Fantasy World Creations

Kryas was looking to do a bit of artistic practice today. It had been a while since he had done any kind of tattoo work and he was getting that itch that the bard got to be creative. Instead of sitting at the loom he was looking to do something a little more permanent. So he had first asked around those guile members who looked like they had nothing better to do but drink and found absolutely no success. It seemed that the half elf had built up quite a reputation for himself for doing weird magics, and though the guild members loved when he turned his odd mind to the adventures or people they fought. They were not so keen when the bard was bored and looking to have his fun at their expense. The bard normally meant well and things ended up alright, but anyone who would be considered normal who agreed to take part came back changed in one way or another.

So he was left to find his canvas the old fashioned way. Going to the central square just outside the market he set up his lyre and began to play to the passerby drawing in a crowd. All the while on a wooden board he brought with him he had written:

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All the while he was playing he could smell the cooking meat from the stall closest. They were selling grilled cow by the leg and rib it seemed along with several types of beef skewers and sausage. Most people who would stop and hear him play for a moment would be coming from that stand. Any spare change they had they seemed to be more then willing to throw into the basket he had by his knee.

"Kryas! This what you do for fun?" The large man laughed a jolly laugh, his voice a deep and resounding chortle. He already knew the answer of course. Kryas made much of his coin in his busking that the bard would perform when he wasn't on a mission or any other commitments. The bard knew how to have fun, and Golas knew him well enough to understand that music was a calling and a path for his bardic friend. In a way, it was a lifestyle.

For him on the other hand, lifestyle was all about meat. The succulent, tasty, and delicious mounds of the food was glorious indeed. Save perhaps a particular short half orc, there wasn't anyone else that matched in Golas' ferocity and love of meat. The fighter could tell anyone all about meat; from its flavor, to what animal it had come from, and to how any particular cut could be best prepared to bring out its individual flavor the most. For indeed each piece of meat had a certain quality, and likewise its own distinct flavor different to that of any other morsel of meat.

There was a new food stall that had opened up, and this marked Golas' real reason to travel to the bazaar. Not that he didn't enjoy Kryas' music, in fact, many a times his bardic friend would join him on Golas' crusades playing with the various children in town, the bard too entertaining the children with music of his own. But today was not a day for entertainment, today was business. And to anyone who knew the large man, business meant meat. He had gone a long way from when he had first asked Sophie to do all the meat shopping, and though he enjoyed Sophie's cooking for the guild, nothing beats picking out the meats yourself and enjoying the new meat stalls that had opened. Cooked, prepared, or raw, as long as it was meat Golas was usually one of the first customers to try them, passing judgement on each of the store owners by the taste and quality of the delicious protein.

"Tried any of the meat yet Kryas?" Golas grinned, knowing full well his half-elven friend leaned to the human side of things, at least where food was concerned.

Kryas smiled good heartedly  at the large human who had broken through the crowds. He should have realized the mammoth of a man was around the second he had smelled cooking meat. Golas was also marked as one of the goodnatured oddballs of the Guild of Galas'nor. More for his demeanor and size though rather then anything else. The man really did have a good heart and Kryas had become fond of the mans teasing most of the time. He struggled with making friends with anyone not part of the guild or above the age of twelve, but he was loyal to a fault. That was something that Kryas admired.

Finishing the song he was on the half elf could hear some people in the crowd sigh slightly sad that the show was done the last few coins made there way to his basket as he stood. Patting the other man on the upper back warmly.

"Morning friend! and No, Golas I can't say I have tried this new stall. You will have to tell me if it is worth my coin!

With a smirk he continued "Though I'm sorry friend if you are looking for me to treat you today I'm afraid I don't have enough for your usual purchase.

He went to claim his baskets contents quickly before someone passing by got the wrong idea."You see I'm performing today so I can buy materials to practice my tattoo work with. Want to come along? I'm going to stop by Aleanoria's on my way back to the guild. I still haven't found anyone willing to let me practice on them yet, but she gets rather cross when I order things and then do not pick them up when they get there. Something about her store not being a warehouse for my junk. So I could use the help carrying stuff I went a bit overboard."

"Buahahaha! No better way than to spend the day eating meat and greeting that wizard missy!" The large man roared in laughter as he continued a short moment later. "Just give me a second here Kryas. I'm on business." He said with a sparkle in his eyes.

A moment later he faced the stall, his towering figure shadowing the store clerk's face. Golas had a voracious look on his face. It was from the presentation of food in front of him, but the merchant misunderstood. The merchant was new in town, and he did not know of Golas. To him, the large man was terrifying, Golas' visage adding more to the terror. But to his credit the merchant still offered the foods at his stall albeit hesitantly.

Golas leaned his face close. The merchant couldn't help but step backwards.

"Meat! Give me five pounds of it!" Golas exclaimed. The merchant looked puzzled.

"F-five...?" He asked questioningly. Most people ordered a stick of meat, or even a slice of the ribs. Five pounds was a lot, was he expecting to throw a dinner for his friends?

"You're right! My friend is with me, so make it TEN!" Golas grinned as he gave Kryas a thumbs up, never keeping his eyes off of the delectable meat.

Kryas only shook his head and smirked. Now he would need to find a way to eat all that food or give it too the guild's chefs from what he could not eat. They could turn it into a holiday pie or something since the winter festivals were just around the corner. Stashing his gold and other belongings he waited for Golas to finish his shopping. The shop keeper flinched slightly when the meal traded hands worrying that in Golas'  grip would crush his fingers. The barbarian knew the extent of his own strength and could be surprisingly gentle when he wanted to be even if finesse was not his strong point. He supposed it was all that time he spent in the stable tending the horses he had learned such control for the sake of their care.

Once Golas returned to him holding his prize he excepted his portion trying to ignore the weight and awkwardness of making sure nothing hit the ground. He smiled and tried some out of obligation  it certainly was not bad not that he had too much of an opinion on the matter he knew his friend would be different however.

"Shall we get going?" he said allowing Golas to set the pace, It was rare for Golas and Kryas to hangout alone like this. Normally they had someone with them be it a guild member or the town children. To be honest he knew very little about the man's personal interests besides those that he choose to share to the entire world. this was probably the first chance he had to ask simple questions one would about a friend. Better to ask him know before he had to get yelled at by the shopkeeper. He had ordered several large bags of different herbs he was going to use as a color additive to his tattoo dye. The second order he was really looking to get his hands on was the few viles of exotic animal blood he meant to use as a base. In particular the blood of a dire lion  though he would be handling that bag in particular he was not sure how Golas might react to such a thing.

As they turned the corner to make their way to the shop he began his questions, "So how's it going Golas got any interesting things happen of late? Guild missions and my own projects have kept me busy for a while and i feel like we haven't had the chance to talk."

As they continued to walk, Golas held one beef skewer with one hand, while the other hand carried almost five pounds of meat. The bag was filled with freshly cooked, warm, and seasoned meat, and its succulent aroma could easily be smelled. Even a few people they passed by glanced at their direction as they continued walking and as Golas continued to keep taking large bites from the bone he had been holding. Though a bit chilly due to the season, it was still a great day, made even merrier by the food he carried.

"The smell is wonderful, you think Kryas?" Golas happened to mention offhandedly, not really expecting an answer as he took yet another bite. "It invigorates the stomach. Though, a bit too much seasoning, as it overpowers the rich flavor of the beef, but still pretty good!" The large man laughed. Golas shrugged at Kryas' next question, though he looked uneasy as he grew silent, looking as if he had been mulling over some thoughts.

"A letter from my homeland." He said, his eyes were unreadable, and his features looked just slightly more somber, a discerning eye would have caught the slight change. A moment later however, he bit into his foodstuff, and grinned again. Banishing any dark cloud above him and bringing back his same good-natured self.

"The stall deserves yet another visit from me I suspect. A little advice on his spices would do some good!" The fighter laughed again. "A bit of beer would complete this meal, I think. Up for a round after your you get your materials?"

?Sure buddy absolutely after we get the stuff we can get to the tavern for a drink.? Kryas knew that feeling that Golas was trying to keep hidden pain from a past you would rather leave in the past or were forced leave behind. The bard knew that if he wanted any further information the best way was to just wait till he opened up after having a few flasks.  Whatever the truth of the matter was, with enough alcohol the truth would no doubt come out.

As he took another bite of his share of the purchase the shop came into view. Walking inside they were greeted with the usual sights and smells of the Emporium. ?Aleanoria, Hi it?s Kryas you sent a note this morning about my orders coming in. I have the money to pay for everything.? He called into the back making sure to pull out the sack of coins and place it on the counter for emphasis. He wanted to make sure that there was no bad blood between them for his strange requests. He knew that she was always put off when he asked for something ?over the top? like dire lion blood.  Not to mention the many bushels of herbs that he required.

All the while however images continued to flash in his mind of possible designs he could create.

Her latest herb and reagent gathering expedition had been a rather long one this time around. All because of that bard and his gods-awful requests. She hoped he realized that these things would not be cheap for him. His requests usually were never cheap, so he probably did. It was hard enough finding as much as he had requested in the particular herbs he wanted, but then to add in exotic animal bloods to the list... The herbalist mage turned shopkeeper was dead tired when she finally returned home.

The following morning, Alaenoria sent out a letter to Kryas, telling him to come pick up his crap before she sold it to the next highest bidder, although not in quite the same terms. She may enjoy herbs and magic, and have many a tale to tell about her adventures of the past, but that did not mean she enjoyed going on adventures to collect herbs and magical reagents that were hard to gather for other people. At least he knew to save up enough to pay for the goods all up front. She doubted she would have accepted his orders without half of the payment down if he did not.

She was in the back of her shop trying to figure out where to store the excess in herbs and reagents the bard had requested until he came to pick them up when she heard the front door to her shop open. Ah. Speak of the devil. That was his voice calling out for her. With a sigh, Alaenoria left her storage room to greet him, taking the items he had ordered with her.

"I see you have finally deemed it necessary to retrieve your excessive amount of merchandise." The Elvin shopkeeper replied, her tone making it hard to tell if she was joking or being sarcastic. Reaching her counter, Alaenoria lightly tossed a bag full of herbs down. "I hope you have enough to pay for my time as well." Another bundle, tightly wrapped this time, was carefully placed beside the bag. This contained the vials of animal blood.

"Welcome, giant man." She greeted the man who she assumed had followed Kryas in, though frowned when she saw and smelled the meat he had on his person. She had met him on a previous occasion while bringing herbs to the guild for the infirmary. If he made a mess of her establishment like the one he had made on that day, she might have to do something drastic. "Perhaps you might find it more befitting to enjoy your meal outside?"

"He'll be out of your hair soon I promise. He's helping me carry my goods so that you can get paid that much faster." he laughed lightly attempting to lighten the mood. He placed the money down with the bag open wide so that she might inspect the requested payment was all there. While she was going about that he inspected the content of the larger bag. Looking over the flora that the herbalist gathered he was always impressed by the quality of plants she managed to find. These plants were some of the best he had ever seen. It was a shame that he would have to use all of them to make the most potent dye possible. She was charging an arm and a leg as it was so he could only manage to get just enough for his purposes.

Despite how the shopkeeper handled the bag it had to be around fifty pounds of petals and plants of different species. Handing the bag to Golas who seemed unfazed by the weight. The second bag he handled a little more carefully as he heard crystal chime as it struck other crystal. Opening it up he saw various multiple hued vials of blood. Cushioned with cotton seed puffs he could see each one was labeled in the shopkeepers scrawling script. He saw what he was looking for almost immediately a single vial of Dire lion blood something so hard to get he could only afford one where the others had duplicates in case something went wrong.

Looking up from his purchases he smiled, "Everything appears to be in good order and the money is all there I triple counted plus you know where I live so if I'm short you can just send a bird for the difference. Thank you again for the help Alaenoria I don't know what I would do without your services you are the only place in town that knows even half of what I am looking for when I go out shopping. " His smile was heartfelt though he doubted that the shoppkeeper cared much. "I'll be back again soon if I need anything!"

Turning to Golas once he had grabbed the bag of vials "Lead the way home!" he joked. 

The large man roared in laughter as the shopkeeper's distaste of meat.

"One day missy, I shall bring you the most succulent of meats, that shall change even your palate!" He grinned as he was about to take another bite from the large chunk of meat he held in his hands, but thought better of it as he attempted to imagine the elven shopkeeper's reaction.

Carefully, Golas took up the proffered bag, one filled with all sorts of herbs and flora. He couldn't help but give a quick few whiffs of the plants, and he wondered how some of the different aromas he smelled would work on meat. Perhaps he should pay a visit more often to Alaenoria's - if only for the various different herbs he can experiment on.

When Kryas mentioned leading the way back, Golas happily complied.

"I'll be back for some herbs later!" Golas called out as he was about to step out of the door. "I'll trade you a few morsels of some delicious meat!" Golas' laughter echoed in the shop.

Kryas let Golas lead the way back down the streets to the guild. It was around noon at this point and the bar would be opening for drinks soon. They moved into the guild hall quickly and it was already starting to get busy again for lunch. Kryas frowned slightly he needed to work with the herbs but did not want to have to deal with someone interrupting them. while he was working and he was getting Golas to drink. That reminded him that he would need to ask the Barkeep to make sure and cut his share of the alcohol with some water so that he could keep his wits about him. Waving the customary hand sign to the bar meant to signal he was drinking with the giant

"So Golas you want to grab us a set at the bar in the guild members only section? I need to grab my mortar and pestle and other gear from my room then i can start crushing the herbs while we drink. Just order me a beer and make sure those plants do not not get damaged." With that he left quickly the smaller bag still in hand and went to grab the rest of what he needed.

He returned quickly with a large napsack of gear and sat down whereever Golas had made room for him. So have you ordered yet?

"Indeed, I will." She replied to his mention of sending a bird if his counting was off. A smile of self satisfaction spread across her features. Indeed, she was one of the few who knew so much about herbs within the city, and even out of it, having trained as an herbalist before taking on magic. "Use them wisely and they should last you a while."

Her smile disappeared completely, turning back into a frown at Golas' promise to bring even more meat into her establishment in the future. She hoped he did not really believe she could eat it. The Elvin woman truly hoped that he did not. If he did bring back meat as a bartering tool, she might have to ban him from her shop. She chose not to reply to any further comments as the two disappeared out the front door. Now she had get rid of that awful meat stench.

[spoiler]This is Alaenoria's last post here.[/spoiler]

"Just look at those fine beers!" Golas said acknowledging the bard's question. He gestured at the array of mugs before him, then proceeded to push the contents to the middle of the table. "Just finished a couple of missions you see, I figured I would spend the earnings on food and drink! A mighty fine way to shop if I do think so myself." The large man's eyes twinkled as he proceeded to chug down the first of many beer mugs.

"So what's this with the tattoo work, eh? I admit I haven't seen you at that particular craft yet." Golas said as he thought about the bard. And it was true, usually he would see Kryas playing music and song, and though he did knew Kryas' skill with tattoo-work, he had never actually seen the process done in person.

"Tattooing has been something I've dabbled in ever since I was young. It's like writing a permanent story on people's skin. That story those feelings become a part of them. Weird I know, but the thought appeals to my inner story teller."

Kryas chuckled as he began sifting through the bags of herbs. He had a large mortar and pestle and began plucking seemingly random  things from the bag to be ground. He would first grind clockwise then counterclockwise and would repeat until the plants became a greenish brown paste. Once it got to a consistency he liked, he would add yet another handful of plants from the bags.

"As to how it works. My father was a wood elf you see and he knew how to make high quality natural dyes. No alchemical compounds at all, so you avoid most of the nasty side affects. Then I add coloring," He shook the small bag slightly to signify what he meant. "Then once the ink is done I have some iron bark and bone needles I use to make the design. People often say that only those with true warrior spirits take the pain without herbal help. Though everyone regardless gets drunk first." He took a sip of his own watered down beer for a moment. There was another reason that Kryas stuck to his natural formula.  It worked as a conduit for embedding magic into the markings itself. Not that Golas had to know about that part.

"The problem is this pigment base can't be stored for longer then a day or two. So I have to try and find a willing subject before then." He frowned slightly at the idea of his money going to waste. "I don't break out this stuff often because of the cost and time required, but the townsfolk have been very generously lately so I had enough to get what I need. I might even try taking any extra seeds and trying to grow a few of the rarer ones." He smiled at the thought slightly before glancing up.

He was curious about the letter that Golas had been clutching earlier, but the larger man was still to sober to ask. The thought of Golas being to sober caused another thought to pop into his head.

"Hey Golas, have you ever heard of the goddess Rona? She's a goddess worshiped out west beyond the ocean. She is known for the hearth, home, and hospitality. from the rumors hospitality mostly means absurd amounts of alcohol, and other such activities. He winked at that other activities part leaving his friend to fill in the rest. From what I've heard her priests take daily baths in beer! I'm sure it's just gossip, but it sounds like it's something you should look into.
The elf laughed. "I even hear she shares a temple with her brother a god of war. Though his name escapes me at the moment. His symbol is a snarling lion I think."

He had never seen Golas going to any kind of service, nor had he heard from his information network anything to that affect.

"If you like I could look further into it for you."

"A land where priests bathe in beer, eh? That'd be the day!" The large man laughed jovially. "We have stories like those in my homeland as well. But told as tall tales of course, around a campfire, with nothing but comrades in arms, the chilling night winds, and the stars shining above us." Golas had begun to talk some-what wistfully, but he eventually grinned turning to face Kryas.

"It's a wondrous sight. A bard like yourself would probably understand more than a couple of rag-tag fighters though!" Golas roared in laughter again as he took another drink from his mug.

"But if those tales are true, I may make it a point to chart those waters, on a grand expedition westwards!" He said it jokingly of course, but he had finished another mug. The large man indeed did have an appetite, and could hold his liquor well.

[spoiler]I don't think I want to have Golas have the letter on hand.[/spoiler]

Kryas chuckled at the idea of seeing Golas setting out on the sea like an explorer. To be honest it was hard to imagine the larger man on any kind of boat. He was to large both physically and emotionally to be contained by a floating box. He was built to be on horseback and knew the animals like nothing else. He needed open plains and fields to stretch and move. His previous statement about his past further cemented that image of Golas as some kind of raider.

For a long time the elf thought Golas was from a neighboring village or something from the city. But as he got to know him he began to realize just how foreign the Barbarian was. The slight accent for instance that had faded over the years of city life that none but the most trained ear would pick up on. His dress two was just slightly off what was often considered popular for urban life. The Giant man tended to favor pelts and leathers for more then just his adventuring gear.

?If you are ever in the mood to tell a story you heard at those camps make sure I?m in the audience. I want to know what type of stories produced you my friend!? he laughed poking him slightly while offering him another mug of ale. Every time he downed a mug Kryas had another waiting. ?I?m sure you have some stories of warriors and gods that a bard could really make some good coin off of. You know how people love a good story!? He even occasionally swapped out almost empty mugs with full ones when he wasn?t looking. The tavern master despite a curious glance let this continue without saying a word. Certainly this too was just another one of the bard?s antics and he always paid for his share of whatever trouble he caused.

He kept making sure that the barbarian was well watered with ale while he worked with his plants. Over the next few hours the pair continued to chat and Kryas finally ran out of plants to add to the paste. He had to regularly water down the sticky mess throughout the process. Having nothing better around he used the leftover beer that he had on hand. No more then a few splashes from one of the mugs that Golas had only barely touched. He knew the brew the bar used well and the more he talked to Golas the more of an idea formed of the tattoo he wanted to make, and the subject he wanted to make it for. All the beer really need was a tiny bit of purifying magic and then it worked just as well as well as his usual choices. Besides, it was always best to add character to this kind of thing.

With the base finished he had a loose ink like substance that had a dark blue black and green coloring. All that was left was to add the blood which would act as the perfect binder and colorant for the final product shifting it from a green to an earthy black with some red as base.

But before he did that final step he would need Golas? permission to actually do the project in the first place. He only hoped that the alcohol he had finished at that ?point was enough to get him to relax a bit.

?So Golas?? He started slowly after his friend finished another skewer, ?I was wondering if you would be willing to let me try my craft on you? I really need someone as soon as possible. And I don?t know today really got my imagination going so I think I could create something really special.? Again he was not actually lying just not telling the entire truth. What was truth anyway really?