(For Esquie and Verso)

[lost_and_foundry]

Barcus Wroot is not lonely. That would be absurd. If anything, he's surrounded by too many people, mostly gnomes, mostly deep gnomes, all of them clamoring for his attention and guidance and advice. He is the leader of a powerful laborer's guild, which is firmly in alliance with an equally powerful church, and he has the ear of Ravengard and all the other gentry. Not to mention their coin, any time he wants to undertake a project for them. Never in his life has demand for his attention been so high.

It feels so empty.

But maybe he's just tired. Burnout happens. He absolutely does not miss Wulbren. Good riddance.

Getting drunk, or even tipsy, is not his style, but he's skirting the line tonight, having had enough whiskey that his ears are ringing slightly. He's not so dazed he doesn't notice the strangeness of the two...men? Talking to the tavernkeeper. One is clearly human, but the other is bigger than an Orthon and the gnome gets distracted wondering how on earth they made it through the doors...

Comments

[lost_and_foundry]

Some sort of spirit, Barcus decides, watching Esquie move weightlessly down the street. Not giantkin, that's for sure. Some sort of benevolent spirit entity inhabiting a form like a giant doll, for reasons of its own. He seems kindly, and it's never a good idea to call a magical being out on that sort of thing.

"How odd," he muses aloud. "For me to feel so comfortable around someone so unusual."

Verso is comprehensible, at least, and he turns attention to him willingly now, trying to picture what it might have looked like for him to fall into Esquie's nest. Clearly he's been adopted since.

"Well, be a little careful who you take work from," he advises. "The Flaming Fist will hire you to do the work they don't want to do any day, but half of them are mercenaries to begin with, so what they don't want to do is not going to be pleasant work. And the patriars in the Upper City are mostly jackasses, although they'll pay well enough for whatever damn fool thing they ask of you."

He speaks from experience, there, although he hasn't done adventuring for them. Just commission work in gems and metal.

[amourpeint]

"It's hard to stay wary of him really, giant marshmallow that he is," Verso offered. "Especially since you're his buddy now that you've helped him with a rock hunt."

That's just how it works, the fond tone seems to say. He does get a bit more serious at the suggestion Barcus gives, arms crossing as he nods his understanding.

"Honestly, does a city even have nobles if at least some of them aren't utter ducons? The thing about the Fists though, explains why Esquie was so uninterested in their jobs. One tried to talk to him and he just gave them a flower, a weird little metaphor, something about water and dams, and wandered off after giving them a pat on the head." Verso couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. "He's an excellent judge of character."

[lost_and_foundry]

"Is that all it takes? I need more friends like that," he says with a soft chuckle.

"If the Ironhands need anything, I'll keep you in mind, if you like. Every now and again one of our vendors asks for a guard to and from the City. Or one of the tieflings, perhaps. Rolan must have needs for potion ingredients at times. And you can trust him not to send you into anything too horrible. He's a bit, mm...pompous, but a good man nonetheless."

Up ahead, there's a yard surrounded by a wrought iron fence. Within are large blocks of granite, stacks of smaller stones for building, and a few odds and ends, including bits of carvings. There are two dogs roaming the fence line, but for as big and heavily built as they look, they don't seem particularly aggressive, and they're sleek and well-kept. Barcus whistles to get their attention, and they run to the gate, tails wagging. He reaches through to let them sniff him. "Yes, yes, I know, I smell like cats. Back up so I can let us in."

"The black and tan one is called Nails, and the grey one is Hatchet. Brounce named them, said they needed to sound tough."

[amourpeint]

"I think most people would benefit from a friend like Esquie." Aside from a very few select examples of Beyond Help sorts but they're not talking about that right now.

"I wouldn't say no to the recommendation. Done escort work and gathering before, good way to keep busy," For all Verso might look somewhat intimidating on his own with all the scars and the almost prowling sort of pave, most of the jobs he does take for the sake of getting paid tend to be lighter fare. Chasing bandits off towns, escorting traders, running errands. A softer touch than his look would suggest, but given his companion it's hardly surprising. And he can't help but give a small grin at the sight of the dogs waiting at the gate. "I mean, for a guard dog, not a bad play. Good dogs though, you can tell."

Esquie had, as was only proper, stopped by the gate and was happily watching the dogs with a happy little hum when Barcus was greeting them. "Very good dogs!"

[lost_and_foundry]

"Well, perhaps you're lucky you ran into me, after all," Barcus says, feeling pleased with himself that he has something to offer aside from rock hunting. "I know quite a few decent people, these days. I'll introduce you to Rolan later, if you like. He's the proprietor of Sorcerous Sundries."

Both dogs hop up on hind leg briefly to get a look or a sniff at the strangers, but they don't bark, probably because Barcus is right there. Or maybe because they like the look of Esquie, too, who knows?

"They are guard dogs," he says. "Picked by Brounce and Fulgaro, our Ironshields, but we keep them well. They'll do their jobs, but there's no call to make them mean, I don't think."

There appears to be a well-kept kennel in the back of the yard, between the bricks. They're working dogs, but not unsheltered. Once the gate is open, the gnome ushers them all inside, and Esquie and Verso will get to be sniffed in person. After which, Hatchet rolls over for pet. Fearsome beast.

[amourpeint]

As if either of them seemed to mind it- Esquie can take the weight of a couple bouncing pups easily enough, with soft hoots of delighted laughter as he offered a large hand for them to sniff. And Verso seemed experienced enough with the adjustment it took to not get bowled over by a similar process, chuckling as he let them sniff his hands, giving their faces a brief enthusiastic rub in the process that had their ears flapping.

"Guard dogs just have to be loud." Verso agreed readily enough. And with Hatchet presenting a belly to be pet, he huffs a sigh that pretends at longsuffering as he crouches to give the due rubs. "And you're the gatekeeper, demanding a toll, hm?"

"Dogs protect what they love best of all." Esquie hummed, as he toddled towards one of the blocks of granite, with a soft little noise of discovery. "Oh! This one has a seam that looks like the river!"

[lost_and_foundry]

"I'm honestly more of a cat person. I have a few at the guildhall that I feed--well, they're technically my pets, I suppose, only they come and go as they wish. I like these two as well, though."

He gives each dog a cursory scratch, then follows Esquie over to the granite blocks. "These are shipped all the way up from Athkatla. It's very fine material; we ordered it to rebuild the bridges between the upper and lower city. The color is particularly beautiful, I think; almost bluish."

He pats the stone. "I've been pushing basalt for street and house repairs, but the bridges really need a material that's resistant to water. Do you want to see the marble? It's not polished yet and you can really get a feel for the grain of it when you see it in the raw."

[amourpeint]

"You know, most expect me to be a cat person," Verso responded, straightening to dust his hands against his coat. "I mean I like them still, but something about dogs just works for me."

"Basalt. Like the Stone Sea Cliffs!" Esquie gave a faint bobble at the idea, but it didn't yet resolve to anything specific, so aside from a look given as they caught up with him, Verso let them speak. "I would like to see the marble, yes yes. It is pretty when it is all polished but it is just as pretty before. So much. Potential!"

[lost_and_foundry]

"Perhaps opposite personality traits?" He gives him a faint, self-deprecating smile. "I enjoy cats because they're independent and willful. Whereas I've been known to be too stubborn and too loyal for my own good, not unlike a dog."

A pause, then he adds: "I also like the purring, though. That doesn't match my hypothesis."

"I didn't think much of cats at all until I spent time with a hairless bastard of a tomcat called His Majesty. No idea what his yowling meant half the time but I felt intellectually challenged."

Esquie, meanwhile, has unlocked Special Interest mode, so they're getting the full tour whether they want it or not. Barcus seems quietly excited just to talk about the types of stone they have, where it's come from, the mineral composition and what it's destined to be used for. Esquie seems interested, so a lot of the commentary is directed at him, but he tries to include Verso, too, often turning back to him with an encouraging smile. The dogs run around as they take their tour, thrilled to have company at an odd hour, and occasionally running up to one of them for pets.

As they round one corner of the yard, finally, there's a glint of something on the ground next to the dog kennel. Crystals catching the light, and possibly a shimmer of runes? Barcus hastens to pick it up and hold it out to them. "Well the Ironhands didn't order this. Friend of yours?"

[amourpeint]

It's a nice sort of ramble, to be fair. Esquie is more than happy to listen to Barcus as he takes them on the impromptu tour, but that's hardly surprising. His interest is always caught by the interest of his friends, so he's more than willing to lean over and peer at this stone or that as their new friend is describing it, nodding as if he understands the complexities of mineral content in creating those thin seams of color in some stones.

Verso isn't a stonemason, but is still quietly interested in his own way- Barcus will notice that he has the man's attention, and he asks a few questions here and there- clearly not a specialist, but someone whose work has had them in contact with stone before. Not that he ignores the dogs when they come running for pets, obliging them with ear rubs, and upon finding a stick of a decent size, occasionally sending it soaring one way or the other for them to chase.

"Oh! Oh you found Florrie!" Esquie enthused, hustling after Barcus with a cheery little hoot of laughter. "They wanted to spend time with Nails and Hatchet!"

"Something like that, surely," Verso replied with a soft chuckle of his own, taking the stone and turning it over in his hand to make sure it wasn't harmed for it's little adventure, which let Barcus get a good look in the process. Half a round geode with soft-glowing sea-colored runes inside reflecting the glimmer of the inner crystals, not unlike the surface of the ocean. "Looks like we found the right person to help."

Verso held the stone up to Esquie, but rather than taking it in his hands, the larger creature crouched down so his mask was at level, at which point with a soft glow and wisp of magic the stone vanished from Verso's hands and the energy slipped into the 'mouth' of Esquie's mask which just had him happily clapping his sides as he straightened. (Sounding suspiciously like a sloshing wineskin in the process.)

"Florrie was my first stone," Esquie hummed cheerily. "Very adventurous!"

[lost_and_foundry]

To his credit, the gnome doesn't use highly technical language for the most part. He's not being patronizing, just genuinely excited to talk about his work. The fact that they both seem interested is catnip to him. He seems content to wind down when they find Florrie, though, just as pleased to offer the stone back to Esquie as he was to talk about his own projects.

He relinquishes it to Verso, peering briefly at the crystals and runes as he looks it over. No, that's not a language he knows, and that's intriguing, but maybe he'll have a chance for questions later, as they find the rest of the stones.

He wasn't quite prepared for Esquie to magically inhale the stone, and he blinks, mildly startled, but only for a moment.

"I'm glad to have helped," he says, almost modestly. "I'm sure the others will turn up soon. I am getting a little tired, though. Perhaps I can walk you to Ansur's Reach for now? And I'll be happy to help look again tomorrow, once I sign off on a few things for the Ironhands."

[amourpeint]

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Verso agrees readily enough. "It's been a long day, better to have fresh eyes on things, hm?"

"Yes!" Esquie piped up, with a happy bobbing sort of nod. "We will all sleep and dream of good rocks and nice adventures with them!"

[lost_and_foundry]

Barcus is yawning by the time they get to Ansur's Reach, but he isn't too drowsy to talk things over with the clerk at the desk. They're given one of the larger rooms, at a surprisingly reasonable rate. Evidently the gnome's word carries some real weight, at least at this establishment.

Before they part, Barcus scribbles the address of his own apartment, and the Ironhands' guildhall, in case they need to find him the next day. If they catch him at work, they will find him just as cordial, but more distracted with the ledgers and projects around him. He is very clearly in charge, but some of the other Ironhands appear to also be keeping an eye out for his welfare. A gnomish woman, Thulla, takes it upon herself to chat with them a little, giving the impression she's making sure he hasn't fallen in with dangerous weirdos.

She concludes they're nice weirdos, apparently, because she shoos Barcus out of his office shortly thereafter. He works too hard, anyway. He's past due for time off.

Thus, after a couple days of searching around Baldur's Gate for the remainder of Esquie's rock friends, they make a plan to search further upriver, with the intent of camping out a few nights.

[amourpeint]

Esquie's likely doing the lion's share of making them seem like nice weirdos to be fair. And thankfully again, no one questions how he fit in the place as he was, by some strange happenstance managing to not knock anything over or into anyone no matter how distracted he seems by everything going on. Verso's more than willing however to be amicable and charming as they chat with Thulla. No need to make anyone's life difficult, and she seems to be looking out for Barcus.

They find one more rock in the city. Dorrie with their pink and orange inside just sitting pretty as one pleases in the fountain outside of a colorful pastry shop, which encourages them all to stop for a bit and have a snack- Verso and Barcus at least, while Esquie sits happily with them before declaring that he doesn't sense the others here. Verso is pleasantly surprised when Barcus agrees to venture out of the city to search with them, but then... Esquie is always strangely good at finding friends willing to go on adventures with him. He's definitely not displeased, though with a teasing smile he chalks it up to not wanting to have to go scare up a new guide.

This close to the city, there's not overmuch trouble to be found. Most bandits are more interested in the main roads where travelers and merchants are to be found, and the wildlife is somewhat intimidated by Esquie's size. Out farther in the wilderness proper that might change, but for now, as the sun sets on another day and Verso is busy getting a campfire lit, they're unbothered by anything more dangerous than an opossum trundling by the clearing they've claimed, babies clinging to her fur.

/pets the fictional possum

[lost_and_foundry]

It surprises Barcus how much enjoyment he gets out of just walking around the city with them. Seeing things with new eyes, happily pointing out projects the Ironhands have helped with recently, and trying not to allude too hard to the disaster with the Netherbrain and the cults. Not a good idea to scare off the tourists, but anyway, there are plenty of other people they can get that news from.

He compliments Dorrie's coloring as if praising a living animal for its bright eyes and glossy coat. He has some speculation about the geologic forces that might have formed her, too, and in fact ends up talking about parallels between baking and volcanic shaping of types of stone as they snack on pastries. Ridiculous nerd that he is, but these two don't seem to mind.

Barcus knows how to backpack, but after his goblin experience he always travels light. There is nothing specifically wrong with camping directly under the stars, or crawling into undergrowth or rock crevices, and this is more or less what he's come along anticipating. Except as they set up for the night, he looks over at Esquie and it occurs to him there is no undergrowth deep enough to shelter him.

"You know, I didn't think to bring a tent," he says slowly. "But then, I'm not sure they make any in the Gate that are sized quite right for you, Esquie. Are you going to be all right in the open?"

/fictional hissies for your trouble ma'am <3

[amourpeint]

Esquie is pleased by the compliments and assures Barcus that Dorrie is pleased as well- which she might very well be, as it's hard to tell what a rock is thinking for most. He does let the gnome get a proper look at her this time, letting him turn her over in his hands, examine the glowing sigil in her bowl, a thing that looks to be painted on, for all the dunk in the water had done nothing to make the marking fade or chip. Only once Barcus was done with his examination did Dorrie go to join Florrie as the conversation meandered on.

"I like to see the stars," Esquie hummed from where he'd plunked to sit, masked face turned up towards the sky. "They are different here!"

"I don't know that he actually sleeps, to be fair," Verso comments with a wry chuckle. "At least not that I've ever caught him at. He's managed to let himself into my tent a couple times when I bother with it."

A brief, considering moment. "I wasn't planning on pulling it out, but if you'd feel better for it I could."

He tended not to bother unless the weather was looking like it would turn, or they were staying in one place for longer. But if his companion would feel better for some canvas overhead while sleeping, it was hardly a large ask. Even if he didn't look to be carrying anything large enough to hold all the parts needed for a tent.

[lost_and_foundry]

"When I first came up from the Underdark, the sky terrified me," Barcus says. "Especially during the day. The night feels...a little friendlier. The stars are small and cool and distant."

He wanders over to sit next to Esquie, and even leans lightly against him, before thinking better of it and straightening. "Well, if that's what's comfortable for you, far be it from me to object. I just would hate for either of you to get cold."

He looks over at Verso, sheepish. "My plan was to creep under that little overhang in the rock just behind you." He points. "I didn't bring a tent. I travel as light as possible, in case I have to run and hide. Habit."

"But now I have to ask, are you saying you have a tent in your pack somewhere? It hardly looks big enough."

[amourpeint]

"The sky is big, and it can be scary. But nighttime is like a nice warm blanket to snuggle under." Esquie replied, certainly not minding that lean. He was big and comfy and absolutely designed to be perfect to rest against, for all Barcus was unaware.

"Not in my pack, no." Verso replied breezily as he finally was certain the fire would be alright without his monitoring for the moment, pushing easily to his feet. "As good an example of a Picto to start with as any, I'd think-"

A hand held out towards an empty patch of ground, and in the evening dim Barcus would spy how one of the glyphs painted on the rough-hewn armguard Verso was wearing glowed briefly as a wrapped bundle of tent gear shimmered into view in a swirling ripple of air, an identical glyph on one of the straps keeping the canvas rolled snug around the tent poles.

[lost_and_foundry]

Barcus considers explaining about how he never saw the sun until he came to the surface, and how bright it was at first...but somehow he doesn't feel like he needs to explain. Esquie isn't questioning his experiences or feelings, just acknowledging them and offering reassurance.

That's kind of nice.

Anyway, whatever Verso's doing is also equally interesting. At the mention of a Picto, the gnome perks up a little, rising again and coming to stand near Verso. "...That's lovely, but...is it storing something for you, or materializing it?"

[amourpeint]

Esquie wasn't one to question others in that way. Not when it wouldn't help anything. Barcus felt like he felt, and beside that he'd clearly adjusted to life on the surface.

"It's storage- one of the first things most people learn to do with them given it's pretty easy so long as you can copy a glyph twice, and is pretty practical no matter who you are." He comments as he's kneeling to undo the straps, passing the one with the Picto painted on it to the gnome so he could get a better look. "Obviously the more permanent the glyph the better it works, but a daub of mud on a finger in a pinch'll do at the bare minimum. Just got to be able to leave a mark."

[lost_and_foundry]

"That's so clever! There are bags and chests that can store nearly infinite amounts of things here, but they're not so...discerning." And they're also hard to find and insanely expensive.

He takes the strap and looks the glyph over with wide-eyed interest, tracing the shape with the pad of his thumb. "How did you learn to do this? Can it be done by anyone, or do you have to have a connection to the Weave?"

[amourpeint]

"It's... easier if you have a connection. You're working more on intuition then, you can do a bit more guesswork. For me, and for most others, there's a lot more science involved. Math and logic. Every angle and length of line has a purpose, and where you place it on a Picto adjusts what it does. So long as you're within the boundary of size, you can put as many lines as you can fit- and you can make pictos that work in tandem for more difficult projects."

Barcus might notice that edge of animation that slips into Verso's voice as he's explaining, a similar thing to his own interest in his own work.

"Holding pictos like this... this one is fairly simple. The lines here," He traces out the top part of the symbol. "Describe what it's main function is- holding, the general dimensions possible both minimum and maximum, if there's any specific needs like temperature. The lower half is that it also includes what the wrap is tied around. A box would be simpler, as it would be 'the box and it's contents' which is a bit easier to define. Or 'this rock I painted the picto on' would be all the simpler."

[lost_and_foundry]

Barcus perks up visibly at Math and Logic. If he were a cat or a fox you would see his ears perking and swiveling forward, but as a gnome they're not quite that mobile. Still, his eyes brighten and he wanders close to Verso, holding the strap out so he can make the visual comparison as Verso explains the part of the Picto. "So every part of the diagram means something? Do things like the angle of the lines make a difference?"

"It sounds similar to alchemical diagrams, although those are more like shorthand, they don't hold power in themselves. They're just a clean, rather sacred way to describe the processes. But I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this in practice before!"

[amourpeint]

"Aye, you've the right of it," The pique of interest was... it was charming, that was for sure. "Placement and angle carry information, as well as the boldness of the lines- you can see where the lower lines aren't quite as thick a stroke as the upper, which in this case allows the upper to be the main thrust of the thing. More emphasis is one of the simpler ways to establish priority in the rules you're laying in."

A soft, thoughtful hum as a hand went to his pocket, bringing out what looked to be a heavy stone disk, pictos carved into it, with a carefully cut crystal set in the middle- Barcus would know enough to see that it was cut to direct light, not so much for aesthetic sparkle, but more purposeful. Which would be explained as he traced a finger around the edge and the pictos light briefly before the gem lit as well, casting a little halo of light above, in which there hovered what looked to be a mess of lines at a variety of angles in the light bubble. "This is... well it's another storage picto for something else, but this is what they look like altogether. Looks a mess, right? But if you just do this..."

He holds it so it's at the gnome's eyeline, turning it in his hand, letting Barcus see the angle at which all of those disparate lines and angles came into alignment, looking quite like what Verso had shown him on the strap.

"Voilà, a picto! You don't need one of these things if you're just using pre-existing pictos- it's more for editing or creating them. But all of that is still there even if you're just daubing a shape on a bit of paper with a brush."

[lost_and_foundry]

The prospect of learning something utterly new is always going to put a spring in his step. Verso clearly has his full attention as he explains the pictos, and then takes the disk out of his pocket to show off. Immediately, the gnome has a dozen questions: what makes the light? What's the power source? Are the pictos themselves running this device? What kind of crystal--

But he holds his tongue for the moment, letting Verso explain. He looks like he wants to reach out and touch the light, but refrains, nodding his understanding. "Like a camera lucida. I've seen painters use similar devices for projecting images on paper or canvas."

"Verso, this is remarkable, it's like you're showing me a whole new world!"