Taylar thanks the Maldrog for the information and only offers small talk and pleasantries until they depart. He says to the Investigators in Markidian, "I feel others will be reluctant to help us in this matter as well. This is our problem, not theirs, and the kidnappers are bound to have allies here. We should keep the fact that we are pursuing the Evipaun from anyone else until we can locate these villains we seek and get them outside the Pelimonra territory. We will seek out this tavern first, but what should be our cover story? I have tried to pass myself off as a trader before but was unconvincing. Perhaps we can tell those we meet we are mercenaries looking for work. If you two have ideas, I'd like to hear them."
Plumeir thanks the Maldrog and replaces his head and face coverings. He thinks on the words of Taylar for a moment before responding to the pertinent question. "We may not need to say anything. Kol said that many different people are within this community. We may be able to go with whatever assumption other people will make, without explaining anything. Like with the Maldrog, I doubt anyone will assume that we are a good target for prey. The tavern is a likely place to start. We could also look at the equipment available for sale. It will give us another opportunity to see who else is about."
He wets his hand with water and rubs it on his face covering. "I am a bit concerned with this overt mention of dangerous Benders; but to be honest, I think I may be what Kol was calling an Air Choker. That is what I did to those Nishurins we fought."
Hearing that she may have new water soon, extremely thirsty Astarte drinks all of her water. All she's now dreaming about is to rest in the shady tavern. Before the Maldrogs leave she introduces herself, thanks them for all their advices and informations they gave, then asks them what they were waiting for here, why they are departing shortly after she came here with her friends and what is their mission. She doesn't say it aloud, but wonders if it's somehow connected to stopping the slavers operations.
When their gone, she will suggest her comrates to buy for themselves bright blue headwears and white cotton garments, to better blend with the locals and easier gain their trust.roll:54
As the Maldrogs walk away, Kol looks up at the hazy sky, pinpointing the Daylight despite the dust in the air. He says mostly to himself but loud enough to be heard, “Yes, it is time.” For whatever reason the group was waiting remains unknown.
As the day progresses into afternoon and beyond, the breeze from the mountains dies down, and the dust begins to settle, allowing for much greater visibility. This peculiar community is far more populated than expected, but the locals can as easily be identified from the outsiders as Kol had said, even though everyone is masked. The Pelimonra do not toil, they seem to all be monitoring the activity and movement of others. Their bright blue head coverings are quite distinct. They are also all armed with exceptional, dark, wood bows that appear to be a combination of a stranded bow and a recurve bow. They all keep an arrow at ready, though they are friendly and acknowledge anyone who nears them. Other people acknowledge the Investigators by nod or gesture. No one attempts to accost the party.
There are several, extremely large tents erected near the lake, with smaller tents dispersed about the area. The smaller tents are individual or familial residences. The large tents must be for commercial enterprises. They are large enough to count 5 minutes to walk along one side. Two of the tents show more activity than the other two. One is discovered to be the tavern, the other is discovered to be a trade market. The quieter tents have guards posted at the entrance. These guards are not observed to prevent entry, but they do question all comers. The purpose of those two tents is not yet known.
There are workers wading through the flooded area where cotton will be grown. They are breaking the exposed ends of last Cycle’s spent cotton plants to encourage the budding of new growth that should soon be coming. These workers are not Pelimonra, and they are watched, but they do not appear to be slaves. Their work is too leisure for forced labor. On the north side of the community, carved back into the rock itself to provide constant shade, are three different indentations whose outside is covered with cloth to prevent anything inside from being seen. There are no Pelimonra archers outside of these structures; instead, the guards here are clothed in vibrant red, flowing robes with matching hoods and masks. The robes are only bound by a belt about the waist from which hangs a pair of curved swords.
Taylar: full wellness
tunic: 60 - 3 - 3 = 54 Astarte: full wellness
vest: 29 Plumeir: full wellness
tunic: 48
none
OOC:
Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions. Provide a random roll.
Astarte will right away head to trade tent to purchase bright-blue bandana, white shirt and pantaloons, all of these clothes made of cotton and if she can also a hemp shoes. She'll also buy dark wood bow that if popular here and sell her old stranded bow. If the bow she took from the Nishurins is better then the one she's acquiring, she'll keep it; otherwise she will sell it as well. While she'll keep all of her arrows, she's gonna buy as many of the best arrows that the merchant can offer as she only has a place for them left in her quiver. She will also sell the beaver incisors. After all she'll check out how many portions of salt she has left.
After that she'll go to the tavern and while resting there she will overhearing the people trying to learn their languages or if she can understand them to know what they are talking about.roll:18
Plumeir checks his gear, reflexively since he is entering a new area populated by a great many people. With the dust decreasing, he removes his mask and shakes it clean before retying it. He speaks his thoughts aloud to the others as they wander about. "Other than the salt Kol mentioned, which we likely need to purchase water, I do not think we carry much in the way of trade. I would like to see what is in these other tents that are guarded. Perhaps we can talk our way in, if the guards speak Maldrog or Markidian."
Taylar intends to put on his dumb brute face and make a show of looking around at everything. He is complimentary with the tents and wares, but while doing so he secretly searches for any Evipaun. He will trade salt for water when he finds that trader. He will attempt to poke his head into all the tents to see what is in them. If he is denied entry, he will feign friendly curiosity and attempt to speak to the guards, and keep track of which tents are forbidden. He will speak Maldrog and tell anyone that engages with him that he is a mercenary looking for work. When speaking with the Pelimonra he will admit to being new to the area and ask about the possibility of acquiring a current day map.
Astarte has 8 measures of salt remaining, Plumeir has 7, and Taylar has 6. Unaware that the wind dies down enough each evening for the dust to somewhat settle, which improves the line of sight, the party follows the nearest line of peaks as it progresses into the Pelimonra controlled community. Though desires and intentions for Astarte must be delayed for a bit, of necessity, the first large tent that the party comes to, everyone agrees to follow Taylar inside. Behind this tent, in between two narrow arms of peaks, is a small patch of unrecognized palm trees. None of the party has ever seen such tall, skinny trees with their tuft of foliage limited to the top.
These enormous tents are erected in a particular manner to reduce and possibly eliminate the accumulation of dust on their insides. Everywhere but the entrance is secured very low to the ground. The entrance has a peaked canopy with flaps covering the actual entrance. Just under the flaps are two armed Pelimonrae. They gesture, in a non-threatening manner, for the party to address them before entering.
The female guard, who is on the left, looks over the party members for a few seconds and then asks if Markidian is the common language. Finding it to be an acceptable means of communication, she continues in a very fluent manner, explaining that everyone must uncover their faces while within a commercial tent. Readily suspecting that the party is new or at least infrequent in the area, she explains that water can be purchased in the tavern tent and that any minted coins are acceptable for trade as all are of the same material and considered to have the same value.
Once inside the tent, the party sees that all metallurgical processes are under the control of a clan of Kozzogs, though there are laborers of other tribes of both Aedaman and Mhytre. The attire of the Kozzogs is definitive to them and different from that of the Pelimonrae. Their desert style garments are dyed yellow, and everyone working with hot metal is wearing a leather apron covering their front side. One Kozzog, who appears to be some kind of a clerk, addresses the party in his own language then gestures for one of the workers to fetch the female Pelimonra from outside so that she can translate between Markidian and Kozzog. She seems to speak both languages fluently.
Taylar: full wellness
tunic: 60 - 3 - 3 = 54
Astarte: full wellness
vest: 29
Plumeir: full wellness
tunic: 48
Ferguine, Mining Commissioner
4 missing children from Mining
3 missing from Vineyard
Francis, Priest of Dawn at Vineyard (Centrin)
cherry orchard, 1 day north of Vineyard
Rheini village: Grandfather of Maka: Pardal
Kol and party: Maldrog Explorers
OOC:
Each character receives 5 DP. State nominal actions and intentions. Provide a random roll.
addresses the party in his own language then gestures for one of the workers to fetch the female Pelimonra from outside so that she can translate between Markidian and Kozzog
Taylar holds up a hand to wait on summoning the interpreter and asks in Maldrog, "Do you speak Maldrog?". He does not say this aloud, but he hopes to keep involvement of the Pelimonra to a minimum in their group affairs.
Plumeir clasps his hand together behind his back, to look more unassuming, as he walks about the tent to surveil what is happening. He is confident to leave Taylar to do the taking. Though he is not directly engaging anyone, he will augment his charismatic allure.
