Jyoti smiles at Minali indulgently. "Next, she'll be sniffing you out for cat-treats. It's not the first time it's happened, and won't be the last. She's really a curious kitty."
Jyoti examines Minali, "In fact, she might be about to enter another growth spurt soon, no thanks to my brothers feeding her on the sly."
"Minali, if you keep begging nice people for snacks, you're going to get fat," wagging her finger at Minali with mock severity.
Minali decides to ignore her mistress. What's the harm in getting nice man to give yummies?
Gosk grins at the Colonel. "No, sir, nothing at all. Great job on the notes, but I'd be careful not to misplace them. First lesson drilled into my head after I left the forces.", he says as he reclines on the pillows. He raises a stretched out hand in the air. "So, the way I see this, is, first,", he puts a finger down, "Get the information from the third letter tomorrow. Second,", he taps another finger, "If the letter doesn't miraculously tell us everything we need to know in detail, we go and find more information about Naderi and his... or her?", he raises an eyebrow at Jyoti, "worshippers around town. Third," he puts down another finger, "We talk to the local blacksmith and see what he can tell us about the daggers, if anything. Or any historians. Last, but not least,", he puts down his index finger, leaving his thumb up, "We need to find out what the guardswoman's been... saving from the Rajah's fatherly ears."
He takes his hand, thumb still extended, and points it towards the bath. "And that foaming thing is on the list as well." He stands up. "I don't know if it applies here, but city guards always say that if you get assaulted while on the job, it means you're doing something right. Keep that in mind." He looks around. "Plan enough, you think?", he says, patting the three metal rods on his belt.
The bath is just as relaxing as Gosk imagines it to be, and the water seems to know when an occupant has left; it drains itself and refills quickly for the next person, suds arriving with the water through a grated drain in the bottom. A dinner of curried pork, vegetables, and some sort of root is followed by an hour or so of relaxation before the group's fatigue from a long sea voyage and a good day of investigations begins to set in.
"Plan seems sound."
---
The colonel waits his turn to use the bath. After everyone is done, he asks Jyoti "How respectable a place is this?
Where I come from, Inns can be more dangerous a place to rest than if you slept in the streets. Of course, those inns often had an excess of vermin and a dearth of magnificent baths."
On hearing Colonel Tipper talk business, Jyoti becomes serious."It appears that Yamuna's kidnapping was done by a well organized group. They not only have eyes on the street, they have planted henchmen in the ranks of Yamuna's servants. This does not bode well." Her hands betray her tension by squeezing the corner of the pillow she's currently lying on.
"Your friend, Raseed, followed one of them and is not back yet? I'd better ask if anyone in the marketplace has seen him, first thing tomorrow morning. Could you tell me how he looks like? Padiskar is generally safe, but my mother has warned me about staying out too late at night, as there are thugs on the street who would rob anyone they could get their hands on for coin."
She reads the letters Colonel Tipper hands to her, her expression sad."Why would Yamuna even contemplate such an act? Who is this Ilya person that she could not tell the Rajah about? There is no shame seeking out your love. The Rajah is a kind man, he would not deny his daughter her happiness."
Jyoti answers Gosk, "Naderi is the goddess of forbidden relationships. She is usually worshipped by couples who face circumstances that do not allow them to be together. It could be possible that Yamuna's kidnapping was arranged by cultists of Naderi, so that she could be with her Ilya. But from the letter, it seemed that Yamuna had second thoughts at the last moment."
"If Yamuna was kidnapped by cultists of Naderi, perhaps it could be why they do not fear pursuit. The direction they have taken - Old Padiskar, is a dangerous place. I've heard of a horrible beast that roams the street some nights, howling and screaming. My friend's aunt's daughter's husband went inside the walls and was never seen again. That was a few years back." Jyoti's face is shadowed as she recounts the incident.
She addresses Gorsk again,"Did you mean Rasji? Did she ask to meet us? If she asked to meet us, she surely has her reasons. Did she mention when and where she wanted to meet?"
"The Three Lemons is perfectly safe and respectable. It would not have the reputation to house visitors of the Rajah, otherwise."
Jyoti tucks into the meal with gusto, but some vegetables surreptitiously end up being fed to Minali. She also asks the hostess to bring Minali a few fresh fish, or some raw meat.
"Rasji said the piers, after dark. I think she meant we all can go, but she couldn't speak at the Rajah's. Might as well get going now.", he says, rubbing himself with a towel and stretching. "I'd advise against going there armed to the teeth, we stick out enough as it is.", he says, waving at Mirode and the colonel. He puts on a shirt and puts his staff on his belt. "Whenever you're ready.", he says, laying in the pillows, arms crossed behind his head.
The colonel thinks a moment, and then sadly admits "You may do better without me. I suspect Rasji will be more willing to talk if I am not there." Not everyone appreciates what Taldan has done. Some with good reason.
"If you will wait just a trice, I have something that may prove useful to you." he says, looking towards Mirode.
Setting his cane to the side, he takes out a small flask and starts adding various ingredients to it. After about a minute, he seals it and gives it one final vigorous shake. He then holds the flask and another just like it out to Mirode. "Here is one of those tonics I spoke of, allows you to understand what is said. Since Rasji has met you and knows you can't speak the local tongue, she may let something slip in your presence."
"No. You can come along as well, Colonel Tipper. What Rasji said was a ruse, to throw off the attention of any who might have been listening. I've known Rasji since we were little, she's never displayed any kind of foreigner dislike, Taldan or otherwise. Besides, she went with Yamuna to the Shallows, where there are people of many ethnicities. If she were to hate Taldans, would it not be trying on her everytime she entered that quarter?"
Jyoti stands up, heads for the door."The bath can wait till we have finished conducting our business with Rasji. I fear, if you were to wait for me to finish using the bath, we wouldn't be going anywhere tonight," with a twinkle in her eyes.
Mirode listens silently as her compatriots discuss the mystery at hand. ‘Dawnflower, watch over that poor girl and her father. To not know where your child is, to not know if you’ll ever see her alive again….such a nightmare I would not wish on my worst enemy. Please bless us and guide us so we may find her. And please, watch over your spark, Raseed. Please keep him safe from harm in this strange land.’
The priestess sits in silence for a minute, letting peace wash over her before her eyes flutter open. She pulls herself together, straightens up and then puts herself in motion.
“Alright. First, I do agree that the armor makes us stand out. In fact, I’m getting rid of this right now.” She starts undoing the laces on her breastplate. “I’m leaving the shield but the scimitar goes with me. At least it blends in here. I’ve got a hood with a veil in my bag, I’ll grab it and hopefully that will make me less of a giant ‘Hey there’s a foreigner here!’ sign. Could you untie this please Jyoti?” The elf gestures at a knot towards the back.
Once she’s fried of the armor she shakes out her robe, pins up her braid and plops her veil on her head. “There. Much better.” The language potion is slipped into a belt pouch. “Thank you Colonel. I’ll admit, I’m just thrilled that I’ll understand what everyone is saying. I really should have spent more time studying the language, it’s quite maddening to not understand everyone”
"You are welcome." he says as Mirode takes the infusions. "Remember to return them if you don't use them. "
Looking towards Jyoti, he says "I do not know her as you do, but it still seems to me that I was not to join with you. Perhaps it has to do with the location?"
Jyoti helps Mirode out of her breastplate. "Oof! How do you take the weight off it? It's heavier then a net full of fish!" she exclaims.
"My brother Asim, wrote about his adventuring companions being able to summon invisible armor made out of force. Totally weightless, but still able to protect its wearer. I wish I knew how to do that, it would come in handy."
She answers Colonel Tipper, "I don't see anything wrong with one more Taldan at the pier. "
The full moon's reflection off the Inner Sea is broken up by scores of tiny, rickety-looking fishing boats moored to the docks. A few elderly men, likely the same ones there in the afternoon, sit outside the unnamed tavern looking out at the pier, but if they see anything untoward, it doesn't seem they're interested in telling anyone. On the piers, looking much less imposing in a simple robe and without her spear, sits Rasji, looking around and nursing a drink in an earthware cup.
"I'm glad you've decided to come. I was worried." She begins, then launches right into her speech. "When the Rajah first questioned me, the exact location Yamuna was going slipped my mind, and when I remembered, the investigation had moved on. Follow me, and stay close. The Shallows is dangerous enough at night, but together it should be safe enough." She stands, obviously interested in walking while answering questions.
The streets in the Shallows are narrow and muddy, and this time of night free of all but a few orphaned children, who stare but stay silent until the group moves past, after which the chatter can be heard for a few seconds. A few minutes' walk leads to a low-roofed house with torn thatch and more mud than stone in its walls. A light is on, flickering in between the boarded windows. "She came here, the days I followed her. I never saw anyone with one exception; an old woman always answered her knock." She pauses for a moment. "I grew up with these people. If you wish to cause them trouble, I'll have no further part of it. Yamuna was doing a service to everyone here with whatever she was doing." As she speaks more, a slight slurring of her words becomes more and more obvious.
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Tipsy. Probably more nervousness than alcoholism. Wonder why she's nervous, though., thinks Gosk as he quietly nods. "Look, Rajsi,", he says, smile on his face. "If we can go somewhere, find the girl, and it was all a big, happy misunderstanding, I'd be buying the first rounds. I've no plans on troubling anyone not troubling me first.", he says. "So this is the poor quarters, huh?", he says, looking around, moving forward to be next to Rasji. Best to be here. Keep an eye on both the guardswoman and the pathways.
Jyoti takes out a day of trail rations from Minali's packs and splits it among the orphans. She would give them money, but in these poor quarters, it might do them more harm then good, as it may attract unwanted attention.
"Rasji, I would never want to cause any trouble to anyone. Any information we could find about Yamuna's whereabouts would be a boon," she reassures Rasji.
"Also, I think it's better if we escort you back home, after this. It's not advisable for anyone to go around alone at night." she says to Rasji.
She walks up to the house and knocks on the door.
As if picking up her mistress's uneasiness, Minali undergoes a transformation. She now tails Jyoti closely, sticking to her like a shadow, eyeing the surroundings warily.
Mirode keeps her eyes open as the group walks through the Shallows. Being in a new town, in an unsafe neighborhood no less, keeps her on edge. You never know what to expect in situations like this.
What catches her off guard isn’t danger but the sight of the street kids. She hesitates for a split second before she grabs coins out of her pocket and presses them in the children’s hands. It’s stupid to wander around at night flashing coin, she might as well wear a sign saying “Dumb foreigner with money, please rob me!”, but she can’t make herself walk past without trying to help. Once a mother, always a mother.
As Jyoti goes to knock on the door Mirode grabs her language potion. She chugs it down in one quick move and grimaces at the taste.
Mirode's gesture of kindness isn't well-received as the kids scatter. A moment later, Jyoti knocks on the door. There's a flickering of the light, and then it goes out. A pause. Then, from inside the little hut, an old-sounding woman's voice, in Vudrani. "Who calls after dusk?"
The woman's question seems less a genuine one and more a call-and-refrain, as if a certain phrase is needed.
The Colonel's potion immediately goes to work. It's a strange feeling, understanding something that you don't know at the same time. Still, it's undeniably useful. Mirode thinks she picks up something in the woman's tone.
"I think she wants a password" she quickly whispers "What do we say? Naderi? Someone come up with something, I don't speak the language"
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Jyoti is taken aback by Mirode's urgent whisper. It was not usually in her way to lie, but if she didn't give the password, they might not be allowed entry into the house.
She answers in Vuldrani,"Greetings. We are pilgrims, who wish to learn more about the ways of Naderi."
There. When lying, best to keep it simple. If the speaker wished to question Jyoti's purpose for being here, there would be ample time to spin a long yarn about how her parents forbade her being with Colonel Tipper because he was not the same caste and race as she, besides being one of those heathen Taldan colonizers.
Gosk smiles at Jyoti. Not bad, not bad at all! If she'd omitted the part about being pilgrims, it's not even going to be a lie! Good thing she took the lead. The folks here are a bit xenophobic..., he thinks to himself, analyzing the words. He remains quiet, trying his best to look as unintimidating as possible. He clears his throat, amplifying his accent. "We've come a long way for the knowldge you have.", before sending a smile.
The old woman's voice stops for a moment, then the door creaks open slowly. "Naderi? Never heard of a Naderi. Pilgrims, now those I've heard about. My son had a few pilgrims here." The old woman is still dresses for field-work, with loose-fitting breeches and an equally loose apron over a linen shirt, and she moves to half-block the entrance with her body. "You wouldn't know them, would you? Rough looking lot, with daggers and robes. They left the night the Rajah's daughter disappeared."
Jyoti is taken by surprise by the old woman's words. She has a strong suspicion that this old woman is Ilya's mother. Yet this led to more questions. Did she know anything about her son's highly probable affiliation with Naderi?
"Those pilgrims are who we seek. I knew Yamuna, and knew of Ilya's plan to be together with her." her left hand holding Colonel Tipper's. "His companions," she gestures at Gorsk and Mirode, "helped us find you. We can't just leave them."
"Good mother, could you please tell us more about the pilgrims and the directions they might have taken? We wish to meet them." she pleads.
At Jyoti's words, the door opens the rest of the way and the old woman steps aside. "You know my son? Do you know what's become of him?" She looks frantically around, then gestures toward a ladder going down below the mat-covered floor. "Come in. I've a few guests in the basement and didn't want to disturb them, but we can talk quietly."
The woman points at a few padded mats on the floor near a low table before gathering water from a large earthware pot and pouring it into several small bowls. "Ilya went missing the same day the Rajah's daughter did. I don't know where he went."
"We'd be glad to accept your invitation, good mother," and clasps her palms at chest level, and bows. After the party has entered the house, she closes the door. "We don't want to let the night drafts in," she comments, then sits cross legged on the mat. Jyoti is secretly relieved that she does not have to keep up the pretense, as lying made her feel bad inside. She also feels sorry for Ilya's mother as she must be frantic with worry about her son.
"I'm Jyoti, and these are my companions, Colonel Tipper, Gorsk and Mirode. How may I address you?" She then takes a drink from the small bowl before continuing, "I was not being entirely truthful with you outside, but now we are free from prying eyes, I can speak my mind.We have been sent by the Rajah to find his missing daughter, and we believe that your son has gotten assistance from worshippers of Naderi so that he and Yamuna could elope together." She takes out the letters that they had found in Yamuna's residence and shows it to Ilya's mother.
"I'm sorry you had to hear the news from us in such an abrupt fashion. We have determined that Yamuna was taken in the direction of Old Padiskar. If Ilya and Yamuna are together, we'll try to bring them home safe," Jyoti attempts to console Ilya's mother.
Guiding the others in the door, Gosk tosses another look at the street before walking in last. Go with mook trying not to be intimidating., he thinks to himself as he sits down on a pillow and smiles at the woman, nervously showing teeth. He positions himself on Jyoti's side, and places one hand on Minali's back, paying attention to the woman.
Looks like she knows more than she lets out, but I'll let the local girl take point. If need be, I'll push a bit., he thinks his actions as the woman pours in water. Taking the clay vessel in his hands, he bows and takes a miniscule sip. Not really thirsty, and never hurts to be careful...
The woman's eyes flicker briefly over the newcomers. "Lajja is fine. Thank you for telling me of my son's likely death. He isn't a strong lad, and it's likely he's dead by now if he's in there." She pauses, eyes looking down at the floor before looking back up. "I have something to tell you as well. My guests are-"
There's a crashing from below and a moment later a pair of men armed with daggers in one hand and longer blades in the other rush up a ladder! The daggers whip from their hands, heading toward two of the foreigners as the woman screams in surprise.
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The night passes slowly for Colonel Tipper back at the inn. The strong scent of lemon-trees pervades the air and, aside from a few cleaning women wandering the inn's halls in search of whatever they're looking for, there doesn't seem to be much sound at all. A few times, you imagine there might be a scraping on the window, but...
...it takes a few quick glances before you eventually see the man outside the room's window. He seems to be doing something with a knife and the window's frame.
...after the scraping sound comes and goes a few times with nothing visible on the other side, it stops.
"What, some creature scratching at the windows?" the colonel mutters to himself. He gets up and goes over to the window, looking out it to see if he can see any vermin or birds outside it.
Gosk stands up, drawing his staff from the side, one of the greenish bars swinging around his side like a shield. The right bar swings towards the man swinging towards Jyoti.
The momentum of the living steel crashes heavily into the attacker's side, the sound of ribs breaking as he leans back and takes a defensive stance. "You sure you want to do this, guys?", he says, turning towards the man who stabbed him. "Stand behind me, people."
Jyoti yelps in pain as the dagger connects. She turns to face her attackers, utters an incantation and a fan of rainbow coloured lights emits from her hands.
Jyoti's wall of color sweeps over the two cultists an instant before Gosk's weapon crashes into one's chest, producing a popping sound and a scream of pain. The man manages to stay on his feet, even moving forward to take a swing at the big man. That done, he steps back through the door, careful to avoid leaving an opening. His friend, meanwhile, scurries down the hall and into a storage room, perhaps looking for an opportunity. Further sounds can be heard from the basement below, though they're mostly drowned out over the old woman's screams.
[ooc]Party is up. I'll do Mirode's action first in my recap.
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Meanwhile, at the inn, the Colonel doesn't find any sort of animal outside the window. What he does find, however, are a series of cut and scrape marks marring the painted frames and exposing fresh, unweathered wood underneath.
Mirode uses her connection to her goddess to cast a blessing on her allies. "Be careful! We need one of them for interrogation"
"I don't wish to hurt you, but I will defend myself and my friends," Jyoti says with steely determination in her voice.
She gives Minali the hand signals to attack the man in the storage room.
Minali growls and launches herself on the man in the storage room.
On hit:
Gosk takes a step over the floor mat, following the man, taking a swing towards his midsection with his staff.
The vicious metal rod slams into the man's hip, knocking him on his knees, where Gosk takes advantage of the fact and kicks him in the face.
"Might as well get two. More effective interrogation this way.", he replies to Mirode, continuing to spin one of the three rods around his body. Looks agile. May want to take them on the ground first. Those mats look slippery., he thinks to himself as he looks at the other man's footing.
Was someone trying to break in, or just leaving a sign so others would know which window to watch?
The colonel moves to the side, so that he has cover from any potential attackers outside. He then carefully checks that the window is still secure. Drawing his dagger, he then peeks out the glass to see who might be around.
Moving quietly through the other two rooms, he carefully avoids backlighting himself through the window. He checks the windows in the other two rooms, to see if they also have been damaged.
Gosk and the cat both put pressure on their foes, with the man knocking the sense out of his cultist and the cat bringing the other one to the ground. The tripped-up man takes a swing at Minali, cutting only the air, and maybe a bit of fur.
From the basement of the building a voice shouts out. "You men, we'll wait them out. They can't take us all down here!"
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So far as the Colonel can see, there's been no other tampering with the windows. However, as he checks the last one, there's a sudden knock on the door, then a feminine-sounding voice. "Sir, if you and your friends are in there, the night's meal is to be served soon."
’Is that a bluff? Are there really more men down there?’ Mirode wonders. The two men upstairs are incapacitated; well, one of them is still conscious but he’s got an angry cat sitting on him. Close enough. It would be lovely if they could get the people in the basement to surrender without further bloodshed. She decides to try and talk them down.
”You’re going to have to leave sometime, unless you plan on living down there. Please, just come up so we don’t have to hurt you. I think things will get quite awkward if we have to get the guard to pry you out of there.” Mirode hopes they’ll listen, but she draws her scimitar in case things turn ugly.
Gosk nods at Minali, then rushes past her and not so gently forces the toe of his boot on the man's face.
He joins in the shouting. "We did our best not to kill your guys! Can't promise I'll hold back if you start coming up though! We just want to do our job!", he says, casually swinging his staff.
Jyoti stands up, then addresses the people at the basement.
"We've got two of your companions up here. I promise that if the rest of you come up and surrender peacefully, we can settle this with no more bloodshed."
Minali vents her displeasurue at the man trying to cuts her with short sword by viciously biting and clawing at him.
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The colonel moves over to the door and opens it. "I will be down in a moment. Thank you for notifying me."
He then makes sure all his valuables are in the chest or with him, and checks that the room is secure. Pausing a moment, he goes over to his shaving kit and gets a little shaving powder.
Going to the window with the damaged wood, he looks out one more time. While doing that he tries to discretely spread some of the shaving powder on the inside ledge where it would be disturbed if anyone came in that way. Hopefully even if anyone is watching, they will not notice this!
Checking one last time that the window is secure, he then goes down for dinner.
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For a few moments, the only sounds are Lajja's panicked screams as she collapses near the door and the murmured conversation from below. After a moment or two, a woman's voice shouts back. "Look here. We've got a fair number of fighters down here, so you can't get us out, and you sound like pretty serious people. I like serious people; they're easy to talk to. So here's what we want. You and Lajja step outside for five minutes, maybe take a walk. When you come back, we'll be gone. We'll even leave behind some of our things, since we can't pack that much up in five minutes anyways. Is this agreeable?"
Her voice sounds nervous, as if she doesn't have as good a position as she claims or she has no intention of leaving.
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Meanwhile, dinner is served in a wide hall filled with cushions and low tables. Bowls of steaming, spicy curry are delivered, along with a simple bread for dipping, and the inn's serving-women move through the crowded tables as if they've been doing it for a long time. It takes a few moments, but gradually the Colonel notices a dark-skinned Garundi man trying to catch his eye with a hand. He waves again, then gestures at his table. "Hello, foreigner! What brings you from so far away?!" His clothing, bearing, and mannerisms all scream Nex, and so do those of the woman sitting next to him; fine silk robes of light colors that seem to shimmer with magic even in the muted light of the dining area, overly-pretentious postures, and refined, cosmopolitan accents.
The colonel walks over to the couple, smiling. "Greetings, sir. I am Colonel Tipper, Taldan Exploratory Services, retired. As for purpose, there are always new places to see and people to meet. If it isn't too presumptuous, may I ask your name?"
Jyoti moves quickly towards Lajja, checking on the old woman to see if there is anything she can do to help.
"Mirode, I need youur help here!" she yells.
"Don't worry Lajja, we can handle ourselves, and we won't let those bad people get anywhere near you," she mummurs comfortingly as she holds Lajja's hand and tries to comfort Lajja.
Thinking about those heartless b@stards in the basement just made her fume. What kind of people would hide in an basement to ambush unwary passerbys and drive an old woman to a heart attack? They deserved to be punished by the law, they did. And asking us to go off for 5 mintues so they could get away scott free to commit more nerfarious deeds in the future? No way.
"By the laws of Padiskar, you are guilty of battery and assault. If you drop your weapons, come up the stairs singly and surrender to us, we will take you to the guards where the laws of Padiskar will decide your fate." she commands. Clearly though, Jyoti could use quite a lot more practice.
Gosk puts his hand on Jyoti's shoulder, and whispers. "I don't really believe this gal. I'd suggest we negotiate a face to face conversation." He gives Jyoti a good-natured grin. "And, when you're threatening someone, try not to have your voice's pitch raise so much."
He clears his throat. "You see, you're not really in the position to negotiate. The least of your problems is the fact we got a choke point and the high ground. And you don't sound that confident.", stopping for a moment. "We don't want anything from you but some information. You haven't done anything unforgivable yet, but you're getting there. Work with us, and we may even forget to mention this to the guard." He casually twirls his staff. "Think this is acceptable to you?"
"You would let those black hearted thugs get away to prey on others in Padiskar?" she whispers to Gosk angrily, her eyes flashing. "They deserve to be locked up until they learn their lesson." she hisses to Gosk.
"Mirode, can Lajja be safely moved? I fear the scene in the house is causing her distress. It's better for her to be outside with Rasji. Also, Gosk thinks the thugs in the basement are lying," she whispers to Mirode.
"We'll get these bad people out of your house, without damaging anything, don't worry, you can trust us." she assures Lajja.