The guests all raise their glasses and toast the Knights of Kelmarane, after which the food is served. Eramin brings out plates of aromatic sliced meats, vegetables and fruits from the garden, salads, bread, and fine wine until the dining table is covered completely. Once the food is served, the table erupts into conversation. Some of the guests ask how closely Rayhan has examined the map and if he’s figured out how to activate it yet. Others want to know what the party intends to do with the map.
"I simply cannot fathom the notion that you would wish to keep it, given that there are so many others who have been waiting lifetimes for a chance to learn its secrets."
Aith has no objections to stupid questions: after all, she’s asked enough of them herself over the years, and will, she assumes, ask more in those to come. Still, the latest comment from Marzuk is something else. She can guess that there’s been a momentary disconnect between his brain and his mouth.
It happens.
“Well, who wouldn't want to be the one to crack it and be able to take the credit for deciphering it,” she says bemusedly. “And Rayhan has been so helpful, we could hardly begrudge him some more time to make sure before we make any rash pronouncements on whether it is the very scroll, or just something very closely related.”
She’s being a bit flippant, but she softens her tone to make sure that no one mistakes it for scorn. “It’s proven resistant to some of the most obvious tests, too, and we wouldn’t want to expose anyone to needless danger. Once we’re sure it’s safe, it will go to a museum in Kelmarane, into the care of the local clerics – including a priest of Nethys, whose interest I’m sure you can imagine – and scholars will be free to come consult it there.”
“The leader of our little town, Princess Almah, has been making sure that it’s able to receive visitors comfortably again,” she says, a bit ruefully, but guessing that in a place like Katapesh the idea will be accepted easily. She finds Tamir in the audience and looks for a suitable bon mot, since he seems to have a sense of humour, “No point in throwing away a good windfall. After all, it’s like the sellswords said while protesting outside the ceasefire negotiations, ‘Why not give chance a piece?’”
Marzuk is set back by this comment. Badra turns beet-red, but bites her tongue in the presence of Kazim. Only Tamir seems amused by this prospect.
Think fast, Aith urges herself, trying to find a way for everyone to save face. Katapesh, Katapesh. What does everyone really want here, anyway, in the capital of coin, the empire of emolument, the –
She really needs to stop paying attention to the pitches of the merchants hawking their wares in every square and plaza of the city.
“But, speaking of getting a chance, while we aren’t in a position to make such significant promises on Princess Almah’s behalf at this point in time, I’m sure a travelling exhibition at a future date could be arranged. We would be happy to convey proposals upon our return to Kelmarane. Nothing too formal now, under the circumstances, just an expression of interest.”
She chooses her words carefully to make it clear that she’s not expecting anyone to pay upfront for the chance to host the scroll at some later date, while transparently implying that a convincing suggestion that party X would consider investing Y much for the privilege is the sort of information that she and the others would pass on to Almah to help her make her decision.
Has anyone ever gone wrong betting on the avarice of this place? She wonders if she’s being a bit too tactful about it, but then Marzuk seems to have been quite polite so far, so maybe not.
"I enjoyed this meal and the conversation very much, but shall we move on to the entertainment? Everything is prepared in the garden and the lamps are already lit." Rayhan tries to distract from the very nice for him and very tragic fact for them, that the scroll won't be sold.
He leads the party downstairs and outside, where Eramin has made room on the lawn for the performances and set up some chairs and a small buffet where he serves chocolates and an assortment of liqueurs.
Haleen goes first. After all the talking and sitting around a little exercise won't hurt and it may be a nice change of pace.
It is kind of shadow boxing. Of course she could have asked one of the others to spar with her for show. But this is not the battle market and no one is dressed the part for a fight that might draw blood.
So her performance is more like a dance, a fencing duel with an imaginary opponent. With all the mocking and teasing in gesture, but without a word. A lunge here, a dodge or a parry there and crossing blades at a speed hard to follow with the eyes. After a few minutes of this, a final lunge pausing there. Then pulling it forcefully back, wiping the blade, and finishing with a bow to the audience.
"That ain't bad." the halfling calls out but the other guests are not that excited and only give a polite applause.
Aith sings a bit, but nowhere seriously enough that she’d dream of inflicting it on Rayhan’s guests, and Yasmeena’s musical talents are not an act that she would want to try to follow.
Instead, she looks to what she had thought of when their host had first announced that a bit of entertainment would be needed at the party: a quick assemblage of pyrotechnics. Fortunately for everyone’s sanity and bodily health, what she’s come up with are fireworks just meant to burst colourfully high in the air, rather than a hare-brained reverse-engineering of military-grade rockets.
She’s even resigned herself (one certainly hopes) to the certainty that layering on a bit of wild magic to the show would be a terrible idea that no one would thank her for even if it doesn’t result in catastrophe.
Instead, she busy herself with wicks and fuses to send flights of starbursts, streamers, and pinwheels into the night sky. It's a short display, given the time she had to prepare, but agreeably flashy, by her reckoning.
Kazim voices her excitement about that marvelous display of skill to paint the night sky in colors.
And the others agree with that by joining the enthusiastic applause.
Tariq joins the crowd in the applause.
Haleen applauds too. She leans to Tariq "I bet you a gold that a neighbor will come and complain about something that caught fire."
It is just beyond Haleen's imagination that Aithaloessa pulls something off without causing collateral damage.
Tariq shakes Haleen's hand. "Deal."
Yasmeena bows and narrates a complicated performance of both dance and oud, describing the party's battle against the enormous sand worm. She spins and twirls to show Haleen's battle prowess, and chants and gestures as with a pistol in her hand to represent Aithaloessa's magic. Cutting thrusts highlight Tariq and Antarah, and all the while she plucks her instrument to invoke the twang of her bow.
The audience is enthralled by Yasmeena's performance and especially Marzuk gives her the highest praise.
Shortly thereafter Kazim thanks Rayhan and the Knights of Kelmarane for the wonderful evening, the opportunity to talk about the legendary artifact and the marvelous entertainment. And lastly tells her goodbye and leaves.
The other guests follow the example and after thanking for the invitation and praising them they leave too.
Marzuk uses the opportunity to talk to Yasmeena before leaving. "It would be my pleasure to greet you as my guest. You're always welcome to visit me on our estates in the Inner City."
As the gate closes after the last guest and they are out of earshot Rayhand calls out "It's a wrap."
"I'll retreat to the library to read something to come back down after this exciting evening."
"You managed to impress them. That was a good job."
Rayhan then climbs up to the third floor to dive into his books.
Eramin begins cleaning up.
Haleen helps Eramin to clean up the garden. Then she sets up the tent again and goes to bed in the tent.
Some help with the cleaning, some take their time to chill after this evening, but eventually everyone goes to bed in the guest rooms.
In the middle of the night you are rudely wakened by shrieking of the horses in the stable next to the house.
"ZZZzzz..."
Yasmeena wakes to the sound of many feet in the common room. She quickly shakes Haleen awake and rushes out of the tent to see what is going on.
Immensely pleased that she’s been able to demonstrate that she can have a good time without grotesque displays of arson, wanton property damage, and so forth, Aith is out like a light as soon as she makes her way to bed, only just remembering to give a cursory glance around the garden to make sure she hasn’t overlooked a misfire firework or anything too too flammable.
There’s been enough excitement earlier in the evening that it takes a surprisingly long time for the elf’s subconscious to prod the rest of her brain into paying attention when a commotion breaks out in the stables some time later in the night.
Aith stares blearily into the darkness for a moment as the sounds slowly register, before jumping to her feet, reaching for the holster and spell component pouch on her bedside table.
Of all the times to get comfortable, she muses disconsolately, thinking she’ll look ridiculous buckling her gun belt around her nightdress, whether or not she tries to throw her armour on too. Should she? Or is that being too paranoid?
Haleen wakes from a nightmare, where she does a clumsy performance and everyone boos her from the stage.
As Yasmeena points out that there is something wrong outside she grabs her rapier and jumps up. Of course she sleeps in her mithral chain shirt. Because, why not? You don't live with gnolls and gladiators without getting paranoid. But the main reason is - if you take it off, you have to put it on again in the morning and that is f@%*ing cold when wearing it under your normal clothes.
As the horses cry there are no doubts that something is wrong. With the rapier ready she leaves the tent.
As Aithaloessa leaves her room, she is in for an unpleasant surprise. Five thugs wait in the common room.
Also in front of the tent are two of them.
Haleen takes a hit with the blunt tool. But a quick assessment of the situation puts a smile on her face. "Guys, you have no idea how screwed you are."
Yasmeena shouts "Foes! Foes! Awake! Awake!" in a clear, loud voice. Then she runs back into the tent and grabs her scimitar.
In the garden in front of the tent are no living foes anymore, but something is still making the horses unhappy.
Aith opens the door to her room to be greeted – quite rudely, it must be said – by a sap to her face.
“OW!” It’s ridiculous, but she can’t help it, as the blow drives her a step back. So, it’s going to be that sort of night, is it?
Resigning herself to what she hopes is going to end in a comedy of errors, rather than tragedy, she takes another step back and hastily recalls one of the less messy spells she has on hand for large numbers of miscreants.
Her quick incantation floats an improbable mass of flowers – dandelions? no, some sort of thistles, from her hand through the open door to her room, which then burst promptly in a blast of spines and caustic juice.
…
At least it’s not a fireball, she thinks, though she guesses Rayhan’s couch will probably need to be re-upholstered.
Tariq wakes up to Aith's shouts. He quickly grabs the scimitar and bursts out of the room, constantly turning his head trying to look everywhere.
"Where? Who?"
Most of the hit thugs are almost knocked off their shoes. But nevertheless, one hits Tariq in the face with a sap. Aithaloessa is followed by her personal face massager, while another one stands in the door to block the exit. Another one moves up to block the stairs.
Then three of the thugs scream, as the acid eats into their flesh and they drop to the ground.
From above you hear a scream for help from Rayhan.
Haleen moves over to the stables and stabs at the creature tormenting the horses.
"Argh! You'll pay!"
Tariq uses the flat of the blade to knock the thug unconscious. They'll want to ask some questions later on.
The poor sap was close to toppling over after the treatment from Aithaloessa so the hit from Tariq sends him into the realm of unpleasant dreams.
As it becomes clear that Rayhan isn’t going to be spared the thugs’ attentions, Aith’s thoughts race to how to get to him. Unfortunately, there’s still a ruffian blocking her doorway.
On the other hand, it does frame him quite nicely. She levels her pistol.
The thug still stands in the way at the bottom of the stairs.
The thug - barely hanging on to consciousness - stands in full defense at the bottom of the stairs, intent to not let anyone pass.
Tariq throws some vicious slashes at the thug hoping to clear the path for his friends.
And down he goes after the first hit.
The path upwards is kind of free now with the knocked out thug lying on the stairs. From upstairs the sound of a struggle reaches Tariq and Aithaloessa.
The mephit turns to Haleen and spews out a cone of rocks.
While Yasmeena fetches her bow or blade, Haleen has fun with that rock creature.
These two stabs are more than the mephit can take and it dissolves into thin air.
Tariq climbs up the stairs, following the fight sounds.
Yasmeena, emerging from the tent to see Haleen finish off their enemies, rushes inside. There, she sees Tariq heading upstairs, and she follows him. "What has happened?" she cries as she hustles. "Are there more foes? What do they want?"
Aithaloessa rushes up first and bolts into the library. There she finds a guest from earlier and two thugs trying to tackle Rayhan.