"Sasha, I think you pull of the sexy jungle queen look with style and panache." Urza starts the direction the captain indicated for the Sargava Club. "Come on, Lorenz, we know you're a dainty soul that needs to get cleaned up."
As Douena whispers harshly to him, Lorenz jumps a little and turns to her with wide eyes. "He's the only one of us whose clothes aren't torn or bloodstained! I was just telling the truth!" He realizes he hasn't modulated his voice any and smiles uneasily as he drops to a whisper. "Besides, don't women like shopping for new clothes? And taking baths?"
Douena gives Lorenz a shrug that asks How should I know?
You set off in search of the Sargava Club. Captain Tegerten gave little in the way of directions other than a vague indication of the general direction. However, it's easy enough to ask other people on the streets where it is.
Alton flies along over top of the party. He draws a few looks from passersby, but it seems people hear are used to flying things from the jungles so no one seems particularly perturbed by his presence.
It's a bit of a walk along the harbour to the Sargava Club, but you eventually find it in a narrow alley facing the harbour. It is a two-storey mud-brick building covered in plain whitewash. A wooden sign hangs on the front door, stating simply "The Sargava Club".
Stepping through the door, you come into a small entry chamber. There are two doors here, one on the right and one on the left, and the opposite end of the chamber has a staircase going up. Each door bears a simple wooden sign as well. The left says, "Shop" and the right says, "Tavern". Another wooden sign hangs from the rail of the staircase and says, "Inn". You can hear sounds of voices and laughter from the door marked "Tavern".
Mahjik sidles up to Gelik as they make their way to the Sargava club. He doesn't feel he particularly is unpresentable and shabby after their long stint on the Shiv, but that may be because his Vudran blood lends him a certain unkempt look that is considered by and large as normal for the bronze-skinned people. Wise woman insists that a bath never hurt anyone, though, so must try it. To the bard he mentions, "Do you know if Eleder has a lodge or some other representation of the Pathfinders?"
Lorenz looks momentarily torn between the signs leading to the tavern and the inn. Then he looks down at his torn and filthy clothes. He sighs and marches forward to the inn.
Mahjik sidles up to Gelik as they make their way to the Sargava club. He doesn't feel he particularly is unpresentable and shabby after their long stint on the Shiv, but that may be because his Vudran blood lends him a certain unkempt look that is considered by and large as normal for the bronze-skinned people. Wise woman insists that a bath never hurt anyone, though, so must try it. To the bard he mentions, "Do you know if Eleder has a lodge or some other representation of the Pathfinders?"
"Of course it does!" Gelik says. "Why else do you think I'm so eager to get to it to restore my good name? All major settlements worldwide have a Pathfinder Lodge. Eleder may be small for a capital city, but it's still a capital city."
Lorenz starts up the stairs followed by Sasha. "Alton is sitting on the roof outside for the moment," she says.
At the top of the stairs, a long hallway heads off to the left and right. Numbered doors line each side of the hall. There's no sign of any kind of sign-in desk or office.
At the bottom of the stairs, before all of you are able to start up them, the tavern door opens letting out the sounds from within, along with the strong scent of sweat and ale. A large half-orc stands in the doorway. She is wearing a shawl and apron over a simple dress. Her mouth twitches into a wide smile. "Aha!" she booms. "I always know when newcomers arrive! Welcome to the Sargava Club, where all are welcome as long as they welcome all others! My name is Bergi! I'm the proprietor here! Well, what are you waiting for? Come in! Come in!"
She reaches out and grabs Jask and Mahjik by the arms. Although her big arms are covered in a lot of fat, there's clearly muscle in there too as she has little difficulty pulling the two startled men through the door. "My my, aren't you two in need of a bath? Been in the jungle, have you? No worries, we're used to the smell here."
The tavern is fairly small, with only four tables total and a short bar. Two of the tables are occupied with a collection of grizzled men and women. "Got a large group here!" Bergi announces to everyone in the room. "We're doing good business this afternoon!" She marches across the room to the bar and then turns back to address the party. "What can I get you fine folks?"
"A place to bathe and a plate of beef would earn you my coin, Bergi, no doubt there." Makoa replies. "Been eating fish and snake too long, and I'm partial to beef. Mutton would work too, or venison if you got it."
Lorenz smiles to Sasha. "He seems to be making himself right at home!" At the top of the stairs, however, he looks around uncertainly for the innkeep. "Hmmm. Perhaps we went the wrong way," he says, feeling like an intruder and a filthy one at that, even though he'd just been in the ocean the day before.
Lorenz smiles to Sasha. "He seems to be making himself right at home!" At the top of the stairs, however, he looks around uncertainly for the innkeep. "Hmmm. Perhaps we went the wrong way," he says, feeling like an intruder and a filthy one at that, even though he'd just been in the ocean the day before.
"We probably have to speak to somebody downstairs first," Sasha says. She pauses at the sounds of Bergi talking to the party downstairs. "Sounds like the others have found that person," she says. She starts heading back down.
Lorenz looks longingly at the closed doors that surely lead to rooms with real beds and follows her back down. "All that time in the jungle must have driven the civilization right out of me." He mutters.
"A place to bathe and a plate of beef would earn you my coin, Bergi, no doubt there." Makoa replies. "Been eating fish and snake too long, and I'm partial to beef. Mutton would work too, or venison if you got it."
Bergi chuckles. "I've heard that complaint about the jungle many times, believe me. I've got a good supply of mutton. Beef's hard to come by in these parts, so it costs a little extra, if you don't mind that. As for a bath, room 10 upstairs contains the tubs. I'll have some water heated and brought up to them. It's five coppers for their use if you're not staying the night. Otherwise, their use is included with the cost of your room, which is three silvers per person per night. That price also includes breakfast in the morning."
"What about bears?" Douena asks with interest. "Do you have many bears around here? And if so, what size are they?"
"Mutton will be fine, and I think we're staying the night. Douena here needs the time to find information on those tiny bears anyway."
Mahjik looks to Bergi hopefully, "Can you do something really spicy? Now that I'm back in a real city, I have a craving for something that'll remind me of home and that'll burn through any lingering infection I might still have."
"Bears?" Bergi says and stares at Douena. Then she laughs. "Oh little one, you won't find bears in these parts. However, there are lots of other animals that are just as ferocious."
She turns to Mahjik. "Spicy, eh? I take it you mean the food kind of spicy." She chuckles and gives Mahjik a friendly, but powerful, slap on the back. "I'll see what I can do. So, rooms, food, and baths for all of you then. What order do you want them in?"
She takes your food orders. There aren't enough baths for everyone to go at the same time, so you'll have to take turns (there are four tubs). She hands out keys to rooms on the floor above after taking your payment (3 silvers for the rooms and another 1 silver for dinner).
The food when it comes is pretty standard fare, but compared to your improvised meals on the island, it's like a feast. Mahjik's meal is not as spicy as he was probably hoping for, but there is a little bite to it, and it's the first time he's had any spices on his food in over a month.
"You don't happen to have any clothes for sale in the shop, do you?" Lorenz asks, fingering a hole in his sleeve.
Lorenz opts for a bath first, and soaks in the luxuriantly hot water for a long time, as deeply submerged as he can make himself.
When he finally gets out, he puts on his new clothing and heads down to the tavern where he orders as much food as he can fit into his stomach and several tankards of ale as well.
"This is so much better," he exclaims once he's finished eating and is enjoying the ale.
"You don't happen to have any clothes for sale in the shop, do you?" Lorenz asks, fingering a hole in his sleeve.
"Well, we've got some travel boots and a cloak or two," Bergi replies. "We specialize in travel gear for those heading into the jungle. If you've just come from the jungle, we probably don't have what you're looking for, but you're welcome to have a look. Mavi is minding the shop right now. She'll help you with anything you need."
Gelik is also amongst the first to use the baths (unless someone else stops him), then eats. As soon as he's finished eating, he stands up. "Well, I mustn't delay. I'm off to the Pathfinder Lodge. Wish me luck, everyone!" He rubs his hands together gleefully, then places his hat on his head. "I'll return in a little while."
He leans over to Lorenz and says quietly (but not so softly that no one else can hear), "Once everything's cleared up there, I'll bring you round and introduce you."
With a broad smile on his face, he turns and heads happily out of the Sargava Club.
"Good luck, Gelik!" Lorenz says with a big grin. "I'm sure you'll amaze them completely with all you've learned." And just a little more quietly, ""Thank you. I'll be looking forward to it."
Pezock completely refuses to take a bath. "I'm fine the way I am," he snaps at anyone who suggests otherwise. He orders fish for dinner, and also enquires about any tengu ships in town. He gets quite annoyed when Bergi informs that not only are there none, she's never heard of any tengu ships ever.
"Nonsense!" he bellows. "There are many good tengu ships plying these waters all the time! I, myself, served on board one, the Crow's Tooth under Captain Eraka Zoventai. She was one of the finest captains who ever did live, may her soul rest in peace! Never suggest otherwise."
Bergi merely shrugs apologetically.
Douena stays in the tavern with Pezock. Due to her ability to create water, she's had several drenchings since the shipwreck and doesn't feel that she's at all offensive. "What do you expect, Pezock?" she commiserates grumpily, completely forgetting that she herself had never even heard of a tengu before she met him. "They don't even have bears here. Makoa, shouldn't you inquire about the welfare of that sheep you're eating? Make sure it wasn't taken from its home and scared before they slaughtered it for your convenience?" she asks archly, eating the mutton happily herself.
"Perhaps a tengu ship will show up soon," Jask suggests to Pezock. He finishes his meal quickly and stands up. "I'm going to retire early tonight. First thing in the morning, I'm going to go straight to the Baron's palace with the documents that will clear my name." He nods to everyone and heads up to his room.
"Wise man says, only the deepest of shadows can harbor novelty." Mahjik enjoys the spicy dish he received, though he asks Bergi for another good shot of peppers or whatever else passes locally as a heated substance. "Pezock, don't you think that any ship that you board immediately becomes a tengu ship?"
"Makoa, shouldn't you inquire about the welfare of that sheep you're eating? Make sure it wasn't taken from its home and scared before they slaughtered it for your convenience?" she asks archly, eating the mutton happily herself.
Makoa smiles.
"Douena, one of the purposes of a plant-eating animal is to be food for meat eating animals. The sheep I'm eating are not only plant eaters, but were raised for that purpose. It's not quite the natural way of things, but it is close enough. Taking a sheep on a very likely dangerous adventure just because you wanted something soft to ride around on wouldn't even be close to the natural way."
"What about a horse?" Douena argues. "It's a soft thing to ride around on, and it's not the natural order of things for a horse to be ridden. Why is it okay to break a wild horse and ride it into dangerous places? I think people just make up these rules to make them feel better about what they're already doing. It's like saying it's wrong for raiders to steal a grown halfling and force him into slavery, but if they can find a newborn one and raise it for the purpose of being a slave, it's okay."
"Not once have I claimed to understand civilized people." Makoa points out.
"Horses are more intelligent than sheep," Aakif says. "They can be trained to understand and react to danger and other situations. And they are capable of objecting to doing what you want them to do, including objecting to a rider. Any rider who does not pay attention to the objections of his horse does not deserve to ride."
"Plant-eating creatures are smart enough to object to being food for meat-eating creatures," Douena counters. "I don't think that deer just wander up to wolves and ask to be eaten. Do you think the butcher who killed this sheep paid attention to its objections to being slaughtered?"
"We all have to eat, Douena," Aakif says. "That is a natural law, not one anyone has made up. If we don't eat, we starve and die. Besides, a good butcher does pay attention to the objections of the animal being slaughtered. A good butcher will kill in the quickest, most efficient way and not prolong the animal's suffering."
Certain he was going to regret taking part in the conversation, but helpless to resist, Lorenz says, "I've never noticed a sheep objecting to any part of its life. They seem quite happy to graze, wander around, and go wherever they're led. And they're a lot dumber than a horse. Even if you tried to ride one, I don't think it would get what you're trying to do. Not that I've ever been a shepherd. Or tried to ride a sheep for that matter."
"Have you ever seen a sheep getting torn to pieces by a wolf?" she asks Lorenz. "I'll bet Makoa has. So it's okay to kill things that eat plants because nature says so," Douena reasons. "And it's okay to kill things that eat meat because they might eat us. Sounds to me like whoever makes up the rules just wants to feel okay about killing things. I don't want to kill anything. I just want my pet."
Lorenz shrugs. "Yes, you're quite happy for others to do the killing for you," he says, gesturing to her plate with his tankard. "I think it's okay to kill things if you need to kill them. If I'm hungry, I'll kill a sheep, or a fish, or even if a snake when it gets to that. If something's trying to kill me and I can kill it first, then that's fine too. Better that than go hungry. Or dead."
He takes a swallow from his tankard and looks up toward the ceiling. "The only thing that really separates us from Alton is that we talk about it."
"Have you ever seen a sheep getting torn to pieces by a wolf?" she asks Lorenz. "I'll bet Makoa has."
"It was delicious. The wool got caught in my teeth though."
Pezock slams his fist down on the table. "This is a stupid conversation! The Little One's right. There's only three reasons why we do anything in this world: because we want to, because we need to in order to get something we want, or because someone else makes us do it in order to get something they want. It's as simple as that. The rest is just justification. Now, let's talk about something interesting."
"Well you're awfully grumpy, Pezock..." Lorenz mutters.
He looks over at Sasha and smiles. "So what are we going to do first, now that we're here?"
Urza enjoys a bath, buys new cloths and goes to sleep in a bed.
"Well you're awfully grumpy, Pezock..." Lorenz mutters.
He looks over at Sasha and smiles. "So what are we going to do first, now that we're here?"
Sasha leans forward and says quietly, "Pezock's always grumpy or hadn't you noticed?" She grins and leans back again. "I think we should get some rest, see a few of the sights tomorrow, maybe spend a few days recuperating, and then head off into the jungle. Oh, we have to figure out where we're going, don't we? I guess we'll have to spend some time at those archives or library or whatever it was Gelik mentioned."
Douena cheers up, pleased that Pezock has taken her side. "We should send someone boring to go do the research. Like Gelik. He likes boring things. And the rest of us should go with Sasha and have fun. Do they have a beetle here? I heard there's a city somewhere in Garund that has a big beetle shell in the middle of it. I've always wanted to see it."
Lorenz grins back and nods. "Rest and exploring the city sounds good. Maybe if things go well with Jask, he'll be able to help look into this place we're looking for."
"I think that beetle's in Osirion, not the Mwangi, Douena," Sasha says. "However, I'm sure there are other beetles here. Maybe you can find your own beetle."
She turns to Lorenz. "I'm sure Jask will be more than willing to do all the studying while the rest of us have fun. If not Jask, then definitely Gelik. So, rest and fun it is! Though not necessarily in that order. I'm off to get cleaned up." She gets up and heads to the stairs.
Douena looks disappointed when Sasha tells her they're on the wrong part of the continent to see the big beetle. "Maybe we can go by Osirion on our way to the jungle," she amends, having no clue as to the geography of Garund; how far away could it possibly be? "What does this city have to do that's any fun?" She looks to Bergi for suggestions.
"Fun?" Bergi says and laughs. "Well, that depends on what you find fun. Personally, I find it fun to stick my nose up at Lady Daugustana's hatred of my kind and, well, just about every kind except her own. Others don't find that so fun, though."
She sighs, shrugs her shoulders, and speaks a bit more reservedly. "Honestly, the best advice I can give is to stick to Portside--that's the north portion of the city you're in right now. And stay out of New Halliad--that's the south side of the city. No matter where you are, expect to be stopped frequently by guards unless you manage to make yourselves look like colonial aristocrats. The guards will give you long boring lectures about how to behave properly in this town. Pretend to listen to them and then just ignore them once they're gone. Don't pick fights with them. Oh, and don't go to the Adventurers' Club. Despite its name, it's no place for adventurers. It was once, but then Lady Daugustana took it over and turned it into a posh club for aristocrats."
She pauses a moment and then smiles. "Of course, if you enjoy causing trouble, then go ahead and do everything I've told you not to. I can direct you to some hiding places if things get a little too hot."
Douena grows gloomier as Bergi runs through her list of don'ts. "See, I told you the island was better than this place."
"The island didn't have ale. Or comfortable beds. I think I can bear a little boredom for a few days in return." Lorenz finishes his drink and wonders how long Sasha is going to be.
"Didn't have guards to hassle us either," Douena grumps. "Or stuck-up ladies who think they're better than me. Easy for you to talk anyway, Lorenz. Buy some fancy clothes and get a haircut, and you and Sasha can probably pass for colonial aristocrats. Not so simple for the rest of us," she includes the half-orcs, the tengu, and the Vudrani in her glum assessment.
"Whatever do you mean, dearest?" Mahjik lifts his cup, pinky finger daintily extended.
Lorenz looks at Mahjik's efforts to fit in and shakes his head. "Well, perhaps you have a point there." He looks down at the table for a moment before brightening. "Well, it could be worse. At least we're not in Cheliax!"
Bergi bellows with laughter at Lorenz's comments. "Oh lad, you're in much worse than Cheliax! You're in the place where the nobles want to be Cheliax, but nobody else does, so we're in constant conflict over it. I know Cheliax has its devil worship, but from what I've heard from the various sailors to pass through here over the years, the common people of Cheliax can still get on with their lives despite the devil worship. Not so, here. If you've got the wrong colour skin, or your teeth are just a little bit too big, or you're just plain too small, or heck, if there's nothing wrong with you physically but you just sympathize with those other kinds, you won't have to worship hell, you'll have to live it!"
She comes over to Lorenz and puts a hand on his shoulder. "But don't worry, lad. It's not all bad. You learn to live with it after a while. Anyway, enough depressing talk! Anyone want any more to eat or drink?"
She takes any further orders the party has.
"or your teeth are just a little bit too big,"
Makoa smiles, showing off his "too big" teeth, and declines another meal, instead heading off to the baths to scrub off the jungle that still clings to him.