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Vyras knew that he hadn’t accounted for everything. Good thing the remaining wolves were fleeing to keep the pack alive. The skirmish was over, and two more dead ex-prisoners resulted from the ambush. Vyras hobbled his way to the dead corpses. Four more dead. The prisoners gathered around him, staring at him in judgemental fury. Vyras knew they were stressed, and that he had blundered.

“ Perhaps… Perhaps I have been too hard on you.” Vyras told them. Just as he noticed a wagon coming in his direction.

-- Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

03-Jul-2020 03:29:52

Coming in the direction of the prisoners was a wagon made of yew wood. Adorned to the side were the heads of three vampires. “Charming,” Vyras thought to himself, sarcastically. And there were quite a lot of people coming in Vyras direction: Fifteen that he could see, plus whomever was driving the cart. Even in the distance, Vyras could hear a woman humming a tune, Drugal and Draiyghul music is often dramatic and dark. Merchants often sang to keep themselves entertained on the long road to wherever they were headed. “Where are they going,” Vyras wondered.

One could buy all sorts of things from the drugal merchants who come to the surface. One just has to keep in mind that many of the trinkets drugal sell are stolen from somebody, somewhere. For that reason, people don’t usually admit to buying from them, because it opens up the possibility of inquiry from authorities—or whatever constitutes as authority in Sudovia, these days—on what they bought, whether it was stolen, and where the caravan is that the customer bought the trinket from. If one lacked any sense of morality, drugal caravans are where one could buy whatever they need, cheaply. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

03-Jul-2020 03:32:58 - Last edited on 10-Mar-2023 17:14:53 by Pink 4 Twink

The tune grew louder, and it became apparent that Vyras knew these merchants. Driving the carriage was not a drugal, she was a Draiyghul. Stork-like in appearance with a yellow beak, white feathers, surrounding her body-- except for her face-- and sharp talons on her hands and feet. Black feathers surrounded her neck She wore a pink silk turban around her head, and pink silk garments around her body, a black pearl necklace around her neck.


When Vyras came into the view of the caravan, she brought the horses driving the yew carriage to a stop. “Hmm… I knew I sensed a potential customer in this direction.” She said out to Vyras as she stopped the cart. A guard drugal flew up to Vyras with her scythe drawn. “Don’t try anything rash, human, one move for the goods, and I will impale you on my scythe.” She warned him. The Draiyghul began speaking to her guard in Drugalish, the ancient language of the birdmen. Eventually the guard flew back to her position, watchful but content in the knowledge that Vyras was a friend.

“Ciconia,” Vyras said excitedly. “It seems your psychic powers are spot on, come here everyone, meet Ciconia, the poison and magical items ‘salesbird’, and leader of this caravan,” Vyras gestured. Even Annie, Erik and Sakura would be at least curious to see what was going on. Ciconia looked at Vyras, “Hmmm. I sense stress, and desperation, Vyras; also, I thought you were done with the whole resistance gig. I must also apologize for my guard’s actions, she’s new to the job, we keep losing guards to wildlife and predatory plants ” Vyras shook his head. “This is to be my last mission, and it was a dangerous mission at that. I’m quite surprised I still live.” Ciconia nodded.

Vyras took a deep breath “I need a favor, Ciconia, a major, major favor. A favor so major that I will likely be in your debt until I die.” Ciconia was taken aback. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

03-Jul-2020 03:35:02 - Last edited on 03-Feb-2021 18:59:53 by Pink 4 Twink

“Our mission saw the resistance free thousands of prisoners from Castle Gern.” Zurga told her. Ciconia’s eyes widened, “Oh dear, THAT was your mission? I am also rather surprised that you survived, especially since your knee was crushed in six different places, on that last mission all those years ago, Vyras. Name your favor, if it is in my power to do so, I will grant it.”

Vyras gave that grandfatherly, yet manipulative smile. He knew she could not see it, but she could sense it. She was a merchant after all with hundreds of years of experience, yet even if she chose to do so, she’d gain nothing from doing so. Vyras was not the type to call in favors unless he had to. She stared at him intently as he told her, “I need weapons of good quality in your stock for the prisoners we’ve released… without payment for now, but we desperately need equipment for the prisoners that don’t have anything to defend themselves.” Cold-hearted laughter from a few of the drugal guards surrounding the cart echoed throughout the forest, and Ciconia shook her head. “I’m a merchant, not a charity, Vyras, I can’t grant this favor. Besides I see weapons on the prisoners already. Haegar spoke.

“Broken weapons. We used broken weapons, and vampire armor as a disguise to escape a dragon, wyverns, and fierce vampire resistance. Haegar told her. Vyras took a deep breath, “Please Ciconia,” he begged, before rummaging through his satchel until he found what he was looking for - Vampire fangs - dozens of them. Zurga, Antonius, Haegar, Lithia, and Brimblemir did the same and brought out some of their own. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

03-Jul-2020 03:38:39 - Last edited on 10-Mar-2023 17:18:54 by Pink 4 Twink

“I know how valuable vampire fangs are to drugal, especially herbalism and poison salesbirds like you, Ciconia perhaps you can use them.” Vyras tried to entice her. She examined the fangs Vyras presented her for a brief moment. “As you know well, Vyras, intact vampire fangs produce the best potions and poisons capable of harming the blood-sucking fiends. You went out of your way to make sure that you got intact ones. Very impressive, the quality…” Ciconia complimented him. She made her way to inspect the other samples with her hands. though not as carefully. All were in good condition. while scratching her chin with her talons, “Vampire fangs are indeed valuable… Perhaps something more. Vyras nodded. He had piqued her interest. “How about our broken weapons?" Brimblemir asked her, "I hear tell that the Skyherd fleet is needing all the metal it can get for repairs?”

Suddenly a crow drugal, wearing pink silk trousers, and a pink silk tunic, a white pearl necklace, and covered in black feathers from the neck down, except for his face. flew off the cart and flapped his wings over to Ciconia. Without landing he proudly cawed at Ciconia. “Cicocia, take the deal. Mr. Elf person is correct.” He turned to the crowd.

“Greetings, humans, I’m Corvus, I’m the specialty items salesbird,” he greeted them. “Which, um, means he stole them from some poor schmuck and is selling it to you at a discounted price.” Corvus became standoffish and got in his face and cawed. “Me? Steal? You are one to talk, Erithicus, You take junk of various quality from the abodes of people who no longer live there. Theft, plain and simple. A ‘junk salesbird,’ you call yourself, how successful has that venture been, hmm,” Corvus asked mockingly. Erithicus made no attempt to justify the ‘thefts’ instead looking at the ground in shame. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

03-Jul-2020 03:42:10 - Last edited on 10-Mar-2023 17:20:37 by Pink 4 Twink

A rather large and menacing drugal sighed. He was not a crowman, however, he was more hawk-like . He wore no shirt, but he wore brown shorts, his chest was greyish and his face was scarred with claw marks. He chest was also scarred with claw marks as well. Likely from a wolf, Vyras guessed, judging by the size and the shape of the scar. Vyras too had been pounced on by wolves as a teenager. It was a common occurrence.

“Not very successful, but that is because he spends his coin whoring around with drugal men with the money he earns. Stop singling him out, Corvus, Erithicus is shy, meek, not fighter, but at least he is more clever than you will ever be. How many times has he gotten us out of danger with his schemes?” he asked. Corvus fell silent. The menacing Drugal turned to the crowd. “Don’t trust the crowmen to be ethical in a business transaction, at least hawkmen have semblance of honor in business transactions. I am Daptrius, weapon salesbird, and this is huge waste of money, Ciconia, please reconsider.

Ignoring the exchange between Erithicus, Daptrius and Corvus, Ciconia was clearly thinking. She had her finger on her chin. “Yes, Yes, I like the idea…. 72 sets of vampire fangs for 72 weapons, plus the broken weapons, and you can keep the armor because you’ll need it. You DO owe us, however, and we will be collecting,” Ciconia conceded. Vyras felt defeated. “Looks like I’m spending retirement dodging drugal creditors” Vyras thought to himself. “Thank you for your input Corvus. Daptrius, please show them our Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

03-Jul-2020 03:43:49

selection.” Daptrius exploded in rage. “What a WASTE of money!” he shouted at Ciconia. She looked at him coldly. “A good merchant accepts IOU’s, who knows what sort of opportunities could come up from this event Daptrius,” Daptrius begrudgingly nodded. “It can also create a situation in which our friend here might try to skip town dodging debt collectors.” Said Daptrius. “Even I know better than to try to dodge drugal debt collectors, and couriers.” Vyras said smiling. “We’ll see, human.” “Very well, Daptrius, show them the merchandise, and quickly we better get back to caravan headquarters before the sun rises and we end up incinerated." Ciconia ordered.

Daptrius shook his head “I don’t think we’ll make it to caravan headquarters tonight.” He conceded. “Hmmm, perhaps one of you know a place we can hide…” Daptrius asked. Vyras nodded. “There’s a cave nearby, maybe two miles east. “The resistance used it as a place to smuggle silver in my youth. Sadly, no silver left, the vampires destroyed whatever silver reserves we had from then, but it will still service you well.” Vyras informed the caravan. “You certainly know a lot about the area, Vyras,” Haegar observed. Vyras smiled.

“Not really, I happen to know about that particular cave only because I was the one running the silver smuggling operation, I was also a guide service for Svairdian scouts… back when they used to come to Sudovia. That war between Lethornia and Svairdia better end soon.” He said out loud. “Got some bad news for you on that front,” Ciconia said, word on the Skyherd Fleet has it that the two nations are in a bloody stalemate and have been so for over 10 years.” Vyras shook his head. “Ten years of constant war? Right when there is a massive threat to the east of their nations?” Ciconia nodded. “Out of sight, out of mind. You humans are weird creatures. You ignore human suffering so long as it is not you or your ilk who suffer."

Vyras could not argue against her beliefs. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

03-Jul-2020 03:49:34 - Last edited on 02-Aug-2022 21:02:26 by Pink 4 Twink

Madness, and this was is being fought over a pretty woman?” Vyras asked. “Not just over pretty woman, she was the catalyst for the hostilities, the real reason is trade disputes “Both Lethornia and Svairdia eye the fertile grazelands to the West of Lethornia, and they both want control over a vital crossroads to the port of Travantis. Comptetition was fierce for decades before you humans started lopping off each other's heads over it. Antonius shook his head. “Utter madness."

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--- Azi. If you want to exchange Erik’s broken weapon for a new weapon, you can do so. The weapon I have in mind is remarkably similar to the original blade Erik used. One handed, with a silver blade. although the grip is slightly different. Sakura on the other hand needs a bow, as far as I am concerned, in case she runs into ranged vampires.

--- Annie: Your broken weapon can be exchanged for one of three things: 1) A silver staff to focus your spells. It can also be used to bash vampires who get too close. 2) more silver arrows for your bow, this also comes with a better bow than the one you have.

(( Vampire fangs are a sort of currency in Sudovia. They represent a service rendered, and thus have value to the general citizenry of this chaotic failed state. Every vampire you kill is a gold mine, they can be exchanged for weapons, armor, and favors from other NPC’s. You may also find Sudovian coins occasionally, some merchants still accept them, notably dwarves, who see little value in vampire fangs as a currency. It is among dwarf kind that Vampire fangs don’t get you much, unless they happen to be an herbalist.

Vampire fangs are a main ingredient in herbal remedies and other potions, they have immense value to herbalists Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

03-Jul-2020 03:53:03

04-Jul-2020 03:11:06 - Last edited on 04-Jul-2020 03:23:51 by Annie1227

Annie:
Daptrius was much taller than Annie, and much larger. Perhaps a bit nervous, Annie perused the items and out of the stock chose the bow and some more silver arrows. Though it was another short bow, It was in much better condition than the shabby bow she gave up. Daptrius for his part, did not know what the Skyherd fleet would need wood of such inferior quality for.

Annie’s old bow was hastily repaired by nature magic too, meaning that it would degrade quickly to its original condition. Nonetheless, he took the bow. At least, he figured it would make good kindling, and the bowstring would be useful; other than that, he was not sure. He was a merchant, and not one of the higher-ups on the Fleet. Not that I could return to the Fleet, even if I wanted to . Daptrius thought to himself.

Satisfied with her choice, and perhaps wanting to give it a try out on... Something. Vyras walked up to Annie and asked her to watch the rear. Vyras was stressed, she could tell. Likely, he was still shaken that he could have been turned upon so easily by the people he rescued. He was not sure what could happen. Vyras turned to the corpses wishing he could at least bury them before the sun came up and incinerated them, he looked at his Sun Dial. One hour and fifty minutes, it read. Just your friendly neighborhood gay boy!

05-Jul-2020 22:19:27