The Master Of Zooz

[phawk69]

"We saw a group ride out of town in a hurry, and it sounds like it wasn't the first one. I wonder what they were? It looked like gaurds of some kind, but the way they rode into the beggars ... like they had no care for them." T'skar muses, "We have heard strange tales on our travels of this place Kolokon - tales of little girls appearing in windows signifying who will help guide the affairs, and tales of people floating over the city." (She catches Kalmer's eye and gives a half smile).

[Malchik]

The girl shrugs. "Kolokon is hardly the richest city in Bashkher but the Governor reckons it is not helped by merchants being too afraid to enter the gate. He sends out the guards to scare the beggars off. And if they don't kill a few, it's like an empty threat. But the beggars don't go. There are those who would have them exterminated. They only have one well. If it were to be poisoned... But the Governor is too cowardly to take direct action like that."

 

She serves another customer and returns.

 

"I sound uncharitable. But - I'd help the needy myself. These break the limbs of their babies. Isn't that evil?"

 

She disappears and then comes back to add.

 

"The girl does appear once every ten years. But it was only two years ago so you won't see that ceremony. In any case only the High City is allowed to see it. But floating people? Maybe a few after too much ale feel as if they are!"

 

She laughs and goes off to serve another but stays within earshot.

[karkarinus]

Kalmer gestures for the girl to wait a moment before carrying on with her chores. "Excuse me," he says, "But did you say that we are here? The gentleman who gave us this invitation has lodging in this very inn? Or did I misunderstand that? And by the way, I could have sworn I saw what looked like a person floating overhead as we approached!" He glances at T'Skar, who is nodding in agreement.

[Malchik]

The girl glances at the paper.

 

"Oh, that's a pass to the High City. I don't go up there I'm afraid so I can't help you much. I do know it is not so very big. The mountains hem it in at that point. If you look at it from here you see a solid wall of buildings from mountain to mountain. They house all city administrative buildings and living quarters. From what I've been told there are four other groups of buildings. Three make a square with the administrative block. They have diplomatic and trade representatives from other Bashkheri cities, the main temple and services for the High City. In the centre is the Palace of the Triumvirate. This is a diplomatic pass so you'll need to ask there where to go. The entrance to the High City is below the centre of the administrative block."

 

She pauses briefly.

 

"And if you've seen floating people I suspect you have been smoking cheweed! Don't. It'll rot your brain within three months."

 

The warning is delivered very sternly.

[phawk69]

"Thanks for your time, and the advice. We will keep it in mind." As the serving girl leaves, T'skar whispers to Kalmer "Well, they aren't just flaunting the fact that there is magic here, anyway. I suppose our next move is to head to the High City, but how do we find the descendants of wizards, we obviously can’t just ask," she smiles, "It would be nice to get a peek in that Palace - if I were a wizard that’s where I’d be hiding. No questions about how long you’ve been around and all that, you know, just a little girl appearing in a window, and two suckers every ten years, not much of a fuss if you ask me."

[karkarinus]

(ooc> Sorry for the long delay)

 

 

 

ic> "Well, let's head for the High City, then." Says Kalmer. "Let us pay our host a visit. Maybe he can shed some light on things for us. And he may even have some better lodgings than these." He mutters under his breath to T'Skar.

[Malchik]

Whilst you have no problem in reaching the High City with your pass you can't help wondering if there might have been something in all the chaos of the lower city that merited attention. Perhaps your new acquaintance may know.

 

Getting to the High City involves a long and arduous climb. (OOC> multiply the Giralda in Seville by 20) You also have to leave your weapons at the entrance at the bottom of the climb. The guard also advises you that in the unlikely event you have any magical capability, none will work in the High City.

 

Once in the High City it is all rather overwhelming. Every building is nine storeys tall and the roads between them no wider than alleys. It makes you feel claustrophobic. But your host seems pleased to see you. He offers rooms to each of you. The buildings are painted a dull red both inside and out, with much heavy black wood in the dado, the furniture and the fittings. With candles it seems bright enough but the whole is oppressive. Your host explains that he is busy until the evening - about four hours away - when he will feed you. He tells you to go out to the shops and embassies but that the palace is absolutely off limits.

 

He also tells you that from the roof of his dwelling there are fabulous views of Kolokon.

[phawk69]

With little else to do, T'skar heads up to the roof to check out the 'fabulous view' of the city. She looks for a while and then heads off to the shops and embassies. While walking she checks to see if anyone is following her, and tries to read the crowd.

[karkarinus]

Kalmer decides to take a look of the city from the top of the building. His acute eyesight scouring both the city and the landscape for points of interest, he spies T'Skar far below amongst the crowd.

 

(ooc> What else can he see?)

[Malchik]

Looking towards the lower city the view is pretty amazing. Some of the squalor and chaos are masked by the distance.

 

OOC> given the very narrow alleys he would only glimpse t'skar occasionally.

 

Turning to look for t'skar Kalmer is surprised to see a vast acreage of empty flat rooftop. The buildings in the High City are all the same height. Given the cramped space below it would have seemed an ideal place to put gardens or perhaps a few chairs. There is nothing. The central palace roof shows as two interlaced equilateral triangles. The others buildings form a broken circle around it, in places almost touching.

 

t'skar finds the embassies as dull as ditchwater but the shops re something else. Each city has brought examples of its special wares. Of particular fascination are the beautiful woven carpets from Tipurim. Golconar has a great deal of glassware, some obviously by Ayala. Veejani appears to specialise in items of wood and, more unusually, snakeskin. Turning to the two cities on their itinerary she finds Ippikander represented by expensive clothing and beach furniture. Zooz's exhibit is mainly horticultural with vast numbers of flowers and a good selection of agricultural produce. Kolokon is not represented.

 

Those serving in the shops are from the cities in question.