C1E4 — A Walk on the Mild Side

Jamra's Account
Finally a day worthy of the name. We awoke on the fine morning of the 25th to clear skies and glad hearts. Agate seemed to be in high spirits and I confess even my black mood from the past few days had worn thin. As Zaelarys and Orentha were still gone, we elected to spend the day on the town rather than try our luck with the Troglodytes again. Dodging the odoriferous concoctions of our inn's "cook," we made for the market.

And what a market it was! I confess I expected to find the place rather dull after the sights and sounds of the Brazen Bazaar, but this plane has some truly unique inventions! We stopped for breakfast with a curious bun seller, who claimed that his wares conferred a few minor magical effects (well worth the price if true!), before proceeding with our wanderings. I confess I was more interested in scoping out the marketplace rather than going to any particular shop, but Agate's enthusiasm was infectious. Amidst our window shopping, she mentioned to me she had found something the other day and produced a potion from her pocket as well. A stroke of luck! A healing potion like that is quite valuable and dead useful as well. I'm glad her keen eye picked it out, though I'll need to keep a better eye on our hauls in the future to identify anything of note. Syrenixia seemed to pay close attention to our conversation, but didn't offer any comment. She's a taciturn sort, but very reliable. I hope to come to know her better and learn a bit about her code. Like so much else in this new world I have much to learn, but so little time to do it.

After our conversation, Agate led us into a little taxidermy shop of the side of one of the main thoroughfares. The place was... creepy really. From the stiff corpses to the penetrating gaze of the shop keep the whole place was strange. We soon learned why. The proprietress was using the stuffed animals as vessels for spells! A fascinating, if disturbing operation. Such a contact could be very useful to my work however, and she is worth cultivating. To think of all the things I could make with her knowledge! After some dickering over prices for spider corpses, we went our separate ways. Syrenixia mentioned something about needed to see an armorer and trudged off. I was about to do the same, but Agate invited me to go to the seashore with her. She seemed like such a nice girl, even with the peculiar stuffed chipmunk she bought, so I could hardly refuse. We spent over an hour watching the waves and talking. I think I got through to her a little and she opened up about her home. It seems there are depths to our small friend and sadness that lingers within. After bidding her ado, I headed back to the docks and spent quite some time speaking to airship captains and a wharf master. I learned much about the trade coming to the city, but only time will tell if any of the connections I have made will bear fruit...