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+ | < | ||
+ | turn:21 | ||
+ | title: | ||
+ | start: | ||
+ | end: | ||
+ | posted_date: | ||
+ | weather: | ||
+ | location:in the town of Maelbourg, the Barony of Huerten, the Kingdom of Rang | ||
+ | xp_salhman: | ||
+ | xp_ziedon: | ||
+ | xp_kay: | ||
+ | xp_ardith: | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon looked at the group and their sad state of appearance and | ||
+ | made a suggestion. " | ||
+ | ourselves. Ulan can wait until we are presentable." | ||
+ | his staff, he looked around for someone he could ask a question of. The | ||
+ | appearance of the group prevented most people from coming near them, | ||
+ | but eventually, Ziedon caught a tall, burly, black-haired man who | ||
+ | looked like he'd seen worse than a party of five worn adventurers. | ||
+ | " | ||
+ | priced Inn where such travellers as we can rest for the night?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | mod' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon smiled at the man and then turned to the group. "I could use | ||
+ | the rest. To Grabble' | ||
+ | and some food." The man seemed momentarily insulted, but then shrugged | ||
+ | his shoulders and walked off. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith wearily pointed out, "The inn may or may not have baths. We | ||
+ | might have to go to the bath houses near the House of Morenth, but | ||
+ | let's go and establish ourselves at the inn and find out." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A decent hot meal wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The working hours had not yet ended, and there were few travelers | ||
+ | about, so the inn was not busy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon walked over to the bar using his staff for support, and asked | ||
+ | the bartender for the innkeeper. He left his hood up as he waited, | ||
+ | preferring not to become the center of attention in the large common | ||
+ | room, but he could not help but draw attention to himself. The group of | ||
+ | travelers were too odd a sight to avoid side glances and quiet remarks. | ||
+ | When the innkeeper arrived, Ziedon said to him, "My companions and I | ||
+ | have travelled far and require rooms and baths. I would like my own | ||
+ | room, now please." | ||
+ | the baths, but he then smiled. " | ||
+ | here are the ones around the House. As for a room, though, there are | ||
+ | several empty ones available. Haven' | ||
+ | recently." | ||
+ | group was still carrying. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon' | ||
+ | 'No baths other than the ones run by the local priests? That seems odd. | ||
+ | Was the innkeeper concerned because he could not provide a service, or | ||
+ | because of the request itself? This requires further investigation.' | ||
+ | To the innkeeper, he said "I would like my travel garb and clothing | ||
+ | cleaned. Can you do that here, or must I head to the House for that as | ||
+ | well?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | launderers, but there' | ||
+ | a bit. There are a couple launderers making business around the bath | ||
+ | houses as well." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon asked directions from the innkeeper for a modest bath near | ||
+ | the House. Remembering his lack of money, he then asked, "Where might I | ||
+ | find a merchant who deals in exotic items?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "' | ||
+ | be on the streets today, but there' | ||
+ | House of Morenth." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "How do I get there and how do I recognize his house?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | Morenth engraved into the door. If ya haven' | ||
+ | has images of three snakes tangled on its edges, and an eight-legged | ||
+ | goat in the middle." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I have been dirty for so long, I have forgotten how it feels to be | ||
+ | clean. I will meet you all after my cleansing," | ||
+ | before leaving the inn. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith stepped up to the counter. "My cousin and I," she said, | ||
+ | gesturing to Kay, "wish to share a double room. Have ye such?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I have a room with two cots. You can have it for ten silver coins a | ||
+ | night, and it'll be six a night for those of you who want a room to | ||
+ | yourselves." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "My cousin and I could also make use of baths, a launderer and a | ||
+ | seamstress. Our way was interrupted and our clothing is the worse for | ||
+ | wear. We encountered a storm and had to make rude shelter." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, that was quite a flood." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The strange man who checked in before us assisted us in making our | ||
+ | way to the shelter of your fine city. I give him credit for his | ||
+ | knowledge and stamina. He must be tired to exhaustion. Forgive his | ||
+ | lapse of manners." | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith and Kay each produced five silvers, took the keys, and went | ||
+ | upstairs. The room was entirely unimpressive. There were four walls, | ||
+ | about eight feet across from each other, and two cots on opposite | ||
+ | sides of the room. The floor was dusty but not dirty. A cheap candle- | ||
+ | holder with about an inch of candle left rested on a small table. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | lot, Ardith!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Nay, sister, you assume too little. People are too easily wont to | ||
+ | assume a relationship of darker meaning, and blood-lines make for | ||
+ | better reasons. We need to conserve our meager funds, and though I like | ||
+ | our male companions, I do not wish to share lodging with them -- at | ||
+ | least not as yet." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kay giggled, "I see what you mean. Then, thank you, ' | ||
+ | your wisdom." | ||
+ | |||
+ | After determining that their spare clothing had survived the | ||
+ | journey, Ardith and Kay headed for the baths, launderers and | ||
+ | seamstresses. The bath houses consisted of several buildings, separate | ||
+ | ones for men and woman. Inside, statues of Morenth lined the walls, and | ||
+ | the floors were clean and well-polished. The baths smelled foul from | ||
+ | the number of people who had used them, but they served their purpose. | ||
+ | Once clean, and in their spare clothes, they headed back to Grabble' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon took his pack and followed the innkeeper' | ||
+ | stopped at the house with the large Sign of Morenth, and politely | ||
+ | knocked on the door. After a moment, a servant opened the door of the | ||
+ | large house. Ziedon explained that he had been referred by Grabble the | ||
+ | innkeeper to the master of the house, and that he had something the | ||
+ | master might be interested in. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Show me what you have," the servant said bluntly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon looks around momentarily and said with a scowl, "Not in the | ||
+ | street. Let me in so the entire world doesn' | ||
+ | escorted into a wide entranceway, | ||
+ | "What I have," Ziedon said, "is an item from the far reaches of the | ||
+ | world." | ||
+ | appointment to see the master of the house but if you would convey my | ||
+ | compliments and the nature of my trade, I would be grateful." | ||
+ | said the last words he pulled out a copper piece and touched it to the | ||
+ | stone. The servant seemed only mildly impressed by the soft light that | ||
+ | emanated from the stone in the well-lit doorway. Nevertheless, | ||
+ | left to find the master. A short hallway extended before him. Its walls | ||
+ | were lined with closed doors and beutiful paintings with gold frames. | ||
+ | Beyond the hallway was a large room full of artifacts from around the | ||
+ | world. Ziedon did not recognise any of what he saw, but he was sure | ||
+ | this collector had seen things more impressive than a glowing rock. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Upon the master' | ||
+ | of the other. The master looked at Ziedon' | ||
+ | "What have you to show me?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Sir, I have been told that you are a collector of fine items. I am | ||
+ | a traveller who has ranged far in his wanderings and have happened to | ||
+ | see many things." | ||
+ | hurry his explanations. "I have brought this here for your approval." | ||
+ | Ziedon held out the small stone and turned it at every angle. The man | ||
+ | nodded. Ziedon touched the stone with a copper piece, at which it | ||
+ | glowed warmly. The collector looked at it and nodded. 'If he is an | ||
+ | honest man," Ziedon thought, "he will attempt to haggle and trade with | ||
+ | me. If he is dishonest he will make a half-hearted attempt to haggle | ||
+ | but will refuse in the end and send some sort of ruffians to take the | ||
+ | item. I have need to be careful.' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As you can see, it is a mystical rock that lights with an inner | ||
+ | fire upon being touched by metal." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yes, yes. I'll give you twenty gold coins for it." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon looked over the man and decided that he really did not have a | ||
+ | great interest in the item and that haggling would probably not be the | ||
+ | best approach to pursue. "Ah, Sir. As you can see, I am dirty and | ||
+ | almost penniless and thus have no choice but to accept your offer. | ||
+ | Perhaps if my wanderings take me in this direction again we shall do | ||
+ | business once more." Once the gold was presented to Ziedon, he handed | ||
+ | the stone to the collector, who turned his head and walked away. A | ||
+ | servent took the stone from Ziedon, and opened the door for him. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon walked to the baths, cleaned himself and had his clothing | ||
+ | cleaned. On his way to the bath houses and back to Grabble' | ||
+ | occasionally as if taking in the sights of the town, in order to be | ||
+ | sure he wasn't being followed. On his way back, he stopped by a | ||
+ | clothier' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Sahl had almost decided that the best way to solve his quandary | ||
+ | concerning Ardith would be to avoid it, and her. In fact, he _had_ made | ||
+ | that decision. It was short-lived, | ||
+ | how foolish it would be to do such a thing, and how foolish it would | ||
+ | look to the others, his friends. No, there had to be some other answer. | ||
+ | People everywhere are able to share feelings with those close to them, | ||
+ | and to benefit from so doing. Surely it was not so hard a trick. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lost in thought, Sahl was only marginally aware of the things going | ||
+ | on around him as the shabby little group entered Maelbourg -- not only | ||
+ | thoughts of Ardith, either. What Sahl would have termed his more | ||
+ | practical side was keeping itself busy trying to work out a plan to | ||
+ | locate or contact Ulan. To that point, neither endeavor had been | ||
+ | particularly successful, which left the easterner in something of a | ||
+ | sour mood. | ||
+ | |||
+ | He might as well have been a zombie all through the visit to | ||
+ | Grabble' | ||
+ | for a room by the time the others had arranged for baths and mending of | ||
+ | clothes. Hopefully, it would not be too late to do so upon his return. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The bath proved to be an amazing catalyst for his good spirits. | ||
+ | Not long before, Sahl would never have been able to conceive of a | ||
+ | building filled with water for bathing in. In the desert, one cleaned | ||
+ | himself with sand, saving the precious water only for drinking. The man | ||
+ | grinned as he vigorously applied soap to his grimey arms and legs, | ||
+ | remembering that he also never would have been able to imagine solid | ||
+ | sheets of water falling from the heavens. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finally, long after all his fingers and toes took on the aspect of | ||
+ | shrivelled fruit, the water-logged Sahl emerged from the bath house | ||
+ | wearing bright, clean garments, and felt ready for whatever might | ||
+ | happen. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The people of Maelbourg were not likely to know how to mend desert | ||
+ | clothes, so Sahl found a seemstress and arranged to buy a needle, some | ||
+ | thread, and a small amount of cloth for much more than they were worth. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Afterwords, Sahlman returned to the inn and asked Galgewe if he | ||
+ | would like to share a room. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "But lord," the servant of Balban responded, " | ||
+ | prefer a room of your own." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Not being much in the mood to go into lengthy explanations with | ||
+ | Galgewe, Sahl sighed and did as the red-haired man suggested. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finally, Sahlman suggested that the group to meet for a nice hot | ||
+ | meal in the dining room at Grabble' | ||
+ | proceed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Yeah, let's eat," Kay agreed. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Good idea, Sahl," Ardith smiled. " | ||
+ | ourselves, in a corner." | ||
+ | had been during the day, but Ardith managed to find a corner table. | ||
+ | |||
+ | When all were assembled, and all had ordered and received drinks, | ||
+ | Ardith addressed the company, occasionally sipping from a flagon of | ||
+ | ale. "So, has anyone any ideas about how to find this Ulan? We have | ||
+ | little information about him to go on, and this town is pretty large. I | ||
+ | doubt it would help us to draw any more attention to ourselves than we | ||
+ | already have. It seems that people here are not accustomed to seeing a | ||
+ | party of well-armed folks roaming around town!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "The moons take that idea and any like it!" shouted Kay. "I am what | ||
+ | I am, and let them lump their silly ideas!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Easy, Kay," Ardith said, calmly. "I did not say we should try to | ||
+ | appear other than what we are, only that we need not draw more | ||
+ | attention to ourselves than we already are drawing. And, we need to | ||
+ | find this Ulan person. How shall we do that, without drawing more | ||
+ | attention to ourselves, and to the object of our search? It would do | ||
+ | none of us, nor Ulan, any good, I deem, if we attract attention from | ||
+ | the current leaders of this town!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | A waitress approached and Ardith signalled quiet. They remained | ||
+ | quiet until the girl took their orders and left. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Feeling like an entirely different man with his bright, clean | ||
+ | clothes next to his skin, Sahl set to his meal vigorously. Hot, fresh | ||
+ | stew, warm bread, and a tankard of ale which was tasty, if a bit weak, | ||
+ | were at the center of Sahl's attention. He came up with a start as he | ||
+ | realized that the others were all looking expectantly at him. A moment | ||
+ | spent wiping his mouth provided an opportunity for the foreigner to | ||
+ | concentrate on what the others had just been saying. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Ulan, yes," he began. "It is Ulan that Sahlman was thinking about | ||
+ | earlier, in the baths. Balban has told us that this Ulan is called | ||
+ | ' | ||
+ | governs Maelbourg? I am thinking that this may be so. As the Lassal | ||
+ | Faaruk govern Tchu' | ||
+ | business to make living, you see. We must find the business of Ulan. | ||
+ | This cannot have be much difficult. Secret business will make | ||
+ | difficulty for profits, yes?" Sahl shoveled in another mouthful of stew | ||
+ | and looked expectantly at the others. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A good thought, Sahl," Ardith said around a mouthful of bread. | ||
+ | "There may indeed be a town organization of businessmen, | ||
+ | Rotary Club. We need find how to contact them, and how to be at one of | ||
+ | their meetings. Perhaps our host is a member. Mayhap we should ask | ||
+ | him?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kay burst forth, "No! If we do that, we blow our cover!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sahl was somewhat bewildered by Kay's sentence, but agreed with | ||
+ | Ardith that asking the proprietor of the establishment about an | ||
+ | association of business owners in Maelbourg would be a good idea. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon sat at the table, his staff leaning up against the wall | ||
+ | behind him, his elbows on the table, his fingers laced together, and | ||
+ | his thumbs underneath his chin. It looked like all of his weight was | ||
+ | resting on his arms as Ziedon seemed to collapse inwardly, looking more | ||
+ | fatigued and tired than he had been in a long time. His hood was pulled | ||
+ | back from his head, exposing gaunt features that seemed to bear a | ||
+ | closer resemblance to a skull with each passing day. Slowly, Ziedon | ||
+ | began to speak, his vision fixed upon the door leading into the Inn, | ||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Galgewe had been eating his soup slowly, and nearly jumped out of | ||
+ | his chair when he heard the sudden question directed at him. He quickly | ||
+ | composed himself and replied. "I have not before been to Maelbourg, | ||
+ | m' | ||
+ | and his servants would be in his own house." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon nodded as he lost himself in thought. 'Would it be best to | ||
+ | search out the government buildings?' | ||
+ | what Ulan looks like. It would be folly to go asking for him by name, | ||
+ | or would it?' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Finally noticing that his food was present, Ziedon reached into his | ||
+ | pouch and brought both hands together over his bowl. With a brisk | ||
+ | sliding motion, he dropped small bits of herbs into the bowl. After a | ||
+ | few seconds, Ziedon brushed off the sparse remains that were still on | ||
+ | his hands and ate slowly. Ziedon said nothing as he ate, but listened | ||
+ | to the group and continued to watch the door. Occasionally, | ||
+ | shifted from a detached look at the door to a piercing, calculating | ||
+ | glance at Galgewe. | ||
+ | |||
+ | After he finished eating, Ziedon pushed his bowl away from him and | ||
+ | sat up straight in his chair. He brought his hands together under his | ||
+ | robe and spoke. "I have a suggestion. We could send Galgewe to find out | ||
+ | where the government buildings are. I do not think it would be wise to | ||
+ | ask the innkeeper. Once we find the buildings, one of us could enter | ||
+ | them, claiming to be a messenger for Ulan, bringing news from his | ||
+ | relatives from afar. This would be truthful in a sense and should not | ||
+ | cause that much alarm." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A good idea, Ziedy," | ||
+ | send Galgewe to find the government buildings while the rest of us look | ||
+ | and listen around the market area." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh, good," Kay said, grinning. | ||
+ | gossip in the market." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon arched an eyebrow at Ardith and wondered if he should make an | ||
+ | issue out of the annoying name that she had used more than once now for | ||
+ | him. Thinking only briefly on the matter, Ziedon decided that if he | ||
+ | were to say anything at all, it would probably spur her on. Instead, | ||
+ | he spoke on the more pressing issue. "Is it agreeable to all? Superb. | ||
+ | I shall now retire for the night. Sleep well," Ziedon finished with a | ||
+ | look at Ardith, "all of you." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Sahlman knew that he was far less knowledgeable of the ways of the | ||
+ | wetlanders than were his companions, and felt that Zeidon' | ||
+ | Ardith' | ||
+ | his own. That being the case, he concurred with the consensus on | ||
+ | Zeidon' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The group finished eating, and all went up to their rooms. Before | ||
+ | sleeping, Ziedon watched the orb his master had given him, and saw | ||
+ | nothing. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||
+ | Well, not the most exciting of turns, and a little late, but I think | ||
+ | it will lead up to some more interesting turns. Please start responding | ||
+ | to this turn soon, preferably before the sixteenth, because the next | ||
+ | turn will probably be another long one. You will all sleep the night | ||
+ | safely, and can start your search for Townsman Ulan in your responses. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith: Your fall holiday is in three days, on 9/1, the middle of fall. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Just so you all can keep your records strait, here's what you all spent and recieved this turn: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Salhman: -120cp, got a needle and white thread | ||
+ | |||
+ | Kay: -28cp | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ziedon: +17.95gp and two small belt pouches, lost a rock | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ardith: -28cp | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | |||