JesseLowe/PirateMonkeySession32
Back to Session 31
TonyC materializes out of thin air.
jetman has arrived.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hi! )
Monkey . o O ( Yo. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hello! )
Monkey . o O ( Jesse announced flaky connection. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I announce anger with his ISP! )
Monkey . o O ( For my announcement: I'm moving to a new apartment sometime in May. This may result in ISP disruption. Details when I actually know more. )
The Storyteller . o O ( And it's only on game nights... I think somebody's messin' with me. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Also, schedule problems. )
Monkey . o O ( Got your summer schedule yet? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Which is to say, I have encountered a last-minute change to my schedule for next week, which is finals. I'll be working the early shift on Wednesday, not the closing shift, so we won't be able to game Tuesday night. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What's a good alternate day, if any? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Wednesday night might work, since I'll still be working the mid shift on Thursday. )
Monkey . o O ( Mid shift being? )
The Storyteller . o O ( 1:30 pm to 10:30 pm, so I can sleep till noon. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Wed. works for me. )
Monkey . o O ( Meaning you should go to bed around 4. Which should be enough time. Works for me. )
Monkey . o O ( So Wednesday night it is. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yup. Then, the week after that... I work all days, no nights at all, so I don't think we can game that week. )
The Storyteller . o O ( And after that it's summer schedule, which is still being hashed out. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Which means next week will inevitably end on a cliffhanger! )
Monkey points out that he's free all day and night on Monday.
The Storyteller . o O ( David, are you free that monday? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Let's see... yes )
The Storyteller . o O ( Cool! What time Monday would be good? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The usual time? )
Monkey . o O ( You two hash it out. I got nothing to do except sleep, eat, and, oh, cafe run. )
Monkey . o O ( No, David. Jesse has to work in the morning every day of that week. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Ditto, actually. The usual time won't work, and I'd prefer earlier. David, can you fit in a morning session? )
Monkey . o O ( If you want a game, we're talking about starting the game at 5 or 6 Central time. )
Monkey . o O ( Or morning. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ahhh. I fear I can't swing either of those. )
Monkey . o O ( Then the first week of May is off. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )
Monkey . o O ( Well, now that that's settled, where were we? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Settling down for the night at the inn, after the dinner. )
The Storyteller . o O ( And I'll just get me coffee. )
Monkey . o O ( Ah, yes, we just left Akbar's cousin and has invited (but not yet received an answer) the secretary. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And Suda was doing a ritual. )
Monkey . o O ( Meanwhile, Suda is doing astrology. )
Monkey . o O ( I wonder what Kanno Yoko is working on nowadays. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I wonder how much of a hidden agenda she has... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Suda, not Yoko. )
Monkey . o O ( Not a mistake. I was thinking, off-topic, of the musician. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I'm not sure there's been anything past Wolf's Rain and GITS SAC. )
Monkey . o O ( She worked on GiTS: SAC, and probably GiTS: SAC 2nd Gig. But Tsubasa Chronicles, which has Sakamoto Maaya, was done by Kajiura Yuki. Since Sakamoto is one of Kanno's usual partners, I hope she passed Tsubasa Chronicles because she's already working on something else. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Maybe she's holding off to work on the XXXHolic anime instead? )
The Storyteller . o O ( back. sorry that took so long... had to dig for the cream. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK, that's just funky... searching for YK news sites, and one is at www.monkey-pirate.com )
Monkey . o O ( There's not even a believable rumor of XXXholic anime. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Movie in the works... http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/5073.html )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( and WB Jesse. )
Monkey . o O ( Although eventually it'll happen, I suppose. Even bet that within ten years, all of CLAMP's output will be animated. )
Monkey . o O ( Hmmmm, I mean, all of their manga will get an anime. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( This is highly likely. )
Monkey . o O ( XXXholic movie? )
The Storyteller . o O ( So what is this XXXholic? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No, that everything CLAMP does will be animated. I"m looking at Clamp-net and they themselves say the XXXholic movie is coming out from Production IG. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It's a CLAMP manga, about a young man who sees spirits, etc, and takes a job with a "time space witch." )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( A bit "Twilight Zone" with him running into weird stuff all the time. )
Monkey . o O ( I have no idea what CLAMP was trying to convey when they picked the title. As far as I can tell, they could've titled it "Doggy-kun Goes To Market" and it will be just as relevant as XXXholic. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Damn, I thought it might be porn. )
-- Storyteller Disconnect --
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmmph. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( WB. We were just saying you should interrupt our geeking out. )
Monkey . o O ( Ken Akamatsu. I Love A.I. (?), Love Hina, Negima. Makes Tenchi's harem looks downright reasonably small. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Though at least Keitaro can make some moves on the woman he cares about, and not be paralyzed with indecision ala Tenchi. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ping Jesse? )
The Storyteller . o O ( ping )
The Storyteller . o O ( Whew. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Posing, just to get underway. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK! )
The bright light of the Chiarscuro dawn penetrates the shutters of your room, waking you gently. Outside, you hear the sounds of a city alive and bustling with merchants and beggars, thieves and nobles. After dressing and attending to your toilet, you wander downstairs and find a breakfast laid out for you. The other guests of the hotel sit around the courtyard, enjoying the cool of the morning. Suda has saved a table for you, and waves you over from the far corner of the courtyard.
Monkey says, "So, what's for breakfast?"
Monkey sits down.
Suda says, "You might enjoy the pastries. They have a crushed date filling."
Admiral Kaizoku has adopted the flowing robes of the region to conceal his breastplate and daiklave. Ever to the point, he asks Suda "How did your evening activities bear fruit?"
Monkey munches on the pastry. "Mmm, sweet. Interesting aftertaste. I like it."
Monkey . o O ( Master Jaff! )
The Storyteller . o O ( looking up your aliases... )
Monkey . o O ( Saru. And Sunny for him. )
The Storyteller . o O ( thx )
Suda says, "Blunt as ever, Sunny." She pulls a scroll out of her sleeve. "These are my calculations and my results, but I suggest you read them elsewhere, somewhere quiet, if you understand me. They are in the oldest tongue we both know."
There's a chittering noise from under the table, the tone demanding something.
Monkey looks around guiltily and takes one of the pastries and passes it under the table.
Suda says, "And how did your evening's activities turn out?"
Admiral Kaizoku nods and takes the scroll, slipping it into his sleeve. "Our own dinner party was likewise fruitful, and it appears as if one invitation will lead to another."
Suda says, "Excellent. Do you have any idea how quickly this might happen?
Admiral Kaizoku says, "We await a message this afternoon. Another interesting opportunity may present itself though... have you heard the story of the owner of this inn?"
Suda says, "Admiral Sand? Yes. In fact, I was rather hoping to meet him. Unfortunately, it seems he's traveling near Gem at the moment."
Out of sight, Master Jaff licks the last crumbs off his fingers and looks around for a place for his after-breakfast nap. Looking at the available choices, he decides to climb the feminine legs and settles down their owner's lap.
Monkey says, "That's not far, right? We can probably take a day off and go there."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "Indeed... I suspect a good wind will blow us that way."
Suda -- who is not quite as oblivious as she seems, sometimes, at least, not after being around Monkey and Master Jaff for a few weeks -- casually slides half a pastry down to her new friend.
Monkey . o O ( And we should arrive just in time for the fireworks. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Is the volcano due to explode? )
Suda says, "Mmm. It's about two thousand miles as the crow flies. If the crow _walks_ it's more like three thousand. It's dangerous territory as the crow flies, but the regular trade routes are as safe as any here in the South."
Monkey . o O ( Not really, but it's a regular rpg.net in-joke (and Jesse is familiar with it) that Gem _will_ be destroyed. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Several times. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "We should be able to make the same good time that we did in getting to this fine city, oh honored wife... too much urgent business awaits in the north to tarry here."
Monkey splutters.
Monkey says, "Wife? Suda, when did you get married?"
Admiral Kaizoku says tightly "She is the honored wife of our employer Akbar, witless Saru..."
Monkey says, "Why didn't anyone tell me the plan has changed?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Mother-in-law... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Dang it. )
Monkey . o O ( Retro-write? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Please. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "We should be able to make the same good time that we did in getting to this fine city, oh honored matron... too much urgent business awaits in the north to tarry here."
Monkey . o O ( Chocolate chip cookies. Back in a few minutes. Hmmm, better make tea too. Add two minutes. But I'll check back every minute or so while it's brewing. )
Suda says, "Very well. I trust your discretion, Sunny." She looks around. "Where is Akbar, anyway?"
The Storyteller . o O ( Waiting for input... )
Admiral Kaizoku hmmmms. "A good question. Perhaps seeking more buyers for the goods, which seem to exceed expectations..." He motions over the inn's boy or girl and sends him or her up to knock on the door.
The Storyteller . o O ( To your room? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Whoops, yes. )
Monkey . o O ( Mmmm. )
The girl comes back shortly and reports that no one answered the knock. When questioned, the clerk says that Akbar left earlier in the morning, munching on a pastry. He did not say where he was going, but did say he would return around mid-morning, which is still an hour or so away.
Admiral Kaizoku says, "I don't like this. Our... employer... should not be without a bodyguard."
Monkey says, "Should I look for him?"
Admiral Kaizoku says, "Discreetly, yes. I will remain here in case a message arrives, or the man himself."
Monkey says, "Okie."
Monkey stands up and heads out.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Now every slaver in the South will descend on Monkey, attracted by his face. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "Report back in an hour, Saru."
The Storyteller . o O ( Actually, I was thinking he might attract the attentions of a Dereth, of either gender/sex. )
Monkey . o O ( They'll have to line up. The cute ones get to cut ahead the line. )
The Storyteller . o O ( But then I thought, nah... )
Monkey mutters, "...high place..., biggest crowd... discreet...."
Admiral Kaizoku sits back down and laces his fingers together. "We should retire to our rooms to await news, and review... things. A course to Gem, for example."
Monkey . o O ( Does the search need to be played out or shall we go with fiat? I've no problem with either. )
The Storyteller . o O ( We'll fiat it, I think, but describe how you go about it. )
The moment Monkey steps out of the inn, he looks up and around, looking for the highest building around. The rationale was that the highest spot provides the best vantage point, but really he just like high places. "Once there, I suppose I'll just look for the biggest crowd around, and look for Akbar there. I mean, it's a market, there's got to be lots of people," he thinks, in a sort of reverse logic.
Monkey . o O ( Any further question? )
As it happens, there are many "highest spots" in Chiaroscuro, and Monkey finds it difficult to keep the Admiral's usual advice re: subtlety in mind. Thankfully, the dilemma is quickly resolved, as a flash of light from a nearby tower with a shattered top catches his eye. The tower is occupied, but the inhabitants, squatters or something, don't object to Monkey's ascent.
Searching the tower top where he saw the flash, Monkey finds nothing but interesting shards of glass hanging in a lattice from an ancient window frame. They resist casual tugging, and twist and tremble in the wind. Looking out the remains fo the window, Monkey can see the largest market square in Chiaroscuro.
Monkey . o O ( It's a good thing today isn't an Public Execution day or Imperial Procession day or something similar, or Monkey would've beelined straight for it and miss the market. )
Watching the square, Monkey spies a familiar shape -- Akbar, walking along one of the outer rows of stalls, talking animatedly with a tall man in Realm dress. In fact, his companion seems to be someone of importance, given the deference shown by passersby. Monkey descends the tower as quickly as he can, and moves to intercept the pair as they circle the market. In under a quarter hour, he's leaning against an awning's support pole and eating a handful of dried figs, watching the two approach.
The Storyteller . o O ( back to you! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Breaking the poses up into shorter chunks in that way works well. )
Monkey smiles and nods toward Akbar, and as the two passes him, he turns and follows them five steps behind like a proper guard ought. Or at least the way guards in the stories he heard acts.
Monkey . o O ( To Kaizoku! Presumably reading? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( For reading, and for not wondering if the posing party has disconnected too. )
Monkey . o O ( No, that's you, David. I mean, is Kaizoku going to read that note? )
Akbar nods in return, and slips an excuse about Monkey's presence into his conversation. From here, Monkey can examine Akbar's companion more closely, and eavesdrop on their talk. The man in Realm garb is a DragonBlooded of some sort, judging from the jade daiklave slung across his back and the rich attire he wears. It's simply cut, though, of a style that -- if he knew more about it -- Monkey would judge as rather out of date. By his looks and bearing, the dragonling is an elder, but not a powerful one. Subtly worked into his scabbard and his loose over-robe is the symbol of House Mnemon.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Whoops, yes, that was one of the things he was hinting at. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, i'll finish detailing the conversation, then switch back to you. )
Monkey worries about how to breach the fact that the Admiral is worried about him without breaking disguise. The best he can come up with is "Your mother-in-law wants you back", but that would make Akbar look like a wuss, and he'd probably give his ship the worst ration available for the next ten years if he makes him looks like a wuss in front of everybody.
Akbar and the Dynast are speaking of trade, as one would expect in a market. In short, the Dynast claims to be here as a tourist, merely passing through on his way to Gem, where his granddaughter is studying sorcery under a reclusive Dynast. He is interested in buying one of the figurines as a gift for her, and is bargaining with Akbar for it. Akbar, meanwhile, is probing him for information, and seems to be doing fairly well.
Monkey's right eyebrow goes slightly up at the mention of granddaughter and sorcery. Intriguing
After a few more minutes of talk, they reach an agreement, and Akbar hands the Dynast a figurine. The Dynast bows shallowly and heads off toward the harbor. Akbar turns to Monkey and says, "I take it the ad- Sunny was worried about me?"
Monkey says, "Ye- I mean, if something happens to you while he's supposed to be guarding you, it would reflect badly on his reputation, and no one would believe us when we explain that you went without escort."
Monkey says, "Shall we head back to the inn, Master Akbar, or is there some other business you need to attend?"
Akbar says, "You are quite correct, and I will have to tender my apologies to him and to yourself -- preferably before my mother-in-law hears of it. But ah, I saw the Dynast passing by and could not resist the chance to make a sale to such a distinguished personage. Well. Let us return to the inn, for I could do with a little rest."
Back at the inn, Kaizoku has managed to find a secluded spot to read Suda's note.
Monkey makes small talk, mostly involving "Who's that? And the granddaughter? And the reclusive Dynast?"
And of course, "Is she cute?"
Admiral Kaizoku has his back to the wall and the scroll to another wall so no light can pass through it.
The note first outlines the basics of Suda's method, which involves thaumaturgy that Kaizoku understands and astrology that he doesn't. It goes on to say that she believes the piece to be much further south than she originally thought. It appears to be in the hills that separate the lands of the Delzahn Horde from the deep desert roamed by the Raksha and other fell creatures. It is the influence of the Raksha, she believes, that have made tracing the piece more difficult, and so she cannot be more precise.
Monkey . o O ( Oh no! Jesse got Fair Folk and itching to try shaping combat. )
The Storyteller . o O ( that's it. )
Admiral Kaizoku pulls out the maps of the South and plots a course or two... a direct, Stormwind kind at first, and thinks on what he knows of the Horde.
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh, no. That's not it. I _still_ haven't wrapped my head around shaping combat, let alone the rest of the Fair Folk book. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Which means any Fair Folk we meet will have to be negotiated with, not battled! :) )
Monkey . o O ( So, what will Kaizoku do? )
Admiral Kaizoku goes to Suda's room under some pretext. "Once we are in the area indicated, will you be able to narrow down the location further?" he asks.
Suda says, "That depends entirely on the circumstances of the situation. In other words, I won't know until we're there."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "I see... we had best find out the disposition of the item in the records here first, to avoid surprises. Now, what do you know of agents of our... new rivals... in this area?"
Monkey . o O ( New rivals? You mean Sand? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No, Deathlordds. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Kaizoku can be awfully unclear sometimes. As well as hopelessly optimistic. )
Suda looks blankly at the Admiral. "Who?"
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That is, find out if the thing was stolen, or given as a gift, which involves different plans for retrieving. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "The sort of people I've been making enemies of at a rapid rate of late, the ones who cast a long shadow."
Monkey . o O ( Amazing get-around. :) )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( The walls have ears... )
Suda says, "Oh. You know, traditionally, I'm supposed to be the cryptic one." She shakes her head. "The Deathlords have little presence in the South that I know of -- the closest one appears to be the dweller in Cold House. If that one is a Deathlord, that is. I think it is because the Raksha are strong here, and the Lintha cause so much trouble in the Southeast -- it doesn't give much room for a toe-hold."
Admiral Kaizoku smiles thinly. "It is always best to expect the unexpected... Now, you once told me that the fragment that found its way into the hands of the Walker's agents could unleash untold power on its own. Kindly elaborate on that."
Monkey . o O ( Dude, that's a good quote. "Oh. You know, traditionally, I'm supposed to be the cryptic one." - Sidereal of Secrets? Journeys? to our Solar Zenith. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Secrets, which makes it even better. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Heh. )
The Storyteller . o O ( David, do you remember when she said that? I need to look it up... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Way back when we first met her in Nexus, right after the auction. )
The Storyteller . o O ( type, type, CTRL + F... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And in light of more recent developments, the Admiral thinks that may have been an exaggeration, and is seeking to test her. )
Monkey . o O ( It's one thing when you test a super-weapon. It's another thing to prod your enemy to test their super-weapon. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Ah, I'd forgotten about Monkey's gambling fraud back in the inn... )
Monkey . o O ( I have no idea what you were talking about. You can't prove anything. )
Monkey . o O ( I have no idea what you were talking about. You can't prove anything. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmm. Not finding it. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I hope I didn't misremember... I found where she was upset about him getting it. )
Suda wrinkles her forehead in concentration for a few minutes, then says, "In sense, it could. 'Untold power' in that I have no idea what one of the pieces might do on its own, unconnected with the rest. Hypothetically, a truly skilled sorcerer could reconstruct the rest of the puzzle from it, but such a sorcerer hasn't walked Creation since the First Age." She pauses. "Hm. Perhaps..."
Monkey . o O ( Uh, oh, you're boned. Deathlords are sorcerers from the first age. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( They are? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Some of 'em. Of course, the Sidereals don't know that... )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "Deathlords have access to secrets of the First Age, that much is made clear by their Warstriders and Skyships..."
Suda grunts as she digs through one of her packs, "So does Lookshy, so does the Realm. So do you and I, if you think about it... now where is that thing?"
Admiral Kaizoku shakes his head. "Lookshy, the Realm and I do not have the ability to forge new weapons with the power of the First Age and incorporate soulsteel as well. What the Mask and the Queen have deployed are new creations, not ancient surplus."
The Storyteller . o O ( Lookshy built Skywolf within the last couple hundred years. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Did they? I had the impression they were all irreplacable. My bad. )
Monkey . o O ( Canonically, all deathlords are sorcerers. Also, all deathlords are from the first age. But not all deathlords were sorcerers back in first age. Presumably some of them are, and some of them got sorcery after they got their deathlordiness. )
Suda says, "Aha!" and pulls out a bundle wrapped in silk. "You have a point there, but with the resources of the Underworld at their command, who knows what the sorcerer-engineers of the Seventh Legion could accomplish? Never mind. Look at this." She sets the bundle on the table and carefully unwraps it.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And sure enough... they can't build one now though, can they? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Refresh my memory: She has one puzzle piece, Kaizoku has two, and you're looking for the other two now, correct? )
Monkey . o O ( They could, actually. They just don't consider it cost-effective at the moment. )
Admiral Kaizoku scowls at the idea of using the power of the Underworld for anything, but turns to look at the bundle.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( That's correct. A folding map and a round clip. )
The revealed item is the puzzle piece that set you on this path, suspended by silver wires from a framework of starmetal and orichalcum rods, about the size of a melon. It hangs loosely in the center. Suda says, "This is what I've been using to track down pieces. It's not terribly effective, but it's a start."
Admiral Kaizoku studies the creation intently. "And far better than what any other interested party has... as far as we know."
She jiggles a couple of rods and says, "Do you have the other two pieces with you?"
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Do any improvements to the device occur to the Admiral? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Make a Wits + Occult roll, difficulty 5. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Channeling conviction... it's the divine right of Solars to find this base. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 11 dice on Divine Right Mechanics and got 4 successes.
Monkey . o O ( Goood luck. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Dang! )
The Storyteller . o O ( So close. )
The Storyteller . o O ( It looks a bit like a desk toy, if you know what I mean. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( But not a good one, since there's only one ball, and it doesn't clack. )
Admiral Kaizoku nods his head and withdraws them from his boots, placing the map down first, then the clip.
Monkey . o O ( I suggest the "Stormwind Rider south a thousand miles, then retry" approach until we run into the Raksha/tribe that has the other piece. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( It's not totally without merit. )
Monkey . o O ( Switching comp. Just a couple secs. Don't be alarmed at the reconnection. )
Suda wrinkles her nose and says, "How long have you kept them in there, Sunny?" She gingerly picks up the pieces and buffs them on her sleeve, then untangles the scroll piece from her contraption and sets them all down on the table next to each other. "So. How do these go together, I wonder?"
TonyC has reconnected.
Monkey . o O ( Monkey would know exactly how. Or if he doesn't, he won't admit it. :) )
Admiral Kaizoku snorts "Only since leaving the ship. This city is rife with sticky fingers" as he unfolds the map segment fully. "DO they go together? A First Age puzzle would not be some simple jigsaw... they could work together without all touching."
Suda says, "I hadn't thought of that. Remember, though -- this was a puzzle for children. If I read the tale correctly, young children at that."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "And what delights young children more than things that move on their own? The ball could be the sun, moving above the map of creation...""
The Storyteller . o O ( Rgh. Pieces at the moment are, IIRC: A scroll, a map, and a clip of some sort. )
Monkey . o O ( I really suggest finding at least that other piece first before seriously attempting to put it together. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Well, we're both wrong about the first piece. Suda carefully unwraps the object, which is apparently heavy and about the size of an apple, but rectangular in shape. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Yes. )
Admiral Kaizoku picks up his two pieces and moves them around the suspended one, to see if they react in any way.
The Storyteller . o O ( The pieces do not react to each other, sadly, and remain obstinately inert. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "Unfortunate... could using more than one piece with your device improve the accuracy?"
As the Admiral has been playing with the pieces, Suda has been tinkering with her contraption. She says, "That is what I intend to find out. Here." She holds her hand out for one of the pieces. As Kaizoku hands them to her one by one, she wraps them in silver wire and suspends them inside the device.
Admiral Kaizoku can't help but be slightly frustrated that a force to restore Creation is dependent on a child's toy, one that great minds of the age cannot comprehend.
Having done this, she turns the device around a few times and taps it once. "Hm." You feel a stirring in the room's Essence, which dies down after a few moments. The pieces tremble briefly and shift toward the south. "Well. That's a stronger reaction than before."
Admiral Kaizoku hrms. "We have a direction, and an approximate distance... We should set out immediately."
She leans back against the wall, thinking. "Sunny, try channeling a little Essence into it. As you would into your daiklave or your armor."
Admiral Kaizoku hmmmms. "Solars do not breed true..." he says, even as he reaches out to touch the center part of the puzzle, focusing his power into the sun-metal.
The Storyteller . o O ( There ya go with the cryptic again. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Which is to say that a Solar's kid won't be a Solar him or her self, so an Essence powered toy might not do much. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( For entertaining tots. )
The pieces react almost instantly. A golden glow surrounds them, especially the rectangular one, and the entire thing -- puzzle pieces, rods, wires -- drags itself off the table toward the south and crashes onto the floor. Suda jumps to her feet. "Of course!"
Monkey . o O ( Ah, but you're missing the fifth component! The double AA battery! )
Admiral Kaizoku had only touched it with a fingertip, so cannot prevent it from sliding away. "It seems unlikely, but the results are before us..."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Unless the creator committed Essence to it, and it held onto it for a long time. )
Suda says, "The creator must have charged it with his own Essence. No wonder it barely reacted to me. I wonder how long the power lasts?" She smiles and picks up the pieces and the contraption. "We'll find out, I think. In the meantime, you had better take these back." She hands Kaizoku the two pieces for his boots.
The Storyteller . o O ( It only took two mote of Essence before it reacted, btw. )
Monkey . o O ( Told you, the missing pieces are the two AA batteries. :p )
Admiral Kaizoku takes the parts back and secures them. "How long does it take a child to grow? That would be the blink of an eye for a Solar..." he says. "With this method, we can triangulate the exact loction using a Stormwind."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No, one battery and the battery hatch! :) )
Suda raises an eyebrow. "Assuming it stays in one place while we do so."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "It is clearly a treasure, and treasures in this land are hoarded and guarded... it will not be in a saddlebag."
The Storyteller . o O ( Now would be a good time for Monkey and Akbar to show up, I think. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And I'll BRB... )
Meanwhile, outside the inn, Monkey opens the door and strolls in, demanding, "Two glass of cooled wine. And a plate of your fine pastries" before seating himself before a table.
Monkey then remembers, "Oh, right, and Master Akbar, what would you like?"
The inn's girl says, "Yes, sir," and zips off. Akbar sits down across from Monkey and says, "Ah, there's one thing I'll say for this Admiral Sand: He has impeccable taste."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Back )
The Storyteller . o O ( next? )
Admiral Kaizoku realizes that an hour has passed and goes down to see if there is word from Monkey or Akbar. "Ah!" he exclaims, seeing them.
Monkey . o O ( Monkey would suggest leaving the city right away. Common sense suggests that we actually wait until the secretary replies, and if he consents for the dinner, to actually attend to it. No sense offending people. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( We have to get the invitation first... it was suggested, not a sure thing. )
Monkey says, "You're evading the question, Master Akbar. Was the granddaughter cute?"
Akbar, staying in character, waves an idle hand in Kaizoku's direction. "Ah, Sunny -- I do apologize for running off without your company, but when opportunity passes by, only a fool lets it go unescorted."
Admiral Kaizoku replies with "A worthy opportunity? One has come up further south, in less hospitable places..."
Akbar says, "I told you, Saru, I have no idea, never having met the woman. Judging from her grandfather, she may well be."
Admiral Kaizoku lifts an eyebrow. "Saru, have you been wooing the local women again?" he asks archly.
Suda has followed at a suitable distance, and sets herself down next to Akbar. "Worthless son-in-law! What have you done now?"
Monkey says, "Me? What are you talking about?"
The Storyteller . o O ( David, you get to play Akbar for this little exchange. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( What exactly did Akbar set up? )
Akbar says "Honored mother-in-law, a trifle too trivial to mention! A simple exchange of words with a revered Dynast!"
The Storyteller . o O ( Nothing, actually. He saw Mnemon Gadar passing by, recognized him as a fairly well-traveled Dynast, and decided to pump him for information. )
Monkey says, "I haven't touched anyone."
Monkey says, "yet."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So my BSing on his part was also completely correct. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "That means you are planning to... Saru. "
Monkey says, "Oh well, one must keep one's eyes open for opportunity. Or so I hear very often from a certain captain I traveled with."
Admiral Kaizoku adds onto that with "The correct opportunity at the correct time."
Suda sniffs. "Well. As long as you're turning a profit with my daughter's money, I can hardly object, can I? Now, what's this I hear about a party?"
Akbar quails again. "If the gods bless our humble party, we may recieve an invitation to dine with a mover of papers to one very important in the city! The invitation should reach us soon, if fortune favors us!"
Suda pulls a folded piece of parchment out of her sleeve, a triumphant expression on her face. "Aha! Perhaps this is what you speak of? And you did not inform me? For shame!" She throws the parchment on the table. It is, indeed, an invitation to dinner from the secretary of the Tri-Kahn.
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh-oh, lag. )
Akbar lowers his head so deeply he nearly bangs it into his glass of wine. "The chance was so remote it did not seem worthy of your attention... no more than a bubble in the wine!" The Admiral and Akbar both look at the invitation.
Monkey peers over their shoulder.
The invitation is florid, beautiful, and strongly implies that Akbar's presence at dinner, tonight, is not optional. Passing mention is made that his mother-in-law may find some pleasure conversing with the secretary's assistant, who is also a scholar of old papers.
Akbar says under his breath "It seems my humble trinkets have made quite an impression...
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Anything about having the help along? Is that a given or forbidden? )
Suda stands up, taking a pastry as she does so. "I must prepare! Clerk! Send up a maidservant to my room in an hour!" She strides out, the very picture of a vindictive, triumphant matron.
Monkey . o O ( Don't be silly. Of course the servants are assumed to be included in the retinue. Dunno about body guards though. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Nothing is said either way in the invite, but Akbar is able to tell you that bodyguards -- or at least servants -- are assumed if the invitee is of a certain social class. )
Admiral Kaizoku asks "Do we have the proper attire to fit in with you and your mother-in-law at such an event?"
Akbar says, "We may need to do a little shopping."
Monkey says, "There's nothing wrong with this outfit."
Admiral Kaizoku says, "Then shall we, o employer? And perhaps you can remind your other humble fighter of things not to do at such a gathering?"
Akbar says, "Sunny, _you're_ the one renowned for accomplishing the impossible, not me." He stands and tosses a few coins on the table for the inn girl. "I saw a decent tailor in the market today who can probably do up a pair of outfits on short notice."
Monkey . o O ( Hello? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Posing )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And lagging, it seems )
The Storyteller . o O ( No, waiting for response. Sorry. )
Admiral Kaizoku ho hos as he stands up from his chair. "What do you think is the right way to act at a gathering of the city's elites, Saru?" he asks firmly, letting Akbar lead the way to the tailor.
Monkey says, "Don't attract attention if you can. And smack them if they get too uppity. That's what we do back West."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Say... we've been to the North (not REAL far, but still, the east and now the south... only the west has not been graced with the Admiral's presence... odd, considering his naval bent. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Well, that'll be next. )
Admiral Kaizoku says, "Concentrate more on the first one... don't be a monkey."
Monkey says, "Of course not. That's Master Jaff's job."
Monkey says, "Speaking of which, can I bring him too? He's never been to a Khan's place. Or the secretary of Khan's place either."
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Are there a lot of monkeys running around here? )
Monkey . o O ( Monkeys are arboreal, so probably not in the south. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( But think about the evil monkey in Cairo in Raiders of the Lost Ark! )
As you talk, Akbar leads you to a stall in the great market. He converses with the tailor in flametongue, a bargaining session that continues as the tailor's assistants measure you both and you try on various outfits. Eventually, a deal is struck, and the two of you walk out dressed in similar outfits, flattering and slightly exotic, and fairly comfortable.
Admiral Kaizoku suggests a matching vest for Master Jaff.
Akbar transmits the suggestion to the tailor, who throws up his hands in exasperation and produces such a vest while you stop by the stall next door for kebabs.
Admiral Kaizoku says, "He will divert some attention from other hijinx... "
Monkey whispers to Akbar, "Remind me to pay you back for the vest. That's a wicked cool match there."
Monkey . o O ( There's only one naughty monkey in Cairo and one naughty monkey in Chiaroscuro. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And they don't take American Express. )
Akbar whispers back, "You can pay me back by keeping him in check during dinner. If the secretary's anything like his master, he's clever and impatient."
Admiral Kaizoku whispers to Akbar "We have determined our item is further south, so access to the papers is no longer a necessity, though it could still prove highly useful..."
Akbar looks a little pained. "Admiral, the papers may not be necessary, but I still have over a dozen statuettes to sell at two hundred percent profit."
Admiral Kaizoku nods his head. "Thus, you are free to concentrate on the cash from that sale more than favors we may need."
Monkey . o O ( Heh. )
The Storyteller . o O ( fast forward? )
Monkey . o O ( Sure. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Yep. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. Bathroom break first. )
Monkey . o O ( Cookies! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Cookies are a "Sometimes food." )
Monkey . o O ( What is it the rest of the time then? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Evil incarnate, according to the re-educated Cookie Monsters )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Singular. )
Monkey . o O ( They must be destroyed then! Ghraawerawraweraewraer. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I concur! )
The Storyteller . o O ( back. )
The Storyteller . o O ( What's your plan of attack for dinner with the secretary? )
Monkey . o O ( Cookies! Ghraerwaerraer. )
Monkey . o O ( That's _a_ plan anyways. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Nothing fancy... Akbar will do what he does best, (I wish I had Underling Promoting Touch...) and the Admiral will have HPM up for any questions sent his way. Promoting good relations and selling the items is top priority, with records access at #2, as it could be handy. )
Monkey . o O ( My plan is simple. Attend the meeting, let Akbar make small talk with the secretary, and Suda diplomatically secure access to papers, or at least the information in it, and then everyone exits gracefully. Note the grandness of the plan. It does not require Monkey to do anything at all except being present. )
Monkey . o O ( In fact, if he does something, the plan might fail. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Got it. Make Charisma + Socialize rolls for Akbar and Kaizoku, please. )
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on Cha+HPM and got 2 successes.
Admiral Kaizoku rolled 6 dice on Cha+Soc Akbar and got 2 successes.
Monkey . o O ( This must be a pretty important roll. )
Monkey . o O ( But not very. Because if it is, the rolls would've come out botched. )
You rolled 6 dice on suda socialize and got 3 successes.
The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Decent success, but not anywhere near impressive. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Oh, the really terrible stuff can't happen until the party has been started... it has to be going well at first to be really ruined by a faux pas. :) )
The Storyteller . o O ( I think I'm just going to describe the dinner, since it's not as important now as the other one was... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK! )
The Tri-Kahn's secretary is Juset Tais, late of the Realm. He's served the Tri-Kahn faithfully for over two decades, and his discretion is almost as legendary as his lavish parties. This is not one of those parties, though. Rather, it is a fairly quiet dinner -- only a few guests including yourselves. Suda and Akbar are seated near Juset, while Kaizoku and Monkey are placed lower, near the other retainers. A troupe of Djala dancers and jugglers provide entertainment over the course of the meal, and a singer from An-Teng graces you with her voice during the dessert.
The meal is eaten in the courtyard of Juset's home, a house of good modern construction near the Tri-Kahn's palace. Adjacent to the courtyard is his library, and after dinner, when the guests are engaging in chatter and gambling, Juset's assistant leads Suda to it. Akbar and Juset engage in conversation at this time as well, and the night ends with Akbar promising to visit not only Juset but a few of the guests on the morrow, with more of his delightful statuettes.
During this time, Kaizoku and Monkey find themselves at loose ends, much like the other retainers, and learn from conversation much about the city, the South, and the life of nobles. Little of it seems to be of importance, though Admiral Sand is mentioned a few times. Kaizoku's ears perk up at the mention of Sand's intention to push a trade alliance between Chiaroscuro and Gem, but the source seems unreliable as she is half-drunk at this point.
Walking back to the inn, Suda shares her results and Akbar does sums in his head. Suda was somewhat fortunate, having found mention of the architect in Juset's library.
Admiral Kaizoku steps back from Suda and Akbar to tell Monkey "Job well, done."
Monkey says, "But I didn't do anything."
Monkey looks confused.
Admiral Kaizoku doesn't elaborate, feeling rather cryptic today.,
From what she found, the architect's descendants eventually fell afoul of the Tri-Kahn -- the diary she found it in claims they were a Yozi cult -- and the family was destroyed, its youngest sold into slavery and the rest slain or chased into the southern desert. Their goods were turned over to the Tri-Kahn, of course. In another source, a listing of treasures in the Tri-Kahn's palace, she found a note that the box containing the small treasures of the family was taken as a tribute to the Delzahn Horde about a hundred and fifty years ago.
Monkey shrugs and continues the game of cards he's playing with the other retainers. "Where was I? Oh yes, I'm supposed to bet. Mmmmm, is these combination good or bad? Oh, yes, bet. How's a jade bit?"
The last interesting tidbit was that the particular chieftan of the horde to whom the box was given eventually fell to Fair Folk, only a few years after it came into possession.
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( We'd be on the way back before the Admiral congratulated Monkey. )
Admiral Kaizoku frowns at that revelation. "We are not prepared to venture into the Wyld..."
Thankfully, a location is given: 12 days from Alom Vilage, 16 from Chiaroscuro. This was the trading ground where the Delzahn chieftan met with the Raksha when he dealt with them -- or any outsiders, actually.
Admiral Kaizoku says, "That is something, at least... they are not a completely wild group in that case."
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay, somebody switched my coffee for decaf or something. We're gonna have to call it a night soon, before I crash. )
Monkey . o O ( Checking the map, it'll be quite a distance before the boundary of Creation blurs into Wyld. )
The Storyteller . o O ( What's the Admiral planning next? )
Monkey . o O ( Yes. What? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Starting a travelling show! )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( But that would be cryptic. A Stormwind trip down to near the village in question... )
Monkey . o O ( I suggest FF the scene of Akbar selling the statuettes. Then use sorcery to get to the location, and start from there. )
Monkey . o O ( Skip the village. It is a landmark, no more. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. We'll pick up there next time, at the village. Sound good? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Though some of the funds will go to getting traditional Fair Folk favored trade goods. )
Monkey . o O ( That'll be slaves. )
The Storyteller . o O ( How much can Kaizoku carry with SWR? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( 800 lbs now. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( No slaves. )
The Storyteller . o O ( You'll need to consider who you'll take with you, and provisions, then. Especially water, of course. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Does Suda have any tricks for divining water and food sites? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And how fast is the trip via SWR? )
Monkey . o O ( I'm at a loss on finding an alternative trade goods that a Fair Folk will like. The fae are just too random. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hm. Assuming you avoid settlements and groups of people, and that you only SWR for about ten hours a day... )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Hey, the Admiral's filled with zeal and has a high endurance! )
The Storyteller . o O ( About 7 hours to the village. )
Monkey . o O ( Possibly charged dreamstones. )
Monkey . o O ( I'm not sure if that's going to be available easily. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( So a day's worth of water and food, just in case. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( And hey, this is the gem of the South! If you can't buy it here, it can't be had, right )
Monkey . o O ( I thought Gem was gem of the South. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Bah! Mere heresy! )
Monkey . o O ( Anyway, today's session feels slow. Let's try to speed things up Wednesday. )
The Storyteller . o O ( I'd say about two gallons of water per person. You will be in the desert after all. )
The Storyteller . o O ( True, it's been mostly rp and setup. Next session: Combat! Or something. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Savage combat against the fair folk instead of civilized trade! )
The Storyteller . o O ( So, that said, 4 XP each. Anything else to cover or answer? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( One thing I may have been wrong about... for the combo involving One Weapon 2 Blows... do I need to pay the cost for Excellent STrike and Hungry Tiger for both attacks? It's not exactly a multiple attack, as it's blocked as one. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Uh... Too tired to think about it now, but shoot me an e-mail. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( OK! )
Monkey . o O ( Excellent Strike, once. Hungry Tiger, probably both. )
TonyC [to Apollonian]: Good night.
jetman [to Apollonian]: Nite!
The Storyteller . o O ( G'night! i'll see you guys next Wednesday, correct? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Same time? )
The Storyteller . o O ( A little earlier if you can swing it -- maybe an hour earlier? )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( I have that Wed. off, so it should be possible. )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. I'll see you then. )
Monkey . o O ( Ah, unfortunately, I don't. I'll try to be there ASAP )
The Storyteller . o O ( Okay. )
Monkey . o O ( But I'll definitely be late. )
The Storyteller . o O ( We'll get underway with our usual alacrity. )
Monkey . o O ( Tell you what, I promise to skip chatting and just go in straight. That ought to save an hour. )
Admiral Kaizoku . o O ( Maybe Jesse can have the big intro pose worked out in advance, since we know what we'll be doing? )
The Storyteller . o O ( Hmm. Your phrasing raises the question of Monkey yaoi. )
The Storyteller . o O ( But anyway! good night. )
On to Session 33
