[prev: TheManyTateers] [next: AFirstEveningWithRats]
10/23/2002 date gamed
(372yp)
"Do not forget that tonight I become a member of the Ta'im'eilm," Zali reminds the others.
"Of, course," confirms Sjer. "And I will accompany you again.
And with a rising crescendo of sound, the morning call to prayer fills the crisp morning air.
"Welcome, how may I be of service?"
"Yes, a private word with you, if I may sir."
The good doctor tells Afalar that Doctor Milizaro is the family doctor to the house Cierra. He has a good medical reputation. Unfortunately the eldest son of Cierra has been ill for some time. The symptoms appear to be some sort of a wasting disease. He is getting thinner, is listless, has a lack of energy, is coughing up phlegm and blood. Milzaro lives on the Street of the Falcons on Island #9, Var'asir'ol.
Afalar leaves in good time and joins up with the others, informing them of the address. The trio arm up accordingly and head off towards Var'asir'ol. There is a fresh breeze blowing in off the water and a definite chill in the air. Down the middle of the street of falcons stretch a row of columns, each about 20 feet high with a carving of a falcon on it.
Outside of Milizaro's home is a plaque which features a blue field upon which is Milizaro's symbol as well as a mortar and pestle. His symbol is in bright gold. The whole plaque is done in a mozaic of small stones. The building has a flat roof and a windtower facing towards the water. There appears to be a garden of sorts on the roof. The entrance way is an arch with overhanging plants and stylized stonework. There are orange trees on the grounds.
Near the house on the Street of Falcons is a classy winery/bar with an open courtyard for sitting.
About middle morning a teenage boy quickly runs into Malizaro's enclosure. Out of the doorway comes a man fitting the description of the medical man we had from the Broken Horse's owner. Another man comes out carrying some bags.
Afalar goes off in pursuit. The quarry moves quickly off to a large building which has a tangle of carriages. One carriage has fallen onto a man pinning him underneath.
Afalar hires a street urchin to walk up to the carriages, yell out the name Milizaro and then run. Afalar then pulls back to wait. The man fitting the description does look up when the name Milizaro is shouted out.
Sjer then enters the abode of Milizaro and asks for him. It is confirmed that Milizaro is the man who left earlier and that he is most likely the man Hara'eem meets at the Broken Horse.
Sjer decides to do a little reconnasance and finds that Milzaro's place is two roads away from the water. Milizaro would would need to walk to a boat. The three Sru'haro operatives decide that it is most likely Milizaro would take a boat as it is a very long walk for someone of advancing years.
That evening at dusk, Zali'haro and Sjer go to the Ta'im'eilm induction ceremony. The ceremony will take place in the building where Zali earned his membership. Zali wears his full armour and brings his weapons. As they approach the building two guards wearing all blue clothing ask Zali for his token. After satisfying the guards that they have a right to be there they are directed down the entrance tunnel. The tunnel opens onto the sand arena where Zali earned his place. The token is collected and Zali takes his position at the circle of torches. Sjer is directed to stand outside the circle. Once all the candidates arrive the drums begin. A procession of six individuals take their place to finish the circle. A tall regal looking man steps two paces into the circle. "Welcome to the circle of initiation and renewal." Another man steps forward and begins the collection of the rods. The lists are read and each person steps forward when his name is called and pays his dues. Eventually Zali turn comes.
The first man then speaks again. His voice is even and conveys a deep sense of importance to the occasion.
"Tonight we renew. Please step forward and say the oaths with me."
All present take a step forward, reducing the size of the circle and excluding all who are not part of the ceremony.
"I pledge my body, my soul, my blood to the Ta'im'eilm and to the city of Li'elm. I pledge to respect and uphold the laws of both the city and Ta'im'eilm. I will serve my clients well and honour the brothers and sisters of this circle. By pledging that my life and blood and soul belongs to the Ta'im'eilm. I recognize that my first allegience is to this circle, then to the city of li'elm, then to those who hire this sword."
All clasp their hands to their hilts at this point.
"I will discharge my duty honorably, and not bring dishonour to the Ta'im'eilm, Le'ilm, or this sword."
"Good. The mark on your arm will be the symbol of your pledge; should you ever renounce your pledge or fail to renew it each year the tatoo will be stripped from your flesh."
Blood is then spilt upon the ground by each individual. Then over the course of six hours, the tatoos are needled in upon the right forearm. Zali'haro now serves two masters. Membership will allow him to hire out as a bodyguard within the city.
The 20th we stake out Doctor Milizaro's home but he does not come out.
The 21st we stake out Doctor Milizaro's home. Again nothing happens.
The 22nd, once the dusk has set Afalar sees Doctor Milizaro leave his house. He quickly pays his bill at the coffee house and sets off after the good doctor. The doctor turns on the path towards the docks where Sjer is waiting. Sjer watches with delight as yet another person conveniently falls asleep. The three Sru'haro agents gather around the snoozing doctor. Afalar searches him gaining an ink vial with a book, the vial we are after, a set of surgeon's tools, two purses, another vial with a stopper, two rings, and a necklace with a measuring spoon. We leave Milizaro to his own devices and immediately head home to inspect the goodies.
We decide to give the two vials to L'talas, both the one we were after and the one with the stopper.
The surgeon's kit is a masterwork. It is probably worth a fortune, but we do not yet have any contacts with which to fence such a thing.
The vial of ink and the quill are also top notch. The book has some markings in it (MilizaroNoteBook). Afalar keeps that for a late-night read.
Milizaro's obvious purse contained 49 drops, and in the less obvious one was one green rod and 55 drops.
One of the rings is silver with three small saphires in it. The other one is a wide gold band with a fairly intricate design on it. The neclace is gold with a golden spoon on it. Halfway down the spoon is a line etched around it for measuring purposes.
We divy up the money and then retire for the night. Afalar stays up to decifer the book (MilizaroNoteBook).
The book turns out to be a list of patients and their histories. Page two of the book has the numbers 1 - 20 written and 1 through 11 have tick marks beside them. There is a line between the 16 and the 17. This page has no name. The other pages all have names associated with them.
There are 39 pages that seem to be blank.
Sjer and Zali both decide to sleep. Zali snoozed like a field soldier, but Sjer was up all night. At first just the sound of the wind howling through the windtower was preventing sleep, but as the night progressed Sjer became convinced that some magical foe could track them down and take our new found things from us. Perhaps some shadow mage could trace on of the missing rings, or the book was more than just a medical journal. So, without hope of sleep, Sjer went up and closed the windtower and then spent the rest of the night guarding Afalar's door. The morning call to prayer found both Afalar and Zali well rested. They were met by a very haggard looking Sjer who was bringing a breakfast to them in Afalar's room.
Afalar shows page two to us. We try to puzzle out what page two would mean. We think it has something to do with the Cierra case, but cannot decipher it.
We head down to continue breakfast and pass the word for L'talas. He meets us after breakfast. Afalar tells L'talas that it is Doctor Milizaro himself who meets Hara'eem. We give L'talas the two vials obtained from the Doctor.
We talk with L'talas for awhile on this morning of the 23rd. He then gives us each a rod and a bit for spending purposes. We let L'talas know about Tateer, the gaunt. We tell him we got the vial directly from Milizaro and that we do not know what Milizaro did afterwards, nor what transpired that night at the Broken Horse.
[next: AFirstEveningWithRats]