As Lark moves toward the curtain, which is really more of a wall hanging, it briefly parts and miniature draft horse with blue metallic skin, golden eyes, and a white star-shaped patch on its forehead steps through.
Seeing the massive creature it lets out a horse-like whinny and backs up, nearly stumbling over the curtain and its own legs.
"Ahhhh! What are you? Who are you? What do you want?" it shouts, fear obvious in its voice. It is using an unusual form of communication where the words you hear do not match with the movement of its lips, yet it all makes perfect sense.
The creature looks confused but calms down at the halfling's words. She tilts her head to her side, stating "You mean you are not priests of the Master of the First Vault? But you came through the Priest Portal from the Cage, did you not?"
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The creature looks confused but calms down at the halfling's words. She tilts her head to her side, stating "You mean you are not priests of the Master of the First Vault? But you came through the Priest Portal from the Cage, did you not?"
"Councilmember Jostlyn Fergur is a priest of the First Vault, but we are indeed not priest of the Wealthy Father ourselves. Jostlyn Fergfur however allowed us to be representatives of the Church of Abadar."
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Barnette nods to Lark to stand down and adds to Aquila's statements.
"Ah! a loyal servant of the Master Merchant himself, my stout friend here is correct we are here with the blessing of the Priests of Abadar, thrice-blessed be his name. I am Barnette Bright a humble merchant and Pathfinder and this creature is my bodyguard, Lark, he's really is a big softy once you get to know him." He says with a wink and a smile.
Barnette bows in greeting and continues "We are here on urgent business, we are looking for a powerful sorceress named Hao Jin, we must meet with her urgently it is a matter of life and death for thousands."
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Ruby seems a bit dismayed by the creature's shock that those of the group are not worshippers of Abadar. She looks down at her clothing and their obvious religious iconography of Desna.
"I apologize if we are not worshippers of Abadar, but I assure you that, as a woman of the cloth myself, I have reverence and respect for the Master of the First Vault. We have traveled through the portal with the blessing of the councilwoman in Abadar and have been asked to behave ourselves as representatives of the church of Abadar in Absalom. I assure you that we will be respectful and kind to your city and its denizens."
The orsheval seems to accept your explanations. "Ah, I see," she states, throwing her main to one side.
"Well, greetings travelers, and welcome to the Guesthouse of the Cage. My name is Esfir, member of the 14th Order, 289th Echelon of Abadar's eternal retinue. We are conveniently located just outside of the God's realm of Aktun. I am happy to help you with any question you might have about the blessed realm."
"You have already asked me about someone named Hao Jin. I have heard that name, though not for some time. Come, we can investigate."
And with that she turns and heads through the split in the wall hanging, down a wide set of stairs and to the building's ground floor.
The room downstairs is quite sparse and contains a large table with chairs and access to what looks to be a kitchen, along with a longish corridor heading out of sight and a door that leads outside. Next to the table is a large bookcase that sags under the weight of many hefty tomes. Esfir clops over to the bookcase and considers the spines of the volumes before picking up an old one using magic. She places it open on the table and leafs through it without touching it. Less than a minute later she has found what she is looking for and looks up at you.
"Here it is: Hao Jin, a sorcerer of considerable power arrived 333 years ago, after which there’s no formal record of her having departed. This designation here indicates she received a formal reprimand from the Eternal City soon afterward, and the last entry points to her performing research in the Empty Court as a guest of the axiomites."
The orsheval is a bit taken aback by Lens' question. "Oh! I am sure I do not know. Those are topics for a much higher order than mine. All I know is that the axiomites were involved, so you are best to ask them. "
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Ahh, I see.
Lens straightens his shirtcuffs as he wracks his brain for information on the Empty Court; he fails to come up with anything useful. Well then. Well, well, well then… He frowns. Does anyone know about this "Empty Court"? It might be time to head off to the Axiomites, yes? Assuming, that is, we can travel there — or anywhere on this plane — in a sensible amount of time.
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"Hmm the Empty Court... ah yes as I recall the Empty Court was the divine realm of Aroden. When he mysteriously perished more than a century ago, it began to collapse. It is no longer formally part of Axis and does not benefit from the Eternal City’s protection."
Barnette ponders that for a moment before continuing. "Can you tell us more of the Axiomites and anything else about this marvellous city that us outsiders would do well to know?"
The orsheval Esfir is happy to oblige the strange visitors; it is, after all, her job.
"Axis is the Eternal City and the Perfect City! It is all things to all people ... well, all people that love order and the law, that is."
"The axiomites are the original inhabitants of this realm. They created it, one might say, from formless chaos and void."
"Traveling about the realm is quite easy, there are magical portals that instantaneously whisk you between your desired destinations."
Esfir points to the table. "Guests are free to perform any ceremony they wish. Do you have any other questions regarding the Eternal City?"
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I have infinite questions, Esfir, but a greater need to attend to my own immediate impulses. Thus, I believe it is expeditious that we part ways.
The mesmerist turns to Ruby:
Do you also see the good auspices? Ex quadrupedibus! An honest equine has crossed our path! By the hoof on the head, I have waited long enough for this reading, thanks none to the thrice-blessed — thrice — blessed — whatever! This precise time is propitious! We must get it done!
Lens says in celestial, "there are more Pathfinders coming soon — you might want to be upstairs to help them!
”So, does the city have any parks? Like nature and birds an such? Not really relevant for our current mission, but more a personal interest”
Esfir perks up at Aquila's question. "Oh yes, sir, it does indeed. Axis is vast and is broken down into countless small neighborhoods, each with a distinct focus. Sometimes that focus is a philosophy, other times a greater power (what you call gods), and other times it is a species of people. There are many species in the Great Beyond who enjoy a bit of green amidst their cities, so there are many parks in Axis."
Esfir promises to take you to the nearest transportation portal and show you how to use them once you have finished your business in the guest house.
"You should also be aware that the inevitables, the creations of the axiomites, take their enforcement of the rules and laws of Axis very seriously. Visitors are given some leeway in the infringement of minor laws, but you should know that public, unlicensed displays of violence are strictly prohibited within the City of Cities."
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...you can use dice to determine the result. Roll 1d6 to determine the suit (1=hammer (STR), 2=key (DEX), 3=shield (CON), 4=book (INT), 5=star (WIS), 6=crown (CHA)), and 1d10 to determine alignment (1=LG, 2=NG, 3=CG, 4=LN, 5=N, 6=CN, 7=LE, 8=NE, 9=CE, 10=roll again)
Once Ruby spots Zwei, she mutters some Varisian in a low tone (more prayers) while shuffling the cards. She then lays them down in a 3x3 grid on the table in front of her.
Ruby flips over the three cards down the left side {The Owl, The Betrayal, The Bear} and begins to study the images. "I believe this is telling us of Hao Jin's past. The Owl represents the wisdom of the natural order of things and an understanding of how to bind the universe together. Look at the needle-and-thread in the owl's beak, possibly alluding to her grand Tapestry. The Betrayal, in this position, is more of a symbol of her selfishness than one of deception. A selfish desire to gain what they want at any cost. The bear is a representation of Hao Jin's power. Similar to the owl, it represents a natural power, drawn from the nature of the universe itself. It also serves as a warning of consequences should someone or something attempt to trap or cage that power."
Ruby then moves on to the middle column of cards. The Wanderer, The Joke, The Liar. Her eyes seem to light up at the sight of The Wanderer. "Ha, of course. A direct symbol of us Pathfinders in the present. But it's placement is exactly where the card belongs, which is a good omen for us. It represents the intelligence of appreciating the value of something others deem worthless or outright ignore. The Joke is of a similar wit, but it values cunning or humor to overcome an obstacle instead of brute strength. She taps her hand on The Liar for a few moments. This card, however, is a concern. The Liar represents a foul, treacherous love. An obsession that knows no limits. There is more going on currently that we are aware of; I will have to remember this in the future."
Ruby flips over the final column of cards The Cricket, The Lost, The Mute Hag. She considers these cards for a few extra moments before continuing. "The Cricket is at least a simple analogy. This is meant to suggest that our mission shall be rather swift, and there is a possibility of a "treasure" of sorts at its conclusion. The Lost, however, represents an emptiness, one that causes a lost of identity. The Mute Hag is more of a representation of curses than silence. The type of curses that can turn a person's heart, or cause a creature to stumble over its own feet.
Ruby take a deep breath before standing up straight. "I believe this reading was intended more for Hao Jin herself than us. It shows us the wisdom and natural power of the sorceress. We ourselves are represented here, and the cards suggest we shall rely more on our knowledge and wit than our speed and strength. But I worry for the outcome of Hao Jin herself, or perhaps the Tapestry. While this reading suggests that we will succeed in our mission, they also suggest that her own obsession may lead to her demise." With that, Ruby looks over the cards one final time before gathering them up and putting them back in her box.
Ruby points to The Owl, The Lost and The Mute Hag. "It would appear that the cards are reminding us to remember our learned experiences of the past. We would do well to oblige."
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After gathering her cards, Ruby shuffles the deck one final time before flipping over the top card. ( The Mute Hag) She leaves this card face up when putting her cards away.
With that, Ruby turns to Esfir and bows her head slightly. "I thank you for your hospitality, Esfir, and I thank the rest of you for your patience and indulgence. Now then, it sounds like we should be on our way to the Empty Court?"
Esfir responds to Kramac. "Unless the inevitables are present at the beginning of the fight and see everything, it is most likely that they will arrest everyone who seems to be involved. Those arrested are taken to processing stations where statements are taken from everyone involved and from any bystanders who witness the event. This is done to assess who the guilty party might be. If the inevitables determine that someone acted in self-defense, that person is generally allowed to go free soon thereafter. The mill wheel of justice does not move swiftly, but it does grind exceedingly fine."
Once everything in the Guesthouse has been completed, Esfir leads you out into the marketplace. The sights, sounds, and smells here are almost overwhelming, assaulting your senses from many different directions. Most are not unpleasant, it is just that the sheer number and volume of them is hard to take.
The orsheval trots past the market and down a side street and to a small rotunda where a semicircular wall partially encloses a fountain. Seven arches in the wall each have a lantern that hangs nearby, with flames that ignite and extinguish for a minute at a time. While the flame burns, creatures periodically walk into the arches and disappear, and while a given flame is out, creatures sometimes step out from that arch.
"This is one of numerous permanent sets of portals, each of which travels to a distant part of Axis" Esfir explains, heading for the rightmost arch. A petitioner whose body is grey and covered in glowing runes, letters, and sigils who seems to serve as the rotunda’s custodian briefly tries to warn her about that portal before she waves the petitioner off with the shake of her head. Turning back to you, she explains that this portal doesn’t see much use anymore, but that it travels to within sight of the Empty Court. Esfir then excuses herself and invites you to call on her again should you need further directions.