Chapter 6

I did promise to tell about Magnimar, so here is what happens when I arrive there.

The next morning I wake up from being tickled until I promise to get up, though I feel like sleeping much longer after way too little sleep. I try to growl at my tormenter, Ameiliee, but her comment of "Time to get up, we are already docked and have to get up" accompanied by her beautiful smile stops me. It is just so hard to be in bad mood when she is around.

I drag myself up form bed and gather my things. While I do that, Ameiliee takes a sword from her pack. She then proceeds to pull it our from the scabbard. The blade is straight, long, thin, with a cutting surface on two sides and it is covered in runes. The pommel has a skull and the crosspiece look like crossed bones.

Seeing my interest, Ameiliee shows the blade and comments "It is my war blade, commonly called longsword by humans. It is imbued with both offensive and defensive magics, so you can look at it, but please do not touch it." I watch the runes for a minute or two. Then she puts the sword back in the scabbard and fastens it to her belt.

She comments "I am wearing the sword as precaution, as Magnimar is a lot wilder than Norek and attack spells are frowned upon. Hopefully the would be dead troublemakers notice the sword and will not trouble me. Of course if they are close by when they do trouble me, a sword is always a good way to kill them off while they are distracted by my spells. That way the authorities will just see sword wounds and I will not get banished from the city again."

She then continues "I do not really expect anything special to happen, but having been attacked twice in Magnimar in the last fifty years I am not taking any chances." after a short pause she continues "Oh, and you might want to wear your purse inside your shirt, as also pickpockets are unfortunately common in there."

Next we go out and I see Magnimar for the first time. It looks very different from Norek, the only other city I have seen. Every building seems different than any other building in sight and the people seem very different. The weather also seems unusually nice for this time of the year, with the sun shining though thin clouds and the rain being away for a while at least.

The whole place is just buzzing with activity, with lots and lots of people going in every direction, most seemingly busy. Their clothes vary a lot, while locals seem to be dressed mostly in a loin cloth or be naked, I can see clothing from all parts of the world. There seems to also be a huge number or non humans in the mix.

Just to give you some idea I will describe a few of the people and groups I see. I recognize many of the origins due to the stories my father has told.

There are two dwarfs, one in full plate and holding a visored helm in his hands, the other in a fine robe discussing something in heated tones with a huge blonde woman in chanshirt holding an ax that is larger than me. The difference in size between the four feet tall dwarves and the more than seven feet tall Northerling makes for an interesting contrast.

I see see a tall man in a fancy robe glide through the crowds with the grace of one of the chosen from magecities. People seem to unconsciously give way for him as he walks through the crowd.

A pair of wood elves in their characteristic leathers haggle over the price of some fresh fruits with a naked local woman at the food stalls.

A man in a fine toga strides purposefully, followed by four men in loincloths carrying a heavy box, followed by two ogres in mail as very hard to miss guards.