Carpets And Trinkets

[Naadiya]

Carpets And Trinkets 73rd of Spring 522 AV Standing in the back room of the Tropical Fever boutique, Naadiya stared at the tapestry loom ahead of her. This loom was made to be set up vertically instead of horizontally at lap-level like the one she was most used to, but the principles were the same. Today however, she wanted to weave the way her grandmother wove. Primitive and imperfect by it’s very nature, hand weaving a carpet was unlike the weaving of flat fabric or even the raised pile of the toweling she had already done in the past. Naadiya adjusted the loom, moving one side then the other for the size of it made the thing too heavy and unstable to maneuver at once. It leaned against the wall of the store but held firmly enough. She had a couple of shuttles filled with different colors and filled another now in black. The camel wool had not been so easy to acquire, but at least now she had opened up certain trade partnerships that would make it be possible. Through wit, guile and a bit of posturing, Naadiya had made a few contacts in The Outpost, a few of whom were based in the deserts of Eyktol. She paid higher prices for the camel wool than she might’ve, had she been in Eyktol, but Naadiya also believed she was paying less than a non-benshira as far from the source as she was would be paying for the same material. In truth, her main contact who brought in her wool, did not usually deal in raw yarn, generally preferring the trade of already made textiles. But in exchange for his favors, Naadiya had provided him with a source of isuas fabric, a material he would have no access to otherwise and that still remained a luxury in high demand everywhere it was not in abundance. The last time time the two met, he’d given her a large bundle of wool, already spun but undyed and she’d had to do the dying herself. All her colors had come out a little dull and not exactly as she had envisioned, but it was what she had and a carpet would get dirty anyway from all the treading it would have to endure. Taking the beige-ish shuttle and a small pair of nippers, Naadiya started on the lower left. Weaving in this fashion was not the fastest, but it was the loosest she had ever learned. And by loose, she would be referring to how strictly one must stick to convention as you wove. The more mechanical elements on the loom, the stricter one would have to stick to ‘the right way’ of doing things. But here, she did as she pleased. Precision was near impossible, and even if achieved, would go unappreciated because of the uneven nature of the hand-cut pile. The shuttle when through a couple of warp yarns and in a swift motion she knotted the shuttle yarn and snipped the end. Naadiya usually liked to cut a length of two finger widths, leaving a good bit to be trimmed when she evened out the finished piece. Her fingers were a ready and permanently attached measuring device and made the flow faster than using anything else. She worked the corner until it was starting to be filled in. Her first ten or twenty knots were not so fast, but after a little repetition, her hands remembered what they had once been taught. 578

[Naadiya]

Beige spread across the width of the warp yarns to form a band about as wide as Naadiya’s hand, then she introduced a thin black stripe that got progressively thicker as it made its way to the right, turning into a long skinny triangle with the outer edge holding its right angle. The pattern of triangles continued, in the black (occasionally more of a grey), and in an orange (that sometimes had a bit too much yellow in it) but the dye job had effect of turning out to look a little more worn down than it was…. Considering it had no wear at all. This had was another reminder of how well the isuas took dye and held it in comparison to other fibers, including the camel wool she was working with. Just a carpet, she thought, continuing with the weaving, knotting and snipping. She had tiger-like stripes that were starting to take shape and continued the pattern. The imperfect lines blended in just fine with the idea of an animal print and hardly looked unintentional. When she was finished with the piece, Naadiya reached into her bag and pulled out her notebook and quill. Once Naadiya had greeted the feather, the implement seemed to wake and she began to dictate notes as the quill swiveled on the page with more precision and practice than any mortal hands ever could. Anita Inka was its name, a gift from Artik and magically enchanted by some wizard unbeknownst to her. With a very clear voice, made a note to repeat the pattern, but with the intention of it being a tiger from the start, including a black outline of the animal’s shape as if were splayed out like a pelt. In her drawing, the shape was simplified and stylized to be slightly more geometric and an easier goal to reach for. Sometimes, her accent snuck up and made the pen write down the wrong thing, or at a loss for the right word she would blurt out the translation in Shiber in the middle of a sentence in Common and the quill failed to capture the right words. “I suppose it’s too much to expect you to understand accents and grammar or syntax… It’s a miracle you even known when I mean ‘they’re’ instead of ‘there’ or ‘their’.” Glancing at the notebook, she could see the quill had written every word she spoke and indeed had known which spelling to use and when. Despite the occasional hiccups, she had also tried speaking to it only in Shiber and amazingly, the quill took down every word flawlessly. It’s a miracle you exist at all, I guess... she thought, but then corrected herself. Enchantments are the work of mortal hands, miracles are the work of the divine. For a second she considered the toy monkey carried around by Ian, Shiress's son, and if that could honestly be called a 'miracle' without it being a mockery of the word. Syka was littered with magic, every other step you took might have you tripping over some magically imbued object or even a living mage. What at one time would have surprised her, now was almost par for the course. Another package had been left for her at the inn and remained on her bed where she’d left it still wrapped when she found out it had come from Artik. But she did get a little curious and squeezed and squished the little red silk looking drawstring bag, trying to feel what was inside but it just felt like fabric. 595

[Naadiya]

At first, because of the size of the bag, she had guessed he’d gotten her lingerie of some sort, but hoped that was not the case. Lacy undergarments were not the way to mend an argument and after the last peacemaking gift had been an enchanted quill, a negligee would hardly match up. Oh, thank you for this gift that I would now have to wear for you to enjoy. You are too generous, she envisioned herself saying, the edge of her sarcasm perfectly sharpened and ready for use. She had also thought it might be gloves, but the bag was a little small for that and unless they were magical gloves, she’d have the same problem of mundaneness as the lacy things. I suppose he wouldn’t get me magical orgasm granting panties… lest he become obsolete. Surely there is some female mage out in the world working on this gap in the magical fashion market. Naadiya went over to one of the pedaled looms she had already left with some warp threads already set up, as had become her practice. The loom had a stool ready but Naadiya stood as she started this weave. Occasionally, she would glance up from her work to look at the carpet still mounted on its own loom not too far away. It was an okay attempt but not the best work she’d ever woven. The intricate patterns her kinsmen wove into their fabrics were still out of her comfort zone. It needed a blend of handwork, memorization and planning that she was still trying to master, regardless of the loom she used. But Naadiya needed to better those skills and soon, if she wanted to maintain her Outpost connections happy. She’d enticed them with the isuas, though what they truly wanted was the material woven in the patterns and styles loved and famed around the deserts. On the loom she was currently at, Naadiya wove with cotton, as Dawn and Tony were refilling their wardrobes with something friendlier to Dawn’s skin rash. She always wove colors that Dawn preferred now, knowing the store owner was also the main customer for cotton, and the current weave had a blend of pleasant pale yellows in a melange that complimented but did not compete with Dawn's beloved ombre dyed fabrics. Hearing the sound of someone entering the store, Naadiya left the loom to go see if they or Dawn would be needing any help, only coming back once the sale had been made. People were often needing to replace things that had reached a point beyond mending, particularly those who worked near fire. Ever since the curses had started, more and more local were coming in for replacements to garments rendered unwearable from a curse-related cause. Randal had gone up a few sizes, Faye went up and down in sizes, and Sorian, who was the cause of some of the burns, had been buying new things for everyone who’d lost something from a fire that had clearly jumped out of control as he passed. Unexpectedly, Dawn had not been losing much business, despite not being able to weave, and lacking Gracelin as a back up, and even Tony’s curse affecting the supply chain at an earlier link. Xyna must have had her eye on the settlement if not on this establishment in particular. 558

[Naadiya]

Later that evening, when she was going back to the inn, Naadiya stopped by the Community Kitchens to make sure the herb garden was looking okay and sprinkled some water over the areas where the soil seemed dry. As she poured, Naadiya was careful to stand back outside the splash zone and only poured close to the soil. She took a few cuttings of the herbs that looked to be doing well and then waited. She’d planned on meeting with Talivindra either here or back at the inn, if she was running late, and as the minutes flew by, Naadiya assumed that must have been the case. She bagged her herbs and went back to the Protea where she quickly tried to gather up the mess in her room before the Verusk showed up. As she was clearing things up, Naadiya saw the red silk drawstring bag sitting on her bed. I’ll have to open it some time, even if it is lace lingerie. Naadiya grabbed the bag and sat on her bed’s edge, leaning over the nightstand using the candlelight to see better. Loosening the drawstring, she reached in and pulled out… another bag…? Red silk in one hand and brown felt in the other, Naadiya was a bit confused, the wrappings were much nicer than the actual gift, at least at first glance. Confused, Naadiya took the brown bag and turned it inside out, but found nothing inside, not even a lining. The bag was so unimposing there had to be something special about it, she could not bring herself to believe otherwise. Then, Naadiya found an embroidered inscription and read the golden words out loud: “For the well traveled, long may your journeys be.” “Well that doesn’t really explain much.” It was then that she heard a knock on the door to her room. “I thought you’d already be moved in by now! Isn’t the house done?” Startled, Naadiya stood up, the silk bag slipping off her lap onto the floor. “I knocked!” Tal replied to Naadiya’s surprise but came in anyway, picking up the silk bag and handing it back to Naadiya who took it but gave Talivindra a look that said ‘you could have waited to be invited in’. "Yes, the house is finished but not fully furnished yet. Besides, it feels so quiet and alone there. I don't know what I was thinking going even that far from the hub of town." "Oh please, you ARE in the hub of town... you should see where I live." "You've never invited me! I would love to see the place that up to YOUR standards." “You got one too?!” The verusk avoided answering and pointed to Naadiya’s brown felt bag, but the look on her face did not match the one Naadiya had given the little pouch a few minutes earlier. “He gave you one too? Is Artik just giving these to every other person he comes by?” “Artik? I don’t know what you are talking about,” Tal was already sprawling herself out on Naadiya’s bed, having taken the felt pouch and examining it while laying on her back. “I’ve seen a couple of these in town recently, they are very useful for travelers. Yup, same inscription and everything!” “Yes… I read the inscription, but how are they useful? Other than holding a few coins.” “A few? You're joking... You can keep dumping your money in here and it’s not likely to ever get full!” “What?” “Yes, and you can also pull out whatever currency you need, regardless of what you put inside. Very useful for travelers! Artik gave you this? Is he planning a trip for you two?” 613

[Naadiya]

“I— Well, I don’t know. If he has, he hasn’t said anything. But I would doubt that, he never really plans beyond the next few hours or even minutes… It’s been problematic.” “Hmm,” Tal replied, handing the little brown bag back to Naadiya, “Well, even so, it is a nice gift. Anyway, what did you want to ask me?” For a second, Naadiya had forgotten the reason she’d asked the verusk to come meet her. It had been a while since she had started forming the idea, and a couple of poorly timed attempts had left the conversation still to be had. “Yes! Right! I actually wanted your help with something. It’s not about the house, well I suppose in a way it is. Not the cabin that’s already built but the workshop, rather.” Interested, Talivindra looked at Naadiya, listening as the Benshira explained her plans for turning what had initially been planned as a workroom, similar to the one Dawned set up behind the shop, into a stand-alone business where she would offer balms, oils, soaps and more for locals and visitors to purchase, but also a couple of private bathing tubs for therapeutic soaks. Without being told, Talivindra already saw how she would be able to get the open, jungle-facing bathrooms she had wanted to put in the initial home design. Smiling she looked at Naadiya, her eyebrows almost beginning to knit themselves. “You know Sorian is not going to be happy you are changing something else on the plan.” “Yes… but… I thought… if I had you there… to actually be the one to tell him…” Talivindra laughed and shook her head lightly but didn’t say she wouldn’t do it. “Come on, please!” Naadiya convinced the woman,”you know he can't say ‘no’ to you. He gets that funny look on his face and then it just takes a couple of pokes before he relents. And I will be there for back up!” Nothing was mentioned about how it should have been the other way around, but the two came to an agreement and made plans to tell Sorian the next morning as soon as the construction was started again. They sat on the bed for a few minutes and chatted, sharing a bit of local gossip. Naadiya was always surprised to hear how much went on in such a small place but none of it was terribly scandalous so they only had a couple of laughs and nothing more. “Oh!” Naadiya said, remembering something else she had meant to ask the verusk woman, “can you help me with one more thing!?” “Well apparently I’m in a helpful mood today, ask away!” Naadiya went over to her bag and took out her mother’s recipes for cosmetics, skimming them for the points she had already marked off. “I thought you might know what these are,” she pointed to terms written on the slightly worn paper in cramped handwriting. “I guessed that maybe they just go by different names here? Or it might be an ingredient I can’t get hold of in Syka?” 516

[Naadiya]

Tal ran her eyes over the list herself while nodding, “Oh yes, ask for sassolite, it's a rock mineral, you will have to crush it yourself if you don’t find it already in a powder. Wow, I did not know it could be used like that. Hmm.. Oh and no, I don’t think you are going to find any henna here, unless James trades for it, or maybe in The Outpost, but there are several beetles here that have a very similar pigment if you prepare your mix just right. I’ve used them for both make up and oil paint and so far they seem safe enough, no resulting rashes or anything so far, but I think my skin may react to things differently than yours, scales are handy that way, but you wouldn’t believe how difficult it is to get some powders to actually adhere to my eyelids. Anyway, you will want to test everything out on a small area of you arm maybe, before applying anything to your face.” The two continued to discuss different ingredients and mixtures for hair dyes, skin balms and nail lacquers, Naadiya even brandished the magical quill once more to take notes as they both spoke. Much to her surprise, even when the two said something at the same time, the quill seemed to pick up the different voices separately without jumbling the statements, writing one out and then the other. "We have a plant that is like Caiyha's gift to hair care, I've got to show you. And if you've tried rice water, I know a similar recipe that's very similar but smells better" Talivindra said as Naadiya checked over the notes, flipping a page just as the quill was jotting down about the rice water. "Yes, please, I would love to know what we have growing locally and how to use those things. Sometimes I go to Juli asking for something and she either gives me a blank face or a price with too many zeros at the end. "I know what you mean, their focus really isn't in the little luxuries. With only one ship, I suppose the Chaliva's have to prioritize other things above the exact color of nail lacquer or perfume. They do their best though, and sometimes they get it right if they're not too busy. I've mostly just gotten ingredients myself though. You'd be surprised at how much you can wind up carrying from just one trip into the 'market' that is the jungle. Everything is ripe for the picking if you know what to take and what not to take. Oh you know what?!” Talivindra exclaimed, “I just remembered, I meant to give you this the other day when I noticed you started wearing that charm bracelet.” The woman reached into a pocket and pulled out a small coppery trinket shaped like a satchel. It almost looked like a piece on a game board but had a tiny ring where it could be attached to another link. “With this and Artik’s gift you are going to traveling really light from now on! You can hold a good deal in this bag.” Naadiya stared at the charm, already convinced it had some magical property by the way Tal had described it. “The key is intent. You have to visualize the item you want to store as being stashed away and touch it with the trinket. Then, retrieve the item with the same intent, picturing yourself holding the item in your hands. Try it.” She did as the verusk woman had instructed and watched, wide eyed, as the tiny bauble caused a handful of items disappear then reappear with little more than her mind. “Holy Sun Cattle! How much weight can this thing hold?!” “As far as I have noticed, there is seemingly no weight limit, but there are volume restrictions.” Tal made an approximation of the dimensions, gesturing with her hands to the show the size she was thinking of. “That’s not bad at all!” Naadiya mused, quickly finding a place on her bracelet for the new addition. “Thank you so much!” 686

[Cleon]

Grade Award!

Naadiya:

Skills:

Cosmetics: 1
Design: 2
Geology: 1
Observation: 1
Socialization: 2
Weaving: 2







Lores:


Weaving: Working with camel wool
Weaving: Setting up a loom for a carpet
Weaving: Making a tiger stripe pattern
Design: Choosing a looser pattern for a carpet
Bottomless Miza Purse of Exchange: Appearance & Usage
Cosmetics: How to test for a skin reaction
Geology: Sassolite - Mineral rock
Cosmetics: How to prepare Sassolite
Cosmetics: Ricewater treatment for hair
Talivandra: Sources her cosmetic ingredients from the jungle
Messenger bag charm: Appearance & Usage


Extra: Acquired the following:

- The Bottomless Miza Purse of Exchange
- Messenger bag charm

Feel free to pm me with questions or concerns about your grade, and don’t forget to edit your grade request!