Door to Nowhere

[astarte]

everyone must uncover their faces while within a commercial tent.

Astarte already removed hers long before entering the settlement, as she started suffocating.

She will try to discern if the Kozzog clerk and the Pelimonra interpreter can be trusted or if they're wicked people with bad intentions. Later before Taylar will enter the restricted tents she will tell him quietely in Maldrog to let her sneak there first with her presence obscured. She'll also ask her companions to stay near the tent she's visiting in the moment. After checking out all the forbidden tents she'll go with her comrates to some discreet place and while makeing sure that no one overdrops them, she'll inform them about everything she saw there.

OOC: Do I have any minted coins? If yes, what's their value?

---

roll:33

 

[MacConnell]

Taylar...

Plumeir...

Astarte...

Season: Drenching. Day: 50

GM: All coins of the same material have the same value, no matter where they are minted. The party is granted a trivial amount of coins to spend on food and lodging, but enough to buy supplies or equipment must be acquired during game play. The party only carries a trivial amount of coins at this time.

Spoiler: Enhancements

Plumeir: 54(allure)

Spoiler: Analyze Motive

Astarte: 57(interrogate) + 32(tuning) + 33(d100) = 122

Spoiler: Negotiate

Taylar: 70(coerce) + 75(d100) = 145

Though Astarte would really like to do some covert reconnaissance, it is not possible to do during the daytime, as the area is far too open and has far too much activity. The effort would likely end very disastrously and is abandoned. As Taylar halts the arrival of the translator he is pleased to learn that the Kozzog does indeed speak some Maldrog, enough to pass for simple conversation. He nods toward the Pelimonra then waves her off.

Astarte glances back at the woman as she returns to her post, outside, she senses that the Pelimonra is motivated by her sense of duty and seems to lack any tendency toward malice. The Kozzog is more of a puzzle. It is not that Astarte cannot read his body language or recognize the nuance of emotion, it is that he does not have any of these things. There is nothing to read. The man is a blank canvas. He seems to possess no motivation. He simply is.

Plumeir, having been a clerk at the mining community for many years, can readily see that these Kozzogs have far greater skill than the metallurgist back in West Cove and they are in possession of a greater variety of materials. He can also, instinctively, sense that the female Pelimonra has the talent to bend waylines. Her talent is greater than either Taylar or Astarte, which is why they cannot sense it. With her skill at various languages, it is likely that she is a Diviner. He also senses the talent in several of the Kozzogs, as he nears them, but theirs is less than that of his two friends.

Spoiler: Character Data

Taylar: full wellness
tunic: 60 - 3 - 3 = 54
Astarte: full wellness
vest: 29
Plumeir: full wellness
tunic: 48

Spoiler: Discoveries

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.

 

[astarte]

Astarte will ask the Kozzog in charge how many minted coins costs 1 measure of salt. After the conversation she'll go shopping as planned in post #145, but if the best arrows that the merchant can offer are too expensive, she'll buy others or none at all (she's gonna decide in the comercial tent). Later she'll go to the tavern to listen to the local people and when the night come she'll peep into the restricted tents if only her companions are still willing to guard her.

---

roll:30

 

[Kwargrow]

if only her companions are still willing to guard her

After a quick conversation with Astarte and Plumeir, Taylar volunteers to be the boisterous attention grabber so that they may conduct more covert tasks. He intends to order a drink and sit with the Kozzog and in Maldrog discuss business and personal matters in a friendly manner (he does not bring up their current mission or the Evipaun, but if anyone else brings up the Evipau then he will make a mental note of it). He tells stories of Outpost and the many battles had has been in. He attempts to pry information of the area and people around them through casual conversation and learn more about the Kozzog and their language. If they move to other tents he will continue to be the one that initiates conversations away from his companions to keep prying eyes on him.

Spoiler: Rolls

87

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Plumeir almost imperceptibly shakes his head when making eye contact with Astarte and Taylar, indicating that nothing else about this tent caught his interest. Everything about the Kozzogs and others in this tent truly seems to be dedicated to the manufacture of alloys and metal equipment. Since they have no current business with this group he silently indicates that he thinks the group should move on.

OOC: 69

 

[Kwargrow]

he thinks the group should move on

Taylar shows the Kozzog his bludgeons and asks their professional opinion on how they can be improved. After the business with the Kozzog is finished and the group moves to another tent, Taylar quietly says to Plumeir in Markidian, "Making friends here is not wasted effort. The ones we seek will undoubtedly have allies like those we fought before we reached the portal."

 

[MacConnell]

Astarte...

... Taylar...

Plumeir...

Season: Drenching. Day: 50

Spoiler: Wariness

Astarte: 53(perception) + 30(d100) = 83
Plumeir: 61(observation) + 69 = 130
Taylar: 47 + 87 = 134

The behavior of the Kozzog working in the metallurgist tent happened to be typical for the entire tribe. It is not that they are unfriendly, they lack the emotional capacity to be considered friendly. They simply stick to business. Their skill and wares are worth remembering for the future possibility of trade.

The next tent is structured and guarded in a similar manner; however, the Pelimonrae guards simply gesture for the party to remove their hoods and masks when entering. This tent is used for tanning and leather working and meat processing. As caprinae are suited to the dry, rocky environment, small herds have been domesticated and their carcasses are processed here. Other game collected by traveling hunters is also traded here.

This business is operated by a clan of Sioliri (pronounced Show leer Ree). With Taylar and Astarte being familiar with the tribe because of the community across the river from Refuge, some pleasantries can be exchanged. To the benefit of the party, one of the Faethrins speaks Maldrog quite fluently. After about a minute within the tent, the party suddenly realizes that there is no odor coming from the processing of the animals. This is not naturally possible. Plumeir may have never considered the concept, but he realizes that he could perform the same task. The Sioliri fit the statistics for the percentage of those who can bend waylines, for Astarte and Taylar can sense that one in 10 within the tent have the talent. Plumeir can sense that they actually exceed the normal percentage by a few. While far more personable than the Kozzogs, the Sioliri are mostly interested in their work and leave the party to look around on their own after a brief conversation.

Spoiler: Character Data

Taylar: full wellness
tunic: 60 - 3 - 3 = 54
Astarte: full wellness
vest: 29
Plumeir: full wellness
tunic: 48

Spoiler: Discoveries

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.

 

[Kwargrow]

Frustrated by the lack of personality in the place, Taylar says to his companions. "I get the impression no one care about the affairs of other peoples here. I think we should amend our strategy and start asking about the Evipaun."

Spoiler: Rolls

63

 

[astarte]

we should amend our strategy and start asking about the Evipaun.

"I think it's too early for that. Let me first look into the forbidden tents when it's dark enough. Before that I'll go shopping and then go to the tavern where maybe I'll hear something interesting. In the mean time you could go through the settlement, make some friends and possible get to know about something useful too."

---

11

 

[Eric Zephlaer]

Listening to his new friends as the party moves away from the leather working tent, Plumeir responds with the thoughts of his own. "We have only been here a few hours and have basically visited two businesses. This being a desert and the Pelimonrae obviously not being masons, the structures are made from what is readily available, cotton, so everything is in tents. I get the impression that, while the community as a whole is credited to the Pelimonrae, I do not think they are directly involved with the businesses except textiles. I think everything else is operated by other clans."

He wets his mouth with a little of his remaining water before continuing. "If we do not see the Evipaun in the tavern tent, I think we should not bother with any of the other commercial tents until we find where people are being bought and sold. Whether involved or not, if this community is accepting of such trade, we may be able to simply ask directions. Also, this little bit of salt we are carrying may buy us food, water, and safe lodging, but it does not seem it can be traded for other goods. That option may be for a later date, when we have something worth trading."

He stops walking and gestures as if an idea just occurred to him. "If the Evipaun are not in the tavern tent, we may not want to hang around. We have been chasing their trail this whole time. We really need to catch up!"

OOC: 57