SPAWNING
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MISSION
Meet the locals and gather some intel (D-Rank Merchant Mission)
Ithaqua had had a long journey thus far from the quiet village in the mountains he grew up in. He was used to some level of travel, but had never really been by himself before, so he was understandably nervous for when he encountered new people. Having met a few here and there along the road, he had obtained directions that lead him here to Pingshu. From what had been told to him, this was one of the five major marketplace locations and would be integral to him as he built up his business.
Walking through the front gates, he was bombarded by an assortment of exotic smells, breath taking sights and above all a sense of community. This was perfect. He spent some time perusing the marketplace, checking out the local business, some where selling your normal day to day supplies, others had interesting looking artefacts' that gleamed with an unknown energy that Ithaqua had never come across.
Stopping briefly to the side, Ithaqua felt hungry. His father often told him to follow his gut, and the best place to go when you first arrive in a new place were the food stalls. You can gain a lot of insight from the people as they gather and hunt their own ingredients, something which Ithaqua respected greatly. Following the fragrance of some spiced meats, Ithaqua found himself in front of a small, semi shabby stall, meat hanging from hooks, with a young man working the front and an older women working on a hot plate.
"Welcome, what can I get for you?" the young man spoke as a small drop of drool dripped from Ithaqua's mouth. Looking at the small, specialized menu before him, he gestured to young man what he wanted.
"I'll take one of these spiced meat packs, and a couple of skewers to go thanks." holding out his hand with his payment. The young man, reaching out for the coin and thanking him.
"You're not from around here are you?" He asked as he processed the payment
"Definitely got a newcomer air about you. Can't quite place it."
Ithaqua gestured to his outfit
"I mean, I am hard to miss aren't I?" laughing with the man politely
"Fresh in from the mountains, and looking to set myself up either here or nearby."
Handing him the meat pack and skewers, the man looked at him with a smile
"Sounds like your on an adventure, good luck! If you ever need anything ask around, everyone here is friendly and happy to help." He stated with a smile. Ithaqua pondered for a second, formulating a couple of questions to ask.
"Well, if that is the case, could you tell me a little about local wildlife? Mainly about bears and dears if they're around, and also can you direct me to an apothecary or pharmacy?"
The young man went into quick detail, explaining about some of the local animal paths, where each type of animal generally resided. He talked about how bears were uncommon around this time of year but deer and boar were abundant. It was all very interesting, the nature around this place was incredible. The man would then go on to give him directions just up the way towards the centre of the marketplace where most of the herbal or potion brewers set up.
Thanking him, Ithaqua gave the man some more coin for the information and went about to the town centre, nibbling on his skewers as he went. Delicious!
After a small perusing around each of the stalls, Ithaqua came across a quaint little stall filled with handing herbs, small Knick Knacks and potions. With a well trained eye, he would examine a bunch of these and come to realise they were quite high in quality, made with care and love to bring out the best in the product.
"You have a good eye there, young man." the voice of the older woman rang out above the surrounding hustle and bustle
"How can I help you today?" she smiled, her eyes glinting with warm welcome.
Ithaqua smiled back and responded
"It's a pleasure ma'am, I'm just appreciating the fine quality of your wares, very impressive. You must have spent a long time honing your skills." seeing the woman smile brighten at this, Ithaqua continued
"I just wanted to pick up some medicinal herbs and see if I can ask you some questions about the local area and its flora." gesturing to some of the hanging plants.
Handing the woman coin, she went on to tell him about certain locations to the south of the city, where a variety of different plant life grew, from fungi and poisonous plants, to wild vegetables and fruits and lastly to a flower grove further east. She went on to explain some of her methods of collecting and how to not upset the balance of the ecosystem when gathering said flora.
"Thank you ma'am, I very much appreciate it!" handing her some more coin for the information, he couldnt help but notice a small crystal fragment that was laid within a small intricate box. Curious, he asked if he could inspect it. As he glanced over it, the woman went on to explain that her nephew had found this fragment on Moon Isle, after hearing rumours spread of clusters appearing mysteriously. She also let slip that all her nephew had taken it around to geologists and jewellers to see if they could gleam anything, to no avail. The crystal was beautiful, but Ithaqua didn't want to take up more of the kind woman's time, so he thanked her again, gently return the fragment to its spot and went on his way.
"A mysterious crystal huh, perhaps i need to make a trip to this Moon Isle." he smiled giddily at himself as he thought
"Could be an untapped market if these crystals turn out to be special."
~~~
END OF MISSION
Bold Text = NPC
Color Text = Ithaqua
