Looking somewhat cautious, Okapi glances to Anabel whilst scooping up Twig. "Twig is somewhat curious but also very shy so Twig usually stays hidden away."
It's somewhat difficult to believe such a statement, considering, through Okapi's hands, the small construct seems to be trying to peer out, letting out a nearly inaudible greeting of some sort.
"Hello - Okapi is very protective..."
If a Gnoll could blush now would be the time but she eventually lets the bundle of twigs and twine go to allow it to clamber across the dishes towards Anabel
Firinn likewise seems curious about Twig and pulls himself up to the table itself so he can meet the little construct.
Anabel holds out her hand encouragingly to let Twig climb onto it. "I do not speak your language. Perhaps I will have to learn so I can speak to Twig! They are so cute!"
The rain has finally begun to let up when Bahili and Unya return to Spire Dorm, arriving shortly behind Drazhan. When the trio arrives, they see a well-muscled and clean-shaven dwarven man sparring out front with a human woman. The dwarf darts across the battlefield, boosted by gusts of wind he conjures behind him. The woman spins her staff and parries the clubs the dwarf throws at her. Nearby, a second woman in a handsome dashiki sways and casually dances, snapping her fingers to an imaginary beat. A bizarre beast resembling a cross between a two-foot-long crocodile and a bear cub prances and nibbles at her ankles as she shuffles and snaps.
The fighters break off their match when they see you approach. "Ah! You're the fresh meat!" the dwarf says with an enthusiastic grin. "Haibram Thodja, pleased to meet you!"
"And I am Mariama Keitana," his sparring partner says. "Welcome!" She looks to Unya, repeating the word 'Welcome' in Amurrun.
Drazhan had walked slowly on his path back to the dorm, allowing Bahili and Unya to nearly catch up to him.
When the fighters call out to him, he frowns "Please.sure." He swallows and purses his lips before responding with the rest of his greeting. "Fresh meat is a rather crude greeting, Haibram. My name is Drazhan."
He turns to look back at the two members of his cohort, waiting for their own introduction.
Haibram chuckles. "Just messing with you, brother! We're happy to have you here in Spire Dorm. You look like a pretty tough guy! Care to go a few rounds with me?" The dwarf twirls his clubs eagerly.
"Good Evening, Haibram Thodja and Mariama Keitana" Bahili bows "I am Bahili Nyuki, son of Zuri Nyuki, of Nyukimji, glassworks inspired by nature and a delicate touch." he is beginning to caff at his promise to his mother to promote their glassworks, but only slightly... so far.
Drazhan watches the dwarf twirl his clubs and evaluates the probability that this man is a greater warrior than himself. Deciding that the odds are in his favor, he responds "I accept your challenge. What are the rules?"
"And I am Mariama Keitana," his sparring partner says. "Welcome!" She looks to Unya, repeating the word 'Welcome' in Amurrun.
"Ah! You speak the language as well!" Unya replies in kind. "It's so wonderful to meet someone else that Icanconverseininacivilizedmanner. Did you learnitrecentlyanddoyouknowotherlanguages?" Her excitement bleeds back into her speaking pace and her goal of bringing Bahili back to her room seems momentarily forgotten.
”Ha! Alright, we fight until the other person is knocked out or yields. Magic’s allowed, but no blows to the face or below the belt!” Haibram says excitedly. He leaps high into the air, boosted by a blast of air, then lands in a crouch. ”Ready when you are!”
***
Mairama chuckles at Unya’s enthusiasm. ”Heh, well, I have a knack for linguistics. I learned Amurrun recently from Chizire, and I am fluent in about a half dozen other tongues. Plus, I know swear words in virtually every language on Golarion!”
"Agree. May the best man win." Drazhan says, before slowly drawing his blade. Though it's a size of a longsword, it is shaped drastically different. Instead of a single long balde, two serrated blades placed side by side with a small gap between them line the wicked blade.
"I'm ready." the magus starts, waiting and watching for the first move from the dwarf. He parries and dodges to the best of his ability taking a few licks, dealing out a few quick strikes accompanied acid or electricity. But when the moment finally arrives, he peeks into teh future and finds the right moment to deliver a menacing blow.
Haibram fights valiantly, darting about and swinging paired clubs at Drazhan, but the magus comes out on top! The dwarf yields with a grin on his face. "Well done, brother!"
Mairama claps her hands. "Indeed! And what a singular weapon you have! A rhoka sword! I have heard the mysterious urdefhans of the Darklands wield them. Wherever did you get your hands on one of those?"
"Well fought." Drazhan agrees, shaking the dwarven man's hand after the fight.
Looking down at the blade, he says somberly "It is not a pleasant story. When I was a boy I went to town to fetch supplies. When I returned, I found my family's farm had been razed and my family slaughtered. I found this broken blade in my father's body. I took it and had it reforged anew and carry it as a remembrance of what happened. It took some time, but eventually I found someone to train me on its ways. I have been attempting to master it ever since."
Haibram and Mairama are saddened by Drazhan's tale of woe. Haibram is the first to recover, clapping Drazhan on the back. "I am sorry for your loss, brother. But you are here at the Magaambya now. You can learn to master fire and lightning so that you can find those responsible for your family's deaths and rain destruction down upon them!"
"That... that's really not what they teach here, Haibram," Mairama says.
"Bah! But it would be so cool!" the dwarf insists.
"The Magaambya have defended the area for centuries, have they not? So teaching offensive magic seems like it would be on the curriculum. Or were you meaning the intended use of the magic?" Bahili asks out of curiosity.
"The Tempest-Sun Mages do specialize in evocation magic," Haibram says, "but they're focused on using it to defend Nantambu and the people of the city, rather than for attack! Boring! Esi's training to be a Tempest-Sun Mage, but I want something more exciting. That's why I'm going to be a Rain-Scribe, so I can explore the world and see everything it has to offer!"
"Our sire has taught us that one should never instigate violence on another. However, if someone brings violence against us, we should not refrain from using whatever means we have - lethal or not - against them in our defense," Unya declares.
Mairama nods to Unya. "A wise philosophy. Oh, have you met Noxolo yet? Noxolo!" She turns to where the woman was dancing earlier, but she is no longer there, nor is the strange beast that was beside her. "Huh, she must have gone inside. Well, you should introduce yourselves to her, as well as Okoro and Tzeniwe. Then you'll have met everybody in Spire Dorm!"
"Rain-Scribes is the branch I wish to join!" Bahili says with enthusiasm. "adaptability in thoughts and deeds, a traveller and a guide in touch with the natural world around them as well as flowing around the world that moves on its own.'" Bahili repeats the words that drove him to come here. Determination as well as respect in his voice.
"Yes! Rain-Scribes for life, brother!" Haibram shouts, holding up his hand to give Bahili a high-five! "Anchor Root is a Rain-Scribe, too. Mariama here is a Cascade Bearer, along with Chizire. Ignaci and Tzeniwe are in the Emerald Boughs, while Noxolo and Okoro are both in the Uzunjati."
"Our family has always been Uzunjati," Unya says proudly. "We make our own stories day to day." Turning her gaze back to Bahili, she tips her head. "Speaking of stories ... weren't you going to join us in our room to explain more about humans?"
"I..." Bahili's eyes were turn from his high five, back to the eyes of Unya, and can only find himself nodding in response.
Unya and Bahili head inside the dorm and knock on Chizire’s door. The amurrun opens it a few moments later. Her room most notably features a fully functional moonshine still. Despite this contraption taking up most of his room’s free space, Chizire also keeps a few shade‐loving plants from Kibwe in pots.
”Good timing! My latest batch just finished brewing. Care for a taste?” she asks with a grin.
"Oh! Is that a Zantedeschia aethiopica?" Bahili sees the shade loving lily growing in Chizire's room "Bumblebees love the aroma of them, I did my best to grow a patch in the hollow without much success, what did you use?" Bahili grows excited at the wrong parts of the offering.
"Eh? I don't know. I brewed up some concoction that the plant seemed ot like," Chizire says, flicking her ears in the catfolk version of a shrug.
Firinn misses the larger folk leaving as he becomes engrossed in trying to communicate with Twig. He does eventually get back to his dinner, and since salad eats well cold, there's no harm done by his spell of inattention.
"So Anabel. I know there are schools here, which one do you intend to join?
”I plan to join the Emerald Boughs, so that I may learn magic to help the Ekujae people. What about you?” Anabel asks.
"I'm not joining any of the schools." Firinn says with a tiny shrug. "This whole thing where they treat me as a student is clearly a mistake. Someone will realise this soon!" He seems quite cheerful about the whole situation before he turns to Okapi.
"And what about you Okapi? Do you have a school you want to join?"
"We would be happy to try whatever you're offering," Unya says to Chizire with a grin as she pulls her human companion towards the traditional amurrun floor cushions. "Come, Bahili, we must get comfortable," she says, tugging on his hand as she stretches out on the floor.
"I agree with Anabel." Okapi chimes in, scooping Twig back into her bag beneath the table as she does so. "Community and tribe is truly important. That is why I'm learning magic and the Emerald Boughs are the ones that understand that."
She scarfs the rest of her food and bounces up. "Shall we go? Maybe Drazhan has calmed down now?"
Anabel, Firinn, and Okapi return to Spire Dorm. They arrive as Bahili and Unya enter the building. Drazhan, Haibram, and Mairama are still outside.
"Cushions?" Bahili concentrates on something else as he tugged toward the sitting area "We use... um... hanging chairs..." his mind stutters on what they are called. "In the jungle there is an abundance of creatures that will bite or sting, so we rarely relax on the floor." but he settles down on a cushion anyway, since that is what is polite "And if we need the space all the seating can be pulled up to the ceiling with ease."
Chizire’s moonshine is strong enough to make your eyes water. It tastes fruity and burns going down.
”Ah, a hammock! That would be a lovely addition to my room, yes. But the cushions are quite comfortable, too,” Chizire purrs. She sprawls out close to Unya, yawning widely.
"Hammock... yes, mother called them Pods, my sister's called them eggs. But hammocks for sitting is the most recognizable." he gives a brief smile of thanks to the purring Chizire, before turning to look anywhere else as the sudden desire to pet her comes way too close to the surface. "The cushions are comfortable, yes!" he doesn't lounge, but sits as straight as he can and sips the quite strong brew. "Honey? Does this have honey in it?"
"No honey. Maybe next time, if you can round up some bees for me. Maybe we can raid the campus apiary together! Wouldn't that be fun?" Chizire says with a grin.
"Oh that would be..." the enthusiasm Bahili shows is stunning really, as a young child suddenly being asked if they would like the wall to be made of fudge and the air to taste of cotton candy. His eyes ignite, he leans toward the lounging Chizire. "... lovely" he manages not to gush, so completely, just minorly.
It seems like he has some kind of affinity with bees.
Okapi is feeling just a little tired after the meal and excitement of the day but feels so drawn to mingling with her new friends that she cannot help but linger.
"So, what do we all do now?" She asks, glancing towards Firinn. "It would feel a little anticlimactic to head back to bed already. Do you think we could perhaps go and explore everywhere? Do you think we're allowed?" She adds with a mischievious grin, where its obvious that the mere idea of being forbidden wouldn't stop her.
"Does it matter?" Firinn counters, with a mischievous grin of his own. "They gave us beads to keep us out of trouble. That's practically an invitation - they're acknowledging that we will get into some." He grins again. "And besides, if Helena goes with her new friend I can't do much to stop her. I'm only small..."
"You like bees?" Unya asks with a mischievous twinkle in her large blue eyes. Perhaps she's had a little too much of Chizire's brew, but she gives the other amurrun a knowing wink and moves in closer to Bahili. Before he knows what's happening, he's being pressed down on the pillows and fur-covered fingers are seeking out vulnerable - and quite ticklish - spots.
"Buzz! Buzz! Bzzz!" Unya calls out between giggles as she works on reducing the man to a laughing ball.
Bahili's eager eyes turn toward Unya, but not fast enough before he is... UNDER HER! Politeness continues to work against him "Uh, wh-HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHhhAHHAHAH" the poor man has no defense against soft velvety fingers that seem to know every weak spot. At least the exploding guffaws eclipse the other feelings that might have fought for his mind's attention.
Chizire snorts and cracks up with laughter! "Ha ha ha! You two are hilarious! I'm sure we're going to be good friends!"
Anabel, Firinn, and Okapi explore the Magaambya campus for a while, getting a lay of the land, though not delving too deeply into any one location. The tantalizing glimpses of the magical academy's facilities certainly stoke their imagination for what may lie ahead for them during their education!
Bahili and the two amurruns stay up rather late drinking and carousing...
Eventually, though, everybody falls asleep for the night.
***
The next morning, as soon as you awake, Esi Djana asks you to meet her outside the dorm. She waits for you there alongside Haibram Thodja, a light rain falling from the sky.
“Ah, the green shoots blossom in the rain,” Haibram says with a wave. The dwarf takes a moment to introduce himself to Anabel, Firinn, and Okapi. "It was meant to be me and Root meeting you, but I guess not?”
“I swapped with Anchor Root,” Esi replies, brushing the point aside before addressing you. “Over the next five days, you’ll be helping with each of the school’s five branches. Haibram and Anchor Root seek to join the Rain-Scribes. It’s the branch that explores the world and helps other travelers make their way through uncertain territories. That means Rain-Scribes have to work well with both nature and people.”
Haibram continues, “We can really use your help. The Kafesi Market won’t deal with anyone they know is part of the Magaambya. Since you’re new, you should be able to get in without a problem. You’ll be looking for, er, chickens.
“Did you know there’s such a thing as endangered chickens? Of course, any chicken that comes too close to me is endangered,” Haibram grins, rubbing his stomach. “A farmer outside of Nantambu, Bisola, said her family used to keep Ojofiri chickens. Said they could hatch anything, even a dragon egg! I don’t know about that, but she wants to raise Ojofiris again, so we’re going to get her some. Ojofiri eggs aren’t very hardy and the birds aren’t good layers, so they mostly got put in soup and now there’s hardly any left. Well, we caught wind that someone at Kafesi has a few chicks. Go and bring some back.”
The pair describes Ojofiri chickens as small fowl with white faces, dark blue feathers, and lavender combs; chicks should have dark blue feathers with a white underbelly. They ask you to bring back at least four chicks, which hopefully will ensure there’s at least one male and one female chick but the more the better. They also describe the Kafesi Market as a wandering bazaar that clashed with the Magaambya in the past; its merchants are shrewd bargainers at best, and some are downright unscrupulous. You should investigate sellers and their goods carefully before making a purchase. Esi gives you a pouch with 20 gp and encourages you to hurry—the Ojofiri chicks might sell out.
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~~~~~
"You wish us to purchase chickens?" Unya questions with a curious tip of her head. "Is this what is called pranking?" Without waiting for an answer she snatches the pouch of gold. "It does not matter, we will return with Ojofiri chicks and demonstrate our skill and devotion."
A hunt is something that is definitely in the amurrun's bailiwick and she energetically prods the others along.
"Quick, quicklikelittlebunnies! Thehuntcalls!"
Breathlessly he tries to gather himself as the amurrunian climbs on top of him, further muddling his attempts at gathering. "I... I don't know... what... you mean." his sisters had teased him relentlessly, knowing he would not retaliate. His main defense has always been to plead ignorance.
"Ojofiris are quite pretty birds, so I've heard." Bahili tries to remember all that he has.
They are pretty birds, indeed. Bahili knows that once you acquire the baby chicks, they should be kept warm on the long, wet walk back to the Magaambya. Ojofiri chicks are especially fragile, and without special care during the damp and cold trek back to the academy, they’ll get sick enough to die.
Firinn listens, wondering a. how on earth this consistutes useful learning and b. how he is supposed to help, given that Helena may well try to eat said chickens and he isn't going to be able to lift an egg by himself...
The first step to finding the chickens is to find Kafesi Market! Since it is a travelling bazaar, locating the market itself will be your first chalenge.
Unya tips her head as she attempts to read between the lines of Bahili's behavior. She moves in closer, pressing her nose almost to his neck as she sniffs along his jaw. Her whiskers tickle against the sensitive skin.
Laughing, she pulls back again. "You smell nice and you're funny, Bahili," she says before rolling off him and tumbling with Chizire across the pillows. She ends up on the bottom of this tussle, though. "You have defeated us," she declares in good humor. "What does the victor wish as her spoils?"
~~~~~
The amurrun moves quickly from small group to small group querying them on the location of Kafesi Market. Her enthusiasm perhaps works as a detriment as she hardly finishes asking her questions before dashing off in a rush to the next group.
Unya's enthusiastic approach to information gathering eventually produces results. After an hour, she learns the location of Kafesi Market, currently on the far west end of Nantambu. reaching the market requires a soggy and cold half-hour walk.
The market itself is comprised of simple wooden tables that serve as stalls, sheltered under a cluster of large, colorful umbrellas. Asking about Ojofiri chickens leads you to a merchant named Seydou. Seydou is a human man with a short, gray tunic and white-blue paint all over his body.
"Ah, yes, Ojofiri! Of course, of course!" Seydou says. He gestures to two chicks with dark feathers and white underbellies. "I will sell you these two for a mere 2 gp each! A bargain for such rare birds!"
Unya's pupils widen at the sight of the two chicks. She shakes off her instincts enough to give Bahili a questioning look.