Aliases are alternative forms of a reference. They can include actual aliases for characters, nicknames, gendered variations of the some [Classes], plural variations, and even typos.
“Oh right, I disabled it. Of course you think I’m an idiot! Okay, watch this! I got this Skill two days ago and I totally forgot to show it to you all! Ready? [Grand Theatre]!”
“Like it? It’s my [Grand Theatre]! It was filled with dead moths and stuff, but we’ve been working all day and we’ve washed it clean! I also have the second and third floor cleared up! Well, mostly. I think Bird’s tossing moths off the roof right now.”
Normally, there wouldn’t be much space for an energetic child of any species to play in a normal inn. Especially one with guests. But happily, Erin’s inn now featured her [Grand Theatre] Skill at almost all times. The giant room felt slightly unnerving to Lyonette and she often kept her back turned to the extra space. But Mrsha loved it. The dim room was plenty of space for her to toss her ball and race after it, diving beneath chairs and leaping over the tops of tables.
They hurried into the inn with a bit too much eagerness. Erin saw Octavia sigh and peered at her suspiciously. The [Alchemist] waved and then the door closed. Suddenly the inn was full of people! Erin saw the adventurers gaping at the huge space behind her and was acutely grateful for her [Grand Theatre] Skill.
She glanced around the room. Erin’s [Grand Theatre] Skill afforded her a room three times as big as a normal inn, already large. It was nearly packed by Drakes, Gnolls, and Humans. Celum’s theater-loving crowd had filled some seats, but Liscor’s citizenry had finally heard of the wonders of the stage and they had come to see what all the fuss was about. So far, they hadn’t been disappointed.
The Drake looked around enviously, noting how many unconscious bodies were still there. Erin’s inn had been able to hold several dozen people comfortably within its walls before she obtained the [Grand Theatre] Skill and the room had been packed when the fight broke out. In fact, some people still hadn’t quite realized it was over. Relc spotted a Drake getting to his feet. The drunk Drake looked around, spotted a Human, and lurched towards Erin. Relc turned, punched the Drake off his feet and grinned in satisfaction before turning back to Erin.
The half-dome was a huge room. Large enough to hold Erin’s entire [Grand Theatre] and then some. It was also a pit trap. And it went down a long way. But that wasn’t dangerous. Not to a good Gold-rank team or even a decent Silver-rank one. And the dungeon architects had to know that. So they had put something else in there. Something that looked up and sensed the prey above them as the Corusdeer fell into their nest.
Erin looked back and ducked again as Mrsha threw the ball at Bird. The mostly empty common room was long and large thanks to her [Grand Theatre] Skill. It seemed that Mrsha had decided it was the prime place to play a game of catch in. Worse, Krshia, Iskhr, and the other Gnolls looked interested in playing too. Erin opened her mouth, remembered what Krshia had said about exercise, and closed it.
It was as full as Erin’s inn had ever gotten in the old days. Of course, since these were the new days and she had the [Grand Theatre] Skill, her inn was still fairly spacious. However, everyone was packed onto the tables at the front of the room, leaving the back wide open. Every eye was on the Cave Goblin who’d been tied to a chair. The little Goblin was practically frothing at the mouth with fear and the bucket sitting below her chair was a testament to the loincloth-wetting fear it was in.
He pointed around the common room, enhanced by Erin’s [Grand Theatre] Skill. Slowly, his audience looked around the huge room, towards the distant stage at the back. This time Ilvriss was the one who swore. And as Lyonette quietly pointed out to Mrsha, it was a very bad word. But it was appropriate for very bad news.
The Gnoll cub smiled. Erin slid out of her seat as Mrsha ran to get her ball. She raced over and tossed it at Erin. The young woman caught it, tossed it back, and the two moved down the long common room. Erin’s [Grand Theatre] Skill was in effect, but there weren’t nearly enough people to fill the vast space. Mrsha and Erin cleared some tables and chairs and began to play catch. Just for a while.
Not just dance. They began to step in pairs, in a classic ballroom waltz. Across the room, Halrac nearly choked on his drink as the Antinium slowly walked down the long [Grand Theatre], towards the dais at the back of the room. They turned stepped, turned—their steps were perfectly in synch. Memorized, coordinated. As only the Antinium could do.
Erin’s [Grand Theatre] Skill was still in effect, and at the far end was the stage. And there were [Actors] on the stage, a motley Human crew with a few Drakes and Gnolls gathered around. Ilvriss nodded at them.
Later, at lunch time, The Wandering Inn was faced with an unusual sight. And that was by the standards of the inn, which meant it was very unusual. Even unexpected. The crowd of Pallassians and Liscorian citizens couldn’t help but stare. One of the many tables in Erin’s common room, enlarged by the [Grand Theatre] Skill was occupied. That wasn’t the unusual bit. The unusual bit was who sat there, still smelling of mud and Shield Spider fluids.
Normally, she’d enjoy such a sight. But sometimes, yes, sometimes, Mrsha liked the quiet of the inn. Because that meant Drassi had time to play with her, or Ishkr would let her help in the kitchen. She could roam from table to table in the huge [Grand Theatre], play tag with Apista. And it also meant Erin and Lyonette had time for her.
