Kibwe's huge granite walls gleam in the bright sun that shines through the Needle's Gap and onto the great trading city. Dotted around the walls are the great statues known as Pillar-Watchers whose many magical abilities have fortified the city and prevented it from falling prey to subterfuge, siege or the insidious creeping of the jungle.
On this particular morning the city gates open to welcome traders as it does every day. Small coffles of slaves are marched in under the frowning eyes of overseers since selling slaves is still legal for foreigners in Kibwe, even though slave-taking is not. Much more common however are the various trading caravans, exchanging the glass-wares, spices and other wares of eastern Garund for the hard woods, gold and salt of Kibwe and the Mwangi Expanse beyond.
The town's population is vibrant, busy and always eager to trade although some stalls are shuttered even at midday, and there are more distrustful looks flying than is normal for such a cosmopolitan trading town. Even the large caravan marked with the intertwined snakes of the Apsis Consortium receives frowns and disapproving looks, despite the small fortune recently that the Consortium generously invested in Kibwe's infrastructure.
The oddest looks however are reserved for one of the smaller groups entering the city - a pack of catfolk.
Zathra purrs with satisfaction as they pass through the city's gates. "The spirits have guided us safely on our journey through the jungle. Let us give thanks to them."
She bows her head briefly, then turns a sideways glance to Uthe and her distinct lack of clothing. "Once more, I would advise you to cover up, kitten. Some humans react strangely to so much exposed body parts. You may attract unwanted attention."
"STOP!" a voice booms from above in the trees. The large, muscle-bound form of a greyish-white catfolk with black swirls that remind of tiger stripes, falls down from above and lands in a crouch before the travelers. Holding her hand out to prevent them moving much further ahead, she says "I know of your journey. It is full of danger and it is unwise to proceed with out proper protection."
Rising to her feet, she stands up proudly and declares "Therefore, I have decided I am to accompany you on your quest of exploration and discovery."
She holds her head up proudly, letting the light outline her features so she looks rather majestic before the group. Wearing wraps on both hands, a jangling silver bracelet on her left wrist and a copper ring on her left pinky finger, she looks rather "unprepared" for a dangerous journey. She smiles and says "We can now depart." before moving to the front and leading the way.
Zathra quirks an eyebrow at the monk who has declared herself a part of the expedition. Her nose twitches. ”Is it you who have decided this, kitten, or is it the spirits that have guided you on the same path as ours? It is the the jungles hold many dangers. There is safety in numbers, and you look strong enough to count for at least two or three! If your prowess matches your posturing, then you shall be a welcome companion, indeed.”
Seemingly unconcerned at another Amurrun joining their group, Uthe is intrigued at the newcomers choice of jewelry.
"May we see?" she asks gesturing to the bracelet that jangles.
~~~~~~~
She bows her head briefly, then turns a sideways glance to Uthe and her distinct lack of clothing. "Once more, I would advise you to cover up, kitten. Some humans react strangely to so much exposed body parts. You may attract unwanted attention."
"Humans are stupid," she says with her characteristic lack of tact as she takes up an argument that they've had before. "They have to cover themselves because they're naked. We are not naked. We are covered in our beautiful fur which is more becoming than any piece of sewn cloth could ever be. And our wonderful fur covers us all over whereas the silly humans' faces, arms, and legs are still naked even with their sad attempt to replicate our fur." The bells in her ears jingle as she shakes her head and puts her nose into the air. "If they stare it is only because they are envious of our fur."
Voshi does nothing to stop the intruding catfolk joining their journey, but merely says
"You're very purrr-suasive - I'm sure you'll be of use to us."
-----------
Voshi wades into the conversation as if she cannot help herself.
"But you're both forgetting all of the other brilliant opportunities that these clothes can bring."
Voshi's current travelling outfit consists of a vividly green tunic, made from one sheet of fabric with a bold repeating pineapple print, along with a matching green floppy hat.
"You can express so much about yourself by what you choose to wear alone. This outfit says; I'm sweet....and delicious, and maybe a little bit prickly - if you handle me the wrong way. Right Zathra?"
"It certainly says something, and quite loudly at that," Zathra comments. Her tail swishes behind her as she smiles at her younger sister.
The large "kitten" jangles her bracelets for Uthe before turning back to Zathra. "I received no visits from spirits nor elders, but I find it highly possible that I have been guided here to join you this day."
Eyeing Voshi, Saylarya tilts her head to one study to study the garment before shaking her head and rubbing her eyes "Perhaps you can stand in the front with your potentially prickly pineapple patterns and blind them so that I may swoop in behind them."
Leading into the city, she observes the strange looks they are getting and says softly to those behind her "Please do not wander off alone."
When Saylarya jangles the bracelet, Uthe's eyes grow even bigger, her hand reaches out towards it but she stops herself. She gives a curt nod and then returns to the others.
~~~~~
"We believe that you're trying too hard to be like stinky, stupid humans," Uthe says to Voshi with a sniff.
"Well, if you ever change your mind Uthe, I could always help you dress into something you will like, I do have a jacket with some golden buttons somewhere..."Voshi replies, ignoring the disapproval.
"Let us find this cheap darkwood merchant!" Voshi says with a conniving glance towards the town centre.
It turns out from asking around that there is only one place in Kibwe that one can purchase darkwood - the stall of Kendi Laughs-Long. "It's not that he's the only merchant." One loquacious passer-by informs Voshi. "But he is by far the best. Finest carving and he doesn't try to palm you off with stained wood from other trees like some of the less scrupulous people who trade under the walls. Yes, you want Kendi. Tell him Sura says 'you still owe me dinner'."
Kendi's stall is found in the Central Bazaar, part of the great Adayenki Pavilion, which forms the heart of Kibwe. The Bazaar is busy but not crowded - which seems odd for such a fine day. As the glare of catfolk approach a large man with a wide, white smile looks up from where he is whittling a large chunk of wood.
"Ah, not one buyer, but many!” cries the man who can only be Kendi Laughs-Long. His expansive gesture draws attention to his many skillful carvings of rare wood, including darkwood. “Please, all of you, browse my wares and feel free to ask me...”
Kendi utters a strange, deep gurgle, and his features begin to flow and melt like wax. He stares plaintively as his eyes droop and then liquefy. Within seconds, the merchant has become a quivering pile of dark goo in his stall. The goo suddenly ripples, extrudes a pseudopod, and slithers forward.
"This is what happens when you wear human-clothes!" Saylarya informs Voshi, pointing at the puddling-merchant-goo.
She leans back and swirls her arms around her until she relaxes into her tiger stance and strikes it twice.
"What tricks will stupid, stinky humans do next?" Uthe says with a smirk as she moves to the side of the stand and then, with a word and a gesture, sends a blast of cold towards the merchant/ooze.
"Oh no, this is not from human clothes - men are always falling at my feet!" Voshi quips, stepping forward as her kukri leaps into her hand as if it just an extension of her arm and then slashes at the oozey mess in front of them.
{a}Bon Motte
{a}Step forward
{a}
Ooze 3a: 35
Ooze 3b: 13
Ooze 4b: 13
Saylarya slashes through the oozes quivering body with ease, but the creature doesn't seem daunted! Each gelatinous mass rises independently and seems ready to fight on, even when she slashes another one into pieces!
Uthe circles around and ruins a huge amount of darkwood by blasting it with ice, along with the oozes. All three quiver, although a couple seem to largely absorb the icicles with little damage.
Voshi's joke seems to fall flat - any sense of humor Kendri had apparently died with him and she slashes at the smallest ooze breaking it into yet another ooze!
The four oozes writhe and flail. Two attempt to engulf Saylarya, another grabs at Voshi and the final one heaves itself past Uthe and out into the market, making a bid for freedom!
"Oh." she remarks curiously, watching the ooze rise from the ground and batter her relentlessly.
"IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE YOU-" she never gets to finish her declaration as the creature squeezes the life out of her and she drops unconscious.
Voshi's stomach turns as the goo engulfs her, nearly bringing her to her knees and then she legs it out of the immediate area {a,a} and fumbles for a potion from her bag {a}.
Groaning in pain, she lifts her head from the ground and sees Zathra standing above her. She sees the danger is still imminent and since her claws were useless, she switches things up and tries to use her fists this time!
”No!” Zathra shouts as the oozes assault her allies. She lays hands on her sister, restoring her health, then calls on the spirits to heal the monk. ”You will not fall here. Fight for your ancestors’ glory!”
"Ancestor's glory can bite our furry bottom!" Uthe shouts back before cast a spell on her staff.
And then striking at the nearest quivering mass with it.
Ooze 3a: 16
Ooze 4b: 13
Saylaya pummels one of the smaller oozes into intert protoplasm, and then she and Uthe team up to bludgeon a larger portion. That portion is not destoryed, but it is significantly smaller than it was. Unfortunately the largest part remains, and it appears hungry.
As Voshi runs she sees that the escaping ooze is flailing around the market place as a number of guards leap in and out of combat, thrashing it with staves and trying hard not to let it touch them. Even as she watches one of its pseudopods grazes a cowering civilian and the man dissolves, screaming, into a pile of goop. This one however does not rise again.
The largest chunk hulks mindlessly towards Saylarya and gobbles at her once again while the smaller part slides up Uthe's staff to attack the sorceror.
Zathra hisses as the oozes continue to ravage her companions. She lays hands on Saylarya and uses a spell to heal Uthe.
Uthe struggles to free herself from the icky ooze, but fails. She contents herself with whacking it with her enchanted staff.
Voshi drinks her healing potion, wrinkling her nose at the taste before scampering back across the square.
"Zathra, the ancestors are with you!" Voshi calls out to support her sister.
Thanks to Zathra, Saylarya pummels, bites and occasionally gouges the ooze holding her and manages to give the creature a good battering. She hasn't escaped its grip however and the ooze seems to be cuddly.
Uthe likewise is still held by her ooze but fortunately the sorceress proves no slouch with a staff and beats the ooze into ectoplasmic gobblets before it can keep touching her in uncomfortable ways.
Unfortunately for Voshi her shouting is loud enough to attract the attention of the final ooze, which comes slithering towards her with questing pseudopod, which slams the unfortunate cat off her feet.
Ooze 4b: 13
Zathra reaches out to slather some herbs on Saylayra's acid burns before using magic to get Voshi back on her feet.
With her ooze properly chastened, Uthe struts over to where Voshi is on the receiving end of non-consensual pseudo-pod usage.
Voshi leaps back onto her feet fairly gracefully considering she was just unconscious.
Having learned quickly from her previous mistake, she drops her blade and attempts to punch the ooze instead.
{a}
{a}
{a}
Uthe and Voshi both react very badly to the inappropriate groping and between them pummel the smaller ooze into jelly.
Zathra is barely keeping Saylarya conscious and the monk does her best to make value.
Unfortunately it isn't enough and the ooze squeezes the life out of her once again, leaving her dangerously close to death! With its current meal almost digested the ooze drops it, and strikes at the annyoing healer cat.
"Finish it off!" Zathra declares, wincing in pain from the ooze's blow. She steps forward and brings her staff down on the offending slime!
With two mighty blows of her staff Zathra whacks the ooze into such small pieces that it sinks into inert protoplasm.
As silence falls across Kendri's annihilated shop and the queen of cats takes stock of their wounds. Saylarya is on the very precipice of death! But her otherworldly fortitude holds her on the brink just long enough for Zathra to help her!
From the direction of the main market a middle-aged Zenj woman dressed in colorful fabrics hails you from a few stalls away. “Ah! Heroes! I would speak with you!” When the woman gets closer it becomes apparent that she is covered in clothes from head to toe, including long gloves - she must be boiling, but her face is uncovered and she bows and introduces herself. “I am Abayone Munme, and I have the pleasure of serving on the Representative Council that administers Kibwe. Might I bother you for a moment of your time? That unfortunate transformation you just witnessed was, alas, not an isolated event.”
"That humans transform into an icky ooze? Is it a curse or a disease?" Uthe questions, tipping her head so that her bells tinkle. "If it is magical in origin then perhaps we can help. If it is a disease then ..." she shrugs her shoulders.
Voshi retrieves her blade that she abandoned, wiping it off with disgust, whilst walking over to the woman.
"Maybe clothes protect you from the curse Uthe! Its why this lovely human here is wearing so many beautiful garments" she says, clearly not hiding the fact she is playing with Uthe's feelings about clothes.
"Its certainly a slippery situation you've got yourselves in, human." she says, smiling at her own pun.
Abayone inclines her head in acknowledgement of Voshi's quip.
"Indeed, poor Kendri is the most recent victim but by no means the only one. It seems likely that Kibwe has indeed been struck by some sort of curse or plague although, alas, I do not know which it may be. However..." She pauses for a moment, clearly a master of engaging an audience, "I have noticed an alarming trend. Only humans have been affected. This city holds dozens of races from across Garund and beyond but not a single elf, dwarf, halfling or Amurrun has transformed. Unfortunately that means I cannot employ my usual agents to investigate the cause of this... sickness. Therefore I would like to hire you all to investigate on Kibwe's behalf, I can offer a stipend of ten gold pieces per day for expenses, but also the Representative Council’s gratitude, which you may find quite valuable.”
"How about 10 gold pieces and some good darkwood? That is what we came to Kibwe for - an honest trading deal."
"Kendri's wares will go to his next of kin, I have no control over them." Abayone replies, "I am willing to give you five days stipend in advance however."
"Only stinky humans are affected? How strange," Uthe notes, tapping her chin with a long, clawed finger. "When did it begin?"
After rousing Saylayra, Zathra nods to the elder. "The spirits of our ancestors have placed us here for this very reason, I feel. We will help your people. Any idea where we should begin our investigation?"
Voshi eyes her big sister with disdain for not bargaining further before accepting the job.
"How many humans have already turned into goo?" she asks, consigned to the fact they are not going to get much out of this now.
"Perhaps thirty? Although I fear I have not heard all of the reports. It is likely that some people are hiding in their homes and haven't spoken to anyone. However I do have two leads so far; I ask you to follow up on these and find out anything else you can by asking around the city. First, I hear that a mystic named Baats’ulan preaches in the Adayenki Pavilion every sundown. Baats’ulan’s acolytes are numerous and secretive, but several have apparently been afflicted with this transformation. Second, the nation of Nex is known for crafting oozes, and a Nexian envoy named Mafzat A’Haddin maintains an office at the edge of the Iwisa Block, near the northern gate. I believe your investigations there would bear more fruit if you neglect to mention that you are working on behalf of the city—Mafzat has an unreasonable dislike of his post, and of the Kibwe government as a result.”
Abayone gives a slight chuckle, as though incredulous that anyone might dislike Kibwe. “If you can find some source of these transformations and put a stop to it, or if you find yourself at a dead end, come see me in the eastern market. My home is beneath the Pillar-Watcher that resembles a standing rhinoceros— ah, look, you can just see it from here.”
She hands over two small bags, which prove to contain fifty pieces of gold and bows to you all. "Best of luck friends, I fear that we will all need it!"
Once the elder departs, Zathra spends several minutes tending to Saylayra, patching up her wounds. She then will refocus her mind, lay on hands a wounded ally, and repeat the process until everybody is mostly healed. The whole process takes a little over an hour.
"It is not yet sundown, so let us visit the Nexian envoy first and see what we can learn from him."
"Yes, we will interrogate this Mafzat until we learn the truth," Uthe says, giving her staff a menacing shake. "Turning our potential business partner into an icky slime will be hard to forgive."
The Nexian embassy is a reasonably grand looking building that sits not far from the main bazaar. That impression does last beyond entering the compound's gates, which reveal a modest courtyard and a one story building behind the two story facade. A harrassed looking man in loose robes and a turban takes your request and escorts you through the courtyard and inside to a wooden door.
"Errr, Most Worshipful Envoy Mazaft, there are a group of... ladies here to see you." He pushes open the door and retreats, bowing the whole way down the corridor. Inside the cramped office is filled with folios, scrolls, and stacks of loose paper. Even the papers seem to wilt in the hot, humid air of the stuffy office. A large cat sprawls atop a cabinet, motionless except for the tip of its tail.
An irritable looking man with black hair, spectacles and a weak chin looks up from his table to examine the queen of catfolk critically. "What is it? I am busy man and have no time for... frivolity." His eye roams disapprovingly over Saylarya and Uthe, winces slightly at Voshi's clothes and eventually settles on Zathra as the most sensible member of the group.
The monk has been humbled by her inability to protect her companions, but mostly her inability to protect herself. After Zathra saves her life and sees to her wounds, much of Saylarya's previous cattitude has gone. "I was not respectful enough earlier, wise one. I owe you my life, thank you for saving me. I am disappointed that when my moment arose, I failed you all."
--------
When told she should wear human clothes before they go into the embassy, she balks loudly while crossing her arms on her chest "You want me to put on what?"
-------
Frustrated at the greeting, she does her best to maintain her cool "You have no time for what? Do you know what we've undertaken to come here? The least you could do is at least hear us out!"
Uthe smiles at the feline observing from the cabinet, but the smile slips away when they're addressed by the spectacled human.
"No time for frivolity? Do you have time to be engaged in dark magics that turn stinky humans into icky blobs?" she snaps at the man. "We just came from the market where our potential business partner melted into a nasty, aggressive ooze before our very eyes. Give us a reason why we shouldn't assume that you're behind it!"
”As my overeager companions say, we are investigating the ooze situation in Kibwe. Any assistance you can offer would be appreciated.”
"I assure you I keep a close eye on all the goings on in this sun-baked excuse for a city." Mazaft snaps at Uthe. "This has nothing to do with me and I will inform the Vaunted Bureaucracy immediately of any such slanders leveled against their envoy!"
When Zathra intervenes with a cooler head the diplomat resumes his ignoring of her companions and addresses the oracle directly. "The Representative Council doesn't deserve your help frankly. A bunch of self important provincials who can't appreciate the true value of an alliance with Nex or Nex's representative. Simply because I don't choose to debase myself with their ridiculous customs! And now they try to undermine me by arranging illicit shipments from the Motherland into the city! Well they couldn't pull the wool over my eyes!"
He seems to realise that he is ranting and pauses to stroke the cat and take a deep breath. "This 'Slithering Plague' as the locals call it is no business of mine, or that of Nex. I am a buy man." He trails off in a slightly suggestive manner.
”Can you tell us more about these illicit shipments? Perhaps there is a connection,” Zathra says, her ears perking up.
"So what occupies your time, Mister Busy Human?" Uthe pushes, not happy with being ignored and refusing to let it stand.
"He spends all of his time petting his kitty, Uthe" Voshi says with a glint in her eye.