Arak’s Emporium

JP with Omni and Lorem:

Voah made sure to keep an eye on her surroundings as they found their way to the Arak’s shop as the item she carried could fetch fair price for any would-be thief. Luckily she was sure they hadn’t been followed.

Upon entry, they were struck by a barrage of new smells. An old woman sat behind a long counter on a mahogany chair, cushion with green upholstery like some aged frog on a throne. She had chocolate skin and wild gray hair that seemed to misbehave by curling and standing on end, tamed only by a wrap that adorned her forehead and held the hairs at bay and out of her face.

Currently, Mistress Arak craned over a dusty tome holding a monocle that she kept around her neck and golden earrings dangled from ancient her ear lobes. As the approached, a large man stepped behind them from behind the door openly wielding a club. Store security.

Suddenly, the old crone looked up from her book. She squinted her eyes and pursed her lips at her new customers.

“Tell me… what business do two Helians have with old Arak?” she asked.

Gonyaul missed Arak’s question because he was too focused on the interior decor. He stood transfixed a few feet upon entering and was doing a very slow turnabout to capture all the variety of merchandise and oddities. A slight Vauxian murmur of amazement escaped his lips.

There were silk curtains, and a kaleidoscope curtain of beads that led to a backroom. What looked to be a dusty stairway that led down into what possibly was a dark, smoky and spicy storage area with incense burning somewhere.

There was much to take in and it would most likely require subsequent exploration to see it all. There were cabinets, drawers, open cubbies, shelves lined with glass and clay jars, bottles and decanters, full of raw materials. In addition he noticed oils, alcohols, and other liquids, roots, herbs, powders, and pastes, porcelain, oil lamps, a mirror, and books.

The place had a feeling of Master Cagliostro’s apothecary, but there was much more, it had a very distinct Ozaniae flare, and was more organically organized. The place was full of odds and ends, trinkets, and rare items made and sold from afar. There were perfumes, oils, old coins, boxes, and cases, some plain and others adorned with stones or jewels or decorative carvings. One box contained a board with multiple polished and lacquered pieces, a game of some sort.

Yet on top of everything else he witnessed, there were strange items as well. Gonyaul curiosity spiked as he gazed at never before seen plants, vegetables and animals; dry, dissected, and some pickled. All these things he took in after spinning about. It wasn’t enough, he was going to have to take an adventure about the room. He was sure no one would mind while Voah conducted her business with the Skara egg. If they needed him he was just a raised voice away.