Chapter 3 - HQ Interlude

Nix finishes her second mountain of food and attacks the dessert table next. She fills her plate with dainty orange blossom cakes, blueberry tarts shaped like war galleons complete with spun-sugar sails, chocolate oyster shells hiding peppermint pearls, unicorns made out of marzipan, an almond and scorched milk bread pudding, a meringue sphere filled with wine-poached pears. Instead of returning to her original seat she heads two tables down and greets the tinker gnome. "Hiya!" Nix says, her mouth already crammed with lime jellies. "That's a cool gizmo you've got there! How does it work?"

Nix

As you near and sit the gnome quickly starts adjusting things on the device she has, realizing she has just been staring for quite some time now. She glances up a moment as you sit down and tries to go back to pretending she is working on something. Hearing you ask the question she straights up suddenly, Oh, uh. This. It uh. It's driven by the pack here. A small heat box, it uh. It makes steam that. Well, IT doesn't make steam, a water tank inside makes it. Then uh, she stammers out then suddenly you hear a splash of water on the floor and she looks back letting out a swear in gnomish.

I guess I need to reinforce the tank. The water bladder isn't holding. The drive is far too high on this too. Need to change out the drive sprocket for a chain drive maybe, she says, more to herself, almost forgetting you were there for a moment.

I uh. I'm Phina, she says, her focus snapping back to the conversation. She has two pink puffballs of hair that bobb around on her head and a pair of goggles with at least 6 different lenses hanging off of them.

"I'm Nix. It's great to meet ya! Well maybe it needs a few adjustments, but I think your gizmo is awesome! I'm afraid I don't have much of the tinker's talent but I could help you with your food heater thingie if you want. That is, until I get sent out on mission tomorrow."

Nix

Oh. Uh. Hi, Nix. That, oh, that would be swell. I just need to look at a new containment...wait...are...are you a field agent? Oh boy, I've always wanted to go out in the field. I bet you have had so many great adventures, and harrowing escapes! she says with a sudden excitement and enthusiasm.

I uh. I'm one of the tinkers here. We work on new prototype gadgets you adventurers can use. Unfortunately I get to build some fun stuff, but I don't get to use it. This here is uh. It's a pet project I'm working on. It will, uh, hopefully make eating pasta much easier, she says as she lifts the fork device in her hand aloft. A little more water squirts from the hose attaching the fork part to the backpack. She frowns a bit.

It uh. Needs some work still I guess. Soon though. Soon you won't have to manually spin your own fork to pick up pastas! Soon you can just put on this small backpack, fill the resivour tank with water, add a few small chunks of wood, light the wood and give it about 20 minutes to heat up, then attach the backpack unit to the fork base, flip this little lever, and WALA! Just like that you can easily spin the pasta right onto your fork!, she says, becoming very chipper and energetic at the end gesturing down to what once was a plate of pasta and sauce, but has since been entirely decimated by the fork device which spun at near lethal speeds.

"That's just terrible! A shame, really, that there aren't more here who can truly appreciate the vast knowledge one can glean in this fine collection. Their loss is my gain, I say! Yes, these books will do for some light reading. By any chance do you have any books on the history of the Daggers as well? Perhaps biographies on some of the more prominent members? Or, some sort of compendium of magical artifacts?" At this I look away briefly. It doesn't hurt to see what others have written, right? Once I've completed my own meticulously detailed compendium it could very well end up on shelves like these. I am momentarily filled with glee at the prospect. "Research purposes!"

Xadira

Oh, well..., Xalph says, looking down a little, We don't really have any written works about The Daggers. Uh, you see the organization is highly secretive. So to maintain a level of security there are no written works about them. It's uh...I guess mostly held here, he says as he taps two fingers to his head.

But, he says, quickly trying to get back to something he can offer you, We do have a wonderful encyclopedia of all currently catalogued magical items. It's a real breeze to read. Only 1382 pages! Small print of course. Plenty of illustration and what history we know of these items. Only the finest for one of with such an appreciation of lore. He smiles expectantly, hoping this idea will do.

"Oh. Yes, of course. I suppose that makes sense. I'll have to ask you more about the organization another time." As I'm talking I'm also scanning the book on the Houses of Salar, mentally flagging items of interest. "An encyclopedia you say! Excellent, that is just the thing I need! Delightful! I have quite the evening ahead of me!" I carefully hug the two books closer in anticipation of adding the third to the pile, breathing in some of the mustiness. That is followed by several minutes of coughing.

In the dining hall:

"I LOVE pasta! I would've had a plate of pasta next, but everybody's been staring at me weird so I figured I'd go ahead and move on to dessert." Nix says, as the last of the sweets disappears into her mouth. "You don't get to eat so well when you're out in the field, you know. Oh wait, that reminds me! I'll be right back!" Nix hops to her feet and moves off. She returns with an armload of mincemeat pies. She opens her pack and produces a roll of some shiny metal hammered into a sheet the thinness of a hair-breadth. She starts carefully wrapping the pies in the material. "Tin foil, Pops - that's my father - called this stuff. My ancestors were miners, you know? I mainly use it for wrapping up food for the road, but I've found some other interesting uses for it on missions. I bet you could come up with some interesting uses for it, too! Here." Nix tears off a length of the foil an arm-span long and hands it to Phin.

Xadira

Xalph's smile is beaming at this point, Oh absolutely, I'm sure I could discuss much of the history at great length and detail, you don't become lore master without knowing a thing or two about the organization.

He gets a bit of a nervous look. Like he wants to ask you a difficult question. Then you start coughing. He leans in to pat you on the back to try and help you out. Oh dear, Xadira, are you alright? I'm afraid that has happened to me countless times. as the coughing subsides he realizes his hand is still on your back and quickly pulls it back, suddenly blushing red.

Oh, I uh. I'm sorry, I uh..., he stammers out. He breathes deep and straightens up a bit, Uh. Ms. Xadira Liadon? Would you. Uh. Care to get...or partake in...some drink...er...tea...with me....and books. Or what I mean to say is would you and books like to accompany me to tea. Perhaps when you are in town again?, he says. He started the line with all the confidence in the world and quickly lost steam and started to stammer out his words again.

His spectacles slide down his nose and he readjusts them again. Somehow he has managed to turn a brighter shade of red.

Nix

Phina hangs on your every word. Every mention of exploring and adventuring seems to widen her smile a little bit. As you show her the tin foil here eyes go as wide as dinner plates. She has a very childlike wonder of the extremely thin metal. You hand her the sheet of it and she holds it like a delicate glass vase. Whooooooaaaa! I've never seen a metal this thin before. It's tensile properties alone are incredible! A metal this thin could easily help conduct the heat to and away from the coil matrix. It could even help insulate the heat tubing to prevent the occasional flare ups I keep having, she says more to herself.

She looks up at you with a smile so wide you are worried it may just fall off of her face. This. Is. AMAZING! Thank you thank you thank you. Come with me to my workshop. I have to repay you for this. I have something else I've been working on. Something befitting such a noble adventurer, she says as she slings now slightly smoking fork pack over her shoulder.

Firn
After the food comes the ale. After the ale comes more ale. The gensai can put them back pretty well. Alnata makes sure to keep your cup filled as he claps you on the shoulder after almost everyone of his 'jokes'. Despite your awkward social graces you seem to have charmed the group with your 'reserved' attitude. The hours grow late and soon the group disperses. They start to head off to different halls and tell you that you will need to hang out again the next time you are back from a mission.

As you are on your own ready to head back you feel a hand touch your lower back and the figure attached to it wraps around to the front. You see the warm red glow of Ainata's flaming hair. Hey, new guy. Not many of us around here. I'm looking for some company tonight. How about we bunk together?, she says enticingly as she puts a finger on your chest. It feels warm and the spot it sits steams just so slightly as she adds, I'm just right here up the hall, nodding to a bunk room up the way a bit.

"Why?" comes Firn's response. There is a single blink of his yellow-green eyes, then a stare as he waits for the answer.

Firn

Taken aback by the question a bit she seems to search for an answer. It's fairly obvious this ploy has worked on others far easier, she wasn't expecting resistance. Because, is all she can manage, still trying to maintain a coy smile which she assumes is going to seal the deal.

Firn considers. "Huh. If you're scared of the dark, a night-light helps. Especially when you can't see the sky." Satisfied that he has solved this fire genasi's problem, Firn takes his leave and heads to his room.

Firn

It takes her a moment to even register what has just happened. As you walk away, slipping out of her grasp, the fire that crowns her head grows a little hotter and brighter. She looks to find the right insult to fling but instead just huffs out a frustrated noise and spins on her heels, heading to her room. As you reach your room you hear a door slam hard further back in the hall. Looking back you see bright red light flickering from behind the closed door frame.

Ütés rolls over in her bed as she hears a door slam in the distance. Don't people ever sleep in this place?

"That's a good night-light," Firn says to himself, observing Ainata's door. "Bit too bright to sleep, though."

"I do appreciate a fine cup of tea. Do you have an extensive selection of loose tea leaves here? Oh dear, are you feeling well? You seem a bit peekish." I give him a look of sympathy. Perhaps he is suffering from an allergic reaction.

Xadira

Oh, most certainly, he chimes in, trying to move the conversation to more comfortable territory for him, the kitchen here is house to all sorts of varieties, he adds, his red has gone down a little since you seem to have interest in his idea of tea.

Oh, no, it's nothing, just uh...the heat in here sometimes, he says, fanning himself for no reason. But if you will allow me to escort you there we can discuss The Daggers...and uh...other things. In much more depth. You will be amazed at the selection here, they have Assam, Darjeeling, Congou, Dianhong, Kangra, Nepali, Wuyi, Yingdehong, and Nilgiri, he says, stopping to take a breath, and that is just the black teas.

He continues to list teas and starts talking about the specific properties and flavors of each as he escorts you down to the dining hall for tea. This trip goes much the same way as the books as you walk down hallways filled with all sorts of old historical artifacts in glass cases, smaller side bookshelves with even more volumes of lore, and every manner of interesting thing you could think possible.

It takes a good two hours to get over to the dining hall which was only about 50 feet across the hall. He was just finishing up a very detailed explanation on how to steep tea properly and the health benefits of it as a surly half-orc holding a large try of food and ale. Bumps into the elf and spills food and drink upon his pristine blue robes.

Xalph apologizes profusely to the large half-orc and quickly casts a prestidigitation spell to clean himself and his robes. A gesture you know all too well. Sorry, it can be a little rough around here at times, he says to you and soon finds you a nice side table to have a more detailed discussion over tea. He tries to steer the conversation to you at times, and your history. He has a few thinly veiled compliments he gives you and blushes red every time he does so.