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Message: <blockquote data-quote="spyscribe" data-source="post: 2476663" data-attributes="member: 5808">coyote6: I am always proud to learn that this story hour has caused loss of sleep.  Welcome.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  And if past years are any guide, we'll figure out when, if, and how many of us are going to GenCon SoCal approximately the Wednesday before it begins.In the meantime:Part the One-Hundred Forty-FifthIn which: Thatch makes an astute observation, Anvil breaks bad news, and Eva rids herself of excess baggage.“He’s nuts,” Thatch opines once they have left Baasim’s tent.This is a popular opinion, only strengthened when the party returns to their inn to find that the bill has been paid, new outfits have arrived, and not one, but two baskets of candied fruits and nuts have been delivered.No one eats any.Lira sums up the collective sentiment.  “Anyone who spends that much on total strangers has a plan to recoup it somehow.”More problematic is the fact that Baasim is the only guide they have met who even claims to have knowledge of the place they wish to travel.“We could question him under a zone of truth,” Anvil suggests, “but I suspect he might object.”For the meantime, lacking a better plan, the group decides to leave the matter until the next day and hope that Djamel’s sources come through with information on Pesshetaup.###The next day, Djamel does indeed have more information for them, however, he is a bit suspicious of why the party wanted it.“Tell me again,” he begins once the party members have all arrived at the café.  “Why do you wish to travel to Pesshetaup?”“We told you,” Lira says.  “We wish to visit someone who lives there.”Djamel lets that rest in silence for a moment before taking a pull on his cigarette and explaining.  “That is strange, as there is no one living in Pesshetaup.”“Strange sort of city,” Kiara remarks.“You misunderstand,” Djamel corrects himself.  “Pesshetaup is a dead city.  It was built as a quarry, deep in the desert.  Pesshetaup marble is the finest in all the Halmae, and for some years it produced much of it.  But the city proved too deep in the desert, too far from natural water sources.  They had to import food and water to sustain them, and eventually, it proved too costly.  The city was abandoned and left to be swallowed by the sands.” “How long to get there?”  Lira asks.Djamel thinks for just a moment.  “About a week and half.”“A week and half?” Anvil asks.  “Another guide told us he could take us there in seven days.”Djamel shrugs.  “Then go with another guide.  Personally… I think that is a bit ambitious.”“Do you know a man called Baasim?” Eva asks.He shakes his head.  “That name means nothing to me.”The party members exchange glances.  “How much?”  Thatch asks.“Seventy-five gold to take you to Pesshetaup.”“Each?”  Thatch boggles.“No, for you all.”Anvil nods.  It seems like a Just price to him.  “We will let you know our decision shortly.”###Although the party has great sympathy for Parwin’s story, the additional information they have been able to glean about Pesshetaup through the other guides is not enough for her to recognize the location.Before the party goes on their way, Parwin takes two cords from her belt and knots them.   She speaks to Reyu, “If you or your foundling has any… difficulties…  Show these.  The Shesher will help you.”Reyu nods gratefully and takes the cords.  “Thank you.”The rest of the group chooses to ignore the fact that they have not been included in this letter of recommendation.“And you, sister,” Reyu asks.  “Do you intend to travel to the Confederacy seeking your son?”She nods.  “I must.  Will you be returning there?”Reyu looks back at her companions.  They had been hoping that once they met Manaal she might be able to help them directly to the next stop on their journey.  On the other hand, they cannot be sure she will prove willing.“Certainly,” Reyu replies, “but I do not know if we will first be returning here.  If so, you are welcome to travel with us, but I do not wish for you to wait for our return that never comes.”Parwin considers.  “I will remain here for five weeks more.  If you have not returned, I will begin my journey alone.”Reyu takes out a cord of her own and knots it for Parwin.  “There are many elves of many kinds in the Cofederacy.  Some will not recognize this, but take it for what it is worth.”Parwin accepts it with thanks.“Are you certain you can make this journey?” Reyu asks.“As long as there are shadows and trees, I shall be fine.”###The question now becomes how to tell Baasim that they will not be traveling together through the desert.  Anvil volunteers to go, and Eva walks with him, carrying the large pile of clothing that Baasim had sent to them.As could have been predicted, Anvil’s news is met with much wailing and gnashing of teeth.“Justicar, no!”Anvil nods soberly.  “Yes.”Baasim turns his eyes to the heavens, “Oh!  If I had a son, on the day he became a man I would have taken him aside, and do you know what I would have told him?  I would have said, ‘My son.  This, the day you have become a man is the proudest day of my life…  Save one.  The day I led the Justicar into the desert.”He is the very picture of disappointment.(Those at the table, meanwhile, are the picture of helpless laughter.)A serving-boy appears at Baasim’s elbow.  “Foot-wash, Saheeb?”“No, no.  There is no point.  We will not be taking the Justicar on his journey.  You may as well prepare me for burial in the shifting sands.”The boy bows.  “Yes, Saheeb.” And exits.Eva clears her throat.  “We ah… wanted to return these…” she begins, holding up the bundled clothing.“No, no, princess.  I would not dream of it.  You will take them.  And you will, perhaps, remember Baasim.”Eva shurgs.  It would seem that their business is concluded.Anvil agrees.  “May Kettenek’s Justice be upon you, Baasim.”“Ah,” the merchant and guide replies, voice filled with sorrow.  “I pray each day that it be so.”###As Anvil and Eva are making their way back to the inn, they have to cross the city’s only bridge across the river.  There is quite a bit of foot and cart traffic, and Eva rolls up the clothes she is carrying into a tight bundle that she can hold against her chest.And if her holy symbol happened to get caught up in the bundle… the holy symbol used to spy on her for the last four months… Well, it was certainly not intentional on her part.She and Anvil move onto the bridge.  It’s crowded, with quite a bit of jostling from side to side.  And then, right in the middle of the bridge, Eva trips.Naturally, she puts her hands out to break her fall… which causes the bundle to go flying from her arms and into the river below.Anvil helps her to her feet.“Are you all right?”Eva nods, rubbing a sore spot at the back of her neck.  “Yeah.  I must have tripped.”Anvil frowns.  “What happened to your holy symbol?”Eva checks.  Sure enough the weight around her neck is gone.  “Oh no, the cord must have snapped when I fell.”“That is, unfortunate.”“Yeah,” Eva agrees.  “I guess I’ll just have to get a new one.”“Indeed.”Eva checks the river, but the current is already carrying the bundle out of sight.</blockquote>

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