PM to join To Stumble in Stumble Alley

[Savacea Jovellana]

.

Summer 19 516av
Early in the Morning

Sunberth was about the same as she had left it many seasons ago. The streets lead to dead ends, the river being your only navigation through the city. Thieves and gang members filled the streets, trying to capture a miza from unknowing passerby. The houses and buildings sat in such a way, that one thought a large gust of wind would just blow the buildings over. Even though much was still the same there was something different about the place. The gangs had became less organized, instead it seemed that everyone was out for themselves and handled such in a clumsy and confusing manner. Savacea was unsure how this all came to be, but she knew it did not bode well for the citizens.

Placing the thoughts behind her, she stepped inside Stumble Alley. Many people wanted to avoid the area. Perhaps it was the fact that there were no bums or games or really any traffic at all. The narrow alleyway had many different establishments, however life was hard to fine. This Alley was perfect to Savacea. She avoided large crowds so her fragile body was not jostled and because she really despised crowds anyway. Also the alley reminded her of Black Rock in a way, where the only person you may seen would be the dead, which was fine by her.

She strolled through Stumble Alley until she found what she had been looking for. The Library. Savacea wanted to read up on some of the Flora of Sunberth so she would have a better understanding. Also so she could see what was possible to turn into a poison and what was not. The Library appeared dilapidated. It's location was perfect however, as it was directly across from the Majestic, a place she knew sold Poisons. The ancient appearing building was beautiful to the Symenestra. It held knowledge and that was all that mattered to her.

Entering The Library the smell of old books permeated the air. Dust bunnies flew upon the small rays that filtered through. Savacea walked with her head down, avoiding eye contact from anyone, although the Library seemed a little empty. She was not sure why this was but thought perhaps it had something to do with the people of Sunberth not really caring to learn to read. Savacea shrugged her shoulders at she scanned the small shelves for a book labeled, “Flora of Sunberth,” somewhere in the cluttered and packed tight shelves.

Once finding the book she wanted, the Symnestra sat down at a table. Peering around her she saw no other person at the moment. This made her feel comfortable, she preferred being alone anyways. Prying open the book, she scanned the pages of the Flora until she came upon a rough drawing of what appeared to be made of stone, yet there was a second drawing that was poorly painted in a plethora of colors. She found this interesting and hopeful that it may be turned into a type of poison, perhaps.

Stone Rose

“Stone Roses are a common flower seen around Sunberth. They climb upon buildings and trees, their vines going upwards. Most commonly found upon the walls of different establishments, though can be found upon canes as well. The roots of the Stone Rose are strong, like ivy, causing great amounts of damage to the structure. Fragance wise it smells like a mild dampness, a moldy and musty scent.

Ever so often however and very rarely, the Stone Rose will make a single rose that contains the colors of the rainbow found in the sky. Many say that this is a miracle to find and behold. The scent is so sweet that it will break through the stench of Sunberth, blessing it with an aroma that is lulling and intoxicating. Only one or two can be found every two years in Sunberth. Attempts have been made to grow these special roses, but all has ended in failure. Mainly sought out by herbalists and perfumers.”

Savacea sighed, the rainbow rose looked beautiful and would be a rare sight to see. Though, it did not appear to hold anything that she could use to make a Poison. The Stone Rose though, it could possibly be made into something. The book made mention that it was like the vine Ivy, which meant that it was possible to produce something from the vine of the flower, but she was not sure the flower itself would hold much.

Moving on to the next strange flower found in Sunberth she read on.

Dust Flower

“Found in the Dust Bed, the Dust Flower also known as the 'Grave Flower' is an odd flower to behold. During the day it appears as a regular wild flower. The petals are pale, the stigma is a dark brown, and the leaves are a bright green. Then once Syna sets and Leth dominates the sky, the appearance of the Dust Flower changes dramatically. The petals take on an eerie green luminescence, the leaves and stem become a sickly black. During the night the flower releases its pollens and if inhaled in a great quantity it will choke an individual as it is thick. The sap of the Dust Flower is used to dye clothes to give a glow-in-the-dark effect. Mainly sought out for it's sap.”

The sap sounded quite interesting to Savacea, though she was not sure she would be able to harvest it. The pollen though was something that stuck out to the Poisoncrafter. The book mentioned that if it was inhaled it choked an individual. Savacea could not help but wonder if she were to harvest the pollen at night and mix it with something else to make it stronger and quicker acting, if that would not work well. Sunberth was proving to have quite the collection of interesting Flora, which made Savacea happy.

Drowned Sailors Casket

“Also known as Dead Man's Grip or Corpse Weed. This thick seaweed grows around the docks and can be found further out, though this is seldom due to the depth. Corpses of sailors can be found tangled up in the weeds, many say it is Laviku's punishment on poor quality sailors that tried and tamed his seas. There is two appearances of the weeds. First, a dark green weed with a blackened base, the weed can be boiled and then wrapped around cuts and burns to reduce infection and numbing the pain. However, once the weed wraps around a corpse, it will darken further as the corpse rots until it is completely pitch black. The weed becomes strong, requiring sharp knives and strong hands to pry it away from the dead body. This type of weed can then be prepared to produce a poison that causes physical and mental fatigue and produces a sensation of coldness in the inflicted.”


Savacea continued reading the book, committing what she could to memory, staying utterly focused on her task at hand. If someone were to happen upon her she would not realize it at first. It would take the person to get her attention before she paid them any heed. As the monstrous beauty continued to scan through the dusty old book of Sunberth's Flora, attempting to gain any knowledge that she could, so she could further her Poisoncrafting career.

[Baran]

X

Not being local had more drawbacks than Baran liked to admit. The general aura of distrust that seemed to follow him around was offputting, and made talking to people very difficult. But being a musician had it's benefits. One of which was the ability to sometimes, just sometimes be regarded as just another piece of the furniture.

Yesterday had been one of those moments, in between a set at the Drunken Fish. The yammering of two men, thick as thieves, and their mentioning of 'something-something-stone slab-something-library' had been enough to pique Baran's interest. A keen believer in mystery and the fun revolving around such things, he'd vowed to venture out and discover this stone slab.

However, the library had turned out to be harder to find than first realised, even when the man had woken at first light. And now, he was here. In a very suspicious looking alleyway, that echoed with emptiness. The man had left his gamba in the tent, having previously reckoned to be back within a bell or two.

As such, he was on the alert, eyes and ears pricked as he stepped as softly as he could through the alley. A movement out of the corner of his eye made him jump, but it was just a poor beggar, hands outstretched for coin. Baran walked on, less cautiously now.

He turned a corner, and suddenly, there it was, the thing he'd been searching for. Or at least, he assumed it was. The building looked old, but noble in a certain way, and there was a sense of bookishness about it. With a triumphant grin, the man walked up to the door and pushed it open, grin fading from his face as he looked around in search of the 'stone slab'.

The majority of the shelves seemed to hold books, and the light was dim inside, causing the man to squint slightly. Coming from round a corner was a woman, and Baran jumped at the opportunity. His voice was hushed, to match the quiet tomes as he spoke, "Hey, lady. I'm looking for a stone slab... y'know where it is?"

She shot him a cursory glance, and Baran tried to portray a man eager but not desperate. It wasn't too hard, because that was exactly what he was. A rumour of a stone slab sounded embroiled in mystery, and although Baran wasn't the academic type, he most definitely was the adventurous type. "You can find it through there, but please don't touch it or try to remove it. Otherwise we'll remove you."

Baran didn't know what she meant by 'we', but went round the corner where she gestured... and had his attention drawn away from the surely amazing slab to the woman that sat, reading right in front of him.

[Savacea Jovellana]

.









Savacea was reading about the vines that could be found in Sunberth, as most vines could be turned into a poison, when she heard voices. This felt strange to her because until just now, it was deadly quiet. The kind of quiet that made some go insane because it was just too quiet. Her blood red eyes focused in the poor lighting, the voices spoke of a stone slab. Savacea frowned wondering what exactly that could mean. Then she shrugged her shoulders and went back to reading her book. Reading on about other types of seaweed that could be useful to her. Then she thought if she could find a damp cave of some kind, she could gather centipedes there as well.

Savacea used her logic when determining where and what would be the best plant to use. She wanted to continue her craft, to become better at it, so one day she could be like Tokia from Black Rock, or perhaps even better. In order for all that, she had to gain a better knowledge on herbs and their uses, even medicinal uses, before she could jump right into crafting a poison with them. Flicking her deep midnight hair, she gave a sigh as she shut the book. For today, that was enough knowledge. She did not want to overload her brain and forget everything that she had read.

Picking up the book she rose from her seat and glanced at a man standing there looking at her. Her deep red eyes scanned him up and down. The man appeared to be older than she was. Standing tall, dark tidy hair, a clean shaved face, dressed in practical neutral clothes and yet there was a youthful glow to his eyes. The Symenestra blinked, then glanced away after observing the man before her. She turned her back to him as her elongated arms placed the book back on a shelf up top. She kept her back turned to the stranger, unsure of him as she pretended to scan the shelf once more.

The male appeared to be your everyday human variety. With his normal skin tone, normal eyes, and normal body structure. Here she was, with arms that seemed to long for her body, red glowing eyes, pale skin that people saw on the dead with grey veins traveling across her skin. Not to mention fangs and this monsterish appearance that typically would scare people off. She was used to people avoiding her, so she avoided others. She was also used to people and their rude comments. People did not like what was different, she learned this many years ago. So she would pretend she did not exist and scan the shelves, so the man if he wanted to, could politely leave with out having to be frightened by her.

[Baran]

X

The woman, if that was indeed what she was, did nothing yet flick a glance with curiously scarlet eyes, before turning around. But Baran was entranced, both by her unusual visage and by the serene, scholarly quiet that seemed to settle over her like a shroud. The grey in her skin and the length of her arms seemed to pass over Baran as his mind instantly spun out to wonder who or what she was.

He was torn, between the mystery of the slab, and the more present form of the woman. But he quickly made a decision. The slab wasn't going anywhere, not yet at least. He would look at it later, but until then he'd try to unveil the woman, to figure her out.

Stepping forward, the noise sudden in the confines of the library, he stood near to the woman and glanced at the shelves she looked at. The books were dusty, boring, something about plants. "The extended volume of Sunberth foliage", or "Denya's Booke of Edible Plants". They didn't interest Baran much, but he wondered idly what her interest was in them. She didn't seem much of a cook, her spindly beauty would surely be wasted in such a place as a kitchen.

Not wanting to wait much longer, he spoke up, softly to match the location, "So, what brings you here today, plant-lady?" He picked a book at random and was blessed with a non-plant book, although this one seemed to have been written by a dullard. A dullard with particularly bad handwriting. "Oh, I'll tell you if you tell me."

He smirked to himself, hidden behind the heavy tome. Only his eyes gazed over the top of the book, challenging her if she bothered to look. Of course, he didn't have much to tell, as he hardly knew why he was here himself. But he wanted to learn more about her, thus the question.

He placed the book back on its shelf, and scanned the room. As he was apparently going to be browsing the volumes, he may as well find one more relevant. Although whether he'd find one regarding music was another story. From his experience, people of his profession tended to keep things in their head, rather than on paper. Music was most often passed from ear to ear, after all.

[Savacea Jovellana]

.








The man did not pass her by. Not as she had wished he would. Savacea did not do well in social situations. Not to say she wasn't good at talking once she was started, it was just difficult for her to trust another. There had been only one person she had any type of friendship with. That was on Black Rock a year ago, Loda. He was a Myrian Warrior who may have captured her interest more than she would have liked to admit. Since then her only social interactions had been with those she worked for. Tokia in Black Rock, then in Kenash she worked killing or disorienting individuals for Anessa Radacke. Of course she had to talk and seduce those people before poisoning them, however it was all fake and she never counted those interactions.

The man scanned the shelves with curiosity, as she pretended to be looking herself. After a few ticks he brought his challenging dark eyes to her, asking why she “plant-lady” brings her here and that he would tell her why he was, if she told him. Savacea brought those red orbs to the dark ones, blinking slightly. Her mouth even gaped open slightly, showing her small fangs inside. She was a little shocked by how easy it was for him to approach her and talk to her, as if she was normal too. This made her pause for a few ticks, as she gathered her voice to respond. “Oh.. I am just reading up on the types of plants.. here in Sunberth.” She casually grabbed a book and started flicking through it's pages then returned it, “You are the one that asked about a slab or something, yes?” Savacea heard him asking about it, that was the only reason she knew.

She was not sure what else she could say to the man. Her words had left her once again as she glanced at his eyes, then went back to scanning the shelves once more. She did not even read the titles as she was trying to not focus on the man before her. Stay calm.. She told herself over and over, as her heart beat picked up. Casual conversation was new to Savacea, as she had not had a casual conversation in so long. She told herself not to make a fool out of herself, but that was most unlikely. She could feel herself fumbling over what she would say in her mind, and that was in her mind not even spoken. She gave pause as she looked back over at the man, turning her head and keeping her body towards the shelves, as she waited for him to respond.

[Baran]

X

Like drawing water from a stone, it seemed it might prove difficult to get answers out of the lady. He started in shock at the merest glimpse of fangs, and when her scarlet eyes landed on his, he stared into them, slightly hypnotised by her wild form. There was something mildly alluring about the seemingly demure, almost bestial woman, but- well, now he was distracting himself.

"Dear, your choice of reading material is rather dull, if I do say so." He smirked again, and lowered the book he was looking at. A handful of scrolls occupied a shelf, and he selected one after checking the contents. It was a scroll detailing a local tradition, something about dolls and wells. The scroll was old and crumbling. Baran suspected the tradition was long-dead.

"But, as you told me what you were doing, then I suppose I should honour my promise. Yes, I asked about a slab. I overheard a rumour that it resides here. Turns out..." He looked at the woman again, checking, judging. "It's just over there." He gestured with a casual wave of his hand. "Maybe after you've finished reading, you'd care to join me in inspecting it?"

He didn't expect her to join him, but he rather hoped she would. "What is your name, if I may ask?" With a sly smile, he slid the scroll back into it's slot. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Perhaps her name would give some indication of what she was.

He grew bored of books and scrolls and dusty things, very suddenly, bored of the countless pages and leaves that held information of long-dead, or long-forgotten people and things. Even the interest of the slab was fading, the initial excitement of discovery fading within the bowels of the library.

"If you'd care to join me, I'll be at the slab. It's hard to miss, just around this corner. If not, farewell, mysterious, ruby-eyed woman." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the alcove, making his way towards the slab. If there was nothing of interest there, then he would get out of this damned library, and go somewhere more... exciting.

[Savacea Jovellana]

.







Savacea was not sure what to say to the man, when he spoke of her reading material being dull. She gave a small shrug of her left shoulder, dismissing the comment completely. He did not understand what knowledge the books really held to someone like herself. To know about plants, to garner the knowledge and use them in a way that was suited to her craft. No, he did not get it. Which was probably for the best, on both of their parts. She preferred to keep her secrets in the dark, to let others believe what ever it was they wished to.

The man told her what she suspected. He was looking for some kind of boring stone slab. It was he after all that was speaking to the lady at the front desk. Her observation from earlier had proven to be true. She gave a curious glance in the direction that he gestured in. She was unsure what was so interesting about a rock, but the man did seem to be quite intrigued by it, which perked her curiosity a little more than she would like to have admitted. Perhaps just a glance.. Savacea thought to herself as he offered for her to join him. She gave a small smile as an answer. It was not a yes nor was it a no, just a smile to let him know that she appreciated his offer. She was not sure whether to follow him. This town was full of mysteries and untrustworthy characters. She could be following this strange man to her death, nothing was for certain, nor was it not a possibility that he did intend to harm her.

She brought her attention back to the old and dust covered books. The musky smell settled inside her, she inhaled deeply as if it was fresh air. The scent of old books was intoxicating, almost as if she were drunk from the knowledge hidden in the pages. The man inquired of her name and she glanced with her red orbs, not moving her head, “Savacea.” She offered, her faint Symenos accent lacing around the words ever so slightly, making them come out with a slight tantalizing tone. Symenos was used to lure people in, to seduce and use them. The accent was not as noticeable to some, though to a keen observer it was there.

After the telling of names the man seemed to grow bored looking at the shelves full of dusty clutter. He told her he was going to the stone slab, offering once more for her to join him. Turning on his heel he walked out of the alcove and headed in the direction he told her the stone was. Savacea took a pause, her feet took a step forward to follow then she stopped. Unsure whether or not to trust the man, her motions stilled for a few ticks. Heaving a heavy sigh, she decided to follow. She could after all just climb to safety if the man were to attack her. Kindness was something new to her. She had not received much kindness in a very long time. Her heart ached for her dear friend Loda, but she knew she would never see him again. Sadness welled up inside her soul, but she brushed it aside to follow the curious man, to see where this new adventure was going to take her. She kept as silent as she could, however she eventually caught up with him and cleared her throat, “So what is so special about this stone?” She asked in a soft voice, roaming her red orbs around, observing their current surroundings as she waited for him to provide an answer.

[Baran]

X

Savacea. The name was difficult to pronounce, and he savoured it on his tongue as he observed the slab in front of him. So immersed was he, that he started with shock as the woman spoke from behind him. He quickly pulled himself together, and gestured her closer to it. "Take a look for yourself. I only overheard some folks talking about it earlier, so wished to find it and take a look myself."

He touched the pitted surface cautiously, feeling the bumps and ridges of ancient symbols, and text he couldn't read. Apart from its age, the man couldn't tell what it was, or what it was supposed to do. Glancing up slightly, he looked for Savacea's expression, wondering what she thought.

If truth be told, he was much more interested in this foreign woman than some old stone block, but he tried not to let it show so much. Turning once more to the thing he'd spent his time searching for, he tried to figure out what the symbols meant. The task was more difficult than he realised, and he suddenly saw why books and scrolls might have their appeal. After all, figuring out why things were was a worthwhile task, one that shouldn't be snubbed.

"My apologies if I was too hasty to judge earlier, Savacea." He grimaced as he mispronounced her name, and offered a hasty smile, the barest flicker of warmth spiking across his features. "Your reading choices shouldn't be laughed at. I'm just... unused to these surroundings."

It was true, libraries were not his usual hunting ground, so to speak. The dusty, fusty old pages were unfamiliar, and he could feel a desire to get outside welling inside. But no, he put his head down, and once again set about studying the slab, with some degree of exasperation at the futility of the task.