Welcome to the Halmae (updated 2/27/07)

[Shieldhaven]

Possibly to show the elves that it really isn't a minor injury at all, but one that is incredibly painful?

I'm with the Justicar on this one. He had to do something pretty grim to show that he really meant business. It's also the epitome of Hammurabi's Code.

Haven

 

[weiknarf]

The punishment must fit the crime.

 

[Fajitas]

Maybe braids, but not ears. Cmon, if it's so damn easy to grow them back, why bother? Isn't a couple of lopped-off ears enough?

Well, do keep in mind the following:

1) The Halmae is a low magic world. Regenerate is a 7th level Cleric spell and a 9th level Druid spell, so it's not that easy to grow them back. Even a wealthy merchant like Jamaladeen had to pay an awful lot for it. Plus, considering that most elven healing comes through Druidic magic, that makes it even harder to come by.

2) If you think the humans were going to punish the children, just wait until you see what the elves do to them. Er, not that you will, because the party high-tailed it out of there pretty quickly. But remember, these children... whoo, did they screw up. They attacked humans on the Sea Road, a massive Shesher no-no as they rely on protection money from caravans on the Sea Road. They also allowed themselves to be tracked and caught. The whole point of counting coup is to prove one's skill and cunning, and the children have quite failed to do that.

So, in short, the children are in a lot of trouble with the Shesher. But children are also very important to the Shesher; they don't have many. These four are at least half the children (and possibly all the children) that particular Shesher tribe has. So, while they're probably going to take the children home and beat them soundly, ain't no way they're going to let any humans lay a finger on them.

Additionally, you first have to imagine that each of the children (especially Zili, the leader), is going to have "shamer of the Nation" added to her achievement braid. And, even if the elves have the magic to regenerate the ears, they probably wouldn't do so. That's another badge of shame, and a reminder not to be so careless a hunter in the future.

Amusingly enough, WLS and I were discussing this just the other night. A sane elf tribe, like Reyu's, would probably allow the children to have the ear regenerated when they attain their majority, at 64. Among the Shesher, however... by the time she turns 64, Zili will probably wear her disfigurement with pride.

3) The Sea Road is the main artery of trade through the Empire of Ebis. The Empire cannot, cannot allow banditry of any kind along it. The protection money paid to the Shesher is a carefully worked out arrangement that keeps the Road safe and prevents war. The Justicar had to do something to indicate just how unacceptable this kind of behavior is. If the elves feel free to violate the arrangement, the Empire has no choice but to eradicate the Shesher from the desert. And that will be very, very costly. So, harsh, yes. Politically necessary? Absolutely.

And, while the taking of braids may have been a worse punishment as far as the elves were concerned I note that a) as children, they don't have a whole lot that is interesting in their braids, and b) braids mean nothing to the Ebisites. Ears do. Can you imagine Jamaladeen's reaction if he learned that, as punishment, the children were to be given haircuts? But ears... everybody gets ears.

 

[Pyske]

All good arguments, Fajitas. The punishment seems reasonable (to me), if harsh.

 

[spyscribe]

Part the One-Hundred Sixty-Ninth
In which: remember that fifth archmage? We’re going to have to figure out where he lives.

Eva stares into the campfire, hugging her knees to her chest.

The party has traveled down the Sea Road for several days since their encounter with the Shesher. Tomorrow, they will reach Nayarii, the major Ebisite city at the mouth of the Nefertigi River.

She’d known this day would come. She’d known ever since she’d tossed that gods damned holy symbol into the river in Siunethrit. She’d known that sooner or later, she would return to civilized lands. Lands where the Sedellans could find her. Lands where they maybe would want to ask her quite pointedly what, exactly, she thought she was doing.

It is the question of just how “pointedly” they will ask that she is now worried about.

She’s had weeks to plan for it, but somehow, out in the desert, it never seemed all that immediate. A return to civilization… that was tomorrow. She’d had today to worry about. Indeed, she’d had no shortage of todays to worry about. But all of a sudden, here she is, and tomorrow is… well, tomorrow.

Part of her mumbles that she’s worried over nothing. She disappeared off the map when she ditched that holy symbol back in Siunethrit. There’s no way they could know where she’ll turn up next. No reason to think they’d be looking for her in Nayarii. No reason to worry.

And that, of course, is exactly what is worrying the rest of her.

So she stares into the fire, hugging her knees to her chest. She knows she should be thinking of possible solutions, but all she can do is dwell on the great, scary unknown waiting for her.

That’s what Thatch sits next to her.

“Heya,” he says.

“Mmmm,” she grunts in response.

“You all right?”

Eva sighs and says, “Yeah, sure,” with a tone of voice that says she’s anything but.

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“Yes, but nothing I can. I’m sorry, it’s nothing personal, it’s just… I’m supposed to be able to be the river that flows in two channels, but I’m pretty sure that one of those channels is really not happy with me right now.”

“Um. Okay,” says Thatch, not getting it.

“The Sedellans? I dropped the holy symbol they were using to spy on us into the River back in Siunethrit. I think they’re going to be a little upset about that.”

Thatch stares at her. “Is that all you’re worried about?” he asks.

Eva stares right back. “Well, technically I guess I’m less worried that they’re a little upset and more worried that they’re really upset. Like knife in the dark, body left to rot in an alley under a pile of garbage upset.”

Thatch laughs. “Not gonna happen.”

“Yeah?” Eva says, gloomily.

“Yeah,” Thatch declares. “This other channel you’re supposed to be able to flow in? That’s Alirria, right?”

“Yes.”

“And, as one of the Lady’s Attendants, part of my job is to protect Alirrians who might be in danger, right?”

Eva blinks. She’d never really thought about the practical ramifications of Thatch having taken his orders. “But I’m not really… I mean, technically—“

“Look, Alirria herself decided to tell you that you that you had a choice. Whether you’ve made that choice or not, I’d say that means that She wants you kept safe. Which means it’s my job to see it done. So. How can I be of service to you?”

For the first time in days, Eva smiles.

###

Nayarii could not be more different than Siunethrit. Bathed by cooling sea-breezes, filled with travelers from all over the Halmae, the city has a bustling, cosmopolitan air which is—along with the sea breezes—quite refreshing.

The party, their newly-minted passports in hand, is waved through by the now expected customs officials. If there is one constant to the party’s experience in the Empire of Ebis, it would be that the customs officials seem to be uniformly bored to tears.

As soon as they’ve been cleared for entry into the city, Eva and Lira announce their intention to explore the main market.

Kiara is soon tugging on Annika’s sleeve. “Ooo! Ooo! I want to go too! I need to buy a hat!”

“A hat?” Annika is more than a little confused, “Why?”

“Because!” Kiara explains, impatient to be off.

“She can come with us,” Lira offers. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

“I’m going with them,” Thatch assures Annika. “They’ll be okay. We can meet you back here if there’s something else you want to do.”

Annika throws up her hands in defeat. “No, no. If she wants a hat I might as well try to have some input in it.”

“Why? You don’t have to wear it.” Kiara points out.

“Yes, but I have to look at it.”

That decided, the motley group heads out, Anvil shouting after them, “Meet in front of the Temple of Justice at four o’clock!”

A distracted wave from Lira is the only sign that anyone heard him.

Anvil is left standing inside the city gates with Reyu beside him. Despite the bustle of the city, the day seems somehow… quieter.

“Perhaps it would be best if I procured lodging for us.” Reyu offers.

Anvil nods. “Excellent.”

“What are your plans?”

“If we are to find this Barnabus, we should not be sailing blindly across the sea. I will go to the Temple of Justice, and seek information on their library regarding mysterious islands in the middle of the Halmae.”

“At four o’clock then.”

“Indeed.”

###

Anvil confidently strides up the front steps of the Temple of Justice and is quickly met—or forestalled—by an acolyte. It’s a bit hard to read the young woman’s intention.

“Greetings Justicar,” she intones. “You are far from home. How may we be of service?”

Anvil nods; it is Just that strangers should not be allowed free access to all areas of the Temple. “I have come to visit the library, seeking knowledge of unknown islands.”

The acolyte blinks. “Unknown islands?”

Anvil nods. “Yes. Do you have records of such things?”

“That… that would be difficult, Justicar.”

 

[doghead]

Difficult as in "if they are unknown, then no one knows about them so how can there be any information" difficult, or as in "the information you seek is a closely guarded secret and not to be revealed to dodgy foreigners on the grounds that it might compromise national security (or some such twaddle)" difficult.

Somehow, I suspect the latter.

 

[Fajitas]

Somehow, I suspect the latter.

Er, more the former, I'm afraid. Bad Monkey Jeff, God bless him, looked me right in the face and demanded that I tell him everything I knew about unknown islands, with such conviction that I truly believe he thought it might work.

 

[Seonaid]

I love you guys.

I forget--at this point, is someone playing Annika and Kiara?

 

[spyscribe]

I forget--at this point, is someone playing Annika and Kiara?

Kiara is always played by Snippet. This session we didn't have any guest-stars, so Annika is down with her usual NPC self.

 

[dpdx]

Well, do keep in mind the following: {myriad of reasons}

Oh, OK. I guess rehabilitation vs. punishment is not a common argument in Ebis. I withdraw my objection to the Judgment.

But I still think that making enemies of those children is going to come back and bite them. Which of course is the staple of a legendary ongoing campaign such as this one.

So anyway, what's the "shamer of the Nation" bead look like/made of? Scorpion dung?