In which there is chili

Erendriel is exploring the city as she has been doing a lot lately, since arriving. Gripping her backpack, she ends up in a junkyard, staring at it with great curiosity.

If ever there was a hangout for war golems? Old Clunk's. If ever there was a restaurant for war golem's?

Old Clunk's.

The water cooler is filled with oil. Today, there's something of a celebration. Sort of. Kind of. A gobber has set up a booth, and is handing out "Nuts'n'bolts chili." It smells like gunpowder and metal.

JUst a little bit.

Munch sits in his regular hut, sorting gears. And by 'hut' I mean 'a couple sheets of scrap metal that might be mistaken for walls, with just enough roof to keep the rain off. And by 'sorting' it seems to be 'badly broken' and 'maybe useable'. All the 'good' gears have long since been picked over.

Erendriel comes in, sees the stuff, and wait. "Chili?" she comes over to look, and sniff at. "I take it you don't want fire anywhere near this sort of mixture?"

The gobber-chef spots Eren and waves. "Ya hungry?" he calls over. He has the biggest grin. It splits his face from ear to ear, and he's missing a few teeth. Not in a "I don't brush my teeth way." What's there is perfect and pearly white!

He hands over a bowl. "Maybe! I like to say it just makes life interestin'! Stay a while and listen! There's a few vendors present though uh--golems aren't usually the party sort. But that's why we're here!"

Now that he mentions it--there...are a few gobbers. Gobbers with tiny shops, hidden here and there in the rubble. What sorts of wares are they selling?

There's a darkly cloaked figure entering the junkyard. Clearly sith-makar because one can not even with a cloak hide a muzzle and a tail. Both of which show that the sith in question is blue-scaled even if everything else about the figure is obscured by that deep hooded cowl. The sith-makar walks slowly through the junkyard. The conversation draws attention, as does the chili so the figure draws closer to Erendriel and Munch. Not wanting to interupt their conversation however, for the moment this personage remains silent; occasionally flicking that blue-scaled tail.

Munch wraps up with his chosen task, setting the semi-decent gears into a box, and tossing the badly damaged gears into a bag. The bag gets carried with the metal man, while the box gets set on a central table before Munch heads over to check out this offering of 'chili'. Nodding absently to the firey Fleshbag, he accepts a bowl, his long black tounge flicking across the substance from a crack in his face-plate.

Erendriel takes the mixture with a giggle. 'Thank you," she nods to the Gobber. swirling it, looking at it, sniffing it again. "I feel like, if I threw this in the air and shot it, it would make a decently looking explosion." She looks up, visibly tempted.

Politely, but pointedly the sith-makar clears their throat. Sniffs the air and glances at the chili in question. Is that the slightest rumble of a hungry stomach? It certainly sounds like it. "Pardon thissss one... but thisss one isss lossst." The sith is veritably stairing at the chili.

"You got it!" the gobber-chef says. He even does the double-finger guns and pew-pew noises to go along with it. He then turns to Munch, "Lemmie get a bowl for ya. Make sure ta check out tha other vendors! It's a party! And hey--" to Zeke, "You too! Ya don't want ta miss out on this, Strange Blue-Tail Geckoman!"

Sort of. The GOBBERS are excited! The war golems are...it's hard to tell. Not an emotional people, that.

Munch's face splits open, row upon row of quivering metal fangs flashing towards the bowl of chili... but the golem pauses, blinking with a soft click, and shuts most of his Maw, instead pouring in the contents of the bowl, before carefully returning the container. Rule #17: Don't Eat The Bowl. He keeps forgetting that one.

Erendriel pauses, then tries something. She reaches down and takes a scrap of oily something from the ground, tosses it into the air, and does her best to zap it with a ray of fire. Which probably gets an 'ooh' from the Gobbers? Zeke she glances at "Hello. Where were you trying to go?"

"Thisss one isss one of the People. Not a gecko-man." Zeke offers this politely to the goblin before accepting the bowl of chili with a word of thanks. He holds the bowl awkwardly as Erendriel questions him and finally replies in an embarrassed tone. "Thisss one wasss looking for the marketplace. Thisss one hasss been there many timesss, but mussst have gotten turned around."

Munch glances to Zeke, perking slightly. "Depends on which market you were going for, but not too far off. And I mean, Clunk's is a market of it's own, pretty much."

GAME: Erendriel rolls ranged: (2)+5: 7

Erendriel misses the shot, and does not ignite the oil in mid-air to be sure, but she tried! The dipped nut drops back onto the ground, and she giggles. The ray of fire was impressive to the gobbers anyway. "The market place. Aren't there many of them in Alexandria, like Munch here said?"

Zeke looks at Erendriel and Munch. "It ssseemss that thisss one hasss much to learn about Alexandria sstill." He sighs a breath out and tucks the chili away for later eating. "Thisss one wasss merely looking for sssomething to eat. Thisss chili will do nisscely."

Munch buzzes quietly. "Understand how that goes. Though pretty sure my citeria for 'something to eat' are pretty different."

Erendriel smiles back to Zeke. "I'm new here as well. I know there is more than one market here, but honestly I couldn't tell you where any of them are or how toget there. Not yet anyway."

"Thisss one hasss been here for many months, but continuess to get losst." The sith sighs and then straightens, nodding low to each of them. "Thisss one hasss been very rude. Thisss one wishesss peassce upon your nessts. Thisss one isss Zeke, and thiss one appreciatesss your kind wordsss."

Munch shrugs. "Two major markets, along the river. Upper market is up river, and lower market is further downriver. Also upper class and lower class, though that doesn't stop anybody. The temples, university, airstation, and nobel district all have their own smaller markets, and Wilderness Pointe does it's own trades out in the woods. But Upper and Lower are the two major markets."

Erendriel snickers. "Well it's a large city," she nods to Zeke. "I'm not used to that. I don't know how long I will keep getting lost."

"One hopesss it isss not for asss long asss thisss one." There is a warmly amused tone to go with those words, and a soft swish of Zeke’s tail. "Though being lossst doess lead one to interesssting plascess." A quick glance around the junkyard.

Munch shrugs. "Easy way is to just stop caring where you end up. Might not know where you are, but never really lost if you're okay with being there." True barbarian logic.

Erendriel snickers at Munch's comment, but turns to Zeke, considering him. "So was there something you needed at the market?"

"Asss thissss one sssaid. Sssomething to eat wasss all that thisss one wasss looking for." Zeke nods his head once. "Thissss one wasss told to take a break by the sssshaman at the Ssssoldier'sss Defenssse. With the cure thingsss there have been busssier than ever."

Munch buzzes quietly, perking again. "Cure? For the Plague? I heard one was found, but no details."

Erendriel smiles "Oh so just food then? Fortunately I think there are ways to get food close to here, without um, without going all the way to the shop." She looks around. "Have to be some birds or something to hunt... but a cure? I did not know about that."

The sith-makar seems to shrink somewhat, glancing around as though worried that they might be overheard. Indeed the shopkeeper beside them is looking at them quite curiously. "Thisss one'ss kin hasss found a ssspell which can cure the plague. It isss very rare, and few can cassst it, sssso it hasss been very ssslow going." A long look is given to the shopkeeper, particularly when he starts whispering to his neighbor quietly.

Munch buzzes again. "What spell? I'm something of an expert in doing things I'm not supposed to. Might branch out into magic."

Erendriel shrugs at Munch's question, not knowing anything about that. But she does turn back to Zeke to listen how he explains everything.

"The ssspell isss one that ssstopsss possssesssing entitiesss." The word 'possessing' is clearly difficult for him to say, his deep accent making it hard to understand him briefly though he does his best to be clear and quiet. His tail flicks. "Thisss one doesss not know which one essactly. But the temple doesss, and effortsss are being made to do what can be done."

Munch ponders a few moments, and tries again in Draconic. "Do you know what it's called in the Tongue of the Elders? I don't mean to press, but this stuff bothers me. A foe I can fight is one thing. A plague is different. And one that takes golems is double worry." <draconic>

Erendriel hums. "Possession? So it's not a real... like... illness? But it's something magical? Very odd." Munch's noises make her look, squinting.

"This one does not know, but you could ask Chay. This one does not want to say so in the common tounge, but he is the one that discovered the cure. This one does not want others to ambush him for answers, this one has seen many incidents happen over just the thought of a cure." Zeke nods to Munch and then to Erendriel. 'They called it a plague, but thisss one believessss it isss not. It isss magically created, and dessstroyed by the sssame. The one who found the cure was targeted by an assassin called the 'Mask'. Thisss one thinkss becausse they found it. He isss in the prissson now waiting for adventurerss to quessstion him. They will only allow one in however if one hasss a companion." <draconic>

Munch buzzes quietly and nods. "I'm more interested in the demon that set the whole thing off. Plague i can't fight. Demons are a lot easier."

Erendriel continues to squint at the clicking and rainbowing back and forth. "I would believe it. Magic can do a lot of things."

"Thisss isss true, finding the one who began thisss would be wissse, but they are not advertisssing their location." Zeke swishes his tail. The three of them are gathered around a chili vendor in the Junkyard conversing about the plague and related things. "They are usssing magic alsso to move from plassce to plassce; staying a ssstep ahead."

Munch buzzes in annoyance. "Runners. I hate it when they run. Usually means they aren't a good fight when you catch up. Though this one seems strong enough, might be a good fight anyway."

Erendriel humgs. "Very weird, very weird. Well, I'm going to get something to eat that if I set it on fire, it tastes better, instead of exploding all over the place." She winks at the Gobbers, and fires a fire ray over one of their heads, before waving to everyone and heading off. "Good luck," she nods to the lost Zeke in particular.

Zeke nods low to Erendriel, an odd motion for a sith-makar but this one manages it quite aptly. "To you assss well." With the other's departure the blue-scaled sith swishes his tail at Munch. "Thisss one thinksss that thisss Missstresss will prove a... powerful foe. Even her underlingsss caussse usss much grief."

These words had barely left Zeke's mouth when there is the gust of wind which is the elgarian's arrival. Stepping back away from the pile of scrap that the other landed upon Zeke nods to this new arrival. "Peassse upon your nesssst."

Pelka raises a hand. The slight shift is enough to send more bits of scrap tumbling down the pile. His eyes seem to open even wider than normal, but he hops off and then touches down on the ground. Finally he returns the greeting. "Hello. Ah, peace on your nest as well. Only, I don't really have a nest. It's more of a cave."

"That asss it may be." Zeke's tail gives a short wag and the sith-makar intones his head. "Thisss one isss Zeke." The introduction is brief, but the subtle shifting of Zeke's feet on the ground suggests that perhaps the sith is not entirely comfortable at the moment. There are whispers all around from the goblins; many glances toward the blue-scaled sith-makar.

"Pelka!" the Egalrin replies, one clawed hand on his chest to indicate he is introducing himself. "I don't think I've seen you here before. I'm something if a regular." He peers around to get his bearings and then points at what appears to be a tower, with a brightly burning torch on top. "That's a signal tower so if someone is flying, we can easily find this yard, from the air."

"Thisss one became lossst, and found the way here by asscident. Thisss one hasss never been here before." This explains then why they've never met here. Zeke glances toward the tower and blinks at it. "What an interesssting tower, thiss one had not notisced it before. It mussst make traveling Alexandria easssier if one can sssee it from the sssky."

Pelka tilts his head slightly to one side, thinking. "I suppose it might...but I don't usually have a problem finding my way over most of the city. I can't imagine other flyers do either. It's a different set of landmarks you have to watch for, but the visibility's better. Well, usually." he points a thin thumb up, at the overcast sky. "Even at night there's enough street lights to know which district is which. Well, mostly. Goblintown is kind of, ah..." he eyes the nearest gobbers. "...full. And it, well, it changes. Quite frequently. As in, every week. So we needed a special kind of landmark here." He glances at the gobbers again, finally noticing the looks they are giving to Zeke. "Hmm, have you spoken with any of the local gobbers since you got here?"

Zeke nods along, listening to Pelka explain the differences between walking and flying. Some things are difficult to imagine unless one has actually done them however, but Pelka does a good job of describing it. When asked about the goblins Zeke's tail flicks and he shifts to cover his body more fully with his cloak. It does little good. "Only to procure a bowl of chili." He glances at the nearest stall which is indeed offering chili. "Though... thisss one did mention a cure to the plague."

As if the words are a catalyst a nearby goblin steps toward Zeke, away from the murmuring that has been going on and eyes Zeke carefully in a way that clearly discomforts the sith. "Whot's this 'bout a cure?" The others murmur in a group and a few more step forward eyeing Zeke prospectively.

Pelka looks from Zeke to the goblins. "A cure? That's great news," he says carefully. Then he looks at the gobbers. "Isn't it? Do you know someone who is sick?" he focuses his attention on the one who spoke up.

"Would be iffin me husband were back up!" Says the goblin staring up at the two of them irately. "Ya know, we dunna take kindly to liars in these parts."

Zeke holds up his right hand innocently. "Thisss one doesss not lie, but it isss a rare cure, and it will take time to give to everyone." There are more unhappy murmurs and several other goblins step forward. Their words are becoming louder now and Zeke steps back away from the attention nervously.

Pelka edges slightly to one side. It's a very small movement but it could conceivably be interpreted as the Egalrin positioning himself to step in front of the Sith. "Well, I'd say most people wouldn't take too kindly to being called a liar." He glances at Zeke. "You see? It's going to take time. I'm sure that's perfectly normal for these type of things. It took time to spread, didn't it?" Pelka hurries on, "Ah, what I mean to say is, hey look over there!" he points in a random direction, then tosses a small spherical device to Zeke. "Here, catch this," he asides.

GAME: Pelka casts Invisibility. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16

Amazingly Pelka's trick works and every goblin in the area looks in the direction he points. Meanwhile Zeke catches the item that is tossed at him more out of habit than anything else and is surprised when suddenly he is made invisible. He notices this mostly when the goblins all turn back and are surprised at his disappearance.

"AYE! Where'd 'e go!" The goblin in question looks around and hurries off to look for where Zeke went while the others go back to their various efforts.

Quietly Zeke remains at hand until things go back to normal. "Thank you." He murmurs to Pelka. "Thisss one will hopefully sssee you another time, and offer proper thanksss to you then." With these words spoken Zeke makes a hasty exit so as to not draw any further attention - say when the spell finally fades.

Pelka nods his head with the smallest nod he can manage, so as not to give away that he's talking to someone. He's completely unsubtle but luckily he makes such head bobbing motions regularly even when he's not nodding, so by accident he doesn't give himself away. The he spreads his wings and takes off into the air again.

-End