Aliases are alternative forms of a reference. They can include actual aliases for characters, nicknames, plural variations, gendered versions of some [Classes], and even typos.
Gazi held out her hand. After a moment, Erin took it. It was odd for her to shake Gazi’s hand. For one thing, she had odd arms with another segment to them. But her skin was soft and smooth, even if it were reddish-brown. Really, even her hair looked pretty normal, black lengths tied into dreadlocks. It was only her face that really set her apart.
Gazi held out her hand. After a moment, Erin took it. It was odd for her to shake Gazi’s hand. For one thing, she had odd arms with another segment to them. But her skin was soft and smooth, even if it were reddish-brown. Really, even her hair looked pretty normal, black lengths tied into dreadlocks. It was only her face that really set her apart.
One huge eye stared out at Erin over a mouth filled with sharp teeth. Gazi had no nose. And around her central eye, four smaller eyes opened and studied her with interest. They were not the most unsettling eyes, though each one had a pupil unlike a Human’s. Long and even wobbling, not a perfect circle but an oval, long and lengthwise. The whites of her eyes were closer to a yellow, very faint.
Another odd offer, but this one made Gazi smile. She nodded and stood in one fluid motion. Her central eye swiveled right, left, up, and down—even backwards into her head, but she fixed the other four on Erin.
Gazi Pathseeker searched her face for a sign of lies—but saw only genuine confusion. Confusion to something everyone knew—so the half-Gazer laughed. Softly, and her huge eye fixed on something creeping up over the hill behind them.
Actually, she did mind the attention. But more than that, she really needed to pee. But she didn’t want to start squirming in front of the nice people, so she suffered in silence. It really was a long way to the Adventurer’s Guild. And it got longer each time more people joined the crowd. She had a feeling that around 10% of the excitement was due to the dead spider corpses packed in the cart, but the other 90% was definitely Gazi.
Dead silence. If Erin’s comment about taking down a nest of Shield Spiders had inspired quiet hubbub, Gazi’s name brought awestruck silence. Silence—and a kind of fear or intimidation that swept through everyone.
In fact, Erin realized she’d been talking to Selys mostly unmolested because the people who had noticed Gazi had turned into virtual statues. Now—at her voice, someone whispered.
A shiver ran through the audience. Erin glanced around at the staring crowd. She didn’t get it, but she saw even the biggest, toughest adventurers blanch—and then Gazi smiled, and her face was full of teeth.
Erin really wanted to know what all this meant, but she had a pressing concern…and this seemed like a really good time to take care of it. As Selys began stammering something and the adventurers and civilians around Gazi backed up to give her room, Erin pushed her way through the crowd and into the bathroom.
After a few minutes of relief and ruminating on biological differences, Erin emerged from the restroom. Thank god for plumbing and soap. She saw Gazi was still at the heart of the crowd of people, fending off questions politely. Her large eye didn’t move from the Gnoll speaking earnestly to her, but one of her smaller eyes swiveled Erin’s way the instant the young woman exited the bathroom.
