Peekan Slums

[JustAlexandra]

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[SIZE= 26px]The slums[/SIZE]


A less desirable area to be in. Mostly poor and felons live here You likely wouldn't want to find yourself here at night.


[SIZE= 26px]About halfway between Harlaan and Anarach[/SIZE]

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

Ivan had left the pub about a day ago, traveling towards his destination, he made a stop at the place people usually didn't stop at around Talorn....a place full of people ranging from a common theif, to villainous creatures you would see in nightmares. As he stepped into one of the familiar dirt pathways, heading into a dingy street, he couldn't help but look around at the atire, torn down shop stands, boarded up buildings, some even destroyed, but the sinister atmosphere would make even him shiver. As he walked, he made his usual eye sweep, waiting for someone to jump out at him, but waiting in vain (although he did notice the patterning of feet, and loud screams in the distance, they wern't close enough to harm). He finally loosened up as he made his way to a dimly lit, nearly clasping building, labled "East bar" and walked in, looking around. This was like a home to him in a way, with the bartender/owner being a powerful dragon skinned Largoth (lizard warrior), he was one of few who could keep a place in these slums, with his small area, where wine was sold cheap (usually in dirty glasses), and patrons came and went like the wind (although not many at a time, as he was the 8th creature besides the Largoth who inhabited the place).The place from a visual looked even worse inside, dark rotting wood, flimsy chairs and tables (or what was left, as most of the chairs and tables were smashed), dim oil lit lighting, people really only came here to get away from the outside, but you bought a drink (unless you wanted an enraged Largoth on your ass), maybe even slept a night or two (He didn't care if they stayed, there was nothing to take worth takeing). Ivan slowly made his way towards the bartender, flashing a wide grin and leaning against the table in his usual fashion , "Houndrick my largoth, how are you this evening?" he finished, as Houndrick snarled, poured a glass of random beer, and held out his hand for pay, "but of course, a largoth of many words, Ill be a demon of drinks" Ivan finished, pulling out 6 silver coins as the bartender slid him the drink, recounting the coins then nodding. Ivan took his drink and sat down (there used to be 8 bar stools, but only 3 stood, and besides the one occupied by a sleeping drunk,he was the only other one sitting in his area) at the barstool, drinking his drink with slight grimace and laying his head on the table, thinking about what would come next, "the package is supposed to be dilivering in two days, and that I will" he thougbt, gulping down the rest of his beer and dozing off.

 

[Idea]

(Kneckt´s POV)


"Here you go Sir." I shivered. I never really got used to being called "Sir" again. One life of it, then one life without it and by the end of the two, going back to either sounds horrid, but as with most horrid things, you can´t choose to simply stay neutral, you have to take your pick. Still, it was worth it. I´d been searching all day, knocking on every bar and checking if they had any amber ale. It was a rare finding, indeed, but I was willing to pay good money for it. They really grew a taste for it in us back in the hive. All the mantid would be gathered, and the genemancers would give the order to distribute the drink. Few knew the secrets behind the annual beverage, how hard it was to make, but they all loved it. The closest thing the hive brought us to "rising the morale" apart from the Queen´s thoughts being jammed into our heads... Well, some people´s... I had long since gotten ridden of those though, and I understood that , as much as longed for it, it was no easy task to get your hands on amber ale.


The process always began by removing sap from trees. The Ambersmiths would then shape and refine the amber over months to turn it into the final product. The honey was added, along with several plants, some rarer than others. A mixture of blood and water boiled and frozen under the gazeful and manipulative watch of genemancers would be the recipient for all these ingredients. The mixture would be beaten and smashed until it was a pulp, and the vibration magic would be used to make it all into a liquid. Each mantid would take a bowl of it, in honor of the queen. It could be said this was a hallmark of Mantid culture, representing it´s cores into one surprisingly simple-looking drink. The drink is then, usually, kept inside the hive. Some queens, however, had decided to allow their hives to sell out the drink as means to create friendlier relations with neighbouring races, something the queen I served under was rather averted of. Still, we mantid weren´t exactly known for being peaceful to begin with. But thanks to trades and negotiations such as that, I could walk around a city begging to know if a place had any of the precious amber ale I thirsted for, without being evicted or arrested or killed. Of course, the fact I clearly owned my share of money did help too.


Yet now, was time to rejoice, it was in front of me. A full bottle of it. My mandibules were clicking in excitement. Sure, I wasn´t too found of parting with the  gold coin I paid, but surely I would make more. For now, I´d just enjoy my drink and then go find if there was a black market or something. There should be, this place was the slums after all. It was broken down, full of criminals and all that, surely they would "know a guy" or something. Honestly speaking if not for the ale, I probably wouldn´t have ventured so soon into this place, without establishing my merchandize´s foothold in this city before hand. I only had a handful of clients here so far. I should have come armed. With Czcxidta. Angelic and demonic essence, fighting for every last bit of the weapon´s wielder.


"Though a demon sure is hard to beat." I told myself a little louder than I would have liked. But it was true, the one I made the weapon from gave quite a bit of a fight: Hence the power of the weapon itself. I would definitely need some protection sooner or later, and I just hoped my amber blades would do for tonight. "I got a package to deliver in a couple days though."


@CabalAnomicPotato

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

Ivan woke up in a hangover, a slight headache and a little dizziness, looking around to the same scene he knew and loved, now with less patrons, and Houndrick "cleaning" a glass (he was using a dirty rag), he sat up, still keeping slightly hunched over, and checked is belongings, "ah, it's still here" he said to himself, feeling a familiar roundish item, and closing his bag. Ivan began collecting himself, and was about to stand up when the door opened and a face unfit to be here appeared, a face that didn't spell "theif and criminal", but more on the lines of "traveling merchant", not to say this creature looked weak, but he didn't seem like he fit. Ivan kept his head down, eyes on the creature as he sat and ordered a drink, and as Houndrick, wait, did he just call this creature "sir", I guess even Hound can see a difference in the creature, as he slid a gold coin into his hands. Ivan watched as the creature seemed to be in thought, and perked up as he spoke of demons being "hard to beat", seeing an opportunity to conversate with the creature, "yea, demons are a pain to fight, let me tell you" Ivan said, now turned in his stool with his head up high, smiling, "they can be real asses"


mentioned: @Idea

 

[Elowyn]

Lynx spotted her mark, a mantid that had been stopping by practically every bar and pub. She smiled cattily and swung down from the rafters of an old dilapidated building, her keen sense of spatial cognition allowing her to maneuver lightly and near silently in the depths of the slums. Quick as lightning, she swooped down and grabbed a bottle of whatever-it-was the mantid had been holding so gleefully. If he was so happy she could hear his mandibles clacking, it must be something quite precious. 


Without waiting for the mark to realize what had happened, she scampered away into the twisting, broken down alleys hoping that he wouldn't follow.


@Idea (Sorry, Lynx is a troll.)

 

[Idea]

(Kneckt´s POV)


Asses? Ah, language from this part of town. I wasn´t overly familiar with it, but then again, I probably stood out one way or the other. As long as I kept my drink with me, though, I´d be happy. The white haired being next to me was horned , and my first suspicion would be of another demon. However, given the way he spoke about them, he couldn´t be one. That or he was trying to mock me, challenge me for a fight, something along those lines. If I could avoid it, I would not take a fight. I would have to figure a way to negotiate my way out of one. Diplomacy and deals combined. But I couldn´t do that without knowing the basics, or whether it would actually be necessary in the first place. If this guy wasn´t a demon, then talking about demons like that would be acceptable.


"So, are you like a satyr? It must be from today´s exhaustion, but I am having trouble identifying your species. It´s kind of a rare thing for me to be unable to tell what someone is, even prior dissection. " Should I tell him what I was? I think that would be within the honor of code of any city inhabitant, correct? Did the people here even have an honor code? Or honor of any kind? Well, it couldn´t hurt to try. I might be a wanted criminal, but the poster´s never revealed my name, they only gave away my nickname in the city that made me a criminal "the alchemist"... a pretty dumb one, since it was grossly inaccurate relative to the actual extend of my work. And even that was just my current work: It wasn´t even a fraction compared to everything I had done over my  lifetime. Though, to be fair, I couldn´t remember a large chunk of it myself. Anyway... "My name is Kneckt, I am a mantid. Not that we´re that hard to tell apart from other species, but then again, we´re not commonly seen outside of a hive either. In fact, it´s a joyful surprise whenever a city actually has any amber ale. "


My mandibles clicked as I chuckled, and reached out to the bowl on which I would serve my drink. Then I reached out for the drink itself, grabbed it and... wait, what the?


My hands were grabbing the air now, as I saw a tail quickly flash I front of me. With my kin´s reflexes I still turned in time to see the cat-eared cloaked bastard escaping through the door. So now I was being robbed of time, money AND my ale? I growled, jumping off the seat.


"Come back here you bipedal feline!" I rushed to the door, and my wings opened as soon as I was outside. If only I had the magicomium with me... the book was bound to my person, I had assured myself of that with it´s seals. It would take several expert magicians to even touch it without me present. But amber ale had no such protection and even when not using a curse, the book was still very heavy, and too big to just hide like that, carrying it around. In other words, my weaponry consisted of a couple potions, some money, and two amber daggers of elite quality. She was a nekomimi, and she had a lead on me in these streets. My flight alone would not allow me to catch her. I had to be dirty. I leaped into the air, hovering high but keeping my eye and movement towards the cat. "Two gold coins to however catches that cat and brings me the ale she stole!"


My shouts echoed the streets below, several heads turning already. Two gold coins was, after all, plenty of money. Even just one was more than some of them had ever seen, really.


@CabalAnomicPotato @Nyctophiliac

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

Ivan could hardly suppress a laugh as the creature asked about his species origin, apparently not catching on to his sarcasm, Ivan waited for the creature to introduce himself as Kneckt, a mantid of all things. Ivan thought back for a second, remembering his past expirences with the mantid kind, being one to take money for anything, he remembered one particular case when a farmer out in the Tarlon forest had paid him 20 gold coins to destroy a nest of them that had been stealing his stock, they had been nesting in a giant cave near his estate, and knowing of their kind he only had to target the queen and the rest would scatter. Needless to say, giant bugs would be afraid of giant fire right?, so after sneaking around the cave he had found the queen and burned her to death, only having to kill the ones not attached to her mind, and had walked out of the forest with 20 gold, and the wings of a queen mantid (which he later sold for 15 gold). Thinking back to these things, Ivan realized that this one seemed to be thinking for himself, not acting like the mindless ones he had faught, but not acting as defensive as the ones the queen usually used as guards as well. Ivan looked back at the mantid, about to introduce himself untill he saw that of a cat lady run by and swipe his drink, leaving an angry Kneckt running after her. Ivan smiled as he got up and followed, curious as to how he would handle the situation, and dissapointed to see him stop....however he did perk up as the mantid offered 2 gold coins for his beer back. Ivan then proceeded to fly up, seeing the feline run off and turned towards Kneckt, "If you want your beer back, make it 4 coins and I'll bite" he said, peeking back at the cat lady, "but hurry, she's only getting futher away, and I might not be able to catch her" he finished, wearing a devious smile.


mentioned: @Idea, @Nyctophiliac

 

[Elowyn]

"Two gold coins to however catches that cat and brings me the ale she stole!" She heard the furious mantid shouting from the air.


"Playin' dirty, nya?" She didn't know how many slum folks would bite, but at least it would be a bit of a game. A sharp-toothed grin came to her face as she leapt from alley to alley, the silent bell bouncing against her sternum. Nearing the sewer entrance, a solid 10 foot drop straight down, she wasn't concerned that they would catch her. It was only two blocks away. Dirty laundry and broken wood panels that served as shelter rushed past her. "Heehee! You must be pretty valuable, hm?" She lifted the vessel of amber liquid to get a better look at it. It was probably some specialty brew, she concluded while wondering how much she could sell it for.


Dashing past a few disgruntled older goblin females carrying large bags of... something, she nearly crashed into a blue-skinned brute. "HEY! WATCH IT!" he bellowed after her hastily retreating form. That was close... she thought to herself, darting past a few baskets of dirty rags and around a spill of some mysterious murky liquid that stung her sensitive nose. The slums were really a mess. 


@CabalAnomicPotato @Idea

 

[Idea]

(Kneckt´s POV)


That cat.... why would she even want to steal something like that? It wasn´t like there were other mantids in town at least sentient and wealthy ones such as myself. Few races really appreciated the rocky feel of the beverage, few understood the complexity and subliety of it´s making. To put it short, no one would buy it from her and I doubted she wanted to drink it either. And of course, if she showed up in front of me later with it, I would just take it back by force. She might hold it hostage, yes, but I wasn´t an idiot. As much as it made me suffer to loose the amber ale, I wasn´t going to sacrifice everything just to get it back. The other guy from the bar, the one I suspected to be a demon for a moment, was now flying (oh, why could he fly?) and tried to bargain with me to fetch a larger price. I shook my head.


"I may not have time to haggle, but if you really think I´m gonna pay you more than it would cost me to just buy another one, you´re up for some disappointment. Two coins: that´s it. Two dylsi. I´m not gonna sacrifice my livelihood for a beer, nor jeopardize my integrity as a businessman over some random pussy thief." I said that, though the crowd was getting denser. Some people were already trying to run towards the cat, mostly being too slowed by the movement of the crowds, while some more experienced-looking mercenary punks were taking the clever shots of taking shortcuts to places, of trying to climb buildings, and off just looking plain too intimidating for a crowd to stand on their way.


I tried chasing her, though she was clearly more used to this than me. She was falling off heights, and using the environment as a cover. There was the curious sound of a bell, something that I found quite natural in nekos like her, but the strange way it looked...could it have magical properties?


"I´ll pay an extra if you can catch her too! And get her to stay still for a bit... Three dylsi! No, three and half! " I shouted as I kept chasing. Honestly, I didn´t know such an artifact. Was I taking too much of a risk here? If I could catch up to her, maybe I could try striking a direct offer, get her to cooperate. She looked experienced enough around here, maybe body guarding or just advising me about the darker side of the slum. A field guide is always nice to have, when they know the place they are guiding you around by heart. Problem was, I had to be economic about it too. It would practically be a robbery if I allowed her to set a price. The only way to get things done properly would be to know what she wanted before I attempted to strike much of an offer. Of course, that would mean she would escape, and that I would have to find her and stalk her. Only the finding was really the problem, though: the items in the magicomium would undoubtedly make that task easy.


(sorry about the delay)


@CabalAnomicPotato


@Nyctophiliac

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

Ivan sighed in dissapointment as the mantid refused his offer, but didn't want to pass up what seemed to be free money up, as he knew the slums better than most, and with his birds eye advantage, it wouldn't be too long before he spotted the feline theif. Ivan was about to fly off, when the mantid offered a coin more for the drink AND the girl, looking back, he smiled and winked before flying off towards the direction of the cat lady, spotting her in an alley way, "no where to hide....well, nowhere I won't find you" he said, correcting himself as he started hovering closer to the ground.


mentioned: @Idea, @Nyctophiliac


(ps sorry for short reply, having a bit of trouble comming up with dialogue)

 

[Elowyn]

In her hurry, Lynx managed to cause a breeze to lift a green-skinned dryad girl's skirt, clip a basket of citrus and send it teetering, and nearly run down a group of monster-kids playing a game. She had to jump up to avoid a head-on collision with the few beaky children. It was more carelessness that caused the run-ins rather than a lack of agility. When Lynx was in a hurry, she tended to overlook the little things. And besides, the children were asking for it playing in the middle of a walkway like that! thought she. That's when she realized a dark shadow hovering at the edge of her vision keeping pace. Without losing speed she chucked a couple of the metallic needles hidden in her sleeves. They were about nine inches long and deadly sharp. Hearing a cry, she knew that her unbeatable accuracy had worked again. Her chest swelled with arrogant pride. Dodging a few crates, the sewer cap was in sight. The nekomimi narrowed her eyes. She would make it--!


@Idea @CabalAnomicPotato

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

Ivan kept a distance from the girl, keeping speed as he hovered above the poorly built homes and rubble of the slums. He couldn't help but notice the girls rash moments as she carelessly ran into creatures, large and small, "well this one isn't the sharpest tool in the tool sh-" and as if karma finally decided to pay him back for being the bitch that he was, two needles struck his arms and he let out a yell of pain and furry, knowing just where they had come from. "You want to play dirty you speedy little shit, well fine, I'll fight fire with actual fire!" He screamed, launching a stream of fire in front of the cats general direction, giving the cat two options, run through and burn to the point that hell would seem mercy (he made the fire REALLY hot), or turn and risk being caught because of halted momentum.


(This fire would leave large burns on her entire body, and the smoke would probably make her hard of breathing)


mentioned: @Idea, @Nyctophiliac

 

[Elowyn]

Lynx startled at the sudden stream of fire. They say that cats hate fire, but wouldn't anyone when it's raining down on you, threatening to burn you to a crisp? Seeing a turnoff, she executed a neat 90 degree turn using her reflexes and tail to balance her out. The smoke stung her eyes and nose, however, and made here eyes water and her nose sneeze. A string of expletives about her attacker's mother flew from her lips almost thoughtlessly. Fighting a person who is a walking talking fire launcher was definitely not on today's to do list so she simply decided to avoid the escape tunnel and lose them in the busiest part of the slums. There were a few... contacts that she might be able to get in touch with. After all, there were several decently well-off members of this area who came here to do illicit activities that still owed her payment from past jobs. It was payback time. 


However, the sudden change in plan meant more distance she would have to cover. The oily smell of fires burned for warmth polluted the air, rendering her nose all but useless. How she hated that stench! It was  a miracle her sense of smell was still functioning today after wandering about the slums for so long. 


@Idea @CabalAnomicPotato

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

He all but snickered in triumpt as he saw the running pussy (see what I did there) suddenly change directions, clearly angry at the giant wall of fire he had caused. That was when she did it, something she shouldn't have done, the insults of any common criminals mother would probably have been brushed off as it was nothing, but not him, as his eyes were engulfed in pure orange, he pushed back the tears in his eyes. "YOU'VE DONE IT NOW BITCH, I'LL BURN YOU THEN SELL YOUR BODY AS FUCKING BURNT MEAT, YOU HEAR!!!!" he shouted, now shooting multiple fireballs in the cats direction, these only slightly less hot than the fire wall, for he had forgotten all about the money he was after beforehand, no, now he shot to kill, and he didn't intend to let this go unsettled.


(not only did you upset the guy who treats you on first impressions, but he also wants to kill you, congrats)


Mentioned: @Idea, @Nyctophiliac

 

[Idea]

(Kneckt's POV)


The chase continued as the feline girl proceeded to attempt to fight back while escaping, throwing something that clearly stubbed the demon boy (the evidence were piling up already, and it was a definitive when I saw the fire he made in an attempt to corner her, I supposed). The cat somehow escaped that too, though and the demon went off into a temper tantrum. I immediately hovered down as fast as I could: at this rate, he would burn the cat, her necklace, the ale and half the slums! 


"What are you doing? Burn her will destroy the whole point of this! Don't you care about your payment?" Talking to a mercenary-sounding guy like one was best done in a fashion that appealed to his greed, by my experience. Still, at any rate, many of the persecutors that went after the cat girl in a quest for my money where now turning away after seeing the demon's fire, probably intimidated. Not that there weren't any still in persuit, like that guy with the mask and the saw , the brute with the chains and the com-artist-looking magician who was making vines everywhere. I sighed "if anyone catches her...or trouble rises... I'll be back soon."


At this point, there was nothing I would be able to do right without a specific item. Which one I'd use, i would have to find out as I flew to my shop. 


@CabalAnomicPotato


@Nyctophiliac

 

[Elowyn]

(What kind of demon cries when his mother is insulted...?! is all I can say. *bows elegantly* thank you, thank you)


As a stall caught fire besides her, Lynx realized that her pursuer was flinging balls of flame at the slum area and it was going to cause chaos. It infuriated her that the imbecile was so petty as to be willing to harm innocent people to get her... all for a few insults she had carelessly spewed. There were enough people who behaved that way she had met throughout her life. Either way, the stall's owner was clearly going to be furious. Unfortunately for the fire controller, the being owning the stall was a prickly character. Literally. He began shooting barbed spines at the demon in the air. 


Lynx began taking a zigzaging path to avoid being hit now no longer being as thoughtless as before. She made full use of her agility now. Gosh, the stuff she stole...just how far were they willing to go to get it back?


@CabalAnomicPotato @Idea

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

Ivan kept his onslaught going, hitting anything in his way, untill a creature who wasn't entirely helpless decided to shoot at him, cutting a gash in his arm and forcing him to retreat behind a small shack. "Damn....keep it together, idiot, that was some stupid crap" he said to himself, cooling down and leaning against the wall (still hot enough to hear a slight sizzle, but not hot enough to burn through), his eyes were slowly glowing less and less orange, untill they were back to normal. "Getting heated over her pointless stupid rambling, geeze I'm easy to piss off" he said to himself, trying to pry his brain off the topic of his mother, for in truth, anything could have been said and he probably would have been set off....he didn't like thinking about his mother. "No way I'm wasting anymore time with her....for now, but maybe we'll meet again" he muttered, dashing into an aley (he wouldn't fly, for he didn't want to fight the "prick" [see what I did there] who cut him up), "hope that mandit gets his beer back....I guess....actually, I wonder where he is....but no matter, I need to leave by morning" he thought, stopping when he thought he was far enough away from the mess he had made, he hoped and hovered across a couple of roofs, finding an empty roof and laying down, staring at the stars.


mentioned: @Nyctophiliac, @Idea