(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 10)

[Oldmansour]

>"And what about pricing? I know you can't be exact, since we don't know exactly what we're dealing with yet, but what's an average price for, say, an anti-toxin, or a healing brew of some kind that's more run of the mill."

[DracoOmega]

>"And what about pricing? I know you can't be exact, since we don't know exactly what we're dealing with yet, but what's an average price for, say, an anti-toxin, or a healing brew of some kind that's more run of the mill."

>"That really depends on what you're looking for," the shopkeeper says, his frown just a little more sympathetic than necessary. "Could be as little as 10 guilders, but it really depends."

[Oldmansour]

>"Let's say.... an antidote for a snake bite, or a spider bite."

[DracoOmega]

>"Let's say.... an antidote for a snake bite, or a spider bite."

>"Depends on the kind of snake or spider you're talking about," he says. "But assuming it's nothing too exotic, probably 15 or 20 guilders a vial. That'll get you at least a few doses, mind. That's also assuming it's not a youkai you're talking about, either - all bets are off, then."

[Oldmansour]

>"Learned that myself the hard way, once."
>"I was thinking specifically about the local wildlife southwest of the city, between here and the Wild Lands. I may have some traveling in my future."

[DracoOmega]

>"Learned that myself the hard way, once."
>"I was thinking specifically about the local wildlife southwest of the city, between here and the Wild Lands. I may have some traveling in my future."

>He gives a sympathetic wince. "Nasty business, that can be."
>"Between here and the Wild Lands, is it? Well..." The shopkeeper strokes his chin with affected thoughtfulness. "Probably isn't going to be too much that'll bother you if you stay near the roads, though you might run into a banded rock snake if you start wandering around the woods, or maybe a blue-dappled adder or two down in Hanashibara. A general-purpose antivenom will cover both of those just fine and only set you back 18 guilders. But if you'd like to be a bit more thorough, I can sell you a proper traveling kit - stuff for snake bites and fleshier ones too, salve and treated bandages to help close wounds quickly, tonics to stave off fatigue or help you get a good night's sleep, even something to put an extra spring in your step if you've got some serious hiking to do. The works." He flashes you the kind of smile that dares butter to even try melting in his mouth.

[Hello Purvis]

>"How much?"

[Oldmansour]

>We do not currently have a first aid kit of any sort, do we?

[DracoOmega]

>"How much?"

>You catch the shopkeeper steal a subtle glance at your badge. "Well, if you were to buy all those things individually, it would set you back at least 100 guilders, but the package deal gets you the works for only 70. And that's a bargain price for some of this stuff, let me tell you."

>We do not currently have a first aid kit of any sort, do we?

>None to speak of, no.

[Oldmansour]

I reccomend the cheap basic anti-toxin for now. We do still have a limited budget, after all.

[Hello Purvis]

I think he's janking us.

>What do we know about the going rates on these kinds of things, and their production? Surely our training covered gear and how not to get janked over it.

[DracoOmega]

>What do we know about the going rates on these kinds of things, and their production? Surely our training covered gear and how not to get janked over it.

>It did. The price quoted for the antivenom seems just a touch high, though not entirely unreasonable - you understand that prices in Val Razua tend to be higher across the board than back in Braston. As for the traveling kit, that one does seem quite a bit more pricey, but you also don't know exactly what it contains or in how generous a quantity; 'the works' tends to have wildly differing definitions depending on who's making that claim.

[Oldmansour]

Come to think of it, we don't need to spend anything at all right now, I don't think. Especially not if we're going back to see professor grandma. I just wanted to see if we could feel out the prices of this place, see what we had to work with.

[Hello Purvis]

>Being a youkai, just how well do we take to being poisoned? Do we have horrible personal experience to back it up?

I think we could haggle him down a bit on antivenom.

[DracoOmega]

>Being a youkai, just how well do we take to being poisoned? Do we have horrible personal experience to back it up?

>Like most youkai, you have a certain resistance to a variety of physical ailments, including poison. Yours is, you suspect, not nearly as good as some, but you managed to weather envenomations from two separate kinds of giant spider without acute symptoms lasting even as long as an hour. Though the second of those bites is still a profoundly unpleasant experience to recall; you're pretty sure you'd rather just get stabbed again than have to endure that a second time. As for more mundane fauna, you were told you got off a lot easier from that banded arbor snake bite back in your apprenticeship than any human could expect to. That wasn't much fun, either, though.

[Oldmansour]

I have no objections to a little haggling. However, I reccomend that it can wait. We know the place is here, and we can come back once we know what the Vigor and Water are made of, and how much they cost. I suggest we attend to that first, before dropping any greenbacks.

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know how much a basic first aid kit would cost back in Braston? Or anti-venom, for that matter.

[DracoOmega]

>Do we know how much a basic first aid kit would cost back in Braston? Or anti-venom, for that matter.

>A basic first aid kit might set you back around 20 guilders or so, but this would be a fairly mundane one; magical healing aids are not altogether uncommon, but can sometimes be pretty pricy depending on what they specifically are. A vial of broad-spectrum antivenom on its own might be closer to 12 guilders.

[Oldmansour]

>Thinking on it, have we passed by any outdoorsman stlye shops, wholesellers, anyplace here in town where we could acquire a first aid kit and other goods for if and when we have to travel beyond town? An Adventurer's Mart, for lack of a better term.

[DracoOmega]

>Thinking on it, have we passed by any outdoorsman stlye shops, wholesellers, anyplace here in town where we could acquire a first aid kit and other goods for if and when we have to travel beyond town? An Adventurer's Mart, for lack of a better term.

>You believe you did spot something resembling that along the main commercial thoroughfare on your way towards the Academy. It wouldn't be too hard to backtrack that way and find it again, though it would take some time.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hmm, I'll think about it. I need to go get some more information about some things, first."
>Assuming no real complaints, it's back to see la profesora!

[Oldmansour]

>Glance around the shop on the way out, though, for any kind of powder or liquid that seems to induce sleep.

In the event we find another spider youkai we need to put down without PUTTING her down.

[DracoOmega]

>"Hmm, I'll think about it. I need to go get some more information about some things, first."
>Assuming no real complaints, it's back to see la profesora!

>Glance around the shop on the way out, though, for any kind of powder or liquid that seems to induce sleep.

>The man nods. "Well, you know where we are. You have a good day now, ma'am."
>You turn to leave the shop, taking another glance through their stock as you go for anything soporific. There are treatments for insomnia and to otherwise induce a restful sleep, but you don't believe any of them are intended for unwilling recipients. Maybe if you could slip them into someone's stew and had an hour or two to wait around afterward, maybe, but you're unsure of even that. You have no doubt that such a substance can be purchased from somewhere, but this might not be the place for it. You exit the building.

>The return trip to Professor Bosqueverde's office is uneventful, and quicker now that you know the route. The gum of hers that you've been idly working at for a while has now mostly lost its flavor and started to harden into a sort of vaguely tasteless mass; you find yourself slightly uncertain of whether you're supposed to keep going at it or not. Within the Flamel Building itself, the flood of dubious smoke from earlier has thinned to a faint prismatic haze, though the inane blend aromatic citrus and smoldering graphite still lingers in the air, tickling your nose as you walk past.
>You find the professor's door slightly ajar. She has resumed her vaguely off-key humming.

[Oldmansour]

>Nothing blew up in the meantime. Must be a good day.
>Knock.

[DracoOmega]

>Nothing blew up in the meantime. Must be a good day.
>Knock.

>At least not so far as you can tell, but who knows?
>You knock at the door and are quickly answered by a familiar reedy voice; at least you seem to have startled her less this time.
>"Yes, yes, who is it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"It's me again. I had a couple of follow up questions, if that's all right."

[DracoOmega]

>"It's me again. I had a couple of follow up questions, if that's all right."

>"Oh!" You hear something being placed on a table, followed by the slow shuffle of footsteps. "Of course it is alright, yes. Yes, yes, passing knowledge to others is why my door is open - not that expect there is much more I can tell you about this search of yours than I did not already! No, I'm afraid not. But yes, do come in."

[Oldmansour]

>"Two things, actually, specifically."
>Enter!

[DracoOmega]

>"Two things, actually, specifically."
>Enter!

>"Two things, is it?" she asks as you step inside. "What... two things might these things be then, Seeker..." The professor looks at you and frowns. "That is to say...." She trails off, her frown deepening. Her eyes narrow into a squint, as if she were trying to make out some small detail on your person. And failing. She opens her mouth hesitantly.
>"Did you... did you, by chance, not tell me your name the last time you were here? Or... have I merely forgotten? My profuse apologies if that is so - forever forgetting these things, I am. Dreadfully impolite of me, that is. Yes, yes, dreadfully impolite." She regards you with faintly fretful apprehension; it's actually sort of pitiable looking.

[Oldmansour]

>Did we?