Graded [Crustanton] - Under the Sea

[StarPrincessVal]

This is a roll play for the Isekai Hell group. It takes place in the city of Crustanton at the bottom of the Continental Lake. It will follow Calliope, Victorique, and Phoebe as they explore the city and each try to achieve their individual goals. This is a closed RP, we are currently not taking on any other characters. Anyone interested in exploring the Isekai Hell universe should follow the links.

Crustanton - City Entrance
​

The city bustled with tourists and merchants offloading goods as the three stepped forth from the docking bay. About half the population were fishfolk, most likely locals going about there day, while the other half was comprised of beastfolk, humans, and the occasional fae. The large square they found themselves in was lined with small vendors peddling concessions in front of larger store fronts. An inn sat in one corner and a tavern in the other while across from them was a large furnishings shop and medical center. In the center of the square was a large statue of the some past ruler of Crustanton, perhaps it's founder. Luminous flowing strands reached from building to statue, casting the square in an an eerie but beautiful underwater glow.

A loud noise rang out as a merchant led a large sea creature through the square toward a side street. The creature appeared to be some kind of pack beast, with many bundles tied to it's side. The crowd seemed to get out of it's way instinctually, while a few tourists stopped to gawk. The creatures tail hit a support pole for one of the vendors causing it to collapse and some of the merchants product to spill out onto the ground. The two merchants exchanged angry words before returning to clean up the mess. This was just a taste of life in Crustanton, at least on the tourist heavy side of the city. What else the undersea wonder had to offer was yet to be discovered.







Mentions: Elvario Clockwork_Magic

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Calliope StarPrincessVal | Phoebe Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | [Terran] | {Sylvan}

Victorique was in a decent enough mood overall. Sure, she couldn't smoke and hadn't had the greatest time aboard the fish and her attempts to distract herself from smoking had all been leading to nothing, but... she'd gained special permission that she'd fully intended to make use of. “<Hmm. Surprisingly soft and fluffy.”> She concluded, after petting Calliope's ears. All things considered, she was kind enough not to go 'too much' on it, also as it was more curiosity than anything else that made her want to try again. Not that it wasn't pleasant to the touch, but so were normal animal ears...

She looked around the City Entrance. Thankfully, Victorique was able to easily traverse this underwater area (Water Speed B) without too much issues. The fluid in her lungs was helping, now that she was getting a little more used to it. Her inability to smoke was really the only thing bringing her mood down. She'd probably be able to get herself distracted easily enough though, hopefully, maybe...

She checked the vendors. “Those ingredients you were looking for, I'm not assuming they'll be sold by simple street vendors like these, right?” She doubted Calliope's quest would be as easy as that, still. “Do you want me to see if I can track down some salesman that might sell them?” She figured her detective skills could probably take care of it. “Considering we made it this far, we might as well stick together, find the ingredients and then the library that me and Phoebe are after.” That reminded her of something. “Ah, by the way, Phoebe. Unless it's an archaic language, I should be able to translate things for you now. It took me a bit, but I'm fairly confident in my languages~” Another change to brag about her newfound polyglot status was a welcome thing.

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: StarPrincessVal (Calliope) | Elvario (Victorique)
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

After that harrowing journey on the Fatte Tunalia and making it through customs, they were free to explore the city and its sights. And what sights did it have! She expected the buildings to be more... nautical. Maybe made of a bit more metal than they are, kind of like having the aesthetic of ships and submarines from her old world applied to the buildings, but curiously they looked just like the buildings found on the surface. Was it just a coincidence? Perhaps they could find out more as they went through the city.

The large city square they arrived in was just like one you'd expect back up at the surface, bustling with a whole bunch of stands and merchants except with a whole lot more fishfolk than the land races. That's not to mention the beautiful undersea glow surrounding them. Phoebe was thoroughly caught up in sight seeing until she was "Hmm? Oh, yea, I'd really appreciate that, thanks! Sorry, it's just that I get lost taking in the sights sometimes. You'd think underwater buildings would look different than those above land, so it's really interesting to see the architectural similarities."

Phoebe's face suddenly lit up. "Ah, I just remembered!" She took out the piece of paper she was given earlier. "The crew gave me this along with my wand. It's strange though... I don't remember losing anything like this... Let's see here... 'Recollections Phoebe...?'" As Phoebe's eyes traced over the crumpled sheet of paper, a sly grin formed across her face as she began chuckled at the contents of the letter before turning to the blonde halfling. "Yea, you certainly have come a long way Victorique. I did find the book I was wanting to read, thank you, and it's nice to hear that you found your 'book with much explanations' in the Duchy's library as well." She giggled a bit more before she continued her teasing onslaught. "But tea does sound lovely, shall we get some after we find that library? Oh, and thanks for the compliment." That letter was certainly not one she was expecting she would receive from Victorique, but it sure did make for some good teasing ammunition. It doesn't hurt to mess around with your companions a little, especially after the jellyfish attack, it would probably be a good way to relieve some of the lingering distress from that incident.

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Calliope

Mentions: Elvario Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | <Beastial>
​

Calliope lifted her head, blushing, after Victorique finished touching her ears. "<Surprisingly? Do they not appear as though they would be soft and fluffy?>" She pulled out a pocket mirror and checked her appearance, concerned that she was not as presentable as she thought. She straightened her hair and fur out, before sighing as the water made it all float around again. "<This water is most troublesome, I can't get used to it.>"

Calliope glanced around at the vendors in the square. "I do not believe that any one would be selling the ingredients I need in such a tourist centric location, mmhhmm. Perrrhaps we should look for a market, hhmm? Most of the ingredients should not be hard to find, mmhhmm. But the Pearrrlescent Lobster Shell may be difficult, mmhhmm. I believe I may have to find a way to walk around out side the city to find one, mmhhmm. I do not look forward to such an excursion, mmhhmm."

Calliope nodded at Victorique's idea. "I am very much in favor of sticking together, mmhhmm. Does that sound agreeable to you, Phoebe, hhmm?" She turned to the pink haired girl and smiled. Suddenly her stomach growled. "Perhaps we should find some food as well, hhmm? I'm not sure exactly how long it has been since breakfast, mmhhmm."

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Calliope StarPrincessVal | Phoebe Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | [Terran] | {Sylvan}

Victorique wasn't sure how to respond to Calliope. “<I mean, yes, they do, but... ehm... I don't know. Feeling is believing?”> She didn't have an excuse. It was clear she hadn't really prepared for this part of the ear-petting process. When she saw Calliope pull out a pocket mirror, she realised Calliope wasn't alone in there. “You don't happen to have any hair ties with you, do you? Mine keeps floating around, as you can see.” Having very long strands hair float out in different directions almost made her look like a jellyfish at this rate.

“Well then, let's head for the nearest market. I'll be sure to keep my eyes and ears open for that lobster shell. With some luck, I'll hear or see it mentioned.” Now, Victorique offering such a thing wasn't a figure of speech. With her [Ultimate Detective] work active, there was little that'd slip by her. She'd periodically take in information from anyone and everything around her en masse, seeing if anyone or anything traced back to that lobster shell. After all, she wouldn't mind earning another ear-petting right. They'd been pretty nice to the touch.

Ultimate Detective – Appraisal C, Heightened Senses [Hearing/Sight/Smell/Taste/Balance] B, Insight D, Investigation D, Perception C, Law D, Energised B – Character combines all their applicable senses and knowledge to get to the bottom of a mysteries or to be on high alert for clues, dangers or hints. - Grade B – 3 Post Cooldown.

That said, the topic of food intrigued her. “I wonder what they're selling for food underwater. I hope it's not just more seaweed.” She didn't mind for what else they could get, but she was a little sick of the slimy salty planty stuff.

Meanwhile, Phoebe was noticing the architecture most of all. “I've heard rumours that this place was once an ancient kingdom above water. That's why it's library is said to house some really rare books. These buildings might not be unique underwater buildings, but rather ancient above-water buildings that were remade into functioning underwater.” She felt fairly clever for remembering that, but her victory was short-last.

A hint of panic showed on her face when Phoebe took out a piece of paper that she recognised. “[Where did you find that?!?]” She asked, as her heart skipped a beat and her face turned red when Phoebe started reading the first sentence. “[That was, it was, it is... practices, it was just practise!]” She was tripping over her own tongue trying to justify that letter she should've burned ages ago.

“[I already knew it was an encyclopedia! I just couldn't figure out how to write it, I eh...]” She wasn't sure how she could recover from this shame. “<Calliope, quick, I need you to distract Phoebe whilst I snag that letter from her. It's for the greater good, trust me!>” She said, as she was awaiting the first opportunity at trying to snag the letter out of Phoebe's hands.

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: StarPrincessVal (Calliope) | Elvario (Victorique)
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

["Yea, I can definitely see that."] Phoebe ramped up her teasing tone as she responded to Victorique's embarrassed claim that it was just practice. ["Though, I too wonder 'how books not get wet if underwater surface.'"] She let out a few more chuckles before calming down a bit. ["Still, not too shabby for your first letter in Terran. It wasn't even that long ago when we were in the Duchy, you really learned Terran in this much time?"]

She cleared her throat and turned back to Calliope. "Sorry, just talking with Victorique about her Terran... learning experience." She shot a sly look at the blonde halfling as she said that. "But yes, staying together does sound good to me. I'm feeling a bit peckish myself, shall we find a place to eat? We can talk more there. I'm sure they have something other than seaweed. Fish perhaps?" She turned back to Victorique. ["And maybe I could hold a little letter review session while we're at it too~."] She said in that same sly, teasing tone as she placed tucked the letter back in her bag.

While she was rummaging through her bag, she just barely noticed that her hair, just like her two companions, was floating all over the place. She looked through another pouch in her bag and took out a few hair ties and started tying up her own hair in a little bun behind her head. After she'd finished with her own hair, she'd take out a few more hair ties and hold them out to Calliope and Victorique. "Here you go. I could also help you tie your hair if you'd like."

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Calliope

Mention: Elvario Clockwork_Magic
​

Calliope took the hair tie from Phoebe. "Thank you, mmhhmm." As she tied her hair back she thought for a moment. "I am actually curious about the food down here as well, mmhhmm. I have no prrroblem eating fish raw, but is there no way to cook at all without a fire source, hhmm? Or perrrhaps they use something like thermal vents to cook food, hhmm? It could be quite fascinating to learn, mmhhmm. And our hair and clothing, mmhhmm. While they flow with the waters movements, they are not 'wet', mmhhmm. Oh, my journal, mmhhmm!" She pulled out her journal, but it too was 'dry' and none of the ink was running. "Surely there is some sort of magic at work here, mmhhmm. Unless it is all chemical, hhmm? That could be truly useful to my studies, mmhhmm."

As she speaks, a manateekin brings a tray of food to a table outside the tavern. Calliope points in it's direction. "That appears to be a restaurant of sorts, mmhhmm. Perrrhaps we should try our luck there, hhmm?"

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Calliope StarPrincessVal | Phoebe Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | [Terran] | {Sylvan}

How could this pink-haired and friendly looking girl be so merciless? Did a demon possess her? Yes, that had to be it. [“That was just... just to write something. I know it's just some sort of magic that they'll use.”] She tried to defend herself, but it was to no avail, as Phoebe didn't let up for a second. Wait... she actually did? Victorique got caught off guard by the sudden compliment. [“Ehm, yes. I have an Eidetic Memory, which helps a bit. It also happened that I studied all languages at once. Seeing all their similarities and differences made it easier to understand them individually as well. It's just the sounds that are problematic. My throat isn't made for some Beastial stuff and my throat hurts with some of the aggressive Monster vowels, whilst Analog... let's not talk about Analog.”]

She wasn't sure how to reply to the 'learning experience' comment. “Fish... I'm a bit tired of that as well. I could go for some fresh fruits...” She doubted they'd have those. [“Or perhaps I should investigate you a little. I'm sure I can find something that'll have us at equal grounds.”] She replied, deciding to go a bit more on the offensive with the whole letter deal. Confusion hit the halfling when Phoebe suddenly offered to help tie her hair. “Don't declare a war to suddenly be kind again, you're confusing me!” She huffed, cheeks puffed up a bit. “But yeah... I'd like that, if you would...” She said, a bit more silently, afterwards.

She was taken aback by the idea of eating fish raw. “Raw..? When it's like... fishy and slimy and salty and... raw?” The thought along was gross to her. Wait, no, she recalled from a past life. “Oh, wait, you mean like sashimi? I don't think I've ever tried that before.” She replied, suddenly recalling the sushi stuff she'd once heard about in a lifetime before this one.

“I could investigate what magic is at work, but... I'd rather focus on those ingredients and the library. Otherwise we'd be stuck her for much longer than needed. As cool as this place is, I'd love to light up my pipe, but I'm not sure if that's a smart idea here, so... I'd rather be out of her sooner instead of later.” She concluded, although having something to eat first would be nice. “Sure, let's go there.” She didn't have a particular taste or desire. Other than perhaps no fish or seaweed. In an underwater city known for having a lot of dishes with fish and seaweed.

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: StarPrincessVal (Calliope) | Elvario (Victorique)
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

The pink haired mage was a little taken aback when Victorique declared her intention to find something that would make them even, her mind going back to the letter she wrote to Victorique that was also sitting in her bag. Sure, the contents of her letter weren't as embarrassing as Victorique's, but still having someone read your letter right in front of you would be a little embarrassing in and of itself. ["Well... you're certainty welcome to try."] Hopefully she played that cool enough for Victorique to not notice... probably... Another distraction was needed to help throw the halfling off the scent, which came not so long after in the form of Victorique accepting her offer. Phoebe chuckled a bit as she started tying up Victorique's hair. "Mmm, call it a little cease fire."

Now moving on to the topic of food, images of her past life flashed through Phoebe's mind as Victorique brought up sashimi. Oh, the countless nights of studying for final exams, the overbearing sense of stress and pressure in the exam hall, all to be rewarded by treating yourself to a nice meal after it's all done. Phoebe wistfully smiled as she recalled those nostalgic memories from a lifetime ago. "I've had sashimi and sushi a few times myself. I quite like it, so if they have it here I'd be all for it."

The length of Victorique's hair made it take a little longer to tie than her own hair, but she did manage to finish in a few minutes. After she'd finished tying the halfling's hair, she looked over to the tavern Calliope pointed at. She nodded her head in agreement. "Sure. Lead the way Calliope. Did you happen to see what kind of food they were serving there too?"

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Crustanton - Tavern
​

The tavern is of relatively standard design much like what you'd see on the surface. The structure and the dining tables and chairs all made of wood, something in the 'water' that surrounds them maintaining their condition. Many patrons are seated outside and as you make your way inward you see it is much the same. A seaturtlekin seats you at a table not too far from the entrance ance and a moment later a lobsterkin comes to take your order. The 'smell' of fish wafts through the fluid filling your lungs and nostrils, being the main delicacy of the establishment. Somehow, the drink vessels of the tables around you are not leaking their fluids as if the liquids are denser than that which surrounds you. Bottles line the shelf of a bar not to far from you where a stingraykin mans the counter. It appears they have much the same, if not the same, drinks that the surface carries. A human couple at the table next to you dines on grilled fish,a basket of rolls between them. Listening carefully you still hear the responsive crunch you'd expect on the surface. It seems life down here isn't that different after all.

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Calliope

Mentions: Elvario Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | Beastial
​

Calliope looked over the menu. It was mostly fish, but there were a few other options, especially baked goods. "It appears they have some foods that are not just fish, though I'm not sure how reliable they might be, mmhhmm. I've never heard of 'ground beef pie' before, mmhhmm. Though it appears the fish they do serve can come cooked, mmhhmm. And a 'salad of fresh garden vegetables', hhmm? What are vegetables fresh from an undersea garden, hhmm?" She searches the menu but it's easy enough to find what she wants. The fresh catch of the day will suit her just fine.

She sets down the menu and turns to Phoebe. "So Victorique is here for the library and I am here for ingredients, mmhhmm. What is it you hope to find at the bottom of the continental lake, hhmm?"

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Calliope StarPrincessVal | Phoebe Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | [Terran] | {Sylvan}

[“Welcome to try, you say? I'll keep that in mind.”] Victorique said, not wanting to let go of the permission to pry into certain things. That said... “For now, I'll accept your cease fire.” She couldn't remember the last time someone helped her tie up her hair. It was a simple gesture, but somehow oddly nostalgic. It was enough to make her relent on any letter-revenge plans she'd otherwise be forming.

As the y found a tavern, Victorique was quick to inspect things. Truth be told, half of the time, she wasn't sure if what she was smelling were the waiters or the food. Both smelled pretty darn fishy to her [Heightened Senses B] extremely sensitive nose. “Whatever ground beef pie is, I'll take my chances on it.” Victorique decided. “The salad seems like a trick to sell more seaweed... I'd rather not take my chances there.”

Victorique suddenly was granted an opportunity for payback. After all, she knew why Phoebe was here and knew how to spruce it up a bit. “Phoebe here is looking to learn more magic, so she's looking for the library as well. She told me she can do some lightning magic, so considering we're underwater, she could probably zap us all in an instant~ Like one of those electric eels.”

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: StarPrincessVal (Calliope) | Elvario (Victorique)
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

As her two companions were looking at the menu, Phoebe took a little more time to take in the place a bit more before looking at her menu herself. "I'll probably go with a cooked fish dish then, I'm not too keen on that ground beef pie either. Actually come to think of it, where would they get the beef from? Do you think they raise livestock down here? For that matter, do you guys think they farm surface crops down here as well? The bread rolls at some of the other tables look and sound freshly made, so the wheat must have come from somewhere."

Phoebe nodded along as the blonde halfling explained their reasons for being here. "It's as Victorique says, we're both here for the library, though for different reasons." The pink haired mage chuckled a bit at the electric eel joke. "I'll be zapping myself too if I do that. I do have some other non-lightning spells, though I do want to come up with a few more down the road outside of just lightning stuff." She then turned to Calliope. "You said you were a potion maker right Calliope? What made you want to study alchemy?"

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Calliope

Mentions: Elvario Clockwork_Magic
​

Calliope tilted her head curiously at the topic of lightning magic, looking from Phoebe to Victorique. "I confess, I don't know a great deal about magic or fish, but I take it from your tone that it is bad to use lightning magic underwater, hhmm?" She had heard rumors that certain places in the world, the Duchy in particularly, had harnessed magical lightning as a power source of some kind, but she didn't really understand it.

Then however Phoebe asked her about alchemy, something she understood in great detail. "I have always loved plants, mmhhmm. Ever since I was a child, we would pick many different plants for different purrrposes, be it food or medicine, mmhhmm. I began making simple remedies and poultices for the people in my village, but as I learned of ways to make them more potent or specialized by adding new ingredients, I expanded my research, mmhhmm. Now I travel Ryke peddling my wares to fund further research and take care of my family back home, mmhhmm." She was enjoying herself. For a moment she forgot how nervous she was, and simply enjoyed sitting in a tavern with friends.

"What about you Phoebe, hhmm? As I said I do not know much about magic, mmhhmm. Do people need to be born with an aptitude for such things or is something one can aquire from study and prrractice, hhmm?"

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Calliope StarPrincessVal | Phoebe Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | [Terran] | {Sylvan}

Phoebe raised a valid question. “Perhaps from see cows?” She said, being dead serious. She'd imagine those things to not taste too fishy and beefy enough to be beef. Besides, it was in the name right? They were sea cows for a reason! “They might raise animals like those as livestock here. I don't think they'd farm most surface crops though, as it'd probably be easier to just trade them with neighbouring countries, for things like fish and other marine resources. I bet that's also how they got their wheat, or perhaps the whole rolls.” She highly doubted this underwater place would have such a huge agriculture sector of its own, or to include so many above-water things in it.

Victorique listened in on Calliope's explanation of how she got into potion making. “Working to take care of your family? That's a noble goal.” She said, as the mention reminded her of how she'd ended up here without anyone. Her own family was left in another world. She wasn't expecting to suddenly feel so alone in the world during a fun outing with friends. She figured she'd best shift the topic. “Can you tell us a bit more about the specific ingredients you're looking for here? What they look like, where they might be sold or grown, what they're used for? It might help us find them.”

When the aptitude for magic got mentioned, she puffed up her chest in pride a bit. “All Fae are born with an aptitude for magic. I'm personally quite good at using the mana in my body to reduce the time it takes me to recover from considerable efforts!” (She's talking about Energised B.) “I can also open a rather large Pocket-Dimension, but I'm a bit worried it might flood with seawater if I open it here, otherwise I'd have shown off a little~”

She then turned back to Phoebe. “By the way, what other magic types did you pick up on?” She asked out of curiosity.

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: StarPrincessVal (Calliope) | Elvario (Victorique)
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

"That's a lovely goal Calliope." Phoebe flashed a smile at the catgirl. "It's much the same for me for magic as it was for you with plants. I was always captivated by what could be possible with magic that I wanted to be a mage more than anything. Well... that and both my parents were mages as well, so I did look up to them growing up and kind of wanted to follow in their footsteps." She laughed a little nervously as she admitted that last part. "But anyways, I asked them one day if they could teach me magic and they taught me most of what I know. They even gave me my wand when I left Ryken not too long ago when I started travelling the world on my own, a little hand me down from my mother when she was first learning magic. Nothing that remarkable, but it is special to me." She went silent for a second, a warm look on her face. "Sentimentalities aside, I travel the world to learn more about magic and just discover some of the world's mysteries, you know?"

Phoebe nodded along as Victorique boasted a little about her magical aptitude. "Sounds like that would really come in handy, perhaps I should look into learning technique like that when I have the time. But, to answer your question Calliope, I do believe that anyone can learn magic, though there are some with more of a natural aptitude for magic than others, as Victorique said."

As for Victorique's question. "I did come up with 2 more spells after our little escapade at the Duchy. I wanted to try my hand at coming up with something that didn't involve lightning since, well..." She gestured at the water all around them. "The first is conjuring concentrated spheres of mana and propelling them at great speeds toward a target. The second makes a rift to manifest in a specified area." ([Magic Bullets] and [Rift] respectively.) "My other 2 spells are lightning based, but I definitely won't be casting either of them while we're here. If this breathable water is as conductive to electricity as regular water... well it won't end well for both me and the baddie I was aiming at."

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Crustanton - Tavern
​

A Fishman approaches as the three converse and takes their order. He only speaks in Beastial so Calliope translates Phoebe's order for her. A short while later he returns with their food. Calliope receives a plate of fresh caught and cut raw fish, practically making her drool in anticipation.



Victorique has a large pie placed in front of her, large enough to serve at least two grown men. As she cuts into it the meat has a dubious appearance to it, but the taste is good, if not a little different from traditional surface meat pie.



Phoebe is brought a whole fried fish, it's species unidentifiable. While challenging to access, the meat is rather delicious with a slightly sweet hint to it.



After the three finish their meal and pay, they make their way out into the city and began to explore the deeper reaches of the undersea metropolis.

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Calliope

Mentions: Elvario Clockwork_Magic
​

Feeling good and much less frightened to be submerged in the bottom of the Continental Lake, thanks to the tankard of mead she had with her meal, Calliope is ready to begin the search for the ingredients. She pulls out her notebook and turns to the list she had made of what she was looking for, showing it to Victorique and Phoebe. "These ingrediants here should be simple to find, they are even available on the surface, I am just hoping to buy them for a better prrrice wholesale, mmhhmm. The one that will be difficult is the prrrismatic lobster shells, mmhhmm. The prrroblem is, even if we find them for sale, they are likely to be out of my prrrice range, mmhhmm. When lobsters shed their shells, they usually eat them to prrreserve any nutrients from the old shell, mmhhmm. However, sometimes they are eaten themselves while in that vulnerable state, mmhhmm. Occasionally shells can be found on the ocean floor, and the prrrismatic lobster shells are said to have numerous beneficial prrroperties that could be effective in potion making, mmhhmm. I would like to acquire one or more for my research, mmhhmm. I was hoping to find some way to venture out of the city to see if I might find one for myself, mmhhmm." She returned her journal to her dress. "Now to find the market district, mmhhmm."

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Calliope StarPrincessVal | Phoebe Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | [Terran] | {Sylvan}

As their dishes were served by a very fishy looking fishman, Victorique could only wonder why her food was almost bigger than she herself was. “These portions definitely aren't halfling friendly... This could feed me for a week.” Then again, at least she'd not have to fear having too little if it ended up tasting good, right? Then again, she quickly used [Appraisal] on it, after seeing just how dubious that meat was. She wasn't eager to end up the meat of some sailors that ended up downing and who's bodies were 'repurposed' or something along those lines.

Upon assuring herself this was made out of nothing that was once sentient, she took a careful bite. “Hey... this is nicer than it looks. A fair bit nicer.” She concluded. “You two should try it!” She said, offering Phoebe and Calliope a piece as well.

Victorique perked up at the second spell mentioned by Phoebe. “Forming a rift..? Like a Pocket Dimension? That sounds cool~ You should show me sometime! I've been debating to learn more about raw mana manipulation as well, as folk say that's a thing as normal as breathing to most Fae, but I've never really had an interest in it beyond what I'm already capable off. It makes me wonder if I'm missing out on things.”

She then went through what Calliope mentioned. As they got to the market, it would be Victorique's moment to shine! With her [Ultimate Detective], it was a piece of cake to pick up on any subtle hint that might give away someone's attempt to scam Calliope or to ask for an unreasonable price of their goods. She'd help the cat get the best of the best wholesale prices and if someone was trying to cheat her, they'd be having to deal with [Ultimate Argument] and perhaps some mild intimation whenever someone would argue to the point of Victorique bringing out [Bulvark's Touch].

It sounded like the more problematic part was going to be the lobster shells, but she'd keep her eyes and ears open for clues regarding those as well. Perhaps she could find a way to argue getting them for cheap on the market, or otherwise learn of where to get them out of the city.

Ultimate Detective – Appraisal C, Heightened Senses [Hearing/Sight/Smell/Taste/Balance] B, Insight D, Investigation D, Perception C, Law D, Energised B – Character combines all their applicable senses and knowledge to get to the bottom of a mysteries or to be on high alert for clues, dangers or hints. - Grade B – 3 Post Cooldown.

Ultimate Argument – Appraisal C, Heightened Senses [Hearing/Sight/Smell/Taste/Balance] B, Insight D, Perception C, Persuasion D, Law D, Energised B – Character takes in any information they can from someone and uses it when carefully picking their tone of voice and mannerisms to convey their argument in the most persuasive manner, tailored to whatever might suit the person they're trying to convince. - Grade B – 3 Post Cooldown.

[Bulvark's Touch] - Due to your interaction with the First Tyrant, Ryke Bulvark, you emit an aura of dominance to any that you talk to. Whoever you interact with will feel like they are talking to a giant, to an intimidating figure. Echoes of Bulvark's twisted laugh can be heard by the character and those speaking to the character. Great for interactions.

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: StarPrincessVal (Calliope) | Elvario (Victorique)
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

After a short bit of waiting, the trio's food was delivered to them by a fishman not so unlike the crew of vessel they arrived here on, giving a little nod of the head to show her appreciation given the language barrier. The fish before her wasn't any species of fish she was familiar with, both from this life and the last. Was this one of those deep sea fish that are rarely seen by surface societies? She wasn't about to eat an endangered species was she? Her hunger made her drive off those reservations, digging into the fish with her utensils. It took a little while but she eventually got a piece off and ate it. To Phoebe's surprise, the fish was one of the tastiest she'd ever eaten, particularly liking the hint of sweetness.

After taking a few more bites of her fish, Victorique took a bite of her own food and then offered to share. "Sure, I could have a little piece." She took a bite of the meat pie she'd been offered. "Mmm! You're right Victorique! Reminds me of the meat pies my dad used to make when I was a kid!" As Phoebe continued to dig into her grilled fish, she went back to the discussion on magic. "Learning raw mana manipulation was certainly different. It was a little odd at first since I'm just used to shaping mana into various forms of lightning, but working with raw mana more is on my list of what to learn more in the future."

After the trio finished their food, they headed out into the city in search of a market district. As Calliope read aloud her list of ingredients, the cat girl raised a concern about the selling price of prismatic lobster shells. "I could lend you some money, if that helps. I only have Rykes though... and I don't know what the exchange rate is between Rykes and whatever currency they use here."

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Crustanton - Market District

It doesn't take long to locate the market district. As the trio moved deeper into the city, more and more stalls begin to line the street until they were surrounded in a sea of them. The market offered a multitude of goods for sale of all different varieties. One stall offered jewelry made from sea shells and coral, another fresh caught fish. A stall in the back was packed with crates bearing different marks of Ryken companies, obviously the result of some cargo ship plundering. The area was packed as both tourist and citizen crammed in to find the best prices and perfect products for their needs.

Using her list of ingredients, her proficiency in beastial, and the help of Victorique's skills, Calliope was able to track down the more common ingredients she needed and come to an arrangement with their seller. On several occasions, Calliope had hit a snag in the negotiations, but for some reason, at Victorique's involvement, the seller always came down. It wasn't long before Calliope had procured several contracts for the delivery of goods to the surface. With that out the way, the trio had time to explore the shopping district a while longer. There was still the matter of the prismatic lobster shell to deal with.​

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Calliope

Mentions: Elvario Clockwork_Magic​

Calliope stared at the receipts in her hand, beaming. Once the goods were shipped to the surface, she could bring those receipts to the warehouse to pick up her purchases. Her trip down here in the giant fish and the one she would have to take back hadn't been for nothing. Though, she supposed her chance encounter and blossoming friendship with Victorique and Phoebe had also made the trip worthwhile. Calliope had been astonished at how beneficial an ally Victorique had proved to be during her negotiations. She folded the receipts and closed them within her journal.

"That is one task taken care of, mmhhmm. Thank you for the assistance, Victorique, it was quite helpful, mmhhmm." She glanced around, wondering about their next step to finding the prismatic lobster shell. Her gaze fell upon a large sign that read "Apothecary" in Beastial adorning a building off to the side. The building was older, but still in good repair and very ornate. She pointed it out to Phoebe and Victorique. "That might be the best place to check, mmhhmm. Even if they don't have any for sale, they might know where I can find some, mmhhmm."

 

[Elvario]

Victorique Sopheana
​

Mentions: Calliope StarPrincessVal | Phoebe Clockwork_Magic
Languages: Common | <Beastial> | [Terran] | {Sylvan}

“Perhaps one day, you can teach me.” Victorique replied to the talk about manipulating raw mana. Then again, Victorique would have to learn the basics of magic to begin with, besides the few tricks she'd picked up on. That'd probably take a while.

As for the market, she was rather in her element. Having made it a challenge to try to 'investigate' and 'argue for' the best possible deals had paid off, which made her hold her head high (relatively speaking) with pride. Only the prismatic lobster shell remained, which she hadn't really learned much about thus far. It was likely every bit as rare or expensive as Calliope warned it to be, which was problematic. When she got complimented, however, she practically radiated pride like a miniature sun gave off heat. “No worries, I'm glad to be of help~” She said with badly-faked humbleness.

She nodded when Calliope pointed out the apothecary building. “Alright, let's give it a shot!” Then she recalled Phoebe might not be able to read along, “It says [Apothecary], by the way.” She'd quickly translate the word into Terran, albeit sticking it in an otherwise Common sentence.

 

[Clockwork_Magic]

Phoebe Penrose

Interactions: StarPrincessVal (Calliope) | Elvario (Victorique)
Languages: Common | [Terran]​

---

"Maybe, if you're still up for it by that time." As she was right now, Phoebe still had a lot to learn herself before she could take an apprentice or student under her wing. That said, being a master to an apprentice does have an appeal to it. 'Master Penrose' does have a nice ring to it too.

As the trio made their way through the market, Calliope seemed to get most of what she needed thanks in no small part to Victorique, probably. At least that's what she could only guess from the beaming look on the cat girl's face, the load of receipts in her hand, and the little exchange between her and Victorique. It's hard to tell for sure when you're in a city that primarily uses Beastial and you don't know Beastial.

"Ah, thanks Victorique. Perhaps I should learn some Beastial too, huh?" Learning additional languages would be really helpful, especially with the whole travelling the world thing. The made a mental note to pick up some Terran to other language dictionaries after she returned to the surface before reaching for the apothecary's and holding it open for the other two to enter before she entered herself. "Well, shall we then?" She gestured to Callope and Victorique to head inside as she held the door.

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Crustanton - Apothecary
​

As the three step inside, they are greeted in beastial by some sort of shrimp woman who stands behind the counter. She smiles and nods towards the group.

"Welcome. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with."

The walls are lined with shelves, which are themselves filled with glass jars and small bottles of colorful liquids. The room is illuminated by bottles filled with a glowing crystals that are wrapped in rope netting that hang from the ceiling. A table behind the woman contains many tools and implements used in the crafting of potions and tinctures. Aquatic plants hang from pots on the rafters, and planters line the window sills, growing a variety of vibrant flowers.