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"Since Seelah has been dying for a fresh cup of coffee, and to be honest I would actually enjoy learning a bit about coffee cultivation."
Thoth stops and laments
"You can never learn too much afterall."
"Yay!" Seelah tries to clap, but smacks her longsword into her shield and drops it with a clatter onto the ground. She struggles to pick it up, but in her rush drops it again.
Selena would have listened to the proceedings, not being very knowledgeable about plants.. "So we go to the village then? Oh i see we're gonna be coffee farmers first eh.." she sighs and begins to help in whatever way she can..
The party spends most of the day helping Yesmoro cultivate his coffee fields and he is eternally grateful. You even finish early enough that you have a few hours of daylight and Yesmoro asks if you will all join him for dinner, and desert (with coffee of course). You return to his small shack where he introduces you to his wife and young daughter. They treat you to the biggest feast they can afford and show you to a guest room which is just big enough for you all to find a comfortable spot on the floor. Yesmoro is very obviously not a wealthy nagaji.
The next morning, Yesmoro accompanies you down the lane to the town of Nibung. After a short walk through the coffee groves in the cool breeze of morning, the path leads to what remains of the village of Nibung. It is built on two small hillsides that face each other, while a fountain marks the central market square constructed on the bit of level ground between them. Most buildings have suffered heavy fire damage, and almost all of them have been boarded up or stand in ruin. A few larger buildings look barely damaged and clearly stand out from the rest.
The first is a stone, monolithic structure that can just be seen peeking through the trees near the crown of the hill to the west. Even from this distance and silhouetted as it is by the sun, it is obvious that the structure is covered in carvings or murals. The largest intact building near the top of the hill to the east is a large red warehouse of sorts.
Only the sound of wind moving among the trees and whistling through the jagged corners of ruined buildings can be heard echoing through the empty streets. No other sound breaks the silence, and nobody can be seen walking among what must have once been a bustling farming community.
As you approach the central square, three loud gongs echo from the red warehouse on the eastern hill. Seconds later, heavily armed nagaji come pouring out of two buildings on opposite sides of the square, lining up in long lines facing each other. One member of each of the groups drags a bound and gagged nagaji prisoner. Once they are in place, a blue skinned humanoid male carrying a longbow and dressed in black leather lamellar armor steps through the eastern line, while opposite him, a heavily armored tengu wielding a nine-ringed sword steps through the line on the western edge of the square. Both are the obvious leaders of their respective groups. The two gangs stare daggers at one another across the fountain, their hands close to their weapons. Yesmoro looks nervous and takes a few steps back. The groups don't seem to have noticed you yet.
1st-8/day
2nd-5/day
3rd-5/day
"Well this doesn't look good.. I thought you said they don't have open war?" she starts casting.. When her spell is finished she stows her staff and pulls a wand out..
As Selena begins to speak and cast, drawing attention to herself, the members of the two groups take a few steps back in surprise, looking at each other and their leaders for assurance and guidance. Both leaders quickly signal retreat, and the nagaji cautiously withdraw back to their buildings, dragging the bound captives behind them. Only the samsaran and the tengu remain, eyeing you all carefully. Both make their way over to you as casually as they can manage, but always keep the other in their peripheral vision.
A somewhat dour fellow, the samsaran introduces himself as Bakji. The tengu simply says his name "Taicho" and bows. They wait to see what the newcomers have to say for themselves, both of them nervous and curious at your arrival. They eye each other suspiciously.
The samsaran Bakji and the tengu Taicho look at each other, confused.
"These are not your mercenaries?" Bakji says to the tengu.
"No, I thought they might be a trick of yours." Taicho responds.
"What business do you have with that old temple-warden?" Bakji demands. [b]"He has no power in this city. Aishwarya holds the power in this town. The mistress wishes to continue traditional nagaji society as it has existed for thousands of years. Any other choice would lead to anarchy."
The tengu rolls his eyes visibly and responds, "Dhanishta is clearly the better choice for Nibung, as she wishes to break down the old, outdated caste system and allow more foreign trade. Dhanishta has been hosting a royal tax collector for quite some time, and it is only a matter of time before the bureaucracy in Zom Kullan appoints his mistress the legal ruler of Nibung. Really, Bakji," Taicho says with pity, "you are fighting on the losing side."
"Do not heed his arrogance." Bakji interjects, turning back to the party. "We must know what business you have here or you will not enter this city." At that Taicho nods approvingly.
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thoth knows a terrible situation when he sees it, and conjures up a quick response.
Arbitration Bluff
Bakji grunts and smiles a bit. Taicho considers a moment and then speaks up, "That is all very well and good. But I will need to consult my mistress before I allow you free reign of the town. I direct you to the inn, where you might stay for a while so that we may decide on what to do with you. Besides, Avinash will have little say in the matter of negotiations. I expect you'll want to talk with Dhanishta about those matters."
Bakji looks annoyed to be agreeing with the tengu again. "Yes, I will need to speak with my mistress first as well. The inn will be good for you all. I will report back to you there when I have discovered more." He turns to Taicho. "Although if they are friends with Avinash, they can't be far from Aishwarya. Things are not looking good for you, my friend." Bakji smirks at the tengu.
Selena lets down her guard just a bit and starts heading the direction of the inn..
Seelah smiles broadly and nods vigorously in an effort to ease tensions.
Taicho and Bakji both nod at each other. "I suppose that can be arranged." Tiacho says.
The only inn in Nibung is a dilapidated single-story building with a slate roof located just off the central square. It looks to have been haphazardly repaired several times in the recent past, with ill-fitting boards nailed over broken doors and windows and stout wooden braces holding up the walls.
The inn is run by an old nagaji woman named Sellaweti (speaks Nagaji and Tien) who has not taken sides in the fighting. Because of this, the inn has become neutral territory, and is occasionally visited by members of both gangs. The bar fights that have erupted between her patrons as well as the street fighting outside have been the largest contributors to her inn’s current state.
Since most villagers fled months ago and traders no longer visit Nibung, Sellaweti is desperate for any kind of business, and happily lets you stay in her rooms for a few silver pieces. She includes a hearty mushroom stew and fresh-baked rolls with the price of lodging, and is very interested in any news from the outside world.
Halfway through your meal Bakji walks into the room, grinning. "Hello, Pathfinders." He stands a moment and lets his words sink in. "Yes, I spoke to your farmer friend. Sent by Amara Li, huh? So you are not arbiters after all, but adventurers in search of some book."
Bakji gives you a friendly smile and sits down at your table. His voice lowers. "If you wish to speak with the Lady Aishwarya, I will take you to her. She may be able to help you get ahold of this book. But it will likely mean doing her some small favor to further our cause. Sleep on it and I will take you to her in the morning."
Selena sits at her chair, eating her stew, and listening to the man speak a language she doesn't understand.. I knew i should have learned the tounges spell or comprehend languages spell.. "Them only speaking jiberish is going to get old.." she sighs and contunes her stew..
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Thoth thinks about the Monkey man's second statement
"I can be an arbiter and an archaeologist, and you can be a peace maker, a traitor, a book vendor, or even a dancer if that is your calling."
To the party
"The Samsaran wants to grant an audience with Lady Aishwarya who is a Guardian Naga tomorrow. What does everyone think?"
The achaeologist looks at the paladin
"Seelah you will have much in common with her, please don't let your beliefs cloud your judgement. We need to do whatever it takes to get the annals."
"Indeed, it seems there is at least an uneasy peace about this place for the time being. Many lives may be lost if one side should feel empowered to strike out against the other." Seelah pauses, then continues, "Though I wonder who is right? Perhaps one side unfairly oppresses the other. I think we should learn more information, but weigh it against lives that could be lost, and also consider..." Seelah begins muttering to herself, looking distressed.
"I agree, should this place turn ugly i don't wanna be stuck on a one sided slaughter.. I say we shoud try and stay neutral if possible.. After all we're not here to fix their problems and therefore my only goal is to get the Anuals and assit with any other things you all might need help with"
At the top of the steep, western hill sits a squat, stone ziggurat about thirty-five feet in height. All four sides are entirely covered by intricate, ancient frescoes depicting nagaji going about their daily business, while nagas in repose look on. The ziggurat itself sits on the peak of a series of four tiered earthwork levels, each about five feet in height, whose top can be reached by a wide stone staircase. At the top of this staircase, in front of the ziggurat, stands what appears to be a great stone altar of some kind, flanked by four large, roaring braziers. Unlike the rest of the village, this structure seems to be fairly well maintained, despite its obvious age.
The caretaker of this temple is what seems to be an elderly nagaji male with piercing blue eyes and long, black robes. He is currently cleaning moss and lichen off one of the frescoes on the front and sides of the temple.
"Oh, he's cleaning! How devoted! We should stop and help him clean! We could have this place shining in no time!" Seelah says with excitement and zeal. Then she processes what Thoth said.
"Oh... fine." She disappointedly trudges on towards him and poses the question. "Ho there fine priest! What a wonderful day to be granting us audience with Avinash! We seek only to bask in the glory of the great artifact, the Lotus Annals, as I am sure is a dream of many religious pilgrims! I pray, see us in that we might experience the majesty of these great religious icons!"
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Thoth translates ;)
The man looks up from his work briefly to take you all in. Midway through speaking he turns back to his work, uninterested. "Yes, greetings. It is very fine to have someone interested in the Annals. You know, I am sure, that they were written by Holadi, the great-granddaughter of the goddess Nalinivati after the goddess' ascention. However, I am afraid I can not grant you permission to look at them without the leave of Aishwarya." He continues to scrub and pick at the stone, rudely turning away from you.
"Politics do not interest me." the man says, not looking up from his work.
"Then if you please, we should like an audience with Aishwarya right away."
"I do not hold that power; she is the true heir, after all. Speak to Bakji, I believe he is the one currently heading her mercenary squads." The old man keep scrubbing the wall.
"Indeed, it seems we should."
"Yes lets go.. He was supposed to be coming back for us right?"
You head back to the center of town and arrive at the inn just moments before Bakji walks through the door.
"So, everyone refreshed? The Lady Aishwarya awaits you at our headquarters."
Bakji leads you back the way you just came from, but stops halfway up the hill at a small building labelled as the office of a copper mine. To najagi mercenaries guard the door but step aside when Bakji walks up.
Inside you find Aishwarya, a young female guardian naga about 10 feet in length, with dark, golden skin. The only jewelry Aishwarya wears is a thin, silver circlet studded with small emeralds. She sprawls across the large couch in front of the fire. Her human face looks slightly Vudran, and she actually speaks Common (albeit with a heavy Nagaji accent). Two more najagi mercenaries stand in the room.
As you walk in Bakji bows slightly to the great naga and Aishwarya addresses you. "Good day, Pathfinders. I hear you are interested in the Lotus Annals." She smiles broadly and kindly. "You of course know that I am a distant descendant of the naga who penned them thousands of years ago, and that the scrolls are therefore a family heirloom. As such, I am afraid that I am completely unwilling to trade them, especially as they are not currently in my possession, but perhaps a deal can be worked out."
"You see, I am very close to becoming the ruler of Nibung. The only thing that stands in my way is a female nagaji tax collector named Iltame from the capital city of Zom Kullan who has taken up temporary residence at the Exchange, the headquarters of Dhanishta and her Ruby Circle gang. I believe Dhanishta has seduced the tax collector, and that my rival will use this relationship to turn the naga matriarchy in the capital against me. If Iltame were to leave Nibung or otherwise disappear, I could then move against the spirit naga without fear of outside repercussions.
"Once that has been accomplished, I would ask that you join me in driving Dhanishta out of the village. Once I am the clear victor, I promise you on my family's honor to command Avinash to let you study the Lotus Annals for as long as you want, although you will not be permitted to remove them from the temple."
The naga looks around at all of you in turn. "Bakji informed me that you tried to pose as arbiters and have thus far tried to maintain neutrality. That is a noble thing for scholars such as yourselves and I respect that wish. Were this a simpler time I would have gladly allied with the Pathfinders and allowed you free access to the Annals. Unfortunately you arrived amid political turmoil and my position in this town is at stake. I thus plead that you honor my requests and help restore the law and peace in Nibung. In turn you will get access to the Annals and the Pathfinders will always be welcome in my town, when it is mine once again."
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hmmm Zom Kullan, they have multiple copies of the annals there. Maybe Iltame would be more enthusiastic about giving us a copy.
Thoth bows before the Guardian Naga,
Please, excuse my ignorance... Just saying that makes Thoth want to scream. Shouldn't the matriachy, and the locals of Nibung have a say in who they follow?
The naga's eyes flare at Thoth's questions. "I wish to continue traditional nagaji society as it has existed for thousands of years. Any other choice would lead to anarchy. Dhanishta has much ambition, to be sure, but to open up our society to the outside world, to cultural and economic domination, would destroy our society. Our town has never had such turmoil until Dhanishta brought in that scandal from the city and put grandiose ideas in a few people's heads. They do not understand that we can not compete against the outside world. We might approach the outside with an embrace, but they will respond with a squeeze, squeezing us until we are no longer ourselves." At this the naga curls around a pillow and begins to constrict until feathers are bursting from the seams.
Seelah considers the situation, but says nothing. Then she starts thinking about coffee.
Selena listens to what the Naga says.. "So you want us to drive this Iltame from town and help you overthrow this Dhanishta and all we get it return is a peek at the annals? Would we be allowed to make our own copy using the original perhaps?"
The naga cools down a relaxes a bit. "Yes, that is precisely what I am proposing. Drive Iltame from town and help me win back my town. In return, you may access the Annals and the Pathfinders will forever have free reign to visit our town. You may study and copy the Annals in any way that you see fit, as long as they are still in tact when you are finished with them so that my descendants might enjoy them for generations to come."
"Excuse me, but if you would allow us to discuss this outside for a moment? We will have you an answer if so.."
"Of course, discuss all you like. I guarantee Dhanishta will not give you such a good deal. Besides, I am the true heir and Avinash answers to me."