The Sorceress Settling In

Ludamara was pleasantly surprised when she met Delvin, she had heard the prior innkeeper had sort of dalliance with a fiend or someone who had closely consorted with fiends, but she had been under the impression the guild had taken over ownership of the inn. Little did she know it was technically the opposite, and she wouldn’t find out until things had gotten well past a point she was aware could be possible. As a child of nobility, Ludmara had a much more robust education than most of the common folk; even those among the working classes that were twice her age usually didn’t learn as much as she had in their education periods.

Ludmara was even more surprised by the room that had been prepared for her; the room was at the level of elegance one would expect in a highborn-style room intended for more elite guests. The bed was easily big enough for five or six people, most common beds had a maximum occupancy capacity for four or five occupants; the sheets appeared to be rather high-quality; the left wall had an oak-ebony desk and chair, adorned with silver and gold filagree; on the wall opposite of the desk was an oak armoire that was on the larger side for furniture of that kind.

After unloading her luggage in the room, Ludmara stripped off her traveling attire; the attire was nice, and it offered plenty of benefits when out on the road, but Ludmara also felt a bit stifled by it, so it had to go, at least for the time being. Her lingerie was of a noticeably higher quality than most would anticipate; she liked her undergarments to be a bit more robust so they could withstand some of the wear and tear she would have as an adventurer. The lingerie itself was a regal green, with sweeping whites that evoked the imagery of wind blowing, and streaks of blueish-yellow in a cracking pattern reminiscent of lightning acting as the accents around the edges of the attire. After stripping off all her attire, she headed out to the commons, with her coin purse in hand, to see what could be done about her next meal.

Ludmara wasn’t too concerned about showing off that she was of noble lineage, or her highly sensual body, but was concerned about those around her knowing about her familial connections; she wanted to project an image of a noble child being out and about so as to better understand the common folk, and them knowing her maternal aunt was the queen would only help to ruin that cultivation. Green was a pretty common color; even the common folk had multiple green pieces of clothing; yellows, blues, and whites were usually a bit more expensive to acquire, but well within the bounds of what most noble houses could acquire with little need to barter. It was indigoes and purples that were among the more expensive colors; even with magic, such colors were so expensive that only royal families and the elite among the nobility could reasonably afford them, and spells the common folk did have to project the color they desired on to fabrics and the like only had the effect last for a limited time.

Granted, the presence of such spells is why galas, balls, parties, and the like regarding guests among the nobility had measures to terminate magical effects on the guests to ensure everyone was being honest about their attire; it also helped to minimize chances of getting done in by spies and assassins that were trying to masquerade as invited guests or staff, seeing as those same safeguards were also implemented on all the staff areas for those. But that was far less of a concern in areas like this. Of course, Ludmara’s lingerie wasn’t nearly as revealing as it could be; that sort of style usually wasn’t to her tastes. And she personally thought such styles were tactless cries for attention by individuals that were not nearly as interesting as they liked to project.

_______________________________________________

Delvin watched as his new guest exited her room in classy green lingerie that was almost as much style as it was functional. She had an impressive forest green coin purse with streaks of blue lightning adorning it, and the cord for it all seemed to be as much hemp rope as it was blued bronze wire. The bag looked to be rather hefty as well, likely filled predominantly with silver coins, with a few gold and platinum pieces, considering her distinctive background.

“I hope the room is to your liking,” said Delvin as he observed his new guest exiting her room, he also noticed she had affixed her room key to the coin purse.

“Yes,” said the sorceress, “it’s a bit more extravagant than I anticipated, but not too opulent. I heard a rumor the local church decided to give the area an inspection prior to my arrival; I do hope they didn’t cause you any significant issues.”

“Not at all,” said Delvin, “in fact, we managed to come to a better understanding of things. The guild’s artisans can give your equipment a once-over; if you want, just to make sure everything is in proper working order. So, to what do I owe the visit to the commons of my humble inn.”

“I was wondering about the meal plan for the foreseeable future,” said Ludmara, “and I’m willing to pay in advance. Also, how much is the room I’m in?

“Normally,” said Delvin, “it would cost you sixty silver coins, typical renting for the more common rooms is closer to nine silver. I usually don’t bother with that sort of thing, seeing as the guild usually pays in advance for most room access every few months, but that’s usually with the understanding its members are still required to purchase food from the inn on a personal basis.” He discretely eyed up Ludmara; he started thinking about how fun her corruption was going to be, things were still in the testing phase, so he was thinking of how to word things during her period of being corrupted.

“That’s pretty steep,” said Ludmara, “but still reasonable; it is a high-class room, after all. We’ll negotiate the overall fees later. For now, I just want to know what’s on the menu and how much my meal could potentially cost.”

“Nothing too fancy,” said Delvin, “some soup, steaks, bread, and vegetable dishes are all on the menu for the day. I’m sorry to say our drink selection is rather meager; water, some homemade juices, a few beers, and two or three wines are all we have to choose from currently.”

“All perfectly acceptable,” said Ludmara, “I’m not some elitist snob that thinks their favorite brand of wine is a required staple for the enjoyment of my meals. What are the soup options?”

“Beef stew and a hearty vegetable soup,” said Delvin with a cheery demeanor, “please, take your time deciding as you get settled in. And when you’re ready, I’ll let you know what beverages are on tap.”

“Much appreciated,” said Ludmara, her gaze moving around; she was trying to decide if dining out in the open or in her room was her best option; both approaches had pros and cons.