Chapter 0: Status Quo (pH_Scale and Lusterless Nova)

[Mini Magi]

The sound of crashing waves, the steady rocking, and the occasional shot of a cannon. Such was the background sound one was going to enjoy when setting sail with the Maelstrom. Or in the case of a special someone, joining them mid travel. A luxury not everyone was granted, but considering the Golatags were one of the peaceful tribes that shared their seas, the city of Limsa would gladly oblige. Not just because they honored their neighborly relationship, but it was uncommon of them to ask of something like that. Or in other words: Why not?

"...Oi. Y'all right, lad?" A grizzled passenger, a bit taller than Lakas, definitely older, and with blonde hair and beard approached. "Hm... Don't seem like seasickness now that I look at you. Probably the aether." He gave Lakas a moment to process what he just said, then sat down beside him. "Don't have to be a mage for that. Some are just more sensitive to the stuff than others, see, an' we ain't too far from Vyldbrand now, which is chock-full of aetherytes. No need to fret though. You'll soon get used to it." It was then that the ship shook, probably thanks to a nasty little wave, and the man was caught off guard. "Ya know? I reckon I might head out on deck, get meself a breath of fresh air. How about you keep me company till we arrive in Limsa? Oh and Brennan's the name, an' peddlin's me trade."

A flight of stairs later, they found themselves on the deck. They were on quite a fine ship. A large example of craftsmanship too with its 3 masts, and plenty of space on deck for at least a hundred people. Brennan took a breath of fresh/salty air and a couple steps around the main deck before turning back to Lakas. "Now than lad. Judgin' by your garments, I'd say you were one of the Golotags. Am I warm?"

[pH_Scale]

@Lusterless Nova

Spoiler

"You take care of yourself, okay Lakas? Remember everything we've taught you, but do not stop learning. These are new people so make sure you know of their ways and customs."

"Opo, inay."

"Now what did I tell you about using our tongue? Nobody up there speaks our language so use as little of it as possible."

"O-- Yes, mother."

"Good. You have everything you need, yes?" Lakas' mother kissed him on the forehead. "Farewell, my dear child. Although we have to part because of fate, we will miss you and please don't forget us and the Golatags. The shamans do not see if you will return to us or not, but please try your best to at least visit us once in a while."

"Of course, mother. I will never, ever forget you nor my home." Lakas declared. "I will be back if I can. Be assured of that."

His mother gave him the most sincere smile he had ever seen. "I am so proud of you, my son." But then she frowned. "Oh but I won't welcome you back if you don't have pretty girl beside you, you hear me? You never had the chance to find a partner here because we had to train you so you make sure you find one up there, okay?"

"Huh?!"

The blast of a cannon roused Lakas from his sleep. He was used to the rocking ship and the crashing waves since he frequently sailed the seas as a Golatag, but these cannons were annoying. And they happened occasionally which meant he had a hard time getting used to them. This ship was also foreign, it was bigger than the largest vessel the Golatags had. Maybe even twice as big. Lakas was not uncomfortable in his seat but he was still in a strange vessel surrounded by strange people. To say he was a bit nervous would be an understatement.

3 hours ago, Lusterless Nova said:

"...Oi. Y'all right, lad?"

A man approached Lakas. He was grizzled and old, sporting golden hair and beard. He said that Lakas was probably feeling the 'aether' and that he should get used to it soon. Little did he know that Lakas had no idea what this 'aether' was. The tribesman felt a lot of things aboard this ship so he was not sure if he was actually feeling this 'aether'. The ship suddenly rocked which interrupted the blonde, grizzled man who then suggested to Lakas to join him at the deck for some fresh air.

"Uhh, okay." Lakas made a brief reply. He had nothing to do anyway so why not, right? The man then introduced himself as Brennan, a peddler. "Nice to meet you, Mister Brennan."

The two then ascended a flight of stairs and onto the ship's deck. Lakas still couldn't believe the size of this foreign ship. He saw them from far away when he was younger but he never imagined it to be so large and filled with so many things. The scent of salt from the ocean water filled Lakas' nose but he thought little of it. This was a frequent smell back home. What was different though, was the cold winds. For Lakas, the warm temperatures of home was normal so he felt chilly in the airs of Vylbrand. His parents knew about that and gave him the thickest clothing but it helped little.

4 hours ago, Lusterless Nova said:

"Now than lad. Judgin' by your garments, I'd say you were one of the Golotags. Am I warm?"

"Uhh, yes. I am one of them. You are indeed warm." Lakas replied, trying to ride the Brennan's figure of speech. "I am surprised you know of us, Mister Brennan. I am told that we are not well-known to the world. You are a peddler, right? Have you traded with my people before?"

[Mini Magi]

A quick one, eh? He liked the boy already~ "Ha! Right you are lad. 'Course, Limsa has enough fish already, but yer craftsmanship is art for some outside folks, and gear for adventurers. Which means I'd love to pry why you left, but it ain't my business. Still. If ya don't mind a few kind words, you should join the adventurer's guild once we make port. I'll let them do the talking, but basically you won't mind some help in far off lands, right?" There were a lot of services the adventurer's guild provided. The most important and well known one was their quests, but while there was way more to it, Brennan really didn't want to bother telling him everything if the guild would do it another time anyway. "Just remember, though: whatever you do there're more important things than fortune an' glory. Such as breathin'. Ain't no profit in bein' dead, an' that's a fact."

Suddenly there was a cannon shot heard through the air, and it wasn't a cannon from this ship. Just a moment later, a splash followed, and Brennan was knocked over by a wave of water. "Uwaaah!" One of the stalwart sailors's shouted over to them right away. "Ship off the starboard bow! Pirate colors!" With some help from Lakas, Brennan got up again. "What is the world comin' to...? Pirates firin' on a ship flyin' Liminsan colors! Bastards either have a boatload of balls, or bugger all for brains." Another large man shouted over to them while pushing a canon into position. "What are you doing!? Get below!" Brennan had to agree. He didn't know how to operate a cannon, and chances were Lakas wasn't going to sink a ship with his spear anytime soon. He nodded to him, and they both went below deck to make sure they were at least not in the way.

A little while passed, but eventually the noise of the cannons stopped. A sailor came down to the lower decks and smiled at everyone. "Ye can rest easy, friends! We've made it out o' cannon range, an' no buccaneer's bark'll catch this flighty temptress once the wind's in her sails." He then laughed, and went up again. "That was too bleedin' close... Glad someone kept his head on his shoulders─I reckon I'd've lost mine, otherwise. If them pirates gave up the chase, we must be close to port. Which reminds me... This is your first trip to Limsa?" After a little confirmation, Brennan continued. "It is!? Well then, let this journeyed itinerant tell you the ins an' outs of your destination. Ahem!"

Limsa prides itself on bein' Eorzea's foremost naval power. Weren't too long ago that the place was ruled by pirates, but thanks to the current Admiral's civilizin' influence, the city-state could almost pass for a respectable nation. You'd never guess she was once a rum-swillin' buccaneer herself! Heh heh!  'Course, most folk ain't so quick to change, an' with a town full of liberty-lovin' ruffians, you can imagine how many naysayers an' troublemakers she's got to deal with─like them pirates who took a fancy to us just now. An' if that weren't bad enough, I've heard the Sahagin are raidin' the coast just as bold as you please. Them're the sea-dwellin' beastmen the locals call “fishbacks,” 'case you didn't know.

Land ho!

A voice from above shouted out. Not soon after that, people began to board and unboard, and load and unload cargo. Lakas now found himself at the lower decks of Limsa and would see bridges from one stone formation to another, as well as peek to the upper decks, which seemed accessable thanks to stairs at some of the rocks, probably etched into them. Unfortunately Brennan knew what that meant. "An' here's where we part ways, son. I'm off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it's on to the highroad for me. Here, I want you to have this─my way of thanks for savin' me arse earlier. And tell you what. Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an' I'll owe you a favor. I'll be havin something to brag about all day in return haha!" After giving Lakas a collection of maps, including one of Limsa, Brennan went off to check for his own cargo. And sure. The boy probably would have loved to help, but his business was elsewhere.

The maps he were given would do him well, and all important places were marked on it. All he had to do was choose where he wanted to go.

-The Main Plaza
-Hawker's Alley (Market)
-Fisherman's Bottom (Fishing guild)
-The Drowning Wench (Adventurer's guild and inn)
-The Bismarck (Restaurant and Gourmet guild)
-Maelstrom Command

[pH_Scale]

@Lusterless Nova

Lakas was correct that he had contact with his people concerning goods. Apparently, some people liked Golatag craftsmanship. He liked that some of the outside world appreciated his people's works. Brennan then talked about joining the 'Adventurer's Guild' so Lakas could have some help in the new land. He considered the option. Lakas could definitely use some pointers if he was to get anywhere in the new land.

His thoughts were broken when a cannon shot landed near the passenger vessel, sending a tide of ocean water crashing into the ship and knocking Brennan down. Lakas was quick to help the peddler up and have his spear at the ready. Was there going to be a fight? He had not reached his destination yet and he was already in danger. Lakas hoped this was not an omen for the future.

But the sailors of the vessel told them to get back inside, they would do the fighting with their own cannons. That was true, Lakas could do little with his spear at so great a range and he was no good with these cannons. He and Brennan went back under and awaited for the fight to develop. Lakas still clutched his spear all the while but then a sailor announced that they had successfully escaped the pirates. The battle was over as soon as it started. Lakas felt that it was a bit anticlimactic, but he was glad that no one was hurt.

Brennan asked if this was Lakas' first time in Limsa, the name of the port city. "Yes. I've heard of it before, but this would be my first time setting foot here." The peddler then told, in a brief summary, what Limsa was and her history. Lakas was intrigued. It may had a dark past but thanks to the efforts of one woman, Limsa transformed into a respectable naval power. He was about to ask more but before they knew it, they were at Limsa.

Lakas gazed in awe at the port city. It was nothing like had seen before. The islands were more like gigantic pillars that acted as the base from where buildings were erected. The structures themselves were grand, they were tall and magnificent to the eye. Large bridges connected the island-pillars to each other, no doubt bustling with activity as people moved from island to island. It was quite the sight and the tribesman savored everything he saw as the ship approached the destination.

The vessel docked in one of the islands and Lakas joined the passengers in disembarking. He was at the lower levels and there were plenty of stairs that led to the top of the pillar-islands. It was then that he was approached by Brennan.

7 hours ago, Lusterless Nova said:

"An' here's where we part ways, son. I'm off to the markets to deliver me wares, then it's on to the highroad for me. Here, I want you to have this─my way of thanks for savin' me arse earlier. And tell you what. Become the sort of storied personage I can brag about havin' met, an' I'll owe you a favor. I'll be havin something to brag about all day in return haha!"

"Thank you very much, Mister Brennan. May the fates smile upon you forever." Lakas bowed in gratitude before they parted.

Lakas was given a set of maps, including one for Limsa. While he now knew Brennan the Peddler, right now he was alone and free to do anything he wanted or go wherever he wanted. That... was a more difficult choice than Lakas thought. He had no idea why he was here in the first place, being sent to this land on the heavy recommendations of his people's shamans. Now that he was here, Lakas was not sure what to do now. Perhaps he should go to the Adventurer's Guild like what Brennan suggested back in the ship.

Yes. He would do that and so Lakas marched towards The Drowning Wench where the guild was located. But the more he walked through Limsa, the more he was tempted to just explore and see what the port city had to offer. He thought that he didn't exactly need to get to the guild right now, maybe he could take a detour or two. So instead of the Drowning Wench, Lakas went to Hawker's Alley, an area bustiling with people shopping in the market.

Lakas took in the sights, too awestruck to notice any stares his way for looking like a total foreigner. Soon, he smelled the nice aroma of cooked meat from a stall and quickly went up to browse the selection. Sticks with steamed meats skewered upon it were being sold and the vendor was quick to notice the almost drooling Lakas. "Ahh, so you're interested in my stuff, eh? Go on, take one... or take many. All of these are sold on a very cheap price!" The vendor was a man dressed in green with a funny orange mask hiding his face.

The spearman took the offer and fished out something from his pocket for payment. "Umm... will this do?" On Lakas' palm was a decently-sized pearl that gleamed under the sunglight. He had a couple of them on him and was told that he could probably use them as money in the new land.

The vendor's eyes shone at the precious jewel, and a dark thought hatched in his head. "Oooh, no. That will not do at all. Perhaps... two more of those can cover it." To anyone else, it was an obvious scam but Lakas was new to all this and he was already taking out more of his few pearls.

[Mini Magi]

Some people peeked at the scene and waited for how it would play out. One person however was not standing idly by. Gentle steps approached, and Lakas would feel a light tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me." When he turned, a girl, a bit shorter than him, with blonde hair and unusually colorful eyes stood at his side. "Try again with these." The girl took his free hand, then put a couple coins into his palm. "This is the standardized currency people use for trading. And while your pearls are pretty, it takes skill to appraise them." The girl then went up to the merchant. "Besides. You shouldn't accept pearls as payment either. I apologize if I come off as rude, but when they are un-appraised, you might actually lose value." The chances of that were slim if she was honest, but it was the most polite excuse she could come up with. Buuuut just in case, she added: "And besides. If they are high in value, not being able to explain their origin could result in a fine by the customs office."

A moment of shock passed. While it might be part of the whole system that runs Limsa, the customs office was not to be trifled with. With some luck the merchant would appreciate dodging a bullet, or at least take the subtle theat. Mitsu then reached into her pocket to take out a few more coins and held them to the merchant. "One for me too please." She then looked over to who might turn out to be a new friend. "Like that. Now you try."

[pH_Scale]

@Lusterless Nova

Before Lakas could hand over his pearls, he was lightly tapped on the shoulder which caught both his and the vendor's attention. The newcomer was a girl with long, blonde hair and fair skin tone. A bit shorter than Lakas in size but clearly more experienced than him and her colorful eyes conveyed kindness and warmth. Lakas was momentarily taken in by her simple beauty but then she took his free hand and placed several coins on them.

9 hours ago, Lusterless Nova said:

"Try again with these."

She explained that the coins were the currency of this land. And while Lakas could use his pearls, the seller would need skill to appraise them to see what they were actually worth. The girl then went to speak with the vendor, explaining that he might actually lose out since the pearls may not be as valuable as he thought. The vendor was not fooled for a second by the girl's excuse but when she brought up the customs office, he was no longer willing to retort.

He glared daggers at both the girl and Lakas, but said nothing more. He gave one stick to the girl and one to Lakas once the tribesman imitated the transaction. The vendor then continued to stare at the couple, silently telling them to get out and leave him be with his failed attempt to get rich quickly. Lakas never picked up the cue but left with the girl anyway.

Lakas enjoyed the delicious meat skewer as they walked and once he swallowed the current bite, he spoke. "I must thank you for earlier, Miss. I am new here so I do not know what money to use here or how trade is conducted." He told the girl but felt she needed more details. "I am from the isles south of here. My people are the Golatag tribes and I have only very recently left my home for the first time to come here. The reasons for my departure are..." Okay, maybe she didn't need that many details. "...complicated. But right now, I am told to go to the adventurer's guild. Do you know what that is?"

"By the way, I am Lakas. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss."

[Mini Magi]

She of course wasn't blind to the hostile signals, but it was okay. Nobody got scammed, and all was as it should be. She could deal with the mean looks. And hey. In the end she had someone to talk to, and a snack. Just in case, she decided to go with this newcomer. It was obvious he was not familiar with many things, just as she used to years back. "It's nothing, really. And all travelers have to learn this eventually. Some just don't like admitting it." Oh? So they were indeed quite similar. She was familiar that there was a tribe further south, and seeing one of them felt quite fascinating. "Yes. You go either down this road and use the lift, or over there to the upper decks and head in the same direction. It's one of the friendlier places too." Odds were good she made it obvious enough that she frequented there.

And of course, introductions were in order. After swallowing a piece of meat, she cleared her throat. "And I am Mitsurugi Koshirae, or Mitsu for short. It's a pleasure for me as well and... Uhm..." Was she going to be pushy? She didn't want to make a wrong impression, but when considering how he could do at the next opportunity, she decided to just push forward. "Would you mind if I accompany you? Or at least show you an appraiser first for your tradeables?"  She remained at his side, and while she tried not to show it, her colorful eyes were at the same time worried about, but also wanted to see more of him. He was just starting out as adventurer, and she was curious what kind of person he was.

[pH_Scale]

@Lusterless Nova

7 hours ago, Lusterless Nova said:

"Would you mind if I accompany you? Or at least show you an appraiser first for your tradeables?"

"Not at all! I definitely appreciate your company, Miss Mitsu. It would be nice for someone to show me around since I am new to this place." Lakas was glad for the offer but felt that he might imposing on Mitsu. Although, she was the one who asked in the first place. Regardless, he was thankful that someone experienced was accompanying him. This should make his transition here easier.

Lakas decided not to dally anymore and head for the Adventurer's Guild in The Drowning Wench with Mitsu. Lakas' gaze still savored the new sights Limsa gave him as they walked down the road and to the lift. There was even a weapons stall and his eyes was glued to a set of spears and polearms for a few moments. No, he cannot get distracted anymore. He had places to be. Looking over to Mitsu, she appeared to know much about the guild and Lakas decided to ask. "Miss Mitsu, can you tell me more about the Adventurer's Guild? Are you someone from there?"

"You also said they are friendly? That's good, I don't think I'll do great in a more... different place." Lakas continued. "A peddler named Brennan told me they can help me get settled here. What do they offer there in the guild? I think he also mentioned something about quests." He then realized that he might be bombarding Mitsu with too much questions. "Err, sorry. Y-you don't have to answer all of the questions..."

[Mini Magi]

"Great~" Someone who was willing to learn rather than try to force their stubborn way? Mitsu was gladly going to spend some time with someone like that. She walked baside him as he took the lead, and would occasionally drop a little advice here and there on what to look out for when trading. A high price didn't always mean high quality after all.

When he asked about the adventurer's guild, she perked up. "In a way, yes. See, the adventurer's guild doesn't have a schedule. Adventurers are free to come and go, take quests or don't as they please." It was unlike the more organized guilds like the Warriors Guild or Fishing Guild. But that also made it attractive for those who wanted to keep up an unrestricted lifestyle. "I guess it depends on which adventurer you encounter, but most of us are hard working people." Or in other words, somewhat adults.

"It's okay. I don't mind at all. My brother used to say that those who don't ask remain dumb, so don't be afraid to ask and learn more okay?" Now that they arrived he could take an actual look at the guild. All in all, it didn't look different from a tavern and Inn combo. It was build right into one of the large stalagtites and had 3 large and wide exits. The huge double doors were left open for now. The 4rth side was basically just one huge counter, with one partition belonging to the adventurer's guild, another part was specifically for the tavern, and one last smaller section was a counter with a path behind it leading to the rooms of the inn. Work, eat, sleep, repeat in one place.

Mitsu took Lakas to the counter of the guild first where he had to answer some basic questions about himself. A name, origins, age, and his height was measured. A few moments later, he was given a card on which his details were written down, and also his face somehow appeared. The attendant spoke up. "This is your guild identification card, or Guild ID for short. It will help you cross borders, get paid, and accept quests from other branches too. You can also sleep for free in the inn so long as you complete at least 2 quests per month. And thanks to some magic, it will track your quests by itself. Mitsu? How about you show him the board?" Mitsu nodded and pointed ahead. When they got to it, Lakas would be in front of a board with many sheets of paper plastered across it. "This is the quest board, and those are quest letters. Whenever someone needs something they can't get themselves done, need help with, or look for something, they put their request and rewards up to the counter who then put it up here. Take a look first."

The customs office was looking for people to work for them. Specifically for someone to escort or secure shipments that travelled across the planes.
The warriors guild was having trouble tracking down a large buffalo. The beast had been plaguing  local farms for a while now.
Lastly, Restaurant Bismark was looking for a few ingredients to experiment with. Specifically the venom of a red snake that is said to inflict a burning sensation whenever injected.

[pH_Scale]

@Lusterless Nova

They finally reached the Adventurer's Guild, a sizable structure built into a large stalagmite that jutted out of the ground. Lakas briefly marveled at the place before heading inside with Mitsu. The large room within had huge double doors on three sides so that there were multiple entrances for people to use. Most of the fourth side was a counter, manned by three different attendants and had differing designs around them. Presumably, each of these three offered different services of this establishment.

Round wooden tables and chairs filled this lobby. Some of which were occupied, patrons drinking alcohol from wood or glass mugs. Lakas followed Mitsu to one of the counters where he was interviewed for a bit. He answered honestly and soon received a card that contained information about him, as well as a small picture of him. Lakas was confused, how did they paint his image that fast? Some sort of northern magic like what his parents told him? Probably. It was then explained that he could stay at the inn for free so long as he did at least two quests each month. The card would track his progress. Ah, so it is magic then.

Mitsu then showed Lakas the quest board, filled with quest letters submitted by those who need help with a reward waiting for those willing to aid. Lakas skimmed the board of quests. The shipment escort quest reminded him of Brennan the Peddler but he instead took the one concerning the fiery venom of a red snake. There were snakes back in Lakas' home and medicine men of the tribes would extract venom from those snakes to use.

But his decision wasn't final yet, Lakas shouldn't blindly head into things especially in this new world. "Hmm, I think... I think I should find a room first to put my things in." He sheepishly smile as he pointed to his pack behind him before putting the quest letter back. "Then I suppose I can take a quest. The day is still long, after all."

"Miss Mitsu, I must thank you again for showing me around despite being a complete stranger." Lakas bowed to Mitsu. "I am greatly indebted to you. If you need anything of me, you only need to ask." The blonde girl had already done so much for him and Lakas knew no way to repay her. Right, a pearl! He fished a pearl from his pocket and offered it to Mitsu. "Please, take it. If not as gratitude, then as a gift. A token of appreciation." The small orb gleamed brilliantly in Lakas' hand, despite being indoors.