Ynja was about to go through the door, but stops her back to the monk, and she just stands their still, holding the moment as his words died away.
She tilted her head and eye looking back at him said in a long dead language. She speaks it with out accent, as a native. Her words fill the room odd and alien to modern ears there.
"סביה היה מתבייש לשמוע אותך. מדבר בכזו דם מדומה . אנחנו רחוק מאוד מהבית אז בואו לא נקבע דוגמה רעה. לילדים הגדולים שלנו"
"Savith would be ashamed to hear you talk so pureblood. We are a long way from home you and I. So let's not set a bad example for the grand children shall we."
Aleister arches an eyebrow at Ynja's comment.
She turned slowly and looked at him, this time saying in common.
"So far Monk, all that has come from you are questions and insults, so let's see then if you know any other form of conversation, talk away."
She waited to see what he would say next.
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"What about these rumours of people acting in out of the ordinary fashion? Can you substantiate them?" Brother Ionacu asks, only too happy to spend some time sharing in the peace of the koi. Then, he stops. "No stranger to Thassilonian lore? Brother Aleister led me to believe that little is known of... the past..."
Clearly, the past is a sore point for this devout monk.
People acting out of the ordinaty? Isn't that the usual stats quo somehow? I mean what is ordinary in this magical world? Unfornuately i can't say anything specific there.
The past always lives on in lore and legends and even when most of it is forgotten, there are still songs and tales somewhere, where the past casts its shadows. I believe there's also plenty of ruins around.
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What's your name by the way? I am called Pai Song, known as bard, entertainer, lore keeper and emissary of Shelyn.
"You seem very confused. I came over to ask the young lady if everything was okay after you slammed the table. You then insulted and questioned my sex life or possible lack thereof. Do you often question strangers so? If anybody has been rude, it has been you."
She smiled then, chuckling to herself.
"So, the other option is accusations. You know, I have the feeling I'm not going to get pleasant out of you, so thanks for the conversation, its been... enlightening"
With that she turns and walks out the door with a back hand wave, adding
"O! and you have a nice day now."
Once past it she shifts to the side of the building and walks around it out of sight.
She makes her way to the main festival event and spots Shi'Vatha.
Walking over she smiles at her.
"I see your doing good works there Shi'Vatha"
coming to a stop.
Morgan slowly gathers himself up from his seat, mournfully leaving behind his empty coffee mug, and walks across the room and up next to Aleister. "You've quite the way with th' ladies, would seem. Granted, that one is an odd one..." He gives the monk is best attempt at a friendly and sympathetic smile. "What was yer name again? Went a bit heavy on the drink last night, 's a bit foggy."
"I believe that one might be suffering from some sort of derangement or brain injury." He says, extending a hand to Morgan. "Aleister. I was waiting for Ionacu, but I'm thinking he's already out among the festival."
It seems as if the festival is about to begin, as a loud shout of "Banzi" is heard outside the Rusty Dragon Inn.
Aleister does indeed head into the festival, wandering towards the temple. He'll stop by any food vendors he comes across, trying whatever they are selling. He offers Morgan a sample as well, "One of the many things I have learned in my travels is to always take part in the local cuisine. You will often be pleasantly surprised with how much love and care a local chef or cook puts into their craft."
Aleister does indeed head into the festival, wandering towards the temple. He'll stop by any food vendors he comes across, trying whatever they are selling. He offers Morgan a sample as well, "One of the many things I have learned in my travels is to always take part in the local cuisine. You will often be pleasantly surprised with how much love and care a local chef or cook puts into their craft."
Aleister approaches the miniature, mobile kyōmachiya-unagi-no-nedoko, the Minkai term for a small shop-home, currently positioned at the edge of the shrine gardens. Likely, it has been ambulated to this fortunate position in preparation for the imminent festivities.
The shop front is a long wooden profile with narrow street frontage, stretching far behind its exterior facade and containing one or more small courtyard gardens, called tsuboniwa.
Despite its impermanent status, a reality indicated by the dozens of large, many-spoked wheels affixed to the sides of the construction, the kyōmachiya-unagi-no-nedoko incorporates sturdy earthen walls and baked tile roofs, and is one and a half stories in height. The front of the building traditionally serves as the retail or shop space, having sliding shutters that open to facilitate the display of its goods and wares.
Behind this mise no ma or 'shop space', the remainder of the main building is divided into the living rooms -- kyoshitsubu. These are divided rooms with raised timber floors and tatami mats, as well as the domatōriniwa, an unfloored earthen service space that contains the kitchen and also serves as the passage to the rear of the kyōmachiya-unagi-no-nedoko, where storehouses known as kura are found.
The opening known as a hibukurp above the kitchen serves as a chimney, carrying smoke and heat away, as well as operating as a skylight, bringing natural illumiunation into the small kitchen.
The shop-keeper, a small, wizened woman, greets the monk with a smile,
"Worthy one, your sight is not familiar to my eyes. Have you come far to attend the dedication of the new shrine?"
As she speaks, she gestures at the food being prepared in the small kitchen space at the front of the ambulatory shopfront.
"My name is Aiko-Airi, and I have long been the purveyor of this humble establishment. Tell me, worthy one, have you ever sampled the delicatessens of distant Zyxyl, which is also known as Minkai? My lineage has passed the preparation of one of Minkai's delicacies -- a dish of uncooked fish and rice known as sushi -- for generations uncounted. Will you partake?"
The gardens of the Shinshagongengūjinjajingūmorimyōjinshataishaubusunayashiro-Ōhirume-no-muchi -no-Desna-no-Kami begin to fill with spectators to the upcoming ceremonies.
The temple's gardens are considered masterworks of Minkai craftsmanship.
One example is a device called a sōzu-shishi-odoshi/i], a contraption designed to scare away wild animals such as deer by making a loud noise. Flowing freely from the small waterfall within the shrine's [i]sanctum-sanctorum, water trickles into a bamboo tube. When it reaches a certain level, it upsets the balance of the tube. The tube then tips over on a pivot, discharging the water, and turns upright, striking a rock and emitting a loud clapping noise. Intermittently, this commotion intrudes among the thronging voices of those gathering to observe the festival.
Pai Song takes brother Ionacus arm and leads him towards the rusty dragon in again as she hears she banzai? shouting.
Come brother Ionacu, the festival is starting, we should go back if we want to see it.
Shi chuffs softly, a bit of exasperation is good for the soul, it makes one question ones self, and confirm ones beliefs.
Brother Theodore suddenly takes on a rather excited appearance and waves excitedly to get Shi'Vatha's attention.
Shi tells the children to pay attention to a bit of the scenery, and promises to explain why in a few minutes, then slips sideways to be a few feet closer to Brother Theodore. "What is it Brother?"
She follows seeing that Shi is needed.
Shi tells the children to pay attention to a bit of the scenery, and promises to explain why in a few minutes, then slips sideways to be a few feet closer to Brother Theodore. "What is it Brother?"
[dice=Perception]1d20+18
The curt anchorite discretely points out two familiar profiles coming into view on the edge of the topiary at the edge of the shrine's extensive gardens.
"Those look like Heldannic Knights -- surely they haven't come to modestly and reverently observe the festivities. What could they be doing here, and, more importantly, to what action might we be called?"
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 16
The minstrel observes something... curious on the waters of the small lake to the west of the shrine, a peaceful and unexpectedly deep body of water which occupies the center of the town of Sandpoint.
On the far side of the lake is eternally moored the hulk of the Yamada Nagasama, a venerable ship once guided on an exploratory journey to the distant lands of the Savage Coast by a revered scion of House Kaijistu -- one Takishi Kaijitsu the Shadewalker.
The vessel's black flags ripple in the slight wind, but it appears as if a large form is moving behind one of them...
Shi sighs, and rubs the side of his muzzle vexedly. "Those are indeed Heldannic Knights. The younger one is a hot head, and not too bright. The older one is a snake in wolves steel. The sheriff has been alerted to their presence. I did return to tell you of them last night, but you were asleep, and I didn't want to wake you up. We should keep an eye on them, for now. We'll talk more of them later, most likely with the rest of the clergy in town, the mayor, the sheriff, and a few of the big muggetywumps as well."
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Pai Song suddenly stands still, tugging Brother Ionacus shoulder and pointing towards the far side of the nearby lake, behind the stranded hulk of the Yamada Nagasama - the ship which once brought the Kaijitsu family.
Look over there! Do you see that as well? It looks like something large is moving behind the sails, but i can't really make it out yet.
Pai Song suddenly stands still, tugging Brother Ionacus shoulder and pointing towards the far side of the nearby lake, behind the stranded hulk of the Yamada Nagasama - the ship which once brought the Kaijitsu family.
Look over there! Do you see that as well? It looks like something large is moving behind the sails, but i can't really make it out yet.
Henric looked on in disappointment as Shi'Vatha was called away. He had sincerely enjoyed listening to the tales with the children. When Shi'Vatha told them to pay attention to the scenery, he wandered closer to where the minstrel from the inn was standing. At her sudden exclamation, he tries to look more closely at the sails in question.
Henric looked on in disappointment as Shi'Vatha was called away. He had sincerely enjoyed listening to the tales with the children. When Shi'Vatha told them to pay attention to the scenery, he wandered closer to where the minstrel from the inn was standing. At her sudden exclamation, he tries to look more closely at the sails in question.
[dice=Perception] 1d20 +10
Henric observes something... curious on the waters of the small lake to the west of the shrine, a peaceful and unexpectedly deep body of water which occupies the center of the town of Sandpoint.
On the far side of the lake is eternally moored the hulk of the Yamada Nagasama, a venerable ship once guided on an exploratory journey to the distant lands of the Savage Coast by a revered scion of House Kaijistu -- one Takishi Kaijitsu the Shadewalker.
The vessel's black flags ripple in the slight wind, but it appears as if a large form is moving behind one of them...
The others where looking at something, but what.
Standing close to Shi, Ynja looked to see what it was, a hand blocking the sun from her eyes.
Aleister bows respectfully at the proprietress "I have not tried much from Zyxyl, but I am will gladly partake of your family's sushi recipe. As I was just telling my companion here, I find one of the best experiences is in the sampling of other cultures cuisines."
Morgan nods along with Aleister's thoughts on local cuisine. "Aye, agreed! Finding good local food is second only to finding good local mead! One of the best things about traveling."
When the proprietress propositions her wares, Morgan will also gladly reach out to try some of her sushi. "Always glad to try somethin' new."
Aleister bows respectfully at the proprietress "I have not tried much from Zyxyl, but I am will gladly partake of your family's sushi recipe. As I was just telling my companion here, I find one of the best experiences is in the sampling of other cultures cuisines."
Aiko begins to lay out tofu flour,
"This will be inarizushi, welcome traveler, which is the variety of this Minkai delicacy for which my establishment is best known in this settlement. Indeed, the daimyō of House Kaijitsu requested it just the other night when I was attending his excellency and the heir apparent at their house's emporium, which you can observe to the south, on the far side of the shrine's gardens."
As she continues to prepare the meal, Aiko continues speaking,
"Tell me, welcome traveler, whether you have heard aught of the sorrowful circumstances in our township's latter years that gave birth to this happy festival day?"
The others where looking at something, but what.
Standing close to Shi, Ynja looked to see what it was, a hand blocking the sun from her eyes.
Ynja is not able to detect anything unusual.
Henric catches Pai Song's attenion. [b] I do indeed see something... or someone. Skulking around behind the sails, yes? I would think such an action would go against the purpose of the monument. Perhaps there is an official in town who should be notified... Do you know who that would be? Or shall we ask Shi'Vatha? That worthy being seems to know many of this town's customs and people quite well. [/b[
"I have not heard of any recent hardships that have plagued your town as I have only just arrived here last night. Tell me what has befallen Sandpoint?" Aleister asks, curious as to what troubles there might be.
She could not see anything so asked the others there.
"Can I ask, what are you looking at?
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Pai Song notices Henric Logos, answering him now.
Yes, yes, behind the sails. Skulking seems the right word. I'm not sure if it is against the monument, i mean, it's not prohibited as far as i know. Just ... unusual. And probably big?
Shi'Vatha? Ah you mean the lost eidolon. Yes they seemingly have been around for some time now, serving in the temple. I'm not sure why they would know who's behind the boat though. We should probably go to the festival now if we don't want to miss it. We can meet them there and ask. Perhapy they know.
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Aleister bows respectfully at the proprietress "I have not tried much from Zyxyl, but I am will gladly partake of your family's sushi recipe. As I was just telling my companion here, I find one of the best experiences is in the sampling of other cultures cuisines."
Aiko assumes a slightly conspiratorial tone as she answers the monk,
"Well, it all came to a head when the old church was burned down. A sorry day that. You see, this shrine we are dedicating today was built over an earlier structure, a western-style basilica with a niche for each of the town's major patron deities. Like the new shrine, the old church was overseen by a devotee of the Immortal Desna, the Father Ezakien Tobyn. In fact, was he was the de facto religious leader in the Varisian town of Sandpoint until his death in 4702 AR. Both Father Ezakien and his foundling child Nualia perished in the fire."
The old lady pauses solemnly in the mist of her preparations, taking a small moment to remember the immolation of the two individuals she has just named.
Then, having seemed to steel her resolve, Aiko continues,
"Of course, that wasn't the whole matter, just the end of it. You see, our humble community was subject to the predations of a vicious killer for many years prior to the fire."
"Oh, Sandpoint was no stranger to crime, or even to murder. Once or twice a year, passions flared, robberies went bad, jealousy grew too much to bear, or one too many drinks were drunk, and someone would end up dead. But when the body count suddenly began to mount, the town had no idea how to react."
"Sandpoint's sheriff at the time was a no-nonsense man named Casp Avertin, a retired city watch officer from the city-state of Magnimar, yet even he was ill-prepared for the murderer who came to be known as Chopper."
"Over the course of one long winter month, every few days brought a new victim to light. Each was found in the same terrible state, bodies bearing deep cutting wounds to the neck and torso, with both hands and feet severed and stacked nearby and the eyes and tongue missing entirely, plucked crudely from the head."
"And so, over the course of that terrible month, Chopper claimed 25 victims. His uncanny knack at eluding traps and pursuit quickly wore on the town guard, taking particular toll on Sheriff Avertin, who increasingly took to drinking. Many believe that he even took to beating his wife and daughter, and that, in its own way, may have been the genesis of the Sandpoint Fire."
"In any event, Sheriff Avertin himself became Chopper's last victim, slain when he finally caught the killer mutilating his latest victim in the side street that would come to be known as Chopper's Alley. Yet in the battle that followed, Avertin managed a telling blow against the murderer. When the town guard found the sheriff dead with another victim several minutes later, they were able to follow the bloody trail left by the killer..."
"A trail that led straight to the stairs of Stoot's Rock, the prominent stone outcropping just north of the Old Light."
She stops briefly, realizing the probably unfamiliarity of the reference,
"But where am I wandering with this tale, young one, of course you don't know who old Stoot was!"
Aiko chuckles slightly as she begins again,
"You see, in 4687 AR, when Jervis Stoot made clear his intentions to build a home on the island just north of the Old Light, locals in Sandpoint paid him no mind."
"Jervis had already garnered something of a reputation as an eccentric for his one-man crusade to carve depictions of birds on every deserving building in town. Stoot never made a carving without securing permission, but his incredible skill made it a given that if Stoot picked your building as the site of his latest project, you seized the opportunity. Sporting a Stoot soon grew to be something of a bragging point, and Jervis eventually extended his talent to include ship figureheads and even carriages."
"Those who asked or tried to pay him for his skill were rebuffed, Stoot telling them, "There ain't no birds in that wood for me t'set free," and going on his way. Stoot often wandering the streets for days before noticing a hidden bird in a fencepost, lintel, steeple, or doorframe and securing permission to "release" it with his trusty carving knives."
"Stoot's excuse for wanting to move to the isle seemed innocent enough—the place was a haven for local birdlife, and his claim of "Wantin' ta be with th' birds" seemed to make sense. So much, in fact, that the guild of carpenters (with whom Stoot had maintained a friendly competition for several years) volunteered to build a staircase, free of charge, along the southern cliff face so that Stoot could come and go from his new home with ease."
"For fifteen years, Stoot lived on the island. His trips into town grew less and less frequent, making it something of an event when he chose a building to host a new Stoot."
Aiko takes a deep breath,
"So that catches us up I think, where was I then? Oh yes, the constables were headed up to old Stoot's rock, hot on the trail of Chopper."
"Well, at first, the town guard refused to believe the implications, and feared that Chopper had come to claim poor Jervis Stoot as his 26th victim."
"Yet what the guards found in the modest home atop the isle, and in the larger complex of rooms that had been carved into the bedrock below, left no room for doubt. Jervis Stoot and Chopper were the same, and the eyes and tongues of all 25 victims were found in a horrific altar to a birdlike demon whose name none dared speak aloud."
"Stoot himself was found dead at the base of the altar, having plucked his own eyes and tongue loose for a final offering."
"The guards collapsed the entrance to the chambers, burned Stoot's house, tore down the stairs, and tried to forget."
"Stoot himself was burned on the beach in a pyre, his ashes then blessed and then scattered in an attempt to stave off an unholy return of his evil spirit from beyond the grave."
"In the months to follow, Sandpoint did its best to forget the terror, although even today, children who remember the dark times only six years ago sometimes wake with nightmare visions of Chopper hiding under their beds."
Pai Song notices Henric Logos, answering him now.
Yes, yes, behind the sails. Skulking seems the right word. I'm not sure if it is against the monument, i mean, it's not prohibited as far as i know. Just ... unusual. And probably big?Shi'Vatha? Ah you mean the lost eidolon. Yes they seemingly have been around for some time now, serving in the temple. I'm not sure why they would know who's behind the boat though. We should probably go to the festival now if we don't want to miss it. We can meet them there and ask. Perhapy they know.
She could not see anything so asked the others there.
"Can I ask, what are you looking at?
Henric catches Pai Song's attenion. [b] I do indeed see something... or someone. Skulking around behind the sails, yes? I would think such an action would go against the purpose of the monument. Perhaps there is an official in town who should be notified... Do you know who that would be? Or shall we ask Shi'Vatha? That worthy being seems to know many of this town's customs and people quite well. [/b[
Morgan nods along with Aleister's thoughts on local cuisine. "Aye, agreed! Finding good local food is second only to finding good local mead! One of the best things about traveling."
When the proprietress propositions her wares, Morgan will also gladly reach out to try some of her sushi. "Always glad to try somethin' new."
Vincent feigns shocked dismay. "Scoundrels?! Surely milady doesn't consort with such types?," he says, even as he offers his arm to her so they might walk among the booths of the festival. If she accepts, he will meander through, noting what is offered as entertainment.
[dice=Per]1d20+10
He can't see anything.
Brother Ionacu awakens like from a dream. Still standing by the koi pond, he looks up and around...
[dice=Perception]1d20+11
He can't see anything.