Campaign 15: First Frolic Scenario 00: First Frolic Dawning Episode 12: Leaving the Tavern
	Date: 12562-02-10, Time: 1200 Location: Desert Port, Lewawan, The Gorvij Lands Default Language: Gorvij

Player Characters Present

Character	Player	Sex	Species/Race	Description
Alijar Ilarik	Weston	M	Hyuumin/Waujak	Thief
Arberiks Kroonit	Christine	F	Hyuumin/Gorvij	Sharpster
Bernee Spam	Kevin	M	Dargaolhuun/Vordin	Thaumaturge
"Cat"	Melissa	F	Dargaolhuun/Vordin	Fighter
Kootayu Ranshee	Wood	M	Hyuumin/Nildrer	Thaumaturge
Laeris Seelfaroo	Don	M	Hyuumin/Relt	Sharpster
Liraan	Corinna	F	Fl;ajessav/Challit	Scrapper
Markuutril	Cassidy	M	Hyuumin/Gorvij	Hieruirge
Niijel Buzelstumper	Bob	M	Dargaolhuun/Vordin	Sharpster
Waun Chuu	Brad	M	Hyuumin/Nildrer	Thaumaturge
Wilnachet	Dennis	M	Hyuumin/Rinker	Fighter

Local Characters

Character	Sex	Species/Race	Description
Ankarev	M	Gorvij	Constable
Ashdor	M	Waujak	Alchemist
Braatrin	F	Gorvij	Public Witness
Bronderet	F	Gorvij	Weaver
Fergus Urkhart	M	Vordin	Baker
Frotheringhaa Urkhart	M	Shougild	Carter
Galeger Throkmorton	M	Vordin	Head Vordin
Ghravnokh	F	Braksont	Tinkerer/Cook
Gremaan Artrening	M	Gorvij	Chief Constable
Kleris	F	Gorvij	Constable
Plimsool Urkhart	F	Shougild	Carter
Reridav	F	Gorvij	Tavern Owner
Tiireen	F	Gorvij	Entertainer

Alijar attempts to follow Arminet, but by the time he gets to the
back door the fleeing broker has vanished. So Alijar goes back in
and rejoins Bernee in front.

Meanwhile, Cat has wandered back into the tavern. She piles a plate
full of food, and, out of boredom, picks up one of the brokeristics
brochures and reads it while she eats. When she gets to the part
that implies that militaries are purely a creation of the Evil
Money-using Rulers, she starts snickering. Eventually she tears the
brochure along the folds and turns the three pieces into a miniature
hat, a cube, and a cootie catcher.

Laeris sees a familiar face among a group of workers who stop in
just long enough for coffee. He follows them outside and soon meets
up with the one he'd recognized. Her name is Endermont, a part time
dockworker who speaks some relten. They had first met 2 weeks ago.
She had heard about his misadventures through the wharf grapevine.
She thought he had been foolish but still admired his nerve in
trying to "pluck the pigeons" as she put it, in an unfamiliar place.

She was headed back to the docks for a short stint unloading
nautical supplies in preparation for the trading season. It is
lucrative work since it requires a lot of skill and knowledge and
doing it before First Frolic is completely voluntary. The reminder
that he was not only exiled from his homeland, but had been further
exiled from even the harbor across the sea from his home, hurt, but
he had realized she was in a position to help him out. She had
agreed.

"Do you have something for me?" he asks. "Yup." She shows him the
contents of a small cloth bag. "25 faces." He pays with only the
mandatory minimum complaints. He stashes the bag and heads back to
the tavern.

Liraan has been sitting quietly eating her food during the incident
with Norang. She watches with curiosity, thinking that hyuumins are
an interesting lot. How sad that they seem to like to hurt each
other so much. Her ears prick up at the mention of the bath house
being open. "It would be wonderful to actually wash the grime
off..." she muses.

Wilnachet has also been keeping mostly to himself. He has picked out
one of the tables he often sits at, a small, unassuming one. He's
used to eating on the ground, not at some fancy table, and even
after many days of sitting at a table he still feels ill at ease.
Bilenkyuu excitedly wags his tail and bounces a couple of times, but
a hissing correction from Wilnachet calms him down and the dog curls
up around his feet underneath the table, behaving himself.

This gorvij food, it's hardly food at all. Wilnachet is used to
eating a small breakfast of yogurt and dried meat, on days when he
does eat breakfast. Milk products are not too hard to get here, but
the stuff they call yogurt, or rather, the stuff that is called by
the same word that the gorvijes use for yogurt, is much creamier and
less tangy than the authentic rinker product.

All of the breads and sweets that seem so common around here are
bland and difficult to chew, but as the days pass baked goods seem
to get more palatable. Meat has only been available as scraps of ham
or bacon for flavoring, or broth made from bones. He had paid extra
at the beginning of his stay to ensure that there would be scraps
for Bilenkyuu. They say that the year's first slaughter of livestock
will come sometime in the next 10 days. Wilnachet, of course, will
be gone by then. Lately, he's been dreaming of barbecue.

They also say the local rabbits will wake up soon, and have their
own First Frolic. Good, some hunting should help alleviate his cabin
fever.

When Norang with comes in the axe, Bilenkyuu animates himself,
leaping out from under the table and barking up an alarm. Wilnachet,
for his own part, slowly gets up out of the chair. Loud
disagreements are not unusual in the Rinks.

He stays put, not wanting to get caught up with all of this
"Brokeristics" complexity, Constable Kleris is far quicker to
action. <rink: By the ancestors!> Wilnachet says under his breath.
Since the weapon is already embedded in the wall, there's no need
for Wilnachet to even think about going for his own sword. He quiets
his dog too, now that the threat has passed.

Laeris returns to his table after picking up a brochure and flips
through it a few times, apparently skimming but really just looking
for words he recognizes. He keeps up his expression of indolence
(which seems to be the norm) when the constable bursts in, making
sure both hands are visible on the table and keeping that lazy air
about him. He has nothing to do with this, so far.

Wilnachet's curiosity has been stimulated in a most unrinker way.
After Norang leaves, he approaches Reridav. "What are `Fringies'?"
He asks the tavern keeper in his heavily accented Gorvij.

She clenches and unclenches her fists. "They live out there." She
points west. "In the desert in their little villages. We call that
the Fringe. In each village they have a different crazy way of
living and they all say it's they way everyone should live. Some of
them say they are independent of Lewawan since they are outside the
border. Like the broker man. He always wants to pay for stuff with
one of those silly pink circles. But i say nothing doing. He doesn't
like coins, i'm quite happy to take them off his hands. He'd better
have a lot more next time!" She glares at the hole in the wall and
the now useless table.

"And then there's other folks that say they are pioneers and they
are just making Lewawan bigger. Like that Norang. Or rather her
husband. It was his idea to sell their old farm and buy up a bigger
one out there. It was a dirty trick for him to die like that and
leave her working the place by herself with just that airheaded boy
Arberintaa. He's like his dad, always chasing some great big stupid
idea."

Her face starts to squinch up. He's an idiot, but i hope he's all
right." She suddenly turns and runs to the kitchen. She slams the
pantry door behind her. It occurs to Wilnachet that the apparently
missing Arberintaa is probably her age.

Alijar translates the exchange for Bernee.

Kootayu thanks Waun for the root. It's helped his chronic cough.
He's also going to see if Waun would like to accompany him to the
later afternoon brokeristics meeting. At the least it sounds
entertaining. Waun is, but mainly for information about local
travel.

After witnessing the attack by the old woman, and hearing the
Rinker's question about 'fringies' Niijel suspects that this
Brokeristic thing may go beyond just a simple scam. Something
sinister *may* be afoot. Is Brokeristics similar to a cult? Has the
woman's son been brainwashed in some manner, or is he simply caught
up in what he considers an adventure? The woman seemed to indicate
the lad had lost wealth or possessions. Definite signs of a scam
there. The Gorvij said something about a mentor. Hmm, what price
would a mentor charge for training under such a system?

Niijel heads for the front door, he wants to speak to a constable.
Outside he sees Ankarev about half a block away. He gets closer and
sees that Norang is there too, pleading with the constable to help
her find her son. He keeps saying that he sympathizes but his hands
are tied, there's nothing that any official can do at this time.

A fancy carriage emerges from around the hostel, not the usual place
for traffic. Ankarev sees it and, under the pretext of putting an
arm on her shoulder, turns Norang so she doesn't see it. As soon as
the carriage is on the cobblestones, the shougild driver urges the
two ponies into a sprint and heads out of town.

Niijel sees that the cab of the carriage is all plate glass but the
curtains are drawn so he can't see who's in it.

Ankerev urges Norang to go pray, she says she might as well, and
walks away, sobbing into her shawl.

Meanwhile Cat leaves, saying she'd love to take advantage of the
bathhouses.

Niijel approaches the constable.

He asks if there have been any complaints or problems with the
brokeristics people.

Ankerev says that there are always complaints. It's the Fringe, you
know, he explains with heavy sarcasm. Everyone there lives in peace
and harmony. The authorities do not need any more information, just
evidence of criminal activity that falls under their jurisdiction.
No official rewards either, sorry.

Liraan finishes her breakfast and cleans her hands and face. She
decides to go to the bath house and get thoroughly clean before the
other flajessavs get there. She gathers her belongings and bundles
up.

She stops at the table Cat had been sitting at and looks at the
folded paper bits left there. The simple beauty of this strange
hyuumin pastime attracts her. On impulse, she picks up two of them.

She leaves and heads for the bath house. Cat is way ahead, but
flajessavs aren't just taller than dargaolhuuns, their natural
stride is fast for their height. She catches up in no time.

Niijel returns to the tavern. He wants to find out who is planning
on going to the brokers meeting, checking first with his fellow
vordins, then with the others. He definitely doesn't like the idea
of going alone.

Niijel finds that Cat is gone. They say she went to the bathhouses.
So he approaches Bernee. Bernee says he and Alijar already plan to
go. Then Bernee leans in and says now that they're going to be
leaving soon, he's curious. He's heard bits and pieces of Niijel's
background and his mission, but would like to know how it all fits
together.

Niijel smiles. He's been working on a presentation for some time,
now he has a chance to try it out. "I used to work for the
Archbishop of Janelaktim. Very nice job. I was going places with
that job. But there was something missing. I prayed to the Gorvij
gods, then tried our own, but even Tradalsk brought me no comfort.
Then I heard about Prisilu. She was or is a Vordin who has or will
ascend to godhood. If she hasn't already ascended, it will be our
worship that help her do so. She has done or will do many amazing
things. She travels through time. She single handedly defeated a
powerful Ferevee witch! Alas, she was raped by a drunker Rinker
priest or healer or shaman. I am on a quest to learn more about her.
Maybe some day I will meet her, and even help her on her path to
godhood. You, Bernee as a Vordin should consider worshipping her.
There is a growing movement among our people, and the Shougilds to
bring her into the pantheon of the gods."

Wow. Bernee sits stunned for a moment.

Niijel talks to several other people. Looks as if most of them are
going to the brokeristics meeting, although most have reservations.
Go out to the junction and wait for a guide is not the most
confidence inducing set of directions.

Arberiks is interested, despite her feeling that there could be
danger. She says they can discuss it on the way to the baths.

Markuutril leaves a few minutes later, having suddenly decided he
smells too much like a city to be going out into the country again.
Once outside he breaks into a run.

The tavern is quieter now. Laeris heads towards the two nildrer,
Waun and Kootayu. Kootayu's condition is no secret and now is his
chance to get some good will. He slouches to their table. Looking at
Waun, he asks "Is he with you?"

To Waun's frown, he smiles. "You like magic, watch this!" He waves
his hand grandly, then looks down in apparent surprise at the small
quantity of shredded trefk lying on the table in front of Kootayu.

"I'm giving this to you as a friend. You are Nildrer. Your people
trade with mine. If you are considering heading back to your empire,
and a port is on the way, then you will have my aid as a traveling
companion. Please consider."

Laeris's ignorance of geography is profound. The Empire is south and
southwest of here, all by land. His request is surprising. But his
nerve in making this request is breathtaking.

Kootayu thanks Laeris for the trefk. There's just enough, say, for a
pipe bowl, but he hasn't anything to mix it with. So instead he has
it steeped with some mint. It's not as good that way but it's fine.

He replies. "I'm currently traveling deeper into Gorvij lands
looking for business and trade opportunities for my father. I'm
hoping to be back in Nildrer lands before the next freeze."

Since that would mean waiting until next fall, he allows Laeris a
moment to be disappointed before moving on to the next topic.

"It seems that your reputation precedes you. How is one to trust
your intentions? Maybe you would be interested in attending the
Brokeristics meeting this afternoon and give us an explanation of
how it works from your unique perspective?"

Laeris says don't trust him, get to know him first. And yes, he
would like to see what the brokers are up to. He's sure it's a scam,
he just hasn't figured out the hook yet.

Wilnachet watches Reridav run into the kitchen, seemingly
distraught. She reminds him a little of someone he knows back home,
all filled with passion and excitement and... well. The here and now
is what's important. This Arberintaa was important to her, he can
tell. He empathizes with her separation - he has been separated too,
and she may feel the same hollowness within that he does.

A quick grunt as he thinks. He is resolved that if he were to run
into this Arberintaa, he would tell him that someone misses him.

Turning around, he moves back to his table, and gets a little bit
more of that soft white stuff the gorvijes call cheese. That sneaky
broker man was quick to escape after that little bit of trouble.
Looking down at Bilenkyuu, Wilnachet starts wondering if he should
track him down, but quickly remembers there will be a meeting. He
wasn't trusting that broker man - not all traders that come to the
Rinks are trustworthy, though the ones that aren't usually only come
once. Lewawanians, on the other hand, may be more gullible to allow
themselves to be so repeatedly abused. Or maybe there's more to
it... He pets Bilenkyuu a little. At least you, I can trust.

Bah. This is too much to think about. He has to get home, somehow.
Unlike the others, he is not concerned about the bath house.

Although rinkers love to decry what they consider the neurotic hang
ups of others, they have one of their own: a strong nudity taboo.
Unless sure that they are alone, the rinker practice is to leave at
least one wool tunic on and pour water over their head and down
their neck. In any case, a bath in a river is good enough. These
northerners are spoiled. He's not above taking in some luxury now
and then but a *bath*? It's just a foolish indulgence. During the
past week he had seen to his own hygiene by going off to a snowbank
after dark and giving himself a good scrub. By contrast, a cold
stream in the spring will be a delight.

He contributes very little to the discussion. But when it becomes
clear how many people are going to attend the meeting he says he
will too. It may be a good opportunity to find a southgoing caravan.

Even though the food is free, he decides to leave a couple of
washers for Reridav. They've been a strain on her hospitality, but
she's never once complained or stinted them.

Time for a stroll. He leaves with Bilenkyuu at his heels.

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Notes

<rink: > Words in angle brackets are in a language other than the
default one. In this case it's rinker.