We are joined by Andy Staples, so the group now consists of four areas of intersection with me
- NORMAN AND ALISTAIR – old friends from Strathclyde University RPG days
- ANDY, PHIL and MARK – Having met Andy through C&S, I then met Phil and Mark through Andy via Hârn
- CHRIS K – DragonQuest, obviously and through Andy sat in his RQ playtest
- CHRIS H – UK-centric RPGING internet
The alleged charlatan, Zokia, was held for those two days, but so, in a friendlier way, was the group. If Zokia was proven innocent then the group would pay for defamation of the potion seller.
Over the two days the owner of the caravanserai. Himmun, has arranged a tribunal. Totally against the laws which would insist that the potion seller would be turned over to the magistrate. This is a low and rough justice, the potential victims being customers, friends and neighbours of Himmun. To form his tribunal he has arranged for Kuldiz, the merchant Farshad had been talking to when he was robbed and a trader, of sorts, and dabbler in alchemy, Jalabu, an associate of both Himmun and Kuldiz.
The morning of the tribunal, Farshad holds up a piece of pottery, with writing scratched onto it. He looks agitated as he tells the groups that he had received a message from his family about an exciting business opportunity, and he needs to go and attend to that. He will catch up with the group, unless they are executed for defamation of character. He leaves, with great alacrity
Noon comes, as does the tribunal. Himmun has set up some basic useful tools for an alchemist, a fire, some pots, spoons, a few chemicals, and Jabalu retreats to the kitchen to analyse the potion.
Back in the main room, the group and Zokia are told that they can cross examine each other. Zokia starts, demanding who does José think he is, denying a chance of a cure, a glimpse of a healthy future to these people.
In response, José uses Soothe Pain to render Zokia insensible. It will be four hours by the time he recovers, giving Jalabu time to examine the substance. He is lucky, and determines that these are relatively common poisons, and in this combination one is a painkiller, soothing the afflicted, and the other a soporific, making the victim suggestable. Moreover they are addictive and will harm the user over time.
When the charlatan wakes up, he is dragged off by burly men, never to be seen by the group again.
Kuldiz reminds the group that he told Farshad of a contact in the next town, Khayy, on your route. This contact, Baltajniz, might be useful to the group to aid their journey. Moreover, Jabalu knows both Baltajniz and the way to Khayy.
The way is well travelled and safe, and a couple of days sees them at the gates of Khayy. Utana decides that queuing for the toll is not for him and, almost as haughty as his mule, he rides past the folk waiting to pay their tolls and addresses the guards with the full power of his rank. Unfortunately the guard is not impressed, possibly Utana’s foreign accent, but he decided to kick it upstairs, fetching his captain. The captain, impressed by the bearing of Utana and nursing a hangover, says to himself, I cannot be bothered, and waves them all in.
Baltajniz’s town estate is in a well to do, but not the best part of the city, a walled compound with many buildings around a courtyard and garden. The major domo greets you and, recognising Jabalu, leads you in, guiding you to a guest chamber as grooms take your mules.
After some small talk, Baltajniz tells you that the safe route whilst risk free, will take you out of your way because of the mountains, but that he knows a way through, to the next big town, Byni on your route. One that will take days off it. However, there is a price. He has a sawmill up in the Mountains that delivers its product to his agent in Byni. Last year,while he was trading in the East, some disaster befell it, there were many deaths and only a few graves, the rest of the bodies were left lying. By the time he returned, winter and the spring floods stopped him going to look. He offers you guidance to the other side of the Mountains, if you investigate what happens and leave word with his agent.
The group agrees, and a question about survivors brings the name of Yenab up, a Shevam cook, whom Baltajniz just learned was drinking himself to death in a scummy inn in the rough part of town, “”The Lost Hope””. The group, disarmed appropristely, leave Dhran and Jushuur with their gear left the quiet, clean streets of the merchant area, down through the busy part of town where Guinon saw, but did not register, an amulet and talisman seller with signs that in fact they are a Rune mage.
They reach the filthy area of derelicts and the hopeless, the “”Preston”” of Ishtir, and the inn, bypassing a “”Have you been to a Harvester before”” joke that fell flat, and finding the only Shevam that is both on their own and near paralytic. Yenab seemed scared, telling of a beast that killed them one by one, ripping soft flesh from bodies, leaving them where they could be found. Yenab fled, but still the dreams haunt him, the beast willing him to join it, to rend, tear, bite and kill.
José uses his empathy skill on Yenab, and is blasted by the pain and fear in his mind, Yenab is sincere.
They decide to take Yenab to Baltajniz, via the talisman seller. Some of the symbols are incomplete runes, showing knowledge without forming them. The Rune Mage, Ferhosz, analyses the aura of the Shevam, and sees a sickness born of a god, beyond his power to heal, has cursed Yenab. He suggests that the priests of Ghatama, a secretive order worshipping a regional god of Thought, Wisdom and Harmony, might be the best people to talk to,as it is said that they know sorceries affecting the mind. This costs Utana 3 gold and he is not best pleased.
Guinon buys a well thumbed papyrus book pertaining to ciphers and codes, though it is better than the stall keeper knows, having extra annotations, algorithms and techniques, this cost her 7 and a half gold.
The group go back, and give Yenab to Baltajniz’s care, as an employee of his. The merchant accepts this charge, though he is less thrilled by the annotatedExpense Claim forms. He holds that his payment for what you are doing is the route, but Utana persuades him that care for Yenab is separate to that. Reluctantly Baltajniz agrees, and refunds the money, even for Guinon’s book, which is not really anything to do with Yenab, but he is befuddled at this point.
And there we left it