Cynnara Saeed |
Cynnara's stomach churned as Maenata spoke of how Ghazi took his sister from him. She set down her bread abruptly.
"I've never had any dealings with this Ghazi. I am looking for my daughter. She's missing, may the gods shower curses on those who were supposed to be caring for her. The closest thing I've found to a lead was a name. Ghazi. That's all I have. I don't care about revenge or justice or any of that. I just want Miya back."
Thren'ody |
Thren'ody clenched her fist quietly, her eyes closed as she literally shook with rage. She took a long, slow, calming breath before she was able to speak, but her voice was no longer flat,...it seethed with the promise of violence.
"I tried to kill that man once, as a child....I failed and he left me for dead for it. If I meet him again it will end differently. I swear it."
Ioseph Dalen |
"Can't say I disagree with that!" Ioseph told the taller brunette. Looking at the other woman, the man said "If Ghazi has your daughter...well, I hope she's still alive, but I'd be lying if I said there's a good chance for her. If that slimy man treats his workers the way he treated me..." he let his voice trail off.
Looking at the three, Ioseph began, "Let's introduce ourselves. I am Ioseph, Ioseph Dalen, a recent graduate of the Academy of the Will and the Way, and I was supposed," the brown-haired man clenched his jaw at the word, "to be a rising star on Crystal Row until I ran across that miserable excuse for a human, who cheated me out of my shop and my fortune. I intend to make him pay, and pay dearly, for his 'assistance'." Ioseph's eyes looked at the others, judging their reactions.
GM Elton |
After that, a woman in her early thirties enters the room. She has dark hair and deep brown eyes.
"So much hate for a man who has caused great grief," she observes as she sits down. "Still, I knew that you four would be the best to help right terrible wrongs. Thank you for coming to my home. I am Zellara. And you four are?"
Matanga |
"Oh, forgive me. My name is Zellara, I am who I say I am," she says. "Six weeks ago, I confronted Ghazi with some property that had been stolen from me, and I was defeated. So, naturally I went looking for help.
"So I had reason to remain hidden. Ghazi is evil and terrible, and if he found out that I reached out for help he would track me down and kill me. After all, a year ago, he stole this -- my Harrow Deck. My deck is important to me, as it is an heirloom passed down from mother to daughter through the generations.
"It is my sole means of support. So when Ghazi's pickpockets stole it, my son went after it and was slain by Ghazi. When I found out that the low life murdered my son, I went to the city guard for help but they could do nothing in tracking him down. So I confronted him myself.
"I Know where he is, my friends. He can be found at an old fishery at Westpier 17. And since he has defeated me before, I need your help in exacting Justice. This is because the Guards move so slowly and even if they were to arrest him, my feelings are that he will escape somehow. This criminal has evaded the Law for far too long, and it is time for matters to be taken in our own hands."
She sighs after saying so much. Then she turns to you. "If you will return your harrow cards to me now that we have met, I'll be ever so grateful," she says.
Cynnara Saeed |
Cynnara put her card on the table.
"From what I've heard today, if this Ghazi does have Miya, he isn't going to give her back just because I show up and ask nicely. Until I have proof otherwise I'm not going to give up on my daughter. But I will help you. It may be the only chance I have to save her."
Ioseph Dalen |
Grinning a not-nice smile, Ioseph put down the card he had on the table, holding it down with a finger. "The law failed us. So we will be the law that takes care of Ghazi and his kind - permanently." he declared, flicking his finger to move the card to rest with the others in front of Zellara.
Leaning back, Ioseph asked everyone, "So this fishery that Ghazi has, it will be nightfall by the time we get there from here, if it is not already so? I would rather force my way into it in the morning, before most are awake. I can scout" he said, fingering the large garnet crystal in his necklace, "after a fashion, since I have a psicrystal." (Common knowledge in this city, correct? Or at least to the psions in the room.) "And if it comes to fighting, well, I am a Shaper. So I can...make stuff...appear if needed. Useful items." Ioseph said slowly, as if admitting something secret.
GM Elton |
Zellara smiles and says, "Very good." She places nine cards in a square. Each card has a key associated with it.
"Now, you may each select a card."
Sorry, first time running a Harrowing. Okay, when you select a card, roll a d6 and a d10. These are your first role cards. Make sure the dice are separated by a space.
GM Elton |
Okay. Each one of you received a Harrow Card. Maenata, your card is the Tangled Briar, with keys. Ioseph, you receive the Rabbit King card, with keys. Threnody, you receive the Cyclone or Tempest Card. And Cynnara, you receive the Big Sky card with keys. Sorry everyone, it's been one of those weeks. I actually have a job now! :)
The Varisian woman takes a look at each of your cards. "Maenata, you have the Tangled Briar card, this means that the days ahead will be full of tribulation and adversity," said Zellara. She then inspects Cynnara's card.
"The Big Sky card," she said. "This means that you will face happiness, joy, and contentment with nature, unless you have a fear of open places."
Zellara then inspects Ioseph's card. "The Rabbit King; the practical joker card. This also means that you will face adversity, but mostly at your expense caused by someone else. You either feel that some higher power is having fun at your expense, or there is some hidden enemy that enjoys kicking you while you are down," she explains.
Finally she looks at Thren'ody's card. Her face turns sour and long. "The Cyclone card. This means that a storm is coming at some point in your life," she says. "Grave danger I sense in your adventures. How it will end, only you can make it so."
Ioseph Dalen |
(With "keys"? I don't play poker, and I suspect Harrowing has Tarot-like rules as well. I'm clueless here.)
Ioseph imprudently considered Zellara's card casting. "Nothing I haven't been told before, and often as of late, by many whom I would consider my lessers." He punched one fist into a palm. "It's about time I stopped being the punching bag at the gymnasium. Let's see how someone else like being plummeted."
Thren'ody |
Thren'ody stared at the card.
The Cyclone, an apt description of the raging storm inside her that she constantly fought to contain. Juust the mention of Ghazi filled her with the urge to unleash violence without heed for the consequences.
Yet she held as always, saving the unleashing for that moment whre she could engage in battle, allowing her emotions to run free in the beautiful chaos of combat.
Ioseph Dalen |
Ioseph stood, looking at the daylight coming through a nearby window (or crack in the wall, whatever). "Not that your harrowing meant something, Zellara," he said, without rancor, "but I'd like for the five of us to discuss just when we're going to pay Ghazi a visit. I think we were being watched coming in here, and secrets go stale faster than bread in this city." Ioseph crossed his arms, stating "We really just need to decide when to knock on the door of this old fishery - now, midnight, or morning. I'm up for any time."
Maeneta the Axe-Caller |
"Midnight will cover our entry, should any of Ghazi's associates be nearby. Being able to strike with the element of surprise is important so that we can sow confusion and meet less resistance. I'm not the most inconspicuous of people, so any way in which we can hide our identities is a good idea."
Ioseph Dalen |
"All right, midnight it is." Ioseph stated. "We'll have to dodge the city guards, unless the amphitheater has a showing tonight. But that gives us plenty of time to make it to the docks." Looking at Maeneta and then the others, he asked, "You're probably going to go for the front door, correct? Unless one of you ladies is good with locks?"
GM Elton |
Zellara starts putting nine cards on the table. One by one, face down.
Sorry everyone, I seemed to have had a bad connection to the site.
"Now I will see what the cards say."
She doesn't hesitate for a moment, but for Ioseph, there is a slight electric tremor, as if someone was using psychokinesis nearby.