"Who knows what shady plans they have for us tomorrow night," Zarina sighs, as she walks back with the others. "That's a worry for tomorrow, however. I am exhausted and can't wait to get some sleep this evening."
Asha nods to Shin Mai. "We will be there," she agrees, and departs. Once they have left, she listens wordlessly to the group's discussion, but says nothing, only chewing her lip.
"Well, this business just needs a new approach, that's all. We don't go tomorrow night, simple as that. Instead we send a messenger to the shrine at midnight to tell them of a new location to meet, set for that very night, then we wait in a place we've prepared. If the Vudrani doesn't show, then we wouldn't have met him anyway."
Zak eyes Asha standing silently and chewing her lip. "But something tells me you don't want to take the chance of missing this man, do you Asha? I understand if that's the case, no more to say, you have my full support and we'll be at that shrine before midnight if need be." The archer's calloused hand grips her shoulder briefly, a little squeeze offering support.
"I have a problem with that plan, friend Zak," Simon says. "I would not feel right about sending an uninvolved messenger to his almost certain death."
Zak considers the wisdom of Simon. "You're correct, I hadn't even thought of the messenger, a bad lack of morality on my part. Perhaps a magical messenger would serve the purpose?"
Asha finally breaks her silence. "No," she says quietly. "We need to be there. This... this is my brother. I can't - I won't accept that he is that kind of threat to us. To me, at least. If the rest of you want to stay away, I fully understand. I can do this alone."
"I'll go with you, Asha, family is important and I hope you find a happy reunion with your brother."
"I, also, will attend," Simon says, with a courtly bow. "But I would make a request. Would the group be open to the purchase of spells of invisibility for this occasion?"
"You know that I will go with you as well, Asha. There is no way I would let you walk into a possible trap alone."
"Poog no need to buy spells. Poog am already turning invisible whenever Poog am wanting."
"Good show," Simon says, nodding to Poog. "But not every member of our little group is so blessed."
"I've only got maybe 150 gold beyond what I need to pay for my way home after the tournament," Asha says, "but whatever that will buy you're welcome to." She smiles broadly at the rest of the group. "And thank you. All of you. I am truly blessed to have such friends."
Once again, you return to Yon Loi's. There are fewer people packed into its walls tonight, and those that are here seem to be either conserving or recovering their strength. There is a new addition - a Tian man dressed in robes is wandering about the room, making small talk with the people he encounters. He wears a strange holy symbol around his neck, which appears to be a stylized wheel.
The man is a priest of Qi Zhong, god of healing, magic and medicine.
There are a number of people here, including some contestants - Ganyavesha for one, who is relaxing and enjoying a bottle of the local spirits; a Tian man dressed entirely in black, with very little skin exposed, sits alone examines a book; a half-elf Avistani woman with scarlet hair sits near the fire, watching the flames flicker and the embers pop.
Asha gives the priest a respectful bow, but makes her way to Ganyavesha's table and asks if she minds a bit of company.
"You am knowing this man?" Poog asks Asha, noticing her nod. "Am he another tribemate?"
Seeing her go talk to their former foe, the goblin shrugs and departs.
She am no more threat. Why am Asha trying to be getting information from her now?
Instead, his attention is caught by the half-elf. He makes his way toward her.
"You am liking fire?" he asks.
Zarina shakes her head, seeing the others head out to socialize. She had never felt her magical reservoir to be so close to empty. I hope they don't forget what is important--tomorrow's battles! The sorcerer excuses herself and heads for the comfort of her quarters, preparing herself for the tests the next day might hold.
Simon rises and makes a respectful gesture to the man with the holy symbol.
"Forgiveness, priest," he says, "but might I bother you for a moment?"
Ganyavesha grins up to Asha. "Not at all, my sister-in-arms. Have a seat!" She regards the paladin for a few moments, and the smile softens on her face into one of concern. "You carry a weight on your shoulders, Asha, one I did not see when we danced together earlier. What is it that troubles one of the Rose's holy warriors?" She waves over a server, who approaches with another bottle of the potent liquor.
The half-elf does not immediately turn to look at Poog, instead still watching the flames play about the fireplace. "After a fashion, I suppose. It's probably a truer statement that it has always liked me." She reaches an unprotected hand into the flames, and withdraws a hot coal, picking it up gingerly with her long fingers. Her lips curl into a smile as she regards the coal, glowing red and yellow like a vibrant gem held to the light. "It has an inner beauty, does it not? Such a small thing, but contains enough power to level a city block if left unchecked. People delude themselves into believing that they have mastered the flame, that they harness it to do their bidding. You and I, though, we know different, don't we?" She looks away from the coal, and towards the goblin. "The flame gives what it wishes, and takes what it wishes. It makes no judgments. It will consume the richest king and the poorest pauper equally." The coal has cooled enough that it no longer glows with its internal heat, so the woman tosses it back into the fireplace. "But not today. The flame is patient." She turns back to the little goblin. "Pirin Agramont. And you are, of course, Poog Bonebane. I have seen you in action, and I've been impressed by your command of the arcane. I've never seen a goblin with that degree of control. Is it innate? Or have you learned from years of study?"
Zarina retires to the rooms Marythsan had provided the group. A servant bows his head as she returns to the suite. "Welcome back, Warrior. Do you wish a warm bath before you retire?"
The priest gives Simon a quick blessing, running his index finger around the wagon wheel symbol, then placing it upon the old man's forehead. "Blessings of the Master of Medicines be upon you, Warrior. What is it that ails you?"
"Oooo, I hadn't thought of that. A warm bath would be wonderful, thank you very much." Zarina thinks for a moment, and takes her meager rations and waterskin with her into the bathing quarters. Better safe than sorry with the rampant cheating this tourney is becoming known for...
"Yes, it am great," Poog says enthusiastically, surprised to find someone else who apparently likes fire as much as he does ... though she doesn't seem to quite understand that it's not about the judging, but more about the burning.
"Poog am just lucky, Poog guesses," he says.
These people all am strange! They am constantly telling and asking secrets that make it easier to beat them. No wonder goblins am always killing them...
"What about you? Am you also good with fire and magic?"
Simon gives the correct response for a follower of Qi Zhang (among others) in thanks for the blessing before replying.
"Well, for one thing, I would love to purchase a holy symbol like yours," he says with a kindly smile. "But in the meantime, would you sit with me and let me buy you a drink? You may be just the person I need to talk to, to make a particular purchase. Qi Zhang is the master of magic as well as medicine, after all, and I am a humble practitioner of the arcane arts."
Ganyavesha grins up to Asha. "Not at all, my sister-in-arms. Have a seat!" She regards the paladin for a few moments, and the smile softens on her face into one of concern. "You carry a weight on your shoulders, Asha, one I did not see when we danced together earlier. What is it that troubles one of the Rose's holy warriors?" She waves over a server, who approaches with another bottle of the potent liquor.
"Am I so transparent?" Asha half-smiles, taking the bottle and pouring for both of them. "Do you know those pictures that look like something - a vase, or an old woman - that, when you look at them in a different way, transform into a young woman, or two faces looking at one another? It is something like that. I feel as though I am looking at a picture of something I know, but it seems as though it is hiding an image I have never seen before. I do not know how to reconcile the two."
The servant bows to Zarina, and within a quarter of an hour, a hot bath is prepared. Cherry blossom petals float atop the steaming water, creating a pleasant aroma as well. The servant bows his head once again. "Will you require assistance bathing?"
Pirin nods at Poog's question. "I am flame-kissed, yes. The spark burns within me, and powers my magic. Is it the same for you? I venture you are not a wizard, since your people do not take well to the written word. Is that dog of yours your familiar?"
"It will be a trifling matter for me to get one of Qi Zhong's faithful a symbol," the priest replies. "And if you need some of Qi Zhong's arcane blessings, I will be glad to acquire them for you when I return to the temple in Goka, once I am finished with the job Yon Loi hired me for tonight."
Ganyavesha takes the cup and sips at the liquor, listening to Asha pour out her troubles. "I am a warrior, first and foremost," she says, placing the cup down again. "Unlike the monks of our homeland, I have no wisdom gleaned from introspection and contemplation to impart to you. But it sounds to me as though your answer lies in the description of your own problem. The picture that is both vase and face, young woman and old - they are the same picture. It has always been there. You had never seen the face because you were too focused upon the vase. Maybe to solve your problem, you must acknowledge that what you thought was a single image was actually two all along."
_"Thank you sir, but I think I can manage the rest by myself. Please see there are clean towels available, and I believe that I will be fine, and you may be excused. Thank you for your hospitality.". After the servant is properly excused, the sorcerer dips into the warm bath, lying back and relaxing for the first time in what seemed like forever.
"No, Poog am not flame kissed," the goblin says with a scowl, his irritation at the injustice of the universe causing him to be a little more free with information than usual.
"Familiar? No, it am just an annoying dog that am following Poog around. It am a curse, Poog think, maybe from Poog wife. Poog am only not killing it because that am making Poog wife more mad maybe and next curse be even worse. Though Poog am not sure it is possible."
The goblin launches a kick at the dirty terrier, which easily evades, before growling at it.
It growls back at the goblin and begins barking furiously as he dodges a second kick.
Zak rests through the evening, conserving his strength in hopes that he won't be exhausted for tomorrow's match as a result of tonight's adventure.
"Ah, let me hazard a guess," Simon says with a small smile. "He has asked you to check his viands and beverages for the presence of poison, am I right?"
The old man signals a waitress. "What would you like to drink? And would the temple of the Master of Medicines be reasonably well-supplied with spells of stealth and invisibility?"
The servant nods to Zarina, and she spends some time in the hot bath. The warmth relaxes her tight muscles and the water exudes a pleasant floral aroma from the flower petals steeping in it. When she finishes, she finds the servant has laid out towels for her to dry herself off.
It yaps at Poog as he tries kicking it a few times. "" It dodges away from Poog's kicks, jumping up and nipping the goblin in the side before darting off, barking noisily the whole way. Pirin smirks again at the dog and goblin's antics. "If that's the sort of response you normally get, I see why your kind don't care for dogs."
Zak returns to the attached inn, and finds a similar reception that Zarina received.
The priest nods at Simon's guess. "That he has. The attempted poisoning last night was only the start of the problems, though. A number of contestants collapsed during their exhibition matches today, and one even lost all muscle control while fighting in the arena on a bed of hot coals. In every case, tournament officials diagnosed the problems as poisoning. They were all sorts of different draughts and delivery methods, which made diagnosing the problem difficult in a few cases. In any event, Yon Loi has asked me here to ensure that all his fare is free from toxins. A small price to pay, I should think, to ensure customers can eat free from worry." He smiles as the waitress approaches. "Just some green tea. Alcohol muddles the mind. And I will have to inquire, but I should be able to procure whatever minor magics you require. Goka is a very large city, and unless you are looking for powerful dweomers, then I should be able to find one of the Master's faithful who can provide assistance."
Asha listens to Ganyavesha's words with a somber expression. "I... hear your wisdom, but I find I can take no comfort in it. But that is one of the greatest lessons of art, and I above most should understand it - art shows us what we need to see, not simply what we want to see. Truth is beauty, and beauty truth," she says, and the words sound more like a desperate prayer than a simple statement of belief.
With a shake of her head, the paladin turns her attention back to her companion. "But tonight is not the time for discussing my concerns," she says. "Tell me, what are your plans now?"
"Sadly, but in all honesty, I can not claim to be innocent of the use of poison," Simon says, shaking his head, "but I pride myself on only using it during combat, applied to weapons to be used against truly impressive enemies. And never lethal concoctions! I am no indiscriminate killer. People who would poison an enemy before battle, and attack large groups with toxins... they displease me."
Simon asks the waitress for a pot of green tea and two cups before returning to his discussion with the priest, lowering his voice to a whisper.
"Let me make a proper introduction. My name, kind priest, is Simon Greer.
I would like to place an order for five scrolls of Invisibility, or even Extended Invisibility -- and for no one outside the two of us to hear of it that I am making this purchase. Please understand, I do not wish these scrolls to perform base trickery in the arena. That battle, I will win or lose by my own skills."
"Well, tomorrow, I will cheer on the five warriors who bested me in combat, surely. After that, it's on to the next tournament. None of them have the prestige as the Ruby Phoenix, of course, but a girl can still make a good living off such things. Tonight, though, I'm honoring the contestants that have fallen." The twinkle in her eyes dims as she speaks, and her voice fills with somberness. "The Naga's Children are dead. We only just found out a few hours ago when one of the locals came across their bodies at the Ridge of Graves. They had to use divination magics just to discover who they were, as their bodies had been scoured by acid burns." She herself and Asha another round, and quickly finishes the cup. "Bad business, but that's what happens when you start poking around Huwanyo's lair."
The priest nods. "I do not believe the use of poison is strictly prohibited in the arena - but it would have to be applied to weapons, naturally. Whoever is doing this is clearly working outside the tournament rules." After Simon's introduction, the priest bows to him. "I am pleased to meet you, Simon Greer. I am Bao Gan. I will be able to acquire the scrolls you seek for a like donation to the temple."
"It is my honour to meet you, Bao Gan," Simon says, bowing back. "I shall confer with my colleagues to fund the purchase. In the meantime... Has anything like this ever happened before, such a despicable rash of poisonings?"
Asha looks shocked. "Huwanyo?" she repeats.
"Hmmph! Yes, they am stupid!" Poog says.
"Am you contestant? he asks the woman. "Am you having team?"
"Poisonings, no," Bao Gan replies, sitting down for a moment with Simon. He speaks in hushed tones, and keeps the teacup close to his mouth to hide his lips from prying eyes. "But trouble's followed ever since the Tournament officials broke with tradition. For the thirtieth game, they added an additional round, increasing the amount of people. The rest of those games were plagued with problems. Over thirty of the one hundred and twenty-eight entrants died in accidents, or exhibitions that were somewhat outside the tournament's strict ethical rules. One of the contestants, a sorceress from Lingshen, was disqualified just prior to the final match. Worst of all, the deaths weren't just confined to the contestants. There were a large number of gambling-related deaths in Goka, mostly from a spike in organized crime surrounding the games. The Tournament made the Golden League a lot of money a decade ago. I would be surprised to learn if they weren't trying to capitalize on this year's as well."
Ganyavesha nods. "You might have seen a village on the opposite side of Xielan Island from New Harbor. That would be Old Harbor, but about two hundred years ago, it was called Xielan. Since the island is off Goka's bay, the fisherfolk there never felt the need to have a militia or anything. Honestly, I don't think it would have mattered, since the brine dragon Huyanwo appeared one day, and demanded tribute from the village. The townsfolk refused to submit, and he laid waste to Xielan. The survivors fled to where New Harbor now stands; fortunately for everyone, Huyanwo seems not to care about this village. Still, the dragon is a huge temptation to many contestants. To those that have been knocked out of the tournament, slaying the dragon would mean walking away with its hoard. To those who have not, slaying Huyanwo would mean glory brought to their names." By the time the Vudrani is finished speaking, there is an excitement evident in her eyes.
Pirin snickers softly at the goblin. "That I am, and, yes, I am part of a team. We are The Four From Avistan. Not a very evocative name, but some of my allies are better at pointing out what they don't like instead of offering up ideas of their own. I wanted to call ourselves Destiny's Legionnaires, but there you are."
Asha studies the other woman seriously. "You're... not tempted to try it yourself, are you?" she asks a bit hesitantly.
"The Golden League," Simon mutters, his voice sombre. "I have heard of them. Nothing good. Can you tell me any more about them? To be forewarned is to be forearmed."
The old man looks into his teacup. "Noble Bao Gan, do you believe it possible that the traditional form of the tournament constituted a ritual contract of some sort, and the deviation is causing active misfortune?"
"Poog can see why you am called the Four from Avistan. It am not horrible name."
That am horrible name!
"What am they like? Poog am not seen you fight."
Ganyavesha shrugs. "The thought has crossed my mind. But I can't fly - otherwise, your archer would have had some problems of his own in our fight. If I can't take him out, I probably don't stand a chance against a dragon." She leans back in her chair, slightly flushed from the alcohol.
"Criminal scum, opportunists chased from Minkai and found a second home here in Goka," Bao Gan replies. "If there's a criminal enterprise in the city, then you can bet they've got a piece of it. As for what you speculate, perhaps. Abadar's clergy wouldn't change a contract without making certain it was within the bounds of the contract, I would think, but I am no lawyer."
"Well, let's just say we make up for our lack of creativity with skill at arms. Like yourselves, we've advanced to the third day as well."
Asha, still somewhat unnerved by the talk of dragonslaying and bodies dissolved by acidic breath, steers the conversation toward lighter topics for a short while, then eventually excuses herself to speak to the musicians, hoping to persuade them to begin some slow music suitable to a more somber dance. Whether they comply or not, Asha produces her finger symbols and starts a ponderous, almost meditative performance, her eyes closed as she concentrates on the music, the rhythm, and the movements.
"Well, maybe we fight later, then. Poog will try no kill you," he says, a Goblin-ish effort to be polite and reassuring.
After a short time later, he retreats, returning to his room to rest for the evening, It nipping at his heels.
Before Asha gets up to dance, Ganyavesha catches her attention one last time. "If you get some time tomorrow, you may want to go to the Temple of the Rose Shell. It's one of the most sacred spots here on Xielan Island, but most of all to your ilk. You might find the answers you seek there."
The next morning is dreary, and rain falls in a steady drizzle. Your trip to the Tournament grounds is unpleasant, but at least unremarkable as well. One of the monks bows to you as you approach. "Ah, Warriors, your bout is scheduled for later this afternoon, directly after your exhibition match. Xielan Island is at your disposal until such time."
Asha, recalling Ganyavesha's words from the night before, decides that the Temple of the Rose Shell will be her destination for the morning; she invites any of the other Warriors who might want to accompany her to come along, and asks the monk where she might find the temple.
Poog shrugs.
"Poog can go to temple. Maybe there am something interesting there..."
Zarina felt much better the next morning. She was rested, refreshed and ready to get back to business. She was almost chipper when she met the others.
When Asha mentions a particular temple she wished to visit, the sorcerer was happy to go along for the ride. "I admit, we haven't had much time to kick back and enjoy the sights of the island, have we?"
"I'm in", Zak agrees, "Let's go see the temple when time permits."
"Agreed," Simon says, nodding. "It might be nice to visit a place with a more tranquil atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, I am committed to our challenges, but every now and then, a man of my age likes to take a breather from fighting." He winks at the others.
Asha smiles as the rest of the group agrees to accompany her. "I need to send Marthysan a bouquet or something," she says, hooking her arm through Simon's as they turn toward the temple. "Putting the five of us together was a great idea."