Parallel Universe RP: Alchemical Crystalis
 

Gambran; City known as the hub of alchemy. Carriages pulled by a single genetically altered horse bursting with muscle, bar drinks that turn green when poured over a special kind of ice, fireworks that light up the sky during holiday nights. Tourists and alchemists come from all around to see this city, with its huge stone buildings and brick roads, but few see the darker side of the town.

Sandstone Lane, intersection with Kimbell Road, Midnight, the morning prior to the National Alchemy Convention.

The city road was quiet, which was unusual considering what part of town it was. The wooden houses on the streets showed much abuse, and what windows there were were covered in scratches. Most of the windows were nailed over with wooden planks to keep the night air out. Even the streets were different from the rest of the city. The roads were made of gravel, or at least it appeared so in some places. Much of the road was simple packed dirt, and the stones could be seen in a few places. The most modern thing in the slums were the lanterns. They had been built around the city to help cut down on crime, as often muggers would hide in the shadows to waylay unsuspecting city walkers at night.

Breidan Walkes often walked through this area on his nightly rounds. He wasn't a police officer, but the city paid him a small fee to check up on the lanterns. He had been robbed once or twice in broad daylight, but most muggers didn't wish to cause trouble with him, since if he reported them the police would most likely patrol more in areas where they could conduct their business. He walked a fine line, and he was alright with that. The man was around thirty and already going bald. He had never used a weapon in his whole life, but even so, he felt he had protected a lot of people.

The man reached up to the lantern on the south side of the intersection, pouring a bit more oil into the lantern's dying flame. The flame flickered and came to life. Breidan smiled. It was a good thing he had come this way after all. Maybe someone's life would be bettered tonight through his actions.

He heard a door creak open just a short way down the road he had come from. He turned, and saw a bald old man coming out of his house. The man wore a frayed button shirt, and long pants made from brown leather. He adjusted his round framed glasses as he walked down the steps towards Breidan. "Hello there, youngin'. What are you doing here at this hour?" The man's voice was soft, but cracked with age.

"Oh, nothing much." Breidan replied. "I refill the lanterns at night."

"Oh, I see. I had heard steps outside, and I was expecting someone." The old man looked a bit sad as he said this. "It's no concern of yours, however. Keep up the work, son. It's folks like you who keep this city safe." The old man continued, turning to go back into his house.

"Who're you waiting for, sir? Maybe I can keep an eye out for him."

The old man turned around, smiling. Breidan felt his heart warm. It always made him feel good when he could help someone out. "Keep an eye out? Well, I don't know about that. It looks like he's just down the road." The old man gestured over Breidan's shoulder.

The lantern lighter turned, recoiling from what he saw. "W-What i- urgh!" He recoiled again as the old man smashed the back of his head with a blackjack. The old man smiled as the man slumped to the ground.

"This certainly was a good thing. We were just about to have dinner, and I needed something to prepare."


The following day:

Archus looked up towards the huge marble building in front of him. It had huge steps that would be murder on his hips, was nearly 50 feet off the ground, and was likely hotter inside than it was on the summer day in Gambran. The colorful banners advertising the National Alchemy Convention hurt his eyes, and he was certain that there would be many idiots throughout the day asking him how this and that worked.

Archus uncapped his steel flask. The strong taste of his favorite liquor filled his mouth and burned pleasantly on the way to his stomach. He was going to need quite a bit more of this to get through the day.

"Big sister! Good morning!"
"Hiya, Ceciles." Jatalia Kalstrein smiled. "You're looking well today. That's very good."
Jatalia was visiting the ten-year old daughter of a noble family. The girl had been sickly since early childhood, and Jatalia had been treating the girl for roughly two months. Since then, the young woman and the younger little girl have become good friends, even thinking of each other as sisters.

"What shall we play today?"
"Actually, I just came to do a quick check up on you," Jatalia apologized. "I'll need to leave in several minutes. I'm pretty low on some ingredients and it's quite a trek to go and gather them. You understand, right?"
Ceciles held back a sigh and forced away her disappointed expression. They had some idle conversation about the world inside Ceciles' window and then Jatalia had to leave.

Spade, the head butler of the family, informed Jatalia that the master wanted to see her. Jatalia loved the master. Well, not loved-loved, but just loved. In spite of the fact that Jatalia hadn't found a permanent cure for Ceciles' condition, the master still hasn't fired her. Well, Jatalia was pretty passionate about her work, so maybe that was why.
Actually, that wasn't true. Jatalia knew exactly why Lord Estner Irvington kept her around. The guy was an outrageous pervert. She knew all about his harem, and Ceciles Irvington probably knew it, too. Hell, one of the girls was Jatalia's age, and they knew each other personally. Jatalia treated the previously homeless girl when she couldn't pay for medicine.

Jatalia apologized to Lord Irvington when they exchanged greetings and told her that she couldn't stay long. Fortunately, Estner was good at getting to the point. "Have you heard about the National Alchemy Convention?"
Jatalia nodded. "Yes, my lord."
"Do you have plans to attend?"
"No, my lord. I just have too much to do right now and I don't have anything prepared for the convention anyways."
"Still, you really should attend. It may help you in finding a cure. How about this, Miss Kalstrein: you prepare your formules for the convention and attend and I shall instruct Spade to go and handle your errands. It sounds good, yes?"
Jatalia considered it. Spade was definitely suited for dangerous places. "As you wish, Lord Irvington."

"Emmi, can you come down here? I need help with the Aloe."

Emmi yawned a little, pushed the family cat off her lap and rose slowly from the rocking chair on the second floor. After stretching her arms a little she replied.

"Coming father!"

She brushed up some fur from her apron and patted the cat as it stroked against her legs. She walked down the stairway and entered the store from behind the counter.

"Ah, Emmi."

"What was it you needed me to do father?"

Her father, a sturdy man with a sizeable sphere of a belly and a not so sizeable hairgrowth, smiled as he wiped some dirt of his gloves. He was wearing a special fabric, woven by experts and enchanced with alchemy. Although it was expensive, the everyday wear and tear of gardening and other small jobs took no toll on the garment, making it a worthwile investment.

"Well, as it were, Ghomi asked me to prepare some Aloe for him, but it appears that I can't find it."

"That is no suprise. I sold the last plant yesterday."

"Could you go out and fetch some? Your mother is coming home soon, you can take the horse."

Emmi nodded and went upstairs to pack a kit of tools. She figured that it was just as well to pick up something else than just Aloe if she was to go outside the city. Her mother, a tall, average built woman with reddish brown hair tied in a knot behind her head, interrupted her rummaging. They exchanged pleasantries and then went on to their respective tasks.

When Emmi had returned from her trek, with five sacks of various herbs, she heard the townspeople discussing the upcoming Alchemists convention.
She had heard about it for some time but hadn't paid much attention to it, but as she heard people speaking of the many famous alchemists coming from near and far, she couldn't help but want to go there.

She gave a sack full of Aloe to Ghomi once she got home. And then retreated to her room to think about what to wear at the National Alchemists Convention while reading up on foreign herbs.

oos: changed the fathers colour to neutral in case someone wanted dark olive.

Morning broke and a small train of caravans could be seen winding their way down one of the main streets of Gambran.

Vendahli Kaprisk swept aside the caravan cloth to survey their arrival, before twitching back the cloth and turning towards the cloaked, hooded figure hunched next to him.

"Huh, typical of a city. All hustle and bustle and no real meaning. I'd be damned if I stayed here any longer than I should."

The hooded figure shifted slightly, shifting aside his side of cloth to gaze outside. The sunlight caught the wisps of whiskers twitching from the shadowed hood. Beady black eyes glanced out briefly, before closing the cloth to the roomy wagon. Vendahli caught the empathic shrug of indifference the figure gave, and because he had worked with the figure long enough, the tenseness under the cloak.

Tizsm was afraid of the new place. There was too much noise and foreign activity. He wished he hadn't been brought here, preferring the warm sandy deserts of his homeland. Here, he'd tried walking barefoot, but the cobbled pavement and pathways hurt his toes and the weird looks he'd been getting from everybody on the way in unnerved him. Makhets were a welcome contributor in the Jusk workforce, but now the makhet in question was nervous at how he'd play out in front of so many foreign faces.

Tizsm shifted uncomfortably in his new clothing. He didn't like the feeling of the coarse cloth brushing against his scaly hide, and his stubby tail was playing difficult as he sat awkwardly on the wagon seat. No matter how he shifted, it was providing difficult to sit still for too long. He'd go outside and walk alongside the wagon, but he didn't have any shoes that worked properly on his Makhet feet.

Tizsm decided it was time he bought some. With a purse full of currency, Tizsm tapped Vendahli gently on the knee, rousing the old man from the brief doze he had been lulled into.

"Hmm?" Tizsm patted his purse, the sound of clinking coins clear, before pointing to his feet. "Not yet, when we get to our lodgings, you'll have some time to get what you need."

Tizsm nodded with resignation, before shifting to a more comfortable position on his seat, and waiting for them to arrive.

Emmi was in the eastern market square looking for some nice clothes. Even though it was a big city she had trouble finding a tailor that had that particular shade of chestnut brown she wanted for her dress.
But that was of minor importance really, because the majority of her time was spent watching the steady stream of visitors that walked through the square.
There had always been a good amount of tourism in Gambran, but this was unprecedented, the foreign faces blended together, an outsider would not know that they came from different regions, despite their varied clothing and appearance.
It was like a sallad, complete yet internally divided.

She saw a trio of Mahket standing by the fountain. One of them glanced at her and she subsequently he looket slightly to the left and saw a shoemaker. She couldn't refuse the call and headed in. After all, she had enough currency, Ghomi had given her a handsome reward for the aloe, aswell as a sample of the potion he had made. He didn't say exactly what he had put in it, and she couldn't find out without spoiling the brew. At any rate, she was happy over the mixture. The scent from it seemed to soothe people, so she wore a smidgeon of it as perfume.
She headed in to the shoemakers store and began trying out some nice dark green loafers.

I want to get away...
 

The sun erupted from the land, basking the countryside outside the city of Gambran in a brilliant light. Few clouds were in the sky, and there was little wind, another picturesque day. There were not many creatures around to greet this day, aside from the typical ones, the crowing of roosters, the noise as livestock stirred to life, and a monster of a man stretching on a hillside.

"Excellent weather today! I have a great feeling about this launch."

Jericho Van Asgard was smiling again. It was not a rare sight at all, some have thought it was tattooed to his face. He stretched his arms and back, cracking his shoulders, his wrists, and his fingers. He adjusted his neck, hearing a few snaps there as well. He looked down at the odd contraption he had set on the ground moments ago.

"Not bad for a bunch of scraps I say. If this works, there should be no reason for me not to build a larger model. When that happens, I will take to the heavens like a bird!"

The creation looked professional, smooth metal fastened together by rivets. It's solid look hid the fact that it was hollow and very light. The thing looked like a vulture, if the vulture was half the size of Van. The general shape is where the similarities ended, for Van did not see any reason to sully the smooth machine with intricate etchings of feathers and such.

"Right, now lets see what you can do." Van bent down, lifted the contraption to his shoulder. He looked down to the small valley. "Still empty, I shouldn't have to worry about hitting anything when it lands."

Van set the thing in his right hand, wheeled backwards, ran forward a few steps, and hurled it.

"GO!"

***

The sound of a hammer meeting an anvil greeted the other workers as they entered. The sound was very steady, almost rhythmic. The sound was accompanied by the inhaling and exhaling of a hard working Van.

"Van, your at it early today. Did a bird scare you away?"

Van continued to strike the metal. He took his eyes off his work to converse with his co-worker. The hammer continued to fall as he spoke.

"Morning Ted. Aye, I did end my 'Bird Watching' early. Something came up."

"Really? I thought today was the big day. How did that contraption work?"

Van stopped his work for a few moments, set the hammer down and took a drink from his cup. With a wide grin, he said,

"It blew up in my face."

"Ah, so the metal was too heavy like we all thought?"

"No no, it glided for a bit. But then it caught fire-"

Ted looked shocked. "Caught fire?!"

"-and crashed into the ground-"

"You mean, actually 'on fire'?"

"-and when I went to put it out, it exploded-"

"EXPLODED?! How?"

"I'm not sure. I'm going to have to looked at my formulas, I'm don't know what kind of metal is capable of doing that. But looks like my project wont be ready for the convention this year." Van was still grinning. "But it flew! I think I'm on to something.". He picked up his hammer and went back to work

Ted looked wide-eyed at Van. "Van, I think you still have a project. What metals did you use? That exploding mixture could win you a prize for sure!"

"No thanks, why don't you do that one? I just took some pieces from the scrap pile, I'll even show you my notes. If you find out what did it, let me know." Van grabbed a pair of tongs and placed the piece into the furnace. "For now, I have to finish this job, Frank Trisken needs this ax head finished. This one will surely not break!"

Ted shook his head. "Remember Frank isn't as strong as you. Hell, trains may not be as strong as you. That ax head has to be light enough for him to use all day."

Van nodded as he reached into the furnace with the tongs again, this time retrieving his red-hot project. He returned to striking the piece.

The wagon Tizsm was riding in slowed down gradually, making a stop in front of a huge stone building decorated with gold leafing near the corners of its architecture, but no such decoration was near the ground. On the archway over the door, written in inlaid gold, was the name Geo Palaza. The hotel had probably been heard of by any citizen even thinking about visiting Gambran, and it was notorious for being extremely expensive, probably around 2000 gold coins a night, a price that would have taken Tizsm nearly a year's salary to afford a night.

But it was said that the price was well worth it.

"Hmm, this should do nicely." Vendahli Kaprisk said to himself. "Raki! Zukah! Please put my bags up in my room!" His two guards, both of extraordinary build and relatively common facial structure, began carrying large chests and suitcases in on their shoulders, walked into the lobby of the hotel, other patrons clearing the way for them.

"Don't worry, I don't want you to carry anything this time, especially not since you dropped my chemicals back in Strahd." The old man's tone made it clear that this particular transgression was still fresh in his mind. "You wanted to get something for your feet, yes? Well, be quick about it. And be mindful of pickpockets. Just because they don't see too many Makhet, they may think that perhaps you are rich traveling this far. Anyway, be back before the convention begins. The doors open at 10, and I'd rather not be fashionably late this time." The old man stroked his beard, and waved his hand, meaning that his servant could go.

* * *

"My, my, what is that delightful scent?" Emmi heard a pleasant voice from the entrance of the store. The voice belonged to a human man, around 6' tall, with shoulder length black hair and a blue cotton sewn shirt. His eyes were green, noticeable even from the door, and his leather pants were dyed the same color. He wore a pair of buckled boots in the same tone. His face had soft, yet firm features, the kind that one might find universally beautiful, with a prominent chin, a small but well shaped nose, and eyebrows with a thin line of hair and notable ridges. He was clean shaved and his flesh was unmarked. He wore a single silver ring on his right thumb with a small signet-like design. He turned to Emmi, taking a noticeable whiff of the air.

"Quite a wonderful odor, my lady. It is strong, yet subtle. The scent brought me in from the street. Although, now that I see you," He said, bowing generously, "I must say that the scent is not the most wonderful thing that I've been around today."

* * *

Ted shook his head at Van. "Man, you could get some definite cash from the NAC. It's today, you know. I was going to head up later, maybe take a couple of orders while I'm there. If you're up for it, we could go tour around the stations, then go get a drink when it closes for the day."

Jatalia arrived to her room at the White Crescent Inn and got to work. She had a few choice solutions that would see at least some attention at the convention. There would obviously be better compounds there, but if Lord Irvington told her to go, she'd go.

"Let's see...an aerosol spray that heals minor wounds, and aerosol spray that can be used to temporarily mend metal weapons and armor. and then there's-why the hell am I even bothering?"
Jatalia threw her hands in the air in mock surrender and then just shoveled it all into her travel satchel. "It's not like I'm going to buy a convention table, anyways. I'm just going there to see if there's something superior to what I got."

It wasn't time for the convention yet. Thinking about it, Jatalia grabbed her herb satchel and left the city, bow and arrows in tow. It couldn't hurt to grab some herbs. Heck, if she ran and worked quickly and if the monsters weren't really biting, she could get quite a bit of gathering done.

"My, my, what is that delightful scent?"

At first she didn't pay much heed to the voice of someone at the entrance of the store. But when he aproached her, Emmi was taken slightly by suprise when the stranger spoke up to her.

"Quite a wonderful odor, my lady. It is strong, yet subtle. The scent brought me in from the street."

She turned around and saw him, his features and clothes. She looked at him almost dumbfounded as he smelled the air. She regained her posture as he complimented her and bowed right before her.

"Although, now that I see you, I must say that the scent is not the most wonderful thing that I've been around today."

She turned away, and brought her left hand to her face trying to hide her blushing.

"I'm sorry, you startled me sir." She drew a breath and turned back to face the man. "I was not expecting this at all, as you can see, I was just about to try on some shoes."

The man smiled slightly before he spoke: "My dear, If I make make a suggestion?"

"Why, please do."

"I think these would compliment your figure."

The man reached out and grabbed a pair of elegant pale blue shoes, almost translucent and with small engravings of silver and bronze. It was strange, because he did not turn around to pick them up, either he knew where they would be, or he had picked them out while entering the store. Of course, none of that was on Emmi's mind as she gasped and sat down.

"May I?"

The man's gestures made it clear that he wanted to help her try the shoes on. She could hardly refuse and raised her left foot slightly. As he fitted the shoe to her foot she couldn't help but notice the ring on his finger, she noticed the signet...
The man interrupted her pondering with a question without raising his eyes from her foot.

"Pardon me, but that scent of yours, it is from a perfume no?"

He proceeded with the second shoe.

"Why yes it is, why do you ask?"

With an acknowledged bob of the head, Tizsm turned and literally scurried away, eager to do with a pair of shoes or at least clothed soles for his sore feet. Knowing full well the dangers of being mugged in the streets, Tizsm's money had already been transferred from his robes to the insides of his leggings. He had learned such a valuable lesson against muggers at an early age, due to the fact that a good number of his childhood bullies would beat him and take his coins. Keeping a hold on his money was second nature.

Indeed, as he passed through people on the streets, he felt several of them bump into him, their swift fingers reaching suddenly in and groping for the tell-tale bulge that would count as the money bag (where really, it is just the exposed handle to one of Tizsm's scimitars). But they'd jump back when Tizsm responded with a low, guttural growl, jerking their fingers away. Tizsm could've caught their money-pinching hands easily, to teach these pickpockets a lesson on why they shouldn't steal from a Juskan warrior, but Tizsm preferred not to make too much fuss as he already probably has, his stooped, yet tall figure swiftly making its way through the busy crowded streets and towards the door on which swung the image of shoes.

With an internal sigh of relief, Tizsm entered the quiet store, away from the busy streets and the throng of strangers the Makhet cared not to meet. Raising the hood from his head, Tizsm looked around the store, nose and ears twitching slightly as he took in the room.

It was filled with all kinds of shoes. From leather soles to rubber boots. Two people were talking over shoes in one corner, a man and a lady.

There was a gentle smell in the room. It was nice, Tizsm decided. It seemed to soothe his nerves and calm his body. The moment he entered, though, the day's warming temperatures worked its properties on Tizsm's body, and whatever the woman smeared on her body - Emmi's strange concoction - suddenly intensified twofold.

Tizsm gagged slightly at the sudden strength in the scent. He instantly realised it was some altered form of alchemy - subtle, but alchemy nonetheless. Quickly, Tizsm looked for a pair of shoes, though none seemed to avail his kind of feet, until...

There, near the feet of the two talking humans, was a row of Makhet-tailored sandals. It was strange, seeing them being sold in Cambran, but Tizsm guessed there was more than enough trade if the races of Man came through this place like a flooding river.

Nearly-obscured by the woman's dress, Tizsm bobbed an apologetic nod at the two, before ducking down in a flash and retrieving a pair that looked his size. There was a price tag on the shoes. Tizsm looked at the numbers, and suddenly his purse was in his hands.

He went to the shopkeeper - who had by now looked rather bemused at the customers in his store - and counted out the exact change.
"Right-O," the store keeper smiled as the money trickled into his hands, "you wear them properly, now, Ok?"

Tizsm nodded, flashed a shy smile, then his face was once more obscured by his hood. He quickly slipped on the makhet sandals, which fit perfectly, and almost leapt out of the shoe shop and into the throng of people, heading back towards where his employer last told him to be. A quick look at the sky told him he would get to the alchemist's convention just in time.

~~

As the Makhet left the store, the suddenly intensified scent of Emmi's potion decreased back to its normal, gentle previousness.