Pyske said:
I shall now commit heresy in admitting that Anvil is not my favorite character in the story hour. I like him OK, but I think Reyu or Lira are my favorites.
For the record, the following update has
nothing to do with the above post.
Part the Seventy-First
In which: Thatch makes a discovery, Lira makes a “friend,” and Anvil misplaces his sea-legs.
Anvil looks out over the railing at the undulating sea. It is not a far journey to Dar Karo, home of the Confederacy’s great craftspeople, but the ship is far enough from shore that the only thing to be seen from horizon to horizon is water. It is an odd feeling, he reflects, to be out of sight of land. Constantly moving, churning…
Anvil interrupts his reverie to retch over the side of the ship.
… some might say, it is an unholy feeling.
Had he expressed these views aloud, most of the crew of the ship,
Alirria’s Star, most of whom wear holy symbols devoted to the goddess of the sea and travelers, would have strongly disagreed. But for once, Anvil does not feel like engaging in a lusty theological debate.
The rest of the party more easily find their sea legs, and enjoy the two day journey to Dar Karo, which also happens to be Annika’s home city. She and Kiara will pay a visit to her parents while the rest of the party shops for supplies.
“Anything we should be sure to see while we’re in the city?” Lira asks her.
Annika sighs, perhaps not as excited about this family visit as Kiara is. “Well, there’s the great market. Anything you want is on sale there, and the best quality goods anywhere in the Halmae. Plus, it’s the only place you can find Karonian weapons and armor without paying five times over fair price.”
(As magic items are very rare in the Halmae, Karonian crafts go a ways towards taking their place. They aren’t magic per se, but they function like they have +1 enhancement bonuses: Karonian weapons give +1 to hit and to damage, Karonian armor gives an extra +1 to AC. They are ineffective against */magic DR. When purchased in Dar Karo, they cost only slightly less than DMG prices for equivalent magic items.)
The ship docks the morning of December 7 (six days after Kettenek Rising, for you sticklers). Dar Karo is an island. From their approach, the near shore is dominated by a huge harbor, filled with ships from all over the Halmae—not only every city-state of the Darine Confederacy, but many of the independent city states as well as the Kettenek Sovereignty and the Empire of Ebis.
The captain of the
Alirria’s Star, a woman named Sommersby, advises her passengers to return by the next morning, when she plans to make an early departure. The party agrees, and then sets off to explore the city.
For Anvil, “exploring the city” consists of asking the first passerby he meets for directions to the city’s Temple of Justice, and spending the rest of the day and most of the evening ensconced in the library there.
Annika and Kiara quickly go their own way, Annika keeping Kiara under close watch to keep her from lifting trinkets off of passing vendors.
Reyu, Thatch, Lira, Eva, and Benedic all walk together as far as the main market. From there, Lira and Eva split off to go browse the stalls, while Thatch accompanies Reyu on a more directed shopping expedition.
“Would you like to come along with us?” Reyu asks Benedic.
“Yeah,” Thatch puts in, obviously sounding out a replacement for his lost drinking buddy.
“Oh… well, that’s a very kind offer, but…” Reyu notices that Benedic keeps cutting his glance over towards Lira and Eva’s retreating figures. “I was thinking I better tag along and keep an eye on the girls. You know… in case anyone tries to give them any trouble.”
Reyu squints, puzzled. It looks like the ranger is blushing. But, since there is nothing in his words that he could possibly be embarrassed about, she decides she must be misreading his expression. All she says is, “Very well.”
“Right. I better be on then… Catch up with you later Thatch, right?” and with barely a backward glance, Benedic jogs to catch up with Lira and Eva.
###
He finds them at the stall of a food-vendor, picking up savory pies for lunch. Benedic purchases one as well, and finds that the cooks of Dar Karo live up to the reputation of the city’s other craftspeople. And so, he has a mouthful of pie when the trio is approached by a lone man in the garb of a Sovereign missionary.
The man is fairly young, and greets the travelers with a low bow. “Good-day.”
Lira and Eva exchange looks. Lira doesn’t think talking to him can be in any way a good idea, but none of her previous experience has given her a means to politely extricate herself from a direct greeting… well, not without faking a sudden fainting spell. For her part, Eva seems to be waiting to follow her lead.
“Good-day,” Lira replies and quickly paying the vendor attempts to simply walk away when the man says:
“My name is Komatsu.”
Lira blinks. “That’s nice.”
“Forgive me, but… am I correct in assuming you are travelers here?”
Lira frowns, tugging at Benedic’s sleeve in an effort to dissuade him from buying a second savory pie. “Why do you want to know?” she asks.
“I am returning to my home monastery,” the man explains, “and seek passage on a ship that will take me home. Do you know of a ship that will be traveling in that direction?”
Lira looks from Komatsu, to Eva (who seems equally at a loss as to what to say), to Benedic (who is busy stuffing his face with savory pie). She sighs. “Well… I guess ours is.”
“Do you think I might be able to book passage?”
Lira sighs. “Well, it’s not really our decision. You’d have to talk to the captain.”
The man bows, courteously, although not obsequiously. “I certainly shall. And the name of your vessel?”
A pause.
“The
Alirria’s Star.”
“Ah. Many thanks.”
“If you’ll excuse us, we really must be going,” Lira puts in before the monk can follow up with another question. She grabs Benedic by the arm and, along with Eva, they quickly walk away.
As they do so, Eva whispers, “Are you sure that was a good idea?”
Lira sighs. “He wasn’t asking anything unreasonable. If the captain doesn’t think he can be trusted, she won’t let him on the ship.”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
Another sigh. “No, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t.”
###
Reyu admires the smooth draw on the Karonian bow. She always been a bit skeptical of human handicrafts, but this is good work. She looks over at the craftsman, who looks on, passively, confident in his work to speak for itself.
Reyu nods. “Yes.”
The merchant turns to Thatch who had been looking on as the transaction takes place. “Anything for you, young man?”
Thatch shakes his head. “I’ve got a sword. It was my uncle’s. He used it to fight in the great war.”
The merchant actually seems interested. “Really?” He holds out a hand. “May I?”
Thatch produces the blade. He hands it over cautiously, but the man is very careful as he brings the greatsword over to his workbench. He takes out a loupe and examines the join between the hilt and blade minutely. He takes out a rag and cleans out of bit of grime. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “This is a Karonian sword.”
“It’s what?” Thatch asks.
“Well, it’s old, not in the best repair… but I can fix it for you.”
Thatch’s eyes go wide. “Really?”
###
That evening, Thatch and Reyu return together to the
Alirria’s Star. They find a Sovereign missionary standing on deck near the bow. Eva and Lira watch him uneasily from the stern. Thatch wanders over.
“Umm… who’s he?”
Lira sighs. “His name is Komatsu. The captain let him aboard. It’s not my fault.”
Thatch looks over at Eva. “Umm?”
“Long story.”
