblin Chieftan Stance- Possessor's Humanoid allies gain +200 to all stats, Constant Effect
Abilities-
Buff-Rending Whip Dagger of Beatrice-Slaying- 1,450 Damage, this action removes 1 buff from a source below Level 20 and deals 6,000 Flat Magic element Damage if it successfully does so, this action gains +100% To Hit and +100% Critical against individuals whose name includes 'Beatrice', Magic or Magic & Physical, 0 MP
Cook- 3,000 Damage, Heals, Earth & Fire, 0 MP
Reluctantly Clean Up- 50% removes 1 debuff from a source below Level 20, Air, 0 MP
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Unbreakable- This item cannot be Broken or destroyed except by the most exceptional measures, This treatment does not prevent pets or summons it is applied to from being killed, This item cannot be stolen outside of Official Quests and Player Quests, This does not count as a Mystic Treatment for number of Mystic Treatments that can be applied to this item if this item is unique, Affects any type of possession, Mystic Treatment

Transformations-
None

Artifacts-
None

Awards-
Has Saved Imbelsberg from the Bluewar Ministry
Lost the Quest 'Quest for the Golden Banana'
Hijacked a Spaceship While Nude
Barred (At a Minimum Temporarily) From Disc 40
Has Completed the Task "The Making of a Chef Part 1: It's Chef Time!"
Has Read the Book 'BEST RAMEN RECIPES OF THE DECADE'
Baked Fleff with Aunt Nardell in The Dreaming Moon Festival on Seirei
Known as an Excellent Street Food Vendor by the Wealthy and Common Folk Alike in Clavia on Seirei
Is Renowned Across Impara For His Ramen on Seirei
Convinced Parvia Misceor to Try Joining the Battle Arena (Or, Failing That, Joining Up as his Servant) During the Dreaming Moon Festival on Seirei

Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Blazing Sultan
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Countess of Power
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Elementalist
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Eternal Champion
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Heir to the Future
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Kinetic Emperor
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Monk
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Mountain King
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Ocean Prince
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Scientist
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Thunder Czar
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Warrior
Has Consumed 5 Attunement Book: Wind Duke

Has Consumed 2 Essence Sphere: Commander

Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Assassin
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Assassin
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Assassin
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Binder
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Blazing Sultan
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Blazing Sultan
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Blazing Sultan
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Chef
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Chef
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Chef
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Countess of Power
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Countess of Power
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Countess of Power
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Crusher
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Crusher
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Crusher
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Dragon Lord
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Dragon Lord
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Dragon Lord
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Elementalist
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Elementalist
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Elementalist
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Eternal Champion
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Eternal Champion
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Eternal Champion
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Flux Baron
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Flux Baron
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Flux Baron
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Heir to the Future
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Heir to the Future
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Heir to the Future
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Kinetic Emperor
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Kinetic Emperor
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Kinetic Emperor
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Monk
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Monk
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Monk
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Mountain King
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Mountain King
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Mountain King
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Ocean Prince
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Ocean Prince
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Ocean Prince
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Ravager
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Ravager
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Ravager
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Scientist
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Scientist
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Scientist
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Shadow Blade
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Slayer
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Slayer
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Slayer
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Thunder Czar
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Thunder Czar
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Thunder Czar
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Veilwalker
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Veilwalker
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Veilwalker
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Warrior
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Warrior
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Warrior
Has Consumed 5 Essence Sphere: Wind Duke
Has Consumed 5 Improved Essence Sphere: Wind Duke
Has Consumed 5 Greater Essence Sphere: Wind Duke
Has used 10 Manual of A Thousand Arts
Has Won the "Adventurers!" Event Match
Has Won the "Drakespawn of the Caverns" Event Match
Has Won the 'Seizing the Center' Event Match
Has Won the "First Test Against The Adversary's Forces" Event Match
Has Won the "First of the Arcane Spirits" Event Match
Has Won the "Winter's Grasp" Event Match" Event Match
Has Won the "You'll Never Get Me Pot o' Gold!" Event Match
Has Won the "The Rehanging" Event Match
Has Won the "In Search of Ore Where the Undead Lurk" Event Match
Has Won the "Four Elementals" Event Match
Has Beaten 39 Bosses in Boss Rush Mode
Has Reached Round 21 in an Endurance Match
Has Completed the Task "First Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Fortune"
Has Completed the Task "Second Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Skill"
Has Completed the Task "Third Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of War"
Has Completed the Task "Fourth Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Seeking"
Has Completed the Task "Fifth Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Mastery"
Has Completed the Task "Sixth Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Stamina"
Has Completed the Task "Seventh Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Echoes"
Has Completed the Task "Eighth Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Time"
Has Completed the Task "Ninth Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Collecting"
Has Completed the Task "Tenth Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Combat"
Has Completed the Task "Eleventh Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Remembrance"
Has Completed the Task "Twelfth Holy Imperial Challenge of Worth: Test of Choices"

Modified Stats wrote:Ryuutarou Ishinori, the Spirit of Ramen
Level 39
Dragon, Hope
HP: 901,250
MP: 413,750
STR: 11,000
AGI: 3,900
CON: 5,850
MIN: 1,950
SPI: 4,600

Offense:
+82,000 Melee Attack

+5,550 Air Damage
+5,550 Earth Damage
+5,550 Electrical Damage
+5,550 Energy Damage
+5,550 Fire Damage
+5,550 Hope Damage
+5,550 Physical Damage
+5,550 Technology Damage
+5,550 Water Damage

125% To Hit
+0% To Hit

40% Crit
+0% Crit

<<>>
+23,000 Melee Attack
+45,000 Melee Attack
+15,000 Melee Attack
+1,000 Melee Attack
+30,000 Melee Attack
<<>>

Defense:
+46,800 Defense

+120 Defense against Stat Damage
+200 Defense against AGI Damage
+200 Defense against CON Damage
+200 Defense against MIN Damage
+200 Defense against SPI Damage
+200 Defense against STR Damage

+5,550 Defense Against Air
+5,550 Defense Against Earth
+5,550 Defense Against Electrical
+5,550 Defense Against Energy
+5,550 Defense Against Fire
+5,550 Defense Against Physical
+5,550 Defense Against Technology

40% Resilience
+0% Resilience

25% Dodge
+0% Dodge

100% Drowning Resistance
100% Frozen Resistance
60% Voidstruck Resistance
20% Ice Resistance
20% Electrical Resistance
10% Blood Resistance

If possessor is Level 20 or greater, possessor gains Immunity to Frozen, Suffocation, Voidstruck, Poison: Irradiated, and Burning against effects that come from sources below Level 40 that are attached to Zones, Terrains or Phantom Terrains
Possessor is immune to Fatigued: Sleep
Possessor's Defense may not be pierced by sources below Level 20
Individuals below Level 20 may not inflict negative status effects on possessor
If possessor is a Dragon, possessor gains Fatigued: Elderly Immunity
If possessor is a Dragon, possessor is Immune to individuals below Level 20
Individuals below Level 40 cannot inflict status effects on possessor

<<>>
+30,000 Defense

-----

+45,000 Defense
+24,000 Defense
+30,000 Defense
<<>>

Utility:
Culinary Arts spells cost wielder 30,000 less MP to cast
Wielder may choose to count as up to 10 individuals in its row for row-order purposes
Wearer regenerates 360,000 HP and 360,000 MP at the start of each round







Bringing Along wrote:100,000,000 Gold

Bag of Holding (2)- (Accessory, Container, Magic, 6,000,000 Gold) Wielder may bring 30 additional unequipped items into battle
w/
Unbreakable- This item cannot be Broken or destroyed except by the most exceptional measures, This treatment does not prevent pets or summons it is applied to from being killed, This item cannot be stolen outside of Official Quests and Player Quests, This does not count as a Mystic Treatment for number of Mystic Treatments that can be applied to this item if this item is unique, Affects any type of possession, Mystic Treatment


Ingredients:
100 Lara-Quantu- (Consumable, Food, Water, 1 Charge, 450 Gold) Restores 90 HP
100 Navi-Kalmo- (Consumable, Food, Water, 1 Charge, 900 Gold) Restores 750 HP and 120 MP
100 Two-Crowned Bass- (Consumable, Food, Water, 3 Charges, 4,000 Gold) +50 Defense, lasts 18 rounds, stacks 50 times
100 Yahi-Kalama- (Consumable, Food, Water, 1 Charge, 900 Gold) Restores 150 HP and 40 MP
100 Yama-Qwarti- (Consumable, Food, Water, 1 Charge, 1,605 Gold) +5 Agility, stacks 50 times

10 Crate of Spices- (Item, Material, Earth, 7,000 Gold)


80 'Little Kotengu'-Breed Chicken Eggs- (Consumable, Food, Water & Air, 6 Charges, 20,000 Gold) +10,000 HP, +200 AGI, +200 to Turn-Order-Determining Stat
80 'Pepper Phoenix'-Breed Chicken Eggs- (Consumable, Food, Fire, 6 Charges, 40,000 Gold) +4,000 to all quantities of Fire damage dealt, +400 SPI
5 Apple Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 HP, +50 Damage for Earth Element attacks
5 Apricot Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Fire, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 MP, +50 Damage for Fire Element attacks
Arden Cherry Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Fire & Light, 1 Charge, 100,000 Gold) Target's offensive actions deal an additional 50,000 Fire & Light Damage, Target gains +50,000 Defense against Fire and Light, lasts 4 rounds
Aunt Nardell's Secret Spiced Fleff (Consumable, Food, Earth & Air & Fire, 1 Charge, 100,000 Gold) User or willing target has their HP and MP pools combined, with any effect that would affect either stat affecting the combined pool, lasts 2 rounds
5 Blueberry Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Water, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 MP, +40 Damage for Earth or Water Element attacks
2 Boxed Mini-Fleff Selection- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 10 Charges, 50,000 Gold) Heals 5,000 HP and MP and provides a chosen effect from: +5% To Hit, +5% Critical, +5% Dodge, +5% Resilience, 15% Resistance to a chosen Base Element, +5,000 damage to all attacks that include a chosen Base Element, +500 to any one stat, Heals 500 damage to any one chosen stat, +500 Melee Attack, +500 Magical Attack, +500 Ranged Attack. Stacks once per each separate effect this item can produce, with each effect stacking with different effects but not further copies of itself.
Cantan Cardamom Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Air, 1 Charge, 100,000 Gold) Target gains +10% To Hit, +10% Dodge, and +5,000 to turn-order stat for turn-order-determining purposes, lasts 4 rounds
5 Cherry Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Fire, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 MP, +40 Damage for Earth or Fire Element attacks
5 Chocolate Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 MP, +50 AGI, does not stack
Cinthan Aquaberry Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Water, 1 Charge, 100,000 Gold) Target is cured of one Minor status effect or (one Moderate Status Effect inflicted by a sub-60 source) or (one debuff inflicted by a sub-60 source) at the start of each round, lasts 4 rounds
Dreaming Moon Festival Bedtime Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Air & Water, 1 Charge, 50,000 Gold) -50% Fatigued Resistance, Targets below Level 30 with Fatigued Immunity instead gain 100% Fatigued Resistance
Ebony Garlic- (Comsumable, Food, Earth & Wood & Darkness, 6 Charges, 4,300,000 Gold) +4,300 CON, +43,000 Defense, +43% Resilience, lasts 6 rounds, does not stack
Festival Rum Cocktail Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Darkness & Earth & Water, 1 Charge, 50,000 Gold) +50,000 HP, +500 CON, 5% Inflicts Poison: Drunk
5 Filling Mixed Fruit Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Water, 1 Charge, 5,000 Gold) Target regenerates 5,000 HP at the start of each round, lasts 5 rounds
Four-Moon-Medley Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 1 Charge, 100,000 Gold) User or willing target may gain the elements Earth & Air & Fire & Water and choose to count as being in a Zone of Earth & Air & Fire & Water, lasts 4 rounds
3 Gemroot Radish- (Comsumable, Food, Earth & Crystal (2), 1 Charge, 2,000,000 Gold) +2,000 CON, +20,000 Defense, target gains the element Crystal (2), target's attacks that are solely Earth element may gain the element Crystal (2), lasts 10 rounds, does not stack
5 Grape Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Acid & Water, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 MP, +50 Damage for Water Element attacks
5 Lemon Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Acid, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 MP, +50 SPI, does not stack
Lemon Honeysilk Egg- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Acid, 1 Charge, 5,000 Gold) Heals 4,000 HP, Heals 5,000 MP, at the beginning of the round after this Consumable has been used, user gains +500 SPI
Miracle Fruit Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Magic, 1 Charge, 80,000 Gold) Food and Drink items that naturally Heal or Buff HP instead Heal or Buff MP, Food and Drink items that naturally Heal or Buff MP instead Heal or Buff HP, instances of HP and MP Buffing or Healing are increased by 80,000
5 Mulberry Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Water & Earth, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 MP, +50 MIN, does not stack
5 Orange Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Acid, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 HP, +50 Damage for Acid Element attacks
5 Peach Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Water & Light, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 HP, +50 Damage for Light Element attacks
5 Pecan Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) +50 STR, +50 AGI, +50 SPI
5 Pistachio Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) +500 HP, +50 CON
5 Plum Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Water & Darkness, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 HP, +50 Damage for Darkness Element attacks
5 Refreshing Mixed Fruit Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Water, 1 Charge, 5,000 Gold) Target regenerates 5,000 MP at the start of each round, lasts 5 rounds
Special Spiced Honey-Orange Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Acid & Fire & Earth, 1 Charge, 50,000 Gold) Heals 50,000 HP and 50,000 MP, Target gains +1,000 CON and +10,000 damage for Acid Element Attacks
5 Strawberry Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Fire & Light, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) Heals 100 HP, +40 Damage for Light or Fire Element attacks
40 Tengu's Nose Farm Free-Range Eggs- (Consumable, Food, Fire, 6 Charges, 60,000 Gold) Provides 5% Earth Resistance, 5% Entombed Resistance and 5% Minor Status Effect Resistance for 5 rounds, +600 AGI
Thousandfold Onion- (Comsumable, Food, Earth & Light, 1,000 Charges, 7,000,000 Gold) +1,000 STR, +1,000 AGI, +1,000 SPI, +1,000 Melee Attack, +1,000 Magical Attack, +1,000 Ranged Attack, stacks 100 times, lasts 1,000 rounds
Vernal Mango Fleff- (Consumable, Food, Fire & Water & Wood, 1 Charge, 100,000 Gold) Target Regenerates 50,000 HP and 100,000 MP at the start of each round, Target may choose to be treated as possessing the element Wood and add the element Wood to their actions, lasts 4 rounds

Barley of Beneficent Salutary Splendour- (Item, Antiquity, Life & Earth, 10,000,000 Gold)
Raw Moonstone Rice (Vernat)- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood, 5,000,000 Gold)
3 Raw Quartzshell Rice- (Item, Antiquity, Earth, 1,600,000 Gold)



Ryuutarou is in Formshift: Dragon Stance!

A long, sinuous form slithers up to the Gate to Seirei, preens quickly to make sure his flawless scales are shown to their best advantage, and steps forth into the unknown!

[Ordo Hereticus]

In which a woman at a desk is rude, a man with a spear is rude, an armored guard is rude, and an Archer is rude

Ryuutarou steps out of an elaborately-carved portal and into a palatial hall of shining jade and marble. Opulently-wrought pillars of green jade support soaring, vaulted ceilings and archways, reliefs worked into the stone depicting legendary beasts and mighty spirits. Ornate carving on the walls, picked out in semiprecious stones, show yet more impressive works, impressive-looking creatures doing battle with each other as well as figures in robes and veiled hats. Vast windows with complex patterns are set high into the walls, with brilliant sunlight pouring through and illuminating the floor with dazzling rays.
Small groups of individuals in grey robes and tall hats, and some in red and white stand here and there, conversing, reading tomes or, for the most part, observing the exceptionally flashy and sparkly visitor.
The hall is bisected by a line of desks, each made of the same marble as the floor and carved to appear as if growing straight out of it. Three are manned at present- the central one is occupied by a severe-looking woman with an array of long, golden hairpins securing a fanlike hairstyle, flanked by guards in emerald-green armour. To her left, a bespectacled middle-aged man sits at a desk of his own, the desk to her right occupied by a younger man wearing a thin copper circlet, both with guards of their own. All three wear identical, somewhat gaudily-coloured robes.

Dulcinea and her newly-acquired plant-man professor companion seem to have entered just ahead of him.

Ryuutarou snakes his way over to the woman with the impressive hairdo. "Greetings, madam, I am Ryuutarou Ishinori, Master Chef and member of Lord Gadigan's Battle Arena."

The woman raises one immaculately-sculpted eyebrow at Ryuutarou's entry.
"I see. Atra."
The woman, seemingly without having moved, now has a key in her hand. This becomes apparent when it erupts into a whirling gout of ink, tendrils of black fluid spinning themselves together into the form of a faceless woman drawn onto thin air. "See to this gentleman's papers."
Sheets of paper begin to lift off the desk of their own accord, meeting the 'hands' of the living ink-drawing as it gestures, text and images filling the pages.
"You are a visitor to our world, and as such shall be expected to abide by our laws in a manner befitting one." the woman continues. "It is possible you will encounter esteemed members of the August Order of Spirit Tamers performing their vital duties to the Houses of the Order and for the good of the people, and indeed world at large. They are to be afforded the greatest of respect at all times, and not to be interrupted or impeded in any way, shape or form. Comport yourself with dignity and decorum and your stay shall be a pleasant one."
The papers drift in front of the woman's face, being received with a curt nod and their subsequent gathering into a neat stack. A hefty stamp thumps down on the pages, marking it with an official-looking seal. "I have included a brief overview of the laws of the land, along with matters regarding recognition and appropriate deference to pay the Spirit Tamers. I wish you a good day." The papers are pushed precisely to the edge and centre of the desk, the clerk's eyes never breaking the glare.

"I thank you for your assistance." He bows his head low, then grabs the paper in one of his forepaws, vanishing it in amongst the rest of his gear.

As he sets out, he pulls out the reference documents regarding the Spirit Tamers and starts reading.

Ryuutarou gets:

*Ryuutarou's Papers from the Seirei Portal- (Bound Accessory, Quest Item, Light & Darkness, 1,000 Gold) +1 SPI

The dragon makes his way through the opulent halls, passing vaulted corridors and side chambers, manicured grounds and courtyards, until he finally leaves the complex proper and finds himselfon a wide, smooth, white-stone road running west-east. The surrounding land is lush, gently rolling countryside, filled with colourful wildflowers and green grass, and exceptionally bright- high above, in the cloudless sky, a vast moon hangs, its surface a mass of shifting reds and golds. Darker patches slowly surface and subside, spectacular prominences leaping from its surface and arcing into and beneath other parts of its exterior. Occasionally, sections of the lava-hued mass part and shift to reveal whorls and cracks of blinding, brilliant light from within the celestial body.
Ryuutarou would compare it to a darker sun, but that would be suggesting the thing wasn't painful to look at for any length of time. A smaller moon, brown and scarred and unpleasant to behold, hangs low in the western sky.
A stiff wind blows from the east, carrying the scents of wildflowers, hay and drying grasses to his nose.
Someone has helpfully erected a white-stone signpost opposite the road to the portal complex. It states that Clavia, Camberton, Mornhill and Albric's Hollow are to be found to the west, while Marefore, Pella and Dewbrook lie to the east.

Ryuu looks at the information attached to his papers! The Spirit Tamers, referred to as the August Order of Spirit Tamers, are, from what he gathers through reading, a Pretty Big Deal in these parts. It seems they occupy something of a station that combines ruling nobility, protectors of the people, and bulwark between the 'physical and spiritual worlds'. Mention is made of the terrible threat Spirits pose to all that live on the world, and how the Tamers' ancestors gained the power to throw off the enslaving yokes of the terrible, capricious Spirits of yore and, through a combination of great magics and the capture and control of other Spirits, drive the vast majority of spiritual occupation back out of the world and into the Spirit World where they belonged.
It was they that sealed away Maltius, the Nightmare Moon when it ravaged the land for centuries, and rebuilt the world that the people might once again live on the surface. They are, at present, the highest authority that exists and, as such, are to be treated with the utmost respect and deference wherever they go. To disrespect or disobey a Spirit Tamer is a grave crime indeed.

The Tamers look to be split into 'Houses', which Ryuu takes to be a mixture of some sort of combination of ruling dynasty and general organisation. The Houses are additionally split into Major and Minor Houses, with the Major Houses all being able to trace their roots back to the sealing away of the Nightmare Moon and being noted as the greatest of the powers of the world. The Minor Houses are mentioned as either previously being Major Houses, or offshoots of Major Houses that were powerful enough to make their own name in the world.
While the document waffles around the topic, Ryuutarou gets the impression that House Clavis, the House whose lands he presently stands in, is actually a Minor House.
The Major Houses are noted as being House Gladia (The House of Blades), House Unda (The House of Cups), House Venifi (The House of Wands), House Aevus (The House of Bells), House Peritia (The House of Books), and House Aetherius (The House of Coins).

Ryuutarou ponders this information as he walks down the road to Marefore.

Ryuu sets off eastward, noting as he does so that Dulcinea and the Professor walked off ahead of him while he was reading and set off west.

The countryside shifts from wildflower-filled hills to rolling farmland as he travels along the road. Several of the fields, however, look like they've been stripped back to bare earth and thoroughly plowed over, with others having conspicuous bald patches among the expected carpets of crops. Here and there, large tree stumps jut, some (despite the distance) looking like they must have been as wide as a house and considerably tall when alive. A large, long mound of earth is visible to the south, running from the general vicinity of the palatial Gate Complex and off to the east somewhere, generally parallel to the road but slowly drifting further south as he continues along.
He passes hedgerows and fences (some with significant gaps in them) and numerous off-roads in various states of repair. One, wider and more well-kept than the others, is flanked by a large, timber-framed sign cheerily directing visitors to Exga Village along a road lined with fragrant jasmine blossoms. The fields up in that direction seem to be suffering less from the patches of baldness the dragon-chef noticed elsewhere, instead containing large swathes of rippling, golden stalks or colourful leaves.

The road is fairly busy today, with carriages and carts wheeling up and down the route, and travelers on horseback or on foot making their way along it to their destinations. Quite a lot of the travelers slow down to stare, or veer off the road at Ryuutarou's approach.

The countryside continues to change as he travels, with farmland giving way to small ridges and cliffs, tumbled slopes of bare earth and rock lining their bases and giving the overall impression of a rumpled green blanket carelessly tossed aside into the mud. Stout barriers made of wooden planks begin lining the road, holding back and supporting the banks on either side of the thoroughfare, presumably in a bid to prevent the eroding terrain from causing inconvenient blockages.

Off in the distance ahead and to the south-east, what Ryuutarou assumed to be an odd cloud formation is instead revealed to be an enormous tower. The towering edifice has elaborately-carved sides and beautifully vaulted windows and archways set into its walls, along with a mass of balconies, galleries and other architectural extravagances, many of them surrounded by or partially covered and crowned with a multitude of billowing green-white clouds. The long, winding mound of earth the Ryuu spotted vaguely following the road earlier ends abruptly near its base, which seems to be surrounded by a colourful array of... things. Buildings, maybe?

His thoughts are interrupted by way of the sudden introduction of a spearpoint a scant inch in front of his snout.
"Right. You'll be identifying yourself, dragon, else I turn you into a kebab. We've had enough of spirits in these parts."
The spear is attached to a gauntleted hand, which is, in turn, attached to a lightly-armoured man with a literal cloud of billowing black hair, his eyes a swirling mass of storm-grey and black mist.

He rears back slightly, getting his snout away from the spear attempting to poke it. "That's a rather rude greeting, but I am the Master Chef and all-around amazing dragon, Ryuutarou Ishinori! I am making my way to Marefore to meet the owner of the Flying Catfish restaurant. Who might you be, and what is this tower?"

The spear follows the snout's retreat, remaining uncomfortably close to Ryuutarou's draconic nose.
"I belong to the ranks of the Spirit Hunters, and this tower is a nuisance. It's been spewing spirits and their plant-servants all over in an attempt to conquer the area, and it's my job to ensure that any suspicious creatures that don't belong in this world are removed from it, one way or the other. And you definitely qualify as suspicious." The man's cloud of hair billows. Small flashes and sparks issue from within its waves.
"So, 'Master Chef', your tower-masters have designs on Marefore? I'll be taking you in for a thorough interrogation."

"I've not come from this tower at all, I've come from the gate complex operated by House Clavis back that way," he gestures with his tail to the road behind him, making sure to avoid any motion toward the tower. "Here are my papers."

The man's swirling stormcloud-eyes narrow suspiciously as he looks over the papers provided.
"This does look like the official seal of House Clavis..." his eyes shift (Ryuu thinks, it's a bit hard to tell without pupils) to squint at the dragon. "You say you're going to Marefore to meet this 'restaurant owner'. What are you really after?"

"I also want to learn new recipes, and further spread the tales of my wondrous cooking across the realms of Seirei! Finding interesting new ingredients would also be nice... Have you ever had ramen? It was quite well received at the Dreaming Moon Festival..."

The man's stormcloud eyes remain narrowed, their owner standing in silence for a time. He reads through the papers once more.
"Says here you're a visitor from the 'Gate'. And it's officially notarised by House Clavis..."

He thrusts the pages back at the dragon.
"Fine. I'll believe you have no connection to the Tower. But I've got my eye on you. Any funny business, and the only cooking you'll be concerned with is kebabs. Made of you. With this." He rattles his spear by way of illustration.

Ryuutarou nods, then continues down the road on his way to Marefore. "I hope things go well for you in dealing with that tower there! Farewell!" he shouts once he is well outside the range that Mr. Speary Man can kebab him.

The part-time dragon continues his way along the road at speed, leaving the suspicious glares of Mr. Speary Man behind him! As the tower looms closer, it becomes clearer that its base is actually ringed with palisade walls and a host of large tents. The place seems to be fairly active.

Not long after that, Ryuutarou encounters a fork in the road! And not of the cutlery variety. One route (heavily shored up with more wooden planks, he notes), carries on westward, winding its way up and through the tumbling ridges and hillsides. The other veers south, through scrubby, gently rolling fields, vaguely parallel to the course of a river flowing deeper into the farmland to the east.
Fortunately, someone has helpfully set a signpost up at the fork, informing him that Marefore is to be found down the southern path.

The road placidly wends its way through the low, wide hills, through fields containing mostly bare earth with a green fuzz of weeds dusting them, the occasional clump of greenery (or odder colours) sticking out here and there. Something seems to have happened here at some point- it looks like there were once stands of trees and the like, but all that remains are rotten trunks and branches, baked dry in the summer heat (or possibly by the moon overhead). A few sad piles of what might once have been wooden buildings are also visible here and there, the weeds already beginning to conquer them. Off to the east, an unpleasant-looking windmill in a state of disrepair squats near the river, within sight of a pair of large, clear pools flanking the waterway.

More immediately attention-grabbing, however, is the sight that greets him as he continues south, where the brown, weed-filled fields give way to idyllic countryside. There, near the wall bordering the western side of the road, a number of bodies appear to have fallen in a haphazard arrangement, with long, thin, javelin-like chunks of dull black stone piercing their forms.

Ryuutarou rushes forward and attempts to use his skills as a Doctor to identify if these poor people are still alive.

Ryuutarou hops the wall and attempt to determine the state of the patients!

Well, they're definitely dead. Probably. He might not have the right skills precisely for this particular diagnosis.
The bodies prove to be... weird. They're definitely human in shape, but humans don't tend to be green. Nor do they tend to look like they've been moulded from the same material that young, flexible plant stalks are made of- the bodies, most of them stripped, are completely featureless save for identical-looking faces. Their heads are bald, the rest of their body mannequin-like blocks of plant matter moulded into a smooth, athletic shape, what looks like dried sap having leaked from where the stone javelins pierced them. Some wear the shattered remains of green-wood armour with white, vaguely flower-like accents. Others wear bits and pieces of torn, lighter clothing and armour in the same colours. A couple of broken light-green-wood bows and spears lie scattered in pieces on the ground around the group.
Overall, Ryuu gets the general impression that someone took the gear they thought was usable off the bodies.

One of the bunch, buried under a couple of other bodies in utterly ruined armour, but just as dead, looks somewhat different to the rest. While the rest have masculine-featured faces, this one looks more androgynous. It also has hair, of a sort, made of a thick cluster of wilted leaves. Its clothes look to be fancier, too. Maybe rather torn due to the spear-holes, but definitely better-made (or perhaps grown? It looks kind of plant-y) than the rest.

Ryuutarou wonders if Mr. Speary Man wasn't the one responsible for this, then decides to see if he can find an interesting trinket to take along and show Dulcinea once she arrives in town. After that he continues on his way to Marefore.

Pretty much all of the stuff looks fairly wrecked, although he thinks the fancy-clothing might be decent enough even in its torn state to offer some bonuses. The remaining weapons and armour are, unfortunately, unusable.

Ryuu gets:

Torn Finery of the Endless Green- (Armor, Clothing, Earth & Wood & Life, 8,000,000 Gold) +8,000 Defense, +8,000 CON, +8,000 MIN, +8,000 SPI, +80,000 HP, 30% Earth Resistance, 10% Wood Resistance, 10% Life Resistance, 5% Plant Resistance, wearer may choose to count as being in a Zone of Earth & Wood & Life



The dragon heads back over the wall to continue his trip to Marefore. Scattered woodland, farmland and villages spread across the rolling hill, the wind picking up the further he travels and gaining something of an edge of salt to it. A wide valley filled with purple flowers passes by to the west, huge pillars and tall sections of old stonework jutting out at off-centre angles here and there, others fallen and covered by moss and more of the cloud of purple. Off on the hills to the east, a large, dark expanse of trees spreads off into the distance, growing taller the further into the forest they grow. Or perhaps there's a big hill under all that plantlife. It's a bit difficult to tell.
The dragon-chef rounds one final hill before cresting a ridge to behold a wide, sparkling ocean ahead. the ground falling away beneath him in a gentle yet persistant decline, the road gracefully winding its way down towards the coast.

At the road's end a pleasant-looking seaside port town spreads, built on a gentle incline to the shore, the majority of its buildings made of white stone with green or red-tiled rooftops. The place generally follows a tier-structure, with sloping roads and plentiful squares overlooking the lower levels of the town. A large series of docks fills the shoreline, most of it populated with a variety of boats and ships, big and small, a riot of colourful tents and awnings filling the lower streets nearby. One notable patch in the middle of the throng of colourful fabrics and rooftops is open to the sky, a courtyard within the area glowing with an unpleasant greenish hue. Large, shiny metallic pillars ring the ominous-looking place, jutting high above the surrounding rooftops and making it stick out like a sore thumb, The shore-side of town is mostly filled with large, elaborate buildings, many of which looking considerably more expensive than most of those in town.
The far end of town seems to be made of rather less well-kept buildings, some little more than collections of shacks built on the hillsides above town, the view from Ryuu's position mostly obscured by taller buildings.
Off the western coast of the town, a tall and somewhat dilapidated-looking lighthouse stands on a small plateau, its lower levels partially overgrown with greenery.

The town gate the road Ryuutarou is standing on leads to looks to have something of a guard presence. Or at least a few people wearing something shiny and green. Armour is probably a safe bet.

When Ryuutarou approaches the gate close enough that a gentle shout will be audible to them, he will greet them. "Ho, there! How goes it?"

As Ryuu makes his way down the hill towards the town, a bell starts ringing. The guards begin to bustle about, getting themselves into some sort of formation in front of the gate, weapons at the ready.
As he gets close enough to shout, he notes that many of the emerald-armoured guards look like they're wearing monocles of some variety. One of the group, wearing slightly fancier-looking armour than the rest, responds to the dragon's shout.

"Before we go getting into that sort of business, I'd like you to identify yourself! We've had trouble with unusual visitors before, you see?"

"I am Ryuutarou Ishinori, Master Chef! Tales of my excellent cooking skills may have reached you from the Dreaming Moon Festival in Clavia! I have come to meet with the owner of the Flying Catfish Restaurant!"

The shouting-at-a-distance continues! This is rather awkward.
"Can't say I've heard of you! We've had our own problems to sort out in town during the Festival, you see?" The guard makes a vague gesture. "Anyway! You're not registering as a spirit, but you're a dragon! That doesn't really make sense! Where are you from if you're not a spirit?"

Ryuutarou comes a bit closer, to reduce the necessary amount of shouting.

"I come from beyond the gate that's down the road thataway, the one that House Clavis runs. I have my papers here from them, with all the fancy stamps and everything!"

The guard's expression changes to something somewhat...sterner.

"Ah. One of the Nexus lot, I take it. Well, if you're going to want to enter the town, you'll need to wait until we get you an escort sorted out. We've been having problems with you lot lately, and the Lieu- the Captain wants anyone from those parts to have a guard presence with them at all times. Backed by Lady Fina herself." He plants his spear firmly. "I'll take a look at those papers, and you'll be telling me in detail what you want with that restaurant while you're here. Bert!"

One of the other guards nods and sets off through the gate at speed, armour rattling.

Ryuutarou produces his cargo manifest for inspection (namely, the list of all the foodstuffs he brought along) and explains his intentions to provide said exotic foodstuffs to the Flying Catfish restaurant. He also mentions that his friend intends to come to the city once she completes her business in Clavia, and that he will be assisting her with her intended activities of "going fishing in various locales" and "investigating various commercial buildings for purchase", which he reads verbatim from a note she sent him with.

The guard pulls out a notebook and starts jotting things down as Ryuu talks.
"I take it your friend is another one from Nexus. The advance warning is appreciated." He coughs. "Not that I'm accusing you of anything, but the last three times we had people from Nexus visit, we had a mass murder, the utter destruction of a large chunk of the town, and mass amnesia coupled with the reappearance of the soulless bodies of the lost to deal with. Lieu- Captain Albis has seen what you Nexus types are capable of, and she's initiated safety precautions should any more visit. The Commander and Lady Fina both agree, and I can't say I'm opposed to it either."

The guard previously identified as Bert hurries back through the gate, followed by a rather large, solidly-built man in green armour with a variety of talismans dangling from his belt and a long-handled mace in one hand, the head's flanges curved to form unpleasant-looking points near the top, its cap embossed with a seal of some kind.
The note-taking guard confers with the newcomer for a few minutes before turning back to the dragon.

"This is Sergeant Archer. He'll be keeping an eye on you in town. Don't try losing him, don't try attacking him, and don't try any funny business, and there won't be any trouble."

Ryuutarou turns toward the introduced guard. "Hello, Archer! You can call me Ryuutarou, or Ryuu if you want something a little shorter! Actually, do you mind if I call you Archer, or do you need me to call you Sergeant while you're on duty?" He turns back toward Bert, "But first, is there anything else you need from me before we both head into town?"

"That'll be Sergeant Archer if you please, visitor." The man's voice is oddly high for someone of his size. "I'm just here to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't go blowing up the town, killing people or causing other problems like we've seen from your kind. No disrespect intended, but three incidents of such magnitude from all three instances of your kind visiting warrants close scrutiny. Anything less would be 'unspeakably foolish', as has been said, and I agree."

Bert looks somewhat flustered at being addressed and turns to look at the spear-wielding guard that Ryuu was conversing with beforehand, who shakes his head.
"Nothing else, no. Stick to what I've told you and don't cause trouble."

"Well then, Sergeant! Let us go onward, to RESTAURANTING!" Ryuutarou steps forth through the gates and starts heading into town. After a moment, he pauses, and turns to face Archer, "You wouldn't happen to know the way to the Flying Catfish, would you?"

[Aeromage]

Once inside, the town seems... somewhat less busy that would be expected of a place its size. A couple of carriages rattle past as he makes his way in, but there doesn't seem to be much foot traffic at present.

There's a selection of shops, stables and coach-houses just inside the entrance (along with what he assumes must be the guardhouse or watch station), with a couple of tavern-type affairs a little way in. The roads leading towards the docks look to be fairly full of shops and other eateries, too, with one particularly large one notably taking up an entire corner of a crossroads, a weather-vane shaped like a winged fish lazily spinning in the errant breezes. Further down, the road begins to be sheltered by colourful awnings and hangings, a variety of stalls lining the street down there and suggesting a considerably large covered market at play.

Towards the northern middle of the town is a large, green-roofed estate that towers over most of the surrounding structures, walled off from the general public, its grounds shielded from easy view by a barrier of tall cherry trees. Another estate-like complex, rather smaller and with blue-tiled rooftops, stands closer to the northern outskirts of town.
Larger buildings, some of which look to have quite impressive architecture that Ryuu can't easily make out from his current position sprout from the seafront by the docks.

Sergeant Archer points at the building with the winged-fish weathervane. "Right there. It's one of the more popular places in town. Or was, back when the fishing was still good and we didn't have the problems with the 'clean slates', as they've taken to calling them."

"Well, then. Onward, good chap!"

Ryuutarou and Archer walk on toward the Flying Catfish and step inside, prepared to greet the maître d'hotel that he assumes is behind the door.

Ryuu enters the wooden double doors (carved, he notes, in the likeness of the restaurant's name) to greet the maître d' he assumes is waiting for him behind the doors!
Instead, the dragon-chef is greeted by a flung serving tray to the face that he just barely manages to dodge.
Its potential original target, he manages to determine, is likely the cringing man in front of him wearing fisherman's oilskins. A tremendous roar somewhere between a thunderstorm and a volcanic eruption assaults his ears which, as the crackling cadence and rhythm become easier to parse, resolves itself into the voice of a very, very angry woman yelling at the unfortunate seagoer.

"--last time I EVER let the likes of you set ONE FOOT in this place, and if I EVER go seeing so much as a HAIR of you within a MILE of my restaurant I'll skin you alive and use your flayed flesh as a WHELK SACK and your giblets as CHUM for some ACTUAL DECENT FISH which I'll catch with hooks and harpoons made of YOUR OWN SHINBONES, you UNBELIEVABLY IDIOTIC SCUPPER-BRAINED, BRINE-ADDLED LOACH!"
The source of volcanic eruption turns out to be a short, plump woman with a shock of bright red hair bound in what looks to be a repurposed fishing net-turned-hairnet, whose upper slopes are almost as red as her mane from the sheer force of her tirade. She pulls another (thick, wooden) serving tray from under an arm and, in one practiced motion, hurls it at the fisherman, who catches it full in the face and is sent cartwheeling out of the double doors in a shower of teeth.

"AND STAY OUT!"
The almost purple-faced woman turns away.
"SHARON! TEETH DUTY!"

"Oh my..." Ryuutarou shares a questioning glance with Archer, "is she normally so... upset?"

Regardless, Ryuutarou has a duty and he must do it. "Ahem. Ms. Fein? I'm Ryuutarou Ishinori, a chef from distant lands, come to share with you my skills, and a gift of fish from a my friend, Dulcinea de Montreal. She had business she needed to attend to in Clavia before she could come here, and therefore sent me ahead."

Archer is either a champion-tier poker player, or this case of affairs is entirely normal.
"Yes," he states, simply.

"YES" the red-headed woman snarls in response to Ryuu's attempt to gain her attention, turning to behold the dragon-chef.
There is a momentary pause as she takes in the speaker's decidedly non-human nature, allowing him to get the rest of his message out unmauled.
"Well." she eventually states, face significantly less red and peculiarly unflustered. "It's about TIME one of you lot responded to that blasted message. You ARE one of those ones from outside the Gate, aren't you? All the rest of you lot were too busy causing MASS MURDER and trying to DESTROY EVERYTHING or WIPE EVERYONE'S MEMORIES to even bother coming to see ME."
She waves a tray around as if to indicate the general environs of the restaurant. Now the danger of being subjected to a serving-based case of being served is over, Ryuu can actually take in the interior. Hardwood floors, comfortable chairs, clean white tablecloths, and a general nautical theme pervade the interior. Notably absent, however, are any customers.
"And thanks to the IDIOCY of MOST of the sorry bunch that call themselves 'fishermen' in this town, I've ended up short what's LEFT of my normal clientele. Hopefully YOU won't be as utterly disappointing as THEY are."
She turns, waggling the tray.
"Kitchen. Now. We'll see what it is you've got."

"Aye aye, Ma'am!" He bustles over to the kitchen, Archer in tow. "Sergeant if you would find yourself somewhere to stand out of the way?" Turning back to Helen, "Now, let me show you what I have right here?"

He starts pulling out samples of each of Imbelsberg's specialty catches from his Bag of Holding; specifically, two each of the Lara-Quantu, Navi-Kalmo, Two-Crowned Bass, Yahi-Kalama, and Yama-Qwarti. After that, he'll pull out some spices, a half-dozen of each kind of egg, and a Refreshing Mixed Fruit Fleff, which he hands to Helen. "Now, I didn't make that Fleff there, but I met Aunt Nardell at the Dreaming Moon Festival, and I learned how to make a few varieties, if you're interested in having them provided as dessert items... anyway, I think I'll start out with a small sushi sampler platter, then move on to making samples of each baked, pan-fried, deep fried, and grilled, and we can start determining how we want to assemble the menu..."

He drifts off as he describes each of the steps he's taking with each variety of fish, and takes care to highlight the particular flavor aspects of each fish as he goes through the cooking process. While he does this, he keeps an eye on her to make sure he's not seeming too patronizing; he wants to educate her on the finer aspects of these unusual fish, not anger her by treating her like she knows nothing at all of cooking.

------

Likely-important Chef abilities:

Add Some Spice- (Technique Ability, Chef) Possessor may use Add Some Spice in conjunction with a Use an Item or Serve Food action, so long as no other technique is used and said action involves a Food or Drink consumable. All HP and MP healing in said action is increased by 500 points and all buffs to any stat that are part of said action are increased by 30 points per stat as an effect that stacks 20 times per target across all applications on said target per stat out of STR, AGI, MIN, CON, and SPI.
Chef- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food items that restore HP or MP that possessor uses restore double the normal amount
Delicious Cooking- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food consumables used by possessor that buff any stat do so by an additional 30 points per charge as an effect that stacks 20 times per target across all consumable applications on said target
Food Critic- (Passive Ability, Chef) Possessor may choose for any Food consumable that is used on one of possessor's allies that has been used earlier in a thread on possessor to either heal 300 additional points of HP or MP (should it already provide said type or healing), to increase any one stat buff by 20 points as an effect that stacks 20 times across all applications of said ability on any one target individual, or to decrease any amount of HP or MP damage said consumable deals by 500 points or to decrease any one stat debuff said consumable inflicts by 60 points
Grill Fish- (Ability, Chef) 50 additional HP is restored for each Food element consumable possessor uses that restores HP, Possessor may skip a turn deal 500 Fire damage per possessor level to an Aquatic that is judged by a mod to be a fish in an RP thread, or 250 Fire damage per possessor level to an Aquatic judged to not be a fish in an RP thread, out of RP-based threads, this functions on the principle that all Aquatics count as fish
Grillmaster- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food consumables used by possessor that heal HP heal an additional 500 points, Food consumables used by possessor that increase CON increase it by an additional 40 points per charge as an effect that stacks 40 times across all consumable applications on said target
Knowledge of Healthy Food Preparation Techniques- (Passive Ability, Chef) Whenever a Food or Drink consumable used by possessor would have a chance of curing a Minor Negative Status Effect, said chance rises by 5%, to a max of 30%
Knowledge of Nutrition- (Passive Ability, Chef) Whenever a Food or Drink consumable used by possessor heals HP or MP, it heals an additional 300 points
Nutritionist- (Passive Ability, Chef) Whenever a Food or Drink consumable used by possessor heals HP or MP, it heals an additional 500 points, Whenever a Food or Drink consumable used by possessor would have a chance of curing a Minor Negative Status Effect, it automatically does so if said effect was inflicted by a source below Level 40
Stunning Food Presentation- (Passive Ability, Chef) Possessor's food consumables may gain '50% inflicts Fatigued: Stunned'
Sushi Maestro- (Passive Ability, Chef) Food Consumables used by Possessor that are Water element or contain the words "Fish", "Seafood" or "Sushi" that provide HP or MP healing or buff stats have said values doubled, to a maximum of (200,000 points for healing or 2,000 points for buffs), possessor may ignore the Resilience of Aquatics below Level 20

Ryuu meanders on through to the kitchen, passing a harried-looking girl rushing the other way with a dustpan and brush.

Helen, as it turns out, was not expecting a cooking demonstration. Fortunately, Ryuu manages to couch it as showcasing the best methods to cook the particular fish he'd brought along, rather than coming across as giving her a cooking lesson. She seems interested in the sushi that results (as it doesn't seem to be a preparation method heard of too well in these parts), but scoffs as he tries spicing the fish in his other preparations.

"Honestly. You call THAT using spice? Give it here."

The plump woman grabs a canister from a shelf. Then another. Then a mortar and pestle. Then a handful of leaves from several potted plants. Then a couple more canisters.
Her arms then almost blur as she grabs pinches and pecks, handfuls and half-spoons of herbs and spices from the various containers around her, throwing them into the mortar, grinding them to dust with the pestle, and repeating, adding a little more here and a little more there as she lectures the chef-dragon on how to properly get the most out of your seasonings.

Ryuutarou finds the resulting lecture-lesson surprisingly informative! His eyes have been opened to a whole new way of adding and combining spices!
He gets:

Improved Spice Use- (Passive Ability, Chef) Possessor's 'Add Some Spice' ability increases all HP and MP healing by 50,000 points more than stated and all buffs to any stat by 300 points per stat more than stated


"And now I've gotten THAT out of the way," she huffs, dusting her hands off, "I can tell you that these fish aren't the most impressive I've ever seen or tasted. They're certainly DIFFERENT, I can tell that, but I'll likely be using most of them as base-price orders rather than specials, if I have enough of them. Might be able to lure customers in by promising I've got fish nobody else has, but I also wanted something with more IMPACT."
She folds her arms and gives the serpentine dragon-chef an appraising look.
"This hasn't been a COMPLETE waste of time, however. About this 'sushi' you've made. What kinds of fish does it work on best, and what pairs with it?"

Ryuutarou goes into a discussion of the various fruits, vegetables, rices, sauces, garnishes, and other accompaniments that can be provided as a part of a sushi platter. While he does so, he begins pulling out additional fish from his bag of holding.

"... often wrapped in seaweed, but some recipes use an omelette wrapping instead. Ah! Right! The fish! I brought a hundred of each along, hopefully that will last long enough for Dulcinea to get here and start the proper fishing expedition. Unfortunately, events at the end of the Dreaming Moon festival meant that she urgently needed to confer with Serro Gramman regarding negative effects from an odd piece of produce from the recent Seed Rains..."

A discourse on sushi is held! Ryuu tells Helen how best to go about preparing it and the variety of ways in which it can be served and accompanied!
The plump woman, for her part, seems to take it all on board. She doesn't write anything down, but her hands twitch and flex as if imagining herself making the items he relates as he talks about them.

"Hrmph. A hundred of each WOULD ordinarily be hardly enough to get us through the day, but considering the IDIOTS calling themselves fishermen bringing me poison with scales lately and scaring off the customers, I'll be surprised if we manage to sell even HALF that. Honestly, if it weren't for one or two HALFWAY COMPETENT rod-wavers, I'd have to close up shop."
She walks to a heavy door set in one wall of the kitchen, between tall racks of shelves and opens it to a rush of chilly mist. A fist-sized blue stone glitters on the frost-rimed interior side of the door.
"It's just as well I had the good sense to spring for an improved cold room despite SOME minnow-brained MORONS telling me it was a waste. Hah! As if I hadn't been running this place longer than they've had hair! I'll keep the excess in here until I need them."

She turns back to the dragon-chef with folded arms. "And after we've done that, I'll have you demonstrate some of your plating ideas. It looks like your methods of presentation might have SOME merit."

[Aeromage]

Unloading commences in earnest, and Ryuutarou decides to take her plating comment as a challenge! He stretches his serpentine form between the open mouth of the bag of holding and the open door of the cold room, and starts loading fish onto his back. Once he's got a few ready, he starts undulating in a wave-like motion, as though he was a small lake facing a heavy breeze. The fish starts sliding along the undulating motion until he uses his practiced skill with throwing weapons to use his tail to toss the fish into the cold room.

Once he runs out of fish to make a show out of, he'll turn to Helen and grin. "Now how's that for some presentation!"

Ryuu manages to wiggle his cargo of fish all the way from his bag to the cold room, even managing to get them into (what he assumes to be) the open chest-containers for storing them at properly chilled temperatures!

Helen, unfortunately, does not look impressed, her arms folded and a tray once again tucked underneath.
"I meant presentation on a PLATE, you wiggle-brained DOLT! Honestly, what kind of chef just THROWS their ingredients around the place willy-nilly? Never mind BRUISING the fish and impoperly STORING them, rubbing them all over yourself is HARDLY the treatment my customers deserve unless YOU plan to be the catch of the day!"

Ryuutarou immediately droops and looks contrite. "I'm sorry!"

Chastened, he grabs some samples, and begins preparing proper plating portions, aided by his Stunning Food Presentation.

Ryuu grabs fish, prepares them, and plates them in a properly pleasing presentation!

It comes out looking a bit more... avant-garde than he was intending. Perhaps skewering the fish eyes on the ends of the bones was a bit much.
He can practically feel Helen looming behind him, fingers drumming on that tray of hers.

This... is... a... DISASTER!

Ryuutarou bursts into motion to correct this horrible mess of a food display, for he refuses to make further fool of himself before the seriousness of Helen's gaze!

A sudden flurry of panic-presentation-putting-right takes place! The eyes-on-bones get removed, that bit needs to be shifted, that bit needs to be redone, and that needs to go there...

The new-and-improved result isn't what he'd call his best work, but it's certainly stunningly pretty by normal standards, and far-and-away better than the... other attempt.

"Right, that's enough FAFFING, let me see what you've..." Helen barges past the dragon-chef to behold his selection of stunningly-presented piscine platters.
The woman pauses for several moments as she takes the plates in.
"...yes, I think that will do for the standards of my customers. SHARON! GET IN HERE AND START TAKING NOTES! YOU'LL BE DOING THIS COME THE EVENING!"

The mousey girl from earlier hurries back into the kitchen, empties her clattering dustpan into a nearby bin, and rushes over to view the array of astoundingly-plated fish, going wide-eyed at the sight.

While no one is directly looking at him, Ryuutarou will heave a sigh of relief.

After Sharon's had a few minutes to gape at the display, he'll try to grab her attention to begin the TRAINING.

If gentler methods fail, he will break out the ENTHUSIASTIC SENSEI TRAINING VOICE, for it is time for Sharon's TRAINING MONTAGE!

A fair amount of volume is needed to tear Sharon's eyes away from the stunning spread of food before her, the poor girl almost immediately getting swept up in ENTHUSIASTIC PRESENTATION TRAINING MONTAGE.

Cutting and composing, slicing and splaying, frying and fanning and all manner of other cookery and culinary coordination takes place as the dragon-chef guides the girl through the basics and finer points of aesthetically pleasing plating, with a bit of cookery know-how on the side, all under the watchful eye of Ms. Fein.
It takes a fair amount of time, and the morning light has definitely rolled into the less-piercing hues of afternoon by the time it's done, but he's pretty sure he's done a good job!

Sharon's first attempt at making a fancy edible arrangement is fairly nice, although nothing to write home about- she's clearly got a grasp of how it works, but she'll need practice.
Helen tuts loudly, bustles over to her own plate, and promptly turns a thinly-sliced mixture of Navi-Kalmo and Yahi-Kalama into a delicately sculpted, almost roselike arrangement of shimmering sashimi so beautiful it's Ryuu who is momentarily stunned by its appearance.
It seems that Ms. Fein has definitely taken the lessons on board.

He beams at Helen, "IMPRESSIVE! Impressive indeed! You have learned well the ways of Stunning Food Presentation!" He turns to Sharon, "As for you, perhaps another training session, but you have made EXCELLENT PROGRESS given your YOUTH and INEXPERIENCE! I see a BRIGHT SHINING FUTURE AHEAD, one filled with MASTERWORKS of DELICIOUSNESS!"

He starts carrying the utensils and other dishware used for the practice over to the sinks, letting them bask in their accomplishments for a few moments before broaching the question. "Is there anything else you would like me to stay around for today, Helen? Dulcinea had a few other things for me to do before she gets into town, but I can take care of those tomorrow if you want me here for anything."

Helen waves her tray dismissively.
"No, I think that's MORE than enough for today. This wasn't at ALL what I was expecting when I put the message out for help, but adding this 'sushi' to the menu and making some changes to the presentation SHOULD provide SOME help, and the fish you brought should suffice for a FEW days. Come back if you find some more WORTHWHILE fish, and I might be able to show you what you can REALLY do with seafood."
She walks back towards the cold room, tray still waggling.
"And I SUPPOSE I can find something to give you for the demonstrations. Come back tomorrow. SHARON! Clean up. I'm going to take stock. We'll go out afterwards."

"I shall see you tomorrow, then! And hopefully again thereafter, once Dulcinea and I have had a chance to go FISHING!" He waves farewell as he walks out of the kitchen.

As he approaches the exit of the restaurant, he turns to Archer. "So, Sergeant Archer, Dulcinea wanted me to look over the list of buildings she'd heard were for sale. Any idea where I could find out more about that?"

The sergeant lets out a suppressed sigh.
"The town hall's where you want to go for that. It's by the shoreline. They've probably set an office up to deal with it. Despite it being 'the most idiotic idea I've ever heard', according to the Captain."

The pair head back out into the bright afternoon sunlight, Archer turning left and heading down the hill towards the collection of colourful awnings and small forest of masts visible through the buildings at the street's end.

Onward to Town Hall, then! By the power of REAL ESTATE!

Through the awesome power of REAL ESTATE or perhaps just Sergeant Archer leading the way, Ryuu sinuously winds his way down the main road towards the sea. The shops and cafés and other establishments take on a larger, more imposing stature as they advance towards the shoreline, with stalls and stands set up along their exterior walls where the more-serious edifices lack entrances or windows.
Some of the stalls, the dragon-chef notes, are empty, despite the colourful awnings over them. On the whole, there's rather less bustle than he'd expect from a market town.

The road meets another winding perpendicular to it, following what he assumes to be the coastline in a mixture of street, promenade and long, white-paved plaza. Wide, long stone wharfs extend out towards the harbour arms, many erupting into small explosions of piers and jetties, with numerous boats hitched to mooring-posts bobbing in the harbour. Further east, a small number of larger ships tower over the smaller vessels, lying still in the water.
Quite a lot of the buildings opposite the shore are large, several being rather impressive examples of architecture. One notably official-looking one has a large sign with a stylised chalice on it, another has a series of large towers with flat rooftops sprouting from its arched main glass-and-steel roof. Others look more like office buildings or fronts for mercantile companies.
Archer leads Ryuutarou along to the east, past the chalice-building (which, he notes, has a sign simply stating 'Unda'), past the building with the flat towers and a wide, hotel-looking building bearing a sculpted disc of red stone depicting a sword-and-bow motif as a sign, and into a reasonably large, somewhat impressive-in-a-plain-way building with the sign 'Town Hall' over its main entrance.

The inside is... a bit of a mess, frankly. The atrium looks like it hasn't been swept in a while, and random pieces of paperwork lie scattered about, apparently trodden on repeatedly and forgotten.
The reception desk is piled high with papers, a graying-haired woman with a somewhat tangled mop of hair pulled back in an attempt at a ponytail sorting through a stack.
She unclasps a pair of glasses on a string of pearls and squints through them at the two newcomers.

"Sergeant." Her voice is somewhat hoarse. "Either you've gotten yourself a very unusual pet and decided to play dress-up with it and parade it around town, or, assuming you haven't taken complete leave of your senses and are actually doing your job, this is one of those Nexans I've heard about. No, don't speak." She raises a finger. "If this is one of those people from beyond the Gate, I take it this is because of the property-selling message that someone decided would be a good idea to post there."
The finger drops, pointing towards a side door.
"Office three, I'll send Violet in shortly. No eating, no drinking, and no using magical or spiritual powers that may leave stains or smells."

Ryuutarou goes into the office and sits, breathing quietly. Given that the majority of his magic powers not related to being-a-dragon revolve around eating and drinking, he resolves to do nothing at all until addressed.

Ryuu enters the office and good grief it's a mess in here, too.
Bookshelves of ledgers and files have sheaves of paperwork stuffed into them, apparently at random. The desk is piled high with more paperwork. Stacks of files lie precariously balanced on the floor. One of the walls is entirely taken up with a huge map of the town, a forest of red and green pins sticking out of it.
The place is also pretty stuffy, likely not helped by the windows being closed and the blinds pulled down to be used as makeshift noticeboards, more papers pinned to them in various places.

A few minutes of slightly awkward waiting later, the door bursts in with a flurry of loose papers, heralding the arrival of a dark-(and messy-)haired woman in a maroon skirt and jacket, a bundle of folders under one arm and a sheaf of documents in her opposite hand.
"It's here! I mean, you're here! I'm here! We're here! I'm... just going to try that again, one second."
The woman scurries over to the desk, plants her stack of folders on it, and hurries out again, slamming the door behind her.

After a brief pause, it re-opens.
"I'm here! Thanks for waiting! You must be the ma- erm, dragon wanting to know about the properties, right? I'm Violet. Pleased to meet you!" She offers her hand to shake, realises it's still holding the sheaf of documents, switches hands, thinks better of it, switches the documents over to her other hand and resumes the pose.
"Sorry, it's been... pretty frantic around here lately, what with everything going on."

Ryuutarou gently extends a forepaw and shakes her hand in a friendly manner. "No need to apologize! I can see you've all been very busy here lately, what with the rumors I've heard of what happened before I arrived. Feel free to take a moment to settle yourself before we get into things."

Violet returns the handshake and heads off to riffle through the files and documents on her desk.
"Moons, you've no idea. First we had that... incident with so many people dying and the town left with a huge hole in it, then just as we were starting to get records together for that, it suddenly got fixed and half the dead were alive again, only they had no memories so we had to try and figure out who was who and where they lived, and stopping people from trying to take advantage of that..."

She straightens, pulling a file out of the stack. The rest topple off the edge of the desk, prompting some flailing to grab them and set them back in some semblance of order.

"...well, let's just say nobody's been getting much sleep, lately. Combine the loss of residents with the loss of commercial businesses because most people involved are dead or can't remember, and..."

Violet spins back around, folder in hand, and claps, wearing a slightly strained smile.

"Well, that's why the mayor put the message out! Get some people from another world to bring their business and businesses in, and we'll be able to bounce right back as a trade hub offering things nobody else in the world can provide! And it means they, by which I mean you, get to invest in a surefire way to make money! ...that's the idea, anyway."
She waves the folder about, looks at it, looks at her free hand, waggles her fingers for a moment, and then spins back to rummage around on her desk.
"So, uh, what was it you were looking for? Residential? Commercial? Industrial? ...not that we've got much of that last one going, given it was mainly the bazaar and the surrounding houses that got hit..."

"I'd like to look over all three, miss, though I believe her intent lay more in the way of shops and warehouses than anything else..."

"Right. Well."
Violet walks to the huge map, nearly tripping over a stack of books on her way.
"If you'll turn your attention here, you'll see.... this." Her hand waves aimlessly at the forest of pins stuck into the map's surface. "By, uh, which I mean, the green pins show commercial and industrial properties for sale, while the red pins show residential ones. You've got in here early enough to take your pick, really. We haven't had any interested buyers come in due to all the... things... happening here lately."

Sergeant Archer clears his throat, causing Violet to jump.

"Right! Well! If you're after shops, there's a lot of them in the bazaar! It was... it is a place full of all kinds of things for sale! Given nobody owns them any more and they got sealed off for long enough to get secured after coming back, they'll still have all the goods they had before they were... gone. And given documentation on what kinds of shops there were in that maze of streets and shopping plazas is a little hard to come by, we're selling things as-is. So you'll be getting the shop and the goods, probably for a bargain price! You can turn what you buy into whatever kind of shop you like, of course. I mean, we had... have all sorts. Cafés, bars, coffee shops, bookshops, toy stores, curio stores, grocers', furniture stores, all sorts. All packed together! You might even be able to get a square to yourself!"

She moves on from the tightly-packed forest of pins in the central area of the map to more scattered green pins in the outer streets.
"There's a few shops outside the bazaar, too. They tend to be a bit bigger, but you're not going to get as much of a diverse crowd there, probably. More people coming in and out of town from the rest of the Province, or people coming in to visit. They're more things like general stores, or livery, or things like that. There's a couple of cafés and restaurants, too, including that floating one on the wharf... but those will probably need a lot of work. I mean, they haven't had anyone inside them for weeks now, and all the food is probably..." Violet pulls a face.

"As for warehouses, we have... three. Most of the others have owners or partial-owners that weren't.... aren't based in town. They're all down here," she motions to the bottom-right of the map, where the tangle of streets and buildings gives way to large, regularly-spaced rectangles.

"Houses, though, we've got in spades!" She smiles. Then falters. "That, uh, isn't a good thing, considering what... I mean, it is for you! You get a whole lot of choice there! I mean, you can get yourself a home in the bazaar near or even next to your shop, and some are built above the shops, and then there's the bigger ones with gardens in the outer streets, and I think there were one or two nice ones up near the Clavis and Monas Estates that used to be owned by merchants..."

[Aeromage]

"Oh my! That's quite a selection. I know my friend Dulcinea will be interested in those warehouses, and as many bookshops and curio stores as she can manage to afford... As for myself, that floating restaurant sounds intriguing, but I wouldn't mind a closer look at a few of the cafes around town... Would it be possible to put in a down payment to reserve properties for purchase? I brought a share of money along for personal ventures, but she happened to have unavoidable business in Clavia before she could make it here, and I'd hate for her to lose out just because I didn't have enough personal money on hand to cover things for her too..."

"Warehouses, check..." Violet scribbles a note and pins it to the warehouse-area on the map. "We can certainly take downpayments, if your friend was planning on buying and isn't too far behind! As for 'all she can afford', well... we're trying to avoid selling off too much to just one person or organisation to avoid people trying to make monopolies or potentially edging out other potential investors, but if you let me know what kind of capital you have to work with, I'm sure we'll be able to sort something out."

She gives an awkward smile.
"About the bookshops and curio shops, though... we'll run into that 'we don't know what every shop in the bazaar sold' problem. We had so much letting and sub-letting and sub-sub letting going on, and we really were going to try to get around to untangling it, but... well. Between most of the people who knew what was where being caught up in the... incident, and that... I mean, you could buy up a few shops in an area you like the look of and convert them, but if you were actually wanting shops that were already that kind of establishment in the bazaar, we might need to go for a bit of a walk."

She taps the map.
"Outside of the bazaar, though, there's a couple of places we know for sure about! There's Husson's, that was... is a bookstore just off the main street, near the Flying Catfish Restaurant. It's in a good location for locals and visitors alike! For cafés and restaurants there's the Icemoon Parlour on the shoreline, which did icecream and cakes and those little..." Violet trails off for a moment. "...well, there's that. The floating restaurant is the Lorelei's Launch, which should still be all in one piece. There's that place that did pasta dishes along the main road, too, and there's the café near the warehouse district that was there forever. And a few more around town, I think. I'll have to look at my files. I think all the curio shops were in the bazaar, though, and I know there were a few bookstores and other cafés in there somewhere. I think there was a place that did coffee?"

"Well, I brought along a hundred million gold myself, and Dulcinea has at least another five hundred million that she brought along earmarked for property purchases. We weren't really sure about the going rate for real estate around here..."

"A hund--" Violet's voice turns into a squeak, which she quickly heads off by clearing her throat. "W-well, I'm sure you won't have any trouble buying properties with that kind of money to hand. We've bumped up the price of some of the shops to cover the goods inside, but most of the properties are in the tens to hundreds of thousands, rather than millions..."

"I'm certain Dulcinea will be interested in all three of the warehouses on offer, as well as Husson's bookstore, and one of the higher-end residential properties near the estates. I'd personally like to purchase the Icemoon Parlour, Lorelei's Launch, and the cafe near the warehouse district. As for the shops in the bazaar, I think it's time to do some touring to figure out just what's in there, then take a quick look at each of the other locations before we come back here and settle business."

"Right." Violet clears her throat again and shuffles her papers. "Right. Well, that should certainly be doable, given you're one of the first outside investors to show an interest..."
Her expression abruptly changes, flicking from realisation to concern.
"...and I've just remembered there's going to be a bit of a problem touring the properties in question. I'm afraid that when that... person... fixed the town and brought back the dead, they also brought back a lot of... empty bodies. No souls in them. And that meant a lot of empty properties, which is why you're here. But as a countermeasure against looting, they also put wards on all the properties they found that were effected. They've been maintained, as they were stopping looters from getting in, but given everything else going on, setting the wards back up again is going to be a... bit too much for us- I mean, me- to ask for. So, uh, I'm afraid you'll mostly be buying the properties blind, and they'll be unsealed if and when you buy them. Well, kind of blind. I mean, you can look in through the windows to see if you like the look of the places, and such..."

The woman shuffles her papers again. "Sorry. This really hasn't been your normal... anything. I mostly dealt with inspecting civic stuctures and planning permission, not playing estate agent to half the town. The things you're interested in, though, I can give you quotes for! One moment..."
She leafs through her folder.
"It looks like we're selling the warehouses for a million each. Pretty steep, but we don't know what, if anything, is in them, and when the town recovers they'll be in high demand. Husson's is going for 520,000 Gold due to its popularity beforehand and it coming with its inventory. The Icemoon Parlour is going for 620,000 Gold, again due to popularity and location. The Lorelei's Launch iiiiis... 430,000 Gold. And the café... thaaaaat looks like it's Deb's Place, and going for 270,000 Gold. Again, sorry about the inflated prices, but between the locations, what I could gather on their contents and a need to get the town back in working order, we've had to raise the prices a bit."
She switches to a second folder and leafs through it.
"As for the upper-district properties... really, I've no idea what's in them, so we've had to price according to size and location. It looks like we've got three up there, going for 250,000 Gold, 280,000 Gold, and 345,000 Gold. If those are too expensive- not that I expect they would be, given how much you say you have to hand- we've got houses available from 30,000 Gold up to 150,000 Gold in the other areas."

"Well, a window-peek and exterior viewing wouldn't go amiss. A bit unfortunate that we can't go inside, but an understandable difficulty. I greatly appreciate the assistance you have given. And here's the money for the locations we discussed in specific."

Ryuutarou starts pulling out cash sufficient to cover the bill for:

Warehouse (x3) - 3,000,000 Gold
Husson's - 520,000 Gold
Icemoon Parlour - 620,000 Gold
Lorelei's Launch - 430,000 Gold
Deb's Place - 270,000 Gold

Total Bill So Far: 4,840,000 Gold

Violet, already surprised by Ryuu's mention of his personal wealth, doesn't seem to have been very prepared for him pulling bags of money out of apparently nowhere.

"I, uh.... right. I... was more expecting a promissary note than... all of this money. This actual, physical, money. Which is right here. And in considerable amounts."
The woman flails with her folders, manages to get them into a single stack, puts it on her desk, and motions helplessly.
"I... I think I'm going to have to put that... well, there's the... uh... right. I think I'm going to have to put it under the desk, and then lock the door, and then get someone to transfer it to... somewhere. I can sort out the details later."

She takes a deep breath.
"You really are from somewhere else, if you're so used to pulling out so much money as a... well. I mean, I know some of the things they sell in the bazaar go for ridiculous amounts, but I've never checked myself, and..." She waves at the bags of cash. "...I can't fault your promptness with payment, though. That's... I'm going to need a moment to get my head round that. Later. Right now, we've got more properties to discuss! Which, uh, ones did you want to look at first? We could take a look at those upper-district properties, or go for a walk around the bazaar to check on those shops, or look in on those places you just purchased..."

"Ah, I see... Alas, I don't have any accounts that I can issue promissory notes from, so we'll have to deal with storing the physical money here..." Ryuutarou scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"As for where we go... why don't we start with the upper district houses, then proceed through town to whatever is closest from there?"

Violet takes another deep breath, runs both hands through her hair, and nods.
"Right. That's... probably the best way to go about it. I'll just..."

She fumbles around on her desk for her folders, realises the bags of money are still lying around, drags them behind the desk to hide them from easy view, considers, stacks some other folders and paperwork on top of them to somewhat-disguise them, and re-grabs her original folders before heading to the door.

A moment later, she turns on her heel, heads to a cabinet, pulls out a map, and returns to the door again.
"Almost forgot this. We might need a map to keep proper track of things while we... take you on a tour of the properties. That you want to buy. In large amounts. Sorry, still trying to get my head around it all. If you'll follow me, it'll be a bit of a walk..."

Violet leads Ryuutarou (and the ever-present Archer) out of the room, spins on her heel, goes back to the door to lock it, heads to the reception desk to have a brief (and rather incredulously-received) exchange with the receptionist, and walks out of the building, low heels clicking on the floor.
"If you don't mind my asking, what were you planning to do with all these businesses... well, I suppose they're ex-businesses, given the people running them d- are no longer with us." She shakes her head to clear it. "Establishments. That's probably a better word. What were you planning to do with them? I mean, I'd understand if you wanted to refurbish them into other sorts of shops, but I don't know what kind of businesses you'd get in Nexus, or what they'd provide."

"Well, I was intending to start eateries in the restaurants that I bought; ideally, I'd be able to find records of the recipes for their various signature dishes somewhere within the establishments so that they can still be offered to the people of Marefore, but if not, I'll need to create new menus before organizing a reopening. Say, do you recall if any of the former employees of these establishments still happen to be in town?"

After a meandering discussion regarding the intricacies of operating new restaurants, Ryuutarou will recall that she wasn't asking just about his plans and catch himself.

"Ah, oops, got distracted going into that, my apologies. As for the other properties, Dulcinea will likely re-open the bookstore as-is, after perusing its contents for anything of specific interest to herself. The biggest difference is most likely to be in whichever portion of the bazaar she ends up with title to, as it's likely she'll wish to combine multiple storefronts into a larger sales floor, where she can demonstrate and display various wonders of the markets of Nexus to the people of Marefore, and Seirei as a whole. I suspect various machines and other technological marvels will be the majority of the products on display, given the lack of such things (that I've seen, at least) in this world..."

Violet considers. "There might be? I'm afraid I'm not really involved in employment records and things. There might be rosters in the buildings, still, but it's been a while since the... incident, and those that are still... well, here, may well have found other jobs or moved away. I'm happy to hear you're planning to keep them as restaurants, though. That'll hopefully go a way towards attracting people back and making things feel somewhat normal again..."

She doesn't really seem to know much about running restaurants, but gamely nods along to the serpentine dragon-chef's excited chatter about potential future business engagements.
"...having businesses providing items from another world would go a long way towards helping the town back on its feet again, although I think we might want to make sure your friend doesn't provide anything that could cause a repeat of... well. We might need some sort of vetting procedure set up."
Violet runs a hand through her hair and massages her temples. "...which will probably mean another civic department, which will probably mean more work... but if it gets the town back on its feet..."
She sighs. "It's a good idea, I think. Probably. We'll just need to be careful people don't end up linking any new goods to the Gold-Dust Killer and that... foxwoman in their minds to things from Nexus. As for machines and their like, they exist- although they're more found on the mainland, under the bigger houses. Most things run off Moonstones or derivatives and their... interactions? Or spiritual power. Or elemental power. Really not my field of expertise. I've got a good head for numbers and planning... well, usually. When I'm not operating on no sleep. But when it comes to things like magic or spiritual power or the like, I'm not the person to ask."

"I certainly think you're doing well, considering the circumstances, and I am thankful for whatever wisdom you are able to bestow upon this humble noodle-merchant... Now, shall we begin our trek?"

As they walk through the town to the manor district, he will make heavy use of his skills as a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, and Therapist (layering over it all the gentle informality of the Bartender) to try to soothe her worries and fears and buoy up her aspirations for the future. If she seems too exhausted to keep walking, he will offer her a Refreshing Mixed-Fruit Fleff, or try to find some kind of palanquin or other platform suitable for putting on his back and having someone ride in (depending on the severity of the exhaustion).

During the touring process, Ryuutarou is especially noting the estates with the best kitchens, the most extensive libraries, and the rooms most suited to using as a laboratory, should Dulcinea suddenly be taken by an idea while in town. Given the discrepancy between the prices he was expecting and the prices in actuality, he's most likely going to purchase at least two (possibly more, should he find one particularly suited to Celestine's steampunk-y tastes, or multiple excellent libraries).

With his skills, Ryuutarou is fairly sure he can figure out what's wrong with Violet- and, by extension, likely with much of the rest of the town- a combination of lack of sleep, lingering shock, quite probably a fair bit of grief and not having had time to process the massive loss of life, throwing herself into her work and the nigh-insurmountable task of cataloguing, collating and advertising the large number of properties left abandoned in its wake.
In a way, the restoration of the town seems to have made things worse- instead of there being an obvious scar, something to work to fix, to rally against and fill in, with progress to be seen for the survivors, the town is almost as it was- only bereft of a large chunk of the people that once lived there. In a way, time has stopped in many parts of Marefore- businesses left closed with their wares still displayed in the windows, eateries with tables laid, homes left as they were before their destruction, bazaar streets still covered in bright banners and stalls- scattered pockets of frozen moments around the outskirts, and a huge, gaping hole at its centre. Not a physical crater, but present nonetheless, just as large and keenly felt to those still living in the area.

He's pretty sure he doesn't have nearly enough time to help her recover from this with just a trip around the town. The best he can hope to do, under the circumstances, is to keep talking about other things. Fortunately, Violet doesn't look like she's about to keel over from exhaustion any time soon.

The tour (such as they can manage) of the three uptown estates (insofar as they can be called such, given the restrictive inside-a-town location) begins!
The 250,000 Gold estate looks to be the smaller of the three, a tall, two-storey affair set back behind walls and a large perimeter of white-blossomed trees, the petals almost all shed and carpeting the pathways and terraced gardens. Due to the warding on the building, the pair can't access the interior to take a look, but it seems to have fairly large windows on the ground floor looking out over its grounds, the sea visible over the canopies of the trees and probably making for quite a pleasant view from the inside. Through the windows Ryuu can look through, he sees a large, open central room that looks to be the focal point of the main building as some sort of lounge/entertaining room/sitting room/living space, containing mostly tasteful dark-wood furniture artfully arranged around what he thinks are probably sculptures, with carved partitions breaking up parts of the chamber. Bookcases and cabinents are placed here and there around the walls, some with assorted knickknacks and objets d'art on display. Also visible from his reachable windows are an almost-entirely-glass sunroom with comfortable looking loungers nestled amidst pots and planters full of dead leaves, a sizeable kitchen, a well-appointed dining room that adjoins the main chamber, and what looks like some sort of artist's studio with an item covered with a dropcloth standing in the gloom. Most of the upper floor's windows have their curtains drawn.

The 280,000 Gold estate has less garden-space (at least, as far as Ryuu can tell), its tall, fancy-stoneworked perimeter wall separated from the three-storey building by a series of patios criss-crossed by tinkling water features and artificial channels. This one (from what he can see through the windows) is rather more conservatively laid out, with tall-ceilinged rooms decorated according to different colour schemes, the furniture exactingly picked to match the theme. One wing of the building looks like it houses a library (decorated in tones of forest greens and dark browns) of some description, with tall windows that stretch up to connect the floors. The opposite wing looks like it contains a small gallery of some description, with paintings in ornate frames hanging on every wall (painted a sunny yellow). The back patios contain elegant filigree tables and chairs, with large sets of glass-panelled doors leading into a dining room (in reds and browns) and, presumably, some kitchens. The estate also looks like it has a carriage-house of some description adjoining the road, which is unfortunately locked tight with blinds drawn.

The 345,000 Gold estate is obviously the largest of the three, with pleasant (albeit overgrown and drying up) gardens besides, located close to what Violet tells Ryuu is the town's Clavis Estate. Unlike the other two, however, this one doesn't seem to have any sort of theme that the dragon-chef can deduce for its interior design. The furniture, while fancy, doesn't really match with any of the other pieces, with clashing patterns and colours frequently showing up. Each room looks like it's been set up to try to make some sort of statement, but Ryuu can't really tell what. Quite a lot of them seem to be variations on 'chairs around round tables', too. In fact, the place seems to mostly consist of these sort of sitting rooms. There are also, in various states of use, wine and liquor bottles scattered around the place. Perhaps the merchant who lived here had frequent business meetings? The kitchens are large but don't look like they've been well-maintained, and for some reason the first floor balcony (that Ryuu can just about reach by stretching) is in fact part of a swimming pool. On the first floor. That seems to extend a way into said first floor.
That can't be good for the structure.

"I think I'll take the first estate for myself, and the second for Dulcinea... I'm not really sure what the architect was thinking for that third building, it seems quite a disaster of both design and decoration... Anyway, lets move on to taking a look at the other properties, eh?"

Ryuutarou will take a glance back at the ever-silent Sergeant Archer, to see if he can get a good handle on how he's handling this Real Estate escapade, and the greater events surrounding its cause.

Violet looks through her folders. "I think that one involved a lot of money being thrown around... the merchant that owned it was mostly involved in imports and exports and enjoyed... well, showing off, I suppose."

Ryuu sneaks a glance at Sergeant Archer. The man's just as stonefaced and impassive as before, although he does seem to have a notebook in his hand. Presumably he's going to report the various goings-on later.

"...right." Violet manages to get a grip on her folders before they scatter their contents all over the inadvisably-designed estate's drive. "The closest property you've purchased to here would probably be Husson's, and then we can... probably loop around to the Lorelei's Launch, then the Icemoon Parlour, and then Deb's Place before we look at the warehouses. Unless you want to take a walk through the Bazaar to see some of the places on offer there, I mean. Or look at the map and see where you'd want to set up in there."

"I do want to walk through the Bazaar, so I'd like it if we could make our way there whenever it's easiest."
T

Violet fumbles around with her folders for a moment, producing her map.
"Well, if we... hm. If we go from Husson's through the bazaar, we could see a good deal of it on the way to the Lorelei's Launch and Icemoon Parlour... so long as we stick to the west side and avoid the... disaster site."
She shuffles her stack and gives a wan smile. "Anyway! The fastest route to the bookshop is... this way, I think."

The walk from the estate to the familiar main northern road is a fairly short one, and the fish-shaped weathervane-bearing rooftop of the Flying Catfish Restaurant is rather visible from the road as the small group traipses to a large, wide-windowed store built on two floors, rows of bookshelves arrayed in the warm sunlight beyond the window-displays of books. One window is entirely taken up with an elaborate setup of books set on stepladders surrounded by pots, gardening tools and bricks, a painted sign cheerily exclaiming "Home and Garden Improvements for Abodes of All Sizes! Make your future as bright as your living space!" with a smaller set of books in a large planter next to them under the sign "THE PLANT DETECTIVE- Examining the New and Exotic, the Harmful and Harmless, the Benevolent and Detrimental- What Might The Seed Rains Have Brought To Your Doorstep?".
Another window is taken up by a nautical-themed display involving an oddly large number of feathers, an array of books with bright covers carefully arranged around them, with a single volume front and centre (which, Ryuu notes on closer inspection, is just a cover over a wooden slab). A sign above proclaims "NEW! The Eleventh in the Popular Crimson Gale Series, 'Daybreak Over Cloudspire'! A must for All Adventure Aficionados! On Sale Sunday!"

"They never did get to have that sale," Violet remarks. "Not everyone likes the books, of course, but they're popular, especially with children. I suppose I can see the appeal of adventures on airships."
Sergeant Archer's expression sets into one of mild distaste for a moment.

"Quite an interesting-looking little bookshop! I'm sure Dulcinea will be pleased!" He glances around a bit longer, then heads on along the route to see the Bazaar.

He does take a note that she's planning to avoid the area of the bazaar closer to the disaster site, so he'll need to stop by there after the rest of the trip is finished.

Violet leads Ryuu down a side-road, then down a side-road of the side-road, into an alleyway and through into a curved, twisty passage shaded by deep-blue awnings, with narrow windows and heavy doors built into sandy-coloured walls, intersperced here and there by coloured lanterns.

"The bazaar is a bit of a maze, so make sure you stay close. I'm... not usually one to go trekking through here myself, but recent events and the job mean I've had to be here a lot lately. Even then, I still get lost without a map." She pauses. "Speaking of which..."
Violet fumbles with her folders again, hurridly unfolding and smoothing the town map out on top of her stack.
"We could take the fastest route from here to the Icemoon Parlour, or if there were any locations or sets of properties for sale you wanted to see in here, we could make a detour to take a look at them. They're marked, see."
She proffers the map to Ryuu, notices that all four of his limbs are presently occupied in the business of acting as legs, and settles for awkwardly holding it in front of his snout.

[Aeromage]

"Let's make it a more leisurely venture. None of us know where the hidden gems of the bazaar might be, after all!"

"Let's take a more circuitous route, then. We can't see too many of the properties on offer unless we want to take all day- I mean, I've heard that if you wanted to walk down every road and alley in the bazaar it'd take a week- but if we turn off here, go through there..."
Violet leads Ryuutarou down the curved road, past rows of stalls (many of which standing empty and abandoned), through side-streets of shops (a fair few shuttered and on Violet's list, their contents impossible to determine from the outside), through a couple of plazas- some half-filled with merchants trading wares from rugs and stalls, shops open for business and attracting a moderate amount of foot traffic, others eerily empty and quiet- and through tunnel-like streets filled with scents of spices, the sound of mildly aggressive commerce, and colourful awnings and banners strung across the walls and makeshift ceilings.

On his trip through the bazaar, a few things stand out to Ryuu, property-wise, that Violet confirms are on offer.
-An entire square, reasonably centrally-located, that looks to be shuttered; the shops and buildings that surround it all stand closed and quiet. Violet, after some flipping through her folders and looking at her map, tells Ryuu that every single one of the properties is up for sale and, through quirk of property law (that hardly ever comes into play given how rarely it happens), if one were to own all the properties around a square, one would own the square itself, being allowed to use the space however they wanted, enforcing or restricting who might be able to sell wares in it even if they had a vendor's license, and even being able to restrict traffic ("Although that would probably require you to have some guards. And I don't think people would be very happy if you told them they couldn't walk through the bazaar."). Most of the buildings don't have obvious signage or are otherwise barred or shuttered from the inside, preventing a good look in, but one looks like it was a café of some sort, a few broken tables and chairs scattered around the square near it. One of the other buildings is emanating the unpleasant, unmistakable smell of rotting produce, and a third has some odd, chemical-like smells issuing faintly from its sealed door.

-A large-for-the-bazaar shop of... somewhat oddly thrown-together design, architecturally, built up into an indeterminable number of floors (the levels and number of the windows don't match up with each other, and the rooftop is uneven). A large sign, depicting a nosy-looking old woman bent over and peering short-sightedly at a treasure chest, proclaims the establishment to be called 'Prier's Paradise'.

-A small building absolutely covered in glass fishing-floats, under a sign made from sea glass stating it as 'Bazaar Nauticalia'

-A sturdily-made, well-put-together storefront solidly shuttered and closed off from the street it sits on under the equally-solid and heavy-looking wooden sign 'Ward & Co. Amulets and Talismans'

"We've seemed to find some of those treasures I was hoping to discover! Excellent! Mark them all down for purchase, yes, yes! Wonderful! Dulcinea will be so pleased, especially with the nautical shop!"

Ryuutarou is going to take a closer look at the map, to see if he can find any more of the special-property-squares hiding out in the Bazaar area, and if they're anywhere near where they are now. Otherwise, it'll be time to continue on to the next set of properties!

Violet looks slightly stunned, but soon makes a few notes, scribbles a couple of numbers down and rubs her fountain pen against her cheek as she performs some mental calculations, leaving a smudge of ink.
"...plus that, plus the transfer fees... I'm looking, by which I mean you are looking, at... about... plus business licenses for the area... let's say 5,350,000 Gold. Ward & Co. was pretty well-known, and getting things rolling to make sure you have all the rights and bazaar licenses sorted out for the square- that's a whole other tangled mess, believe me- costs a bit to smooth over- and it sounds like what you're planning will need a fair bit of freedom there."

From what Ryuu can see, there's no other property-squares completely up for sale nearby (many still having a couple of not-for-sale properties in them, and a couple that look like they were for sale but have since been sold).
However, there are a number of properties for sale coming off the square he's just bought himself. Assuming he's reading the map right, he thinks the street leading from the square up to the crosshatched area (with 'SAFETY PERIMETER' written in bold letters over it) should have its properties similarly buyable, as well as the buildings around the street that comes off the square in that direction and that direction, which forms a small loop...

...in a way, the little green shapes depicting the for-sale properties (and the X'd out ones marking sold properties) paint a rather tragic picture of where the lingering traces of the catastrophe that hit the town held on the tightest. The properties nearest the closed-off zone are clearly not as popular as the ones everywhere else. But if he plays his cards right (and doesn't push too much), he thinks he might be able to secure a small, somewhat-contained couple of streets that split off the square he just purchased, enough that he might be able to get himself (or rather, Dulcinea and her guild) what might eventually become a small sub-district if handled right.

"I've noticed that the square I've picked up seems to have a lot of nearby properties for sale heading off toward this 'safety perimeter' area. Would it be possible to purchase some of those properties as well? The Guild would be happy to contribute to maintaining the safety perimeter in whatever way the city prefers in recognition for this generosity, of course."

Violet squints at the map and bites her lip.
"Yyyeeeeeees, I think I can probably get that done, although..."
She rustles through her papers, scanning through notes at speed.
"...nobody wants any of the properties near the safety perimeter, and I don't really blame them. You're buying quite a lot, though, and that could raise some flags back at the office..."

She reshuffles her files and taps them on her arm as she thinks.
"If you and the head of your guild can come up with a good plan... I mean, a plan of action, not a sneaky plan, for how you're going to use the properties and what for, and provide assurances you're going to open them up for jobs for the local populace instead of fully staffing them with outsiders, I think I'll be able to smooth over any issues, providing there's no other offers on those properties.. which there probably won't be. You'll probably.. have a bit of an issue getting much in the way of a customer base for a while, at least from townsfolk, given the area..."

Violet waves a pen at the shaded area. "As for the perimeter, that's being enforced by the Spiritual Defense Force. They've already put up walls and barriers, taken over the streets around the square that used to be there, done who-knows-what in there... in other words, they're probably not going to want people's help unless they know what they're doing in there, and are definitely going to be keeping tabs on people buying properties around the walls and making sure there aren't any doors being made to sneak in. ....in fact, you might get a visit from them if this gets approved..."

A few more notes are scribbled down.
"Taking all that into account, if you get approved, with those licences, those fees, upkeep... I think I'd put it at a other 5 million, that'd include being able to later zone the entire lot as a sub-district of the bazaar which should get you a lot more leeway later on when you start on whatever plans you have for the area. Moons, I'm talking millions like it's normal, now. You're spending more money than I've ever seen in my life, today." She gives a wobbly grin. "Good thing I pride myself on honesty, because could you imagine the sort of scams people could pull in the wake of all this?"
The grin vanishes. "And I expect to see a few before all the places are sold."

"Dulcinea and I will be happy to present our plans to the city and the Spiritual Defense Force, once she gets here, and I'm pretty sure she wasn't planning on doing more than hiring on Outsider managers and trainers to make sure we have our businesses up and running with a supply of experienced locals before promoting any locals to fill those management slots."

He looks off toward one of the shops, then turns to face Violet again. "I hope we're not causing you too much trouble with this, but it's an important lesson, I suppose. What I've spent here today is chump change for most Battle Arena members or Nexites higher than level 20. And there's an abundance of those... We should be glad that there aren't many who know of this place yet, otherwise I would guarantee there would be major issues again..."

He lets out a sigh. "I suppose that's another thing we can discuss between the city and the guild; namely, precautions to take regarding the problems that can come from Outsiders of a certain power level that seems to be much more uncommon here..."

Violet shakes her head. "That... that sort of thing is so far above my position I've no idea where to start. I can try getting in touch with the Spiritual Defense Force through the Mayor's Office so you can have an official meeting with them, but as for precautions against outside problems... that might be more something to bring up with the town guard. Sergeant?"

Archer grimaces and grunts as he's acknowledged. "That'll be Captain Albis' area. She's the one in charge of dealing with problems from the 'potential walking disaster zones', as some have dubbed those from your parts. Given what we've seen so far, or 'a continuous avalanche of catastrophes', as has been said, you may have some trouble in proposing precautions there."

"I, uh, not to mean that the rest of us don't appreciate you being here," Violet stammers. "and as for dealing with outsiders of a certain power level... well, it's not exactly a secret that Impara's seen as something of the back end of nowhere from the rest of the world's standards. All of the Major Houses have their holdings elsewhere, on the continents or larger islands, and even some of the Minor Houses are, well..." she drops her voice, "rather better prepared than we are to handle bigger threats. Frankly, I'm surprised we don't get more trouble from organisations like the Spirit Hunter's Association or Aspengrove Foundation... if they aren't already doing so more subtly, if ridiculous rumours are to be believed."
She sighs.
"I'm babbling. We can sit down and figure out what else you want to do regarding your new properties in Marefore later. In the meantime, if you wanted to undo the seal on some of the places you've purchased for sure and take a look around them... I mean, if you're not worried about them being potentially looted- not that that's probably going to happen at all, but just for safety concern's sake... or, uh, I'm not really selling this well. Let me try that again."
The woman takes a deep breath.
"Right. If you wanted to undo the seal on some of the places you purchased and take a look around, you can, although we obviously can't guarantee the contents' security afterwards if that happens. Otherwise, we could go on to see some of the other properties you've bought, or head back to the offices to try and figure out what else you wanted to do. Or, uh, I suppose you could do something else."

"Why don't we head down to Lorelei's so I can start cleaning that up while we talk about anything else that needs finishing up to get this all done? I think we'll keep everything else locked up tight until Dulcinea gets here from Clavia."

As they meander out of the Bazaar and head back across town, Ryuutarou will ask some questions that came up from her comments.

"I'd gotten the impression that the Spirit Hunter's Association was well-regarded here in Clavia Province, with all their public activities at the Dreaming Moon Festival. Is there something that they're up to behind the scenes? And what is this 'Aspenwood Foundation'? I haven't ever heard of them, and Dulcinea would be quite mad at me if I didn't take the opportunity to learn more so I could tell her later."

"Most of the work is just... well, work. Paperwork, to be precise." Violet waggles a folder by means of illustration, flails in a panic as a few documents come perilously close to slipping out, and wraps her arms around the entire stack by way of overcompensation. "Uh, ignore that. It'll just need the rest of the money paid up, which I'm fairly sure you can handle, some standard boilerplate... uh... not that anything about buying up large chunks of the bazaar or even businesses is standard, but that's just what the new 'normal' is right now, and a few signatures on your end to assert ownership and show you're on board with the various rules and the like. Um. If you can sign things, that is, given your... somewhat quadrupedal nature. Sorry. It'll be a bit of a waiting game to hear back about those two roads' worth of properties you bought up, but between the gold you're throwing about and what I'm fairly sure I know about navigating the ins and outs of the system, I don't think that'll be too much of an issue..."
She gives another wobbly grin.
"...I'm not completely sold on the idea in general, but I think with what you've been saying and your stated plans that you really could help the town get back on its feet. I want that more than anything right now. So, uh, I'm going to do what I can to help on that front. Whoops, no, we're going left here..."

Violet walks in silence for a few moments, low heels clicking on the dirt-stained flagstones of the bazaar.
"The Spirit Hunter's Association... well, yes and no. They bill themselves as adventurers, problem-solvers, odd-job men, talent-for-hire... and any number of other things. If you have something you want done or found or purchased, you're practically guaranteed to find it by going to them, so long as you can pay. They're..." she gestures with a free hand, as if grasping for something.

"Mercenaries," Sergeant Archer supplies, curtly.

Violet waves him off with a somewhat frustrated look. "No, not... well, I mean, yes, but not just that. They've been around for a really long time. I mean, a really long time. Some people say even as long as the Houses. They'll take in anyone- and I do mean anyone- with any potential--"

"A 'bunch of troublemakers and criminals with enough sense to get paid for what they do', as I've heard tell."

"--and they work in keeping people who might otherwise cause really, really big problems otherwise occupied. I mean, yes, you sometimes get one or two going and causing really big problems- I mean, if you don't believe the conspiracy theories that they got hired to do that- but then the Association puts out a bounty on them and handle it themselves. They police themselves. It's just that..."
She gestures again, but continues before Archer can cut her off. "It's like a big collection of outcasts, mercenaries, radicals, weird spirit-cursed... well, weirdos, Aptim, sometimes even weird creatures- uh, no offense- got mashed together, sometimes in groups inside groups, all rattling around in a chaotic mess that has branches in every major city and country on the world and apparently held together by money and violence. And it works, for the most part. But some of them are really, really powerful. And really, really rich. I mean, until you came here spending all that money like it was nothing, I didn't really think half the things people said they did were true, even about business conducted right here in the bazaar, but now I'm... not so sure. And that makes me wonder if some of the rumours about Association Members manipulating economies or getting involved in political intrigue or instigating... various things aren't true. I mean, I doubt there's anything that all of them are involved in, or even that most of them are involved in, given how... messy it all is in there, from what I've heard. But still."

She takes a few more strides, passing a stall-lined alley from which the pungent scents of spices and refuse emanate.
"As for the Aspengrove Foundation, well... they're... sort of in the other direction. They're..." more gesturing. This time Archer doesn't chime in. "Researchers. Spiritual practitioners. Inventors. I think. They're tied to pretty much every Major House and a few minor ones, too, as a big subordinate... blob, working to create... things. Uh. I mean... well." Violet shakes her head as if to clear it.
"I heard that they're responsible for creating the new wards and bindings that keep the major cities safe without having to need nearly as much upkeep as the traditional ones. All this stuff using moonstones, like those new fridges and ovens and water systems are because they came up with them. I heard they're always working on coming up with new Spirit Magic and methods of exorcisms and spirit-warding, and are linked to pretty much every Spiritual Defense Force worldwide. They're basically involved with... just about everything. Everywhere. And that kind of makes some people nervous. You hear rumours about them buying out towns to build new complexes or ward them off as some kind of testing grounds or all kinds of things like that."
A folder waggles vaguely.
"And as they've got the backing of all the Major Houses, they can do that. They've got the authority. I mean, even with just the backing of the House of Coins alone, they could probably buy Impara and have everyone shipped off to the mainland and still have enough spare to buy up an army to police it. It's kind of scary to think about."

The group rounds a corner and steps out into the bright sunlight of the harbourfront promenade. Violet points.
"Well, there it... uh, she... is."

The Lorelai's Launch was, at one point, a large covered barge. Probably. What it is now is a somewhat-overwrought two-storey building atop a barge base, covered in elaborate carved-wood designs in an ocean wave/seafoam motif with (slightly peeling) paint in a blue-and-white colour scheme. The (blue-tiled) roof ends in (peeling) silver (painted) trimmed eaves, and large, diamond-paned windows, with the interior obscured by deep blue curtains. A (slightly faded) figurehead of a beautiful, mermaid-like woman in a flowing toga adorns the barge's front, her outstretched hands holding a plate with a fish on it.
The whole thing is firmly anchored to the dockside, with a semi-permanent walkway built around it and a wide gangway leading onto its 'deck' and its entranceway.

"It's... seen slightly better days, but it was popular when it was open, especially with tourists!" Violet enthuses. "Then the owner ran into some... money trouble and shut the place down for a while. Then... well. Things happened, and he's not around any more."

"Hmm... Hmmmmmmmm... Yes..." He nods as he looks over the building. "I can see such promise here!"

He nods firmly. "Yes! Let us go take care of the paperwork, then get this property opened up so I can begin the path to CULINARY WONDERMENT! Oh, and don't worry about there being a problem with me signing things-" he lifts up a forepaw and wiggles the digits, "- I am more dexterous than I appear at first glance, haha!"

Violet blinks blankly at the forepaw-waggling for a moment. "Right. ...right. Okay. I guess signing won't be... too much of an issue, then. We'll just head on back, I'll get the documents drawn up and maybe get you a cup of... drink... and then maybe see who else needs handling. What else needs handling."

The strange group sets off once again, treading the cobblestones and walkways of the town's shoreline promenade/dockside, the sounds and scents of the sea blowing in from beyond the harbour walls and the general noise (although not as loud or as ubiquitous as it should be) of shoreline business and town life filling the air.
"Did you have any other questions before we get back to the town hall? I mean, there were those other places you bought and haven't seen yet. Which might take a while. Do you sleep?" The maroon-suited woman pauses to slap a folder to her forehead.
"I mean, do you have a place to sleep? Sorry. Day's getting to me. There's a few hotels and inns in town, and I'm pretty sure none of them have any rooms left that... don't... have people in. I, uh... let me try that again."
The Folder is deployed once more.
"I'm pretty sure none of the places in town have anyone staying in them right now. At least, not many. People are kind of avoiding Marefore given what's happened here for the moment, a few oddballs and opportunists aside."

"I'd be happy to stay in one of the hotels in town- as long as I can get myself into the bed, haha! Otherwise, I'm sure we can get someone to crack the seal on one of the houses I just bought and stay there for the night.... Anyway, once we get all the paperwork done, I'm sure Sergeant Archer can take me to the places we haven't gone yet, before I head off to bed."

Violet pauses to regard Ryuu's long, sinuous form.
"Yyyyyyes, you might need a somewhat... larger bed than most. Um. I could probably suggest the Marlowe, then. Their best rooms have huge beds, or so I've been told. Repeatedly. Fortunately, I don't think you're the owner's type."

The town hall hoves back into view from between the other shoreline businesses and establishments. This time, there seems to be something of a guard presence out the front. And, as soon becomes apparent, inside, flanking the door to Violet's office.
The pearl-wearing receptionist glares at the group as they traipse in through the paper-strewn atrium.

"Violet." Her hoarse voice is as unamused as ever. "When you said the Nexan had left 'a large quantity of money' in the office, I was assuming you meant a case of promissory notes and not literal piles of gold stuffed under the desk. I've enough on my plate as it is without having to grapple with additional paperwork regarding security and the movement of assets on that scale. Has our guest not heard of a bank?"

Violet looks somewhat abashed. "I, uh, didn't think to ask. I think it's just how they do things over there..."

"I... think there are banks in Nexus? It's not something I've ever really looked into, now that you mention it... I don't have a bank here in Seirei either. I didn't see one between here and the gate, anyway, unless that odd tower near the road was supposed to be a bank... but I digress. If you have a bank you want me to put the money in and give you promissory notes from them instead, I'll do that right away."

Violet shakes her head. "We can use the civic account in the local branch. I was going to suggest we head there after you figured out what properties you wanted to buy before you... um. You know." She makes a helpless gesture. "I wasn't really expecting all of that... money to be pulled out of nowhere. We should probably get the paperwork all signed off first, though, and I'll start on the paperwork for those streets..."

Bureaucracy ensues! Under the watchful eye of the town guard, the group piles into the cash-filled office and Violet retrieves sheaves of documents and copies of sheaves of documents (and trebly-copied versions of the same) to be signed by the spirit-dragon-chef certifying proof of purchase and ownership of the places that caught his eye. He also signs something that Violet assures him should get him the jump on anyone else wanting properties on those streets he was eyeing up even if he can't buy the streets outright along with a couple of documents both stating his intent to buy them and (as Violet tells him) should allow the deeds in question to be transferred to him the moment she hears a ruling on the request.

Following that, the group makes their way to an imposing bank and a secure vault within, wherein gold is produced (to somewhat less surprise on the behalf of the bank-staff), counted, recounted and carted away. Yet more paperwork is signed off on, and about three hours later, Ryuutarou finds himself in possession of a bunch of deeds and, through his BA-abstraction-powers, a more intangible yet certainly enforceable ownership of a number of properties in Marefore.

Ryuu gets (all, for obvious reasons, bound to Seirei):

*Deb's Place- (Item, Property, Earth & Fire, 140,000 Gold)
*Husson's of Marefore- (Item, Property, Air & Earth & Water, 450,000 Gold)
*Icemoon Parlour- (Item, Property, Ice & Water, 500,000 Gold)
*Prier's Paradise- (Item, Property, Air & Time & Darkness, 1,820,500 Gold)
*The Lorelei's Launch- (Item, Property, Water, 400,000 Gold)
*Ward & Co.- (Item, Property, Earth & Magic, 1,550,000 Gold)

Bazaar Square in Marefore- (Item, Property, Earth & Water, 80,000 Gold)
Nautical Shop in Marefore Bazaar- (Item, Property, Water, 70,000 Gold)
10 Shop in Marefore Bazaar- (Item, Property, Earth & Water, 60,000 Gold)
Tasteful Estate in Marefore- (Item, Property, Earth & Air, 210,000 Gold)
3 Warehouse in Marefore- (Item, Property, Physical & Water, 200,000 Gold)
Well-Decorated Estate in Marefore- (Item, Property, Earth & Air, 240,000 Gold)


Potentially-pending:
24 Shop in Marefore Bazaar- (Item, Property, Earth & Water, 60,000 Gold)
2 Street in Marefore Bazaar- (Item, Property, Earth & Water, 80,000 Gold)

(The Square, Streets and Shops have the potential, if handled correctly, to become their own unique property-district over time)



Violet looks even more worn-out after the marathon paperwork session, but manages a smile afterwards.
"So. Um. I'll need some contact information in case things drag on, but I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I know that they... know... about you wanting to buy those streets, and... uh. I mean, I'll let you know when I hear about what's happening with those streets and if you're getting the go-ahead to buy them. Otherwise you'll get that deposit back and I'll contact you to meet me to get it. Back. Sorry, I'm... just flagging a bit."

"When I find a room to stay in, I'll make sure to have the hotel staff send a runner back here so you know where I'll be staying. I do have some business at the Flying Catfish tomorrow, though; I'll leave a message with the front desk when I leave."

Ryuutarou bows his head deeply. "Many thanks for your help with all of this. I hope you have a more restful evening."

He departs from the office, and goes looking for The Marlowe. Soon, he stops, turns to Archer, and asks, "Do you know where The Marlowe is?"

The sergeant motions back along the promenade. "Down there. I'll lead the way. Not the best hotel in town, but up there, despite the owner's 'Wandering eyes and adventurous hands', or so I've been told. Doubt he goes for dragons, though."

Archer sets back off along the shoreline road, past bobbing boats and docks, back past the Lorelei's Launch and the main road curving up the hill to the town's northern gate, and further along towards the town's western wall, passing more businesses and establishments as they do. One place catches Ryuu's attention, its glass-fronted facade behind a cordoned-off patio filled with stacked tables and chairs, a fancy sign made of coloured glass depicting a circular blue disc surrounded by snowflakes declaring it as the 'Icemoon Parlour'.
For some reason, the daylight seems somewhat... dimmer over in the western edge of town, but before he has much of a chance to dwell on it, the dragon-chef is led up a short, wide street containing a number of bars, restaurants and hotels. One, a three-storey building fronted in cream-coloured stone with wide windows and an arched entranceway supported with heavily-varnished wooden beams and accents has large slabs of stone declaring 'THE MARLOWE' from pretty flowerbeds on either side.

Ryuutarou strides forth into the hotel lobby.

"Greetings!" He calls out, "I require your largest and stoutest bed for the evening! How much for the room?"

The hotel lobby is full of more of that dark-varnished wood in liberal quantities- used as hardwood flooring, as wall-supports, as well-crafted room-dividers, as the low tables and cushioned chairs, and in the main desk. Earthenware pots containing tall, spindly plants with eruptions of thin leaves dot the room, breaking up the dark tones with splashes of green. Paintings of... something or other hang from the walls to provide further colour. They're either abstract, far too stylised, or made by someone who had a very odd idea of what landscapes should look like.

The lobby appears to be deserted. Ryuutarou's shout, however, draws a large, middle-aged man from behind a dividing screen to the desk, whereupon he pauses to take in the bizarre nature of his prospective guest. Ryuu, in turn, is invited to gaze upon the bizarre nature of the man's eyebrows. Good heavens. They're as thick as his moustache.

The man clears his throat as his brain somewhat catches up with the situation. "Right. Well. Given the... size... of yourself, I think I can only recommend the Bridal Suite, being as it contains our biggest bed. Not to say that our other beds are lacking, not at all, but I find the most comfortable nocturnal situations are helped by not having inconvenient... crevices to fall through, as would be the case if we were to combine two of our, shall we say, less generously-proportioned sleeping solutions. Fortunately, our bridal bedchamber not only contains, I am proud to say, the largest bed in all of Marefore, but it is also completely, unequivocally and nigh-on-conceivably-for-the-forseeable-future free of any and all bookings, on account of a completely unexpected spate of cancellations on the parts of all guests not wanting to stay in the area due to it becoming rather unacceptably... exciting in recent weeks."
The man waggles his eyebrows by way of punctuation, it seems. The effect is rather distracting.
"For you, being one of the few guests we have, I would be absolutely overjoyed to tell you that it'll be 100,000 Gold a night, with full amenities, a selection of certain varieties of alcoholic beverages free of charge in unlimited subject to availability and responsible use quantities, and an excellent three square meals a day to take advantage of for free from our famous buffet! I'll even be waiving the general rule of the minimum two-night stay requirement for use of that particular suite! How about it?"

[Aeromage]

"Excellent! Simply Excellent! I'll take it!"

Ryuutarou makes his way to the counter and hands the-assumedly-Mr.-Marlowe a sack of gold containing 200,000 Gold. "I'll be reserving the suite for tonight and tomorrow night. If I'm still in town after that, I have other arrangements."

The man's eyebrows waggle furiously.
"Of course! Of course! We're happy to have you as our guest! Please, do not hesitate to ask for anything we can provide, within reason and we'll be sure to accommodate your needs to the fullest extent of our abilities!"

"Thank you kindly!"

Ryuutarou acquires the keys for his hotel room, and goes off to settle in for an intense evening of relaxing slumber!

"You'll find the suite up on the top floor! Generally, we ask for time to get it prepared for a suitably romantic--" the man's eyebrows waggle with vigor, "--setting, but as you aren't here for that, I'm sure you'll find it to your liking as it is. Just follow the signs on the walls!"

Ryuutarou grabs his keys and sets off stairward! Sergeant Archer follows, scribbling something in a notebook.
"I'll be taking note of the room and its location. Won't be spending the night in there, but there will be a watch posted. 'Any chance of another incident like the last two is too much of a chance,' as the Captain said."

A few flights later, Ryuu finds the well-signposted entrance to the Bridal Suite through a pair of double doors. The room is rather spacious indeed, with the late-afternoon sunlight pouring in through an impressive set of wide windows and glass doors leading onto a balcony that overlooks the street leading up to the hotel, the docks beyond, and the ocean beyond that over the harbour walls. They've even gone to the trouble to have trellises covered in clambering, blooming roses erected on the balcony, which would surely contribute to a romantic setting come the evening at its table for two.
The rest of the room is fairly open-plan. The main feature is, of course, the bed, which is, as promised, extremely large. Whomever put in the order for the obviously custom-designed thing clearly erred on the side of overcautious to ensure that two fully-grown adults would have a significantly hard time rolling off its oversized mattress no matter what bizarre nocturnal gymnastics were to take place atop it.
A number of cabinets and wardrobes are set into the walls beside it, along with a small bar and a rather sturdy-looking cabinet with a more-solid door than the rest built right beside the selection of bottles on display. The room also contains an indoor dining table (for two), a couple of intimate-looking seats and a large, plush sofa set around a fireplace, a number of small bookshelves containing volumes that look like they've never been read (and a small stack of boxes that look like they've had rather more use), and a doorway that leads to a side room, presumably a bathroom.

"Well, Glorbuk, looks like we've got quite the place for the night. Sleep well, and make sure the goblin-butter-makers don't come after you."

With that sage advice dispensed, Ryuutarou curls up on the enormous bed, closes his eyes, and falls straight into a deep slumber.

Ryuu curls up on the bed and falls asleep.









It is night. The sky above is its usual kaleidoscopic whirl of colour, centered around the misty, rainbow-fog-obscured moon as it always is. The ocean in the distance sprouts and flowers, close enough to touch beyond the endless rows of lantern-lit stalls that shift and change from the corner of one's eye when you don't look at them directly. The road loops and flows, and the endless parade of roadside stalls and unmanned carts loop and flow with it, out to all three of both of its ends.
This should be confusing, but it isn't. Ryuu accepts it as fact. He finds himself walking along the road, occasionally passing a carriage, pedestrian or neon-glowing wheel on its way to or from their destination.
The City is somewhere over the hill. He doesn't know which hill. He doesn't know which of the three of both ends of the road he needs to travel to get there. That might be a problem. Is it? He's not sure.

The Ocean sprouts closer.

Ryuutarou ducks into one of the stalls, curious to see what is offered for sale in this strange mercantile road!

Ryuu approaches one of the stalls. Or at least, that was his intent. The stall has nobody manning it, much like the rest of them. Ryuutarou moves behind the stall to take up the seller's position and see what there is to work with.

It's eggs! Lots and lots of eggs, all in different colours and patterns! Deep drawers full of them! There's a nice, sharp knife to cut them into slices, too, and a chopping board to do it on, and plenty of stall-space to display the results of his egg-slicing labour.
Ryuutarou is wielding the knife. He cuts into an egg, carefully unfolding the slices of patterned cloth into their proper shapes. The ship-outline should be displayed here, and that one's a flower, so it should be displayed there...

The Ocean sprouts closer.

Ryuutarou looks up from his egg-crafting briefly, checking for any incoming customers. If he sees none, he continues with the eggery!

No customers seem to be approaching yet, and so the egging continues!
Now, these eggs unfold into scarves, so they need to be hung up. The slices of this one need to be assembled like that to make a hat, and he can't forget the other cutout-shapes from those eggs there, or else he'll never get the interest of people who want them...

The Ocean sprouts closer. Its leaf-waves are rustling at the outermost row of stalls, now.

Ryuutarou continues. That egg unravels and unravels and unravels. My, this is a complicated one. He just needs to follow the way his hands are moving and there, it's a dress. And here's some gloves to go with it from another one. This one's coming out in bows, so he needs to find the right eggs to slice up so he can attach them...

The Ocean sprouts closer.

Ryuutarou seems to be drawing a few passers-by now. There's a big neon wheel whose spokes are lighting up in sections, a golden orb with a floating cloak-robe flowing underneath it, a masked man in highly-ornate armour whose details change every time Ryuutarou looks at another part of it, and an obese, dark-skinned man in a sparkly golden dress and headscarf.

"Ahh! Wonderful! Customers! I have a great many egg-based wonders, available to all and sundry! Step right up and feast your eyes (and perhaps stomachs) on the gustatory delights in store for you if you can but meet the price!"

The neon wheel takes a patterned silk cut-out of a carriage, budding off two smaller wheels that affix themselves to Ryuu's stall, spinning in place. Ryuu thinks this is an excellent deal and lets it go.
He then decides that his stall needs a face as well, and asks for a mask in return for a lifelike (somehow) velvet face that he's just unfolded from another egg. The figure in the ornate armour obliges, pulling a mask off his face to show another mask underneath and clapping the first to the front of the stall. Putting the velvet face atop his second mask (which then shifts and flows into a new set of features), the masked man(?) carries off into one of the road's many loops and off into the distance.

The orb purchases a scarf, leaving Ryuutarou a small, shining blue orb as payment.

Ryuutarou accepts this.

Ryuutarou picks up the orb.

Ryuutarou picks up the Lucidity Sphere.

The sphere vanishes as it grants Ryuu its store of Lucidity.

Ryuutarou becomes acutely aware of how bizarre this whole situation is, pulling cloth and clothes out of eggs made of fabric in a stall in a sea of unmanned stalls along an impossible road while a sea of leaves that flows like water slowly advances on his position.

More to the point, Ryuu realises he's dreaming.
Is he? This is a very weird dream. It feels somewhat... different than a normal dream, somehow.
With that realisation comes a measure of control over his own actions.
So long as he has some measure of lucidity, he'll be able to stop himself from automatically going along with the dream's flow, although the less in-keeping the action, the more draining it'll be.
He thinks. How does he know this, anyway?

Oh, look. He's got a new stat. Or something. How long has that been there?

LP: 2,000/2,000



The obese, sparkly-dressed man appears to be interested in the dress Ryuutarou assembled from the egg. (How in the world did he do that, again? It doesn't make sense.) He points at the strange garment and says something, but the words come out as a chorus of whistling noises.

Ryuutarou has seen many stranger things than cloth coming out of an egg; he's even done some, like when he stole a starship naked!

He will ponder the fat man's whistling offer, and point at his headscarf in return. If the deal is accepted, wonderful! If not, Ryuutarou will make disappointed noises and bid farewell to his customer.

Either way, once the transaction completes, he's going to get his stall moving up the road, away from the leafy ocean approaching. It would be difficult to sell eggery when the customers can't see you behind all the foliage, after all!

Ryuutarou and his newly bewheeled cart venture forth to commit additional random acts of capitalism!

Ryuutarou has indeed done stranger things. This feels stranger, though, as things are wont to do in dreams.
The obese crossdresser ponders for a moment, makes a peculiar train-whistle noise and nods, passing over his headscarf in return for the dress. His fashionable prize gained, the man then dissolves into a cloud of glitter.

Ryuutarou sets off! He's not quite sure how his cart's managing it, but apparently having wheels and a face is enough to render it capable of rapid motion! Which of the ends of the road (of which there are three, somehow, despite it having no branches) is he heading toward?
One of them heads off through a field of flowers that are holes in reality, the kaleidoscopic whirl of the sky visible through the blooms.
One of them heads off through an area that isn't a forest or a field and doesn't run straight or stop.
One of them heads up and over a hill where strange lights are visible playing over the crest.

He heads toward the lights! There's obviously fairies over there in need of fancy eggery!

Ryuutarou's suddenly-mobile stall hurtles along the road, wheels drumming across the stones with a regular, oddly musical thrumming sound.
The endless parade of empty stalls begins to break up as he continues, ornate stone gibbets now set at regular intervals between the stalls. Each has a different glowing object hanging from it. Lanterns. Spherical bowls full of luminous fish. Lit balloons. Clusters of flowers. Radiant disembodied heads. Large, lambent fruits. Carved crystals. Spun-gold frames containing tiny stars. Inverted table lamps. Flat patterns of light drawn in thin air.

Some of the stalls are manned, their goods laid out in colourful, well-lit rows. More of them, in fact, as he continues traveling. Several stalls possess both faces and wheels, much like his own, their owners taking to the road as Ryuutarou passes and heading in the same direction, some following, some overtaking. Foot traffic is heavier, here, but the stalls seem to be having little issue navigating the pedestrians, somehow.

The sky above darkens, the kaleidoscopic whirl of colours shifting towards night tones and accentuating the flickering wisps of light now dancing through the air in place of stars. The road continues on. He sees on the horizon a city of domes and floating spherical buildings, each ablaze with a different coloured light. Countless floating lanterns and firefly-flickering lights drift in and around its rooftops and throughfares.
It is a city, but not the city.
The road leads to it.
The road doesn't lead to it.
The road may be of more interest.
The road may just be the method to get there.
The horizon holds other destinations.
The choice is Ryuutarou's.


LP: 1900/2000

There's more people here, so he decides to take a break from his search for The City.

Ryuutarou looks for a place to park his stand and commence manufacturing more eggy delights to sell to the sudden profusion of customers!

Ryuu looks for a place to park his stall amidst the clattering crowd of mobile stalls now cluttering the road! While there is the occasional gap between bizarre 'lamppost' lining the road and break in the line of roadside stalls, the prospect of getting to said spaces is made somewhat tricky due to him being hemmed in by the other carts, more and more of which are rolling along the road in the same direction as he is.
It almost looks like some sort of bizarre and erratic street race, with the pack weaving through unfazed pedestrians, leaning this way and that to lift wheels or stall-sides out of collision range.



LP: 1800/2000

Hmmmmmmmm!

Racing it is then! NONE CAN CHALLENGE THE WHEELY, FACE-Y, DRAGON-POWERED MIGHT OF EGGSTALL!

Ryuu lets the bizarre situation play out, throwing himself directly into the challenge of the race!

Cartwheels clash and clatter as the dragon and his stall jockey for position with the rest of the pack, bumping up against a lantern-seller pulling colours from the speed-blurred landscape to stuff into his merchandise and barely shouldering ahead of a woman in a strange hat dual-weilding knives, chopping vegetables that utter musical notes when struck in a frantic, staccato rhythm.
All three are, however, barged out of the way by a laughing man with rabbit ears and golden teeth whose collection of smoking pots (the clouds from which he rapidly flings into the sky to join the mad kaleidoscopic whirl above) clatter and jitter with considerable volume as his metal-banded stall-cart kicks up sparks from its wheels.




LP: 1500/2000

[Aeromage]

HOW DARE HE CHALLENGE THE MIGHT OF THE DRAGON!

Ryuutarou begins to toss eggs into his mouth willy-nilly. Eggs are made of proteins and fats, right? And proteins and fats give you SO MUCH ENERGY, ENERGY LIKE A KENYAN, YOU'LL RUN FASTER THAN A KENYAN, BECAUSE YOU'RE A DRAGON NOT A KENYAN! RUN RUN RUN, THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH POWEREGG! OVERDRIVE YOUR PHYSICALITY LIKE YOU'RE A RACECAR POWERED BY KENYANS!

Ryuu consumes eggs at a prodigious rate! They taste... clothy. Likely due to them actually being some sort of weird clothing-and-cloth-within-egg oddity. He feels like he might be doing something wrong, there.
On the other hand, they are eggs. He is clearly manning a food cart of some kind that just happens to produce clothes on the side(?). He feels like he might be doing something right.

Strange mental disconnect buzzing away in the back of his mind, the dragon, mouth full of unspooling scarves and sheets, urges his strange chariot onwards! Wheels clatter and catch at the ground, sending him hurtling bumpily, but swiftly ahead past the smoke-producing-pottery seller and into the lead of his little pack! The city of fireflies and lights fades into the distance behind him as the ground blurs ever-more-rapidly, melting into the same kaleidoscopic whirl as the sky, but fuzzed over with darkness. The road continues to wind and twist amidst the blur, lamp-posts jutting out at odd angles as interested onlookers perch atop them and hang from their multitude of lanterns.

As the leader of the pack, Ryuu thinks he has some measure of control over where this race is going! Perhaps he can continue onwards to see if he can find The City. Perhaps he can take things in a different direction, towards other destinations. Perhaps he can even plunge off the road, through the layer of darkness and into the sky beneath? The choice is his.

LP: 1200/2000

The roads don't seem to be leading to the city, so perhaps the way to the city is to not take the roads at all?

"Let us reach the city by our own roads! ONWARD, HOOOO!"

Ryuu elects to get this show on the road by going off it! Rocking his way to the left, the mobile egg/clothing/fabric(?) stall skitters sideways on a single wheel, twists, and veers off into the darkness-fuzzed overlay atop the kaleidoscopic whirl of colours.

The cart almost immediately plunges through the thin layer of shadows, which scatter into pure-black leaves around him, the hole-into-the-sky blossoms exploding into scattered fragments of hypnotic hues and lights. The world around him twists as he falls, becoming a knotted spiral of black-on-light-on-shadow-on-sky as he leaves the established route through the prior dreamscape and into the raw wilderness below.






The world is made of shadows. The sky is pure black. The only light comes from the kaleidoscopic riot of colours of the dark wildflowers' leaves, almost entirely hidden beneath the layers and layers of midnight blooms.
The leaves, and the sudden, searingly-violent bursts of lightning that tear through the darkness above, far too large, loud and savage to be natural. The ground shudders and tears around the dragon and his cart. This place will not hold for long.

The impossibly vast lances of lightning flare. There is a huge edifice in the fields to his left. Even in the brief flashes of light afforded by the storm, he can see that it is collapsing.

The lightning streaks through the sky. Ahead, there is a huge, wide ocean, only distinguishable from the shadow-fields from the glassy reflections in the thunderbolts'(?) light.

The sky cracks open with eye-searing colour as the lightning flashes again. To his right, a twisted forest of gnarled trees, their leaves as black as the flowers of the field.

LP: 800/2000

As the Chief Cook and Bottle-Washer of the Grand Fraternal Order and Wondrous Guild of the Fishermen of the Citadel, how can he choose to go anywhere but to the waters ahead!

Ryuutarou makes up his mind, spurs his cart onwards, and careens across the tearing landscape as thunderbolts as large as skyscrapers shear through the air, splitting the sky and impacting the terrain with detonations powerful enough to create mile-wide craters.

Ryuu, splintering cart and all, plunges into the icy ocean, the land dropping away immediately as the water snatches him from the shore and drags him under with crushing speed. Muffled roars and explosions rock the stygian depths around him, flashes of dim light flickering and playing at the edges of his vision. Strange, fragmented images and visions blur and distort into being around him, beyond him, distant and close and all spaces in-between, there and gone again in moments.
A room full of burning books. A girl in a red cloak fleeing through a still town at night. Mushrooms bursting from every orifice of a desk, proliferating at blinding speed to cover it completely. A box that must never be opened, its ribbon coming undone. A hooded man in white alone in an empty and broken palace, with nothing behind him that gets closer by the second. A gaping chasm whose presence draws the looker inexorably toward it. Hands bigger than cities tearing through the sky to claw and crush the land beneath. A scarred and pitted brown moon, its creases and wrinkles writhing open to reveal eyes within eyes, seeing all that see it. A procession of women whose heads explode into crumbling flowers. A man on a golden throne, falling to pieces amidst a palatial room tilting dangerously sideways, its windows revealing the rapidly-approaching ground. A brown-haired woman in a pale blue dress with her back turned, the world corrupting around her.

The taste of cloth and unspooling sheets upon sheets of scarves and dresses within Ryuu's mouth becomes overwhelming. Something is very wrong.

LP: 200/2000

This is no longer any fun, Ryuutarou thinks to himself, time to try waking up! I'd really rather not get chased by angry moons in my dreams...
T

Caught in a maelstrom of fragmented nightmare-visions in a churning sea of dark dreams, Ryuu desperately tries to break out of sleep before anything, no matter how unreal it might (or might not) be has a chance to follow him out, whether in the waking or dreaming worlds.
Ryuu chokes on the endless reams of clothing and cloth accessories spilling forth from his mouth. Ryuu suffocates on the inky dream-water gushing in through his nose and open maw. Caught in a whirlpool of cloth and darkness, the dragon-chef feels downright unnerved as something gets pulled from him. Something gets pulled through him. Something gets pulled into him.

With a last gasp, Ryuutarou perishes.

LP: 0/2000


Ryuu wakes up in a sinuous and rather suffocating tangle of sheets, pillows and blankets, the sharp, bright light of morning filtering through the room's glass balcony doors. Muffled sounds of gulls carry from without.

His mouth feels weird. Stuffy. Clothy?
The dragon-chef coughs. A scarf tumbles out of his mouth.


It would appear last night's strange dream has left a lingering reminder.

Ryuu loses:

1 Diplomat Bonus Week (he picked this up from the Dreaming Moon Festival)


Ryuu gets:

Esoteric Breath Weapon: Clothing- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) Possessor gains +500 Ranged Attack, Possessor's 'Ranged Attack' and 'Snipe' actions may count as though possessor has any combination of an additional Clothing, Belt, Cloak, Gloves, Hat, and/or Scarf equipped, Possessor may choose to cause possessor's 'Dragon's Breath' action to gain the elements Laundary or Tacky and inflict a debuff that causes the targets of said action to count as having a Clothing, Belt, Cloak, Gloves, Hat and Scarf equipped

'Had A Strange Dream In Seirei'

Ryuutarou is feeling quite strange after coughing up a scarf, but he is aware of other, more strange breath weapons yet (particularly, the car-breathing Einarr Anundr, who spends much of his time as The Tree and the Bird Upon It). He coughs again to make sure his throat has been cleared, and then inspects the scarf that he expectorated earlier, examining its cut and pattern as well as its more esoteric properties (should it have any).

After suitably inspecting this coughed-up kercheif, he will ring for room service, so he can start his day with a proper breakfast.

He's feeling quite the hankering for eggs.

Ryuu inspects the scarf! It's... peculiar. The thing isn't cut in a straight line. It's in some sort of curvy, wavy form instead. He's pretty sure he saw scarves like it come out of those eggs in that dream of his, but in there, nothing seemed particularly notable about it. Here, in reality, it looks... odd.
The pattern and colours aren't helping. Back in the dreamlike clash of strange hues and rushing, blurring details, things made perfect sense, with designs flowing to the rhythm of the fantastic, otherworldly adventure he was a part of.
In the bright, piercing light of morning, it looks rather like someone crammed a bunch of paisley into a kaleidoscope, set the entire thing to 'mostly weird purple', cranked it as far as it would go and then hit someone over the head with it for good measure.

Esoteric-Dragon's-Breath-Expelled Scarf- (Accessory, Scarf, Tacky & Laundary, 5,000 Gold) +5 Defense, +5 Defense against effects attached to Zones of Tacky or Zones of Laundary, 5% Tacky Resistance, 5% Laundary Resistance

It's not particularly notable, but then he does seem to be able to spew forth large quantities of the things.


After a night of dreams (and then nightmares) like that, a decent breakfast is called for! Ryuu decides to ring for some room service.

This takes a little more time than he initially expected, as the hotel, it transpires, doesn't have room phones. Come to think of it, the world didn't seem too technologically advanced. Maybe they do things by magic instead?
Halfway through this pondering, Glorbuk discovered a velvet rope labelled 'Ring for Service between the hours of 6am and 11pm, hours outside the stated band available upon request at the front desk for additional fees, room service not included in the cost of room rental as standard' in a small cabinent beside the door. Also in said cabinet are a few wooden notice-tags to presumably be hung from the doorknob, including 'Please Make Up Our Room' and 'Do Not Disturb ♥❤♥', the latter of which the goblin 'butler' shoots a very sour look.

Service comes in the form of the eyebrow-waggling owner of the establishment, who declares, out of the infinite generosity of his own heart and contingent on Ryuu spreading the word about how fine his establishment is to stay in once Marefore is back on its feet, figuratively speaking that the usual room-service fees are to be waived, and that eggs aplenty shall be had given the overstock due to the town's current situation!

Said eggs turn out to be fairly good. Certainly not the best Ryuu's ever had, but it seems there's still a working bakery somewhere about if he knows his freshly-baked bread-turned-toast (and he does), and he's fairly sure from the distinct tang that they're seasoned with sea salt. There's also some sort of shredded potato... thing, and a good helping of garlic-fried mushrooms and other cooked vegetables (some erring a little on the overdone side).

Ryuutarou lets himself ruminate over ideas for improving the dishes as he eats, which slowly drift into ideas and plans regarding the several restaurants he acquired yesterday.

I wonder if Violet will be able to get me into any of the properties today? he thinks to himself. Ah! Whoops! I almost forgot! I need to go see Helen today too! Probably should do that before she's getting ready to open up for the day...

After the eating is complete, he will turn to his companion.

"Well, Glorbuk, are you ready to go back to the Flying Catfish?"

The goblin butler fixes Ryuu with one of his stares. "Of course I am. Maybe I'll even get the chance to actually pick up a knife this time. Sir."
Well, he's still got that undercurrent of seething anger in him, but he doesn't seem to be actively trying to needle the dragon. Maybe he's actually being serious? Wasn't there something about cooking in his skillset? Maybe it's a hobby he has an actual interest in.

"If you can't there, I'll get Violet to crack us open a kitchen and you can practice to your heart's content! Now, let's go!"

Swinging his cloak with a flourish, Ryuutarou steps out into the hall, ready to face the day!

As he heads down to the hotel exit, he takes a look around to see if Sergeant Archer has snuck up on him from behind to continue his "escort" duties from the day before, because he'd rather not be the reason Captain Aldis gets a migraine or has a heart attack today.

The front doors and wide windows are open, and the morning light and sea breeze hit the dragon with bright and refreshing blows! Figuratively speaking, of course. The cries of gulls echo from beyond the threshold, and the occasional rattling and clattering from carriages and other sounds of town life are audible over the wind whistling through the street outside. It's a blustery day. Quieter than he'd expect from a town of this size, though.
Come to think of it, how many people are left in here? Would they keep the amnesiacs here, or ship them somewhere else?

One person who definitely isn't missing, however, is Sergeant Archer, whose solid form is easily visible in the hotel's entryway. To his credit, he doesn't seem to be lounging against the wall while (presumably) waiting for the dragon and goblin to surface. Then again, he didn't really give the impression of someone that would slack off in his duties in the first place. His eyes fix on the chef's sinuous form as Ryuu makes his way outside.

"Good MORNING, Sergeant Archer! Great weather we're having today, aren't we? I hope you're ready to enjoy the out-of-doors!"

Assuming that Sergeant Archer is following him, Ryuutarou begins his undulating walk up the street to the Flying Catfish, and this morning's encounter with the inestimable Helen!

FOR DELICIOUSNESS!

The fresh breeze buffets Ryuu and companions as they make their way out of the street holding The Marlowe and environs, bringing with it the variably-fresh scents of the sea and harbourside. It's still early, judging by the lack of people around- although hopefully that is more due to the hour than the string of disasters the town has apparently suffered through over the past months. Other sounds join the general background noise of the harbour behind them- the sounds of construction, the rattling and clattering of carts, occasional shouts, the clanging of bells, and, when the wind shifts in the right direction, faint chanting.

With the wind at their back, the group makes its way up the inclined main street towards the Flying Catfish Restaurant, finding it much as it was the day before. This time, there is a thankful lack of facebound trays and shouting as the dragon-chef opens the door. There's also a notable lack of Helen in general. Instead, the mousey-haired girl that was indirectly introduced to Ryuu as Sharon is fussing about the empty seating area with a cloth and stacks of menus.

"A very GOOD DAY to you, Sharon! Are you enjoying the FRESH BREEZES? Is Helen around? And if she isn't, is there anything Glorbuk or I could do to help you out?"

"Uhm!" The waitress/assistant chef flails at the sudden interruption, narrowly managing to avoid an avalanche of menus and tableware.
"Uh, uhm, i-it's you! Missus Fein is in the, uhm, kitchen with Beaky looking over the, uhm, catch. She'd get cross if I got help, because then I'd be being lazy and I have to do things myself, but, uhm, she's usually in a good mood when he's around because he catches good fish, but, uhm, I don't want to, uh, make her angry if she is in a good mood..."

Ryuu can hear faint voices drifting from the direction of the double doors leading into the kitchen and preparation area.

"Well, Glorbuk and I will head back and have a chat with her. Have a great day!"

The procession proceeds forth, to the kitchen! And to meat this Beaky!

Leaving Sharon to her work, the duo (plus the ever-present Archer) make their way beyond the counter and the double doors acting as the outer boundary to Helen's domain, passing into the mostly-orderly (save for the teetering stacks of circular, wooden and doubtless considerably dangerous trays) interior.

True to the waitress' words, Helen is not the red-faced, bellowing terror Ryuu experienced the day before. In fact, she actually appears to be smiling as she inspects the contents of a large number of wooden boxes arrayed near her cold room.
Assisting her in box-related matters is a figure that Ryuu assumes must be Beaky. They certainly make for a rather unusual sight, dressed as they are in a long oilskin coat that reaches their calves, a floppy oilskin fisherman's hat, and a bright-red mask depicting a kindly-smiling tengu with a prominent nose completely covering their face.
Movement below the coat catches the dragon-chef's attention. Whatever he might have been expecting under there, it would appear that Beaky has large cat's feet, attached to equally feline legs, covered in mosslike white fur. A tail flicks momentarily into view as he continues to watch.

"--don't know where you find them or how you get so many on your lonesome, but as it seems you're one of the ONLY fisherman left in this moonsforsaken town WORTH a damn, you could be trafficking with spirits on the regular and I wouldn't bat an EYE. All this while the other places are serving poison with scales! Minnow-brained DOLTS, the lot of them!" Helen waves a tray emphatically. Beaky flinches, apparently on reflex.
"I'll take them ALL. Help me load them into the cold room, and I'll see to your payment and give you a meal besides. Can't be having with you leaving without eating AGAIN. Don't think I can't see that coat hanging off of you."

[Aeromage]

"Of course!" Ryuutarou agrees boisterously. "To let a patron leave the kitchen without accepting anything from the chef's bounty is foolishness, and an insult to the chef besides! In fact! Helen, if you would permit, Glorbuk and I would like to aid you in preparing a feast for this most blessed procurer of the sea's bounty!"

Both Beaky and Helen turn to face the source of the sudden outburst. Helen looks slightly annoyed. Beaky's expression, given the mask, is unreadable, but the cat-footed figure takes a step backwards as they take Ryuu and Glorbuk in.

"BARGING on into the kitchen uninvited, I see. Beaky, this is the help I called in I told you about earlier that brought those rare fish in. From through that Gate those House types are so PROUD of, despite the RUIN most of them brought here. Fortunately, it seems THIS wiggle-brained DOLT is more focused on bruising FISH than destroying towns." Helen sniffs derisively. "And he's a passable chef, I suppose."
Ryuu somehow gets the feeling that was high praise, coming from her. Beaky certainly did a double-take, at any rate.

"I'm, uh, okay with just Ms. Fein making the food," Beaky says, mask rattling as he talks. The voice is muffled, but sounds a bit like the speaker is a young... man? It cracks oddly as he talks. "I don't want anything to do with you lot from the Gate. You just cause trouble."

Helen makes a grumbling, huffing noise and folds her arms, prompting another flinch from the masked fisherman. "So he says. Well, if you're here ANYWAY, you might as well make yourselves USEFUL. Help me put the fish away- PROPERLY, this time- and I'll see about teaching you how to REALLY cook seafood. And YOU-", she collars Beaky before he can sidle away, "are going to sit down and EAT what I make."

Ryuutarou wilts slightly at the poor reception, but goes off to assist in the putting-away-of-fish, alongside Glorbuk. He keeps a keen ear out for any conversation that happens while doing so, though, to try to figure out what in particular has caused Beaky to have such a general dislike of Nexians.

As the business of putting fish in places where fish should presumably be placed takes place in the fish place, Ryuu keeps his ears perked (figuratively) for any insights as to why the fisherman might be less-than-keen on Nexans.

Helen is busily talking at Beaky as she has him assist her in setting the fish-boxes in ordered stacks outside the coldroom door.
"--can't say as I BLAME you, given everything that lot has done to this town. Absolute PONDSCUM of the bottom-feeding world! Terrible business, terrible FOR business, and terrible losses all around. They say there's some that came in and saved towns and people during those Seed Rains, however, and Nancy over at the shrine swears BLIND one rescued some members of the Houses from that old ruin under the city. Not that I trust her further than I could THROW her, gossip that she is." Helen sniffs loudly.
"Still, I've got family up in Pella, although that useless LOACH of a husband could have had himself swept away in the floods for all I care. I heard one of those Gate-goers fixed a fair few things around the place--"

Beaky interrupts with a derisive laugh. "Don't go believing that one. He was anything BUT a hero, and those weird spirits that looked like him started showing up everywhere after he started visiting. He was just as bad as those that blew up this place."
A pause.
"...that's what I heard, anyway."
A wooden clack echoes through the coldroom as someone puts a set of boxes down perhaps a bit harder than necessary.

"Well, I can't say as I'm completely SOLD on them being anything but troublemakers, but this one hasn't done worse than bruise a few fish. One fixed up the town, too. If you could CALL it that. Better than having a fishing pond you could sail SCHOONERS in where the bazaar should be, at any rate. Her ladyship and the mayor are still letting them in, so I say I might as well see what they'll do for myself."
So saying, Helen sticks her head around the door.
"Next lot's ready to be put away! Get it done in time and you'll be getting the best seafood this side of the Cetan Ocean!"

Ryuutarou continues the putting away of fish into the many and varied locales of placing fish while inside the fish placing-place of the fish place, curious about the weird-spirit-maker-what-makes-weird-spirits-that-look-like-his-weird-self, as he hasn't heard much of Pella beyond its existence.

Fish continue to be placed (and plaiced) into place in the fish places for fish in the fish place!

"Fixed?" Beaky responds to Helen. "I heard that one was behind everyone's memories getting messed with. And people saw it riding around the streets in a chariot throwing BODIES at people! They say it cursed the bazaar when it put it back, too. Nothing but trouble."

"Granted," Helen's voice drifts back from outside the coldroom, "There's been a MESS of strange things going on in there ever since. Can't tell what's nonsense from TRUTH, what with what's gone on and the way gossip works. The Spiritual Defense lot closing off the middle of the bazaar's just chumming the water."

Glorbuk hefts the last box of fish into place as the cook sticks her head around the corner again.

"If you two are finished in there, I'm going to start cooking. Might even have time to make a lesson out of it if you want to know something else about preparing fish in these parts."

"Great! Come on Glorbuk, let's watch the magic happen!"

The duo traipse back into the comparatively warmer climes of the kitchen. Sergeant Archer appears to have made his way into the doorway during the time they were absent, but doesn't look to have actually entered the place at any point. Presumably, Helen had something to do with that.

The chef in question has just finished forcing Beaky into a seat at one of the counters, and has set about setting about all manner of knives, pots, pans and other cooking utensils amidst a number of boxes, bottles and jars.
Helen reaches into one of the boxes, pulls out a fish, and begins.

While Helen is probably not a chef that stands among the legendary ranks of the truly great cuisiniers, she is, nonetheless, very good at what she does. The skin and scales are removed with the sweep of a knife; with another, the fish is laid open, gutted and deboned. More fish are retrieved and subsequently prepared with considerable speed, then set aside in favour of a number of potato-like roots and assorted other vegetables that get sliced, diced and cubed in a matter of moments and swept into a large, heated pan. Shakers and bottles are shaken and splashed upon the contents, along with a number of other, empty pots and pans.
The portly chef then proceeds to grab each pan in turn with one hand, and flip the prepared fish, one at a time, into each, adding different spices, herbs and oils and replacing them on the merrily-burning stovetops in a series of fluid motions. It's plain to see she's done this sort of thing many, many times before, not getting tangled up in herself or hestitating for even a second.
A medley of wonderful smells fill the air as she shakes, flips and rotates pans, always in motion, always doing something - whether it be chopping and preparing additional vegetables, adding things to pots, adjusting the flames or otherwise tending to the variety of pans on the go. It's almost hypnotic, in a way.

Ryuu is abruptly snapped out of his fish-cooking-induced trance by a loud clunk as a plate is set in front of him, a beautifully-seared fish set atop it amidst a perfectly-crisped hash of potato-things and steaming, tender vegetables. Plates have also been produced for Beaky, Glorbuk, Sharon (who either has excellent timing or is so used to the way Helen cooks that she simply knows when the best time to enter is) and Archer, who gets nodded in with a raised eyebrow from the chef that speaks volumes.
Fortunately, the presentating isn't so stunning as to prevent the dragon-chef from properly appreciating the work that went in, or indeed prevent him from taking something from the cookery that he saw.

Ryuu gets:
Swift Fish-Cooking Technique- (Passive Ability, Chef) If possessor uses a Food consumable whose name includes 'Fish' or is Water element, possessor may choose to use an additional charge on an additional target, to a maximum of once per round

Glorbuk, on the other hand, appears to have gotten something slightly different out of it:
Poissonnier's Stance- Possessor gains +5% To Hit and +5% Critical against Aquatics, possessor's 'Cook' ability may gain or solely become the element Water,

"Many thanks, Miss Helen! Let us partake in the gift this meal with joy and merriment, and the blessings of the God-King of Chefs upon us."

Eyebrows are raised at the mention of the God-King of Chefs (glory be to his masterful cuisine), but the meal is luanched into with gusto!
Seeing and smelling it is one thing, but tasting is quite another. Helen is clearly a very skilled chef, especially when it comes to cooking fish. Perfectly-seared with a mildly crispy skin that gives way to soft, piping-hot yeilding flesh with a mixture of fresh flavours that roll and transform according to the varying levels of herbs and spices scattered during the cooking procedure- Ryuu makes note of that. It seems that having non-uniform distribution of flavours makes for a more interesting and pleasant mouthful overall.
The vegetable hash is a marvelous crunchy, crispy, fluffy stratum of flavour, with nuggets of stronger taste explosions hidden within. The vegetables, by contrast, are barely seasoned at all, and somehow all the better for it, maintaining the distinctive flavours of their raw state but cooked enough to take the astringent edges off and make them a fresh, delicious accompaniment to the rest of the plate.

All in all, it's a very pleasant meal indeed.

Everyone else seems to be enjoying the food (with the exception of Helen, who likely eats like this all the time or is one of those self-critical culinary artists). It's difficult to tell with Beaky, however- his mask remains firmly in place, with the fisherman barely lifting it to allow the next forkful in. He eats quickly, mumbles thanks to Helen, takes his plate to the sink and then makes a quick exit through the back door, hurrying out of the building.

Helen rolls her eyes. "Skittish, that one, but at least he's ACTUALLY competent when it comes to fishing, unlike the rest of them. Keep giving me fish full of POISON and LUMPS."
Plates are cleared away, and a new-looking, loosely-bound notebook is thrust at Ryuutarou's snout.
"Here. I TOLD you I'd get something for your trouble, and you could PROBABLY put these to some sort of use."

The notebook has 'Recipes and Techniques for people who aren't COMPLETELY incompetent at cooking' written on the front in clear, blocky letters.

Ryuu gets:

'Recipes and Techniques for people who aren't COMPLETELY incompetent at cooking' by Helen Fein- (Permanent Consumable, Grimoire, Fire & Water, 1 Charge, 15,000,000 Gold) If user has the ability 'Chef' or 'Cook', gives user 5 Bonus Weeks that can only be used on Chef abilities and 5 Bonus Weeks that can only be used on Cook abilities, and the award ‘Has Read 'Recipes and Techniques for people who aren't COMPLETELY incompetent at cooking' by Helen Fein’, cannot be used if user has the award 'Has Read 'Recipes and Techniques for people who aren't COMPLETELY incompetent at cooking' by Helen Fein'


"Your assistance was ACCEPTABLE, I suppose," she continues, "so I'll consider you as a PASSABLY reliable source of exotic fish and a DECENT ENOUGH cook, what with those new dishes you told me about. If you get me more in future, I SUPPOSE I can see to it you get more for your trouble. Once this town gets back on its feet, people will be wanting PROPER food, and I've had to chase off half of the incompetent LOACHES calling themselves fishermen in what's left for that sorry excuse of a dock. SHARON!"
Ryuu's ears are rattled by the point-blank yell. It likely doesn't help that the target of said yelling is sitting next to him.
"HELP GET THIS LOT CLEANED UP! WE'RE OPENING IN HALF AN HOUR!"

Ryuu is, through unspoken but rather palpably implied instruction, directed out the door to leave, once again finding himself on the sunny, windy sloped street outside the Flying Catfish Restaurant.

Where does he go from here? He's got all those other properties he could look into getting unsealed so he could take a look inside (although it would seem they would have to be re-secured through mundane means). Violet could probably help with that. Maybe she's heard back about buying those two streets, too. Or maybe there were other things he wanted to look into. Dulcinea doesn't seem to be here, yet, after all.

Ryuutarou decides to head back to the city offices, in order to check in with Violet about how negotiations are going for those two additional streets. But first, he wants to check out the local grocers to see if he can whip up some Fleff as treats for the beleaguered city staff.

Ryuu, after recalling the general swathe of destruction-as-inferred-by-buyable-properties, elects to check the side streets off the main street that branch towards the edges of town, rather than checking the bazaar in what would be a long and potentially fruitless (in more ways than one) venture. He manages to locate a grocer's off the main street a way up the hill that sells the requisite ingredients for all the fleff his scaly heart could possibly desire!
Before he purchases anything, however, he hits upon the slight issue of not having any ovens or implements handy with which to properly bake said fleff. How will he overcome this obstacle?

Ryuutarou has Draconic Wisdom and the boosted wisdom of Draconic Aging on his side as he ponders his options. First he will consider the use of Apprentice Fire Synchronization, along with the Hand of Flame-tree from Elementalist and the native link to Fire that exists within the power of Dragons, and ponder whether he can replicate an oven by using such forces together (without threatening his surroundings with Trogdorian Burnination, which he hears is absolutely dreadful for the peasantry).

Ryuutarou, channeling the powers of his Draconic Wisdom, decides he can indeed use his power over flame to approximate an oven to bakes his fleff.
Then his powers of being a Chef tactfully point out that, even if he did do that, he'd need to get the proper utensils to actually prepare the ingredients, mix the batter, and set the proto-fleff on without it oozing off in order to actually get them baking properly, not to mention the issue of temperature control in an open-air, non-encapsulated environment and maintaining it as a constant for the entire duration of the fleff-baking procedure.
And that's not even approaching the potential to, as he is rightly concerned about, burning the town down.

Maybe trying that sort of thing would be good training for Extreme Survival Baking and improving his skills as a chef and pyromancer both, but as he's looking to make tasty treats for some likely rather overworked people, perhaps a more conventional approach would be preferable.

After pondering many ponders, making many thoughtful thinking noises, and stroking his chin with (potentially alarming) frequency, he recalls that he actually brought along a number of Fleff in his Bag of Holding! He will instead serve several of those to the city staff, and after completing his business there, will consider what need be done to acquire a kitchen (which may involve opening one of the sealed properties.

However, since he's already at the grocer's store, he will also pick up enough supplies to make 4 dozen fleff of various varieties, as well as the raw supplies necessary to make mochi.

Ryuu, upon realising his befleffment, opts to buy more raw materials anyway.

He spends 12,500 Gold!

He gets:
25 Flour- (Consumable, Food, Fire, 1 Charge, 100 Gold) +5 HP
25 Sugar- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 AGI

5 Chocolate- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +2 AGI, +30 MP
5 Lemon- (Consumable, Food, Acid, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) 1% Acid Resistance
5 Mulberry- (Consumable, Food, Water & Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 MIN
5 Pistachios- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 CON, +50 HP
5 Pecans- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 STR, +5 AGI, +5 SPI

5 Sweet Rice Flour- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Fire, 1 Charge, 200 Gold) +5 HP, +5 MP
5 Sweet Bean Paste- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 MP, +3 AGI

That should be enough to make a little over 4 dozen fleff of assorted flavours, as well as some mochi.

He remains oven-less, but in order to gain access to an oven, he'll need to unseal a property, which would require his visiting the town hall (and Violet) anyway.
Fortunately, the town hall is in a prominent location near the shore, and Ryuu can easily recall the route by which to get there, wending his way down the windy hillside and across the wharfs to the stares of many a passer-by and the squawking of gulls. A large number of the stalls along the route are still empty (and, Ryuu notes, don't look like they've been maintained). Perhaps their owners haven't come back to set up shop, or perhaps they're no longer able to. Perhaps they haven't found new owners, yet. The dragon-chef got the impression that things are moving somewhat slowly on the beaurocracy-front, given recent events and its effect on the populace.

The town hall remains much as he left it- which is to say, 'a mess'. The atrium is still carpeted with random pieces of dirtied, trodden-on paperwork, and the interior remains somewhat dingy even with the morning light filtering through the windows.
The reception desk is also much as he recalls- piled high with papers, and with the graying-haired receptionist still firmly ensconced in place. Perhaps she hasn't moved. There's certainly enough papers to blockade her in.

She levels the intruders into the domain of Bureaucratic Dilapidation with a Look over pearl-strung glasses.
"Back again, I see," she intones hoarsely. "And to what do we owe today's visit? Not planning to treat us as a vault again, I would hope?"

"No, actually. I've brought some pastries for the staff as an apology for what happened yesterday, and then I had a few questions for Violet, if she's available."

The stare remains unimpressed.
"Eating during non-break hours is very frowned upon in this establishment, I will have you know."
Her gaze slides to the literal stack of boxes in Ryuu's scaled hands.
"...however, due to current circumstances, I suppose an exception can be made for the sake of staff morale. You may leave the boxes there. Violet is presently working in her office."

The woman indicates with a finger towards the doors of the office the dragon-chef first met the harried civil servant. She does not, however, show any indication of indicating where the pastries might be put, in particular. There's certainly not much room on the desk.

As a skilled Veilwalker, Ryuutarou places the boxes on the cleared corner of the desk, then casts

Unburdened Weight- (Spell, Ethereal Magic, Air, 900 MP, 78,000 Gold) Target two buffs and this buff may be carried together in one buff slot, stacks 3 times, does not stack with other Ethereal Magic spells that allow multiple buffs to be carried in single buff slots

on them to maintain their balance along the corner. Should Miss Official or Sergeant Archer become concerned, he will inform them of the effect of the spell he is performing.

One explanation later, Ryuu, using his capable grasp of Ethereal Magic, sets up a precarious, weightless tower of boxes that hang in place due to their Unburdened Weight, thus potentially creating the first incidence of Zero-Gravity Fleff known to the world (and perhaps the Universe itself)!

Goal summarily accomplished, the dragon-chef meanders his way to the office, heedless of eyebrows raised in his wake.

The office is just as dark and messy as it was the day before. Stacks of papers, piles of folders, and blinds repurposed as noticeboards all remain mostly as they were. Within the gloom, Violet sits at her desk, the picture of professionalism as she examines documents in exactingly minute detail.
Very, extremely exactingly minute, given how close her face is to them.
That fine print must be very fine indeed.

Or perhaps she's actually fallen asleep face-first into one of her folders.

The latter theory is confirmed as Glorbuk clears his thoat loudly, prompting the woman to jerk upright, a pair of documents stuck to the side of her face.
"Hwuh-- here! Who is--"
A moment of sleepy flailing ensues as her eyes catch up to the (lack of) vision provided by the overly-familiar sheets of paperwork and her hands attempt to rectify the sitution. After a few moments of valiant battle with rather-more-literal layers of bureaucracy than one generally tends to experience, Violet manages to focus on the trio of visitors.
"Oh! I wasn't expecting people at this time of... time. What time is it?"
She squints at the light filtering past the edges of the blinds.

"Approximately eight-twenty in the morning," Sergeant Archer responds. "It would appear you have taken a rather literal approach to 'sleeping on the issues of the day before', as they say."

"Eight...? Oh. Oh dear. I, uh, must've dozed off while I was checking the bazaar bylaws regarding... well, a lot of things. Hello again... you. Ryuu. Tarou. Mr." A hand claps itself to her forehead and drags over her face. "Sorry. It's been a... time. Good morning. Mr. Ishinori. What can I do for you today?"

[Aeromage]

"Miss Violet, if you need more sleep, I'd be happy to come back later. If you have someone you could send along to get my estate unlocked though, I could see about stocking the estate properly while you finish resting."

Violet shakes her head.
"No, no, I should be fine. Besides, the mayor was very interested to hear what you were doing, and said the amount of property you were buying up, combined with the possibility of a shopping district specialising in goods from outside this world... well, it's put you down as something of a priority. On the plus side, you're going to be getting those two streets of shops you wanted! There were a few... concerns... about your status, however, given everything that's happened to... everything, here, but he said he'd be talking with the town guard to organise some sort of... something or other. Anything you bring in to stock from outside is probably going to need to be looked at, first, but that's pretty far off, considering you haven't even had a chance to look at the things you bought in from... inside... the bazaar. Shop-wise."
She scrunches her nose and rubs the sleep from her eyes.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm really the only person free to deal with this sort of thing right now. Even if I wasn't told to prioritise you. We're short-staffed as it is because of all the... well, everything that happened, and given what everyone else has to deal with, I don't want to pull them out of what they're working on."

Violet begins rummaging around in her desk drawers, digging up yet more folders. "Let's see, I put them here somewhere... which estate was it you wanted to look at? I think you bought two of them. Not the one with the swimming pool in the upstairs, though." She flicks through one of the files. "And you purchased those shops as well... things haven't finalised on those two streets coming out from the square, yet, so I'll hold off on getting the ward keys for those for now, but I can probably get the keys for the shops in the square if you wanted to look into one of those. And, uh, didn't mind leaving them unwarded. I mean, there's probably keys to the properties in there somewhere, and the town guard have been amazingly good at cracking down on anyone who thought they could take advantage of the... event... to break in places, but just in case... ah!"

A jingling sound heralds Violet's triumphant return from her desk-spelunking with a small ring of keys. She turns to a large cabinet, unlocks it, stumbles back as a small avalance of files pour out from their precarious stacks within, and unlocks a safe inside with an embarrassed cough.
"So, that's... what were you wanting to see today, again?"

"Just the first estate we visited yesterday, Violet. I wanted to look the place over, figure out what needs fixing or replacing, and do some cooking to help keep the staff here at their best. Dulcinea should be arriving tomorrow, and we can start our more thorough inspection then."

"Just the first one. Right. So that'll be this... no, this one..."
A somewhat metallic, clinking rattle echoes from the safe.
"...I think an artists lives- lived there. I don't know much about him, but I think he was pretty good? He made enough to afford that estate, after all. Or maybe he was from a merchant family, or some favoured servants of the House..."

Violet resurfaces with a strangely-shaped key and re-locks the safe before turning back around to face Ryuu. Then turns around again, relocks the cabinet and turns back to face Ryuu. Then turns around again, unlocks the cabinet, attempts to stuff the folders that fell out the first time back in, gets re-avalanched, sighs, and re-locks the cabinet.

"I'll... I'll just lock the office behind us. It's not like anyone else is using it right now, anyway..."
Dragon, goblin, guard and harried civil servant file out of the office, through the atrium (where it appears a couple of the boxes' weight has become a little too unburdened, judging by the way they're floating) and out into the fresh, blustery air and bright sunshine outside. Violet squints and shields her eyes with her folder-stack.
"Well, if you'll just follow me, I'll take you back to that... well, your new home. One of them. I could probably use the fresh air, to be honest. I've been spending far too much time in there trying to get everything straightened out..."
Violet's low heels click on the flagstones of the wharfside road as she makes her way towards the main hillside street.
"...now, I don't really expect there to be any issues, as the place is now yours- along with everything in it, and all those other places too- and we've done as much as we can to reach out to family and the like based on the records we have, so the only properties we've been selling are those that people's relatives didn't want to claim or, used to be owned by people who didn't have relatives, or whose relatives aren't... around... anymore, but if you find any... personal paperwork or the like, we at the town hall would appreciate it if you could forward it on to us. Or the places they're involved with. Given how much we had to do and how little time we've had to deal with... well, anything, we haven't had a chance to go through places as thoroughly as we'd like, and I really don't want us to end up having to deal with a spate of identity thefts, or tax problems, or problems with the banks... not that I think you'd do anything like that," she adds hurridly, "it's just that we don't want any more trouble coming down on us when we're trying to build ourselves back up from... being rebuilt. After being very not-built."

She walks in silence for a minute or two.

"...and, uh, I kind of forgot to mention a couple of things that probably won't affect you at all, but I've been hearing that things have been a bit... odd around town. Odder than could be explained away by having half our population gone for... various reasons, or from potential looters--"
"A 'dwindling demographic doomed to incarceration and removal', as has been stated in prior reports," Archer interrupts.
"...yes. The Town Guard has been doing a very good job despite everything that's been happening. Everyone's very grateful, believe me. But, Mr. Ishinori, if you happen to come across anything... odder than usual, please let us- well, me, as I'm the current head and only member of the Marefore Property Redistribution and Support Taskforce- know, and I'll... not be able to do much, really, but I can contact people who probably can. I'm sure it's mostly just the sort of rumours that always come around after a town loses so many people and then gets... rebuilt... suddenly... without..." she trails off.
"...on second thought, I think we might be in new territory here. No wonder that person from the Aspengrove Foundation looked so excited to be here."

The group passes the Flying Catfish restaurant once more, taking the turns and routes necessary to arrive in the more upscale district of the town at the upper edge. The familiar view of the white-blossoming trees, now mostly bare, and the white carpet of petals covering the terraced gardens beyond hoves into view as they continue.

"It's very nice of you to offer to do some cooking for us, Mr. Ishinori. I'm sure it'll go a great way towards improving morale in the offices. Most of us haven't had any time to go home, let alone make food lately..."
Violet picks her way across the petal-covered grounds, fishing the peculiar key out of a pocket as she reaches the heavy, dark wood of the front door. Contrary to expectation, instead of putting the key in the lock, she presses it flat against the door's surface.
A sharp ping stings Ryuu's ears, and a sudden rippling distortion spreads from the key's location to envelop the building before vanishing like a popped soap bubble. The key cracks and crumbles to black dust.

Violet dusts her hands off. "Right! That should have dealt with the ward. Welcome to your new--" her hand rattles the handle of the door, failing to budge it. "--um. I... guess the own- previous owner locked up before what happened... well, happened. Maybe I should have called for a locksmith on the way up. If we have any left. I think most of them are-- were- in the bazaar, and..."
She turns, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"...well, perhaps there's an unlocked back door, ooooor maybe a window we can get through! I'm sure there are more keys inside, somewhere. It'll be like an adventure! Starting off life in a new home with a treasure hunt! Where the treasure is finding a method to get... into... your new home..."

Ryuutarou ponders, thinks, wonders, and meditates upon this problem.

His first thought is to make use once more of his skills as a Veilwalker! Walls and Doors are just really thick veils, right?

So, he decides to follow his Knowledge of Ethereal Pathways, attempting to find one that can reach a location inside the house, so he can return to the front door to unlock it!

BRILLIANT!

Veilwalker! The class of Ethereal Magic! The study of magics involving incorporeality and generally getting-around-things!
Now that the ward is down, the estate before him is just a mundane, if fancy house! Surely, that minor mishap with the floating pastries earlier was just a one-off!

.
.
.

Ryuu considers, as his eyes adjust to the slightly dimmer interior light and his sinuous backside waggles in a somewhat undignified fashion in the bright sunshine outside, that perhaps he is having a slight off-day with regards to Ethereal Magic.
Or perhaps the building is slightly warded in some other way.
Or perhaps that Ethereal Pathway just wasn't as big as it looked from the outside.

Still, after a few more embarrassing minutes of waggling, he manages to force the pathway open enough to get the rest of himself through the front door and into the space beyond.
The entrance hall's dark, polished wood reflects back warm reddish tones in the morning sunlight, the rich grain of the well-maintained floorboards and subtly patterned wallpaper managing to prevent the place from seeming spartan, despite the lack of furniture here. A somehow understated yet tasteful chandelier hangs from the ceiling, quietly sparkling in the light.

Daylight floods in from where the hall opens up on the left into that central room Ryuu saw ealier, and through an archway on the right to a room he couldn't quite see into due to its fancy textured glass windows. At the far end of the entrance hall, a double staircase wraps around a small circular sofa, a plinth containing a large vase containing the long-dead remains of rotting flowers set in the middle. A door is set into the wall beyond it.

Turning himself around, it transpires that the main door is, thankfully, fairly simple to unlock from the inside. Doing so reveals Archer (stoic), Glorbuk (stoic in the trying-not-to-laugh sort of way), and Violet (concerned).

"Sorry about that, it just wasn't quite as big as it looked from the outside! No worries, though, I'm perfectly fine!"

He then leads the rest of the party in exploring the estate, following that standby of dungeon navigation, "Go left until you can't go left anymore, then retrace until you have the option to go somewhere you haven't yet."

-------------

Glorbuk, having a bit more in the way of native cunning than our perhaps-overly-friendly-chef-who-is-currently-a-dragon, checks under any mats, loose stones, or nearby flowerpots for a spare key before joining the rest.

-------------

CURRENT FURNISHINGS NEEDING REPLACEMENT
1 Dead Plant

Glorbuk investigates around the outside entrance and the entrance hall itself, quietly muttering to himself. No decorative stones or planters outside seem to hold any spare keys. The large, tasteful mat doesn't prove to have anything in it, and he doesn't appear to find anything squirreled away in the woodwork or the sofa...plinth... thing. The vase is similarly empty of anything except the unpleasant remains of long-dead flowers.

Ryuu leads Violet and Archer to the sunny, open space to the left!
It's that central room he saw from outside. Huge windows line the wall looking out over the terraced gardens and blossom-shedding flowers to the rest of the town and the sea below. It's a rather nice view, and the room is bathed with the morning sunlight.
This definitely seems to be the focal point of the building. Tastefully-matched dark wooden furniture with warm-toned cushions are arranged around large, open room in little groups, around low tables or sculptures. Tall bookcases and carved partitions break up the space a bit, dotted here and there with cabinets. Books and small knickknacks or objets d'art line the shelves.

Looking around the room, it appears that an internal gallery runs around the upper part of the chamber, with both part of the staircase from the entrance hall and a second staircase rising to meet it from within the room itself providing access. There's some doors up there, but he can't quite see from his current position on the ground floor.
On the current level, with his back to the windows, he can see seven exits on this level, not including the stairs.
On the right-hand side of the room, one is the way he came from, leading to the entrance hall.
A dark-wood door recessed into the space between the stairways leads to what he believes is the same room that door between the entrance hall's stairs goes to.
At the far end of the right-hand side, a hall leads off into the rest of the estate.
Two large sets of double doors with paths cleared to them between the furniture are set into the left-hand wall.
Two more sets of double doors are set into the far wall, beyond some partitions, with a fireplace between them.

The place seems fairly big!

Ryuutarou will wander the room, taking a closer look at anything that happens to ping on his Arena-senses as more valuable, and checking book titles for things he or his friends might be interested in reading later. After satisfying himself, he will move on to Left Double Doors #1.

Ryuu takes in the estate's- his, he reminds himself- central... living room? Entertaining area? He could certainly envision throwing a fancy party in this, with canapés and cocktails flowing as people chat in comfortable groups and admire the sculptures.
That probably what the original owner did, in any case.

He settles for looking around to check for the most valuable and notable things within.

The most obviously-notable things are the large sculptures placed around the room. One particularly large one of smoothed, dark wood in the form of... some sort of abstract-ish humanoid? catches his eye, along with one that looks a little like a helical tree of dark wood inset with sections of white, translucent crystal revealing a hollow interior. It makes a shifting, faint musical tone as he gets closer to it.
The books mostly look to be art-books, or coffee-table type works for light reading or to provoke discussion and provide conversational topics. Some of them look rather nice, and the couple Ryuu flicks through have some lovely images in them. Sitting in the sunny room with one of these would likely be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Some things he finds most notable for what he's looking for:
*'Perseverence' by Arthur Driscoel- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood, 700,000 Gold)
*'Hidden Melody' by Arthur Driscoel- (Item, Antiquity, Wood & Air & Sonic, 1,200,000 Gold)
8 Sculpture Made By Arthur Driscoel- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood, 250,000 Gold)

'Moonstone-Made Modern Marvels'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 80,000 Gold)
'The Wayfarer- Landscapes of the Spirit World, Vol. I'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water & Light & Darkness, 90,000 Gold)
'The Wayfarer- Landscapes of the Spirit World, Vol. II'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water & Light & Darkness, 110,000 Gold)
'The Wayfarer- Landscapes of the Spirit World, Vol. III'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water & Light & Darkness, 150,000 Gold)
'Unda, The Sea'- (Item, Antiquity, Light & Darkness & Water, 180,000 Gold)

Archer is watching the dragon-chef with a practised eye, occasionally looking at one sculpture or other suspiciously. Violet has sat herself down on a comfortable-looking chair and is shuffling through one of her folders.


Having found Things Of Interest, Ryuu heads to the pair of double doors closest to the external windows on the left-hand side. Pushing them open reveals what is obviously a dining room, immediately given away by the large, long table dominating the space, made of dark polished wood that gleams in the morning sunlight. Pretty, yet not overblown chandeliers hang from the ceiling, their crystals catching the sunlight and refracting it into little rainbows that paint the subtly-patterned wallpaper and richly-grained wooden floor. Low cabinets, presumably holding dinnerware and doubling as surfaces to rest food and beverages for larger gatherings line the room.
Two doors are set into the far wall, beyond the table, and another door is set into the far right-hand (from Ryuu's current perspective, at the entrance) side wall, next to a closed wooden counter-hatch. Recalling what he saw of the layout, the kitchens are probably beyond there.
There's a faint, unpleasant smell in the air. Ryuu, being a chef, instantly recognises it as the stench of spoiled food.

"I can smell the stench of rotten food! Glorbuk, prepare yourself! WE MUST GO, THE KITCHEN NEEDS US!"

The door next to the hatch is thrown open, and a wall of rotting stench rolls out to assault Ryuu's senses!
The kitchens are large- larger, it seems, than the dining room, dominated by dark wooden counters topped with polished slabs of grey-veined black stone and rows of matching cabinets. Large sinks sit beneath a wide set of windows in the left-hand wall, pouring in sunlight and offering a pleasant view of a section of somewhat weed-strewn herb garden beyond. A set of odd-looking ovens sit next to one another, their 'hobs' odd arrangements of some red crystal-like materials, peculiar dials inscribed with strange sigils arrayed across them.

On the right-hand wall, a familiar set of double doors doubtless leads back to the main room, presumably providing ready access for those dinner parties that overspill the dining room and require additional refreshments at a moment's notice. A pair of dumbwaiters stand either side of the doors, one open, one shut.
On the far wall (from Ryuu's perspective), an open door leads into a dark room where the faint suggestion of shelves can be made out. Another door, this one significantly heavier-looking and made of a somewhat-metallic, somewhat-glassy material is set further along the wall, firmly shut.

The main source of the smell seems to be coming from the open door. Presumably, it's a storeroom of some sort. The kitchen itself isn't entirely innocent, however, as one of the preparation surfaces is covered in the slimy, blackened remains of what might once have been a cooked bird, if the protruding black bones are anything to go by. A set of pots by the stove overflow with clouds of mould, and one of the sinks is stained with some unmentionable product of culinary waste left to rot along with the dishes within.
A tray lies haphazardly in the middle of the floor, broken crockery spilling out from it, a dark stain set onto the stone tiles beneath.

While beholding the dread state of the Kitchen, Ryuutarou falls not into temptations of despair, but instead begins to weave a tale of Hope the wonders that shall be created there.

"Glorbuk! I can see it now!" he shouts exuberantly, as he runs through the kitchen opening windows, "Dinner parties with guests by the score! A Fifteen Course Walrusfeast, to introduce the citizenry to the wonders of both Dead Walruses and Holiday Ramen!" The wind kicks up, whisking away the disgusting scents of the rotting foods, "Truly, a kitchen where dreams can be made, and served to the awaiting guests!"

He blitzes through the cupboards, checking first under the sink, in search of the Cleaning Supplies he will require for this quest!

--------

Abilities in use:
Hope Manipulation, to create a Zone of Hope
Apprentice Air Synchronization (along with Basic Command of Air) to create the breeze
Good old fashioned elbow grease (Base STR 20, Base CON 15, Bussboy)

Ryuu lays down a Zone of Hope within his new culinary domain, and sets to work (with the reluctant assistance of Glorbuk).
Windows are opened! Breezes created! Cupboards thrown wide and their contents perused!

Rather a lot of what's in the cupboards and cabinets in the kitchen itself are crockery of varying levels of fanciness, glassware and serving vessels of different size and use, a wide range of cooking utensils, pots and pans, and a variety of oils and seasonings, most of which are probably still good to use.
Cleaning supplies are eventually tracked down under the sinks, along with cleaning cloths (some of which are oddly brittle with age).

The open storeroom proves to have yet more cleaning supplies, including much-needed mops and brooms. It also, however, proves to be in rather greater need of cleaning, as it was clearly the kitchen's main food and dry storage area and clearly hasn't been tended to in a fair while. Boxes are eaten through with mould and mildew, trails of slime and dark unidentifiable masses clumped within sacks and bags, spilling over onto the surrounding shelves and spread along the floor at their bases. Rows of jars, cloudy with rot, line the walls.

Ryuu's culinary knowledge prods the rest of his brain. This is somewhat peculiar. Ryuu got the impression Marefore's catastrophe and subsequent restoration didn't happen that long ago- a few months, at most- so why are some of these preserves so clearly well-past their expiration dates?

The storeroom, thankfully, has a door that leads to a well-paved area containing a screened-off row of dustbins and a path leading off to another screened-off which, as he finds out during the course of his subsequent cleanup, leads to an incinerator and compost heap.
Also notable in the storeroom is a set of stairs leading down into a cellar. The stairs have an oddly-shaped metal frame set into the walls on either side, which, after some racking of his brain, the dragon-chef thinks might be to assist in getting barrels down there more easily.

Cleaning takes place in earnest! Glorbuk is... rather less help than the dragon-chef would prefer, taking considerably longer to deal with the mess than the comparative blur that is Ryuu. Perhaps he needs to apply more work to the 'butler' part of his training and less to the 'battle' part.

The sharp morning sunlight has softened into the bright light of noon by the time the kitchen is properly scrubbed to satisfaction. The tiles and stone surfaces were, thankfully, easy to clean, but the hideous mess that was the storeroom provided rather more of a challenge.
The heavy glassy-metallic door set further along the wall proved to lead to a coldroom, its walls set with blue-white crystals and similarly-coloured metallic bands or conduits that kept it at a constant low temperature, with a further internal freezer-section.
Unfortunately, it also proved to contain a fair amount of bottled dairy products and other short-life items that certainly didn't improve with age. That took a while to deal with, too.

"Wonderful, simply wonderful! Clean at last!" Ryuutarou enthuses. "LET THE COOKING COMMENCE!"

Turning to the ovens, he is immediately reminded that they are *most* unusual, and begins pondering the meaning of their arrangements and sigils...

"Erm... Sergeant Archer... do you know what these symbols mean on the ovens?"

Ryuu ponders the most mysterious and challenging obstacle in his quest so far: working out the settings on a new oven.
Taking a closer look at it, some of those symbols seem to be slightly familiar. Where has he seen th-

-ah.

They're symbols written in the Tongue of Flame. The oven must be powered by Elemental Magic somehow!
It's a rather peculiar sight, although it makes sense, in a way. If this world doesn't have much to do with technology, then why shouldn't it advance through magic instead?
Taking that particular line of thought into consideration, it's possible that in this context, that dial controls the heat for one of the ovens, while that one might involve... duration? Presumably the other dials would control the top oven and the 'hobs'... and that one looks like it might have something to do with... direction? Hm.

Sergeant Archer walks over, mace clanking against his thigh. He gazes at the oven and the dragon pawing at it, unimpressed.
"One of the 'inconvenient conveniences of the modern age', or so I have heard them described. I've not been in a position to use or encounter one of those before. Moonstone Ovens are an 'essential priced too high to be anything but a luxury', as has been said. Whoever lived here must have had 'more money than sense'."

Despite the guardsman's unflattering opinion of the ovens, they do look like very nice, if unconventionally-run, devices.
A closer look at the hobs shows that they are indeed made of circular arrangements of little red... marbles? Those must be moonstones. The oven chambers themselves have more of the little marbles set at regular intervals inside them. Assuming his guesses are correct, those dials probably activate the... moonstones... somehow, and cause it to heat up. Possibly with a function to direct the heat in specific ways, or set variances in temperature and cooking time, or something. Perhaps there's a manual somewhere.

Ryuutarou has some ideas floating around for experimentation, but he probably shouldn't waste too much of Violet's day without looking over the whole house first...

"I suppose I'll have to hope we can turn up a manual on how this thing works for now, Sergeant... Oh! Something odd I noticed when cleaning out the place, some of the canned preserves in the pantry had gone considerably bad before our arrival, something that usually takes much more than the few months that this place has been uninhabited. Did Arthur Driscoel happen to disappear prior to the explosion in the Bazaar by any notable amount of time?"

Archer shakes his head.
"It's most likely due to that 'idiotic nuisance of an unexpected saviour,' as I have heard them referred to as. After that fox-creature from Nexus did something to the town's time in an effort to restore it- with 'as much prior warning and permission as an uninvited mother-in-law', as I have heard it said- it is believed that it left its magic lingering in the town. There have been reports of 'alleys you have to walk down five times to walk down once', new items turned into spirit-inhabited antiques or rotting ruins, old items becoming like new, strange things appearing from nowhere- a 'colossal waste of time brought about by wasteful use of time brought about by a colossal idiot', as the Captain said."

"Whoa! Sadly, I don't really have the skills to help out with that, but maybe Dulcinea will be able to help out once she gets here..."

Ryuutarou sets out once more, through the kitchen doors into the central chamber, walking softly in case Violet has fallen asleep. If she (still) slumbers, he will leave her to it, and continue exploring the estate in a generally clockwise fashion.

"It's just as well you don't. The Captain was pushing to make 'turning time back on itself and making a catastrophic hash of things,' as she said, punishable by law. Along with 'disrespectful conveyance of the deceased, comatose or soulless, regardless of racial status' and 'operating a chariot within town limits without a permit'."

Ryuu pads through the central room, casting a glance back towards the windows. Violet has indeed fallen asleep in her sunlit chair, a small pile of folders spilling onto the floor beside her. She must have been more exhausted than she let on.

Clockwise takes Ryuu to the first set of double doors on the northern-ish wall, to the left of a large fireplace and the cluster of seats and side tables that sit around it. Opening the doors reveals something of a cross between a library and a drafting-room. Tall bookcases line the walls, interrupted here and there by windows with curtains drawn. Light filters through the gaps in the material, and issues from a small array of lamps set at regular intervals from the bookcases' dividers and pendant lights hanging from the ceiling. The scent of old paper and leather fills the air.
A couple of desks take central position at the far end of the room under a larger window, one an angled drawing table, the other a more conventional affair piled with open books.

[Aeromage]

More books! Better look them over in case there's something of interest... maybe even directions for that confounding oven!

He also takes a look over whatever works happen to be present in the studio, curious to see other examples of the sculptor's art.

The vast majority of the books lining the shelves look to be art reference books. Peculiarly, despite the lack of technology in the world, some of them contain colour pictures that look rather like photographs.
Most of them concern works of art, principally sculpture, by other artists, both current and historical, but there are also a large number dedicated to architecture from (what Ryuu assumes is) around the world. A fair few also concern natural wonders and accounts (and images) of places in the Spirit World which would certainly fit the bill as 'artistically inspiring'. It would seem that Mr. Driscoel was the sort to pull inspiration from all over.

The library also includes a significant section on woodworking techniques and methods, as well as catalogues on types and varieties of wood and their properties, several of which appear to be dedicated to rarer types of wood.

A small, but notable section of well-thumbed tomes concerns Moonstones and the uses thereof, from discovery in raw form to refining, cutting, and properly working to allow for more focused, desired expressions of their latent power to be brought forth. Some of these are open on the desk along with a few pages of notes suggesting Mr. Driscoel was planning to do something with Cintho Moonstones in such a way that it would imbue a sculpture with the power of constantly-flowing water while preventing the wood from swelling or rotting. A number of carefully-annotated sketches, with measurements, are attached to the drawing-board, depicting a curved sheet of various woods set with bits of moonstone. The overall impression the dragon-chef gets is that of a freestanding waterfall, which, if the piece turns out as intended, would end up either constantly generating a self-contained flow of water along the sculpture's surface to make it look like a waterfall tumbling down a cliff-face, or potentially somehow making the wood itself flow like water whilst retaining its overall shape. It seems Mr. Driscoel was planning to make one or two trial-sculptures to test out his skills with both ideas.

He identifies the most-valuable books as:

'On The Buried Cities Of The Nightmare Moon Era And Their Architecture'- (Item, Antiquity, Darkness & Earth, 500,000 Gold)
'The Graceful Bough'- (Item, Antiquity, Wood, 240,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. I'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 200,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. II'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 200,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. III'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood & Air & Sonic & Fire & Light & Water & Acid, 300,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. IV'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood & Air & Sonic & Fire & Light & Water & Acid , 300,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. V'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood & Life & Air & Sonic & Crystal (2) & Fire & Light & Metal & Water & Acid & Flux, 450,000 Gold)
'Vistas of the Spirit World'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water & Light & Darkness, 271,000 Gold)
'Trees of Legend and Historical Account'- (Item, Antiquity, Wood, 500,000 Gold)


This room is not a studio. Ryuu does, however, recall that there was a room that looked studio-ish he saw from outside that is likely the one next to this library.
His recollection is confirmed when he makes the trip to the room next door.
Ryuu's nose is assaulted by a sudden rush of smells- sawdust, resin, lacquers, a variety of woody scents and some undertones of woodsmoke and chemical tang.

The room is rather large. Nowhere near as large as the central room, of course, but big enough to contain several workbenches, racks of shelves, cabinets filled with all manner of bottles and jars, and hanging rails holding various tools. A large, heavy door leads to a spacious storeroom containing (along with what look to be drying cupboards and many rows of shelves) something that looks like a bit like a kiln, and some sort of heavy cabinet containing thick metal rollers and a deep, water-stained basin at its bottom.

Sculptures are everywhere, sitting on workbenches, finished on shelves, standing in large (drying?) cabinets or, in one notably prominent case, covered with a large drop-cloth.
Ryuu's skills and knowledge in the non-culinary arts are rather lacking. From what he can gather from the room's contents, however, it would seem Mr. Driscoel's style was somewhat abstract, mostly focused on carved and formed wood in flowing lines and shapes. Most of the sculptures look like they were made using at least two or more varieties of wood.
He might not know art, but they're rather pleasant.

The dropcloth, once removed, reveals the familiar shape of that waterfall-ish sculpture depicted in sketch-form back in the library! From the holes in the thing, however, it would seem like Mr. Driscoel never got around to finishing it off with those moonstones. A small number of foot-high versions of the same sculpture stand on a jeweler's workbench at the side of the room near a pair of doors to the outside, some running with water that never spills off the surface of the sculpture, others rotted, and one particularly odd one contained in a bucket, its wood flowing like liquid.

The most notable things Ryuu finds in here:

*'Cascade' (Unfinished), Arthur Driscoel's Final Work- (Item, Antiquity, Wood, 5,500,000 Gold)

Pouch of Moonstone Shards- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood & Air & Sonic & Fire & Light & Water & Ice, 5,000,000 Gold)
Pouch of Cintho Moonstone Shards- (Item, Antiquity, Water & Ice, 1,250,000 Gold)
2 Test Sculpture: 'Cascade' (Wood Only Variant)- (Item, Antiquity, Wood, 300,000 Gold)
3 Test Sculpture: 'Cascade' (Moonstone-Created Surface Waterfall Variant)- (Item, Antiquity, Wood & Water, 650,000 Gold)
Unsuccessful Test Sculpture: 'Cascade' (Moonstone-Induced Wood-Flowing Variant) in a Bucket- (Item, Antiquity, Wood & Water & Flux, 100,000 Gold)
2 Unsuccessful Test Sculpture: 'Cascade' (Rotted)- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Water & Darkness, 500 Gold)
16 Sculpture Made By Arthur Driscoel- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood, 250,000 Gold)

Moonstone-Worker's Tools- (Item, Crafting Equipment, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 500,000 Gold) Not consumed in combinations it is a part of

Ryuutarou is impressed with the level of craftsmanship displayed by both the not-quite-finished product and the test sculptures preceding it. He also goes over to the bucket, curious, and pokes the side and sloshes it a bit (being careful to keep the contents inside the bucket) to observe how the (liquified?) wood reacts.

After that, he will put the drop-cloth back over the sculpture and continue his generally-clockwise investigation of the house.

The wood-liquid-stuff sloshes and splashes as Ryuu jostles it, much like a soup. Or perhaps a custard. Interestingly, it seems like the wooden liquid-stuff maintains its pattern, suggesting that while it might be liquid, all the various bits are holding together in some form or other. Little bits of blue crystal- presumably moonstones- wink and shimmer in the sloshing bucket of attempted art, just as liquid as the rest of it.
What a peculiar thing.

Dropcloth reapplied, Ryuu sets off out of the studio and out of the central room by its northmost entrance! A short corridor, lined with a rug that complements the dark wood of the floor and the subtle wallpaper, cuts into the side of a long hallway that appears, from the tall, decoratively opaque window at one end and the glass doors at the other, to stretch the entire width of the building.

It would appear this is the room where Mr. Driscoel displayed his pieces in a gallery setting, rather than as (presumably) conversational centrepieces or background for whatever events he put on in the central room. The long, airy hall is well-lit from the windows, chandeliers and subtle wall lights, providing ample illumination for the sculptures lining the walls and set at intervals along the middle of the room. Much as the others Ryuu saw, they all look to be somewhat-abstract pieces made of wood in, for the most part, flowing lines and shapes. Several look like they have moonstones in them, and there looks to be a small series which have actually sprouted leaves and flowers, presumably by design. A soft background humming, chiming noise that shifts in melodic intervals quietly echoes through the hall.
Chairs stand here and there, presumably to allow the visitor to properly Appreciate The Art without having to stand around too much for it.

Besides the glass doors (which lead to an enclosed porch area with dead hanging baskets), the archway he entered by and another down the far end that looks like it probably leads back to the entrance hall, there are two other doors leading off from the gallery. One is set in the wall almost opposite the archway Ryuu came from, made of wood in a colour that, perhaps deliberately, blends in with the wall. The other takes the form of a pair of glass double-doors set opposite the entrance-hall archway. From the way the light is streaming through them, it's likely they lead to that sunroom he saw from outside.

Ryuutarou heads for the sneaky door! Secret passages are always the most fun, after all!

The sneaky door is set upon and opened to reveal a sneaky hallway!

Or perhaps just one of the regular variety. This one looks somewhat less decorated than the rest of the house, however- the lights hanging from the ceiling are more 'simple' than 'subtle', although not going quite so far as to land in the 'spartan' territory, and the walls look to be painted plaster rather than wallpapered.
Two doors are set into the northern wall of the hallway (to Ryuu's left) and four in the southern. The hall ends in another unobtrusive door, too.

He will open each door and inspect the contents of each room. Perhaps this is where the key is hiding? Or the manual for that stupid oven...

With the assistance of Glorbuk, doors are opened decisively!

The closest left-hand door opens to reveal... a storeroom. Rather than the rotting foodstuffs or assorted artistic paraphenalia of the previous two, this one looks like it's more concerned with cleaning supplies, stacks of household goods, assorted containers containing assorted things, and a corner dedicated to gardening supplies and pots. It looks like some effort was made to keep things in order in here, but the pots and brooms definitely seem to be at war in some fashion or another.

The further left-hand-door opens to reveal a comfortable-looking, if somewhat plain room containing a pair of armchairs, a table with three chairs, a fireplace and a couple of bookshelves. A tea set sits on the table, its teapot overflowing with mould.
The far wall has large, wide windows looking out onto the rear gardens and a solid-looking door providing access from outside.
Perhaps this was a parlour or staff room of some sort?

Right-hand door #1 opens to a blast of dusty floral scent and reveals a bedroom containing a bed (pink), a desk (painted pink), a chair (pink), a pinboard (with pink pins), a cupboard and set of drawers (also pink) and a few sets of shelves overflowing with books in various states of use. Closer inspection reveals the books to be a mixture of recipe books and housekeeping books... which occupy all of one shelf. The vast, vast majority of the rest of the shelfspace is overflowing with titles such as 'Forbidden Hearts' and 'Entwined Spirits, Entwined Destinies'.
Ryuu picks up one on a whim and flicks thr-- whoof. Well, that certainly got descriptive fast. Books like this are what words like 'torrid' were invented for. Going off title alone and staying far, far away from the contents therein, it would seem like the housekeeper(?)/cook(?)/maid(??) who previously owned this room was rather taken with ideas of forbidden love and the exotic allure of unrealistically-attractive Aptim. To a worrying extent.
Fortunately, his sanity was not imperiled for naught. The desk, piled as it is with yet more covers involving swooning women in the arms of smouldering-eyed and variously-hued men with too much pout, too little shirt and only the vaguest of cosmetic differences from ordinary humans, also contains a diary and a new-looking book entitled 'Arden Jollycook Oven Operation Manual'. A small sculpture of a somewhat rotund, vaguely feminine abstract figure sits atop it as something of a paperweight.

Right-hand door #2 opens to the smell of dried, dead leaves, a few shriveled examples scuttling and clattering along the floor with the disturbed air. The room is laid out in much the same way as the previous one, only rather messier and dirtier. As in, containing actual dirt.
A few plantpots containing dry earth and rusted gardening tools line and lie against the walls, cracked and pitted with age. Or perhaps due to that strange time-effect that's been going around.
The shelves contain mostly books on gardening, plantlife and flowers, with a notable number dedicated to the growth and care of trees. One set of shelves is taken up by a collection of small figures made of carved stone, with a somewhat out-of-place sculpture in green wood taking pride of place in the middle. It looks a bit like a humanoid sitting on a... leaf?
The desk is mostly taken up by plantpots and scrawled lists of dates and duties. A number of faded pink envelopes are stuffed behind it.

Right-hand door #3 opens into a short hallway containing a tidy rug and a neatly-arranged set of hooks holding various keys. At the other end is yet another bedroom containing much the same furniture as the other two, this one slightly larger and fastidiously neat. The pinboard is filled with regimented lists of tasks and duties, books and small boxes fill the shelves in neat little rows, and a shoe-rack containing several sets of practically identical, slightly dusty black shoes stands to the side of a full-length mirror. A fancy-looking carriage clock sits atop the desk next to a small sculpture of an abstract humanoid figure in black wood, both holding court over the neatly-arranged set of books and stationery before them. An opened pink envelope containing a somewhat rumpled (and somewhat pink) letter sits next to a letter-in-progress amidst the organised display, left unfinished.

Right-hand door #4 opens to reveal... a small bathroom. Presumably this is where the resident servants would freshen up. A few dried, dead leaves rattle around in the bathtub as Glorbuk swings the door open.

The end door opens to bright sunlight and the overpowering stench of stale air, baked leaves and rotted vegetation. The room beyond was, from the looks of things, a conservatory, but the plants and flowers that may once have grown there have been reduced to mere crumbling, brown echoes of their former selves. Spidery masses of shriveled vines cling to small trellis-partitions and planters lie plastered with the baked-on leaves of the plants they once held. The sunlight streams through the slanted conservatory roof spreading out beyond the upper floor's limits, magnified by the glass and making the place feel not unlike a solar-powered oven.
Firmly closed glass doors are set at regular intervals in the all-glass walls leading outside to patio gardens containing equally-dead planters and pots set amidst wooden benches. Another set of closed glass doors built into an internal glass wall towards the front of the estate leads to what is presumably the sunroom.

Ryuutarou takes care to note the books on caring for plants and trees, assuming Dulcinea will be interested in perusing them later.

He also takes care to grab the oven manual and keys as he spots them. Being able to lock the door should he need to leave would be quite useful.

Finally, he heads down to make sure that the room he suspects to be a sunroom does indeed serve as such.

Ryuu gets:
Arden Jollycook Oven Operation Manual- (Item, Antiquity, Fire, 5,000 Gold)
Keys to a Tasteful Estate in Marefore- (Item, Key, Earth & Air, 2,100 Gold)

The most noteworthy books from the gardener's(?) room:
'Advanced Plant Care For All Environments'- (Item, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 70,000 Gold)
'Gardening for the Spiritually Gifted'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Light & Darkness, 120,000 Gold)
'Sanctuaries of the Shore- Advanced Methods for Gardening by the Sea'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Water, 80,000 Gold)
'The Aborist's Complete Guide'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood, 50,000 Gold)


The double doors to the south do indeed prove to lead to the sunroom Ryuu saw from earlier! More long-dead plants litter the place in planters, with fancy-looking cushioned deckchairs set out to face the sea beyond the treeline. Odd light fixtures, part chandelier, part oddly-curved crystal fins, hang from the ceiling, and faded blinds line the glass portions of the roof to provide shade for those loungers wishing to enjoy the heat without getting too dazzled by the sun.
Two more doors lead off to the north from the room, which Glorbuk opens to reveal a storage cupboard containing more chairs and cushions, and a stone-floored bathroom/changing room.
Another set of double doors leads back to the long gallery-hall from earlier.

Ryuu's fairly sure he's covered most of the ground floor with that. There's just that room under the stairs that also connected to the central room, and those two doors leading off from the dining room. Besides that, there's those stairs to what is probably a wine cellar and the stairs to the first floor.

Ryuu heads down to the room under the stairs, then down to the presumable wine cellar, and finally hits the last doors from the dining room.

The room under the stairs (and connected to both the entrance hall and the central room) proves to be a cloakroom with a padded bench. A few well-made coats and waterproof cloaks hang on neatly-arranged hooks from the walls, while various pairs of shoes sit in cubbyholes underneath. An umbrella stand with three umbrellas occupies one of the corners.

The presumable wine cellar turns out to be rather more than just that. The stairs open up into a small corridor, with a room immediately opposite the metal-banded stairs providing housing for the barrels of (presumable) wine, as well as a wall covered in racks housing a great many dusty bottles.
Also down here is some sort of laundry room. Probably. There's a large container-thing with elemental magic symbols and dials on it next to a shelf of boxes that smell like soap, at any rate. Perhaps it's a washing machine. Or perhaps some weird sort of jacuzzi.
Probably more of a washing machine.
Finally, there's what looks to be a boiler and utilities room, a maze of pipes erupting from the metal monstrosities within to vanish into the walls and ceiling.

The dining-room doors open into a pair of well-appointed bathrooms. Or perhaps, given the fanciness involved, they'd be 'powder rooms'? Large mirrors hang from the walls, reflecting the polished stone and tile of the chambers, and providing ample preening-space for any would-be user of the facilities. Mr. Driscoel, it seems, was a man who took the convenience of convenient conveniences seriously. Or perhaps he liked hosting parties that involved a lot of people and wanted to make sure there would be as little awkward queuing as possible.

Ryuutarou nods, pleased by how convenient it will be to entertain guests at this estate. He then sets forth to the stairs, ready to brave the dread lands of Up The Stairs to explore what mysteries await him there.

The Dreaded Up The Stairs is encroached upon! Taking the inverse-split staircase from the central living room, Ryuu finds himself on a wide hallway open to the room below. The hall continues around the entire perimeter of the room, creating an odd encircling gallery from which the dragon-chef can look down upon the floorspace and its occupants below.
Said occupants currently being Sergeant Archer, who is being a bit slow getting to the stairs, and Violet, who is still asleep in that chair.

It would seem quite a few rooms and hallways branch off from the gallery-hall-walkways.

From the hallway-part he's presently on, a pair of double doors open onto the balcony above the entranceway at the front of the house, where bright sunlight continues to stream in and offers a view of the town below. Working in a clockwise fashion from there, Ryuu tries more doors and takes a peek through each.

First, next to the other stairway that leads down to the entrance hall is a long hallway with two regular single doors, one heavier-looking single door and a pair of fancily-carved double doors.

Continuing around the room, a wide set of folding doors have been collapsed to reveal a pleasant-looking sitting room overlooking the main chamber. Presumably this is to be used as a sort of semi-detached party overflow area, or a more private room as the situation demands.

Adjacent to that is another hallway, this one somewhat shorter and curving around a bright, glass-panelled room with a pair of elaborate glass double-doors.

The first of the doors on the back wall proves to be a very heavy and likely soundproofed affair with a small golden bell attached above it, leading to a rather unusual room centred around a pair of chairs and a table containing some sort of small stand. Odd paper talismans sit in frames built into the walls, and cabinets and notebooks line the lower edges of the space.

The next two doors in the back wall lead to the same room, a plushly-carpeted affair containing a number of chairs and tables, shelves piled with boxes and books, and some sort of pool table variant. Perhaps some sort of games room?

Moving on around the walkway to the left-hand wall, an unobtrusive door set right into the corner leads to another, wider hallway lined with more sculptures. The windows here have heavier, more-solid frames than the rest of the house, and the hallway curves around a corner and out of sight, presumably hugging the edge of the house.

The final door, set at the other end of the left-hand wall, leads to what is very obviously a bar. A bar with almost floor-to-ceiling windows, affording a lovely view of the front gardens, the trees and the town with the ocean beyond. Two more doors lead off from it.

Ryuutarou decides to work backwards from here, first checking the two doors in the bar. If whatever they lead to goes out of view, he will follow.

The further of the two internal bar doors leads, perhaps somewhat sensibly, to a small, tiled bathroom in neutral tones with a fogged-glass window to cut down the glare of the external sunlight. Presumably it was built with the idea to provide some measure of relief for those who might overindulge in the beverages offered and spare those in the throes of a hangover.
The nearer of the two leads to a well-appointed room that looks to be a combination of parlour and small dining room. A dumbwaiter is set into the far wall, more than likely leading to the kitchen.
Richly-toned wooden cabinets with glass fronts display rows of fancy drinking glasses and plates, with smaller cabinets and a service trolley made of the same materials discreetly tucked away in the corners. A place for late-night entertainment or more private dinners of the chiefly liquid variety, it would seem.

Ryuutarou nods approvingly. He then proceeds to search this room and the bar itself to find out what alcohols are on tap. He is a Bartender, after all, in addition to being a Chef.

Cabinets and counters are raided, and before long Ryuu has quite a pile of bottles in various states of fanciness arrayed in front of him.

3 Arden Cherry Brandy- (Consumable, Drink, Fire, 1 Charge, 500,000 Gold) +500 STR, +500 CON, +5% Critical, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
2 Canta 'Shardsky' Gin- (Consumable, Drink, Air, 1 Charge, 500,000 Gold) +500 AGI, +500 SPI, +5% To Hit, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
Bottle of 2060 Caervallis- (Consumable, Drink, Water, 6 Charges, 1,200,000 Gold) Target obtains a buff that causes Water-element Food and Drink Consumables used on target to provide 1.2 times the value of stat increases they would normally (to a maximum of 2,000 more points), and provide 1.2 times more HP and MP healing or increases (to a maximum of 1,000,000 points), 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
Bottle of 2063 Procollis White- (Consumable, Drink, Water, 6 Charges, 700,000 Gold) +7,000 HP, +7,000 MP, Inflicts Fortified: Water Warded, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
Bottle of 2063 Procollis Red- (Consumable, Drink, Water & Acid, 6 Charges, 700,000 Gold) +7,000 HP, +7,000 MP, Inflicts Fortified: Acid Warded, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
Bottle of 2063 Procollis Jade- (Consumable, Drink, Water & Wood, 6 Charges, 1,300,000 Gold) +13,000 HP, +13,000 MP, Inflicts Fortified and Fortified: Earth Warded, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack

6 Red Wine Vinegar- (Consumable, Drink, Acid, 7 Charges, 12,600 Gold) +30 Melee Attack, +30 Magical Attack, +30 Ranged Attack, Deals 300 Acid element damage
10 White Wine Vinegar- (Consumable, Drink, Acid, 7 Charges, 11,600 Gold) +20 to all stats, 5% Critical, Deals 200 Acid element damage

Unfortunately, it looks like a few of the bottles there have aged themselves into vinegar. Which is rather odd, considering they were clearly placed with the intention to be used along with the other beverages. It's probably due to all that time-related- or rather, Time-related- nonsense Archer mentioned the 'fox-creature from Nexus' caused.

Well, Ryuutarou can still make use of these in some tasty, tasty recipes, so it was no great loss! He puts the collection into his Bag of Holding, intending to place them into appropriate locations in the Kitchen later.

He then moves on to inspecting the Hall of Statuary!

Bottles clinking within the spatially-different depths of his bag, Ryuu sets back off around the wall to the next port of call.
Sunlight pours in through the windows, but due to the heavier frames the hallway seems somewhat darker than it otherwise should- thick, dark bands of shadow cutting through the beams of light and casting the statuary into dramatic silhouettes.

The statues in question don't look like they're as showy as the ones in the downstairs hallway. They're certainly well-made, but almost all made of similarly-toned wood and look more like repeated studies of the same sort of figure in different poses. Perhaps Mr. Driscoel liked this sort of statue the most, or maybe it was some sort of practice series he decided to polish and keep for himself?

The dragon-chef pads his way along the strip of carpet along the centre of the hall, Archer following at a distance behind. The hall veers left, terminating in a larger statue that, in contrast to all the others, has been carved with exacting attention to detail and in a considerably more lifelike style. Staring down at Ryuu, chisel in hand, is a man in dark wood in a slightly rumpled shirt and trousers, a many-pocketed vest and belt hung with carpenter's tools completing the outfit. The figure is slightly balding, with shaggy eyebrows and a slightly overlarge nose, a likely sign that the creator was aiming to capture the image as it should be, rather than idealising it. Creases line the eyes and a slightly mischievous smile plays on the lips.
'Arthur Driscoel, by The Same' is engraved on a small plaque at the bottom.

A heavy door is set into the wall to the left of the self-portrait (self-sculpture?) that proves to be firmly locked. Somewhat intriguingly, it doesn't seem like any of the keys Ryuu picked up fit.

[Aeromage]

Well, this isn't the first time this trip that Ryuutarou has been faced with a locked door he didn't have a key to!

He proceeds to make himself a Phantom before attempting to follow the Ethereal Pathway once more!

Knowledge of Ethereal Pathways- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor's 'Switch Rows' actions may not be countered by sources below Level 20
Phantom Body- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Individuals below Level 15 cannot inflict minor status effects on possessor
Phantom Steps- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) Possessor may not be prevented from leaving battle by sources below Level 20

Veilwalker- (Passive Ability, Veilwalker) All Ethereal Magic spells possessor casts that possess a Magical Attack bonus gain +(50 * Possessor Level) additional Magical Attack, All Ethereal Magic spells that possessor casts have a (Possessor Level)% greater chance of working in regards to natural chance of 'failing to work', and all Ethereal Magic spells cost possessor (20 * Possessor Level) less MP to cast

Ethereal Magic is once again applied to the situation at hand! The Dragon-chef squeezes himself into an Ethereal Pathway that leads beyond the door, managing to get through with only a minor amount of wiggling. Things are improving! He's only gotten the tip of his tail caught in the door, this time!

The room beyond is dark and somewhat cramped. Filing cabinets and shelves take up the majority of the room, with a small desk set in one side and a large safe dominating the far wall. A small lamp sputters into life at a touch, providing dim illumination to view his surroundings by.

Stacks of paperwork neatly line the shelves and fill the cabinets. With a bit of squinting (and more than a little letting his Arena-granted appraisal take the fore), it quickly becomes apparent that this room contains the personal, important paperwork of the estate. Bank account details, tax forms, employee records, expense ledgers, and other such dull but important minutiae comprise most of the number- likely things Violet would want to take in order to get Mr. Driscoel's affairs and accounts straightened out in the absence of the man himself. Other cabinets contain sketches and schematics depicting various sculptures and detailed notes on properly sourcing the materials and putting them together.

A slightly crumpled letter sits on the desk next to a piece of paper full of crossings-out and scribbles.
"Hello, Arthur.
I trust this letter finds you well. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?
I've heard about the troubles your beautiful hometown has been facing, and thought I might be able to bring in some sorely-needed business for the sorely in need, as there's almost certainly a gap in the market to fill. You'll help, won't you? Just like old times.
I'll just need you to bring along a few examples, like you used to make. No more than a foot tall, with the compartment opening hidden. I'm sure you'll be able to make something suitably pleasing to the eye, and with your name behind it, nobody would dare look too closely.
We'll meet Tuesday night, at that little bar in the bazaar you love so much. Do be sure to come alone. We wouldn't want anyone getting any unfortunate ideas about the company their illustrious sculptor keeps, after all. Or have them making guesses as to how chequered his past may or may not be. And we both know how good I am at playing chess on such boards.

I look forward to seeing you again.
-S."

The scribbled page looks like an attempted draft at a refusal, with the words that Ryuu can make out running from 'polite but stern refusal' to 'angry rebuke' before Mr. Driscoel eventually gave up on the response.

Ryuutarou lets out a surprised "Oh my!" in response to the letter, then unlocks and opens the door for Sergeant Archer to enter. "I do believe Mr. Driscoel may have been involved in some certain criminal business, Sergeant..." waving a paw toward the letter on the desk.

The door, as it turns out, is not easily unlockable from this side. It was clearly made with security over safety in mind.
Ryuu is able to grab the letter and the response-draft and pathway-hop back through the door to deliver the news to the Sergeant, however, receiving a grimace in return.

"One of the 'many darknesses hiding in the upper echelons', or so I have heard say," he states, looking over the letter and scribbled draft-response. "It would seem Mr. Driscoel was not happy about being blackmailed in such a fashion. The estate, as well as the statues in his workshop will need to be investigated more closely before any conclusions can be reached. If any." He taps the letter. "If the Tuesday night mentioned in this message is the night of the 'catastrophe felt by all, for all time', I doubt any amount of investigating the bazaar will lead to any clues. Mr. Driscoel seems to have been 'led to pass by past leads', or so it can be said."

"Oh yeah, there's a lot of money-related paperwork in there too. Should I just grab it out here now?"

The Sergeant nods. "The clerk will want to take that to the town hall 'in order to start the affair of putting affairs in order', as I believe she mentioned. If further investigation of the estate turns up anything untoward, the town guard will know where to find the required supporting evidence."

Ryuutarou nods and turns back to the door, beginning the first of several Ethereal-round-trips to collect paperwork, unless he happens to find some boxes or other means of safely transporting the unbound stacks of paperwork.

There are one or two boxes inside the secure study-storage area, but they prove to be filled with further paperwork. There are, however, a few balls of string present, presumably to act as a method of bundling errant stacks together in case transport is needed.
Some fiddly knotting later, Ryuu has successfully scooped the stacks of non-sculpture-related paperwork into his Bag of Holding.

Recalling the letter, he has another look at the sculpture-schematics. None of them seem to involve hidden compartments. Hm.

Ryuutarou shrugs at that, and lets Sergeant Archer know once he pops back out with the paperwork. The local police would probably be better at finding any potential hidden compartments, anyway.

Once the Sergeant is satisfied with their investigation of this secure chamber, Ryuutarou will move on with inspecting the possible games room.

As Archer shuffles through the paperwork, Glorbuk and Ryuu continue on to the suspected games room.
The room in question turns out to be thoroughly guilty of such accusations of frivolity, furnished as it is with several tables covered in green baize, a pool-table like affair with a number of long cues racked up on a wall behind it, and a large number of shelves containing variously and vibrantly-coloured boxes.
One such box is set on a table, a deck of cards and several hands dealt out between the seats. Another table holds a fine chess set, presumably carved by Driscoel himself if the slightly-abstract pieces are anything to go by.

A fireplace sits between the two sets of double doors, presumably connected by a flue to this floor. Large windows look out over the rear gardens and the small section of town beyond before the boundary wall.

Glorbuk becomes briefly distracted by the card game in progress, inspecting the deck and its symbology, while Ryuutarou wanders off to the soundproofed room with the bell.

Glorbuk becomes engrossed in studying the cards! Looks like an analogue to a standard deck- it has four standard suits of Flames, Clouds, Snowflakes and Leaves, with the Aces being a stylised-according-to-the-suit depiction of the corresponding moon. The 'Royals' of this deck are the Acolyte, Magister and Imperator. Each of them are depicted as robed figures with broad-brimmed, generally flat-conical hats with veils, the level of fanciness increasing accordingly. Instead of Jokers, two cards depicting a chained and blindfolded man and a veiled, smiling woman take their place.
Intrigued, the goblin wanders off to look at the other decks in the room.

Ryuu opens the heavy, soundproofed door. The small table and the stand atop it remain as they were, two chairs set as if to view whatever might be set on it. A few notebooks and writing implements lie atop low, dark-wood cabinets within easy reach of whomever might be seated, gathering dust in the dimmer light. It seems like the windows are correspondingly thicker, too, to properly insulate the room from outside noise.
Rows of frames, arranged three high at roughly a man's eye-level, line the walls. Each contains a paper talisman with similar-looking, but differently-patterned sets of symbols, and each has an identical set of symbols carved into them. Thin, silvery strands of metal extrude from the symbols, across the walls, and meet at a point above the door corresponding to the bell's location outside. Some of the cabinets have the same symbols and metal-strand arrangement, too.

Huh. Ryuutarou pokes around a bit, looking over the notebooks and seeing if he can open any of the cabinets without disturbing the web of metal strands.

Ryuu picks up a notebook, flicking to a page at random.
The page is neatly laid out in separated entries, somewhat like a diary. The penmanship is similar to that of the scribbled refusal-draft Ryuu saw earlier, without the obvious anger behind it.

"--Canta Resp. 11, 2083
Mr. Tyler requests two additional sculptures, three feet tall, complementary colours to stand with piece sent earlier, payment half in advance, to be completed no later than Vernat Desc. 30.
Ms. Plover again called re: gallery exhibition in Lucet, will have to make travel arrangements, consideration for upcoming season- contact Cedric re: airship travel? Inquire at Spirit Hunter's Association- expensive due to distance? Check options first"

The book continues in a similar vein, with dates(?) followed by what look like summary notes on conversations, many of which being orders for sculptures of some stripe or other.

The metal strands, as it turns out, appear to be laid out specifically to avoid getting in the way of cabinet doors or the contents of the frames. The dragon-chef rummages around in one, finding a number of folders and additional talismans.
He picks one up to get a better idea of what it is.

Communication Strip (Meridian Lumber)- (Item, Antiquity, Light, 5,000 Gold)

Some sort of weird... magic communications thing, perhaps? Which would make this room the equivalent of a telephone room.

Curious, Ryuutarou attempts to activate the communication strip, to see if it still works.

Gripping the talisman between his claws, Ryuu attempts to get the thing to work. Somehow.
His initial attempts of waving the thing around and talking at it don't quite provide the effects he's after. Slightly closer study, and a bit of prodding about in his memory, leads him to believe that the thing operates off Spirit Magic in some form.
Unfortunately, the only Spirit Magic he really knows is that set of banishing and warding chants he was taught during the festival. He does have some basic grounding as a Binder, however, and attempts to try and work magic in a way he thinks possibly might correspond to the talisman's workings.

A faint blue glow traces from his claws to the symbols and patterns on the talisman, sputtering a bit and ebbing at first, but eventually suffusing the entire strip. The thing emits a soft, pulsing chime for a minute or so, before the sound is suddenly interrupted by a rustling, rattling noise and a slightly tinny man's voice.
"--there it is. Wasn't expectin'-- hello? Mr. Driscoel? Wasn't expectin' a call from you yet. Got yourself another big project or the likes?"

"Actually, I'm Ryuutarou Ishinori, Chef Extraordinaire! I just bought Mr. Driscoel's old place, seeing as he passed on in the disaster that blew up a large chunk of the bazaar district here in Marefore. I just thought that I should probably start letting people he was in contact with know, since the city's been so swamped with the aftermath of what happened, I can't say what news has actually managed to make it out of town..."

The man on the other end of the line makes a choking, spluttering noise.
"Dead? Mr. Driscoel's dead? No, I can't say as I'd heard that the town... I mean, there's the business with the shippin' problems, and that's causing enough of a problem getting goods and news in an' out... an' then we're all the way down in Merida, which is..."
The voice pauses.
"It's a shame. Damned shame. Mr. Driscoel was always a decent man and a good client, he was, and the things he made with what we sent him were always a marvel, they were. Had them up in them galleries and merchant's houses all over the place. Damned shame. Goddess willing, he passed on quickly and will get to work with wood on his next go around. Always loved it, he did."

The man clears his throat.
"It's not news I can rightly say I'm happy to receive, but I'll be thankin' you all the same for passin' the news on, Mr. Ishinori. A man like that, he doesn't deserve havin' all his ends hangin' loose and people left to wonderin' where he went."

"Aye, indeed. And I can tell you that his passing was quick and probably painless, given the scale and power of the event." Ryuutarou sighs.

"Now, is there something you would like me to do with the communication strip here? I'm not exactly sure what the polite thing to do with all of this is..."

"Well, I suppose that's some small measure of comfort, considerin' the circumstance. Impara's not exactly a big or important place, but that don't make things any less tragic when things like that happen there."
The strip makes a few rustling noises.
"As on what to go and do with the strip... I can't say as it's somethin' that often comes up, but the generally accepted practice is to get a merchant that deals with them to deactivate them. Blanks out the magic, carries over to the paired strip on the other side and does the same there so the other party knows it's done. Or you could just rip yours up now you've told me about Mr. Driscoel's passin' an' I'll do the same. Unless you're the type needin' specialty woods, of course."

[Aeromage]

"Well, do you provide specialty wood for smoking foods?"

If not, then he will give his farewells and rip up the communication strip.

"Afraid we're more in the business of lumber for construction or carvin' here."

Disappointing, but perhaps not entirely unexpected.

Bidding the lumber-merchant farewell, Ryuu tears the strip up. The faint glow limning the strip and filling its patterns abruptly winks out as the tougher-than-it-looked paper rips.
The room once again returns to its previously-silent state.

Mildly saddened, Ryuutarou decides to handle the rest of this room at a later date, closing it up and moving off to investigate the hallway around the glass-paneled room, and the room itself.

The hallway wraps around the glass-panelled room, leading to two further doors. A quick look in reveals both leading to bedrooms, one decorated in pale woods and neutral tones, and the other in darker wood with red accents. Both are well-furnished, but lack any personal effects or the like. Guest rooms, perhaps.

The glass-panelled room is a solarium. Cushioned chairs and a few small tables are set around the place, with a number of planters (containing the dry, dead remnants of plants) lining the sides of the room. The floor is panelled in stone tiles in subtly-tinted shades of greens and blues. Aside from the departed vegetation, it's rather pleasant, and a good deal warmer than the other rooms.
Another pair of double doors lead to a small balcony patio and a pair of staircases that lead into the rear gardens.

Dismissing the gardens for now, Ryuutarou passes by the party extension room to investigate the final hallway, starting with the side doors.

The final hall is a straight one, ending in a window, and contains four doors- two regular single doors, one heavier-looking single door and a pair of fancily-carved double doors.
The first of the regular doors opens back into that red guest room. Ryuu has a better view of its small en-suite from here, but it's definitely the same room. He also gets a better view of where the light was coming from in here- it's got a little glass dome-cupola. How fancy.
The second regular door opens into a bright room with honey-coloured wallpaper and a plush carpet. It's another guest room! Mr. Driscoel must have been quite the social butterfly.
The heavy door is locked. Ryuu elects to check the fancy double doors before pulling any further Ethereal shenanigans with regard to it.

The double doors lead into what is almost certainly the master bedroom of the place, and certainly a place Mr. Driscoel must have worked on extensively. Beautifully-polished and richly-hued wooden boards set in elaborate patterns cover the floor, with small rugs placed here and there to add splashes of colour in red and cream. The furniture is all evidently handmade by the man himself, possessing the same slightly-abstract style and curves as his pieces in the rest of the house. Oddly enough, none of the shelves here contain the familiarly-styled carvings. Instead, they hold an assortment of other objects- a small bonsai tree, a number of books, carved statues in wildly different styles and colours (and, for that matter, levels of craftsmanship) to those found in the rest of the house, trinkets made of metal and stone, ornate glass lamps and other curios are gathered here.
A solid dresser holds a still-steaming cup of tea, a pair of glasses set atop a handkerchief beside them. A wardrobe is open, revealing a number of neatly-pressed shirts in well-organised rows.
It is as if whomever was living here had only just stepped out for a moment. The effect is somewhat eerie.

An open door within the bedroom leads to an elegant-looking, but decidedly empty bathroom. Another heavy-looking door leads into what is probably the room that was locked from the hall. It hangs slightly ajar, faint daylight filtering through the crack.

Into the last room!

The last room is, from the looks of it, a study. Bookshelf cabinets fill the walls, the smell of paper and old leather filling the air. A desk with a comfortable chair sits in front of a window overlooking the front garden and the town beyond, daylight shining through onto the open book and the pen next to it, still dripping with ink from the inkwell.

Ryuutarou inspects the book, curious about the wet ink on the pen. Wouldn't that have dried by now? Is someone else in the house with us?

Ryuu looks at the book. It looks like a diary. The handwriting is familiar.
"--surely work out some method to make it work. 'Cascade' is my most ambitious piece yet, and while allowing its surface to constantly flow with water creates a pleasant effect, I truly believe I must strive for my original vision- a waterfall of wood, held in place yet constantly flowing- if I am to properly raise my craftsmanship to the next level. Working with moonstones, as frustrating as it is, brings forth wonders, and I would see such wonders shared with the world that they might inspire others as I once was."
The handwriting shifts to a more rushed hand, ink still fresh.
"Received a letter today. I had hoped- hoped for so very long that the past could remain the past. I am no longer the young, foolish man I used to be, and have done everything I can to bury the fellow and move on as a better, stronger person- one who gives, rather than enables others to take.
I should have known this day would come. The shipping problems, the lighthouse, the Rains, the Gold-Dust Killer... all of these act as millstones, dragging the town further down into desperation. And there will always be those who see such misery as opportunity, preying on the suffering multitude by offering false hopes and relief as they bleed them for everything they can.
I know there will always be such issues, no matter where one might call home. I've little doubt such things take place in the side-streets and the slums- I saw the signs in Birch, and did what I could- successfully!- to steer him away from that life. But now that man has dared come here, to the place I now call home, to the life I have made, to the people I know and care about- has dared to come and peddle his poisons to those too weak to resist them. I know what he is, and who he is, and I will be damned several times over to the worst of incarnations if I allow it.
He can threaten my reputation all he likes. I've made too many connections for him to cut them all, no matter how cunning he might be. And even if he does, even if I end up losing everything- I will see him chased from this town, from this island, before I give him the satisfaction of seeing it.
If it comes to that, I suppose, I will have to start over. But at least I would have made up for past mistakes.
I will meet him tonight. I will hear what he has to say, and I will have my friend in the Guard sitting at the next table to listen to every word.
If I am fortunate, he will leave the bazaar in chains, and the world will be that much brighter for it.
I'll give the staff the night off with a little bonus. Suggest they take in the night bazaar, or visit family in Birch's case. They don't need to be involved. Nobody else needs to be involved. Not again."

The ink continues to drip from the pen. Ryuu notices the small spatter it's making on the page doesn't actually seem to be getting any larger. It's like the thing is constantly dripping the same drop into the same puddle, over and over.

"Sergeant! I've found another letter from Mr. Driscoel, though it appears to be caught in some kind of time loop? His pen keeps dripping ink into the same spot over and over, but the spot isn't getting any bigger. Also, the ink probably should have dried a long time ago, I would think..."

Archer is suddenly leaning over Ryuu's shoulder, glaring at the diary.
"If a member of the guard was involved, a thorough investigation into this affair may be required. However, if all of the parties were present at the time of the destruction of the bazaar, there may be nothing more to investigate. 'A case that closes with the caskets,' as it could be said."
The sergeant gingerly takes the diary. Nothing happens except for the ink-splatter slowly running down the blank part of the page, apparently freed from whatever effect was keeping it in stasis. The pen rolls onto the wooden surface, still dripping a time-looped drop of ink that never hits the desktop.
"I will take this as potential evidence. While it is technically now your property along with the estate, and not part of Mr. Driscoel's financial or other business records, I don't believe you will be requiring it given its nature. If for some reason you decide otherwise, it may be released back to you upon request after the conclusion of our investigation into the matter. If you find any other 'fox-caused nuisances of time,' as they have been called albeit in a paraphrased, less polite way that causes you significant concern or belief they might pose a danger, I recommend you contact the Town Guard so we can forward your concern to the Spiritual Defense Force."

"I will," Ryuutarou replies, poking at the pen to see if moving it to another part of the desk will stop its temporally-looped dripping, then picking it up and holding it above a blank sheet of paper.

After a suitable amount of time poking around with the pen, Ryuutarou will take the time to head into the back garden to explore the theoretically-existent plants residing therein.

Pen-poking begins!

After a great many and surely scientifically-approached experiments that Dulcinea would likely be proud of, Ryuu comes to the conclusion that the issue isn't with the desk, it's with the pen.
Namely, it seems the odd time-loop effect is attached to the implement itself. Writing with the pen is possible... for a handful of seconds before the ink from the pen is time-looped back into the pen's reservoir again, removing whatever was written. How odd.

Ryuu gets:

Pen Caught In A Minor Time-Loop- (Weapon, Other: Quill, Water & Darkness & Time, 250,000 Gold) +250 Magical Attack, wielder regenerates the amount of MP used to cast spells that cost 250 MP or less at the start of the round two rounds after they were cast, Time-element spells cast by wielder that cost less than 250 MP to cast may repeat at the start of wielder's first action in the next round, to a maximum of one spell being repeated in this manner per round


The back garden is investigated! It seems this place suffered the aging-side of the Time effects at play in the estate. Well-laid-out patio gardens surround the sunroom and conservatory area, with comfortable benches set among planters full of dry, dead remains of plants and patches of bare dirt where, presumably, flowers once grew. The occasional straggly, bleached tree-skeleton that may have at one point in the not-too-distant past provided pleasant shelter punctuates the flagstoned areas here and there, bare twigs rattling against the bright sky.
The kitchen-side of things, on the other hand, looks like it's only had a few weeks' worth of Time dumped on it. A large herb garden sits beyond the windows, pleasantly laid out but clearly weed-strewn. Ryuu recognises rosemary, basil, thyme and the other culinary staples along with a few plants he can't place. Screened off beyond the herbs (and with a solid stone path laid out from it to the kitchen) is an incinerator, compost heap and general refuse-collection area.
The third part of the back garden is a patchy, dried-up lawn cordoned off from the rest with short hedges, the remains of what once might have been pretty flowerbeds cutting into and around the grass in flowing curves. A small gazebo- likely another of Mr. Driscoel's works, from the looks of it- sits in the middle, sheltering a small table and some chairs from which to take in the currently-underwhelming surroundings.

"Well, looks like I'll need to get a gardener or landscaper to come through here to get these old plants out of here and replaced. Sergeant, you know any good ones? Or would Violet?"

"'A garden is for those with too much time to spare' as I believe. My station, working hours, and accommodation do not allow for such a hobby."
Archer shuffles through the papers.
"The clerk may have a better idea of who to ask. Alternatively, it seems this estate previously retained a gardener, one Birch Erenn. In the event he survived the catastrophe and did not become one of the many victims 'returned to life, but not to mind', it is possible he would want to take up his old position. With our current situation, there are many suffering from sudden lack of employment due to a sudden lack of employers."

"Who would I talk to about finding that out?"

"If you mean if the gardener is still alive, the town's census records should indicate his home. The clerk should be able to find something out, although due to the nature of the catastrophe and the labour shortage it has caused, it may take some time to do. 'Fewer hands make heavy work', as might be said."
He squints critically at a page.
"If you were asking on how to advertise for another gardener, I would recommend posting requests at inns, pubs and general stores."

"Thanks for your help, Sergeant. I meant it the first way, but the second will be helpful if Mr. Erenn is... no longer among the employable, one might say," Ryuutarou lets out a gusty sigh after that.

"Well, now that we've been through the whole place, do you think we should go wake Violet up?"

"I believe I have gathered enough potential evidence to review from this place. If you want to wake the clerk and move on to another property, I would not be against it."

A familiar short, green figure emerges from the kitchen door. It's Glorbuk! He makes his surly way over to the dragon.
"I found these mixed in with the cards. They seemed to be something you'd have a use for. Sir."

'These' turn out to be a pair of fancy gold-edged white tickets.

Ryuu gets:
2 Premium Progression Whateverhouse Ticket- (Item, Ticket, Progress, 50,000 Gold)

[Aeromage]

"Let's wake her up, then head back to the city offices, to see if Mr. Erenn survived the catastrophe. If he did, I can get on fixing this place up to show off to Dulcinea when she gets here."

As they walk over to where Violet is sleeping, Ryuutarou grabs the tickets from Glorbuk and looks them over curiously.

"Hmmmmmmmmm... Thanks, Glorbuk!"

Ryuu pads his way back through the house to the central room. Violet remains asleep in her sunlit chair, her small pile of folders spilling onto the floor beside her.
A couple of gentle shakes is enough to rouse her.
"Hrmh? What-- oh! Mr. Ishinori! I, uh... sorry. I must've fallen asleep. How can I help? Is the house all right?"
The clerk begins to gather her folders together from where they fell.

"I've gone through the place, found some financial records for you and some... other records for Sergeant Archer, and it all looks great! I was thinking, though, that I might head back to the city building with you so I can check some things on the census; the house is desperately in need of a new garden, and I was hoping I could re-hire Mr. Erenn to take care of the place."

"Ah! The records! Thank you! That's gr- well, no, it isn't great considering what happened and... why we need them, but it'll certainly help us get things settled. And... other records?"
She shoots a worried glance at the Sergeant, who shakes his head in return.
"...right. Probably best I don't get involved in... whatever that is. I'll leave it to the town guard. As for the census..."
Violet shuffles through her folders.
"...that's actually one of the things we're reasonably up-to-date with. Mostly. One of the first things we did was go around and do a roll-call of everyone we could. I mean, I can't guarantee it'll be completely accurate due to everything that... happened, and there was that issue with the amnesia, but if he's still... around, he should probably be in there."

"Well, let's get on handling that all, then. Sergeant, will I need to come down with you to the town guard's building to drop off... that... for you?"

Ryuutarou heads for the door, locking up with the key-ring that he found in the house earlier once everyone is back outside.

"I will have them collected while I continue my duty in accompanying you. There is no need to go to the guardhouse."

Ryuu exits the house, locking up after himself.
Violet once more takes the lead, setting off through the front garden and into the sloping streets of the sunny, windy seaside town beyond as the Sergeant pulls a communication strip from a pouch and begins speaking into it.

The group of dragon, goblin and humans wend their way down the steep seaward streets, skirting the edges of the bazaar and setting foot (or paw, in Ryuu's case) back on the main seafront promenade. Before long, the stoic facade of the Town Hall once more comes into view.
Also coming into view is the unmistakable sight of one Dulcinea de Montreal, Nightmare's Angel, Nightmare Scientist, Lord Fisherman of the Citadel and present head of a group of white-uniformed demihuman ruffians (who, for some reason, seem to have cargo pants as a part of said uniform) accompanied by a green-skinned pseudo-tweed-wearing plant-man with a cloud of white-petal hair.

Ryuu is now in Dulcinea's thread.

In the interests of simplifying the summarizing of the now-joint other-thread, a summary covering Ryuutarou's solo adventures has been produced.

A Preliminary Summary

Ryuutarou gains:
Items
2 Premium Progression Whateverhouse Ticket- (Item, Ticket, Progress, 50,000 Gold)

*Ryuutarou's Papers from the Seirei Portal- (Bound Accessory, Quest Item, Light & Darkness, 1,000 Gold) +1 SPI
Keys to a Tasteful Estate in Marefore- (Item, Key, Earth & Air, 2,100 Gold)
Tasteful Estate in Marefore- (Item, Property, Earth & Air, 210,000 Gold)

Pen Caught In A Minor Time-Loop- (Weapon, Other: Quill, Water & Darkness & Time, 250,000 Gold) +250 Magical Attack, wielder regenerates the amount of MP used to cast spells that cost 250 MP or less at the start of the round two rounds after they were cast, Time-element spells cast by wielder that cost less than 250 MP to cast may repeat at the start of wielder's first action in the next round, to a maximum of one spell being repeated in this manner per round

Torn Finery of the Endless Green- (Armor, Clothing, Earth & Wood & Life, 8,000,000 Gold) +8,000 Defense, +8,000 CON, +8,000 MIN, +8,000 SPI, +80,000 HP, 30% Earth Resistance, 10% Wood Resistance, 10% Life Resistance, 5% Plant Resistance, wearer may choose to count as being in a Zone of Earth & Wood & Life

Esoteric-Dragon's-Breath-Expelled Scarf- (Accessory, Scarf, Tacky & Laundary, 5,000 Gold) +5 Defense, +5 Defense against effects attached to Zones of Tacky or Zones of Laundary, 5% Tacky Resistance, 5% Laundary Resistance

'Recipes and Techniques for people who aren't COMPLETELY incompetent at cooking' by Helen Fein- (Permanent Consumable, Grimoire, Fire & Water, 1 Charge, 15,000,000 Gold) If user has the ability 'Chef' or 'Cook', gives user 5 Bonus Weeks that can only be used on Chef abilities and 5 Bonus Weeks that can only be used on Cook abilities, and the award ‘Has Read 'Recipes and Techniques for people who aren't COMPLETELY incompetent at cooking' by Helen Fein’, cannot be used if user has the award 'Has Read 'Recipes and Techniques for people who aren't COMPLETELY incompetent at cooking' by Helen Fein'

25 Flour- (Consumable, Food, Fire, 1 Charge, 100 Gold) +5 HP
25 Sugar- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 AGI

5 Chocolate- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +2 AGI, +30 MP
5 Lemon- (Consumable, Food, Acid, 1 Charge, 500 Gold) 1% Acid Resistance
5 Mulberry- (Consumable, Food, Water & Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 MIN
5 Pistachios- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 CON, +50 HP
5 Pecans- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 STR, +5 AGI, +5 SPI

5 Sweet Rice Flour- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Fire, 1 Charge, 200 Gold) +5 HP, +5 MP
5 Sweet Bean Paste- (Consumable, Food, Earth, 1 Charge, 300 Gold) +5 MP, +3 AGI

Abilities
Improved Spice Use- (Passive Ability, Chef) Possessor's 'Add Some Spice' ability increases all HP and MP healing by 50,000 points more than stated and all buffs to any stat by 300 points per stat more than stated

Swift Fish-Cooking Technique- (Passive Ability, Chef) If possessor uses a Food consumable whose name includes 'Fish' or is Water element, possessor may choose to use an additional charge on an additional target, to a maximum of once per round

Esoteric Breath Weapon: Clothing- (Passive Ability, Dragon Lord) Possessor gains +500 Ranged Attack, Possessor's 'Ranged Attack' and 'Snipe' actions may count as though possessor has any combination of an additional Clothing, Belt, Cloak, Gloves, Hat, and/or Scarf equipped, Possessor may choose to cause possessor's 'Dragon's Breath' action to gain the elements Laundary or Tacky and inflict a debuff that causes the targets of said action to count as having a Clothing, Belt, Cloak, Gloves, Hat and Scarf equipped

Awards
'Had A Strange Dream In Seirei'


Ryuutarou loses:
1 Diplomat Bonus Week (from the Dreaming Moon Festival)

2 Boxed Mini-Fleff Selection- (Consumable, Food, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 10 Charges, 50,000 Gold) Heals 5,000 HP and MP and provides a chosen effect from: +5% To Hit, +5% Critical, +5% Dodge, +5% Resilience, 15% Resistance to a chosen Base Element, +5,000 damage to all attacks that include a chosen Base Element, +500 to any one stat, Heals 500 damage to any one chosen stat, +500 Melee Attack, +500 Magical Attack, +500 Ranged Attack. Stacks once per each separate effect this item can produce, with each effect stacking with different effects but not further copies of itself.

222,500 Gold


Glorbuk gains:
Poissonnier's Stance- Possessor gains +5% To Hit and +5% Critical against Aquatics, possessor's 'Cook' ability may gain or solely become the element Water, Constant Effect


The Grand Fraternal Order and Wondrous Guild of the Fishermen of the Citadel gains:
*Deb's Place- (Item, Property, Earth & Fire, 140,000 Gold)
*Husson's of Marefore- (Item, Property, Air & Earth & Water, 450,000 Gold)
*Icemoon Parlour- (Item, Property, Ice & Water, 500,000 Gold)
*Prier's Paradise- (Item, Property, Air & Time & Darkness, 1,820,500 Gold)
*The Lorelei's Launch- (Item, Property, Water, 400,000 Gold)
*Ward & Co.- (Item, Property, Earth & Magic, 1,550,000 Gold)

3 Warehouse in Marefore- (Item, Property, Physical & Water, 200,000 Gold)

Nautical Shop in Marefore Bazaar- (Item, Property, Water, 70,000 Gold)
10 Shop in Marefore Bazaar- (Item, Property, Earth & Water, 60,000 Gold)
Bazaar Square in Marefore- (Item, Property, Earth & Water, 80,000 Gold)
24 Shop in Marefore Bazaar- (Item, Property, Earth & Water, 60,000 Gold)
2 Street in Marefore Bazaar- (Item, Property, Earth & Water, 80,000 Gold)

(The Square, Streets and Shops have the potential, if handled correctly, to become their own unique property-district over time)


Dulcinea gains:
Well-Decorated Estate in Marefore- (Item, Property, Earth & Air, 240,000 Gold)

Dulcinea loses:
8,050,500‬ Gold


----------------------------------

Things of Note within the Driscoel Estate
3 Arden Cherry Brandy- (Consumable, Drink, Fire, 1 Charge, 500,000 Gold) +500 STR, +500 CON, +5% Critical, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
2 Canta 'Shardsky' Gin- (Consumable, Drink, Air, 1 Charge, 500,000 Gold) +500 AGI, +500 SPI, +5% To Hit, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
Bottle of 2060 Caervallis- (Consumable, Drink, Water, 6 Charges, 1,200,000 Gold) Target obtains a buff that causes Water-element Food and Drink Consumables used on target to provide 1.2 times the value of stat increases they would normally (to a maximum of 2,000 more points), and provide 1.2 times more HP and MP healing or increases (to a maximum of 1,000,000 points), 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
Bottle of 2063 Procollis White- (Consumable, Drink, Water, 6 Charges, 700,000 Gold) +7,000 HP, +7,000 MP, Inflicts Fortified: Water Warded, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
Bottle of 2063 Procollis Red- (Consumable, Drink, Water & Acid, 6 Charges, 700,000 Gold) +7,000 HP, +7,000 MP, Inflicts Fortified: Acid Warded, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack
Bottle of 2063 Procollis Jade- (Consumable, Drink, Water & Wood, 6 Charges, 1,300,000 Gold) +13,000 HP, +13,000 MP, Inflicts Fortified and Fortified: Earth Warded, 30% Inflicts Poison: Drunk, does not stack


6 Red Wine Vinegar- (Consumable, Drink, Acid, 7 Charges, 12,600 Gold) +30 Melee Attack, +30 Magical Attack, +30 Ranged Attack, Deals 300 Acid element damage
10 White Wine Vinegar- (Consumable, Drink, Acid, 7 Charges, 11,600 Gold) +20 to all stats, 5% Critical, Deals 200 Acid element damage


*'Cascade' (Unfinished), Arthur Driscoel's Final Work- (Item, Antiquity, Wood, 5,500,000 Gold)
*'Perseverence' by Arthur Driscoel- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood, 700,000 Gold)
*'Hidden Melody' by Arthur Driscoel- (Item, Antiquity, Wood & Air & Sonic, 1,200,000 Gold)
2 Test Sculpture: 'Cascade' (Wood Only Variant)- (Item, Antiquity, Wood, 300,000 Gold)
3 Test Sculpture: 'Cascade' (Moonstone-Created Surface Waterfall Variant)- (Item, Antiquity, Wood & Water, 650,000 Gold)
Unsuccessful Test Sculpture: 'Cascade' (Moonstone-Induced Wood-Flowing Variant) in a Bucket- (Item, Antiquity, Wood & Water & Flux, 100,000 Gold)
2 Unsuccessful Test Sculpture: 'Cascade' (Rotted)- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Water & Darkness, 500 Gold)
24 Sculpture Made By Arthur Driscoel- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood, 250,000 Gold)


Moonstone-Worker's Tools- (Item, Crafting Equipment, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 500,000 Gold) Not consumed in combinations it is a part of
Pouch of Moonstone Shards- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood & Air & Sonic & Fire & Light & Water & Ice, 5,000,000 Gold)
Pouch of Cintho Moonstone Shards- (Item, Antiquity, Water & Ice, 1,250,000 Gold)


'Advanced Plant Care For All Environments'- (Item, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 70,000 Gold)
'Gardening for the Spiritually Gifted'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Light & Darkness, 120,000 Gold)
'Moonstone-Made Modern Marvels'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 80,000 Gold)
'On The Buried Cities Of The Nightmare Moon Era And Their Architecture'- (Item, Antiquity, Darkness & Earth, 500,000 Gold)
'Sanctuaries of the Shore- Advanced Methods for Gardening by the Sea'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Water, 80,000 Gold)
'The Aborist's Complete Guide'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood, 50,000 Gold)
'The Graceful Bough'- (Item, Antiquity, Wood, 240,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. I'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 200,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. II'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water, 200,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. III'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood & Air & Sonic & Fire & Light & Water & Acid, 300,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. IV'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood & Air & Sonic & Fire & Light & Water & Acid , 300,000 Gold)
'The Moonstone Artisan's Handbook, Vol. V'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Wood & Life & Air & Sonic & Crystal (2) & Fire & Light & Metal & Water & Acid & Flux, 450,000 Gold)
'The Wayfarer- Landscapes of the Spirit World, Vol. I'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water & Light & Darkness, 90,000 Gold)
'The Wayfarer- Landscapes of the Spirit World, Vol. II'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water & Light & Darkness, 110,000 Gold)
'The Wayfarer- Landscapes of the Spirit World, Vol. III'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water & Light & Darkness, 150,000 Gold)
'Trees of Legend and Historical Account'- (Item, Antiquity, Wood, 500,000 Gold)
'Unda, The Sea'- (Item, Antiquity, Light & Darkness & Water, 180,000 Gold)
'Vistas of the Spirit World'- (Item, Antiquity, Earth & Air & Fire & Water & Light & Darkness, 271,000 Gold)