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Post by sleepingdragon on Nov 25, 2023 17:47:17 GMT
Reserved for table of contents if I can be bothered.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Nov 25, 2023 17:47:50 GMT
sd: When they had set sail from Bosqis, they had thought to see the great sights of Mythrium, to hear the bustle of its markets and to find new opportunities there. They had not expected to spend their time on a tiny, barren, and unsheltered island.
But the days stretched on following the attack on the Hydra, and there was still no sign of rescue.
The Hydra had been rounding the southwestern corner of the ancient, grim and divided island of Dura when the low galley had suddenly appeared in the water to port. The vessel had had no device or sail, but her intent was clear enough even before she had come near enough to hear the war cries of her Tirkoman crew, to see the glint of their cruel swords or to feel the withering barrage of their arrows. The Hydra’s doom had been sealed when a second pirate ship emerged ahead of her from a hidden cove.
The passengers on the Hydra had been roused from their beds only after the first vessel was spotted, and in the confusion they had barely enough time to pull on their clothes before the attack began. Amidst the chaos, fire and steel, four strangers, had been able to grab a skiff and haul it starboard. They'd been able to row away in the tumult, but the Gulf of Blades had many hidden rocks and reefs, and soon their little skiff had found one of these. They'd been left with no choice but to take shelter on this little isle, which was so small one could comfortably hurl a stone from one shore and have it skim on the water on the opposite side. Fortunately, there was a small copse of ragged trees, so they'd had a spot to hide. From there, they'd watched helplessly as the Hydra was looted, her crew and passengers carried off into thraldom.
Fortunately the pirates had not noticed their departure, or else they didn't care. They forced their new thralls to row them away, the captured ship in tow, and left the four survivors behind. Then the long, slow days began.
It was autumn, and though the climes of the southern Gulf were warm, at night it was still dismal, there was no shelter from the elements, and the speed of the attack meant they had left behind almost all their gear and provisions. If they lit a fire, they risked exposing themselves to any passing pirate ship. They could rely on nothing but their wits and each other to survive. Ellyssa: The woman who had introduced herself as Ellyssa sat on a rock wringing out her skirts and dragging her fingers through her long twists of black hair. They had all noticed her on board the Hydra, an attractive woman in perhaps her late twenties, not tall but lithe and curvaceous, wearing beautifully made clothes of fine fabric. Striking rather than conventionally beautiful, with flawless olive skin, thoughtful hazel eyes and expressively mobile features, she had a kind of warmth that drew people to her, and was rarely alone on board the ship, seeming to quickly learn the names and stories of passengers and crew alike. One or two knew her by repute for her work as a performer and actress in the theatres of the Trader Cities, but of her own story, that was all they learned. Tanith: One of the four had kept to herself on board the ship, and now spent the first hours after the attack in a seeming daze, saying little more than her name when asked: Tanith. She was dark-skinned, small and slight, dressed in the well-made but plain clothes of a favored servant (her more colorful and fashionable attire was likely at the bottom of the sea or in a pirate's hands now). Her curly black hair formed a perfect halo around her soft-featured face, which was marked with tattoos those knowledgeable enough might recognize partly as esoteric symbols of both Asherah and Ka-sha-lu. Similar markings could be seen running down her neck and out from beneath her sleeves onto the backs of her hands. In a few places, the tattoos seemed to cover fading scars.
Tanith's wide eyes, gray-blue like a storm, cast about the sea without any intention of finding rescue, just taking in the barren sight like one takes in a great statue in a temple. One arm she kept clutched instinctively to her side, where she held something beneath her clothes. Baltser: The well-built, imposing man, dark of skin and hair - though with some graying streaks - was called Baltser, and even now that his weapons and armor were gone his bearing and physique marked him as someone who had trained as a warrior and experienced misfortune and hardship, despite his way of speech suggesting noble origins. There was obviously more to him than than just another scion of a noble family who had set off in search of fame and fortune, though it would be hard to put into words what exactly it was - some sort of weirdness, though not necessarily unpleasant - and while not especially talkative most of the time he had a friendly and energetic demeanor which seemed to resent the idea of simply waiting for rescue rather than trying to come up with some way to leave the island on their own terms. Addir: Beneath Addir’s rather short but curly brown hair, his gray eyes looking around at the rather problematic situation on the island. On his chin, he sported increasingly longer beard as he no longer got a sharp tool to maintain his grooming. And yet despite his and other’s situations, his still sport a faint smile which may be somewhat unnerving to some. He sports a simple very dark green tunic quickly. During the voyage, he did wear some modest cheap looking ring jewel set with amethyst on one of his fingers which no longer with him to Addir’s disappointment. Other than that, he mostly kept to himself, prefers to consider the options as he watches the wine dark seas. Addir will smile to greet others and if pushed any further, he do however often enjoy talking about literature and especially human arts of all forms. He is certainly not a morning person and often get up late in the daytime compares to others aboard on the ship however. Ellyssa: Having dried herself as much as was possible, Allyssa slid off her rock and stood looking around at her fellow castaways. Her face showed concern but not panic, and her voice was steady as she spoke. "We should try to get some rest if we can and then when it's light look for fresh water and anything edible. I know it's not the most comfortable of places to wait, but we are alive and unhurt, and I think, Gad willing, we will be rescued. We should perhaps have someone on watch in case a ship passes?" Tanith: Tanith said nothing in response, but after a time curled up against a tree and slept. In the morning, her demeanor had changed. No longer dazed, she swept about the island, noting the wildlife and terrain, murmuring to herself. Finally she joined the others, and pointed at a small slug at the edge of the undergrowth. "We are in luck. We share this place with one of the finest delicacies of the island foragers of the easter Gulf - or so I've heard from travelers. They are traditionally cooked, but I suppose we cannot be picky, those who must beseech the gods from a place less with fewer amenties than our mother's womb." Tanith: edit: eastern Gulf Tanith: edit: a place with fewer Baltser: "I agree, it does no good to simply idle." Baltser said, commenting on Ellyssa's words as he looked around for anything that might help them leave the cramped confines of the island. For a short while he sized up the tattered trees, likely wondering if they would hold his weight if he climbed on them to get a better view at any passing ships, but then he decided it would be a better idea to try to build some sort of temporary shelter out of what was left of their skiff. Ellyssa: Ellyssa, who had travelled widely, examined the slug and nodded in agreement. "I have eaten these - they make a fine meal when cooked, but will sustain us as they are." She held up part of her skirt and started searching the undergrowth for more of the slugs. Addir: Closing his eyes as Addir listened to other on this tiny rock hearing others chatter like some birds singing their dawnsongs to the rising sun. He shivered as dread came over him thinking of having to put up with three others for how long it ever taken. Despite his affable expression on Addir's face, his eyes however darkened at the thought. "I am not sure what I can do on this spot on the wine dark seas." He glared at their misfortunate outwards and yet with a haunting melancholia. Ellyssa: Ellyssa looked over at Addir, who seemed sunk in misery. ,br."There must be shellfish among the rocks around the island." she said. sd: five days passed in tedium, though at least the weather held. unfortunately on the fifth day that was no longer the case, and it began to rain heavily. they were extremely grateful for the shelter that Baltser had constructed out of their skiff Ellyssa: "At least we'll have fresh water," Ellyssa tried to sound cheerful but it was becoming daily more difficult. She shifted uncomfortably as her back twinged. Tanith: Tanith too was looking physically strained from their poor diet and manual work, though she seemed to accept their lot, telling stories of heroes and demigods who had survived such ordeals. Addir: Seeing the rains arrives almost seem to pull Addir out of his low pressure and smiled faintly as he clapped his hands, "Praise Manuzi, I thank thee for the rains" He praised her even though they are far from the mountains among the seas. But then, are islands mountains of the seas after all. He however paid close attention to Ellyssa's stores. Baltser: Though the situation was grim, Baltser seemed unfazed, at least physically, and would often alternate peering out ot the makeshift shelter he had built with checking on his frailer companions Addir: EDIT: Tanith's stories sd: six days after they had arrived on the island, Baltser was on watch, heavy rain pelting down around him, while the other survivors slept uneasily under the shelter. He could occasionally spot flashes of lightning in the distance, then, well after, hear a roll of thunder. He had heard five or six of these when abruptly, there was a searing flash followed by a deafening thunder roar only a scarce few seconds afterwards. When he was able to open his eyes, he saw that the shelter he'd built had been smashed to pieces. The other three had been woken by the deafening roar and the collapse of the shelter - fortunately, the heavy rain meant what fire was set was quickly put out. Ellyssa: Ellyssa crawled out of the wreckage, shaking wet hair from her eyes. "Is everyone alright?" she gasped. Addir: Addir shivered in his quickly wet dark tunic, "I am good actually. Rather sound in fact, It could be a lot worse...." He smiled in the dark, as if he is used to live in the nighttime rather than in board daylight. Baltser: When Baltser realized what had happened he frowned heavily, but then recovered his composure surprisingly quickly. Though obviously displeased he did not seem quite as shocked as one might expect, almost as if he had some sort of prior experience with similar mishaps. "Are you alright? Does anyone need help?" he called out to the others, his voice loud despite the closeness so that he could be heard over the roar of the storm. Tanith: As they gathered together, apparently all safe, Tanith tried uselessly to cover her hair with her hands as the rain drenched it into a soggy mass. She gazed at the wreckage. "Our trials continue." Ellyssa: "I've been longing tor a warm fires, but this was just... not the answer I expected." Ellyssa stared at the heap of scorched wood that had been their shelter. Then she shook herself and sat on a rock. "We're fine Baltser. But we do need to keep our spirits up." She began to sing then - a simple song known throughout the Trader Cities. Ellyssa: edit* fire Ellyssa: As she continued into another more rousing song, she encouraged the others to sing along. Tanith: Tanith joined in the singing. Her voice was not as resonant as Ellyssa's, but she was practiced enough, albeit with songs meant to go with fine wines and the scent of jasmine. Ellyssa: Despite the rain running down her face, Ellyssa smiled at Tanith as they harmonised together. Tanith: Over the following days, Tanith approached those whose spirits she saw flagging. She didn't talk much, offering some words of encouragement but more giving the others space to speak of their weariness and fears; those who engaged found themselves lighter after this. Addir: Addir actally joined in the singing this time, his fine voice rang in deep tone this time. This time, he turned his focus on helping the group out. He did have some knowledges drawn from some interesting events that happened to him and tried to create some medience supplies and checking the health but unforantely, the extreme nature of the event they are in make it trickyl. Baltser: Baltser smiled faintly at Ellyssa's words, looking worried for her and the others' health, as though they had not been directly hurt by the destruction of the shelter they were now totally unprotected from the weather. "I'm not much of a singer myself, but I remember, time ago, hearing an invocation which is supposed to help in situation like these. I suppose it wouldn't hurt..."he said tentatively before starting to chant something and gesture, pointing at the cramped confines of the island they were confined to. Ellyssa: Ellyssa had seen various magic users in action in her travels and now watched Baltser with interest, though she winced as she shifted unconfortably on the rock. sd: over the next few days, the rain continued heavily, but whatever Baltser had done, it seemed to fall lighter on them, as if it was only a light drizzle. they were extremely tired now of eating slugs, and they had nothing to drink except rainwater or condensation they'd collected.
on the tenth day since they were stranded here, the rain stopped, but an autumn chill had set in. Addir was looking away to the south when suddenly he spotted something they had not seen any sign of since the attack on the Hydra. A ship! Addir: "Yes!" Addir cheered up, "Hey! There is a ship...." He drawn the attentions of others to the approacging ship. "Maybe we can be saved!" Tanith: Tanith seemed have weakened over the last few days, whether it was the poor diet, or the chill, or something caught from the water. Her skin had taken on a pallid tone and she moved only when necessary, though her equaniminous demeanor remained. When she heard Addir speak, she pushed herself up and hurried - with effort - to the shore. Baltser: Baltser looked in the direction Addir was pointing, trying to get a better look at the ship. He stood by Tanith as if ready to grab her should she fall, since the last days had taken such a toll on her. Ellyssa: Ellyssa had been slumped against a rock, clearly in pain. She stood with difficulty and stared towards the ship, muttering a prayer that it not be pirates. sd: the approaching vessel was a large ship, a trireme, which gave them hope. the Mythrians had many such ships, but few pirates did. To their tremendous relief, this initial suspicion was confirmed as the ship came nearer, and they could see the device on the sail. It was the sadiyodh, the symbol of the city of Mythrium, two letters standing for.i>Victory and Wisdom Ellyssa: "Thank the gods!" Ellyssa gasped. Addir: Sighing with a relief, "So not a pirates or slavers then. What a rare good news here." Addir truly smiled with pleasure at this approaching savor. Tanith: Tanith slumped back to the ground, and then began to laugh softly, tracing the symbols of the sadiyodh in the ground. Baltser: Baltser smiled silently, obviously that their efforts at surviving had been worth it. Ellyssa: "Those two symbols spell our deliverance," Ellyssa spoke more strongly now, seeing rescue approach. "The initials of the founders of Mythrium - Atapash the warrior queen, and Yirakh the Wise." You whisper to Tanith: the sadiyodh had been adopted as Mythrium's symbol in the early days of the Mythrian League, and its two characters came from the names of two of its great historical heroes. The sade came from Astapash, a great warrior queen in Mythrium's early days, who had been an exiled princess from Cyrmium. She had been elected Mythrium's queen and won great victories on land and sea, defeating a host of Zidonian pirates come to pillage the fledgling settlement, then opening a trade route overland up the Mythis by winning the first of Mythrium's many campaigns against the Serrite Hillmen. The yodh was for Yirakh the Wise, one of the first sufets, who had helped lead the rebellion against the Tirkomen that instituted the Mythrian republic, and then formed the Mythrian League as one of its first sufets by winning over the nearby city of Astarthis. Tanith: "And how appropriate that Atapash's first great victory was saving Mythrium from a host of pirates," added Tanith. Ellyssa: "But we're watching the ship go past. Quick, light the fire!" Ellyssa cried. Addir: Addir taking Ellyssa's warning into account knelt by the firepit (of what left of it) and made an effort to start a fire to generate enough smoke to draw enough attentions. "Hope this will be enough!" Ellyssa: Ellyssa picked up a piece of driftwood to bring to the fire, but dropped it with a gasp of pain, holding her back. Addir: Eyeing Ellyssa for a moment with a hint of concern as he quickly grabbed the piece of driftwood dropped by Ellyssa, "No point overstraining yourself too much at the moment." as the fire increased in size. sd: given the bleak sea around them, any smoke at all was easily enough to attract the sailors' attention, and soon the ship was making towards their little island. the trireme was far too large to actually stop here, so when it came near enough several sailors boarded a little skiff and rowed out towards them. Leading them was a large man with a long, elegant black beard, reaching past his strong neck. He wore a long patterned tunic, blue and gold, down below the knees.
"Hello there friends!" the bearded man called out when the skiff had rowed very close. "You've chosen a strange place for a holiday, especially without a boat! What happened?" Ellyssa: "Our ship, the Hydra, was attacked by pirates. They took everyone for slaves but us, we managed to get away in a small boat." Ellyssa looked at the fire where lightning charred wood now burned. Tanith: "Not the time away we had planned, no," added Tanith. "The solitude was there, but not the luxury." Addir: Faintly amused by the humour shown by this man and replied clearly, "I am still amazed that we are still alive. I for once cannot wait to return to somewhere where I can actually drink something that is not water along with some actual foods." He stomach growls at that, Ellyssa: "Something that isn't raw slugs!" Ellyssa added with a smile, though she winced again as her back spasmed. Baltser: "It was not an especially pleasant stay."commented Baltser, with a wry smile "But what matters is that we managed to survive until you arrived." sd: The man hawked and spat into the water. "Pirate scum. Have no fear. I am Balzer of the Mori. I’ve hated pirates and all of their kind for years, since they took someone I loved. In the name of Bedezoris of the Bomil, who ought to have been my brother, I swear I’ll see you safe to Mythrium. You’re welcome aboard the Thunder.” sd: they boarded the skiff two at a time and were brought over to the Thunder, where Balzer had them brought to a spare cabin for the four of them. It was small and cramped, but at least it was indoors, and when they were brought food that wasn't slugs - fish, bread, and beer - it felt like the height of luxury.
they were on the Thunder for the rest of that day, then one more. they had nearly arrived in Mythrium on that second day, but the winds were against them, so instead they arrived early the next morning. coming up onto the deck to look, they could the vast city, home to at least several hundred thousand people - though the population was not as great as it had been before the terrible plague that had ended ten years ago. They sailed in towards the great cothon, a huge round protected harbour, filled with many commerical and military ships. Innumerable homes stretched out before them, made mostly of whitewashed stone so that they gleamed in the morning sun. Addir: Addir whistled at the sights, "How impressive!" He praised the sight of the city,, almost awestruck sd: before they disembarked, Balzer came to them and held out a sealed letter. "Take this to the Moon's Eye. It's not far from here. This is for Paltibaal, the publican. He's a client of mine, I've asked him to put you up and feed you for a week until you find your feet. Good luck." Baltser: "Thank you."said Baltser "Hopefully some day we will have an opportunity to repay you." Ellyssa: Ellyssa was looking around as they came into harbour. She seemed far less awe-struck by the sight of the great city. "Thank you Balzer for all you kindness. We will not forget." Ellyssa: edit* your Addir: Addir agreed with the sentiment, "Indeed. It is only fair." He repleid in a straightforward and plain manner.. Tanith: Tanith had slowly regained some strength during the journey, though she still wobbled a bit on the deck. "A man who arrives as a blessing should leave with one." She touched her fingers to one of the markings on her face, then to her lips, and then to Balzer's forehead. "May the sea grow calm before you and joy await in every port." sd: the Moon's Eye was a dockside inn whose primary clientele were sailors and fisherfolk, with a few petty traders as well. Business was very light when they arrived, so it was easy to get to speak to Paltibaal, a solidly built man with a bushy moustache. "I've a room the four of you can have, and you'll get food out here in the common room," he said. "Fortunately for you it's a quiet season. Trade route to Cytheria is perilous now so not so many ships coming in." Ellyssa: Ellyssa thanked the publican. "Before we were attacked, I would not have considered sharing a room with three others but after huddling together under that piece of boat, it will feel like a palace!" She looked about for Addir. Tanith: Tanith smiled. "I've shared plenty of rooms in the past, after the last weeks it would feel strange to be parted with you all immediately. We thank you, Paltibaal." Addir: Addir was eyeing some inevitable gamblings in the common rooms for a moment before giving others' full attention and smiled faintly. "Sound like it is a good place to stay at." Baltser: "With how close we've lived in the last weeks, a whole room for all of four of us might even feel too large "commented Balser, with a slight smile. "As for the ships, hopefully they had better luck than us." Ellyssa: Ellyssa indicated to Addir that she wanted to speak to him privately. It was clear that she was in a lot of pain. Baltser: edit: "As for the ships that do sail" Addir: Noticed that Ellyssa was still in some pain, he approached Ellyssa, "What's wrong?" He asked softly with a mixture of concern and curisity as he was assuming that some barbers or whoever do the healing on that shop they came on looked her over. Ellyssa: "I have an old injury which causes me some trouble," Ellyssa explained, sitting gratefully on a bench. "Usually I use something when it becomes bad, but I lost my store on the Hydra. The time on the island has made it flare up badly. I thought you might be able to help." She winced again. sd: they made their way to their rooms, and they spent the first morning and afternoon relaxing, pleased to be able to sleep for a few hours in beds on land for the first time in nearly a month.
early in the evening they came out to a bustling common room filled with many voices. Paltibaal had saved them a comfortable corner table, and once they had sat down a woman came over to take their orders. There was a small, tight fitting copper torc around her right wrist that indicated she was a thrall. She had a sealed letter in that hand. "The master said someone brought this for you. Also this," she reached down and pulled out a pouch which gave a metallic jingle as she put it down before them. sd: once their orders had been taken, they were able to read the letter.
Survivors of the Hydra,
Many sailors on the Thunder have spread the tale of how you escaped the pirate attack on your ship. You must be both cunning and favoured by the gods to have survived such an ordeal. I hope you will accept the purse sent with this letter as a token of my esteem.
I find myself in need of resourceful, discreet people who are outsiders to Mythrium, in order to assist me with a matter too important and sensitive to set down in a letter. If you wish to speak with me about this, I will be in a private booth at the Bladed Wave two hours after sundown tonight.
I will pay you each four shekels of electrum for simply coming to speak with me, and there will be much more if you're able to accomplish the task.
May Ba'al be Gracious to you,
HARAVA, OF THE MIF
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Post by sleepingdragon on Dec 2, 2023 18:39:07 GMT
sd: Survivors of the Hydra,
Many sailors on the Thunder have spread the tale of how you escaped the pirate attack on your ship. You must be both cunning and favoured by the gods to have survived such an ordeal. I hope you will accept the purse sent with this letter as a token of my esteem.
I find myself in need of resourceful, discreet people who are outsiders to Mythrium, in order to assist me with a matter too important and sensitive to set down in a letter. If you wish to speak with me about this, I will be in a private booth at the Bladed Wave two hours after sundown tonight.
I will pay you each four shekels of electrum for simply coming to speak with me, and there will be much more if you're able to accomplish the task.
May Ba'al be Gracious to you,
HARAVA, OF THE MIF Addir: Narrowing his eyes and smiled ever so slightly at this letter, Addir's canine teeth neatly framed the smile. "We do need some coins eventually." Addir suggested to others, "I think it is worth to do a meeting personally, at very least to hear out what this one have to stay." He commented. Baltser: "Resourceful and discreet people..." mused Baltser "I suppose there is no harm in hearing out what this Harava has to say." Ellyssa: Allyssa nodded with her own hint of a smile, but her expression gave nothing away.. "Some money would certainly come in useful right now. And we can always say no..." sd: the purse that Harava had sent them had two electrum shekels each, which was enough that they could at least start trying to get back some of the gear they'd lost in the pirate raid Tanith: Tanith nodded her assent. "It is fortunate to even have a lead on coin this soon after our arrival." Ellyssa: Soon after this Ellyssa slipped away. She had to find relief for the pain in her back which had become vicious, making it hard for her to move. Ellyssa: She sighed as she looked down at the faded wreckage of her once fine dress. Well there were other ways to make a statement than rich clothes. Addir: Addir mentally nodded to himself as Ellyssa went off to find something to deal with the pain. He only know a sure fire way to end all pain forever, death. He shook his head for a moment as if in thought as he aimed to start looking more respectable! sd: Since there were a few hours before they were set to go to the Bladed Wave, they each set out into the city's bustling streets to try to find some replacements for the equipment they had lost. Baltser, seeking a sword, set out and was recommended to a weaponsmith by some mercenaries he spoke with in a tavern, after inspecting the new xiphos one had purchased from the man only a few days before. The smith's shop was in a crowded square, and as he went through he saw there was a group of people gathered around an elevated platform, where there stood a man and a woman. The woman was speaking in a theatrical, oratorical style. "...from a long line of Sufets and noble magistrates. His father Hannibal was Sufet during the last war with the barbarians, and his much missed brother Alusaar led many companies in battle. As the barbarians threaten us again, it is essential that we once again have a scion of the Magon clan as Sufet!" Baltser: Baltser decided to stop and listen intently for a while - while he definetely needed a weapon, that could wait, and it was only proper to be acquainted with current events in the city. sd: the Mythrian model was the standard for republics in the Gulf, and many had borrowed their structures. it was common that there would be two Sufets as the chief magistrates of the city, elected on an annual basis. The Sufets had few checks on their power except each other and sometimes (depending on the city) the popular assemblies, as well as the knowledge that they would have to step down at the end of their term. In Mythrium there was a very stringent requirement - once you had served as Sufet, you would need to wait a full decade before you could run for the office again.
There were at least five candidates, it seemed like, but it sounded to Baltser like several were unserious and stood little chance. Listening to people speak in the crowd, he heard several mention one, a woman named Elisha of the Bomil, as being a certainty to win one of the Sufetships. She had served three times before and had an enormous base of clients across the League. There was serious competition for the second Sufetship between two men - Hamilcis of the Magon, and Philozir, of the Ahira. This first speaker advocated for Hamilcis, and, shortly afterwards, the second for Philozir.
The advocates spoke at length about their preferred candidates' personal qualities. Hamilcis was of one of the oldest and richest families in Mythrium, so his advocate stressed his great lineage as well as his links to his late brother, an apparently well regarded man called Alusaar. Philozir seemed to have a less renowned family, as no one in his family had served as Sufet before, but his advocate instead spoke of his success as a trader, having rebuilt his family's fortunes to such an extent that he had been able to rejoin the Mythrian Senate, which the Ahira had last been able to do in the days of his grandfather, and to do so at a young enough age that he was able to stand for the Sufetship in his 30th year, which was the earliest year of eligibility. Hamilcis had the same distinction, and it was clearly quite rare to have two candidates so young in such a heated contest.
Although there was little direct reference to anything such as policy in the speeches, from how the speeches were framed, it seemed clear to Baltser that Hamilcis expected and was planning for war in the new year, a prospect he seemingly relished. His advocate spoke at length about the many times that Magon clan had fought and defeated the Serrites. Philozir's advocate spoke very briefly about the barbarian threat, but seemed less preoccupied with the subject. Baltser: Baltser tried to commit as much to memory as he could, so that he could share it with the others later.
Addir: After wandering around the streets, he asked some good questions regarding the location for the clothings that is more respectable than a shepherd boy that he used to be. Eventually, he managed to find some good quality clothings that was on sale. Unforantely, it did came out higher than expected. Addir did mused for a moment to break into the shop later on and taking back the coins he felt was clearly overcharged. But alas, Addir got more important thing to do and worry about. Upon his return from the shopping trip, Addir was wearing a darker green but clearly more better cuted and woven material. He even managed to find some spare time to cut his unklemt beard into better styled that was more recongiseable on their own voyage. "I feel like a new man!" Addir grinned for a moment. Tanith: Tanith too set out to look for clothes - for herself, as well as some simple garb for Ellyssa who seemed otherwise preoccupied. She had a trained eye for fabrics and fit, and managed to find herself garments of flowing silk that accentuated her graceful walk, along with a beaded choker and earrings that caught the light as she moved. Upon their return, she nodded at the sharply dressed Addir. "In a city, how others see you is half of what you are." Ellyssa: Forcing herself to walk steadily, Ellyssa headed for the docks, where she was sure to find a vendor of the substance she required. Once she had obtained the small package she headed back to the inn, requesting a cup of wine from the innkeeper, Taking it to their room, she carefully added the precious powder. Ellyssa had intended to hold some back for the next time, but after the time spent on the rocky islet, she decided to take all of it. Draining the cup, she lay back on her bed and sighing drifted away into dreams. Addir: "The very first impression can decide the endgame as well." Addir sound ever so cultured for a moment, agreeing with Tanith as he ordered some wine as he glanced around wondering about Ellyssa, sd: the evening wore on and then the sun set. They had learned that the Bladed Wave was a large inn near Founder's Square, the city's chief marketplace near the centre of Mythrium, so they would need to set out soon to get there in time to meet with Harava Ellyssa: When Tanith presented her with the new robe, Ellyssa thanked her warmly. "I had to decide whether it was more important to walk than to dress well - not really much of a choice..." she shrugged expressively. Tanith could see a certain vagueness about the eyes, but the lines of pain on Ellyssa's face were now smoothed out making her look younger. Baltser: As they prepared to meet Harava, Baltser wore the simple but well-made sword he had purchased over his new clothes, and told the others about the political discussion he had witnessed before. sd: they set out across the city. there was a cool breeze in the air blowing in off the sea, and the many shops and bazaars were now closed, but there were still many people about, visiting taverns, heading to temples or theatres, or visiting friends. the Mythrians prized conversation and hospitality very highly, and it was considered extremely unusual among them to spend much time alone - a civilized person should instead spend their nights eating, drinking, and conversing with many others.
as they entered Founder's Square, they passed two great marble statues, brilliantly painted, of the city's greatest heroes. the Cyrmian warrior queen Astapash was depicted as a young woman, crowned and with naked steel in her hand, sword pointed outwards as if directing an army towards the foe. On the opposite side of the square was the great Yirakh the Wise, who was shown as an older man, dressed in a richly coloured tunic down to his sandalled feet in the Mythrian style, holding a scroll in hand as he declaimed. The lictors' rods that were the symbol of his office as one of the first Sufets lay at his feet.
the Bladed Wave was an unusual inn in one respect - it had no sign. In its place there was a ship's figurehead, twice as tall as a man, erected in the square in front of it. It was in the Tirkoman style, elaborately carved in wood, and showed an enormous rising wave, out of which thrust an impossibly muscled arm grasping a huge blade. Ellyssa: Ellyssa, bathed and clothed in the new red robe, with her black hair tumbling down her back, stared at this strange variaton of a sign as though mesmerised. Addir: Raising an eye brow at the very strong armed symbol on front of them, "Well, that is rather unusual way to showcase your location." He commented as Addir looked towards the inn as if it is trying to stand out in the square. Addir noticed that Ellyssa seem to be better now as well. Tanith: Tanith found the figurehead disconcerting after their recent experience with pirates. "The sea is frightening enough without wielding a weapon directly." sd: after examining it for a moment, it seemed likely that the great arm was that of Yamm, god of the sea, who the Tirkomen revered above all others and was the rival of Ba'al. Tanith thought the style was an archaic one, probably several centuries old - given Mythrian history, she deduced this had most likely been captured from a Tirkoman ship during the war around the founding of the Mythrian republic about two centuries ago. Tanith: Tanith explained this to the others, feeling less unnerved now that she recognized the arm's godly provenance. Baltser: Baltser looked at the figurehead with obvious interest, realizing that there was more to it than one might initially expect, and appreciating Tanith's explanation. Addir: "Certainly not someone I want to offend!" Addir whispered to himself, "Especially after such exciting and interesting voyage recently!" Ellyssa: "It's lasted well," Ellyssa commented. The others could see she was now moving easily, her previous litheness and grace restored, although her speech was a little slower than usual. Addir: Addir glanced over at Ellyssa for a moment and walked onward to their meeting point. sd: inside, the Bladed Wave was heaving with people. It seemed to be an establishment that catered to many different social classes - there were clearly well to do merchants there, but also labourers, tradesmen, fisherfolk, and shop assistants. they were able to push their way to the bar and ask after Harava. "I was told to expect you," the man said over the din. "His private booth is upstairs, there," he pointed. There was a set of stairs leading up to a walkway along the western wall, lined with booths with thick blue curtains adorned with naval motifs. The one this man indicated was the third along - the curtains were drawn, but those to either side were unused. Tanith: Tanith approached the curtained booth. "We received your message," she said, waiting discreetly for a reply. You whisper to Tanith: as she approached the curtain, Tanith had the strange feeling that they were being watched. She glanced down and very briefly saw a man seemingly walking through the crowd to get a drink, but clearly looking up in their direction. Before she could get a very close look at him he vanished in the press sd: the curtains were drawn back. when they opened up, there was a wiry man there, about six feet tall, with very dark skin, a shaven head and face, and a sword at his waist. He wore a simple gold ring on his right hand indicating he was married, and had silver bracelets adorned with krakens. "Come in." He said curtly. sd: edit to add: they couldn't see much into the booth past the man, though it seemed there was someone else there. Tanith: Tanith had glanced out at the crowd below them, but at this she turned back and slid in behind the curtain. Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded to the man and slipped through. Addir: Addir glanced around as he strolled into the booth. Despite the apperance of a relaxed calm man, he is tense as if a taut rope ready to snap at a moment's notice, Baltser: Baltser occasionally cast glances all around, but he seemed fairly relaxed as he silently entered the booth with the others. sd: within there was a long, low table, and there were many comfortable cushions scattered around the room. among the more well to do in Mythrium and other Ascaanite cities it was common for dinners and conversations to be had lying on one's side, and there was a man doing just that behind the table. He was quite short, had a meticulously trimmed, triangular beard, and short-cropped chestnut hair. He wore a long, elaborately patterned orange and black tunic, sandals, and a round cap. His fingers were bedecked with rings in silver, copper, and gold - one of the golden ones appeared to match that of the man who had let them in.
"Ahh, welcome! I am Harava, and that gentleman is Azadar," said the man behind the table. "Come, make yourselves comfortable. I have wine here. There are also fresh lemons to flavour it, it's exquisite." The man called Azadar retrieved several amphorae filled with water and wine. sd: Azadar, noticeably, did not sit down. After drawing the curtains shut, he took a glance at Baltser, noticing his sword. After a quiet look he returned to standing by the curtain, though he did pick up a goblet as he did. Ellyssa: Ellyssa thanked Harava graciously, taking the proferred wine well diluted and adding slices of lemon. Tasting it she agreed that it was very good. Ellyssa: Gracefully she reclined on the cushions. Tanith: "A most gracious host. Wine and lemon is most welcome after the last weeks." Tanith instinctually began pouring wine for others. "Before we speak more though, I must ask - is the fellow watching us from the floor below a friend of yours? Or should we be concerned that there might be interest in our meeting?" Baltser: Baltser thanked Harava hosts with a polite nod of the head before taking a goblet of wine and reclining with the others Addir: Addir smiled faintly, glad that they clearly got someone such the like of Baltser who show that they can use the sword and more importantly, happy to use it. Sometime it is better to have a candle to attract the moths in the dark while someone else can kill them in the dark shadows. Notcing the behaviour of their potential employer over a matter of coins, Addir sat onto one of these seats and reclined along it as if this is something he is used to and reached out for a wine glass. After sniffing it softly to check there is nothing off or indeed potentially dangerous tainted, he took a short sip, noticing it interesting but sutle favour. "A sight for a sore sight for someone who just survived a sea journey. Thank you for inviting us kindly." sd: Azadar and Harava exchanged a look. Azadar was scowling, but Harava waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing to worry about if all they're doing is looking from down there. I suspect it's one of her eyes," the merchant said. "They won't pry any closer, or Azadar will have words with them."
Harava looked over at Addir. "Your clothes are exquisite, my dear. It's a pleasure to have you, and give you some comfort after the ordeal you've had. We should get to business though. Now I must apologise, my letter left out only one small detail which I didn't want to put into writing. I said I would pay you each four shekels of electrum for coming to speak to me, and I shall." As Harava spoke, his husband put down his goblet and drew out several small purses. "There is just one condition I have to place on this. You don't have to accept the job I'm offering, but I do require your oath that you will keep the full details of this conversation in the strictest confidence if you don't take the job." Ellyssa: "Of course," Ellyssa said. Ellyssa: "Of course," Ellyssa said, inclining her head. Tanith: Tanith nodded, and touched a finger to a tattooed pattern just below her lips - one that indicated discretion, and the sharing of secrets as a way to build a bond. Baltser: "Of course, you did mention you needed people who were both resourceful and discreet." said Baltser nodding before swearing with the others Addir: Addir looked formal and dignified and appeared to be of deep sincerity as he said, "I swear." as agreement. sd: "Excellent. I can therefore proceed. I need you for two very important and related tasks." Harava took a slow sip from his goblet, then leaned forward as he spoke.
"I need you to unmask the scheme of a powerful and corrupt traitor. More importantly, you must also rescue an innocent girl, who is currently held hostage by a brutal band of brigands and barbarians." Ellyssa: Ellyssa raised her eyebrows, her only visible reaction to this revelation. Ellyssa: "Are these two situations linked?" she asked, watching Harava carefully. Tanith: Tanith took a long sip of wine. "Traitors and brigands. Dangerous times are these." Baltser: Baltser seemed intrigued, though not especially surprised, and waited for Harava to tell them more. Addir: Looking in the wine dark depth of the globet for a moment, his expression did not give much away and nodded with a hint of seriousness. "That is very concerning. Especially the latter as well." Addir grimanced with understanding as to the depth of what brigands and barbarians can do. Addir is qutie capable knowing how deep they can go sd: "I believe they are linked, yes. Allow me to explain the situation in more detail." Harava finished his goblet, then poured himself another cup, squeezing in a fresh lemon. The merchant took his wine very heavily diluted, so his wits would doubtless remain sharp.
"The barbarian people called the Serrites have plagued the Mythrian League, and indeed the city of Mythrium, for centuries. I've recently been informed by contacts of mine in the city of Opis. The Serrites have always caused trouble on our eastern frontier, and it appears that several of their clans ahve come down from their hills and have begun raiding caravans that are heading to or from Cytheria, in the mountains on the trade route east. These attacks are of course completely unprovoked. They seem to have made alliance with some Mythrian outlaws as well, truly the scum of our lands."
"I'm unsure if you know much about Opis, but I will explain quickly. It is not a full city of the League like Mythrium or Astarthis - it was a mining colony we founded about a hundred years ago. It might obtain full membership in the League at some point in the coming decades as it is quite large, but currently it's governed by a Council, rather than electing Sufets of its own. The leading councillor of Opis is a man called Adurbaal, of the Hazru. He is a skilled enough merchant, and quite wealthy. As the chief councillor he should be expected to be organising a defence against these brigands, but my contacts report he is curiously sluggish about doing so. The attacks began during the summer, about three months ago, but whenever the question of paying for increased patrols comes before the Council Adurbaal will make excuses and delay action. One of my good friends, a trader called Zimir, has spoken to several other caravaneers and they have noticed that Adurbaal's own caravans, and those of his closer friends, seem to have been left alone in these raids."
Harava paused. "Now onto the more important matter. There is a young girl of Opis, named Gelia of the Bos. She is thirteen, and the daughter of my old friend Ashtoreth, who sadly left us several years ago. Three months ago, around the same time that the barbarian attacks began, she suddenly went missing from the Bos villa, outside of Opis. Her steward doggedly demanded that Adurbaal should take action to try to locate her, but, again, he was very reluctant to do so and made excuses." Harava took a sip of wine. "When I became aware that Gelia had gone missing I paid a priest of wise Ashimis to take the auguries, to determine if she still lived. The portents indicate that she is still alive, but held captive. I cannot absolutely prove that the barbarians have her, but I believe that they do. Her abduction matches the timeline of their attacks perfectly, and any Mythrian kidnapper would by now have made a ransom demand, which has not happened." You whisper to Baltser: Baltser watched the merchant very carefully. He gave a very good performance, and certainly when speaking about the Serrites and Adurbaal he seemed to speak with genuine conviction. Baltser had always valued friendship more highly than family, so he was interested when Harava mentioned that Gelia was the daughter of his dead friend - except when Harava mentioned Ashtoreth and the girl, his voice seemed curiously free of emotion. He also could not understand why someone of Harava's means would wait for three months to take any kind of action to rescue Gelia if he had such sentiment for her. sd: Harava paused, while Azadar handed the four of them the pay that had been agreed for coming to speak with the merchant. "I have two tasks for you then. If you can accomplish them within a month from tomorrow, you'll be handsomely rewarded. I need you to go to Opis and uncover proof of Adurbaal's treason and bring this back to me. Don't attempt to confront him directly. I also need you to rescue Gelia and bring her back to Mythrium where I can protect her." Ellyssa: Ellyssa was thoughtful. "These are large tasks, with travelling involved. If we decide to take them on, the costs will need to be covered." She looked into Harava's eyes. "Why us? We are new to the city and the region, know nobody. Or is that the reason?" sd: "That is indeed a large part of the reason, yes. You are obviously favoured by Ba'al, or you wouldn't have survived. And I need people who are not known in the League to do the investigation. If it was simply a matter of cutting through a swath of barbarians, well, my husband could round up some of his old colleagues and they could go. But I fear that if anyone known in Mythrium goes to investigate, then the barbarians may get wind of this and Gelia could be killed." Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded. "That is understandable. We will need any information that might help." Baltser: "We will do what we can to find proof of Adurbal's involvement with the brigand attacks and ensure the girl is safe. Of course, the more we know, the easier our task will be." said Baltser, who had listened intently in thoughtful silence to Harava's words Tanith: Tanith briefly touched her hand to her side, where she held something beneath her clothes. She looked to the others. "A dangerous task. I myself might be more comfortable in the halls of the mechants than facing down brigands. But if I can play a role in rescuing this poor girl and preventing further crimes, I am willing." She thought for a moment. "Do you know if Adurbaal is susceptible to the charms of women?" Addir: Nodding only once, "That makes sense actually. Speaking of Gelia, do you have some description of her appearance for a start or something that we can use to prove that she is whom she is?" Addir asked, just making sure they do not waste efforts on wrong girl. sd: Harava smiled at Tanith. "He is yes, unlike myself. Although I wouldn't recommend coming into close contact with Adurbaal himself unless it absolutely can't be avoided. He isn't the most lustful man, but I know he has had relationships with women before."
"As for Gelia...it has been some years since I saw her. She is short and dark-haired, and she wears her hair long and quite wild. Her mother was extremely beautiful, such that even I could see, and Gelia has some of this, though she is not as singularly beautiful as Ashtoreth was. She is very like her mother in temperament - extremely fiery, wilful, and intelligent. More bookish than Ashtoreth I believe, when last I saw her she was reading a book of history that I would not expect a girl of her age to have been remotely capable of understanding." Ellyssa: "An interesting character," Allyssa said gravely. "You're sure she has been taken, not run away as such girls are won't to do?" Ellyssa: edit* wont to do sd: "I have no specific leads, but I would suggest that you head to Opis to investigate. I previously mentioned my friend Zimir and I can tell you this. He is due to arrive in an Opis inn, the Golden Bough, in the late afternoon or evening three days from tomorrow. One way you might seek to uncover more information could simply be to travel with his caravan in secret. If the barbarians were to attack it, there would be four extra defenders and that might turn the tide if any of you are particularly skilled in such matters. But that is bloody and inelegant and it may be preferable to seek information in a more subtle fashion. You should take this letter," Harava reached into his pocket, and pulled out a letter sealed in the same manner as what he had sent to them, "and give it to Zimir if you meet him. It will confirm to him that I have indeed sent you." Addir: Addir pursed his lips upon the apperance of the girl in question, engraving the information into his mind to ensure that they get the right girl. "That is very helpful." Regarding the confirmation of the girl and indeed the supportive letter offered by this gentleman. sd: "I had wondered this myself," said Harava to Ellyssa, "but the revelations of the divine Ashimis made clear that she is held, and not free to depart. Unfortunately it was not clear exactly where she is. I suspect that the barbarians have some hidden encampment somewhere in the hills beyond Opis. By treaty following the last war we won over them, no armed Serrites are meant to come within ten leagues of Opis without express permission, but, of course, they have broken their word as they are wont to do." Tanith: "As much as I would enjoy resting in the city for a while, it appears we should travel soon then," said Tanith. "Meeting Zimir at the Golden Bough seems the logical first step." sd: "Perhaps not the first step. It takes about a day of vigorous travel overland to reach Opis - faster if you take a river boat, though you would of course need to wait for this to leave - so you may have a few days in Opis first to quietly seek information." sd: "Of course I ought to specify the nature of your handsome rewards. If you can accomplish these two tasks - bringing Gelia to me, and uncovering proof of Adurbaal's treason - by one month from tomorrow, then you will each be paid twenty-five electrum shekels. In addition, my patron, the powerful and benevolent Hamilcis of the Magon, would grant you small plots of land about five miles outside the city, and therefore as property owners you could be enrolled as Mythrian citizens, with all the privileges that would come from that." Ellyssa: "I would be lying if I said I was not interested in this offer," Ellyssa said, her manner open and honest. "But I wait upon my friends in this, and what they decide." Tanith: Tanith looked a bit taken aback at the mention of land. The thought of property ownership and citizenship had been a distant dream, something she might have hoped for after practicing her craft for many years. She looked toward Ellyssa and smiled. "You grow to trust someone when you've supped on slugs together, even if the friendship has not existed long. I have no other prospects calling me, and would like to remain with you all for now. So if this task seems worth doing, I will be a part of it." sd: note to self: Harava's offer should say 'would be enrolled', not 'could be' Addir: Considering this dangling prospect of the rewards and his desire to make a fresh start in this city and took another sup of the wine, making it sour than ever at the thought of getting tied to a city when he prefers to keep moving from his chasers, both legal and illegal. "I have to admit the reward of citizenship of this city is not that attractive. But I will not just stand still when a young girl is in captive. So yes, I will help with these two tasks in this case." sd: Harava shrugged. "If you don't want citizenship, then the land you're gifted is yours to sell." sd: "But of course anyone doing that would not be able to be a citizen. Our republic is founded on the understanding that only those with a stake in its prosperity can have a say in its governance." Addir: Addir nodded in agreement as this enable him and others the options either way.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Dec 16, 2023 13:00:04 GMT
sd: Harava stretched. "The hour grows late. Some people say deals should be bound with blood, but I prefer to seal mine with a drink." He poured a glass for himself and Azadar, waiting for the group to do the same. Ellyssa: Ellyssa leaned forward, pouring herself a well-watered glass, but she did not yet drink. "We will need to pay for our travelling, lodgings and food, maybe bribes or other expenses while undertaking this mission. But of course we lost everything on the ship and need to replace at least some of those items. An allowance for expenses would be helpful," she suggested in her most warm and reasonable voice. Addir: Addir moved forward, reaching, looking to refill his glass at a steady pace. Eventually he smiled as Addir listened to Ellyssa's excellent point although he doubt that it can be so easy to draw such concession from such figures. Soemtinme it feel like drawing blood from stones. Tanith: Tanith poured Baltser a drink before pouring for herself, nodding at Ellyssa's reasonable suggestion. Baltser: Baltser poured himself another glass, smiling slightly at Ellyssa's request for more money. sd: Harava and Ellyssa haggled for a time while the others held still, creating a slightly comic scene. The merchant refused at first, but Ellyssa persisted and ultimately he gave in. "Very well. I had intended to give an advance of four electrum shekels each now and twenty-five when you completed the task, we can change that to eight now and twenty-two when you return, to round out the figures and in light of your current impecunity," Harava said with a wry smile. He held his goblet out to Ellyssa. "Agreed?" Ellyssa: Ellyssa gave him a brilliant smile and clinked her goblet against his. "Agreed!" She took a long draught of the excellent wine. Addir: Looking more relaxed down that their positions is somewhat more minted, Addir is still concerned about making sure they are well outfitted and danger to others to boot. sd: Harava drained his cup quickly, and his husband much more slowly and deliberately. "Oh, some logistical matters. As I prefer not to handle such sensitive business in my own home - if you have news for me, return here and speak to Gebal down on the bar, the one you spoke to when you came in. He's a friend and will get in contact with Azadar or I right away. You could also send letters from Opis or elsewhere in the same method, although travel at the moment is perilous because of the barbarians." sd: "Now unless you had any other questions...it would be preferable if we didn't leave at the same time, ideally no one should see us together. I will pray for your success," said Harava. "I can feel Ashtoreth's shade lambasting me in my dreams each night, I won't be able to rest easily until Gelia is safe." Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded in understanding. "We will do everything in our power to bring her home unharmed." You whisper to Baltser: whatever his grand words, Baltser didn't think the merchant was any more sincere than he had been previously so far as the subjects of Gelia and Ashtoreth were concerned. Addir: "Agreed." Adder replied simply, agreeing with Ellyssa' assessment. "We resolve this as soon as possible as a matter of speed." He did consider on what if Gelia may not wanted to come with them in case they was luckly enough to find her. Still, they will across the bridge if it come to that. Tanith: "May Astoreth's shade smile watching our work," added Tanith. Baltser: "I can't think of any questions myself."said Baltser, having drunk his glass especially slowly, as if thoughtful about something. "We'll do our best." sd: they left Harava and Azadar behind and made their way back down into the raucous common room. as they pushed down the stairs, Tanith spotted the same man she had seen earlier, but now she got a much better look at him. Earlier he had been very ostentatiously going to get a drink while keeping an eye on them, and now he had positioned himself at a table towards the back of the room where he could easily keep an eye on Harava's private booth. As they came down the stairs, he was already standing and making towards a rear exit, stumbling as if drunk. Tanith pointed him out to the others - he was a short, rough looking man with a short-cut dark beard and hair beneath a faded yellowish-brown cap. Ellyssa: "Azadar seemed dismissive when we told him," Ellyssa said. "But he did refer to 'one of her eyes' - it would be interesting to know who 'she' is." Ellyssa: edit* Harava not Azadar Baltser: Baltser briefly glanced at the man, perhaps sizing him up and wondering if he was really drunk or just pretending to look less threatening. Addir: Addir eyed the retreating character whom Tanith pointed him out. "Shall I go after him?" His fingers itching to remove a potential danger to them Tanith: "Cautiously," suggested Tanith. "He may have friends about. And it would be good to know where he's headed." sd: there was a heavy crowd between the group and the man, who was clearly making for an exit Baltser: With his imposing presence, Baltser was able to push a few people out of the way, making it easier to reach the suspicious man. Addir: After imposing Baltser managed to cut through the crowds like a ship plowing through the water, Addir followed him into the precious gap left by Balster. Unfortunately, Addir slips on the puddle of liquids on the floor, as he fell, Addir prayed that it is at least something which is not of a human orgin. Addir managed to bounce back up after taking one step, a sharp pain lanced up from his foot and suddenly he winced for a moment as he kept going but taking a bit of care with his poor ankle. sd: despite his near fall, Addir was able to push through the crowd and get out into the street after the man Tanith had spotted. by now, the man was nearly to the end of the road, and once he had got more than a short distance from the Bladed Wave he gave up the charade of being drunk and began moving at a normal pace, striding towards the docks. sd: unfortunately, with his twisted ankle it was hard for Addir to keep up with the man, and he lost sight of him for a moment as he pushed through a crowd at a street corner Addir: Swearing at his extremely wretched fortune mentally, he started eyeing the bystanders and other walkers of the streets and approached them with a lovely smile on his face, he asked after the prey as if it is someone that he is trying to find as a friend. sd: Addir quickly found a friendly and slightly drunk woman who was out with two friends. "Oh hello handsome! I saw that guy, he was heading towards the docks up that road there," she pointed. "You can probably catch him. By the way, I'm staying in the Wave tonight, I'm in room 22, if you maybe want some wine..." she laughed. Addir: Beaming at them with a wink, "Well, I will certanly bear that in mind! Thank you for your help." Making a note of that as he gave a farewell to these lovely women and kept going onward to the route gestured by his helper. sd: Addir headed up the road the woman had indicated. Thankfully it was a long, straight road, long enough that he could see ahead to where the man Tanith had spotted was just finishing taking a piss up against a wall. After shaking out the drops he put his equipment away and resumed his path towards the docks, but Addir was able to gain significant ground on him, following after through the dark streets of Mythrium. sd: Addir was well practised at stalking after people in the darkness and he had hoped to be able to get ahead of the man, but it was harder than he thought - the other man knew these streets and he didn't, so whenever he thought he was taking a short cut, it turned out not to be so helpful and he had to quickly double back. He was, at least, able to keep reasonable pace with the man, and he was confident he hadn't been seen.
After about fifteen minutes, they reached a long street that ran directly opposite the docks. Only a few people were out and about at this time, and those that were tended to move in packs. Addir and his quarry were exceptions, but seemingly not for long - as they came towards a rough looking inn whose sign showed two oars stained with bloody handprints, the man's pace quickened and two men who were drinking there waved to him. Addir had gone drinking in enough thieves' dens and gangsters' dive bars to recognise one immediately. Addir: He did his best to memorise the apperance of the three men as Addir quickly make note of the surroundings and the sign, He did give some thought about entering the den but it is much risky he felt in this great city, especially there are hardly any friend or allies he can rely on in a pinch of troubles. Sighing for a moment at the lack of blood spilt, he made a start on his way back, making sure that he was not followed. sd: Addir returned to the Bladed Wave after about a half hour, enough time that the others had been able to get another drink at the bar and finish these off. They had yet to see Harava or Azadar leave Addir: Smiling at them as Addir approached while softly limping on his poor ankle. "Managed to follow him to a den or a bar, something like Bloodly Oars or something similar." He called for a drink and took it in one go, "He met up with other two guys but I decided to not to approach the place for now as I felt it was too risky to fight my way out of that kind of dens. Clearly he was passing on the informations I think." Addir frowned at that Ellyssa: "Perhaps meeting the mysterious 'she'." Allyssa contemplated what this might mean. Tanith: "We could let our patrons know what you saw," mused Tanith, "though they already have their own suspicions. Perhaps best to keep this to ourselves for now." Baltser: "It's quite obvious that many powerful and influential people are going to be interested in what we got ourselves into."commented Baltser drily Addir: Addir smiled slightly, "Well, it is going to be fun!" His smile widen into a proper grin, thinking up the pure chaos they might stir up in the coming days and weeks. "Still, shall we make our way back?" Addir glanced around Baltser: Once they seemed to be safely away from prying eyes and ears, Baltser spoke to the others "Something not quite right with the story Harava told us. Obviously he cares a great deal about the Serrites and Adurbaal...but with his ample resources, why would he months to organize a rescue attempt for the daugher a dear friend, if he truly cares so much for her? I fear he might be trying to use Gelia as a part in some sort of political plot... " Addir: Addir winced at that point, "Especially we may have to consider what to do in case Gelia does not want to return here, even if we do manage to find her or whomever it is holding her," He commented. "Beside, this is a job, a way to earn a living until should we ever get betrayed then heads will rolls!" Addir promised Ellyssa: Ellyssa frowned, thinking back over what Harava had told them. "I think you are right, Baltser. Harava may also have assumed the plight of Gelia would draw us in." Tanith: Tanith pondered this. "Then our first order of business upon reaching Opis should be to gather more information, to help sort truths from falsehoods." sd: as they spoke on the way back to the Golden Bough, they realised something. They had asked why Harava had hired them to investigate, and he had answered that he needed newcomers to the city who would not be immediately linked to him - but newcomers might also be useful in that they could be presumed to lack the detailed knowledge they might need to ask too many questions, especially newcomers who had just lost all their gear and were in need of immediate coin sd: edit: not the Golden Bough, the Moon's Eye. the Golden Bough is in Opis! Ellyssa: "If we have a few days free, we should start with some research here, to gain more information about the situation and the players involved," Ellyssa suggested. Addir: Nodding at Ellyssa's excellent idea, "Good idea. Especially these kind of news tend to be rather well, public. More we know, the better we can be prepared. Even better if we are underestimated as well." He winked at that. sd: they returned to the Moon's Eye and slept, waking at first light to find a bright, sunny autumn day. they could use their advance money to recoup some of the gear they had lost, then make for Opis - they might simply go by foot, following the river, or they could find a riverboat to take them, though that would of course cost some of their newly made coin Ellyssa: As they were both needing to replace clothes and such items, Ellyssa and Tanith went shopping together. Ellyssa enjoyed herself using her charm and warmth to wn over the shopkeepers and stallholders with smiles and chat, and succeeded in reducing the prices considerably. She bought herself good quality clothing and footwear which would serve in their travels, as well as a shimmering rose-coloured silk dress suited to social events or performing, bangles, earings and a couple of silver rings, and some small pots of cosmetics, hair oils and brushes. You whisper to Ellyssa: as they went through the city, Ellyssa found herself trying to remember everything she knew about Opis, their destination. she had not thought of it the night before as her head had been groggy after her excesses. She remembered Melchior mentioning Opis to her - he had passed through the town a few times as it was the natural entry point into the Mythrian League for anyone coming overland out of the east through the Cytherian passes as he had. He had said there was an unusually good library there for such a small mining town, and he had a friend, Zidon, who was one of the senior librarians. Addir: After breaking his fast with some simple fares, Addir went on a small shopping trip in which he attempted to find enough daggers to give him and his fellow survivors enough tools to defend themsleves, he managed to haggle a good number of daggers, he was rather pleased with himself on that. He did however find other items on the list more trickly to find Tanith: Tanith had already acquired new clothes, but she took the opportunity to add some new accessories, along with perfumes and incense and other tools of her trade. She watched Ellyssa's successful bartering with admiration. "I have learned to speak well after long practice, but it still takes thought and care," she said. "Your way with people seems so natural." Addir: As it turns out, Addir find it very difficult to find any sellers who are willing to sell dangerous herbs and liquids. Ellyssa: Ellyssa grinned at this, looking far younger and more carefree. "I've had a lot of training and experience. But I do quite like people and that helps." As they walked about, Ellyssa grew quiet, as though deep in thought. Suddenly she exclaimed. "I was sure I had heard about Opis before. Someone...someone I knew mentioned it to me. He travelled through Opis coming from the east, and was struck by the exceptional library there, considering it is just a small mining town. He had a friend among the senior libraraians who might prove a helpful contact, if he is still there." Baltser: Having previously bought a sword, Baltser went shopping again. This time he came back with a sturdy round shield decorated with an impressive-looking lightning bolt. "I thought it appropriate." he said with a smile. Tanith: Tanith lit up at that. "And if a helpful contact can also point us toward some good books, so much the better!" She tapped a symbol on her face referencing Ka-sha-lu, and made a quick prayer of thanks for Ellyssa's fortunate acquaintance. Tanith: From there, Tanith went to find a riverboat that could take them all to Opis. At first it seemed there were none that would be immediately available and able to accomodate all four, but after flashing a bit of the extra coin they had gotten from Harava, she found a captain willing to take them. Ellyssa: Parting from Tanith, Ellyssa took her own way back to her source of medicine, the pain relief she would undoubtedly need again, and took the opportunity to chat casually, seeking to picking up useful information and gossip. Baltser: Baltser also boought some travelling supplies for all four of them: backpacks, waterskins, ropes.... Addir: After giving up on finding the sellers of the dubious herbs, Addir made his way back from his shopping trips to the inn they was staying at and made a start on some drinking and something to eat sd: while Ellyssa was shopping for her painkillers, she allowed herself to slow so she could engage in conversation with various people she met along the way - traders and peddlers knew many things, and she also had time to stop for a drink in a tavern and speak to some fishermen having a break.
these told her about the Bloody Oars, the inn that Addir had found the night before. "Stay away from that place miss," an older man with plague scars on his face said. He made a sign to ward off evil, which showed that he was missing two fingers. "That place is where Qarta's people go drinking. Why the Sufets don't just have her damn arrested when the entire city knows she's a murderer and a gangster I couldn't say. She's pretending to just be a merchant and a landlord, but folk who cross her tend to end up dead, or else as thralls who just wish they were dead."
Few other people wanted to discuss this, but she did learn about a few other matters. She was able to learn a bit more about the election candidates. Hamilcis of the Magon, Harava's patron, had his finger in all kinds of pies - shipbuilding, oils, textiles, thralls, and wine. His adopted father, Hannibal of the Magon, had been Sufet during the last war with the Serrites. His birth father, Hannibal's younger brother, had drowned returning from a failed diplomatic mission to Salabitha to try to establish an alliance against the barbarians, and Hamilcis, born after his father's death, seemed to regard the Serrite presence on the Mythrian frontier as unfinished business. Many people also mentioned that he seemed to live in the shadow of his adopted brother, Alusaar, who she remembered hearing about when she had been young. He had been regarded as the most brilliant talent of his generation, a superb mercenary captain, excellent orator, and wise, shrewd politician. Most people had expected him to win repeated Sufetships, but he had died of the plague the year before he turned thirty and would have been eligible to run.
The other candidate, Philozir of the Ahira, had needed to rebuild his fortunes after his grandfather and father had left the Ahira destitute. To have done so at a young age was much to his credit. He traded mostly in metals and jewels, and he had many clients in other cities and towns, especially Opis as a mining town. She learned that Adurbaal was not only his client, but a close personal friend.
Speaking about Opis led her to also asking about Ashtoreth, the mother of the abducted Gelia. Everyone who mentioned her agreed she had been one of the most beautiful women in the whole Mythrian league, but also wild, fierce, independent minded, and extremely promiscuous. Despite being of a quite minor noble family, she had bewitched a number of ranking nobles, including both Captain Alusaar, and a young Adurbaal. She had promised to marry both, but in the end she would never content herself with one man or marry anyone. She had drunk herself to death three years ago, refusing to her dying day to ever say who Gelia's father was, because all that really mattered was that she was Ashtoreth's daughter. Ellyssa: Returning to the Moon's Eye, tired by elated, Ellyssa order herself wine and food, then told the others what she had found out. Ellyssa: edit* tired but elated Tanith: Tanith once again marveled at Ellyssa's ability to make friends. "This gives us interesting leads. Gelia's parentage and the conflict between Hamilcis and Philozir could both be relevant to Adurbaal's deeds, or Harava's." You whisper to Tanith: thinking on the conflict between Hamilcis and Philozir made her think. since one of the Sufetships was apparently all but certain to go to Elisha of the Bomil, then only one of Hamilcis and Philozir could win the remaining slot. If proof came out during the campaign that Philozir's client and friend, Adurbaal, was in fact a traitor in league with the Serrites, this would give Hamilcis an enormous advantage You whisper to Ellyssa: all that she had learned was making her head spin and she had a hard time concentrating, but one thing seemed clear - Hamilcis would likely relish a chance to go to war with the hated Serrites, who his family had fought against for years Tanith: Thinking on this for a while, Tanith added: "It seems there is a zero-sum game between Hamilcis and Philozir, with Elisha of the Bomil seeming certain to win one of the two Sufetships. Aduurbal is known to be close to Philozir, so if it were to come out he were a traitor in league with the Serrites... The election would seem all but won for Hamilcis. This does not prove he is not a traitor of course, but our patron has a very good reason to want him to be seen as one." Ellyssa: "Indeed. I wish I could have found out more about Gelia herself - still overshadowed by her mother even after death." Ellyssa sighed. "So much information.... But one thing seems clear - Hamilcis would like an excuse to start another war with the Serrites. Another idea to throw into the pot." Baltser: "Perhaps Gelia's father has something to do with the reason Harava wants her...poor girl, ending up involved with this kind of political intrigue."said Baltser, with a hint of sorrow in his voice You whisper to Tanith: she knew that the term 'Serrite' was really a bastardisation of the Hillmen's real name for themselves, the Serrazutti, a term the Mythrians regarded as absurd and barbarous. The Serrazutti distinguished themselves from their neighbours firstly because they rarely lived in settlements larger than a village and had clan structures that would slip in and out of alliance with one another, and also because instead of worshipping gods, they worshipped the earth, especially their own land, and their ancestors. You whisper to Addir: Addir remembered once being surprised at reading a book which turned out to have been a translation of a text written by a Serrite chieftain, though he couldn't remember his name now - it had looked very strange and he had no idea how it was meant to be pronounced. The Serrites were meant to be barbarians and entirely illiterate, but clearly this chief had been able to read and write. He vaguely recalled that the Serrites had once controlled much more territory than they did now, some of which had been taken over by their neighbours in Cytheria and the Mythrian League. Tanith: As the conversation touched on the Serrites, Tanith grew quiet for a bit, then spoke. "I knew a man, a thrall to the master of my house. He came from the Serrazutti - as the Serrites call themselves. He told me a little of their peoples' ways. They live only in small settlements, and are organized by clans, which will slip in and out of alliances with one another. They do not worship the gods as we do, but the earth they come from, and their ancestors. With their lack of unity, it might be easy for one group or another of them to be turned toward political ends." Addir: "Ah Serrites? I remembered reading a translated work which is written by a Serrite chief. Apprantely, they mused to controlled much larger lands in the past which are slowly sliced by expansions by the Mythrian League and Cytheria. Maybe there is more going one than one expectyed." Baltser: "It would be unfortunate if the actions of a single clan led to a war involving all of them. That is something we might want to avoid..."said Baltser, understanding the implications of Tanith's words given the attacks on the caravans Tanith is disconnected. sd: after they finished eating, they had an hour or so to double-check their gear before heading through the north wall. They went down to the great Mythis river to board a boat, the Kingfisher which was setting out with the aim of arriving in Opis early the next morning. Soon they left Mythrium behind them, and were passing through the farmland around the city. More than once, they saw old homesteads that had been left abandoned - Mythrium had lost many people in the plague, and in its aftermath much of its land was now untended. If they succeeded in their task - or at least if they chose to perform the tasks they had agreed with Harava - then some of this land would be theirs. But that was for much later, and Opis lay before them first.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Dec 23, 2023 17:54:46 GMT
sd: after they finished eating, they had an hour or so to double-check their gear before heading through the north wall. They went down to the great Mythis river to board a boat, the Kingfisher which was setting out with the aim of arriving in Opis early the next morning. Soon they left Mythrium behind them, and were passing through the farmland around the city. More than once, they saw old homesteads that had been left abandoned - Mythrium had lost many people in the plague, and in its aftermath much of its land was now untended. If they succeeded in their task - or at least if they chose to perform the tasks they had agreed with Harava - then some of this land would be theirs. But that was for much later, and Opis lay before them first. Tanith: Being on the water again seemed to affect Tanith; she boarded without objection, but grew quiet and distant, her eyes fixating on the land rolling by as if for an anchor. Ellyssa: Ellyssa watched the passing landscape with great interest. "This looks a good place to work land - decent soil and probably silt from the river brought by spring floods." She smiled as the others looked surprised. "I have a place among the islands, an investment for the future. If I can get back there..." Addir: He started eyeing the surroundings on the boat. Despite their miserable time on the ships, what are the odds of getting wrecked on the river. He smiled internally, at very least they can swim to the riparian shore. He was however proud within himself that no one died in the last town they went to. Baltser: "It might be nice to have some of this land to call our own, but given that the situation isn't quite as clear as Harava implied, I wouldn't take it for granted..." said Baltser to the other, starting thoughtfully at the shore as the boat travelled along the river. Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded in agreement. "We need to keep our ears and eyes open." Addir: Aidder agreed with the assessment, "At least we are better prepared for troubles this time. I am not expecting to reach the ripe old age personally!" Ellyssa: At these words Ellyssa looked at him warmly. "You never know - life has a funny habit of turning out not what you expected." sd: the Kingfisher was a flat-bottomed barge with a dozen oarsmen, which made a regular journey between Mythrium and Opis, carrying fish from the sea one way and quarried stone back to the capital on the return. Apart from themselves, there were seven or eight other passengers. Since the day was bright and clear, many of them stayed out on deck, watching the lands glide smoothly by throughout the afternoon.
In the early evening, when a chill was coming into the air, one passenger, a man who they'd seen only briefly on boarding, came stumbling out of his cabin, wineskin in hand. He was richly dressed, but his colourful robes were crumpled and stained. He lumbered unsteadily portside, but before he could reach the side he barrelled into an oarsman who had briefly stood up to stretch his legs. The stout oarsman was steady on his feet, but the other man was not so lucky, falling and heaving out the contents of his stomach onto the deck. Ellyssa: Ellyssa's lip curled at the sight, and she kept a careful eye on the drunk. You whisper to Addir: Addir thought that one of the other passengers, a stout young woman who'd kept to herself for the entire trip so far, was watching the drunk man carefully while affecting not to Addir: Addir's nose wrinked for a moment as his thought turns to pushing the drunk man into river to make this problem go away. He nudged the others and silently highlighted that this woman is also looking at the drunk person. "Prehaps someone with invested interest in him." He whispered, wondering if it is actuallt a posion, Addir: EDIT: "At them" sd: one of the other passengers, a stout young woman who had kept to herself for the journey so far, seemed to be watching the drunk man while pretending not to.
The drunken man stumbled to his feet. "You s...sh...should watch where you're going!" he slurred at the oarsman he'd bumped into. He had a strange accent - there was something of Mythrium in it, but very lightly. The oarsman ignored him while the captain, a tall, slender man called Shamayim, stepped in. "I could make you clean that up, Buldrun," he said. "I won't, but if I hear you harassing my crew again you can see if you'd like to drown your sorrows in the river instead of a wineskin." Ellyssa: "It seems his habits are known," Ellyssa murmured to the others. Tanith: "When you spend time in places with men who have money, there will always be those known for their drunken troublemaking. The best places have someone like the captain here, who will set some boundaries," said Tanith. Ellyssa: "And support his crew," Ellyssa agreed. "Some just see the gold they might miss out on." sd: 'Buldrun' was certainly not an Ascaanite name - after a moment of thought Tanith thought it might perhaps be a Cytherian name Baltser: Baltser said nothing but looked at the man with obvious pity, perhaps wondering if some sort of tragedy had led him to drink. Addir: Addir shook his head with a hint of annoyance, "Pity, you can teach a lesson by rubbing that man's face into such matters." Maybe that woman used emetic, he wondered. Ellyssa: "He doesn't seem to be dying of it, though the drink will likely see him off early anyway." Ellyssa had no sympathy for the wretched sot. sd: with this incident out of the way, the journey continued, until eventually stopping for the night by a small village and continuing in the morning.
they arrived in Opis in the mid-morning. Opis was a mining town of several thousand people. A small part of the town, the oldest part of the settlement on a hill near to the river, was walled, but it had spread out considerably since the end of the last war with the Serrites and most homes were now outside the walls, along with some villas and estates off to the west. They stopped at the docks, which were very quiet. The woman Addir had noticed was the first one off the Kingfisher. Buldrun, who appeared to have been drinking the entire way through, stumbled off shortly before they did You whisper to Addir: shortly after they got off the boat, Addir half-heard a bird call somewhere in the distance. He almost ignored it, then he realised something was off - why was there what seemed to be a gull crying so far from the sea? Addir: "Well..." Addir raised an eyebrow as he told the others. "How odd considering you don't hear seagulls call this far inland... The Gods know I been woken up by their mewing on the roofs enough time!" sd: there had been a bird call a moment ago, though they had not paid it much mind until Addir mentioned it Addir: EDIT: Add: I thought I heard a call acting as a singal. Ellyssa: "You think someone might be watching out for who disembarks?" Ellyssa asked Addir. Baltser: "Worrying." said Baltser furrowing his brow "It might be someone has beenn watching us, or someone else who was travelling with us..." Tanith: "Can you tell where the sound came from?" asked Tanith. "Perhaps we should try to learn more." Addir: Addir frowned for a moment. "if I was let's say.... planning to rob someone for an example. That drunk man is the one I would go for. Easier mark and I would not be surprised to hear if they got someone keeping an eye on the passengers to check them out on en-route. Especially how common this route seem to be" sd: the sound had come from an adjoining street which led away from the walled part of town Ellyssa: "Maybe they're actually trying to attract our attention?" Ellyssa suggested. "Friend or foe though..." Addir: "Still, we got some spare time to burn." Addir's fingers itched at the possible danger they may be enjoying Tanith: "New visitors should do a little sightseeing in a town before settling in," suggested Tanith. "Shall we stroll in that direction?" Ellyssa: "It could be an ambush of course, but we're prepared, so why not." Ellyssa grinned at Tanith. sd: the little street ran behind the wall of a large dockside building, and there were some smaller alleys that ran off from the street. it wasn't immediately clear which one the call had come from, and they couldn't immediately see anything that would have caused it You whisper to Baltser: as they looked around, Baltser faintly heard a grunt and a scuffing sound off somewhere ahead and to the right, as if someone was taking some effort to do something Baltser: "Someone straining there." whispered Baltser pointing ahead and to the right Ellyssa: Ellyssa peered to see what was going on. sd: they had to take a few steps before they could peer up the small alley where Baltser had heard the noise. As they came close enough to see, they caught a brief glimpse of a figure struggling with something heavy going around a corner towards a larger street. You whisper to Tanith: the figure was struggling carrying a person - in fact, it was Buldrun who they were carrying You whisper to Baltser: the figure was struggling carrying a person - in fact, it was Buldrun who they were carrying Ellyssa: "We could offr to help him," Ellyssa said, half joking. Ellyssa: offer Baltser: "They got Budrun!" said Balser, sounding like he thought they should get involved Addir: Assir overheard that with an ever wider smile, "It would be a shame not to help the people of such high standing." sd: as they moved up the street, two large men stepped out, holding their hands up and blocking the end of the street. "Now now, our friend has had a little bit too much to drink and we're just taking him somewhere to lie down for a bit," said one of them, a man with an unkempt beard. Behind them they could faintly see two people carrying a seemingly unconscious Buldrun between them You whisper to Baltser: the tallest of the group, Baltser was able to see over their interlocutors' shoulders and notice that one of the people carrying Buldrun was the woman Addir had spotted on the Kingfisher Ellyssa: "We have business of our own with him," Ellyssa said with her warm smile. "I am sure you wouldn' t obect to our seeing about that." Baltser: Baltser manageed to get a better look at the people in the back, and what he saw made him frown. "The woman from the boat!." he muttered to his friends Addir: Addir eyed Baltser for a moment and stepped forward, ready to fight if needed, Addir muttered back, "Not a surprise then. Always a hassle when a rival appears on the scene." sd: The man smiled back at Ellyssa. "It'll need to wait until he's sobered up, let me know where you're staying and I'll send him to you later." Ellyssa: Ellyssa smiled coldly at the man. "I don't think that would be a good idea." sd: "Fair enough, if you have business with him I imagine he knows who you are anyway and can look you up later," the man replied, quite loudly. The woman from the Kingfisher and her compatriot were ignoring this and continuing to carry Buldrun away - in a moment they'd move down another street and disappear from sight Ellyssa: "I don't think he's in a position to know anything," Ellyssa said, looking at the others to see what they intended. Tanith: "A fight could cause us trouble in a new city," murmured Tanith, though she was torn on how to respond. Baltser: Baltser let his friends speak, but from the way he looked at the people taking Buldrun away it was obvious he believed that they should decide quickly how far they were willing to press the issue. Addir: Addir merely tensed, ready to make a start at at very leastr knocking them out instead. You whisper to Baltser: looking at the two men, they seemed quite tense, very aware that they were outnumbered here. He was certain they meant Buldrun harm, and were simply stalling them until their compatriots could get Buldrun away and out of sight. The two men might hope they were attacked, since to any onlooker it would seem like they were the wronged party, being attacked by four people simply for helping their friend, although he doubted they expected actual steel and they might be able to be threatened or frightened into standing down You whisper to Tanith: the men definitely didn't mean Buldrun well - she seriously doubted they had ever laid eyes on him until today Tanith: "They certainly are not his friends though," Tanith added. She looked toward Baltser and Addir, knowing they had more experience in this sort of situation, and willing to follow their lead. Ellyssa: "I think we should check he's alright," Ellyssa said firmly. Baltser: "Whatever she is paying you isn't worth your lives." said Baltser to the two men, obviously intending to force his way through if they didn't let him and his friends pass and reach Buldrun Addir: Addir eyed them as if they are piece of meats that is just able ready to be crave up for a lovely meal. Tanith: Seeing that Baltser was set on a confrontation of some kind, but that he'd not yet struck fear in the man ahead of them, Tanith stepped forward. She gestured at Baltser's steel. "My friend here is not making idle claims. What is the worth of your life, I wonder? Are you just planning to rough this man up for pocket change? Or perhaps you're being paid, quite well even? Unfortunately, moldering spirits cannot spend the coin they collected among the living. Look at the way he carries that blade, and carries himself. He's killed men like you before."
She glanced over at Addir. "And him... You just need to look into his eyes to know he's seen death aplenty. So I beg you, for your sake, to stand down." sd: the two men looked at Baltser's sword, seeming unnerved for the first time since this stand off had started.
Suddenly the two men burst away from them. "Scatter, leave him!" one of them shouted to the pair carrying Buldrun. They heard the woman swear, then drop the drunken merchant. The four of them all ran in different directions. Ellyssa: Ellyssa breathed a sigh of relief, then she ran towards the supine body of the drunken man. Tanith: Tanith slumped down against a wall with relief, clearly having been suppressing her nervousness as she spoke, and forcing steel into her voice. After a moment, she followed Ellyssa toward Buldrun. Addir: Addir reacted as he was expecting an attack from them for a moment by running after one of them and came to a short pause when Addir realised that they are actually not up for some fun. He did consider for a moment that they may be a sect of the Purple Assassins or something of that irk or even plain theives. Clearly as far as he is concerned, they really should not be left alive, at least not in broad dayliught. He grimanced for a moment as Addir rushed over to the drunken man. sd: Buldrun was in a very bad shape - from the smell of his breath he did appear to be drunk, but he also had a dark bruise on the side of his head, mostly concealed by his hairline, where something heavy had struck him Ellyssa: "He's had a heavy blow," Ellyssa said to Addir as he rushed up. Tanith: "We should find a healer," said Tanith, moving toward the larger street to see if there were signs or someone to ask. Baltser: Baltser smiled briefly, glad that he didn't have to actually unsheathe his sword. His gaze went back and forth from the battered Budrun to the fleeing woman. Ellyssa: "It's alright," Ellyssa called as Tanith moved away. "Addir knows something of healing." Addir: Addir knelt by Buldrun, "Yes, it can be rather depressing how often I have to patch myself afterwards." He smiled warily as Addir checking Buldrun out Ellyssa: Ellyssa raised an eyebrow at these words but she forebore to ask 'after what'. Baltser: Seeing that Buldrun was cared for, Baltser looked at the fleeing woman for a few moments trying to think of ways to stop her despite her head start. With an arcane syllabe and a quick gesture in her direction, he caused a conveniently-located fishing rod placed against a wall to fall on her path, hoping to make her stumble. sd: the fishing rod tangled in the woman's feet enough to make her trip, though she was quickly trying to get to her feet Ellyssa: Seeing that Addir was taking care of Buldrun, Ellyssa set off to chase down the fleeing woman who was now on her feet again. With a fine burst of speed, she caught up almost immediately, reaching out to grab the woman. "Baltser!" she called. sd: The woman sprang back to her feet. "Fuck off!" she shouted, punching at Ellyssa Baltser: Baltser had already been running towards the fallen woman, worried that she might try to resist capture. Ellyssa: In the nick of time Ellyssa twisted around and dodged the woman's fist. sd: the woman took another punch at Ellyssa as Baltser rushed forward Baltser: "Don't make this worse!" said Baltser as he reached the two women. However in his eagerness to defend Ellyssa he clumsily bumped into her, inadvertently helping the kidnapper's effort to harm her and hurting himself in the process. Ellyssa: Spinning around to avoid the punch, Ellyssa collided with Balter and received the woman's fist full on her nose. "Fuck!" she cried, staggering away. "You idiot! Get that bitch!" Tanith: Tanith had been looking down at Buldrun with Addir, barely paying attention to her friends' pursuit, when she heard the sounds of the scuffle and Ellyssa's angry cry. She sighed. "And after we somehow avoided the fight to start with. You might be needed, Addir." Addir: Addir prodded the knocked out Buldrun, "He will live at least." He stand, feeling the tingle from the mending broken ankle, "Shout if you need help!" as he rushed toward to the fray. Baltser: Baltser tried to grab the woman and restrain her, but she avoided his grasp. Addir: EDIT as he let Tanith know, "You did a good job dealing with that standoff with words!" He congrated her as he rushed off Ellyssa: Angrily, Ellyssa shook the tears out of her eyes and turned back to the fray, spinning round to knock the woman's legs from under her. sd: "Fuck, fuck I give up, don't kill me!" Ellyssa: Dripping blood from her nose Ellyssa looked down at the miserable woman. "Don't tempt me!" she hissed. Baltser: "Sorry for your nose." said an embarassed Baltser to Ellyssa before quickly turning to the kidnapper "You owe us some explanations."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jan 6, 2024 18:26:55 GMT
sd: "Look, I'll answer any questions you have but..." the woman bit her lip, then continued, "can we do it somewhere that isn't so public? I know a place where we can talk, it was where we were going to take him," she indicated Buldrun. "The others won't go there now, they'll be running as far from Opis as they can if they have any sense. We can make a deal just...please don't give me over to the law. If they don't hang me they'll cut off a hand at least. I don't want to end up like my dad." Ellyssa: Ellyssa glared at the woman. "Not sure you deserve it but...." She sighed then looked at the others. "We'll need to check the place out before going in blind." sd: "Oh, shit. I uh, just remembered that Berut has the key. I mean I can probably pick the lock if needed though, it's not that good. It's the basement of a little outbuilding that never got finished. All the people who live nearby avoid it because they think it's haunted." Ellyssa: "An impression you do your best to encourage I imagine," Ellyssa hid her amusement at this. Baltser: Baltser glared sullenly at the captured woman before turning to the others "A complication, but we do want to get to the bottom of this." Addir: Addir slowed down as Baltser and Ellyssa got the fleeing woman well in hand. After sighing for a moment, he put away the dagger back into the belt. sd: "Well I mean it was mostly Berut who did that, he's from around here and...uh...well his sister and his da died down there. Someone else as well I think." sd: "I'll lead you there?" Ellyssa: "Mines?" Ellyssa asked, frowning. sd: "No, it's just a basement in a building that never got finished. Person who was building it about twenty-five years ago tripped down the stairs and broke his neck, so it never got finished. Berut's da got the key somehow, then Berut took it from him when he died." Ellyssa: "It sounds an unlucky place, that's for sure," Ellyssa said, wondering how the sister came into it. Tanith: Tanith seemed worried about this diversion, but agreed they could follow her there if they did a bit of reconnaissance. "I suppose we should know what we've gotten ourselves involved with." Addir: Addir eyed the drunk man who is clearly knocked out and nodded at Balster. "Let carry him as well." Baltser: Baltser took off his shield and with Addir's help used it as a makeshift stretcher to carry Buldrun sd: Tanith and Ellyssa stayed close to the kidnapper as she guided them to the place she had mentioned. It was only a few minutes from where they had fought. Maybe half a mile back from the river there were a series of houses built in a roughly circular pattern, near the bottom of a hill. Most of these houses were clearly inhabited, but the path they took was around back of these and mostly sheltered from view. The outbuilding the woman had mentioned was around the back of one of these, near a small copse of trees. There were foundations there and a small bit of a stone wall indicating where it had been intended to be built, but it had never been finished and the undone wall had crumbled in a few places.
"There," the kidnapper pointed to a set of narrow stone steps at the back of the unfinished building, which led down to a stout door. "You can check it out if you want, if any of you are good at picking locks you can even give that a try, or else I'll do it." Addir: Addir nodded silently as he moved towards to the door with a look at the lock before him with a pick. After some raking, he was pleased to note the lock was opened then a sound that no locksmith or lockpicker would like to hear, the tiny metallic snap of the pick. Mentally swearing at himself, Addir quickly gave the others the gesture that the lock is picked he opened the door with a twist to look inside, ready to stab anyone in front of him. sd: inside it was absolutely pitch black. as Addir opened the door there was a slight metallic rattle somewhere inside Addir: Eyeing the door and when the others arrived, "All opened up now! Hopefully there is no unpleasant surprise inside waiting for us." Addir smiled faintly for a moment as he often seen rather messy unpleassant "surprise" waiting, Ellyssa: Ellyssa peered at the door and the darkness beyond. "You need a torch for that." Tanith: Tanith rummaged through her pack for a torch. Baltser: "Do be careful, even if there are no ghosts one can still stumble in the dark." said Baltser, who was still carrying Buldrun, not wanting to drop him to the ground sd: once they had lit a torch, they were able to see inside the dingy room filled with stale air. The room was not enormous, maybe twelve feet wide and fifteen feet long. The floor was of unadorned stone, which was stained red in places. There was a battered wooden table in the centre of the room, with some small wooden stools around it. Here and there on the walls there were chains hanging from the ceiling, which had stirred when the door opened and caused the noise they had heard. There was a locked chest up against the back wall, and next to this there lay a human skull. You whisper to Tanith: off on the wall to the right, near some of the chains, Tanith noticed some rows of fading marks on the wall Tanith: Tanith pointed wordlessly toward a spot on the wall to the right, near some chains - rows of fading marks. Ellyssa: "Interesting decorations," Ellyssa said, pushing the thief woman ahead of them. "Can't say I like what you've done with the place." She stared where Tanith was pointing. sd: as Tanith pointed the torch towards them, the marks were more noticeable, though still very faded. They were in sets of five, and counting them would take a long while - there were at least a few hundred there.
"That there is Berut's da," the kidnapper said. "He kept the skull to piss in. Berut hated his da." Ellyssa: "Was he locked in here?" Ellyssa asked, looking at the tally marks on the wall. Baltser: Baltser frowned at the "decor" of the would-be-kidnapper's lair. Ellyssa: Ellyssa pointed to the stools. "Sit!" she said to the woman. "And tell us all about this man you were going to abduct." sd: "Umm..." the woman shifted. "I mean Berut never said exactly what happened. AFter we left the clan and came back here, I got drunk and asked him what they meant. I'm glad I wasn't that drunk or I never could have knocked the knife out of his hand, I think he might have killed me in a rage if we hadn't known each other so long. I think Berut's da did some really bad things to him and his sister here. I think his da killed his sister and then Berut killed his da, but I don't really know for sure." Ellyssa: "Right... then he probably deserved it." Ellyssa sat herself on a stool. "So you're members of some kind of gang?" Tanith: Tanith stared at the marks and the chains for a long moment, before whispering a prayer and ritualistically touching one of the marks on her face. Tanith: "What is your name?" Tanith added suddenly. sd: "I'm Nikkal." the woman said.
"Me and Berut, well..." Nikkal shrugged. "We were bandits until a few months ago. Our old clan got taken over and we ran off to work on our own. Been working the river the last few months, mostly on Kingfisher. Shamayim's dad and my dad knew each other back in the war, so he lets me travel cheap. Sometimes used to help us smuggle or fence things. We've found a few marks on there that we were able to pick pocket, one we robbed. This drunken idiot was the best mark we've found until you had to interfere. Some merchant from Cytheria who came down to Mythrium. His wife just died so he's drinking and feeling sorry for himself, had decided to go back to Cytheria. We were going to hold him captive and ransom him back, I reckon his family have some money." Ellyssa: Ellyssa shook her head. "You should have stuck to picking pockets." Ellyssa: "So what do you know about him?" Baltser: "Or even better only work honest jobs." said Baltser "So you're saying this was all your idea, and only about the money?" Tanith: "Honest living is a luxury not all are afforded," said Tanith quietly. Addir: Addir considered this over, "Raising stakes is always very risky. Picking pockets is pretty tame but much easier to get away with. Kidnapping the wealthy though does have it risks, mostly fatal." sd: "i'm better at fighting than thieving," Nikkal said to Ellyssa. She grinned crookedly. "Sorry about the bruise."
Nikkal held her hands up. "You want so much more information then I'm setting my price now. Promise that after this, you'll let me leave, healthy and whole. No handing me over to the law. I'll leave Opis alone. Not sure what I'll do for now, but there's probably a war soon. I could have worked with those barbarians but I knew my dad's shade would come back and strangle me, one handed or not. Instead I can do him proud and kill some for him." Ellyssa: Ellyssa's ears pricked up. "Barbarias Ellyssa: Barbarians Ellyssa: Ellyssa's ears pricked up. "Barbarians?" sd: "Yes, Serrites. Violent idiots the lot of them, but they took over my old clan. They'd have been totally harmless normally I think, but they've a Mythrian sorcerer leading them at the moment so I reckon he was able to do all the thinking for them." Tanith: Tanith tilted her head. "I believe we can accept your terms, Nikkal, if you can tell us of things like this sorcerer." She glanced at the others. Ellyssa: "How strange, a sorcerer you say? Did you see him?" Ellyssa asked. Ellyssa: She raised her eyebrows at Tanith. sd: Nikkal smiled. "I want your promises first, then I can tell you more." Ellyssa: "If you do as you say, I agree," Ellyssa said, looking to the others. Addir: Addir eyed at Ellyssa for a moment before agreeing to leave the woman alive with a sigh. "Fine, I promise to allow you to leave this building and the town of Opis alive and in your current health as that you are." He smiled as he was nice enough to include the town itself. Baltser: "I agree too. But if our paths cross again and you're still involved in this sort of criminal scheme, it's a different matter."said Baltser, though he did not seem especially harsh, as if he genuinely hoped the woman could do better rather than meaning to threaten her sd: Nikkal breathed a sigh of relief. "Excellent. Good to do business with you. So...this sorcerer." She cleared her throat and tarted to talk. sd: *started! sd: "Me and Berut were part of a bandit clan with about twenty-five others, up in the hills around here, for about four years. Frankly most of the time we were out hunting animals rather than people, but if there were some travellers that went through our territory with too few people, or a badly guarded caravan, well, we'd pick them off. Sometimes we'd catch Serrites trying to poach in the buffer territory and we'd take them, usually killed but once or twice we ransomed them back to their clans."
"So the leader of our band, Aqhat, he sometimes went off on his own, or with one or two body guards, to do business we didn't know about. Dealing with fences and the like. He figured that if we didn't know who he was dealing with it would discourage anyone from killing him in his sleep. Back in the summer, might be four months ago, he went off to do this. While he was gone, our scouts found a large group of Serrites encroaching on our territory. More than we'd ever seen before. One of them, this fucking giant who must be seven feet tall, repeatedly challenged our best fighter to come out and try him in single combat. No one took him up on the offer."
"We didn't want to fight them at all while Aqhat was away but it seemed like it was going to be forced on us, they obviously knew where we were camped and we couldn't just let them get away with that information. The Serrites approached it openly, like they were going to lay us siege, though they had about the same numbers we did, maybe even a bit less. Right as things were about to come to blows, Aqhat suddenly reappears and orders us to throw down our weapons. It was strange I...I wanted to fight and do my dad proud, but it was like I couldn't even control my hands. I had no choice but to throw my bow down. The Serrites took our weapons, killed the one or two people who resisted anyway, and then tied us up."
Nikkal's face twisted. "Once we were all captive, then Aqhat's face suddenly changed and he became someone I'd never seen before. A Mythrian, from how he spoke afterwards. Quite tall, short hair going white, although I don't think he was that old. He had a bunch of rings on him - one seemed to be made of ivory, looked like it was shaped as some kind of cat although I wasn't that sure. He said that the giant - I don't remember what he said his name was, some fucking gibberish Serrite name that's longer than most books - had already killed Aqhat a few days before. The sorcerer had stolen his damn face and made us surrender without a fight!"
"This sorcerer, he talked a bit more and said something about how if we were going to be bandits then we might as well be bandits for a good reason and not just making ourselves money. Said something about how we were going to help the...well the Serrites, I don't remember what he called them, but that's obviously what he meant...to survive."
"Then the sorcerer went and talked to the giant barbarian for a long time, they were obviously friends." Nikkal spat in disgust. "A few of the Serrites who spoke our language, they came over and spoke to us. They were going to lead us away to their hide out and wanted to work out who needed to be kept bound for a while longer. I saw an opportunity so I pretended to be really eager to help them. I kind of hammed it up, you know - I always wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, that kind of bullshit. It made me sick, but I saw there was one other of us - Batrun - who told them he'd rather be dead than work with the barbarians. It was how I felt as well, only that big giant came and struck his head off and I didn't want that."
"I don't know where they're hiding, they marched us off south and east a bit. We were camped almost due north of Opis, in a cave about a day's march from here. We made slow progress, that night I woke Berut up - he'd had the same idea as me of pretending he wanted to work with them. Me and Berut both told them we needed to go take a shit, they assigned Serrites to keep watch but they let us go into some bushes for privacy and we used the opportunity to run off. They didn't come after us - we didn't know where they were going, and there was no way they could give chase while keeping a bunch of the clan all tied up." Tanith is disconnected. sd: Tanith quietly explained that the term the sorcerer had used was probably 'Serrazutti', the term the Hillmen used to describe themselves. The emblem of their people was the saber cat, and many of them wore rings or other jewellery decorated with this animal. If the sorcerer wore such a ring then he was presumably considered a friend of their people, though considering the many bitter wars they had fought against Mythrium, she had no idea what he must have done to earn this. Tanith has connected. sd: Tanith quietly explained that the term the sorcerer had used was probably 'Serrazutti', the term the Hillmen used to describe themselves. The emblem of their people was the saber cat, and many of them wore rings or other jewellery decorated with this animal. If the sorcerer wore such a ring then he was presumably considered a friend of their people, though considering the many bitter wars they had fought against Mythrium, she had no idea what he must have done to earn this. Baltser: "That is quite a tale."said Baltser, sounding impressed "It's a good thing you were cunning enough to escape." Ellyssa: "Thank you for telling us your story," Ellyssa said, meaning it. There was a lot to think about and discuss once they could get this woman out of the way. "So did you find out anything about this person?" she indicated the unconscious merchant. sd: "Only what I already told you. He was going back to Cytheria to live with his family there, I'm guessing they probably have money because people without money don't dress like that, and he wouldn't decide to just leave his business behind if he didn't have somewhere safe to land." Addir: Addir agreed, "More interesting than I thought it would be the case. Likewise, more concerning to hear such clan running around." He narrowed his eyes for a moment considering the options on how to kill the potential enemies. sd: Nikkal watched them carefully. "Did you want to know anything else? Or can I leave?" Ellyssa: "How many of you from that clan are here in Opis?" Ellyssa asked. "And will Berut let you leave with no trouble?" sd: "Just me and Berut. The other two are locals that Berut knew from before. And I don't think he's going to care, he'll probably spend a few days assuming I've been hanged or the like." Tanith: "Do you think he is likely to attempt reprisal at us?" asked Tanith. sd: "I mean like I said before, it was only a few months ago I asked a stupid question and he almost tried to kill me. We're friends, kind of, but in our line of work you don't have the luxury of being sentimental about your friends." Ellyssa: "It sounds as if you'd be safer without him," Ellyssa said. Ellyssa: She indicated to Baltser that she wanted to speak in private to him. sd: Nikkal shrugged. "It was my fault, I should have known better than to ask him about that. He's never asked me about my dad, and unlike Berut I didn't kill my dad." Baltser: "Hopefully you'll make better friends. "said Baltser before following Ellyssa to a corner where she could speak without Nikkal overhearing Ellyssa: Ellyssa spoke quietly. "I think we should take the merchant to an inn, but we don't want Nikkal knowing what we're doing. I wouldn't trust her, especially if Berut comes back." Baltser: "Smart." whispered back Baltser, taking care not to be overheard "How do you suggest we do it though? I can see several ways..." Ellyssa: "I'm not sure. If we just let her go first, she could hide out and follow us," Ellyssa was thoughtful. Baltser: "Have her leave, one of us can keep an eye on her from a distance while the others wait here? It's even possible the man will wake up in the meanwhile..."Baltser suggested tentatively Ellyssa: "We should check on him anyway." Baltser: Baltser nodded before signaling that they should perhaps return to the others Ellyssa: "I don't ike the idea of hanging around here waiting," Ellyssa said before they moved. "It's risky." Baltser: "We made a promise to you and we intend to keep it." said Baltser, addressing Nikkal directly "However, we're also concerned that you might do something against us immediately after we let you leave. I might not be a great sorcerer like the man you told us about, but I do have some measure of mystical power." he said raising two fingers above her head and gesturing benevolently "I bless you with good fortune as long as you do not act against us.". The words were simple, but it was obvious that there was real power behind them. Baltser: "It is not the most powerful of charms and might not last beyond today, but I hope you will make good use out of it." he added, kindly sd: Nikkal shrank back but could hardly stop Baltser from blessing her. "I...I won't. You tripped me up with magic didn't you, I wondered why that damn fishing pole fell over. I'm going to get out of Opis and I don't intend to ever see Berut or the others again, I promise." Ellyssa: "Gad will be with you," Ellyssa said, quite moved by the scene. Tanith: "I hope your new life is spent well," added Tanith. sd: "So do I. Can I go?" Addir: Addir nodded in the response. Ellyssa: "Fare well," Ellyssa nodded her head. Baltser: Baltser nodded and bid the woman farewell. sd: Nikkal immediately headed out the door, glancing back over her shoulder a few times as she went up the stairs, then she vanished from view Ellyssa: "I think we confused her somewhat," Ellyssa said with a smile. Baltser: "Perhaps. But I think she'll keep her promise. "said Baltser, also smiling "As for him..."he said looking at the unconscious man "Should we wait for him to come to his senses here, or take him somewhere else now?" Ellyssa: "This is not a healthy place," Ellyssa said, looking with distaste at the stains and chains. "Can we manage him as far as the the Golden Bough? Or will it attract too much attention. Perhaps we should find somewhere nearer, though less rough than this area." Ellyssa: "Also we might not want him with us when meeting our contact." Addir: "I am sure there is an inn nearby. There is never shortage of places for people to drink and eat." Addir made ready to carry the sleeping man. Baltser: Baltser helped place the man on the shield again and lifted it together with Addir Tanith: "We passed a place... The Coldspring I think. Let's head back toward the Mythis." Ellyssa: Ellyssa took one last look at the horrible cellar. "I wish we could burn this place down!" she said, with unusual vehemence. Addir: Addir perked up at that request with the feiry idea. Addir: edit: fiery Tanith: Tanith shivered, and looked happy to turn away from the place. sd: they had almost forgotten in all that had happened since they landed, but when they had been coming into the docks on the Kingfisher they had indeed spotted a riverside inn which was not far away. they carried Buldrun on the shield, which drew a few strange looks and a few concerned comments asking if the merchant was still alive, but they were able to bat these away easily. Buldrun stirred a few times, but was still unconscious when they came to the Coldspring, a pleasant three storey wood and stone inn built directly overlooking the Mythis. Since it was a decent day today, some fisherfolk were eating outside, even in the autumn chill. One man, a thrall from the torcs on his ankles and wrist, stopped after carrying some food out to one table and looked over to the group. "Is your friend alright? You probably should wake him up before you bring him in, if you can." Ellyssa: "He should be alright soon, just needs to lie down. He fainted and hit his head,"" Ellyssa said. sd: "Alright. I'll let my mistress know so she doesn't wonder why you're bringing unconscious people into her inn." Ellyssa: "Is there a private room where he can recover?" Ellyssa asked. sd: "Uhh, maybe, I'll send her out to talk to you." The thrall headed towards the inn. Ellyssa: "Thank you," she called after him. Tanith is disconnected. sd: the innkeeper, a whip thin grey haired woman in her mid fifties, came out to investigate. she didn't seem taken aback much either by the unconscious man or the black eye Ellyssa was sporting - she showed some concern for Ellyssa, but she played it down and said she'd had much worse before, which the innkeeper seemed to find endearing. The innkeeper had to admit that there weren't exactly many customers staying there at the moment - in fact the entire third floor was empty. Since they didn't fancy carrying the unconscious Buldrun all the way up the stairs, they persuaded the innkeeper to let them have an empty room on the first floor sd: only a minute or two after they closed the door, Buldrun groaned loudly and reached up to hold his head. "W...where..." Ellyssa: "Don't move too much," Ellyssa said quietly. "You're safe now." Ellyssa: She held a cup of water for the unfortunate merchant to drink. sd: Buldrun reached out, took the cup, and sniffed. "Do you have wine?" Ellyssa: "Not a good idea when you've just been unconscious for a time, and hit your head as well." Ellyssa: She looked to Addir for his more skilled approach. sd: Buldrun shuddered and drank the water. "You were on the ship, weren't you? I sort of remember. What happened? Are we in Opis?" Addir: Addir stepped forward, "You got lucky here. Took quite a hit on your head! Are you seeing doubles?" as he hold a number of fingers in front of his face. "You are indeed in Opis" Ellyssa: "Yes, we landed. You got off before us." Ellyssa hesitated. "I'm afraid you were... a little the worse for wear." sd: "Well there's four of you? No doubles I think." Buldrun paused and belched. His breath was like a carcass that had been scraped out from under a boulder. Baltser: "We mean you no harm." said Baltser, letting the man looking at man hoping to be recognized "Unlike some other people we stopped earlier." sd: "What do you mean? Who do you mean?" Buldrun made a face as he drank the water. "Now that you've established that I'm not seeing double, get me wine." Ellyssa: "We saw you ahead of us, and then some people jumped out at you and tried to pull you away," Ellyssa continued. "They did not look as though they had your best interests at heart. We ran up and luckily they cleared off but you were unconscious and injured." Ellyssa: "And I might add, the wine was what put you in danger. They clearly picked you out because you were incapacitated," Ellyssa didn't mince her words. sd: Buldrun groaned. "Getting attacked here? I was expecting it on the road back to Cythmis with the barbarians, but even here?" He put his head in his hands. "Maybe the gods sent you here to me as penance. Poor payment for taking Demna but I guess it's a start. I was going to stay here for a while to hire guards to take me back home, do you want the job? I'll need more than just four of you to scare off the barbarians, but it's four more than I had this morning. When we arrive in Cythmis I can even put in a good word for you. If you know your swords well then you could do a lot worse than joining General Bannon's army." Addir: Addir smiled faintly, "Alas, we are busy at the moment. Still, the offer is always greatly appreciated." He replied. Baltser: "Which route would you take?" asked Baltser sd: "Well in peaceful times, you can just take a river boat up to the end of the Mythis, then by road on to Cythmis. Only the barbarians are at war with us at the moment, so they're not allowing that." Buldrun sniffed. "We can finally set up a proper town at the end of the Mythis once the barbarians are finally driven off. Anyhow, so I was planning to hire a lot of guards, then head upriver for a ways, then east to hug along the base of the mountains. I've heard that General Bannon has already pacified some of the clans in that region so it's likely to be the safest route." You whisper to Ellyssa: she knew that the Cytherians had coveted conquering the easternmost Serrite territories, where the Mythis river began, for a century, intending to set up a town there that could run riverboats to and from Mythrium. She had heard her mother speak of it a number of times and how much it would boost trade for both the civilised realms of Mythrium and Cytheria, but the Serrites would need to be driven off that land completely as they would never allow such a permanent settlement Ellyssa: "I have heard of this plan," Ellyssa said thoughtfully. "It has been mooted for some years." Ellyssa: edit* this plan to set up a town sd: "It would be incredible, everyone would win and get rich!" Buldrun exclaimed. "We just need to get rid of the damn barbarians. If the new Sufets next year have any sense, they'll make alliance with us and crush the barbarians completely." Ellyssa: Ellyssa's face remained unreadable as she looked down at the man. "Haven't the Serrites always lived there>" sd: "Who cares? They used to live here, near Opis, but the Mythrians drove them east and have actually used the land productively. We can do the same, but push them west instead." sd: "Well if you're not going to be my guards then I'll need to go look elsewhere. What inn is this? I was intending to stay at the Hillman's Head - I thought the name was a good omen - but I guess I never reached there." Ellyssa: "The Coldspring. We'll have to leave you here to sort yourself out, as we have business to attend to in Opis," Ellyssa said. Addir: Addir smiled at this prey that they decided to help. "There is however a question of remuneration. We have decided to help you to get to a safe space. You would be in far worse position than the one that you found yourself." sd: "I need my money to hire guards. Besides, you've already rescued me. What do you have to offer me for this remuneration that I don't already have?" Baltser: Baltser who had a slight frown earlier when the man was talking about attacking the Serrites' ancestral lands, smiled at Addir's audacity. Ellyssa: "Your wellbeing and quite possibly your life, though you haven't shown much inclination to preserve it yourself," Ellyssa said tartly. "And possibly a good deal of your fortune if you had been held for ransom, as looked likely from the way your attackers were about to drag you away. Isn't that enough?" sd: "Maybe, but those attackers aren't here so I don't see why I need to pay you to make them go away when you already did that for free." Ellyssa: Ellyssa sighed. "I don't know why we bothered. But it will make a good story - how the rich merchant almost lost his life through his own drunken stupidity and then refused to show any gratitude to his rescuers. I wonder how well that will go down with any prospective guards. " Addir: Addir stood up slightly straighter in posture and started speaking in a tone of someone who is of higher social class, "Then, I and my 'friends' in this town will personally make sure that you will find it difficult to hire guards to protect you on your journey."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Jan 20, 2024 17:50:50 GMT
sd: Addir's veiled threats had their desired effect, and, very grudgingly, Buldrun retrieved several purses to pay the group. "If you ask me, it was probably you four who knocked me out, then claimed to have 'rescued' me so you could extort me. Easier to spend the coin that way than if you'd just robbed me," the Cytherian merchant sniffed. "Now. Since you're not going to get me wine, I'll get some myself, and we'll all be happier if you're not here when I drink it." Ellyssa: "If there is any justice, you'll choke on it," Ellyssa said scathingly. She picked up one of the purses and stalked to the door. Tanith: Tanith had been unsurprised by Buldrun's recalcitrance, but simply happy to have avoided seeing bloodshed. Once Addir had finally pushed him into paying up, gave the merchant a pleasant nod and made her way to the doors. Baltser: Baltser took his purse without a word, not deigning to comment on Buldrun's despicable behavior. Addir: Addir grimanced at the poor showing of this "person" and ruminated the idea of killing Buldrun with Buldrun's coins forcefully inserted and watching him turning blue as no doubt trying to stay alive in vain. As he walked out following his new friends, Addir added another name to the list he would be ever so happy to extirpate. Addir coldly considered arranging such event on his own at a much later date. After all, some justice should be served iron cold. sd: they headed out of the Coldspring and back to the riverside streets. they knew there was at least two other inns in town - the Golden Bough, within the walled part of town which Harava had recommended to them, and the HIllman's Head, where Buldrun told them he had been intending to stay. Ellyssa had mentioned there was a library in town, having remembered being told this by an old friend of hers who had passed through Opis before sd: *were two other inns Ellyssa: Ellyssa sighed. "I would love to go to the library, but we really need to find somewhere to stay, preferably with a bath." Addir: "Time to head for the Golden Bough!" Addir cheerfully mentioned with a smile. "I am rather completely ravenous!" Ellyssa: "Maybe it would be more sensible to pick another inn, as we are meeting our contact there," Ellyssa suggested. "Just to be on the safe side." sd: they asked around, and were fairly quickly able to learn that there were four inns in town altogether. The Golden Bough, up on the walled hill, was the most expensive, and few of the people they spoke to had ever actually visited there. The most popular seemed to be the Coldspring, which was unfortunate for them if they wanted to avoid crossing paths with Buldrun again. The Hillman's Head, outside the walls and on the eastern edge of town, had been built on the site where the original innkeeper had killed a Serrite in a land dispute, and had kept his adversary's stuffed head as a trophy. This inn was favoured by traders, trackers, and others intending to pass east up into the mountains. Finally there was the Mattock, favoured by miners and labourers and generally thought to be the roughest inn in Opis.
When Ellyssa mentioned wanting an inn with a bath, a trader she was asking responded, "Well they certainly have baths at the Bough, I'm not sure about the other inns. If you want to really get yourself clean though, you should visit the Baths of Asherah. If you head down to the river and then make your way west you can't miss them, they're the marbled building. Very invigorating, and at nights they have...well more interesting things to engage in than just bathing." The trader laughed. Ellyssa: Ellyssa raised her eyebrows in mock surprise, but she grinned at this. Ellyssa: "I have to say, the Bough sounds wonderful, but we might pick up some interesting information in the Hillman's Head." she said thoughtfully. Tanith: "If we are being frugal, Hillman's Head seems like the best choice," suggested Tanith. "But I wouldn't mind a visit to the Baths first, before it turns over to its nighttime proclivities." Ellyssa: Ellyssa agreed with this, on both counts. Baltser: Baltser considered their options "We might want to be careful with our money, so the Bough might not be the best option. The Hillman's Head might be a decent alternative, but I wouldn't dismiss the Mattock out of hand - the workers there might have heard interesting rumours too..." Addir: Addir's smile widened as he listened to the Hillman's Head's stories. He noted that it seem likely that Mattock could easily be another den of iniquity as well. Tanith: "Perhaps we should visit the Golden Bough and see if we can afford it," said Tanith after some thought. "It would be a good place to learn about the politics of the city in any case." sd: they passed through the walls - which were guarded by warriors working for Adurbaal of the Hazru, the chief councillor and the very man Harava had sent them to investigate - and made their way on to the Golden Bough, a warm, pleasantly kept inn near the direct centre of the walled district. The library which Ellyssa had mentioned was only a short distance away and visible from the Bough's front porch. Tanith was able to negotiate a room for the next three days at a fairly reasonable rate, though it took a fair chunk of the coin they had just made from the begrudging Buldrun.
while they were there they were able to ask some questions about goings on in Opis. Tanith, seeking information about the political situation, learned there had recently been a dispute in the council. About a month ago, a caravan belonging to the wealthy Ulqi clan had been returning from Cytheria laden with silver. It had stopped in a very small Mythrian settlement, Enefah, about a day to the east at the very edge of Mythrian territory, but it had not made it back to Opis, because it had been attacked by a Serrite force before it could arrive. The caravan had been completely looted, and everyone travelling with it was slain, including its leader, Baalqis of the Ulqi.
Following this attack, the head of the Ulqi clan, Baalqis' sister Adonica, had demanded immediate vengeance and called for soldiers to be raised, however the chief councillor Adurbaal had instead urged caution. Trying to raise a large force would strain resources, their manpower reserves were low, and at any rate, as a colony of Mythrium and not a full city of the League, Adurbaal argued that Opis should not take any action independent of the Sufets in Mythrium that could lead to a war. So far his arguments had won the day, though Adonica was attempting to rally opposition and had vowed to wear black until her brother was avenged.
They also learned some information about the missing girl, Gelia, as well as her late mother Ashtoreth. Ashtoreth had been famed in Opis as the most beautiful woman in the town. She had been brilliant, vain, wild, and wilful. She had had numerous long affairs with highborn and lowborn people alike. About fourteen years ago she had been courted by both Adurbaal and by the famed Captain Alusaar of the Magon, causing such friction that Alusaar had tried to challenge Adurbaal to a duel for her hand. In the end she had left both men, and never wed, preferring to keep her own company on her estates about five miles to the west of town. There was substantial disagreement over whether Adurbaal or Alusaar was the father of her only child, though everyone in the Bough seemed to agree it was one of the two. Everyone also seemed to agree that the birth of her daughter had taken a lot out of Ashtoreth, and in her later years her visits to town or trips to Mythrium became less and less frequent. Three years ago she had died, still in her thirties. No one was entirely sure how she had died, but she had long been known to drink copiously and take every drug she could get her hands on.
Her daughter Gelia was thought to be as wilful as her mother, though less mercurial and more focused. She read voraciously, and most of her mother's later visits to Opis had been so that Gelia could go to the library. After Ashtoreth's death she had been left in the care of the Bos clan steward, Sisa, only for Gelia herself to go missing three months ago. People in the Bough suspected that she had inherited more of her mother's wildness than she had let on and had probably run away, though Sisa herself had insisted she must have been abducted and made numerous attempts to persuade Adurbaal to send search parties for her, all in vain. Tanith: "Speaking to Sisa and asking around at the library seem good ways to learn more about Gelia," said Tanith as they discussed their findings. "We could look into Adonica's claims as well, but Gelia's situation is most urgent." Ellyssa: "Something to eat, a bath and some fresh clothes first," Ellyssa said with a smile. "As we're in the best inn. I wanted to visit the library anyway." Baltser: "I agree with focusing on finding out more about Gelia."said Baltser as they discussed what they should do next "Though more information on the Serrite caravan raids could also prove useful, especially if we can connect it to what we found out earlier..." sd: their rooms were spacious and comfortable, with a northwards facing window from which they could look down the hill and see the Mythis twinkling in the late autumn sun.
The Bough also had onsite cold and hot bathing. "It's fortunate for Asherah that her priestesses whore themselves out like common filth, or they wouldn't be able to compete with us!" the innkeeper boasted. Although this was rather overblown, they were still very refreshing and they were able to wipe away the grime of their journey Tanith: Tanith smiled at the innkeeper's comment, and after turning away tapped a river-like symbol of Asherah that ran along her chin, muttering a prayer to forgive the man's blasphemy. Ellyssa: Ellyssa let herself relax in the baths, then spent some time repairing the ravages of travel and covering up her black eye. At last, having eaten well and changed out of her practical travelling garb, she felt ready for anything. Tanith: Tanith set up her own bath (and any of her companions who requested it) with fragrant incense at each corner, and brought oils to apply to her skin afterward that gave it a healthy glow. Ellyssa: "Surely for priestesses of Asherah, such practices are a religious duty?" Ellyssa muttered to Tanith, having noticed her companion's discomfort at the innkeeper's words. Addir: Addir instead went for nice cold quick wash down and went to the counter to have some good food. Once finally polishing off some meal he ordered, he is ready to scrag at least someone today. He then ordered a drink to finish his meal off waiting for a nice visit to the library. Tanith: Tanith nodded in response to Ellyssa. "My own order venerates her in subtler ways, but her priestesses know her rites, and physical and emotional release can be holy when done with reverence." Baltser: Baltser allowed himself to relax in the bath for a short while, washing the sweat off his body before drying, dressing and rejoining the others to plan their next moves. sd: the library, only a few minutes away from the Bough, was affiliated to the priesthood of Ba'al, though there were also plaques indicating it had been opened about fifty years ago thanks to a generous donation by Melita, matron of the Ahira clan in Mythrium, in thanks to a colonist of Opis who had saved her life in battle on the isle of Dura, at the cost of his own. His brother, an initiate of Ba'al, had opened the library in the dead man's honour, and it housed a far greater number of scrolls and books than one would expect from a small mining town. Many local scribes or apprentices unaffiliated with the Ba'al priesthood did work here. The contents of the library could not be taken out of it without special agreement of the chief librarian, but there were many comfortable seats and quiet desks or corners where they could read at their leisure Ellyssa: Ellyssa asked one of the librarian's if Zidon was still working there. Ellyssa: edit* librarians sd: The young woman Ellyssa spoke to nodded. "Master Zidon is there," she gestured to an old man in white, with a shaven head and short white beard, who was sat in a corner reading a scroll. Ellyssa: Walking quietly, Ellyssa made her way over to the old librarian. Baltser: Baltser looked with interest at the many assembled scrolls and books, obviously fascinated by so much knowledge being concentrated in so small a place. sd: there were two primary categories for the works here - as a library associated with the Ba'al priesthood, there were many, many religious works and old legends, telling of Ba'al and the other gods - his wife Astarte and his former husband turned rival Yamm, his estranged wife Anat, the virgin goddess of war, and others. the second category were historical works about the Mythrian League and about Opis in particular. This library had perhaps the most complete set of works about the colonisation of Opis anywhere. there were a few other works as well - collections of poems and plays from Old Cyrmium and Zidonis, histories of the ancient eastern empires of the Varthians and the Olbermen, tales from Atticala to the north and even a few works on dragonlore from the west.
Master Zidon was bent over scrolls containing centuries' old poetry, written in a very ancient form of Ascaanite that was barely legible to them now. He glanced up at them as they approached, surprised to be disturbed. Addir: Addir was surprised to see such an large gathering of information and was considered what to read. Ellyssa: Ellyssa looked round at the others, and indicated she wanted to speak to the old man alone. Tanith: Tanith went to look at the writings related to Opis and its history - particularly anything related to the prominent families they were investigating, or the city's relationship with the Serrites. Ellyssa: "Forgive me for disturbing you," Ellyssa said, bowing to Master Zidon. "May I speak with you for a moment?" sd: "Of course you can. I am Zidon, one of the librarians, though it seems that perhaps you may have the advantage over me so far as our identities are concerned." Ellyssa: "May I sit with you," she asked. "We have a mutual friend, and he has spoken of you often." sd: Zidon indicated that Ellyssa should sit. "I have many friends. Has he a name, this friend of ours?" Ellyssa whispers: Ellyssa took a deep breath and let it out slowly, for feat that her voice would shake. "His name is... or maybe was... Melchior." Player "Ellyssa." is not connected. You whisper to Ellyssa: At the mention of this name a look like a thundercloud passed across Zidon's face and he stood up, as quickly as he could muster though the old librarian was not the most sprightly person. "Well, at least that ensures this conversation will be short then. Any friend of that lying thief is unwelcome here! Begone, or I'll have you thrown out!" sd: as they spoke, Zidon suddenly stood up, a thunderous look on his face, though they could not hear his reply to Ellyssa Ellyssa: Ellyssa stood too, her face a mask of shock and confusion. Ellyssa whispers: "Surely this cannot be the same person. Not the Melchior I knew. We worked together for years! I... I'm sorry, I don't understand." sd: Zidon gave Ellyssa a long, hard look, then sat down and indicated that she should do the same. Ellyssa: Rather shakily, Ellyssa sat herself down, looking intently at the old librarian. Player "Ellyssa." is not connected. You whisper to Ellyssa: "Very well. Melchior was a very accomplished manipulator I suppose, so you most likely knew little of what he did. At any rate, the last time he was here, about oh, fifteen years ago or so? He turned up quietly in the night, intimating that someone dangerous was chasing him - which it turned out there were, but enough of that. My wife and I offered him shelter and quiet here in the library, and he repaid us by getting drunk, spewing some of the vilest insults at us that you could possibly imagine, and then making off with a half dozen books and scrolls. Only old plays - nothing that couldn't be replaced, but that had to be done at my own expense since I had invited him in. I had a letter from him about six months later from Culcis but I burned it right away." Ellyssa: Ellyssa was sitting very still, her eyes fixed on the old man. sd: while Addir looked for information on local herblore, Baltser searched for any texts on occult or arcane matters, as those were of particular interest to him. unfortunately he had little luck, and eventually one of the scribes noticed him and asked after what he was looking for. "Ah, those kinds of works," said the scribe, a man in his early fifties with a very round belly. "Well, I think we have a small number, but they're kept locked away and can only be viewed with the agreement of the chief librarians I'm afraid. A security measure, but they're too tempting a target for theft - and unfortunately that's not even a hypothetical." The man suddenly went red. Ellyssa whispers: For a while, Ellyssa remained silent, her mind racing as she tried to reconcile this story with the wise, kind, understanding man she had worked alongside, and relied on, for so long. Eventually she spoke, her voice little more than a whisper. "I met Melchior for the first time fifteen years ago. He offered me a place as a performer in a group he had just formed, and rescued me from a grim future. I... think we performed some of those plays... " She swallowed, feeling tears threaten, and forcing them not to fall. For nine years we travelled all acround the islands, playing in cities and villages, and I never knew him drink to excess, or even swear unless it was justified. I eventually worked out that there was someone or something he had escaped from, but he never told me, and I didn't ask." Baltser: Baltser seemed in equal parts disappointed and worried "Are you implying some have been stolen recently?" he asked You whisper to Ellyssa: "He was indeed escaping. He always showed signs of mystical power when I knew him - I never knew where he had got it from until after our argument. He had a...well I suppose its name might be 'grimoire' - which I believe he stole when he still lived in Varthia. Or at least that was what the men who came chasing him claimed. I knew nothing about this of course at the time, only it turned out that when he was last here he had got so drunk he had forgotten he left them here in a sealed section of the library. We only found them a few years after our argument." Addir: Addir was dissapointed that he was unabke to find anything of value or rather it is more likely that the information are shelved away in the wrong shelf. He was overhearing as to what Balster amd tje scribe was talking about. He entered in the conversaion with a concerned look, "Oh no, I hope that is not a case! Such crimes are contemptible!" Ellyssa whispers: Ellyssa frowned as she forced her mind to consider this. "I knew he was a mage - he used a little of his magic to create effects for our performances. But very little, as though it was dangerous. Until..." She sighed heavily. "Six years ago, we were performing the greatest performance we had every attempted. It involved some extraordinary acrobatics on my part - I was reckless I suppose, I thought myself unbreakable, but I threw myself into it. And came to grief - I had a terrible fall, broke my back. Melchior healed me. The magic he normally doled out so carefully, he poured it out for me. But the next day, he said he had to take a voyage, and would return. It would be better for me to remain and manage the company until he returned. Safer, he said. I didn't really understand but I trusted him. He never returned. Months later we received news that the ship had foundered in a storm and everyone aboard was lost. I have not seen him since." She chewed her lip in thought. "What did he leave behind here? Do you still have it?" Baltser: "I have some knowledge of this kind of work, and I understand that if their contents fell into the wrong hands...the consequences might be dire. "said Baltser, sounding like he knew what he was talking about "Knowledge is power, after all. If you told me more about this, perhaps I might even be able to help in some way. Who knows, I might end up stumbling on the thieves and bringing the texts back to you...though I'd need to know more to recognize them as the ones that were taken from you, of course. The chances are slim, but coincidences are known to happen..." Ellyssa whispers: putting on the greatest performance we had ever attempted sd: the scribe gave Baltser a sour look. "Very well, I don't know much about it but I'll say what I do know, although it's embarrassing to say. A little over a decade ago, one of the scribes here stole an old magical tome which had ended up here - I'm not really sure why it was here. It wasn't written in Ascaanite certainly. What was his name now? Tall fellow." The fat man searched his memory. "Ah! Astartis, that was his name. I didn't know him very well. His family all died of the plague, if I remember rightly, he had got himself horrendously in debt trying to hire healers to save them. He had to leave town in a hurry ahead of his creditors and when he left he stole this strange tome." You whisper to Ellyssa: "He left behind this Varthian grimoire. These three very grim men came chasing after him, they arrived only a week or so after he'd left. I told them I had no idea where he had gone and that I intended to never see him again."
He rubbed his chin. "Six years ago you say? Well that would line up. Those Varthian sorcerers came back here, must have been five years ago, looking for me. They said they had 'disposed' of Melchior - probably they sank the ship if that's what happened to him - but they were seeking a tome he had stolen from them. The very one he had left here while he was drunk. I thought they might attack me when I told them it had been stolen long since." sd: Tanith searched for information about the Serrites, as well as the local major families, and she soon she was drowning in words.
Ashtoreth and Gelia's clan, the Bos, had been one of the first families to come to colonise Opis a century ago, but their wealth had dwindled under Ashtoreth's father Batrun, and his hopes of rejuvenating the family fortunes had come to naught due to his only daughter's stubbornness.
Adurbaal's clan, the Hazru, were also among the original colonists of Opis, and had been the settlement's chief clan now for three quarters of a century when Adurbaal's great-grandfather had become chief councillor and the primary owner of the town's primary mine. They still had huge holdings in the local mines as well as land and shipbuilding.
There were few works that were directly and entirely about the Serrites - instead Tanith had to search through other works and cross-reference them. A century and a half ago, Opis itself had been at the westernmost edges of Serrite territory, though they had no town here. She eventually learned that the primary Serrite tribe who had occupied this land had been called the Kizzuwi, though there was another tribe, the Mitanni, who also had had some people here. She found many references to a primary Kizzuwi settlement, but the Mythrian writers had been frustratingly incurious about the affairs of those they named primitive barbarians. It took very diligent cross-referencing of repeated texts before she eventually found a dusty scroll hidden behind several other books, which she doubted had been touched for fifty years. It described a Kizzuwi village called Hatti, which had been northeast of Opis, built on a plateau near to a prominent waterfall. The nameless writer of the scroll had actually passed by Hatti on his way east to Cytheria. By that time, it had dwindled due to battles with Mythrium, and the remaining Kizzuwi planned to abandon the village and go east to join their kinsmen, further away from their Mythrian enemies.
She also found a longer piece, which was written only a quarter of a century ago by one of the local priests, recounting a tale from the last war against the Serrites, much of which had been fought around Opis. At one of its most decisive battles, a group of mercenaries hired by the Sufet, Hannibal of the Magon, had led a forced march through the night in order to surprise and pin a Serrite force composed primarily of the large Mitanni tribe against the river. A vicious, bitter fight had followed, but the Serrites were routed. They had expected the barbarians to fight to the death, but had been surprised when their chieftain, Arnuwanda, had surrendered. The mercenaries had taken him captive, along with several of his warriors and some children who had been following the Mitanni forces. All had been taken to Mythrium to be sold west as thralls. Their chieftain had carried a curious bejewelled ivory amulet in the shape of a saber cat when he was taken - this was seized from him by his captors, but then it had disappeared. The scroll mentioned that the Serrite captives had all been put to the question as it was assumed they had stolen it, but despite firm interrogation that had resulted in the deaths of two of the Serrites, it was never found. Tanith: As she read this last, Tanith placed a hand to her dress - in a spot where she still carried a concealed object she'd brought all the way from Bosqis. She looked to her companions, wanting to share with them as soon as they were done with their own investigations. Ellyssa whispers: At Zidon's words, Ellyssa's heart sank. She had hoped so badly that Melchoir survived somehow - it was unthinkable that he should be dead. And at the hands of such terrible executioners. With another great sigh, she thanked Zidon for being so open with her. "Maybe Melchior left the grimoire on purpose, to keep it out of the hands of these men. Certainly he had no need of any book to make magic. Do you think he might have deliberately appeared drunk and caused the argument with you so that the men chasing him would not think to find it here? He may have written to you from Colchis to explain why he had behaved as he did, but...." Baltser: "Over a decade ago..." Baltser frowned in thought "That tome could be anywhere now, especially if Astartis was able to glean much power it. Perhaps it will find its way back to its rightful place, I will definetely keep an eye out for any tall men who are involved with strange tomes..." You whisper to Ellyssa: Zidon stared at her sourly for a long time. "Yes, that sounds like something Melchior would do. I suppose he didn't tell us that it was a ruse because he thought he was protecting us - maybe these Varthians would be able to tell if I was lying to them. I don't know. Anyhow, maybe Melchior didn't need it to make magic, but I think it might have been able to teach someone else. One of the scribes here stole it and ran off to Mythrium where, from what the men that went after him claimed, he used it to cheat at dice and impersonate people so he could get money. He was rather badly in debt and the men that chased him to Mythrium intended to sell him into thralldom." Ellyssa whispers: Ellyssa frowned, there was something about this story that struck a chord. "Who was this scribe, what was his name?" You whisper to Ellyssa: "He was a very briliant scholar named Astartis. Very clever and diligent, though very stubborn and prone to argument. Highly cynical and irreverent towards the gods and our League." Addir: "Thank you for outlning what have happened. I agreed, we can certainly keep an eye out" Addir thanked the scribe. Ellyssa whispers: "Thank you for talking to me." Ellyssa smiled at the old man. "I am sorry that Melchior upset you in the way he did, but I am sure there was a good reason, just as there was for him to take ship and disappear. It may be that he does still live, I hope so." Addir: A brave man! Ellyssa: Ellyssa got up, saying a few final words to Zidon, and came over to them. She looked very thoughfful and rather haunted. You whisper to Ellyssa: "Well I'm glad to have spoken to you. I don't know what to think of him anymore, I'll need time to consider what you've said. Thank you, and I apologise for my rudeness earlier." Ellyssa whispers: Ellyssa shook her head. "You had good reason, and both of us shocked the other." Tanith: After their investigations at the library were over, the group returned to the Golden Bough to share what they’d learned in their quarters.
Tanith told the others what she’d learned of the Bos and Hazru clans, as well as the Kizzuwi and Mitanni tribes of the Serrites that had been pushed back by the people of Opis.
As she finished speaking of the Mitanni, she placed a small object on the table in front of the others: an amulet of bejewelled ivory, in the shape of a saber cat. “The totem of their people. The same symbol worn by the sorcerer we learned of, but a different piece.”
“This is why I fled from Bosqis. There was an old thrall there, a friend of mine named Arnuwanda, who had kept this throughout his forced servitude. His master – my employer Adad – found it and took it from him, and had him beaten to the point of death for hiding it. I… I couldn’t stand to stay in that house after that. So I took it, and some of Adad’s coin, and boarded the The Hydra.” She wiped her eyes, leaving a streak of makeup on her face.
“It’s not our urgent mission, but I would like to see this returned to Arnuwanda’s people, the Mitanni. Perhaps then his ghost can rest with them.” Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded. "I think that is the right thing to do." She put her hand on Tanith's arm to comfort her. Tanith: Tanith smiled sadly in thanks. "His people may appreciate their chieftain's possession returned as well - and perhaps can tell us more about what's happening with the Serrites and their alliances." Baltser: Baltser nodded silently in agreement before telling them of his findings: apparently a little over a decade ago one of the scribes, having fallen into debt hiring healers to try and save his family from the plague, stole a magical tome and fled. The scribe in question was called Astartis and was remarkably tall - which, Baltser pointed out, was something in common with the sorcerer who had been working with the Serrites. Addir: Addir explained a bit more information. "One interesting tit bits I heard from Baltser's discussion was the fact it is not in Ascannite which may put it somewhat more unusual than a typical tome apprantely." He sighed for a moment, "Sound like there are more going on here than a simple job!" Smiling at Ellyssa, "Certainly, I would not mind helping out either." Ellyssa: Ellyssa had been listening with great interest to their revelations, and now she spoke.. "As you know I had a long conversation with Zidon, one of the senior librarians," Ellyssa said, her voice low and full of controlled emotion. "He had been a friend of someone I knew - a man... I'll just call him M...who became my mentor, my friend, my family really. But Zidon believed M had behaved very badly, and last time they met he had been in possession of a stolen grimoire. It was an awful shock to be told this but it was so out of character, when I really thought about it, it seemd far more likely that it was an act to keep the grimoire safe, because years later, the librarians found M had left the book behind. Only it was then stolen by a scribe - a brilliant young man but one desperate for money, called Astartis!" Tanith is disconnected. Ellyssa: "M came from the old lands of Varthia," Ellyssa added. "Some deeply dangerous people were chasing him, to get the tome back, and..." she made a visible effort to control herself, "they probably killed him. The tome is written in Varthian."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Feb 3, 2024 18:52:12 GMT
sd: after discussing all they'd learned at the library, they ate a quick lunch in the Golden Bough and discussed their next move. it would be another two days before Zimir arrived in Opis, so they had plenty of time to investigate further. sd: they decided to check out the other inns in Opis first, and made their way towards the Hillman's Head, which was to the east and outside the walled part of town. the eastern part of Opis, away from the river, was more sparsely populated than the rest of the settlement. around the riverside there were traders and fisherfolk, in the centre were the wealthier merchants and scholars, and on the southern and western outskirts were where the miners lived. this part of the town, however, was the most recently settled, with most dwellings built since the last war with the Serrites thirty years ago, when the treaty that ended the war established a buffer zone between the edge of Mythrian territory, about half a day to the east, and the lands of the Serrites. many of the people here were goatherds and shepherds, or hunters in the bleak hills.
The Hillman's Head itself was an imposing stone building with long, high wooden steps leading up to the entrance. The inn had a sign depicting a flashing sword. They had been told that the original innkeeper had founded the inn in the spot where he had slain a Serrite warrior, and that the Serrite's head was kept stuffed in the inn. This was partially true at least - there was a mounted head above the main entrance, however the 'skin' was transparently fake.
There were about a score of patrons in the Head when they arrived - mostly seated around in groups of three or four, though there was one man near the bar eating on his own, and a dishevelled woman in the far corner who had obviously overindulged despite the early hour and was asleep with her head on the table.
they split up and made their rounds of the tables, asking after news. Ellyssa found a group of four sellswords who were waiting for merchant caravans to come through - many that were heading towards Cytheria stayed here, and given the recent raids and the war between the Serrites and the mountain kingdom, they would need many guards. Ellyssa learned there had recently been a large mercenary company, the Silverhands, who had stayed at the Hillman's Head recently, believing that the Council would consider hiring them to fight against the Serrites. Adonica of the Ulqi had urged the Council to hire the Silverhands, but had been overruled by Councillor Adurbaal. "The Silverhands got fed up and decided to head up to Cytheria. General Bannon there, he knows how to deal with the barbarians," one of the mercenaries said. "He's from out east somewhere, not sure why he's in Cytheria. He's clever though. The barbarians fight each other a lot and he knew it. When his war started, he made an alliance with one Serrite tribe to fight against their neighbours, who were their old enemies. They won of course, and he sent gifts to his Serrite allies to congratulate them. They all got incredibly drunk, and when they were out of their heads he attacked them as well. Sold most of both tribes off east beyond the mountains and cleared their lands out." The mercenary chuckled. "Wish I'd got here in time to go with the Silverhands, instead I'm stuck here waiting for any merchant who wants to brave trying to go up into the mountains."
Addir, on the other hand, asked after Adonica, since they had heard she had been seeking vengeance since her brother was killed the previous month. He learned that Adonica had apparently hired one of the locals, a ranger who often went to the Hillman's Head, Zibqet, and she had gone out ten days ago to Enefah, a small settlement near to where the Ulqi caravan was ambushed. Zibqet ought to have already returned, there had as yet been no sign of her.
Baltser and Tanith asked about Gelia and her disappearance, and at some length they spoke to the innkeeper who shook his head. "It's sad what happened to the girl. Her mother sometimes used to come in here when she was younger, always smelling of that strange scent she liked. What was it called?" He thought for a moment. "Ah yes, patchouli, that's what it was. Anyhow, the person to talk to about that is Sisa, the steward that got left in charge after Ashtoreth died. She's not been easy to talk to recently though." Addir: Addir found the mention of this ranger interesting, prehaps he can relate to people who tend to work on their own a lot more. Addir then asked about how far this Enefah is and if possible a quick description of the woman in question "Zibqet" in case they stumble across her, alive or dead. Tanith: Tanith looked sympathetic at the mention of Sisa. "Is it grief or anger that afflicts her? Or something else that keeps her distant?" sd: "Grief yes, and the alcohol as well." The innkeeper indicated the woman with her head slumped on the table at the far corner of the inn. "You can try her if you want." Baltser: Baltser seemed saddened but thanked the man for the precious information he had provided. Tanith: Tanith looked to inform the others before speaking to the inebriated Sisa, particularly thinking Ellyssa might be able to help reach her. sd: Addir learned that Enefah was the easternmost settlement in the League, about a day to the east near the buffer zone established with the Serrites. He got a description of Zibqet, who was a stout, stocky woman, and was also told that she had a friend locally, Amat, who had accompanied her on her previous journeys, though she had apparently gone out hunting today. Ellyssa: Ellyssa didn't need to pretend interest in the mercenary's tale. "General Bnnon? I believe we heard something of him - a king in exile I believe? Maybe he has no other place to go... But why is the council not doing anything about the Serrite threat?" sd: The mercenaries consulted. "Yes, you're right. Where was he from?" They argued for a time before recalling - he had been the king of Challinor, the largest of the Olberman successor kingdoms, which was on the border with the large Varthian successor state of Ulteria. Apparently Ulterian spies had persuaded Bannon's brother to overthrow him and he had just barely escaped into exile in Cytheria. sd: "Council is full of cowards and penny pinchers," they responded to the latter question. "Hiring mercenaries would cost money and they don't want to spend it, and they're worried about a war. As if the barbarians could beat us now when they're already fighting Cytheria and losing." Ellyssa: "The Serrites must be either mad or very naive to keep fighting when they will clearly lose," Ellyssa said. sd: The mercenary snorted. "They're dumb as the rocks and hills they worship, so they won't give up unless they're beaten very, very badly." Ellyssa: Ellyssa had to bit her tongue not to respond that the Hillmen might be fighting because they were being driven off their own lands. Ellyssa: edit* bite not bit Ellyssa: She said farewell to the mercenaries and wished them luck, then moved to the others. Tanith: Tanith told Ellyssa and Addir what she'd learned about Sisa. "I imagine she should be approached delicately." Addir: Addir thanked the people he was discussing this with and walked over to Tanith keeping Zibqet and Amat in mind Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded, looking towards the woman with compassion in her eyes. sd: Sisa remained slumped on the table, completely unmoving. Her age was difficult to tell in this position, though she had some grey in her hair. Her clothes were rumpled and stained, but they seemed like they had probably been of good make and quality until recently. Ellyssa: Ellyssa moved over to the table and spoke in a quiet voice. "Do you mind if I sit here?" sd: Sisa didn't even notice Ellyssa, let alone respond to her sd: Ellyssa guessed the steward was probably in her late fifties, though perhaps she was younger and simply appeared older now after her recent bouts of drinking Addir: Addir pursed his lips for a moment. He did considered getting a bucket of water from the icebox and throw it over Sisa' sleeping position but he quickly then realised that it will only attracted more attraction and beside, they are not in a torture chamber either. He asked the barkeep if he can have a drink of small beer. Ellyssa: Ellyssa sat down and looked at the unfortunate woman. "I was told your name is Sisa," she said. "You have many troubles?" sd: the innkeeper gave Addir a tankard of very weak beer sd: Sisa heard Ellyssa sit down. "Fuck off," she said weakly. "Leave me alone." Addir: After nodding at the innkeeper with a thank and matter of coins, Addir placed the tankard in front of Sisa as a free drink. "A drink might help perhaps." Addir smiled. Ellyssa: Ellyssa gave Addir a questioning glance but the beer was clearly very weak. sd: Sisa gave Addir a sour look. Given her mood he suspected she didn't appreciate people smiling at her, so he controlled his natural urge to grin and kept a more neutral expression.
Sisa took the drink and took a sip, then grimaced. "What is this, piss?" she laughed humourlessly and pushed the beer away. Ellyssa: "Will you drink your drink and tell us your story? You are clearly unhappy, and we are strangers with no axe to grind. Believe me, it can help, though you may not believe it as yet." From Ellyssa's tone she clearly was talking from her own experience. Baltser: Baltser, having gotten closer to Sisi but still standing behind Ellyssa, was quietly mouthing some words and gesturing discreetly but clearly - at least to his companions who were closest - in Sisa's direction. Perhaps he was working some sort of incantation... Addir: Addir wrinkled his nose for a moment as a bad memory came to mind about piss, "Certainly not that flavourful at least." Noticing that Sisa did not want the drink, Addir took the small beer back and drunk the rest of the likewarm beer. sd: Sisa started at Ellyssa suspiciously. "My mistress died and left me in charge of her estate and her ten year old daughter," she said acidly. "She's bright and proud and doesn't listen to a damn thing I say but I love her. And I managed all of three years before she suddenly disappeared in the night with barely a trace. The Council - even the Councillor who's always believed he's her damn father - don't care and won't do anything. Adurbaal got his fucking mouse to mouth insulting platitudes at me about how they're quietly doing everything they can for her. I hired some 'adventurers' - have you ever dealt with that kind of charlatan, the kind of pricks with swords who wander around trying to solve people's problems - to look for her, and they just took the advance money I paid them and ran." Sisa pounded her fist on the table so loudly that every other conversation in the inn stopped. "And the worst thing of all is that..." She looked at a candle, seemingly surprised that it didn't hurt her eyes. "Why am I fucking sober again? Kanmi!" She shouted at the innkeeper. "Another wineskin, now!" Ellyssa: "It's not surprising you are angry and sad," Ellyssa said, her voice warm with understanding. "Everyone has failed you. But you did not fail your charge. Whatever happened to the girl, it is not your fault, however much you feel it is. Either she ran away - not unknown for headstrong young women - or she was taken away, maybe by cajoling or even someone she though she could trust. Were there no signs of how this happened?" Ellyssa: edit* though = thought sd: "Oh shut up, it is my fault, I'm supposed to look after her! It's not like I never thought that Gelia might run away, but she didn't - she'd have brought at least some of her books if she did that." Sisa looked up, spotting the innkeeper coming over with another wineskin Ellyssa: "So... Gelia? That's her name? Gelia most likely didn't run away willingly, if she left treasured possessions behind. And your Council aren't acting on this? It's hard to credit." Tanith: Tanith had mirrored Ellyssa's sympathetic demeanor. But now she leaned forward, and her voice, though soft, had an unexpected undercurrent of venom. "I've known many who drowned themselves in drink and self-pity. Sometimes what led them to that was their fault. Sometimes it wasn't. But what happened after; the fact that nothing was solved, that they wasted away and their loved ones were left to the current of fate... That was always their fault. We came here to do what we can to find Gelia. We've already been paid, so we won't take your coin. But if you wish to help her, rather than simply to sink into oblivion, you'll do what you can to help us understand what happened, and how we can seek her out." Addir: If there is one thing that Addir despised the most is people taking the money and not following through their tasks, After all, there is something of the strange sense of repute in the caliginous world he once lived in. His fingers started itching to show his special brand of justices around these "adventurers"'s necks and make them pay for every coins gained in such in duplicity in blood. He remained slient as these two women seem to make a better progress compared to Addir. Still, he will try get the names from Sisa eventually. Ellyssa: As Tanith spoke out, Ellyssa looked about, hoping their conversation was not being overheard. sd: Sisa snatched the wineskin from Kanmi and brought it up to her lips, only to freeze when Tanith's voice turned harsh and hard. The steward glared hateful daggers at her...but did not drink. "I should have guessed you weren't just casually decided to ask after me like kindly strangers. Mercenaries, are you?" She sniffed. "I...I..." A look went across her face. "Excuse me for one moment." Sisa leaped up with surprising alacrity and stumbled past them, shuffling in the manner that bespoke of an urgent need to relieve oneself, leaving the wineskin behind on the table. Baltser: Baltser, after what he had been doing earlier, had been frowning in thought the others talked to Sisa. He took advantage of her temporary leave to say quietly tell them something: "I made her sober up a bit, it might not last long but at least it gave us a chance to find out more at least even if it might not last long. Poor woman..." Addir: Addir eyed at others and for once, almost dark expression appears in the eyes, "I want these names of these "adventurers" at some point and pay them a visit a later date." Addir whispered as he cracked his knuckle, promising pains and just maybe a release from life for these folks who scammed Sisa. "Nice work!" He nodded at Ellyssa and Tanith in thanks "Hopefully we can get more information shortly." sd: after a moment Sisa returned and sat back down. "So. You've been paid already then? Who would pay you to find Gelia, if not me?" Ellyssa: "A friend of her mother's, and who knew Gelia. That's what he told us, at least," Ellyssa said carefully. "Do you recall a man named Harava?" sd: Sisa thought for a while. "Which one was he? Oh yes, the blacksmith with the axe scar on his cheek, from a few years ago when we were visiting Mythrium." She frowned. "No. He was called Harabaal I think, not Harava. That name doesn't sound familiar immediately." Ellyssa: "No this man is a merchant. He named himself Harava of the Mif. A short man with a triangular beard, short chestnut hair and many rings," Ellyssa recalled. sd: "Of the Mif? So a noble. I mean Ashtoreth had any number of other aristocrats but I don't remember that name or description. She took many men to her bed though so I couldn't never remember all of them." Tanith: "We don't fully know his full motives," said Tanith. "It may be he simply wishes to embarrass Adurbaal for his inaction. But it was easy to take a job to help rescue an innocent girl regardless." Ellyssa: "He certainly seemed confident in his description of Gelia - he mentioned that the last time he saw her she was reading a history book far beyond her years. This does not necessarily mean his intentions are noble of course." Ellyssa grimaced, Baltser: "Indeed." Baltser interjected "We might not know why exactly he wants the girl found, but we do want to save her no matter what." Tanith: *edit: fully know his motives Ellyssa: "ONe thing, he said she had been taken and he assumed by raiding Serrites, but he gained this knowledge through auguries," Ellyssa mused for a moment. "Maybe he knows more than he told us." sd: "Well he knows that much about Gelia then, although that doesn't require much knowledge. I don't immediately know what family the Mif are - I assume they're someone's clients, they must be a minor family like the Bos. Still. If he wants to help find Gelia and to make life difficult for Adurbaal, then I'll help as much as I can." Sisa's face twisted. "Years and years of everyone in town whispering that of course Adurbaal is Gelia's father, he and Ashtoreth's relationship was closer than hers with Alusaar and better matched when Gelia was born. I brought it up with his wretched mouse, I begged them on my knees but it was no use." Ellyssa: "Who is this mouse?" asked Ellyssa. sd: "They're Adurbaal's aide. Some sneak thief from Mythrium that he plucked off the streets about a decade ago. A tiny dual-soul, barely five foot tall with watery grey eyes. Very good at creeping around and seeing and hearing things that people don't necessarily want seen or heard. They're called Tanis. Adurbaal sent them around to assure me that of course he was in fact quietly looking for Gelia, but that if I kept making a disturbance it might hinder his efforts." Ellyssa: "Do you think this mouse is following Adurbaal's instructions to the letter, or might they be acting on their own initiative, at least to some extent?" Ellyssa asked. sd: "Tanis is extremely loyal to Adurbaal, for reasons I don't particularly understand. They wouldn't act if he didn't tell them to." Addir: Addir grimanced at hearing about Tanis. Sound like someone should be dealt with permanently. After all, the only one that should creep around is them, not their potential enemies. "I see." He commented on this. "Doesn't sound like there are not any efforts by them at all in the end." For Addir know, Tanis could be betraying Adurbaal amist all this but clearly Adurbaal got Tanis literally under his thumb, at least according the outside apperance. Tanith: Tanith thought about the loyalty she held for the mistress of her own order, who'd helped her off the streets; she shared more than a few similarities with this Tanis, it seemed. "Even if Adurbaal isn't truly working to find Gelia, perhaps the mouse has some information that we could use. But speaking to them would risk drawing the attention of their master." Baltser: "That is all very interesting." commented Baltser "A person like this sounds like they could be quite dangerous and someone we'll want to keep an eye out for." sd: "A very close eye. The mouse could be standing right there," she indicated a spot out in the open, "and you'd still need to pay close attention to spot them." Sisa thought for a moment. "They're close to the Priestess of Asherah here, Jesibel - I think they were friends in Mythrium years ago." Ellyssa: "Well we have been meaning to visit the baths," Ellyssa smiled. "Would you mind giving us an account of what happened at the time Gelia disappeared? Any information could come in useful. And maybe we could visit the estate too?". sd: "Of course you can. We can go there now if you like?" Addir: Addir asked her about these adventurers, "Also, if you can let us know about these "adventurers", the ones who ran off with your advances. Just in case I come across them in the furture. That would be quite helpful." He added softly, promising these folks very serious troubles.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Feb 10, 2024 19:02:31 GMT
sd: Sisa looked at Addir questioningly, surprised to be asked about the adventurers who had taken her money and run. "As you wish," she said. "There were three of them. The one who did most of the talking was called Sikarbaal, he was short and quite pretty, long-haired and well dressed. My instinct was telling me the whole time that he was a charlatan, but my desperation overrode my sense. There was another man, Tammuz, he said he was a tracker and a bounty hunter and that he had extensive experience pursuing kidnappers and outlaws. He had scars on his hands. While I was negotiating with Sikarbaal he entertained some of the patrons in the Mattock with his knife throwing, he was very good at it." Sisa paused and thought for a while.
"The last one was a woman, and I can't remember her name. Sikarbaal said it at the start, but I don't remember it, because I had little reason to - we couldn't exchange words on account of her being mute. I saw the other two exchanging hand signals with her sometimes. She's very large, over six foot, and muscular. There's a red brand on her cheek, I think she was a thrall at some point. I don't think she's Ascaanite at all, the name Sikarbaal mentioned sounded like it came from somewhere to the east. An Olberman perhaps." Sisa suddenly laughed, though the look on her face was sad. "Gelia would have known, she's read all her great grandfather's old scrolls and books." Ellyssa: "They should be hard to miss," Ellyssa said. Ellyssa: "It seem they meant to be noticed and remembered," she added, musingly. Addir: Assir raised an eyebrow at the detailed characteristic of these adventurers. "Indeed." He shortly commented after Ellyssia's words. "Certainly not the ones to hide in the dark it seem." Addir's eyes look wintry. "Almost as if it is possiblely a lure," Ellyssa: "But a lure to catch whom?" Ellyssa puzzled. sd: "They'd be hard to miss if you could find them. A caravan that was coming from Mythrium mentioned spotting them on the road a few days after they ran off, so seemingly they were going to the city, but they might be on the other side of the Gulf by now." Sisa paused. "Shall we make for the estate now?" Baltser: "We'll keep our eyes open for these people. They do seem the type to draw quite a bit of attention wherever they go." said Baltser Tanith: "Yes, it's good to know what they look like," said Tanith. "But they're not our priority. Let's see the estate." sd: The estate was to the west, beyond the confines of Opis proper. Given that the Hillman's Head was on the far side of town, they had a long hike in the crisp autumn air ahead of them.
As they walked, Sisa took the time to quickly summarise the history of the Bos clan in Opis. Gelia the Elder, the great-grandmother of the present Gelia, had been a successful merchant from Mythrium who spotted an opportunity in the new colony and made her way east. She had been one of the lead Councillors in the original settlement, though the Bos clan had never been as rich or influential as the Hazru or the Ulqi.
Unfortunately her two sons, Ashtzaph and Azmelqart, had less sense and had tended to quarrel among themselves. The elder, Ashtzaph, had become the patriarch of the clan fifty years ago after Gelia the Elder passed, and had run up tremendous debts, due to unsuccessful business ventures and on largesse to clients in an attempt to bolster the reputation of the clan. Ashtzaph and his children had both perished in a fire on the site of the original Bos estate, which had happened when Sisa had still been a child.
The clan had survived through Azmelqart, who had built a separate home in order to minimise contact with his brother, where he had lived with his only child, Ashtoreth, whose mother had died of a fever shortly after her birth. Azmelqart had been forced to sell most of the lands of the Bos clan to repay his brother's debts, and now only his small estate and four clients remained - three farming families and Sisa's brother, a carpenter. sd: Finally in the late afternoon they arrived. The Bos estate was a comfortable, flat-roofed, two storey house surrounded by a ten foot wall, with the rear of the house adjoining this. Within the walls, as well as directly around it, were many beds of flowers which were tended by the gardener, one of the three remaining servants. He also tended to some small vegetable plots within the walls, the produce of which made up much of the clan's meagre income, along with rents from the nearby farms and workshop. Gelia's room was on the upper floor, with a window overlooking a roof that doubled as a balcony. Ellyssa: Ellyssa looked up at the balcony. "That would be an easy way into the house?" sd: Sisa nodded unhappily. "That morning when we woke and found that she was gone we searched all over. I suspect whoever took her came in through the balcony and then went off in the same direction. These walls can keep out animals or casual passersby but they can hardly keep out an army or a determined thief." Tanith: "Shall we examine her room first, then?" suggested Tanith. "It seems more likely clues will have been preserved there than out in the grounds." sd: "You're welcome to, although I don't know what you're likely to be able to find after all these months. I've ordered the servants to leave her room untouched. I don't know why, I've searched every inch of the damn place dozens of times." Ellyssa: "Maybe fresh eyes will spot something," Ellyssa said comfortingly. Baltser: "We might be able to find out more about her " suggested Baltser "Perhaps even if she may have had reasons of her own to leave..." he added in a more hushed tone Ellyssa: "If she left everything behind we should." Addir: "It is certainly worth a try" Agreeing with others as his grey eyes look around the place, noting any potential ways of getting in and out sd: Sisa took them inside, through the kitchens and servants' quarters, and upstairs. there were four rooms on the upper floor - Sisa's own, a large library, Gelia's, and, next to that, the chambers that had previously belonged to Ashtoreth before her death. Sisa explained that she had turned Ashtoreth's old room into an office when she became, effectively, the mistress of the house. "I never dared to try sleeping in there, Gelia would have never forgiven me. She misses her mother terribly." Ellyssa: While the others went inside after Sisa, Ellyssa stayed staring up at the balcony. After a moment of stretching and flexing, she started to climb up the wall, keeping her eyes open for signs that others had done the same before her. sd: there was a flower bed running all along the bottom of the wall under the balcony. Ellyssa stepped carefully and nimbly through the flowers, wanting to make sure not to crush the gardener's diligent work beneath a careless foot. As she came near to the wall and the spot where she had decided would be best to start the climb, she took a careful step over a large flower, and when she put her foot down behind it she felt something hard and smooth under her foot. She looked, presuming a stone had somehow ended up there, but there was nothing of the sort there. Instead, in the soft imprint she had left, she caught sight of something made of glass. Ellyssa: With enormous care, Ellyssa crouched down and gently brushed the soil from the object. sd: Moving the earth carefully to not break the object or disturb the flower, Ellyssa uncovered a small, stoppered glass vial. At first glance it appeared empty, but once she picked it up and brushed the dirt away, it seemed to her that there was a small trace of some kind of liquid inside. Ellyssa: Resisting the urge to investigate, Ellyssa carefully stowed the vial in the leather pouch at her waist, and took a further look around before starting to clmb the wall. sd: It was an extremely simple matter to climb up the wall and onto the balcony. There were two sets of windows there, the nearest of which was to Gelia's room. A locked door and a window also led into Ashtoreth's old room. The windows were shuttered against the autumn air, but Gelia had disappeared during the summer, so it seemed probable that they'd been open then. Ellyssa: Ellyssa checked around the balcony for clues, then went over to Gelia's window and rapped on the shutters. sd: Sisa had just opened the door into Gelia's chamber and was speaking to the others when Ellyssa knocked on the window. Gelia's room was quite tidy - there was a bed, a bookshelf, a large wardrobe, and a cabinet filled with implements for writing and drawing. There was a table by the bed which had four books piled up on it - one was a compilation of poetry. Two were translated histories, and, most surprisingly, one was untranslated and in a foreign tongue.
"Oh, one moment!" Sisa said, hearing Ellyssa. She rushed out into the hall, into Ashtoreth's old chamber, and then unlocked the door to the balcony with a key she kept on her desk. Tanith: Tanith went to examine the books, thinking perhaps she could learn something of Gelia's interests - or perhaps even something more interesting with the foreign work. Ellyssa: Ellyssa stepped inside, thanking Sisa. "That climb would have been no problem for an abuctor, and I think we may have our first clue to why Gelia did not react or cry out." She moved into Gelia's room, bringing out the vial. "I found this at the bottom of the wall. Addir, would you be able to identify what it contained?" Baltser: Baltser also seemed especially interested in the books, and helped Tanith sort through them Addir: Addir's gray eyes dotted around the room, seeing if there is anything odd or strange in this room. After watching Ellyssa coming into the room, holding the vial. Suddenly an interest entered in his eyes, "I certainly can try!" He smiled widely at Ellyssa, plucking it from Ellyssa's fingers with extreme care, looking at it and trying to do the checks on what excatly it is. sd: when Addir unstoppered the vial, a trace of a strong, earthy scent filled the room. Tanith and Ellyssa both recognised it quickly, but before either of them could speak, Sisa did instead. "That's patchouli, isn't it? I've not smelled that since Ashtoreth died. Where did you find it?" Ellyssa: "Just at the bottom of the wall - in fact I stepped on it as I was about to climb! Luckily the earth is soft down there and it came to no harm. But surely it would have been noticed before now if Ashtoreth had dropped it there? Or could Gelia have had it with her?" sd: "Ashtoreth would have had to have dropped it three years ago and the garden's been completely dug up in that time. I don't believe Gelia had any, she enjoyed the smell when Ashtoreth was still with us, but after her mother died it made her unhappy." Ellyssa: "Could someone have used it to... fool Gelia in some way? Maybe make her think her mother had come back to life or...?" Ellyssa sighed, trying to work out what might have happened. sd: Sisa gave Ellyssa a startled look. "I...that is a very strange thought." Baltser: "What a horrible deception that would be!" said Baltser, obviously finding the idea awful Ellyssa: "It's certainly added to the mystery rather than helped solve it," Ellyssa said with a wry look. "I thought it might be a vial of something that would cause unconciousness, not scent!" Addir: Playing over on this idea, "Or maybe used as a distraction for Gelia to lead her out into the outside as a bait." He frowned for a moment, Ellyssa: "Could magic be involved?" Ellyssa asked Baltser. sd: as they were speaking, Tanith and Baltser checked over the books Gelia had been reading, being particularly interested in the foreign one. There were two historical works. One was about the former empire of Varthia in the east and the foundation and spread of the Solomagian religion that now prevailed there. The other was a collection of travellers' tales about a land far to the west, the Land of the Dragon-Kings. For well over a century, rumours had told of a land which had been conquered by dragons, who now ruled over humans and other creatures alike as living god-kings.
The foreign book, it turned out, was the exact same as this second book, but in its original tongue. The only explanation Tanith could think of was that Gelia had been trying to teach herself the language by cross-referencing the two works. Baltser: "It would not surprise me if some sort of sorcery was used to make the abduction easier." said Baltser "And I might be able to use some of my own knowledge to find out more about what happened, though it might be a bloody affair." sd: "Sorcery?" Sisa was aghast. "Why would anyone use sorcery to..." She sat down heavily. Addir: Addir's eyes alighted at the moment at the mention of bloodly affair by Baltser. Ellyssa: "I'm sorry," Ellyssa sat down next to Sisa and put a comforting hand on her arm. "This is dreadful for you, but we have to consider every possibility. There are some very strange things in the world." Ellyssa: After a moment she asked, "Would you tell us about what happened to Ashtoreth? We only have hearsay to go on." sd: Sisa nodded and sighed. "Ashtoreth was extremely bright and fiery, but also given to long dark moods and periods of exhaustion. When she was a child she spent a year in bed, unable to muster the energy to rise. It was her grandfather's curse, and her father had it as well though to a lesser degree I believe. After Gelia was born, Ashtoreth's dark periods become longer and more frequent. She drank too much and experimented with other substances as well. In the end it caught up to her, and she mixed some things which ought to have stayed separate. One morning when I went to meet with her she fell down in a shaking fit and she never rose again." Ellyssa: "Astoreth died of it?" Ellyssa asked gently. sd: "Yes, she's buried in the yard." Ellyssa: "I would like to pay my respects at her grave," Ellyssa said, her face full of compassion. "When we have checked everything here." Tanith: Tanith continued to look around the room, checking the wardrobe and the cabinet for anything of note, and glancing under the bed and behind the rows of books on the shelf. Baltser: "I apologize if this is improper but..." Baltser spoke out "I'm no priest, but I might be able to divine something about what happened here. A sacrifice would be needed, however, and I'd need some help to ensure we do not sully Gelia's room. A chicken might do, perhaps you could spare one?" Ellyssa: "It would help so much if you would agree," Ellyssa added. "We will make sure everything is done very carefully." sd: "So you are a sorcerer of some kind?" Sisa sighed. "I can see if one of our clients will spare us a chicken, but do you have to sacrifice it in here? Will it not work to just do it in the yard?" Baltser: "I have some...uncommon knowledge of these things." said Baltser, almost apologetically "And yes, this could be done outside too." sd: Tanith, meanwhile, searched through the rest of the room. On the bookshelf, she picked up a small volume which was titled as 'Notes on the Tongue of the Dragonlords', and had been written by Ahinadab of the Bos, who Sisa confirmed had been Gelia the Elder's husband and the great-grandfather of the current Gelia. Inside the small volume she found some loose sheafs of parchment that had marks on them which seemed recent, and that Sisa confirmed were in Gelia's hand. They seemed to be a series of passage references to the work that was still on the table. Tanith: Tanith quickly went to cross-reference the references with the book, thinking perhaps there could be some kind of hidden message, or at the very least some clues to Gelia's state of mind. sd: Tanith went and checked, comparing the tome written in the tongue of the Dragonlords against that which Gelia's great-grandfather had translated into Ascaanite. She quickly realised that the passages Gelia had made note of did not appear in the translated version. Using the book that Ahinadab had written to get a cursory idea of what she might be looking at, it soon became apparent that it was what seemed to be a wild tale claiming that the Dragonlords had seduced some into worshipping them by offering miraculous powers, including in some extreme cases, the ability to raise the dead. Tanith: Tanith took the book to the others as Baltser was readying for his ritual. "Perhaps Gelia's grief was driving her curiosity toward any means of seeing her mother once more," she said quietly, indicating the passage about resurrection. Ellyssa: Ellyssa sighed. "That might well be the case. Where did she get this book I wonder.... was it from the library here? If Gelia really was looking for ways to bring her mother back did she get the idea by herself or has someone been guiding her in that direction? Tanith: "Her great-grandfather was the translator. And that raises the question why he left that passage out," added Tanith. Ellyssa: "Too dangerous perhaps?" Ellyssa postulated. Tanith: "Access to such powers did, according to the book, raise the the dragons to a sort of godhood." She explained the basics of what she'd learned from the book. "But he left in so much of their story. It may be that he intended to dissuade the very curiosity that Gelia pursued. She was certainly dogged, to have worked to learn the language even with access to to the translation." sd: while Baltser was preparing himself for the ritual and Sisa sent out a servant to get a chicken from one of the farmers as a sacrifice, Tanith read quickly through the translated book on the Dragonlords, cross-referencing it with the untranslated one. So far as she could tell, there were only three passages which Ahinadab had left out of the book. All three were quite short, and in addition had certain features in common. While those things which had been left in the book made the Dragonlords out to be vicious, literally inhuman tyrants, the pieces which had been left out were tales from people who were positive or at least ambiguous about their rule. In addition to the tale of them granting miraculous powers, there was a second tale which appeared to be that of a caravan guard, who said that the Dragonlords had brought greater stability and had welded a former patchwork of dozens of petty kingdoms into only five different realms. The third story, which dated to much later, was from a priest within the Dragon cult itself, who said that in addition to their great wisdom, the Dragonlords had advantages over human kings because they did not die naturally, so no one in their kingdoms ever needed to worry about questions of succession. Tanith could only suppose that Ahinadab had found these quotes too troubling to include in the work. Checking with what Gelia had scribbled down again, she had made note of these passages as well, but clearly only in passing, being far more interested in the specific tales about the resurrection of the dead. Tanith: Tanith shared what she'd learned, and went to watch Baltser's ritual, hoping that might shed more light on the subject. Ellyssa: Ellyssa joined her, thinking of all they had heard. Addir: Addir is looking forward to see the poor chicken having it peckish short life coming to an end. sd: as the sun set, a young servant returned with a plump chicken for Baltser, to be sacrificed to Ashimis, the mysterious god of augury and prophecy. If the sacrificial ritual were carried out appropriately, the divine Ashimis would leave certain tell-tale signs in the sacrificed animals entrails and liver, which a skilled haruspex could interpret. Though Baltser was no priest, he at least knew enough of magic to carry out the rite, and to know that this hour, when day turned to night, was one which the god particularly favoured. Going out onto the balcony, he spent some time carefully preparing his dagger, murmuring incantations and heating the blade over a candle. The lights of the candleflame and the setting sun alike reflected off the blade.
They had brought the chicken out on the balcony and Baltser kept it close, feeding it some small bits of grain to keep it docile. Suddenly, when the moment came and the bird was looking elsewhere, he suddenly reached out and drew the dagger across the animal's throat. Its blood poured out over Baltser's hands. He knelt down over the carcass and then made a long vertical cut in its belly, allowing him to reach in and get hold of the entrails. sd: Plunging his hand inside, he found the bird's liver and carefully pulled it from its body, holding it up in the fading rays of the sun. The smell was abhorrent, and Sisa turned her head away. As Baltser examined the liver closely, he began to feel spots crawling over his eyes, spectral images superimposed over the world, fragmentary reflections of the unfathomable knowledge of the god. Laying the liver aside, he also pulled out the chicken's heart and lungs in turn, and with each one he took out, his vision changed more and more.
it was very dark, and Baltser could have seen nothing at all if not for the arcane motes floating over his sight. Looking out over the balcony and outside the walls, down past the flowerbed where Ellyssa had found the vial of patchouli, he saw a dark figure step carefully towards the wall. He thought the dark figure was a man wrapped in a long cloak, but beneath this, he wore a long blue dress. When the man came nearer to the wall, he lowered his head, as if in thought, and then he began to shift and shrink into a different form. Baltser: It took Baltser a short while to recover from his vision - clearly it was not a ritual he had performed many times in the past - but after he had done so he shared everything with the others in as much detail as he could. Tanith: Tanith, who had been covering her mouth and nose to avoid the smell, nodded slowly as Baltser described his vision. "We already know of a Mythrian sorcerer among the Serrites, who used such an ability to steal a man's face. With Gelia's desperation and her belief in the possibility of resurrection, if he - or someone with a similar ability - appeared as Ashtoreth, he may have been able to lure her away. The smell of patchouli would have made the guise even more convincing..." sd: Sisa looked startled at what Tanith said. "You do? How would a Mythrian sorcerer end up among the Serrites, and how would he know to impersonate Ashtoreth convincingly enough to fool her own daughter?" Baltser: "Poor girl." commented Baltser "Deceived into thinking her own mother had come back to life..." Addir: Addir grimanced, "So cruel. At least it does make a little more sense as to why she left." Tanith: Tanith mused on Sisa's question. "We do not know for certain, as we have only heard descriptions of this sorcerer second hand. But it seems possible based on physical description - they were both said to be very tall - that he was once known as Astartis, a scribe who stole a magical grimoire from the library here, a bit over a decade ago. If he is indeed Astartis, it is possible he could have known Ashtoreth, I would think." sd: "Stole a..." Sisa thought for a while. "Yes. I remember this. Ashtoreth told me about it. She was fond of salacious and scandalous gossip. I wouldn't have remembered the name had you not mentioned it, but I would remember the story. Ashtoreth did know him. Not well, I think, but she did frequent the library. Not as much as her daughter or her grandfather, but still, she went there, when she had the energy." Tanith: "This is all circumstantial, but it seems to fit," replied Tanith. "Astartis could have the means and the knowledge to impersonate Ashtoreth. The question remains of motive, though if he has joined the Serrites it could be he wishes to cause infighting in the city on their behalf... or he is using them to pursue his own grudges here. Either way, it gives me hope that he would have reason to keep her alive, as a potential source of leverage." Tanith: edit: to keep Gelia alive Tanith: "Perhaps we could look at Ashtoreth's things," she added. "If she has some correspondence that suggests more knowledge of Astartis or her own inquiries at the library, that could be useful." sd: "You can look, but she didn't have much correspondence left when she died. I put what there was in the desk, in case I needed to refer back to it. I read it all but I don't remember if there was anything like that there. There would have been no reason for it to stand out to me then of course, so there could be." Tanith: "I can take a quick look to be certain. But then we'd best look into finding this sorcerer."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Feb 24, 2024 19:12:52 GMT
sd: Sisa headed to the desk and retrieved a small folio of old parchment. "Ashtoreth preferred to deal with people face to face than in writing, so there's not much there," she said, handing the letters to Tanith. "And if she thought something was particularly sensitive she usually burned it." sd: over the next hour or so they read through the documents. The great majority of these letters were written to Ashtoreth, rather than by her, and were largely mundane matters about trade, or records of rents received from tenants. Astartis' name appeared nowhere in the letters.
They did find one interesting pair of letters, which was notable because the second had been written by Ashtoreth and was clearly in response to the first. The first had been written by Councillor Adurbaal of the Hazru, and was written in a clearly aggrieved tone. Adurbaal reiterated in it a desire to provide some financial support for Gelia, who he named 'our daughter'. He had obviously made this offer in person previously and been rebuffed, seemingly quite rudely, or at least so Adurbaal thought. He had written that, although their love had faded, he still admired Ashtoreth's intelligence and independence and wished to remain on friendly terms, and he also was aware that the Bos were in a much more precarious financial position than his own clan and he thought it would be foolish for Ashtoreth to reject help freely given out of pride.
Ashtoreth's reply had been extremely curt, consisting only of a single sentence, in which she said that she alone would raise her daughter and she needed help from no one to do it. Ellyssa: Ellyssa sighed as she read this. "Sisa, did Adurbaal make any offer of support after Ashtoreth died? Or had he cut the ties altogether?" sd: Sisa shook her head. "By the time Ashtoreth had died that bridge had been well and truly burned. Although when he sent the mouse to speak to me a few months ago, Tanis made out to me that Adurbaal regretted this and would like to rectify it." Ellyssa: "Did Alusaar's family not make contact at all?" Ellyssa asked. sd: "Captain Alusaar made a similar offer, but only in person when we went to Mythrium after Gelia was born," said Sisa. "Ashtoreth refused him as well, and then went and seduced his brother to spite him. She could be very petty at times I fear." Ellyssa: "Clearly she didn't want to be beholden to a man, which is understandable, but for many women not practical," Ellyssa said with another sigh. "It does strike me that Gelia may have been taken as a hostage to ensure Adurbaal's lack of action over the raids. If he still cares about the girl." Addir: Addir grimanced with a nod, "That does sound more likely as well!" He agreed with Ellyssa on the potential cause for Gelia's kidnapping. sd: Sisa thought for a moment. "That would make sense. It explains why there hasn't been a ransom demand. When the mouse spoke to me, they intimated that Adurbaal was already working to try to find Gelia but that he was keeping it quiet so her captors wouldn't know about it. I took it for empty words at the time." Ellyssa: "I think we need to speak with Adurbaal," Ellyssa said. Baltser: Given his interest in her safety and his influence,having his direct collaboration might make rescuing her much easier." commented Baltser sd: "I doubt he'd be willing to, but the mouse is the person who'd be able to arrange that." sd: there was one other interesting item among Asthoreth's letters. It was one of the very last items in the folio, and was the last in Ashtoreth's own hand. It was only a few lines long, and it was also utterly incomprehensible - although some of the symbols were in Ascaanite, others were unfamiliar, and even the ones they recognised did not seem to correspond to what they'd expect those symbols to mean. "I had forgotten about that," Sisa said when shown it. "I think it was something she was working on in the last days she was alive. I'm not sure what it's meant to be or who it's meant to be for." Ellyssa: Ellyssa examined it with interest. "Could it be a code of some kind?" sd: "I think so. Sometimes Ashtoreth did receive or send letters that were in code, but she burned all them after reading them so none remain. I think this one is only here because she died before she finished writing it." Addir: Addir's ears perked at the mention of the codes. "Sound like a puzzle there! I wonder if there is any relevant information in there" He offered his help with this Ellyssa: "Do you have any idea who they were from? Or where they came from? Ellyssa asked. sd: "She refused to talk to me about them." Sisa frowned. "But given some of the things Ashtoreth used to take, I think they weren't always from people I would have wanted to know." Tanith: Tanith worked with the others to try to decipher the code, looking for repeated sequences that might give clues to the symbols' meaning. sd: It took them quite a few hours of painstaking work, but it was fortunately not an especially complicated cipher. Eventually they determined that it was only a simple substitution cipher, but it was made harder to crack because of the insertion of the foreign characters - Tanith eventually decided that these were in fact all nonsense letters, and that the message could be just as easily interpreted by removing them entirely. The task was made somewhat more difficult, however, by the message's relatively short length. It had clearly not been finished when Ashtoreth died, and a short message was harder to decipher because it was more difficult to be sure that there was only one possible meaning to the message.
Eventually, however, they determined that it was written to someone in Mythrium by the name of Eshmun, which they knew was a male name. Ashtoreth confirmed that she had received his new goods and was enjoying them as she wrote, and would like to have more another time. She also said that she was glad to have settled accounts with him, and would be happy to continue their usual trades despite Eshmun's recent change of circumstances. The letter ended with a short sentence. Although you're now under Qarta, she doesn't need to know everything. Tanith: "So she had some involvement witha dealer of some kind working under a gang leader. Intoxicants seem likely," mused Tanith. Ellyssa: "Well it certainly reads like a letter to her supplier," Ellyssa said. "Someone who had been taken over by new gang master?" Addir: Smiling warily at the mention of Qarta". "Certainly not someone that most people would wanted to know at least." Addir frowned as he considers it, "Still, I wonder who Eshmun is acutally is or just another false cover name." He sighed for a moment Baltser: "This is getting messier and messier." sighed Baltser Ellyssa: "Unless the gang has an interest in Opis, this seems like a distraction." Ellyssa rubbed her forehead. sd: It had now grown very late. "You can stay here tonight, you can hardly go back into Opis in this darkness," said Sisa. "There's two rooms for guests. Only two beds in them, but there are some empty beds in the servants' quarters as well. The Bos had more clients before they fell on hard times." Tanith: "Thank you Sisa," said Tanith. "At least we have leads for the morning." Ellyssa: Ellyssa smiled at Sisa. "That is most kind of you." sd: when they woke in the morning they found that it was a clear, warm autumn day. They went to look for Sisa and found her outside, standing near one of the vegetable plots. "Ashtoreth is buried here," she said when they approached. The steward looked ashen and had heavy bags under her eyes. "It was easier to not drink if I stayed out here." Tanith: "You did a good thing, Sisa," said Tanith sympathetically. "We'll do everything we can to find Gelia." Ellyssa: Ellyssa touched the woman's arm. "Come insude and we can find something to eat." sd: they ate, then began to plan their next move. "I feel more hopeful now than I have since Gelia disappeared," Sisa said. "If you need any help, you only need to ask. Before you leave Opis, please let me know where you're headed and when you're intending to return." Tanith: "Very well," said Tanith, pushing aside her plate. "We'll find you if there's anything else you can shed light on, and tell you if we leave town. I suspect we will be heading into Serrite territory soon." Ellyssa: "Where should we find Tanis?" Ellyssa asked Sisa. sd: "Tanis typically finds you rather than the other way around. They're good friends with Jesibel, the priestess of Asherah, so she'd know how. Or you could try leaving a message at Adurbaal's estate and I imagine that would reach the mouse." Ellyssa: "Well we had considered trying the baths, maybe a word with Jesibel would be helpful," Ellyssa said thoughtfully. sd: they set out for the Baths of Asherah, which were located in a large, open, marbled building by the river, in the western half of Opis. In the Mythrian League, Asherah was often identified as the personification of the life-giving river Mythis, and its waters were especially sacred to her priesthood.
There was a sunlit temple directly inside the marbled building, with a small adjoining library which was locked and available only to devotees of the goddess. There was a strong, stocky man, plainly not a priest of any description, who stood guard near the long staircase that led down to the Baths, ensuring that no one attempted to enter without first providing the expected donation to Asherah. Tanith: Tanith retrieved some coin, and gave it a short blessing along with touching one of her own esoteric tattoos of Asherah, pleased to be in a place that revered one of her own patron deities. sd: they were led downstairs to the apodyterium, where there were many cubicles where bathers could leave their clothes and other personal effects while in the Baths. One of the temple thralls provided them with linen towels to wear, along with some oils to anoint themselves and curved bronze strigils to scrape off the oil as well as dirt and perspiration before bathing. sd: to judge from the cubicles currently in use, there were only a handful of people here now, but it was still early in the day. Tanith: "If we are going to visit the Hazru estate, we'd best be clean," said Tanith, though it was clear she was happy for the chance at bathing beyond that practicality. Addir: Addir managed to find a safe way to hide. He did wished that he got some form of proper traps that make anyone touching his stuffs to immedtaely regret it. "Finally! always good to have a good bath!" Smiling cheerfully to himself. Baltser: Baltser left his shield and sword behind together with the rest of his belongings and covered himself with a towel. sd: across from the apodyterium there was a small gymnasium where a strong looking young man was exercising in the nude. Between these two rooms, there was a bronze statue of Asherah, depicting her as an impossibly beautiful, naked and voluptuous woman, at the head of a set of stairs that led down to a central chamber which led off to the various baths. The immediately adjoining rooms were the mild tepidarium, where bathers were expected to begin, and these led on in turn to the hot caldarium and the cold frigidarium. The Baths in Opis also had several greater amenities - there was a massage room, the steam baths or sudatorium, and the dry sweating room, or laconicum. At the very back of the Baths there was a small corridor which led to the priestess' private bath and also the worship chambers, which were only available at night. As the goddess of lust, it was traditional for the priestesses of Asherah to act as sacred prostitutes, and so naturally her Baths had plentiful spaces for this form of worship Tanith: Tanith looked as energetic as they'd seen her since first being stranded on the island together, nearly skipping through the baths and breathing in the sent of the oils and perfumes. "Perhaps the sudatorium before the others..." she said indecisively. Addir: Focusing on his attention on the others, "Might as well take advantage of it!" He warmly said as he focused on getting the bussiness done first Addir: EDIT: washing done* Ellyssa: "I think the tepidarium," Ellyssa said. She too was breathing in the scented steamy air with pleasure. "This is a very well appointed place." sd: shortly after they began in the tepidarium, a short, dark-haired woman who appeared to be in her early thirties emerged from the adjacent caldarium and moved towards them. She did not bother with a towel and walked naked save for a pair of light sandals to more easily keep her footing on the slippery floor. She removed these and climbed confidently into the large bath next to Tanith. "When I was told that there was a stranger here and she had the markings of our goddess on her, I had to come seek her out," she said. "I am Jesibel, the chief priestess here. Who are you, sister? And your friends?" Tanith: Having settled into the bath unclothed, the others could see that Tanith's tattoos ran down much of her slim body - in a few places covering what looked like faded scars, a sign of her life before joining her order. Other than that, her brown skin was flawless.
When Jesibel arrived, Tanith looked a little starstruck. "Most obliged, priestess - it is an honor to visit this place. I am Tanith, of the Order of Amber. We revere both Ashereh and Ka-sha-lu; prayer to the goddess is essential to learning to walk with grace and allure, to speak with honeyed words for those we serve, and to understand the secret wants in peoples' hearts." As she spoke, she touched symbols on her legs, by her mouth, and on her breast. "My friends are Ellyssa, Baltser, and Addir - as good of friends as one could want, passing by death together, and now here on a task of great importance." Ellyssa: Ellyssa had slipped off her towel, revealing a mature gymnast's body with well defined muscles under smooth olive skin, only marred by the thin and jagged white line of a scar which wound from her back down her left side. She nodded to Jesibel as Tanith introduced her. Baltser: Baltser also nodded silently, obviously understanding that Tanith was the best person to talk to the priestess. He too had a few scars on his dark skin and imposing frame. sd: Jesibel's eyes lit up. They were sparkling blue, like the waters of the Mythis itself. "Yes, I know of your Order. It's more common in the north than in the League, I believe, although I met a sister from your Order when I was in training in Mythrium. So what brings you to Opis? If you are free to reveal it of course. if there's anything I can help with it would be a pleasure and an honour." Addir: Addir's body on other hand was covered in history of his life and even a few survived wounds as well. Still he is alive and that what matters for him. Awful shame for all the other people that caused these wound as he traced one of the nasty shiny scar from his time. He quite enjoyed treating that particular person on fire. Tanith: Tanith looked quite pleased at that. She brushed back her wet hair, straightened by the water. "We came under contract to look for a missing girl - Gelia. We have already found some important information, but the next step in our search with require speaking with Adurbaal of the Hazru, who we hear is seeking her as well. We were told you know his agent Tanis, and might be able to put us in contact. I would have rushed to these baths all the sooner if we did not have such an urgent mission, but I am glad to have been given a reason to come." Tanith: edit: remove "who we hear is seeking her as well". Replace with: "who we know was close to her mother." sd: Jesibel looked surprised. "I know Tanis very well, yes, we grew up together in Mythrium. I can certainly let them know you want to speak to Adurbaal about this." Ellyssa: Ellyssa was content to lie back in the warm water and let Tanith do the talking, under the circumstances. You whisper to Tanith: the priestess's reply was a bit stiff, though she hid it well. It suggested to Tanith that Jesibel could have said something much more direct, but was unsure if it was wise and had therefore elected not to Tanith: "We would appreciate it," replied Tanith. "And of course, if you have any knowledge of your own of Gelia or her family, or of events that might be connected to the disappearance, it would be of great help. Her safe return is our priority." sd: "I pray that you have every success," Jesibel replied. "I have met Gelia once or twice, a very intelligent and extremely stubborn child. Much like her mother. Ashtoreth I met more often, though never here at the Baths. I fear to say my predecessor had her banned from here. When I became the new chief priestess I expected she might petition me to have the ban removed, which I felt conflicted about, but instead she never did." Ellyssa: Ellyssa leaned forward at this. "From everything we have heard Ashtoreth was a troubled woman. Her daughter has not had an easy life. We will do all we can to find her." Tanith is disconnected. Tanith has connected. sd: "Yes, very troubled. We are quite easygoing here, but there are certain foreign substances that we don't permit to be used here - intoxicated people around steam and hot water are a dangerous mix - but she repeatedly violated the rule." Jesibel shook her head. "What am I thinking! I had lost track of the day. I've remembered now, Tanis is intending to come here to the Baths tonight. They've come more often of late." You whisper to Tanith: as soon as she said this, Tanith was certain the priestess had remembered this all along and simply decided that she would share this, having previously been unsure whether to hold the information back Addir: Addir smiled within hiddenly, he oftne find money to be far easier way of convicing the people to "remember" Tanith: "We had heard a bit of her troubles with intoxicants. A tragic life for one so esteemed." Tanith's frown turned to a smile as Jesibel mentioned Tanis. "I look forward to meeting them then. I would expect you have good taste in friends."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Mar 9, 2024 18:44:55 GMT
sd: Jesibel stretched. "This business sounds urgent, so I'll go take this message to Tanis now. I hope to see you all again soon." She rose out of the bath and slipped her sandals back on. sd: the Baths were still very sparsely attended this early in the day, so they had the run of the place for themselves, with only one or two people about Ellyssa: Now that they had spoken to Jesibel, Ellyssa relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the baths, finishing off with a relaxing massage. Feeling far more herself, she asked the others what they intended to do before returning here. sd: one of the other priestesses, a voluptuous woman called Melita, delivered the massages with very skilled hands Tanith: Tanith luxuriated in the calderium and frigidarium along with some of the other rooms. She showed some hesitation at the prospect of a massage, tensing up perhaps at the vulnerability of it, but managed to convince herself to do it since she was in this sacred place. Baltser: Baltser briefly allowed himself to relax and enjoy the relaxing water and the skillful massage, though it was clear that he was still concerned about what their next moves should be. He suggested that perhaps they could visit the market to find more supplies. Ellyssa: Ellyssa was doing some stretches, her injured back far more comfortable now. "Good plan." Addir: Addir decided to take the latitude to relax slightly. Indeed, with so few people around that may be a potential dangers to him in the baths, he can focus on exploring the various steam and ice rooms of this temple. The steaming sizzling and the clammy cold of each chamber alleviate his tense body at least for a short time before finishing his time. Once he finished, he made ready, his eyes darts around as if he is expecting any passer-bys to stab him in the neck. He made some suggestions that at very least, some extra weapons, just in case. Addir is disconnected. sd: after several hours they finished bathing and set out into the bright, crisp day much refreshed. there were many shops in Opis, with the best being in the walled part of town near their inn and the library Addir has connected. Ellyssa: Ellyssa sighed as they headed for the walled town. She grinned at Tanith, looking as though she was several years younger. "The baths followed by shopping - I'd forgetten just how enjoyable that can be." Tanith: Tanith smile was bright but with a hint of foreboding. "It's good to have this time of peace, before what's to come." Addir. has connected. Addir is disconnected. Tanith: After a brief stint helping Baltser in his search for good armor (where she proclaimed how she'd seen some better deals down the street to help his haggling), Tanith went off with Addir to help him look for poison, something they both thought might be useful in conflicts to come. Baltser: Baltser went shopping for armor and returned with four sets of linen armor for himself and his companions, providing adequate protection while not hindering movement too much. He explained that completing their mission would likely require both facing armed foes and moving fast, and it was best to be safe. Addir.: Addir made way for shopping, he decided to hunt down some extremely helpful herbs and liquids that does it best to harm the people rather than heal. After all, there is no such thing as "fair play" in this inconsiderate lands. Addir.: EDIT: Addir made way for shopping, he decided to hunt down some extremely helpful herbs and liquids that does it best to harm the people rather than heal. After all, there is no such thing as "fair play" in this inconsiderate lands. sd: One herbalist had a stall outside, and Addir stood haggling with him while Tanith stood off to the side. As she did so, she felt a very light, subtle brush of a hand against her side and she whirled around.
Standing beside her, having just emerged through a group of people arguing over some cuts of salted meat was a very short person who did not even reach five feet in height. They were garbed in dark, drab colours, had grey, watery eyes, and short jet black hair which was fastened back by a silver pin. There was a note in the figure's hand as they reached towards Tanith's belt, and as she spun round the figure took a step back. "Well that's a good start. Keep up if you can." The small figure darted off through the small crowd. Ellyssa: Ellyssa went with Baltser, helping to carry the armour. Tanith: Tanith tapped Addir's arm to get his attention as the small figure darted off, thinking perhaps he'd be more likely to keep up, then tried to weave her way through the crowd. Addir.: Addir watched at the figure pointed out by Tanith, he relaxed slightly as it is not one of these dangerous figures from his "friends" from the Purple Assassin but still a character of interest to them. He quickly did his best but the bath he had made his ankle way too tense to do it properly. Tanith: Tanith was not nearly as dexterous as the mysterious person she presumed to be Tanis - but she did have an air about her that caused people in the crowd to step aside just enough for her to keep up with them. sd: Addir and Tanith ran after Tanis through the crowd. here and there they would lose sight of their quarry for a moment, but then catch sight of them. Tanis moved surprisingly quickly for someone so short, but they were not that fast. As they passed near the Mattock, where many miners had gone to drink or eat lunch, Tanis suddenly dove towards it and attempted to give them the slip by passing out another exit, but Addir was right of top of them and they kept up the chase, gaining ground quickly Addir. is disconnected. Baltser: On the way back from shopping, Baltser and Ellyssa just so happened to pass by the Mattock exactly as Addir burst out to chase this mysterious stranger Ellyssa: As Ellyssa walked with Baltser, she was just about to point out the Mattock when Addir suddently burst out of the door, chasing a small figure. She immediately thrust the parcel of armour into Baltser's arms and raced after them, easily overhauling the person they were chasing and grasping him by the arm. "Stop!" she spoke not loudly but in a commanding voice, trained by years on stage. Addir has connected. Ellyssa: edit* grasping them by the arm. sd: when Ellyssa caught them by the arm, Tanis turned. "Alright, I'm out of practice I guess. This is too public, let go of me." Addir is disconnected. Ellyssa: Ellyssa waited until the others had caught up. "If I let go you'll not run off?" Baltser: Baltser was not too shocked by this surprising coincidence, and he calmy walked over to the others, still carrying the armor. Joe has connected. sd: "I will, but I'm going to go the house of Tabnit, one of the mine foremen. You can find this a few streets over," Tanis gave them very quick directions. "Stay here for a moment, then come and meet me in half an hour." Joe: Addir managed to caught up with them, his eyes not remotely amused with Tanis in front of them. His gray eyes glanced over this character, promising death or even more crueler should he mislead them into trap. Ellyssa: Ellyssa had let go of Tanis' arm as soon as the others arrived. "We will see you soon." sd: "I'll meet you at Tabnit's, use the back entrance. Let yourself in." Tanis moved off, though they didn't run this time. Joe: "Thanks." He told Ellyssa and Baltser. He smiled at the sheer luck of their appearance. "Lady Luck must be with us today!" Joe: EDIT: "Gad must be looking after us today!" Baltser: "A fortunate coincidence." Baltser smiled back Joe: Addir grinned back in an answer with an uplifting grin at Balster rather than a simple casual smile he put on. Joe: EDIT: As he considered the dangers ahead, Addir remained on guard in case it is another trouble hidden, like a spider ready to trap them its own strings sd: a short time later, they went to the stout stone house which Tanis had indicated as belonging to Tabnit the foreman, and they went around to the rear entrance as directed. Tanis had told them to let themselves in, although the door appeared to be locked and it was dark inside. You whisper to Tanith: there was a note slipped under a flower pot, the corner only just barely visible Tanith: Tanith reached down to a flower pot, and pulled what appeared to be a note from it. sd: The note was short, and in a blocky hand. "Let yourself in. Don't break the lock or the door." Ellyssa: "Tanis has a strange sense of humour or wants to test us, or mayb both," Ellyssa gace a half smile. Tanith: "They called it a 'good start' when I first caught them. Certainly seems like a test."\ Joe: Addir glanced around the door, "I could try lockpick the lock but that might break it." He commented to others, quietly as they may be heard by hidden people. "We can try break the wall down..." He eyed the wall. "After all, it doesn't say we have to go through the door." Baltser: "It does seem like a rather unorthodox way to do things." Baltser commented on Ellyssa's words about Tanis while Addir sized up the lock Ellyssa: "I think Tabnit might object to us smashing the wall of his house," Ellyssa said, "Just pick the lock then." Joe: Addir narrowed his eyes at this potentially totally innocent door. After all, if it was him, he would put a nasty bear mantrap or something nasty like a spike that get thrown through the door if it was not opened "just right" Addir rummaged through one of his pouch and took a pick out. He squatted and see inside the lock to check if there is anything odd. He then put the lockpick through the lock, attempting to unlock without breaking it, sd: Addir was able to pick the lock and swung the door open into the dark house. "I tried to teach Jesibel to pick locks quite a few times, but she just doesn't have the knack for it," Tanis said from where they sat watching the door. They lit a candle and then headed up the stairs. Joe: Addir glanced at Tanis' back with interest, "It is mixture of skill, luck and sense! Not that easy thing to pick sometime" He agreed as he told himself, Addir looked at the others, "Well, I am guess we got a meeting then!" He gestured at the others to enter. "After you" He smiled as he gestured for Balster who is the most solid built friend they go sd: Tanis went upstairs and into a large room which was clearly used for dining and symposiums. There were numerous comfortable cushions on the floor, as well as amphorae for wine here and there, although they didn't appear to be filled. "Some people like to drink when they're talking business, but I prefer to keep my head clear. Who contracted you to look for Gelia?" Ellyssa: "It was someone in Mythrium who said he was a friend of Ashtoreth, although we have found him not to be very reliable in his information," Ellyssa said dryly. "A merchant named Harava." Tanith: Tanith nodded. "We are not certain his motives for seeking Gelia were genuine. But in any case, we've all decided we wish to see her rescued. From what we've heard, your employer Aduurbal desires the same." Baltser: "He might not really care for her."commented Baltser "But we do. The poor girl has suffered enough." sd: "That name isn't immediately familiar to me. Do you know who his patron is?" Ellyssa: "He told us it was Hamilcis of the Magon," Ellyssa said. "We had only just arrived in Mythrium and the names meant nothing to us." Ellyssa: "Which of course might well have been why he chose us," she added. sd: Tanis nodded. "I see. You told Jesibel you'd already found out important information. What have you found out then?" Player "Addir" is not connected. You whisper to Joe: Addir saw a quick look pass over Tanis' face when the name of Hamilcis of the Magon was mentioned, as if a piece of a puzzle had clicked for them Ellyssa: "We have discovered evidence that suggests Gelia was abducted using a cruel trick. We know that she desperately missed her mother, and it seems that someone, with the aid of magic, made her believe that Ashtoreth had returned from the dead. It is likely Gelia went willingly with them, at first at least." sd: Tanis was silent for a time. "What makes you think that that's what happened? Do you have any idea as to who the kidnapper might be?" Ellyssa: Ellyssa considered her words. "There are a lot of interconnecting threads, but it seems connected to a Mythrian sorcerer who is working with the Serrites." Ellyssa: "He is able to take on another's form and visage, so it is said," she added. Tanith: "Along with his possession of this power, we found Ashtoreth's perfume beneath Gelia's window," added Tanith. sd: "Tell me more about this sorcerer and what you've heard about him. Does he have a name?" Ellyssa: "Before we go into that, we hope you will answer some of our questions," Ellyssa said smoothly. sd: Tanis wiped at their watery eyes. "You can certainly ask." Joe: Addir smiled slightly as he looked at Tanis' with interest. "It seem to me that you did suspect something at least when we mentioned Hamilcis of the Magon. Such name is at least familiar with you. I am curious as to why this is the case? Have you had such dealings related directly or indirectly with such person in the past at least?" sd: "The Magon clan are one of the most prestigious families in Mythrium. Hamilcis is also standing for election for Sufet, against Adurbaal's patron. I thought it was interesting that he would hire you, through an intermediary." Tanis paused for a moment. "What exactly did this Harava ask you to do? Look for Gelia I assume but more specifically. Did he just want her released and brought back to Sisa?" Tanith: "He wanted her brought back to Mythrium," replied Tanith. "For her protection, he said - his suggestion was that Adurbaal had been sluggish in his response to the local brigands, perhaps purposefully so. Which leads us to another large question: What is Adurbaal's goal? Does he truly seek Gelia's freedom? Is her safety why he has not struck more forcefully?" sd: Tanis smiled. "I see. So his plan is to frame Adurbaal in order to create a scandal which will cost Philozir the election. It's a clever enough plan. Adurbaal wants his daughter home safe, even if they are estranged." You whisper to Tanith: for a brief instant she thought Tanis seemed caught off-guard by the very direct question, and she suspected she had struck a nerve. it was only the briefest glimpse - the mouse clearly had a lot of experience in this kind of conversation and controlled their emotions extremely well Tanith: "As any good parent would," said Tanith. "I know little about the politics here, but I don't wish to see the girl harmed. From everything we've learned, I suspect that bringing her back to Mythrium would put her in harm's way. We came seeking our fortunes, however. We need a patron if we're to take on dangerous work."
She glanced at the others. "If Adurbaal is truly invested in bringing her back, and you are convinced that we have the knowledge and skills to help that happen, perhaps he would like to discuss bringing us on?" sd: Tanis shrugged and wiped their eyes. "You will not be meeting Adurbaal. In these kind of delicate matters, powerful patrons act through intermediaries. Hamilcis sent Harava to hire you rather than just doing it himself because that way if you failed or caused greater problems Hamilcis could claim he didn't know anything about the matter and throw Harava to the wolves. Similarly, if you fail, Adurbaal will claim I acted on my own and he knew nothing of what was going on, and I'll say this is true." Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded in understanding. "Just one thing - what is Adurbaal doing to find Gelia? Why do people keep telling us he is holding back on dealing with these bandits? We did consider that Gelia might be being used as a hostage to put pressure on him. Or is it just rumours that are being spread to undermine him?" sd: "Adurbaal has instructed me to try to find Gelia. I have also heard interesting things about a sorcerer who was working with the Serrites. So to return to my previous question, does this sorcerer have a name?" Ellyssa: "We believe it might be a person called Astartis," Ellyssa said. Baltser: "A scribe who stole a magical grimoire." added Baltser sd: Tanis nodded and slowly pulled out a dagger. "Let's get down to a contract then. Tell me what Harava is offering you, and try not to lie or exaggerate too much because I'll know if you do." Joe: Addir flatly looked at Tanis as if such a threat of dagger is meanless to him and glanced at the others as to what is the next step dealing with Tanis. Tanith: "What was it..." Tanith bit her lip, thinking. "Thirty shekels each, and small plots of land outside the city. And as you requested, that's only a modest exaggeration." She smiled, making clear that her inflation of their actual twenty-five shekel offer was more negotiation than lie. "We're stepping into dangerous territory, however, if we cross Hamilcis. Perhaps forty each along with the land or its equivalent, due to the additional risk?" sd: Tanis drew the dagger across their palm. "In the name of Ishara, I swear. If you can return Gelia to Opis safe and whole, you will each be paid forty shekels of electrum and be given plots of land in Mythrium along with citizenship. If I break my oath, then my soul will be delivered to Mot in indemnity for all time." They held their bloody hand out. Baltser: Baltser nodded, understanding the significance of the oath, and took his own dagger. "I swear for all of us." he said before drawing the weapon across his own hand and holding the now bloodied palm out for Tanis to see. sd: Tanis held their hand out to Baltser and took it. The mouse's grip was nowhere near as strong as his own. Joe: Addir's eyes flashed with a surprise at Baltser's eager to take the bloodly hand as custom in their world. He nodded as he moved his hands away from the dagger he was planning to take out. "We swear that we make sure that Gelia is returned safe and sound to Opis." He swore. Ellyssa: "We will do everything in our power to make it so," Ellyssa added. sd: Tanis shook hands with Addir as well, then withdrew their hand and wiped the blood clean. "I pray that you succeed. Now. That chicanery earlier wasn't just for my amusement, I needed to get the measure of you. I think Jesibel already told you that I'm going to be at the Baths tonight, yes?" Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded. sd: "I thought so. I'm meeting with a woman named Astapash. If our previous meeting is any indication, she'll be generally repulsive and take the opportunity to grope me. Some way into the evening we will retreat to the worship chambers. Fortunately I don't actually have to have sex with her, though she might try to force the issue. Anyhow. There is her and there will be another person there I believe, Hanno - although he likely won't be out in the Baths proper, only in our meeting place. I don't know where Gelia is, but Astapash and Hanno do. So what you should do is come to the Baths, ignore me as much as you can until Astapash and I sneak away. Follow us very quietly. After we're done talking I'll leave the Baths by the open way and they by a hidden way. If you go after them, I think they might lead you straight to where Gelia is being held."
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Post by sleepingdragon on Mar 23, 2024 18:36:19 GMT
sd: "I thought so. I'm meeting with a woman named Astapash. If our previous meeting is any indication, she'll be generally repulsive and take the opportunity to grope me. Some way into the evening we will retreat to the worship chambers. Fortunately I don't actually have to have sex with her, though she might try to force the issue. Anyhow. There is her and there will be another person there I believe, Hanno - although he likely won't be out in the Baths proper, only in our meeting place. I don't know where Gelia is, but Astapash and Hanno do. So what you should do is come to the Baths, ignore me as much as you can until Astapash and I sneak away. Follow us very quietly. After we're done talking I'll leave the Baths by the open way and they by a hidden way. If you go after them, I think they might lead you straight to where Gelia is being held." Addir: Addir considered this over and commented, "Have you ever use this hidden way before?" He asked Tanis curiously. "Certainly would be useful to keep an eye on such passage out." sd: "Yes, it's been very useful before. It's part of a natural cavern that the priestesses had shaped to be an escape route in times of difficulty, but since Jesibel is my friend she lets me use it at times. By the way, she has no idea who I'm meeting or anything about what's going on, she is only acting as a friend, which I'm repaying her for very badly." Tanis grimaced and wiped at their eyes. "There's one entry point in her chambers - stay away from this, it's magically warded - and the worship chamber behind her room has a secret panel which leads to the cavern. Watch your step when you go, the path is slippery, and if you fall over then Astapash will certainly notice, even if she's distracted with making my life miserable." sd: edit to add: "There's a long passage that leads out from the cavern where we're meeting, it comes out on the north bank of the river." Addir: Addir take note of these interesting points raised by Tanis as they explained the various elements of the secert tunnel and thanked Tanis with a nod, "Excellent, that is indeed useful to know! Something we will keep an eye out." Addir: He did mused for a moment of getting rid of Astapash permanetly but he guess that such sad depature may cause him and the friends he been working with some minor issues with the local folks. Baltser: Baltser thanked Tanis for the information they had provided, especially about the magical ward. sd: "Did you have any more questions? I should be getting prepared for tonight." Addir: Addir smiled as he shook his head as a negative from him. Ellyssa: "Not right now. Thank you for talking to us," Ellyssa said. sd: Tanis gave a little bow. "In that case you should leave, and I'll lock up here. If at any point you need to pass a message to me after today, go and speak to Jesibel. Of course when you return with Gelia that will probably cause enough of a stir that it won't be necessary." sd: they left Tabnit's home and pondered their next step. it was now late in the afternoon, and they expected the sun would set within the next hour or so, though there was still some time before they expected they'd need to make for the Baths. Ellyssa: Ellyssa proposed that they find somewhere to get decent food, who knew how long they would be tracking their targets. Addir: Addir pointed out that they may get lucky with the foods found on the streets rather than finding a proper inn to eat, especially they want to get all this sorted by then. Ellyssa: "I think we should take the opportunity to sit down and eat some good food, and discuss the things we'd heard today," Ellyssa said. Addir: Addir glanced at the ever slowly declining daylight and the inevitable slowdown of footfalls in the streets and was forced to agree with Ellyssa on this, "Then let's go! I am famished myself!" as he glanced around recalling for an inn to eat. sd: it was easiest to return to the Golden Bough, which was fairly close at hand - the Bos estate was too far outside town and they would need to run if they wanted to reach there and still have time to return to go to the Baths in the evening sd: the innkeeper did not seem to care that the party had not actually stayed in their rooms the previous night, since, after all, they had already paid regardless. the inn was quite busy when they returned, and it was simple to find a quiet corner to talk about what they'd learned Tanith: "We're getting close, it seems," said Tanith in between nibbles of flatbread. Addir: Addir was nursing a drink in his hands as he is focusing on the upcoming foods and said, "That was an interesting meeting!" Addir commented, "Still, we should be prepared for a potential fight. I know we came a while in term of what we can dish out compared to our arrival!" He smiled, thinking of all the potential tools they can use on the people they may come across. Ellyssa: Having assuaged her hunger, Ellyssa relaxed and took a sip of well-watered wine. "I agree. It seems an odd set up - Tanis says these people know where Gelia is being kept, but has apparently done nothing about it. I still don't trust the mouse. We should be very wary." Baltser: "That is why I bought us some armor. And it does seem strange for her to be kept so close..." said Baltser commenting on Addir and Ellyssa's words Ellyssa: "Well for all we know Hanno may have horses waiting for them, and Gelia might be miles away!" Ellyssa shrugged. "In which case we will have problems." Addir: Sighing as he dug into one of these mytersy meat and eat it, "I hope not but we will dela with that should it come to that, we are pretty good thinking on our feet after all" Ellyssa: "Just as well," Ellyssa said dryly, but softened it with a smile. Ellyssa: "So are we going to let Sisa know we're going off for a bit? Don't want her to think we're running out on her Tanith: "Yes, she has good reason to be wary on that front," replied Tanith. Baltser is disconnected. Baltser has connected. sd: It was easy enough to slip a few pennies to one of the kitchen staff to take a message to Sisa. Once they had finished eating, they made their way back to the Baths. The sun had set by now, and a wind had risen as well as ominous clouds overhead. It was a relief to be out of the weather and back into the warmth of the Baths. Since they had paid entry only that morning, and Tanith had made a connection with the high priestess, they didn't have to make another donation to the goddess, and were instead allowed to make their way back down into the apodyterium to leave their gear and clothes behind. The Baths were much busier this time - to judge from the piles of clothes on the shelves, there must be at least fifty other people present tonight, and more were entering behind them as they came. Soon they'd disrobed and one of the temple thralls had provided them their linen towels, oils, and strigils. Ellyssa: Ellyssa looked around at the people thronging the baths. "We'll need to be quick getting our clothes when needed." sd: as they descended the stairs into the Baths, they heard a woman's voice raised in song. It was not a song of words as such, but a more primal and lustful song, thick as honey and sweeter than nectar, setting their minds and bodies afire . The song grew louder as they descended, and when they came near to the bottom of the steps they could see that Jesibel was the singer. As before, the High Priestess was completely naked, her body anointed with oils that made her shine in the dim torchlight. Ellyssa: Ellyssa smiled and gazed at the woman in genuine admiration. "She would have made a great actress. Actually, she IS, and this is her stage." sd: as the party reached the bottom of the stairs, Jesibel's song finished, and she looked up at them. "Welcome back," she said with a smile, striding over to Tanith. "Sister, come with me for a moment, if you will." Tanith: Tanith, already impressed by Jesibel's performance, nodded her assent and followed her. Addir: Addir glanced at the back of Jesibel and Tanith with a solemn eyes and think it though and agreed with Ellyssa, "Like honey. Still, better be careful not to get stung!" He is still wary of the potential dangers for Tanith and them. sd: Jesibel linked arms with Tanith and led her off towards the sudatorium, the vaulted sweating room where the air was thick with steam. There were a few others there, but it was scarcely possible to see who even if they were sat only a few feet away. "Sister, Tanis has sent me a message," Jesibel said quietly. "I don't know your exact business, but they indicated that you may need to leave quickly and not at all openly, and in possession of your equipment. In an hour or so, once everyone has arrived, I will have one of the thralls take your gear to one of the worship chambers - it's the one at the very back, on the left, opposite to the one Tanis will be using. Once your equipment is there I'll have that particular chamber locked and left off limits." Jesibel reached up into her hair and retrieved a small key. "This will let you in." Tanith: Tanith bowed her head gratefully as she took the key. "Asherah has truly favored me, meeting here both a sister in praise and an ally in our works. Thank you, Jesibel." sd: "It's my pleasure. Now I need to return to my performance. Enjoy your evening." sd: soon Jesibel returned to the antechamber and resumed her singing. More revellers were entering now, and the priestess' lustful song was already having some effect. Within the baths themselves there were clearly already some couples - and in one case, a trio - who had obviously already matched off, and were kissing or lightly touching one another. Other people were circulating, talking in soft tones, showing off their glistening bodies and sharp smiles Baltser: "It is a good thing that she is on our side." said Baltser to his companions, obviously referring to Jesebel's invaluable aid Ellyssa: "It certainly is," Ellyssa agreed. She had noted some appraising glances from other bathers and made herself appear smaller and less noticeable in response. Ellyssa: "Perhaps we should be looking as though we were more... worshipful," Ellyssa added, and accordingly gazed up at Baltser as though enraptured. Baltser: "Perhaps..." Baltser smiled, understanding Ellyssa's plan. sd: they stuck together and stayed in one of the tepidarium, near the entrance, reasoning that this would be the first place Tanis would go when they arrived. and after about a half hour this turned out to be the case.
When they entered, towel wrapped carefully around them to hide most of their body, the mouse was leaning heavily against a tall woman who was obviously much more casual about her nakedness. The tall woman had tanned skin, a strong body, a sly smile, and pert, rounded breasts with heavy nipples. She removed her arm from around Tanis long enough to remove her towel and enter the water. As she did, her eyes alighted on Tanith, she rubbed her chin, and then smiled at her.
The tall woman glanced back at Tanis, who was slowly removing their towel. "Come on in, pretty mouse," the tall woman who was presumably Astapash said. She lowered herself down into the water, smiling across at Tanith, and then the mouse joined her in the bath and leaned their head against a breast. You whisper to Tanith: she had needed to learn over the years to notice things about people quickly. Though Tanith thought that the tall woman was making some effort to hide it, the way she held herself and moved in the brief moment she was disentagled from the mouse made it very clear to Tanith that she was a fighter - she had swept her gaze across the room as if to assess it for threats, and her stance in the moments before she came down into the bath had clearly been a fighting stance. She also had faint scars on her hands Tanith: Tanith returned a polite smile but did her best to keep from drawing further attention from the tough looking woman. "She moves like a warrior," she murmured to the others. "Be cautious around her." Ellyssa: "Understood," muttered Ellyssa, though she hardly took her eyes away from Baltser. Addir: Addir's wan smile widened at the mention of heigthened dangers present by Astapash. He eyed the others close by noticing their positions and their threat levels. At least he got enough experience in fighting with his fists, knees and feet. Baltser: Baltser cast a casual glance at the woman and nodded slightly to Tanith before turning back to Ellyssa to keep up their deception sd: Astapash and Tanis sat on the opposite side of the bath to the party for a time, holding each other. Tanis paid the four of them no mind at all, relaxing in the water, but when perhaps five minutes had passed Astapash kissed them on the forehead, then disentangled from the mouse and waded over towards the party. Slowly, Tanis followed after.
Astapash floated over next to Tanith. Catching up, the mouse put their head on Astapash's breast again, showing no sign of recognising the party at all. "I've only recently started coming here, but I'm certain I've never seen you before, because I would certainly remember," the tall woman said to Tanith. "My name is Astapash. Could I have the pleasure of yours?" Tanith: Tanith did her best to act as if 'the mouse' was unknown to her as well. "Tanith. It is no surprise we haven't met - my friends and I have only been here for a few days. Of course I could not miss the Baths here, as they are such a worthy monument to the goddess Asherah." sd: Astapash smiled broadly. "Oh, you are a devotee as well are you? My mouse and I are very eager worshippers. If I'm honest, I could take or leave the rest, but the beautiful goddess has my heart." Tanith: "Oh yes!" replied Tanith, thinking quickly to find a way to get Astapash to leave them alone and go off with Tanis. Perhaps some religious and historical esoterica would be too much for this woman who mainly seemed interested in Ashera for her more obvious assets. "Asherah is a goddess of many dimensions. Beautiful, but also wise. This symbol here indicates the connection between those two concepts. It was elaborated by a sage about a century and a half ago. What was her name..." sd: "Fascinating," Astapash murmured when Tanith eventually allowed her to get a word in edgewise. "Only I was going to say, if you've not been here before, there are these worship chambers at the back, and..."
Tanis suddenly raised themselves up and planted a wet kiss on Astapash's lips. "No, I don't like to share," said the mouse, lowering themselves down and resting their head on Astapash's breast. "And I also don't like to wait," they added, and suddenly bit at Astapash's nipple, causing her to squeal in surprise. Tanis laughed and climbed out of the bath, with Astapash following after. Ellyssa: Ellyssa allowed herself a sigh of relief. "How long before we move?" Addir: Addir whispered, "Long enough that we do not attract any attentions" He kept an eyes on these two who left the bath. Ellyssa: Once they had disappeared into the back area, Ellyssa slid herself out of the water and found her towel. She waited for Baltser and took his hand as though leading him to the Worship Chambers. Baltser: Baltser left the water and took his towel "The mouse did say to be very quiet." he whispered the others, looking towards the direction Tanis and Astapash had gone. sd: Astapash and the mouse left through the laconicum, the dry sweating room, where there were currently about ten people. Astapash and Tanis were laughing as they went, and the tall woman took the opportunity to fondle Tanis' arse under their towel as they stumbled towards the narrow passageway. the party followed after a few moments, sticking to the darkest parts of the room, making sure to sway and stumble as if they were simply in the throes of passion themselves and not intentionally following anyone.
they made their way through the short coridor and through a heavy curtain into the worship chambers. The air was thick with the smell of incense wafting from out of Jesibel's chamber at the center of this section of the Baths. On the left hand side as they went there were three chambers, and they knew their gear was in the last of these. The first chamber had the door open, and there was a man there who stood in the doorway, stroking himself. The next chamber was closed, but there were sounds of slaps and a woman moaning inside. Tanith: Tanith nodded to the others as she retrieved the key to the door that held their gear. sd: the interior of the chamber was padded and comfortable, with some scattered cushions as well as several clean towels which were presumably for the worshippers to clean up afterwards, however they were more interested in their gear which lay in neat piles. Directly opposite them there was another of the worship chambers, directly behind Jesibel's own room - Tanis had indicated that they and Astapash would be using this Ellyssa: "Someone had better keep watch all the time to see when Tanis leaves," Ellyssa said softly as she started to dress. Ellyssa: edit - remove that last post Addir: Addir smiled wider in case there is a trap behind the door and prepared himself for such potential danger He quickly moved over and prepapred tpo put on hiw clothings along with many pointy stabbits and possions. Baltser: Baltser ensured that everyone was wearing their armor properly and had their weapons in good conditions. Tanith: Tanith dressed and looked down at her dagger nervously, hoping it wouldn't come to a fight. sd: once they had put their clothes on and gathered their gear, they looked across at the worship chamber which Tanis had said they would be using. the door appeared to be locked. they had said that there was a secret panel in that room, and another in Jesibel's own chambers, that led on towards the cavern where they would be meeting Addir: Addir couched by the door and managed to take a pick out and start fliddling with the doorlock. With some help from Tanith,. he was finally able to unlock tjhe door with a slight click. sd: there was no sign of Tanis or Astapash inside. they quickly closed the door behind them, then checked for the secret panel that Tanis had indicated. Since they already knew it was there it was very easy to find - it was a simple sliding section of wall which led into a very narrow corridor that sloped slightly downwards, with a damp floor. the incense smell of the Baths was replaced by a mustier, earthier one, though it was still very warm and misty within sd: as the stealthiest of the group, Addir went ahead first, with the others following after at a short distance. once they adjusted to the differing light and smells, they quickly heard the sounds of footfalls ahead of them. once the passage widened out, they could see the forms of Tanis and Astapash, very easily distinguished by their greatly differing heights, moving ahead of them, still wrapped in nothing but linen towels. Being no longer in the Baths proper, Tanis had disentangled themselves from Astapash and walked ahead of the tall woman, not even looking at the woman.
Astapash, having no notion that they were being followed, spoke quite freely and without bothering to moderate her volume. "Gods, the tits on that tattooed woman! I didn't realise that worshipping Asherah would make you a droning idiot - is your friend Jesibel that dull as well, my love? I assume not from how she was singing." Tanis said absolutely nothing. "Fine, play hard to get then, pretty little mouse." Astapash chuckled and shook her head. Addir: Addir smiled, almost surprised at how relaxed Astapash is, provided they are quiet as possible, it is a good place for an ambush against them. sd: Tanis quickened their pace, forcing Astapash to match it, though she did this with little difficulty. After perhaps five minutes the passageway widened greatly in front of them. They were looking out on a large natural cavern, in the centre of which there was a clear round pool of steaming water, a natural hot spring. Seated on the opposite side of the pool there was a man with short greying hair, though they didn't think he was very old. He was short, but stout and broad, and had a weatherbeaten face with a scraggly growth of beard. He wore battered, stained leathers and he had a broad axe thrust through a loop in his belt. Next to him there was a pack on the ground, and not far away there was another one, along with a pile of clothes, which after a moment they realised must belong to Astapash.
"Good, I'm glad you were faster this time," the greying man called out as Tanis and Astapash entered.
"My pretty mouse is all about business, Hanno," Astapash said, sighing mockingly and shaking her head. sd: Now that they were no longer in public, Tanis looked at Astapash with open hatred. "Hanno, you seem to me more honest and reliable than your companion," they said, which made Astapash laugh. Ignoring this, Tanis continued. "Before we discuss more business, do I have your word that you'll pass a message to Astartis for me?"
The greying man nodded and smiled. "I'll tell him your exact words," he said, retrieving a quill and parchment from his pack.
Astapash rolled her eyes. "Pretty little mouse, can you believe the sorcerer taught this idiot to read and write? He might as well have taught a cow."
Hanno looked up from the parchment. "No, Astartis didn't teach me. I asked him, but he didn't have the time. I was taught by Tupiziyalka, one of the women of the Mitanni, when I still lived among them. She knew our language better than I do, or you for that matter."
Astapash waved her hand dismissively. "Reading ruins your eyes, and for no purpose when you were taught by an idiot barbarian crone. Remind me to never count on you to shoot anything." The tall woman looked over at Tanis. "But I'm sorry my love, I interrupted you."
Tanis ignored this. "I already gave this message to Yirakh and Kanmi last time, but I doubt they passed it on, or if they did then they would have softened it." Tanis took a breath, then continued in a tone colder than a glacier. "Give this message to Astartis. Tell him how emphatically I stressed the importance of not attacking the Ulqi caravan, and letting it pass. It is now much, much harder to stall for time and delay action with Adonica foaming at the mouth demanding vengeance for her brother. Tell Astartis that Adonica doesn't even remember who he is, or who his sisters were. He can pretend whatever high-minded motives he wants in order to delude himself, but I know that he's just a kidnapper, a thief, and a murderer pursuing a petty vendetta. Tell him that."
Astapash's laughter boomed off the walls of the cave while Hanno haltingly wrote down what Tanis had said. "I very much doubt that my brother did pass that message on," said Astapash, wiping a tear from her eye. "The sorcerer has already threatened to kill Yirakh and I before. Before I came to see my pretty mouse he told me that if I tried to desert he would kill Yirakh. Can you imagine? He apparently doesn't trust us." sd: "I will pass on your message," Hanno said to Tanis, ignoring his compatriot. "But it wasn't actually Astartis' decision to attack the caravan."
"Don't be an idiot," Astapash said. Then she rolled her eyes. "No use telling you that I suppose. Massive is just the sorcerer's dumb puppet and does whatever he tells him to."
Hanno gave his head an angry shake. "Mahsisapunuwa and Astartis are close as brothers and he listens to his advice, yes. But Mahsisapunuwa is his own man, and a wise and honourable one at that. The Ulqi caravan was our largest score yet. Getting that silver now was essential for keeping the Cytherians at bay, to buy the Serrazutti time." Hanno finished writing, then looked up at Tanis. "You said that I seem honest, and you have my honest..."
"I said you seem more honest than her, bandit," Tanis corrected, pointing at Astapash, who snorted.
Hanno frowned. "Fine. You have my more honest than her word that I'll pass your message to Astartis, in your precise words, insults and all." Hanno's eyes then flashed and he jabbed a finger at Tanis. He wore an ivory ring, with a stone in the shape of a saber cat's head. "And you can have this message, from me, and know that it's an honest one. When Astartis pisses, the puddle that remains has more honour and humanity than you or your master, or both together. Your master is rich and powerful, and he knows that the Serrazutti face slaughter. I've seen it with my own eyes. Have you ever had to speak to a dying man about the group of soldiers that came, shoved a spear through his guts, raped his wife and daughters, and then carried them and his sons off to be sold? Have you had to see the light go out of his eyes knowing that the people he loves will face horror every day for the rest of their lives? Because I have, and Astartis has." Hanno slammed his fist into an open palm. "All the western trade with the people carrying out this butchery flows through this town, which your master commands. His words and actions would matter. He could have sent the Serrazutti funds, or arms, or soldiers, or at least spoken out for them. Anything to help them survive. Neither you or he ever gave it a thought until forced to, and so Astartis forced you to. Your master would never risk his position, would never risk a trade route, would never risk his reputation. Astartis has risked his very life." Hanno leaned forward. "The Cytherians you are so eager to trade with have taken thousands of Serrazutti children to be sold as thralls. Are any of them less worthy than Gelia? Gelia hasn't been beaten, she hasn't been harmed, she hasn't been dishonoured, she hasn't been put to forced labour, she hasn't been put in shackles and whipped, she hasn't been subjected to hunger and cold and thirst. She eats the same food and drinks the same wine and water that we do, and Astartis has given her scrolls to read. Do you suppose even one of the captive children of the Serrazutti has been treated so kindly? We will release Gelia when the time is right. Do you think any of the Serrazutti carried off by your Cytherian friends will ever be free again? If you and your master had your way, these kidnapped children would be passing through this town in chains to be sold on the docks of Mythrium, but Mahsisapunuwa and Astartis have stopped you. Are we supposed to be sorry about this because we've caused a single spoiled child to suffer?"
Astapash stretched theatrically. "My love, you could be eating me out right now, and instead you've opted to listen to this. I can't say I understand your choices. I told you, this one is stupid enough to actually believe the sorcerer's blather." Addir: Addir whispered quietly as possible, "That is some good news, at least Gelia is slightly better position than I would have normally expect." Tanith: Tanith clutched the spot in her dress where the saber tooth amulet was hidden. She'd known thralls, and Serrazutti too... Ellyssa: Ellyssa was frowning. "Each time we find out some more, we find a new slant on the situation. There is nothing simple about this." Baltser: Baltser frowned too, agreeing with Ellyssa's words "This is so much to take in. But the girl should be freed." sd: Tanis stood stock still throughout Hanno's tirade. "Thank you for your message," they said. "I didn't bring anything to write it with I'm afraid. Let's get down to business, so I can be free of your company." Tanis wiped at their eyes.
"On this at least, we can agree," Hanno replied.
There was a lengthy pause. "There are fewer caravans coming this way that aren't heavily defended," Tanis spoke very slowly. "Your activities have become well known. However, my eyes and ears have made me aware of a one that's coming overland from Haalqis, and is due to arrive in Opis tomorrow. The merchant, Zimir, has a shipment of furs and hides from the north which he's eager to deliver to Cythmis before winter blocks the pass, so he has little time to idle here and search for more guards. I'm told he has only eight or nine swords guarding him, and he has no particularly important friends who might cause problems if he disappears. He's likely to head east along the river in the next few days."
"Only one? You're slipping, pretty mouse, there were four when I was here last," Astapash chuckled.
Hanno took note of what Tanis had said. "Was there anything else we should be aware of?"
"I told Kanmi and Yirakh previously that Adonica had hired a ranger, Zibqet, in an attempt to find where you were hiding," Tanis said. "Zibqet was due to return to town a number of days ago, but she hasn't. Did you kill her?"
"We've seen no sign of her, my love," Astapash shook her head. "Either she's met some other accident, or she thought better of trying to interfere with us."
Hanno nodded. "If she was going to find us, it would have happened already, I expect. Are there any others sticking their nose in?"
"No," Tanis replied. "I suspect Adonica will try again, but if she's plotting anything now, no one has taken her up on the offer. I'll keep an ear to the ground, but you can relax for the moment." Tanis' lie was so smooth that the party could have almost believed it, despite sticking their noses in at this very moment. Tanith: "They're good," Tanith murmured. Addir: Addir is impressed with the Tanis' lies coming out of their mouth. Ellyssa: "A complex person, hard to know what game they are playing," Ellyssa said softly. sd: Hanno and Tanis spoke for a time about Zimir's caravans, its cargo, and its likely route, although the mousy dual-soul had little in the way of specifics to provide. "It's slim pickings, but I suppose that's to be expected," Hanno sighed. "Not really worth the journey and the subterfuge, honestly."
While they were speaking, Astapash had taken the opportunity to slowly come up behind Tanis. "That's because you're tedious," Astapash said, reaching around and cupping one of Tanis' breasts.
"You vile cunt!" Tanis cried, driving an elbow backwards into Astapash's ribs that the woman didn't even seem to feel.
"Let them go," Hanno said, leaping to his feet, but Astapash had already unhanded Tanis and retreated to the side, laughing uproariously.
Tanis spat in Astapash's direction and stormed off back towards the Baths. "Until next time, pretty mouse!" Astapash called after them, still laughing.
Hanno was looking at her with disgust. "Oh fuck off with that you prude," she told him. "You would too if you weren't too ugly to be allowed in the Baths."
"Get dressed," Hanno snapped at her. "The sooner we're on our way back the happier I'll be." Tanith: Tanith shuddered seeing Astapash's behavior. Ellyssa: Ellyssa's lip curled in disgust. "If we have to kill anyone to rescue Gelia, make it her first." Baltser: Baltser nodded with silent distaste for the woman's general unpleasantness Addir: Addir merely added Astapash onto the list, "I am already itching to do so." as his fingers mentally curled to garrot her, not so mericful killing. Addir: edit: garrotte with barbed wire*
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Post by sleepingdragon on Apr 6, 2024 14:33:53 GMT
sd: Astapash chuckled and tossed her towel to the ground, standing naked and facing Hanno. “I've been meaning to ask you, and the conversation with the mouse reminded me. Given how much you like the barbarians, why didn't you leave with Massive and the others for the winter? I mean, you think you're so much better than all of us since you were already with the barbarians and the sorcerer.”
”No, I think I'm better than you, specifically, because I don't take pleasure in trying to rape someone,” Hanno snapped back. “Get your fucking clothes on and shut up.”
Astapash laughed. “What, you think I need clothes or a weapon to deal with a little shit like you?” With great haste she glided forward in an attack stance, drawing her fist back. Hanno flinched and reached for his axe, but Astapash pulled herself up short, laughing. “You might think you're better than me, prick, but you aren't. Who knows, when we get back we might find that barbarian bitch – what is it, Anzili? – has decided she will kill the sorcerer after all. You can wear that stupid fucking ring but the barbarians don't really think you're one of them.” Astapash drew away from Hanno, who still had a hand on his axe handle, and started getting dressed. Ellyssa: Ellyssa watched this performance with a frown of concentration on her face. Perhaps the crazy woman's habit of angering her partners in crime could be somehow turned to their advantage when the time came. sd: Astapash finished getting dressed, double checked all of her equipment, then shouldered the pack. "Alright old man, try to keep up then this time," she said. "I'd just leave you behind and go on my own since you know the way, but the sorcerer will probably assume I've killed you if I do that."
Hanno ignored Astapash's needling, instead lighting a torch he'd pulled from his pack. The instant the tall woman said she was ready, he turned and began striding away from the pool, heading deeper into the cavern, away from the passageway where the party crouched in hiding. As he went, they saw that the cavern narrowed on the other side as well, and there was another passage there, presumably the one Tanis had told them came out on the north bank of the river. sd: once Astapash had turned to follow after Hanno, the party crept down into the cavern and began to tail them, with Addir at their head. the passage here sloped gently down. As they went, the corridor became damper, filled with the heady scent of wet earth, and in many places water dripped from the stones which were scarcely a foot over their heads.
after about twenty minutes, the passage curled up again, and they began to climb. Early on, Astapash had caught up to Hanno and walked close alongside him, though both ignored each other, however as they climbed Hanno seemed to increase his pace, leaving the tall woman behind despite her earlier boasts, stopping occasionally so she remained in sight and otherwise staying well ahead.
although it was now very late and there was no sunlight to indicate that they were coming close to the surface, they were instead alerted when they felt fresh air entering the stale passageway, and heard the patter of rain. Hanno had stopped just inside the cave mouth to take a piss against the wall while he waited for Astapash to catch up, and had enough time to tuck himself away and extinguish the torch before she caught up. the two bandits each reached into their packs and pulled out small lanterns which they lit. Without further word, they stepped out into the darkness. Tanith: Tanith followed after Addir with bated breath. While she wasn't entirely unfamiliar with stealth, that had usually been in city alleyways or manor halls - the cave and the wilderness were something entirely different, and the potential violence that awaited them lingered in her mind. Baltser: Despite being a big man, Baltser managed to avoid drawing attention to his group by walking behind Addir with careful, calculated steps. Obviously he would not shy away from violence when it was necessary, but the time had not come yet. Ellyssa: Ellyssa followed on, watching Addir and copying his actions. sd: they stealthily followed the bandits into the wet, miserable night. They could see the lights of Opis off to the south on the other side of the Mythis, but these receded behind them as Hanno and Astapash struck a generally northeasterly direction, moving away from the river. Although there were some outlying hamlets around Opis, the north bank had always been much more sparsely populated, since in the event of a Serrite attack there was no easy crossing over the river to the safety of Opis, and the two bandits simply avoided every goatherd's hut or hunter's cabin on the way.
Hanno and Astapash kept their lights close to their bodies to minimise visibility, but since the party knew they were there they would have been very easy to follow even at a greater distance. confident in his abilities, however, Addir stuck very close to the pair, wanting to be able to hear in case either of them - more likely Astapash - decided to freely offer up any more information in the process of insulting or goading their companion. the tall woman kept her cloak drawn tight around her, with Hanno striding ahead at all times. As the hours wore on they could she that Astapash was beginning to lag, but she stubbornly trudged on, seemingly not wanting to give Hanno the satisfaction of having her ask for a halt. If she hoped that the older bandit would tire, however, she was mistaken, and after about two hours Astapash was forced to swallow her pride and ask for a halt.
"Don't look so fucking smug," Astapash gasped, though in truth Hanno's expression was impassive as stone. "I had to go traipsing around after the mouse while you were sitting on your arse by the pool." Astapash sat on a flat wet stone, catching her breath. "You were pleased enough to insult the mouse, but you didn't tell them about the stupid girl trying to kill herself."
"What would have been the point?" Hanno snorted. "She was having a tantrum, and Astartis stopped her." Hanno shook his head. "It's a pity that she hates him, though no surprise I guess. Gelia strikes me as just who Astartis would be if he were younger and a girl." Tanith: Tanith did her best to keep pace with the group, but as the cold rain drenched her she began to lag behind, shivering. Perhaps the chill which had afflicted her during their time on the island had come out of dormancy, but in any case she had to force herself to take each further step, and was grateful when Astapash demanded a halt. Ellyssa: Ellyssa was wet and chilled but she was worried by Tanith's condition. When they stopped she moved to stand close and warm her. The news that Gelia had tried to kill herself gave her a nasty surprise, and she clenched her fist in anger and deternination - they MUST rescue the girl quickly. Baltser: Even Baltser's great endurance had been taxed by the hostile weather, although he had been able to push through without slowing significantly. Still, he welcomed the chance for even a short rest, although he shared Ellyssa's concern for rescuing Gelia as soon as possible. sd: Astapash snorted. "That was the only funny thing the sorcerer's ever done. I don't think I'll ever forget seeing that stupid spoiled noble brat hovering in midair screaming about how she was going to kill him if it was the last thing she did. Somehow I think Anzili or someone else will get there first." Hanno snorted. "You think the Serrazutti are all as disgusting and bloodthirsty than you, even though they are more civilised and better tempered." For the first time, it was Hanno's turn to look amused, and Astapash who seemed hurt and angry. "Anzili was very angry that Astartis kidnapped the girl, yes. She doesn't like him and never has, but she still has honour. Had she just wanted to kill him then she'd have challenged him to a fight, but instead she petitioned Mahsisapunuwa."
"An idiot thing to do, he just does what the sorcerer tells him to do." Astapash stretched on the stone.
Hanno shook his head. "If that were actually the case don't you think that Anzili, who has known both of them far longer than you, would have known that? Do you think that because you were born in a city that you're smarter than them when you clearly aren't? I know Mahsisapunuwa, and he really thought about it. He and Astartis love each other like brothers, but if he had thought taking the girl hostage was truly a dishonour too far, he would have still put Astartis to death and released her. Are you ready to go yet?"
Astapash stood up with a groan and nodded. "Let's go." Tanith: "Perhaps this Anzili and Mahsis... Mahsisapunuwa might be swayed to help release her without violence," suggested Tanith when they were sure they wouldn't be overheard. Ellyssa: "Possibly,,," Ellyssa considered. "There seem to be many cracks in their partnership which might be opened up." Tanith: Tanith suddenly felt a loud sneeze coming on, but had enough practice putting on a refined air that she was able to muffle it into a dainty one that couldn't be heard over the rain. sd: they forced their weary and aching bodies back into movement and continued on. Only Baltser seemed completely untroubled, bearing the freezing cold and rain without the slightest difficulty, as another hour went before them.
the same could not be said for the bandits, or rather, for one of them. Hanno continued on through the night, but he was now stopping quite regularly to let Astapash catch up. She sneezed several times, far less daintily than Tanith had, wiping her running nose on her sodden sleeve. The land became steeper and rockier as they climbed into the foothills. No one lived in these lands, the rough and poor buffer zone that had been established between the lands of the Serrites and the Mythrian League following their last war thirty years ago.
Astapash was struggling more and more as they went. Hanno had stopped halfway up a hill to wait for her, and as she tried to clamber up, the tall bandit suddenly put her foot in a muddier patch than she had expected and went sliding and skidding downwards with a cry, landing facedown in the mud. Ellyssa: Ellyssa could almost have felt sorry for the wretched woman, but she remembered all that they had heard and smiled to herself. Tanith: As her exhaustion and misery in the bleak weather grew, Tanith felt a familiar sensation coming on - a sense of depersonalization, as if she were separate from her own body, just along for the ride as it trudged on. Then Astapash had her ungainly fall, and Tanith could feel laughter coming on, an uproarious cackle at the vile woman's embarrassment. It was only her long practice at keeping a calm facade that saved her; the laughter caused her to rock back and forth, but she wrested enough control over her body to keep her lips sealed tight. Baltser: Baltser looked worried by Tanith's behavior, but said nothing, realizing they had to focus on their current mission. Ellyssa: Seeing Tanith's reaction, Ellyssa touched her arm, saying softy, "Hold on girl, we must be getting somewhere." sd: Hanno, near the top of the hill, looked down as his companion fell over in the mud. Muttering, he headed back down with some speed. Astapash tried to rise, but in the process she caught her foot and slipped again, swearing and groaning.
She was still lying in the mud when Hanno reached the bottom of the hill, and reached a hand out to help Astapash up. The tall woman gave him a furious look behind her dishevelled face, but Hanno ignored this and kept his hand out. Snarling, Astapash forced herself to reach out and take it, and the stout bandit pulled her up.
Hanno helped Astapash to find a place to sit down, then pulled out some spare cloth so she could get the worst of the mud off her face and hands. “This reminds me of a night a long time ago,” Hanno said. “I must have been sixteen at the time...wait, no, seventeen. I had had my seventeenth birthday in Ilmathis, before it got too hot for me there and I headed north to Ulqa. Not sure if you've ever been on the coast road there, the wind off the sea is bracing and it was a night just like this.”
Astapash looked disgusted. “Do you fucking have to?”
Hanno gave Astapash a sharp look. “Very well. I'll ask you a question then. Have you ever killed a child, Astapash?”
Astapash looked unsteady. “I don't think so. Maybe I did when I was drunk and didn't remember. Why?”
”Like I said, it was a night just like this, and it came back to mind. I'd needed to run with some haste because my former partners discovered I'd been stealing from them. I wasn't able to get to my stash in time so I literally had nothing but the clothes on my back and a knife. I then heard this woman shouting a name over and over. I...I wish I could remember it, but it's gone from my mind. It was a fisherwoman anyway, her son apparently had the habit of staying out too late. I went to take a look out of curiosity, and that's when I noticed her rings.” Hanno paused. “She was too distracted to notice me. I got right into position, got my knife, and just as I jumped at her, her damn son appeared out of the undergrowth, about twenty feet away. It was too late to take the thrust back, went right through her throat. He must have been nine or ten. When I heard him scream I turned around in surprise, and so he got a really good look at my face. He turned and started running. Even with my longer legs, I wouldn't have been able to catch him up and I couldn't have thrown the damn knife in the wind and rain.”
Astapash had a strange expression on her face. “What happened?”
Hanno shrugged. “He did what you just did, except I didn't offer him a hand up. He had some silver on him, and when I sold his mother's rings they kept me fed for a few weeks. I'm sorry, Astapash. I shouldn't have said that I'm better than you.” Hanno looked at the ground for a moment.
“Before I met Astartis and Mahsisapunuwa I was far, far worse than you've ever been. I told them about it when I first met them – I mean, I was expecting the Arzawi to execute me. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. I always thought there was something wrong with me, something corrupt right in my essence, that made me keep hurting other people. I had never really known any other way to be.”
”When I first met those two and they asked why I'd been raiding and robbing the Serrazutti, but I was so distracted by seeing a Mythrian there – even an educated Mythrian at that. I remember asking Astartis in disgust if he was some kind of traitor and he looked at me with a big grin and said. ”YES. That's exactly what I am, and you should be too!” I didn't know what the fuck he was talking about. He and Mahsisapunuwa, they got to asking me about why I'd been raiding and attacking the Serrazutti clans, and I told them...well I felt very sorry for myself and I said it was because I was a bad person, and I always had been. I was about to die, so there was nothing to hide, right? Only Astartis got up and started shouting ”No! Do you know, I've had so many people shout at me in anger, but this was the first time anyone was ever angry for me.”
Astartis said that no, I'm not a bad person, that it was Mythrium itself that's at fault. He said that it has a bad system, and this system makes people who could be good to do awful things in order to survive. And Mahsisapunuwa agreed with him. He told me about this saying the Serrazutti have. The Serrazutti say that goodness is like a plant that grows from the earth. It's not enough to just plant your crop and leave it there. If it's going to grow, it needs sunlight, and it needs rain. And similarly, for honour and goodness to grow in a person, they need two things at least – a full stomach, and a calm mind. Do you understand what I'm saying?”
Astapash spat. “I'd love a calm mind, and to get it you need to shut up. About the only thing I need less than more fucking rain is to hear another word out of your mouth.” Astapash stood up, threw the cloth at Hanno, and began to climb the hill. This time, she did not fall. Ellyssa: Despite the horrible weather and the prospect of climbing the slippery hill before them, Ellyssa listened in fascination to Hanno's account. She had heard similar ideas expressed before, though not with a confession attached. Her mouth twisted in disgust at Astapash's reaction - what an ignorant and aggressive bitch the woman was. With a sigh, she prepared to face the muddy slope. Tanith: Tanith still seemed rather distant, her face showing little emotion, but she listened closely to Hanno's account. This Astartis might have some insights, even if she did not think it justified Gelia's kidnapping. Addir has connected. Baltser: Baltser seemed as fascinated by Hanno's words as he was disgused by Astapash's reaction Addir: Addir winced on clammy cold rain tickling down the back of his neck. Generally he doesn't mind the weather but for this night, he feel more irritable than normal. sd: they set out again into the night. the next few hours passed without further incident, and Astapash studiously ignored Hanno the entire time.
as they continued on, the rain let up a bit, and it became more gentle. they also began to see faint signs of the sun rising to the east, beyond the high and distant mountains at the edges of the land of Cytheria. as the light began to shine, the two bandits made their way towards a small copse of trees, and stopped there, clearly making camp to rest now that they'd put some distance between them and Opis. Hanno offered to take the first watch, and Astapash was clearly exhausted and simply accepted this.
"Hanno, if I die because you spend a bunch of time reading those fucking scrolls, my ghost will torture yours for all of eternity, I fucking swear it," she said. "Keep them away."
"It's raining, Astapash, of course I'm going to keep them away. Go to sleep." Hanno lit a small fire, which he kept covered, and sat on watch while Astapash slept. The stout bandit sat on a log and looked out west towards the Gulf of Blades, an impenetrable look on his face. Ellyssa: Ellyssa sat thankfully, hoping the bandits would stay resting a good while. Addir: Addir hidden in the murky darkness, feeling noglistics about the good old day of his bloody travelling. Sighing mentally at the misfrotune that they would not be able to deal with these people just far, "Will take the first watch." He whispered softly as Addir tighted his cloak around him, Tanith: Tanith slumped down beside Ellyssa, completely spent. Baltser: Baltser was not especially tired, but he did not protest Addir's request to have the first watch and laid down to rest for a while sd: it felt strange for Addir to sit on watch while the sun was rising, but after about three hours he woke Baltser to take over. at a similar time, Hanno gave a yawn, stretched and stood. He glanced over at where Astapash, still muddy and dishevelled, slept near the fire, then Hanno frowned, sat back down, and remained on watch. Ellyssa: Ellyssa had rolled herself up in her cloak and fallen asleep almost immediately, despite the hard ground. sd: in the early afternoon, Hanno finally stood and woke Astapash. "I couldn't have slept anyway, I was thinking too much, so I thought I might as well let you carry on," he said. "Let's go. If we push we can get back by nightfall." Hanno had already pulled some bread out of his pack, and Astapash, watching her companion suspiciously, did the same. By now the rain had stopped, though it was still overcast and windy. sd: with the weather having cleared, following the two bandits was a much more pleasant experience. Having not slept all night, this time it was Hanno who lagged behind, but he never once complained or called for a halt, waiting on each occasion for a natural break. The bandits said nothing to each other all day.
they saw no one else for the ten hours they spent trailing after the bandits, rising into higher ground. soon they noticed that there were faint signs of footprints that did not belong to them or to the bandits, and they knew they must be coming close to wherever it was that Hanno and Astapash were heading. then, beneath the starlight, they saw it rising before them.
ahead of them, there was a great, flat circular plateau, about a mile in diameter, some thirty to forty feet above the hills below. they could see signs of smoke up on the plateau. there was but a single, narrow pathway leading up to it, and there was a great, prominent waterfall which spilled out next to this path. Tanith immediately recalled the scroll she had read in Opis, and knew. They had found the deserted Kizzuwi village of Hatti, where the bandits had made their camp.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Apr 20, 2024 17:47:21 GMT
sd: with the weather having cleared, following the two bandits was a much more pleasant experience. Having not slept all night, this time it was Hanno who lagged behind, but he never once complained or called for a halt, waiting on each occasion for a natural break. The bandits said nothing to each other all day.
they saw no one else for the ten hours they spent trailing after the bandits, rising into higher ground. soon they noticed that there were faint signs of footprints that did not belong to them or to the bandits, and they knew they must be coming close to wherever it was that Hanno and Astapash were heading. then, beneath the starlight, they saw it rising before them.
ahead of them, there was a great, flat circular plateau, about a mile in diameter, some thirty to forty feet above the hills below. they could see signs of smoke up on the plateau. there was but a single, narrow pathway leading up to it, and there was a great, prominent waterfall which spilled out next to this path. Tanith immediately recalled the scroll she had read in Opis, and knew. They had found the deserted Kizzuwi village of Hatti, where the bandits had made their camp. sd: it was difficult to see much up on the plateau at first - on several sides, near to the cliff, there were long overgrown bushes in irregular rows, as well as large piles of stone, which blocked their view. Eventually Tanith's eyes adjusted first, and she was able to concentrate and perceive several shapes through these obstructions. at the top of the path leading up, overlooking it, there were two raised wooden platforms with low walls, where figures with bows stood watch. there was an empty patch of ground behind these, then, irregularly scattered about the camp, numerous small huts, most of which appeared to be in states of significant disrepair. here and there they had been mended at least enough to keep out the weather, though some of the walls were gone and had been replaced by canvas or cloth. there was a large rectangular building towards the back of the plateau, abutting where the mountain sloped upwards. this had probably been a smithy of some kind - the right hand side of the building where the door had been appeared to have collapsed, but the side on their left appeared to still have a roof. she could see numerous shapes moving there, although it was impossible to make out numbers from this distance sd: as Tanith pointed this out to the others, Astapash and Hanno made their way towards the path leading up. as they moved, another figure started moving down the path. The new figure was a short, stout, muscular Serrite woman, her dark hair cut very short. She wore a long leather coat onto which had been sewn metal scales, and she carried a large axe. Hanno stepped forward and greeted her warmly with Astapash hanging back. After they had spoken for a moment, the three bandits made their way up the path towards Hatti You whisper to Tanith: though it was impossible to make out the conversation at this distance, Tanith could see Hanno's mouth as he greeted the Serrite woman as Anzili You whisper to Baltser: when the bandits made their way back up the path, Baltser watched them carefully. though they appeared to be moving casually, he thought they were being cautious about where they stepped, and keeping themselves firmly on the left hand side of the path, as if something untoward might happen if they walked on the other side Tanith: "Anzili, I think he called her," murmured Tanith. Baltser: "Wait." Baltser signaled to the others, after watching the bandits carefully "They're keeping to left side, the right might be trapped." Ellyssa: "Anzili is the one who disapproved or Astartis kidnapping Gelia," Ellyssa said softly, "That might be useful." Addir: Addir eyed three bandits carefully from their hiding place. Nothing about this place is going to be that straightforward. Certainly, he considered, charging out of the blue would not be rather useful in this place. He felt a moment of disappointment that they do not have enough poisions at hand permanently posion the wells and give their enemies a terrible troubles in their nether regions. He nodded at Baltser, "Good to know." As he glanced at the upcoming path. Tanith: "Perhaps if we approach them in the spirit of reconciliation," said Tanith, "There will be enough support to let Gelia go. I would like to return Arnuwanda's amulet to his people in any case. They may take that as a gesture worthy of staying blades." Ellyssa: "This does require careful planning," Ellyssa stared at the path ahead and the prospect of a bunch of bandits and a sorcerer to face. "It's probably our only way with such numbers up there, but I doubt very much if that Atapash will give us a hearing." Addir: Addir winced at this rather naive idealism internally. "Personally, I feel that might be risky. We have lost an element of surprise then and they would be on guard, especially should the meeting does poorly." Ellyssa: "How do you suggest we play this then?" Ellyssa asked Addir. "We don't even know where they are holding Gelia." Baltser: "I too would rather avoid bloodshed, but sometimes it is the only way. Whatever we do, we should do it carefully and deliberately." said Baltser, concerned Tanith: "I won't be much use in a fight," said Tanith, still looking exhausted from their march in the rain. "If it must come to violence, our odds would seem much better with at least some of them on our side. And we know there is internal division. Perhaps we exploit that, if a fight seems inevitable." You whisper to Tanith: mentioning the amulet made Tanith think. suddenly she recalled several things which Hanno and Astapash had said in the hidden cave at the Baths. Hanno had said that, while he had been living among the Mitanni - the tribe Arnuwanda had once led - he had asked Astartis to teach him to read. the sorcerer had refused, but instead one of the Mitanni women had taught him. and later, Astapash had mocked Hanno and claimed he thought himself better because he had already been with Astartis and the Serrites. given that Astartis and Hanno had clearly both been among the Mitanni, it seemed likely that some or even all of the Serrites here were also members of the Mitanni tribe Addir: Addir considered the option in mind, "Gelia would need feeding so if she is held in one place, there may be a chance of someone holding the foods. Even more likely should she need to use the latrine. That may give us some idea on finding out where she is. Once we know excatly where she is, we can sneak in, take the guards out in the witching hour when they are more relaxed with keeping watch " He conceded reluctantly. "But we do not have all the times in the world to wait. Tanith: "I think some or all of the Serrites here must be from Arnuwanda's Mitanni tribe," Tanith added, having been thinking over what they'd learned so far. "We know both Hanno and Astartis have been among the Mitanni. So the amulet may hold meaning to them. And we know of the great loss they suffered against Mythrium, and Hannibal of the Magon, where many of their people including Arnuwanda were taken as thralls. The legacy of that defeat might drive them still; something to consider if we share words." Ellyssa: Ellyssa frowned in thought. "If we do want to try the peaceful way, we need to have a good story to convince them quickly, and to get past the gate guards." Tanith: "If we say we come to parlay and bring up the amulet, they may have interest," said Tanith. "Particularly if we can hide it so that they cannot choose to simply attack us for it." Baltser: "I might be able to disguise it with an incantation...of course, it likely won't fool their sorcerer."said Baltser Ellyssa: "Someone will need to keep it safe," Ellyssa said thoughtfully. "Which of us should go up there?" Addir: Addir raised an eyebrow as he considered the option. "Well, we can do both options. I can hold the amulet and be out of sight. Should things goes poorly, I can sneak in and do my best to get you all out." He smiled faintly Addir: EDIT: in the darkest hours. Tanith: Tanith nodded slowly. "Let Addir stay in the shadows then, while the rest of us approach. I have knowledge that will be needed here, but you are very good at setting people at ease, Ellyssa. And Baltser your magic might help us prove our story - and having your sword there just in case would set me at ease." Tanith: *would reassure me Tanith: She withdrew the amulet from beneath her garments, cradling it gently before slowly handing it over to Addir. "Keep it safe, my friend." Addir: Addir nodded with a deep sincerity. "I shall" He took the well cared for amulet from Tanith's dainty hands Addir: EDIT and put it away in somewhere safe where it won't get lost. Baltser: Baltser stood in thought for a while before speaking "Actually...I have an idea. Let me have the amulet for a while. I might be able to use its connection to the Mitanni to make them more receptive to our attempts." After having received the amulet from Addir, Baltser observed it thoughtfully for a short while before gathering the group together and holding the talisman aloft above their heads with both hands while chanting words power as if trying to channel some of its essence into them and build some sort of rapport with the tribe. Baltser: Having completed the short ritual, Baltser gave the amulet back to Addir for safekeeping, took a deep breath and spoke again "There is something else. Tanis told Hanno and Astapash they could attack Zimir's caravan, if we wait for them to share this information - and they're likely doing that very soon, if they haven't already - there will be fewer bandits there, and that would make a fight easier for us. Of course, it might also mean people that we do want to be here won't be..." Ellyssa: Ellyssa bowed her head as Baltser chanted. "Thank you," she said to him with a smile. "Now we really need to decide on our story. We can't mention Gelia or show interest in her, lest we play into Astartis' hands. If he thinks we have come to get her he can threaten her life." She frowned in thought, Ellyssa: "We could say we have come to support the Serrites," Ellyssa said after a moment. "Which is not really untrue - they have been unjustly treated." Ellyssa: edit* Serrazutti not Serrites Tanith: "We will have to mention Gelia at some point to win her freedom. And I worry they will think us deceptive if we bring that up too late. Perhaps if we mention that it is part of our interest, but make clear that her safety is wed to our concern for their people as well, she will be safe. It seems some of them are willing to defy the sorcerer, at least." Ellyssa: "It will depend on whether we are taken to the sorcerer first." Tanith: Tanith nodded. "Alright. Let us approach with word of the amulet and our general desire to speak with them on important matters, including that we wish to support them. Then we can bring up Gelia when it seems safest." Ellyssa: "We can wait for some of them to leave on this raid," Ellyssa suggested. Addir: Addir nodded, "Less people to fight if we have to, the easier we may be able to pull this off. If we are going to wait, I will make some time to figures out the best climbing routes." He eyed the cliffs dubiously. Tanith: Tanith frowned. "It would be safer. But if they attack the caravan, more will likely die - Serrazutti or Mythrian. Tensions will keep rising. If that keeps happening, Adonica of the Ulqi and Hamilcis of the Magon - nephew of Hannibal who threw Arnuwanda and others in chains - will have the war they desire. Perhaps we can the people here find a way out of that cycle." Tanith: *Perhaps we can help the people Baltser: "We could try to be diplomatic but not deceptive." suggested Baltser "We do truly care for Gelia's safety. As for the caravan, it is true that waiting would give us an advantage but only if violence ends up necessary and at the cost of otehr people's lives..." Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded in agreement at Tanith's words. "As we aren't planning to fight, the numbers are less important. So we move soon?" Addir: Addir sighed mentally, "May Gad be with you all" as Addir uncomfortabely called upon the divine to help his friends out once he settled the gritty details should things go... poorly. Baltser: Baltser rummaged through their supplies looking for something they could use as a flag to signal their peaceful intention until he found an undershirt clean enough to pass for white. sd: once Addir had crept away, Baltser lashed the makeshift flag to a branch and held it aloft as he, Tanith and Ellyssa moved towards the foot of the pathway leading up. There was a surprised cry from the closest of the two wooden platforms overlooking the slope upwards, and they heard the noise of bows being nocked, but, thankfully, not loosed.
They stood for about a minute until a quartet of Serrazutti warriors, led by Anzili, stepped out at the top of the slope. Anzili called down to them. "You have a dozen bows aimed at you. If you want to live, listen carefully. You," she indicated Tanith, "come halfway up the slope, drop any weapons, then we'll come to get you. Once she's up here, you there," this was to Ellyssa, "do the same. When they're both up here, then you with the flag, you come last and do the same." Addir: Addir went off to hide and settled down trying to do his best to find the best route and if there are any patterns to the movements of the guards Tanith: Tanith glanced at the others, then moved forward slowly and laid her dagger down. Baltser: Baltser looked somewhat concerned as Tanith started walking up the slope, almost as if wishing he had been picked first, but he said nothing. Ellyssa: Ellyssa was standing very still, breathing calmly as though waiting to go on stage for a big performance. sd: Anzili and one of the other Serrazutti came down the upper path. The other Serrazutti warrior was a man in his early twenties, carrying a long spear and round shield. As they came, they once again stuck to the left hand side of the path, and this close up it was much easier to see that they were stepping carefully to avoid a trap. The Serrazutti man held his spear pointed at Tanith. "I'm going to collect your daggers now. If you make any moves towards me, you're dead," Anzili said to her. Her face was chiselled and hard. Tanith: Tanith just smiled back at her, still maintaining her air of grace despite hair and clothes bedraggled from the weather. sd: Anzili picked up the daggers. "Go between us. Keep to the left hand side, I'd rather not be hit by a boulder." She went ahead of Tanith while the other warrior went behind, spear at the ready. Tanith could see there were about eight or nine people up on the platforms above, all holding bows, and she could perceive other figures lining up behind this though the angle made it hard to determine numbers. sd: once they had brought Tanith almost to the top of the path, the other two Serrazutti warriors moved forward to keep watch on her while Anzili and the other made their way back down, gesturing to Ellyssa to come forward and repeat what had just happened with Tanith Ellyssa: Stepping carefully, Ellyssa made her way up to them. She laid her dagger down and stood upright, her face showing no hint of fear or tension. sd: Anzili looked her up and down. "You hold yourself like a chieftain," she said, picking up Ellyssa's dagger. Ellyssa: Ellyssa bowed slightly to the woman in appreciation of this compliment. "Owed to experience not position." sd: they led Ellyssa up next. Tanith had been searched carefully for hidden weapons in the interim, and now they repeated the process with Ellyssa while Anzili called out for Baltser to repeat the process Baltser: Baltser did as he was told, walking carefully up the slope and dropping his sword, dagger and shield, standing unarmed. sd: Baltser was led up to rejoin the others while Anzili took all the weapons and handed them over to one of the bandits at the platform. they were then led up to the plateau, with Anzili and the other three Serrazutti warriors forming a semi-circle around them.
Now that they were up here, they could get a better look at the bandit encampment. most of the huts dotted around the plateau were only barely functional as shelters, with broken roofs and crumbling walls. some remained completely broken, but others had been partially repaired, presumably the ones which were in use. At a rough guess there were probably enough for about fifty people, though surveying the scene they weren't sure there were that many people here.
the entire camp had been roused by this very unusual occurrence, and there were many figures gathering around a firepit roughly near the centre of the plateau, all looking in their direction. Although this was where most people were, they noticed two buildings had guards posted at them. One was the large building at the rear, where a shadowed figure with an unsheathed sword stood watch. The second was nearer, and was guarded by a broad-chested Serrazutti fighter with dark paint on his face, who carried a spear. He was guarding a small hut, which was in much better condition than all the others, with an intact roof and walls which had been well repaired.
"Come to the fire. We can talk there," Anzili said. There was a smell of rabbit coming from the fire - presumably the bandits had been hunting the surrounding lands to keep themselves fed. As they walked, Anzili gestured to the guard at the large building at the back of the encampment Ellyssa: Ellyssa came willingly towards the fire, appreciating the warmth. sd: there were perhaps a score of figures around the fire as they approached. they guessed that a little over half of them were Mythrians, and the others Serrazutti. there were some rough tables where it seemed some of them had been gambling, though these games had been abandoned when the three of them were spotted.
"Lowlanders, who are you, and how did you find this place?" Anzili demanded when they came near to the fire. As she spoke, they noticed that the guard at the large building at the back had disappeared briefly, but then quickly reemerged. He was a Mythrian, and wore a saber cat ring. Following after him were two others. The first, Hanno, they had seen before. Trailing after Hanno there was a tall Mythrian, dressed in a long and simple white linen tunic. He had dark eyes, short white hair, and a scraggly, unkempt white beard. He wore many rings, but like the other two Mythrians, one of these was the ivory saber cat ring. The three Mythrians all made their way towards the fire. Ellyssa: Ellyssa composed herself before replying. "We have come here by a complicated route, one we did not forsee bringing us to this place. All three of us have not long arrived in Mythrium and have been in Opis only a few days. My name is Ellyssa, and my companions are Tanith and Baltser." She indicated the others. "Since being here we have heard many conflicting stories of the people of this land, and particularly of the Serrazutti. Sifting for truth among all these tales, it seems to us that the Serrazutti have been painted as villians for the benefit of those who love power, and unjustly treated for many years. And so we sought to find these Serrazutti, and we seem to have done so." Ellyssa indicated the people standing about them. sd: "Those are very noble words," a man called out, "and they're true, but they don't explain how you found this hidden camp." The speaker was the tall, white-haired Mythrian, who now stepped forward ahead of Hanno. Even had Baltser not seen this figure in his vision of Gelia's abduction, they would have been able to ascertain that this must be Astartis. Ellyssa: Ellyssa bowed slightly in recognition. "We knew there had been raids on caravans, and that the raiders must have a base somewhere. So we started looking about for likely places, and noting comings and goings, eventually following two people who led us here." Ellyssa looked to Tanith. "My companion knows more of the Serrazutti and has something to impart." sd: at this, someone stood up from among the bandits. "Hopefully you'll be less boring about it than you were in the Baths!" Astapash shouted. "You followed us?" Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded, masking her dislike of this wretched woman. Tanith: "We followed you, yes. And I apologize for not revealing our interest in finding this place, but it did not seem likely you would lead us here willingly." Tanith looked around at Astapash, Hanno, Anzili, Astartis and others. "I came to this side of the sea carrying a precious object. It belonged to a man I knew. A friend. His name was Arnuwanda of the Mitanni. I owe it to his memory to see his amulet returned to his people. And I think some of them might be among you." sd: some of the Serrazutti stood at the mention of Arnuwanda's name. "Arnuwanda was our old chief," said Anzili. "Our current chief Suppiluliuma is his son."
Astartis stroked his chin. "In the last war with Mythrium, Arnuwanda was surrounded in battle and chose to surrender to Hannibal of the Magon rather than fight to the death," he said. "Mahsisapunuwa told me that his mother cursed him for his cowardice, a curse that was so strong because she was his blood, and she spilled out her life's blood when she spoke it. She cursed him to bear the amulet within his flesh until he atoned for his deeds and found a way to return the amulet to the Mitanni." sd: edit: because she was his kin sd: "I don't know anything about any of this crap," Astapash shouted. She pointed an angry finger at Tanith. "I may just be an idiot more interested in a pretty face and a good set of tits than any of this. But none of your fine words can disguise this from me. There were four of you in the Baths, and now there are three, drawing all of our attention to this one spot. Where's the other one? Is he skulking about? I reckon all this talk is intended as a distraction, a diversion, for some other purpose." She glanced at the small, guarded hut. Baltser: Baltser, who had been silent so far, spoke up, though he addressed the others rather than Astapash in particular, obviously finding the woman especially unpleasant . "We did not come here seeking violence, but we did understand the risks. Our friend is elsewhere with the amulet, as an insurance of sorts should we be harmed." sd: "A clever plan," Astartis said. "I think perhaps this conversation should be best had out of the open air, and without the entire camp listening in on it. Hanno, Baldo, with me. Anzili, why don't you get Didduli and Suppikuni and come and join us, there need to be representatives of the Mitanni present for this." Anzili looked very surprised.
"Wait, wait, these three are liars!" Astapash exploded. "We should put them to the question."
"I'm going to question them," Astartis said. "With more exactitude and less force than you ever would. Now, shut your mouth, I don't care for your prating."
Astapash's face was red with rage. "And I don't like your..."
She did not get to finish her sentence. Astartis made a sharp gesture and spoke a word, and his eyes blazed as he glared at Astapash. They felt their hackles rise at the surge of occult power, but whatever they felt must be a fraction of how Astapash felt. She gave a cry of terror, then flung herself down before the sorcerer, weeping and begging for forgiveness. sd: Astartis didn't even look at Astapash as she grovelled. "I apologise for that display," he said. "I want to speak to the three of you without so many ears around us. Come with me." Though his words were kind, they were also clearly not phrased as a suggestion.
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Post by sleepingdragon on Apr 27, 2024 16:52:28 GMT
sd: Astartis didn't even look at Astapash as she grovelled. "I apologise for that display," he said. "I want to speak to the three of you without so many ears around us. Come with me." Though his words were kind, they were also clearly not phrased as a suggestion. sd: Hanno and Astartis' bodyguard, Baldo, flanked the sorcerer, while Anzili was accompanied by two of the warriors who had helped bring the party up to the plateau, a lithe young man named Dudduli, and an older woman called Suppikuni, who had greying hair. Astartis and his guards headed towards the half-ruined building at the north end of Hatti, while Anzili and her entourage waited for the group Ellyssa: Ellyssa bowed slightly in calm acquiescence. She walked forward straight and cool as though onto a stage. sd: they followed after the sorcerer, with Anzili and her warriors trailing them. Astartis had taken some steps ahead, but slowed to let them catch up. "Oh, I'm forgetting myself. My name is Astartis. If you followed Hanno and Astapash here, then I suppose you might already know that," he said. "Also, don't be concerned by what just happened. I swear, I won't use any magic on you so long as you don't attack or try to escape." You whisper to Baltser: as Astartis spoke, Baltser also heard another voice, more faintly, from the direction of the hut that was under guard. "...happening out there?" the voice belonged to a young woman or girl. "Dagana? Stop ignoring me, you barbarian idiot! I can tell something is happening." Baltser: As they walked, Baltser's gaze lingered for a few moments on a hut that was guarded, but he said nothing. Ellyssa: Ellyssa raised her eyebrows at the word 'escape' but she remained silent. You whisper to Tanith: Astartis' assurances were sincere, she was sure. Although his words implied he was now considering them to be prisoners, there was a hidden eagerness in his voice as well, as if their appearance there was an opportunity and not just a threat. Tanith: At Astartis's words, Tanith looked to the others and gave a small nod of reassurance. sd: they continued towards the rear of the camp. Astartis quickly glanced over towards the guarded hut as well, and the Serrazutti on watch there nodded to him.
they passed through all the huts and tents and into the large building at the rear. This had likely been a smithy or some other kind of workshop in the past, but from what Tanith had read, Hatti had been abandoned for at least half a century and it was hard to tell what might have once been made here. They went through a rickety door, where Baldo resumed his watch, and into a spartan chamber where there was a bed, a shelf piled haphazardly with scrolls and a few books, and a round table around which there were a number of chairs. As it turned out, there were not nearly enough chairs, so Hanno, Dudduli, and Suppikuni remained standing while Astartis sat on the bed.
"I'm very interested in what is it that made you come here," said Astartis. "You said that the Serrazutti have been unjustly treated for many years, which is certainly true, but could refer to many things. Tell me, what have you heard about them? I suppose Arnuwanda could have told you many things," he nodded to Tanith. Tanith: "While he was a friend, he was a quiet man, particularly about his past," said Tanith. "I learned his parents' names - Mursili and Kururu - but not what they were to the clan. And I only really understood what the amulet was after his death." She shook her head sadly.
"But since arriving in Opis we have learned more of the violence inflicted in the last war, and the campaigns that have pushed these people farther into the hills over time. We came here with the goal of rescuing the girl Gelia from bandits. And we still wish to see her safe. But we also know the circumstances are not so black-and-white as we were first told, and so would prefer to see a peaceful exchange where the girl is made safe and there is a favorable outcome for the Serrazutti." Ellyssa: Ellyssa nodded her agreement with what Tanith had said. "Our recent arrival has been an advantage, allowing us to weigh up the situation with no axe to grind in this conflict." sd: when Gelia's name was mentioned, Anzili stared hot daggers in the sorcerer's direction. "Well I can see an easy exchange here," she began, but Astartis held up his hand.
"Peace, Anzili," he said. "You don't trust me, I know, but remember that Mahsisapunuwa and Suppiluliuma do." Astartis paused. "So you've arrived recently, and you were hired to try to rescue Gelia. I suppose Adurbaal might have hired you, or alternately one of the candidates for the sufetship, or one of their proxies. I'm curious as to which one, but that can wait. I also want a favourable outcome for the Serrazutti. What did you have in mind?" Ellyssa: "Firstly we should make clear we are not working for any of those groups, although we were approached when we first arrived. We are doing this for Sisa, the guardian of Gelia." Elllysa explained. Tanith: "Besides what we learned of the harships the Serrazutti have faced, we've learned in Mythrium and Opis that there are factions getting more and more bloodthirsty. Hamilcis of the Magon seeks the Sufetship in the tradition of his warlike ancestors, and in Opis Adonica of the Ulqi clamors for vengeance for her brother." Tanith shook her head. "Unless something is done, a war is coming soon, and not one the Serrazutti can win, I think. Returning Gelia with us, and having us as your advocates, might keep that bloodshed at bay." sd: Anzili laughed, but Astartis nodded. "A war could be coming soon yes...but the Serrazutti are already in a war for their survival, and have already seen more blood shed than you can imagine. What use are you as advocates to avoid a war with Mythrium? The Serrazutti are already not at war with Mythrium, but if things continue they could be completely destroyed." The sorcerer paused. "But the Serrazutti could use people speaking for them in Mythrium. If you're interested in advocating for them, I have an idea for how you can do it." Baltser: Baltser, who had been silent so far, spoke up, addressing the sorcerer: "We do want peace between the Serrazutti and Mythrium, but we also want Gelia to be completely unharmed and reassure her that she might be freed soon. Could you have her brought here with us? The poor girl has been through a lot." sd: "I could, but I won't, not now," Astartis said. "When we've finished our discussion, if you want to, then you can then speak to Gelia. However I have something I wanted to propose to you. I have a plan which would ensure peace, the survival of the Serrazutti, and, soon enough, freedom for Gelia as well. I think that with your help, it has a much better chance to succeed. However, before I give it to you, I need your oath that you won't breathe a word of this to anyone outside this room. This involves counsel which I have given to chief Suppiluliuma, that I have no right to reveal unless it will improve the chances for the Serrazutti to survive." Ellyssa: Ellyssa looked at the others questioningly, then returned her gaze to the sorcerer. "I am willing to give my word." Tanith: Tanith nodded. "I see no reason why we should not keep a secret. I swear to it." Baltser: Baltser, not sounding too surprised by Astartis' refusal to show them Gelia now, agreed with his companions "Very well. You have my word." sd: Addir remained hidden down below, keeping himself down low and hidden in the darkness, the stones, and the trees, keeping an eye on Hatti. Every now and again he would glance over at the path, wondering if he would see sign of his companions coming back down, but there was no sign at all. He guessed that at least an hour had to have passed since they had gone up onto the plateau. He wondered how long he should give it before he would need to clamber up the cliffs to go to their rescue.
It was the thought of the cliffs that caused his eyes to sweep back just in time to see it, the faintest sign of movement. He did not see a person, but there was one thing he glimpsed more certainly. For a brief moment, there was a rope hanging down that cliff, reaching to the rocky ground below, and then it coiled and vanished, as if pulled from below. sd: “I'll keep this as brief as I can,” said Astartis, clearing his throat. “I've been working towards this plan for some time. Some of the Serrazutti won't like it,” he glanced at Anzili, “but among the Mitanni, at least, I have convinced Mahsisapunuwa of it, and he has persuaded chief Suppiluliuma.”
”Through the raiding we've carried out, we've won a large amount of silver and gold, and Mahsisapunuwa has taken that back to the lands of the Mitanni. Over the winter, the Cytherians will have little hope of continuing their campaign so we should have a few months time to work. There are two things we're going to do with the money we've taken. There are some people in the Cytherian court who are open to bribery and will accept money to put Bannon on a leash and at least delay his attacks for a time when the spring comes. Otherwise, Suppiluliuma will be sending gifts to the chiefs of other Serrazutti tribes and asking them to come to a great assembly in the spring. In the past, when faced with a great task, the tribes of the Serrazutti have come together in a temporary confederation for a number of months or even a year or two, and we intend to create another of these.”
”Even under unified leadership I'm unconvinced we can beat the Cytherians at the moment, but perhaps we don't have to.” Astartis paused. “The Mythrian League is currently in very poor shape to fight a war. Mythrium lost most of a generation to the plague, and it has large swaths of land that have lain useless for a decade. On the other hand, the Serrazutti have many people, but their lands are being stolen by the Cytherians. In short, the Mythrians and the Serrazutti both have what the other wants.”
”Now exactly what the new Serrazutti confederation will do is up to the assembled chiefs. If they take my advice, however – and Suppiluliuma will suggest that they do – then they'll ignore the Cytherians, who will be temporarily bribed into inaction, and instead march directly towards the Mythrian League. We will present the new Sufets with this offer.”
”The Serrazutti tribes within the confederation will be permitted to settle within their ancestral lands around Opis. These tribes and the Mythrian League will agree that they will defend each other in the event of war. Since Mythrium will now be allied with the Serrazutti, even people as stupid as the rulers of Mythrium will realise it's not in their interest to see them slaughtered and enslaved, and they'll be bound to defend the Serrazutti if the Cytherians resume their attacks. I think the risk of war with Mythrium and the Serrazutti will dissaude them from this. A war with Mythrium would sever all of Cytheria's western trade.”
Astartis sighed. “Of course, the Sufets would never, ever agree to this entirely of their own free will. Merchants and politicans are never going to be persuaded by an appeal to reason, justice, history, or sanity. They only care about money and power, and the only way to persuade them is to threaten these things. The Serrazutti will therefore inform the new Sufets that if they reject the offer, then we will invade and force it on them, but on much, much worse terms.”
”We don't want this, obviously. By Ba'al, the Serrazutti have seen enough blood! However, a lot depends oon which Sufets we're dealing with. You've already mentioned Hamilcis of the Magon – he actively wants a war with the Serrazutti, so that he can, in his mind, finish what his uncle turned father started. It's absolutely essential that he loses the election so that he doesn't get the chance. I have an idea of how we can make sure of this. It will need your help, though, and I'm sorry to say that for it to work, Gelia has to remain a hostage until after the elections.” Addir: Addir narrowed his eyes at the clifface and his mouth widen in a smile, His fingers itched as if he is tempted to go on a hunt. His eyes and ears yearned to pick any quiet flutter of the sound as he attempted to position himself to find whomever it is. Will this person be an enemy or a game he wondered to himself. sd: confident that he could remain hidden, Addir crept towards where he had seen the rope fall. He crawled along carefully, keeping himself low, and making sure he didn't scuff against any loose stones that would make noise and give him away.
after a few minutes, he heard a crunching noise, as if someone had knelt on stones, and he continued towards the source of the noise. Spotting where the ground curved slightly, he moved to the low ground, using the lip of the hillock as cover, allowing him to sneak very close.
"...Ba'als balls, this isn't easy to do in the dark." Addir recognised Astapash's voice instantly. She was kneeling in the stones about twenty feet ahead of him. There were two other people with her. One had his back to Addir and was shrouded in a thick cloak against the late autumn chill. Facing towards Addir was a rugged looking man - even with the dark, Addir could see that the shape of his face was very close to Astapash's, which meant that this was presumably her brother, Yirakh, who he had heard mentioned previously, when they had eavesdropped on the conversation with Tanis beneath the Baths. Addir: Addir frowned as he considered the odds of attacking them. If it was a single person, he would be sorely tempted but for now, he will stay and listen, maybe he can get some useful information. Still, he prepared himself should he get spotted. Tanith: "The elections are many weeks away. It's a long time to keep a child held prisoner," said Tanith with a frown. "What makes Gelia necessary to keep Hamilcis from winning?" sd: Astapash stood up and the three moved forward, away from the cliff face. After a minute or so Astapash knelt and began looking again.
Yirakh glanced nervously up at the ledge. "We should just leave," he said. "Before the sorcerer notices that we're gone, staying this close puts us in danger."
"No, no," said the third bandit, who had a man's voice. "You said there was only one of them, right? He has this amulet the barbarians want, it must be worth a fair few shekels."
"Shekels we won't be able to collect on if we get found because we've barely put any distance between us and this place," Yirakh retorted.
Astapash looked up. "Aqhat is right, we can afford a few minutes at least. Trying to remember what I saw of the fucker at the Baths, but I was distracted by the tattooed woman's tits. Smiling man, if I remember right. Three of us should be able to make short work of him." Addir: Addir smiled ever wider as he considered the ways to ambush them. After all, it is an act of self defence, and hopefully he can teach them that underestimating him would be the very last mistakes they ever make. sd: "Her mouth and her brain," Astartis replied. "I suspect you already know this, but to be brief - I kidnapped Gelia in order to blackmail Adurbaal, the lead councillor in Opis, because he believes he's her father. It might even be true, I don't know. He has been working with us, under duress, passing on information about what caravans are coming this way that we can attack, and delaying any action that might result in a large group of guards heading our way. While she's been hostage with us, it's been absolutely impossible to keep someone as bright as Gelia from finding out about all of this. Astapash is hardly the only person here with a loose tongue. When Gelia can be persuaded to stop vowing to kill and destroy me and everything I love, she instead directs her anger at Adurbaal and his treason. If she's released, she will immediately go to Adonica and tell her everything. Adurbaal is one of the chief clients of Philozir of the Ahira, one of the leading candidates for Sufet - if this kind of scandal comes out during the election, it will completely ruin his chances and ensure Hamilcis wins. Of course it will also make things harder for peace, once it comes out that Gelia was actually abducted by a Mythrian working with the Serrazutti. Why, any demagogue with even half a brain will start whipping up mobs, warning them that they need to look out for dangerous, subversive fifth columnists in league with the 'barbarians'." Ellyssa: "We heard of Philozir when we were in Mythrium," Ellyssa said thoughfully. "And the man who approached us to find Gelia wanted us to also find proof of Adurbaal's trreachery. it is like putting your hand into a nest of snakes!" She sighed. But although we understand why you are doing this, how can you hope to keep Gelia secure and hidden for another two months? It only requires someone to be working against you... say a disgruntled bandit like that Astapash woman...someone who might release Gelia, or even do something to her." sd: "Easily," Astartis replied. "I'll take her back to the Mitanni. This wouldn't have been safe in the summer, with the war, but campaigning in the winter will be impossible. If you're willing to return Arnuwanda's amulet, and to help us with something in Mythrium, then I'm happy to set a date on, say, the day after the election, where Mahsisapunuwa and I will come to meet you and return Gelia into your care." Ellyssa: Ellyssa looked from one to the other of her companions. "We need to discuss this among ourselves." Tanith: "You are as canny as any of those politicians," said Tanith. "You create a danger for yourself with your capture of the girl, but one that we must help solve lest we jeopardize things we care about." Her tone held some venom, but also a hint of admiration. "Before we decide if we are willing, what is this task in Mythrium?" Addir: Knowing that they are looking for him specifically, Addir moved furtively away, softly like a cat on a hunt for a game. As he did so, Addir considered a plan on how to ambush these games in tenebrous surroundings. sd: Astartis looked annoyed. "Oh so I created a danger did I?" He looked like he wanted to say more, but he shook his head. "I'll let that particular ignorant remark pass. Very well. You probably know already. One of the positions for Sufet will all but certainly be won by Elisha of the Bomil." The hatred in Astartis' voice when he spoke that name had more layers than any onion. "The question is whether her colleague will be Hamilcis, or Philozir. I want you to speak to her and persuade her that she should openly endorse Philozir as her preferred colleague. When I blackmailed Adurbaal, I made him give me a signet ring and a signed letter of friendship with the Serrazutti. I will give you these. When you speak to Elisha, explain how I've blackmailed Adurbaal. Give her the ring first, but keep the letter back until after she has endorsed Philozir. Elisha is a greedy and repulsive woman, but she's clever enough to realise that having this information will give her immense leverage over Philozir. A few subtle threats, and she might as well be serving as sole Sufet for all that he'll be willing to threaten her." Astartis paused.
"Of course, I should also point out, as I know from extremely bitter experience, that Adonica of the Ulqi is Elisha's client. Her knowledge of Adurbaal's treason will be the leverage she has over Philozir, so it will be entirely in her interest to make sure that Adonica shuts up and stops demanding bloody and thoroughgoing revenge. This should make it much safer to actually release Gelia when the time comes." sd: Addir crept away, and looked for a spot where the tree cover was thicker and the starlight barely filtered through. Quickly, he piled up stones, and stones into the rough shape of a man crouching low, and draped some leaves over this to suggest a cloak. Then he ghosted away, waiting for the bandits to spot his decoy. Tanith: Tanith's face was passive, but her own irritation was growing at Astartis's confidence that his convoluted plan for Mythrian politics was the best way to assure the safety of the people who had adopted him. As he spoke, she watched Anzili for a reaction to the proposal. You whisper to Tanith: Anzili was looking more and more annoyed and impatient. She suspected that the Serrazutti warrior would have sharp words with Astartis the instant that they were out of the group's earshot sd: Addir found a comfortable spot and waited. after only a few minutes, the trio of bandits were in view again, with Astapash at their head. "Wait..." she said softly. She stopped and spoke into her brother's ear, far too quietly for Addir to have any chance of hearing it, however it was clear enough what the intent was. Astapash and the man called Aqhat drew swords and began to advance towards Addir's decoy. Astapash circled round to the left and around the decoy, while Aqhat went to the right. Yirakh stayed back, drawing a bow, as if to cut off any chance of retreat. Addir had a great view of his back and shoulders, and the distance between Yirakh and the other two bandits was only increasing further. Tanith: After a few moments of quiet, Tanith replied. "You have clearly thought through many details of this plan. It may well work. And as a group, we have little choice but to accept the risk, if our alternative is Gelia goes unreleased, caravan attacks continue, and things spin out of control on all fronts. But it is indeed a risk. What if there are plans in motion that you have missed, being far from the city? Elisha might see other uses for this information on Adurbaal than leverage over Philozir. Or Adonica might find shelter with Hamilcis and lend him a powerful voice, if she does not appreciate Elisha's pressure."
She looked over toward Anzili before looking back at Astartis. "I am not saying those concerns will come true, or that you are wrong. But you are not just asking us to put our faith in you. You're asking the Serrazutti. I have to wonder if Arnuwanda would have liked me putting his peoples' fate in the care of a plan involving the webs of Mythrian politics. So it is hard for me to agree without knowing that they believe in you, and not just in the displays of magical power you wield." Ellyssa: Ellyssa indicated her agreement with all that Tanith had said. "You have set a dangerous course which will have to navigate multiple risks, any of which can lead to disaster. So much reliance on how people will react, but they are not pieces on a gaming board, and all it needs is for one of them to move the wrong way." Addir: Addir leaned forward and in the ever cold darkness, he reached toward Yirakh with the dagger in his right hand like a child reaching for a sweet and with a quick movement of his dagger, Addir managed to slit Yirakh's throat and as he covered Yirakh's to reduce the wet bloody gurgle reaching the other two. The body slumped towards the ground as Addir attempted to catch it while Astapash and Aqhat approached the decoy ever closer. He finally got the corpse down silently but wasted precious seconds as he dealt with distangling his hand from the body. He eyed the other two virtually at the decoy's position as Addir made ready for the fight. sd: Astartis stood up. "Of course you're right. This is a complicated plan, and a dangerous one. Even many of the Serrazutti will not like this, because it will mean making an agreement with the Mythrians, who they don't love. But the Serrazutti don't need to put all their faith in me. As I said, the Mitanni will summon other tribes in the spring to form a confederation. And it's only when that confederation is formed that the Serrazutti themselves will decide what they want, as is their right. I and Mahsisapunuwa and Suppiluliuma will try to persuade them to try to reach an agreement with Mythrium, but if they reject our counsel then that's their right."
"As to whether the Serrazutti believe in me..." Astartis took a breath. Ellyssa had the immediate impression of someone on stage, about to deliver an especially dramatic monologue. "When I was in the Mythrian League, I lost everything. My grandparents and my sisters died of the plague, and I was left with ruinous debts, which I could never repay. I tried to repay Adonica by cheating at dice and that only made me more enemies. I fled with bounty hunters after me. In all my time in Mythrium, my own people gave me nothing, and demanded much." "I killed two of the three bounty hunters, but the third wounded me and I fled. I was delirious from the wound and I was praying that I would die before I could be captured and taken off into thralldom. But I lived, because Mahsisapunuwa of the Mitanni found me first, and when the bounty hunter tried to take me, Mahsisapunuwa killed him. He had no reason to help me, but he risked all for me, and he brought me back to the Mitanni to be healed. The Serrazutti demanded nothing from me, and gave me much. They nursed me back to health, and I swore I would repay them or die in the attempt."
"When the Cytherians began their massacres, we hoped that if General Bannon were quickly killed then perhaps the Cytherians would be dissuaded. Only the Serrazutti couldn't get close to him. There were other Mythrians living among the Mitanni now - myself, and Hanno, and four others. We all agreed to try to kill Bannon, except for Hanno, who was ill."
Astartis paused, and pulled down the top of his long robe, uncovering his rleft houlder and breast. An ugly, jagged purple scar was there, inches from his heart. "I bitterly regret that I failed. I should have died with the others, but if I lived, I knew I might still have some chance to redeem myself. The Serrazutti are brave and honourable people, but only a few of them know how to think the way that the treacherous and detestable rulers of Mythrium do. I, however, know them far too well. Mahsisapunuwa and Suppiluliuma know this, and they've put their trust in me. I swear, on the graves of my sisters, of my parents, of my grandparents, I will repay them. I will never fail the Serrazutti again!" sd: Anzili looked uncertain. "Astartis, we should talk outside, they wanted to consult among themselves and may as well do so in here," she said. The sorcerer nodded. "Make your decision then. Of course, if you have a better plan for how the Serrazutti can survive, please tell me. I can't begin to describe how angry it makes me that we might need to deal with someone as wretched as Elisha, but the lives of the Serrazutti matter more than my vendetta." Addir: Glancing at the two enemies in front of him, Addir decided to go for Aqhat leaving for female game to last. He crept forward, taking advantage of the darkness unlit by the stars. Once again, as he did with Yirakh, his dagger took the advantage of the Addirs decoy getting full attention of Aqhat'. His dagger ever quickly slit Aqhat's throat, as blood bled from the gap and the death rattle rattled from Aqhat. This time, he didn't bother catching the collapsing body as he pulled out a dagger covered in posion. Addir smile widened as if he found this whole thing entertaining as his cold pitiless eyes looking at Astapash, his bloodlust rising at killing another game. sd: just as Addir struck, Astapash had got close enough to the decoy to realise it was a fake. Her eyes widened, and then she looked up to where her brother had been. "Yirakh?" she called out.
Then Addir struck, and she turned to see Aqhat's body hit the ground. From the look in her eyes, it was clear that she immediately knew what had become of her brother. "YIRAKH!" she screamed, heedless of the camp nearby. Astapash raised her blade and barrelled towards Addir.
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