NPC: Ahshta

Text may not be 100% complete. Most quest text is not included.
Due to multiple options when speaking, text below may not be in comprehensive order.

You approach a gnome fussing over some books and rearranging them on the shelf. He seems oddly tall and his gnomish featurEL-DB.comes seem somehow softened. Despite the creaking floorboards that herald your approach he doesn't acknowledge your presence.

Hey... can you help me find a book?

Eh? *The gnome shoves a book into place with a loud 'thunk' and stares at you.* Oh... I'm not the librarian, best ask Drial over there if you need help with something.

Aren't you a bit tall for a gnome?

Aren't you a little short for a storm -- ah never-mind that. Yes, I'm tall for a gnome. Seeing as I'm only half gnome. Leaves room for me to be a bit more of an interesting fellow. Don't bother asking me about my lineage though, I've got no fondness for my parents and certainly don't care to tell their love story for the thousandth time, humph.

Who are you then?

The name's Ahshta, Ahshta the scholar, Ahshta the explorer, Ahshta the wanderer, I've got a few nicknames across the lands. Maybe you've heard of me? *You stare at the gnome blankly.* No? Ah well, none of that matters much. I'm Ahshta, pleasure to make your acquaintance. *He adjusts his glasses slightly and shakes your hand.*

You get around a lot?

You could say that, I've wandered most of the known world, discovered lost histories, written references on multiple species and events, made a timeline or two, even acted as historian in the Tarsengaard Magic School for a awhile, before I got bored of it. Recently I even discovered a very precious account of what happened during the Great War in Tahraji, the only reliable and complete one we've found.

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Not that the desert folk would tell us much. You haven't seen any of my papers? I suppose maybe old Silver-ass hasn't gotten around to making copies yet. Either that or you haven't looked hard enough. *He sighs and shoves another book into place on the shelf.* One of the two, I'll write him another letter to be sure...

Tahraji

The big desert northwest of here? Used to be a pretty thing, as far as deserts go. But Matajin fell during the Great War and her empire is shattered and gone, swept away by the sands. Wasn't all that many years back... right after the war I traveled from Corren to here, stumbled across a book in the desert. Would you believe it? It was the diary of Vesepia, it told a pretty story too.

Silver-ass?

Well his name is Silvars, good friend of mine, works in the library at the mage school over in Tarsengaard. Go visit him sometime! Quite the genius and makes EL-DB.comcopies of my papers and books for distribution. He's a good fellow, I just call him rude names in jest, no doubt he'll do the same to me if you ever meet him.

Matajin? Vesepia?

Matajin is a city, for starters. Or rather, it was. Don't go looking for it, the Tahraji is a dangerous place, it was even when the Majini were reigning in their pretty city. Vesepia was a consort of sorts to the King in the city's last days. Matajin once held an empire from their coastal desert to South Kilaran, it's all been snatched up and divided since their fall though.

The Diary?

Written by Vesepia herself. It details the fall of Matajin, an amazing record. Not the only rare find I've made, but a better one. You know they renamed a month after her? Vespia used to be called something else before the war.

Other rare finds?

Oh you know, trivial lost records here and there. Mostly translating old texts. I'm an explorer though, I take note of things, uncover treasures here and there. *He winks.* I might not have a home, but I'm a rich man! Exploration is the business, with scholarly side-tracks. Has a healthy payout. I wander the world with my riches. The only other person like me is Barnes. Ever heard of him?

Renamed a Month?

Would I lie to you? The whole dating system was re-worked after the Great War. We've been counting up years since who knows when. No doubt it was way off anyway. The War became year zero, everything after counts up and is AGW, After Great War. Everything before counts backwards and is BGW, Before Great War. It keeps better track of things. The month was renamed after Vesepia since she's not the most pleasant lady.

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Nobody wanted to call the month Celbrist after the war ended in it! It means Celebration in the old draegoni tongue. After the Curse of Mortos we wanted something meaner sounding. With time, the old month names were changed as well. There's no trace of the old dating system now, even in the stories they've renamed the years and months. Only old untouched texts could possibly still mention the old dates.

Curse of Mortos?

Don't be silly now. Or is the whole world really this unschooled and forgetful? You know what I mean! The fact the damn monsters all over the world don't die, just keep coming back and back. Like they're stuck forever. Mortos made things that way, after the war ended. I wrote a paper on that too *He grumbles and fusses with the books some more.* I'll be having a word with Silvars about that printing...

So why are you here?

You think just because I'm a rich man I'd be off living some fancy life, I see it in your eyes. Well that's not what I'm after. I'm here because I'm happy here, among the books you wretched souls make a EL-DB.commess of. Or sometimes I'm happy out in the world, seeing new sights and finding new things. I go where I please. Hearing what I may from the people I meet, the world's a wonder, I'm always uncovering it.

Make a mess of?

*Ahshta gestures about the library.* Do you see this mess? Portland library is one of the most well used in all Draia I'd say, by the disheveled look of this place. Poor Drial got tired of the constant clean-up. I'm doing him a favor, straightening the books for the next person that comes looking for knowledge. I'll be on my way soon enough though, off to another land.

Barnes

Just like me, Barnes is also an adventurer and explorer. But while I am searching mostly for lost knowledge, he searches for treasures. That's nothing wrong with that, of course. Sometimes we work together and it benefits us both, but we don't do that often. He usually searches the other continent, Irlion, while I spend most of the time in Seridia.

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It is best this way, or else we'd step on each other's tail too much. And on the few occasions where an investigation requires searching on both continents, we team up and split the reward. If you ever see him, send him my regards. Last time I heard news of him, he was somewhere in Palon Vertas, exploring some pre war structures.

Goodbye

Farewell, come tell me a tale if you ever hear a good one! I love knowledge of the world. *The moment you're gone he grumbles something and places another book on the shelf.*