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At the gate

The guard sergeant shrugs and says, "Well, that seems like legitimate enough business, but mostly what that means in this case is that it isn't really my decision to let you in or out now. We could keep and eye on him, but I can't choose to let him in with you. Really this one is up to the on-duty inquisitor and the wizard. This one is outside of my pay-grade, as long as you wait for them."

After a few moments he lets out a small sigh and admits, "Look, part of the issue too is, well, not everyone in Telmarune is as accustomed to necromancy as us guards. We deal with enough wizards at that big gathering every year that we're numb to most anything. Some people, though, would try to hurt you for it. The dead are sacred to most folk, and don't like people using someone's family as puppets. Dog like this doesn't do harm, he's still a dog from the look of him, really, but they see it as a slippery slope to becoming... a wrathful lich who raises armies of corpses to attack a country or something. Some people who would never hurt a child would even say 'but she was a necromancer' to excuse trying to hurt you. Some of those people are part of the inquisition."

He snorts at his own joke there before adding, "So I'm not worried about him hurting someone, we all know undead are more obedient than anything alive, I'm worried about people hurting you. And, well, the fact that we aren't allowed to just let a necromancer into the city. Them's the rules."

"Now, now," Cornelius replies with a clicking of his tongue, "You don't need to worry about what your subordinates say; you are- clearly -the life of the party, my Lady." He stands and offers Liliath his hand while Lisa leans against the desk, trying not to laugh by covering her mouth.

"I'll show you to the corridor of history and magic; there you should chance to find some useful documents. An anthology of old relics, perhaps, or some old tome referencing the artifact, though detailed accounts of such an object, so obscure as to be nearly lost to history, are admittedly few and far between." With a gesture, he silently asks them to follow him into the depths of the library.

"Ah, much appreciated," she chuckles. "I think I'm good for now! You guys figure out what we're doin'. I'm gonna poke my nose around this alley a bit." She strolls away, down the alley and toward the main street, doing exactly what she said and sticking her nose anywhere it fits (or doesn't). Raven loves all the odd city smells, and does this every time she gets a chance to visit, but right now her exploration carries a singular goal: pick up Lisa's scent, or Adriannu's, or anyone she might know. Heck, she'll even take Selinah! Though for some reason she doesn't think this is the city the old crone was visiting...not that she's sure where she is or where Selinah was headed to begin with.

She raises her head to take a good, long whiff of the air and then releases her breath with a disappointed sigh. The only scents familiar to her nostrils belong to the two strangers she'd come here with. What a shame.

"I want a big one, of stone cause otherwise people would destroy it. It doesn't have to be extremly big, but all my friends should be able to live in it." Liliath said with a huge smile. "Yes that one, that's why I am working for Thalia so that I get enough money to buy one." Liliath calmly grabbed his hand "Lisa what kind of castle do you want?'

At the library

Damned smart-mouthed dragon and his mocking sarcasm. Not that she could do anything about it but glower, which she did more than readily.

"Very well," she said dryly, "I will search there, though would appreciate the assistance on one of your staff more familiar with the texts. My time, and the Inquisition's time by extension, are valuable. We have been working to have some of our texts transcribed for the purpose of donating them to you."

Adriannu had noticed that this man's prices were less then consistent, but she wasn't afraid of a good bargaining session especially since it wasn't her money. As she approached, it seemed that he had made the fairly reasonable assumption that she belonged to either the caravans or some hunters. Now not wanting him to ask any further questions about herself, she quickly tried to satisfy any curiosity he might have. "Oh I can hunt with the best of them." The Cathera said, trying to imply that she was with the hunters without actually saying so. The best lie was the truth after all and she truly was an excellent hunter.

Once the small talk had been concluded, Adriannu quickly said what she wanted. "I'm after rice and dried meats and fruits, though I would also be partial to any nuts you have." Cheese and especially honey were expensive and thus were anything, but a practical choice. Nuts on the other hand were very nutritious and could keep for quite a while which made them an excellent choice for a long journey.

Having watched how he did business with the customers before her, the child was quick to copy them, intent to bring down his prices back to the appropriate sums. She still have other things she needed to get such as some good rope, a roll of linen that could be used for mending and cut into strips for bandages as well as a tinderbox.

Lisa lets out the laughter she'd been holding back since Cornelius's sly quip, making it look like she thinks Liliath's question was funny. "Oh, I don't think I could make it in a castle of any size. See, I spent most of my life in a small home..." that was now rubble. She trails off and clenches her fists, suddenly seething with anger at the memory of the mysterious man who'd completely wrecked the one place she could call home.

Cornelius catches the Inquisitor's glower and raises it a radiant smile that falters slightly as Thalia mentions the books. Knowing her, that was a threat just as much as it was virtue-signaling; she could order them to stop transcribing those valuable resources at any moment, after all. Needless to say, he doesn't poke any more fun at her.

"Of course. I know just who to- ah, speak of the devil," his voice drops as they cross paths with a fair-skinned, freckled young woman touting a cart of books. She smiles and waves at Cornelius...then her hand drops and she fixes her gaze solidly ahead upon recognizing the High Inquisitor. When the Chief Librarian stops her, she flinches. He doesn't seem to notice and greets his assistant with a polite nod.

"Miss Leyah, you specialize in magic history?"

"Um...yes sir." Her eyes shift from his guests- mainly Thalia-to the cart and back. "What do you need?"

"Could you assist Lady Thalia and her companions in researching a specific ancient artifact?"

Her eyes dart to the cart again. "I could-"

Cornelius raises a hand to stop her. "Don't worry about those books; I'll take care of them." He steps forward and pulls the cart away from her, and young lady lets him and sighs, accepting her fate.

He turns back to the High Inquisitor. "This is Eveyln Leyah; she's well-read in magic history, especially that of the dark arts, and can navigate this library almost as well as I can. She'll help you find what you need. Good luck, my Lady."

"But what if you could? A castle for all of your friends and family, how do you want it to look like animals are allowed to. I like animals they are cute." When she heared the mention of books, Liliath smile grew bigger and bigger. "Do you have any books for me to?"

At the Library

Thalia ignores Lisa and Liliath for a moment, addressing the disquieted young librarian Cornelius had inflicted her upon. "I am glad that someone with such interests had the presence of mind to pursue them in a less heretical way," she says in some semblance of a greeting, "I appreciate your willingness, and hopefully discretion, in helping me with this."

She takes a few slow steps toward Evelyn, much like the steps a cat takes as it moves to pouncing or charging range of its target before continuing.

"This one's an old one, one that even I hadn't heard of before today: A blood magic artifact called the Bloodied Vase, apparently powerful enough that it carries immense power while shattered. Hopefully that will help narrow our search," she quips, inadvertently glaring the young woman down, as if doubtful of her knowledge.

In the Marketplace

The merchant seemed a mite surprised by Adriannu's decisiveness, but did his best to roll with it. Partially to make the sale, of course, but also because it made him darned curious.

"W-ell then, looks like you have a good bit of experience if you know what you need so well. Alright, so how many people-days are ya expecting to need of food?" he asks, already pulling out his inventory list to mark stuff down. This lass didn't seem like the type to be kept waiting. Besides, this was one of his favourite questions to ask. It told him a lot about the buyer by how they replied, even more than the number alone.

A young man idled by a nearby stall, listening as he "examined" some of the wicker-ware on display. The merchant knew him to be the nephew of one of the other merchants. Whatever he was curious about here was likely nothing good....

Alastor nodded towards Jules. "S'alright. Brandis is a tough one to work around. Bastard's friendly enough to gain people's favour, and focused enough to almost never slip up." Alastor let out a snicker. "Almost."

"Next destination is in the slums. Yer travelling with me, so you oughta be right. Plenty of cats around for you to interact with too, Raven. I mean, if that's a thing yeh do. Never really looked into the life of familiars. No need to change either. If anyone causes trouble, they deserve whatever gets beat into 'em, if yeh feel the need." Alastor smiled, imagining the situation should anyone even try.

"Come on then, home's this way." Alastor started moving through the backalleys of the city, taking every opportunity to pass unnoticed when he can.

"Fair enough. I will probably get eye balled though... but what's new." She chuckles as she follows him. "Is there anything we should know before we just walk in? Should I not mention I'm a demon?" She asks quietly so only he hears.

As Cornelius leaves them to talk to one of his assistants, Lisa forces her clenches fists to relax and takes Liliath's hands. She musters up a smile and talks to keep the child occupied as they near their destination. "Good to know animals are allowed; my best friend has four legs and the softest, prettiest long coat you've ever seen." Remembering Raven for the first time in...well, less than a quarter of an hour ago, her tone softens. She takes up a solemn expression.

"Bloodied Vase, the Bloodied Vase..." Evelyn trails off and backs up as Thalia steps toward her. Her eyes dart to the space where her cart used to be- Cornelius had swiftly absconded with it down the corridor to do as he promised. She clears her throat before continuing. "Ye-yes, I've read that name once or twice; very old thing. Very powerful, though it is possible I've got this- uh -thing mixed up with something else." She turns away and starts walking down the hall, continuing to talk.

"I suppose the only way to know for sure is to check; I know a few relevant titles. The Evolution of Dark Magic, which cites records of several older-than-old ceramic artifacts. Or Blood Cults Through the Ages, which is actually a collection of scrolls that is...more than a little outdated, but if this vase is really, really old, then you could find it there." Her hunched, timid posture starts to relax as she leads them out of one hall, out to the left and into another corridor a few aisles down. She falls silent and glances back to make sure the space is clear except for the three following her. Then she starts collecting books for them, muttering their names as she hunts them down one by one, then hauling an armful to a table set near a corner wall on the other side of the aisle.

The library was quiet before- it is a library -but out here at this rickety little corner table, the silence becomes the very air they breathe. Dust billows out from the stack of books Evelyn not-so-gently drops and the table's legs creak under the strain. Four chairs are set around the table- the young librarian pulls one out for the High Inquisitor, then she crosses to the stack of books and opens the largest one off the top.

"An Anthology of Magic Artifacts, sorted alphabetically," she says as she flips to the start of the "B" section. It will by no means be a thorough description, but there's a start. "Now...if I may, Lady Thalia, t-those scrolls I mentioned earlier are a part of our private collection. I'm sure the Chief Librarian will give me permission to fetch them for you, though, if you wish to see them." She steps backwards toward the aisle, wringing her hands together.

In the Library

Thalia watches as the young woman does her work. Not the most precise, eager or confident, but capable and professional. That was more than adequate for what was needed here.

"Thank you," she says as she takes the offered seat and begins looking through the presented book, "and yes, request access at once. You have my permission to take a leisurely pace, what is here will certainly occupy us until you gather the scrolls."

She waves to inform the young librarian that she may be dismissed, not looking up from the tome. After a few moments she looks to Lisa and Liliath expectantly, staying silent at first.

If neither has started reading, she says, "If either of you can read, take a book and begin looking for any reference to the shards or vase. If any other texts are mentioned, please mark the page so we may inquire about them to the librarian when she returns."

Liliath thought the libary was boring, since she couldn't read very good (let's say incredibly bad) all the books were Chinese to her. "Your best friend can stay in the castle to." Liliath smiled the idea of someone else in the castle made her happy. "Thalia, this place is getting boring can't we go?" She asked clearly bored. "What's the use of book if I can barely read them?"

Ren beckoned Isabella off to the side. “So, you seem pretty attached to your dog, and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but maybe we could just leave him out here? I just want to get in and out of this place as quickly as possible. People aren’t my favorite.”

As Ren was speaking, Naida flew around the guard. She started asking her traditional questions, including “Who are you,” “why are you here,” and ending with “What’s the inquisition anyways?”

At the gate

"You must be pretty new to the world, sprite," the sergeant quips back at Naida, a quiet chuckle to his voice, "Surprised you've never seen a guard before, but I guess it makes some sense if you've only been out in the wilds so far. Guards and soldiers like myself and the men here protect places from people up to no good. We stop raiders and bandits at the walls, and deal with anyone inside the walls who tried to cause trouble. Thieves, thugs, killers, and the like. We enforce the laws of the city on the people, to make sure the city keeps running like it should. The Inquisition on the other hand..."

He sighs and looks around a bit before leaning against the large stone wall. When he speaks again, it's in a low voice meant to carry as little as possible while still being heard. "You're lucky you don't know yet, but I may as well tell you before the inquisitor on duty shows up. They're part of the church, but aren't like the priests and priestesses who give blessings and sermons and warm meals to orphans," he explains, hoping the little creature is paying enough attention to understand, "The Inquisition are the ones who look for signs of evil. Blood magic and weird cults and madmen serving demons and such. That said, they don't exactly get too picky about who can be evil. A street kid who uses unsanctioned magic to protect their friends is just as at risk of getting a holy crossbow bolt to the neck as an Abyss cult leader with a thousand followers. All evil is equal or some such nonsense. When they stop being all holier-than-thou, though, they are pretty darn good at their job."

He shakes his head then, as if tired. "Anyway, be careful what you say around them. Don't lie, but don't say anything strange either. You're a friendly one, and I find that refreshing, but the inquisitor who comes might not take too kindly to you zippin' around in their face. Don't want you getting hit with one of their containment spells or something. And let your mistress there know to be careful, too."

At the guard’s responses, Naida grew somber (something quite rare with her). She replied sadly, “But you’re stopping us, so do you think we’re up-to-no-good thieves and killers?” She added hesitantly, “Why do you listen to the Inquisition if you don’t like them, anyway? They sound like bullies to me.”

At the gate

The man smirked under his helmet. She was smarter than she first seemed, wasn't she?

"Heh, well, the zombie dog is a bit suspicious, but we also do protect the people in the city, including visitors. Helping make sure they don't get lynched by nervous citizens is part of that," he admits with a smile, "I'd like to see you all on the way out as well, rather than on a fire. As for the inquisition... well, like I said, they are good at their jobs when they get a real threat to keep 'em focused, and the rest of the church seems to.... tolerate them as a necessary part of their organization. They're all holed up in their hall or off galavanting the countryside most of the time anyway, so they don't cause too much trouble in the city proper. And, well, there is the 'being investigated' bit, but that's just a bit of a hassle as long as you aren't hiding anything."

“Well,” Naida said, much happier now, “Where even is this Inquisition? We’ve been standing here for a while, just waiting on them.”