Nakatura Valley -- Traveler's Prologue IC

[mfrench]

The korobokuru smiles, and responds "This day is certainly blessed to bring you first to Lao-ping! For it is the duty of all visitors of the town to leave an offering to the spirit who lives in the market fountain, and no one prepares finer offerings than our house.

Will your business keep you here in town, or will you be moving on soon?"

 

[DrZombie]

"We will be moving soon. I have no earthly possessions, but I will meditate in front of the fountain to appease the water spirits." Li says. "Will that be acceptable?"

 

[mfrench]

"Ah, not everyone shares your, ah, noble prohibition against possesions," the dusty kor says to the monk, shaking his head. "If only we could all live as you do! This spirit is quite greedy, and will only be, ah, appeased with offerings, or food. He speaks to spirits for miles around, and his displeasure brings about awful things. Famine for farmers, disease for herders. . ." he says, grinning. ". . . ill weather for travelers, slow hands to swordsmen. That sort of thing.

Of course, as you're not staying long, I could arrange for a guide to meet you at the fountain with your offerings. He is quite familiar with the valley beyond our humble town, and would be, ah, well-equipped to handle you. Perhaps you would wish to use his services?"

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Raising his skin of drink a little unsteadily Ryo grinned. "I'm glad to share a drink with the spirits, seeing as I lack much else." Inside his head, Ryo's mind was starting to turn over the various possibilities. It was possible the man was telling the truth, but equally likely was the thought that this might be a scam - or worse, some less friendly denizen of the spirit realms.

 

[mfrench]

[sblock=OOC]I've given each of you a Sense Motive check to try and feel out this guy. If you ever want to use Conviction, just let me know and I can retcon it.[/sblock]Although he seems to be struggling at times outside of his native tongue, the short man seems honest enough - at least, he believes what he's telling you about the fountain's inhabitant.

"It is always, ah, prudent to provide two things at the fountain: food on the lowest tier for the fish which seem to somehow please Ten-min, and an offering of some value in the, ah, spirit world in the second tier.

"Perhaps one or the other would, ah, suffice for your purposes. I find it best, myself, to make every guarantee against his displeasure. We can, of course, provde both for you here at the house of Ping."

 

[DrZombie]

"I will then sit at the fountain. If you will allow it, I will beg from passersby untill I have enough to appease the spirit." The monk says, and moves to the fountain. He starts to meditate, and puts his begging bowl in front of him.

 

[mfrench]

OOC: The fountain is a several blocks away at the center of town.

After the monk pulls out his begging bowl and makes known his intentions to beg for enough to make an offering, Lao-ping digs through his pockets and pulls out 4 copper coins. He moves to put one of them in the bowl, saying: "Let your humble servant be the first to aid you in your, ah, endeavor, master Monk. If you would wait but a few short minutes here, I shall summon the guide to bring you safely to the fountain. There are certain streets here that perhaps it would be, ah, best to avoid.

"In the meantime, perhaps you'd care to, ah, peruse the offerings inside, master Oathblade?" he asks as he starts to head inside. Now that he's really moving about for the first time, you notice that he has a slight limp (despite his best efforts to hide it). At the door, he shouts something in the coarse language of his people, and the sounds of activity can be heard from within.

 

[mfrench]

******
Lao-ping wasn't quite sure what to make of the strangers: they were tight-lipped, which aroused his suspicion. They could be onto something big, and the Black Hands took every opportunity to get a piece of everything that went through their town.

He needed someone to watch them, but it couldn't be the average thug, someone who would rob them and flee at the first chance. Someone with subtlety, with an eye for the long-term. But also someone that he could do without for a few weeks. As the answer sprung to mind, he smiled and headed in doors, where he yelled in his native language for his sister: "Send your son to the market, tell him to wait for a signal. And summon the Fox, I've got a job for him."

Ah, to get the Fox out of his hair! It's not that Kenji was a bad thief. Case in point, Lao-ping had got some nobles in Hiruma to invest in a merchant from the Falls, Kenji in disguise. He was supposed to get a small investment from them, an amount that would make a decent score, but nothing that they couldn't afford to lose. When Kenji returned to the Falls, he brought with him the entire savings of one of the younger, more foolish nobles trying to out-do his older investors. They had to hide out for some time to dodge the assassins that came, but eventually the money ran out.

 

[Amazing Triangle]

As Kenji enters, walking nonchalantly, he addresses his boss in a knowing tone speaking in his native tongue. "Lao-ping, my friend, what is it you need from me? Do you need me for another job? Is it a little lower key than the last one? Too much heat from that last job."

[sblock=OOC]Kenji just wants to take any job that is not going to get assassins on him again.[/sblock]

 

[mfrench]

Lao-ping scowls briefly at Kenji's entrance, then smiles. "This job should suit you well enough. These two travelers have come down from the monastery, which may be a sign of important happenings. I have offered your services as guide to the fountain. My nephew there will make an attempt to rob them while they make an offering. You should prevent it to get in their good graces. Just take it easy on the little rascal.

"Guide them out of town, and determine the errand that they are on. Perhaps they seek some great relic . . ." His eyes gleam with the thought of ancient treasure. "This may take you rather far, but you have always sought escape from the Falls. Just try to avoid Hiruma lands, the Black Hands haven't been welcome there much lately. Steer them, if you can, towards the Ford town to the west. We have been developing a network of fences there, you should check their progress, and take advantage of it if fortune favors you."