Kore | Kingdom of Harmony | IC

[Sam]

Dawn finds Tharl riding over the Old Bridge. As he approaches the stables next to the inn, he notices his two travelling companions saddled up and ready to ride.

Riding up to Chen & Kaijia, he salutes them and turns to head towards Karatsu. Looking back once to make sure the two Middle Kingdomers are following, he urges his horse on down the road.

Reaching Karatsu a short time later, the three stable their horses, dust themselves off and prepare to be presented to Lord Ari.

 

[doghead]

Pushing hard from the word go, stopping only briefly to rest the horses, the sun is almost touching the hills as you reach the walls of Karatsu. A long, hard, dusty, sweaty 50 miles. Your horses not going to be able to do much for the next few days.

A unspoken agreement takes you past the inns and straight through the streets of the town to to the gates at the foot of the hill upon which sits the castle. The guards' greeting is courtious, if not very welcoming. After thirteen hours in the saddle, it will do.

A quick perusal of your letter of agreement is enough. One of the guards remains at the gate, the other leads you inside the enclosure at the base of the hill. Grooms are summoned to collect your horses, a messenger to take your letter up into the castle above, and a servant to bring you some tea. In a small open sided tea house nestled away to one side under the leafy boughs of a great tree you wait.

Not for long, but long enough to allow you muscles to begin to stiffen up and give you a taste of the discomfort that you are going to feel tomorrow.

A hundred steps up the giant stairway to the first landing, dogleg left, dogleg right then left again. Another fifty or so steps in all. A long hard fight up to the gates of the castle proper if you were so inclined. And all the way overlooked by the walls of the castle and anyone standing atop of them.

A massive wooden gatehouse leads to a large assembly area. Guard houses line the enclosure to the left atop of the walls of the castle. Ahead is another massive gate house atop another set of stairs, the gate the castle proper, set another 30 feet above you. To the right is a wooded area with only a solitary post house a little way back just visible through the greenery. It is to this that the guard leads you.

Stopping at the doors, he bows and announces, "The men from Lord Oe, my lord."

He steps back and bows again to you.

Inside there are two men seated on the far side of the room. One of them holds the letter. The other sits a little to his side. It is the first who speaks first.

"Please be seated. You have ridden hard to make it here so quickly. Your dedication is apprieciated. Some food first, then we will talk."

At this the other man raises to his feet and gathers a tray of food and a pot of tea from the corner of the room and offers it to each of you.

 

[Avatar_V]

Kaijia takes a small amount of food and a cup of tea and nods graciously.

 

[Sam]

Tharl bows and accepts the food and tea. "Thank you for your hospitality, my lord. I am Tharl, Priest of the Church of War and Strength. My travelling companions are Kaija," nods to Kaija, "and Chen Xiaoshu", nodding towards Chen. "We are at your service." Tharl bows again and sips some tea. Still standing.

 

[DarkElf109]

Chen leaves the tea, but takes some food, about as much as the other two had combined. We travel all this way, and this is all we get? Some hospitality...

 

[doghead]

"Welcome Priest Tharl of the Church of War and Strength. I am not a regular visitor to your church I confess, but our paths have crossed once or twice I seem to remember. And welcome to you Swordsman Kaijia and Swordsman Chen Xiaoshu. Be seated. I see no reason to stand on formality, although after your day in the saddle, you may wish to stand and that is fine."

What could be a faint smile plays across his lips. What is definately a scowl hangs over the others brow.

"I am Chief Retainer Nagahama, and this is Guard Captain Sugimoto. But first, eat and drink. Time presses as usual, but not so much as to make us forget our manners."

As you finish up the last of the food, Nagahama refills the cups of those who have them.

"I will keep this as short as possible so you can get a bath and a proper meal as soon is possible. You will go south. We need to know what is happening in the hills there. You will also carry letters to each of the village headmen. Let me show you."

Out of his sleeve he pulls a scroll and partly unfurls it across the floor in front of him.

"This is Karatsu castle. This is the Kuro River that you crossed as you came into town. Following it will take you to the Setsumi River, which will take you into the hills. The villages you will visit are here; Hara, Toridori, Roppongi, Otsuka and Imazu. The last, Imazu is a small mining community. The merchants in town have been concerned about the recent lack of deliveries from there. Probably it is nothing, but then again ... So you will find out."

 

[Avatar_V]

Kaijia nods his understanding of these orders, unsure of what to say.

 

[Sam]

Tharl looks at the map. "May we keep this?" Pausing for a moment, Tharl continues "My lord, has there been problems in the past in this area? And if I may ask, what kind of mines are there near Imazu?"

 

[DarkElf109]

Chen, not one to argue when the pay is already set, leans against the back wall, listening to his orders.

 

[doghead]

"Problems? ... No, nothing specific. But the Hills and Mountains are the home of trouble. And we have precious little information about what seeds were planted in that fertile ground by the previous House. Thats why we need you to go there. I don't want to say to much, for my speculation might turn your eyes away from what otherwise you would see, or make you see things where there is nothing."

Nagahama pauses for a moment, lost in thought, as if weighing you against the task at hand.

"A map would be useful. As would be coats of the Lord Ari. We have enough, I think," he says, addressing this to his Guard Captain. "And we need to prepare a letter of authority and the letters to the Chief of each village. You will see to that, Sugimoto."

"You see," he says to you after Sugimoto's curt nod of acknowledgement, "there is a lot to be done and little time to do it. For I am going to require this of you. You have to leave by daybreak tomorrow. I realise that your horses are tired, as you are. But it is necessary. Once out of Karatsu, you may take your time and walk the horses. It will do them no harm. It is less than 10 miles to the the junction of the two rivers, and you need not leave from there until the next day. Everything will be ready for you before you leave. If there is anything you need, now is the time to speak. Otherwise, I think this meeting is done and I will keep you no longer."