Blank Stares

There were a few times that Errit thought about getting up, during his week he had spent the majority of his time at the offices of the Appraisal Council. The rules seemed a lot more relaxed in the Port town rather than where he had woken up. When he had to leave the building at night, he would go outside into the wetlands and walk the perimeter of the City collecting herbs and materials. A few of his spacial rings were becoming unmanageable, filled with random items that gave off auras, the Wetlands landscape was littered with interesting things, too many different things to sort easily into single rings.

There was a broken building with water that came through the gap in the ceiling when it rained, one corner of the building still had a dry floor that was raised, a small and quiet place for him to rest. Then, again, each morning when the first sun would rise, he would return to the Appraisal Council of Porto Paulo to resume his research.

'Merfolk Tooth Algae'

'Treant Droppings'

'Ornian finger bones'

'Black Mutsrae'

'Etherial Willow Branch'

'Leaf of Life'

'a Box?' Errit opened the box, inside was a small pill. "Pills?" Errit examined the tiny bead. It shined like the capsule vitamins of earth. There were tiny specs and strange colors coming from it, they were cold. 'Yin energy.' Errit stored the box away and kept searching his haul while reading.

Flipping through the contents of his ring in the library wasn't a great idea, the concept hadn't dawned on him. Several people were observing him, he had pulled out a few dozen particularly rare herbs, each more luscious than the last.

'Skilled.' One of them thought. 'Lucky son of a bitch, I mean, who the fuck finds shit like that.. I have to follow him and see where he goes.' The Copperheaded Snain was a vicious race if you crossed them, greedy like dragons but with less honor and venom.

He sat there waiting with one eye trained on Errit's body and posture. When he moved, the Snain appraiser would follow.

Errit finished reading the book, opened it back up to the front page, and started again. Fizzh winced, he waited for a change.. He hadn't expected to see the masked man start over from the beginning.

Confused, Fizzh walked to the countertop with the sexy attendant. "Who is that?" He whispered. She didn't seem to care to answer.

He placed his tabulator on the counter and prepared to transfer 500cp. "Give you 500 for the information... I just want to know what that guys deal is."

She took the 500 and started speaking quickly. "He wants to learn to be an appraiser. I didn't get a name. Looks Human, can't tell with that mask but look at his hands, those tattoos. My guess is that he's from some secluded sect, but you can't tell these things by just looking at a person. Okay. Times up." She stored her tabulator away and went back to her book.

"Next." A man in white came out of the back, he wore a lab coat and leathery gloves.

A girl in the back stood up and looked like she was readying herself. "I'm here." Running up to the man, she bowed gently, her tail wagged behind her.

"This way" he pointed her down the hallway and they disappeared behind the door.

Errit kept reading.

'Anandaston Gel'

'Lesser Demon Blood'

'Greater Demon Blood, blood is a reagent?'

'Plithium'

'Oragnesto'

'Gersawe Fixers Oil, a magical lubricant made of benign crystal.' Errit wondered if the Cart wheels used some of it, the aura seemed right. He noted it down and kept his nose to the books.

Some of the materials were easy to understand and other things on the list of things to be tested on were things like pills and devices, weapons and flesh. There were so many things he had to learn to be a good appraiser, three bad appraises and he would be blacklisted, barred from practice.

'Laugh Potion, Love Potion, Fever Pill, Libido Pill, Lions Pill, Crying Pill, Thin Pill, Wake Juice' The list was extensive, minor subtleties marked each one, thankfully the images held slight impressions of the auras of each item. Identifying them merely took a closer look.

"Yeesh." While going over the organs from various species, he noticed a constant discussion about Cores. They were the subject of fascination, Monster Cores could be used to enhance many things including the body, but reactions were not always the preferred outcome. Most of them were used during weapon and armor modifications, occasionally someone would consume them, use them in potions or even in talismans.

'The bodies of beings on this world. Such a brutal practice, such a brutal world.' Errit stared at the pages and images that floated as he read.

During his stay in the City, he regularly tried to get the Dragon Lady to have something to eat with him, though she always refused. It was compulsory, but he didn't mind. He brought her flowers a few times, it made her afternoon. He could tell that she enjoyed the materials more than the look and smell or gesture of them.

Still, he doted. She had been quiet and not bothered him during his constant reading, nor did she give him the evil eye for being around. Errit was perfectly aware of the vile and greedy looks he had been getting throughout the week.

'Elementium, A material discovered by Mu Cheng. Reproducible after study, it is used as a conduit between magical devices primarily. Other uses include magical statues, decorative art and talisman creation. It is not very hard and will shatter if it is not used as a plating. Can hold significant energy charges since it is made from a mixture of primal crystal dust and debris.'

'Red Platinum, dragonblood stained platinum. It usually contains the magical essence of the bloodline that stains it. Effect varies. Exceedingly rare material.'

"Why is a rare material in here?" Errit was confused. He wanted to know more, 'it's not even a problem that it's there, but why? why was red platinum in the basic book?' Errit stretched his head and walked up to the Dragon Lady behind the counter. "Excuse me, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a question that was on my mind." She turned to look at him, he didn't have flowers this time. She decided to hear him out. "Can you tell me why Red Platinum is in the basic books?"

"Red Platinum is sought by the Emperor, its very useful when fighting the Rolk. Don't tell me you've never heard of the Rolk." She smiled and skid a book about races over.

"This is mine, but you can borrow it while you're here. Don't leave with it." Errit read the cover 'Monster Guide Volume 27.' She smiled again and turned her head back to her book.

'27? how many volumes is this?' Sitting back in his chair, he quietly flipped through it and found a passage about the Rolk. 'Crazed Half-Elementals? Magical power deviation caused by acute crystal dysfunction. Beings that have eaten conflicting crystal types, destroying their ability to balance. they are absorbed by the conflicting crystal's wild energy fluctuations, going into a sudo-soft-petrification state, crystallizing their bodies. Either becoming a mindless being or rather more often losing their minds and their control over their abilities, they go crazy and their powers run a destructive path. The Emperor has granted a reward to anyone who recovers Red Platinum, a viable weapon against the Rolk threat.'

Errit figured out why it was in the basic book and kept reading. Soon, he found Fizzh's race, the Copperheaded Snain and everything about his attitude, looks and greed became obvious.