Yuu, Vanyra and Zelpuz set about surveying the docks of the town. Things appear largely as one would expect, with different sections set up for differing types of goods. To the trained eye these sections are temporary, in a constant state of flux given the never ending variety of goods that appear, and offer a stark contrast to the well settled and organized harbor district of the nearby capital.

After a short stint of meandering around heaping crates of vegetables, meats, linens and random widgets the trio enters the local tavern and inn district, and it is here that the obvious passenger liners have docked. The craft range from large, wide tour craft with private cabins all the way to small, narrow river runners. Given the distance to be traveled some level of comfort would be welcome, which leads them to a larger mid-sized vessel by the name of the Lark's Song.

The boat measures about 25m in length and 6m wide, with a covered roof over most of the it that provides passengers with shade. The cabin is divided into three main sections; the passenger seating area, a refreshments/bar area and the crew section. There are no masts or ports for oars, suggesting a nether-drive system of sorts, which should insure a smooth and quick ride. After approaching the vessel and a short discussion with a crewman the trio learns that any passengers must book through the travel agency, and provides directions to it.

Not wishing to put all their eggs in one basket, they thank the crewman, and continue along the docks for a way to inspect other possible ships. The travel agency is right where they had expected it to be and appears to be fairly busy, even at this later hour of the day. After some waiting in line the group reaches an agent and makes travel arrangements to Hasheli. The price for travel on the Lark's Song was a bit more than Yuu had expected, but they were able to recover some cost by booking travel via overnight train to the coast in economy class.

With the tickets booked, with the boat leaving tomorrow evening, Yuu, Zelpuz and Vanyra set off to rejoin Myria and Qwe at the beginning of the docks area. Qwe and Myria are waiting for them there, with news that accommodations have been acquired at an inn a few blocks away and off from the riverfront, and they are in turn informed about the travel plans over the next few days. With that the group sets off to their inn, some food and much needed rest.

The following day arrives like many others, without fanfare or event. The group is feeling much better following a night's sleep on comfortable beds and spends the rest of the morning gathering minor odds and ends that they may need for the journey ahead. The Lark's Song is ready to depart on schedule and all board without issue. Following cast-off a quick survey of the passenger cabin suggest the ship is 75~80% full; most of the clientele seem to be business travelers though there are a few more casual types as well. One thing for certain is that Myria, Zelpuz and Vanyra appear to be the most well armed and combat-ready passengers.

The next couple of days are spent watching the countryside leisurely slide by and the twin proper nether-powered motor propels the ship against the flow of the river. There's a fair amount of traffic on the Krev, as was to be expected of the premier waterway of Ossylia. A bit of small talk with other passengers helps to pass the time. Upon arriving in GungHan, a bustling mid-sized industrial port town in the interior, the group is certain anxious to stretch their legs. They've a number of hours before they have to catch the train to the coast, and thus spend it grabbing some food, additional provisions and trying to catch any news from the capital.

During their relatively isolated river journey it would seem there are rumors coming from the capital of a coup, though a number of stories are contradictory. Some say it was a military coup, but then one will say it was X-faction while another claims it was Y-faction. Whoever it was, if this coup did occur and was successful, they seemed to have pulled it off with little bloodshed or fanfare as word is scarce. No one seems to really have a grasp of what really happened, and more of than not people inquire to each of them of what they know since they just came from the capital. Wisely the group plays their cards close to their chest and feign ignorance when questioned.

Considering the vast number of industries, processing centers and shipping outlets in GungHan the team has no problem restocking their supplies for the final leg of the trip. The train station is large but not overly grand, and they find their particular train is a mix of passengers and cargo. Their economy seats are comfortable enough, but the train also offers quite a bit more room to move about than the boat.

The next couple of days are broken up with irregular stops at various towns along the way, sometimes dropping of people and cargo and sometimes picking up. The rumors of the coup continue to add up along the way, though concrete information is still not to be found. In light of the hazy political situation Myria suggests that Zelpuz drop any further investigation there; it's not worth the personal risk given the fact that people in Ossylia seem to barely know anything happened at the highest level of government. In the meantime she will return to the Order headquarters and report to the high council so further action plans can be developed. Indeed the consensus seems to be that the further from the capital you are the better off you are at this time.

Eventually the train arrives at the Hasheli coast; a gorgeous intermittent string of beaches, lagoons and rocky cliffs. Getting off at a large resort town the group should have little trouble getting over to the island of Hashelf, visible from the beach.

Yuu steps off the train, and moves to the side. Stretching himself long and letting the mid-morning air refreshen his mood. He's felt in a bit of a slump these past few days, unusual for the young mage. But word of the coup has meant friends and family could have been hurt, or worse.

Qwe has travelled rather more quietly than usual as well, sleeping most of the journey, or staring through the windows of lands moving by. She steps down beside him, and gives her leg a scratch. "Do you think they'll know more?"

Her brother smiles, and gives her hair a warm tussle. "We can hope." he answers simply, and honestly.

The town of Myulin is a charming, though thriving beach settlement. Tourism, fishing and shipping offer the town a constant flow of travelers and kept the local coffers well stocked. To the north and south one spies gold and white beaches occasionally interrupted by a pier or stretch of jungle. The air here is quite humid and hot, but with the sea breeze is much more comfortable than you'd expect. In the distance to the south they can see Hasheli peninsula and offshore from that the island of Hasheli, slightly shrouded in in a haze of humidity.

After a bit of wandering around the sea-side town the group finds a bus that will take them into the Hasheli peninsula, from which they can find a boat to take them to the island. The journey takes the better part of two hours, but gives everyone the chance to relax and take in the sights of the beaches and ultramarine waters, and bask in some sun. A smattering of beachgoers dot the coastal sands just as a mixture of fishing and pleasure craft are scattered in the near-shore waters.

The city of Hasheli is split between the island and the peninsula, with the majority of people and industry on the mainland, while resorts and government offices adorn the island. It is not a large city, perhaps numbering only 100,000, but like Myulin up the coast the city has a positive energy about it, with hawkers selling all manner of fruits, fish and trinkets to casual passersby. The atmosphere couldn't be more different than what you left in Ossylia, or even when passing through GungHan. A public ferry takes the group to the island and from there they make their way through white cobbled streets to the government district, after asking for directions once or twice.

As luck would have it the governor's residence was not in the government district but located in a suburb outside the city proper, to the east. Winding their way through the streets the travelers have little trouble spotting their destination, as it rests atop the highest nearby hill. Thankfully they picked up a few snacks in the city as it was a few kilometers walk until the reached the gates which, as expected, are protected by a number of guards who look intently at your approach.

After a somewhat tedious and circular debate with the guard sergeant as to their identity Yuu is able to convince them to summon a member of the household to verify their identity. After 20 minutes of basking in the sun accompanied by the cacophony of seabird cries the gate opens. An additional pair of armed guards exits followed by a young women dressed in a colorful, light flowing garment. She appears to be around Yuu's age, and certainly has his air of confidence and station. Her hair appears incandescent as the sunlight hits it despite is dark purple hue. She looks each of you up and down with a discerning eye, before finally stopping at Yuu.

She bows to both Yuu and Qwe and offers a formal greeting, introducing herself as Zhu'Li, youngest daughter to Governor Jin. To Myria, Vanyra and Zelpuz what follows is a semi-awkward discussion of family business and health, awkward in the sense that appears to be two people who aren't related. To the casual observer it would be nothing more than the formal conversations one normally sees with the nobility, but the empathic senses of the trio could pick up a notable sense of uneasy and suspicion from the guards present. Keeping their calm the Mespah and the Freyan subtly prepared for the worst.

To Yuu the conversation is a polite and subtle assault on his credibility, a logical tactic if he assumed word of the events of the capital had reached Hasheli. Following that logic there could be no doubt his and Qwe's appearance at here would draw suspicion. The last time he saw Zhu'Li was 6 years prior, and both of them have grown up considerably, thus he could not truly be sure it was her. Thus he indulged the probes with counters of his own. As the conversation progressed talk moved of times further back and eventually to his and Qwe's last visit here. Every false memory is corrected with the appropriate response, with Qwe looking on in confusion, until Zhu'Li asks a seemingly random question about seeing the moon in a pool one afternoon that stops Yuu's mind in mid-stride. After pausing to figure out why the moon would be out mid afternoon and reflected in a pool, his mind begins racing through possible code word meanings, before he suddenly remembers the waterfall pool. Yuu replies with a slight blush and grin that indeed he remembers the sight, and thought he saw a single star as well.

Zhu'Li's expression changes ever so slightly at the response and states that her mother and father would surely like to hear how they've been over the years and how their parents are. Subsequently they're invited in, and the posture of the guards relaxes notably. Little is said as the party is lead through the gates and along a immaculately manicured garden path to the main house.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 01:54, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

Yuu takes note of the curious looks from his companions. "Er... don't ask." the flushed youth whispers as he heads off after the Governor's daughter.

As the group snake their way through the estate, Yuu maintains customary courtesy with light conversation towards his distant cousin. About the season, weather, flowers... that's a nice statue, and when did the third swimming pool get built. It's kept purposefully light, knowing the heavy topics overshadowing the visit will be addressed in due time, place and company.

As the party moves past the garden path and into the house, Zhu'Li's conversation with Yuu becomes more direct, "I'm sorry for the interrogation back there, but we cannot be too careful at times like these... at least based on the rumors we've heard. I thought it was you, but with two Mespah present I couldn't be certain... I mean maybe someone had extracted the basics from your mind in a ploy to fool and infiltrate us... that's when I pulled the waterfall story. I couldn't imagine someone pulling that memory, and even less so your response, that's when I knew it was you."

She turns her attention to Qwe then, "My apologies Qwe, but you were little more than a knee-high girl with pigtails back then. I'm truly relieved to see you, and surely mother and father will be ecstatic. I would normally offer you a chance to bath and get refreshed, but father was quite adamant about bringing you directly to see him... if it was indeed really you."

With a glance back to Myria, Vanyra and Zelpuz, "Pardon me for asking, but are your travelling companions members of your house guard? I haven't been to Ossylia since I was younger than Qwe, but I don't seem to remember any Mespah, nor especially a Freyan. Quite an unorthodox group, though the appear quite capable."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 01:55, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

Yuu follows through the corridors and hallways, memories of a time long past flooding back. The colours, and decor... many changes, but many things exactly as they had been. It all seems a bit smaller than he remembers, though, not quite claustrophobic, but.... like a shirt that's shrunk after a round in the dryer. Peppering this reminisce was the special fondness for the pranks he'd get up to, in cahoots with and at the expense of, the now grown Zhu Li.

Returning to visit had been something he'd wanted, but under better circumstances.

Qwe beams, and unconsciously fingers her now free ranging hair.

"It's ok... there's been a lot going on." The young mage looks back at his companions. "I guess it's a bit odd, but no," he replies, smiling lightly, "they are not guards, but friends. It's... a bit complicated. What, um... what are some latest rumours you've been hearing?"

Zhu'Li's tone hushes a bit, "Well quite a number of things really, some more credible than others, but almost all concern the capital. We've heard martial law has been declared, that there's been some sort of witch hunt for various politicians and society members depending on their affiliations, that special military units have been dispatched to secure areas outside the capital... in short, quite a bit of conspiracy." After a brief pause to collate her thoughts precises she continues, "But at the end of all these rumors lies the reality that no one has any concrete word from Ossylia, at least that I know; my father may know more though. Whatever is happening is being done in a very quiet manner. We're hoping you could give us some actual facts."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 01:56, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

"So... nothing about mom and dad?" Yuu asks, the ember of hope still struggling to remain alight.

"Well nothing about anyone really, which is at once worrying and reassuring... I mean we're all in the dark, but we suspect if something drastic had happened then we would have heard. Unless they wish to instigate a civil war I should hope no one would attack our family so brazenly; your mother alone has many dangerous allies," Zhu'Li tries to assure Qwe and Yuu, despite the dearth of information. "Mayhaps we could discern something from hearing your version of the events that transpired, or at the very least come up with a way to learn more."

Zhu'Li leads the group down a few exterior corridors lined with ornate wooden columns that seem to channel a refreshing breeze along themselves. The summer heat and humidity here is just as oppressive as Ossylia, but the sea air of Hasheli makes it much more bearable. Eventually they arrive at a set of double doors and their guide does not pause a moment before confidently pushing them open, after which she takes two steps forward and bows to someone you initially cannot see in the far front of the room. Upon stepping threw the doors you spy a man and female seated on cushioned chairs enjoying some sort of beverage; Yuu and Qwe recognize them as their aunt and uncle. Another older fellow sits to the left, in front with a book and pen in hand.

Their hostess guides the group forward and provides a formal introduction to governor Rezzam Jin, his wife and vice-minister of interior affairs, Kali Shahir Jin, and the minister of external affairs, Hal Nulhaam. In turn Zhu'Li then introduces each of the party in turn, starting with Yuu and Qwe. Once the pleasantries are completed Zhu'Li offers each of the party members a seat and some refreshments, a chilled jasmine and ginger tea and some lightly sweetened rice biscuits. Having seen various guards and some house staff moving about while walking to the room, it is noticeable that no such persons are in this room now. For Yuu this is very poignant; it would seem that discretion is of the utmost concern.

Governor Mei Jin Shahir then entreats Yuu and Qwe to provide details of what had occurred in Ossylia, after which we follows through asking for any additional information Vanyra, Zelpuz and Myria can provide on what's happening there.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:57, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

Until reaching the double doors, Yuu was calm and sure, having travelled with great reason that this was his best course of action. But still, once Zhu Li passed through the doors and directed him inside... a shadow of trepidation rose like a bubble from a place deep inside. His mind began racing through memories and information, second guessing his choice, searching for anything earlier missed that would have him turn and bolt. But he could find nothing... no clue that this could be a trap. The moment of panic flickered away as quickly as it emerged, and... taking a deep breath, Yuu stepped through. In moments he found himself sitting with Qwe across from his aunt and uncle, sipping tea and eating biscuits.

He decided to start the story with facts, and leave conjecture for afterwards.... about the assault on his home, and being ordered to depart to safety with his sister. He spoke of running into Vanyra and Zelpuz, two specialised head hunters he'd assisted in the past. Together they secured themselves away in Vanyra's flat, before departing the city together. He leaves the details of his companion's story for them to answer.

"We arrived this morning and came straight here." the nephew finishes. He answers the questions to his best ability, keeping to facts for now, hearsay and theory were for later.

Vanyra, Zelpuz and Myria fill in some additional minor details concerning how they met and their motivations to leave the city before the impending lockdown. They provide some outsider perspective on what the saw transpire in Ossylia over the last couple of days they were present, including an increased sense of tension and visibility of armed guards and soldiers about. Particulars concerning Lasrane and the Bloodrunners are left out of the narrative.

Governor Jin and his ministers provide some insight on the broader situation based on what they've heard through a variety of channels; much of it reinforcing their previously assumptions and summations of the situation. There seems to be a quiet revolt within the existing government of Ossylia, in the upper house, between the power brokers of the major factions. While there has always been tension it seems something acted as a trigger event for the more extreme members to take action. From the description of those who raided Yuu's family compound it would be reasonable to assume that they're indeed members of the special forces, which puts a unique spin on the situation.

By not using Ossylian regulars in any overt action it is possible that these actions have the support of only a small number of leaders of the Reforgers. Many officers and soldiers in the regular forces bear quite a bit of loyalty to Yuu's mother. To this end their goal may be to simply suppress communications and hold various power players in a state of paralysis until their particular goals are met. What those goals are, are up for debate, but this could be more of a violent adjust of the government rather than an actual coup. It's all just guesses now though.

With that the governor thanks the group for their patience and the information they have brought. He bids them relax and enjoy themselves for the remainder of the day, and states that Zhu'Li will see them to the guest quarters. With a bow the group is lead out through the same doors they came, with the warm sun and the songs of birds presenting a sharp contrast to the grim news they just shared. Zhu'Li leads them along the north side of the main courtyard while making small talk with Qwe in an attempt to make up for lost time. In the deep blue of the ocean is easily visible through the well-spaced trees and the low crashing of waves provides a comforting white noise.

The guest rooms are situated along the same northern half of the estate; comfortable accommodations of 50~70 square meters in size across a double-story, standalone structure. Each room has a small balcony out the back the overlooks the sea below. As Zhu'Li guides each of you to your room she provides a simple explanation of the amenities and states that dinner shall be served at the 12th hour of aftereve (about 8 hours from now), though should they want any refreshments aside from the assortment of fruit in their rooms they need only ask one of the house staff. She has duties to attend to for the time being, but if they wish to find her a bit later she'll be at the practice hall in the main courtyard.

With that the group is left to their own devices for the next several hours.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 01:53, Mon 14 Mar 2016.

"Beach?" the young mage asks, looking around at his companions.

Zelpuz looks at the mage for a few seconds trying to figure out if he is joking. It seems to be a genuine question, and thinking about it, it's been a while since they all had time to just relax.
"I'm in!"

The young mage cracks a wide, boyish grin, "Meet here in 15!" And with that he shoots off to his room.
Five minutes later, he's standing back in the hallway, in trunks with bag full of goodies, bouncing from foot to foot, excited to give the warm beaches a splash.

Zelpuz arrives at the previously defined spot 12 minutes later to find Qwe and Yuu waiting. Myria has decided to get some sleep in a comfortable bed. The trio make there way out of the nearest gate of the walled compound and down a wide footpath lined with fine white stones. Exposed to the sun the heat is quite oppressive, but as they reach the bottom the gentle sea breeze lightens the load. The short sprint across the almost blistering hot sand takes them to the water's edge, and cool relief for the soles of their feet. Protected by a sufficient layer of sand-mud they walk inland a bit to set up their beach camp.

After taking a nice long swim, Zelpuz lays down on one of the towels and rummages around for a while somehow producing a bottle of mead and a few glasses, pours himself one, makes a hand gesture that seems to mean help yourselves and gets ready to relax on the beach.
After a while of sorting through his thoughts, he asks:
"So, what's your plan now? Are you just going to wait here to hear from your parents?"

Yuu and Qwe, having zipped across the hot beach sands, cursing and laughing all the way, splashed and dashed their own hearts out, enjoying the warm, clear waters of this near paradise. They chased fish, poked at urchins, and tossed beach balls back and forth.

Eventually Yuu walks himself back to the beach camp, happy for some shade. Qwe has decided to explore the length of beach towards some interesting rocky formations just to the north. Yuu remembers exploring them himself, so long ago, and happily leaves his sister to it.

He takes a cup of mead from Zelpuz offer, and lays back. He'd predicted the Mespah's question, but hadn't known what he would say. He still doesn't.

"I don't know. I don't think so. Now that I've got Qwe here... I want to help, and I feel desperate to do something. I'll give it a few days, clear my head, and decide what to do. What about you?"

"Same. I don't know. I would like to go back to see what of the things we heard is true, but as Myrria said, it's not really our problem anymore. Others will come to deal with it." He looks around the beach and out on the sea. "This is a very relaxing place after all what happened. If we are welcome, I'd be happy to stay for a few days. Maybe we'll see things clearer after getting some distance..." He takes another sip of his mead. "But if you want to go back and need some help, we seem to make a good team and I have no commitments."

The young mage turns, giving the Mespah a long look. He's not often speechless, but the offer of help was a grateful surprise.

"I... would appreciate that. It's not your fight, and I wouldn't ask you.""

He toes through some sand.

"But, I think I will need the help."

"All right, so unless Vanyra's vision came true, I might still find out if Lasrane was right some day. "
He stares out onto the sea.

Yuu follows Zelpuz' gaze across the sea, hoping Vanyra's vision was mere metaphor.

After a quiet, thoughtful moment, Zelpuz shrugs, points to a rock poking out of the water maybe 200 meters away and says "Race you around the rock and back", jumps up and starts running towards the water.

With the challenge accepted both men race into the water and begin a front crawl through the relatively calm waters of the bay area. While neither are very accomplished swimmers the competition is tight, and only in the last 30m does Yuu manage to pull ahead and reach the rock first. Thoroughly winded both of them spend several minutes catching their breath before making their way leisurely to back to the beach and an awaiting Qwe. Satisfied with the beach excursion, and with hunger beginning to grow, the trio make their way back up to the governor's compound.

After washing away the sand, sweat and sun screen from their bodies each of them has time to relax in the cool shade of their rooms. An hour later the time for dinner arrives, and none to soon according to the occasional stomach rumble. One by one, with Qwe in tow with Yuu, the group finds their way to the dinning hall. ZhuLi is already seated, along with Myyria, when Vanyra first arrives, followed by Zelpuz and then Yuu and Qwe in short order. Each is greeted in turn by ZhuLi as they arrive and are informed that her Mother and Father will be regrettably delayed somewhat due to a meeting that is running late. She understands how hungry they must be and thus bids everyone to begin the meal.

The meal is seafood based naturally, with a variety of sashimi of fish varieties your characters may or may not be familiar with, some oysters, dishes of cool buckwheat noodles with a variety of dipping sauces, and a variety of local vegetables both sauteed and pickled. All in all a delicious and seasonally appropriate feast. Some white wine, both sparkling and regular, mead, water and a blended fruit juice, as each fancies, compliments the dinner.

ZhuLi engages in small talk as the meal progresses, artfully asking questions about each of the party while avoiding anything that may be perceived as too personal or direct. She inquires to Yuu and Qwe how they've been over the years and how things in the capital, prior to recent events, have been. Likewise she is more than willing to answer inquiries from any of the group.