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09/19/2002 - dated gamed
(372yp)
The night begins on the bridge. The bridge is some 17 meters wide and 100 meters long. There are 4 large pillars on each corner of the bridge. Three have large statues on them, and one is bare. Along the side of the bridges are lanterns attached to the rail. The bridge is falling apart, in fact a large chunk broke off right as Zali'haro was attempting to urinate off the side. It appears he leaned over too far because he plunged into the water off of the far side of the bridge from where Sjer was waiting in a boat. There was a gasp from the people on the bridge. Zali'haro surfaced under the bridge and struck out for shore. He approached the boat that Sjer was in as he neared the wall. Zali'haro started having trouble and Sjer Mi'har had to abandon the chase to rescue him. They ended up on the Island of the Dead as Afalar continued the chase alone.
Afalar followed the mark down the middle of the Island of the Dead. The man bowed down to a statue of a woman with her arms raised to the sky in supplication. Afalar headed down the Island and turned to the left after about 100 meters still following the mark. They walked down to the next intersection and turned right. Afalar was moving particularly silently. The mark turned to the left and continued purposefully. The streets were getting narrower and darker. They approach a section of whispers and Afalar stopped in suspicion and indecision.
Afalar decides to wait in the street for the mark to reappear instead of following him.
Meanwhile Zali and Sjer climbed, quite bedraggled and wet, up from a dock on the river into a courtyard littered with statues. Walking through the courtyard seemed a simple straightforward idea, but it is eerily quiet and they freeze uncertainly. Summoning up what courage is available, Sjer starts across. Sounds of skittering in the dark quickly bring him to a halt. Sjer lit up a dart and used it as a floating torch. It zoomed crazily about. Apparently the sounds in the dark were too much as Sjer panicked and ran headlong into the outstretched hand of a statue, almost knocking himself out. A rat ran in and bit Sjer seemingly killing him with one bite. Zali jumped, not a moment too soon, and held them at bay whilst Sjer recovered. Once the opponents were identified they were dispatched or frightened off in short order.
Meanwhile, back on the street, Afalar stayed in his dark hiding spot for an hour and a half. Then saw the mark with the braid come back. He stayed there and let the mark go.
In the courtyard Sjer and Zali continued on to the end of the courtyard and encountered a gate. After searching the courtyard it was determined that there was no easy egress. There is a large building abutting the courtyard to the south. On the north side was a large stone planter which they managed to roll toward the gate and, using it, climb over. They then spent half an hour winding their way back to the bridge. As they got close to the gate the statue of the supplicant woman loomed out of the dark; and the braided warrior was kneeling down seemingly in prayer. Hara'eem mysteriously fell into a deep sleep for a convenient 10 minutes. Sjer searched him and found a vial about 3 inches long, eight-sided and 1/2 inch thick. It contained a dark powder. On the bottom was an inscription, a symbol. The vial was put back and the man left to waken. He woke up and continued on his way without incident. Sjer and Zali ran into Afalar and all went back together. They dragged themselves home and collapsed. After sleeping in quite late, they met to put together a report.
Sjer met with the good doctor whose allegiance is to the Sru'haro in order to treat a very serious injury inflicted by a terrible foe. Sjer recieved a salve for the rat bite.
The good doctor Milizar was fingered by the Sru'haro doctor as the man who's mark was on the bottle that the braided warrior was carrying.
After mentioning the name Malizar, L'talas divulges that Malizar is the physician to the family Ciera.
L'talas wants to know where Hara'eem went and more about the vial. What connects the vial to either Hara'eem or the yourger Ciera.
Later that afternoon the trio entered the neighbourhood where Afalar lost the traill of Hara'eem. There are some run down buildings near the spot. There is a tavern called the Broken Horse in the vicinity. There is also a whorehouse nearby, but there is no information to be had from the worldy whoremaster despite Sjer's intimidating presence.
The two conspiritors ordered beer and tried to ferret out information. A man named Kaleef came in and ordered a meal.
Afalar bought a round of drinks for a table of drunks. He got the men talking about a brother's wedding. He then skillfully turned the conversation to the previous night. It turned out they were there all night. The man with the braid stopped and talked to the groom before meeting with someone else. The groom's brother's name is Dateer. Asra was also at the table. Dateer has two brothers, the middle of which seems to have a business relationship with Hara'eem. Dateer may have been a goldsmith. The Bartender said that Tateer works gold and used to be a slave. His brother's soon to be father-in-law runs one of the shipping docks. The bartender seems to have a relationship of sorts with the Braid. He mentioned him once and then shut up tighter than a clam.
Afalar found some information, but all seem to be stymied as to where to get more information. It isn't easy being strangers in a poor section of town.
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