Lord Mahindra's page

Yeah some more frequent posts would be appreciated. I'd like to get this finished in a reasonable time frame :)

Lord Mahindra smiles sadly and tells Lilly, "That is entirely possible Miss Hennett, as I said it's beyond doubt that the cult has infiltrated the Thakur's Palace. Previous investigations where compromised by leaks. Still I'm sure you'll prove to be more than a match for the Cult. They may not take you seriously at first, but they will. I hope you have found a secure place to rest, no don't tell me about it. It's best you keep such things to yourselves."

Lord Mahindra strokes his beard and considers, "I couldn't say who the victims are, although either of your scenarios sounds more plausible than anything else I can think of. It's true the Commerce District is quiet after hours and is mostly deserted, although some merchants live above their shops. This particular shop is quite small so I doubt the owners live there."

He sips some jasmine tea as he considers, "The watch do make patrols but there is a lot of ground to cover so they'd probably only swing by once or twice on a normal night. Lets not forget the festival! The watch have had their hands full, all those crowds need policing and they where mostly by the waterfront last night. Oh that reminds me, you probably should call in on Mistress Tari tomorrow. I believe she intends to try and help poor Banhi Sarr but security will be difficult..."

Lord Mahindra, tells Shikyo "From what I heard, the headless corpses where found at a small Incense shop just off boardwalk street in the Commerce District. I hope you have a strong stomach, the place is in a right mess apparently. Here let me show you where it is on a map."

Niswan Map updated.

Mahindra grins in mock horror, "No spouses? Your loss! Still if you change your minds... Anyway Dalavei, well you know how in the winter months you get a lot of colds and so on, well in the summer you get burnings. Alas not all from the sun. If you want the full gory history you should talk to Prince Kanvar, but from what I understand Dalavei has a most unhealthy obsession with internal decay which the acid symbolizes. As for this district well it's just the usual crimes of passion mostly, although there are occasionally unexplained disappearances. Still I think the cult's base is likely elsewhere. If I had to guess it would be somewhere in the Surakpor or perhaps the Commercial District."

The carriage takes you to what turns out to be a really rather swish tea house at the southern tip of the Mauyra-Rahm Ward, with a great view over the river. The tea house itself is a wood and red brick affair, decked out in colorful paper lanterns lanterns and heavily overgrown with wysteria which bedecks the house in purple blossom.

Inside a man servant with a turban a traditional costume ushers you into a private room at the back where you hear raucous laughter an elderly man with a graying beard and fatherly demeanor is holding court. Around him are an assorted collection of high society, various aristocrats, lawyers, ladies of leisure and so on. You get the impression that somebody had just told a very funny joke.

The elderly man spy's you and sobers up and makes his excuses saying, "Mahilā'ēm̐ aura sajjana puruṣa. Kartavya kī kŏla mujhē kṣamā prārthanā karō!"

You follow the man into what must be his study, a richly furnished oak paneled room with plush red leather armchairs and a well loves mahogany desk with an inlay of lapis lazuli in the shame of some abstract geometrical pattern. The room smells of incense and leather with the subtle aroma of tea wafting in from outside. In the common tongue the man, says "Ah so you're ones I've heard so much about. I've been expecting you, I believe you have a letter for me?"

You hand over the letter and he reads it briefly, and says, "Three days here and you've already met The Thakur and Lord Pandisar. I can tell you there's an army of diplomatic corps that would envy that record! I do hope Pandisar didn't low ball you? Oh he didn't he! The rascal, you know he's got a bad habit of doing that. He'll feel guilty later and probably pay you more anyway if this little venture is successful. Something similar happened last summer, but rather than adventurers it was with with a delegation from Absalom trying to secure a supply of Tea in exchange for various rare metals. Pandisar got a real sweat heart deal I can tell you, and then felt so bad about it that..."

You can sense that he was about to fly into some extended anecdote, when he (mercifully?) stops himself and mutters, "Anyway that's not why you're here. You want to know about that blasted cult." Stroking his beard he orders his thoughts and then tells you about two incidents he believes may be related to your investigation. "Several headless bodies have been recently found in the Commerce District, a particularly gruesome affair unlike even the most violent of Niswan’s crimes. I’ve also heard rumors of informants in the palace guard, though who they sell information to is something even I can’t glean from local chatter. Raheem is a good friend, and you seem like honest folk; I promise to try to find out more. I can also find you dedicated spouses if you’re in the market, heh?"