DARKSUN: THE ELEMENTS OF EVIL
SEGMENT 005
“RAAM”
05/10/19
SEASON: FRIEND’S VENGEANCE YEAR 24
MONTH: NOBLE
DAY: 23
KA: 190
Drak is busy checking over the edges of the throwing stars he has made for sharpness. He has been using his saliva to make the Chatkcha to bide his time. And maybe raise some money. Olan has finished crafting his bone daggers. Koe has been meditating and keeping to himself in the bunkhouse. Choros has been asking around about a half-giant within Draj.
Yaesha Tsalaxa checks in daily with all four of them. He has looked at the rogue’s dagger. He appreciates the craftsmanship. Though he feels the thri-kreen is no doubt creating excellent weapons himself, he doesn’t like bothering the kreen. The kreen is a hunter and keeping him within the city is making him dangerous.
Koe does as asked though he mentally questions everything. Choros is like a puppet. A mysterious puppet but a puppet none the less.
Yaesha Tsalaxa of House Tsalaxa feels he understands enough about the four to trust them. And even if he didn’t, Yada has supported them. She is the Matron of the family.
Three carts full of bright and colorful fabric, spices, dried rice and hemp rope are readied for trade. Due to increased Gith activity, Yaesha has decided on 16 total riders. 5 scouts (himself and the four new recruits), 3 cargo riders, four guards and four rear guards. He hopes this will persuade any raids by Gith.
Shortly after daybreak, the Tsalaxa compound seems to awaken. Crodlus, reptilian bi-pedal mounts. Heavy Crodlu can pull wagons and defend themselves effectively.
Yaesha leads the caravan out of the compound. He is wishes to be the second caravan to leave the city. The first caravan is generally hit with the full effect of the templar’s greed and any new surprise laws the king as decreed. The second caravan generally gets a gentler attack as the first uses up most templar’s energy.
The crodlus drive a wedge through the few remaining crowds from the night and those setting up for the day. Unless there is someone the king wants, there are generally no stopping by guards as you leave the city- only going in. The caravan is meeting up with the main guard once they exit the stone block bridge. The three carts thump and thud over the cracks as you go out. Slaves are already at work in the mud. They are collecting weeds with strong tasting roots that can be used for flavoring spice.
Before long you see eight crodlu and their riders. They do not look happy which further bothers Yaesha as he comes up to the final guard station. A female templar comes out onto the stone wielding a staff. She thumps it twice on the stone. Two large half-giants come out of brush along with additional guards and templars.
“What do you carry today Tsalaxa?” the woman more demands than asks. With more than a hint of intimidation she further goes on “Where do go with this ….caravan?” She walks over to the closest cart and pulls back a tarp to begin inspecting. “Well? Does the kirre have your tongue?”
“Gate Templar Marpuma- Praise the Moons. We carry Hemp ropes of Draj, Fabrics by the city’s best weavers and….coin.” Yaesha, with a pleasant smile on his face, bows. A small pouch is in his hand , caught in his fingers. The raven haired templar notes the pouch but continues to look at the colorful and extremely soft fabric in the cart.
Choros can not help himself as he rolls his eyes. He understands the need for it but is not impressed by this custom. Worse- one of the half-giant guards has picked his nose. A dry gummy green snot is rolled between his fingers and he wipes it off on the shoulder of the other half-giant whom is busy checking out one of the female caravan riders.
She pokes around the cart again and returns to the fabric. “I do not want your petty coins Tsalaxa. There are reports of the Alliance planning something to embarrass the king. I am to inspect ALL carts that come and go. She walks up to him and swiftly swings about snatching the pouch from his hand. “I hope you would inform me of any and all illegal passage of magic contraband if you were aware of it.”
She walks to the edge of the stone block as it makes contact with the soft earth then spins around abruptly and with drama. Her dark purple robe spins and lifts above her shins as she does this. “You have new workers. Slaves?” She asks as she peers at Choro, a half-giant and Koe, a Mul. “I pay them as any freeman.”
“Really?”
“Paid men want to be paid- while a slave would allow any to attack and take the caravan and myself away.”
“Indeed- never trust a slave.” She pauses as if remembering something from less than deep memory. “Begone! Take your crap and you ex-slaves and leave my sight. If attacked by Gith- kill as many as you can before dying yourselves.” She thumps her staff twice again and the half-giants step aside along with the other templars and guards.
It takes two days for the Heavy Crodlu caravan to cross the King’s Road to Raam. As much as he can, Yaesha teaches what he can of traveling and survival skills to the new employees. Occasionally they spot signs of Gith or other creatures but encounter none otherwise.
DAY 25 RAAM
The dry pebbly sand slowly gives way to green sprouts of grass. In the distance, as the green grass rises in rolling hills, you can see the white walls of Raam. The road sweeps to and fro with deep ditches and ledges. It is clear, no army could quickly charge the city and any attempt would break up the formation. It is a simple defense but a good one.
No one asks much about the city itself. Olan does mention he grew up here but offers little else. Yaesha has mentioned during the campfires that Raam was once a great mining city. Gems, silver and crystals were in great abundance within the hillsides and nearby mountains. The city worships the nature goddess- Badna. The sorcerer-Queen- Abalach-Re, acts as the goddess’ high priestess.
As they near the city’s caravan gate, several templars come directly at the Tsalaxa Caravan. “A good day to you, Templars of Raam. I am Yaesha Tsalaxa and this is Tsalaxa’s caravan. We bring much needed rice to your city for sale or trade.”
The lead templar, a man with a series of scars on his right cheek, snarls at Yaesha. “I care little for you or this cursed city. What do you carry? More than rice I dare hope.” Yaesha, ever pleasant to a templar at a city gate, waves to a crodlu rider. As the rider moves back the templar waves his own hand and makes a very quickly spoken words with a “Move Slowly.” The man, entranced, moves slowly. He lifts a small tarp exposing small blankets of bright colored cloth and patterns. The eyes on the templar rise sharply. “Raam silk is the world’s best. Why sell it back to us?”
“Your silk is truly beautiful. Draj can only dying it. It looks very nice on you.”
The templar yanks it free from the crodlu. “Aye, my third wife would love it.”
“Then please- take it as a gift.”
“Bah! Crussa is an ugly whore. But Vara….. my lover……” He walks away with it. As he passes a templar that was watching, this templar rushes forward. “I have a wife… and a lover also.”
“I would be a poor guest if I did not offer you….. and her a gift also.”
Once inside the gate Yaesha begins to grumble. The templars are getting greedy in Raam. “Aid the others to unload the remaining blankets, fabric and dried rice. Leave the hemp rope and silk line for Tyr. You have two hours before we leave. Here is what I owe you thus far. Get a drink or a woman…. Whatever you wish but return within the two hours. I will leave without you.”
Not far away is a tavern aimed at caravan workers. It is called The Traveler’s Triumph. The sign has a happy, slightly drunken caravan worker holding a foaming mug.
Inside there five tables and a small stage for women (or men) to dance. A merchant sits back enjoying a drink. Two others are at another table. One is clearly drunk, Two tables have been dragged together and are very rowdy. The six travelers are wearing a black and red shield with three white dragonflies. House Shom.
The noble gets up. Between the rowdy Shom caravanners and this new group of travelers made up of summoned creatures and ex-slaves…..
Drak has never had alcohol and asks for one- anything alcoholic. Koe requests water. Choro and Olan get Broy. Drak isn’t overly impressed with broy. Olan makes a comment that sounds more like a squeak of an animal. Poe asks what that was. Olan answers in more squeaks then in common- “Tari.”
“What is…. Tari?” the gruff Monk asks.
“My adopted father speaks it. He and his entire father speak it.”
“And a good day” spoken in Tari can be heard from the table with two men. Keeping to the traditional greeting Olan answers back “May it get better for both of us.”
“I thought only my house spoke Tari. Welcome to Raam. I am Elias. I am of House Blewes.”
“I have not heard of this…. House Blewes.” Answers Koe. Drak swaps cups with Koe to wash out the taste of Broy. It doesn’t go unseen but is tolerated by the mul.
“Who are Tari?” asks Choros.
“Survivors.” Answers Olan.
“They live in Tyr and Raam. Some also live in the ruins. They have an incredible knack for finding items- especially in the ruins.
A loud roar of laughter erupts from the Shom table as one worker has grabbed a dancer and wrestles with her. Koe tenses up but know to fight one Shom member means fighting all Shom members. An experience he doesn’t want to repeat again any time soon. The man’s belt somehow comes undone and his pants fall to the floor. The girl escapes his grasp and moves to a different section- more wary of the grabbing Shom workers. Choros smirks as he finishes his drink using the cup to hide his smirk.
“House Tsalaxa you say. I understand they pay well but once in you are in for life….. as long of a life as you have.”
“Klik kik….. Kouse Klewes…?” asks the thri-kreen.
“House Blewes is owned and run by Greene Blewes. We are a very small trade house. We hire ourselves out to other tradehouses.”
Elias looks over and sees his drunken friend is waking up. “I must go now. It was good to meet you Olan. May your day get better.”
“We should be going too.” Replies Koe while staring down the Shom table. “The air will be much better out there.”