[ exotic wares ] New Arrivals

It was no secret that Faline had been unhappy, in the wake of Archmage Hagia's downfall. Alrakis, too, had felt disappointment - she'd always seen in Hagia someone to admire. But she hadn't had much time to think about it. She had a duty, after all, to the Order, no matter what corruption may have overtaken some of its lofty officials. She'd fought the Archmage as any other Mage-Protector would have done, and in the ensuing rubble she'd done what she could to help Faline rebuild. Without magic: she knew enough what role to play here.

Of course she hadn't planned the extended stay in Faline. But it needed it most, right now, and it was obvious there'd be change to come in the Order - change that she might as well be present for.

She had no reason to keep up with the dock's shipping manifests, of course, but even so she'd earned a day off. The breeze came easy over the Faline delta, more than welcome in the humid heat that lingered from summer's last days. She'd been planning to sit around, unintimidating. One of Faline's own heroes, nodding occasionally to passers-by and especially children.

The unfamiliar sails cresting the horizon did no harm at first. It wasn't as though Ivras had never seen foreigners. They'd come with exciting wares and artifacts, and their sight had a buzz of excitement run through the crowd. How might this affect the economy in the weeks to come? Would there be spices, and thus new dishes to be had? Beautiful craftwork, to be displayed in noble houses? Clothing and jewels, perhaps, to start a new fashion trend? It was, best of all for the Order, a welcome distraction from the thought of Ivras' internal political strife. Alrakis rose with the crowd and stepped forward to offer her own greetings when the ship finally landed.

As the ship docked, it became clear that the shapes aboard it weren't Ivratian - some taller, some bulkier, some just unusual. That was to be expected, though. More significantly, it seemed as though the ship was packed full of mages - Alrakis had only rarely seen such a concentration of dramatic coats and mage-parts. Foreign mages...they might need the Order's help settling in, too. The tide of public opinion would probably not be in their favor.

She stayed quiet and dignified as the crowd's murmurs grew into a lively discussion. She was small enough, at least, and respectable enough that it was easy to make her way to the front. If she was first to greet these mages, then perhaps - 

Ah. No.

They'd begun unloading already, and the first mage manifested - obviously - a large and glowing hand to hoist a large, heavy-looking pallet into the air. That was not going to go over as well in Faline as it might have in their home...Alrakis sighed, taking in the sights of the crowd around her. They'd gone from rowdy to silent, though it was unclear how long this brief peace would last.

She moved forward carefully, since they'd really already made the first move, and made a nod of greeting. Did they know Ivratian sign, or how to speak the language? Someone must, since they'd taken it upon themselves to travel all the way here. She wasn't deterred for long, though, as someone quickly stepped forward to speak with her.

She pulled a pen and her cards out, her general first move with strangers. Fortunately it got the point across. No, she wasn't a port manager, but - these mages were clearly in need of help, and she could provide an able body, tempered well enough by her training as a mage-protector. There were different ways to do things in Ivras, after all. These strangers would learn.