Porcelain Child/SessionThirtyOne

Session Thirty-One

In the home of a God
<onine> The grotto echoes with the sound of falling water, both with the cascade of the waterfall behind you, and the steady dripping off stalactites above. The watery smell seems to overpower every other smell, it assaults your senses almost to the point of discomfort. The three 'children' take up their various positions, the large robust one circles you at a distance that cannot be described as comfortable. Another simply lounges on the banks you traversed minutes before. The third still stands on the rocky outcrop on the other side of the waterfall, its presence marked by silhouette alone. Four pairs of reptilian eyes focus on. The shadows in the deepest recesses of the cave move a little.
* Yengo 's eyes dart back and forth. He tries to avoid the natural response, which would be to swear repeatedly and loudly.
<onine> "No living man has ever seen my home and lived, what pray tell gives you any reason to think differently, hmmm?" The rumbling voice comes from all around, you're unsure if the voice even exists or if it is in your head.
<onine> The Magistrate steps forward and clears his throat, his voice carries more power than you feel. "My name, is Mnemon Diamandus, I am a Magistrate of the Realm. You most assuredly know what that means. Can we assume that you are I'Kuan?"
<onine> "Mmmmmmmmm.... Magistrate...." The god in the blackness seems to think on this.
<onine> The shadows seem to shift again, or it could just be imagination. "Lawman of the mortal empire, yes, I know what you are. But are you not a long way from true criminals?"
<Magpie> "You just threatened to EAT us!" Magpie blurts out.
<Yengo> "And the people of Nishimo told us you've been, uh, attacking them," Yengo adds quickly.
<onine> "Nishimo!" The voice roars angrily, hurting your ears(?). "I protect my children from their predations, and this is what they respond with, their lawmen!?"
* Magpie feels renewed guilt, and the lizard tail seems to burn a hole in her pocket.
<onine> A few more lizards are moving about around the area, but they're nowhere as large as the three children, around the size of a housecat at the largest.
<onine> "Thieves!"
<Anona> =Explain.=
<onine> "We have never attacked them, we have killed nothing but criminals and highwaymen in the past. And now they march into my domain, and steal the very heart of my river!"
<Anona> =You refer to the black jade they have excavated?=
<onine> "Mmmmmm. Indeed. They tear into the banks, polluting the river with their carelessness, and they march constantly closer to my home, slaying the younger of my offspring. And in kind, I shall kill them back."
* Yengo keeps casting his glance into the shadows at the back of the cave, trying to make out SOMETHING. It's probably better he can't. "So... you don't care about the Jade itself?"
<onine> "Why would I? I don't care to build, nor smith."
<Yengo> "Well, then, uh..." He's really not used to talking to gods at all, especially ones that have threatened to eat him...
<Anona> "What about a truce of some kind, then? Continue to kill the townsfolk and they will merely retaliate, and the next Exalts to come your way might prefer to turn your river into maggot-ridden blood and scatter your component motes to the five winds."
<onine> "No." The voice rumbles. "They have already done too much damage, I will repay them the favour. "Then I will kill Farion, feast upon her mind, and allow my beloved children to sup upon her flesh."
<Anona> "How unfortunate."
<Magpie> "So why are they killing your children?" Magpie pipes up. "Do they mean to? I don't think it's fair to eat someone's brain if it's an accident.."
<onine> "IT was no accident when she marched into this sacred grove and slew my oldest daughter! So it will be no accident when I crush her fragile little body like kindling!"
* Yengo hmms. Well, that was one part of the story they HADN'T gotten from Farion.
<Magpie> "Oh. Uh. Er. I'm sorry." Magpie looks at the others.
<onine> "Swarms of men came whilst I was defending my river, they killed her, not in defense! It was an attack! That WOMAN sent miners and men to the river to burn trees, they were a feint to anger me!"
<onine> "She cares as little for human life as she does ours!"
<Magpie> "She sounds really stupid," Magpie agrees. Her heart is apparently won. She looks appealingly at the Magistrate.
<Yengo> "What happened before that?" He doesn't want to add "Did they have a reason?"
<onine> "None. Jade was the only reason. I demanded she cease cutting into my home, and she agreed and left...for a time. Then in one fell swoop she slew my daughter! And for that, the mortals will pay."
<onine> "We cannot allow you to attack Nishimo I'kuan. We will defend the city with our lives and you know that." The Magistrate says.
<onine> "Then it will be a battle you will not forget should you live, Magistrate."
* Yengo shakes his head. He'd hoped there'd be some way to convince the god... but it sounds like all he wants now is blood.
* Magpie takes in a deep breath. "What if....what if Farion was arrested? For murdering killing your daughter I mean. And then, maybe...maybe a deal could be worked out where Nishimo could have the jade without hurting the river."
<onine> "Not acceptable. I will end her life with my claws."
<Yengo> "Nishimo won't give her up. And if you wipe the town out... even if you can, others will come. This is the Blessed Isle..."
<onine> I'kuan makes a rumble that seems to indicate considering Yengo's words.
<Epheri> "He is right. Attacking the town will bring only more pain to your river, if not now, then soon."
<Yengo> "You've met Dragon-Blooded willing to talk to you here... you have to know how rare that is." He coughs and doesn't look at the Exalted.
<onine> "If you are willing to compromise, then we are willing to work on your behalf to protect your river, and your children so that they may grow grand and strong." the Magistrate adds.
<onine> "All that we need is compromise. We cannot allow you to devour the leader of a town, but we can punish her through the extent of our system of government."
<Magpie> "And the extent extends pretty far," Magpie adds helpfully, remembering some of the more gruesome executions she had witnessed.
<onine> "Hmmmm... this is largely unsatisfying." The god grumbles. "If this were your realm, and a mortal slew one of your Dragonblooded children, would you not wish for her end at your hands? Are not gods closer to enlightenment in the words of your vaunted immaculate order?"
* Yengo isn't so sure Farion would get much more than a slap on the wrist for the crime, but he stays silent, especially when the god mentions mortals...
<Anona> "Regardless, it would be improper to slay them out of hand, or to slay anyone who associated with them simply because you chose to do so."
* Magpie nods her head up and down several times in emphatic agreement.
<onine> "You always seem to speak of what is improper, was it not improper for her and her band of men to raid my home and slay my offspring? Was it not improper to leave men to be slaughtered for a mere feint?"
<Magpie> "That's why Farion is in big trouble when we get back," Magpie says into the brief silence that follows the god's words. Her tone is matter-of-fact.
<Magpie> Another silence. "Well, isn't she?!" she demands of the others.
<Yengo> "She'll have to answer for what she's done," Yengo says noncommitantly, since he has no idea what that'll involve. "But will you stop the attacks then?"
<onine> "I will consider."
* Yengo looks at the Exalts, wondering if that's good enough for them.
<onine> "And so shall we." Diamandus says, gesturing to the rest of you to make a calm and ordered exit with no sudden moves.
<onine> I'kuan's children watch you every step of the way. You're not sure where the lizard that was sitting on the outcropping went, but its not there now.
* Magpie hesitates for a few moments, looking anxious.
* Yengo takes her hand with his own, guiding her along with him and Tara, still glancing around nervously. They'll have to pass pretty close by some of those lizards...
* Anona shrugs. She could have taken 'em on, but oh well...
* Magpie resists, takes a deep breath, and talks very quickly "Iwasplayingand Iwantedtotalktoalizardbut thenits tailfelloff." She holds out the lizard tail to Il'kun, and says meekly, "Sorry."
<onine> I'kuan just rumbles, this one however is definitely real, you feel the exhale of air on your face.
* Magpie retreats quickly.
<Magpie> Still, her confession out of the way, she feels quite relieved, and she chatters nervously to Yengo on sundry matters involving lizards and caves.
* Yengo nods blankly as she talks, still trying to look in every direction at once.

Outside, in a lagoon.
<onine> You walk a safe distance from I’kuan’s little grotto, and the relief is definitely noticeable. Even though you can guarantee that you are being watched still, being directly out of harms way is certainly a
*good* feeling.
<Magpie> "So I guess we go back to Nishimo now?"
<Yengo> "Guess so. They're not going to want to hear the news about Farion..."
* Magpie nods, and tells herself sternly that it would be mean of her to hope that the giant lizards had eaten the horses and the mule.
<onine> "Indeed." The Magistrate says. "What we do now, is return to Nishimo, and say nothing about what went on here. Nothing. Then we conduct our own investigation into the even that took I'Kuan's child."
<Anona> "I see the wisdom in that. No need to antagonize them... yet."
<onine> "Exactly."
<Yengo> "I just hope I'kuan's willing to wait that long."
<onine> "He will wait. God's have patience in this regard. It is a matter of whether Farion can keep herself from leading another foray into the rivers."
<Epheri> "If he is not, then it will go badly for him, I think."
<Yengo> "True enough."
<onine> "Well armed men could kill I'Kuan's children, though Farion would need help to dispatch the god permanently."
<Epheri> "That help would not be hard to buy with the money she has from the Jade."
<Anona> "Indeed."
<Yengo> "It's only a matter of time if he tries to fight..." Yengo agrees. "But it'd cause so much more misery even if he's doomed to fail."
<onine> "Indeed. That is why we must return swiftly."
<Magpie> "Well." Magpie goes to her mule's side, and with much protestation from the mule, scowls from Magpie, and an occasional secretive kick at the mule's rear, she is mounted.

The road home..
<oni-san> On the way back to Nishimo, the Magistrate explains his investigate assault plan. Anona and Epheri are to hit Farion's headquarters, question the men there under the general guise of relaxing as Dragonbloods do. This will likely involve some sweet talk to Farion to arrange for accommodation, but shouldn’t be TOO difficult. You're exalted, she's mortal and easy to please.
<oni-san> Yengo is to scout out the Military compounds, mercenary groups and other freebooters, starting with Xizle at his inn. Magpie... is to be good and stay out of trouble.
<Magpie> "So that means I'm going with Yengo? Or Anona and Epheri?"
<oni-san> He gives Magpie somewhat SPECIFIC commands to not give away what's REALLY going on. Diamandus intends to interrogate Farion, and spin a tale of what 'happened' in the river.
* Magpie nods to each direct order, her 'paying attention' face on.
<Magpie> This increases the odds she's actually listening to what he's saying by nearly thirty percent!
<oni-san> The trek back to Nishimo is swift, but still takes you until the evening before the lights of Nishimo are in view. You ride up through the gate past the astonished guards. Clearly they didn't expect to see you again... But they recover quickly and soon you are being followed by a small procession of cheering men.
* Magpie sits upright on her mule, and enjoys the attention. Occasionally she waves graciously.
<oni-san> The magistrate says through his teeth. "Say nothing until we reach Farion's Headquarters."
<Magpie> "I'm not saying anything! I'm just waving!" Magpie protests. She beams at a girl her age who throws her a flower.
* Yengo looks at the crowd nervously, wondering if they've just encouraged the townspeople's behavior.

Lady Farion’s Abode
<oni-san> You ride up to the old administration sector of the city, the head of a small parade. You are admitted into the gates, and Lady Farion awaits you with an entourage of her own.
<oni-san> "Welcome back, Magistrate, Archons." She nods. "I trust you bring good news?"
<oni-san> "We bring a truce. May I discuss things privately with you?" The Magistrate responds.
<oni-san> "Of course. Will my private hall be sufficient?" She asks, a trace of mild disappointment in her manner.
<oni-san> "It will. Come along." Diamandus gestures to you to follow.
* Yengo arches an eyebrow.
<oni-san> You are led through the administration complex to the hall in which you dined with Farion the previous evening. You are all offered a seat at the table, and Farion takes her place at her table's head.
<oni-san> "Well then, Lady. We have a tale to tell you..." The Magistrate says.
* Magpie places herself on a very plush cushion, folds her hands together on the table, and then stares alertly at Farion and Diamandus.
* Yengo is suitably impressed at her silence.
<oni-san> The Magistrate begins telling a marginally accurate tale of what happened, pointedly excluding I'kuan wanting to eat Farion for killing his daughter and excluding the investigation plan. Any embellishments Magpie would care to add that aren't too sweeping and grand are accepted by the Magistrate and knitted into the lie.
<oni-san> "...so if you only mine up to a certain point which will be marked, and use careful techniques for jade recovery, I'kuan will leave you and your mining teams unmolested. Provided you leave him in the same state..."
<oni-san> Lady Farion sits back in her chair and rubs her chin before smiling wryly at Diamandus. "I suppose I do not have much of a choice in this matter. Both I'kuan and I are in a checkmate that we can only escape from by granting concessions to eachother."
<Magpie> "Maybe you should have -started- like that," Magpie hints heavily.
<oni-san> "Granted-" She adds. "I would have much preferred him dead or severely chastised, this is still most acceptable. We wont get as much jade, but then we will cut losses as well."
<oni-san> "I did not get much of a chance to 'talk' to I'kuan when we first met little one."
<Yengo> "How did you first meet him... and his daughters?"
<oni-san> "When they leapt upon an unguarded procession of Yeddims under my command. We learned quickly to double, triple and even quadruple the guards the further we went up-river."
<oni-san> "I lost a lot of good men that evening." Farion adds quietly.
<Magpie> "So what did you do?"
<oni-san> "Fought back of course. We increased our forces, and even imported some very powerful firedust from the south. I've had to pay a lot more for men to go out now, and with all the replacement pack-beasts and equipment, I'kuan is costing me a lot of money."
<oni-san> "Fortunately, the cost doesn't outweigh the significant gain..."
<Magpie> "Huh." Magpie has apparently run out of questions for the moment, and she rests her chin on her hands.
<oni-san> "And your answer to the truce?" Diamandus prompts.
<oni-san> "I will need some time to consider, and discuss with my administration. If there is anything you need in the mean time...?"
<Magpie> "Food," Magpie answers promptly according to the demands of her stomach.
<oni-san> "Hush." Tara scolds.
<oni-san> "Actually, there is." the Magistrate smiles. "Anona and Epheri here are unused to such hard travel, and they grow somewhat in need of more comfortable surroundings that the inns in Nishimo are unable to provide. Would it be acceptable for them to stay here?"
<oni-san> He gives a smile that seems to say 'Jeeze, these girls are so hard done by.'
* Anona does her best "bored Dynast Exalt" impression. Not too hard!
<oni-san> "Oh!" Farion chuckles. "It would be an honour to have them stay here. We have some rooms spare in the governor’s house that they are more than welcome to use."
* Epheri looks up from her 'long suffering dynast exalt' expression, with something that might be a smile
<oni-san> "Then we will not keep you any further." The Magistrate rises. "Let us know what decision you come to."
<oni-san> "Certainly." Farion says. "And thank you for your efforts."
* Magpie nods graciously to her, and avoids a swat on the head from annoyed parties by darting back outside.
<oni-san> "Well, that went well enough..." The magistrate says when you are out in the night air. "Get to it."

A place of decadent luxury
<oni-san> In the mean time, while Yengo, Tara and Magpie head to the inns and the Magistrate to the industrial centers, the Dragonblooded duo are being lead through... well, its quite a sight.
<oni-san> What used to be a bustling building of bureaucracy is now something of a menagerie of people. Farion's assistant takes you around the building and explains the sights there. Apparently those too injured to work are taken in by Lady Farion and provided for, as are the widows and children of deceased workers and soldiers.
<oni-san> "The widows and their children use this section of the building, and wounded are taken here." Hon says. "The governor’s estate is used by Lady Farion as a home for entertaining guests almost exclusively."
<Anona> "I see she has is committed to supporting the townspeople."
<oni-san> "Indeed she is. The estate that was built recently is Farion's personal home, you've seen the meeting room only at this stage, ah here we are." Hon opens the door to the governor’s house and takes you to a pair of rooms upstairs.
<oni-san> "I apologize, these are hardly dynastic quarters, but these are certainly better than most of Nishimo's inns.
<oni-san> "
<Anona> "I am sure they will be acceptable."
<oni-san> "Splendid, let us know if there is anything else you need. The kitchen downstairs has a cook working at all times, and I am certain he would not object to cooking something for you should you be hungry."
<Epheri> "Thank you, we will."
<oni-san> Hon leaves you to your own devices, whatever they are.. )
* Epheri sighs and looks around the room, taking a bit of time to organize her things.
<Anona> "So... I suppose we need to try and get the real story behind all this now," Anona remarks to Epheri.
* Epheri nods "Yes, we do."
<Epheri> "Well, shall we go and relax then?"
<Anona> "Oh, if we must."
* Epheri grins "Just let me get out of this." she gestures to the white jade breastplate, which is soon removed.
* Epheri is soon respectable again, sans armor.
* Anona travels down to where the injured are being taken care of, keeping an eye out for someone who looks talkative.
<oni-san> There are lots of wounded people, but unlike a traditional hospital, most of the less seriously wounded (those who arent bedridden) are *lounging around* in the large room. It's well appointed, and it look like they have it pretty good. There are all manner of people here, soldiers, mercs, yeddim drivers, factory workers.
<oni-san> There are a pair of Yeddim drivers nearby playing a dice game.
<oni-san> There is also a soldier nearby, who looks less like a merc and more like a professional warrior. Something about the way he sits there sharpenning the blade...
<Anona> (Is he injured?)
<oni-san> Leg bandaged, head bandaged over his left eye.
<oni-san> He doesn't give even you so much as a second glance.
* Anona wanders around the room, taking it all in. Strangely, during her wanderings, she winds up next to the soldier.
<oni-san> How strange.
* Epheri follows her dutifully, occasionally making a small comment to people she passes.
<Anona> "Hm. That sword looks less like a blade and more like a hacksaw. I wonder how much sharpening could actually help it..."
<oni-san> He looks up at you and then back at his sword, never stopping the rythm. "Arms master eh."
<Anona> "I know a thing or two, yes. I suppose it's done well enough by you even so... you are, after all, still alive."
<oni-san> "Yeah."
<oni-san> He continues to scrape away at the weapon. He doesn’t seem particularly annoyed by you yet, but he isn't talkative.
* Anona is oblivious to the man's obvious lack of interest in conversation. "Got in a fight with one of I'kuan's 'children' I take it?"
<oni-san> "It happens. Guess they don’t like being killed the same as us."
<oni-san> He inspects the edge for a moment with his thumb, then continues sharpening with the stone
<Anona> "Oh, you don't need to guess about that one."
<oni-san> "I don’t. Do you want something?"
<Anona> "Just curious as to your thoughts regarding those overgrown garden lizards. As we may have to fight them if I'kaun doesn't cooperate. And you don't look like the usual run of mercenary... like I said, you're alive."
<oni-san> "They're a menace and should be wiped out. Can't get em in groups, you have to single them out. That's how we got the big one. I don’t think old I'Kuan will make that same mistake twice."
<Anona> "I'm told he mostly kept to himself, until the recent excavations."
<Anona> "I'm told he mostly kept to himself, until the recent excavations."
<onine> "That's about right. That's when his kids started chasing the miners around."
<Anona> "You wouldn't happen to know if any of the miners who might have lived through an attack are around, would you?"
<onine> "Look around. There's survivors everywhere."
<Anona> "Hmph. I will."

An inn in Nishimo..
<oni-san> As a devout member of Team Yengo, it is your responsibility to start at Xizle's Bunk and work your way around the mercs and freebooters at least in a portion of Nishimo to attempt to find out just WHAT really has happened. You have the word of a God and the word of a merchant City head, and neither match up. The soldiers are the forefront of the combat with I'kuan and his children, so they would know the most about such encounters.
<Magpie> "Maybe we should get them drunk first," Magpie suggests, unasked. "Drunk men say lots of stuff."
<oni-san> Epheri and Anona in the meantime are working the administration sector, which has its surprises of its own, whilst the Magistrate is headed to the industrial sector of town where the processing and sieving of jade-sand run off takes place.
<Yengo> "I dunno, mercenaries are good at holding their liqour... it might get expensive."
<Magpie> "Huh." She is momentarily stymied. "So we'll just ask then, I guess."
* Yengo shrugs. "Besides, I bet they got started without us."
<Magpie> "So they buy the booze. And then we just listen, and say 'I bet those lizards are big,' and so on, and then they tell us everything they know."
* Magpie is pleased with this plan, and splashes energetically through a muddy pool of water.
<Yengo> "Sounds good to me. Most mercenaries love to tell war stories anyway."
* Yengo wasn't thrilled to be dragging these two around from one seedy Nishimo bar to another... but it was better than being trapped in a cave full of giant lizards.
<Magpie> Perspective, that's what experience brought!
<oni-san> You rock on into Xizle's Bunk. As usual there are people here and there, a few knots this way and that. Xizle himself is at his usual place behind the bar.
* Yengo orders a drink from Xizle and decides to head toward the loudest and most promising looking knot first. The drunker the man, the louder the voice, after all.
* Magpie wrangles something smelly out of the barkeep herself, and follows on the doctor's heels.
<oni-san> The loudest voice is from a group of three freebooters on one of the central tables. The loudest is a thin man, mildly handsome in a rugged highwayman kind of way. He seems to be telling some humourous and scandalous story to his two compatriots.
<Magpie> "So what did you say to the redhead then?" Magpie asks, popping up at his elbow.
<Yengo> "Magpie!" He stifles a laugh.
<oni-san> One is a big quiet looking man, plain looking, plainly dressed. The other is a somewhat ugly man with thick bushy eyebrows and a nose that has been broken enough to flatten it against his face.
<oni-san> "I told her 'Not without a safety harness sweetheart!'" He starts laughing.
<Magpie> "Why did you say that? I don't get it."
<oni-san> "Yeah right, Lothek, like you really said that." The big man jeers.
<oni-san> "Oh, good evenin' Archon." The ugly man says, standing and saluting lazily before sitting again.
* Yengo waves off the salute and pulls up a chair, sitting in it backwards, arms dangling over the back. "No need to salute, I'm just here for a drink like everyone else."
<oni-san> "Aren't we all, cheers." Lothek says raising his glass.
<oni-san> "So is there anythin we can help you with, forgive the suspicion, but Archons don’t just 'sit and drink." the big man says.
<Yengo> "They do when they just got done staring down three of the biggest, ugliest lizards you've ever seen."
<Magpie> "They weren't ugly!" Magpie flares up.
<Magpie> "They were, uh..."
<Magpie> "They weren't ugly," she settles positively.
<oni-san> "Oh saw em did ye?" The ugly man says. "Lucky you still got most of ye still there. Otherwise you'd be up in administration riding a hospital cot."
* Yengo ruffles her hair. "Should we take a vote on it? You guys ever see them?"
<oni-san> "I 'ave!" Lothek replies.
<oni-san> "No ye haven't, you dumb twit, none of us 'ave." The ugly man says.
<oni-san> "We just go 'ere. The big man explains.
<Yengo> "Drawn in by Lady Farion, huh? I guess the pay is nice, if you're willing to deal with the lizards."
<oni-san> "Well word is you killed em...or be that in error?" Lothek asks.
<Yengo> "Killed them? No... wouldn't stay still long enough. I hear the townspeople did one of them in a while back, though."
<oni-san> "Yeah, heard that, but details are tough to come by. Word was that it was Farion's personal hunting team, but they're not freebooters like us, getting them to talk is like squeezing blood from a rock, getting a drop when you need a cup-full, then having the rock get mad about it." The ugly man says, making a squeezing motion with his callused hands.
* Yengo nods slowly, draining the rest of the drink, digesting the info.
<Magpie> "Personal hunting team?" Magpie asks. "Are they foreigners like her?"
<oni-san> "Some. A good portion are legionaries I think." The big man says. "But I'm not that sure."
<Magpie> "What? They don't go drinking?"
<oni-san> "They do, they just don’t drink with freebooter scum like us." Lothek says.
<Magpie> "Oh."
<Yengo> "I guess they don't consider Xizle's upscale enough?"
<Magpie> Imitating Yengo, Magpie drains her own foul-smelling drink, still uncertain of exactly what it contained, but confident the bartender wouldn't have mislead her.
<oni-san> "Not really no. Xizle used to be in the guards here, but after the first encounter, he won a club foot, now he cant fight. He don't let Farion's boys in here."
* Yengo yanks the mug away and looks inside dubiously, far too late to stop her drinking it down. Any indignation is forestalled by the freebooter's last comment. "He doesn't? He seemed to like Farion well enough?"
<oni-san> "Oh 'e likes her, because of the money she pulls in to Nishi', but he dont like 'er as a person."
* Yengo nods.
<Magpie> "Why not?"
<Magpie> "Because she's snooty?"
<oni-san> "Don't know, he don't talk about it." The big man says, his voice hushed even though Xizle didn't have a hope of hearing.
* Magpie turns at looks speculatively at the bartender across the room. "Then I'll go ask him." She hops off her stool.
* Yengo stands up, waving to the men at the table and giving them an "I better go watch out for her" look. He looks back at Tara, who follows silently. "I'm sure it wasn't a REAL drink."
<oni-san> "I hope not." Tara says back
* Magpie staggers slightly, the floor being more uneven then it looks, and shortly makes her way to Xizle. She perches on a barstool. "So," she begins conversationally.
<oni-san> Xizle throws the washcloth onto his shoulder. "Hello there lady, after another drink?"
<Magpie> "Yes please. Yengo has my mug though."
* Yengo seats himself at the bar. "She's fine."
* Magpie shakes her head, and mouths 'not fine.'
<oni-san> "Well maybe you'd better stay off for a bit if you want to out-drink your big friend here."
<Yengo> "I was just telling those guys over there that we all probably needed a drink after facing down those lizards..."
<Magpie> "And we wanted to ask. Why do you not like Farion?"
* Magpie is all bright interest.
<oni-san> He says in a neutral voice. "She's a fine administrator, and an excellent leader."
<Magpie> "But snooty?" Magpie asks sympathetically.
<oni-san> "I dunno, a little." He shrugs.
<Magpie> "So what wrong with her?" she pursues.
<oni-san> "What do you mean?"
<Yengo> "Those guys over there said you don't let her men in here anymore."
<oni-san> "That's my business whether I let them in or not, got nothing to do with you, kid."
<Yengo> "Sounds like her men have done a lot for the town, too. Did in one of the big lizards, eh?"
<oni-san> "They did." He says curtly and looks like he was about to say more, but bites it off.
<Magpie> "But?" Magpie prompts for him. He looked like he needed help.
<Yengo> "That's what I'kuan said, too. He was more than a little angry about it."
<oni-san> "He was."
* Magpie wishes she were taller. Then she could grab his head and bring it close to her face and threaten him properly. Grownups had all the fun. "What don't you want to say?" she asks in exasperation instead.
<oni-san> He sighs and presses his palms against the bar, not meeting your gaze. "Why are you asking all this?"
<Magpie> "Because I want to know," she replies, as if it's self-evident.
<Magpie> A beat. "And you just answered a question with a question," she says accusingly.
* Yengo decides to be direct. "Because we need straight answers, and you're one of the few in the position to give them. Why was I'kuan's daughter killed? What happened?"
<oni-san> "If you keep this up, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
<Yengo> "I'kuan demands satisfaction for that act. But before we can begin to know if he deserves it, we have to honestly know what happened. If we don't.... there's no way to settle a peace here. No way at all. He'll keep attacking you."
<Magpie> "So we have to know about Farion."
<onine> Xizle sighs. "If I'kuan got Farion, and I say this with no small amount of personal satisfaction, it would BEGIN to make up for the losses that were incurred by her attempt to bump him off the first time. Trouble is, they got the wrong lizard."
<Yengo> "So they thought the oldest daughter was I'kuan himself."
<onine> "Pretty much. The first few attacks were far up the river, the kids would come out, knock us around, we'd run, they'd go home."
* Magpie gets cozy on her stool. "So no one got hurt until the daughter was killed? But Farion decided to kill I'kuan anyway?"
<onine> "On about the third trip, Farion brought her own personal guard with her. She left. That's when three of the children charged in, with I'kuan himself watching."
<onine> "Not too long in, I'kuan went nuts. Completely nuts, he came at us and with his children, he tore us to shreds, even the little ones joined in. About twenty men survived. I was one."
<onine> "We found out later that Farion and her crew had snuck into his lair and bumped off the biggest of I'kuan's kids. That was probably when he went crazy."
<onine> "We were a decoy. One to lure the kids away so Farion could kill Him. They got the wrong lizard!" Xizle looks halfway between weeping and smashing something.
* Yengo shakes his head. "So it is true.... at least partly."
* Magpie climbs onto the counter to pat Xizle on the shoulder. "Totally, I think."
<Yengo> "No, I mean I'kuan's story. He did leave out the part where he was already attacking the caravans, though."
<onine> "Yeah. Since then the god has been attacking every man he can find... some say he's gonna come here and kill everyone. Some say at least. I don’t think even an angry god would risk destroying a Realm city, even Nishimo."
<Yengo> "He wouldn't last long afterwards, if he tried."
<Magpie> "It's hard to tell with gods," Magpie says philosophically. "I'm surprised he lasted this long. Even if Immaculates -are- stupid."
<onine> "Some will go to extraordinary lengths to avenge a lost loved one. Gods perhaps more so, they don't *feel* things the same as we do."
<Yengo> "I understand how he feels... but at the same time... it's our duty to protect Nishimo, and we won't fail."
<Yengo> "I guess the only question is, can he be satisfied..."
<Magpie> "I think so. He didn't eat us, after all. He didn't even eat -me-, in spite of the tail."
<Yengo> "He wants Farion's head on a plate, though. Something I don't think Nishimo is going to want to offer up..."
<Magpie> "The Magistrate will work something out," Magpie replies sunnily. Plus, it was three Dragonblooded versus a bunch of mortals, so what the Dragonblooded said would probably go.
<onine> Xizle shakes his head sadly and mops up an invisible spill on the bar.