Follow that Gem...{Open, Attn: Mizushin and Erhyne}

[Charybdis]

Timestamp: Melora, Late Spring.
Era XI of the Age of the Darkening, Mageocracy of Julos the Mad.

While most of the main streets in Vers were traced side-to-side with merchants’ push-carts, there was one in particular that time and custom had made into a complete bazaar. Merchants yelled out the benefits of their wares to whatever citizen might walk in their path, shoving strings of wooden beads and roughly-hewn statuettes depicting the various Aetherian Gods in different poses. A few food carts had been thrust up against the curb of the road as the luscious smells of smoked meats and freshly-baked breads intermixed with the salty scents trailing from the ocean not too far away in the air and tingled at a mortal’s stomach.

Rugs of every color and design were hung on a stretch of three or four stands, all draped onto thick wooden poles to display their vibrancy against the sunlight from above. Another cart held scarves woven of the ‘finest silk’, their seller proclaimed proudly as he threw a few into the air to demonstrate the sophistication of their dyes. He touched one to his cheek and declared it was the ‘softest thing since Diana’s wings.’ Another merchant yelled out that his fish had been caught only the brightening before and were still fresh; a few of the creatures’ eyes wiggled to prove it. He grabbed one particular aquatic by its lifeless tail and lifted it above his head in an effort to demonstrate the entirety of its foot-and-a-half length and the metallic glisten of its large, silvery scales.

Hundreds of colors, shapes, sizes, and smells invaded the senses of any citizen fortunate and unfortunate enough to pass through its canyon of commercialism. Food, luxuries, and curiosities were all the by-word of the day as the merchants attempted to make a living and their customers a home. Matronly wives wandered by this cart and that, often haggling with the owner over the price of a particular desired artifact with all the skill of time and experience. Children ran throughout the crowd, much to the chagrin of their guardians, pushing a few things awry in their paths as they played mock games of hide-and-go-seek. A few young couples glanced lovingly into their partners’ gaze as they wandered aimlessly throughout the crowd, most obviously oblivious to anything other than their companion and completely neglecting that the rest of Telath had ever existed.

In the center of the road, however, a particular stand of great curiosity stood against the right side of the road. A thick woolen blanket had been stretched from the plaster wall to two upraised sticks, lending a canopy of shade – or, upon closer inspection, more of a stage background for its master’s performance – to those who might dwell underneath. Wooden shelf-like structures had been erected on all three sides facing the road, leaving only a small empty space in the middle. On top of the counters stood a collection of small boxes that covered almost the entire top, all holding the items that had seemingly caught the interest of many passers-by.

Sunlight glistened underneath the canopy, despite its owner’s attempt to garner some short of shade for his bald head. The boxes on the counter spilled over with bright, crystalline gems of all shapes and colors, arranged by their particular hues. One box gleamed with deep reds and maroons, twisting what sunbeams it could grab into prism rays and throwing it back at the fascinated crowd. Another flanking box contrasted with the purest shades of jade-green one could imagine, calling back even deeper, more alive colors than the foliage of the Optian Greenwoods just outside the city on the most beautiful brightening of Summer. Other boxes held the glory of sapphire-colored stones that gleamed like the depths of the sea while others were perfectly clear, merely content with catching the invisible light and breaking it apart into the eight colors of the rainbow.

Inside the little realm stood a short humanoid figure. His skin had become ruddy and freckled from eras in the sunlight, matching his squished face and perpetually squinting eyes. A small ring of white hair traced the bald point of his head, revealing deep brown sunspots marring the singular color of his skin. Wizened hands curled around the top of a walking stick in an attempt to support his forward-leaning body, crooked with both age and what appeared to be constant eras of bending of the spine. His ears were typically Human in rounded shape, but they seemed to twitch at the slightest sound, as if he was catching every single disturbance in what ought to have been silence.

Stepping forward to the very front of his stall, the man raised his hands to either side in a motion to ask for quiet from the gathering crowd. His rough grey tunic hung loosely from his thin form, revealing a bony, almost skeletal form below its cloth. “Good people of Vers!” he called aloud, head twisting to either side. “It is with great pleasure that I present to you these artifacts, gathered at great personal cost from yours truly to be a treasure of your house, an enjoyment to your eyes! Get a gem for your daughter, or perhaps one for your son’s sweetheart! Treat your wife to the luxuries once only reserved for the rich and famous at a fraction of the cost! Sapphires, rubies, emeralds, diamonds! What more could one want? The Imperial Crown might still sit at its height, but it won’t stop us dressing ourselves in the same beauty as the Empress!”

The little man’s face gleamed as he offered his sales pitch. His hands fell back to before his torso, crossing and laying placidly on top of each other as he watched with piercing, almost critical gaze as a few customers came near to touch the stones. He wasn’t about to be swindled out of his hard-earned fortune. “Boy,” he called toward the shadows, beckoning out a child no more than ten patterns dirtied and worn in the same style as his superior, “take the money when they offer it. Watch that no one steals anything.” The merchant’s gaze turned toward the approaching crowd once more, offering a brief smile to a target he thought a potential before returning his attention to those who might ask him questions of price and quality.

OOC: Open to all PCs.

[Erhýne]

Vers: a multifaceted, peculiar city whose diversity and depth Erhýne felt she could never understand. Despite its small size the mysteries it housed were so dark, so altogether peculiar to itself that the Nimâlni was always lost within it: never quite sure of her way, never quite sure where the next step might lead her.

At the moment, however, her toes had followed her heals to the rather banal collection of open carts which constituted the Versian bazaar. For once, in fact, she even had a fair idea of why they had done so (for they were not always impelled by obvious motives; even toes could be devious on occassion): and that purpose was intimately bound up with the avowed purpose of her stay in Vers: family. Family! The Nimâlni smiled, looking about the crowds to catch sight of the children holding on to the skirts of their mothers, lovers entwined in each other's worlds as in each other's embrace; elders warming their hearts by picking out something special for a child or grandchild.

That was it. Erhýne's smile widened. This brightening she would be extravagant, and she would get her parents and siblings something to show for herself. It was a pity, of course, that Vers was not Jaedaxia: if it had been, Erhýne would have known where to go to get her parents some of the best Nimâlni clothes, books, and other peculiar goods such as were unequaled in the whole Empire. But this was not Jae; this was only Vers, and though the choices were thus more limited the final result did not have to be curtailed. There was little enough in her purse left for presents for a whole family, but that was a thought that hardly entered the Nimâlni's mind: there was hardly anything more important than familial piety.

And so Erhýne wound her slow, quiet way through the bazaar, looking more than fingering, passing by the clothiers and stopping by the gadgeteers - but even here she was unsatisfied. She was looking for something special...

It was then that it caught her eye as it did her ear, the sparkle of something shiny and the boisterous cry of "sapphires, rubies, emeralds, diamonds!" Curiosity piqued, the young elf turned and wound her way through the idle shopping crowds toward the stand. Jewelry could make quite a suitable present, if it was of good worth - like all Nimâlni, Erhýne had a particular affinity to rocks and mining even though had no practical knowledge of it, but only the stories of her parents and grandparents. Still, she knew how much they missed the mountains of their homeland - she herself missed it, without knowing quite what it was she missed. An ideal, more like, a fairyland where life was perfect in the good old days - rational it might not be, but real it was.

Looking over at the balding old human who was so complacently presenting his many marvels to the rank population of Vers, Erhýne wondered where he had found all of these gems. They looked fine, surely... the Nimâlni delicately picked up a diamond between thumb and forefinger. But surely, wares of this quantity and variety, just sold on the street! It was almost unbelievable.

"Pardon me," the Nimâlni turned to the old human, "But would you mind if I asked after the quality of your wares? This, for example." And she proferred him the diamond which she had chosen first. As to what exactly she wished, the question was as yet uncertain; Erhýne first had to determine whether she could even afford it.

[Eris]

Eris could almost smell the crowns in the air as she walked around this market stall, while her eyes ravenously scavenged the stands for the most pricey delectables Today it would seem that Eris would display her one persevering trait and that was temerity, as she slithered too and from each market stall. She loved treasure especially gems above all, how they sparkled and shined even gleamed wondrously in the sunlight. Such treasures filled this world, and such treasures demanded if not pleaded to be in her possession. A kleptomaniac was what Eris was intending to become today, and she promised herself she would gain her title as queen of thieves in vers. But what was the most valuable stall in the market what was the most valuable item? That was the true question, and what did Eris want above all other things? By now if you had to guess you did not know Eris at all.

As time passed by and Eris went from stand to stand debating on what looked good and what looked cheap until she heard it as if it were a battle cry in the desert." Get a gem, artifacts of great personal cost, luxury, emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, rubies." It was an invitation for yours truly, but instead of waltzing in and stealing she laid in wait her eyes filled with the beaming rays from the open boxes of gems. If sorcery was good for something, it would be good for this, GATE that’s how she planned on doing it. Get close to the box put her hands on it, enter clara, then gate with box or boxes. Its mechanisms were truly simple, but undeniably effective.

The urge to resist getting close to the stand had finally taken its toll and Eris found herself against her will walking closer and closer to the open box of glowing green emeralds. As she looked at them with her aqua green eyes she was amazed and bedazzled by there texture and grace. There were hundreds of these little tid bits of eye candy, she wanted them, but those diamonds awww geeze if only something would happen to take there attention off of the boxes for just a moment. This was heaven, and Eris had a feeling that if she waited around long enough destiny would be kind and give her a chance.

In the back of her mind she prayed more like pleaded with jorel to do something about this, she wanted to grab a box. She wanted those illustrious stones more then one could possibly imagine. And what better way to stay true to her faith, then to ask her patron god to create a situation that she could take advantage of, at least that’s how she herself reasoned.

As Eris lay in wait like a panther hiding In the shadows, she was letting herself meditate calmly telling herself within her mind over and over again that the treasure she desired was right there and that when the opportunity came to seize that box of diamonds or emeralds perhaps even both came she would be ready. Meditating first and getting ready to delve into clara and cast her spell was the smartest choice for this initiate it took nearly five minutes to enter the supernatural state of clara. So if she prepared now, she could go in seize the box and get out as quickly as possible miles and miles from here at her parents home somewhere in Vers.

Eris tried to keep herself looking normal, and she was doing a good job for the most part, she just looked relaxed as she breathed slowly in rhythmic beats.

Her trap was set, and she was readying herself to answer the door when opportunity decided to knock for if she was not prepared to answer the door opportunity could walk away. And her one real chance to obtain those sparkly little treasures might disappear.

[Mizushin Junzo]

Gemstones were a valuable commodity. Few things in the Empire could match the value of a gemstone on a size and weight basis. In fact, he was fairly sure that only arcanic artifacts and special metals of incredible rarity could compare in value to that of an equal size or weight of gems.

Thus it was this curious setting that attracted Junzo. Such wealth was not easy to come by. But surely a person of such finances might be able to set up a better and more secure stand for his products would he not? A few reasons came to mind for Junzo, one of the being that this person had only come into the possession of the gemstones fairly recently and had yet to truly build his fortune.

The thelyri moved casually over to the shop, his eyes crisscrossing over the various gemstones. He opened himself to Clara then, reaching once more into that somewhat familiar realm of perceiving the Ara of all things, and being able to unleash his Vis. Upon reaching it, the elven traveller cast for a very simple spell, one that would help him detect if there was any magical presence here, perhaps to scam the people from that angle of arcana, and cast Detect. Though he knew it was virtually useless against unliving objects, he used it to caress the gems and such.

Perhaps an artifact, or some arcanic gemstone might lie buried within the multitude here?

[Odyleon]

For the better part of his life, Odyleon Q. Meiers had deemed gems and jewels to be just items of meaningless fancy, or even worse – items over which people often killed regardless of kin, friendship or alliances. He had at one time believed that such an attraction to gems wasn't unlike that of a magpie to shiny objects, and nothing more, and even though he had owned a precious gem for a short while, it had miserably failed to charm him into keeping it. A ruby, yes, it had been a ruby – or at least, it had been crimson red and worth 1,000 Crowns. Ody was rather ignorant as far as gems were concerned, but quite recently in his life, an event had occurred that made him totally reconsider his opinion of gems. That event being, of course, his discovery of the marvels of Alchemy and the wonders of the Truth.

Having scanned the Concordance to Alchemy several times in the past, he had found out that gems were a crucial component to most, if not all, high-level Alchemical processes, especially those involving the brewing of magical elixirs. While not technically required in any recipe, an elixir prepared without the intercession of a gem, carefully deposited into the furnace or fire pit during the Calcination stage, only lasted mere brightenings before losing its effects. The rarer the gem, the longer the potion would keep its properties intact and persistent. Decades, if a diamond were to be used. Also, because such gems tended to sometimes combust for some reason during said experiments, it was wise to always have a rich and handy supply of this crystallized goodness.

For this reason, Ody's interest at the mention of precious and cheap gems available for purchase perked up immediately, and he even gave up on his current destination – a bakery, of course – to approach the makeshift stand where the old merchant and his child assistant were entertaining the audience. This had the potential for a good deal in the long run – almost too good to be true, actually. The Problem Solver may be an unwise and generally immature person, but stupid he was not, especially when it came to his meager possessions.

The situation, unbeknownst to all parties involved, was rather ironic – for the poor man would be the target of Arcanic intrusion from three different spheres, even if such a thing could be expected in a town like Vers. Still, Ody would not be easily gypped out of his Crowns for pieces of glass. For this reason, as he pushed his way through the crowd and to the stand, the Journeyman let himself slip into a blessed state of Clara. There were several courses of action he could take, depending on whether the gems had been forged by the merchant himself or he really believed them to be genuine. Unfortunately, in the latter case, it would take a jewel crafter to unmask the fraud, but it was quite a remote possibility. Hence, Ody would just read the man's mind for the time being.

Focusing on the Essence of Psionics and Channeling Mana to the Material Plane – the Mage Channeled more Mana than technically required, making it more akin to an Apprentice spell, since he needed some added duration – he Divined it into the merchant's mind to scan it for thoughts and emotions. Worry? Guilt? Sincerity? The spell would Reveal it all. Then, taking advantage of the prolonged duration, he would ask the one question that interested him.

"Excuse me, good sir – are those diamonds pure enough for Alchemical applications?"

[Charybdis]

Erhýne:

The moment the Elf moved to pick up the gem the young boy was at the opposite side of the counter, bright brown eyes shining deeply in muddy sockets. His head tilted curiously to the side as he watched the Nimâlni as if she were some sort of exhibit in a museum or a book in the Balet’hos. A pure expression of interest, more of the academic sort than the freakish, dressed the child’s features as he studied every move Erhýne made around the gemstones, eyes following the movement of her hands before traveling up her arm and into her face.

“Serale, mistress,” the Human child answered back, his face cracking into a bright smile. White teeth shone in stark contrast to the dirt still encrusted and staining his face. Some had streaked around his eyes, indicating someone’s failed attempt at rubbing the grime away. Despite his sad physical appearance, a brightness and alertness of mind still shone throughout his eyes, indicating a formidable intelligence hiding just below the Material surface. He seemed eager without a hint of sadness, despite the pathetic-ness of his condition and appearance. Obviously interest and curiosity had no bounds on the type of creatures they brought into their firm grasp.

The smile widened at Erhýne’s question. His short, chubby finger extended from its matching hand and hovered just above one particularly round gem shining brilliantly like a prism in the sunlight. All color had been naturally drained from the crystal, leaving only the stillness of glassy facets behind. The stone wasn’t professionally cut, but it still held the brilliance one would expect from a valuable jewel. “The quality of our wares is the top, ma’am,” the boy quickly answered. His hand moved to accept the proffered gem from the Elf, eyes quickly darting over the roundness of the crystal and the brilliance of its light. “This is a top of the line piece, madam. Mistress has a good eye.” Another crooked smile lighted the side of the child’s face as he returned the gem toward its would-be owner. “Only the best. That’s all we sell. See the shine of colors at the center? Like a captured rainbow, or a firework placed in a shell.”

Eris:

For an Initiate, the state of Clara came only with great cost of time and energy. From the beginning of Eris’s attempts to reach the quiet state to its final attainment, at least ten minutes had already passed and much of the crowd had begun to dissipate and leave to their normal every-brightening tasks. In Clara, Eris could clearly sense Odyleon’s own state and casting, although the name and identity rather escaped the inexperienced Initiate. However, the rippling in the Ara was enough to set anyone ill at ease, hinting at the beginnings of an unknown spell requiring a steady amount of mana. Eris couldn’t tell what the spell was or at what it was directed, but it certainly occupied a level above her, requiring energies she could never manage to pull up for her own Arcane waves.

On the Material Plane, another circumstance collided to confuse the young Human’s plans. The box of diamonds was currently occupied by Erhýne and the young male attendant, both talking rather animatedly on the standard and quality of the gems. There would be no snatching of that particular set of gems, at least until their conversation had ended. And from the looks of it, that conclusion would be quite a long way off from the current moment in time.

To add to the misery already piling on the would-be thief’s head, Eris became aware of another presence in Clara – Mizushin Junzo. And again the mage was casting, and again at a level quite a bit above Eris’s own. The amount of pure mana streaming into whatever spell the other mage was intending to create extended far beyond the limited stores of Vis Eris carried within her own influence. One would expect no less from Vers than a gathering of at least three mages, all using their Arcana from the most simple and menial of tasks, such as shopping. Still, for one who would try her hand at the swift and treacherous art of thievery, it was a most disconcerting position to be in.

Mizushin Junzo:

The Thëylri’s own casting of his Druidism spell didn’t take nearly as long as Eris’s attempt to enter Clara. The talent and ability borne of practice came to being in Mizushin’s own efforts to reach the world of the Arcane, spanning only a few minutes compared to an Initiate’s many. The overlays of the Astral Plane manifested themselves upon Mizushin’s senses in a rush as his subconscious began its communication with the living, breathing Ara that defined all material things.

However, Mizushin was not alone in Clara. He too could feel Odyleon’s own state, and he could feel the rushes of the Essence of Psionics hurrying toward Odyleon’s will. The Sea Elf could also feel the attempts on Eris’s part to enter her own state of Clara. While the true identity of the casters couldn’t be determined by a mere connection with the Arcane, Mizushin could feel their general location – Eris was behind while Odyleon was to the side. From first glace, it was easy to tell the one approaching Clara was much more inexperienced than Mizushin himself, while the other already at the state of Clara seemed to be a step above Mizushin and managed to thoroughly hide the true intent of his movements of the Arcane.

As the spell Detect was cast, another rush of reality threw itself over Mizushin’s senses. In an instant he could feel the presences of those harboring the abilities of a mage surrounding him from every direction. There were more than merely two mages in the crowd, although any inexperienced eye could tell a stranger that at a mere glance of the city’s name. The weaves of Ara had been directed, however, to spin about the gemstones themselves and search out any residue of Arcane power that might remain between the jewels. The first touch of the energies sent back a message of cold. There was no life, no movements or traces of Ara left on the surfaces of the chilly stones. As the spell dug deeper into the piles, however, the Thëylri suddenly became aware of a warmer sense, deep in the pile of stones. It was as if some energies still purred at the very middle of the pile, saved from cooling to the outside environment by the surroundings of the jewels. The remaining mana might have been small and only concentrated in that particular spot, but it was there.

These most certainly were not ordinary gems.

Odyleon Q. Meiers:

Although not the first mage to approach the table bedecked with the gems, Odyleon was, of course, the first to reach Clara on the basis of his greater experience and skill with the Arcane arts. It took a few more minutes before Odyleon could sense the emergence of Mizushin into his own state and, of course, the tailing Eris, but their presences would worry Odyleon little. The Adept had no trouble sensing their lower abilities with the methods of the Ara. Although the one closest to his own state of Vis and strength seemed to intend a casting of his own, Odyleon could easily deduce the mage was a Druid…and, most likely, not that much of a threat. It certainly didn’t seem like an offensive spell from the way the Ara was being moved, but mages were known for their surprises.

The location of the other casters seemed obvious in Odyleon’s mind, although it’d be impossible to match up what was sensed in his subconscious with what his eyes saw in the Material. Mizushin, the Druid, was toward his right while Eris, the inexperienced one, was still behind Odyleon somewhere in the crowd. The latter didn’t seem intent upon casting and, considering her obvious lower-level of experience, wouldn’t be that hard to anticipate if she did attempt to make a move.

Odyleon’s own casting of Reveal pulled together just as a textbook would suggest. The Ara spun itself into the twists of Vis to create mana as it bent to Odyleon’s will, quickly enfolding the mind of the merchant in its gentle grasp. In an instant a flood of emotions swept into Odyleon’s own consciousness like a deck of cards snapped from bent fingers. Worry was there, although it held a tinge of honesty to it, indicating it was more a concern over the need for sales than a true feeling of remorse. Anger existed too, aimed at the world, the Gods, and, more importantly, the child – the young boy currently helping Erhýne. There was a tinge of honesty to every card of emotion that showed itself to Odyleon’s mind, indicating a mere merchant intent upon making ends meet with his wares toward the customers. A slight shadow of exaggeration fell upon the old man’s view of the number of his gems, but that was to be expected – he was a businessman, after all.

But there was another feeling hiding deep within the reservoir of those Odyleon could easily detect. It was stronger than all the others but it was better hidden, almost refusing to be pulled out from the shadows of the merchant’s mind. An Adept Mystic, however, was not one to be refused, particularly with the amount of energy Odyleon had spent in his weave of Reveal. The feeling rushed suddenly across the mind of the Problem Solver with the intensity of a sea wave across a beach. It was fear. A deep-seated, primal fear for survival. It wasn’t aimed at anyone or anything here, and yet it existed nonetheless.

In the Material Plane, the merchant had turned toward Odyleon at his spoken question, eyes turning bright at the prospect of a possible sale. Alchemy? Gods only knew the elder Human had no experience with the science, other than seeing the name on a billboard. “Well, master, the diamonds are as pure as they come,” he quickly answered, sending a not-quite-pure state of sincerity through Odyleon’s state of Clara with his words. There was a shadow of doubt on the syllables, as if the merchant wasn’t quite sure himself of what exactly he stated as truth. “Master is an Alchemist, I see? Well, you won’t be disappointed with these beauties, I’m sure. Take a look yourself, master, and you’ll find I speak the truth. The gems would be perfect for Alchemy, perfect, I say!”

[Mizushin Junzo]

Most interesting.

The thelyri was in a city of mages after all, and he did not find the fact that there were a few other mages actively using their powers around him surprising at the least. Vers was one of the premier locations for the arcanically inclined after all. But while he paid attention to the others about him, the two nearby especially, the thelyri's attention was principally on the gemstones he'd detected within the piles. He had no illusions that others might soon arrive, like the ones already here, and attempt to scry for gemstones with arcanic uses.

Moving forward, he quickly positioned himself in front of the pile, to find where he had sensed the points of warm energy, his hands casually but purposefully moving aside each gemstone in turn. His purpose here was firstly, to find those particular gemstones he had sensed, to examine them and determine their source from the merchant. Besides, mining gems could be a profitable business indeed, could it not?

[Odyleon]

Well, of course the gems would be perfect for Alchemy. Just like they would be perfect for anything else from stone throwing to weight lifting – the lack of detail in the merchant's response was proof enough that he had no experience with the Art. Actually, Ody's own expertise left much to be desired at the present state, and Vagrid Haldir alone knew just how 'innovative' the Human's contributions to the field could be. He could not tell a diamond from glass, and Arcana would not help him here, at least not his chosen sphere. Oh well, the situation was already delicate enough – with two other Magi casting or trying to cast as he spoke, one being a Druid, the other a Sorcerer. The latter surprised him more than the former, seeing as Druids were Vers' favorite children. But as long as they employed their Arcana to check the wares and did not interfere with Ody's own shopping, he had absolutely no problem with that.

The fear factor, though, now that was something interesting, though the word 'interesting' had killed many a person before, much like the ancient curse 'may you live in interesting times'. Basically, the Problem Solver could feel his fear as it streamed through his subconscious, but not the kind of fear he had been expecting to find, a criminal's fear of lawful punishment. It was subtle but overwhelming... in a word, primal. The gems were genuine, Ody could safely guess – but their provenience... had he stolen them from someone dangerous? And what about the dull anger, anger directed at everything and especially the young assistant?

He had to know where the gems came from. Where, or who, or what. Selling precious stones at a fraction of the cost... discounts and gems did not usually mix well. Curious Ody would not be able to sleep until he found out the Truth, even if it meant resorting to the kind of mind manipulation that he so loathed – manipulation of will, as opposed to simple manipulation of perception. But he couldn't afford to spend candlemarks trying to convince a scared merchant that he was a trustworthy person. Not when he could achieve the same result in seconds, at least. And so it was that the decision was soon made.

Another Apprentice Arcalysis would take place after creating some more Mana through Focusing and Channeling. Again, Divining Mana into the merchant's mind but also Abjuring it to create a link between his decision-making processes and Ody's own figure, a link configured to provide a feeling of absolute trust and esteem for no apparent reason. The spell – Alliance – manipulated not the will itself, to be exact, but the information upon which the will based its judgment.

After casting the spell, the resourceful shopper would gesture for the merchant to come closer and then, in a much softer tone of voice, he would ask him: "These gems are indeed wonderful. I know a few fellow Alchemists who might be interested in a larger supply of gems for their experiments. Did you find these nearby? And, if I may ask, was your 'personal cost' really that high? Because those Alchemists might be willing to pay well for more gems like these." He accompanied the last sentence with a broad smile, a broad smile filled with (fake) hopes of get-rich-quick schemes. But then again, he had said 'might'. It wasn't a lie if one said 'maybe' or 'might', this much was common knowledge.

[Erhýne]

It was the child who approached her, eyes and teeth shining like so many pearls out of his grimmy face, beautiful as any precious gems. Erhýne deigned to return the boy's grin with a smile of her own, still figngering the gem between tumb and forefinger. The boy was right, there was something very colourful and flowing about the center of the diamond, like a small rainbow captured within the confines of its own miniature world. Caught within the colours Erhýne looked and marveled as one colour fed into the next and then disintegrated at the edges of the gemly facets.

This would indeed be a marvelous item to bring home... indeed. She was also glad that the stone was of the highest quality; though she herself couldn't really tell the difference, her parents certainly would be able to, and giving them a gift of second-rate quality would have been a show of disrespect. The thought that the boy might be merely using those skills of exageration common among merchants throughout the lands did not enter her mind; but still the Nimâlni marvelled at the quantity and variety of the goods laid out before her. To have so many precious stones laid out upon the same table - it was unheard of!

"Are these imported?..." she asked the boy again, holding the diamond back up into the light. It would be more expensive if imported. "How much, for such a piece as this?" and she nodded at the stone throwing its bright colours upon the swarthy face of the boy and at her own grey-skinned features in flowing sprays of light.

[Charybdis]

Mizushin Junzo:

Arcana was a very different sense of awareness of consciousness than the actual traverse of the Material Planes. Even the lowliest Initiate mage could tell of that fact. Thus the warm, distinctly Arcane feeling Mizushin had sensed while casting his Detect had left as soon as the state of Clarity and the weaving of his spell had disappeared into its normal collection of random, chaotic energies.

As the Sea Elf’s hands moved into the collection of gems, the stones slid about themselves like any normal solid object, clattering together with the clear, crystalline tones attributed to more glassy substances. Mizushin’s fingers crept through their air pockets in an attempt to reach the very center of the piles in a search for the warmth that had covered his mind at his initial casting. The actual reception of the sensation, however, remained elusive and avoided Mizushin’s contact.

The gems felt as typically cold and heartless as one would expect from a normal crystal stone. Their rough, uncut edges pressed hard into Mizushin’s skin from top and bottom, but their centers remained as chilled as ever, matching with the frigidity of the Spring air surrounding the merchant’s cart and his customers.

Odyleon:

Another spell casting consumed Odyleon’s mind as he kept his state of Clara close at hand, beginning the weave for the form of Alliance. The sense of the Druid – Mizushin – had disappeared after the first forming of his spell. The other mage behind the Problem Solver continued to struggle to enter her own state of Clara, bu still presented little threat or distraction to Odyleon’s own descent into his subconscious. A Journeyman Mystic wasn’t about to allow a lower-level mage to keep him from the success of his spell, particularly if the reasoning behind the casting was the approbation of ingredients to fulfill his other love of study.

The weave for Alliance went as smoothly as one would hope from an Adept finished with his studies. The energies of the Essence of Psionics quickly left Odyleon’s grasp and entered the mind of the merchant, stirring up more pleasant and friendly emotions particularly aimed at the Mystic himself. The small tendrils of Reveal still remained, however, firmly linking Odyleon’s mind with the merchant’s own. Arcana, however, created a more powerful effect on the temporary than did reality; thus the merchant’s previous anger and fear were washed away with more hospitable, welcoming feelings, as if he’d make Odyleon his new friend and honored customer rather than another mere face in the crowd.

In response to Odyleon’s question, the elder Human leaned forward, his wizened face broken with a wide, bright smile. He nodded quickly to Odyleon’s assertions out of a genuine response of excitement. Crowns always did manage to stir his old bones to a sudden increase in energy, no matter how lethargic his normal state could be. “Yes, yes! Perfect gems for Alchemists’ experiments, I’m sure you’ll find, master,” he repeated, almost tempted to clap his hands before himself at his excitement. What luck! An Alchemist interested in his wares for experiments! And to tell his peers of the merchant’s humble booth? Such a dream Kaimelea couldn’t have ever granted the old man, no matter how many candlemarks he slept.

“Yes, Master. Your humble servant found these gems locally, within the valley surrounding the city,” the elderly man answered, truth clear in the ringing of his voice. It didn’t take an Arcane spell to detect the absolute clarity of genuine meaning in his words. “They’re naturally made in the Versian countryside, making them that much more pure and better for your experiments.” The merchant grinned again, obviously pleased at the attention Odyleon was paying toward his wares.

At the Problem Solver’s next question, however, a thoroughly confused look crossed the merchant’s face. Still firmly under the grasp of the spell of Alliance, the Human couldn’t quite force himself to conjure up a lie or even the smallest distaste for Odyleon, but he still felt the natural inclination to exaggerate the truth a bit. Arcana, however, won out over instinct – at least this time. The merchant shrugged as his head bobbed up and down repetitiously, as if affirming something despite his lack of words. The struggle between the more common movements of his mind and the force of Odyleon’s spell was obvious on his face, with or without the Problem Solver’s spell. “My personal cost? Well, in all honesty, Master, I have to admit it wasn’t much of a cost. It just took time. You see, I didn’t actually mine the gems. I merely collected them off the ground.” The shopkeeper shrugged once more in a completely oblivious state to his blabbering of one of his most precious secrets.

Erhýne:

If life had been kinder to the child, the young boy would have shown a bit more enthusiasm at Erhýne’s most clear indication of interest at a particular diamond’s purchase. The sad twists of fate that had beset his short existence had, however, stolen whatever enjoyment or excitement one would have normally expected of a creature aged his short amount of patterns. Businessman demeanor had been beaten into his small intellect, though, and contradicted the normal melancholy one would expect of a soul placed in his current circumstances, creating yet another paradox in what appeared to be a simple child’s perspective on reality and life.

With the maturity of one much greater in age, the child approached the countertop and smiled brightly at the Mountain Elf, although his face betrayed no real happiness in its motions. “Madame has chosen well,” he said with the smallest hint of energy in his voice, indicating his desire to end the sale. Collect a few crowns, give them back to his master – that was what he had been told to do every brightening of his existence. That was his only duty, his only responsibility. “It’s a beautiful stone, really, and only adds to Mistress’s beauty.” Flattery was yet another art of the trade the child had been impaled with, no respect to his young patterns.

The brilliance of the refracted light through the gem’s angles danced upon both Erhýne and child, adding a little sophisticated beauty to the otherwise very plain and common scene. The child reached into mid-air and stretched out his index finger and thumb, leaving a space between the two tips to approximate the size of the gem itself. “Never imported, ma’am. The gems are from here locally, from Vers herself. Makes it even better, as nothing can be better than from the city of Arcana.” The child smiled again, this time allowing the expression of amusement to enter his dark eyes. Difficult life or not, the spirit of youth couldn’t entirely be repressed from his small frame.

“For that size, ma’am?” the boy repeated, his eye squinting closed. “I wouldn’t charge you over two hundred crowns. Barely larger than a normal egg, uncut…with respect to Madame’s exquisite taste and skill at picking the best of the treasure, I am sure my master wouldn’t mind if I discounted the cost to, say, a hundred and seventy five?” No flicker of emotion crossed the child’s face at the mention of such a low sum of money for a seemingly precious item. Obviously he did not feel it unusual to charge so little for the treasure. It was simply normal business in his mind, precisely what he had been taught brightenings upon brightenings before.

[Odyleon]

Arcana could really blur one's mind to a point where the obvious was false and the false obvious. Alchemists – with perhaps the notable exception of Master Haldir – were notoriously mistrustful and secretive about their research, and the mere notion of one of them providing raw materials to their own competition was quite laughable, but the merchant had believed it without a blink. While Ody felt no pride from his manipulation, he saw it more as another test of his growing powers in preparation for the real challenges that awaited him. How powerful was a Master? Very. Very very powerful. And yet, such was the opponent he had chosen for himself.

"Well" he replied, Channeling a thin, but constant stream of energy into the spell of Alliance in order to keep it active "This is very interesting – gems that can be collected from the ground, like berries from a bush. This will definitely interest my colleagues! Gems of unmatched purity, indeed..."

Time to take the next step – this man was being sincere, so there was no reason not to. Even the normally conservative youth would gladly part from some of his Crowns today. Actually, his interest in the transaction itself was waning as his curiosity in the gems and their odd provenience grew, and the possible gain was becoming a secondary fact next to the thrill of mystery, Ody's only real drug. Gems on the ground? Not something the average citizen of the Empire happened to see every Melora.

"I'd like to buy some diamonds" he stated, reaching into his pocket – the pocket that had once been violated by a fellow Mystic – and pulling out three banknotes for a total of 1,500 Crowns. "1,000 Crowns worth of diamonds, and 500 Crowns if you can point me to the place where you found them." He smiled again. "Of course, I won't tell anyone – it's just for my personal research."

Hard to believe? It merely depended on how much Mana one decided to apply...

[Erhýne]

The child was certainly amusing, in his way. As he spoke Erhýne turned her attention from the stone to the speaker, noting his grave demeanor and artless artifice. The grubby thing was rather like a miniature adult in his ways and his words, something the grey elf found rather pleasing. He clearly needed none of the coddling that the children of the lesser races usually required, and like a certain dracon child of Erhýne's experience had demanded. The Nimâl's features softened as the memories of that encounter came back to her. Xylle had certainly been some experience... he had been a dear little dracon indeed, Mâjâie bless him. It still came as some surprise to the grey elf that she had warmed to a child of the lesser races; but somehow children managed to cross the boundaries of race and became just that: children.

"...locally, from Vers itself." The words of the small human brought Erhý back to the present. Slowly she blinked at him, processing what he had said. Here? All of these stones - came from Vers? Hiding her surprise, the young elf thought back and found that she couldn't remember hearing of such things neither upon her last stay in Vers, nor before. Having lived near the city most of her life, she would have thought that such a thing would not have escaped her knowledge..

"Indeed." She murmured, looking back at the stone that still winked in the palm of her hand as the boy went on with his additions. Something suspicious blossomed in her gut: first at the mention of Vers as the "city of Arcana," then at the exceedingly low price the merchant was charging for his wares. If they were real.

The flesh of her palm prickled as Erhýne looked wordlessly at the diamond. If it was a diamond? by the holy three, but I knew I should not have come to this city.. Erhýne, with the certainly of suspicion, felt that the stone she held must be something of magical making. One perceived what one desired, after all, and though the elf had no actual way of knowing whether the stone was magical or not, her own fears brought her to the conclusion that they were of such vile nature. Arcana seemed to pursue her at every turn.

Still, Erhýne overcame her instant aversion and kept a hold on the "diamond" - which she, at least, had grave suspicions was a diamond not at all. Perhaps a river stone made to look like a precious gem, or a thing of illusion in its entirety; the grey elf did not ponder the details. "That is very low," she g