Go shopping!

While Tolis may have more shops as a whole, Avana is still the second largest settlement in the Empire of Tivera. There are many places to buy and trade weapons, armour, and other goods, and since it's known that Queen Catherine II is coming to visit, travelling merchants have come from afar to peddle their wares to both residents and travellers. The whole market district already resembles a festival. If there were any time to go shopping, it would be now, and Nyllia seems to know the direction to take. Not only that, but many people she's traded with in the past.

Her rapport as a famous adventurer and your status as sovereign ruler of Castle Phoenix opens every available door.

First things first, you need a better way to transport items. You're well past 10th level, have collected some powerful and useful equipment, yet besides an incredible useful teleportation ability, you lack a great way to actually carry the loot you collect. You've played enough RPGs to know there's a better way out there somewhere. And when you express that thought to Nyllia, she once again guides you along the right path.

You don't walk much farther before stopping before a cart. It's roped to a rather large donkey in the front, and two individuals glad in armour wield spears nearby, though they certainly don't look like they belong to Avana's guard from what you've seen. They're likely the merchant's escorts. As for the leader of the cart, she looks to be struggling a little given her short stature. Though with a hop, she stuffs an item into place in between a pile of crates.

Though she may be small, that only refers to her height. Perhaps there is no better example of a shortstack than Stax, as even Eva is much taller than a goblin, but that doesn't mean others can't contend. Her skin is dark, and her irises are as vibrant red as beautiful ruby gemstones. Around them are brass frames--glasses, large and round. Atop her head is a brown cap covered in badges, as well as a bright green feather.

Around her curvy hips is a belt covered in pouches, and beneath that, black trousers. She wears suspenders. The straps wrap up and over a poofy cream coloured top, though they're **** to part aside to make room for her hefty bosom. Then upon her feet and hands are leather boots and gloves, the latter of which cover only her palms and not her fingers. Lastly, a thick brass band wraps around her left wrist, though you can't quite make out what it is beyond a piece of jewellery.

It doesn't feel right to claim she looks odd given how flamboyant and/or diverse everyone tends to dress in Abso, though your first thought was that she appeared rather eccentric.

As soon as she turns around, she claps her hands and stares up through her thick frames to Nyllia with a wide smile across her face. "Lady Tesgella!" she exclaims with excitement. "It's so good to see you again. How've you been? It's been at least a season."

"Well we do often travel," she answers. "And I have been busy following a new path."

"A new path? So you're not an adventurer anymore?"

"I would not say that. In most ways, I do what I have always done. But I do so now with greater direction and purpose." She then looks to you and gestures a hand to the sunheart. "Kyle, this is Inaya of clan Vash. A lovely and skillful merchant with whom I have done business with many times before. I am glad she is present here today."

Inaya gasps. "Lady Tesgella. This new path... Oh my gods. Y-You're married!" With a somehow even wider smile now, she fans her blushing face and bounces up and down. "Hold on. I have the perfect item for you then. It's a ring--"

"Ah. Apologies. No, we have not married. Though I would say we are rather close," Nyllia swiftly explains.

"Why would we need a ring if we were already married?" you ask.

Inaya shakes her head. "Oh. It isn't that sort of a ring. You put it on your--"

"We were actually looking for something," says Nyllia. "Perhaps more than one item, if you have wares we find interesting enough."

The merchant snaps her fingers. "Oh! I'm so dumb. You're the Kyle, aren't you? Kyle Warren." After all that bouncing, she takes a moment to adjust her glasses which have tilted on her face. "Yes, you definitely live up to expectations. Look at you. All of you! Well, I only know the two. And well, the last time I met your dear Lady Tesgella, it was Brumberg. Before I travelled west for awhile."

"I do, yes. You flashed me."

"Well hold on! I was wearing a new item I procured called Cast-Off Armour. Very useful by the way, though I'm sad to say I sold it already if you're interested. Armour takes forever to put on and take off, but it was a suit that could pop right off with a single command word. Thing is I said it while explaining to her how it worked, and pop! Don't worry. I was wearing underwear."

"Only panties."

"Panties are underwear."

"Well yes, but--"

"Anyway! Let's browse some wares if you have the time. I'm sure I'll find something that'll interest you."

So you do just that. It takes awhile to look through and discuss all she has, though you have plenty of time to spare. The most important item, however, is the Bag of Holding. The name along sparked your interest. It's the same as it always is no matter the game. Every Dungeons & Dragons player knows how much of a relief it is to finally loot something like that. No longer do you need to carry all your weapons, gear, and treasure items. So before deciding on anything else, you focus on that.

Inaya demonstrates the item. It's a beautifully woven satchel able to be easily attached to one's belt. The material is thick, and whatever it's made from, it's a lovely deep shade of blue trimmed with both black and silver lining. There are two openings--the main on top, and one smaller to the side. She holds it up, and slowly she slides her entire hand inside. The entrance stretches open to be rather wide as well.

Then after retreating her hand back out, she explains, "Just don't mind the quiver."

"What, like with arrows?" you ask.

"Oh no. The bag vibrates a little when you put stuff in. And for some reason the smaller hole makes it quiver even harder."

"... All right. Sure. Of course it does."

"So this marvelous Bag of Holding is unique in design! It's made from the hide of an extraplanar beast known as an illidrake, as well as from a blue dragon's wing. The rest is embellishment. All manner of treatment, metals, and of course, a lot of magic. See a Bag of Holding is much larger on the inside, and this one is no different. They're also enchanted to make it easy to retrieve what you're looking for inside, though that tends to also depend on the user's skill and experience with magic. Here, try it!"

She tosses it into your arms.

Light, but solid. Very nice. You open the smaller of the openings, and slowly you push your hand inside. It trembles at your entry. Though as you reach farther, you look down at the surreal sight of your entire arm disappearing as it doesn't emerge on the other side. Just as she said, it's a massive space. "Not really gonna question the quivering thing, but yeah this is perfect."

"I don't expect you to be carrying a ton of coin on you, and I trust y'all, so how about I come visit your home later on to talk payment?" Inaya offers. "So keep whatever you buy for now."

"Are you certain?" Nyllia asks.

"Very. Not only can I not fathom you betraying me, Lady Tesgella, but I know where you live!"

"Do you?"

"... Wait. No I don't."

"Castle Phoenix," you say. "Up in the Pecho Peaks."

She smacks her own forehead. "Duh! Of course you do. I knew that. All right, well expect a visit from your favourite merchant."

You pull open the main pouch of your newly acquired Bag of Holding and **** the box of delicious muffins inside. "I look forward to it," you reply. "Now let's see what else we can find."

When she isn't looking, I gotta get something for Xiaoqing...

Speaking of which, she speaks up. "I think soon I'd like to rest."

You take a moment to speak with her while Nyllia is up ahead. There's something bugging her, and you'd rather her not feel uncomfortable.

"This is probably overwhelming--" you start to say.

She shakes her head and raises a hand dismissively. "It isn't that. Actually, I thought the two of you were really cute together. I know you said I wasn't intervening, but I don't like being a third wheel when I know that I am."

"If it helps, we don't think you are."

"I know. Please, just this evening, let me wind down on my own. I'll get a room at Party's Rest. That way the day's remaining light can be spent with Lady Tesgella. Then I'll meet back up with you come morning."

"Only if you promise me something."

"What is it?"

"You'll spend all of tomorrow with me," you say with a hand towards her. "I'll show you the sights of Tivera. No shopping. No feeling like you're intruding on a date, which you aren't. No going off to spend time alone. I know that's not why you wanted to come with us."

"... All right. I promise."

Between Inaya and the rest of the market district, you spend the rest of the day shopping for gifts and other supplies. It's a lovely time, mainly because of Nyllia at your side. She's a natural when it comes to speaking with the common folk. It's admirable. Slowly, the people of Avana warm up to you even more when they see you're just like everybody else. And now you can buy all you'd like, and it'll be safely stowed away.

Hmm. I wonder what you should buy everyone? Especially Xiaoqing. There are so many people to shop for! If you have any suggestions for specific characters, post them there, and if the story hasn't gotten that far yet, and I like any from the comments, I'll use them! Bonus points if you come up with ones for characters beyond the most prominent. Everybody deserves a gift after all.