So, it's been possible to purchase various thematic furnishings for the Wayfort for some time now, and I'm actually curious about which one is the most popular choice.
BTW, here's what our favorite sassy Tanuki will say about your choice when you bring her to Wayfort:
BTW, here's what our favorite sassy Tanuki will say about your choice when you bring her to Wayfort:
So, what does she think? She can give her honest opinion here, no need to be tactful or anything.
"It's very, uh..." Meira's clearly trying to be tactful here, even if you just told her to speak frankly. "Rustic."
Primitive, she means.
"Rugged. Full of character. Also, lots of wet fur smell, but this place is built atop a river, you can't get away from the humidity." Meira eyes you up and down. "Then again, you would enjoy wet fur smell, wouldn't you?"
The lupines were the first peoples of this slice of the Marches, before the boreal elves pushed down from the north. It's only right that their culture should be the dominant style in this wayfort.
"And the Sailgraves stuff? Not just the orcs, but the other tribal peoples, too — I see some siorc-inspired pieces by that wall over there."
Oh, they just blend in well with the overall theme. No other reason, really — after all, it's not just lupines who pass through here.
Meira harrumphs. "I guess I can get behind it. Bones, furs, a rather macabre throne... all you'd need to do to complete the look is a cold and forbidding aura, and you'll be set up like the lupine jarls of old."
And a big roaring fire while the winds of winter howl outside the old stone walls. Can't forget that, very important.
"I see you know what you're about, then." She pouts and folds her arms. "Can't see where I could add anything to what you already have as a consultant."
Well, that's perfectly fine, it just means that you're getting what you paid for. That being said, is your wayfort nice enough for her to consider moving in?
"We-ll... I'd have to fit in as part of the theme too, you know? Call myself 'the White Witch' or something and dress in colors to match? That's a bit of a commitment to make, especially when it'll be part of my professional foundation going forward; I'd have to think about it."
Over a bunch of decor in her potential future workplace?
"Well, would you have me just keep my current outfit and completely spoil what you're going for here?"
"It's very, uh..." Meira's clearly trying to be tactful here, even if you just told her to speak frankly. "Rustic."
Primitive, she means.
"Rugged. Full of character. Also, lots of wet fur smell, but this place is built atop a river, you can't get away from the humidity." Meira eyes you up and down. "Then again, you would enjoy wet fur smell, wouldn't you?"
The lupines were the first peoples of this slice of the Marches, before the boreal elves pushed down from the north. It's only right that their culture should be the dominant style in this wayfort.
"And the Sailgraves stuff? Not just the orcs, but the other tribal peoples, too — I see some siorc-inspired pieces by that wall over there."
Oh, they just blend in well with the overall theme. No other reason, really — after all, it's not just lupines who pass through here.
Meira harrumphs. "I guess I can get behind it. Bones, furs, a rather macabre throne... all you'd need to do to complete the look is a cold and forbidding aura, and you'll be set up like the lupine jarls of old."
And a big roaring fire while the winds of winter howl outside the old stone walls. Can't forget that, very important.
"I see you know what you're about, then." She pouts and folds her arms. "Can't see where I could add anything to what you already have as a consultant."
Well, that's perfectly fine, it just means that you're getting what you paid for. That being said, is your wayfort nice enough for her to consider moving in?
"We-ll... I'd have to fit in as part of the theme too, you know? Call myself 'the White Witch' or something and dress in colors to match? That's a bit of a commitment to make, especially when it'll be part of my professional foundation going forward; I'd have to think about it."
Over a bunch of decor in her potential future workplace?
"Well, would you have me just keep my current outfit and completely spoil what you're going for here?"
So, what does she think? She can give her honest opinion here, no need to be tactful or anything.
Meira squints at you. "So... you're not one of those crazy history buffs, are you?"
W-what does she mean?
"Mom's hosted a couple of them at the manor before, when they came in to view her trophies and tried to buy a couple of them off her." She thins her lips and taps the side of her head. "You know. Those people who think that the days of Belhar before the Godswar were the bee's knees and try to dress, speak, and live like they did. Not that they have much success, given there's hardly any of that kind of largesse around these days, but that doesn't stop them from trying."
You can't say you've ever run across such people before, but that just makes it all the less likely you're one of them. Well, rest assured that you're not going to be trying to recreate a small slice of the old imperium which is very observably dead up here in the Marches. Sure, good things did come out of that time period, but study of the imperial era's history should be about the preservation of fire, rather than the worship of ashes.
Meira's face lights up. "Oooh, that's a nice one. I should totally steal that saying for when Mom next nags me."
Well, long story short — does she like the place?
Meira nods. "It's got a sense of refined opulence to it, not surprising when that's the style of decor you went for. Seriously, it must've cost you a bit. It's not the same as the manor, but just as sumptuous... I'm quite tempted. But no, no promises yet."
Holding her cards close to her chest, eh?
"Girl's got to keep her options open before she makes her final decision. Can't go around leading people on, that's just poor form."
Meira squints at you. "So... you're not one of those crazy history buffs, are you?"
W-what does she mean?
"Mom's hosted a couple of them at the manor before, when they came in to view her trophies and tried to buy a couple of them off her." She thins her lips and taps the side of her head. "You know. Those people who think that the days of Belhar before the Godswar were the bee's knees and try to dress, speak, and live like they did. Not that they have much success, given there's hardly any of that kind of largesse around these days, but that doesn't stop them from trying."
You can't say you've ever run across such people before, but that just makes it all the less likely you're one of them. Well, rest assured that you're not going to be trying to recreate a small slice of the old imperium which is very observably dead up here in the Marches. Sure, good things did come out of that time period, but study of the imperial era's history should be about the preservation of fire, rather than the worship of ashes.
Meira's face lights up. "Oooh, that's a nice one. I should totally steal that saying for when Mom next nags me."
Well, long story short — does she like the place?
Meira nods. "It's got a sense of refined opulence to it, not surprising when that's the style of decor you went for. Seriously, it must've cost you a bit. It's not the same as the manor, but just as sumptuous... I'm quite tempted. But no, no promises yet."
Holding her cards close to her chest, eh?
"Girl's got to keep her options open before she makes her final decision. Can't go around leading people on, that's just poor form."
So, what does she think? She can give her honest opinion here, no need to be tactful or anything.
"I see you've taken some inspiration from that castle up upon the hill."
They are done in the same style, yes. Think of it as having matching outfits, that way people know you're related, if loosely.
"It's very dark and dreary. Foreboding, even." Meira titters. "I'll confess, ever since I stepped in over the bridge, I've had an itch to put on just a bit more mascara, and I do think I could look pretty neat in black. Bleaching my skin, though... that's where I'm drawing the line."
Why, she's speaking as if she's already made the decision to settle down already.
"I won't deny that this particular style tickles my fancy a lot — the only thing I could add is perhaps a little white to all the black and red, even if out a bit." Meira indicates her dress and skirts. "Just about these proportions would be perfect, but I suspect that I'm but a little partial."
Why, is Evergreen mansion not dark and gloomy enough for her?
"Mom says she likes to keep a balance, look the part of the mysterious witch of the woods without scaring prospective customers away. I've tried telling her that the people who can't work up the courage to push to our front door probably don't have anything worth paying us in, but she just laughs and pats me on the head like I don't know anything!"
Evergreen is right on that, though. Compared to her mother, Meira likely doesn't know the ins and outs of luring people — you mean, attracting customers.
"Well, it's a good thing that you've the aesthetic I like, so I don't have to worry about what my Mom's doing before too long."
Does that mean she's made her decision?
Meira raises a finger to her lips. "There's no need to get hasty about commitments, hmm? That being said, I'll admit it's very, very tempting. Any other location would need to make a strong argument to be in the running. I can only wonder how much this cost you."
Likely more than she's ever earned in her lifetime.
A laugh. "Given that Mom's never paid me anything, that's not a high bar to clear!"
"I see you've taken some inspiration from that castle up upon the hill."
They are done in the same style, yes. Think of it as having matching outfits, that way people know you're related, if loosely.
"It's very dark and dreary. Foreboding, even." Meira titters. "I'll confess, ever since I stepped in over the bridge, I've had an itch to put on just a bit more mascara, and I do think I could look pretty neat in black. Bleaching my skin, though... that's where I'm drawing the line."
Why, she's speaking as if she's already made the decision to settle down already.
"I won't deny that this particular style tickles my fancy a lot — the only thing I could add is perhaps a little white to all the black and red, even if out a bit." Meira indicates her dress and skirts. "Just about these proportions would be perfect, but I suspect that I'm but a little partial."
Why, is Evergreen mansion not dark and gloomy enough for her?
"Mom says she likes to keep a balance, look the part of the mysterious witch of the woods without scaring prospective customers away. I've tried telling her that the people who can't work up the courage to push to our front door probably don't have anything worth paying us in, but she just laughs and pats me on the head like I don't know anything!"
Evergreen is right on that, though. Compared to her mother, Meira likely doesn't know the ins and outs of luring people — you mean, attracting customers.
"Well, it's a good thing that you've the aesthetic I like, so I don't have to worry about what my Mom's doing before too long."
Does that mean she's made her decision?
Meira raises a finger to her lips. "There's no need to get hasty about commitments, hmm? That being said, I'll admit it's very, very tempting. Any other location would need to make a strong argument to be in the running. I can only wonder how much this cost you."
Likely more than she's ever earned in her lifetime.
A laugh. "Given that Mom's never paid me anything, that's not a high bar to clear!"
So, what does she think? She can give her honest opinion here, no need to be tactful or anything.
"Feels incomplete to me, really."
Incomplete? How?
"Oh, I don't know." Meira waves a hand airily. "Could use a milking stall right by the stables. Maybe a pasture, a large butter churn, that kind of thing. I foresee a lot of cheese in your future."
That's laying it on just a bit thick... but there's the potential for there to be just as much traffic going under the bridge as there is going over it. Would be unwise to ignore the greatest regional power that just so happens to lie a little way downstream under the mountain.
"Oh, so that's why you decided to butter them up, did you?" It takes a while for Meira to stop chuckling at her own joke, but eventually she catches her breath and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Seriously, though, it's... okay. Like, there's an air of civilization in what you've done with the place, it's very high class. I just don't care very much for the aesthetic — like, I don't hate it or anything, it's just there. I'm sorry if you were expecting more, but I'd like to excuse myself from the task because I'm clearly not interested enough to cheese it."
Save for the puns.
"Save for the puns, yes."
And as to putting down roots...
"Well. The decor's not good, it's not bad either. There's something to be said about having a warm bed to sleep in and a roof over one's head, but after that people want to be surrounded by things pleasing to the eye, right? I'll hold off until I've checked out more places, thanks."
Khor'minoan aesthetics are about as pleasing to the eye as they get in this part of the world, she knows that, right?
"Pleasing to my eye. You do you, champ, but I'm not a big fan of the way they dress or their fondness for busts and columns. It's very... stony."
"Feels incomplete to me, really."
Incomplete? How?
"Oh, I don't know." Meira waves a hand airily. "Could use a milking stall right by the stables. Maybe a pasture, a large butter churn, that kind of thing. I foresee a lot of cheese in your future."
That's laying it on just a bit thick... but there's the potential for there to be just as much traffic going under the bridge as there is going over it. Would be unwise to ignore the greatest regional power that just so happens to lie a little way downstream under the mountain.
"Oh, so that's why you decided to butter them up, did you?" It takes a while for Meira to stop chuckling at her own joke, but eventually she catches her breath and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Seriously, though, it's... okay. Like, there's an air of civilization in what you've done with the place, it's very high class. I just don't care very much for the aesthetic — like, I don't hate it or anything, it's just there. I'm sorry if you were expecting more, but I'd like to excuse myself from the task because I'm clearly not interested enough to cheese it."
Save for the puns.
"Save for the puns, yes."
And as to putting down roots...
"Well. The decor's not good, it's not bad either. There's something to be said about having a warm bed to sleep in and a roof over one's head, but after that people want to be surrounded by things pleasing to the eye, right? I'll hold off until I've checked out more places, thanks."
Khor'minoan aesthetics are about as pleasing to the eye as they get in this part of the world, she knows that, right?
"Pleasing to my eye. You do you, champ, but I'm not a big fan of the way they dress or their fondness for busts and columns. It's very... stony."
So, what does she think? She can give her honest opinion here, no need to be tactful or anything.
"You're trying to suck up to your boss, huh?"
Well, it is by the graces of the Winter City and the var Ridell line that you're even able to hold this wayfort as your fiefdom in the first place. The River Ridell is called that for a reason, after all.
Meira waves off your words nonchalantly and sticks her tongue out at you. "Puh-leeze. As they are, they couldn't hold anything worth a shit. You're here because you want to be and you like them; the couple dozen soldiers they've given you could be swarmed by the gaggle of misfits you've collected in this place no problem. Without you, they wouldn't be here in the first place, and that city full of elves prancing around with their heads full of snowballs wouldn't be able to do shit."
My, isn't that vitriol just a little uncharacteristic of dear Meira. Can she point out just where the outriders touched her appropriately?
"Sure. Here, here, here, here, and of course, here. Oh, and can't forget here as well, that one hurt quite a bit." Meira quickly jabs at several spots on her sides, firehead, and shoulders. "Smarted quite a bit, and Mom was too busy laughing to fix me up."
Well, no wonder Daliza gave her the stink-eye when you let her into the wayfort. You take it that the pale elf aesthetic is a deal-breaker, then?
"I'm not going to outright say no," Meira admits. "But we're talking about bottom of the barrel here."
Good location, steady customer flow, friendly people, solid infrastructure, comfortable rooms, a stone's throw from people she knows, and she's going to say no because of your decor?
"Yes." A pout. "You look at something you consider an eyesore day in, day out for the rest of your life, and then one day you snap and start breaking it. I couldn't live like that, so no thanks. You do you, but I'm not one for that kind of style. Simply far too much white."
You sigh and roll your eyes. Well, it's her life, so she can suit herself.
"You're trying to suck up to your boss, huh?"
Well, it is by the graces of the Winter City and the var Ridell line that you're even able to hold this wayfort as your fiefdom in the first place. The River Ridell is called that for a reason, after all.
Meira waves off your words nonchalantly and sticks her tongue out at you. "Puh-leeze. As they are, they couldn't hold anything worth a shit. You're here because you want to be and you like them; the couple dozen soldiers they've given you could be swarmed by the gaggle of misfits you've collected in this place no problem. Without you, they wouldn't be here in the first place, and that city full of elves prancing around with their heads full of snowballs wouldn't be able to do shit."
My, isn't that vitriol just a little uncharacteristic of dear Meira. Can she point out just where the outriders touched her appropriately?
"Sure. Here, here, here, here, and of course, here. Oh, and can't forget here as well, that one hurt quite a bit." Meira quickly jabs at several spots on her sides, firehead, and shoulders. "Smarted quite a bit, and Mom was too busy laughing to fix me up."
Well, no wonder Daliza gave her the stink-eye when you let her into the wayfort. You take it that the pale elf aesthetic is a deal-breaker, then?
"I'm not going to outright say no," Meira admits. "But we're talking about bottom of the barrel here."
Good location, steady customer flow, friendly people, solid infrastructure, comfortable rooms, a stone's throw from people she knows, and she's going to say no because of your decor?
"Yes." A pout. "You look at something you consider an eyesore day in, day out for the rest of your life, and then one day you snap and start breaking it. I couldn't live like that, so no thanks. You do you, but I'm not one for that kind of style. Simply far too much white."
You sigh and roll your eyes. Well, it's her life, so she can suit herself.
So, what does she think? She can give her honest opinion here, no need to be tactful or anything.
"You're going for whole exotic shebang, huh? Bright colors, rich perfumes, fine fabrics?"
It's a very energetic style of decor, you feel. The way they do it in Jassira really brings out the vibrancy of even the smallest oasis village, and that's quite an important thing when much of the nation is defined by the dreary monotony of sand.
Meira titters. "Compensating for something, eh? Well, I think it's all very bright and chaotic, in a good way, of course. That being said, day in, day out of this stuff — it could get tiring after a while. But if nothing else, it shows that you've good people here — either that, or good security."
Oh? Why does she say that?
"Because no one's nicked all the cloth hanging around, or the perfume that being burned. Like... I've never been there, but Mom's told me about Jassirite temples and how there's usually only one entry or exit with greeters posted. The stuff there is really expensive, and they have to be on the lookout for people trying to make off with it. But here you have all of this stuff out in the open — either your security is really tight, or you just have a whole bunch of good people who know not to ruin a good thing."
You didn't necessarily see it that way before, but now that she points it out...
"Anyways! Ahem — what I'm getting at is that the decor itself is so-so, but it says a lot of nice things about the people around here, and that's always a plus; it's exotic enough to attract people with the novelty, but not so exotic as to drive people away — kind of like catfolk, when you think about it. I can stand looking at this stuff day in, day out, I guess, but having to live amongst a bad crowd? That's an absolute deal-breaker. Wonder if you lock your doors at night?"
Well, if she decides to set up shop here, she'll be finding out in a hurry.
Meira huffs and floofs out her dress dramatically. "Nuh-uh, you aren't getting me to make a snap decision like this. Besides, I need to present Mom with a sensible plan, and it needs more than this. Don't get me wrong, it's a good beginning, but it's not a plan in and of itself. Still... I'll be putting it under deep consideration even while I'm looking at other places."
That's about what you can hope for, you suppose.
"You're going for whole exotic shebang, huh? Bright colors, rich perfumes, fine fabrics?"
It's a very energetic style of decor, you feel. The way they do it in Jassira really brings out the vibrancy of even the smallest oasis village, and that's quite an important thing when much of the nation is defined by the dreary monotony of sand.
Meira titters. "Compensating for something, eh? Well, I think it's all very bright and chaotic, in a good way, of course. That being said, day in, day out of this stuff — it could get tiring after a while. But if nothing else, it shows that you've good people here — either that, or good security."
Oh? Why does she say that?
"Because no one's nicked all the cloth hanging around, or the perfume that being burned. Like... I've never been there, but Mom's told me about Jassirite temples and how there's usually only one entry or exit with greeters posted. The stuff there is really expensive, and they have to be on the lookout for people trying to make off with it. But here you have all of this stuff out in the open — either your security is really tight, or you just have a whole bunch of good people who know not to ruin a good thing."
You didn't necessarily see it that way before, but now that she points it out...
"Anyways! Ahem — what I'm getting at is that the decor itself is so-so, but it says a lot of nice things about the people around here, and that's always a plus; it's exotic enough to attract people with the novelty, but not so exotic as to drive people away — kind of like catfolk, when you think about it. I can stand looking at this stuff day in, day out, I guess, but having to live amongst a bad crowd? That's an absolute deal-breaker. Wonder if you lock your doors at night?"
Well, if she decides to set up shop here, she'll be finding out in a hurry.
Meira huffs and floofs out her dress dramatically. "Nuh-uh, you aren't getting me to make a snap decision like this. Besides, I need to present Mom with a sensible plan, and it needs more than this. Don't get me wrong, it's a good beginning, but it's not a plan in and of itself. Still... I'll be putting it under deep consideration even while I'm looking at other places."
That's about what you can hope for, you suppose.
So, what does she think? She can give her honest opinion here, no need to be tactful or anything.
"You're really going for the foreign feel, huh? Sure, this stuff is exotic enough to stick out in peoples' minds, but it also might be a little too alien for their tastes. They'll talk about your choice of decor for sure, but there's no guarantee that the rumors told will be good ones."
You shrug. It's no less play-acting than the warlords down south who dress up in funny robes and helmets and pretend that they're from an empire that hasn't existed for two and a half centuries now. Come to think of it, isn't Meira and her kind originally from across the ocean?
"Yes, but we're what, more than ten generations removed from the Old Country now? Just because we've got the blood doesn't mean... doesn't mean the aesthetics have to appeal to me. The roots are there, but they're deep and distant, too much for me to really feel them.
"Anyways! This is about your choice in decor, not about me!"
Yes, about her. Does she like it?
"Well... yes and no. I can't deny that it's easy on the eyes, very much so. But it's not my preferred color palette, you see?" she indicates her dress. "It's just not me. When it comes down to it... I don't mind it that much, I suppose; it encourages the wrong kind of crowd to stay away, and it's not like I've had much of a chance to make my surroundings match me. That, and maybe the exoticness will have people coming back for more.
"No promises about moving in, though, especially when it's not a shoo-in. Girl's got to keep her options open, you know!"
"You're really going for the foreign feel, huh? Sure, this stuff is exotic enough to stick out in peoples' minds, but it also might be a little too alien for their tastes. They'll talk about your choice of decor for sure, but there's no guarantee that the rumors told will be good ones."
You shrug. It's no less play-acting than the warlords down south who dress up in funny robes and helmets and pretend that they're from an empire that hasn't existed for two and a half centuries now. Come to think of it, isn't Meira and her kind originally from across the ocean?
"Yes, but we're what, more than ten generations removed from the Old Country now? Just because we've got the blood doesn't mean... doesn't mean the aesthetics have to appeal to me. The roots are there, but they're deep and distant, too much for me to really feel them.
"Anyways! This is about your choice in decor, not about me!"
Yes, about her. Does she like it?
"Well... yes and no. I can't deny that it's easy on the eyes, very much so. But it's not my preferred color palette, you see?" she indicates her dress. "It's just not me. When it comes down to it... I don't mind it that much, I suppose; it encourages the wrong kind of crowd to stay away, and it's not like I've had much of a chance to make my surroundings match me. That, and maybe the exoticness will have people coming back for more.
"No promises about moving in, though, especially when it's not a shoo-in. Girl's got to keep her options open, you know!"
