Entering the tent, Teldon quickly notices the Amazing Zograthy's 'condition'...
This guy is a mess... I'm not sure how fruitful this is going to be... I hope it was worth coming down here, and showing our faces to those men out there who are probably sczarni, for this... but how do I point that out without causing a stir?
"Να είστε προσεκτικός , δεν είναι μόνο ένας πωλητής , αλλά εξαρτημένος," he says softly to his companions.
When Joanna lays eyes on Zograthy, her nostrils flare and white-hot anger flashes in her eyes as her jaw clenches. It takes her a moment to calm herself and avoid blowing their one solid lead with a hot, scathing retort.
"If your skill is as great as it appears, then you surely know what we want to know. We are looking for Natalya Vancaskerkin, and we have heard that you do business with her on occasion. You wouldn't happen to know where we can find her or what became of her, would you?"
Joanna's voice is pleasant, and her town polite, but there is a hard, flat edge of steel under the politesse.
Leaning back in his chair, Zograthy inhales deeply, holds his breath and then breathing out, "Aaaah, it's knowledge and secrets you are searching for then? Hmmmm, perhaps my greatest trade!!!" Mulling something over in his mind, Zograthy idly strokes the crystal ball...
"Okay, okay...maybe I know something...a little bit of gold might help my memory though", he smiles at you hopefully...
"Sir, as I'm sure you can tell, I'm a humble priestess of Iomedae. Could you clear up what you mean by 'a little bit?' What could be a little bit for you, might be extravagant to me." Joanna keeps her tone calm and reasonable as she speaks.
Calmly, Joanna, calmly. This is probably how he makes a living, when he's not selling pesh.
Zograthy, completely oblivious to Joanna's boiling temper, chuckles when the cleric starts to bargain for the information, "A humble priestess you say? Strange...I've never seen you down here on the Shore...and Zograthy sees everyone". With an elaborate flourish, puts one hand to his temple whilst the other makes a circling motion around the crystal ball...intoning arcane phrases, his eyes glaze over.
"I see you walking in the high places...in streets of marble...a bag of coin in your hand", and with that, his eyes snap back into focus. "You think Zograthy is a fool...but he knows, oh yes, he knows...you have money up there in the Summit..."
With a sneer, he opens negotiations, "Fifty Gold to tell you what you need to know"
"Do you always assume that Iomedaeans live in the Summit?" Joanna asks, her eyes narrowing at Zograthy's expression.
"I can give you ten gold, but no more."
"It's where the Temple of Iomodae isn't it? Up there in Naos, all polished and holier than thou...Heh!!!", Zograthy laughs, "More like richer than thou...I can hear it in the way you talk, see it in the way you walk...feel it in the way you look down at me...Zograthy knows things....Fifty Gold!!!"
"I cannot pay that much," Joanna says rather matter-of-factly, "and if someone from my order has looked down on you, I apologize. I can give ten gold, perhaps twenty, but more would be very difficult for me."
Ziomarra had been silently watching the exchange between her new friend and the Sczarni fraud, but she then steps in.
"Pentru cineva care pretinde că are Darul, nu par să știe foarte mult," she deadpans.
Gesturing toward Zograthy's sad-looking dog-eared Harrow deck, she continues, "Tu ar trebui să aibă mai multă grijă de cei. Se pare ca le folosesc numai vreodată pentru a juca Turnuri*. Nu m-ar surprinde dacă acestea sunt marcate. Ești destul de curajos pentru a vedea ce cărțile au de spus despre tine?"
At that, she produces her own Harrow deck, which she fans.
Switching to Taldane, she continues, "How about this: I give you a Harrow reading. A real Harrow reading, for unlike you I do have the Gift. The reading, and enough gold for your next fix of pesh. Oh yes, I know that about you already. In exchange, you tell us where we can find our mutual friend Natalya."
Wait... She recognizes some of the words in Zograthy's 'incantation.' Some of them were words she had heard from tall folk like him near her home , while others she'd heard from her companions speaking languages she didn't understand. Still others seemed like the kind of words one might make up on the spot. I may not know magic, but I don't think he does either. Unlike the would-be carnies outside, it doesn't seem like this old man intimidates her companions, judging from the tones of their voices. But they seem to want to do the negotiating, so she keeps her mouth shut and looks around the tent to see what interesting things might be around them.
Should I do something... this whole place is so dry, I could threaten to burn it all down- a couple of bombs would probably do it... no, that can't be legal, and someone could get hurt... well, someone who doesn't deserve to... I should just keep quiet... all this talking though... I should have brought a book.
"Crede-mă , acest lucru nu este o femeie de a juca cu ."
Whereas Zograthy is normally confronted with awe after his theatrics, today his audience stand incredulous...he looks hopefully between you...looking for a glimmer of hope...but, when Ziomarra steps forward he knows the game is up...
Shrinking back in his seat as the true Harrow Reader starts deconstructing his deception, he listens quietly...and when the offer is made, he grabs the chance like a drowning man to floating wreckage...
"Don't tell anyone? Please? If I don't have this, I don't have anything...Twenty Gold, she said she'd pay twenty", he gestures weakly at Joanna, "Twenty Gold and the Reading then I'll tell you everything I know"
Hits of Pesh sells for anything between ten to twenty GP dependent upon 'quality', volume and the clientele.
Ziomarra smiles with a look of satisfaction.
"Zograthy, stand beside me for this reading. We will walk down your path to see what your future has in store."
She lays out ten cards in an inverted pyramid.
"Turn over the first card. That is your role in your own future."
Zograthy flips over the first card.
...Lawful
...Evil
"As you continue your journey, you look back where you came from. Which part of your past do you see?"
Zograthy picks the card on the left and flips it.
...Neutral
...Good
Zee nods, and continues, "As you walk farther down your path, you now look around you. What do you see where you are now?
Zograthy holds his hand over each of the cards briefly, then inverts the card on the right.
...Lawful
...Good
"And, if you do indeed follow this path, you look ahead to see what is before you."
Zograthy picks the second card from the left and turns it over.
...Lawful
...Good
Ziomarra closes her eyes a moment and tilts her head back. She raises her hands, palms out, and then passes her hands over the cards. "Yes... I see..."
She opens her eyes and looks at her subject. "Zograthy, you have choices you can make. I see that you still have a chance to choose wisely..."
Ziomarra studies the revealed spread of cards.
"The Avalanche represents your place now. That is the card of disaster- something you cannot control has knocked you down and buried you." She looks straight into Zograthy's eyes. "That card represents pesh. It will destroy you utterly, unless you change your ways. The rest of the reading is the Harrow urging you to do make that change, and offering you a glimpse of what you could be."
She points to the next card. "In the past, you were The Wanderer. That is the card of our people, and you had the potential to be anything and go anywhere. You could have chosen to go to great places, and the cards say it is not too late for you."
On the next row, she taps the overturned card. "The Dance represents knowing where you tread and skillful control of your own moves. This is you stepping away from pesh, and carefully avoiding those who would drag you back into addiction."
She continues, "Following this path will take you to The Empty Throne. This represents past sorrows that have taught you lessons-- lessons that bring you new happiness and also that can help others. The cards show you that you can make a better life for yourself once you have overcome your addiction to pesh, and have left the life of a Sczarni swindler behind you."
She gathers her cards. Reaching into her purse, she counts out 20 gold coins, and lays them on the table in a neat pile. She then puts her hand on Zograthy's shoulder, and looks him straight in the face.
"Despite your misuse of the cards to cheat people out of their money, the Harrow has given you a gift. This is a blessing from the Starsong. You would be wise heed this message: End your dependence on foreign drugs. Look to the Harrow to guide you. You may just have some power in you yet, my friend. You will need all of that strength-- ending habits is hard enought, but drug habits are worse. And find yourself honest work. There is much that a man of your talents could do that is so much more rewarding than tricking the gullible. You have your gold. It is up to you to choose what to do with it."
She pauses again. "Now, where can we find Natalya Vancaskerkin?"
Zograthy, overawed by the power of the Harrow and by Ziomarra's reading of the cards, stays slumped in his seat,"I never really believed... I couldn't see the patterns... but...", his voice trails off as he considers the guidance provided by the cards. "...it would seem I have much to think on"
For the first time since you entered his tent, Zograthy talks lucidly and without the exaggerated gestures that accompanied his 'first vision', "So...Natalya Vancaskerkin then? You're not the first to come looking for her...see, she's not been heard of within the Sczarni for a while now...she was part of the Tower Girls gang...but now they are looking for her as well. Word is that, when they do find her, she's going to be in deep trouble"
"Do you want to know what I think? Folk along the waterfront, both here in Beacon’s Point and over in Dockway and Underbridge, have been disappearing of late — a few each week, in fact, with many simply vanishing out of their very beds at night. If you ask me, Natalya is just another of those who have disappeared in this way"
He spits on the floor, "So long as only poor Varisians and other destitute folk are being targeted, the chances of people up in the Summit doing anything about the disappearances is nil. The folks up there try to say it’s a Sczarni plot...but Sczarni people, Sczarni family are going missing as well. Most folks are saying that the vanished folk are the victims of slavers who then secretly sell them offshore at night to Nidalese ships...but that's just a rumour, if the Nidalese wanted slaves they wouldn't be snatching them from a city...too risky"
"There is just one last thing, and I don't know how true this is, but some are saying that just before Natalya went missing, she went mad...they say she just turned crazy...like I say though, could be a rumour, might not even be important..."
You can't help but notice that, despite his sudden change of conscience, he is still very quick to pocket the neatly piled gold coins.
With a small amount of affection in his voice, Zograthy asks "What do you want with the poor girl anyway?"
Teldon, apparently content that the transaction has been completed, steps out of the tent without any sign of any intention of having that question answered. Once again he holds the flap open for his companions while scanning the area for the carney who was eyeballing them earlier, or any other threats.
Nalathi purses her lips. "Hmmm... I think our next move should be to try and find out who some of the others are that have disappeared. Maybe someone saw something."
"We want to know if she's okay and what caused her to disappear. We don't mean her harm if that is what you are worried about." Joanna answers. She counts out twenty crowns from her purse and sets them on the table.
"Thank you for your help, and it is my hope that when we next meet, you no longer deal in pesh." She adds before standing to leave.
"At least we know that whatever became of Natalya, it has cut off from everyone." Joanna sighs before continuing on, "Zograthy may not have believed the rumors of the slavers, but he did say people are going missing. I think Nalathi has the right idea and we should look into this."
[dice=Diplomacy (Gather information on the "Nidalese Slavers" and anyone who may have been taken by them.)]1d20+7[/dice]
Before she departs his tent, Ziomarra picks up Zograthy's Harrow cards, and flips through them, to make sure all 54 cards are there. She then hands them back to him.
"Punte dvs. este într-adevăr bine purtat, dar este intact. Uita-te la ea pentru îndrumare. În ceea ce privește întrebarea dumneavoastră ... suficient să spunem că Natalya are ceva care nu face parte din ea, și ne-am propus să -l recupereze. Dacă am, de asemenea, o poate ajuta cu necazurile e , vom face tot ce putem.
She nods in conclusion. "Amintiți-vă ce ți-a spus cărțile. Poate Desna fi cu tine, Zograthy."
Zee then turns and exits the tent. Looking around at the predatory carnies, she says quietly, "That was a dead end. Let's get out of here before it gets dark."
As she leaves the tent, one of Zograthy's incense burners leaves with her.
In response to Zee, she turns. "So, continue this tomorrow then?" At least I've got a place to stay tonight, she thinks, remembering the people she'd talked to earlier.
Teldon looks down at Nalathi and answers her, speaking to the whole group, "No, I think now that everyone knows we are looking for her, and for an item in her possession, it would be in our best interest to work as quickly as possible... it is only a matter of time before some other interested party comes to us- either to find out what we've learned or to stop us from learning any more... maybe both."
As the party cautiously leaves Washer's Row, Ziomarra comments, "So, we know that Natalya used to run with the Tower Girls, but now they're after her. Some say she had gone crazy. We also know that people have been disappearing, and that Zograthy doesn't believe the rumors of Nidalese slavers. I would suggest we follow up on the rumors on the disappearances-- whether it's slavers or not. Perhaps these people have captured Natalya."
"We also know that a Chelaxian merchant, with a full security detail, some of whom have been staying in Dockway, arrived around the time Natalya acquired this mysterious item looking to buy some kind of 'antiquity'..." Teldon adds. Then, in answer to Briana's suggestion he replies, "That sounds like an excellent suggestion but is there such a place nearby? In a city this small it won't take long for word of our meeting with Zograthy to get around..."
Leaving the tent and stepping into a relatively cool late afternoon, your heads instantly clear with the 'comparatively' fresh air of Washer's Row...at least the burning incense isn't catching in the back of your throat...
The looks that you get from the Carnival Folk become increasingly hostile as you file out, until two of the dice rolling fellows stand, put their steaming drinks to one side...and with a glare that makes their intentions quite clear, they start to walk over to you...
"Zograthy saw your future did he?"
"Did he mention me?"
The first of the men leers at Joanna, "Did he tell you we're going to have some fun tonight? Maybe have a bit of...."
"HEY!!!!! Bavolle!!! Sit back down!!!! Leave our guests alone..."
'Bavolle' doesn't get a chance to continue his 'proposition' to Joanna before a swarthy man, dressed in a heavy black coat with collars turned up high, stands and stops anything progressing further.
The man turns to you, and with an ostentatious bow, declares "Everyone should enjoy the fun of Professor Callivario’s Stupendous Exhibition of the Outrageous and Sublime....wouldn't you agree boys?!?!". The 'boys' nod in profuse and subjugated agreement with this person of obvious stature...
"Kristian...walk our guests to the exit wouldn't you...make sure they get there safely won't you lad?", the man, smiling a broad grin at you, nudges the young lad dressed as a City Guard in your direction...
Clearly under some duress, the boy does indeed walk you to the exit...and turns tail back up Washer's Row as soon as he possibly can...
...the whole way up Washer's Row, you can feel the man watching you...as and when you turn to look back, he smiles widely...and mutters something to the people sat with him...
It isn't until you have put a few hundred yards between yourselves and Washer's Row that you start to feel even remotely safe...
Looking up at the man, Nalathi puts a hand on Joanna's thigh protectively and opens her mouth to speak...
...then closes it again, startled, when one of the other men beats her to it. She says nothing as they're escorted out of the compound, but breathes a sigh of relief when they're far enough away that she can't even see it anymore. "That... that was close. Professor Calli-what's-it can have that place, it gave me the creeps. I think we should ask around to find out more about the people who've been disappearing."
Joanna takes a step back and one hand goes to her sword, but before she can compose herself enough to give the man a reply that wouldn't squeak with fear, he backs down before the man in the black coat. This man, if it was even possible, was even more frightening to her than the other two. Her face becomes a mask, but anyone who looked closely at her eyes can see the truth. She's afraid. She is afraid of those men, and that shames her.
Once they are far away from Washer's Row, the mask falls and Joanna leans up against a wall as her knees buckle.
"I-- I don't think my legs are going to work for a minute." she whispers to the others as she fights to keep her legs from collapsing.
"What's the matter?" Teldon asks with genuine concern, "have you been poisoned? It could have been an inhalant masked by the incense... How foolish of me to have missed that... Is everyone else feeling alright?"
Stepping closer to her he continues, "Let me see your eyes and tongue, if I can identify the poison used we may be able to treat it effectively. In the meantime let's all keep alert, I fear we haven't seen the last of those sczarni..."
"N-no poison. I-- It was-- just" Joanna tries to speak, but the normally articulate priestess can't find the words to express the fear she felt and the filthiness she feels crawling on her skin.
"It's nothing! I'll be fine in a moment," she snaps as frustration takes over from fear.
Teldon steps back surprised and confused... He might have been hurt by her sudden sharpness if not for the fact that he was accustomed to not understanding human interactions, and especially interactions with woman.
As they put some distance between themselves and Washer's Row, Zee breathes a deep sigh of relief. At Joanna's expression of difficulty, she puts her hand on the priestess's shoulder. She was about to say something, but Telson interrupts.
After their brief exchange, she says softly, "I'm glad to be out of there too, Joanna. That was a dangerous place, and we should be thankful we did so well."
Looking at the rest of the group, she says in a louder voice, "I, for one, could use a drink. Shall we find a tavern? I think there's a decent one this way..." She heads toward a better section of Beacon's Point.
"Drink? Like ale?" Joanna asks, a hint of nervousness and excitement in her question.
"Ooo yes, a drink!" She claps her hands excitedly. She had met some people once who'd let her try some ale. She didn't like it at first; it tasted bitter and awful. But they had insisted she'd like it more if she drank the whole pint, so she did. The taste never improved, but it gave her a very queer feeling. They had been right, though-- she liked it. "Best thing in the world for sharing," they had said. She and their group later parted ways, and she hadn't had any since.
Ziomarra: Within Rag's End, the slums that dominate the district of Beacons Point, there are many taverns and eateries; although those are optimistic terms for what are normally no more than a 'lean-to' shack equipped with barrels and serving folk. Some folk within Carent's Camp spoke of one that is known to be friendly to travelling Varisians...called 'The Pig', you are fairly confident that you could find it from the directions that you have been given in the past.
Elsewhere within Beacons Point, the Left-Handed Lobster and the Whale's Belly serve the folks who live near or work at the quays and in the nearby warehouses.
You are a lot more familiar with the tavern's in Dockway, the Basilisk's Eye and the Old Fang are both busy inns...whilst the No-Horn caters for those who prefer a seedier evening. There is also a highly exclusive drinking establishment positioned in a prominent point on the quayside; standing looking out over the harbour, the Captain's Club only caters for masters of docked vessels in Magnimar.
All: As you put more distance between yourself and Washer's Row, the streets start to fill with people who, having done a hard day's work in the many warehouses that fill Beacons Point, are headed straight home or, in some cases, straight to the local inns. The late afternoon atmosphere is jovial with folk meeting up with each other and joking about their days...
Hmm... We're about a mile from Caren't Camp... I don't know this neighborhood well, so let's head toward the waterfront and follow the busier streets until we find a decent-looking tavern...
Ziomarra leads the party north out of Rag's End toward the waterfront, then follows one of the busier streets to the northeast, ending up in the public square surrounding the monument to the Battle of Charda.
"Yes, Joanna, I indeed meant a place were we could get an ale or a glass of wine. And also a place where we might make some discrete inquiries about those rumors of Nidalese slavers-- or whatever is abducting people."
"Oh, right." Joanna looks off to the side of Ziomarra as she follows along.
The public square around the monument for the Battle of Charda, an immense statue depicting a rampaging pair of Behemoth monsters, is a thronging thoroughfare at this time of the day...and, Magnimarians always having an eye for good business, have ensured an in is placed in just the right location to snare the passing trade.
A two storey building, sandwiched between two auction houses, the 'Fool of Riddleport' sounds like it is already in full swing...song pours out of the open windows whilst, enjoying the early evening sun, a portion of the clientele enjoy their drinks on the first floor veranda. The folk drifting in and out of the establishment represent a diverse group...predominantly Magnimarians but with a few nautical folk arriving in small groups.
Through the open windows, you can see a number of empty tables, a long bar that is already quite crowded and, on a wooden stage to the rear of the building, some dancers setting up for a performance...
"That looks like the place! Shall we?"
Without waiting very long, Ziomarra heads over to the "Fool of Riddleport."
Teldon frowns slightly at the throngs of people hustling and bustling in and out of the inn.
I'm headed to a tavern with... three and a half... women; if anyone had predicted that in Absalom I would have been incredulous. And yet, now that it's happening I find its even less comfortable then going there alone...
"I'm not sure what I can do to help in this environment..." he offers uncomfortably, "but if anyone would like me to try in any way you need only ask." With those words he puts his head down and quietly follows Zee into the busy inn.
Joanna finds herself stunned by what she sees. Drinking songs echo off the rafters. Bawdy jokes and ringing peals of laughter provide accompaniment. And, she felt the eyes on her, eyes that seemed to notice how she walked, how her clothing fell on her, and how her cheeks colored slightly at the attention.
She was a stranger here, but there wasn't any of the malice from Washer's Row, none of the naked aggression, nor lust, nor desire for dominance over her. She knew she would likely always be an outsider here, but at least she felt comfortable. She felt safe.
Shaking herself from her reverie, she looks around for a seat and a welcoming face. Once she finds one, she approaches the table and asks, "Excuse me, do you mind if I join you?"
Joanna finds herself at a table with three other women, dressed in traditional Varisian garb, they introduce themselves as Myri, Gitana and Esmeralda, stall owners from over in the Bazaar of Sails. They lightly joke with Joanna about her looking like a lost puppy when she came into the Inn and engage in a little bit of chatter about comings and goings within Dockway; soon enough Joanna is able to steer the topic of conversation around to the disappearances that are plaguing the city, ”Ahhh…scary ghost stories then? Gather around and pour yourself a drink ladies”. Myri, clearly the lead in this gaggle of conspiratorial gossipers, pours and passes a goblet of dark wine to Joanna…
”The talk in the Bazaar today is that another three went missing last night…two out of the camp and one from some tumbledown shack over Underbridge way…apparently the families went over to the Arvensoar and got turned away, City Guard said that the Sczarni should sort out their own mess…”
Esmerelda interjects, ”Yeah, I heard that…a guard over in the Bazaar said that it was just the gangs fighting amongst themselves again…they said that it’s just kidnappings and ransoms”
Shaking her head, Gitana repeats the rumours that you’ve heard before, ”That’s not what I’ve been hearing from the gangs, they’re sure someone is taking them somewhere else…and there’s too many disappearing for it to be the work of just one mad person…a chap down in the Bazaar said that it definitely was slavers and that they’re keeping them over in the Dockway somewhere”
Injecting a little humour into the situation, Myri suggests, ”Just lock your doors at night ladies…lest you want to be ravished by a Nidalese Slaver”. The women laugh uproariously at that thought and carry on drinking…
Meanwhile, at the bar, Brianna is offered a decanter of Apricot Spirits, ”This is the house special, imported from Andoran, and a lovely accompaniment to a warm evening…why not buy a bottle for you and your friends”, the scrawny lad behind the bar gestures to those accompanying Briana to the bar. With a slight lull in the crowd at the bar, the boy pauses for a brief chat, ”I haven’t seen you around here before have I? You should stay awhile….we’ve got the best dancers in the Shore...the boss says we even have a guest appearance from someone up Kaer Maga way tonight as well…you should definitely stay for that…why don’t you choose a table and I can bring your drinks over?”
Standing next to Briana, Zee smiles at the barkeep. "Andoren apricot brandy? Strong stuff!" Glancing at Briana with a somewhat mischievous grin and a raised eyebrow, she turns back to the barkeep. "Why not? Let's find a table!"
Turning her back to the bar she scans the crowd. Seeing Joanna chatting up three Varisian women, she reckons that the young priestess can hold her own there. Zee and her friends find a table, and a barman brings over the brandy and some glasses, which he fills. Zee raises hers, "To new friends, and new prospects!" After a moment, she looks up, apparently recognizing a voice.
Somewhat surprised, she sees Milos Drendori seated at the next table. He had been a member of her caravan a few years ago. He had been along for her last journey with the caravan to Kaer Maga a year ago. He was Sczarni, but had always been friendly and honest with her the other non-Sczarni members of the caravan. She turns on her chair, and calls out the traditional Varisian greeting of the road, "Milos Drendori! Salutări, străin, de la un străin!"-- somewhat ironically, as they obviously know each other.
She gets up and gives him a traditional Varisian embrace and kiss on both cheeks, and then makes introductions to her new friends.
Switching to Taldane for the benefit of her friends, she asks Milos how long he's been in Magnimar, whether he is still traveling with the same caravan, and whether he's seen her parents recently (and how they're doing.)
As that conversation goes on, she steers the conversation to local goings-on. At an appropriate point, she asks if he's heard anything about the rumors of a spate of disappearances in the Shore.
Joanna laughs at being compared to a lost puppy. It certainly fit. After introducing herself as Joanna and gently steering the conversation where she needed it to go, she gets a tidbit of what she was hoping for, although her eyes flash in anger as she hears about the city guard turning away people in need.
"If the guard isn't going to do anything, then I will. Did this person who said it was Nidalese slavers happen to mention exactly where in Dockway those people are being held?"
Her eyes are as hard as flint, and where a young, sheltered woman had sat just a moment before sits an avenging warrior with a will of iron.
Teldon sits quietly at the table with Zee and Briana, slowly nursing a glass of apricot brandy. He does not speak except to answer direct questions, and even then he answers succinctly and does not ask any questions in return. He does however listen attentively, not merely to his companions but to everyone and anyone he can hear.
Their mission momentarily forgotten, Nalathi heads straight to the bar. "A pint of your strongest ale, please," she says, hopping onto a stool. So many big people in such close proximity always made her a little uneasy; but, remembering the effects of the ale she'd had, she hopes she'll be able to get over that. The barkeep shakes her head and chuckles to herself, but soon Nalathi is presented with a foamy mug. She takes a hearty swig, and coughs. Whoa. She had heard her old companions talk fondly of "dwarven ale"; maybe that's what this is. Strong stuff!
A burly man she happened to sit next to, who had been watching her, laughs. "And just what is so funny?" she asks.
As Joanna exclaims her indignation, the women giggle a little bit before Myri urges them to compose themselves, ”Calm down Joanna, what could you possibly hope to achieve? The city has been shouting for action for the past month…yet nothing happens…it is just the way of things down here at the Shore, people drown, people are run over by runaway horses, people are murdered…people simply going missing just doesn’t matter to the City”
Gitana, who was the most outspoken about the Nidalese Slavers rumour, tries to calm Joanna down, ”My dear, if we knew where these slavers were holding our loved ones….don’t you think we would have acted already? Come on, you worry too much, have another glass of wine”
Meanwhile at another table things are going less smoothly for Ziomarra, after playing through the Varisian traditions and listening to Ziomarra’s banal questions, her previous acquaintance finally snaps, ” I never thought to see you again…not after the way you left us at Kaer Maga…the way that you and that thief Perotus, let slip to the Ardocs about what we were carrying and then disappeared into the night”. Milos composes himself, ”I’m giving you this warning because we were once friends…but no more…if I were you, I’d keep a low profile…Alexandru got back from Kaer Maga a week back, missing a hand thanks to your treachery…I can’t say he would be pleased to discover you were here in Magnimar”
Sitting impassively at the table with Ziomarra and Briana as the tempers rise, Teldon listens and watches…not at his friends…his mind on the task at hand, he instead concentrates on the conversations on the neighbouring tables. The vast majority of the discussions comprise of gossip about individuals, bawdy jokes and normal social discussions about who said what about whom…but when one of the tables starts discussing the disappearances, Teldon takes notice…
”…are you sure it was him? He disappeared months ago”
”Oh yeah, I’m sure…it was Gregor all right, standing there on the quayside, right until he fell into the harbour. Only, he wasn’t acting like Gregor no more…poor fellow was drooling and raving…I don’t know, maybe drowning was the best thing for him, poor lad”
”…didn’t anyone try and rescue him?”
”You’re joking right? You know how hard the waves come in around the quayside…poor fellow sank like a stone…I don’t know whether his body showed up yet…I haven’t the heart to tell his wife…best she think him alive I say”
Sat at the bar, apart from everyone else, Nalathi is served a tankard of ‘Skullcracker’…her reaction to the ale is clearly hugely amusing to the man next to her who, after laughing at Nalathi, smiles and suggests, ”That’s a mighty powerful drink…you might be regretting that on the morrow”