Your disposition with Irving changed from Neutral+ to Positive

After chatting with Irving over rounds of not-mop water beer, Alastair was somewhat convinced that he could get the man and his thugs to do anything. They didn’t have any specific goal for him tonight, so unfortunately the man would likely end up stalking the procession and barely escaping with his life. His thugs likely wouldn’t be so lucky, again. Alastair considered persuading Irving to cease his plan but decided it might affect the disposition, so instead he listened to the man talk and convinced him that what the mayor did was unjust and should be corrected.

Later, Flor and Alastair walked to the Artesian district and found the level 2 who had sold them the blueprints before.

“We’d like to buy some blueprints, but we’re curious if you know the expected resale of the items once created?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t answer that.”

“Do you know if they increase normally?”

“I don’t have the answer for that, either.”

“Can you at least recommend a reputable body chop shop?”

“I don’t deal with those sorts. If they exist, they don’t operate in the open in this quarter.”

“Fine.” Alastair hadn’t expected this discussion to go so poorly. To Flor, he said, “Should we at least get a couple of additional blueprints? Maybe another common chrono and a fast chrono to see how it sells vs the other?”

Flor, already annoyed at the shopkeeper, shrugged assent, “Sure, just as long as it gets us out of here faster.”

Turning back to the shop keep, he said, “We’d like to purchase the blueprints for a simple slow chrono and unique fast chrono.”

“That’s eight coins for the chrono prints and sixty-four coins for the fast chrono.”

Alastair turned out mostly empty pockets and paid her for the simple slow chrono prints. On the way out of the shop, he said, “I forgot those unique ones were so expensive. We should find a different blueprint shop. Where should we go for the health items?”

“Maybe the magic shop that Mida recommended?”

They navigated a few side streets until they could see the clock tower ahead, then started back into the streets looking for the landmark that Mida had mentioned. Eventually, they saw the sign with an advanced scribe’s crest and what looked like a magic book. Entering the shop, there was a Wizard 2 manning the counter.

“You shouldn’t be here,” the Wizard said once they entered.

After having dealt with the fussy artesian, Alastair was already short-fused. “Be that as it may, I have a couple of questions. First, can an unidentified scribe use magic spells? Second, where can we make or buy health potions?”

“No, you cannot. And have you asked a Cleric?”

“We talked with the Cleric at the temple. She mentioned nothing of the sort,” Alastair said.

“Look, you’re bothering me from what I’d rather be doing. So, I’ll at least point you in the right direction if you promise to leave me alone?” The Wizard waited for Alastair to nod, then said, “There is a witch doctor three blocks over. Somehow, he lives below the normal street level. There should be a skull on a stick outside the stairs. Now, please depart and don’t return until you have ranked to Wizard!?”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“On we go.” They followed the directions provided by the Wizard until they realized they must have been turned around. But after another turn, they saw the telltale skull on a stick.

“Certainly looks foreboding. Do you think this witch doctor will have it or will we be routed further?” Alastair asked as they went down the stairs, which, as the Wizard mentioned, seemed to have a waterfall pouring down the sides. However, it seems the Wizard had only ever looked at the outside, because the rain runoff drained well as the bottom, and the overhang prevented any downpour from entering the shop. Alastair moved aside the curtain and was confronted by a small antechamber and another curtain. Moving that one aside, he was overtaken by a pungent smell of spice and a hint of sulfur. The dimly lit space had a single candle hanging from a tiny candelabra, although another small glow came from the embers on what Alastair thought was a hookah smoked by a very hairy, large man sitting on a pillow. Great, I bet he speaks with a Jamaican accent. Real creative, devs.

However, the Artesian 5, didn’t speak but indicated that Flor and Alastair could take a spot on one of the other pillows on the floor. Flor sat, but Alastair remained standing.

“So, what’s the protocol, here? Can you tell us where to find a body modification shop or health potions? Please? We’re in a bit of a rush.”

The man puffed away again and offered Flor the opportunity to take a smoke. She declined, politely, which makes sense since she had worked so hard to quit smoking in the real world. Alastair wasn’t opposed but wanted to get on with their plan. Realizing this would be slow, he sat on another pillow and the Artesian offered him a smoke. He did, only a little puff since he couldn’t tell what was in the mixture or how it would affect him in the game.

Your rage has been temporarily reduced by two.

Alastair’s eyes went wide. He turned to Flor. “I just received a temporary minus two to rage by smoking whatever this is. And I feel very calm. This might be the body shop.”

The Artesian offered Flor another chance, but she said, “No, thanks. It’s too hard to quit smoking once I start.” So the Artesian shrugged and took one more pull. Then he spoke, slow and deliberately, with almost no accent much to Alastair’s relief.

“Now that this one is calmer,” he used the hookah hose to point at Alastair, “I believe you are looking for some items. Shall I describe what I have to offer?”

Flor and Alastair nodded in synchronicity.

“I have two unique items. One increases your health permanently, but can only be used once. The other allows you to regenerate health at about twenty-five percent per hour. So, you would be back from the brink of death to full vigor after four hours. Are these the types of items you were hoping to find? They are not inexpensive.”

Alastair said, “Yes. Both items are the type we’d like to buy.”

“I can sell the Permanence Bell at sixty-four coins each. The Regeneration Charm will cost you one hundred twenty-eight coins.”

“Those are both more than we have at the moment, but we have the means of getting more coin reasonably quickly.”

“I don’t accept credit. But, let me tell you about the other items. I can sell you whole potions to restore one, two, four, or eight of your health hearts for four, eight, sixteen, or thirty-two coins. I can also sell you the script to create your own potions, if you have the ability and the required items, for eight, sixteen, thirty-two, or sixty-four coins.”

Alistair used his hand for rudimentary math, then dazed out to look at his inventory, noting that they had zero money since they hadn’t done their chores this morning and had spent what they did earn on chrono blueprints. “Okay. We’ll find a cash machine and be back. Before we go, what items are used for crafting potions? Can we craft the permanence or regeneration things ourselves?”

The Artesian shook his head no. “You would not find the ingredients needed in this city. Maybe not even in the entire Sheljourn Isles. The potions are stored in vials of increasing size, but I cannot share the ingredient list unless you buy the script.”

“Of course not.” Alastair helped Flor stand, and feeling somewhat relaxed, gave her a pleasant smile. “We’ll be back soon. Do you know if potions will disappear from our inventory if we sleep?”

“They do not disappear from my inventory, but I am not you,” he said, cryptically, before taking another puff at the pipe.