An epic music track begins for a movie serial
Then some text scrolls up the screen in the fashion of Star Wars.
-- CURSE OF THE CRIMSON THRONE --
EPISODE I:
EDGE OF ANARCHY
It is a glorious time for the City of Alalea. A refuge for Psions who escape persecution from mages from among the nations of Avestan, the people are celebrating their recent victory against an invasion of Cheliaxian warrior mages.
However, not all is what it seems. For corruption and filth breed in the Levantine Quarter's and Hellenistic Quarter's docks. Ghazi ibn Al-Salah has been escaping the city guard for a very, very long time. He has taken many of the youth's orphans and forced them to support his petty thievery.
However he has wronged too many people too many times. Even now, the Universe plots his downfall of his lifestyle. For one of the people he has wronged is even now looking for allies among his enemies in order to take him down and bring him to justice.
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:fade in.
INT. A VEDRAN TAVERN IN ALALEA
It's one of those days, a busy day, at the Bangali Hut in the Vedic Quarter of Alalea. Cynnora is finished serving tables for little while when she finds a Harrow Card on her serving tray. The card shows her boss -- Avkashi -- on the front working his bar.
:fade to. . .
INT. IOSEPH DALEN'S RESIDENCE
Ioseph, you find a Harrow Card on your person, specifically in your sash. And the Harrow Card shows a man and a woman getting married in the Taldan fashion, but a ring with one of your jewels is prominently displayed.
:fade to . . .
INT. THREN'ODY'S RESIDENCE
Thren'ody has also found a Harrow Card, on her small table where she eats. Her card shows a man being beat up in an alleyway.
:fade to . . .
EXT. DAY, PARTLY CLOUDY ALALEAN MARKETPLACE
Manaeta was out purchasing some things. When he walks along, he find a Harrow Card in his bags. The harrow card shows a King with a dagger stabbed through his head.
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On the back of the cards is a note that has been affixed with some sort of adhesive. They all say the same thing: "I know what Ghazi has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Gaedren must face his fate, and justice must be done."
Cynnora has a publican card, Iospeh Dalen has a Marriage card, Thren'ody has the Beating card, and Manaeta has the Betrayal card.
Cynnara tucked the card into her sari before anyone else could see it. She kept a smile on her face as she headed into the kitchens to set down her tray and pulled one of her fellow servers aside.
"Ayanna, can you help me out? I have a lead, but following it means I won't be here for the evening crowd. Can you cover for me?"
Maeneta turned the card over between his fingers, oblivious to gr looks he was getting for half-blocking the thoroughfare with his enormous frame. A Harrow card? he thought to himself. As a man of logic, he rarely put stock in such things but it was an odd thing to see. Of course, Ghazi's name caught his attention. He'd been stalking, if that was the right word for a man of Maeneta's stature, Ghazi's operations for weeks, trying to find a chink in the armour. However, people feared him too much. They weren't willing to fight back against him, preferring to live in fear. He began to walk once more, slipping the card back into his bag while he made his way home.
Home. The place he had shared with his half-sister until she had been callously murdered by Ghazi's hired help. Maeneta would see vengeance wrought but not at the expense of his own life; his half-sister wouldn't want him to throw his life away but would rather be helped people once Ghazi was out of the picture. Once he stepped over the threshold, he set his bag down and immediately went to his armoire. Inside hung his scale mail and the greataxe he had recently purchased. To a human, it would be unwieldy but it was just right for Maeneta. He took his time in getting ready, had some food and water and then headed off into the city once more. This time, he moved with purpose as he looked to uncover who, or what, lived at 3 Lancet Street. He wouldn't walk blindly into a trap but if there was a chance to get at Ghazi, even if only by eliminating more of his henchmen, then Maeneta would oblige.
Perception: , watching for followers, as well as observing the house when he locates it, looking for any known faces who work for Ghazi.
Thren'ody stared at the card in silence, focusing her breathing, centering herself to hold the surge of emotion at bay. When she was sure she could do so wwithout breaking something she sat down running the possibilities through her mind.
It had been a long time since she had last seen Ghazi ibn Al-Salah, that fateful night that cost Kirrah her life and had almost done the same for her. Yet she had heard the man's name from time to time, thee crime-lord simply growing in power and cruelty, feared by almost everyone, so much so that many of those who should be enforcing the law turned a blind eye.
Now someone was promising her an opportunity to make the man pay for the horrors he spread, someone who had gotten in and out to place this card without being seen. It seemed that Ghazi had made himself a dangerous enemy. Well he would soon find out that he had more than one.
She rose from the chair stripping out of her everyday clothing and into her leather armor, collecting her weapons as she left. After all, she could be walking into a trap.
Ioseph studied the card. He didn't have time for this. He needed to recover the lost money the city had taken from him. But a chance to strike back at Ghazi, the slimy Human who had cheated him out of so much. The hovel boarding room he lived in was a stark reminder of what he had lost. The young-looking man had been reduced to skipping meals to save coin. The town guard had laughed at his outrage when the swindle had been thrown in his face. His wealthy patrons had been...disappointed in him. Ioseph had a very deep hole he had to climb out of. Quickly.
He didn't recognize the playing card. Some kind of marriage? Nothing came to mind from his previous Shoati life. The last thing he needed was another "partnership" like his first with slimy Ghazi. "Come to 3 Lancet Street at sunset." he said, rolling the words on the back of the playing card in his mind. That was just over a glass. Ioseph looked around his bare room, then began packing what he did have left into his backpack. No sense in going unprepared.
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INT. THE BENGALI HUT
A young girl who is slightly younger than Cynnora looks at Cynnora. Ayanna is wearing a green Sari and is holding a tray of plates that have been eaten on.
AYANNA:
whining
"But I have to meet Dyumani in an hour. You promised to cover for me."
She was really hopeful that you could do well on your promise today.
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EXT: MARKET
Two people voice their concerns before Maenata found the one person he was looking for. An old lady who knew the district in the Hellenic quarter. One of them, a man, wanted to go into the marketplace to find something. Another was a woman who wanted to sell lettuce and had many heads of lettuce on her cart.
STREETGOER:
To Maenata
"Hey, you big ox, you're blocking the road!"
STREETGOER 2:
Also to Maenata with a woman's voice, wearing a chiton and himaton.
"Do you mind, you're blocking my cart!"
After a few minutes weaving in traffic, he finds old Philia, who is weaving outside. She isn't wearing much, just a sari bearing her midriff. Her skin is old and wrinkled, but it's a warm day, and one can't complain about old shriveled bodies.
PHILIA:
"Hello, boy! It's nice to see you again. What is it you want?"
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INT: THREN'ODY'S HUT
The leather armor is made of cowhide. It's dark brown, tough, and still flexible. Although they boil leather armor, such armor is out of your price range at the moment.
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Maeneta ignores the two streetgoers, after all his training in the monastery had taught him to ignore the trivial. With barely a second glance, he continues to where he hopes he will find Philia.
"Greetings, wise one," Maeneta says formally with a half-bow. Philia was a friend of his half-sister, a woman with whom Maeneta has foun friendship since her brutal murder.
"I seek information," he replies, pulling the card from beneath his scale mail. He accompanies the card with no words, letting the message do the work for him.
"Do you know who lives at this address? Is this a trap or a genuine plea for kinship?" Despite his time in Alalea, Maeneta sometimes found the customs there quaint. Had he needed assistance, he would have been forthright. All of this subtlety sits ill on him.
Cynnara sighed with exasperation before putting on her most charming smile.
"I covered for you last night, Ayanna. And the night before. And the night before that. Will Dyumani still be as interested if you go broke and can't pay for those pretty clothes and cosmetics? Besides, you know the dinner shift is twice as well-paying as the lunch shift. Offer Dyumani a free drink or two and a promise to meet him later. He'll want you more if you're not always available," she added, with a wink, hoping to appeal to the younger girl's sense of vanity.
Ioseph made little attempt to disguise where he was going - he didn't have the talent, or the training, to shake anyone trying to follow him. As he moved through the Hellenistic Quarter, Ioseph's mind was on one thing: revenge.
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(Maneta)
The old woman looked at the scrawled Address.
PHILIA
"Curious, curious. The woman who lived that Three Lancet Street has disappeared for six weeks. Perhaps she has come back."
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(Cynnara)
AYANNA:
She felt a little hurt caught in her trap.
"Okay. Perhaps I do owe you one. But after this is all over, you're going to help me shop for a wedding dress. But be careful, Ghazi al-Salah had managed to hurt the boss a couple of times."
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(Ioseph)
You encounter one of your friendly rivals: Delos of Crystal Row.
DELOS:
Smugly
"Ah, washed up Ioseph. The man who lost all of his money. I must say, I've been getting a lot of business since you had your equipment confiscated by the city guard."
He plays with his rings as he speaks, putting his attention on his rings. Despite all of his smugness, this rival presents the feeling that he's bored and he misses your competition.
"I want you to know, Jonathan is getting ready to be married, so he's taking on some extra help with his Crystalsmithing. Naught that you know anything about making Crystal swords."
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(Cynnara)AYANNA:
She felt a little hurt caught in her trap.
"Okay. Perhaps I do owe you one. But after this is all over, you're going to help me shop for a wedding dress. But be careful, Ghazi al-Salah had managed to hurt the boss a couple of times."
Cynnara gave hr a quick hug.
"Thank you. I'll be more than happy to help you shop for a wedding dress, and I hope you get lots of tips tonight so you can afford a really nice one. And I promise, I'll be careful. I don't want trouble. I just want Miya back."
Missing for six weeks? More and more, this begin to sound like a trap. Maeneta muses for a moment, before coming to his decision.
"I am going to this address, Philia," he says, watching for her reaction, "Should I fail to return within the day, tend to Helena's grave for me. You shall find what funds I have left under my mattress in the house." Maeneta fingers the haft of his greataxe, remembering all of the things Ghazi made him do in the pursuit of greed.
"If I find Ghazi, I will mount his head on a pole," Maeneta says in a rare display of emotion, "Take care of yourself, Philia, you have been a good friend these past few months." Maeneta turns and stalks off in the direction of 3 Lancet Street.
(Ioseph)
You encounter one of your friendly rivals: Delos of Crystal Row.
DELOS:
Smugly
"Ah, washed up Ioseph. The man who lost all of his money. I must say, I've been getting a lot of business since you had your equipment confiscated by the city guard."He plays with his rings as he speaks, putting his attention on his rings. Despite all of his smugness, this rival presents the feeling that he's bored and he misses your competition.
"I want you to know, Jonathan is getting ready to be married, so he's taking on some extra help with his Crystalsmithing. Naught that you know anything about making Crystal swords."
Immediately defensive, Ioseph replied "It's just a setback. I told the city guard what happened." The redhead looked around them on the street. "And I can cut gemstones for any dealer, if I need to." Ioseph tucked away the information about Jonathan away, just in case.
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(Cynnara)
Further Street
(Maenata)
Further street
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Cynarra -
AYANNA hugs you back, she realizes that your daughter has been gone for a long time and finding your daughter was a top priority. Her pink sari does not clash with your warm, golden one.
"I hope you find Miya soon. She was always quite the little angel."
Your favorite shawl is on the rack and the dish washer, who looked like a thug that Avkashi picked up from the street judging from his large muscles and tattoos, only smiles and gives his thumbs up. His name is Garri and you have the distinct feeling that he likes you.
The outside of your tavern looks like this street. With many people bustling. This is your town, however, your street. And you feel confident that you can leave the Vedic Quarter and make your way to Lancet street without any problems. Though the way is a five hour walk, since you realize that you do need to go down the side of the falls.
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Ioseph --
DELOS
snobbish
"Well, where ever you are off too, if you ever come into money again I promise to help you set up your shop. The more competition we have, the better for everyone, yes?"
He leaves you on your errand. On the way to 3 Lancet street, it's not long that you make another encounter. This time you run into an attractive woman who you remember to be one of Senator Ileosa Arvanxi's bodyguards. The woman is never without the Senator, so it seems strange -- almost than enigma -- that she is out and about in a simple chiton tunic. Her long, young legs bare and wearing a pair of sandals.
With the day being so warm, a lot of young girls her age or younger is out in about in such costuming. Although the occasional naked old Vudran practicing his strange aesthetic beliefs in the street doesn't seem to turn any heads.
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Missing for six weeks? More and more, this begin to sound like a trap. Maeneta muses for a moment, before coming to his decision.
"I am going to this address, Philia," he says, watching for her reaction, "Should I fail to return within the day, tend to Helena's grave for me. You shall find what funds I have left under my mattress in the house." Maeneta fingers the haft of his greataxe, remembering all of the things Ghazi made him do in the pursuit of greed.
"If I find Ghazi, I will mount his head on a pole," Maeneta says in a rare display of emotion, "Take care of yourself, Philia, you have been a good friend these past few months." Maeneta turns and stalks off in the direction of 3 Lancet Street.
PHILIA
shouts
Cynnara heads to her tiny room in the lodging house just down the street. It wasn't much, but it was cheap and close to work. She quickly changed out of the pretty silk sari she wore for work, carefully folding the material so it wouldn't get wrinkled and put it away. The gauzy cotton clothing she put on to replace it didn't look much different. It was even the same color. But the material was less flashy and delicate, much more practical for a long walk with possible trouble at the end.
She hurried out of her lodgings, carefully locking up behind herself, and headed off in the direction of Lancet street at a brisk pace.
Threnody made her way out into the street, a cloak around her concealing her features and weapons as she made her way through the streets towards the address.
Maeneta hears Philia shout the woman's name but does not acknowledge this. At least now I have a name, he thinks to himself as he strides on. He knows that he could be striding towards his doom but if he is, he shall meet it head on wih weapon in hand.
When he arrives at 3 Lancet Street, he stands and watches the door making no attempt to hide himself. After all, he is hardly inconspicuous.
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*** Cynnara ***
Of the four of you, you had to walk or run the longest . . . even by carriage. You have to travel down the side of the Phoenix Cataract. Miya was in your mind the whole time, your daughter. You passed by anyone you knew.
When you reached the cataract's sides, you had to travel by elevator -- sacrificing safety for speed. Although it seemed slow, the elevator brought you straight down, which took faster than the Thousand Steps of Enlightenment from the Western Temple of Gruhastha, or the Thousand Steps of Penance by the Eastern Temple of Iomedae.
Then you took a wagon through the Leventine Quarter, leaving the fall basin a mile behind where you traveled over the Bridge of King Triton. To get to the bridge, you passed by the rolling hills and vineyards of the Desert Elves. The only place in the city where you can see the city wall very clearly, you can see the neighborhoods in the Desert Elf Enclave broken by olive and grape vineyards. You also passed the Necropolis -- a true city of the dead, the Necropolis gave you the most shivering feeling. You felt cold, freezing, and death passing by that place. While the Vudrans and Xephs practice cremation, most of the others in the city practice burial.
By the time you entered into the Greek Quarter, you see a Varisian woman look at you, and put a shawl over her head. You see her disappear into the crowd before taking another wagon to 3 Lancet street.
By the time you get there, three others were waiting. A Half-Giant (Maenata) who looked as dark as anyone from the Mwangi Expanse or the most southern of Vudra's lands. A beautiful woman in leather armor with a hood over her head (Thren'ody), and a man with brown hair with red streaks flowing through his hair (Ioseph). By the time you get there, the sun hangs so low in the west that the shadow of the cliffside dominates the entire quarter. The hour is so late that Golarion's Evening Star can be seen along with it's moon; which is in a full phase.
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*** Thren'ody ***
Thren'ody, you traveled from the Persian Quarter of the city to the Hellenic. You actually descended the Steps of Penance. As you descended, you saw the statues of Iomedae and Gruhastha both carved into the rock face. Iomedae is a beautiful woman, dressed in Hellenic Armor with her mighty shield in her left hand and the Sword of Truth in her right, standing in an animated pose with her loin girdle covering her loins and her breastplate protecting her chest.
Gruhastha is dressed in a simple robe of linen that flows about him. He looks rail thin, but he is sitting down in meditation as an example of those seeking Enlightenment. His beard is long, flowing down to his sternum but his head is spear bald.
You take a wagon to 3 Lancet street, passing by the Academy of the Will and the Way. You see many students there, learning the ways of the Body and the Mind. You see several small water falls gather into pools where the students bathe and swim naked. You also pass by the Kyonin Enclave where the elves created their colony.
The Kyonin Enclave is the most beautiful part of the city, as it is a forested area maintained by the Elves. The small area of the city, spanning some three hundred acres, looks like a piece of Kyonin. The whole area is forest, some of it as dense as some of the forests in Avistan.
You reach 3 Lancet Street, even as Maeneta is there waiting and watching for something to happen.
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Travel through the city was always an amazing experience, and this was no different. The beauty of the city always filled her heart,and she had to admit that the Hellenic system was one of the most stunning sights one could experience.
She enjoyed the walk down the Steps of Penance, physical excercise always helping her focus her thoughts. The beauty of the Iomedae statue was inspiring, while the Gruhastha statue held a powerful serenity, a reason she had visited it in the past.
As the wagon she rode passed the Academy, she smiled, watching the swimmers and sunbathers, and the Kyonin Enclave was simply breathtaking.
As she arrives she sees a massive man standing across the street from the address in question, seemingly woiting for something. Was this the trap she half expected? Ghazi finding out she was alive and luring her here to have her killed?
She scans the area seeking signs of anyone else that looked suspicious.
Perception
Maeneta had been standing observing the house for some time when he heard a wagon come up the street. He cast a glance in the direction of the vehicle and raised his eyebrow as a slender woman got out. No accomplice of Ghazi's, unless the man had gone up considerably in the world. Nonetheless, Maeneta's hand went to the haft of his greataxe.
"Are you Zellara?" he asks, his deep baritone rumbling across the street. Maeneta gives her some focus, but also casts his gaze around to see if anyone else was watching them.
Thren'ody takes note of the man's posture, noticing the movement of his hand towards his weapon. She halt, standing at a distance that would require the man to advance in order to attack.
He is on edge, expecting attack or betrayal, like me.
"No, I am not, yet I was called here to meet with her as well. It appears she wishes to gather enemies of her enemy."
Her face betrays no expression, her tone exceedingly calm, though not in an apathetic manner, more exhibiting a very deliberate, controlled manner.
Ioseph's eyes followed the attractive guard's movements as she walked away from him in the crowd. Yes, things were better here than in his old life. Much better. But he still needed caution.
The young man with red-streaked brown hair continued along the alleyways, turning onto Lancet Street.
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Ioseph's eyes followed the attractive guard's movements as she walked away from him in the crowd. Yes, things were better here than in his old life. Much better. But he still needed caution.
The young man with red-streaked brown hair continued along the alleyways, turning onto Lancet Street.
The four of you had made it to Zellara's place. The thing you notice about the home it's shaped like a bracket ("]"). There are two wings, both oriented on a North to South axis. In between those is the courtyard.
The courtyard looks well grassed, with some tulips that need some attention. The place looks abandoned. It has a haunted feeling about it. Or maybe it's because of your feelings for revenge is coloring the scene.
Cynnara surveyed the house as she jumped off the back of the wagon and called her thanks to the driver. The house itself looked auspicious, but she wasn't so sure about the people standing in front of it. She approached cautiously.
"Hello," she said with a friendly smile, holding up the Harrow card. "I don't suppose any of you are the one responsible for sending me this card?" she asked hopefully.
Perception
Maeneta relaxed, a little, as three others converged on the house seemingly having been drawn by this elusive Zellara.
"I too have a card, although it appears to be different to your own," Maeneta retrieves his card from within his armour. "I've heard this Zellara woman hasn't been seen in six weeks. I suggest we keep our wits about us. This could be a trap."
Thren'ody takes a deep breath gazing at the building for a few minutes before drawing out a card and stepping closer.
"We have all definitely been brought here for the same purpose, and yes we should be wary.There was a child watching us from that alley over there. They dissappeared into the shadows when I noticed them. Perhaps our host posted a look out in which case she knows we are here."
Ioseph saw the other people converging on the address he had been given. A short ravenhair with olive skin. A brunette who apparently liked scarves and finger gauntlets. They were attractive enough. It was the large gladiator with chain mail and that gigantic axe that concerned him. If the playing card had been a feint...
The warrior's response to the ravenhair relaxed Ioseph a little. "If we have all been given a card," he said to the others, flashing the playing card from his belt pouch, "then I think we know the common cause that brought us here. But no names. Not yet." The redhead told them, looking around at the street they were on. "I just saw a guard, and I mean a Senator's bodyguard, not just a town guard, walk by a few minutes ago." The young man nodded at the door to the house opposite them (Zellara's place). "Maybe we should go inside, make this a private conversation from nearby eyes and ears?"
"A - a child?" she asked, hope warring with realism and realiosm won. Her shoulders slumped a little. "No, that really would be too much to hope for. None of the rest of it has been easy thus far, I doubt things are going to change now."
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The door into the courtyard is open, and the house seems inviting when you arrived. It certainly looks cozy to all of you, except Maenata.
Despite this, the rest of you feel safe in this home. As if you feel that there is, indeed, an ally here. Maybe you will be safe from private conversation, at least for now. The door way seems out of place, however. It seems to be of Varisian make and craftsmanship. Varisian design decorate the cherrywood door, however the door has been weathered and most of it's natural color has faded.
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You can't focus your thoughts because the outside world has become a distraction. You have accidentally back into a lettuce cart.
"MY LETTUCE!" yells the woman as Maenata's backing up disturbs the seller's cart. Lettuce falls on Maenata, covering him with green leefy goodness of iceberg, kale, and other lettuce varieties. You're new "friends" don't have too laugh. You gain the laughter of many other people in the street as a few heads roll (with a trilled r).
What a terrible way to lose your balance. Nothing's hurt but your pride.
"Get out of my lettuce you dumb brute!" she angrily calls. "That's MY produce you have disturbed! And now look at it! Your clumsiness has caused some of it to spill on to the street!"
"Apologies," the half-giant rumbles before drawing himself up to his full height, allowing everyone to get a good look at his muscle-bound stature before glowering at those who are laughing and stalking inside the house.
"So much for staying out of sight." Ioseph muttered as he followed the others inside.
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Heading into the home, you find a cozy chamber for the entertaining room or front room. The chamber is filled with a fragrant haze of flowers and strong spice. The spice comes from several sticks of incense that are smoldering on wall-mounted burners that look like butterfly winged elves -- or fairies. The smoke itself seems to soften the edges and gives the room a dream like feel.
The walls are draped with brocaded tapestries, especially one showing a black-skulled beast juggling men's hearts. A second showing a pair of angels dancing on top of a snow topped mountain. The third tapestry on the far wall depicts a tall hooded figure shrouded in mist, a flaming sword held in a skeletal hand. Several brightly colored rugs cover the floor, but the room's only furnishings are a wooden table covered by a bright red throw cloth and several elegant tall-backed chairs. A basket covered by blue cloth sits under the table. On top of the small table is a crystal ball -- which is sure to be there for decoration.
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Thank you for coming. I had to step out for a small spell, but shall return shortly. Please, have a seat while you wait. The basket under the table contains bread and drink for you.
Threnody scanned the room for signs of a trap.
Perception
Not one to pass up a meal in his current economic condition, Ioseph took the basket from underneath the table and put it on top. "There's a note saying the owner - Zellara? - will be back. Meanwhile, we can probably talk here. And I'm hungry." the man told the others, taking a small chunk of bread.
Perception:
Maeneta, quiet after his stumble outside, enters the room and casts a wary eye around, looking for anything out of place.
Cynnara looked around the room. It was a strange place, but not unpleasant. She had promised to be careful, and she was. But it seemed that the die were already cast on this gamble. And if things were going to go sideways, she'd just as soon face that with a full stomach as an empty one. She sat down at the table and took some bread, nibbling at it carefully.
"You three also received cards....why? I'm not sure what we could possibly have in common."
Ioseph gave another look at the others. "I can say a name. It's on the card." he growled. Swallowing another gulp of wine, he snarled, "Ghazi ibn Al-Salah. There. I was led to believe I would be given information here about where he lives, how to pay him back for what he did to me." The brown-haired man looked at the big warrior, as well as the two women. "And I bet you'd like to know, too."
Markets couldn't shake a feeling that something was... wrong. However, at the mention of Ghazi he snaps back to the present.
"I also have unfinished business with Ghazi," he growls, "He took my half-sister and self-control from me. I can work on my self-control, but I'll never see my sister's smile again. The las thing he feels will be my greataxe ending his pitiful life."