Seahaven's market is a hub of activity, with a wide variety of goods spread out in open market stalls, as well as storefronts owned by the more well-to-do artisans and merchants. There are the tried-and-true professions: blacksmiths, tailors, cobblers, woodworkers, stonemasons and the like. Local specialties on sale include fresh produce and seafood (naturally), textiles and dyes, ropes of pearls and seashells, chunks of volcanic rock and obsidian. Talismans pleasing to gods of the sea and volcanoes are also highly prized and popular.

Exotic items such as steelsilk, siren's hair, perfected water, fire ant shells, even firedust are available (or so their hawkers claim.) Others boldly proclaim their wares as fabulous items excavated from the sea or miraculously washed ashore from some distant Wyld island. Some may even be jade; oddly enough, Westerners tend to undervalue jade, though it is usually swiftly snatched up by visiting Dynasts.

Most if not all of the stalls and shops are minded by sturdy, buxom, hard-working Wavecrest women. Now and then they may have their sons helping out, crippled or older men no longer able to sail, but for the most part male workers are minimal. Even the market guards are mostly female: islanders in whale or seal leather, painted and draped in decorative beads, wielding short spears and slashing swords.

One could spend the day wandering the market and not see everything it has to offer. What will the Outcastes find?
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:50, Sun 07 Dec 2008.

Tageru excuses himself for the day to the rest of the Alliance members and leaves the ship. 'it's good to feel a little grass and dirt under one's feet, I must say!', he thinks to himself and stretches his legs on the docks. 'Well, let's see if this place has changed in these months we've been away!'
He walks around the town, looking at wares offered and simply enjoying himself. 'Even a monk is allowed some pleasure in life' he thinks and keeps on walking. His vicious-looking green eyes and his obvious Aspect, coupled with his muscular stature make most thugs and pickpockets think twice about attacking him, and most people even step out of his way to let him pass. He feels a bit uncomfortable because of it, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying the sounds and the feel of the town. 'I'll continue my training tomorrow. I can afford some time for myself.', he thinks and lets his feet take him onward through the bustling city...

Zeru and Cinna walk arm in arm through the marketplace. They would stop every so often and eye the wares of a merchant or other. Zeru was watching what Cinna was looking at and keeping his eyes open for something he thought that the Marlena would like.

[Private to GM: Are the guards following us trying to be stealthy or no?]

Tallest tree on the island:

Tageru's appearance does tend to ward people away from him, both friendly folks and less savory sorts. Though Outcastes and Dynasts alike are allowed to walk the streets freely, few are as strongly aspected as he is.

Now and then merchants call out to him, offering fresh baked bread, mouthwatering cantaloupe slices, colorful bolts of cloth (that of course will 'never fade'), shells that whisper the sea's song, obsidian pendants blessed by Hamoji. One woman claims that her pearls can turn any body of liquid it touches into pure water. Still another talks of a branch cut from an eternal tree, crafted into a staff of living wood.

The Immaculate warrior notices other Dragon-blooded among the crowd as well. They stand out in their own way -- an exquisitely dressed Dynast, with slaves to carry her parasols and packages; a Navy officer who frowns deeply as he watches Tageru progress through the crowd; a humble figure with her head shaved wearing Immaculate robes of linen, surrounded by a group of young children. [Private to Cynis Tageru: Just some random things to potentially react to, so far. You can of course take some other direction completely. :)]

Shopping for shinies:

Down another market street, Zeru and Cinna enjoy their stroll... as much as they can, anyway, knowing they are being trailed. Fortunately, Antov and the others seem to have diverted the attention of one of the guards, drawing him into one of the many seaside taverns they will likely visit before the night.

Cinna, it seems, has a bit of a feminine side, and a fickle one at that. She is drawn to a shawl of fringed, deep red cloth with threads of gold embroidery in the weft so that it shimmers in the sun, admires a bracelet of lapis, turquoise and mother-of-pearl, and tries a sample from a bottle of fire blossom perfume. [Private to Peleps Zeru: The shawl would be Res 1, the bracelet 2, the perfume 3.] Marlena, though, would be more interested in a true gemstone, which ultimately brings Zeru to the storefront of Cordova and Daughters, Jeweler. There seem to be plenty of 'shinies' to browse through there.

A second coast guard shadows them perhaps a block away. This one isn't particularly bothering to keep himself hidden -- after all, he is an authority in this city! What he doesn't know is that yet another figure trails after him, as well... [Private to Xander Lucian: That's you! Hmm, maybe you could try to distract the guard elsewhere, so you can approach Zeru without him watching?]

Tageru actually tries to avoid other Dynasts, but not too directly. He simply ignores them, like any other passing townsperson in the market and goes by his business...

He tries to bargain for the Clearwater Pearls, but he realizes he doesn't have the money necessary... 'Well, one of the drawbacks of being an outcaste...', he thinks...
He missed his home often now, but it was too late to go back. After all that happened and all that he found out, he could never go back to the Realm... It was still all new to him, and sometimes hard to believe, but he was sure that what he was told his whole life was not the truth... Not the whole truth anyway...

So he smiled a scary smile, made the poor saleswoman nervous, and walked away. He sat down under a big tree and meditated for a while, to rest. 'It is good to be off the ship for a while. I almost regret having to go back...', he thinks as he sits cross legged, but soon pushes that thought away. 'I have a duty now, as I always have. The duty has just... changed...'

Zeru notices Cinna admiring the shawl. He catches the eye of the merchant asking the price of it quietly while she saunters around the store.

"Well there Cinna don't that shawl look wonderful?" He asks her. He asks her to hold it up against herself and catches himself staring. He coughs shyly and quietly says "It suits you." while rubbing the back of his head.

"Mau!"

"Oh don't worry girl I'm sure we can find you something pretty too." He rubs the top of the cat's head. "Right Cinna?" He adds with a smile. "You mind keepin a bit of a hold on her?" He asks gently lifting the cat from his pocket staring it in the eyes. "You keep Cinna comfy while I go see about this shawl."

With that he goes and pays the shopkeep. Stopping for a moment until Cinna and Coral are looking away and goes to see the coast guard. "Afternoon sir, I apologize if I seem rude, but I'm really not afraid of pickpockets." He smiles at the guard as if he has no idea why he's being followed.

Tallest tree on the island:

With his eyes closed, Tageru could feel more than see people coming and going from his perch. After a moment, though, he feels something odd -- a calming presence standing nearby, observing without speaking.

Almost simultaneously, another more jarring interruption comes blustering by, loud enough to stir Tageru briefly from his reverie. "I'm not sure I like it, Shrike. Too many Dragon-touched coming into port lately, just strutting all over the city like they own it."

"Look at that one sitting there, Kythe," says a second speaker. (If Tageru opens his eyes at this point he sees two male figures, one blue-haired, one flame-haired, stopping to stare at him.) "He thinks he owns the place. We worked hard to carve our niche, and he..."

"Think we ought to tell him what's what?" The aggressive one steps closer. Meanwhile, the silent observer Tageru felt before still watches, though the Wood Aspect would have to look behind him to get a glimpse.

Shopping for shinies:

"You're a dear, honey!" Cinna calls out to Zeru, and beams in delight at Lucky Coral. "Aren't you a cute lil' thing! We ladies ought to stick together." She lets the little cat rest on her ample chest while she wanders off to stare at the jewelry displayed at the window of Cordova and Daughters.

"Think we'll ever get to wear those kind of pretties? Doesn't go with the 'privateer' image much does it?" The redhead keeps cooing and rambling at the cat, apparently rather fond of animals.

Further down the street, Zeru accosts the coast guard following along. Xander finds himself suddenly put on the spot to seek a hiding place so that Zeru does not see him, too. [Private to Xander Lucian: Roll it, Dex+Stealth. Unless you're just going to let Zeru know you're there. Then you can post to that effect. :D]

"I'm not worried about pickpockets, either," the guard says with a casual shrug. "We're just keeping an eye on you Cobalt folks -- nothing personal, really, just Harbormaster's orders."