Kete was right, the first group to emerge from the dungeon was small, only three members, but I was woefully unprepared for how eclectic they were. The tank of the group was probably the most normal, covered head to toe in a studded quilted fabric. The gambeson and breeches were expected even if there was a preponderance of straps but the high asymmetric gorget rising halfway up the left side of his head as if striving to become a bevor lent him an unusual silhouette. As I looked a little closer it seemed his padding was slightly thicker on that side in general, adding to his lopsided appearance.
The archer stood out initially because of her blond hair, something I couldn’t recall seeing before. Black hair was the standard in the area, though I’d seen a few dark-haired brunettes, but certainly nothing close to the golden buttery tresses bouncing free from the chignon with a shake of her head now she was out of the dungeon. It also drew my attention to her slightly pointed ears. But it was the remaining woman who stood out by far the most, I couldn’t even guess what her role was, dressed in a now sandy, spangly dress with no visible weapon it was like she'd been getting ready for an evening out before being dragged on an adventure. Yet as she unburdened herself of her pack and a sack of sand, her eyes never left her surroundings. The curious hum of my appraisal skill told me there was more to those sequins than met the eyes. I’d ask Kete later.
As they began presenting their loot under the soldiers’ watchful gaze, the group’s experience became apparent. Each item had been meticulously wrapped and stored after careful harvesting. The group barely stuttered as they presented sandshark hide, oasis succulents and a live blue scarab in a jar one after the other. They’d gone in last night, favouring the cool of evening in the desert over the midday sun, explored a bit, found an oasis, and pulled out, not getting greedy but harvesting what they could along the way. But the real tell was the satisfied look on Kete’s face, they’d had a good delve, but that was what he expected from this group.
The scarab had the guards a bit concerned, as much as they were here to collect taxes, I’d picked up that their primary duty was to prevent another miracle shoot incident. Thankfully the group was upfront about the creature, just wanting to get it out as intact as possible and surprised it hadn’t suffocated in the jar yet. Moreover, where my skills were suited primarily to materials, Kete’s were suited to creatures.
Taking the jar, slick with condensation, in his hands, Kete said, “Odd one for sure. Like living quartz or glass, though I’m not sure how it got its blue colouration.”
“Vitrification...” I murmured without conscious thought.
“I got no idea what that is, so, maybe? Seems to be using qi...” as the guards visibly tensed, he continued, “Hold yer horses, I’m not finished. It doesn’t store qi itself, instead it pulls a miniscule amount of qi and heat from its surroundings to grow. Not dangerous at this size, though given enough time it could grow into a true terror. Might suffocate eventually, but best to just stick it in ice for a bit. It's probably got a bit o' use for enchantment but I’d wager ye’d get a better price from the glass maker. What do ya reckon Vaul?”
Taking the proffered jar, I felt a resistance in my appraisal skill. It really wanted to work on materials rather than the creatures they came from. In this instance it was close enough that it would give me something, but it was nowhere near the full colour deluge of images it normally provided, and I got the distinct impression I was pushing my luck. I tried not to think too hard about it and just let my instincts do the talking.
“I’d be able to steer you better once it’s dead, but like Kete said it’s something close to living quartz but processed with heat and qi to make it glasslike and give it it’s blue colour. A glassmaker or glazier might want this, the colour is pretty and it’s a blue that messes with qi not mana.” I suddenly remembered why cobalt interacting poorly with mana was an issue, “But it’s glasslike rather than true glass. It’s going to take someone willing to experiment a bit to use it,” I held the jar with the pinky sized beetle up a little higher, “And frankly there’s not a lot here to experiment with. That might make enchantment the safer bet, but I’ve got a hunch it has another more decorative use, though I have no idea what it is right now.”
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The archer gave a low whistle, “Damn, that’s a pity, thought we had something real rare there. But wow guys, between the two of ya that’s more detail than I’ve got from some appraisers in the past.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. I wasn’t exactly averse to sharing that I had an appraisal skill, but I also wasn’t in any rush to announce it. This wasn't its optimal use case, and I was mostly carried by the instincts from my crafting skill, though where one ended and the other began was murky. Thankfully Kete was quick to step in.
“The advantages of working together, and your own diligence in preservation and relating where you found it. The more we give skills to work with, the more effective they become. That’s why you can’t slack on training just because you picked up a combat class or some skills. Skills like swordsmanship might guide your instincts, but without the muscle and muscle memory to back it up, it’s like walking into battle with a bow without a string.”
From the shaking heads and amused to sheepish chuckles around us I got the feeling this was a regular refrain from Kete.
The remaining items were thankfully a bit more straightforward, largely because they hadn’t ventured too deep, so similar examples had been evaluated previously. Kete was still keen to see if I could offer a bit more insight into some of them which shifted a few of the valuations slightly, thankfully in the groups favour overall. Some of the succulents were new, but they generally followed the pattern of being good at storing water and containing aloelike gel with properties good for either soothing burns or cooling, useful in alchemy. A particularly spiny plant, identified as some variety of cactus was likewise good at storing water, but to my surprise Kete said it was likely also edible. The party were happy to sell it and see what Eimer’s husband Bartan (I finally discovered his name; after eating for a few days without hearing it, I'd felt too awkward to ask) could do with it.
The sandshark hide was more supple than tough, it took me a moment to realise I was thinking of its thickness in terms of weight, but I stumbled over that hurdle. Its real value lay in its heat resistance. Even properly tanned and treated, gloves made from it wouldn’t handle the heat of my forge, but it would be perfect for bakers or even tinsmiths. Apparently, the larger specimens had much rougher skin, but while that may raise some issues, it also opened applications requiring abrasion or grip. I was however deeply thankful to discover that we outsourced the tanning process. The teeth were worth something but surprisingly little, though I supposed I had no plans to make a shark toothed sword or club anytime soon. Much of the meat and internal organs were likewise sold being edible if not particularly tasty, though I was able to identify two internal organs that had some alchemical potential. Bartan could already draw out the blood restoration effect from the liver with his cooking, but part of the brain having minor potential for some sort of enhanced sensory effect was news to everyone. I felt productive and helpful, even though I wasn’t making something, though I knew some part of that was because I was anticipating what I could make. It was nice.
The whole process took some time, a few parties of adventurers entering the dungeon passed us even as we processed this one group. Notably those groups seemed much larger, but from the size of some of their packs I had to assume some members were there primarily in a support capacity. As we moved to the final step of weighing the group’s bags of sand before giving them their payment (they were selling most of what they had recovered and more than paid the dungeon tax already) we heard noise from the entrance of the dungeon. I’d been hoping I could ask Kete a few questions after that group, but it seemed I should have been more grateful for the break at the beginning. Hearing the larger group coming we quickly finished our business and turned our attention to the palisade creaking open as a pair of guards rushed forwards. They immediately moved to aid an emaciated man in soot-stained robes who was practically draped over a pair of his companions.
"Damn fire mages." Kete cursed quietly. Seeing my confused look he quietly added, "When they overcast, the fat in their bodies is used to fuel the spell. Fine in moderation, though no substitute for building muscle, but I've yet to meet the novice fire mage who believes in moderation."
His focus shifted back to the oncoming group as the mage was guided away, presumably to Argat. Far too many people began talking at once, spinning a tale of a giant scorpion and a bigger fireball. Details varied about whether it was in plain sight or burst from the sands in ambush, and just how close the fireball came to hitting other party members, but judging by the pulsing vein on Kete's temple, order was about to be brought to proceedings. It was at that moment I was distracted by a warm breath in my ear, making me jump.
“We’ll do the thing later.”
The adventurer in the spangly dress ran to catch up with her companions before I could process what just happened. Not for the first time, I wished I could ask past Vaul some questions.