BTW...I hope the avatar does not frighten you too much...he he he he.
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Slowly tap-thumping down the boardwalk (between his staff and his peg-leg, he wasn't going to surprise anybody), Ke'ahilani stopped dead when he spotted Zemwaar and Aikane amongst a crowd of other people. Memories crashed into him of he and Zemwaar as ridiculously young warriors, ambushing a gang of bandits...
He shook his head and resisted the impulse to just turn around and flee. Despite his masters words, he still felt like half a man; no longer fit to be among men.
Summoning his will, he advanced. As he approached, he schooled his face into arrogant lines and saluted.
"Hail Zemwaar! It has been long since we fought together."
He looked around at Zem's new companions curiously.
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"Brother Ke'ahilani, seeing you brings Pele's light to my eyes." Aikane gives him a familiar handsign from the old Bandit Ambush: *Ready* Then he steps back to regard the group's words for the wretch.
Certainly, old man, it is a common enough occurence, even to this day. It takes two wagging tongues to put a man to falling, and this guy looked like the whales were dragging him down on parade. Some kinked over worker with diamonds in his eyes, but he didn't know it. This was the proud blood of Pele's people. He was so gone to solipsism that the fellow well may have forgotten the face of hope. The others never did think this the way I did. While they watched a stupored fool, I waited, taking in the starcrossed man with his pupil open wide to the horror around us.
He may have been dreaming of dolphin or any other damn thing. He could be with us behind a hazy curtain, or beneath the weight of a soul gone heavy. Although if those eggs were worth anything to anyone, he would soon find himself very low indeed. Now, I found it impolite to put him there, not my department nor my pleasure, but it would happen right here on the street and no one would bat an eye. And you know me, I wouldn't stand for that sort of thing. It nearly got me killed, but we professionals, we are only at the risk of loosing our principles, nothing more.
To tell you the truth, I waited there expecting him to speak, and I realized that in all likelyhood, he may not have a tongue no more. Anatomically-speaking, I mean. The outlanders being inclined to adopt only those customs from the worst tribes as it suited them, wouldn't that be lucky? I realized that he might be the lucky guy here. Heh, Lucky. I don't know why, but it fit.
"You got a tongue, Lucky Guy?" Aikane asks from the back of the group.
"Hail brother Aikane! It is well to see you alive still after so long. Who are these your companions?" He responded, glad indeed to see his old companions.
His eye was attracted by the man standing over broken eggs and staring inland. The man did not look well.
Tapping forward, he carefully spoke to the man. "Brother! Can you hear me?"
"Zem, is there anything that can be done for him?"
Nef tries to remember what she knows of addiction from having seen it firsthand in the harem.
[dice=Untrained Heal]1d20+2
"Back in Qadira... there were ways to help someone who was using medicine to hurt themselves," she says, struggling with the Tulita words that she lacked. "There was a special healer who could help people safely..."
She searches for the word, "detoxify", in Tulita, and then finally gives up and tries to just rephrase it in the words she knew.
"...remove the poisons from their blood." Nef says finally, switching back to Tulita, shaking her head. "I clearly still have many more words to learn." Then she touches Zem's hand. "Do Tulita have such healers? People who can bring back lost ones like this man?"
"I am sure our elders could purge the spirit of ones such tainted" - Zemwaar answer Nef - "But it is not our way. Such purge is something to be carried by oneself - I have only seen this happen once in my tribe. Shiiva't decreed the one would spend one day and one night in the Sea, while we watched from the beach" - he stares hard at the one they have been addressing - "The Sea is our life and spirit, and he had to remember his own by finding both the strength and the nourishment to stay alive, while understanding what it means to be Moamasu, and how far from it he had threaded" - he remembers the event as if it was yesterday - "He lived" - the man finishes.
"Maybe the tears are for what has become of the place he once called home. The colonists are unwelcome to most natives, yes?"
"To most natives yes" - Zemwaar agrees - "To some, it is so even when the 'colonists' do not display their usual abrasive, intrusive ways" - he adds.
"Hail Zemwaar! It has been long since we fought together."
He looked around at Zem's new companions curiously.
The familiar voice brought him out of his musings - "Too long master Ke'ahilani" - Zemwaar retorted, the purposeful use of 'master' showing his respect for the man on which side he had fought more than once before. He approaches, holding him at arm's length, then looking back at Aikane's words, he adds - "Indeed. How fare you?"
Tapping forward, he carefully spoke to the man. "Brother! Can you hear me?"
[dice=Heal]1d20+8
"He seems lost" - Zemwaar states flatly.
Ke'ahilani gripped Zemwaar's forearm in return.
"Less than I was, but more than my father dared ever hope!" He responded, tapping his peg leg. He smiled a little at last though.
Zem and Aikane would recall that Ke'ahilani's father had tried to apprentice him to his tribe's witch doctor, and objected strenuously when he chose the spear instead.
"Hail brother Aikane! It is well to see you alive still after so long. Who are these your companions?"
By Horus, what HAPPENED to that poor man?
Nef keeps her face carefully schooled as she watches Ke'ahilani, not wishing to shame Zem and Aikane by showing anything other than respect to the man they clearly considered a dear friend, and that Zem had called, Master.
She waits for a few minutes for Zem or Aikane to formally introduce her, then sighs as she remembers that such indirect etiquette is not the Tulita way. Clearly, she would have to introduce herself. She inclines her head, as to respected tribal elder of unknown rank.
"Aloha," she says, formally greeting the stranger's spirit. "It is an honor to meet any friend of Zemwaar and Aikane. I am called Nefertiti, but all who know me well call me Nef. I am but a guest, and would look forward to hearing your tales when you wish to tell them."
...And that is the understatement of the year. Who IS this wounded man, and what is his connection to Aikane and Zem?
Nef smiles, and hopes that her burning curiosity at this moment does NOT show.
Before we could determine the lost wretch's state, a familiar clanking came upon us. Few would forget Ke'ahilani, for his wooden leg, his wild moods, and carefully brewed concoctions. We had quite the crowd gathered, which was not my intention. Such was the way of the tide. Such was the way of the world, trapped. I felt trapped, I admit it.
Too many people, too much time spent talking to a blinded man. Hard to leave him floundering in the stink up, the mud already iron-heavy, like a sack of meat after six days. Hard to stand the sight of this place. Forget the smell of the wretch.
Shaw. Why did I come to Shaw? Why does it always end here? It ends day after day for all of us and each night some fool decides to reinvent the driftwood shacks and brothels, the same fools to sit on the council, the gonnes of the blue-sashed bastards. I wanted it all to burn and let us go. I came back, you know. I came back, old man, and you weren't there.
That's maybe why Lucky was such a swell friend. Perhaps he was the well-off guy here. He saw everything, examined nothing. For my part, I looked across the others, faces of concern and kind greetings. Wrapped up as they were in the pleasantries and the medical shake of it all, I think Lucky may have got the joke, been the only guy to get the joke. It's all bread pudding until you burn the batter.
The old Tulita man does not react to either your presence or your words , continuing to stare off into what world his mind occupies at the present time.
Nefertiti and Ke'ahilani both realize he is under the effects of dragonsmoke, or more colloquially known around here as 'Smoke, alter the user’s thoughts and perception of reality, causing disorientation and hallucinations accompanied by intense euphoria and a pervasive sense of well-being. Those of Tulita heritage realize this is a serious problem for the Tulita people and it is slowly crushing the spirit of their people, as surely as if they were taken into a pen and gunned down like animals.
"Aloha Nefertiti!" Ke'ahilani turned his head and nodded at Nef while continuing his examination of the man.
"Any friend of Zem's is a friend of mine. Pay no attention to his use of 'Master'; we are the same age. He is attempting another joke. I am apprenticed to our village Witch Doctor after I... lost my leg..." His voice trailed off as he frowned.
Stepping back, he spat a vile curse.
"Smoke!" He turned to the others. "The Dragonsmoke has him." He said flatly.
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Momentarily distracted by the 'Smoke induced man, Rata failed to register Ke'ahilani's approach until he was practically on top of him. Addressing him in Tulita, "Ah, aloha, Ke'ahilani! I am known as Rata. I have been travelling with Nef, Aikane, and Zemwaar here for almost a month now."
Having the tact one would expect of a hardened transport guard, looking down at Ke's peg leg Rata doesn't hesitate to ask the obvious question, "That is quite an injury. A battle wound?" Rata proceeds to open his shirt up at the neck, revealing a long jagged scar across his chest, "You are not alone in that regard. While my flesh may be healed, the damage to my mind is still quite fresh."
"Greetings. I'm Oren," the Mage announces to the other Tulita. "Smoke, you say? A great many of us seem to have a problem with that cursed substance. They aren't prepared for the shift from our lands to the city, is my guess. It's harder here, but to simply smoke your cares away isn't the answer."
Nef is startled to learn that Ke'ahilani is Zemwaar's age.
Zem is my age... 18 or so. This man looks twice that. That's why I thought he might be an elder. What happened to him?
To Ke'ahilani she says, "Alright, I will." She offers her hand in friendship. "But you must call me Nef if we're to be informal. My full name is a pretentious thing. It is Osironi, and it means, 'The beautiful one has come.' I think we both agree that it is a name no woman should be forced to try to live up to?"
She glances once more at the heavily drugged man, trying to consider what to do, and feeling conflicting urges tearing at her heart. Zem had told her that trying to save addicts was not the Tulita way. But the Moamasu elder she had spoken with had charged her to find a way with Eagle to save the Tulita people. And was not this man one of those very people?
After getting a close look at the old man's mouth, Nefertiti sees his teeth are all blackened and rotted through, a sure sign his addiction is in the advanced stages. To cure his addiction would require powerful divine magic...
"Zem... would it offend you if Horus removed this man's addiction? I know that is not current Tulita custom, but I believe the light of the eagle could do it, if I could have fifteen minutes to pray?" She speaks in Tulita, all except for the word, "addiction," which she says in Common.
She hesitates and adds, "It may not cure the sickness of the heart that led this old man to the smoke. He may return to it on his own. But with the light of Horus, I think I can remove the smoke's shackles from his blood, and lessen its call. I pledged myself and my god to your people, Zem. Please understand that I must try."
Nef steps forward, gently removing the eggs from the old man's hands, leading him out of the mud and onto the drier dock. Then she pulls out an eagle feather that Wedjat had shed, holds it up to catch the sun. She stands there, praying, holding both the feather and this old addict if she needs to do so, entirely intent on her task. She will ignore any staring faces of passersby.
At the end of her prayer, she casts cure disease as she calls out:
"Horus, lord of two horizons, master of the sky, hear the cries of your people once more. Come once again and fight the desert that has taken hold of this man's soul!"
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Oren watched with rapt attention as Nef worked her magics. He didn't have too much sympathy for the weakling who gave into his vices, but he did love a good display of magic. Her magic would be more powerful if she was willing to bleed for it, he thought, as he unconsciously brushed his hand over his nosering, which already dug into his skin ever so slightly.
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"It does not offend me Nef, as I don't think it would offend anyone" - Zemwaar retorts - "One must want to free oneself of an addiction, and to feel that urge, one must understand that the path does not lie there, but elsewhere, even if blurry" - he nods - "That is why Moamasu elders dictate as they do - to remind the lost of what makes us so, and try to steer them back on track. Yet, the choice must be theirs - they can give in to the sea, and sink, much as they would do to the 'smoke', or take from it what they need, and live through to the next day"
He moves closer to Nef as she performs the healing ritual, not too sure if it will draw any unwanted attention - "In the end, whether healed from the smoke that clouds him or not, it will still be up to him to remain free of it, or fall back under its haze" - the man adds.
There was a very thorough examination of Lucky on the spot. But what really needed to be healed here? His spirit or his brain?
Aikane tries to keep watch of the avenue while the others take care of Lucky.
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fail; spotted
As Nefertiti calls out to her out-lander god, her prayers draw more than a few curious glances from the mass of people thronging the docks. As the prayer is finished, a startling transformation takes hold of the old Tulita man. His eyes, formerly glazed over in a narcotic stupor, clear up and gain focus for the first time in many weeks, if not months. He looks down at his bowl where his eggs still lay broken, then he looks up into Nefertiti's eyes. Tears fill his eyes as he stares into her own eyes, and his words are but a whisper.
"Thank...you...for freeing me. May Pele..." He breaks out in a coughing spell, "guide your hand and watch over you for all time."
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"That is quite an injury. A battle wound?"
Ke'ahilani's face darkened.
"There are prices that must be paid for freedom. This leg was mine." He said darkly."Greetings. I'm Oren,"
Ke'ahilani nodded back. "Greetings Oren. I am Ke'ahilani."
...but to simply smoke your cares away isn't the answer."
"No. It is not." He said flatly.
She offers her hand in friendship. "But you must call me Nef if we're to be informal. My full name is a pretentious thing. It is Osironi, and it means, 'The beautiful one has come.' I think we both agree that it is a name no woman should be forced to try to live up to?"
Hesitantly, Ke'ahilani grasped Nef's hand.
"All right. Nef." He seemed startled at the woman's name.| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ke'ahilani's face darkened.
"There are prices that must be paid for freedom. This leg was mine." He said darkly.
By the look in his eyes, Rata knew Ke' wasn't going to be forthcoming with details, and it wasn't his place to press the matter, however tactless he may be.
In Tulita, "Yes, there are those of us who take our freedoms for granted. I expect to learn a great many things in this land about the true nature of hardship."
As Nef performs her religious rite in order to save the man. To Nef, "You have done good work here, Nef. An opportunity to start over with a clean slate is an awesome thing." His words falter as he realizes he is going a similar, although much darker, transition.
Turning to the man, "You have received a great gift here, today. Don't go wasting it on the pipe. Where will you go? I will come check on you in a weeks time, and if I find you in the grips of the 'Smoke once more, I will not be pleased that my friends efforts were for naught. Rata straightens his shoulders slightly, ensuring his bandolier of daggers was plainly visible.
"Thank...you...for freeing me. May Pele..." He breaks out in a coughing spell, "guide your hand and watch over you for all time."
"I thank you for your blessing, friend."
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"Impressive work as always, Nef. You have a true gift with the healing magics. Your God has been kind to you," Oren nods. He ignores the Tulita, knowing his feelings have already been expressed by the others to the addict.
"You have received a great gift here, today. Don't go wasting it on the pipe. Where will you go? I will come check on you in a weeks time, and if I find you in the grips of the 'Smoke once more, I will not be pleased that my friend's efforts were for naught. "
Nef's eyebrows raise at Rata's intimidating display. By Horus, Rata's good at that. I've been traveling with him a month, count him as a friend, and he manages to scare ME sometimes.
Still holding the shaky man in her arms, she says, "I am called Nef. What may we call you, friend? The light of the Eagle may have freed you from the smoke, but my friend Zem is right that only you can free yourself fully. You have to want the change. You have to want it with all your soul, at the very core of your being."
She looks into the old man's eyes, and says, "I look at you right now with the eyes of the Eagle. I see two men standing before me. One is a slave to the smoke. The other is a proud man who knows that his people need him. Which one are you going to be?"
She awaits his reply.
"The smoke took much from you. You need food and a bath," she looks down at herself, and realizes that she is covered in mud, egg, and the filth of the man's clothes. She laughs, thinking of the sight she must present now. "And apparently now, so do I."
"Impressive work as always, Nef. You have a true gift with the healing magics. Your God has been kind to you."
She smiles at Oren, acknowledging his compliment to Horus. "This city is as familiar to you as the tattoos that decorate your skin. Is there a bathhouse near, where we can go before lunch?"
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"May I suggest we take him to the temple?"
Another urchin watched across the way like a rat at breakfast. As soon as the outlander worked her magics. I had a bad feeling we were about to become better acquainted with the city.
"Which one?" Nef asks.
She sighs. "I'm still going to need a place to wash, wherever we take him."
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Know. Local
"Yes, I know of a couple spots around town. There is a bathhouse not terribly far from here. They might be able to get the two of you in for a decent price. They have a special concoction there that you put on after the bath that smells of lilacs. It's quite divine....certainly not something that most of us were familiar with before coming to the Port."
He wasn't sure if the Tulita man would want a bath or to be cleaned up here in the city, but Nef had a way with persuasion.
Zemwaar nods at Aikane when he suggests heading to a temple, then concurs with Oren - "Then let us move out of the street - we were being watched too intently as Nef performed her ritual" - the man states flatly.
"I do not intend to bathe, so I will wait outside, close by" - he adds.
"They have a special concoction there that you put on after the bath that smells of lilacs."
"Lilacs?" Nef's entire face lights up. "I haven't smelled lilacs since I left Katheer! We had a scented garden that was full of lilac bushes."
It was a place of peace and beauty, she thinks. One of my few sanctuaries as a child.
She looks at Oren and smiles. "Oren, I'd hug you, but I'd only get you filthy too. Lead on!"
"Then let us move out of the street - we were being watched too intently as Nef performed her ritual."
Nef nods, instantly following Zem's request. His hunches had saved them many times before, and she had learned to trust them without hesitation.
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After seeing the attention drawn by Nefertiti's display, you all decide to head away from the docks. Before leaving the old man to his own devices, the outsider Rata Fenn is able to elicit a promise from the man to join with the leader of the Tulita exiles, Milliauka. He does turn down the offer to travel with you to the bath house as he knows his kind is not welcome in the Jade district.
The nearest bathhouse does not lay in the Docks area, also called the Tide district. The bathhouse Oren is familiar with is located in the Jade district which necessitates a detour through the Bawd district.
As you exit the Tide district through a wide arch of crumbling stone, veined withcracks and fractures, the mercantile bustle gives way to the thrum of Bawd. Bawd ambushes visitors, swelling upon them as they leave the wooden docks behind. The district assaults with its heat, its carnivale cacophony, and its reek - a thousand spices, perfumes, old moldy paper, stone-ground ink, fresh-baked bread in kilned clay, cattle dung, cauldrons boiling pungent herbs to melt snake’s blood into soup and not least the flatulence of dysentery-ridden beggars.
Exiting the Bawd district, you move through Jade District, the lair of Port Shaw’s wealthiest upper crust – or at least where most aristocrats of the Coast maintain their “city residences.” Many of the richest citizens of Port Shaw also own plantations on the outskirts of the city, or spend some of the year aboard luxurious pleasure barges, intermittently restocking at Jade. Shops and upscale markets cater to these displaced aristocrats, offering the latest fashions from far-off ports-of-call and every decadent tea, spice, textile or other amenity the rich simply cannot live without. The personal bodyguards of these pampered debutantes prowl the streets here. Many of these warriors fashion themselves after the knights of distant Taldor across the ocean and swear oaths of allegiance to the loathsome aristocrats they serve.
Oren leads to to the bathhouse, which oddly enough, is called the 'Soiled Doves'.
Through the walk through the Bawd, Nef remembers how different it had been going through this district just three months before as a new arrival.
I couldn't go five feet without some drunk hitting on me. She smiles, looking at the five rather intimidating men (and one overprotective eagle) that walked with her. It's good to be traveling with friends.
She felt a bit more nervous going through the upscale Jade area in her dirty clothes, but if Oren recommended the place, surely it must be good.
She does raise her eyebrows at the name, though. She looks at Oren and says, "Soiled Doves?! Oren, please tell me that this isn't a bathhouse of ill repute..."
Then she looks down at herself. "Actually, no wait a minute... Today, I don't care. I'm filthy and this place will not only get me clean but smelling of lilacs." She straightens her back and prepares to go inside.
She looks around the bathhouse. What is it like?
Looking around the exterior of the 'Soiled Dove', Nefertiti notes this appears to be a 'public' bath house judging by the streams of nobles and merchants crossing the doors. There are actually a pair of double doors flanking the rounded facade where she recognizes the caldarium, or hot bath, is located. Judging by the size of the place, she figures there are other bath pools inside the structure, though the exact layout eludes her.
Approaching the entrance, the custodian, for want of a better word, looks the petite Kelishite over with an appraising eye. "So, you wish entrance here? I see you are new here. The admission is 10 gold bits." His gaze travels over to Oren where he gives an almost imperceptible nod. As his gaze moves to the rest of you it transforms into a barely concealed sneer as he regards the Tulita bodyguard and her remaining retinue. "I am afraid your...servants will need to wait outside."
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"I told you I knew of a place. I didn't say we'd be greeted with open arms," Oren whispers with a grin.
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While Rata voices no complaint at heading to a bath house for Nef and whoever else may need it to wash up, he takes one look at the place and proceeds to take up sentry at the door. The custodians comment doesn't seem to phase him, surprisingly. Fawning over the smell of a certain flower? Surely, I have much to learn of my newfound companions.
The smells of fancy soaps and oils has him feeling a bit less imposing than usual, it would seem.
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10 gold for a bath? Isn't that... high?
She gestures to the custodian, and says in common, "If I may have a moment to talk with my companions?"
Nef raises her eyebrows as she looks at Oren, and whispers back in Tulita, "Very funny, Oren. I suppose this is my fault for not asking you for more details upfront. Next time? Please pick some place less expensive where we all can go."
Continuing in Tulita, to the others she says, "If I weren't tired, hungry and filthy, I'd be tempted to dump this bigot upside down in his own caldarium*. However, this is Port Shaw, where there is an unlimited supply of small-minded idiots. I'll try to be quick, so we can hurry to lunch?"
She pays the man his fee, and goes inside.
______________________________
*The word 'caldarium' is said in common as she doesn't know any Tulitan equivalent.
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You could get lost in this place, and I was happy to have my companions with me in broad daylight. Night time, a fellow can get by most things in his way. Not so easy without the shadows.
"Don't be too quick. There is always another entrance." Aikane glances at the sides of the building.
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"Normally, I'd ask you to not do something that might sully my good name. But, it's not so good here, for some reason," Oren answers with no further explanation. "I had forgotten how expensive this outfit was. If you'd like to try another way in, you'll get no argument from me.". He didn't expect Nef to put up with any rampant lawbreaking, but he had been surprised before.
Assuming she continued to head in after paying the admittance, he added to Nef. "Extra lilac...trust me, it smells great," he blushed slightly embarrassed at how much he enjoyed the scent.
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"Don't be too quick. There is always another entrance." Aikane glances at the sides of the building.
"I had forgotten how expensive this outfit was. If you'd like to try another way in, you'll get no argument from me."
Nef grins. "Very tempting."
Then she shakes her head. "There are only two problems with this plan. The first is that I'm distinctive. People turn to look at me wherever I go." She sighs. "They'll notice me here, and remember."
"The other is that the Eagle frowns on petty lawbreaking and theft. Horus does not mind breaking an unjust law for a noble cause... but I don't think my bath will qualify."
"Extra lilac... trust me, it smells great."
"At the price this place charges, I'll endeavor to swim in it," Nef promises. She pays the man and goes in.
Nefertiti enters the bath house and is immediately struck by its opulence. Tile mosaics and clay pots depict noteworthy, wealthy benefactors of the Port Shaw city. Looking around further she sees the walls of some private bath chambers are painted with frescoes mimicking window views. Some portray landscapes, scenery, or cityscapes, while others show the palaces of the wealthiest guests. Complex, colorful patterns decorate arched doorways and round pillars, all shadowed by the complicated architecture and brass lamps that light the place. The most private chambers are adorned with scandalous, carnal sculptures; the stuff of gossip.
Among the various pools are a tepidarium (warm bath); a frigidarium (cold bath) and even a natatio (swimming pool), in addition to the calidarium. For those who prefer a more private setting, doors lead off into private baths and saunas.
The air here is humid and steamy, with the fresh scent of lilacs lingering in the air. The place is also quite packed, with various wealthy nobles and merchants of both sexes talking quietly amongst themselves.
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Zemwaar nods as Nef moves inside - "Be careful" - are his only words, as he sneers back at the custodian, then moves off towards the others - "No point in standing here just by the entrance. We should move away some, and remain attentive"
If they manage a modicum of privacy, he adds - "I noticed someone observing Nef as she used divine magic on the fallen one - it could be nothing, but I will keep my eyes open for that young man"
Zemwaar's admonition to be careful in her ears, Nef heads inside, and stops for a moment awed by the luxury and the scent of fresh lilacs. No wonder Oren remembered this place -- the steam, the scents, the fine clothes.
All this luxury could have been yours, a voice in her head said. You had offers. You could have them still.
She brushes the voice away, denying it power. No, the price is still too high.
In the changing rooms, she hands her clothes to an attendant to be prestidigitated clean while she bathes, and accepts the soft bathrobe she is handed to wear while out of the water.
The crowd is thick, but she finds space in the caldarium, slipping off her robe at the last minute to slide in to the hot steamy water and soak off the dirt. The water feels good on her tired muscles, but she keeps her soak short, always remembering that her companions are still outside.
If I'm not out in thirty minutes, Zem will storm the place.
She grins, both amused by the image while at the same time resolving never to let this happen. She would be quick and spare her party the wait and worry. After only a few minutes, she shifts to the tepidarium, where she takes a moment to just lay back in the water and float. Then, suddenly conscious of men staring at her, she readjusts again so that the water covers her completely, and starts a brief conversation with the nearest group of women to discourage unwanted advances.
"Hello, I'm called Nef. I'm pleased to meet you. It's my first time here, but I can't stay long today. Is there anything here you especially recommend that newcomers try?"
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"Should we have just let her head in there by herself then? If she was being observed? She is right...she doesn't blend in here like most of us do. Should we take up a collection and send one of us in to watch her back? She might not be a big fan of one of us guys sneaking in after her though," Oren points out to the others.
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"I pondered the possibility of going in with her Oren, but Nef can take care of herself" - Zemwaar speaks almost to himself - "On the other hand, it is easier for me to allow the deception of us being her servants if I don't go in, lest another sneer bring us to blows" - he adds, again looking at the custodian across the street.
"I do have some gold, if that is the course of action decided upon however"
"Screeeeeeeeee!"
Wedjat lands next Zemwaar.
Why is she taking so long?
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Zemwaar offers a morsel to Wedjat from his pack - "I know my friend, we'll just give her a little longer" - he comments, staring at the door to the Soiled Dove.
Wedjat gobbles the morsel fiercely, but sidles closer to Zem, stepping nervously from one foot to the other.
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"Nef is it? Well it is certainly a pleasure to meet you." The middle aged woman replies in a cordial tone of voice. "I have not seen you before in here, are you a newcomer to Port Shaw?" She adds.
As you continue your conversation with her, you do pick up several interesting tidbits from the gossip hounds here.
Eventually you discover the time passes much too quickly and your friends are waiting for you...
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As they walk towards the bathhouse, Ke' stopped and scraped some dried bird droppings into a folded up leaf.
As they waited outside the bathouse, he spotted a horse drinking from a water trough and he captured some of its drool in a capped bamboo tube.
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"The other is that the Eagle frowns on petty lawbreaking and theft. Horus does not mind breaking an unjust law for a noble cause... but I don't think my bath will qualify."
Aikane shrugs when he hears this. Now, for all her virtues, Nefertiti does not possess overmuch creativity.
Don't get me wrong here. You have to admit there is something about the woman. Probably her god, but I don't much care what it is. The thing, the thing is, if she had maybe a little more imagination perhaps she would have sat in her little desert place over the water. Far across the sea, she would have given a little thought to the whole scheme. Maybe the kid would have a little imagination. Figure: "Oh, it could be so much more horrible than staying here at home in my nice church." "Maybe I'll get seasick" or even, "Maybe I'll get kidnapped in a bathouse".
That's the thing about this Eagle guy. Bird sees a worm, dives straight down to pluck it from the ground. Finds it delightful to digest. ... Next day, Bird sees another worm, this one even larger. He dives down on this one, too. Turns out this worm has venomous fangs. In fact, a professional in these matters might even tell you this worm is a snake.
He ain't my eagle, if you know what I'm saying. Besides, sticking too close to amateurs all day is what is going to get me, myself and I killed. And quick.
It may not be my best day, but I'm already counting Mr. Lucky as a win on the circle of life for the hour. So, while I could come up with a ridiculous effort, such as disguising myself as a posh gent, then paying to enter the bathouse regardless, I let that dream go out to sea like a dart-minnow in cool waters.
Even if I could pass the hat outside to my companions standing at an alley window without being caught, thereby allowing them excuse for ingress to enjoy the facilities in my refined company, it would only get the place crowded. And I'm guessing either angry or stumpy are going to blow it.
My hat can do many things, but it can disguise a peg leg like my baby nephew hides his *expletive*.
I even begin to think this may be one of my better ideas, when I realize I haven't had any caffeine today. Long night and a busy morning must have got ahead of me. Now they are catching up like a jaguar-were with an axe to grind.
So instead, I say in Tulita, "Anybody know where we can get a drink around here for less than 10 gold?" Then Aikane looks, smiling expectantly, up Oren to where his head is.
Because I think I may have one spot in mind.