[OEPT] Stone, Paper, Anchor

[greentongue]

A group of refugees from the Silver Shell clan have newly arrived in the Tsolyani city of Jakalla. They have arrived with the clothes on their backs and what funds they could raise from among their families and clansmen. While staying at The Tower of the Red Dome, the cheapest hostel in Jakalla, the islanders have all fallen in with a local named Imalcho hiWuhanu.
They had heard of each other's clan, his is the Eye of Bronze, and there had been trade between their clans in the past. He has been in Jakalla for several months and knows the lay of the Foreign Quarter. Through him a proposition from the representative of a Lower Middle merchant clan, the Turning Wheel, has filtered.

It has come to their attention that the favored son of the second wife of a Leader of the Onyx Anchor clan has been kidnapped. While they dislike the Onyx Anchor for choosing to do business with Woven Basket instead of them, they think that providing a favor could help when negotiating a new contract.

From one of Turning Wheel's business relations they were able to learn that the child was transported by the Woven Basket to a small secret shrine beneath Jakalla.
This shrine is dedicated to one of the less savory aspects of Chiteng, the torture of children.

The Shrine of Exquisite Agony is hidden away from easy discovery but, its location is known by members of the Society of Castigation and as with many secrets, it has leaked out. You can be directed there if you are willing to assist.

Since Turning Wheel does not want to be directly associated with defiling such a shrine, they are looking for someone less discriminating in the jobs they are willing to perform.
===
home.earthlink.net/~djackson24/ForeignQuarter.JPG

33. Hostel of Birrukú the Allaqiyáni, Resthouse for Foreigners and Visitors of Lower-Middle Status
34. Tower of the Red Dome, Resthouse for Poor and Indigent Foreigners and Visitors of No Status.
35. Palace of Mrúthri, Resthouse for Foreigners and Visitors of Upper Status.

56. Armoury of the Shield of Imperial Valor.
=

[bert]

Gereshma returns to the Tower of the Red Dome from shopping at the Armoury of the Shield of Valour, a few kaitars tinkling in his much depleted pouch. This trip into the underworld had better pay well.

He stops at the corner of the dormitory the Silver Shell clan now called their clanhouse; a couple of bunks screened from the rest of the scruffy peasants by a couple of bits of sailcloth. He gets out his inks and a brush from his pen box and begins to carefully inscribe a complex red and black sigil on his new shield.

'Whatchu doin?' asks a skinny Livyani refugee kid, to young to have any but the merest hint of tattooing.

'I am marking the sign of Vyer, the Guide of the Underworld,' says Gereshma, matter of factly, 'I will hang this up near my clan's goods and anyone, anyone at all who even thinks of pilfering them will be taken down into the depths of the earth and have the living flesh sucked from his screaming skeleton by demons.'

'Oh', he says, 'I'll tell my daddy.'

'You do that,' says Gereshma affably.

He awaits the rest of the clan, pitiful few that there were left. But he has high hopes of this offer by Imalcho; the great Gruganu is a protector of those who venture below. With Vyer's aid, the prize would be as good as theirs.

[calithena]

Leaving the girls of the Emerald Circlet behind, Kevuk's head pounded with the residue of the dronu-bottle stuffed into his sash. He rubbed his chin and contemplated gayel, sinking beneath the horizon with the sunrise.

At length what little philosophy Kevuk possessed wore out, and he uttered what for the time must be the guiding truth of his existence: "I need money."

Spotting Gereshma outside the clanhouse, he smiled. This was a clan-mate, one of those lying, duplicitous priests of the old gods - surely he would have a lead on some fortune or other. "Ho, cousin!" Kevuk called, trying to straighten himself up and look professional. "What brings you to Jakalla?"

[Epengar]

Hrunal flicked another bit of vegetable rind off his arm. That old Livyani and her brood had been very unpleasant. How was he to know that was her place on the square? It's not like it was a proper market. This "business" (hah!) of selling amulets and charms was no business at all. Especially now; he'd left most of his stock behind when he fled that harridan and her gang of thugs. It galled him, this scraping and skulking. He watched some seabirds wheeling over the docks for a few minutes to ease his mind. His remaining coins would have to do for supplies for the Underworld. That business sounded dangerous, but maybe lucrative...

Hrunal set out for the Armoury to buy a few more supplies. He got some rope, and plenty of things for fire and light, and a brace of pretty good daggers. He looked ruefully at the small pile of coins in his hand as we was leaving. On the way back to the Tower of the Red Dome, he passed the ramshackle place where a one-eyed old Salarvyani sold wine, and other things. He bought three bottles of cheap Ngalu -- "tomorrow maybe the gods send us to our doom, we should be at ease tonight..."

"Ohé, cousins! Here is something to wash away the taste of that swill they give us! It is a poor sort of drink for a celebration, but let us be merry while we can!"

[greentongue]

The Tower of the Red Dome is a vermin infested heap of a building. As much leaning on the seaside wall as hugging it. Clearly paltry bribes were paid to the priests that cast the preservation spell for the building.
The red of the main dome is faded and chipped, with piles of seabird dropping staining it. On other more well maintained buildings these dropping slide right off without a trace.

The building itself is a warren of rooms on the first two floors where the owning clan members maintain their residence. Under the squat red dome are several floors of large chambers filled with columns. These chambers are segregated into many smaller areas. A mish-mash of fabric and cane partitions of all descriptions are standing as temporary walls. No apparent pattern or plan can be determined as to which is where. There is however a difference in the quality of some and the spaces they surround are clearly preferred locations.

There are clan members near these better partitions and it is they are who assign the sleeping arrangements and ensure that guests are cared for. While they don't provide entertainment or refreshments, others from the city circulate freely and solicit their many offerings.

The upper floor is better cooled by breezes and has more open space. Access is controlled to this level and its Floor Manager is well dressed.

A point of pride for the building is the large and still working elevator that services the center of the building. While jerky in its movements, it still can be used to get between floors. Most clan members avoid using it and take the many stairs instead.

[bert]

"Ho, cousin!" Kevuk called, trying to straighten himself up and look professional. "What brings you to Jakalla?"

'The same boat as you master Kevuk,' says Gereshma, eyeing him critically. The man was an oaf, but a high lineage oaf with a talent for hitting things and a clan cousin to boot. Never let it be said that Gereshma would let a fellow Silver Shell dishonour the clan by lapsing into being a drunken beggar...

[Hrunal] bought three bottles of cheap Ngalu -- "tomorrow maybe the gods send us to our doom, we should be at ease tonight..."

"Ohé, cousins! Here is something to wash away the taste of that swill they give us! It is a poor sort of drink for a celebration, but let us be merry while we can!"

'Ahem, let us keep these bottle corked for the moment cousin Hrunal,' says Gereshma, 'I have matters that require the sobriety of the Dark Trinity for us to consider...'

Up in their tatty corner of the second floor dormitory, Gereshma eyes the neighbouring clans with his best 'for two hlash I'll sacrifice you to Origob' stare, and draws the sail cloth hangings closed.

'Well cousins we have tried to make it in the city at our traditional crafts and let's face it we have failed. I can't find enough Yunga-weed to make a bit of string let alone a net, and let's face it there are opportunities here to weave our skeins of fat from finer stuff than mere seaweed, IF we stick together and stay sober.' He pauses to give a glare at his dishevelled clansmen.

'Now a friend of mine called Imalcho of the Turning Wheel has a proposition.

There's a woman being held down in the Tsu'urum by some gang of renegade Flame-worshippers for sacrifice. Down there there are no rules, bold men like us could get in and snatch her back no problem, with aid of my gods and your sword and magic. I say we do it. If you can get the rest of the Ketalal brothers on board Kevuk, I'd say these flame-brains are in for it!

But we have to go soon, before their festival. Imalcho will meet us at the gate to the Temple of Karakan Second Temre tomorrow (9.00-12.00am). He'll be looking for more swords no doubt, so we have to look like we know what we are about or he won't take us, so put the wine bottles away. We drink when we have the prize, eh?'

[calithena]

Kevuk looks like a drowning man offered a raft when he sees the Ngalu, but somehow he goes along with Gereshma's restraint, at least for the time.

"There are some more of my lineage in town, yes! I'll round them up and have them at the meeting. We'll need gear...I've got my blade, but perhaps a bit of armor wouldn't hurt for a job like this...what do you think, Master Hrunal?", Kevuk asks, using a pronoun slightly higher than is strictly required by their clan- and profession-relationships to refer to the sorcerer, hoping to get a second opinion on their upcoming mission.

After the discussion I go find my brothers and we buy some gear, in preparation for our daring raid.

[Epengar]

"I think this is dangerous and and dirty work. There's a lot of bad stuff down there in the dark, we'll need to be ready for anything. Also, I'm pretty sure Imalcho said it was a child that needed snatching, and that the flame-heads worship Chiteng, that fire lizard god. Those people love pain, really love it. We *don't* want to get caught by them...

Still and all, hard times mean hard work for hard men. Go and fetch your brothers-in-arms, we'll make ready here."

[greentongue]

Imalcho

Imalcho had a nearby urchin announce his presence and greeted all the currently gathered clansmen. With deft use of address he greeted each person appropriately and inquired if they have had a chance to consider his proposition.
“I am going to join a game with some of the staff of this fine establishment. I will return this evening to make arrangements if you are inclined to accept the offer to assist the Turning Wheel clan. I believe that further opportunities will come from it. For all of us.”

[thorswulf]

Kevuk little needed to travel far to find Zharkan. The crowds parted from him as he strode toward the clan house. Perhaps they feared him for his appearence, though it did little to bother him. His time at the Palace of War had proven fruitless once more. Many considered him to be beneath their noble legions recruiting standards. " Silly bastards, looks never lost a war...." He muttered to himself. One person did not step aside from him: Kevuk.

"Greetings to you clan brother! I hope your day was spent better than my own."

[calithena]

"Aye, brother! It was!" Kevuk informs him as to what has transpired.

Once the three Ketalal warriors have found one another, we will all go shopping for what we need, and then return at the appointed hour to effect the rescue.

[bert]

'Ah, friend Imalcho,' says Gereshma, 'How many people do you need for your expedition? We Silver Shells can provide five very tough and experienced men. Is this enough? Will we need to ask some of the lesser specimens here to come along to assist us?'

[greentongue]

Imalcho

Attempting to answer Gereshma's question, Imalcho responded.
"I have not yet been given a lot of details. The whole situation is not being discussed publicly. From what I can deduct, and I feel that I am passingly good at that," he adds with a smug grin, "the shrine is not very big. Even for Chiteng it is not a popular aspect. This has helped to keep the news and location from spreading."

"I'm sure that Turning Wheel would like to keep the number of people involved to a minimum. My concern is that we may not be the only ones to get word of this opportunity. There were a few others at the game where I learned of it and offered to find help."
=

[Epengar]

"Then perhaps we should go soon" says Hrunal. "How long does it take to get to this shrine? Hours? Days?"

"We'll need to know how to identify the person that we are to retrieve."

[dwayanu]

Sanjesh, a strong and handsome but dull-witted fisherman, got lost and is evidently overjoyed to have found his way back at last.

He gets the basic drift of the scuttlebutt, and knows his 13 kaitars won't last a week.

[greentongue]

Imalcho[/u]

I will introduce you to your contact from Turning Wheel at the gate to the Temple of Karakan Second Temre tomorrow (9.00-12.00am). All will be explained at that time.
=

[greentongue]

Part of the reason that Sanjesh was late arriving is because there are roving gangs "recruiting" for the Imperial fleet. He was swept along by some individuals fleeing from them and got disorientated.

It was lucky actually, as he would make a wonderful "recruit" and the gang that turned him over to the Navy would get a nice reward.
=

[calithena]

Kevuk is ready for the Tsu'urum.

[bert]

Gereshma jingles his paltry 14 kaitars. He was going to ask Imalcho to take him into town to visit the Temple of Gruganu, but the swine would charge 'guide' fees. He'll just save his money for now, and look for ways to get permission to leave the foreign quarter on his own.

In the meantime he polishes his club, an heirloom from the old country made of dense black ebony carved into the form of one of Gruganu's demon servitors, five eyed and three beaked.

[Epengar]

While waiting for the Ketalal warriors, Hrunal carefully packs his lantern and flasks of oil, wrapping them in rags and empty sacks to keep them from clinking and maybe protect them a bit. When Sanjesh finally arrives, Hrunal breaks out the wine. "Three bottles between five men is poor odds, but it will have to do. Here is the last of my smoked fish from home, and some flatbread to put it on. A meager feast, but let us savor it while we can. Soon we'll be on the path to plenty, or we'll have no need of it." He passes the first bottle around, after splashing a bit on the floor "for Auntie Jetsam, that she might guide us to rich cargo."

Hrunal is ready.

[calithena]

Kevuk winks at Gereshma and takes a large swig of the wine.

"I'm ready, cousins. If this goes well, opportunities should only increase from here, eh?"