Rai-to's page

Precise Shot:

Weathered Emissary:

A lone Tengu is siting at the bar of the Clenchjaw's. For more than twenty minutes, he has been poking at the food on the plate in front of him without eating it. The owner, a man named Rhinestone Jom, walk over and look at his customer.

"Is my food that bad?"

The Tengu raises his eyes and looks at the human. "Huh, eh, no, no. The food is fine. It's the city that changed on me."

The barkeep leans down on the counter. "I see. You just got back to town?"

Rai-to perks up a bit, thinking back at his voyage. "Yes, I was serving on the Song Of The Wind. One fine ship, if I say so myself." Taking a pause to readjust himself on the bar stool. "We left the city some months ago, carrying cargo to Magnimar. It was suppose to be a simple round trip there and back, but the captain was asked to transport an expedition back to Azir. They had crates of old artifact and whatnot that they wanted to hurry back home."

The man raises his hand to interrupt. "Are you talking about the Aspis Consortium?"

"Wasn't my place to ask, so I didn't." Sticking a fork a piece of meat, he was about to eat it, but instead continued his story. "Anyway, as we got closer to Azir, we fell into a pirate ambush."

"Those aren't the safest sea."

"I know. We fought them off long enough, however, that a navy ship showed up to assist us. After that, we had an escort and the rest of the way was smooth sailing."

"And that's when you came back here?" Said the barman as pours himself something to drink.

"Oh no!" The Tengu takes a sip of water and continued on. "From there we sailed back north, but only to pass through the Arch of Aroden. Have you ever seen it? No? Amazing thing. Anyway, we were enjoying good wind and calm sea when the weather changed for the worst. A great storm came out of nowhere and hit the ship. For a day and a night we fought against the wind and the sea. We survived... barely. Some of my fellow crewmate were missing and the ship was severely damaged. So we beached the boat on an island northeast of the Manaket and started to make reparation."

"Why am I guessing that it didn't go easy?"

"And you are right. What we didn't know is that the entire island was invested with crazy goblins."

"Aren't they all crazy?"

Rai-to laughed a bit at that. "Yeah, but those seemed worst. Anyway. So while some of us were doing the repairs, others were keeping the perimeter goblin free." He takes another sip of water, still ignoring his meal. "So, once the repair done, we managed to reach Merab. There we sold our cargo and reloaded the hold with a fresh one. Having been through so much, the captain decided to sail straight back here. Of course, our trip wouldn't have been completed without an encounter with slavers." Lifting his glass, Rai-to salute to the higher power before drinking from it.

"So what happened then, I know you make it, but still."

"Oh, I think at this point the crew wanted so badly to make it back home, that they could have thought of a Kraken! We fought with such ferocity that the slaver turned back and ran with their tail between their legs." Finally, after a few more months and all those encounter, we made it home."

"So I fail to see why you are so gloomy. Sound like you survive quite the adventure."

"Yes, we survive, only the get screwed once we docked. Do you know what was the cargo we loaded in Merab?" "Oh no, let me guess... Mint?"

"Yes, mint! A full cargo hold of mint. The captain was arrested, the ship was seized and noone got paid from the trip home. Now, no one wants to hire me, because they are afraid that I would bring more scruteny to their ships." He slams his fist on the counter. "Then as if that wasn't enough, I had a small group of kids throwing rocks at my, all the while saying someting about getting some money from it."

"Oh yeah, the first proclamation. One copper per doves, mice, and ravens."

"So I learned. I might look a bit like one, but I am not a raven." He looks down at his plate and push it aside. "You know, I think I'll just have some tea before heading to bed."

"Oh, I'm sorry. No tea after curfew, that the sixth proclamation."

"What!?! Of all the stupid..."

Leaning down closer to Rinston and sliding a gold piece toward him. "Tell me, what do you know about those rumors of a group called the Silver Raven." He whispers to the man.