[dice=Common Knowledge]d4; d6 = Success
What have I heard about Atlantis?
You have heard that it's a land where humans are enslaved. The slavers that come you think are the splugorth of Atlantis. However, the rumors may be true. Most of the slaves here on this plantation are humans. Plus, the hulking giants that are known as kygorth's lessons are also enslaved here.
You haven't seen any slavers as of yet, but most of those go to North America -- and you never seen a slaver barge. Lucky you both. Also, the place has a wildlife preserve, with a few plantations out in it's western part. Most people live in the cities on the eastern part of the continent. The largest is the city of Splynn, which is Atlantis' capital. The gargoyle seems friendly enough. With the right skill roll, A notice roll, you can tell if the gargoyle is trying to trick you.
Then again, he might be happy.
Zhan has been to Atlantis before, and the context was not positive, and brings up a number of unpleasant memories. He works to keep his face neutral, though that something has soured his mood likely seeps through.
Zhan has been to Atlantis before, and the context was not positive, and brings up a number of unpleasant memories. He works to keep his face neutral, though that something has soured his mood likely seeps through.
[dice=Notice]d8;d6+d6
You noticed that the gargoyle has picked up a rod. He's not going to use it on you, that's for sure. The rod is made of bamboo, not very flexible but useable.
Suddenly you hear a call, "Roumar!" It sounds like a female voice, higher in pitch -- it might have been an alto. The gargoyle looks to the source of the voice, coming from his domicile. You see a female gargoyle dressed in a short tunic with a sash across the waist.
"Yes, precious?" says the gargoyle.
The female gargoyle calls back. "time for lunch."
"If you could just point us in the direction of the nearest town, we'll be on our way."
The gargoyle who's name was Roumar nodded. "Well, since you are not my slaves, I can help you in that direction."
He pointed to a road leading up to his house. It was paved, alright, with cobblestones. He had what looked like beasts of burden in a stable on the side of his house. "Follow my private lane south until you reach the main road. Then turn due east for about five miles, and you will reach the nearest town."
As we walk in the direction told to us, Kara asks Zahn "So, humans are slaves in Atlantis? Are free humans a thing, or are we likely to try to be captured all the time?"
"I was here on an opp. It was back during my deadboy phase. CS wanted me to acquire some tech, so I came in under cover. Splynn is... hard to describe. Slavery has a flexible definition here; everything from chattel like those back there to high ranking government bureaucrats might technically be slaves. Some slaves can own property, marry, and even own slaves of their own, in the right circumstances."
"Pretty much anything can be taken as a slave, though I've never seen a spluggorth enslaved by another. Don't know if that's a rule, a custom, or they are just too powerful and devious to be reliably controlled by another. Law-wise, it is kind of a might-makes-right kind of society. The spluggorth do what they want, and the elites under them do whatever they want, so long as it doesn't get in the way of the spluggorth. The folk under the elites do what they can, so long as it doesn't piss of the elites or the spluggorth, and so on and so on down the line. Basically, the only law here is 'don't piss off your betters.'"
"In some ways that can be used to your advantage, as people are often reluctant to take action if they think it will piss off someone more powerful than themselves. Take that Gargoyle. If he thought he could enslave us without consequences, he might. For him, it is probably not worth the trouble though. Besides the fact that for a plantation owner, the only fighters he needs are slave drivers, and they have to enjoy their position in the hierarchy. Fresh slaves from market, or captured from a farm on the mainland, would do just as good a job raising cane as we would, if not better, and not give him a tenth as much trouble. Then there is the political angle. Who are we? Why are we here? Are we spying on him, checking up on his operation, or really just passing through like we said? If we are here to meet someone, he could cause himself a lot a trouble if that contact is more powerful than himself. It could be a ploy by a neighbour, intended to give him an excuse to attack and take over his territory. It could be someone way up the line, in which case, messing with us could get him squashed like a bug."
"Best thing to do here is keep your allegiances vague; never confirm or deny who or what you may be working for, and for the love of god, never admit or give the impression that you are alone or unaffiliated. Might as well hang a sign around your neck that says, 'Free Samples.'"
"As far as I know, free creatures are just that, free, and you can come, do business, and leave if you're able. Just keep what I said in mind. Morality has no baring here; relationships are transactional. So, if you show up, demonstrate or imply that you represent a powerful entity, you can probably do your business and leave, as the locals will assume that an ongoing business relationship will likely be more profitable than just seizing you. But, by the same token, the instant they feel your usefulness as a contact has dried up, they may choose to cash out, confiscating your gear and selling you at the slave market. If you have no future value, then the only value you represent to them is your meat, your labour, and what you are carrying on your back."
"Wow, Atlantean culture is *way* more complicated than I want to deal with. I'll remember the pointers you made, tho, and let you lead in any money-related conversations. Any chance we could get hired as mercenaries to kill invading RIFT monsters?"
The private lane merges with a road of Atlantean design. Still black tarmac, yes, but there are markers of curious workmanship and design. Some of them have squiggy lines, others are circles with lines -- as if spokes on a wheel, and others are too weathered to be recognized. Those that are preserved, however, glow.
Kara notes the odd symbols as she and Zhan head towards town.
Zhan reaches out casually, feeling the residue on the runes with his senses, but without braking stride or stopping. It is merely curiosity, to see if the energy is mystical or psychic, or whether the ancient atlanteans were channeling ley line energy.
Zhan reaches out casually, feeling the residue on the runes with his senses, but without braking stride or stopping. It is merely curiosity, to see if the energy is mystical or psychic, or whether the ancient atlanteans were channeling ley line energy.
Detect Arcana: 1d12 ⇒ 9 1d6 ⇒ 4
You feel the ley line energy follow this road. Leading you away or forward to a town. The energy pulsates, as if it's the energy of the Earth itself. The psychic energy on this road breathes with power. Although this is the first time you could feel it with your senses, a ley line walker could walk this road. He could drift down this road with hardly a problem.
The town you enter is mostly built of wood, although there is some stone construction. In the center of the town is a stone pyramid, much like the pyramids at Gaza. You notice that the pyramid was constructed on a ley line nexus.
Finally, as you enter, some of the Kydians are patrolling the streets. They are wearing the standard armor issue. A breastplate of leather protects them, and also a colored loincloth to represent rank -- along with symbols on their left breasts. Each Kydian warrior is holding a staff with an eye of eylor suspended in water and in a sphere on top of the staff. Many people -- mostly humans -- are in light clothing made of linen or silk. Other than the Kydians, you see no other alien life forms, but you know there has to be more aliens here. Most of the humans are wearing slave clothing. Although, you do see some dracosauruses -- small dragons without wings.
The small town, called Riverwind, is one of the few towns that dot this part of the land of Atlantis.
"So Zhan - what do you want to do first? Find a place to sleep, eat something, or find out what this town has to offer in the way of jobs or bounties?"
"First order of business will be contacting that frigate we were traveling on. I need to get my ship before I can really consider anything else. The category of jobs we'll be able to score as pedestrians would even come close to what we can pull down with a bird."
"We'll need to find a place nearby that can manage a secure signal, and then we'll set up a means to retrieve it."
The small crowd ignores you. Mostly human, some of them are slaves. Some of them also have tattoos.
"Where can we find a 'secure signal', and what is it?"
"Well, a scrambled radio signal would be ideal, but secure just means communicating with a minimal chance of being eavesdropped or intercepted. Being where we are, we might be more likely to find a Line-Walker that can send the message for us."
Zhan does a walking circuit of the town, looking for a transmission tower or radio dish that might indicated a building has communication capabilities. If he can't spot one, he'll look for any storefronts advertising communication; telepaths, Ley-Line walkers, telegraph, or even post.
There happens to be a ley line walker in the streets, buying a dracosaurus. He is human, and magically active. He is also wearing a long duster and has his gas mask handy. He's dark skinned and has a flat nose -- like he's from Africa. He speaks both English and his native tongue of Ghana. He also speaks Atlantean.
"How much for the dracosaurus?" He asks with a distinct accent.
It should be still alive. :) Zhan, the ball is in your court.
Zhan waits for the Line Walker to finish his transaction before approaching him. When he does, he waves to him first so he isn't approaching unannounced, and keeps both his hands out and plainly visible as is his habit, picked up in order to try and put others at ease.
"Excuse me for bothering you, but you look like a Ley Line Walker. I was wondering if I might be able to hire you to send some long distance messages for me?"
"I can," said the walker. "So, call me Buddy. Where do you want the message to go, and what do you want sent?"