On a huge bed surrounded by colorful sinks, painted screens and beautiful white-painted women sits an enormous man barely dressed in voluminous robes, Prince Batsaikhar. Immediately behind him stands his bodyguard, a tall figure in full samurai armor, carrying an enormous drawn sword.
Chua leads you to the edge of the raised platform holding the bed and prostrates on a designated mat. "Golden One, this unworthy one has brought You the new arrivals to Your city."
Maeve watches the entire display carefully, trying to take the man's measure. The bodyguard is an obvious display of power, and the beauties of wealth, as if the surroundings didn't give it away. This was a man who either wanted the world to know his power, or didn't care what anyone thought of it.
Prince Batsaikhar greets you with a wide smile. "We see that... Welcome to Ordu-Aganhei and Hongal. It is rare and exciting to host a caravan coming across the Crown in this cold season. We can only imagine the adventures you have had in seeing through such a feat. Ah, but you must be famished!" Smiling, the prince gestures once, putting a veritable horde of servants into action. They stream in from hidden corners, carrying platters of extravagant food, fine jade goblets and carafes of fine drink, tall hookahs with an array of scented leaf, and an array of seating cushions that are placed before the prince's bed. This is all accomplished, with the servants out of sight, in less than thirty seconds.
...although that display makes it a little hard to focus on anything. "Ah...yes, quite...hungry...thank you...
"Please, sit. Ease your burdens and enjoy the refreshments. We are anxious to hear of your travels, and what brings you to cross the Crown of the World this time of year." With a smile, he takes a long sip from his own massive goblet.
Maeve gives the most sincere smile she can as she tries to come up with a compromise between the truth and the need to hide their full intentions. "We came across certain documents that show evidence of an inheritance for my friend Ameiko here. There is something of a deadline, but we can tarry a few days after such a long journey through the snows."
Parity nearly chokes.
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Heng watches everything that occurs with an air of detachment. He passes on the fare offered excusing himself by saying that it all too rich for his vows and simple tastes.
He allows only a slight smile and nod of support for Maeve's honest and clever description of their mission. He adds the briefest description, "The journey was exceedingly dangerous including weeks of darkness and cold, ice worms and giant spiders. We were foolish not to have waited for a more accommodating season. Our inexperience is to blame and we have survived mainly through the wisdom and experience of our skilled guide, Ulf."
Not even a word about how my cooking saw them through? Of course we mostly used Koya's spell, but I spiced it up!
Harlan looks around and listens as his taller and cleverer companions describe the journey.
"Don't forget the dragon!"
Parity kicks Harlan.
Ameiko gives Maeve a look, then bows low to the prince. "A family matter, your Highness; quite laborious in the details. Our party left under good weather, but became stuck above the Crown due to the rampant morozkos. These brave adventurers eliminated the source of the storms, and paved the way clear to Hongal." She bows again, deferring to Heng's exposition, before blending into the crowd.
Prince Batsaikhar barely registers Ameiko's words, instead focusing intently on Maeve with a wide smile. "An inheritance, you say? Where at and which family? Perhaps We know of them."
Okay...now time for the misdirection. Maeve takes a deep breath. "Well, the specific family there is some question about. There were some problems in Taldor, in Southern Avistan, in the past few years. You know of their colonial efforts, of course." I barely do... "Well, through a question of adoption, and an ancient practice of naming people who willingly serve as warriors a sort of minor noble called a 'Lion Blade' who can inherit property, it seems that there is some question as to who is owed a portion of a recent estate."
All likely true, just doesn't have a hell of a lot to do with us aside from being in the same general area of the world.
Maybe I should help? No, she's got this.
Hope she can keep all this straight. I certainly can't answer any questions based on all that fluff. Suishen, what do you see. Guards, security, any identifiable allegiances?
"Fascinating," the prince words with a breathless smile. "Indeed, the cause for your arrival is less important to Us than the intoxicating reality of your presence here and now. Such an adventure you have been on, and We will honor it!" He gestures to Chua, who immediately responds and bows before the prince. "Provide Our guests the finest rooms available, and begin preparations for the Five Feasts of Hongal." Prince Batsaikhar turns back to you, his smile widening. "My city is yours. Please partake of it and be welcome. The first feast in your honor will be held tonight, an hour after sundown." With a nod, he indicates that you are free to go.
Maeve's eyes widen at the word 'five' and she looks like she's going to squeak. She finally just gets up and departs...
...once outside, she sags against the wall. "This is going to be a nerve-wracking week. But. . . we can't really depart now. The insult..." A deep breath. "Just remember, this is all about Ameiko's inheritance."
Ameiko lays a calming hand on Parity's arm before he can say anything rash. "Indeed. Keep your tongues guarded and do not offer up anything freely. We can discuss specifics once we're back on the road." She manages a wistful smile. "For now, let's enjoy the Prince's hospitality!"
"Right!" Maeve immediately perks up. "Oh, so much to do! Food! Need to get supplies for the next project of course, and need drink. And food. Haven't eaten anything in three months, I'm starving. But first we need to find a public bath, before any of that." She looks ready to grab the nearest wrist (probably Ameiko's) and start dragging.
Parity growls, but bites his tongue. He heads into then to finish his shopping.
"My what a lovely tea party."
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Heng sighs, not particularly looking forward to days of feasting and ceremony. Making the best of the situation, he turns to Koya. "It seems we may be here for a few days, Tata. We might as well get to know the place."
"While we're out, perhaps I'll find a venue to enhance this belt of giant strength. I'd like a belt of Physical Perfection with a buckle in the form of the holy symbol of Irori or Iro-shu as I take it he's known locally."
"OH! Thanks for reminding me, I need to get a pair of bracers at some point, and maybe a few mithril ingots. Should I use skald runework or..." The girl starts to babble on in a manner it probably takes serious spell knowledge to decipher...
"Can I talk to your cooks? I'm sure they have some wonderful recipes for me to learn."
I wonder if they know how to properly cook goat?
"Great idea! I would like to see what kind of metal I could find here also, I have been thinking about some of the books I read on magical items and I think now I may be ready at trying my hand. Maeve, maybe we can pool our resources and figure out if we can do this together."
To Harlan, Chua nods, "Certainly you will be welcome in the kitchens. After you are settled in your room, any servant can lead you there."
To Maeve, he adds, "We have our own baths here in the palace, which you are more than welcome to use. And there are those in your chambers, as well." Chua leads you all through the palace to the guest wing, a massive structure in its own right, and shows you to your rooms. Each 'room' is the size of a small house, with two levels and multiple rooms, including the bedroom, bath, drawing and balcony overlooking the city's central lake. There is also numerous servants at your every turn, each of them eager to provide service and comfort at a moment's notice - refreshments, clean clothes, help in the bath, and so on.
Once you are settled, Chua leaves you to your own devices. "Until the feast, this evening." He bows and departs.
True to her nature, Maeve can only be contained by a suite, even one this nice, for so long before the urge to get out and explore the city overwhelms her and she rushes to grab Ameiko before going out to look for the things on her list...well, and whatever minor trouble might find them on the way, of course. After all, what fun would a new city be without it!?
...first, to find a curio shop....
Ameiko consents to Maeve's urge to go shopping, but offers a warning. "We need to make sure we don't spend too long out, and get back in time to dress for the feast. Have you seen the dresses they have in the wardrobe?" She does her best not to sound too excited, and fails.
Maeve grins and nods. "Although I do like Dancing Butterfly. But...I guess that she's not quite what they're expecting at a feast. Still, I'm looking forward to an early lunch. It sounded like these 'feasts' go well into the evening."
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Heng lets Koya lead the way as they explore the foreign city. As they skirt the sulfur springs he notes in jest, "Now I understand why the Golden One has become so appreciative of flowers, it surely takes fields of flowers to cover the odor of these springs."
They seek a tea house to sample the finest the city has to offer and then meander through the streets just taking in life on the other side of the world. Heng keeps an open eye for temples serving the Tien versions of Desna and Irori.
"Kelda, do you have any knowledge of the making of weapons and armor? I am not as skilled as I would like to be and was wondering if you would accompany me to locate good quality materials for some items I would like to make. Who knows, maybe we can even find something better suited to one of your beauty."
Harlan will spend most of the morning in the baths (if they have them) and clean himself up from the journey. Freshly scrubbed, he makes his way to the kitchen and observes all the wonderful sights and smells.
Parity will ensure Mal and Maeve have the coin they need to buy mats to make items (whenever they're able to get to it), but will stay in the palace wandering around as best he can to get a feel for the place and using Suishen as his eyes and information/culture source. He will attempt to be polite, but will likely come off as contrite.
After you are shown your rooms, the group splits to the five winds, with several heading into the city and others remaining in the palace. Even on your separate ways, you collectively experience similar things in Ordu-Aganhei. The locals are all very friendly, smiling and polite, but you still find their faces new and strange, as well as the very scents and sounds around you. With the exception of Maeve, the local dialect is foreign and impossible to decipher, but most locals speak Tien also, for those of you that studied.
*
Maeve and Ameiko, Heng and Koya, Malnival and Kelda, each go out as separate couples. Away from the palace, the streets of Ordu-Aganhei are narrow, winding and confusing. Timber-framed buildings with high, gabled roofs stand tall everywhere. Even so, with a few friendly point-outs, you find the shops easily.
The vendors are all aggressive, trying to sell you everything, even if it is not what you are after. Haggling is not only encouraged, but expected. As they pass on the street, every local makes sure to avoid falling into your shadows. And all is done with wide smiles.
*
Harlan heads to the kitchens, finding them with a little pointy-talky interaction with the servants. The palace kitchen, like everything else in the place, is a massive and complex suite of interconnected chambers. The staff is frantically at work, preparing for the evening's feast in a seemingly chaotic scramble.
*
Parity whiles away time just trying to find his way through the massive palace. Suishen provides pointers and direction, but the labyrinthine hallways confuse even the sword. Shortly after starting, Parity senses Shalelu following him close by, but she remains quiet.
There is no such thing as a 'local magic item shop.' There is no one place you can go and expect all the magic and wonder of the universe laid out neatly behind the counter with neat little price labels. Discovering where and whether the city has the exact object you want is a painstaking effort, and chasing down components even moreso. It requires patience, effort, and consistent rumor-chasing at the best of times.
...It would also probably help if Maeve didn't keep getting distracted. "Oh, oh, what's that?" she practically bounces as another food vendor gets up into her face to try to sell...something. It would be the third or fourth "full meal" she's eaten since getting out of the palace, too.
Ameiko grimaces at the red-glazed meat on a stick in her hand, the other portion of which Maeve just wolfed down. "Careful. I think this might be candied cat."
Maeve pauses. Looks down at the remains of the remains of the brochette in her hand. "...do I want to ask what the others were?"
Ameiko chuckles and smiles. "If it tastes good, you might as well enjoy it in ignorance. You want mine?" She holds out her street meat.
Parity, frustrated, stops and pleads with Suishen
See if you can find a palace guard or warrior, wanted to talk to them, anyhow
He also notices his shadow, "Shalelu, come join me ... I admit, I'm grossly lost and would like to find a guardsman to answer some curiosities I have."
Parity will approach one and then awkwardly fumble through his Tien, which he knows, but hardly ever practices. He leads with minimal preamble. "Hi, I'm Parity. Uh, how do you become guards or soldiers for royalty? Choice?
As an afterthought he'll attempt a short bow.
Ameiko chuckles and smiles. "If it tastes good, you might as well enjoy it in ignorance. You want mine?" She holds out her street meat.
Maeve shakes her head. "No thanks. I'm just...gods, I have missed this so much. The ring...it's so weird. You don't get 'hungry' or really feel the need to eat, but you do get the desire to eat. You still miss it....so, while we're here I wanna try everything I can, and I can try a lot!"
"Oooh, everything is so shiny. Where do you keep all the pots? How do you clean them all? How many do you cook for every day? Where is your goat pen?"
Harlan asks questions of any and all he sees, looking into every pot, pan, bowl and firepit as well as every pantry and rack he can find.
Malnival approaches the shop with Kelda still on his arm, the ringing of the smiths hammer on steel sounding like a finely crafted bell. "This should have what we need, hopefully it will not be to expensive of an endeavor."
"Very good. I apologize if you wished for solitude. I went looking for Ameiko and found that she had already left with Maeve." You sense a subtle hint of frustration in her voice, rare for the staid elf. "When I saw you in the hallways, I thought you might be looking for her also. I suppose they will be fine, but after such a journey..."
*
The guard smiles at Parity, but it fades somewhat as he tries to comprehend the broken Tien. Finally, he nods. "My father was a soldier for the prince's uncle. When I was of age, I was trained in the martial arts. When my training was complete, I too joined. My older brother fights for Kiriltai Khan," he adds proudly.
Kelda smiles. "I am curious to see their veapons, but most Tian things are too flovery and flimsy."
Harlan finds that most of his questions go unanswered. The kitchen staff are polite and smile warmly, but abruptly continue with their work at a busy pace. The master chef, who runs the kicthens like an army general, is the first unfriendly person he encounters. He growls something at Harlan, gesturing towards the exit.
Ameiko smiles, and hands her street meat to a passing child. "Yeah, it hasn't quite sunk in yet that we're here... in Tian Xia. Not Minkai yet, but... I don't know. It's exciting, and new and different, but it's still just people living their lives. It's so far from home, but the wind still blows, the sky's still blue, and the mud is still... muddy. After imagining it for so long, I guess I expected something less mundane."
"...well, if you want to see extraordinary..." Maeve suddenly grins mischeviously. "...I'll bet I can figure out where to look." She stops another child on the way past, holding out one of her last Magnimar-issued silver pieces.
"Ok, just curious, one chef to another. Well run here, well run."
Chicken meat in soup? That's interesting.
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Heng sips his tea enjoying a comfortable silence with Koya in their new environment. The crash of a dropped dish from the kitchen breaks his reverie and he glance around suspiciously. Turning to Koya, he notes, "It is almost strange to be back in civilization after such a long journey through ice and darkness. I wonder though how long it will take our enemies to locate us. Tata, I found your Harrowing as we started across the Path of Aganhei reassuring. Would you mind performing another?"
"Very good. I apologize if you wished for solitude. I went looking for Ameiko and found that she had already left with Maeve." You sense a subtle hint of frustration in her voice, rare for the staid elf. "When I saw you in the hallways, I thought you might be looking for her also. I suppose they will be fine, but after such a journey..."
"No, I'm sick and tired of chasing after Maeve and her foolish impetuousness. Ameiko doesn't appreciate me hovering around her as if she can't defend herself, although it drives me insane that she's out their in this strange town, virtually alone. If I didn't know Maeve better, I'd say she's trying to put Ame in harm's way." Parity blows out his own frustration, "Let's just pray they run foray the palace should they get in any trouble instead of thinking it's some sort of "girl's night" on the town and try to go it alone. Was there something else eating at you?
The guard smiles at Parity, but it fades somewhat as he tries to comprehend the broken Tien. Finally, he nods. "My father was a soldier for the prince's uncle. When I was of age, I was trained in the martial arts. When my training was complete, I too joined. My older brother fights for Kiriltai Khan," he adds proudly.
"Mmm, so soldiering is in the family? No thoughts of doing something else? I don't know the Kiriltai Khan? Is he a powerful man?" Parity asks honestly
"Also, do your people fight for ... fun, or sport? We call them gladiators or arenas or even pits in our land. Men pit slaves together to fight or to fight beasts for the entertainment of the masses, as well as an opportunity to make money gambling. Do your people do this?" Parity attempts to stay as neutral as possible with his tone.
The child looks at Maeve for a moment, smiling but eyebrow raised, before taking the coin gingerly from her hand. He points off down one street, giving her a half-dozen turns and landmarks to follow.
***
The master chef blinks in momentary surprise at Harlan's Tien speech, but quickly recovers his mask of disapproval. "Your tongue is thick with the ignorance of outlanders," he replies in kind. "What would you know of cooking?" Around the kitchens, the workers continue their tasks, but all eyes are flickering in your direction.
Koya nods. "I would be happy to. Our journey is not yet finished, but a glimpse of Desna's whim could be enlightening on the path still ahead." She looks around the tea house, taking in the exotic sights and sounds. "The people look different, the tea a new flavor, but it might as well be home, for all the rest remains alike, no?"
Shalelu lets out a small chuckle. "I see we are of a like mind. The two are formidable fighters, if they encounter trouble, and I trust Ameiko's wisdom. I'm figiting, for I'm unable to be there, just in case." She sighs. "If you do not mind, perhaps I can keep you company in the meantime?"
***
"The Khan is the master of all Hongal. He commands over five thousand horsemen, with more on muster," the guard replies with pride. "The man himself is a warlord in title and through act. It is said he once impaled three men at once with one thrust of his spear!"
To Parity's second question, the man emits a low snort. "Real men do not make sport at fighting, they show their worth in battle."
Maeve grins and turns back to Ameiko. "Follow me." And with that, she's off, although purposely maintaining a pace that can be followed despite her own seeming ease slipping through the crowds.