That went well. Suppose I'd best be seeing that scribe about my payments and my tale, then.

Leaving Henal free to choose whether to discuss his payment details further or listen in, Hoskar ambles back over to the scribe.

Hello again he opens quietly. The Supervisor directs me back to you about a couple of matters.

Apparently, my payment is to be upgraded to Article 394B from the stores, plus my details were to be taken for possible future jobs. And then I have some information to be written down for her attention.

By the way, what is Article 394B?
This message was last edited by the player at 18:25, Thu 15 Feb 2018.

The scribe summons over a teenage boy, has a whispered conversation and sends him scurrying off. Turning back to Hoskar the scribe nods "We'll see in a moment as I have no idea. Whilst we wait you can dictate to me your news...*Sigh*"

After Hoskar has been speaking about the Basmoli for several minutes the young boy returns to deposit a small bronze tube on the table between the two men. It's surface is covered in magical sigils.

"Ah 394B. It's a matrix to detect magic. All yours and could you sign here...here....here....and----here."

A small scroll is placed before Hoskar and a quill offered.

"Put the tube to your eye and you'll see anything magic within range once you've activated it."

For the most part Ohanzee's song playing and story is met with interest, that is except for the warehouse workers who finish their food and leave on mass, with several grotty backward glances.

In reply to GM (msg # 241):

Noting the scribe's sigh, Hoskar raises his eyebrows with a sympathetic look. Yes. I imagine it's grim neglecting your own interests for this stuff. I'll keep it as brief as I can.

So. The information.

Out on one of those seasonal serp...ah...sorry...rivers northwest of the Bison Grasslands a spirit has opened its way to an ancient rock-cut Basmoli temple. Full of nasties: reanimated sacrificial victims mostly. Damn temple vanished after the spirit left it, too. It's the most powerful spirit we have ever encountered. Killed a man who had mastered the water rune - priest I think - like he was a powerless babe in arms, possessed my friend, jumped to another friend so clean we couldn't even detect it. Last seen at an oasis between there and here. Might be coming here. Don't know.

Know it's Basmoli. What worries me isn't just that it seems to kill for the fun of it. Took down some birds just because it could, damn predator. It's more. We had a shaman with us then. We spoke to a pretty damn powerful green age spirit then. It's what our spirit told us of that other malign spirit that gives me the creeps. The malign spirit's name is Ar-cat, or Ar-grat...hang on that's not quite right. Heard it in a different language... Ar-Grath. That was the other name and our spirit said three things about it:

"I heard it whisper its name and my heart was touched with fear".

Our possessed friend had "become Basmol, become death personified".

And the prophecy: "the spirit will become the unifier of the Basmoli race".

Put those together, and it's trouble or I'm a Durulz. You go up against a Basmoli horde and either you kill the lot or your last sight in this world is your guts in the sand. If you hear of those names around here, my advice is to run and hide unless you have a god with you, or someone who can call one.

He smiles wanly. Hope that wasn't too much of your time. If any of it hits your interests, feel free to ask me more. Otherwise, I can let you get on till my friend finishes dickering over payments.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:02, Fri 16 Feb 2018.

Ohanzee finishes and rising hands the instrument back to the server before looking at the other two "And that gives me an idea."

He then heads for the sounds of the Bull Worshipers fighting next door.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:56, Fri 16 Feb 2018.

The scribe nods, points to the matrix and rolls up the newly filled scroll. "Supervisor will be in touch, don't forget the matrix and good day to you....NEXT!"

Nearby Henal has been handed a note of credit and a large sack of coin, he's informed that guards can be hired to escort him to his lodgings, to avoid any possible muggings.

With a nod to the scribe, Hoskar sweeps the matrix safely into a pouch, tieing it off with quite an elaborate and probably overdone knot, before mocching back towards Henal. That is a lot of cash and is liable to turn a head or seven he observes. A guard or two is an excellent idea. One can never be too careful in this man's town.

As he is want to do Ohanzee vanishes from the inn, leaving Amara and Kobal with the bill...

Several minutes later there's the sound of whistles, armoured people running and the odd shout.

In reply to Hoskar Two-Feather (msg # 246):

Henal looks at Hoskar "guards would be good, but would you know who to trust?"

Hoskar can see two of Govoran’s Men standing in the hall, Orlanthi mercenaries, loyal to Govoran Garhound no less. A young apprentice is speaking to them whilst pointing at the two nomad braves.

With a nod both men approach "We hear you need an escort? One silver each non negotiable. Ten if there's bother."

"Nope," says Kobal, between bites and gulps of beer.



"Yep," says Kobal, between gulps of beer and bites.



"Did the Mostali make this for you," Kobal asks the man, "or did you find it?"  He wonders whether the original purpose of this thing was different...



Kobal looks up, but it's too late.  The Raven is already out the door.  He looks at Amara with a resigned face.  "We'd better go pull him out of the fire."  He asks the man the cost of the meal and pays.

Kobal and Amara follow the noise, turning left onto  People's way and then Rhino Alley, where they bump into a Watch Patrol picking up a bunch of busted up locals from the floor.

Both braves recognise the injured men as the warehouse workers from before.

Hoskar grins yet again, happy to be in a milieu where he has comfort. Done. The man who 'tyries on protection is a fool. I am adding another couple if we get to Becx's with no trouble. In memory of hospitality at Garhound.

Kobal continues on towards the noise, not wanting to linger where the Watch Patrol are.  "I'd wager Ohanzee was the cause of this," he mutters to Amara.

Kobal realises that this is the source of all the noise.  The babble of locals who have gathered, the shouts of Watchmen and the groans of injured workers.

Several of the Watchmen look up as Kobal and Amara enter the Alley.

One of the workers, the man who had complained about Ohanzee, currently being helped up, points at the two nomads "It was them...Those two did us over!"

The Knowledge temple

In reply to Hoskar Two-Feather (msg # 252):

Henal takes out the coins to pay the guards. "Better to be safe than take a chance here".

"No we didn't," says Kobal firmly and moves on.  If the Watch make a move, he'll have to explain things in more detail, but for now he'd rather not be connected to these workers or whatever Ohanzee might have caused.

Agreed says Hoskar in cheery tones, but anyone watching him will notice he is already looking around passers-by carefully, alert in case of trouble.

So. Back to Becx's it is. And the quicker the better for these guys' next job too.

The guards are alert too. One of them replies to Hoskar "We'll be off duty after this for a while. Then we're at Geo's for the early evening."

"If it's okay by you we'll take Sword street as it's the safest way."

The knowledge temple

Sounds a good way to me. Barring Lilina tossing someone out, it used to be as safe as any Hoskar agrees.

He adds still quieter Geo's, you say? My plans were for looking up Lilina first night off but I am here with a blue-armed man we are best calling my...ahem...Little Brother among others. He does like to see all places. Nomads welcome? Or best avoid?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:15, Mon 19 Feb 2018.

Amara looked at the workers "Nah, it wasn't us. Wouldn't need two of us to do this. Besides we were busy having bison burger. With a great many people watching us." Amara smirked "But it does bring to mind an old saying in the rhino people. Drawing a rhinos attention is only a good thing if you can run faster than it can. It seems as though for whatever reason, you couldn't run faster." she turned to the guards "We can sort this nonsense however quickly you wish. Bring us to a truthseeker. If we lie, we pay, if we do not, they do."

Rhino Alley

Kobal looks back a moment and says, "Besides, if it was us, why is it we only just turned up? And why would we come back to whatever happened here?" He continues walking away.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Sat 24 Feb 2018.

The watchman gives Amara and Kobal a look that takes them in and then clubs the worker over the head "Shut up arsehole, had enough of your shite last week."

Then turning to the two nomads "This is a dead end, where you trying to get too?"

"It's for Sartarites only, unless you have business with Gorovan Garhound."

Hoskar and Henal have made it to the corner of Sword street and Blue street uneventfully when they both spy Melock and Grundar also making their way back to Becx's house.

In the near distance, somewhere in the Farmer's quarter watch whistles blow.

When he sees Henal and Hoskar, Melock smiles and walks over to them, "Fancy meeting you two here." He looks the guards up and down, "You tell me to keep out of trouble and you're the one being escorted back home, what did you do?"