[ToxicShadow]

Within the Quest Master's tavern, things were not all that unusual. Well, that was, not anymore unusual than things typically were. They were the usual amount of unusual. If strange things suddenly appeared out of nowhere, none of the staff would bat an eye, nor would any potential regulars, and probably no one at all, if they new this was the abode of the Quest Master. However, things were going on outside. Strange things, like a weird, black mist.

[ToxicShadow]

Working the tavern's bar, as per usual, was the living dead man whom occasionally had the bad habit of falling apart and needing repairs.

During a lull in drink orders, and customer traffic, in general, he eyed the Quest Master, whom was idly twirling about the mostly empty room. Though they were not looking where they were going, they never once crashed into a table, chair, other resident, or one of the scarce guests, narrowly avoiding everything as if they had no care in the world.

[ToxicShadow]

After a long moment, a few minutes, in fact, of watching them, he shouted out to the Quest Master, "Hey, Q, that mist that people are all talking about isn't your doing, is it?" Very few people called the Quest Master anything other than "Quest Master," or, occasionally, just "Master," but he was perfectly comfortable just calling the all mighty Quest Master by the nickname, "Q."

The Quest Master never seemed to mind it, either, and never even made much of a comment on it, even the first time he used it.

[ToxicShadow]

Hearing his shouting out at her, the Quest Master opened her eyes, but didn't quite stop spinning yet. Rather than stopping where she was, she twirled and whirled around across the room, making her way over to the bar. She only stopped when she twirled and landed in a leaning position against the bar top, leaning in on her elbow with her chin rested in her hand.

"Nooope," was the reply he was given. "I can't take credit for it."

[ToxicShadow]

For an undead guy, he was still able to emote pretty well, and looked at the Quest Master with a curiously raised eyebrow. "Really? It wasn't you?" He seemed more surprised than the Quest Master was expecting, but she just nodded her head, grinning. "Yep, wasn't me."

To be perfectly honest, it was actually a small shock to him to hear that it wasn't the Quest Master. Strange black mist covering the lands? That seemed right up the Quest Master's alley.

[ToxicShadow]

"Why ever would you think it was me?" The Quest Master batted their eyelashes in a way that was likely supposed to seem innocent, but he didn't really think it had that effect. It was only a mock attempt, but still.  

"It seems just like that sort of thing you would do," he answered, shrugging, as if his answer should have been completely obvious. The Quest Master had a habit of doing all sorts of random, silly, and strange sorts of things.

[ToxicShadow]

That wasn't to say that they were a bad person; one the contrary, they were a very warmhearted person whom generally enjoyed helping others. However, that didn't stop them from doing unusual things, just because. "You know, it seems like just the sort of thing you'd do when you were bored and had nothing better to do. Or just because you wanted to see everyone's reactions."

From everything he'd heard, the mist itself was harmless, similar to the Quest Master's random antics.

[ToxicShadow]

Now, the Quest Master wouldn't do something to intentionally harm the masses, he was absolutely certain of that, but shock, surprise and confuse them? Sure, why not? Watching people could be a very entertaining and, sometimes, it was just fun things to mix things up.

"Hmm," The Quest Master seemed to consider his reply, before grinning. "You're right! They agreed. "However, even if it seems like just the sort of thing that I would do, I still can't take any credit for it."

[ToxicShadow]

The man behind the bar nodded his head, accepting the answer. The Quest Master would not likely lie about something like that, unless they had a valid reason to, so there was no reason at all not to believe them. But, still, that did not stop his curiosity. "But, if it's not your doing, any idea where it came from or why?"

"I do have my speculations," replied the Quest Master. "You've heard what's associated with the mist, haven't you?"

[ToxicShadow]

"I haven't been paying it much attention," the bar tender admitted. "But... aren't there... creatures?" From what he could recall, in times where the mist appeared, some uniquely colored creatures usually appeared.

The Quest Master nodded their head. "Yes, that's right. It seems like people have come to call them, "lost pets," or, perhaps, "the lost ones," depending on who you're talking to. Unique creatures of all sorts that appear almost as if they were made of the mist. Dark, shimmering bodies."

[ToxicShadow]

"Where the mist appears, a lost one can almost certainly be found," the Quest Master went on. "It hasn't been made clear if it's the mist that brings forth the creature, of if the mist appears as a means to signal the a lost one's emergence." That was probably what so many folks were trying to figure out, as they stood here chatting about it.

"Are you curious about how or why it happens?" the man wondered.

[ToxicShadow]

"Somewhat," the Quest Master admitted. "But I'm not all too concerned about which one it actually is. I don't care much which comes first, the mist or the creature, since it all amounts to the same thing." It amounted in their appearance, one way or another, so the finer details were not that important. "I am curious as to why they and the mist appear at all, though." That was more the question worth answering to them.

[ToxicShadow]

The undead man chuckled a bit, hearing the Quest Master's response. It was also very, very much like them to be curious about such things.

Although, perhaps, not everyone would believe it, the Quest Master was not all knowing. Potentially, all powerful, from his understanding of how they gained more and more power for each request they issued or fulfilled, and they were very clever, of course, and was privy to all sorts of information, but some things were even beyond their grasp.

[ToxicShadow]

He supposed that the Quest Master always wanted to know more. He even wondered if they strived to become all knowing, in they same way that they strived to become more and more powerful, so they could become capable of more and more things. But the man also suspected, and was certain that they were quite aware of it as well, that the Quest Master would become awfully, terribly bored if they ever actually were all knowing.

[ToxicShadow]

If there was nothing left to learn in the world, or universes, rather, ever, what would there to be left to live for? Loved ones, of course, and hobbies, and this and that and another thing, but seeking knowledge was an incredibly wonderful thing. Learning something new could be an amazing feeling. And, without it, life would be a little more boring. Especially for someone like the Quest Master, whom was an incredibly curious being by nature.