It's A Deal (permissions post/contracts list)

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So fun fact, Azul is known in canon for basically being Ursula-lite, ie granting wishes with the use of spells and potions, with a price attached to said things that typically range between money to owing him a favor later on or something of much larger value depending on what exactly it is a person asks for. Do his products work? Yes, you can trust that they will typically do so, as canonically he is considered one of the most skilled when it comes to crafting spells, items, and potions, albeit not for free. (example: if you ask for wanting to run a little faster, then he will make a potion that will in fact make that temporarily possible for as long as you drink it once a week. in exchange, he might ask that you do errands for him once a week in order to keep getting a potion for running faster or whatever it was you asked for)

He will typically ask that in order to make it official, that the other person signs a contract using his signature spell, "It's A Deal" and it's a golden scroll. As long as someone signs a contract with him, then both parties are bound by the promise of fulfilling the exchange as written. However, the deal will include a clause re: a penalty if the person who makes a deal with him does not fulfill their half of the bargain: if your character, for example, does not repay him or fails to appear for whatever errand or favor he has asked for, he will either be able to confiscate one of the targets abilities, or cause the person to form a magic sea anemone on their head that will bound you to work for Azul until he has been repaid in a manner he finds satisfactory enough. For a person's abilities that are taken, the ability offered can be a magical ability or a physical capability, such as a beautiful singing voice or ability to swim fast.

Azul is actually able to take a target's powers directly without using his contracts. However, this would result in the rapid accumulation of blot as well as cause the targets potential pain due to the unpleasant method used for this. (cw: tentacles) The contract works as a self-imposed check to prevent overexertion of his magical powers and overblotting. (Overblotting being when a mage ends up losing control over their magical reserves, showing results in excess magic spilling out of the body in the form of blot, an ink-like substance that corrupts the body and mind of the mage. Thia can result in the mage's death or the death of others if the mage is not swiftly rendered unconscious or stopped from using their magic in some manner) As such, he will not try to steal a person's powers using this method unless we've been plotting this out for a player plot or something in game.

What if my character does not necessarily want anything but I still wanna get contract shenanigans happening anyway?

We can definitely make it work! Azul has in fact blackmailed people into making deals with him before, via threatening to expose their secrets that he has managed to dig up or the like. So, if you want to get some negative cr going of having made a deal under circumstances like this, let me know!

Can a contract be terminated/destroyed?

Yes, they can: the contracts may involve magic but they are written on paper that can be destroyed with magic or even physically torn apart should a character manage to get their hands on them. Upon doing so, the deal made will be rendered void between both Azul and the other person. However, because Azul knows that can happen, he will likely be attempting to keep them under strict security measures.

That said, if you the player at any time want to handwave a reason for a deal falling through because its not something you're interested in playing around with anymore, just let me know! We can say that Azul decided that it wasn't worth keeping up for whatever reason. I am also going to say that in the event of dropped characters, his contract for a character will likely have also vanished.

Can I fight this twink in the Escordvi parking lot for his bullshit?

Yeah sure, just let me know first! Azul is basically a glass cannon: amazing magic, awful physical stamina. Bitch can't even pass a gym class... its why he normally has the Leech twins/other people he hires to be his bodyguards or using tricks before he'll actually fight someone properly himself, but we can still plot a fight anyway if you really want one.

Although, be careful about fighting him in the water or letting him grab you, octomerman grip strength is no joke.

What wishes/favors is Azul not able to grant?

Anything that interferes with the rules and Escordvi's game setting in a significant way without mod approval, of course, and even then, it is not recommended for him to be casting magic that significantly alters a physical location as the cost of that magic would probably just make him overblot faster. This also goes for certain items that are offered on the manta board/rewards page: any attempts to recreate an item being offered will be a unique twist on the item rather than an exact copy of it. As for regains, permits, armada/crew exclusive wares, these things will likely be easier and better obtained from the rewards system of the game than from Azul.

It also needs to be something that Azul is in fact actually capable of doing and has the knowledge for--he would not be able to say, magically teleport someone back home from here, since he himself does not know how to return home. He will also say no to any requests that involve killing a person--that person you want dead could be a potential customer of his someday, you know! Any requests that involve harming/manipulating the mood/mind of another person (example: love potions) will require player permission from everyone involved and Azul likely asking for a hefty price since he will need a very good reason to even agree to that.

To help keep things neat, I've also made a form below you are welcome to fill out and submit to this post!

What wish does your character want granted?: What's worth the price of your character making a deal with Azul? This does not have to be something that involves magic either, if you just want a good skin toner or want to know Azul's recipe for pumpkin spice tea then lol yeah sure??
What would your character be willing to offer in exchange for it?: Feel free to list anything from a character's ability to money to a favor to working for Azul in some manner (he is certainly going to be looking for employees for whenever he gets mostro lounge open in escordvi) or a special item etc. etc.
Do you want your character to break the terms of the contract for plotting purposes?: If you'd like to play around with possible negative cr/repercussions of a character not fulfilling their end of a bargain, either intentionally or accidentally, let me know here?
Extra: Any questions you have that were not answered above, and I will do my best to answer them!

So what are you waiting for? Make a deal with the fish mafia today!