Entering the City

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Raven Crowking
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Re: Entering the City

#61 Post by Raven Crowking »

Since you intend of spending some time in Shanthopal prior to your next excursion, Folgo offers to take you to see some of the city's sights - the Ebonite Wall, the Zoological Park of Doctor Gyrgryffix, and the Celestial Temple of Kathur-Leung, and the Temples of Pythysis and Lebka - these last goddesses of the Underworld and of Luck, "who some may wish to give small gifts to before seeking their fate in deep places."

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Re: Entering the City

#62 Post by caveman »

Milner will go for a tour.
Knave: Cedric the Defrauded Outlaw
Level 1 HP 8 Armor Defense 12
Str 11 Dex 11 Con 13 Int 13 Wis 14 Cha 12
(sinewy broken-faced but rosy cheeked, oily pompador, frayed tunic, courteous manner, but irascible tendencies, and squeaky voiced)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13hM ... sp=sharing

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Re: Entering the City

#63 Post by Dumnbunny »

"I'd be grateful for the tour, Folgo."

From his readings/intuition, does Jed know if Nergal is a jealous god, would he be upset if Jed left gifts for Pythysis and/or Lebka?
Jed [AC: 14, HP: 9/10, Deity Disapproval: 1-2], Murq [AC: 13, 8/8]

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Re: Entering the City

#64 Post by Dogma »

Jonas will tag aong for the tour, but Jonas needs to sleep off his massive hangover.

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Re: Entering the City

#65 Post by Raven Crowking »

Dumnbunny wrote:From his readings/intuition, does Jed know if Nergal is a jealous god, would he be upset if Jed left gifts for Pythysis and/or Lebka?
That depends on the gift, and what you do for Nergal.

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Re: Entering the City

#66 Post by Raven Crowking »

Folgo claps Jed on the shoulder and says, "Aha! Never let it be said that Folgo does not know a man of culture when he sees one! Come along then, Masters Jed and Jonas, and Folgo will show you his mistress, this shining city, this jewel!" He leads the way out of the inn and into thronging streets. The sun is bright, doing little good for Jonas' hangover, but the buildings help to block the worst of it. The noise, with various hawkers, tradesmen, and street traffic, seems enormous in comparison to the village of Helix.

Folgo leads the way, roughly north and east, although the streets are not truly straight. As he walks, he explains something of the City itself, how it is a marketplace for all the world, where North meets South and East meets West. To wit, he gives you the information you can find here.

As Folgo walks and talks, you come to a square around a well, where slaves and servants fetch water. A small bear in chains dances for its master. Folgo stops and pays a street vendor a copper coin for some form of meat on a skewer. "The man will swear it is mutton," says Folgo, "but it is probably vat-born." He takes a bite. "Well prepared, though, and it will fill a man's stomach. As safe to have as anything you will find, and you may need the nourishment for a long day of walking."

His eyes twinkle. "Folgo would not say no to a litter, of course, but it is costly to get eight men to bear you on their shoulders while others go before and aft to beat away the crowds. That last litter we saw, near the Hoarsway, you will remember, was of the family Ko Pang, I believe, and if Folgo's eyes deceive him not and his wits are not truly befuddled by his good fortune of the yester, that of the eldest daughter, Song. An interesting family. They supported trade with the outer world early on, centuries agone when the ways across the Golian Waste was first opened. Now their fortunes, though yet great, dwindle, and it is said that spirit assassins assail them from far Kathur-Leung, eating away at their luck. Who is to know the truth of such tales?"

A cluster of tall orange-skinned men wearing deep blue robes and black turbans are speaking to a young slave with a water jug. After a few moments, the slave drops the ceramic jug, which shatters on the cobbled pave, and swoons. One of the tall orange men picks the child up gently. Three more move across the square toward you. Folgo does not seem aware of them yet, although the shattering of the jug was loud enough. Still, there are many noises to be heard, the jug neither the least nor the loudest.

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Re: Entering the City

#67 Post by Dumnbunny »

Moving through this strange city (though any city must seem strange to him), Jed has to continuously remind himself that it's rude to stare. Every time he turns his head he encounters some strange new site, sound or smell.

At the square, he pays the vendor a copper for some skewered meat, resolving to be polite in his reaction before taking his first bite. Noticing the orange men approaching, he spares a half second to wonder of their skin is dyed or if they were born that way, and tugs at Folgo's sleeve. "Folgo, some men approach us."
Jed [AC: 14, HP: 9/10, Deity Disapproval: 1-2], Murq [AC: 13, 8/8]

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Re: Entering the City

#68 Post by Raven Crowking »

The meat is spicier than any fare Jed had encountered back in Helix, but tasty all the same.

It seems to Jed that the men have naturally orange skin, although he cannot be absolutely certain. When he looks closer, he notices subtle patterns of darker and lighter whorls of orange shades. Their turbans seem to bulge strangely in the front, and they walk with a rather strange, stiff gait.

When Folgo's attention is drawn to the orange-skinned men, he glances at them, and then quickly glances away. "Pay them no mind," he says.

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Re: Entering the City

#69 Post by Dumnbunny »

Jed glances at Folgo, and decides to take him literally; he doesn't look at the strangers any further.
Jed [AC: 14, HP: 9/10, Deity Disapproval: 1-2], Murq [AC: 13, 8/8]

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Re: Entering the City

#70 Post by Dogma »

His stick of mystery meat momentarily forgotten, Jonas has a much harder time keeping his gaze from straying to the orange men. The swirled colors and patterns of their skins fascinate him and though he tries hard, he catches himself staring from time to time.

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Re: Entering the City

#71 Post by Raven Crowking »

As Folgo leads on toward the Ebonite Wall, the orange-skinned men follow.

They begin to whisper to Jonas, "Dreams to sell....dreams to buy....come and trade your dreams with us....."

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Re: Entering the City

#72 Post by Raven Crowking »

The orange-skinned people follow, still whispering to Jonas, although they seem to lose interest as he pays them no attention, and you reach the Ebonite Wall.

This is a long, low wall of some black material, so dark that it seems to not even reflect light....more like an absence of an object than an object itself. It is about four feet tall, and half as wide, running for a length of some 30 yards. Although buildings are built around it, no building touches it, and nothing is built over it. Here and there, flowers are set near the wall, against it, and on it. There are a great many people around the wall, some well groomed, many ill-kempt, in various states of dress and undress. Many have flowers in chains around their necks or woven into their hair; some lay posies at the base of the wall.

"Behold!" says Folgo in a loud voice, with a majestic sweep of his right arm. "The Ebonite Wall! A true wonder of this shining city of Shanthopal. It is impervious to harm, and magic slides off it like water from the oiled back of a shmath hound. In days long past, men have tried to conceal it or contain it, but whatsoever is built close against it comes to ruin. The Ebonite Wall has been here as long as men remember; what it is, none can say. See now the Children of the Wall, who believe that the Ebonite Wall is a sign from the gods that some things do not wither nor perish, but are eternal everlasting? And perhaps it is so, for who is to say?"

The orange skinned men drift over towards a comely young woman wearing only body paint (swirls of blue and green) and white flowers in her hair.

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Re: Entering the City

#73 Post by Raven Crowking »

"Hmmmmm.....tough crowd," says Folgo. "Perhaps the world you come from has many such things? No matter! For Folgo has yet to show you those things which, surely, your world has nothing akin to at all! We shall go now to the Quarter of Lions, where, I shall warn you, the scions of the Eastern Empire hold politeness and decorum in high esteem, and tolerate neither rude behaviour nor rowdiness. Not that you have shown either this fine morning. Let us proceed!"

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