TheKurdrunMission part 1
[next: TheChaseFromTheInn]
12/4/2003
Sjer, as Velan - a scholarly type, Afalar as Sru Ravam - a playboy gambler, Ezra as Razereb - porter for Sru Ravam, Zali as Aliz - bodyguard to Sru Ravam.
Sru Ravam goes to ask the messenger's guild about the FiveCornersInn?. He gets directions to an inn about 15 km east of the city.
We sleep the night again at the TinkerersFolly?. On the way out in the morning Velan picks up a fool's outfit and a shortspear for 100 drops.
After 6 hours of walking we arrive at the Five Corners Inn. All but Velan go inside and get settled. About 15 minutes later, Velan enters dressed as a fool.
Aliz, Razereb and Volorn have entered and climbed up to where the balcony is. There are wash basins there with fairly fresh water.
Food being delivered up the stairs looks appealing to our hungry travellers.
They sit at a nearby round table and order olives, cheese, bread, and lamb as well as a flagon of ale. Aliz opts for the bread and honey.
Soon, Velan the fool enters. He is immediately challenged by the guards.
Velan bluffs his way in and gamboles about the place. After making a fool of himself with the animals and ordering a drink, Velan sips and watches the passersby.
Meanwhile, Sru Ravam sees a man who looks just like Karan. He gets up and follows the man. He goes up a set of stairs and heads past the upper-class rooms. The man heads up to the roof. Sru Ravam follows the man up but loses him amid the tents and awnings of the rooftop set. Ravam goes over to an empty awning and waits. After 7 minutes a young attractive woman comes over and offers drinks. Sru Ravam asks for a massage and she acquiesces. As he is relaxing he again sees Ka'ran in an empty tent.
Sru Ravam breaks off the massage and goes over to that tent.
Ka'ran asks Ravam inside. The woman is asked to finish the massage on Ka'ran.
Downstairs the two men wait patiently while eating Sru Ravam's food.
Ka'ran tells Sru Ravam to contract a room and then after dark meet him again on the rooftop. He seems to have some scorn for Sjer's performance. He mentions to Ravam that he would like to see the fool dance before the night is over.
When Sru Ravam goes downstairs he finds his food eaten. He sits down and says, he got our message. He is to get the rest tonight.
We then arrange for a room for the night.
Velan continues his performance and tries to interest others in his stories. He tells his tales and even attempts a dance or two.
It is quite obvious that the reason this particular fool is at a wayside inn is that his skills are not a match for the Emperor's table.
After the performance, Sru Ravam comes over and fills Velan in on the situation. He mentions that Ka'ran is pleased with the performance and that it has served it's purpose. Sjer is truly the fool now as he is pleased at his cleverness in figuring out the message. Afalar's kindness will probably never be detected. Later that evening Velan makes his way into the room to join his companions.
Stories heard in the common room.
2. Down south TheHeretic has unleashed a servant of the DarkPraj?. A creature bathed in blue light that destroyed the alms lands around them. Alm Eral and his family and many of his people have been killed. A group of heroes calling themselves the HandOfChal? has claimed to have bound the demon. The only proof is that the demon has dissappeared. A young scion of Prac'tla is accused of being at the heart of both. TheShawnal?'s return and the HandOfChal?.
3. There are whispers of a second war in the empire. Forces under Alm Saip have moved northward and attacked the lands of the Kargani'na'var. Some say that Saip is moving on behalf of the heretic and others say he is against TheHeretic. Yet another group claims he is acting alone. But reasoning aside, the forces are moving northwards. The wars that seem far away are now beginning to affect the merchants here near Lie'lm. And still, through all this, the Emperor does nothing. The Church seems to be leading. The ShadowMages, as always, are silent.
4. Practla does nothing. It seems that he may be waiting because it is his bastard son that is doing these things down south.
That night Sru Ravam and Volorn go off to meet Ka'ran. Volorn plants himself against the side of the tent.
Ka'ran says,"It is only by the grace of Chal that you still live. You have managed to find good fortune in all your stumblings. The fact that you destroyed the only ones that knew you were there has bought you your lives.
He is not pleased in the slightest. You lack finesse and subtlety, though he admires your destructive abilities. But discretion is something that is needed in the city. The fact that you were here briefly needs that you leave the city for an extended time. You will do penance, but that penance as always will benefit Sru'haro.
Some time ago we had a man trail several men that came in and out of the estate of Alm Jamir'al, the JamiralEstate?. We had been watching the Alm's estate. These men were not frequent visitors. They stayed and then left travelling North across the river. Our agent followed and discovered that they met in the mountains with a group of Kurdrun. What was said or exchanged I do not know, yet.
These men returned to Jamir'al and then left and met the same Kurdrun."
"Within what peroiod of time?", asks Ravam.
"Within the space of half a season," Ka'ran continues. "We suspected they would be going on a third journey and we have not heard the agent. I am very curious to find out what it is this man is doing with the Kurdrun. These meetings were done at night under the new moon when therre was no light. This is not the usual way with the Kurdrun. Things were being exchanged. The meetings were filled with tension. The men have since returned to the Alm.
I want to know what these men are doing.
I want to know what happened to our agent.
This Alm and the Alm Malah were going to have contact. The fact the these two Alm's armies are at war causes me concern as well. The Kurdrun have secrets that are older than our records go.
A caution, Jamir'al supports Saip. So with the current uprising it would be good to know if it is connected to an existing struggle or is going to a new one."
"Where can we find this meeting place exactly?"
"In the Li'marja'rajmi (Limarjarajmi?) mountains where the river bows in to meet the mountains. Through some contacts there is a trading outpost of Kurdrun that specialize in trading minerals and gems. Maybe those Kurdrun are involved, or not. That was not the place where they met. There is a ruined water mill in the area where the meeting occurred. The area is large. The nearest city is named Ocal'ma'lm (Ocalmalm?).
Your task is to discover what, when, were, and how. What is being traded, exactly. What happened to the agent. If necessary, you are to disrupt their plans and to bring the information back.
You will know the agent because he has a nasty wound on his left forearm and has six toes on each foot.
There are four men you are looking for
1. The leader is a small man with wiry build and thinning hair with a severe peak at the temples, dark eyes and is strangely compelling. He appears sinister but people have a hard time not opening up to him.
2. Halam is a large man, powerfully built and heavy. he is pockmarked and is missing one of his index fingers.
3. Another man has dark eyes and hair, he has a hair-lip. This man is frailer and handles the documents and books. Perhaps a man of letters.
4. Full beard, stocky build.
These are the four men the agent followed to the Kurdrun.
They were recently seen around the estates of Alm Jamiral. Whether or not they have left, I don't know.
Sru Ravam says, "So I understand completely the task that lies ahead. Please, give our master the message that we intend to succeed.
"Very well, he will be well-pleased. By then it might be calm enough to return to the city," Ka'ran offers.
Sru Ravam returns to the rooms and calls a meeting and tells Razereb that this is definitely a Sru'haro task. That it does not involve him and that he is not needed.