montore

wiktopher.md

@@ -1091,7 +1091,7 @@ leaf a day, got it. Thank you."
 
 \newpage
 
-"I really couldn't let you in, not without identification!" A young worker said from behind a desk equipped with heavy bars, to protect the occupant from physical harm.  
+"I really couldn't let you in, not without identification!" A young worker said, from behind a desk equipped with heavy bars.  
     "We don't have that in Volare!" Lupen said, getting hot in the face.  
     "I see." The clerk reached for a pamphlet and handed it over to Lupen through an opening in the bars. The pamphlet read: 'So you don't exist.'  
     "What is this?"  
@@ -1101,227 +1101,227 @@ leaf a day, got it. Thank you."
     The clerk reached under the desk and pulled up a durdle, a creature with long ears and a spiked shell, it had a tag stuck to one of its spikes with the writing 'D-126'. "See. Even D-126 here has an ID."  
     "Okay, *fine*. Say I want to get an... *ahy- dee*, where do I get it?"  
     "You'll need to visit the next stall, Specter. Next!" the clerk called, eager to move on to another customer.  
-    "Specter?" Lupen stormed off, looking for that next stall the clerk had mentioned. It was easy to find. The stall in question had a long line of people standing in front of it, a long, long line, snaking around Montore's outer wall and through an amassments of colourful tents.  
+    "Specter?" Lupen stormed off, looking for that next stall the clerk had mentioned. The stall was easy to find, it had a long line of people standing in front of it, a long, long line, snaking around Montore's outer wall, and lined with colourful tents.  
 
-The city of Montore was enclosed entirely within a single, continuous wall, located on a hilltop. The wall was made from rammed earth and decorated with local geometric motifs. The tops of large hempa sails were visible from the ground, raised high on a ledge atop the wall so that nothing could disturb the wind. The sails lay over a rotating circular track, following the whole top of the city wall. The orientation of each sail changed depending on the wind, their motion was slow, but constant. Like many cities in the desert, Montore was powered by wind.  
-    On one end of the city, a wall extension was in progress. Wooden scaffolding lay in place. The soil was compacted iteratively, in batches, so as to gradually erect the wall up. Workers stood on the top of the wall with long ramming poles, pressing and packing the material down.    
-    Lupen approached a young Terin standing in line, "hey, how long you been waiting here?"   
-    "Nervemind Yuna, they're real high. We've both been in line for 5 days." Lupen followed the voice and turned around, eyes meeting with the forehead of a short Terin. By Verido standards, Lupen was short but this Terin was even shorter. "I'm Kuzi." Kuzi's dark hair was covered by a notcott bandana, they wore a long, white loose-knit shirt, compressed at the waist, with shoulders superimposed by a light multi-coloured scarf. Yuna, Kuzi's line neighbour, was indeed unresponsive, standing, but just barely.  
+The city of Montore sat on a hilltop enclosed entirely within a single, continuous wall, made from rammed earth and decorated with geometric motifs. The tops of large hempa sails were visible from the ground, raised high on a ledge atop the wall so that nothing could disturb the wind. The sails lay over a rotating circular track, following the whole top of the city wall. The orientation of each sail changed depending on the wind, their motion was slow, but constant, powering the city.  
+    On one end of the city, a wall extension was in progress. Wooden scaffolding lay in place, with workers standing on the top of the wall with long ramming poles, pressing and packing the soil down into the mold. 
+    Lupen approached a young Terin standing in line, "hey, how long have you been waiting here?"   
+    "We've both been in line for 5 days." Lupen followed the voice and turned around, meeting with the forehead of another Terin. "I'm Kuzi." Kuzi wore a notcott bandana, a long, white loose-knit shirt, and a colourful scarf. Kuzi's line neighbour was indeed unresponsive, standing, but just barely.  
     "Lupen," Lupen said, "that long? For an ahy- dee?"  
     "Yeesh, you're saying that real weird."  
     "Saying what weird?"  
     "Nevermind." Kuzi said, "waiting in line is a good job. It pays well, well, it pays enough for a quarter kavava root."  
     "I don't understand."  
-    "Someone's paying us to wait in line for them, they're staying in one of those tents out there. When I reach the desk we switch places and I get paid! There's always people willing to pay not to wait. They get what they want, we get what we want, it's perfect."  
+    "Someone's paying us to wait in line for them, while they stay in one of those tents out there. When I reach the desk we switch places and I get paid! There's always people willing to pay not to wait. They get what they want, we get what we want, it's perfect."  
     Lupen estimated that it would take at least seven days to reach the front desk, "seven days is too long."  
-    "Yea, it's long long, but it's the only way any of us can afford kavava root. I just ran out, I usually time myself well enough to have some left for my time in line but... you know, it is difficult to reason with yourself when you're high," Kuzi said with a laugh, "can't believe I went through the whole thing..."  
-    "Is that what that other Terin is on?"  
-    "Yuna? Yea. Every surrogate in this line is here for Kavava."  
-    Lupen turned to Yuna again, the Terin appeared to be in another world, body swaying slowly from side to side, speaking to no one in a slurred speech, mouthing nonsensical words. "So everyday, you wait in line to earn coin for kavava, the wait is so long that you consume your entire kavava supply purchased with the coin earned from your previous wait, so when you exit the line you buy more kavava with the coin you just got, and you come back in line because you know you'll run out again waiting. That is psychotic Kuzi."   
+    "Yea, it's long long, but it's the only way any of us can afford kavava root. I just ran out, I'm usually careful to have some left for my time in line, but you know, it is difficult to reason with yourself when you're on kavava," Kuzi said with a laugh, "can't believe I went through the whole thing..."  
+    Lupen noticed a root laying in the hand of the person standing ahead of them in line. The Terin was in another world, body swaying slowly from side to side, mouthing nonsensical words.  
+    "Every surrogate in this line is here for Kavava." Kuzi said. 
+    "So everyday, you wait in line to earn coin for kavava, the wait is so long that you consume your entire kavava supply purchased with the coin earned from your previous time in line, so when you reach the front desk you get paid and spend it all on more kavava, then you find someone else to wait in line because you know you'll run out again waiting. That is psychotic Kuzi."   
     "You don't know anything about anything."  
-    Lupen frowned then and was about to leave but then asked another question. "I was wondering, do you know a Zucca?"  
+    Lupen frowned and was about to leave but then asked another question. "I was wondering, do you know a Zucca?"  
     "If I know azucca? What's azucca."  
     "Zucca. It's a name."  
-    "Azucca'itsaname...? Nope, sorry. Don't know one. Hell of a name though, would sit real long on an ID."  
-    "Are you done wasting my time?" Lupen asked, growing impatient.  
-    "Way I see it you're wasting *mine*. I might start being useful if you throw me a coin or two though..." the Terin said with a wink, presenting an open hand.  
-    Lupen hated everything about Montore already, even those living outside its walls. The Verido gave the Terin a rotten look before walking away.  
-    "Come on now Specter! I was kidding. It's a thing called humor, learn about it! *Every* Terin *knows* about Zucca. Has something of great value I heard. Many go out into the desert to look for it, but most never make it back. I bet you know that though, being a friend to Zucca! If you know the location and tell the guards I bet you and I could get ahead in line real fast! There's a guard right there, see? Hey! Hey *you*! Guard person!"  
-    Lupen wanted to run away, but the Terin gripped the Verido's collar and kept Lupen in place. The guard moved towards them, they were tall, dressed in the greens of Montore. The guard was an Aodal, the tallest of desert habitants—second only to Uno, Lupen thought. They were strong, brown-skinned with thin eyes and long, narrow pointed ears.  
-    "I wish you wouldn't call me guard person Kuzi..." The guard said, offended by this. "I'm not just some faceless duplicate!"  
+    "Azucca'itsaname...? No, sorry. Don't know one. Hell of a name though, would sit real long on an ID."  
+    "Are you done wasting my time?" Lupen asked, impatiently.  
+    "Way I see it you're wasting *mine*. I might start being useful if you throw a coin or two my way though..." the Terin said with a wink, presenting an open hand.  
+    Already, Lupen hated everything about Montore, even those living outside its walls. The Verido gave the Terin a rotten look before walking away.  
+    "Come on now Specter, I was kidding. It's a thing called humor, learn about it! *Every* Terin *knows* about Zucca. Has something of great value I heard. Many go out into the desert to look for it, but most never make it back. I bet you know that though, being a friend to Zucca! If you know the location and tell the guards I bet you and I could get ahead in line real fast! There's a guard right there, see? Hey! Hey *you*! Guard person!"  
+    Lupen wanted to run away, but the Terin gripped the Verido's vest collar. A tall guard in uniform walked towards them.  
+    "Kuzi, I wish you wouldn't call me guard person..." The guard said, offended by this.  
     Lupen spied a name on a piece of ID pinned to the front of the guard's green blazer, the tag read 'Averet'.  
     "Averet here has a fear of being perceived as ordinary," Kuzi said, turning to Lupen.  
-    Averet's face turned red. "I've got grand ideas! There are plenty of things I want to do with my life! This is not my forever job you know, I am *not* going to spend my life making sure kakava addicts like you don't fall down a ditch..."  
+    Averet's face turned red. "I've got grand ideas! There are plenty of things I want to do with my life! This is not my forever job you know, I am *not* going to spend my life making sure kakava addicts, like you, don't fall down a ditch..."  
     "This Specter and I know the whereabouts of Zucca!" Kuzi then blurted out in a hurry, before Lupen could react.  
     Lupen tried to deny it all, but the response was delayed, unnatural. "I'm just a traveling potter! I make pots! I don't know anything about anything! Well, I know about pots! But that's really *it*!"  
-    Kuzi knocked on the side of Lupen's head with a closed fist, as if to check if it was hollow. "There is definitely something swishing around it there. And I thought Verido were good storytellers..."  
+    Kuzi knocked on the side of Lupen's head with a closed fist, as if to check if it was hollow. "There is definitely something swishing around in there. And I thought Veridos were good storytellers..."  
     "I made this cup!" Lupen said, ignoring Kuzi and showing Averet the cup Rosmus made. The grey cup was tied to a braided isilk lanyard linked to Lupen's belt.  
-    Kuzi slapped the cup down, it fell out of Lupen's hand and swung at the end of its line. "*Zucca*, Averet? Come on, you've heard of the one with the green place, yea? Well we'll tell you where it is if you let us skip the line."  
-    "As if either of you would know where it is, least of all *you* Kuzi."  
+    Kuzi slapped the cup out of Lupen's hand. "*Zucca*, Averet! Come on, you've heard of the one with the green place, yea? Well, we'll tell you where it is if you let us skip the line."  
+    "As if either of you would know where it is, least of all *you*, Kuzi."  
     Whenever Lupen tried to tear away, the Terin found some other limb or piece of clothes to grab onto. As Kuzi tugged away, a norange fell out of Lupen's vest pocket and rolled onto the ground.  
     Both the guard and Kuzi froze at the sight of it.  
     "A norange." Kuzi said, releasing Lupen and going to grab the colourful piece of fruit instead. Kuzi held onto it, stroking the bumps on its surface gently, like stroking the soft hairs on the head of a newborn. There was a hint of sadness in Kuzi's eyes. The Terin put a nose to the fruit, smelling it, and whispering softly into it. Averet reached forward and tore the fruit away, inspecting it from all angles.  
      "Where did you get *this*?" A question aimed at Lupen, although the guard's eyes were fixed on the fruit.  
-    Kuzi leapt at Averet and stole the norange before running away, grabbing Lupen's arm in passing and darting into the crowd. The guard rushed after them, but soon lost sight of the two runaways.  
-     "A norange..." Averet whispered, smelling the hand that had held it just moments ago. If it weren't for the fruit bits still stuck under these fingernails, Averet would have thought it to be a hallucination.  
-    Kuzi stopped once they had gone far away enough, breathing hard, the norange in hand.  
+    Kuzi leapt at Averet and stole the norange before running away, grabbing Lupen's arm in passing before darting into the crowd. The guard rushed after them, but soon lost sight of the two runaways.  
+     "A norange..." Averet whispered. If it weren't for the fruit bits still stuck under these fingernails, Averet would have thought it to be a hallucination.  
+    Kuzi stopped running once they had gone far away enough, breathing hard, the norange in hand.  
     "You lost your place in line! Weeks of waiting!" Lupen said.  
-    "Doesn't matter," Kuzi replied, eyes on the fruit still. "You really were at that oasis."  
+    "Doesn't matter," Kuzi replied, eyes still on the fruit. "You really were at that oasis."  
     "Yea, you thought I was lying? This was a parting gift. I'd never heard of noranges until I was given one. My friend knew, though."  
-    "Noranges were thought to be extinct. I thought the plant and seed had gone up in flames with the citadel and the rest. Ah, I love the smell of noranges warmed by the suns! Some have tried to synthesize the smell and taste, but it's not the same. I forgot how fragrant it was. So sweet, yet so bitter."  
+    "Noranges were thought to be extinct. I thought the plant and seed had gone up in flames with Ministe and the rest. Ah, I love the smell of noranges warmed by the suns! Some have tried to synthesize the smell and taste, but it's not the same. I forgot how fragrant it was. So sweet, yet so bitter."  
     "You can have it," Lupen said with a smile. "It's yours to eat."  
-    "I love the smell, but I also hate it, brings back memories I prefer to forget."  
-    Lupen knew why. After the Iridi raids many Terins had grown lethargic. They stopped growing food and lost their connection with the soil. Kuzi's eyes were set on that fruit, having a silent conversation with it. The Terin then smiled, breaking out of the trance and throwing the fruit up in the air before catching it again in mid-flight. "Thanks for the gift. Seems like I owe you big now eh? I'll get you an ID, I've got some connections."  
-    "Yea that'd be great! I need one for my friend Eka too."  
+    "I love the smell, but I also hate it, it brings back memories I'd prefer to forget."  
+    Lupen knew why. After the Iridi raids many Terins had grown lethargic. They stopped growing food and lost their connection with the soil. Kuzi's eyes were set on that fruit, having a silent conversation with it. The Terin then smiled, breaking out of the trance and throwing the fruit up in the air before catching it again in mid-flight. "Thanks for the gift. Seems like I owe you big now, eh? I'll get you an ID, I've got some connections."  
+    "Yea, that'd be great! I need one for my friend Eka, too."  
     "Not a problem," Kuzi eyed Lupen curiously then, "why do you want to get into Montore anyway? It sucks in there."  
-    "In the mood for some bam cake and tea."  
+    "We're in the mood for some babam cake and tea."  
 
-The next morning, Lupen and Eka went to wait at the foot of the wall encircling the city, near where the new wall was being built. Kuzi had instructed Lupen to wait here, but now the second sun was nearing midday and their helper was a no-show. They wandered back over to the town entrance, making sure to avoid any guards, while keeping an eye open for Kuzi.  
-    By then, word about their presence and their possession of real noranges had reached the ears of many other Terins. Many of the ones standing in line for IDs glanced at them as they walked past.  
+The next morning, Lupen and Eka went to wait at the foot of the new wall that was being built. Kuzi had instructed Lupen to wait there, but now the second sun was nearing midday, and their helper was a no-show. They wandered back over to the town entrance, making sure to avoid any guards, while keeping an eye open for Kuzi.  
+    By then, the story about a Verido in possession of a real norange had reached the ears of many other Terins. Many of the ones standing in line for IDs glanced at them as they walked past.  
     "Hey!" One of them called out. "Is it true that you've met Zucca?"  
-    Lupen hushed the Terin. "Yes, but keep your voice low."  
+    Lupen nodded. "Yes, but keep your voice low."  
     "Got any more of those noranges?" Another yelled.  
     Eka did have one left, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea to say so.  
     "I'll get you an ID for one!" One Terin said. "I've got coin, you want coin for it? What about kavava?"  
-    "Uh oh." Eka said, noticing the amount of attention they were getting. Some guards turned, tipped off by the many Terins beginning to encircle them and shouting offers to them.  
-    Then the woth moved out of its glass ball, and reached into Eka's pocket, pulling out the last norange. The woth took off with it, carrying it high and above everyone's head. Eka shouted another "Uh oh," followed by, "Humhum come back!" The Terins all stared at the brightly coloured fruit, jumping into the air to try and grab a hold of it. The guards saw it plainly now. They hurried over, and they too began to try and take it. The woth just hovered out of their reach, and after a while it took off and fLu inside of the city, flying over the main entrance. Many followed, rushing inside, the guards at the entrance too had left their post to get their hands on it.  
+    "Uh oh," said Eka, noticing the amount of attention they were getting. Some guards turned, tipped off by the many Terins beginning to encircle them, shouting offers.  
+    Then, the woth moved out of its glass ball, and reached into Eka's pocket, pulling out the last norange. The woth took off with it, carrying it high and above everyone's head. Eka let out another "Uh oh," followed by, "Humhum come back!" All of the surrogates in line were staring at the brightly coloured fruit, jumping into the air to try and grab it. The guards saw it too, now, hurrying over. The woth hovered out of their reach, and flew over the main entrance and inside the city. A crowd followed, a mix of surrogates, guards and visitors, all reaching for the fruit.  
     "Norange!"  
-    "Get it get it!"  
-    A crowd was chasing the woth inside the city. Eka and Lupen were able to get inside.  
+    "Get it, get it!"  
+    A mob was chasing the woth inside the city, Eka and Lupen, following, were able to get inside.  
     "That woth is brilliant! A first-class instigator of change! A genius!" Lupen said, running inside, shouting the war cry: "Cake and tea!"  
     "Cake and tea!" Eka yelled while laughing, mimicking Lupen. "You're going to start a riot!"  
     "I'm just an opportunist, the woth is the mastermind!"  
-    The woth landed on top of a high building, setting the norange on a visible and inaccessible place. It's there that it waited. The people on the ground were affected with passion, gathering round to look at the thought-be-extinct fruit. Out came several "ooohs", as well as a succession of reverent "aaahs."  
+    The woth landed on top of a high building, setting the norange on a visible but inaccessible place, and waited. Out came several "ooohs", as well as a succession of reverent "aaahs," from the growing collection of admirers at the foot of the building.  
 
-Eka and Lupen ran deeper into the city, past buildings and street vendors, until they arrived at the main plaza. The plaza was a flat, clear space, encircled with tiny stalls with vendors selling a variety of flavored food patches.  
+Eka and Lupen ran deeper into the city, past buildings and street vendors, until they arrived at the town's public square, a clear space, encircled with tiny stalls selling a variety of flavored food patches.  
     "Get your bobonion soup patch here! Best in the city!"  
     "In the mood for some mapple pie? Get the patch right here, right now!"  
-    The floor of the city was paved with stones, but dusty, with bits of debris here and there. Young workers stood around with brooms, there to catch spent patches which inevitably found their way to the ground after use. The people of Montore threw them over their shoulders when they were done, mirroring the habit of throwing away remains of fresh fruits and vegetables. The desert and small critters consumed the peels quickly, but not the same could be said of those patches.  
+    The floor of the city was paved with stones, but dusty, with bits of debris here and there. Young workers stood around with brooms, there to catch spent patches. The people of Montore threw them over their shoulders when they were done, mirroring the habit of throwing away remains of fresh fruits and vegetables. The desert and small critters consumed the peels quickly, but not the same could be said of those patches.  
     "What do you do with the collected patches?" Eka asked one of the children.  
     The child pointed to a building adjoined to the outerwall.  
     "And what happens when the building's full?"  
     The child cocked a head to one side, "I guess they'll put it in another building..."  
 
-Every house, or business in this city was square with thick yellow walls made from a mixture of mud, sand, waterstones and dried grasses. They were constructed in a way that they kept the inhabitants cool in the day, and warm once both suns had set. A large building topped with a dome-like structure sat at one end of the grand plaza, the Montore insignia was engraved into its front, the same symbol present on the face of every coin. A dozen green flags perched on the roof gave the building some colour.  
-    In the middle of the plaza was a thick beam with a large wheel around it, spinning slowly. Eka noticed that the beam and wheel were connected to a much larger cog, built under the plaza. Following one of these long branches Eka arrived into a bakery. Inside another of these large beams came out of a hole in the floor, behind the counter where the baker worked. This secondary beam had a series of smaller branches and cogs attached to it leading all the way to a flour mill. Like the big wheel in the centre of the plaza, this beam too turned, slowly.  
-    "Whoa!" Eka said, kneeling down near the hole in the floor around the beam to catch a glimpse of the underground mechanism. "This is brilliant!" The city was build on top of a huge cog, used to power devices in the businesses of the city. In the bakery, the beam had a movable arm that could be repositioned to another location to power different items like the grain mill, and the dough beater.  
-    "You shouldn't mill so much muckwheat!" An Aodal said to the co-owner of the bakery, "we sell so little now, no one wants any! Why waste it?"  
-    The bakery owner sighed at these words, and glanced over at fresh loaf of muckwheat bread. "People in this town need to be reminded of what real food looks like and smells like, Ira!"  
-    "They're going to shut us down Avril. We need coin to keep this place in operation."  
-    Eka overheard this conversation, and was rather sad to hear it. This was a direct result of the increasing production of food patches. Eka carried these words back to Lupen, who had somehow gotten dragged into a Montore tour group. Leaving it was hard, everyone kept pushing them from one place to another.  
-    "The town operates on a schedule!" A tour guide to the city said to a group of newly-arrived visitors. "During the early, midday and late day rush, the strongest in the city come to the main beam in the plaza and give the master cog a big boost by spinning it faster manually! Food patch production increases dramatically during these times to meet the increase in demand. Outside of these times, the cog spins at a continuous and consistent speed, made possible by the outer cog that is built on top of the city wall. The outer cog is equipped with sails, using the power of the wind to keep moving! But remember, currently Beobug is trying to build a new system that would remove the need for wind! Imagine! A city that runs all day, everyday no matter the weather!"  
-    Lupen and Eka began to tour the city like this, following the guide. They found their way into a factory that made sweet-tasting food patches. On arrival every one was given a sample, the guide gave Eka and Lupen a bam cake patch.  
+Every house, or business in this city had thick yellow walls made from a mixture of mud, sand, waterstones and dried grass. They were constructed in a way to remain cool in the day, and warm once both suns had set. A large building topped with a dome sat at one end of the public square, adorned with the Montore insignia, the same symbol stamped on the face of every coin. A dozen green flags perched on the roof gave the building some colour.  
+    In the middle of the city was a thick beam with a large wheel around it, spinning slowly. Eka noticed that the beam and wheel were connected to a much larger cog, built under the city. Following one of these long branches, Eka arrived into a bakery. Inside, another one of these large beams came out of a hole in the floor, behind the counter where the baker worked. This secondary beam had a series of smaller branches and cogs attached to it, leading to a flour mill.  
+    "Whoa!" Eka said, kneeling down near the hole in the floor around the beam to catch a glimpse of the underground mechanism. "This is brilliant!" The city was built on top of a huge cog, powering devices in the businesses of the city. In the bakery, the beam had an arm that could be repositioned to power a grain mill, or a dough beater.  
+    "You shouldn't mill so much muckwheat!" someone said, "we sell so little now, no one wants any! Why waste it?"  
+    The baker sighed, and glanced over at fresh loaf of muckwheat bread. "People in this town need to be reminded of what real food looks like and smells like, Ira!"  
+    "They're going to shut us down, Avril. We need coin to keep this place running."  
+    Eka overheard the conversation, and was sad to hear it. Eka carried these words back to Lupen, who had somehow gotten dragged into a Montore tour group. Leaving it was hard, everyone kept pushing them from one place to another.  
+    "The town operates on a schedule!" A tour guide said to a group of visitors. "During rush horo, the strongest in the city come to give the master cog a boost by spinning it faster manually! Food patch production increases dramatically during these times to meet the increased demand, otherwise, the cog spins at a continuous and consistent speed, made possible by the outer cog, powered by the wind. But remember, currently Beobug is trying to build a new system that would remove the need for wind! Imagine! A city that runs all day, everyday no matter the weather!"  
+    Lupen and Eka followed the guide. They found their way into a factory that made sweet-tasting food patches. On arrival every one was given a sample, the guide gave Eka and Lupen a babam cake patch.  
     "It's just like having the real thing! Try it!"  
     Eka gave the patch a sniff, followed by a quick lick. "Um," Eka thought, giving it another lick, "I can sort of taste it."  
-    Lupen licked the bam cake patch too, "yea, I mean. It's fine?"  
+    Lupen licked the babam cake patch too, "yea, I mean. It's fine?"  
     The tour leader continued to talk about the factory. "Our grand leader Monty had the idea for this wonderful product! It has saved countless lives, and propelled this city to fame!"  
     "Monty?" Lupen said, loud enough for others to hear.  
     The entire group turned to look at the Verido.  
-    "You mean to say you don't know the grand leader's name?" One of the tourists asked, clearly upset by this.  
-    "Oh. Well I was kidding, of course I know!"  
+    "You mean to say you don't know the Grand-Leader's name?" One of the tourists asked.  
+    "Oh, well I was kidding! Of course I know!"  
     "Smooth." Eka whispered.  
-    "Yea? Then when's Monty day hmm?!"  
-    All eyes were on Lupen then, waiting for an answer to this supposedly obvious question. "Um. Today?" Lupen said, tentatively, tipped off by the decorations in both the town and the factory.  
-    The group then relaxed. "That's right! Today is Monty day, celebrating the Green Day of our grand leader!"  
-    Lupen was eager to get away from this group of zealots. As soon as the tour group made their way to the gift shop the Verido and Eka snuck out.  
-    "I'd like to give this Monty a piece of my mind," Lupen said, not impressed with the factory, as they walked away the Verido continued to lick the bam cake patch. "I hate the idea of this patch, but I can't stop licking it."  
+    "Yea? Then when's Monty Day, hm?"  
+    All eyes were on Lupen. "Um. Today?" Lupen said, tentatively, tipped off by the decorations in both the town and the factory.  
+    The group then relaxed. "That's right! Today is Monty Day, celebrating the Green Day of our Grand-Leader!"  
+    Lupen was eager to get away from this group of zealots. As soon as the tour group made its way to the gift shop, the Verido and Eka snuck out.  
+    "I'd like to give this Monty a piece of my mind," Lupen said, unimpressed with the factory, as they walked away the Verido continued to lick the babam cake patch. "I hate the idea of this patch, but I can't stop licking it."  
     "It's not bad," Eka noted.  
-    Lupen gave the patch a last, long lick, but then stopped to look at it. "Now what do I do with this?"  
+    Lupen gave the patch a last, long lick, but then stopped to look at it. "Now, what do I do with this?"  
 
-Eka and Lupen spent time exploring the city, both were determined to see every shop that the great cog was powering. The Verido spent time in a woodshop, where the cog turned a metal wheel to cut giant logs. Next to it, was a secondary arm with a rotating metal bit, used to press holes into material.  
-    Eka wandered into Alkarawin, the oldest library in the Soronan desert. From any vantage point in Montore, you could make out its emerald-green tiled roof. The complex was home to hundreds of historical books and ancient texts written by renowned scholars and thinkers over the years. The library had an enormous  arch near the entrance, past the arch two tall irinwood trees bordered the door leading inside the complex. The branches of the tree were heavy with small wooden discs hanging from thin ropes, each disc had words carved onto its faces. Visitors who came from far to visit Alkarawin would come here to offer knowledge to the library, inscribing a short story, or fact to the wood. At the end of every annum, these were removed from the trees, tallied and gathered to form new texts. A small basin lay near the door where visitors could wash their hands and feet, a symbolic act of cleaning the mind and body of impurities prior to entering.  
-    Clean and centred, Eka entered Alkarawin, and stepped into the room housing all of the books. It consisted of a square chamber, with books lining the walls, covering every space from floor to ceiling. Books stored near the ceiling were accessible via a small elevated walkway, built around the room and accessible with a ladder. The main annex branched out into several smaller reading rooms, or rooms where you could be read to, each featuring a unique ornately-painted yukwood ceiling.  
-    Eka wandered onto the higher walkway, fingers tracing along names embossed onto the bindings. Eka spotted a blind librarian browsing through books on a nearby shelf, helping a customer find a specific tome, fingers reading the text quickly before moving into another section. The librarian pulled out a book and then handed it over to a visitor standing near, in silence. The visitor breathed a low 'thank you', and made their way down to one of the many reading rooms. The librarian turned to Eka then, waiting for a book name. "Habitants of the dark please," Eka said, in a quiet voice. The room amplified all noise, and because it did everyone had to speak and move quietly. The librarian's hands returned to the shelves, hunting for the book Eka had requested, they skipped down many rows of books, fingers touching the wood between each row to identify the right section, and after finding the correct shelf, the hands stopped, having identified the book. Just as the worker handed the book to Eka a horn sounded outside. Eka thanked the Librarian and hurried down the stairs, following the sound.  
+Eka and Lupen spent time exploring the city, determined to see every shop that the great cog was powering, like a woodshop, where the cog turned a metal wheel to cut giant logs.  
+    Eka wandered into Alkarawin, the oldest library in the Soronan desert, its emerald-tiled roof visible from anywhere in Montore. The complex was home to hundreds of ancient texts written by renowned scholars and thinkers over the years. The library had two giant irinwood trees guarding the main entrance. The branches of the tree were heavy with small wooden discs, hanging from thin ropes, each disc had words carved onto its faces. Visitors who came from far to visit Alkarawin would come here to offer knowledge to the library, inscribing a short story, or fact to the wood of a disc. At the end of every annum, these were removed from the trees, tallied, and gathered to form new texts. A small basin lay near the door where visitors could wash their hands and feet, a symbolic act of cleaning the mind and body prior to entering.  
+    Clean and centred, Eka entered Alkarawin, and stepped into a square room, with books lining the walls from floor to ceiling. Books stored near the ceiling were accessible via a small elevated walkway, built around the room and accessible with a ladder, this room branched out into several smaller alcoves, each featuring a unique ornately-painted yukwood ceiling.  
+    Eka wandered onto the higher walkway, fingers tracing along names embossed on the bindings. Eka spotted a blind librarian browsing through books on a nearby shelf, helping a customer find a specific tome, fingers reading the text quickly before moving into another section. The librarian pulled out a book and then handed it over to the visitor in silence. The visitor breathed a low 'thank you', and made for one of the many reading alcoves. The librarian turned to Eka then, waiting for a book name. "Habitants of the Dark please," Eka said, in a quiet voice. The librarian's hands returned to the shelves, hunting for the book Eka requested, they skipped down many rows of books, fingers touching the wood between each row to identify the right section, and after finding the correct shelf, the hands stopped, having identified the book. Just as the worker handed the book to Eka, a horn sounded outside. Eka thanked the Librarian, and hurried down the stairs, following the sound.  
 
-Outside, the plaza was filling with people, all gathered around the central beam of the cog. Two Montore guards held a ladder near the rotating beam without letting the top rest on it, if they set it down it would roll off. A Finiku walked out of the crowd and climbed the ladder, after reaching the top they made a short, elegant hop from the last step to the top of the beam.  
+Outside, the main city square was filling with people, who gathered around the central beam of the cog. Two Montore guards held a ladder near the rotating beam. A Finiku walked out of the crowd, climbed the ladder, and after reaching the top, made a short elegant hop from the last step to the top of the beam.  
     "Dot! Dot! Dot!"  
-    The people in the crowd cheered. Dot smiled and raised two arms to the sky, causing the crowd to cheer even louder. Speaking from atop a rotating beam, Dot had once said, enabled the speaker to address everyone at the same time, making everyone feel important.  
+    The crowd cheered. Dot smiled and raised two arms to the sky, causing the cheer to become even louder.  
     "Monty! Monty! Monty!"  
-    Everyone chanted, and this got Lupen's attention. The character standing on the little rotating platform wore a bright green ensemble with the familiar Montore emblem in the back. "Monty love you all! And dey tanks you for your hard work! Montore can no be as great as eet ees widout you!" The crowd cheered once again at these words. "Production of food patch ees at all-time high!" The crowd cheered again, as Dot began to list their yearly accomplishments aloud. Lupen suddenly remembered Gree's coin, and pulled it out from a side pocket to look at it.  
+    The character standing on the little rotating platform wore a bright green ensemble with the familiar Montore emblem in the back. "Monty love you all! And dey tank you for your hard work! Montore can no be great as ees widout you!" The crowd cheered once again at these words. "Production of food patch ees at all-time high!" The crowd cheered again, as Dot began to list their yearly accomplishments aloud. Lupen suddenly remembered Gree's coin, and pulled it out from a side pocket to look at it.  
     "Oh! How did you get this?" Eka said, eyeing the coin.  
-    "Gree gave it to me, don't know what to do with it though. My spirit doesn't feel elevated at all."  
-    Eka smirked, grabbed the coin from Lupen's hand and then disappeared into the crowd.  
-    "Eka? Eka! Ah, never mind. I'll just wait here, alone." Moments after Eka left, Lupen's eyes found a familiar face in the crowd. Kuzi was sitting on a crate, right near the bakery. Lupen rushed over. "You forgot to meet us!" The Verido stopped talking, noticing that like the other Terins in the line outside of town yesterday, Kuzi too was high on kavava.  
+    "Gree gave it to me, I don't know what to do with it though. My spirit doesn't feel elevated at all."  
+    Eka smirked, grabbed the coin from Lupen's hand, and disappeared into the crowd.  
+    "Eka? Eka! Ah, never mind. I'll just wait here, *alone*." Moments later, Lupen's eyes found a familiar face. Kuzi was sitting on a crate near the bakery. Lupen rushed over. "You forgot to meet us!" The Verido stopped talking, noticing that like the other Terins in the line outside of town yesterday, Kuzi too was high on kavava.  
     "Oh, hey Lu-Lu!" Kuzi said, smiling stupidly.  
     "Kuzi, you didn't..."  
-    Kuzi looked at the Verido with red eyes, the faint scent of kavava in the air around them. Kuzi groaned, head falling forward. "I didn't even taste the norange. Not one bite. I'm so weak."  
-    Lupen went to sit down on that same crate, shoulder to shoulder with Kuzi. Both said nothing, sitting together with Dot's voice in the background. Just then the woth returned, carrying a bit of norange peel around, what it was able to salvage from the rooftop. Lupen grabbed the peel, and handed it over to Kuzi, "you can taste it now." The Terin pushed it away.  
+    Kuzi looked at the Verido with red eyes, and groaned. "I didn't even taste the norange. Not one bite. I'm *so* weak."  
+    Lupen sat down, shoulder to shoulder with Kuzi. Both said nothing, sitting together with Dot's voice in the background. Just then the woth returned, carrying a small bit of norange peel around. Lupen grabbed the peel, and handed it over to Kuzi, "you can taste it now." The Terin pushed it away.  
     "No. I don't like how it makes me feel."  
-    A curious onlooker noticed the norange peel. "Norange!" Word of the norange on the rooftop had traveled, everyone in town knew about it. Dot stopped speaking then, words falling on deaf ears as a crowd gathered around Lupen, as if drawn to the word itself. There was no way to run this time. The guards arrived, one of them recognized both Kuzi and Lupen.  
+    A curious onlooker noticed the norange peel. "Norange!" Word of the norange on the rooftop had traveled, everyone in town knew about it. Dot stopped speaking then, words falling on deaf ears as the crowd gathered around Lupen. There was nowhere to run this time. The guards arrived, recognizing both Kuzi and Lupen.  
     "You two!" The guard gripped Lupen's arm, then began to search for the piece of ID. "What! No ID either?! We've got a Specter here!"  
-    "I've got ID! I exist! See? *See*?" Kuzi yelled, fumbling around for it, but the guard didn't want to hear it and both were dragged away from the crowds, across the plaza and into the square building with the Montore emblem. They were led into the inner courtyard, and were asked to stay there.  
+    "I've got ID! I exist! See? *See*?" Kuzi yelled, fumbling around for it, but the guard didn't want to hear it, and both were dragged away from the main square and into the courtyard of building with the Montore emblem, and were asked to stay there.  
 
-The space was enclosed by 4 walls, with two doors, one leading inside the courtyard with the other inside of the main building. Unlike most of Montore, this place was a lush garden, bursting with colour and life. A giant yukwood tree grew in the centre, providing shelted from the high midday suns.  
-    Lupen thought the place beautiful, but wondered what lay beyond the second door. Like the first, it was a heavy set door with deep carvings of intertwining branches and leaves. This door had a single golden knob in its centre.  
-    Kuzi gave Lupen a shove. "Why'd you have to get me involved?! Is bam cake and tea code for something?"  
+The space was enclosed by 4 walls, with two doors, one leading inside the courtyard, the other, inside of the main building. Unlike most of Montore, this place was a lush garden, bursting with colour and life. A giant yukwood tree grew in the centre, providing shelter from the high midday suns.  
+    Lupen thought the place beautiful, but wondered what lay beyond the second door. Like the first, it was a heavyset door with deep carvings of intertwining branches and leaves, and a single golden knob in its centre.  
+    Kuzi gave Lupen a shove. "Why'd you have to get me involved?! Is babam cake and tea code for something?"  
     "I didn't do anything! Everyone here just gets real crazy whenever there's mention of noranges! I didn't know that would happen!"  
-    "You can't just go flaunting extinct fruit around!" Kuzi realized something then. "That's how you got into the city."  
+    "You can't just go flaunting extinct fruits around!" Kuzi realized something then. "That's how you got into the city."  
     "Yea, me and a ton of others." Lupen smirked. "Another accident."  
-    "They're going to put us into a mill and grind us into food patches! That's what's gonna happen!" Kuzi yelled.  
-    "It's your fault! You were supposed to meet us but instead you went on a kavava bender!"  
-    Kuzi began to fight Lupen in the courtyard, although the fight occurred mostly on one side and less so on the other. The Verido didn't know how to fight, and instead made a dance of it, avoiding the onslaught of fists with ease because Kuzi's movements were sluggish, body still high on root juices. Their fight was interrupted by Averet, the guard.  
-    "Hey! Stop that!" Averet instructed them to follow, and brought them in front of a large door, made of carved banabo. "Who does this belong to?" Averet then asked the two, holding the piece of norange peel.  
-    Lupen didn't put a claim to it, having no desire to get ground up into anything. Kuzi addressed Averet then. "How would I have a norange? I was born here and never left, same as you."  
-    The guard blinked, then gripped Lupen's arm then. "Right. Come with me Specter."  
+    "They're going to put us into a mill and grind us into food patches!" Kuzi yelled.  
+    "It's your fault! You were supposed to meet us, but instead you went on a kavava bender!"  
+    Kuzi began to fight Lupen in the courtyard, although the fight occurred mostly on one side, and less so on the other. The Verido didn't know how to fight, and instead made a dance of it, avoiding the onslaught of fists with ease because Kuzi's movements were sluggish, still high on root juices. Their fight was interrupted by Averet, the guard.  
+    "Hey! Stop that!" Averet instructed them to follow, and brought them in front of a large door, made of carved banabo. "Whom does this belong to?" Averet asked, holding the norange peel.  
+    Lupen didn't put a claim to it, having no desire to get ground up into anything. Kuzi addressed Averet then. "How would I have a norange? I was raised here and never left, same as you."  
+    The guard blinked, then gripped Lupen's arm. "Right. Come with me, Specter."  
     "I bet the food patch version of you will be *disgusting*!" Kuzi shouted, just as another guard arrived to escort the Terin outside.  
 
-Lupen gulped as the large carved banabo door opened, revealing a thick blind, obscuring both the room and its occupant. "Go," Averet said, pushing the captive onward. Lupen took a few steps forward, stopping at the draping, then hands found an opening in the fabric and the Verido pushed on. A young Terin, dressed in a green robe was on the other side. "You're the Specter, the norange smuggler?"  
-    "Specter I get, but smuggler? That's escalating things a bit don't you think?"  
-    "Follow me," the young Terin said then, pushing past yet another set of drapings, dividing the entrance to the rest of the room. On the other side of the drapes, Lupen's fingers found moss, clinging to the fabric, but only on that side. Small trees grew out of holes cut into the ground, their roots raising the tiled floor. There was a large gap in the ceiling, bringing plenty of light into the room. The walls were plastered in notes, and drawings, but many were hard to read, with moss and lichen laying over the details. A large ornate table lay in the centre of the room, but it was buried in a blanket of greens, with the stems of some larger plants wrapping around its legs. Some of the chairs encircling the table lay on their sides, with pieces broken off, taken and used to build other projects. A painting of the table as it once was decorated one of the walls, Lupen could see that the piece of furniture was meant to host meetings and elaborate dinners, but now it did neither of these things. Roots, and mosses and moisture slowly transformed the design, carving their own paths through the material.   
+Lupen gulped as the large carved banabo door opened, revealing a thick curtain, obscuring both the room and its occupant. "Go," Averet said, pushing the captive onward. Lupen took a few steps forward, found an opening in the fabric and pushed on. A young Terin, dressed in a green robe was on the other side. "You're the Specter, the norange smuggler?"  
+    "Smuggler? That's escalating things a bit don't you think?"  
+    "Follow me," the young Terin said, pushing past yet another set of curtains. On the other side, Lupen's fingers found moss clinging to the fabric. Small trees grew from holes in the ground, their roots raising the tiled flooring. There was a large gap in the ceiling, bringing light into the room. The walls were covered with notes, and drawings. A large ornate table lay at the centre of the room, buried in a blanket of greens, with plants wrapping around its legs. Some of the chairs encircling the table lay on their sides, with pieces broken off, used to build other projects. A painting of the table as it once was hung on the wall.   
     "The norange thief is here."  
-    "What? I'm no thief!" Lupen said, outraged.  
-    Monty rose from behind the table, head reaching just over the top of the tallest mound of moss. The Terin had greying hair, and a thin young face. "Where did you get that norange?" Monty asked, nonchalantly, speaking low and slow while bending down again to check over the leaves of a nearby plant.  
-    "I think that if I did say, I'd betray a friend and endanger lives," Lupen replied, bending down to look under the table to see what Monty was doing. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you who it's from though..."  
-    "You are correct. I am happy to learn that Zucca was able to save some norange seeds," Monty said, moving from one plant to another, "norcorn patties just aren't the same without norange sauce." Monty wore a simple pair of tan hempa pants. The pants were scuffed at the knees, and at the bottom of each pant leg.   
-    "So um, are you *really* Monty?"  
+    "What? I'm no thief!" Lupen retorted.  
+    A Terin with greying hair and a thin young face rose from behind the table, head reaching just over a mound of moss. "Where did you get that norange?" The Terin asked, nonchalantly, speaking low and slow while bending down again to check over the leaves of a nearby plant.  
+    "If I said, I'd betray a friend and endanger lives," Lupen replied, bending down to look under the table to see what the Terin was doing. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you who it's from though..."  
+    "You are correct. I am happy to learn that Zucca was able to save some norange seeds," the Terin said, moving from one plant to another, "norcorn patties just aren't the same without norange sauce."     
+    Lupen observed that the Terin wore a simple pair of tan hempa pants, scuffed at the knees. "So um, are you Monty?"  
     Monty stood up again, slowly, to look at Lupen only to find that Lupen's head wasn't there. "Not what you were expecting?"  
     Lupen mimicked Monty's movements, and stood up again. "No, not at all... you've got all these plants, yet you're feeding others false food, then there's the Beobug goons and their sandfins. Hard to believe it all comes from you."  
-    Monty laughed then. "It's been a while since I've heard someone attacking me for my ideas," Monty said, yellow eyes now fixed on Lupen.  
+    Monty laughed. "It's been a while since I've heard someone attacking me for my ideas," Monty said, yellow eyes now fixed on Lupen.  
     "Yea well, I've got a problem with pain, and misery," Lupen replied.  
-    Monty smiled still, composed and calm as ever. "The food patches helped feed refugees during the Iridi raids."  
+    Monty smiled, composed and calm as ever. "The food patches helped feed refugees during the Iridi raids."  
     "Did you know that Beobug employees sell expired patches to the hungry for coin?" Lupen was proud of this rebuttal.  
     Monty thought about this for a moment. "And you're blaming me."  
     "Yes, yes I am."  
-    "I don't have as much control over others as you think I do."  
+    "I don't have as much control over others as you might think."  
     "People in this city aren't eating real food anymore, and everyone is obssessed with coin..." Lupen wanted to stop talking but the words kept coming out.    
-    "Coin was supposed to be a way to simplify exchanges in the city. It was really a good idea, but great ideas have a way of growing, and changing as more and more heads and hands get involved, and big ideas require more hands and heads. I've let go of the helm many, many annums ago. I had more energy back then, it was easier to steer but now..." Monty sighed, "I just decided to stop having ideas."  
+    "Coin was supposed to be a way to simplify exchanges in the city. It was really a good idea, but great ideas have a way of growing, and changing as more and more heads and hands get involved, and big ideas require more hands and heads. I've let go of the helm many, many annums ago. I had more energy back then, it was easier to steer, but now..." Monty sighed, "I just decided to stop having ideas."  
     Lupen took note of all the drawings and books scattered in the room, clearly Monty wasn't done having ideas. "You mean you decided to stop telling others about them."  
-    "Yes, I suppose you're right. The giant cog was my first idea, my best. It is designed to run forever you know, with little maintenance, but then no one can do anything when the wind is down. Waiting didn't used to be a problem, but the city has grown, and with all the transients we get demand is increasing and Montore can no longer afford to wait. The new system will work day and dark.."  
-    "D'you ever tell anyone all this? That's it a bad idea? Maybe if they heard it from you they'd stop?"  
-    "Those who live in Montore see it as an undivided blessing. For me to criticize modernity is to criticize the needs and wants of my city and of those we invite within its walls." Monty replied.  
-    Lupen appeared flustered then, "so Montore will just keep growing forever and ever?"  
-    "You would have me kick people out to reduce demand?" Monty asked the Verido. "Just as the wind changes the shape of dunes in the desert, Montore will too be shaped by those who inhabit it. I've decided to instead focus on this room, it is small, and because it is small I only need my own head and hands and I quite like that." Monty stood up then, and began to walk around the room, stretching arms and legs and stopping in front of a large portrait hanging on a wall.  
+    "Yes, I suppose you're right. The giant cog was my first idea, my best one. It is designed to run forever you know, with little maintenance, but then no one can do anything when the wind is down. Waiting didn't used to be a problem, but the city has grown, and with all the transients we get demand is increasing and Montore can no longer afford to wait. The new system will work day and dark.."  
+    "Did you ever tell anyone all of this? That it's a bad idea? Maybe if they heard it from you they'd stop?"  
+    "Those who live in Montore see it as an undivided blessing. For me to criticize modernity is to criticize the needs and wants of my city, and of those we invite within its walls." Monty replied.  
+    "So Montore will just keep growing forever, and ever?" Lupen said.  
+    "You would have me kick people out to reduce demand?" Monty asked the Verido. "Just as the wind changes the shape of dunes in the desert, Montore will too be shaped by those who inhabit it. I've decided to instead focus on this room, it is small, and because it is small, I only need my own head and hands and I quite like that." Monty stood up then, and began to walk around the room, stretching arms and legs and stopping in front of a large portrait hanging on a wall.  
     Lupen took note of a painting on the backwall, it resembled the portrait carved on the coin, "that looks nothing like you."  
-    "If I were to go out there on the plaza right now, they wouldn't believe I was Monty." Monty too stared at the painting, then turned so Lupen could compare details. "My artist got carried away with the representation, thought I needed to look more imposing, more angular. It's why I'm here really, and that no one can see me. If they did, they'd throw me out, thinking I was a pretender. Anyway, I am tired. Dot has the helm now. Staying here, at least I'm safe and free to think up ideas all day, everyday..."  
+    "If I were to go out there on the city square right now, they wouldn't believe I was Monty." Monty too stared at the painting, then turned so Lupen could compare details. "My artist got carried away, they thought I needed to look more imposing, more angular. It's why I'm here really, and that no one can see me. If they did, they'd throw me out, thinking I was a pretender. Anyway, I am tired. Dot has the helm now. Staying here, at least I'm safe and free to think up ideas all day, everyday..."  
     "Yea. You're comfortable while people suffer."  
     "People have suffered long before your time and mine. I was wondering, how did you get Zucca to give you that fruit?"  
-    Lupen bore a sad expression, eyes moving to the entrance. "If you want to know the full story you'll have to walk out of here with me. How about it? Making Monty day synonymous with the day of the grand reveal?"  
+    Lupen bore a sad expression, eyeing the entrance. "If you want to know the full story you'll have to walk out of here with me. How about it? It's Monty Day after all."  
     Monty smirked, "I would have really enjoyed hearing that story. For you to know, and me to wonder I suppose." Saying this, the grand leader continued to look after the plants in the room, checking the leaves for signs of malnutrition with much love and care, like a leafhound would.  
-    "Why did you ask me in here?" Lupen asked then.  
+    "Why did you ask me in here?" Lupen asked.  
     "Curiosity. A Verido with a norange, a hyroo and a round-eared companion together, *very* unusual." Saying this, Monty glanced at Lupen once again, the pair of yellow eyes appeared focused, quietly dissecting the visitor.  
     "I'll add that story to the pile, in exchange for you to tell your people the truth." Lupen teased.  
-    Monty seemed amused by this, but not amused enough. "Goodbye Specter."  
-    Lupen let out a deep sigh, there was nothing to do then but to leave. The Verido glanced at Monty's second hand. "What now? What happens to the ones who don't exist in the eyes of Montore? Do I get ground up into food?"  
-    The green-clad Terin laughed, "the things people think we do. Sometimes I wonder why we bother making laws at all, stories like this keep people in line better than our laws ever can." With this, Lupen was escorted out of the building. "You need to leave the city right this instant." Monty's second hand watched as Lupen stepped into the main plaza with a guard, making their way towards the main gate. The guard kept close, to make sure the Verido didn't decide to take a detour on the way out.  
-    As Lupen was escorted out of Montore, Kuzi stood by, watching. Eka stood near too, chewing loudly, eating chunks of freshly baked bam cake. "D'you know where I can get some meppermint tea around here?"  
-    Kuzi looked over, catching the scent of fresh bam. "No, I don't really know."  
+    "Goodbye Specter."  
+    Lupen let out a deep sigh, there was nothing to do then but leave. The Verido glanced at Monty's second hand. "What now? What happens to the ones who don't exist in the eyes of Montore? Do I get ground up into food?"  
+    The green-clad Terin laughed, "the things people think we do. Sometimes I wonder why we bother making laws at all, stories like this keep people in line better than our laws ever could." With this, Lupen was escorted out of the building. "You need to leave the city right this instant." Monty's second hand watched as Lupen stepped into the main square, and heading towards the city gate. The guard kept close, to make sure the Verido didn't decide to take a detour on the way out.  
+    As Lupen was escorted out of Montore, Kuzi stood by, watching. Eka stood near too, chewing loudly, eating chunks of freshly baked babam cake. "D'you know where I can get some mepperpint tea around here?"  
+    Kuzi looked over, catching the scent of fresh babam. "No, I don't really know."  
     "Do you want some?" Eka offered, putting a slice of cake under the Terin's nose. "I could eat it all myself, but that would make me a glutton. You eating a bit would make me feel like less of one."  
-    Kuzi was hungry, having forgotten to buy some food patches. "Sure, more for you than for me though." Kuzi bit through the pastry. The crumb was bouncy, and airy, it offered little resistance. A piece was torn off, and passed to the next point in line. The tongue began to take in all of the flavors, each ingredients swirled into another to create a delicious, complex whole. This experience of eating was so intense, so enjoyable that Kuzi began to shiver. "There's gingin in it! I love gingin! Well, I used to..."  
-    "Enjoy it, this is likely the last cake the bakery will ever bake. It's closing tomorrow, not enough people buying food. A real shame. They make amazing breads too, Avril and Ira I mean, they're the real deal! Soon they'll be gone. Extinct, like the noranges."  
-    Kuzi stopped chewing, saddened by this conversation. This was usually the point where the Terin would start ingesting some mind-numbing kavava...  
-    "Oh! Now I remember," Eka began, "Avril's grandmapa Moki was the one making the mepperpint tea! The shop had a garden outside, it was a popular place back in the day. Some Terin was working there too, was the only one who really understood mepperpint. I miss it. But you know, if you drink too much of it—"  
+    Kuzi was hungry, having forgotten to buy some food patches. "Sure, more for you than for me though." Kuzi bit into the pastry. The texture was bouncy, and airy, it offered little resistance. A piece was torn off, and passed to the next point in line. This experience of eating was so intense, so enjoyable, that Kuzi began to shiver. "There's gingin in it! I love gingin! Well, I used to..."  
+    "Enjoy it, this is likely the last cake the bakery will ever make. It's closing tomorrow, not enough people buying food. A real shame. They make amazing breads too, Avril and Ira I mean, they're the real deal! Soon they'll be gone. Extinct, like the noranges."  
+    Kuzi stopped chewing, feeling sad. This was usually the point where the Terin would start ingesting some mind-numbing kavava...  
+    "Oh! Now I remember," Eka began, "Avril's grandmapa Moki was the one making the mepperpint tea! The shop had a garden outside, it was a popular place back in the day. Some Terin was working there too, the only one who really understood mepperpint. I miss it. But you know... if you drink too much of it—"  
     "—It makes your eyes sprout leaves," Kuzi finished, with a weak smile.  
     Eka nodded. "Exactly! Alright. Have some more cake. I'm going to go for a walk now."  
-    Kuzi stood there, a giant slice of bam cake in hand, and eyes moving over to that bakery. For some reason, Kuzi had forgotten it existed, stuck in a kavava daze. The fog had cleared, and the world had much more detail in it. Without a moment's hesitation, and drawn by the smell of muckwheat, the Terin walked to the bakery and went inside.  
+    Kuzi stood there, a giant slice of babam cake in hand, staring at the bakery. For some reason, Kuzi had forgotten it existed, stuck in a perpetual kavava haze. The fog had cleared, and the world had much more detail in it. Without a moment's hesitation, and drawn by the smell of muckwheat, the Terin walked to the bakery and went inside.  
 
-Lupen was outside of the city, sitting in their tent and waiting for Eka to return. Hush was there, conversing with the woth, listening to a re-telling of today's events.  
-    Eka arrived before darkfall, finding Lupen in the tent still, but there was something different, something unusual...  
+Lupen was at their tent outside of the city, waiting for Eka to return. Hush was there, conversing with the woth, listening to a re-telling of today's events.  
+    Eka arrived before darkfall, finding Lupen in the tent, but there was something different, something unusual...  
     "You've got a cup on your head, you know that right?"  
     "It's a Thinking Cup," Lupen said, with a sigh, knowing all-too-well how ridiculous it looked.  
     "Wow! Is it working? Are you having some great thoughts right now?"  
     Lupen removed the cup then, staring into it. "No. Maybe it's because there's no tea in it..."  
-    Eka presented a slice of bam cake to the downtrodden Verido. "Did not find meppermint tea, but this cake stands well enough on its own. Try it."  
+    Eka presented a slice of babam cake to the dispirited Verido. "I did not find mepperpint tea, but this cake stands well enough on its own. Try it."  
     "Mission failed," Lupen said.  
     "How so?"  
-    "On getting some Montore bam cake and mepperpint tea."  
-    "No, I think our excursion into Montore was a success! We learned many things today, and we made lots of friends too!"   
+    "On getting some Montore babam cake and mepperpint tea."  
+    "No, I think our excursion into Montore was a success! We learned many things today, and we made lots of friends."   
     "Friends? Everyone here thinks I'm a fiend. Did you not see my walk of shame?"  
-    "I did I did! You're famous here now!"  
+    "I did, I did! You're Montore-famous now!"  
     "Great," Lupen moaned, "but I was hoping we could help somebody..."  
-    Eka went to hug Lupen then, "is that what you think we're doing? Helping others?"  
+    Eka hugged Lupen then, "is that what you think we're doing? Helping others?"  
     "Yes? Maybe? I don't know."  
-    "We came here for cake and tea Lu."  
-    "Yea. Yea you're right," saying this, Lupen took a bit of the bam cake. "Ooooh wow! This is so good!" The woth moved out of its glass house then, eager to get a bite of this famed pastry, even Hush was intrigued. "I'm not sharing, sorry!" Lupen said, but both creatures approached the Verido then, eager to sample the remaining chunk of cake. Lupen was pinned to the floor, with Hush chewing on the end of the cake and the woth eating stray crumbs off its snout. "Yea yea, you've got two stomachs..."  
-    The next day, the gang packed up their tent and gear and left the city of Montore. Their experience there wasn't ideal, but as Eka had said, they had learned a thing, and would continue to learn many more.  
+    "We came here for cake and tea."  
+    "Yea. Yea, you're right," saying this, Lupen took a bite of the babam cake. "Oh wow! This is *so* good!" The woth moved out of its glass house, eager to get a bite of this famed pastry, even Hush was intrigued. "I'm not sharing, sorry!" Lupen said, but both approached, eager to sample the remaining chunk of cake. Lupen was pinned to the floor, with Hush chewing on the end of the cake and the woth eating stray crumbs off its snout. "Yea yea, you've got two stomachs..."  
+    The next day, the gang packed up their tent and gear and left Montore.  
 
-Later that same day, Kuzi had sold the last of the kavava in exchange for coin to pay for more cake at the bakery. This sell, helped to convince Ira to keep the bakery open, at least for another day or two. Kuzi sat in the plaza, looking at the townspeople and eating cake.  
+Later that same day, Kuzi had sold the last of the kavava in exchange for coin to pay for more pastries at the bakery. This sell, helped to convince Ira to keep the bakery open, at least for another day or two. Kuzi sat in the city square, looking at the townspeople, and ate bread.  
     "Hey Kuzi, keeping out of trouble today I hope," Averet said.  
-    "For now, who's to say how I'll feel later," Kuzi replied with a grin.  
-    There was a pause between them then, but the Aodal spoke again. "Do you know where I can get some norcorn patties around here?"  
+    "For now," Kuzi replied with a grin.  
+    There was a pause, but Averet spoke again. "Do you know where I can get some norcorn patties around here?"  
     "I'd ask Avril's bakery."  
     "Bakery?"  
-    Kuzi pointed to it. "Yea, it's where I got this cake. You want to try some?"  
-    Averet grabbed a slice of cake and started to eat it. "Oh. Oh! This is good...! It's so moist! Why do I never buy real bread anyway?" The bread disappeared into Averet's mouth. "Thanks for that, I'll drop by to see Avril later to ask about the norcorn, you see, I kept this piece of norange peel..."  
+    Kuzi pointed to it. "Yea, it's where I got this bread. You want to try some?"  
+    Averet grabbed a slice of bread, and took a bite. "It's *so* moist! Why do I never buy real bread? Thanks, I'll visit Avril later, to ask about the norcorn. You see, I kept this piece of norange peel..."  
 
 \newpage