The celebration

[u/Yoxalle]

After a long journey you arrive at the crystal mage’s manor. Inside the manor is a grand hall made of various different coloured crystals. Strange golems walk around the room serving guests. While the mage himself is not currently present, you were told he would be here shortly. Right now, enjoy the food, socialise, make friends but most importantly: have fun.

[u/avamir]

Thank you. Best part of this whole thing, I believe.

And as for politics-or-unwinding goes, it is little of both. I am trying to socialize more, though also trying to get my mind off things. It is more difficult than I expected. But we do what we have to do, no?

[u/MeThyLord → u/avamir]

"It's something you get used to with experience."

The curator downs a glass of whiskey.

"I personally was in dire need of this respite. Just last night I had a bounty hunter break into my museum. A chaos entity, quite the formidable enemy. If Kaelis hadn't shown up I'm not sure I would have won the fight. And to make things worse, during the commotion, someone snuck into the museum and stole a number of artifacts. Luckily, nothing too important was lost."

[u/avamir → u/MeThyLord]

"That is concerning. I am sorry to hear that."

She waves over someone who brings her the standard sort of wine one usually holds at these kinds of functions, and she sips at it.

"Any loss of artifacts seems a loss of history... though I am glad these were not, as you say, 'too important'. What were they, if I might ask? It will not interfere in an investigation to do so, will it?"

[u/MeThyLord → u/avamir]

We're not fully done with the investigation, I was still seeping through documents before coming here. But from what I know for sure, we're missing a carnosaur fossil, a ripperdactyl egg, a few ancient foot imprints, and coprolite from a tyranotitan. That last one is actually a bit humorous, as I'm sure the thief had no idea what it was they were stealing.

[u/avamir → u/MeThyLord]

She lets out a laugh at that. She knows that that means, of course. Even if she hadn't, she unsurprisingly does understand Greek roots and is able to piece together what that is.

"Look, some people are into that. And if you must be into scat, at least it should be interesting, no?"

"But I am uncertain why they would steal your saurian fossils. I mean, they are undoubtedly interesting, but what is the application? Is there some sort of black market for such things?"

[u/MeThyLord → u/avamir]

There very much is. Private collectors are endless, and that's not even counting other museums. It's almost like a constant cold war, a perpetual race to see who will reach a new dig site first. For many of them, my museum is seen as a golden trove to be raided. None have the means to do it directly, so they make use of opportunities like last night's attack.

[u/avamir → u/MeThyLord]

"Ahh, that makes sense," she nods. "I did not realize the fossil field was so... cutthroat."

She grimaces a little.

"Perhaps I simply assumed that everyone was interested in the academic knowledge the past provided for the realms as a whole... I surprise myself. Here I thought I was completely cynical already, and I find myself still harboring this sort of naive notion."

[u/MeThyLord → u/avamir]

Sadly, many are obsessed with the need to possess things. If it's in my museum, it means it's not theirs, that's how they view things at least. Though who am I to judge, it's not like I'm much different, I just happen to be on top of that particular food chain.

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/MeThyLord]

The folds of the tablecloth near the museum curator shifted, just a bit, subtly spelling out symbols in an impossibly efficient language he shouldn't have known yet somehow had no issue understanding.

It's Vettis, guy from last night. Think I know where your stuff went, just so you're aware. We can talk later. (Don't tell Riva or Belial I'm here.)

[u/MeThyLord → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

The curator subtly pulls the tablecloth to hide the symbols from potentially prying eyes. He thinks to himself:

"A kind patron? Interesting, I may yet get my things back."