Writeup 22nd April 2022 – The Greatest Heist episode 5

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

What of Farshad and Utana, what happened in their attempt to get a message to summon troops from the Haraxan Kingdom

Not stopping for the rest of the feast, Utana and Farshad try to slip quietly away. It is not subtle, but, louWhat of Farshad and Utana, what happened in their attempt to get a message to summon troops from the Haraxan Kingdomdly announcing that they are seeking the facilities, they make their stealthy exit.

They are let out the gates and take their riding beasts and make for a pathway up into the hills, a shortcut Utana identified. they climb up and take a pathway leading to a flat area, home to some scrubby bushes and some oblivious goats..

However, the exit is blocked. Three men, amed but not armoured, sit by their hobbled horses. They are on watch, weapons handy, but they haven’t seen the pair yet.

The duo ponders, an attempt to steal past and race off would still mean a pursuit, better not to be seen. Utana quietly motions back away, there is a more difficult, more treacherous route that they could try, hardly more than a goat track, and so they climb, cloaks around them in the cold air, unti they are far enough away to rest. During his watch Utana, thinks through his survey and looks ahead to the route for the morning, and the information he needs to pass on to the troops that will come this way.

False dawn sees them travel on, but it is not long before they notice patrols, riding near where tracks meet, more of the same riders. Farshad and Utana observe, watching the patterns, picking their moment before they ride through the patrols and on for the border fort

They luck, which has held till now, ends, and they are pursued, the riders, on more rested horses, catching up, javelins fly past the heads of our heroes until Farshad makes the ultimate sacrifice.

He jettisons the false hump of his “”camel””, it bounces and careens wildly, causing the pursuers to have to take action as their spooked horses lose the plot. It buys the two enough time to get under the shelter of the fort. The haughty Haraxan noble accosts a soldier, the easy manner of command swiftly establishing who is in charge.

A courier is to be sent to the nearby garrison town of Churantash, where troops are awaiting the call. Utana hands over his message tablet, and quickly adds more notes on a fresh tablet concerning routes to the Bardij, and what sort of welcome to expect there.

The pair water, feed and rest their horses, remounts are provided, and an escort of two, as they prepare for the journey back to their prize

And, upon their return?

Morning breaks over the city of Bardij. The market camps at the Ishtir Gate and Haraxa Gate are striking, some merchants will return, others will continue on, and the gate guards and tax collectors are ready.

Although Farshad and Utana are gone, the remaining group must find accomodation in the city, and await the results of their machinations. They choose the Caravanserai where Farshad once entertained the crowds, and got stabling for their beasts and awaited news of what was befalling the city.

Rumours came in as people arrived for food and drink in the open air area where the locals were accustomed to eat rather than at home. The main temple was struck with many of the clergy falling ill, expelling much through vomiting worse, their limbs stiffening and weighing heavy, the temples afflicted by a noxious smell that their new incense seemed to make worse, rather than better.

On top of that, there was disruption at the building and manufacturing sites, as guards and scribes from the Servant of the Land were examining records against materials allegedly bought against those used and in store.

As the group listened to the chat, and considered how they had achieved all that, Dhran slipped away, and made his way to the work sites, where bricks, tools, utensils and pots were not being made, as the craftsfolk hang about, wondering what was going on.

Dhran made himself known to the crafters, and, refusign their gift of flatbreads donated to them by the Temple, spoke to them of the rights of mortals, to live free, beholden to none, whose labour profited them, not being mere piece workers at the behest of the Temple, not only making homes to live when the Temple said, where the Temple said, but for the wishes of the people.

Puzzled at first, Dhran’s words took root, and puzzled as they were, they thought that Dhran knew what he was talking about, and he, sort of got proclaimed leader and spokesperson. Partly through his suggestions, partly on people’s own initiative, the door to the nearby wall fort was barricaded up, supplies were “”liberated”” from the temple and an area around the building sites marked off with trenches from which the spoil was used to make a low wall, bundles of reeds stacked to be used at need as shields in case of arrows.

As they settled down for the night, Dhran stole back to the Caravanserai, and awaited morning.

The next morning saw the rumours grow, what had befallen the temple, what was this about the workers in revolt? No one seemed to know, and everyone had five opinions on it.

It also saw the return of Utana and Farshad (they have may have magically gained a day, or teleported from the fort to Bardij, such is life)

An invitation came to the group from Anaraxha to attend him at the palace. There was some fear and false bravado “”Let him come to us””, as they feared that they might to be held account for the chaos in the city.

Jalabu swithered, should he go with Dhran who was planning to return to the workers, and foment discord, or side with the nobles and attend Anaraxha. He eventually decided that, as an Agent of the Haraxan Kingdom and a lesser noble of Dilamun in Ishtir, his place was at the palace, completing his mission.

Dhran found himself with the workers still confused, but enthused. However by this time Temple guards had arrayed themselves in front of their barricades, and archers had started to gather on the wall behind them. Negotiations went poorly, the troops incapable, because of their indoctrination, of comprehending the advanced political principles that Djhran was espousing, and so they concluded, in an unsatisfactory way. The troops gathered themselves and advanced, but Dhran stopped them by firing an arrow at the feet of their leader. The archers made themselves known, and Dhran ordered others to take cover as he went to the next phase of his plan, he had secreted oilskins at points around the temple, lighting a prepared arrow, he fired at one, setting it alight and dripping flaming oil onto other combustables. The temple was ablaze. The trooops abandoned the attack and hurried to the temple to fight the fire.

In the palace, Anaraxha reported the findings so far of investigating the accounts, and the strange malady afflicting the priests of the main temple. Discussion goes on until Anaraxha is alerted to the fire at the temple. He decides to tackle the worker’s revolt, after all, the Temple will need rebuilding itself.

Anaraxha recognises Dhran, and thus the issue afflciting the work is of the Haraxans making. He quietly indicated to Dhran that he knows him, though Dhran denied it, stating he was Bhran, a man who did, admittedly, look a lot like Dhran. However, in disguising himself, the illiterate Dhran had smeared soot on himself accidentally writing, in perfect scholar’s script “”I am Dhran””.

He listened to Dhran’s list of issues, and noted his concerns that, as there was no work that could be done, the workers were not getting paid, so Anaraxha arranged for food, including dates, wine and flatbreads not coolked by Jalabu, to be brought. To the workers and Dhran, Anaraxha proposes this, a committe of public works, upon which the workers will be represented. This will be responsible for building houses, allocating contracts for tools and utensils for the poor, and other general works of public benefit.

Dhran and the workers considered this, and asked what assurances would the Servant of the Land give that he would fulfil his promise. Anaraxha considered this and said that he would go to each temple, and the main market and declare his offer for all to see, and that the offer would be written in stone, and placed at each city gate, so that all might know if it.

Dhran the Paranoid hummed and hawed, he was unsure, for how could he tell that the words on the stone would be the same as those said in public. Sighing inwardly, Anaraxha asked Arpaesis, as a stranger to these lands and unaffected by local politics, if he would write the words down, mark them on the stone and confirm that they are as promised. Arpaesis made certain that the Temple of the Cold Ones would not be slighted, and would continue in the city and only then agreed to assist.

He also offered Dhran a post in the Palace, a stipend, new clothes, a secretary, his post to ensure that the Committee of Public Works be all that was promised. Dhran has not given his answer, but it seems doubtful.

And so, with only junior clergy of the Temple fit enough to be involved, the compact was made, and peace settled on Bardij.

The next day, not long after the City Gates were opened, the people of Bardij found Haraxan troops in charge of the gates, the Temple barracks, and many of the thoroughfares. Utana and Farshad’s work had borne fruit!

The officer in charge found and saluted the Agents, and Anaraxha, presented him with a temporary tablet confirming him as governor of the city, a more permanent investiture and title, together with the seal cylinder and fillet of rank would be presented soon.

And so, the group of Agents, and a mystified Ta-Khameti mystic, had stolen a city for the Haraxan Empire, with very little blood shed, though a few clergy whose prognosis is uncertain.

Anaraxha was grateful, and his wife and he expressed thanks to them, and told them a curious fact, that Ishtiri agents had been in the city trying to do the same thing as them, lead by Harshan, who had his own plot to poison the Temple hierarchy, though in a more fatal manner.

As tokens of his gratitude, they presented the group with gifts

Jalabu – From Harshan’s abandoned stock, chemicals, suspected poisons, mixing equipment and a small wooden paged book of poisons and antidotes

Jose – From Harshan’s abandoned stock, medicinal supplies, ingredients and a small wooden paged book on diagnoses and treatment

Dhran – A silver engraved sword, once belonged to Anaraxha’s brother

Utana – A trained warhorse, Bahbi, and gear. The name ‘Bahbi’ is actually of Ta-Khamet origin, and means a kind of night monster

Arpaesis – a set of decent quality maps of Idym, Haraxa, Eastern Ishtir and the lands between, and 100 silver dan.

Farshad – a beautifully worked saddle that looks as if it was made for his horse, fine embroidery, beadwork and silver and gold thread

Some of these may be more than they appear

The next game will be some weeks game-time later. As guests you will stay in the city until the stone plaques are made to Arpaesis and Dhran’s satisfaction, the officer of the new Haraxan garrison will no doubt seek the advice of these experienced diplomats and more may happen

But we will pick up, back in the palace quarters, meeting with Harvan

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Writeup 25th March 2022 – The Greatest Heist episode 5

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

The morning breaks, with heads clearing from the celebrations of the night before, and some time to go before the feast with the Servant of the Land that they are invited to that night.

So, one thing is certain. “We need a plan. For once in our careers, we need to consider what
– our situation is
– our task is
– our actions should be
And see if that produces our Result, after that we can Reflect”

Gathered around a bright, white-painted wall, the group cast illusions against it demonstrating what they knew, and Dhran wrote notes on the wall in charcoal as the ideas flowed forth, not much use, as Dhran is illiterate.

With a sigh, Dhran, knowing that it would fall to him, starts contemplating gathering flammable materials, ready to set a series of major filters across the city but this reverie is interrupted by the group coming up with actual plans. Considering what might discredit the Temple leadership, a piece of history comes to mind, a temple of the Cold Ones was once laid low by the clergy becoming laid down by fits, talking nonsense, having fevered dreams, seemingly in waking hours too, and the clergy had to be replaced. There was no signs of possession, so the temple was cleaned out. Putting their heads together, Jose and Jalabu conclude that this might have been a sort of poisoning that can result from mouldy grains, wheat and rye, though rye is only grown in colder, mountainous areas. The lesser temples they do not consider at this time, it is the leadership they wish to undercut. Other preliminary thoughts involve trying to create a fraudulent prophecy that serves their ends, or just going ahead with Anaraxha’s idea of infiltrating troops into the city and then seizing its strong points. Arpaesis suggested using magic to bend someone to their will, but that idea was not developed.

The groups split into three. Jalabu and Arpaesis go to the Ishtiri market looking for materials that could be used to do to the main temple here, what happened to the temple that was cleared. Jalabu disguises himself as a different merchant. Unfortunately, as he is the only Dilamuni merchant in the city, his disguise as a totally different Dilamiuni merchant may have limited utility.

Jose wants to find materials for the same effect within the city and, at the same time, he and Utana are surveying the city for approaches to the city where bodies of troops could be dispersed and filter through more naturally, and the weaker points in the city for immediate seizure and how to take over the rest. Jose purchases some mushrooms that he knows can have intoxicating properties, Utana uses his insights to plan routes and, with his knowledge of the area of the last two days he thinks he has some routes mapped in his head. (In a retcon, whilst Jose was mushroom shopping, Utana found some vantage points on the walls, which are not that actively guarded, to have a better look at the mountains areas to the north between the Ishtiri and Haraxan gates,

Farshad and Dhran scout out the main temple and works. There is much coming and going, which would allow any random person who wander around much without being questioned. They find places where Farshad might be secreted should they wish to have him try to pose as a god speaking through one of the idols, and other places that look more flammable than others. Farshad dissuades Dhran from his earlier idea of trying to foment a worker’s revolt, as the aim is to achieve as peaceful a takeover as possible. Besides from information gained earlier, this might be hard to do, the workers and artisans are getting steady employment for this work, at the moment this is perceived as aa good thing, so it would be hard to shift attitudes. However, as they see people keeping records and materials shifting back and forward, they wonder who is getting paid for this and how it is recorded. They scout about and see a small yard where tablets of records are put out to dry before filing or sending on.

With this information they wonder about falsifying the records so that it looks as if more goods are being paid for than are arriving, so that, if investigated, it looks like the clergy are skimming off money. With this in mind, Farshad sneaks into the yard to filch a tablet. They feel that, rather than just amending a tablet in situ, they need to create a plausible one that indicates fraud.

Arpaesis and Jalabu, at the Ishtir market, find a merchant that has some spoiled grain that he was preparing to dump and leave behind. They can get the grain for free, but they have to buy baskets to transport it. Jalabu seems Harshan, allegedly the one who hired thugs to beat them up, back selling goods, but does nothing further at that time. They scuttle back to their camp and borrow the materials to help them make griddle cakes. This wheat is too old to make Samanu and besides, they do not have time. The rest of their morning and early afternoon is spent getting the grains, grinding them, making the cakes and cooking them.

Utana acquires some refined writing lay and stylii and they all meet back at camp. As Dhran helps Jalabu make the cakes, Utania, Arpaesis and Farshad puzzle out the accountancy tablet, written not in the modern Alphabetic script, but the scholar’s cuneiform (as that is symbolic and tends to transcend spoken language) and make what they feel is a useful set of orders that are higher than those in the original, indicating that more was paid for than was received.

Jose powers the mushrooms and, with some incense he has bought, mixes it through to evenly distribute the powder.

Utana and Jose also make message to send back to Haraxa, detailing the plan, the possible routes to Bardij and where should be seized. The message is not sent. It would possibly be better carried by one of the group, perhaps Utana with a swift horse and checking secret paths through the hills. That might cut the time to the border post, even to the nearest garrison town.

They have a short time to act before the feast they are invited to and they decide act first, and tell Anaraxha later.

With this in mind, they head to the main temple. With Dhran goes outside the temple and starts The Goat Song, with the actions, pretending to be drunk, but with he dodgy wheat he’s been handling, maybe he is a little intoxicated,. His voice, whilst not good, is still better than any performance of Farshad’s noted to date, and he hopes it provides a distraction. Farshad tries to sneak to the yard, but is caught. He manages to convince the clergy who finds him that he was looking for help because of the performance outside. The problem is, that The Goat Song, whilst abhorrent, is not actually blasphemous, unless you sing THAT verse, but with his charm Farshad convinces the clergy to go and investigate, allowing Farshad place the damning tablet.

Jose presents a member of the clergy with the incense, as an offering to the gods. It is received with thanks, and the clergy Blesses Jose (in a Prayer sense) and Jalabu and Arpaesis distribute griddle cakes at the various idols at the various alcoves around the main hall.

At that point, they scarper to the feast, making it in time. They are at a table with Anaraxha and Aslahira, his wife and chief advisor. Jalabu can see Harshan at another table with Sangun Adinaba, the more fearsome opponent of the Temple leadership here. Other personalities they recognise are here.

The group tell Anaraxha that it might be worth sending scribes and soldiers to go ver the recent accounts of the temple for materials paid for versus received, and to be prepared for strange goings on when they get there. But will they? Will the priests eat the cakes? As magic mushrooms have no demonstrable effect when smoked, because heat destroys the active ingredient, will THESE mushrooms have an effect?

We have left it there, and will resolve all next week

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Writeup 25th February 2022 – The Greatest Heist episode 4

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

Leaving Payam’s place in the twisted alleys of the poor areas of Bardij, the group found themselves surrounded by ne’er do wells with clubs, the villains are lightly armoured, if at all, and are armed with clubs, however as the group are also lightly armoured, if at all, and only have short swords or daggers, it is more of an even match than the group might hope. These newcomers demand money and possessions, and are not deterred by Jose’s use of the name of Payam as a contact, he may be head of the fences, but he is not a Capo di tutti capo.

With the refusal, combat ensues, the group with daggers are faster than the footpads, but the daggers are light weapons that do not do as much damage as a sword might. The combat is short, and the group are wounded by solid hits by well swung clubs. Two footpads are killed, and the others run away, two of them with cuts from Farshad and Utana, Utana, finding his lack of armour bothersome, strips the leather armour of one that can be fitted under his outer cloak without attracting too much attention. Farshad and Jose loot the pockets, finding enough coin and dried food to provide for accommodation and a meal that night, and dried food for lunch tomorrow.

The group found a caravanserai near the Haraxan Gate, and they were surprised by an uproarious cheer as they entered, they clientele recognised “”Farshad Throatripper””, the wrestling champion who had felled a giant three times his height. Drinks found their way to the groups table and food was brought, and perhaps too much drink was taken, as Farshad stepped up to sing, a harpist and drummer accompanied him, the drummer mostly to try and drown the sound, but it has to be said that Farshad’s singing was not a total disaster, being the least possible success, but others join in and it is not the sort of situation that the group are used to , fleeing for their lives.

Then Farshad took up the harp and that was more of a success, being about as good as he could make it, strong mortals wept, dogs and children were stilled, and the clientele went away entertained and happy, in a sad way, and so to bed.

As the group left, Farshad spotted two spies, lurking on roofs, he was sure that they were the footpads from the night before, the live ones anyway, and Utana planned a trap. Farshad would sneak unseen, whilst Jose and Utana would more noisily close in on one of them so that Farshap would surprise them. As they planned, the footpad ran, leapt over one roof to another, not well, teetering on the edge, only to find Farshad’s shortsword pointing at his soft, vulnerable areas.

Utana came over himself, as Farshad keep the villain in danger of falling off the edge and worried. Remembering what Jalabu had taught him, Utana tried his skill with “Untoward Pressure” but failed compared to Farshad’s use of “Beguiling”, flexing his muscles and trading on his reputation as a killer wrestler, and the wounded Kotharim, called Bedrim, capitulated. He revealed that they, including his now dead friend Ashterim, were paid by a well spoken man, wjho had described the group as foreign merchants and thieves, preying on the vulnerable of Bardij. He suggested was to rob the group and take their goods so that they would have to flee in shame.

Bedrim took them to the Ishtir Gate, where they had met the man, but he was not there, however Bedrim spotted him a little way outside, at a stall with two others, and goods behind the stall with beasts and guards, a mirror of the scene at the Haraxan Gate.

Not knowing what to make of this, and knowing that they had a chance to get into the palace today, the group left Dhran and Jalabu to watch this stranger (we can pick this up somehow outside the game)

The route to the palace the rest chose took them to the main Temple, where the work on new houses was going on, and craftsmen were making plates and tools, and inside a normal worship was going on. Utana asked one of the clergy about the tenets of the Cold Ones, and got told some of them, (because they are bloody written down in the world description). After an hour of that, they saw the clergy Garashp and Adinaba, the most senior clergy of the city, greet two dust covered messengers, and they decided to sneak back after them and eavesdrop their conversation.

In doing so they learned that the rebellion in the West is not going well,in part because the Servant of the Land Izad is hanging back until he gets his promised quid pro quo, that his cousin Reyhangets her post as Servant of the Land in a decent sized town. And so they learn that she will be arriving here to take over from Anaaraxha in two months .

With that snippet of information, the group leave and have arrived at the Palace fo the Servant of the Land, and there we left it.

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Writeup 11th February 2022 – The Greatest Heist episode 3

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

From leaving Payam’s place, Farshad returned to the caravan and relieved Dhran from his beast tending duties. The group had a few hours to wait before Payam had information for them, so they decided to investigate the Temples and take the measure of the rulers of Idym. Of the group, Dhran and Jalabu would most likely to be familiar with the rites of the worship of the Cold Ones. These are not exact from place to place, as there is no central authority save for the Gods themselves, but they should know.

The Cold Ones dwelt in the Ancestral Sea, in those days the sea chilled the stars so much that they were just as embers. Ahera-Ba, the eldest of the Cold
Ones swam to the depths and found there the stars, dark, quiet, cold but with promise of life.

Ahera-Ba called the rest of the Cold Ones and they sang the song of the stars and raised them up with fire to the skies, Ahera-Ba became two, Ahera, Mother of the True Sea and Ba, Father of the Sky, Shepherd of the Stars. The other main deities are Hyyan wa Kothar, parent of the Kotharim, Smith and Crafter, Mawet, God of the Dead, Shmun, God of healing and seeker of knowledge, lover of Hyyan and Unat, Goddess of fertility, sexuality and war. There is also Lotnyas, serpent and destroyer, but only bad mortals worship that deity.

Apart from little prayers through the day before particular activities, worship of the Cold Ones is usually of the whole as a family group, with special offerings to a particular Cold One of you need help in their realm. Homes will have a small shrine dedicated to them, whereas a temple will have multiple shrines, so that groups can circle the temple, praying at each shrine in turn. Clergy of the Temple are expected to learn useful crafts and work in the community when not on Temple duty.

The group decide to split, there are three temples that they know of in the city, the main temple is farthest away, there is a temple used by the less well off and travellers and there is one used by the wealthy in the centre of the rich quarter’s houses, and so they leave the poorest area, redolent of crime, ordure and houses too close together, and set off into the better parts of the city

On the way there, moving through the Street of Art, where may be found the mages, scribes, better class of charlatan, specialist artisans and a few open areas with things for sale. Near to one of the open areas is a bakery, Dhran noticed that a pregnant woman lift a couple of loaves and secret them, winking at him as she went past. Jalabu spotted that the baker was secretly watching her do it, but did not intervene.

Jalabu spoke to the man, and found out that she was the wife of a friend, currently languishing sick and at home, unable to work, and while she was too proud to ask for help, he was happy to turn a blind eye to the theft. Dhran dropped a coin and said to the woman that she must have dropped it. She was proud, but Dhran’s silver tongue persuaded her to take the act of charity.

Meanwhile Utana got into a staring contest with a dog for no clearly discernible reason until, discomforted, the dog wandered off.

Splitting up, the groups go to their respective temples. It is a special day, a more general service commemorating the division of Ahera-Ba into the two deities Ahera and Ba, in the larger and more cosmopolitan temple, although most will celebrate in an evening service, as most of the city works in the fields outside during the day.

There were priests washing the feet of those entering the Temple on this special day and groups gossiping about work at the temple for crafters of various sorts. Dhran subtlely probed for signs of unrest amongst the peasantry, but, of course, most of the proletariat are out in the fields, the folk here are the local artisans and travellers able to attend during the early afternoon. Farmers are having lunch in the fields, miners up in the mountains.

From Dhran’s probing and ear wigging, he learned that the people at the Temple seemed happy enough, and the service, different from normal though Jose would not know that, proceeded well, singing praises in call and response. A few private worshippers also made their small acts of worship at the niches for the various gods, but in general offerings of food were made at the temporary main altar. At the end of the service, worshippers took up brooms and swept out after them, until the temple was cleaned of any dust missed by the ritual washing.

At the other temple, things were similar, though the conversation was more business oriented. Utana made a contact with a mine owner, who misrepresented Utana’s vague interest as a definite order of 1000 bars, ingots if you prefer, to Jalabu who Utana, forgetting that he was in the guise of a simple travelling caravan guard, represented as his business manager. Jalabiu made interested but non-committal noises, but the duo did manage to get the name of a potentially useful contact in the Palace, the person in charge of any trade going through the Haraxan Gate, Saram Amin.

Meeting up for lunch, the foursome decided to have a look at the main temple, to see what was what . They found that there was some old and dilapadated housing nearby, being cleared and rebuilt, apparently by the Temple who were the landlords, and they learned that the Temple in Idym, a custom is some of the longer civilised parts of the world, but not universally the case in these more modern times. In other places the Temple is supported by a tithe on the worshippers.

They have not, as yet found out what is happening in the West apart from peasant unrest and the accusation that the state of Merem is somehow involved according to gossip. As far as they can tell, the people seem indifferent to what banner flies overhead, as long as they can live in peace and get on with things. They know that although Bardij imposes taxes, they are lighter than in other places, making it attractive, especially in a place where three nations meet.

The Temple is gearing up not only to build new houses, but also goods for those and other houses which they will sell. Jose asked about healers and was told that, despite the very fortunate being able to receive healing through Divine intervention, they do have healers. If Jose had been an adherent of the Cold Ones, then he would have known more of Shmun, and the gardens of herbs that the Temples maintain, and the healers and teachers of the art at many Temples. I assume that Dhran told him.

Payam, Donya and Irash have some new information, a possibly amenable official, Shirin, a scribe working for Anaraxha in the court, if approached she seems likely to listen to the group and may be able to arrange a meeting.

Irash is relatively respectable, but can offer the information that some spears and bows for hire have travelled west, where mercenary companies are being formed.

The group now have two names for potential contacts in the Servant of the Land’s palace, a scribe working to the Servant of the Land, Shirin and the Steward of the Haraxan Gate, responsible for the market outside it and taxes for goods passing through, Saram Amin

And there we left it

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Writeup 28th January 2022 – The Greatest Heist episode 2

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

The morning sees the camp of the caravan wake up and start to pack from their campsite outside the village. The night guards, including the group, have not been troubled, and a day’s travel should see them come to Bardij.

Most of the caravan of their employer is pack animal based, but there are a couple of carts, pulled by strong mules that Dhran is tending to the delight of their drivers. He will be tending mules the rest of this session. Out of the corner of his eyes Utana notices a leg squirrelling under a pile of blankets and bolts of fabric from the north.

Reaching in he drags out an urchin, in fact the same one that had tried to thieve from them the previous night and from home they had obtained the name of the fence Payam. Utana asked him his business and was told that, having given them the name of Payam, he had intended to get to the city and warn the fence that he had done so, he intended to go to the town and warn Payam.

The group considered that and made a bargain with the child, they would let the child come as he had planned, but he was to introduce them to Payam and they would pay the urchin a silver dan for the favour. This was agreed and the child went back to his hiding spot.

The day was uneventful, and the group arrived at the market place outside the city walls in time to get a good spot in the campsite, other caravans arrive and there is the start of celebrations. The urchin is passed some food by Utana and slips off to make his way into the city to contact Payam.

There is singing, which drowns out Farshad, to the delight of all, but then wrestling. The form this takes is a ring in the dirt, two lightly oiled contestants trying to push or overbalance their opponent out of the ring, best of three. Utana is up first, he is not a skilled brawler, but he is strong, and , in the end, despite some scrappy moments, manages his well matched opponent handily, though the second fall was by grappling his opponent and falling out of the ring, but ensuring that his opponent went first.

Next up is the seeming mismatch of Farshad versus the giant Sakah caravan guard Bunjid. Farshad is small and fast and has some training, but Bunjid, whilst untrained and huge, is faster but not as strong as he appears. Farshad is forced on the defensive, slipping past Bunjid’s attacks, but winding himself in the process, not as winded as he was from a heft slap from Bunjid would have made him had it been meant in earnest. Eventually Farshad’s skill told and though it came down to the third pass, he was able to knock his opponent off balance and out of the ring. There was a lot of grumbling as many, including Utana, found themselves out of pocket after losing what seemed a sure, if low paying bet,

The rest of the night ended up in drunken revelry, and Farshad’s voice could not be contained. However Bunjid gave him some information on Bardij, what the areas of the city were, and the names of three of the leaders of the unsavoury part of the town, Payam, they knew, Donya is another leader of the fences, and Irish, who looks after mercenaries.

He also tried to explain the peculiar nature of power in Idym, that there was the civil power, and it ruled, but there was the Temple of the Cold Ones, and it reigned, but that the Temple had the power to depose their Servant of the Land. In matters of trade however, it was the civil power that you dealt with day to day, and they had set up the markets from Haraxa on the East of the city, and you traded there, and the market from Ishtir on the North, and they traded there, and any goods passing through the town, at the north or east gate were subject to tax and there they made their money on trade from the south or between the neighbouring nations.

Farshad sang, and there we will draw a veil

Morning broke, and the Sakah brought over cooked flatbreads as the group tried to make themselves human. They market was being set up and by the time the horns blew to announce the opening of the town gates. A procession of priests led out a crowd from the town, two holding flaming incense braziers on rods, and a third singing praises to the gods. The rods were thrust into the ground at either end of the market and the priest finished their prayers and hymns. The priests withdrew and the crowd behind, led by the customs officials, came to the market.

The market open, Jose was able to find and purchase rare and expensive leaves, “Woundheal” that were explained to have miraculous efficacy in the repair of wounded flesh. This he has heard of but never encountered, and he bought all four leaves for a high price.

The caravan master came to them to let them know that they would be spending two days here before heading south, so the group had their own, unpaid, time. If they wanted to continue with the caravan then they knew where to find them. The group left their most bulky weapons and armour in the secure and guarded cart, save Utana, who hid his armour under his robes. By this time the urchin had returned ad was able to lead them to Pavam, circumventing most of the tight, winding alleys of the Closed Quarter to pick a broader road in and leading them to what was, ostensibly, a potter’s workshop, though with two bruisers outside.

Once escorted them in and they spoke to Pavam about possible opportunities for a change in trade to Haraxa, perhaps opening up, perhaps removing other barriers, bound to have an effect, and who might be interested and able to work with what they presented as traders, to effect that. Pavam saying he would talk to Donya and Irash, but also try to find the names of officials in the Servant of the Land’s palace that might be amenable to an informal approach, with Pavam’s suggestion that the next day, with an open audience at the place, might be a good time to slip aside and find them for a talk.

And there we left it

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Writeup 13th January 2022 – The Greatest Heist episode 1

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

Another day, another system

Until now, the campaign used DragonQuest 2nd edition. From this point we are using my “Essence” system, after all, the world was created as a world for my new RPG as I wrote it.

A free sample of the Essence system, Essence Core,  is available here.

The long work was, if not over, at least far along that Harvan was ready to return home. His investigations, aided by the Temple of Ghalmerha, had uncovered a treasure trove of forgotten magic, and more would be sent by the Temple over the months ahead, in exchange for other lore and aid being sent in return. The group finalised their time in Iralun, Dhran had long gauntlets made and Farshad painted and styled his horse. The streaks and extensions in the mane were a masterpiece.

Impressed by the service rendered by the group, Harvan, on behalf of Magistrate Niralha of the Haraxan Kingdom enlisted in her service, as Agents.

One result of Harvan’s reasearch was about to amaze the group. As they paraded through to mass cheers from a grateful populace, they ended up at the wizards tower where they were blessed by the clergy of Mammerha and Ghalmerha. Farshad was approached by the former owner of his horse who hugged him and told him to look after the beast.

They were stunned to find the wizard Zhoraqam still alive, constructing a mystic device of metal, incense, markings and bound together with wire and spells. Powered by the destruction of a magical artefact found deep in the Temple of Ghalmerha, he had constructed a gate back to the Haraxan Kingdom. Utana, Dhran, Farshad and Jose led the way, until soon all the group, Harvan and his guards were in the Court of the Fountains in Eshtaban, the Palace of Niralha, atop a mosaic that seemed to have the same layout as the gate. There is no chance of the gate being opened again without another artefact of great power, no one knows how to tap that much power.

After settling into accommodation, the group hit town. Utana visited an aunt, assured her he was alive and resisted an attempt to set him up with one of two sisters from the aunt’s husband side, for which they were also grateful. Farshad was met by the merchants for whom he had invested the groups money all those months ago, and it was mixed, but the return was threefold.

Jose stocked up on herbs and medical supplies and Dhran got hammered with mercenaries and learned a few tricks about smuggling and leads on profitable trade. He may have sung The Goat Song

Their rest was not long, for Harvan had a mission. There is a town, Bardij, an Idymite town bordering Ishtir and Haraxa. The civil administrator (Servant of the Land – Anaraxha) wanted to defect from the Theocratic rule of Idym. As that rule is not onerous, as these things go, it is not clear why. He is sending the group to find out why, and if possible, to help. This has to be quiet and subtle, otherwise it might draw in Ishtir or more forces from Idym, and as newly hired Agents from far away from Idym, it is hoped that the group will not attract any attention, but there are no arranged meeting with Anaraxha, the group will find their own way.

Farshad and Dhran quiz merchants and are sounded out as prospective investors, Jose and Utana talk to palace officials. They learn a little about the governance of Idym and the evidence that Bardij is governed well enough. The merchants do not complain unduly of grasping guards or a greedy Servant of the Land.

And so they take on hire as caravan guards, on a caravan that stops off in Bardij befiore heading to the coast. An uneventful journey till the camp the night before the last day till Bardij. Dhran saw a rider gallop east, and Farshad caught an urchin stealing from the packs. They let him go with a warning, but did buy the info that they sold stolen items to fences in Bardij, the leader of who seemed to be one “”Payam””.

And there we left it

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Writeup 2nd December 2021 – A mystery in Iralun episode 5

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

The morning was early, and Utana, aware of many paths that Ihradel could have gone, decided that confirmation of a track of a lame horse might be the only clue to where she went next. The raving of Levan had said she had gone north, north was likely. As Dhran was nuzzled by the groups horses, seeking fruit and vegetables stashed about his person, Utana found evidence of the lame horse having been in the stables then leaving, after all, by the northward path.

This was followed, but the trail was soon obscured by the tracks of the caravan that had settled the night in the same caravanserai as the group, but they plowed on up the slope, past the highest farms and beyond for half a day, coming to the pass that is the highest point before descending into Quulbar. At this point the pass heads east-west, and the cliff wall has, at the opposite horizon, woods. The main road heads slightly north at the end, a lesser path slightly south. From that southern pass a horse, slightly lame, runs towards them, above it, chasing it are four flying lizard creatures, that Azadah calls “”Daruk””, magical servitors, spirits bound to an almost manlike, for a lizard, form. Watching all this is the Hermit of the Pass, Abrosyed, a priest of the Three from the distant Harixan Kingdom.

The horse, seemingly the one stolen from Iralun, sought refuge behind the group, the daruks, striking from above, caused some damage. They hit hard but, bound in flesh, were vulnerable to mortal weapons. José was stunned, Utana and Jalabu seized, Dhran discomforted. Abrosyed conjured knives, or so it seemed, hurling them at the daruk. Things went better for Farshad, who found himself standing atop the saddle of the runaway horse, slicing and stabbing, reins between his teeth. Not that things went well for the daruk, Though slashing and stabbing with claw and tail, one crashed into another, affording Utana the chance to swing round and jump on its back. When it died, however, he was temporarily trapped under its body. Jalabu manages to escape.

The Daruk downed, José tended to the horse, aided by Abrosyed, who then tended to José and Jalabu. From Abrosyed they learned that Ihradel had been there lately, and while he knew what she was, and proved resistant to her powers. Though knowing that she was a Rabasilu, he tended her horse and sent her on her way. He saw where she went, to the village of Sadr.

The group took that south east path, which descended down into a scrubby tree haunted set of defiles. Using Utana and Farshad as scouts, they were hailed by Remlo, a hunter from Sadr, waving hello to them, accompanied by his wolfhounds. He warned them against proceeding to the village, as a band was waiting to ambush them and take them to the headman. Whilst the party might think that isn’t a problem, the village is in an uproar. a young woman, found in the Temple of the Lady of Crops, Varyamerha , displaying powers and revealing herself to be an agent of the Goddess.

They started to serve her, even when she demanded that the dogs be killed, even the pups. Her reign did not last long, the Quulbari lord of the village came and took her to his tower. The village was arming and preparing to rescue

The group ask Remlo to take them to the Tower. As the get close they hear the shaman, Vyutar, cry and laugh in madness from his tower, a more recent construction of wood atop an older stone watchtower. They get close but Remlo’s dogs go mad, straining at a trail heading north-east and down to the lowlands. The group follows, and withing an hour come to a shepherd’s cottage, where the shepherd was building a cairn. The dogs became agitated, howling and straining and whimpering, to be answered by other hounds calling from an outbuilding.

The shepherd, Aytal, stands up, tears in his eyes, apologising for the sad times. A young woman, running here from up the mountain, severely injured, sought his protection. That he gave, but she died in the night, and this cairn was her burial. The group, against the wishes of Aytal, dig up the cairn, to find Ihradel injured but alive. This shocks Aytal, who had checked her for breath and pulse, and was sure that she was dead. Injured as she was, the rocks of the cairn weighing down on her crushed her ribs and organs. She was, despite what José tried, dying. Nothing he could do would save her.

The group debated what to do, in the end deciding to take her to Abrosyed, perhaps she could be made well enough to travel to Iralun. They made a litter and carried her carefully on it. Aytal accompanied them, concerned for the girl, and he handed the group a bag she had, containing the remains of the jewellery she had stolen from the Deorsin crypt.

Abrosyed was able to heal her, but he made another offer, to drive the demon of the Rabalisu from her, leaving her as a young woman, deprived of the powers of the spirit. This would take about 5 days. The group conferred and agreed, heading with good speed to Iralun.

As they grew close to the city, Farshad, thinking that the horse he rode technically belonged to a commander of the City Guard, decided to take action, as he had grown fond of it. He ditched the military harness, tied a blanket around it, under which were two piles of spare clothing, in an approximation of a Bactrian’s humps. Ridiculous as this sight was, the gate guard did not spot, or want to admit to seeing it.

They reported to Elisim Deorsin, who considered the options the group presented. Return and kill the girl, return and fetch her, or let Abrosyed do his work and let her life her life, but, as far as Iralun and in particular his son was concerned, she was dead. He asked them if the group had seen hide or hair of the Guard Officer’s missing horse. They said not.

Elisom decided on this last, he could use other agents to keep contact with Abrosyed. He thanked them, remarked on Farshad’s new, ahem, camel, and said that he would send their reward on.

And there, for this adventure, and this year, we left it

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Writeup 19th November 2021 – A mystery in Iralun episode 4

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

The group welcomed Dhran back into the active fold. He had felt empty after the sacrifice of the demonic knife that had come to mean so much to him over the week leading up to the attempt by the Dark to take Iralun before reading to the rest of the world.

Over the last few weeks, the Temple of Ghalmerha had done what they could to soothe Dhran, help him focus on his long held goals and dreams, such as the helmet he had had crafted for him in this city, the first implement of his chosen profession of war to be made for him and him alone, as a way of diminishing the artificial desire that the knife had seemingly put him under.

He joined the group as they returned to “The Tower’s Base” with the spoils of the search of Ihradel’s former accommodation. They sought out the giver of the earrings, Dahlgik Mahrn, an actor heading into slightly past his prime, dreaming of his youth and trying to persuade people that he is still in it. He was unable to add much to what they already knew, but he did give a slight character sketch of Ihradel, as someone who would pursue an interest for a short time, then dump it for another, short lived all consuming interest.

(Aside, this is a character trait that the players found themselves constitutionally incapable of understanding.)

Later that night, the group asked Azadah to use her magical powers to see if she could trace Ihradel from the golden earrings. Trying to trace her from them proved fruitless, as the earrings did not have much association for Ihradel. The stars did give the advice “”talk to the soldiers””

There was one soldier that they had recently encountered, Rahki, the one who had to be thrown out of the club. Jose recognised his insignia as being from the East Gate garrison. Irulan has three types of troops. The regular guard, mostly concerned with gate duty and the streets near the walls. The militia, where the folk of the city take their turn on watch. The third category are Temple troops, who are the best but concerned either with the defence of the temple or seeking out bandits and ne’er do wells that threaten the wellbeing and trade of the city.

They rested that night, and after a good breakfast at the Temple of Ghalmerha, including Eggs Benedict and a Sausage Bar, the they headed to the gate and the Lieutenant of the Guard, Siargana Aghontana, listened to them.

She explained that Rakhi, a formerly exemplary soldier had been in trouble over Ihradel, with an act of violence involved, but not one that they could track down enough to charge him. If they could get the truth from him, then she would be grateful.

Rakhi was monosyllabic and confused. Azadah tried to gain some sense of his aura, but the emotions from the stones of the keep overrode anything she might have got from him, and Jose’s empathy could only confirm the confusion.

Farshad tried charming him using the power of non-livestock related song, and that seemed to break a flood dam in Rahkni
“Oh, why could I not remember. Ihradel sought my help. Andilaz had been threatening her, demanding her favours, and talking about forcing her away with him. She begged me to free her from him, I tried just to tell him to leave her alone, I don’t know why I killed him. What happened after? I still have no idea, I seemed to awake at the barracks, bloody and unable to account for myself”

Dhran, no stranger to being the victim of supernatural effects, recalled stories that told of those forced to do things against their nature and afterwords the brain choosing to forget so that they did not even know themselves.

Siargana has no choice but to charge Rakhi with murder, but she has a statement witnessed by the group as to Rahki’s testimony, which she hopes will clear him of the act of being a victim of magic,

The divination specified soldiers in the plural, and Siargana thought that another prisoner could provide information related to it. Another soldier had been charged with horse theft. His story was that, as the Colonel of the Gates, a Colonel Rhombus, was inspecting the East Gate, he was standing holding the Colonel’s horse, when a young lady walked up, asked him for the horse and he gave it to her. He watched her take the East Road, which goes into the mountains and over them into Qomeri ruled Quulbar.

They reported back to Elisim, who provided kedgeree for lunch as he heard fo the progress to date. Being excited to hear of actual leads and information, he provided fast horses (a pony for Farshad) and supplies for a few days.

Although starting later in the day, they reached the caravanserai that was a day’s travel from the city for a caravan. There they met Levan Galthian, another seeming victim of Ihradel’s magic, who had wasted his money drinking and waiting for her to return, calling her a “southern princess” who had travelled “north to get permission to wed from her parents” and not seeing the contradiction in this. He begged for funds to stay at the caravanserai and wait for her return.

Levan was annoying, and tried to assault Jalabu, so a quick use of the sap later and Levan was put out of action, a ring that he claimed was hers, an antique with the Deorsin family crest, removed from his grasp.

The group did not spend any time investigating what had occurred here, the pattern seemed familiar from other incidents. There was some excitement as a cleaver armed Shevam rushed at Farshad. Farshad neatly jumped out of the way and it proved that the Shevam, Pernim, lonely for the company of his kind, was excited to hear of another in the place. He dragged Farshad off for along chat

The chat went well as they discussed travels, found some mutual acquaintances in distant lands and common interests. All was well until Farshad, by some horrible chance, sang a ribald and insulting story about an old Shevam family which, unfortunately Pernim was a member of, and Farshade was unceremoniously ejected

After rest, and as they got ready to set off, they did enquire of the caravaners, laughing at the incompetence of the nephew of the caravan master to do the job himself if there was any sign of Ihradel on the road, and they said yes, she was on a horse about a day head of them on the road, they had seen her two days previously.

Something I forgot to mention at the time, the horse was limping.

And there we left it

Humour of the night

As Chris rejoined us, we described one facet of Dhran’s therapy, focusising instead on the armour piece made for him as “polishing his helmet” (*)

Other therapy techniques included hitting a simian doll, the “spanking the monkey technique”, and releasing his fury at dioscesan authority by “bashing the bishop”

Lucky he was kept out of the caravanserai kitchen before he could “choke the chicken”

(*) It should be said that the wrench of choosing that knife against the character goal of the helmet as the most precious object was great play, and proved that the knife was the right choice

I had chosen this, in part, as a relatively combat free change from the last adventure set up, which was a very combat heavy scenario, even if we downplayed it.

However structurally it is too similar to Irilian, this “peeling the onion skin of mystery” idea, which I did not appreciate at the start, so not the best for a change and contrast

Also the message seems to be, that the party miss violence. Next time should give an opportunity for that and the end of the adventure, depending how it goes.

This will probably be the last adventure of the year, and next year, if we continue, I will try and give you a scenario filled with hyperviolence

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Writeup 4th November 2021 – A mystery in Iralun episode 3

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

The group, bemused by unsolveable mysteries, mundane discoveries and which of the dust on them was brick dust and which was the dust of Elisim Deorsin’s dead relatived, decide to clean up and seek expert help. The best place for that was the Temple of Ghalmerha, the place they had come over many weeks to find, Not only difd they still have accommodation there, a library and scholars, but it is where Harvan, their employer, a scholar himself with an interest in magical things.

One mystery he solved easily, When asked about people who could shift between hyaena and human, that Harvan knew the answer to, Rabalisu or, in the southern lands of the West Bhukerat, the Hyaena folk. Rabasilu are mortals who have descent from dark, bestial spirits. If the person is good in their human form they will resist the change, as in hyaena form they are wicked, murderers, despoilers of graves and snatchers of children.  Wicked people will change frequently, to cause mischief and harm.

In hyaena form they are larger than most hyaenas, and are able to stand upright and use human speech, using words to gain entry into houses or lure others to their doom. Rabasilu in cities usually form only very small groups, but outside cities they can form large bands of extended families, usually with a lair in a cave system. When found, these caves are  piled high with bones, both mortal and animal. Many are just littered on the floor or on heaps, but some families  build them into shrines to a noted ancestor.

As far as the other mystery, and coffin bereft of a corpse and an abandoned lamp, one of his staff, Azadah, a priestess of the Three and mage of the College of Celestial Magics, shed some light, so to speak, on the other mystery. The Celestial College has three branches, those who study darker paths than her can walk into a shadow, and walk out elsewhere. With that lamp, she could have crawled into a shadow in the coffin, to emerge outside the crypt, to reenter and despoil the corpses of valuables.

The group also learned one reason why the intruder hung around the Merchant Factors, casually defacing paintings and, inexplicably dropping the thing they had stolen in a covered punch bowl. Why. They had no idea. Walking through Shadows, changing form, potentially masking themselves from the searching Nightwatchman, though not his dog, all took energy, and a tired intruder would need time to recover. Recovering, perhaps they damaged the paintings out of sheer boredom.

From the house of the Deorsin family and the Merchant Factors, the group went to “The Tower’s Base“, an upscale place of entertainment habituated by the rich and entertainers. Decried by Elisim’s steward Harpar as a sinkhole of depravity, the place seems more than that. Yes, with its mix of supposed magical and religious symbology, it is in terrible taste, but it is upscale and provides the service it overcharges for.

The group settled down, gauging the place, the rich bourgeoisie, the louche actors and folk trying to make contacts, and lets the acts do their thing, the dancing and singing containing satirical jokes, the juggler and escapologist who escaped from a locked chest with off-duty guardsmen sitting on it, the singer who started slow and had the whole club singing along with drinking songs.

Then, the last act, of the first set, a dancer, “Ihradel” was announced. The group studied the veiled dancer as best as they could, given the excited audience jostling for a good view. As Jalabu tried to study the covered features to compare to the portrait painted on the empty coffin, one of the group of guardsmen, who they would later would learn was called “Rakhi“, got up and. batting a bouncer away, tried to get closer to the dancer, shouting “”that’s not her, that’s not her””. Between another bouncer, Jalabu and his mates, Rakhi was guided outside.

Jalabu followed as “Ihradel” retreated and the owner called for Open Stage and Farshad took his chance, supported by his comrades.

Outside Jalabu asked Rakhi what he meant, and was told. Ihradel was Rakhi’s lover, or something, for a night, he had been held in jail for a fortnight, this was his first night out and he came here to see her, only she wasn’t here.

Jalabu returned in time to hear Farshad, whose act had been initially appreciated by the crowd, earn the horror and abuse of the crowd with his rendition of “The Goat Song”. Was it the song itself, the rather distasteful dance movements, or a combination of the two that were to introduce such dread into the future nightmares of those that saw it? The house band quickly came on to take over and a bouncer lifted Farshad off stage and over to his companions.

Suspecting that the guardsman was right about a fake Ihradel, they snagged the owner who admitted to the deception, Ihradel never having returned since she left to get married, neither had Aghbari, the young wastrel she had married. The false Ihradel was another dancer, Tsisanna, not a friend of the real Ihradel as Tsisanna thought that Ihradel, being gifted with natural grace and talent, could not be bothered to put the effort in to hone her skills and become truly great. A later conversation with Tsisanna confirmed that opinion of Ihradel.

When he was eventually told, the owner, Saylhin, was surprised to learn of Ihradel’s demise, but then confused when the group talked about her as living and in the present tense. After Saylhin left, one of the house musicians, Bhaddas, told the group that his predecessor had gone a little over a fortnight ago, and that the other musician Gethiuz might have information.

Gethiuz told a story of his friend Andilaz becoming suspicious of Ihradel reacting badly to being hit on the bare flesh with a silver coin. Andilaz was a Perim, and knew that, generations ago, Gethiuz’s family included a Perim, and he wondered if Gethiuz could see what Andalaz thought he could see in Ihradel.

Soon after asking him about this, Andilaz turned up in an alley, decapitated, just over a fortnight ago. No murderer was found.

This led the group to question who in the club stayed where, and they asked Saylhin to take them to where Ihradel stayed, a house converted to separate rooms and a communal dining space. Ihradel’s room had been let, briefly, after she left, but a search turned up a single ear-ring, brass with a bell, but in a concealed compartment they found two more earrings, gold and inscribed “To Ihradel with all devotion – Dahlgik“, and a closed wax tablet with notes about the Deorsin family. These, written in archaic Araya, were taken over time, mostly concerned with power and riches.

The group took the tablet and earrings, whether or not they would add anything substantial to what they know, they will find out in time.

And there we left it

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Writeup 22nd October 2021 – A mystery in Iralun episode 2

Posted on September 13, 2022 by hurcheon

The group have a think, about mystery over mystery found so far. A gem stolen that only three people knew that their employer possessed, and which only their employer knew the precise location of. A new bride that no one knew anything about, who died shortly after the wedding. A coffin that had held the new bride’s corpse was empty, save for a lamp that had been high enough to have marked the lid at one point, but also in the corner to mark that, but that coffin is empty.

Other coffins had been disturbed, and some, but not all of the jewellery was taken. That having been left was silver. The group start off by interviewing the remaining staff and Lamsira, daughter of their employer, Elisim.

Lamsira, who had been, and presumably is now again the mistress of part of the family business, told the group she did not care for Ihrdel, and Ihradel did not spend any time making friends with her. Ihradel was supposed to be spending time learning the business to take it over, and while she was attentive at first, she seemed to get bored and spend her time just with Lamsira’s father and brother. Lamsira also described that she felt that Ihradel had a slightly rank, warm smell, odd for someone so clean.

The maid, Galla, who served both the deceased and missing Ihradel and Lamsira. She painted a picture of Ihradel as someone who did not get on well with her other mistress, and that the menfolk of the house thought well of her. Ihradel was friendly enough to Galla, and gave her a silver bracelet. The group asked how she handled it, was she wearing gloves, and that was confirmed, how did the group know? Questions about did Ihradel seem more interested in gouging wealth from the family were met with negation, it seemed more the position and authority she craved,

Harpar, the steward of the household, had been present when Lamsira and Galla answered questions. Questioning him produced more evidence of an aversion to silver and, that while Elisim was initially hostile to the idea of Ihradel, a woman he did not know, joining his family, he seemed happy enough once she arrived. Aghbari worried him, as a dissolute wastrel who spent much of his time at some dive called “”The Tower’s Base””, and he suspected that that is where Aghbari met Ihradel. The group looked to the troubadour as someone with his finger on the pulse of the arts and entertainment world, but it was unknown to him.

After discussing the matter amongst the selves, and forming a picture of Ihradel not being entirely human, with an aversion to silver, as many of the demonic and supernatural creatures that they have encountered of late have been. Honestly, if they encountered a mortal, non-ensorcelled enemy, it’d be a nice change, they accepted Elisim’s offer of him taking them to the scene of the crime and vouching for them with the staff there.

Elsiim re-iterated that he was the one that discovered the theft, the room was locked when he got there, and no one else, not even his clerk, had been in.

Although they stopped off for weapons, they still had to check them with the doorkeeper. Elisim made his farewells, but not before Jose used his empathy to gauge his thoughts. His concerns seems to be, in order, getting the gem back otherwise his family’s reputation (and finances) will be ruined and his son Aghbari (but he has to have a family business to hand to his sons, so the family comes first). He is interested in what happened to Ihradel’s body, but not very grieving over the loss, though he knew her only a short while.

The merchants of Iralun have one building where business is conducted. The six largest families have private offices, the lesser business share offices, usually sharing the cost of clerks look after their books. This “”Merchant Factors”” also handles business for out of town traders, as when the group first arrived in the city with the Kotharim, and the wagons were delivered here to have the goods checked in, pre-sold goods distributed, and pre-bought goods loaded.

The Factors is a compound with warehouses and stables, but the building of interest is on the other side, it has two floors. The more public and shared areas on the ground, the private suites of the merchant families on the first.

Initially questioning the door staff seemed fruitless, the security of the suites is the responsibility of the families, they don’t know of any theft from the offices so can’t volunteer any information, and whilst the Deorsin’s clerk, Ghilhali, has the key to the outer office, he only has access to the inner office when the family are there to unlock the door, and both of the keys in the city Elisim holds, though he has given one to the group. Security is being reviewed given the theft. Whilst Aghbari and Ihradel had been in the inner offices, neither knew exactly where the gem was held, and Ihradel had never been in the strongroom.

However the doorkeeper Ghuram (more of a facilities manager in today’s way of thinking) mentions a break in and vandalism from the night previous, the same night as the theft. She shows you defaced paintings in the Great Hall, and the broken door, currently being guarded until they can get it repaired. The group notice that the door was broken OUTWARDS, not inwards and that there are signs of claw marks, and some hairs on splinters, which makes the supposition that this was the act of mischievous urchins

Guram brought back the night doorkeeper, Zhurab, previously dismissed as an unhelpful dolt, and he described a weird incident of that night, his dog, Irakl, became agitated, when let out ran around the central foyer, where there are two fountains, He ran around and around one, both are in the stylised shapes of trees, and barked and tried to climb the fountain.

Zhurab saw nothing, and eventually had to drag the dog to the office and calm it down. He did do a sweep of the building and swears blind that, at that time, all the doors and windows were secure. Although the foyer is open to the upper floor, with a mezzanine on the first floor, the roof is covered over, and in any case the fountain is not tall enough to reach anything else.

The strongroom is concealed behind a sliding panel, and there is a decoy false door, but the strongroom was open, the mechanism had been explained to you in any case and the safes were empty. Although there were obvious chests, the safes had been in a false wall, concealed behind hidden panels, now open and empty, with no obvious external sign, and not regularly placed. One of them was presumably the location of the gem, both from Elisim’s description and the fact that it has been ripped from the wall, claw like gouges in plaster, plates of iron and lead twisted and torn.

There were footprints in the dust, three different ones. A larger set, probably Elisim as he said he had been the only one there, and they seemed to be taking care not to step on the dust, a smaller set, a large child or a small adult, the group suggested that it was the deceased Ihradel, though they have no evidence of her having been here, and animal footprints that the well travelled ranger Utana identified as hyaena.

The group searched the lower floor, hoping to find sign of where the thief entered. The reports on the Offices used by lesser merchants were all undisturbed from reports by the Doorkeeper. Starting from the kitchen, and heading south on the Western side, as it was only on that side and the central foyer that the “”vandals”” had seemed to have been. The cellar proved secure, the storeroom in the kitchen was closed off, the kitchen itself they knew about, and the boards and utensils were not of interest, apart from a portion of the silver service being cleaned, the Great Hall had closed and shuttered windows, and the group felt no desire to search, the chests or boards of that room. Off the great hall is the upper wine room and the Great Hall treasury, where the silver service, including goblets, serving plates, a great covered punchbowl with ladles, and the lesser service of clay, is kept.

Almost absent mindedly, the lid of the siver punchbowl was lifted, to reveal, to the shock of everyone there, the missing gem.

This raised questions. Was this the real gem, it was the right shape and size. As you had been told, it was not set in anything, but was it a fake? If it was the real gem then why go to the trouble of stealing it, and leaving it here?

The group went back to Elisim, who confirmed that it was, indeed, the gem, and he considered that contract fulfilled. He held it up, and showed how the light shone through it in ways that confirmed that this was a gem, and not glass.

However, though he is pleased to pay you for the quick response, and you can see he is relieved beyond all measure, for if the gem had been found by one of the staff, or at the next banquet, then he could not have claimed it, never have said “”this is mine”” and been believed, and you wonder if he has indebted himself to purchase it in the first place.

Now, he says, he wants you to pursude the mystery of who Ihradel was, and is she still alive. He will pay the same as you have already received, but as a flat fee, no timed bonus, as this is less urgent. What you do if you find her he leaves to your discretion.

And there we left it

*COMMENTARY*
This adventure is another published adventure, from a magazine, by a respected UK RPG author. The scenario gives a “”what really happened”” including motivations for the various sections, so, why YOU may have gaps in your knowledge of what is going on, that you feel that you may be progressing along a path but you don’t know why, yet. That is how it should be at this point. You are solving a “locked coffin AND locked room mystery”

Some of the information about motivations IS there, and I am sure to include it in the write up, if you want I can be explicit about it if you think I am being too subtle.

As to finding the gem, brute forcing it as you did IS the only way to trace it at this stage, there is nothing you have missed, you have evidence for where the intruder was, some evidence of what they did when they got there, not all, but some, but no evidence telling you WHY.

You suspect that the thief is Ihradel, but nothing that ties her as live, undead, risen from the grave or a “Weekend at Bernies” style accomplice says she was here, but, again, nothing that says anyone else was here, only a small person and a hyaena.

QUESTIONS TO THE PLAYERS
However, if the bafflement is too much for you, if you aren’t actually ENJOYING this, then let me know and I will see what I can do.

If you want I can be explicit about what you could deduce about motivations from what you have earned already, if you think I am being too subtle, let me know,

If your commitments are changing, and you don’t think you can keep up with this, then, again, please let me know

SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU KNOW
You are hired by merchant Elisim Deorsin, to find a gem stolen from the offices his merchant house operates from. The gem was ripped from the wall safe, actually the wall safe was ripped out, and the gem taken. There are signs of the prescence of a hyaena at the office site.

You cannot find any sign of entry into the office building, but you have found evidence of exit, again showing some kind of animal prescene. Neither have you found evidence of how the offices were entered into. Only Elisim knew the exact location of the gem. You never checked to see if the intruder went straight there or if there is evidence of searching within the offices.

There was distubance in the building, and some evidence that someone spent time there

The family of the merchant is also struck by a family tragedy, the new bride of the youngest son of the family died soon after the wedding, and just before the theft. Your employer has wondered if there was a connection, but cannot think of one.

Some coffins of the family crypt were ransacked and jewellery taken – gold, not silver. Silver was left

No one knows Ihradel’s history or family, the only clues to her background are dancer’s bells, and the suggestion from the Steward that he suspects that the couple met at a caravanserai habituated by dissolutes and wastrels

Ihradel was initially interested in the idea of being a part of a powerful (for this city) trading empire, but soon got bored when she realised the work that entailed.

The gem was found, in a place where it would not be discovered for a while, but whose discovery would be embaraSUMMARY OF WHAT YOU KNOWssing if it were known that Elisim had possessed and lost it. Why someone would make the effort to take the gem, then leave it in that place is unknown.

Elsim is gentually concerned about what the loss of this gem means to his family, He is also concerned about the mental state of his son, the widower, and also what happened to Ihradel in that order, though the first and third has a bearing on the second, it is not that he does not care for his son, but

SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU SUSPECT
That the loss of the gem is not just an embarassment to Elisim, but that a lot of finance is tuied up in it and without it, his family may face severe loss of status and possibly ruination.

You suspect that the bride Ihradel is still alive or was never in the coffin. However everyone testifies that the coffin seemed weighty enough for a body at the time. If alive and escaped, then how she got from the coffin you do not know. There is a lamp there but what the significance of this you have not formed any idea.

You suspect that Ihradel was some kind of not quite human, able to transform, at the very least, into a hyaena, there is supposition of other forms, but no evidence. The apparent aversion to silver is at least indicative of a supernatural nature, as bodies inhabited by spirits that you have met in the past seemed harmed by it.

You suspect that Ihradel used magic to charm the menfolk and to stop a natural suspicion of this stranger in their midst.

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