Mantarys

'What a weird world I've ended up in.' Adrian thought to himself. 'First some massive scorpion and now this?' In front of Adrian was a city, if it could even be called that. The walls weren't even walls anymore, each building looked to be falling apart. Now that alone wasn't too surprising, obviously ruins existed, but it was more due to the fact that he was only able to make out a few people in total.

Though it was a ruin, the size and style in which the city was built showed that once upon a time it was a beautiful site. Perhaps he'd be able to find out how it reached such a state of disrepair inside.

There were no guards or people who guarded the entrance to the city, Adrian simply walked in. He could maybe make out a few people in total throughout the entrance area of the city. Which was surprising as there were so many buildings. These people were… interesting to say the least. Each of them looked at him like he was some sort of animal at a zoo, it was unnerving.

Despite this Adrian approached one, the most normal looking one out of every single one he's seen. A relatively short man, 'if he took a shower and wore some actual clothes he might actually look normal.' Adrian thought to himself, 'alas, such a primitive people probably bathe once a year.'

"Got any clue where I can find a place to buy a map?" His question was accompanied by his hand holding out a singular silver coin, one he looted from those men earlier. The man looked at the coin and back up at Adrian, before grunting and grabbing said coin.

"You speak our tongue as if you are a native, yet you clearly are not. We rarely get visitors from outside Mantarys. One might wonder why it is you are here stranger."

"My reason of being here is none of your business, I believe I asked you a question?" Adrian hoped that he wouldn't have to fight, he had a weapon, a spear he stole from one of the men earlier, but this wasn't in the middle of the forest at night and frankly, he didn't want to have to deal with an angry people of the city due to him fighting and possibly killing one of their inhabitants.

"If you go deeper into the city you should reach the market area, ask around for a seller named Rozque, if any were to have a map it would be him."

"My thanks." With that Adrian moved deeper into the city with his guard up, he didn't like how some of the people on the street looked at him like he was a weird animal, one which they've never seen.

'Are they truly so backward that they have never seen a foreigner? Or is the entirety of this world the same?' Adrian thought to himself, before he took a look at the buildings that surrounded him and shook his head, 'no, even with it's evident state of disrepair, the buildings show a sign of a once mighty civilization.' Adrian likened these buildings to those of Ancient Athens, he had visited once in his youth and even through the crumbled pillars and fallen stones he could see the magnificence they once held.

As he moved deeper into the city these feelings only amplified, the buildings became taller and more lavish… well lavish was pushing it, they still looked like shit but he could see they were once great structures. He also noticed more people now, perhaps a couple hundred.

'Why are they all so short?' Adrian had assumed that it was only coincidence that the few he met on the outskirts were so small, but the tallest one here barely broke 5 1/2 feet, maybe 5'8. And he was an outlier, the vast majority were at least half a foot shorter. He shrugged however, 'guess they got pretty garbage genetics.'

Approaching one of the few stalls that were set up, he noticed how everyone seemed to slightly move away from him. Adrian felt so out of place, he could see the few mothers whispering into their child's ears in wonder and the men and women were both seemingly sizing him up, 'why do I keep getting looked at like I'm a slab of meat?' He decided that as soon as he got some information and a map, he was leaving.

"Do you know where I can find Rozque?" The stall owner looked at me weirdly, before pointing to one of the buildings across the street. Nodding and muttering my thanks I made my way to this Rozque's place.

It was noticeably in better shape than the other buildings, however it still had a few holes in the structure, and mold seemed to be growing along its walls. 'Well let's hope for the best' Adrian thought while he opened the door. And the second he opened said door he was met with a much taller man, standing right in front of the door frame, looking right at him.

"Uhhh, you Rozque?" It was a bit startling, but they were a strange people, maybe it was some sort of custom to greet guests in such a way. Though this man didn't look akin to any of the others he saw throughout the city.

"Hmm… Westerosi? No you speak the Mantarys tongue too well for one of those barbarians, are you Braavosian? Ah well no matter, I am Rozque Vollatis, a settler from Qarth. I came here to explore the closest remaining settlement to the ruins of Old Valyria, what brings you here traveler?" Adrian had never heard of any of those places. Qarth? Westerosi? Braavosian? However he was relieved, it seems that some parts of the world still had some sort of actual civilization.

"I was wondering if you had any maps or books you wished to part with?" He seemed surprised at my question, and a smudge suspicious.

"You came all the way to Mantarys without having a map? Well who am I to judge, I have plenty of books and a few maps I'm willing to sell, follow me."

-

"I will take 8 silver for the map, and 3 gold for the book."

'Damn, I only have 9 silver and no gold.' Adrian cursed to himself, he needed that book. 'The Century of Blood' if he wished to not be so out of place in this world he needed some semblance of knowledge. And if the book were to cover a whole century he should be able to get at least passing knowledge of the world.

"My friend I will take the map, however the book, would it be possible for me to do you some sort of favor instead for it?" Rozque seemed to ponder on my words before he opened his mouth.

"Well you see, a few of my servants went out recently to acquire manticores, but they haven't returned, you look to be the warrior sort so I'll give you a deal. If you bring me some manticore venom I'll give you the book free of charge."

'Well, a small world I guess, luckily I think those bastards had some of this manticore venom on them, saves me the trouble of having to go get it'

"I believe I already have some inside my bag." Adrian reached into 'his' bag before he pulled out a small vial, filled with a green liquid, "would this suffice?"

Rozque grabbed the vial and looked at it, "hmmm, yes this should be enough for the experiment I had in mind, if you pay the 8 silver the map and the book are yours." I took out 8 silver pieces and left them on his counter before grabbing the book and map. They were in passing condition at best, but he wasn't going to display them or something, they would do.

"A pleasure." I got up and started to leave as he simply nodded at my words, still looking at the vial in his hands like it was some sort of gem, 'well who am I to judge. Now it's time to get out of this city.'