ForceUser
Explorer
Session Three, Part One
DUST KICKED up angrily in protest to the clip-clop of over a dozen hooves as the sorcerer’s Hand rode south and west away from the Imperial province of Ha Noi. The mood among the adventurers ranged from pensive to bored as they reflected on the yao ren’s orders.
“The Minister of State informs me that there have been problems in the Te province to the south,” he had said,”A tax collector has disappeared, and several villages have failed to pay their taxes. Journey to the city of Te Han and speak to Chief Yu, commander of the police force there. He is your point of contact and will have more information for you. Leave no later than three days hence.”
“There is also the matter of your salary. In his wisdom, the Emperor has decided that since you are living on his estate and eating what his servant provides you, he will no longer pay you a retainer. You are wealthy people and can provide for yourselves when you want something other than room and board. Instead, when you are in need of money for traveling expenses you may contact Gaung the Moneylender in the Market District, and he will provide you operating money. Remember, it is a privilege to serve.” The yao ren had looked smug. The group had nodded, except for Lei.
“Am I now a common servant, master? You did not hire me to work for free.” Lei had challenged the sorcerer with his eyes. Phai had scowled a moment then replied, “We will speak of it in private” before exiting the dining room with a flourish. Phai had not returned, but Lei did, with a carefully neutral expression on his face. The others had said nothing.
Gaung the Moneylender had proven to be an insufferably shrewd man. Lei and Tran had informed him of their need but ended up having to justify their travel expenses, to which the gaunt merchant had jotted down notes. He had then called for a sum of one thousand taels, signed and stamped the appropriate documents, and sent them on their way with a chuckle of superiority at their backs. Tran had fumed.
While they had procured the funds for the assignment, Mai had spent time in Thang Long’s taverns and drinking halls trying to learn information about the tenor of the south. Te Han, it was widely known, was a prosperous city in the southern highlands, and she had learned much about the place she didn’t care to know – local imports (wine and rice) and exports (silk, steel, and wool). But she did pick up an interesting nugget about the region east of the Te province along the coast of southern Dai Viet. “There is rumor of a bandit leader operating along the southern coast calling himself Fierce Wind,” she had later related to the others, “It is said he rallies criminals and farmers against the throne, and that he is the reason the roads have become unsafe.” They had mulled that over before leaving.
And now they were on the road, Thang Long a week behind them and Te Han a week ahead. The party had settled into a travel routine many days past, and spent their days riding and thinking. Tran chatted in an affiable sort of way, but Woo remained sullen and Vinh and Hien detached, both lost in whatever worlds they visited in their daydreams. They had passed miles of rice paddies and yam fields, and were now crossing fiefs full of small-grain wheat and cattle. Serfs toiled the land at the behest of noble masters, and the adventurers passed few other travelers on the way south. Those they did see were as heavily armed as they were, casting wary glances and cautious nods at the group. Slowly, the land rose higher from the sea, and the air became cooler at night and less humid at day. On the second week of their journey, traffic picked up along the road, and when they saw local farmers on the road to market, they knew the city was close. Finally, they spied Te Han in the distance.
The city crouched atop a wooded hill under the shadow of an imposing mountain. The mountain – Douc Xoung – was the elbow of the impressive southern range that stretched both east and north from Te Han, marking the borders of the empire. Te Han consisted of a small walled fortress surrounded by the city proper, which was itself walled and possessing narrow streets. Beyond the outer walls, small collections of buildings – not quite proper towns – hunched near the city’s three gates. A steady, if small, stream of traffic came and went through the largest of the gates, which happened to be at the end of the road the adventurers were on. At the northern base of the hill meandered a small river running west to east.
The party entered, made accommodations at a comfortable inn called The Jealous Serpent, and promptly reported to the Central Administration Building within the Governor’s walled fortress compound in the center of the city. Within minutes, they were promptly escorted to the office of the Chief of Police.
Chief Yu was a short man in an impeccable uniform with an air of hurriedness about him. His desk was littered with documents, all neatly piled. On a stand in the corner lay a soldier’s kiem in a plain and unadorned scabbard. Beside it sat a tiny potted plant with white blossoms. When the functionary announced the party’s arrival, Chief Yu leapt from his desk and circled it to bow and welcome each person in the group. To Vinh, he looked as though he welcomed the respite from paperwork. “Hello, welcome to Te Han!” The stout policeman announced. “You are the experts from Thang Long, yes? I am pleased that you’ve finally arrived!”
“We were told that a local tax collector had gone missing, Chief. How can we help?” Vinh began diplomatically.
The Chief sighed. “Yes, the missing man is Nat Hung. He has collected the taxes on his route for many years, a loyal servant of the Emperor. As you can imagine, we are very concerned about him! He disappeared after collecting half the dues on his route!”
“Where was he last seen?” Vinh continued.
“It appears that after visiting Lo Xinh he headed into the highlands to our most distant villages of the province. There is a place up there,” he began to rummage around his desk, “a high mountain valley, called Phau Dong. Ah, here!” The Chief produced a long, rolled document, made room on his desk, and spread it out. It appeared to be a map of the province. “He went to Phau Dong valley and has not returned. We have not seen Nat Hung in six months, nor have we had contact with the residents of the valley in that time.”
“I see,” said Vinh. Woo and Tam studied the map. “Did you send another tax collector, or perhaps anyone to find Nat Hung?”
“There is more,” continued the Chief, nodding, “It gets worse. After we realized that Nat was quite late, we sent a rider along his route to look for him. Obviously, we wanted to find him, but there is also the Emperor’s money and what happened to it that we must consider.”
“Of course,” interjected Lei wryly.
“The rider we dispatched did not return either.” The policeman sighed. Mai and Hien exchanged looks. “Fearing that bandits could be troubling our province in light of what has been happening to the east, I sent a patrol of soldiers in force directly to Phau Dong to root out the criminals and discover the fates of the two missing men. Six weeks ago, a peasant from Min Cau found the patrol captain wandering the road down from the valley. He was naked, crazed, and raving about killer monkeys eating his men...”
Woo arched an eyebrow at that.
DUST KICKED up angrily in protest to the clip-clop of over a dozen hooves as the sorcerer’s Hand rode south and west away from the Imperial province of Ha Noi. The mood among the adventurers ranged from pensive to bored as they reflected on the yao ren’s orders.
“The Minister of State informs me that there have been problems in the Te province to the south,” he had said,”A tax collector has disappeared, and several villages have failed to pay their taxes. Journey to the city of Te Han and speak to Chief Yu, commander of the police force there. He is your point of contact and will have more information for you. Leave no later than three days hence.”
“There is also the matter of your salary. In his wisdom, the Emperor has decided that since you are living on his estate and eating what his servant provides you, he will no longer pay you a retainer. You are wealthy people and can provide for yourselves when you want something other than room and board. Instead, when you are in need of money for traveling expenses you may contact Gaung the Moneylender in the Market District, and he will provide you operating money. Remember, it is a privilege to serve.” The yao ren had looked smug. The group had nodded, except for Lei.
“Am I now a common servant, master? You did not hire me to work for free.” Lei had challenged the sorcerer with his eyes. Phai had scowled a moment then replied, “We will speak of it in private” before exiting the dining room with a flourish. Phai had not returned, but Lei did, with a carefully neutral expression on his face. The others had said nothing.
Gaung the Moneylender had proven to be an insufferably shrewd man. Lei and Tran had informed him of their need but ended up having to justify their travel expenses, to which the gaunt merchant had jotted down notes. He had then called for a sum of one thousand taels, signed and stamped the appropriate documents, and sent them on their way with a chuckle of superiority at their backs. Tran had fumed.
While they had procured the funds for the assignment, Mai had spent time in Thang Long’s taverns and drinking halls trying to learn information about the tenor of the south. Te Han, it was widely known, was a prosperous city in the southern highlands, and she had learned much about the place she didn’t care to know – local imports (wine and rice) and exports (silk, steel, and wool). But she did pick up an interesting nugget about the region east of the Te province along the coast of southern Dai Viet. “There is rumor of a bandit leader operating along the southern coast calling himself Fierce Wind,” she had later related to the others, “It is said he rallies criminals and farmers against the throne, and that he is the reason the roads have become unsafe.” They had mulled that over before leaving.
And now they were on the road, Thang Long a week behind them and Te Han a week ahead. The party had settled into a travel routine many days past, and spent their days riding and thinking. Tran chatted in an affiable sort of way, but Woo remained sullen and Vinh and Hien detached, both lost in whatever worlds they visited in their daydreams. They had passed miles of rice paddies and yam fields, and were now crossing fiefs full of small-grain wheat and cattle. Serfs toiled the land at the behest of noble masters, and the adventurers passed few other travelers on the way south. Those they did see were as heavily armed as they were, casting wary glances and cautious nods at the group. Slowly, the land rose higher from the sea, and the air became cooler at night and less humid at day. On the second week of their journey, traffic picked up along the road, and when they saw local farmers on the road to market, they knew the city was close. Finally, they spied Te Han in the distance.
The city crouched atop a wooded hill under the shadow of an imposing mountain. The mountain – Douc Xoung – was the elbow of the impressive southern range that stretched both east and north from Te Han, marking the borders of the empire. Te Han consisted of a small walled fortress surrounded by the city proper, which was itself walled and possessing narrow streets. Beyond the outer walls, small collections of buildings – not quite proper towns – hunched near the city’s three gates. A steady, if small, stream of traffic came and went through the largest of the gates, which happened to be at the end of the road the adventurers were on. At the northern base of the hill meandered a small river running west to east.
The party entered, made accommodations at a comfortable inn called The Jealous Serpent, and promptly reported to the Central Administration Building within the Governor’s walled fortress compound in the center of the city. Within minutes, they were promptly escorted to the office of the Chief of Police.
Chief Yu was a short man in an impeccable uniform with an air of hurriedness about him. His desk was littered with documents, all neatly piled. On a stand in the corner lay a soldier’s kiem in a plain and unadorned scabbard. Beside it sat a tiny potted plant with white blossoms. When the functionary announced the party’s arrival, Chief Yu leapt from his desk and circled it to bow and welcome each person in the group. To Vinh, he looked as though he welcomed the respite from paperwork. “Hello, welcome to Te Han!” The stout policeman announced. “You are the experts from Thang Long, yes? I am pleased that you’ve finally arrived!”
“We were told that a local tax collector had gone missing, Chief. How can we help?” Vinh began diplomatically.
The Chief sighed. “Yes, the missing man is Nat Hung. He has collected the taxes on his route for many years, a loyal servant of the Emperor. As you can imagine, we are very concerned about him! He disappeared after collecting half the dues on his route!”
“Where was he last seen?” Vinh continued.
“It appears that after visiting Lo Xinh he headed into the highlands to our most distant villages of the province. There is a place up there,” he began to rummage around his desk, “a high mountain valley, called Phau Dong. Ah, here!” The Chief produced a long, rolled document, made room on his desk, and spread it out. It appeared to be a map of the province. “He went to Phau Dong valley and has not returned. We have not seen Nat Hung in six months, nor have we had contact with the residents of the valley in that time.”
“I see,” said Vinh. Woo and Tam studied the map. “Did you send another tax collector, or perhaps anyone to find Nat Hung?”
“There is more,” continued the Chief, nodding, “It gets worse. After we realized that Nat was quite late, we sent a rider along his route to look for him. Obviously, we wanted to find him, but there is also the Emperor’s money and what happened to it that we must consider.”
“Of course,” interjected Lei wryly.
“The rider we dispatched did not return either.” The policeman sighed. Mai and Hien exchanged looks. “Fearing that bandits could be troubling our province in light of what has been happening to the east, I sent a patrol of soldiers in force directly to Phau Dong to root out the criminals and discover the fates of the two missing men. Six weeks ago, a peasant from Min Cau found the patrol captain wandering the road down from the valley. He was naked, crazed, and raving about killer monkeys eating his men...”
Woo arched an eyebrow at that.
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