20 Questions for Stone & Shell

Jeff's 20 Questions for (my non-canon version of) Stone & Shell

1. What is the deal with my cleric's religion?
   -Its a bit complicated at the moment since a Basilisk has been ascended to divinity and turned all the other gods to stone. Long story short, your powers still work, but god can't come to the phone right now. Also the number of raving prophets on the steps of temples has increased tenfold.
2. Where can we go to buy standard equipment?
   -Most places have some sort of general goods store. "Archeology" (tomb-raiding) is seen as a lucrative but disdainful profession taken up by desperate vagabonds, but just like the parable of the richest men in the Gold Rush being the ones that sold shovels, so are the most profitable businesses today being the ones that sell ten-foot-poles.
3. Where can we go to get platemail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?
   -The New Horned Ones are used to working with non-standard forms and could easily tailor something to you, though it'll probably be expensive. Ori would be a good place to start looking. If you find yourself near their homelands, the Dwarves or an Iron Priest could probably make some custom gear for you as well.
4. Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?
   -Both the Last Witch and the Dust Lord lay claim to the legacy of the First Wizard, but let's hope we never have to find out which one of them is actually stronger.
5. Who is the greatest warrior in the land?
   -THE UTTERSWORD and it's Exalted Knights are literally unbeatable in direct combat. The Chitinous Elves and their strange tech probably aren't too far behind though.
6. Who is the richest person in the land?
   -Likely the Last Witch, what with the titanic industries of the New Horned Ones and all the paid debt that Ori rakes in from centuries of smart investment.
7. Where can we go to get some magical healing?
   -Good luck finding someone who can waggle their fingers and close your wounds. Us common folk do things the old fashioned way- leeches and poultices. There are some rare folk out their who can do it though, maybe you're one of them?
8. Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?
   -Say your prayers or go see a good doctor who'll probably tell ye the same thing. Though for some of the rarer stuff you might be able to track down an expert who may or may not be insane enough to have tackled your unique ailment before.
9. Is there a magic guild my MU belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?
   -The New Horned One's got all sorts of guilds and consortiums you can look into. Horned One's in general've been working magic since they were born from the roses of the Spellgarden. If you survive the trip to Smog you can probably find someone to teach you some lightning magic. A Gamble-Freak den probably has a few spells in the pot if you's willing to risk your soul too.
10. Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?
    -Any proper city'll have all of those. If you ain't near a city, you might come across a wandering Bale of Elves who have the info you need- and even if'n they don't, they should be able to point you to a Bale that does.
11. Where can I hire mercenaries?
    -Seedy Taverns, mostly. Most towns have a drunk or two willing to hold your light for a few pennies a day. There's also Chitinites if you need a proper expert at killing, though they don't come cheap. Magpie's (A breed of Siryn- call them Swiftlets if you don't want to offend) are the best damn guides if you wanna do any proper adventurin tho. A Cat or Hobgoblin vet will also be happy to scout for you and aren't quite as expensive, and you can find those pretty much anywhere you could find a human.
12. Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?
    -You'll need a permit for anything bigger than a knife in any city run by the Ambassadors or the BRR (blue-ribbon republic). No one else gives a shit.
13. Which way to the nearest tavern?
    -There are so many, you can't throw a cat without hitting one.
14. What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?
    -The BRR has a bounty on Orcs and their war-breeds. Exalted Knights already wiped out all the proper beasties on this continent, but if you want to earn a noble's patronage and take a trip to the Hidden Continent there's probably plenty of exotic monsters to skin and trophy there. If you survive and return you'd be the first, and could probably retire at your leisure.
15. Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?
    -The Dusk Lord's Undead are getting, ah, rambunctious. Plenty of keeps doing their best to hold the line, but the BRR still refuses to admit there's a problem. 
16. How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?
    -Plenty of Arenas too- Gamble-Freaks tend to run the underground joints which are deadlier but pay better. Proper arenas are held top-side for the citizens enjoyment and tend to pay in fame and influence rather than cash, but to the right person those can all be practically the same.
17. Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?
    -You know, there's whispers of this dragon cult called Unbound Avarice. Might be nothing, though.
18. What is there to eat around here?
    -An ungodly amount of turkey and boar. Plenty of fish and cheese if you're in Ori. Other places have specialty cuisines, but you can almost always buy a roasted turkey. It's terrible unless you somehow supply your own spices.
19. Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?
    -My, where to start with that one...There's the Crystal Palace, with it's supposed infinite labyrinth of treasure and riches, but that's in the middle of a volcano and The Gilded One doesn't take kindly to outsiders in general.
    There's the Iron Throne, which commands the legendary Iron Company. It's...somewhere.
    Then there's Nexus, a whole city of wizards that up and vanished.
    That's not even mentioning the Ark, the Cold Stairs, the First Homes...any one of these places could give you a king's treasury if you survived.
20. Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?
    -Probably in a dungeon. They're almost as plentiful as taverns.
    
    (Apologies for the delay in posts. Life's been worrisome than normal as of late and I've got many projects at once all up in the air.)