Shopping was simple enough.  With a large population, and the long-lived elves always curious to explore and perfect different professions and arts, one could find everything from mundane adventuring sundries to incredibly specific, esoteric, and historic astronomy maps or whalebone scrimshaw tool maintenance.  Poisons would be slightly more obscure, but the nonlethal concoctions were at least more openly sold than the deadly and debilitating ones that went unspoken.  For the largest access to imported food and spices, the port city Greengold was the place to go; but some foreign delicacies such as chocolate were popular enough to find their way further into the capital.  A confectionary sold cocoa beans as well as processed bars of chocolate, some mixed with cream and sugar, others pressed into a thin bark with spices or other extracts.  For those who found it too bitter or potent on its own, it was popular to blend into a trail mix of oats, raisins, and honey.<br/><br/>As dusk turned to night, stars, lamps, and magical lights kept the city dim but warmly illuminated for those who worked in the dark or kept odd hours.  Frogs croaked and crickets chirped, accompanied by fey creatures such as pixies and grigs, with their own tiny violins or legs, respectively.  One either learned to rest and trance through the forest’s background noise, or found a home secluded from the more active and noisy creatures.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The next morning, bread was baked, citizens went about their business, and the noise of the forest transferred from frogs to birdsong.  The massive tree temple was relatively quiet as clergy went about their duties and performances, their more rambunctious guests resting and recovering from overcelebration or dark dealings.  As Arala surmised, the Wasp Queens had drank and sang late into the night and were in deep, hung-over, insensate trances that morning.  When the morning light and bustle of the day made it truly impossible to laze about any more, though, the women went about the business of cleaning up and preparing for a new, more serious task.  Armor was inspected and fitted, knives sharpened and concealed, arrows gathered, and spells brought to mind and meditated upon.  By the time mid-day came, the trio of Tamarie, Faunra, and Kieyanna were partaking of one last civilized meal of fresh bread, jams, honey, and fruit before collecting their new interim partner, Alice.<br/><br/>“So, Alice-dear, we’re to work together now?  Marvelous.  It’s a good thing we got the introductions out of the way already, and the hazing can start after this mission, am I right, Faunra?” Tamarie winked to the tall, muscular elf adjusting her breastplate and the long, delicate sword strapped to her back, who ignored her.  “Anyway, we are fortunate that our target is conveniently nearby, relatively speaking.  You ever travel the Aiadara network?”<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Knowledge (arcana/architecture/history/local)</div><div class="spoiler_body"><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">DC 10</div><div class="spoiler_body">Aiadara were known as “elf gates,” and were stationary portals the elves built and used to instantly travel between linked gates.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">DC 15</div><div class="spoiler_body">Networks were built between specific connections, each gate requiring a specific key to activate.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">DC 20</div><div class="spoiler_body">Some ancient aiadara have been lost or destroyed, including some even more advanced gates that were linked to multiple destinations.</div></div></div></div><br/><br/>The group left the temple, walking the main road toward the palace, the political and magical focal point of the city as Tamarie continued to brief Alice.  “We’ll take Lotusgate to Galtgate.  That will take us into the Boarwood forest.  Just west out of that is the capital of Galt, Isarn.  There we’ll sneak in and steal whatever materials the Order of Vengeance needs to bring down Citizen Goss and assist their little free nation “Gralton” in attacking them or whatever it is they intend to do.  Human politics seem so endlessly derivative and pointless for their own sake, but I suppose this is a chance for us to either help an ally, or at least destabilize our neighbor to keep them busy fighting themselves.”<br/><br/>After a rather easy and pleasant walk, instead of the wide and more well-traveled path to the palace, they diverted to a path leading to a series of gardens.  Some were curated orchards with exotic fruits and hanging vines, others were expertly shaped topiary from life-size rabbits to life-size ancient dragons towering overhead.  Eventually they came to a low garden formed into eccentric rings filled with ponds of lotus flowers.  At the center of the arcing paths was a delicate stone arch standing freely.  Here, Kieyanna pulled a roughly cut garnet out of a pouch and touched it to the stone.  The empty doorway started to shimmer and ripple, growing opaque with a soft glow.  Faunra turned to the forest and gave a loud, buzzing whistle of sorts, which brought a complementary buzzing from a giant, elf-sized wasp that flew to them out of the forest.  Giving it an approving pat between the antennae, she and the giant vermin walked through the arch, disappearing into the portal, followed by Kieyanna.<br/><br/>“Right this way, Alice.  It’s like stepping off a moving cart:  a little disorienting for a moment as you regain your footing and momentum, but none worse for wear.  Whoop!”  Tamarie gave Alice a pat on the shoulder before hopping through herself.