AnAdventurousIntroductionToLeilm part 5

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10/17/2002 - date gamed

(372yp)

While out wandering the city and markets looking for monetary gain Sjer made contact with Amatir, an herbalist in the White Market who knows about the Water Blades, but has no direct contacts with them.

Sjer also found out that the graveyard that he and Zali encountered with the rats is said to have come from the kingdom of Hurkan. The city gained independence from the Hurkan 561 years ago. The large building to the south of the graveyard is a large maze. No one living claims to know what is in the middle as no one has ever come out.

As the Festival of Deliverance begins, we begin our fast. Fortunately Afalar has already recovered so the lack of food will not endanger us.

We meet in Afalar's room and ponder the future. Should we plunder the innocents, accost The Braid, or pass the days in drinking and wenching? Perhaps we should contact the good doctor Milizaro? We toss these ideas around and try to come up with a plan of action.

We decide we should talk to the groom who is the brother of Tateer. We can get information from him about who The Braid met at the Broken Horse. We agree to go to the Broken Horse tavern. Because Sjer's and Afalar's faces are known to the bartender we decide Zali'haro should try to gather information from the barkeep about Tateer's brother.

On the 15th of Spring around noon we set out for the Broken Horse tavern. We take a detour to go past the graveyard with the large rats that accosted poor Sjer on that fateful night. In the middle of that graveyard is a structure of four stone pillars with a roof. It is about 20 feet on a side and ...

"Now boys, don't go in there, I almost lost son in there", says a raspy voice behind us. "And can you spare any change?"

We engage an old woman in coversation about the maze and the graveyard. She talks about the center of the maze in the large building where the night sky can be seen on the walls. She talks about her son who came out from the maze with a small stone and gave it to the girl who was to marry him. He died. The girl then gave it to another and both of them died. The stones brought misfortune to all who held them. The boy that died was Jafar from the Broken Horse.

Zali'haro gives the old lady whose name is Eija a drop and receives her blessings. She asks if we follow the Seven paths of Chal. Sjer admits to following only six of them and the old lady sighs and allows that the seventh is indeed the hardest one.

We then continue to the Broken Horse.

Zali enters the BrokenHorse?. Inside is the large broken statue of the horse which gives the tavern its name. Down the steps Zali enters a quiet atmosphere where a tall thin man with straggly hair and sunken eyes moves aside to let Zali past.

A heavy haze hangs over the place. The barkeep is clearing away a waterpipe. There is one other person nursing a beverage. Zali sits at the bar and orders a drink. There is one stool that Zali takes as his own and then orders a pear wine sangria.

"Sir, a simple beverage for a simple time." The bartender appears gruff but willing to serve Zali some nuts and some wine. He even offers ice in a facetious manner. He pours himself a glass of the same and joins Zali in a drink

Zali's tongue becomes glib and fluid as he attempts to make the inkeep a confidant. He reels off a story of missing a friend who is getting married.

"My friend Tateer is getting married."

"Tateer, getting married?" The bartender is starting to look confused. "Which Tateer?"

"How many Tateers do you know?", Zali asks.

"Well, the man who just left is named Tateer," he says.

Follows some confusion about who exactly is getting married, which Tateer lives on a dock and who's brother is marrying whom?

After a brief insult by the barkeep. Zali stands up to exit. The barkeep wants to know if Zali is going to pay for the alcohol. They settle up and Zali exits.

Outside Zali tells Sjer and Afalar that things aren't going so well. There is another Tateer, the gaunt man, who is actually standing watching the three of us. He notices our scrutiny and leaves. What is his interest Sjer wonders.

After a quick pep talk and some a going over of the facts, such as Tateer is a big fat goldsmith who has a brother who is getting married to a girl who's father runs a dock, Zali re-enters the Broken Horse and tries to re-engage the bartender in conversation.

"Ah, you have returned," the bartender begins.

"Yes," says Zali'haro, putting a bold face on it. "I have remember some things that might help and I really want to attend the wedding."

"Well, can I pour you another?"

"Certainly"

"So, what have you remembered?" The wine is served once more.

"My friend Tateer. He has a brother that is getting married."

"You don't say"

"I do say, friend. And the girl he is marrying, her father runs a dock."

"This is starting to sound familiar. What does this brother look like?"

"He is a big fat goldsmith."

The barkeeps eyebrows go down. "Tateer's brother is a big fat goldsmith?"

"Yes, well ..." Zali feels things start to slip away again. "Anyways I feel I must attend this wedding to pay my respects. That is the really important thing."

"Come, come. Are you feeling well? Your stories do not match every time you tell them, and nothing seems to match what is in my head. Perhaps you are suffering from too much alchohol."

"No, no, this is my first today"

"Then perhaps you are suffering from not enough alcohol. I'll wager your memory will improve if you allow yourself the time and experience the right conditions. Come I am feeling generous at the moment. And I, for one, will feel a good deal less confused if I'm more relaxed." The bartender then pulls up a chair next to Zali. He pulls out some smaller and cleaner glasses, brings out the good alchohol and gives a Zali a shot that just about lights his tonsils on fire. Then he brings out a large pipe and after puffing it to a good cherry red, gives it to Zali who partakes.

The bartender says, "Now you are looking for a Tateer."

"Mostly, I don't want to miss Tateer's brothers wedding," says Zali hopefully.

"Well, this is what I know of one Tateer. He has a goldsmith shop on the Road of Fountains. His symbol is 4 interlocked gold rings. His brother, Jozial, is getting married tomorrow, the 16th. His fiance is a beautiful young woman named Maleesja. Tateer does not know how he got her. It seems Jozial is a lucky man, although it seems Jozial might have done some 'things' for the father. He has been hanging around for a couple of years. Sru Naval, the soon-to-be father-in-law is a master of the Kingfisher Dock. (He does business with the Water Blades.)

"Freedom does Tateer well doesn't it", says the barkeep who then offers the pipe again. "More?"

Zali waives him off, thanks him, and makes a retreat from the bartender, Ciral. Zali'haro gives Ciral his name as he leaves. But as he turns about, Tateer, the gaunt, enters and motions Zali to sit down again. He then engages Ciral in conversation about Zali, Sjer, and Afalar.

Outside, Sjer and Afalar have seen the gaunt man re-enter the tavern and are worried about Zali. They enter and see Zali'haro and this man sitting at a table. Sjer immediately goes over and sits in a chair to Zali's right and Afalar takes the one opposite.

"Well, I see we are all together now," says the guant Tateer has he puts a new weed in the pipe and begins smoking it. He then offers us a pipe. Sjer refuses, but Zali and Afalar do not.

Ciral emerges from the back with a quite large looking bodyguard type who moves to the front door to block any attempts to leave. The place is feeling quite confrontational now.

Sjer tries a straightforward approach. "What is your interest in us, sir?"

The man ignores Sjer for the moment as he continues puffing what is obviously hashish. A haze has begun to float above the table. Afalar's face begins to look concerned as he remembers that a long time ago there were a bunch of assasinations that were carried out by a group who were reputed to smoke hashish. A particular emperor tried to carry out an agenda by assasination using these individuals.

Sjer realizes that Afalar thinks this man is really dangerous. The gaunt Tateer brings out more hashish.

Tateer begins asking about our interests and our questions. Afalar orders tankards. We try to dance around the situation. Zali'haro tells the man about his upcoming convocation. He gives up information that we have a master. Now it is Tateer's turn, but he is not forthcoming. Any question of our is only answered with a look down his long nose.

After a few turns around the table, Sjer begins to get quite blunt. He accuses the old man of being high up in the Water Blade organization and flat out refuses to talk anymore unless that relationship is made clear. It is a tense moment as we all feel a little outclasses by this slow talking hashish smoking individual who does not seem to be affected in the slightest by the incredible amount of drug he has inhaled. Sjer, who hasn't had any is feeling quite light headed just from the fumes.

Tateer pauses and then assures us he has no connection with the Water Blades. The old man seems to be new in town. He is obviously troubled and followed here by someone. He says that he is just visiting. He has travelled here a few times and has ties to the barkeep, but not to the Water Blades. Tateer says he was born in the territory of the Alm Mahavij, but he is not in his employ.

Sjer, becoming convinced, then sees why this man's suspicions have been raised about us. He assures Tateer that it is only a coincidence that we ask after a man named "Tateer". Sjer explains about following The Braid and about the meeting here in the Broken Horse.

Tateer muses on that for a moment and then instructs the Ciral to answer all our questions. We realize this will leave us in his debt, but the opportunity cannot be passed up.

The Braid meets has been meeting the same man every day for 7 to 9 weeks. He smells of medicines and is obviously out of his element in this place. Now the man seems comfortable meeting The Braid, but at first the man was angry and shook his fist a lot during the meetings.

He is somewhere between 5'7" and 5'10'. He is is as slim as this Tateer. He has black hair but is balding and keeps his hair cut close to his head. He has a fairly large nose, and he walks in a very hurried manner.

We then arrange that we will be here when the Braid comes again and instruct the barkeep will not give us away.

Tateer has done this for us and says he will collect on our debt at some point in the future. He seems to have some hold over Ciral, but whether it is more than just fear is unknown at the moment.

We exit and go home to recover, but on the way we realize we are being followed. Eventually Afalar sees the Inkeep's daughter. We try to catch her, but she evades us. We cannot go home while being followed, so we to the Imperial Island. We get caught up in a procession of the main festival. Deciding this isn't a bad thing we are carried along to the largest church in Lei'lm. It hasa large dome with a round amphitheatre on the inside. The nobles and commoners enter at different entrances. The building is acoustically built to enhance the human voice.

Inside there are many decorations and mosaics praising Chal. Chal is shown as a father figure cleansing with water and giving blessings. During the ceremony we saw the Emperor and also Alm Sru'Haro.

Three hours later we leave the place and try for the racetrack. We are still being pursued.

We hatch a plan to lose our pursuer. Afalar will take Zali back by another circuitous route home. Sjer will sneak back to guard their route home. Sjer fails miserably and leads the girl to the intersection. Sjer is waiting on a chair in front of a building, looking for both the girl and for his friends. Fortunately Afalar sees her and lets Sjer know with a finger movement that she is waiting in the upper levels of the building right above him. Afalar continues on his way leaving it to Sjer to get the job done right.

A simple sleep spell fails to do the trick so Sjer charges the girl hoping to scare her off. The plan works as the girl panics and runs out of sight.

Afalar and Zali'haro deal with a street urchin hired by the girl to tail them. They leave him tied to a water fountain.

The following day we decide we should stake out the Tavern starting on the 20th. But it is uncertain as of yet whether we should try to see Doctor Milizaro before or after the next meeting.

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