RP:Tend to Your Business

Part of the Once Upon a Midnight Dreary Arc

Synopsis: Joan comes to visit Quintessa in her new gallery in Vhys where the two women catch up on different affairs. During this visit Quintessa gives Joan a Purple Leather Plague-Doctor Belt made with the Black Pond Boutique's design, one of a kind and made to Joan's exact specifications. Impressed by this, Joan orders a new commission, giving Quintessa a Charoite crystal, a rare gem gifted to her by Leoxander, with the intention of it being made into a hairclip.

The Blackwell East Vhysian Company

Opulence is the name of House Blackwell and their headquarters here in Elimdor lives up to this expectation. In true Vailkrinese fashion Quintessa has resurrected the "Art Draco" architecture of her homeland, modified slightly to make use of local resources and artisans. Sleek geometric walls of fused black stone rise high like a small castle, adorned with multitudes of redundant arches that seem carved from the very walls themselves. Inside is no different, with absurdly high ceilings decorated in silver-gilt, the pale light from the green-glowing braziers reflecting from it with an eerie luster. While House Blackwell uses this building as merchant offices and storage, here in the nave visitors are free to browse at their leisure. Many curios and strange objects from around Lithyrdel end up here and are on display, but for those wanting a custom design from Black Pond Boutiques they will need to contact Quintessa directly with a request. A depository where letters addressed to her can be found here at the east end of the room.

Joan had spent some time down at the Rynvale clinic, having some to personally deliver their supplies fresh from the healers guild. Once that was done the vampiric healer decided to travel up and through the nearby town Elimdor, She spent awhile going through the local shops and sightseeing, having came upon Quintessa's newest shop location. She wanders in to look around, calling out in a polite tone, "Hello, is anyone here its Joan."

Quintessa was lurking about the main gallery getting things just perfect, putting all her little trinkets on display for the Vhyian locals- and more importantly, the tourists to see. She was just putting out a trio of dragon's eggs onto an incubated pillow when she heard Joan's voice echo off the high ceilings of the main room, causing her to quickly pivot away from the display to investigate. "Miss Joan?" Mismatched eyes peek out from behind a display as she heads towards the entrance to meet her, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of her mouth when she spots her from across the room. "What a pleasant surprise! Come in, come in, look around." Quintessa spins in a circle, her hands gesturing at everything around them. "Did you come looking for something specific in mind? Oh! I bet you've come to collect your commission, is that right?"

Joan offers a friendly towards 'Tessa once she poked her head up and out so where Joan can see. "Yuppers, nice looking place you got out here. I just saw this place and wandered in. Very neat-o and ooh yeah that almost slipped my mind."

Quintessa grins at Joan, a devious glint in her eyes as she parts her lips to claim "Nothing slips *my* mind. Come, follow me." Quintessa leads Joan further in, approaching a door on the east side of the room that leads to another area. "I'm glad you like the new place. I've been meaning to expand– Stretch my legs, as they say. Losing my castle taught me one important thing; Never put all your eggs in one basket." Walking through this door she ends up on a balcony overlooking the grey seas of Vhys, the smell of the air meeting them as she approaches a large stack of crates held back there, her eyes darting over the manifest that was pinned to the side of each box. "Now I lay my eggs all over Lithyrdel..."

Joan tilts her head slightly as she gives a curious glance as they through the store then out towards the balcony. She pauses to glance out towards the sea, "Nice view you got. Must be exciting to stand or sit out here when it storms and watch." She offers a nod then once again paused when Quintessa speaks about laying eggs. "Uh...okay."

Quintessa doesn't seem to notice anything weird about laying eggs. She once heard that the druid Kailani does it all the time. Instead she hums softly as Joan comments on the view, turning back to look at her after retrieving something from the crate. "Oh yes, indeed. I have gained a new appreciation for the ocean since I started staying here... But I didn't bring you back here to look at the view." She holds up a parcel of leather, already unbound by the time she shows it off to Joan. "Okay, so you said to surprise you, so I hope you find use for this..." She unfolds the parcel slowly, revealing what looks to be a leather belt of rich purple coloration neatly folded up in the center. "Finding the right material was a challenge," she begins, holding the belt out to show that it had innumerable slots and potential holsters for tools– a luxury utility belt made from dragon hide. "But finally I found the perfect color. Turns out deep dragons are also called purple dragons for a reason. A small foray into the Dead Caves and eureka, I had the perfect dragon scales for this project. Here, go on, take it, try it on."

Quintessa gave 1 Purple Leather Plague-Doctor Belt to Joan.

Joan takes the offered belt with a look of awe on her features. "Oh wow 'Tessa, this is very snazzy. Made from deep dragon scales you say?!" She carefully looks over the belt lightly running her bare fingers over leather and scales. "And this is just a taste of what you can do?! Wow."

Quintessa appreciates the praise, beaming like a child whenever Joan complements her work. "Your words are too kind," she begins, but she makes no attempt to stop her. "It's something of a passion of mine, I admit. I grew up very poor, you see, I had to make my own clothes from whatever I could get my hands on, and since my father was a hunter..." Talking about her father seems to make her uncomfortable so she quickly steers away from that. "I'm very good at working with leather, is what I'm getting at. I'm not a bad seamstress either but I'm no Iintahquohae Kerrigan. By the gods what that woman can do with a needle and thread... But I'm getting off track. Yes, this piece is a prime example of what I can do with rare materials. Given more time and resources I could even apply enchantments to the gear. Something similar I've done is create a quiver that pulls arrows from the aether, never putting an archer at risk of running out of ammunition. With the wealth of arcane knowledge currently at my disposal there is very little limit to what I can accomplish. There are always limits, however. My goal is to test them."

Joan bobs her head as she listens to 'Tessa, her hands eagerly wrap the fine belt about her slender waist and buckles it into place, she look about for a mirror so she can stare at the wonderful snazzy belt. "Do you have a full length mirror nearby? Since this is such a nice surprise I was wondering if I can get you to maybe do something with a stone Leoxander gifted me."

Quintessa leads Joan back into the main gallery, taking her to a large mirror of polished silver on the east south side of the room. "Here you go." She watches in the mirror, a hand placed on her hip as she ponders about what Leoxander could have given her. "A stone, you say? What manner of stone? It could be fitted into a ring or amulet perhaps. Maybe even slotted into the back of a glove or used to make a penannular brooch. It really depends on what you want the function to be." She tilts her head to the side, her curiosity growing. "What can you tell me about this stone?"

Joan turns her hips from side to side and even turns about to face away from the mirror as she cranes her neck to glance back over her vested shoulder to get a backside view of the belt, answering Tessa in an absentminded manner. "A Charoite stone. I think it was his way of saying 'thanks' for all the healing I did on him in the past." She flashed a full fanged smile to the younger woman to show her growing pleasure at the belt while she dug out the stone from her front right pants pocket, holding it out to her. "I was thinking perhaps hairclips with black diamonds and moonstone inculded."

Quintessa's eyes widen in wonder at the sight of the Charoite crystal. "Ah, Charoite, a most uncommon material. It's said to have a powerful spiritual influence over confidence and ambition. Placing it upon your head in the form of a hairclip will surely focus your thoughts and help you achieve your goals." She reaches out to take it, rolling it around in her palm as she considers the best way to use it. "Hmm, and with black diamonds and moonstone. Yes, I can make something beautiful with this." With the help of a jeweler, of course, but Quintessa wouldn't mention that part. "I can easily amplify the mystical properties in this stone, if you wish. It may fortify your mental acuity far beyond what is naturally possible but it will be more costly. I leave the decision to you, of course. For now, a basic commission will cost 20,000 gold pieces. 15,000 for the materials and 5000 for the labor. If we enchant it the price will rise exponentially, I must warn you."

Joan pats her hands against the belt excited to start filling all the little vials slots and everything. "Sure, why not add an enchantment. I can have the gold transferred to you in a few days, or after. However you want that done." Resting one hand upon her waist she then goes on to inform Quintessa of what she did with Sidd and ask if it would count towards the needed count for that art. "Just recently I took my buddy Sidd, the blue moehawked fellow up to the guild's garden and taught him how to make a basic healing salve, would that count towards my alchemy and botany requirements you think?"

Quintessa grins at the prospect of applying her magic to the crystal, but Joan's next words pull her thoughts away from that. "Blue moeha...? Hmm, yes, Sidd. I remember." Her grin slowly fades as she listens to her explain their visit to the gardens. "Healing salve? Why yes, of course that counts. Transforming raw plants into macerations is the foundation of the alchemical arts, but as you say, a basic salve is just that: Basic. But that is not to say it lacks practicality. Continue this work– Document it. Your work as a healer puts you in the prime position to test out your creations on your patients, the practice of medicine, as they say." Quintessa finds her grin returning. "Perhaps one day you'll stumble across a universal panacea. Such a discovery would serve as a worthy magnum opus. Something to add to the Miscellany." Quintessa's motivations in farthing the knowledge of the Necromancer's Guild was crystal clear.

Joan grins towards the younger woman after hearing all of that. "Alrighty, let me know when you have a free day or night to give me a lesson, I'm sorely lacking the in the learning botany and alchemy." She gives a look around the store front once more , "I have been so focused on putting in work to rank up in the healers I need to take a break and switch it off back to necomancers."

Quintessa nods her head slowly. "Of course. Once the Titans of Winter tournament concludes I will be much more free to engage with Guild endeavors. You are doing good work out there, keeping people alive. I suspect in this championship match we will need your services again, but please, do not overwork yourself."

Joan offers Quintessa a sharp smart salute, "Roger that! Okay, I should scoot off now. Thank you for the belt once again. I will put it to good use. And I look forward to seeing what you come with the stone. You have yourself a decent enough rest of your evening." With that she will make her way towards the door, pausing long enough to see if Quintessa had anything else to say before she makes her way back towards Vailkrin and her awaiting cottage,

Quintessa waves after the woman. "You're very welcome! Thank you, you have a good evening as well." With that said Quintessa would let Joan leave, returning to her own work in her little shop of horrors.