AnAdventurousIntroductionToLeilm part 12
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1/3/2003
There is a House of Wisdom located on the Imperial Isle.
There, for the price of 20 drops, you can converse with Imperial Scholars on many different topics.
We knock on L'talas's door. Ka'ran opens the door. He does not seem pleased to see us and shuts the door rudely in our face. We knock again. He opens and informs us that L'talas is not to be found within.
Everything starts with breakfast and today is no exception. As we consume our citrus and cereals a maid approaches Sjer and asks after our whereabouts the previous night. She says that we were missed (bats eyelashes). Sjer becomes tongue tied and reddens slightly. Zali jokes that "no wonder he has a tough time with the women." Sjer turns redder and excuses himself while the laughter and mocking continue. Zali taunts. Don't worry, young Sjer, you will lose your virginity soon." Sjer escapes outside.
Afalar spends a couple hours in the Sru'haro library getting familiar with it.
Zali'haro heads off to the Ta'im'ielm stronghold to introduce himself with courtesy. There is some repair being done to the building, and Afalar takes advantage to ask some workmen about the fire.
The fire began on the North side of the Island and swept down. They believe from the way the fire swept so quickly that it must have been set on purpose. Zali asks about the destroyed buildings. Some people think it might have to do with some rival gangs. Granted, as guards of the city the Ta'im'ielm do what they can, but with all the poverty the gangs have their way. They live off the poor, not the rich.
A workman wonders if the timing has something to do with the Heretic. Zali asks after the Heretic and the workman goes on at length. He sought refuge with an Alm to the south who has complained about his lot in the empire. Now Alm Emajal has decided not to give him up. So the Church called upon the other Alms to go and get him. Of course Emajal's supporters are up in arms for him, and so the fist became involved and now we have this big war which is 2 years into the making. The Emperor is not really doing anything either way, and this is seen as a sign of great weakness.
Zali asks about upcoming races. The workman turns out to be an enthusiast and describes the grand spectacle of the races. A few years back there was a large riot after something happened during a race. And this upcoming race has some problems what with two injuries already. Nobody is quite sure, but that stable of Corimalir. There are some rumours that it was bought by someone, perhaps an official within the Emperor's court, some newcomer. Of course the old owner had run the stable into the ground. The new young jockey was brought over from another stable and was given the opportunity to be a lead runner which he would not have had for many a year.
Zali asks the fellows name and is told Zalaf Tiramar. He has contacts and does regular work here. He is obviously the foreman and gets good contracts.
Afalar, whilst looking through the books has found the name of the sect that controlled the Church before the current sect. There are two major Church orders, Araji and Vamiri.
Crave'en leaves the Sru'haro compound and hires a boat.
”I was only ten years old when it happened, so the exact time of this is well over 100 years ago. At that time there were two major underworld powers. The Cobra, or the Iron Cobra, and the Shadow Water Circle. This was one of the first times that the fist and the mages worked together -- to defeat them. They began a war using powers that no one wanted them to use. The mages did their job and the fist did theirs. That castle was attacked and destroyed by the shadow mages and ripped asunder. The fist rooted out who they could and sent them packing. Both the Shadow Waters and Cobra have come together. Whether that was actual or symbolic I do not know.
Those with the gift of the Milar receive a helper of one of the animal spirits that have been sent to guide us my the creator. I have mine and this creature is almost as old as I am now, and in many ways I can now see and experience through its eyes.
The dog was considered one of our most helpful guides. Any who received this helper was destined to great things. The dog has been replaced by the day of Chal in our weekly calendar, but the rest of the animals are there.
Sjer asks the question if the only cause of this conspiracy is money or if there is some other goal. Money seems to be the root of it.
Afalar has done research on the origins of the Church in the Sru'haro library and is now heading toward the House of Wisdom.
Zali now heads down to the racetrack to find more info about the Torazi stable. He meets up with Eliza.
”Are you getting excited about the long distance race?“
"Now the race is being turned into a blood sport. He has threatened to punt and fight and do whatever it takes to win."
"Are you worried about Torazi?"
"He seems to be in a bit of a foul mood lately. His family won't be there to cheer him on this time."
"Are you going to be betting on the races?"
"Perhaps you can place a bet for me because it is difficult to put a bet down when you are a racer."
Afalar arrives at the house of wisdom. It has a beautiful courtyard and has multiple stories that look down upon it. There are a great many people there. Some are bustling, some are listening. The guards look quite bored.
Afalar walks up to one of the guards and asks if there is a library. He is told there is no library per se, all the scholars bring their own and borrow amongst themselves.
Afalar heads to the reading room. There are two guards there, Afalar enters the room, the guard nods at him and asks who he is.
"I am Afalar and I seek knowledge."
"Ah, there is a fee to access the room and another fee to borrow any materials."
Afalar then begins making the rounds. He finds a scholar and asks about the ruins southwest of Lie'lm. The fellow remembers the ruins and claims they are inhabited by the dark Praj. He goes and gets two documents which Afalar takes over to a table and peruses. The first is a list of holdings outside of the city and lists names and dates and who has what property. This is an official census type of document.
The last family occupying this land was Fazajalavor some 115 years ago. It is believed that that particular family was a member of the Black Water Circle. This family owned it for a period of 100 years.
Sjer asks Prupumara about the money.
"Money is at the root of all things. Through this race money they will make and make it well. The horse will falter and debts collected and bets won. A purpose and end this is . Funds, funds, funds to fuel the shadows to bring the circle back to make it strong. Time is right and a benefactor in high places. Unconnected he is. It is he who conceived the fall of the race. Conceived he did, money to gain through money to climb a station higher. His name I do not see, yet eyes of green from a land to the west. But a sapling he is within the court of the blessed one. Eyes watch him, watch his progress and his ambition. Old eyes, very old eyes. This man is not connected, bears no blood to those who carry out the plot, but related to the shadow they are, that will move and carry and sweep through the city retrieve items they will and come out from hiding.
Zali finds out that the man who is said to be the owner of the Valinar stable is Hiramis. He is a hard man who drives his jockeys hard. it is not obvious where he gets his money from.
The other book Afalar is perusing talks about the Shadow Water Circle who was created by a group of mages who chose not to be members of the assembly. They ran into a rival group called the Iron Cobra who had some odd beliefs about Chal. The Cobra came in and began to hit the city hard, they came from outside the city. The Circle fought back and then the Shadowmages stepped in and conducted a year and a half campaign to eradicate that circle, meanwhile the Fist came in and took on the Iron Cobra.
This family who had owned the keep was legitimizing the Shadow Water Circle and even began climbing in political power. The Emperor himself signed the warrants against these people and they were killed. The keep is now referred to as the shadowed shell.
In the late afternoon of the 60th we are ushered in to see L'talas.
L'talas says of a wine he is sipping, "The young ones stimulate the brain." Afalar says, "It's the young ones that impair my thinking."
L'talas tells of of a couple of recent additions to the Emperor's staff, one from Yariselema and one from Cairaleilem. A stripling with green eyes came well recommended, his name is Orazol Calimodal. He has eyes for one of the Alms daughters and he is seeking somewhat above his stations and there is a bride price of 12 spheres. Olar Falacel is none too pleased, but he set a high price and it might be met.
We decide to finish following the jockey and then go rescue the family and bring them back to the Sru'haro household. That is our task. L'talas will send Ezek with another and they will bring a couple of horses with them to assist us in bringing the family back here to the Sru'haro household.
[next: PrisonersOfTheShadowedShell]