CHAPTER XXV Abridged
in which the gang has a shopping montage...
Face to Mr. Face
After discussing the generics of the LeShrac takedown plan with the various Felspar commanders, the Silver Foxes retreat to a secluded rooftop to consider more unconventional ways of enhancing their strength, hopeful that solutions might exist in the book that Gorbie loaned out to Glad. Glad unwraps the package to reveal a leather bound book with a wrinkled and rather realistic human face on the cover. Within its pages are recipes and other information detailing the secrets of blood magic. Curious about the face, Glad first tries pouring alcohol into its mouth to see if there's any reaction. There isn't. But when he slices his hand and feeds a few drops of blood into it, the book comes to life.
The book, named Vorshin but who the group refer to as Mr. Face, is ancient and knowledgeable of the secrets its vampiric seeming master has transcribed within its bounds. More than simply myth, he mentions that vampires are actual creatures that still roam the coast, noting that the previous Archon of Chracio some 50 years ago lived up to his rumored vampiric status. There's also talk of vampires being found in the Northern desert, along the Eastern coast, and within the Silvestri forest. Glad, Haas, and Mouse manage to extract all this information through questioning, and with Glad and Mouse donating more blood against Eierryn's advisement.
Among the knowledge imparted:
Blood of different species imparts differing benefits.
There are three types of Blackscale blood.
There is a potion for resisting suppression that can be made, but comes with a caution that side-effects include delusions of grandeur and megalomania. Glad considers this negligible because he has both in spades already.
Better blood can be achieved through diet, potions, and channeling quasith.
A potion for channeling quasith exists involving human blood, which is very versatile.
A potion for strength can be made from Tuskers marrow and bones.
Worth Far More Than Its Wait in Gold
Gleaning what they could from the book, the group then sets about finding the armory so they can get the equipment that Sentinel Tiersa mentioned. Glad first makes a pit-stop in the tunnels being repaired where he scavenges, with some trouble, more Tusker bones to go with the Tusks he already collected. Then the Silver Foxes find the armory and outfit themselves with Mythril swords, and Breathian Steel armor. Afterwards, they make stop at another shop, this one an impressive manse belonging to the Fanra family, which happens to be family of the foremost Savorite expertise. Glad hits on the receptionists to no avail. Then he spends his Sentinel's favor for what is essentially a blank slate from Gogan, the family head. Glad settles on a metal coated Savorite coated staff painted in his pillars colors. The silver tips are unpainted mythril and run up the staff to the dragonhead ornament whose pointed ears can be used as a stabbing weapon. The staff has two mentally commanded roars that it can produce. The first is an impressively credible dragon roar. The second is an amplified recording of Glad saying 'Fuck Shul'. The itemized receipt shows the staff to be worth the equivalent in game currency of $500,000 USD.
A Dream Like Sleep
Finished in the School of Thought, the Silver Foxes settle their business with Jormie, then hit up Gorbie to ask about the source of the Wraith Whiskey. Gorbie, apparently, got it straight from the source. He happens to know a Wraith called the Tailor or Weaver who hangs around the 3rd Wharf on the western edge of the Ruined land. He supposes the Wraith would be able to answer whether or not the potency and direction of a dream is controllable and offers up this information in exchange for anything learned about tailoring dreams, something that could be very profitable. The Wraith should look like a person, but ambiguous, pale, human, and bald. And his eyes will look off. Armed with this knowledge, the group creates a new plan of attack.