Creative Corner

[center] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25113993]Table of Contents[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25113998]The Players[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25114013]Brief Candles[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25114018]Viewers Like You[/url][/center] I got two space dragons from a user retiring from [i]Flight Rising[/i] (@/ashynarr) and thought, "Why not do a Pinkerlocke?" And so "All the World's" was born. Since TaintedEden has inspired me, I have adapted the rules from [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/1954510]their Powerlocke[/url]. I've removed a lot of the rules because I don't have their willpower and keeping track of funds and items on an account not dedicated to the Pinkerlocke is harder - though I will endeavour to keep spending to a minimum, in the spirit of the challenge. This post contains two sections to the rules: Losing and Gaining Dragons, and Pinkerton’s Influence. [center][b][u]Losing and Gaining Dragons:[/u][/b][/center] Dragons that faint in the Coliseum are considered dead and must be exalted. Dragons that reach zero energy through starvation or fleeing from Coliseum fights are also considered dead and must be exalted. Receiving a new dragon from the Auction House at any point [i]must fulfill[/i] the following requirements: [list][*]It cannot be from my current Flight. [*]It cannot be named. [*]It must be triple-gened. [*]It must be of the bio-sex I have less of in my clan, if applicable. [*]It must be of an element I do not have in my clan, if applicable. [*]It must be of a breed I do not have in my clan, if applicable. [*]It must be the [i]cheapest[/i] dragon that meets all these requirements.[/list] Any dragons from my home element that will count as contestants in this challenge must be bred out of the current contestants. They cannot be bought from the Auction House. In honor of the first two dragons, any new dragons received or hatched will be named using a random number generator on NASA's [url=https://www.nasa.gov/missions]list of missions[/url]. If the name has already used on a dragon, then I will continue to roll until I get a completely new one for the challenge. Every bred hatchling will get 1d20 rolled every day while they’re still small. If that die lands on a 1, they are considered dead and are immediately exalted. [i]Note how this is for bred hatchlings, not ones purchased at the Auction House.[/i] [center][b][u]Pinkerton’s Influence:[/u][/b][/center] [b]Food:[/b] This determines how many Coliseum matches I must have on a given day. Plants: 10+ battles Insects: 20+ battles Seafood: 30+ battles Meat: 40+ battles I can end a winning streak to start with full health in the Coliseum after completing any battle. However, if I feel the need to flee in the middle of one, I must use the fleeing feature and suffer the energy penalty. [b]Materials:[/b] I must write an entry in this forum thread that contributes to character development and/or relationships outside of battle. It could be a moment between two characters, a soliloquy, or anything of that sort. [b]Trinkets:[/b] I must flesh out the backstory of a dragon in their bio, replacing the few-sentence character description that will be in all dragon’s bios with something more substantial. This would be going in chronological order by when the dragon entered my clan. [b]Familiars:[/b] I get to breed two triple-gened dragons together. [i]Since dragons on a nest cannot be exalted, they are not allowed to fight during the nesting process![/i] If no compatible pairs are RTB, I must find the cheapest set of acceptable hatchlings on the Auction House that are siblings and buy as many of them as I can with my current funds. In order to be acceptable, they must be triple-gened, be not from my home flight, and be of an element I do not have, if applicable; however, they can be of breeds I already have (even if I don’t have at least one of each). If this scenario were to occur, every hatchling featured in this mass-buy must endure the same 1d20 trial that bred hatchlings must face (see previous section) instead of getting the Auction House immunity that comes with a single purchase. [i]In the lore, this will be the equivalent of finding an abandoned nest and bringing the hatchlings home.[/i] [b]Apparel:[/b] I get to purchase a dragon from the Auction House following the limitations listed in the Baseline Rules section of this post. [b]Battle Items:[/b] If there are less than seven contestants, nothing happens. If there are at least seven contestants, then...death streak! [list][*]Use an RNG to select three random adult dragons from the lair. [*]These dragons enter a randomized venue in the Coliseum that the third dragon is either [i]at or below the level of.[/i] For example, if they are level ten, then they can be sent to the Training Fields, the Woodland Path, the Scorched Forest, or the Sandswept Delta. [*]Fleeing is not allowed. The dragons must win ten fights or one of their comrades must fall [/list]

[center] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528#post_2097528]Intro and Rules[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25113993]Table of Contents[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25114013]Brief Candles[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25114018]Viewers Like You[/url] [size=5]The Players[/size] "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players" [size=2]--[i]As You Like It[/i], act 2, scene 7[/size] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30187352] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/301874/30187352_350.png[/img] [/url] Near Introduced on [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528#post_25114040]Days One, Two, and Three[/url] [size=2]Oilslick Ripple | Fog Current | Cream Crackle[/size] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30200711] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/302008/30200711_350.png[/img] [/url] Small Introduced on [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25133919]Day Four[/url] [size=2]Storm Crystal | Shadow Facet | Pearl Smoke[/size] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30347399] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/303474/30347399_350.png[/img] [/url] Ulysses Introduced on [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528#post_25231795]Days Eight and Nine[/url] [size=2]Yellow Vipera | Buttercup Peregrine | Radioactive Underbelly[/size] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30510884] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/305109/30510884_350.png[/img] [/url] Asteroid Introduced on [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/2#post_25367698]Day Sixteen[/url] [size=2]Nightshade Iridescent | Thistle Facet | Jungle Runes[/size] [center]

[center] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528#post_2097528]Intro and Rules[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25113993]Table of Contents[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25113998]The Players[/url] | [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528/1#post_25114018]Viewers Like You[/url] [size=5]Brief Candles[/size] "Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more." [size=2]--[i]Macbeth[/i], act 5, scene 5[/size] The departed shall be recorded here. [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20781757] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/207818/20781757_350.png[/img] [/url] Pioneer ("Pi") Introduced on [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528#post_25114040]Days One, Two, and Three[/url] Died on [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528#post_25171307]Days Six and Seven[/url] [size=2]Black Tiger | Shadow Daub | Midnight Basic[/size] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20891569] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/208916/20891569_350.png[/img] [/url] Magellan ("Madge") Introduced on [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528#post_25114040]Days One, Two, and Three[/url] Died on [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2097528#post_25171307]Days Six and Seven[/url] [size=2]Obsidian Tiger | Stonewash Eye Spots | Platinum Underbelly[/size] [/center]

[center] [size=5]Days One, Two, and Three[/size] [item=Diaphanous Wing][item=Battered Scroll Case][item=Woodland Headband] [/center] Pioneer tapped her claws against the rails of the pier as she stared out to sea. The planks below her creaked as she shifted her weight, the sound of the waves patting the posts echoed from below. The powers of her Flight granted her the ability to see in the moonless night, but she wished that she could control the currents, like the ancient, ancient Skydancers. The still air stirred not a single feather, offering no relief in this balmy night, though the waters swelled and retreated as usual, bless the Tidelord. The stifling warmth did not calm Pioneer's nerves. [i]The payload's late[/i], she thought, as she cast her vision out to the horizon and slowly swept her gaze back and forth. Nothing - no light, no noise, nothing to indicate that she was not alone. Despite the warmth, she shivered. [i]Something's not right[/i], her mind whispered. A creak sounded from behind her, Pioneer whipped around, a Contuse at the ready. Before her stood the bulk of a Tundra. Much like Pioneer, a light belly stood out against dark fur that blended in with the night, but unlike Pioneer, her wings were a light blue. Pioneer recognized the form of her friend Magellan and extinguished the spell. "Madge." She huffed and scooted over to make room for her friend at the pier's edge. "How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?" "But [i]Pi[/i]..." Madge stretch out the vowel. "You were gone a long time, and I got hungry, and I ate everything I'd cooked for dinner, but I was still hungry, but you hadn't eaten yet!" Pi rolled her eyes at Madge's pout. "C'mon, Pi, let's go home! Aren't you hungry?" Pi looked out to sea. Dark waters stared back. She turned to Madge and shook her head. "I have to wait here. For the payload." Madge's purple eyes bored into hers. Pi felt the silence stretch between them. "Okay!" Madge plopped her behind onto the pier and wagged her tail. "Let's wait together!" Pi opened her mouth to protest - she was indeed hungry and Madge could make better use of the time by running home and fetching the sack of dried fireflies perfect for lulls like this - but said nothing. Not even the Earthshaker could move a dragon as stubborn as Madge. Plus, Pi hoped that her intuition was wrong and that the ship would be here in no time. In that case, she'd be at the doorstep right as Madge came back out with the snack. Mostly, though, the wagging of Madge's tail created a slight breeze. Under normal conditions, no one would feel it at all, but the air was so still today that even the smallest movement of air helped. Pi sighed, enjoying the feeling of the air brushing past her mane. "Okay, then," she replied, "Let's wait together." [center]x[/center] "And see..." On her back, Madge traced out a squiggly line in the air. "Those stars make up the Strangler! Hissss!" She closed an eye and stuck out her tongue to imitate the serpent. "And there's the Ancient Fungus! That one's my favorite because it actually looks kinda like one." She drew a dome connected to a rectangular stalk. "But it bugs me that they're next to each other!" She made an angry flip of the paw toward the heavens. "They don't even live in the same pl - " Her explanation of the cosmic picture book was interrupted by a dot of light trekking across the sky. As it moved, it brightened and grew into a circle. Pi's eyes widened. She backed away from the pier's edge, grabbed the scruff of Madge's neck. "I think it's getting clo - " She closed her eyes against the sudden bright burst of light, but it's a loud [i]BOOM![/i] that drowned out the sound of her voice. Pi opened one eye to check that the monstrosity had disappeared. "Madge, are you al - Madge? Madge? Wait!" Pi flew after her. She shouted after her friend, barely able to hear her own voice above the infernal ringing in her ears. Pi was so worried about her friend, the explosion, her ears, the payload, that she didn't realize Madge had stopped and rammed right into her. Before them lay a large circular depression filled with snow. It must've been very thin, for it melted quickly, retreating toward the Fae-sized hunk of ice that lay at its center. Petrified, Pi tried to process the impossible scene before her, while Madge retrieved what lay in the snow. [center] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30187352] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/301874/30187352_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Solemn, Madge placed her ear next to his chest. Her eyes widened, and she shot up. "He's still breathing! If we get back in time..." Madge chewed her lip. "...he might make it." Pi straightened. "He will make it." They set off toward their cottage. "He [i]will[/i]." [center]x [i]Total treasure spent: 4000[/i] [/center]

[center][size=5]Day Four[/size] [item=Maroon Chest Wrap][/center] The pile of black powder gracing Pi's desk tied yet another weight to her already heavy heart. At this rate, it'd sink right through her chest into her stomach. Where would they be then? The room was dark - she and Madge had learned how unforgiving the sun's rays could be in these parts and had boarded up the windows. But the shadows offered no respite from the humidity, which locked in the heat. The quiet air hummed with a lethargy - and Pi so, so wanted to give in, but she had promises to keep. The imperial slept in the cot nearby - Madge's - while the Tundra herself pillowed her head on a bit of unoccupied blanket, careful even in her sleep to keep her coat from covering his body. Pi's head drooped...she snapped awake and shook her head, patting her feather crests in a desperate attempt to keep awake. Madge had insisted on taking night watch after last night's craziness (The thought [i]I'm still not entirely sure that happened last night[/i] drifted somewhere past the fuzzy upper boundaries of her vision), firmly but gently tucking Pi in. But last night's sleep came in fits and starts. She would begin in the Dada narrative of dreams and be staring, wide awake, at the ceiling with no way to trace how she had left one and arrived at the other. No divine forces kept her awake now. Just willpower, but...barely. She would not sleep through immediate danger, but she had not the focus to write any more letters, let alone shadow-send them. And even if she did...her gaze flicked to the black powder on her desk. Her head slipped from the grasp of her palms to her wrists, which refused her brain's orders to rub soothing circles on her temples. [i]Something's blocking my letters.[/i] She let her head fall onto the desk. [i]What is going on here?[/i] She played games, focusing on the table right below her eye, then the far edge and watching what lay in between blur. She tried not to think how with the missing payload, the guarantee of future ones had also vanished. Without constant supplies, guarantees of their livelihood were shaky. But more immediately, she had wasted an already dwindling supply of parchment and ink. She knew that she must keep trying. But her sinking heart told her that she would be wasting precious supplies. If their writing supplies dried up, they would be cut off from the rest of Sornieth. Pi knew, just as she had known last night when the payload did not arrive, that loneliness would deliver a more agonizing death than hunger or thirst. [i]Huurkk.[/i] She heaved herself up, managing to prop the side of her face against the back of a wrist. [i]I'm getting sentimental again.[/i] Against her will, her eyelids dropped and the lethargic buzzing of the air grew - [i]creak[/i] Adrenaline sent fingers of lightning across the arch of her back, into her brain. She shot up and moved to press herself against the wall next to the desk. Luckily, the door to the main hall was shut - Pi shot the Shadowbinder a quick prayer that it stayed that way - before trying to slow the thunderous gallop of her heart. "Hello?" Bu-bump. Bu-bump. "Hello?" [i]Click, click[/i] of claws, Pi supposed, but in her panic, she could not remember which dragons had claws and which ones didn't. "Anyone there?" The voice cracked at the end, but Pi only noticed that it was getting closer. Pi readied a Contuse. When the door opened, she had already move before the foot of the bed. Wing spread, she fired. The shot went wide. Hitting the doorframe, it dissipated in a [i]thump![/i] Pi realized that her target was on all fours, while she was on her hind legs, and was already backing away, blubbering. "Oh my 'keeper, I'm so sorry, I'm not here to hurt anyone, please don't kill me, oh my gods, I don't want to die, please, please, please help me." The end dissolved into sobs. [center] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30200711] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/302008/30200711_350.png[/img] [/url] [/center] Oblivious to the stirring Madge behind her, Pi rolled her eyes and slumped in relief. She couldn't decide between "Yeah, right. Better excuse next time, kid." and "Oh my Shadowbinder, I shot a hatchling." so what came out of her mouth was: "Are you freakin' kidding me?" [center]x [i]Total treasure spent: 8200[/i][/center]

[center][size=5]Day Five[/size] [item=Decorated Turtle Shell][/center] Madge knew the secret ingredient to settling dragons down was food. "Want some, Pi?"She waved a bundle of Fallen Stars under her friend's nose. "I found it foraging last week!" Pi grimaced. "...is that even safe to eat?" "I 'unno," Madge managed through a mouthful of leaves, "but I think hunger would kill us faster than radioactivity." "Um, if I may?" "Yes..." "Small. Small of Clan Satellites." "Small! It's nice to meet you!" Madge waved. In the process, she let go of the Fallen Stars, which fell to the floor. Pi, without a second thought, popped them into her mouth. "This grumpy face's Pi, as you've probably guessed, and I'm Magellan. But no one calls me that." She sticks out a tongue. "I go by Madge. "Anyway, you eat plants, right?" Madge grabbed another handful of Fallen Stars and put it before Small. "I mean, Pi does, too, and she pretends to like the plant stuff I feed her, but I know she hides a bag of fireflies underneath her bed." Pi choked. When she stopped coughing, she grabbed Madge by the shoulder and dragged her into the hallway. Madge smiled and mouthed a "be right back" to Small, who looked a bit confused. Pi let go and furiously whispered, "Can we not tell this home invader all my deepest, darkest secrets?" Madge giggled. "He's a hatchling! What's the worst he can do? Plus, can't you tell he's not going to, you know, whip out a cleaver and murder us all?" She reached up and flicked Pi's antennae. "Hey, stop that, will you?" Pi used her claws to still them. "And the answer's no, no, I can't. They've been acting funny since last night. I'm completely blind here," she admitted, looking down between her feet. "They're not working and none of my letters are going through and I don't want to waste ink and paper to keep trying and the payload didn't come and - " "Hey, hey, shhhh..." Madge put a finger on Pi's beak and stroked her head. "It'll be okay. Between us, we'll figure something out. Take a break. I'll watch the kids - the imp's still out cold but Small seems quite well-behaved." She guided her friend by the shoulders to Pi's room. After Pi got situated, Madge closed the door. "Good night, Pi." "G'night." The Skydancer's words slurred. "And Madge?" "Yeah?" "Thanks." Madge heard the slow breathing of a slumbering dragon. "What are friends for, you silly goose?"

[center][size=5]Days Six and Seven[/size] [item=Common Shellbug][item=Smoky Quartz][/center] Pi had no words. Madge would've said something by now, she thought, as she stared at the patch of sand before her, the waves murmuring behind that, and the sky beyond that. Under her palm was a crying Small. He had followed her and refused to listen to her insistence that burials were no places for hatchlings. His bouquet of Fallen Star lay on top of the smoky quartz that marked Madge's resting place. It was funny, she thought, how quickly Madge had fit herself into the patchwork quilt of their lives. Pi'd written a letter but didn't have the heart or strength to send it. [i]Would Madge have?[/i] she thought. She didn't know. Starry-eyed, absent-minded, she might have forgotten. Optimistic, stubborn, she might have kept trying until something went through. But a letter to the Corps was different from this, she thought. These would be the last true memory of her - the rest would be memories of memories of memories until nothing but the corner of a smile remained. But Pi had no words. Words could state the facts of Madge's death, her achievements in the Corps, perfunctory condolences to whatever of Madge's family, whom she had never met. But words could not chain down the memory of Madge. Using words to confine the essence of someone so lively, so in-the-moment felt...wrong, somehow. Small gasped. Pi followed his upward gaze. One after another, meteors streaked across the sky. Tears welled up as she choked out a laugh. Of course. Falling stars and Fallen Stars for a fallen one who loved the stars and burned as brightly as one. She picked up the quartz. Concentrating all her shadowy magic, she rearranged the dark flecks within... [center]x[/center] [quote=On a piece of parchment, Pioneer] [i]Dear Madame Secretary, It is my great sorrow to report the death of my comrade and good friend, Magellan, in the field. We dived into the sea to escape a nest of wasps we had disturbed. She failed to resurface. Her body washed ashore later that night. I and Small of Clan Satellites, a hatchling who had shipwrecked upon this island, buried her by the sea, under the stars. Without her skill in foraging, we would have starved when our supply ships stopped coming. Without her knowledge in astronomy, we would not have realized where we had landed. But a dragon's value is not in her skills. Her bubbly personality, optimism, and good cheer buoyed us in trying times on this island... [/i][/quote] [center]x[/center] Small winced as the Imperial's claws dug into his shoulder. His lungs struggled against the weight pressing on them. He tried to inhale - to yell for Pi, to gather energy to get the writhing mass off him - but his attacks were reduced to futile kicks and scratches, desperation to breathe and survive. The bang of the door, followed by relief as a dark, thin arm lifted the attacking dragon off him. Small wheezed and righted himself, catching his breath and dispelling the stars and shadows in his vision. Words returned soon after. "Pi - " he said before realizing the Skydancer was not paying him any attention whatsoever. She glared at the now awake Imperial. "What. Are. You. Doing." He squirmed against her grip, to no avail. "He ruined my scales!" he shrieked. "Look at them! They're ruined!" This was punctuated by a loud wail. Small thought it was rather impressive that Pi kept her composure. "I should think that rather impossible. Small here arrived more than half a day after you did. If he were involved in some 'sorcery,'" - she rolled her eyes - "then your markings wouldn't have been here when we first fished you out." "No!" The Imperial screeched. "Inconceivable!" "Stop embarrassing yourself." Pi walked out, dragging the tantrum thrower across the main room. "My friend didn't save you so you could throw a fit over how you look." "Well, then," the Imperial sneered, "[i]your friend[/i] should have left me to die! I'd rather be dead than look like a disgrace!" "[i]Magellan[/i]," Pi said, "died." She hoisted him over the threshold. "Don't come back in until you've cleared that pea-brain of yours." "Wait!" His fists landed on the door. "Let me in! I can't be seen outside like this!" He pounded the door. "Let! Me! In! Let me in, by the gods, let me in!" The top half of the door swung open and hit his antlers. "Hey, watch it!" he hissed. The door muffled the "sorry" from the other side. It opened only a crack this time. "I'll try to get Pi to let you back in, but if you keep hitting the door, it'll be harder. And you're only going to hurt yourself." The snout holding the door open disappeared, leaving the Imperial outside. He cast a summon for ice. Nothing. He cast a spell - and another spell - and again - again - again. Panic rose within him as he stared at his empty hands - he began to scratch at the vile white webbing, scratch and scratch and scratch and - No. He turned to see the film running all over his body. This must not be a coincidence. The filth disgraced him, but taking away his magic was the last straw. Delirious, he ran to the sea - perhaps the Tidelord would be merciful enough to wash away this curse - but no matter how hard he scrubbed, the damned substance would not give - out - out - He froze in terror, wide-eyed as the leviathan's tentacles surged toward him. The crest of a wave swept him under. He coughed, opening his airways for more saltwater to surge in. A claw grasped his mane and dragged him out and away. Before his eyes was a dark figure, wings flared. Claws splayed, she fired spell after spell after spell. But it did nothing but anger the creature. "No!" he wanted to yell, but only more water came out. Helplessly, he watched a tentacle rise and knock the dragon out of the sky. She lay on the ground and moved no more. [center]x [i]Total minor health potions used: three[/i][/center]

[center][size=5]Days Eight and Nine[/size] [item=Decorative Rasa Shard][item=Blue and Brown Flair Scarf][/center] One moment, the Imperial dozed on the warm sand, hoping the sun would bake the crust off his scales, and the next, the ground quaked. Alarmed, he sat up and looked about, only to receive a headful of sand from his right. He spat it out and turned to see a hole that had not been there, in which was a Spiral who had not been there. [center] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=30347399] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/303474/30347399_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] "Hail!" Contrary to his expectations, her voice was not high and squeaky but deeper with a hint of rasp. Slightly deeper and it would have been indistinguishable from the voice of a young male or an older hatchling on the cusp of dragonhood. "I am Ulysses of the Shattered Plain, domain of the great Earthshaker, Defender of the Pillar of the World and First of His Kind. May you bequeath me the honor of knowing to whom I speak?" He blinked. "Um, you want to know my name?" Ulysses raised a brow. "Do you see another?" [i]I'm guessing that's a yes.[/i] "Near." "Greetings, Near! I receive the pleasure of making your acquaintance." She shouldered a wooden implement - Near assumed it was what she used to dig the hole. "I presume you reside here on these fair shores?" Near shrugged. "Sure." "I humbly beseech your generous hospitality, for I have traveled a long day's jour - " "Small!" Near jumped up and walked the short path to (what Ulysses would call) their humble abode. "Small! Deal with this lady." Ulysses frowned. "My dear Near, I assure you, I am no - " "Near, be polite. And I'm not your housekeeper. Unlike a certain someone who spends his days twiddling his thumbs by the beach, I have things to do." Small wipes his claws on a towel. "Hello!" He offers a paw to Ulysses. "I'm Small. I see you've already met Near. I'm sorry about his behavior; I'm trying to teach him how to be nice, but it seems like the word isn't in his lexicon." Near ignored Small's humorous glance. Puzzled, she looked his paw. She reached out, and Small shook her outstretched paw. "Greetings, Small. I am Ulysses of the Shattered Plain, domain of the great Earthshaker, Guardian of the Pillar of the World and First of His Kind. I travel Sornieth on a quest given to me by a child of the Tidelord (Blessed Be His Name) and who learned her scrying arts from the same. I would be much obliged if you offered a place to rest my weary feet, a little nourishment for my stomach, and a roof over my head in the case of inclement weather." She readjusted the piece of wood on her shoulder. "In return for your hospitality, I can regale you with tales of my wanderings, if you so wish, and the blessings of the Eleven - may they smile upon those who extend their generosity to all manner of guests who grace your doorstep." "Of course!" Small opened both doors to let her in. Ulysses turned to walk in and nearly hit Near's snout with her implement. Ignoring Near's glares (with some incredulity tossed in), Small took the wooden pole. "Here, let me grab that so it's out of the way." He looked along its shaft, then flipped it over in his paws. "That's quite the oar you've got there. Ceremonial?" "Oar?" Near echoed. He took a step back and silenced himself when Small gave him a puzzled frown. "Quite." Ulysses took a seat before the empty hearth as Small propped the oar upright in a corner. "You have quite the sharp eye and clear mind to discern from but a cursory examination." Small laughed and waved a paw. "Oh, not at all! I just noticed it wasn't wet, so I guessed you probably don't use it." Ulysses nodded. "Virtuous dragon, you are, to not be swayed and remain staid in the face of praise. But I present not mere compliments; my words are fair assessment of your abilities, and you need not shy away from that." [i]Stop flirting[/i], Near thought as the two chatted, and he tuned their boring small talk out. Five seconds in, he was tapping his claws against the counter. [i]What in the world is an oar anyway?[/i] he thought as he looked out the window. Wordlessly, the grasses swayed in the gentle breeze. [center]x [i]Total treasure spent: 12699[/i][/center]