The city of Wati is a bustling place, and especially so now that the Ruby Prince has ordered the opening of its ancient necropolis. Now various sorts of... 'archaeologists' have swarmed its inns, bringing with them all sorts of business.
This is, of course, why you're here, but unfortunately, most of those others have an advantage over you. They weren't late. The lottery at the Grand Mausoleum for exploration sites is tomorrow, and you've just barely gotten into town. Fortunately, the registration process is supposed to be simple--just giving the name of your group and its members, basically.
Unfortunately, they did say group, meaning, more than just the one of you.
Now, there's no doubt some others in town still looking for someone to partner with. How do you want to go about finding someone suitable?
Having spent years in Katapesh, Natal was no stranger to crowds, but rarely were the crowds she was used to so ... busy. And not just busy, but seemingly focused on a singular goal: obviously the lottery.
She shouldered her way through the throngs of people, keeping one hand on her coinpurse and one eye on the crowd, until she found someone who passingly looked official. "Excuse me," she said, tugging on the guard's—???—sleeve and putting on her friendliest fetchling smile. She just hoped he didn't see the Katapeshi cunning in her eyes. "Is there a place around here where people look for work? I'm in the market, as it were."
The guard frowns suspiciously at Natal. Of course, he looks like the sort that frowns suspiciously at everyone.
"The Sunburst Market, for most work," he answers, tersely. Then he looks her over again. "The inns, if you're wanting a group headed into the Necropolis. Plenty of signs for those around the Market."
"Thank you, sir," Natal said in what she hoped was a friendly manner and slipped a silver piece into the guard's hand.
Before the guard could react, Natal flowed back into the crowd, doing her best to jostle as few passersby as she could manage. Just like home. Off to market.
The Sunburst Market is a riot of color bustling with people. Hawkers call out the quality of their wares and prices from under awnings that only just barely kept the heat of the sun off of them. Townsfolk, servants, and more than a few clear outsiders consider the goods on display. With all of the activity, it's hard to make out much beyond a dozen yards, but you think a building on the other side of the market from where you entered has a sign over the door of some sort.
Squinting at the sign on the building, Natal made her way through the bustling crowd toward it.
It takes her a little while to thread her way through the crowd, but soon enough Natal can see the sign. It depicts a stylized crocodile smoking a hookah, with both Taldane and Osiriani titles around the edge proclaiming it to be "The Tooth & Hookah".
The door is open, and Natal can see in to a small courtyard with a well. The sides, from what she can see, are open, forming a sort of covered porch all around it, where a number of people sit at tables or at a bar, eating, chatting, smoking, and drinking. Stairs at the back go up to a second level.
There's a sign with room prices on it beside the door, newer than the sign above the door. Apparently it's an inn as well as a bar.
Natal shouldered her pack and stepped into the building, heading toward the bar, and signaled the barkeep. "Excuse me," she said, pitching her voice to be heard above the general din. "I'd like to take a room for a couple of days, if you have space." She fished a gold piece from her pocket and laid it on the counter in front of her. "Also, a good meal and directions to the nearest job board. I'm looking to recruit some help, if the lottery goes my way."
The barkeep flashed her a smile. "Ah, another hopeful, hm?" he says, his voice smooth even while raised loud enough to be heard. He glances over at a board behind him.
"You'll have the eleventh room on the east hall," he states, taking her gold piece and stashing it somewhere under his counter. "One gold is only good for one night, and meals are not included. If you'll take a seat somewhere, one of the ladies will be by for your order."
Natal suspects, given the fresh paint on the price boards, that the prices have been raised recently.
"For recruiting, well..." he waves at the tables around the bar. "Any here with no company are probably looking."
You take a look around. It's pretty easy to spot at least a few potentials. At one table, there's an Osiriani man with a large shield leaning against his chair, eating a meal in solitary silence. At another, a fair-skinned man in hard-wearing travel clothing is just finishing an argument with a pair of obvious adventurers. They leave in a huff as he sullenly takes his seat again, giving you just enough time to spot a large, leather-bound tome hanging from his belt by a thick chain.
At another table, a vaguely leonine cat-person of some kind meets your eyes and grins at you. She's wearing thick leather interspersed with leather studs--how she survives in the heat here wearing that over her fur, you have no idea. The last potential you spot is a desert elf, his eyes closed as he leans back in a chair while nursing his mug. Natal catches the glitter of mail under his shirt, and a sheathed sword hangs from his belt.
Natal handed the man another gold piece. "Let's make it two nights, then," she said with a wry grin. Probably waters the ale, too.
Turning away from the bar, Natal found an open table that put her back closest to the wall and farthest from the entrance. She nodded to the catfolk who'd caught her eye—friendly, but not exactly open—and slid the light pack from her shoulders. She thanked Ralnac for the third or fourth time that she'd had the good sense to leave her other gear with a relatively trustworthy-looking groom at one of the public stables. With any luck, it would still be there when she headed out to the necropolis.
She wouldn't even let herself think "if" she headed out to the necropolis. Father had always told her that the first step to success was a positive outlook.
( to see if I can notice anything else of interest about the four other people in the room.)
Taking some time to look at each of them, Natal can see that the man with the shield also wields a Khopesh, the traditional sword of the Osiriani people. The man who was arguing is glaring at the table, which looks to be food-stained. With a contemptuous wave of his hand, the mess begins to vanish.
The cat-person give Natal a nod as her gaze passes back over her--she apparently hasn't stopped watching you the whole time. Lazily she draws a dagger, tosses it in the air, then catches it by the point. The last man, his eyes still closed, fumbles around his neck, pulling out a chain from which hangs a small carving of a songbird on a rose--both symbols of Shelyn, Natal knows.
Time to roll the dice, Natal thought as the serving girl came by to take her order. "I'll have whatever's the special for tonight, if you please," Natal said, passing the girl the cost of the meal. "And give my furred friend over there another mug of whatever she's drinking," she added, putting another couple coins on the girl's tray.
The catfolk's eyes don't leave Natal as the serving girl takes her silver and leaves, then returns with a plate full of food. When she then goes over to the cat-person's table, she smiles and takes the drink offered while sheathing her dagger. As soon as the serving girl leaves, the catfolk practically springs out of her seat, picks up both of her drinks and comes over to Natal's table. As she approaches, you see she has about half a dozen different daggers on her person.
"You are going to the tombs," she states unceremoniously as she takes a seat. Undisguised excitement gleams in her eyes as she sets her drinks back down. "But you cannot go alone, yes?"
Her voice is warm, with a subtle accent... she's probably from southern Garund. "I, too, need a partner. I can open locks, break traps, even fight if need be."
She pauses a moment, as if realizing she might have gone too far in her eagerness. "I am Jabulile," she states, inclining her head slightly in a seated sort of bow. "What is your name?"
"Natal," she replied, placing one hand on her chest and bowing her head slightly in greeting. "And you are correct that I am in need of a partner for my ... excursion. What takes you to the tombs?"
"Oh, simply the usual," Jabulile replies with a grin. "Curiosity, a bit of hope for riches, a chance to exercise my skills, the opportunity to see the past first-hand... what more would I need?"
"What a simply perfect answer," Natal said with a smile. A little too perfect, perhaps? She would have to keep her eye on this one, at least at first. "Should we be selected, what do you say to a 50/50 split on the 'proceeds'?"
"That would simply be fair," the catfolk agrees. "So long as you can do half of the work!"
She grins again, then sobers. "What is your specialty, Natal? I've already told you what I bring, so it is right that you tell me what you bring, yes?"
"Not to be immodest, but I can provide knowledge," Natal replied. "I've studied ancient Osirion for years, kind of an obsession, really. I've probably forgotten more about the Osiriani temples than most of these other tomb raiders"—from her lips, the term sounded like an epithet—"ever bothered to learn."
She raised one hand and allowed a bit of eidolon shadow to manifest around her flesh. "Plus, I have other 'talents' that should be helpful inside the necropolis,'." she said with a rakish grin.
"Mrrw?" The sound Jabulile made could almost be called an inquisitive meow. "Magic, then?" she guessed, grinning slightly. "Good, that is always useful. So we will be a team. All they need for trying the lottery is a name for the group and the names of the group members. Perhaps..." she grinned wider, "Lioness's Shadow?"