(Nymeria's dex is 17, so that is under.)
Zairiah asks
So, how do we approach the delivery of this healing draught?
Though she has no sailing skills, Fadilah is eager to return to the ship.
"Uncle!" she says delightedly, "Fair winds be with us, we should not take long to reach our destination. We should be at Muluk within the day. Tell me, have you been at sea before?"
The elven bard says, "Well, we would have to travel to Huzuz to get an audience with the Grande Caliph."
Though she has no sailing skills, Fadilah is eager to return to the ship.
"Uncle!" she says delightedly, "Fair winds be with us, we should not take long to reach our destination. We should be at Muluk within the day. Tell me, have you been at sea before?"
"This is the best news I've heard! I think the sea does not like me.", he replies with a queasy voice. "It is worse than riding a drunk camel with a flask of date wine in your belly. How can you like that?"
"I have become accustomed to it," Fadilah says, "though the first day spent aboard ship was difficult indeed. You will find that your stomach rebels for a time, but eventually you will recover... I hope!"
"If not, I will send my gen to fetch a spell such as might ease your discomfort."
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GM Rolls
After a pleasant day at sea you follow the coast in a southerly direction and make port in Muluk around 3pm. You disembark from your ship and curious of the situation with Yodfeh and her friend Ayyan, she leads the party to Ayyan's and her safehouse in Muluk.
The unassuming house on Dinari Tarek is opened by the key that Zairiah has on her person and the party scrambles in. On the kitchen table there is a note written with a big Z on the top.
Midani
Zairiah reads the note and is relieved.
I should probably remain here until I have a chance to talk to Ayyan, and possibly the attorney this evening, but you guys should feel free to conduct your business.
"Apologies for asking friends, but to whom does this house belong to?" - Aggrammar had been tagging along in silence, taking in the sights and sounds of Muluk, but now he decided to speak - "Does it belong to this Ayyan? Is she a friend of yours?"
Zairiah
Nura elects to wait for Ayyan as well.
Yes, it belongs to Ayyan... or at least Ayyan lives here for now, which is what you meant, I believe. And yes, she is a friend of mine. This is my home while I am in Muluk as well. Why do you ask?
"This Ayyan... do you find her trustworthy, Ms. Zairiah?" Nymeria asks, bouncing on her heels.
"This Ayyan... do you find her trustworthy, Ms. Zairiah?" Nymeria asks, bouncing on her heels.
Indeed I do.
Yes, it belongs to Ayyan... or at least Ayyan lives here for now, which is what you meant, I believe. And yes, she is a friend of mine. This is my home while I am in Muluk as well. Why do you ask?
"No real reason" - Aggrammar shrugged - "Curiosity and nothing more" - he added with a bow - "I will be visiting the city then, and perhaps we can meet later on today - will you direct me to the market district?"
As you are talking, you hear a knock at he front door.
"Hmm?" Nymeria looks behind her. "Who could that be, I wonder?"
She goes to answer the door.
Being a little bit nervous, remembering the trying time last time they were here, Zairiah draws her bow, just in case.
Issam is busing himself brewing tea while he slowly recovers from his bout of sea sickness.
When the sound on the door is heard, he asks around : "Are we waiting for more people? I'm afraid I'm going to need a bigger pot."
Nura freezes, her hand on the hilt of her scimitar. She is ready for trouble.
Aggrammar was getting ready to leave, but decided to wait just for a few more seconds, and see if his presence was needed.
Nymeria opens the door and in the doorway is a man in a somber mood and his fez and clothing are all dark purple, he looks as if he has been crying and he says, "Is Zairiah here? Ayyan had told me she was going to be back in a few weeks time."
Zairiah rises and moves to the doorway, not allowing the man inside, but greeting him politely.
I'm here. How can I help you?
Aggrammar stands with arms crossed over his chest, observing the scene with a frown.
The man takes off his fez as he crosses the threshold into the house and starts talking after the door has been closed and says, "Xonim Zairiah, my name is Muli al-Muluk and I am the attorney working with Mistress Ayyan and I bear bad tidings."
He then sits down with tears in his eyes as he continues, "You may be aware that the ledger brought back from Sakina Falls' illicit wine making is a grave offense and that Mistress Ayyan was taking a grave risk by taking on such a sinister person like Yodfah."
He starting to cry a much more intensely and then continues, "Yodfah most likely through well placed bribes was able to get wind of the arrest order against him and was able to skip town. Yodfah has a lot of contacts in the city and well today while Ayyan was fetching some figs in the bazar, she was murdered by agents of Yodfah."
His grief becomes even more so.
WHAT?!? Ayyan is dead? How can that be? Why would she go to the bazaar with... that can't...
Zairiah's face goes white, and she sits down at the table, putting her forehead down on it.
She raises her head to address the lawyer again after a time.
I'm afraid I must go home in Ayyan's place and report the failure... unless you think something can be salvaged from all this? With Yodfah escaped, I'm not sure how we can get justice now. I'd love to track down her killers and remove Yodfah's head from his shoulder's myself, but I'm just a trader without the resources necessary, and without all of Ayyan's talents. ... Oh, Ayyan.... it's my fault. If only I hadn't left you here alone...
At this, she puts her head back down and starts crying in earnest.
Almost imperceptible at first, just as an echo to the tears, you hear chords. Issam fingers slowly pick the strings of his oud.
The sound gains volume and the Saba maquam used underlines the pain and sadness of the situation.
The voice of Issam raises above the music. He doesn't sing but slightly modulates the pitch of his voice to match the melody.
"This is a sad day and we all mourn with you, Zairiah. But as we mourn your friend and mentor, we are all together with you. You are not alone and you did not fail. There is no failure in pain. There is no failure in loosing one of his family. But there is failure in surrendering to the pain. My words may sound empty now but I have felt the pain of loss time and time again. Use it like my music, use it as a tool. For there is beauty in pain and in joy and there is strength here as well."
Slowly, the Saba maquam is modulated in Rast as he goes on. "You are not alone in this house. Just as you offered your ship to take us here. Let us offer you our cunning, our wisdom and our strength. You have not failed until you quit. Let us track the murderers first and follow their trail up to their master. A price was paid today in your quest for justice. Let's not waste it."
Muli says, "Justice is very important. As you know Ayyan is very far from home and her family. Praise the Loregiver that you have returned from your journey this day. Zairiah, will you be a Pallbearer for Ayyan's funeral tomorrow? She deserves to be carried by someone closer to her than I her mere attorney but someone who knows her well. Once the proper rights are performed, I will put all of my energy in assisting you in your quest to bring Yodfah to justice."
When Zairiah is able to speak again she says
Of course I will do her that service... and thank you.
She doesn't so much want legal justice as his immediate and unquestioned death, honestly, but more level-headed now, she stores those feelings down deep until she has the opportunity to do something about them.
Nura scowls. "He will meet some kind of justice," she says in a low voice.
Muli stands up and says, "Please meet me at the Temple of Zann at 9 am sharp tomorrow and then we will march to the Mount of Forgiveness."
He then stands, bows to Zairiah respectfully and says, "There is still much I need to arrange for tomorrow. Let the Loregiver guide you!"
And with that he finishes the tea Issam had made and he leaves.
Nymeria had kept her mouth shut for the time being, seeing as how one of her newest friends had received the worst sort of news.
But when talk of justice starts making the rounds, she finds her voice again. "Where... where did this crime happen, sir?"
Muli answers Nymeria's question, "It was in the Covered Bazaar."
Nymeria nods and flips open her logbook to write something down.
Zairiah searches the house, trying to find anything Ayyan has about her contacts or anything else that could help either in the quest for justice or just in informing her employer or the rest of the family.
There were other things she needed to do here. Set up another dye trading partner for one... and they eventually needed to go to Huzuz to get an audience with the Grande Caliph. Those things that had been foremost in her mind yesterday however had now faded in importance. Destroying Yodfah... his business, his reputation, and eventually his being... consumed her, and so she searched for anything that Ayyan had found that she could use against him.
After a nod of approval at Issam for his melody, the dwarf paced around for a bit - "I am very sorry for your loss, friend Zairiah" - Aggrammar eventually approached his elf companion, placing a hand on her shoulder - "It is an awful deed, committed by a coward without even the courage to assume his actions" - his voice was calm, but hard.
"Tomorrow after the funeral, there will be much time to dedicate to make sure justice is doled out" - he added - "Today should perhaps be a day for contemplation and remembrance? Why don't you tell us of your friend, and the good memories you have? Keep them vivid in your mind, and by your voice?"
Thank you Aggrammar, but I don't believe I can focus on that just now.
She continues to search the house.
Fadilah is stunned to hear of the unexpected murder.
"Surely, there must be some way we can help, Zairiah."
"I say we look into this Covered Bazaar. There's bound to be a few witnesses there--we can question them, or see if we can find some trace of the killer!"
Nura nods her agreement with Fadilah. "I will do whatever is necessary to help avenge your friend."
"I say we look into this Covered Bazaar. There's bound to be a few witnesses there--we can question them, or see if we can find some trace of the killer!"
"This is a wise course of action. I think some of us should go to the Bazaar before it closes or people forget what they saw. Some of us should also stay with Zairiah as well. Maybe those who killed her friend will want to push their luck if they learn Zairiah is back."
Zairiah searches the house for information to help. She finds a diary that has meticulous notes about the time since her and Zairiah left Afyal and the address of her mistress there. It also lists the daily events up until this morning before she left to go the Covered Bazaar.
Z left with a crew today to go somewhere should be back in awhile
Day 2, Went to the Halls of Justice with the ledger against Yodfah and things went swiftly. Muli was appointed to me to help with the case. He seems to know his stuff and is extremely helpful.
Day 3, Yodfah officially charged and the city guards attempted to arrest him but he has skipped town.
Day 4, Yodfah tried in absentia, his "legitimate businesses and properties have been confiscated... Sakina Falls Winery amongst them and an abandoned Bath House
The next few days are about rumors of where Yodfah might be. Some say going toward Talv.
Issam goes to the Bazaar with the group and spends time talking to the kids and young beggars and pickpockets that have a better idea of what's going on than most merchants and passers-by.
Responding to Fadilah and the kindness of her other friends, Zairiah says
Perhaps we can find a way, but we need more information.
After searching the house and finding the diary, she sits down at the table and says
If Yodfah is still in town, he could be at one of his confiscated properties. Sakina Falls Winery and an abandoned bath house are both listed here. "Abandoned" certainly carries the flavor of "hideout" to me. Perhaps we should go and check it out in the morning?
Unfortunately, it doesn't list the other information from the ledger... his other interests or anything that might not have been confiscated. Hopefully Ayyan's lawyer will know more, but for now perhaps talking to people at the winery, or who used to work there if it has been shut down... will give us additional clues about other properties or interests or relationships... anything we can use to find, follow, or ruin him. He was a famous gem merchant and there is nothing here about gems at all.
I know some of you don't know the story, so here is a little background: approximately six months ago, a naive traveling merchant from Afyal purchased nine sapphires from Yodfah. Thinking that the stones would make a beautiful gift for his favorite wife, he had them worked into a necklace. She is a great and perceptive merchant, and noticed that all of the gems were flawed, not worth even a hundredth part of what he had paid. Rather than reveal this and let her loving husband think that she did not appreciate his gift, she made up her mind to be avenged secretly. To accomplish this, she sent Ayyan.
Ayyan was able to infiltrate Yodfah’s household as a waiting woman in the merchant’s harem. From Yodfah’s loose-lipped wives, she learned that he was hiding his earnings from the Caliph’s tax collectors and eventually was able to acquire his hidden records, which this group was instrumental in. As I remember, Yodfah had 11 businesses. He was involved in selling gems (for which he was best known), pack animals, and cloth; he owned eight private baths and three secret wineries (like the one at Sakina Falls). His gem, animal, and cloth businesses were legal, but his distribution of wine and other alcoholic beverages within city limits was not. Not only is alcohol forbidden by the Laws of the Loregiver, but the fact that the wine is sold secretly and the proceeds hidden from the Caliph’s tax collectors made it a double crime.
He is already ruined in part, but killing Ayyan demands more. He must be crushed underfoot. It sounds cruel, and indeed part of it is an emotional reaction on my part, but it goes beyond that, you see. It is about the reputation of the trading houses of Afyal. If we let this go... if we are seen to be losing in this game, then our trade goes elsewhere. It's not merely pride, but life and business that is lost with your reputation. We attempted to keep it quiet, but blood has now been shed, and as a true daughter of Afyal my duty is clear--to take Ayyan's place and make him pay, or return home in defeat and pass the torch to another who will carry on the war of essential survival. Yodfah can't be seen to have bested us.
Nymeria does much the same as Issam.
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The party canvassing the Covered Bazaar were able to discern some facts about the murder. There were two perpetrators: a half-elven woman who was wearing a pure white dolman and a bright red keffiyeh, held in place by a similarly colored agal. Over the dolman, she was also wearing a sash, whose description reminds Fadilah and Nura of a woman they had crossed swords with at the winery and a dwarf who was wearing a purple fez, leather armor, and purple silk pantaloons but the woman is purportedly the one who dealt the death blow.