Wisps heals Akoril with another Soothe spell.
She puts on a less worried face for the other students, though.
"Now that we know our opponent, we can certainly win next time!"
The leshies carefully guard their prize statue!
Haibran listens in. Tacher Mafika's got it in for ALL of us. 'Cause he cares. No pain no gain!
☀☀☀
It's a holiday weekend, and starting next week is the big push for finals! After dinner Ignaci jangles a set of keys. Look what I have! It's the keys to the Civic League boathouse!
Esi frowns. How'd you get those?
Ignaci ignores her question. You know it's haunted, right? They say tools move on their own… doors slam shut when there's no wind… and at night, they say you can hear a voice humming old work tunes. Zacvhva and Zanvi cling to their mom's legs, hiding, as Ignaci goes on about the scary ghost.
Who wants to check it out? Maybe tell some ghost stories and see who can actually make it through the whole night?
Okoro sits close to Ignaci, smiling and nodding along — as usual he's quite interested in the misadventures Ignaci is cooking up. Haibram loves a good story and would love to punch a ghost even more… or maybe light it on fire. (Do incorporeal creatures they burn?) Mariama is fascinated by the occult ramifications of a haunted boat house, while Noxolo shrugs and says she "guesses it would be okay" if she finally got to meet the undead. Chizire packs a hammock, a pillow, and a bottle of "sipping vodka." Anchor Root quivers a bit, but says she will go too, because everyone else seems interested. Esi frowns; Ignaci clearly acquired the keys from shady means, but if she can keep an eye on everyone maybe the boathouse won't be messy or burned down by Haibram come morning.
Tzeniwe declines; it's too spooky for the kids! Zachva and Zanvi are already hiding under the blankets in her room. Have fun! She smiles.
Ignaci gathers his band of ghost-hunters. Well? You coming?
"Absolutely! How could we miss it?"
"Sure! We'll see how Nantambu hauntings compare to Jaha hauntings," Chimwemwe says with a chuckle and some personal amusement that he keeps to himself.
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Despite being outwardly healed, Akoril had a bit of a hangover from having been smooshed into the grass twice. Seeing his allies enthusiastically agree he nods, wondering what unpleasantness will happen to him next in the boathouse.
Alrinkiri nods, happy to follow their friends and experience something new.
You make your way through Nantambu; it's rather late and most citizens are asleep. The Civic League Boathouse is a three-story tall lofted warehouse that holds all the city's marine equipment. Citizens are also free to use it for their own boats.
The gigantic arched windows are intended to let in ample sunlight during the day, but tonight the dark, steel-framed panes seem foreboding. Something inside glimmers for a moment. Perhaps a forgotten candle just guttered out, or a metal tool reflecting a stray moonbeam. Ignaci unlocks a small side door and bows. The darkness yawns. After you.
You march inside; Esi incants a Light spell that briefly reveals rows of tarp-covered skiffs resting on stands, as well as work benches full of tools. She cups her hand to prevent the light from giving you away to passers-by outside. Several other students do the same; the effect creates disorienting shadows and makes the space seem even more maze-like. Ignaci strides between the boats, weaving back and forth as he searches for a particular place. As you follow him, it's hard not to imagine how easy it would be for someone (or something) to hide inside one of the boats or under one of the tarps. Haibram suddenly yanks a white sheet off a racing skiff. Anchor Root peers under another one. Mariama shines her light into the empty hold of a trawler.
This is the spot. Ignaci pauses. He lights a single candle. Shadows dance, illuminating a mezzanine walkway above you. It's ringed by dark doorways and offices with empty windows that face inward, peering down on you.
You sit down in a circle. When I was on the mail route last week, I heard that a worker was standing in this very spot when he saw a face peering at him from the porthole in that boat — Ignaci points — but maybe it was a trick of the light. Who can say? He wouldn't come back. not alone.
Esi strides over to the boat and looks inside. Nothing. She returns to the circle. Mariama dismisses her light spell and instructs the rest of you to do so. Candllight is better for attracting ghosts.
I ain't scared! says Haibram, but his voice quavers when he dismisses his own spell. Esi crosses her arms and sits down. Chizire gets out a pillow and some snacks, along with his "sipping vodka." Anchor Root keeps her chicken close. Okoro sits near Ignaci. Noxolo says This is okay, and sits down with a shrug. "You know, anyone could murder us in here and get away with it. Just saying."
Once all the lights are out, Ignaci holds the lone candle. His face flickers in the light and he grins. So. Scary story time. Who's first?
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"I've seen a ghost once."
Wisps casts the light cantrip on a coin, and holds it near her face.
"When I was a child, I had to wake up early in the morning to collect the insects from our webs that were all around the space near our house. There was one web I was afraid to go near. It was always cold there, and there were almost never insects. I think they were afraid too. I would hear noises sometimes. One day, I got close and I saw something-a kind of shimmering light near the web. I got so scared I dropped all the insects I was carrying. When my parents sent me back out to collect them, they were gone. Eaten, by someone else. But after that, as long as I left an occasional insect for the ghost, they wouldn't bother me anymore."
Akoril sits back and closes his eyes and listens, trying to get his focus back.
Alrinkiri sits on their haunches, their face impassive as they listen to the stories.
A flash of memory: a dark, long-forgotten temple; ancient, rusting armor; battle scars marring the precious history inscribed on the walls; a glowing figure, its spectral garb of ancient style; RUN!
They shudder slightly, but do not speak.
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"We have a healthy respect for ghost in Jaha," Chimwemwe begins. "Not many people, hmm, know that Jaha existed before Earthfall, before the followers of the Soac Brethren claimed it as, hmm, as their seat of power, before the Jahaxi coalition. The Jahans who lived there kept the gates closed and the secrets of the ancient city and, hmm, the Soac to themselves. When my family and I joined the Jahaxi coalition, we were, hmm, going to petition the Jahans--by, hmm, force--to open the city to the world and free the iruxi.
"We marched out of the Sodden Lands and through the Mwangi Jungle. When the coalition arrived at the gates of Jaha," he pauses for dramatic effect, "the city was empty. Not a single, hmm, Jahan or iruxi. And it wasn't like they had left on some journey. No. Everything in the homes were left out as if the owners would be back any, hmm, any moment. An entire city of people just gone!
"But that's not where mystery stops," he continues. "There's a reason I was, hmm, almost as sleepy as Chizire when I started. Nobody sleeps at night in Jaha. You can't. You can try, but you'll be haunted. People who sleep in Jahan at night have restless dreams living--if you're lucky--living out the lives of Jahans from the past: tending gardens, taking inventory in a shop, cooking a meal in a restaurant. It's like the Jahans' bodies disappeared but their spirits stayed behind and when you, hmm, you sleep in their bed, their spirit enters your mind and plays their memories.
"I said 'if you're luck' because there are other dreams, too," Chimwemwe carries on, his voice attempting to transition from an academic lecture to a quieter, spookier tone despite his inexperience as a story teller. "Sometimes you dream of being a ghost lurking in the shadows at night or under in the tunnels in the streets beneath the city, stalking your prey. Sometimes you don't know who you're hunting; sometimes you're sure it's a family member or friend. You wake up with a sick feeling in your heart because during the dream, you really felt like you were the stalking ghost.
"So everybody sleeps during the day in Jaha," he ends anti-climactically.
Anchor Root clutches her chicken tighter after hearing Wisp's story. At least WIsps scared one person! Mariama nods at Chimwemwe's story. Of course, sounds like a typical curse. Probably from misapplied astrology. But she looks uncomfortable.
☀☀☀
Okoro takes the candle. Have you heard of the missing attendants? They say something hunts the masked students at night — they are vanished from their rooms without a trace. The bed is always made. Their gear is left behind. It is as if they have left to return home, but they do not pack. They say three have vanished this far.
One student says he saw a dead teacher from 200 years ago floating down the hallway, carrying a red parasol. Another student says he saw a "bogey man" watching him from the wall of his dormitory room, but when he turned on a light cantrip it was gone. Others have seen shadowy beings near the Heron Archives, coming and going in the middle of the night… He looks around, suddenly afraid. Maybe it is not a good idea to be here? Should we go home?
Okoro does such a good job he scares himself! He scoots closer to Ignaci. Um. Should we leave? Perhaps it is not safe here…
Ignaci smiles. Nonsense, Okoro! We have to be brave if we're to be attendants ourselves, right? Who's ne—
Something in the dark clatters to the floor! After everyone calms down from the jump scare, it is determined that it was Chizire's flask. The catfolk yawns. Mmmm. I was nodding off. Fft — you're a bunch of scardy-cats!
Esi laughs, but it's a bit strained. Anyway, who's next?
|
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"I don't know much about ghosts, but in Bloodcove we hear about ghost ships. My dad claims saw one, when he was younger, back when he was a sailor. One stormy night at sea, they passed a vessel listing to the side, its sails in tatters. They thought the ship had been caught in the storm, but saw through a spyglass, that the ship was entirely manned by zombies and skeletons. Needless to say they sailed on.
"I heard, not that long ago but before I was born, an old ship appeared in the harbor of Absalom, just 'poof' out of nowhere, some ship from old Azlanti. Folks said it traveled between the planes, and that it disappeared as suddenly as it had shown up.
"That's what used to keep me up at night as a kid. The fear that some strange ship might arrive, or suddenly appear from another plane, and who knows what could be on it."
Ignaci shudders. Back home, we had a similar story. They say a ghost ship wanders Desperation Bay, manned by the spirits of Ijo killed by the colonists. Any Chelaxians who saw the ship would disappear soon after, as if swallowed by the sea even though there's been no storm. Ignaci looks at the floor. Well, at least the colonialists deserved what they got.
☀☀☀
Esi takes the candle. I was doing research on gremlins after the incident in the storage shed. I learned a story too. This is the story of Uduak, a student who was at the academy years ago. It's all true.
Udak had tons of potential, with a strong connection to earth magic. It was easy for him to find a sponsor and get into the academy. He set upon his Prerequisite to becoming a full-fledged attendant.
But Uduak was selfish. He felt that he was meant to be building his own skills at the academy, not serving the community. He performed his tasks with little effort and little concern for the people he was supposedly helping.
Cracks began to form in his mild demeanor. He was caught throwing the mail into the elephant grass. He drew reprimands for hurting other students during practice. He got caught cheating and used all the service work he was "forced" to do as an excuse to justify his actions. He sabotaged other students' work to make himself look better.
One day, his cohort was tasked with removing a group of pugwampi gremlins that had started causing mischief within the academy walls. Ignoring his fellow initiates, who wanted to get the gremlins out peacefully if they could, Uduak rushed in and locked the ways out. He used his magic to slaughter as many gremlins as he could. Some begged to be let go, but he just laughed while he killed all of them!
It was the last straw. Rightly so. Uduak was expelled. But he did not go quietly! He was enraged that the school would rob him of his future just because he took care of some — in how words — "vermin." In his anger, he stood outside the Welcome Walk and threw spells at his teachers, screaming curses. But the teachers only stood there. The magic the ancient wards made his spells bounce like a pebble off a cliff.
So the professors confined Uduak until the administration could decide what to do with him. They took this matter very seriously, placing not only a guard on his room, but also magical wards. Left to stew in his own resentment, Uduak ignored his guard’s warning, drew on all of his strength, and attempted to shatter the spells that kept him imprisoned within his room.
The guard swore he could hear a pugwampi laughing when not only did his magic fail, but went catastrophically wrong! The magical wards rebounded onto Uduak with the full force of their power, crushing him into a small pile of stone dust on the spot.
Esi pauses. Some say, when you misuse magic, you can hear the laughter of the murdered gremlins.
Something in the dark laughs.
hehehehe!
The students freeze. Haibram draws an axe and leaps up.
Soomdevi cannot locate anything among the crazy shapes and shadows of the warehouse. But there is clearly someone — or something in here with you!
Mariama grins wickedly. The spirits have come. We're not afraid! She blows out the candle, plunging you into pitch darkness. A cacaphony of voices prevents you from hearing any more "ghosts," as all the students talk at once:
Look. I don't think we should be in here anymore.
Ummmm… maybe she's right. Can turn a light on? Sorry…
Whatever. A pause. The darkness is okay, and stuff.
Ummmm… what if we're caught? Sorry…
Worry not. My contact was well-bribed and made certain guarantees —.
You BRIBED a —
Whatever. It's not like we're murdering anyone in here.
Right!?
Spirits, I beseech you! aw knaw maw aw hwewo tmuwm…
Air whooshes by. I'll fight 'em! Any of them gosts who come near!
Watch that axe!
Gahh! I am afraid something just brushed my cheek! Did we determine whether any night butterflies live in here!?
Fft. Those're called moths…
Footsteps dash off into the dark.
BUK-BUK-BUK
☀☀☀
Akoril huddles with his fellow scared students, listening for what horrible ghost will come murder them.
"Another gremlin?"
Chimwemwe stands up, his mind trying desperately to make visual sense of the sudden darkness. He tries to remember the layout of the boathouse, but he cannot even be certain which way he was facing when the light went out.
Soomdevi's warning sends his hand reaching for a spear that is not there and worsens his desperation. With little other option, he tries to listen over the other students for something to guide him.
"Don't worry, everyone, this is all part of the fun, clearly."
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The students fall silent with Soomdevi and Wisp's efforts.
The "ghost"laughs again. The voice and phrasing sounds familiar…
Haven't you stuck-up goody-goodies figured it out yet?
I've got a special present on the way for you… you're gonna LOVE it! hehhehe.
Soomdevi has a tough time seeing where Kurshkin went, but he can vaguely hear her little feet padding around on the mezzanine above. The students are totally confused at this point.
Just then the warehouse doors bursts open. Lights shine around near the entrance, casting crazy shadows across the skiffs and sails. A voice calls out: HEY! Who's there? We saw you in the windows. Come on out.
Mariama curses in Skald.
Ignaci whispers: It's the night watch! We were careful about the lights… how the hells did they see us in here!?
Noxolo: Ugh.
The men with lights spread out, searching the warehouse.
Chizire: Mmmm. If we get caught we'll be in trouble…
Okoro: Well, I do not want to get in trouble. I have to study for finals, and a Tomb-Robber Society module to prep….
Esi: We should just give up. It's the right thing to do.
Root: UMMMM…
Several students cast Light Cantrips, cupping them in their hands. Ignaci rolls a pebble down a row of skiffs. Over there! shout the guards. His clever gambit has bought you a few moments.
Haibram runs off into the dark. Ain't no one gonna catch Haibram!
Chizire slinks off under a nearby boat.
Soon, most of the students are scattering as they try to elude the night watch! Esi holds a light upon herself. Over here. I give up. Anchor stands with her. All the other students are quickly spreading out.
☀☀☀
Pranked by Kurshkin!
You can try to escape with some of the students using a stealth check to hide or sneak, a deception check to throw the guards off, acrobatics to drop out of a window without making noise, athletics to climb, or some other plan that involves a check. Or, you can stand with Esi and give up.
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Akoril makes a break for it, popping out a window with an overly dramatic roll that's likely too dark for anybody else to see.
"How much trouble can we get into?" Chimwemwe says as he goes to stand with Esi and Anchor Root. "Getting caught has to be safer than running blind into Kurshkin."
"Kurshkin better hope I don't run into her," Alrinkiri growls as they silently bound over a skiff and out a window.
Akoril leaps out o the window with style; Haibram launches himself inelegantly through an adjacent one. He stand in the street, brushing off shards of glass. Uhh. Oops.
Chimwemwe stands and awaits the guards. Esi nods at him and smiles, and holds Root's hand.
Soomdevi and Noxolo (who's wearing all black today) make their way through the shadows, and hang out under a nearby tree some blocks away, like nothing's going on and it's boring here but why bother going somewhere else that'll also be totally boring too? Whatever.
Okoro freezes up when he thinks he sees a moth (AKA the dreaded "night butterfly"), but Alrinkiri is so adept at stealth that they are able to sneak away, then turn around and show the gamemaster the safest way out!
Wisps is up!
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Wisps makes a strange sounds from her throat, that other anadis would recognize as the sound a grandparent makes when a child is doing something naughty. She does her best to throw hew voice, trying to make the guards think there is an animal.
What was that!? Over there! Wisps easily fools the guards, giving her time to slip away. With her distraction, it's easy enough for the other students to get away. Outside, she sees students scattering into the night. Looks like everyone will have to make their way back to Spire Dorm on their own.
☀☀☀
The night watch finds Esi, Anchor Root, and Chimwemwe standing in middle of the warehouse. They shine their lights (holoow claves with Light cantrips cast on a pebble fixed on one end) around.
One of the guards steps toward esi. No one's supposed to be in here at night. We saw some weird dog-gaced person shining lights up on the top floor. Are you with her?
Esi looks him in the eye. No.
What're you doin' here?
Hunting ghosts. This place is haunted.
The guard nods. Yeah. I know. He shines the light at Anchor Root and Chimwemwe. Are you the only ones here?
Yes.
He shines the light on Anchor Root. Is that right?
Ummmmmmmmmm… The shy gnoll trembles. But she looks defiantly at the guard and shakes her head. She says nothing.
He suddenly the light upon Chimwemwe. Is she telling the truth?
"The dog-faced person you saw is a gremlin named Kurshkin who tried to kill me several months ago," Chimwemwe rambles. "So hopefully, now, we are the only ones here. If we're not the only ones here, I'd be especially happy to not be here and leave with you..."
And on he rambles. Who knows what he will say next?
Esi stomps on Chimwemwe's foot!
The lead investigator smiles coldly. He turns to his men. Go look outside. Canvas the area!
The night watchmen disperse. The leader takes your names in a notebook. He lets you know that he will be letting Teacher Ot know as well.
He looks at Anchor. Hrmm. And what's your familiar's name? We need it for our records.
Ummmm… I just call her "chicken…"
What!? You;re telling me that you didn't name your familiar!? That's RIDICULOUS!
Anchort starts to cry a little. I'm… not good at names! I can't pick one she'll like… I'm not… conf-conf-confident enough SNIFFLE SNIFFLE
In a moment soon Anchor is crying! The chicken pecks at anchor's feet, trying to console her master.
Esi shakes her finger at the guardsman. She's telling the TRUTH! Look at what you did!
The guardsman blushes. Sorry! He gets out a handkerchief for Root. The chicken pecks angrily at his boot, but he doesn't notice.
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The guardsman's face softens. Look. I get it. You wanna find the ghost in here. Everyone does. You're not the first kids having a seance in here. But we worry about safety, right? We don't want people in here accidentally starting a fire, or in a dangerous warehouse without supervision where something is liable to fall on your head, and such. And if there's some "Kurshkin" in here trying to kill you (whatever THAT is), you're lucky they didn't drop an anchor on your noggin! All they did was get us guard on your trail, to try and mess with you.
So here's the deal. Tomorrow instead of going to the celebrations, I'll ask you to report here to the boathouse, alright? Supervisors Wubaynes will decide what to do with you. A day of service. Tell her Chief Yaaseen sent you lot.
For the first time, you notice that on his belt dangles a mask. It's a bloodhound.
"Yes, sir," Chimwemwe says, appropriately abashed. And with an aching foot. He tries to catch Anchor's eye to give her an encouraging smile.
You all make your way back to the dorms and share stories of daring escape.
Okoro and Ignaci show up much later than anyone else. Ignaci looks none too pleased. There were guards everywhere! How'd they know to search outside the warehouse, too? Did one of you tattle-tale?
Esi just stares him down. He stares back. Why would you even ask that?
The young man frowns and falls into a sofa. Trust no one. That's my motto.
Mariama grins. Yeah that's why all your notes are in cipher. We get it. Ignaci dismissively waves a hand.
Esi rolls her eyes. No one wants to steal his dumb notes anyway.
Haibram mutters, I do.
Chizire leans back into his nest of pillows and sips from his mug, which is filled with steaming hot liquid with the fragrance of tangy Agbalumo. Mmmm. I'm too tired to listen to you bicker. Have a drink. Tell me… he yawns. What is this "Kurshkin" you saw? I thought she was one of the, mmmmm, gremlins you fought at the Introduction Ceremony? Mmm, surely, that isn't right.
Akoril looks exhausted. "I... I don't know. After getting squished so many times I just panicked. I'm going to have a nice elven teasan and go to bed. I'll see everybody tomorrow for the festival."
"She was, and we captured her, though she later escaped. Not the first time she's been caught causing trouble here, either. She's also none too bright, if she thinks things are going to go better for her the next time we see her."
Uncomfortable and disconcerted, Chimwemwe fiddles with his puzzle box from home. He nods as Alrinkiri answers Chizire's question. "We, hmm, I believed her stor--no, the teachers who interrogated her believed her too. She gave a story about being forced to, hmm, serve some one called the Stone Ghost or be killed, and, hmm, she would reform if we were merciful. Then she escaped somehow and, hmm, and it looks like she's going to haunt us until we're too distracted to see her real attack coming."
Wisps glares at Ignaci. "Why would anyone was there snitch? All of us could have gotten in trouble."
"This Kurshkin is clearly getting a lot of help from someone, Stone Ghost or otherwise."
Ignaci shrugs. Trust no one.
Chizire and Haibram stay up drinking. The rest of the students are tired, and go off to bed.
In the morning, while you are having breakfast getting ready for the Old-Mage Day festival, and Root and Esi are having a discussion.
…Anchor, I thnk you should name your chicken. That way if she gets lost (which seems to happen a lot), or if you're in trouble (which also seems to happen a lot), she will be easier identified by people trying top help you.
But… I don't know how to pick a good name name… I'm not… creative…
Soon, other students are joining in. Noxolo thinks "Chicken" is pretty cool because it's ironic and not cool to look like you;re trying hard. Haibram thinks the chicken should have a battle-centric name that strikes fear into the heart of all her enemies (and insects). Chizire thinks the name should be easy to say and remember. The Spiderlings argue amongst themselves and decide on "crickets sandwich" — the result of an epic compromise (Zachva came up with "Crickets" and Zanvi "Sandwich.")
Esi looks to you. What do you think we should do about Root's chicken? The bird happily plucks away at yet another inexorable invasion of ants on the floor. She might not have a name, but she is well-fed!
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"Noxolo has a point," Chimwemwe says with a small smile. "But storytelling is not my strong suit, and her name should have meaning to you and your story. But, hmm, I can do something else to help you find her if she wanders away."
He leaves the common area and heads to his room while the others continue to discuss names. There he gathers scraps of colored cloth, three wooden beads, and a bit of spare wire. He carves geometric shapes onto the beads and applies one varnish to two of the beads and a different one to third. He feeds the beads onto the wire and then braids thin strips of cloth around the wire to pad it before bending it into a ring that hooks together at the ends so it can be done and undone.
Chimwemwe returns and presents the chicken leg band to Anchor Root. "Here. If she wears this, she'll be distinct and easy for people to recognize."
UMMM… escaping… eating ants… being fluffy… she's good at pecking around for lucky bones… Root blushes and looks at the ground.
Akoril listens to the leg discussion but doesn't have any useful suggestions for the name.
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"Lucky Bones is an excellent name. She is good at finding bones; she is lucky to have found you as a friend. Lucky Bones."
"Lucky Bones is a charming name."
Wisps holds out a few bus for the chicken.
Anchor root smiles. "Lucky bones. Ummm… what do you think?" The chicken preens and struts her stuff. She approves! Thank you!
Esi grins. I love it! Now that that's settles, we have to report for our punishment. Root, and Chimwemwe — let's go to the boathouse. She waves goodby to the rest of you. Have fun for us!
Supervisor Wubaynes awaits the students. She is a wiry, strong woman — tall and lean-muscled — and proud of her work here on the boats. She is also a community organizer, bringing together the people who use the warehouse for a variety of needs. She's by the community board, putting up a flyer.
So you're the miscreants Chief Yaaseen sent, eh? Well, you're in luck. She chuckles. Depending on how you define "luck." One of today's rowing teams ate some bad food last night and can’t participate in this morning's race unless they find more crew. They need a couple rowers and a coxswain.
Of course, if you don’t want to race you can clean the bathroom stalls or boil pine tar. That always needs doing. That's the morning. In the afternoon, we'll see what comes up.
It's early yet, so the festival is just getting underway. Nevertheless the bridges and walkways of Nantambu flow with people in their best clothing, smell of delicious street food. The waterways are clogged with party boats. Small stages are set up everywhere, and all the shops are open and displaying their finest wares.
Everyone in Naantambu is dressed up in their best fashion to go out on the town. Ignaci wears ridiculous sunflower-shaped sunglasses, traditional stole, and a military cap. Noxolo is wearing an all-black outfit with golden bracelets and has magically shaped her dreads around her face into the shape of a nemes. Tzeniwe is wearing a bright kanga with a pattern she wove herself, featuring all teen magical warrior masks. She has a head scarf and tucked the into a kikoi with a cricket pattern on it.
It’s a lovely day, with a cool breeze.
• Haibram notices a game of Zenj stick-fighting, played with sticks, and wants to compete.
•. Ignaci notices a game of Jukskei, which is played in his home region of Vidrian, and would like to teach you.
•. Mariama notices a fortune-teller and wants to see if they are legitimate, or conning people.
•. The spiderlings are excited to attend an exotic animal show and petting zoo run by Oba’s Wondrous Creatures
Akoril cleans and buffs his jaunty hat with sustainable feather, making sure to look good for the festival.
Wandering about and enjoying the festival Akoril eventually gets caught up with Ignaci and Jukskei.
There is such a wide variety of games. I never would have known... what if I lose my chess skills by playing all these other things instead.
Akoril then clears his head before the worries overwhelm him and enjoys the game.