The market square is jam packed with merchant stalls with locals from all around the region putting their goods up for sale. Mostly it is produce from the local farms but there is a stall for fresh caught fish, for scrimshaw and wooden carvings, tool repair and sharpening and more.

A tent has been set up in the market with signs of Harrow decks proclaiming it to be the place to get one's fortune read.

Inside the tent is dark but otherwise rather plain. A woman draped in Varisian silks smiles as the pair enter and behind her is an elderly ancient looking woman silently lying down on a makeshift bed.

"Greetings, I am Koya Mvashti. My mother, Nishka is unfortunately too ill to perform a reading so I will be the one to deal out the..."

She pauses, tilting her head back as if listening to something behind her. She rolls her eyes but gives a nod.

"Sorry, while Nishka is too tired to deal the cards she will still be involved in the Harrowing in spirit as it is a mystic tradition going back generations. If you would like the mysteries of past and future revealed to you then it shall only cost you a single copper today."

As she talks she begins shuffling the Harrow deck and her skill with the cards is obvious. Without any effort she makes the cards dance in shuffles, riffles, one-handed cuts, the cards just seem flow from years and years of using them to make a living.

OOC: 1cp for a harrow reading. No rolls needed.

"Three Goblins have found their way into your house and are tearing
it up! Toss them into the fireplace before they can destroy everything. One copper gets you three goblins to burn!"


A slender, stern faced man is shouting out to the crowd as he tosses a green beanbag back and forth. The beanbag has a crude goblin face drawn onto it.

A board has been set up with flames drawn at the bottom and three large holes drilled to it rests at 45° angle. Those who want to "toss the goblin" stand at a line drawn in the dirt and try to get the goblin beanbag into one of the three holes. Children get to toss at the closest hole, women at the second and men at the third.

Hosk seems to be really enjoying the game and especially when children step up to the line he makes noises presumably sounding like a goblin burning up in the fire every time the child scores a hit.

It seems that the winning prize for this booth are small bags of dried venison.

OOC: 1cp gets you 3 rolls. Depending on gender (I know, I know, bring it up to Hosk if you have an issue with it) you are either throwing at AC 12 or AC 15. If we had an alchemist they would get a trained proficiency in toss a "grenade-like weapon" but everyone else is unproficient.

An older, larger gentleman is standing at the entrance to the market square. Next to him are two 30' long doublelane tracks set up next to each other with a 3' gap between.
Near the starting line is a large cage with twelve lizards inside, each one has a set of twig and cloth wings attached to its back and they have been painted in different colors matching the common spectrum of dragons: Green, Blue, Black, White, Red, Brown, Gold, Copper, Silver, Bronze, Brass, and Steel. Someone knowledgeable in dragon lore might point out that there is no such thing as a Brown or Steel dragon but none of the other participants seem to notice or care.

Four players can play at once, each selecting a different "dragon". When the race starts they must goad their lizard down the track without touching it and the winner is the one that can coax it down the finish line first.

"Become the dragon trainer master! Find out which dragons are the fastest! Pick yourself a dragon and put it to the test in a race against your friends!"

In reply to Koya Mvashti (msg # 2):

Tristen wandered through the Market Square taking in the sights of the various sights. He was drawn to the local fare, especially those of Varisian origins. He examined a silk scarf before he heard Koya Mvashti announce that she would be conducting a Harrowing. He stepped closer for a closer view.

"I've never done this before... but I'm eager to give it a try." Tristen stepped forward and handed a copper piece. "Is this something like a reading into my past? Will it work if I'm tight lipped?" He offered a smile as he played along.

Subtract a copper

[From The Rusty Dragon]

Kraddock followed along.  He bought a bit of unidentifiable meat on a stick from a vendor and stepped up to watch Tristen get his Harrowing.

Koya pockets the copper piece and flips up a Harrow card for Tristen revealing the Wanderer.


"The Wanderer is someone involved in a long journey. Perhaps by choice or perhaps by fate their life shall travel far and wide. It could be a grand adventure, or a march one is forced upon."

With a flourish she collapses the card back into a deck and she continues to speak as she shuffles again and again.

"The Harrow is an ancient magic, one that has been passed from generation to generation. You have been Chosen. Let my words ring with reflection and I hope that they will come in handy when the time is right. With the Choosing completed we can now begin the Reading."

With skilled practice she shuffles and deals out the cards face down into a 3x3 grid. When she is done she gestures to the first column.

"The Harrow cards reveal the mysteries of the past, the present, and the future. The cards closest to you represent all that is good for you while the cards closest to me represent the obstacles to be faced. The past is revealed first, for it is immutable. The past is always one of truth as it has been carved into the stones of the ages."

With great skill she flips the cards over, one by one.





"The Vision closest to you often means that you have been exposed to knowledge of the mystic arts. Perhaps you or someone close to you were trained in the arcane or were granted powers by the divine gods?

The Owl in the middle represents wisdom of the natural order. You are wise enough to know and understand your place in the world, for better or for worse.

The Desert misaligned. This represents a passage or journey with little hope.

Taken all together I would say that this would imply that you are a follower of the gods and they have granted you great wisdom and knowledge however you were on a path that has little hope of reaching fruition. You should consider a radical change of direction based on upon the present to reach your destined future."

She waves her hand over the middle column.

"The present is neither truth nor fiction, neither certain nor uncertain. It is exactly what it is as it transitions from the future to the past."





Her eyes widen as she flips over the cards.

"The Wanderer again, closest to you and in perfect alignment. You are becoming heavily involved in things that have been cast off long ago and this is the start of a major chapter in your life, one that you will cherish until the end of your days.

The Bear, perfectly aligned. It represents brute force being applied. As it is in the middle it is both brute force in your favor as well as that used against you. You will have to struggle physically.

The Teamster represents driving external pressure. As it is closest to me that means that this is pressure that will push you against your wishes, perhaps even to the point of breaking.

Taken together I think you are about to embark on a grand adventure that could cement you for the ages based upon the dangers of the past, but it will be a difficult struggle and your journey will leave you feeling like a leaf in the wind, being blown this way and that."


She sweeps her hands over the right most column.


"The future is the most uncertain, always in flux, always changing, and the most difficult to see. It is what most come to me to seek answers for but I must confess that they are the hardest to read. The future has no concept of time so what I may Harrow may not come to pass for many years or decades, or could be this very night. The future is also ever changing and these cards represent a path that may yet be or may never come to pass."

Once again she flips through the cards, one after another.





"The Snakebite, misaligned thankfully. In the position closest to you it represents a mental leap or discovery.

The Liar in the middle means love at its most treacherous. In the middle this could end up being good or bad.

Finally the Survivor closest to me. Misaligned it means tragic news or profound loss.

Taken together I would say that your minds will play a key part in your future successes however you will be disrupted by love. While whether it is good or bad will be up to you it will be disruptive. Finally there will be a tragic loss in your futures.

Looking at the whole board I would say you are the cusp of something great. I do not know when the future will take place but right now there is a powerful fate tugging at you and it would be best not to resist it."

She leaned back and gave Tristen time to process what he had just seen and heard.

Faeli waited in line meekly to have her futures read by Koya. The woman already had had such a significant role in the young gnome's life that she was almost an icon in the young wizard's eyes.

Faeli produced her copper and rubbed it between her thumb and forefinger, a gesture of nervousness as she waited and attempted to clear her mind because that's what you do if you want a really, really good reading.

When it was her turn the gnome produced her cooper and it magically split into two coins within her palm.

"For you." Faeli said grinning widely to hide her nervousness about what may be revealed of her future.

Koya takes the coin and nods, delivering the same opening speech as she did before. It is an opening she appears to have memorized and by now is akin to muscle memory as she gathers up the cards and begins shuffling.

"First we begin with the choosing. These cards shall represent your personal situation. It could be regarding the type of person you are or an event from past or future that is deeply intrinsic to you."

She sets the card down and with a sweep of her hand flips it over revealing the Waxwork.


"The Waxworks represents someone who is bound with a sense of helplessness. Taken together with the Wanderer it seems that you might be dragged along on an adventure not entirely on your choosing..."

With another sweep the card has disappeared and her other hand is already shuffling and cutting the deck one-handed.

"The Harrow cards reveal the mysteries of the past, the present, and the future. The cards closest to you represent all that is good for you while the cards closest to me represent the obstacles to be faced. The past is revealed first, for it is immutable. The past is always one of truth as it has been carved into the stones of the ages."

Once again she flips through the cards, one after another revealing the same cards that had turned for Tristen. Koya falls silent and without further fanfare flips over the rest of the cards revealing an identical Harrow as before.


She furrows her brow, staring deeply at the cards, then at Faeli, then at Tristen. Her eyes start looking at the pair with suspicion.

"Is this a joke? Some trick? I recognize someone skilled in the Art and I don't find this funny."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:54, Mon 19 Oct 2020.

"Koya, you know I have nothing but the deepest respect for you. You know, after you save my life after that goblin attack. I like a good trick as much as the next one but I do not think I understand the cards and what they mean enough to pull one over on you."  the gnome admitted genuinely.

"What has happened, what do you see?"

Koya nods her head over towards Tristen.


"I see the same fate for you as I do for him. Unless you two are working together that...that shouldn't be possible."

Razyll stepped forward with a copper peice, "What about me, what do you see?" the half-orc said as he stood behind Faelie.

This was curious to Razyll, but he suspected this was part of a scam to get more people to pay for a fortune.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 15:00, Mon 19 Oct 2020.

Koya doesn't even bother taking a copper or doing the choosing, instead shuffling and cutting the deck before making the 3x3 grid on the table. No fanfare, no elaborate flourishes she just puts the cards on the table and flips them over.


As she stares at the cards she turns her head to the side as if listening to something unheard being spoken behind her.

"It seems that your futures are all entangled. I don't know if you are working together at the moment but the cards seem to think you will be traveling together for quite some time. Similar pasts, similar present, and similar future. Normally we read a group but it seems the cards think you are already together."

In reply to Koya Mvashti (msg # 7):

The Harrow reading was a curiosity at first. But when Koya was able to surmise bits of his past, he smiled and nodded in agreement. But then he caught sight of the holy symbol on his chest. He dampened the enthusiasm he was feeling to focus on the next row of cards, then the second and the last. He found himself holding his breath as Koya explained what she thought was in store in his future. Tristen furrowed his brow as he tried to reinterpret the ideas behind the cards from his point of view.



"Fate? Not sure if I believe in fate. I believe in the teachings of Abadar and his divine authority." Tristen murmured in response that seemed to be more for his ears than hers. He sat there in silent contemplation. His eyes moved from one card to the other as if hoping for a sign.

---

Tristen was interrupted when Faeli got her Harrow reading. While he was about to dismiss the Harrow reading when she apparently flipped identical cards to his, Koya seemed to be surprised as well. And then the same cards were flipped when Razyll sat for his reading.

He turned to watch the two strangers and Koya in earnest, listening to what was being said. What could all of this mean...?

Faeli looked over in the direction of the gentleman that Koya suspected that she was in league with.

Arialis walked up behind Faeli tapping her on the shoulder. "You okay?" She asked softly.

"Huh?" Faeli said before looking around.

"Oh, yeah-I am fine. This is just weird. If it were any other card reader than Koya, I would think I was being had-but I typically and sniff out  a good con." the gnome said as she turned to Arialis.

"Me, Razyll and that guy..." Faeli pointed.

"...all received the same Harrow. That is like impossible for the same cards to come up for three people." Faeli didn't seem to be worried, it was more that her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She had to puzzle this out-the rabid little gnome wasn't going to let this go.

She chuckled a bit. "Probably just odds." Then she looked towards the one that Faeli had called Koya and smiled gently. "I am Arialis. Would you like to read mine?"

Razyll stepped back from the stand or seating area to allow more room for Arialis to approach. The half-orc was curious as well but he thought this was a scam of some type because he didn't have the relationship that Faeli did with Koya.

"Hmmmm."

Faeli looked back and forth between Arialis and Koya, she was sure, or so she thought, that Koya wouldn't be running a con to lure people into her Harrows but she curiosity was ravenous and need some type of solution, so answer to allow her to move on.

Was it the cards, were they a magic device? Ah, could that be it?

"Hmmm, is this magical? Lets see shall we?"

---

Faeli will attempt to cast Detect Magic to determine if the harrow deck is magical.

This message was last edited by the player at 12:08, Tue 20 Oct 2020.

The cards were not magical, it was just an ordinary set of cards and yet as Koya began flipping over the first few cards for Arialis it started to show the exact same array that she had turned over three times before.

Koya stopped midway through and just stared between the cards and the gathering group.

"Are the fates themselves broken?"

She turned to the stall next to hers and called out for the patron, a farmer selling their wares.

"Ven, let me perform a harrowing you, on the house."

The farmer seemed quite distrustful of the reading but Koya wouldn't take no for an answer. She quickly shuffled and laid out the cards flipping them over to reveal a completely different reading. With a sense of relief she started interpreting the cards with a typical pattern of a a hard upbringing, joy turning to tragedy in the present, and tough times ahead for the future. No hints of mystical adventures or grand journeys. With a relief Koya scooped up the cards and turned back to Arialis with a smile.

"My apologies. I suppose the fates must have gotten...stuck? Let's try this again."

When she laid out the cards and flipped them over she stared at the revealed cards dumbfounded.


After a few seconds she just points out the other three gathered.

"I suppose this means that your fate is now entwined with theirs...I guess? I've never seen anything like this."

Talitha looks very interested about the readings for the other members. She's curious about how much truth there is in it. So she asks Kota "How do you check afterwards that the readings are accurate? it would be interesting to do a reading of the past, not only the future. Do you do those?"
She seems really interested about that, as she leaves a coin on the table.

Koya just shakes her head and waves a hand dismissively at Talitha's concerns.

"The cards are always correct, from a certain point of view. This isn't some parlor trick. My family has been Harrowing for generations. I don't know who you are or why the fates or gods have brought you together but mark my words your fates have become entangled."

Razyll nodded.

"You are experienced in these things, so understand that we, as novices are somewhat-less confident." Razyll said in an attempt to be diplomatic.

"But we will mark your words well. Thank you for sharing your art with us."

Talitha smiles.
"I'm sorry if I offended you or your family. It was not intended. Please let me know what comes for me now that I've finished my current job and I have to pick my next step? Will it be adventure?
She sounds eager to hear it will. Her coin is still on the table.

Arialis frowned a bit, then began to looked around. "...well, that's interesting to say the least. And judging by your reaction and Faeli's trust of you, I am inclined to believe you. The question that needs to be answered now, is what is that fate..." The elven noble said in thought. "I assume Madam Koya that that falls outside what you can do?"

Koya gives a nod at Talitha.

"It will be...something memorable. I guess you could call it an adventure but..."

She taps a few of the "bad" cards on the table.

"There will be a price to pay. A terrible one. Perhaps, though, you will not be the one to pay it."

Talitha makes a face when she hears the words from Koya.
"Not the kind of reading I would expect during a festivity day like this one... But I think I trust it more than a you'll find the love of your life if you let people in reading. Thank you... I guess. Any further information will be appreciated."
She smiles again and hand over the coin to Koya.

"This is quite disturbing. I just met this kind folks. And yet, we are... no you believe that our fates are aligned?" Tristen looked troubled. He glanced at Koya and wondered if the Harrow reading was actually a curse or something... He shook his head of the notion. He passed another copper coin, "Perhaps this will help to change our fate. It doesn't hurt for me to try?"

Tristen stepped away from the table. He puffed his chest and took a deep breath. His eyes wandered to the cathedral, "How about we head over and get a good view for the ceremony? This dedication seems to be one for the entire town to witness."

"Thank you Madam Koya, I appreciate it." She said placing the coin on the table. She then looked down to Faeli and smiled. "So, now what?"

Tristen overheard the question to Faeli, "That reading was ominous. But I'm worried about the last part of her reading that one of us is doomed to die. What did you think about that?"

"She did say perhaps we'd not be the one to pay it. So maybe just someone we know?" Arialis added to what Tristen had said.

Faeli signed after thinking through the possibilities of the Harrowing.

"My head hurts." The genome said with a groan. "Oh well, I guess now is as good of a time as ever to trust in fate." Faeli said with another shrug.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 20:56, Thu 22 Oct 2020.

"Look at the bright side Faeli. You have three strong heavily armored people to stand around you to protect ya." She said with a reassuring smile to the gnome, indicating herself, Tristen, and Talitha. "And I'm sure Razyll will back us up, and Tristen's friend there too." She said indicating Kaddock. "So, we'll be alright."

Razyll nodded in agreement.

So does Talitha.

Kaddock stepped forward and put a hand on Tristen's shoulder.  "We will all be by your side.  I think if death is to be dealt it will require a good deal of effort to work through all of us."