Great Haven - sup

Sneak out while his back is to you.

>pretend to still be asleep, but make your presence known by snoring loudly!
that way the hawren probably won't be like "oh no i'm being ambushed" and hurt you without thinking! or be like "how come this mouse didn't alert me to its presence earlier! that's illegal!"

burrow into the yarn

do something meek

Hello pals. It's been almost a month since my last update. I'll start off by saying that I do NOT have any intention on leaving this adventure unfinished. I've put a lot of work into this world, and being able to finish something big for once will prove something to myself. I am in the process of working on a new update, but it's been taking quite a while, mostly due to my schoolwork basically piling up and taking over my life. I've barely even been able to keep up with my music and daily doodles.

So, in short, Great Haven WILL continue, I have every intention on continuing it, but things will be pretty slow for a while because I'm just so gosh-darned busy >:0

Thanks a whole lot for sticking with me thus far!

yaaay

(this is the closest forumnular approximation of "Like"ing the fact you haven't abandoned this. Good luck with tackling the lifeswamp!)

hooray :0

>Wait is he stealing the stuff? Stay hidden, you don't want to intervene!

You have no clue what he (or she, it's a little difficult to tell from behind) could possibly be up to. Are they some sort of brigand who took hold of the caravan, simply not noticing you there? Are they making that unsavory gesture on purpose?

They... DO look like they're on official business, though, as they aren't rapidly tearing down the place... only carefully checking each item in the car and muttering under their breath. Maybe... maybe they own the caravan, now? And Maya left you in its cargo? But that's ridiculous, all these scarves are still in here, and those bottles over there belonged to that certain rozo.

Maybe they're some sort of inventory checker? Be it professional, or... not so professional, possibly hired by a larger band of highwaymen who decided they needed someone to keep track of their quarry. They don't look too happy about being here, anxious, even... like they don't have a firm handle on what they're supposed to be doing. It could be that they're being forced... by what? The threat of death?

...You're overthinking things again. What kind of a band of thieves would force someone else to take inventory for them? Not even your own clan did that; inventory was always taken by the head; it was a much more efficient and reliable way of knowing what went where. Nobody could forge numbers to get out with a better sha-



"Atchoo!" Thinking about clan storage reminds you of the amount of dust that was in there.

The hawren turns around to look at you almost immediately. They hadn't seen you beforehand.



"Aaaahh... H-heeelp!" He cries out in a mild but growing panic. His face looks more afraid of you than you are of him.

Sneak out.

So, you're not gonna waste any time before getting out of his way. You hop right to your feet and scurry towards the back door, leaving the dude to have a panic attack on his own in here; its freaking you out, too. You can tell from the light outside that it's no longer nighttime, or even snowy.



Your little legs plop you right onto the ground outside, where your eyes are assaulted with an assortment of color and activity. It's nothing new... but instinct is telling you not to be out in the open. You're in a city plaza, and it's a lot bigger than the one back where you are from. The tile beneath you is warm... which is strange for winter. And there are hawrens everywhere. It almost makes you want to back up under the car again. Nearby you see the driver and a lady similar to the hawren you saw inside... and Mort, who looks incapacitated and otherwise crazy. Just like you remember him.

The driver clicks his arms together a few times in impatience. "...Sorry about that. Maya didn't want to move him," he says. "Are you sure he's going to be alright on his own in there?"

The hawren in red's voice is much more stiff. "...If I do anything, I'm probably going to have to let him calm down first." Her wings clutch into fists behind her back, and she takes a deep breath. "...Do you... have papers for this fourth passenger?"

"I don't, but.. I'm not sure if he had any to begin with. He joined us mid-voyage."

The two avoid looking at each other. You hear hyperventilating coming from inside.

SpoilerShow

My end is probably all settled now; Sorry for the long wait! It was a lot longer than I wanted it to be.

Thanks for your thumbsup supports!

>Ask what's going on :O

Cling to the driver. CLING TO THE DRIVER.

Cling to the driver. CLING TO THE DRIVER.

As your mind poorly handles all these new sights and sounds, you make a beeline for the nearest thing of comfort as if by instinct, and that thing happens to be the caravan driver. Also, you just kinda want to get away from that guy. The first thing he does in response is push you away with his cylindrical foot. "No, no no no, please, I can't be... you shouldn't be getting too attached to me." Its a bit troubling, but soon enough you come to your senses.

>Ask what's going on :O

"...At least tell me what's happening here," you request.

He's glad to explain. "I'm... simply having the caravan searched and inventoried. I've got to figure out who stole my sparsenore... or to be more exact, where Mort put it. Its stupidly obvious he did it. When Maya and I carried him in, I saw the burn marks on his hands.... and look at him now, even."

The dude does look pretty ill. The narcotics must have built up over time, however dumb way he was handling it.

"...In any case, the only thing left to do is prove it to the authorities, so you're free to g-"



"I'm going back to the barracks." The Hawren from earlier storms himself out of the caravan, bleary-eyed and trying to hide his face.

The other one follows right after him. "Hey hey, Don't be like that, c'mere."



"....As I was saying, you're free to go after all the paperwork is done, but since I'm sure neither of us want to deal with your apparent lack of citizenship, you could just leave now while they're distracted." He leans down to grab the gadget that the hawren dropped, and starts twisting little dials on it. "...I'm pretty sure I can do a better job than the government, anyways."

"...Is that legal?" you ask.

The driver doesn't skip a beat in answering. "Of course it is! If you have any stuff left on here, though, you'll have to come back and get it later. I need to find out where this guy is hiding what he stole. He probably dropped them in one of his brandy bottles. So, uh.. I'll be in the market, alright? Now go."

Which is all very helpful information to know when you know nothing about the city. The only possession you really have to get is your satchel, which, last you knew, was in Maya's possession. Which means you'll have to get it back from her. Before you set yourself loose, you ask the Sparsen one more question, namely, wherever that blue shelled individual might be. He answers, with a rather blunt "I dunno, kid."

Seems you're on your own, then.

>Scamper off!

Wherever you are, there are lots of neatly lined up cars here... and a bunch of buildings in the direction opposite of the wall. There are a few street vendors lining the streets, which seem to radiate out from the massive gate that probably serves as an entrance to the city. Between the vendors, there are some more major operations, and though you can't really read the signs, you can see some clear symbols... they include one elaborate and broad diamond shape, a rectangular sign with loads of stacked triangles, and... a bank. You'd recognize that anywhere, even if you've never properly used one. In between it all, there's a small plaza-like area that people are frequently walking through, and in the distance, you can make out some kind of tower... though it looks pretty far.

Maya ought to be somewhere. The only question is where? Maybe people have seen her? ...Or maybe you ought to just wait nearby for her return? Being outside in the early morning like this is not very usual for you. But, it's either keep your distance, or face a society that's designed for anybody but your own kind.

rectangle with triangles :3

Get up high, I think is the solution. And maybe find some telescope things.

Go into the building with the sort of "2" on it

>Poke Mort, see if you can get anything out of him.

Oh yes, this is a classic, classic case of sparsenore overdose. There's probably illusory fireworks going off in his little head. Well... if you leave him be, you'll probably not see him ever again... and that doesn't sound like a bad deal, considering what you've been through.

>Use your streetwise to find a place where they would sell narcotics, that's as good as any place to start.

Get up high, I think is the solution.

...Buuut. Seeing him lay down here like this gives you an idea. Back in your home city of Loroni, there were usually sparsenore dealers hanging out about the rooftops that generally knew most of the population around. You were sent quite often to go fetch the stuff for the rest of your clan. People were supposed to take turns, but its funny how things work out when you sit on the bottom rung of the ladder, isn't it? ...That place did had a pretty bad drug problem, now that you think of it.

But what's much more important than finding narcotics, or, meeting people in this city (that might not even operate the same as your old town)... is that when you're standing on a rooftop, you can see a considerable distance.

rectangle with triangles :3

These things are a lot taller and a lot less climbable-looking than the ones back at your old home. But it's worth a shot, you suppose. Lack of stamina be damned; you need that bag back.

Waiting for the nearby citizens to look away, you scurry yourself up a stack of crates, jumping to the sign on the side of the building for use as a ladder. There are scratch marks on it, so you're sure you're not the first. With a bit of effort, you eventually surmount the top of the structure, but you wouldn't dare try to climb the beacon on top. You'll get zapped pretty hard if you do.



...The floor and air is a lot colder up here. There's a bit of snow, even. You've got a pretty good view of the area around the bank, if a little distanced. With a little bit of scanning the crowd... ah.



Well, that could have been a lot easier. Maya was standing just inside the bank after all. But... who's that cloaked figure she's talking with?

SpoilerShow

Since Schaz asked me to link this here, I'm also running an ask blog set in the same universe as this adventure. Check it outtt. Also it's a collab effort kinda!

Go to her!!!! That's clearly a friend as you can see from her expression

You've never needed a hug from her so badly in your life.

listen in on them.

Make a snowman while you wait for her to finish up her conversation. Wouldn't want to interrupt!

>She might talk to someone who could take Maya being friends with you badly. Wait until they finish before running to her.

This is a neat adventure, and I hope it continues!

wait politely for the conversation to conclude and then go say hi to maya.

>Don't interrupt, just see if you can find a better vantage on her conversational partner.

Bask in sunlight for a bit.

You would like to lounge. It's not something you get to indulge in very often. Up here, even where nobody below is watching, you still feel incredibly exposed. That may be in part due to the sentries standing on the outer walls - or the simple fact that there isn't a roof over your head. And it's still as cold as bitter winter. Not that you aren't used to it, though; back in Loroni, the ground wasn't heated as it seems to be here. Snow was all over the place, instead of just on the rooftops.

Aside from all that, your anxiety tells you that there is something more important to do right now.

Make a snowman while you wait for her to finish up her conversation.

...Well, okay.



There you go, that should do it! A fine way to pass the time! You used to do this all the time with your cousins, making little snow-hiiri, usually in the middle of the night. Fun, and practical too; during raids, it hid numbers and locations from whoever cared to know. At least, that's what your elders told you. All you cared about was finding the perfect shape of leaf to fit your creation's ears. There weren't very many good ones up here, but they'll do nonetheless!

>Don't interrupt, just see if you can find a better vantage on her conversational partner.

Feeling satisfied (and a little impatient for Maya's conversation to end - it seems to go on and on), you find a discrete place to slide down the wall to the ground, and make your way across the plaza. The two have moved a little further into the bank, maybe to avoid blocking the entryway.

listen in on them.

Pillars line the inside of the bank, headed by a few small queues of larger people... its not often you get to see the inside of one of these things. You take refuge between a pillar and the wall and just... watch.

You can't hear them too well, but, you're close enough to at least understand the flow of the conversation. Maya's voice is still comforting and sweet, but the cloaked one... is more smooth and direct, like a dark block of Rhodian chocolate.

"You know there will always be a demand for healers," they say. Not only is it smooth, but it leaves an impression that bites you to your bones. "The things that can happen up there can get ugly fast, and it's not exactly profitable work if nobody gets hurt."

Despite her earlier expressions, Maya seems a little sick to her stomach. "...W-well... The offer is tempting... But I haven't the need for work any more, at least for a while. And... to be honest, if I did need to work again, I would probably like to avoid that..."



She is interrupted. "But, you and I have stood side by side in the past, I know you have good experience! And this time, it's not even real! It's just a show, and you would only need to stay in the back and clean up!"

"...It's real enough for me," Maya says. "You know I never did well with the sight of blood, no matter how good I was at hiding it."

The one in the cloak is clearly getting a little desperate, but you have no idea what they could possibly be talking about. Something dangerous, you can gather. But Maya seems sure of her own decisions.

You were too curious to notice that you were more exposed than you thought. There's a brief pause, and the cloaked figure acknowledges your presence. "...Hey, Hiir. Get out of here, you have no business with us or our wallets." Maya is a little slower to notice, and she pulls her scarf closer to herself as she turns to look in your direction. "...Hm?"

SpoilerShow

Snowmouse also marks image number 100. See you guys after the Ludum Dare <3

>Be brave and walk up to them.

Semi-hide, in a way that looks like you are shy, but don't mind being caught.

...You don't really want to show your face, but you do want Maya to recognize it. There's silence for a while... she looks like her mind is other places. The large eye underneath the cloak narrows its stare, as if annoyed that you continued to allow yourself to exist in their presence, but fortunately for you, Maya figures out who she was looking at before they berate you more.



"Oh gosh, Raoul! That's no cutpurse!" She reaches one of her hands into her scarf, and produces your bag, fixed up with a new strap. "I was hoping to finish this while we were still travelling, but... here it is!" It fits you better than it did before; she must have been paying attention to that on the wagon. Aaand.. as you look inside, you find some of that colorful fruit. How kind of her.

Maya pulls you onto her shoulder, and you hug to the side of her head. "I'm sorry, Deline, this is... someone I met while traveling here."

"...No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have misjudged," you hear the green figure say.



"It's rude of me to talk like that in front of a friend of a friend, and behind a mask, no less. It's hard to see out of that thing, anyways." Between her voice and her face, you're having a hard time reading the emotions on this person. It's been a while since you've met one of these, after all. You've forgotten the name of their kind; they certainly look the part of 'dangerous magic user' that you do remember, though.

You nod slowly, and she continues to speak. "...Is this what you've taken to doing these days? Helping those down on their luck?"

Maya hesitates, and stands up, lifting you up onto her shoulder. "...No. I mean... not really. It's just been escorting caravans and doing heavy lifting."

"That can't be good for your back."

"...I suppose it isn't, but... it's just not what I'm looking to do right now. Thanks again for the offer. Besides, I have all the money I need now."



Maya sighs and adjusts her scarf. "...Or I will, as soon as my driver shows up here with payment, and gives me the okay on grabbing the rest of my things."

The cloaked girl frowns. "Well, if you're not going to come work, then will you at least see the show tonight? I'll even be able to get you in for free. Both of you."

There's some more silence, before Maya speaks up again. "...I guess there's no reason not to. I'm only leaving tomorrow."

You've met some very generous, or perhaps very desperate people in your time. It's often difficult to tell which is which.