<NoBison> Mawth wanted to do some spirit investigation of our "guest"
<Gamemaster> Yes. He will tell you that the Spirit of the Lunar
is very weak. It is not capable of functioning at the Priest or High Priest
level due to that weakness.
<Varjeela> Is he still an initiate? And could he recover from his
weakness?
<Gamemaster> Mawth doesn't know what his current status is but senses
that the condition is permanent and has something to do with the horrors
this body/mind went through while roaming about in the swamps.
<NoBison> Hmm, maybe his part in the Plan will have to be ammended.
<Varjeela> Poor chap. I suppose he might still act as inteference
to Lunar plans, but less so than I'd hoped.
<NoBison> Yes, looks like it would be plain cruelty to send him
back as a Pirest canditate.
<Varjeela> He'd add to the confusion simply due to who he is, but
I doubt if he'd be as much competition for the new arrival as I'd hoped.
<Gamemaster> Things are never cut and dry... The fellow sustained
physical and psychological damage. It is unclear as to how much of that
can be healed using magic once the body's natural healing processes have
been allowed to occurr.
<Varjeela> But I don't think we throw him into the game just yet.
Of little use to us or to him.
<NoBison> Well, how did he react to our trading venture, I was watching
him rather closely?
<Gamemaster> Then there's also the issue of what role Etyries want's
the fellow to serve as. Etyries may have reasons for intervening. So may
Issaries for that matter...
<Varjeela> And it's possible that they may disagree with each other
:)
<Gamemaster> NoBison will have noted that the fellow was like an
automaton. He acted when called upon to translate but otherwise seemed
disconnected from the world around him.
<Varjeela> Really, I need to spend some time in prayer on this one.
But the gods very rarely give a clearcut answer, even with a full Divination
ceremony.
<NoBison> A divination might be a good idea at the founding of our
trading Island.
<Varjeela> Well, transaltion is a valid Issaries function. Maybe
even a valid Etyries function. I suppose he's stil serving his goddess,
in his way.
<NoBison> Well, shall we go hear the ducks reply?
<Varjeela> Sounds good to me.
<Gamemaster> The group returns to Glarlk without misshap and arrives
at the appointed time. As before they are guided to shore by patrols but
unlike before they are marched into the core of the settlement where they
approach a huge conical shaped hut of thatch.
<NoBison> Are the greeters obviously friendly or hostile? Or just
neutral?
<Gamemaster> Something closer to neautral.
<Varjeela> Sounds good.
<Gamemaster> Inside you find that there are three richly carved
chairs upon which sit three very impressive Ducks.
<NoBison> I will still watch our escort for any signs of treachery.
<Varjeela> OOC: (I'm trying to visualise a Duck sitting on a chair,
and giggling!)
<NoBison> (That should be a sight all right)
<Gamemaster> In the middle is a white plumed duck of female gender
wearing a black robe with yellow fringe. About her shoulders hangs an enormous,
finely crafted, pendant.
<Gamemaster> Don't quack up too much Jane! :)
<Varjeela> A woman in charge: that's as it should be! Any obvious
symbols on the pendant?
<Gamemaster> Nothing that means anything to you but there are indeed
symbols on it.
<Varjeela> (OOC: Their knees bend the wrong way: what can you see
beyond the bottoms of their big webbed feet??)
<NoBison> So, what about the othetr two?
<Gamemaster> To her left is a large strong male duck with brown
feathers. You've met him before and he seems to be the head of security
forces.
<Varjeela> Symbols that mean nothing to me? If that wasn't from
the GM I'd say it was a professional insult! :))
<Gamemaster> To her right is a very old Duck with greying feathers.
She wears a finely crafted blue smock.
<Varjeela> Blue being the colour of Water, of course.
<Gamemaster> On sunny days.
<NoBison> Or sky! Does she have any obvious purpose beyond her presumed
wisdom and experience.
<Varjeela> The symbolic Water, not the mundane wet stuff. Sky is
symbolically Yellow, and that's a really sunny day!
<Gamemaster> The Duck in the centre speaks in a strong clear voice.
The Lunar translates: We have heard your proposal and discussed it. We
are concerned about the safety of our village. We do not want to lose what
we have built here and if the humans come to us we will surely lose it.
<Gamemaster> You will all get the impression that she is the head
of government here.
<NoBison> Ok, Varjeela time to go into the spiel.
<Varjeela> (Is she still talking? I'm not going to interrupt, and
mIRC doesn't make pauses obvious)
<Gamemaster> She is waiting your response.
<Varjeela> "Exactly, my lady. That is why we suggest a trading point
well away from the village here, with humans cmoing no closer to
you than that. This way, you can reap the advantages of trade, without
loss of security.
<Varjeela> (stops talking, let translator do his thing)
<Varjeela> (OOC: hard to tell if a pause is actually spent typing
or waiting).
<Gamemaster> "They will know we are out here and will come seeking
us out," she replies. "That would not be in our interests. If any come
to us in that way we shall have to imprison them or worse."
<NoBison> Oops, that sounds like a bit of a threat to us.
We already know their location and are human. NoBison will become
even more watchful.
<Varjeela> "With a trading post set up, those who wish to trade
with you would have no reason to venture beyond it. If we gave notice that
humans were not welcome beyond that point, imprisoning any you found seems
not unreasonable to me".
<NoBison> Huff's people would probably like the job of "escorting
prisoners back to Corflu.
<Gamemaster> This seems to go over well with the three. After a
brief pause the leader nods her head and says "Let it be so. I will send
word that representatives of our community may go to the place you have
indicated in order to trade there for goods.
<Varjeela> "Or indeed acting as guards on the border. I take it
that baboons would be trusted more than humans for such a task?"
<Varjeela> "My thanks, my lady. Is the place we have suggested the
most suitable, or is there another you would prefer?"
<NoBison> Might be a good side income for the baboon tribes.
Fines for trespassing!
<Gamemaster> The leader pauses again and then says, "Would the Baboons
agree to serve as a buffer between the humans and the Avianari? If humans
were found by the Baboons they could be turned away by them before actually
reaching Glarlk?"
<Gamemaster> "The place you have suggested is fine. We have no problems
with it."
<Varjeela> Look in Huff's direction. This one's up to him.
<NoBison> This will surely accomplish our task of keeping the Lunars
from the old city site!
<Varjeela> (I take it NoBison didn't say that aloud?)
<Gamemaster> "My people cannot live solely for the purpose of keeping
humans out of your lands but we can chase away anyone that we happen to
meet."
<Varjeela> "There could of course be a share of the profits in it
for you. Say, a bounty on the head of each trespasser caught?"
<Gamemaster> "We bring such humans to Huff's Market?" asks the Baboon
with a twinkle in his eye...
<NoBison> And perhaps you could search and acquire some of their
possessions?
<Varjeela> "I don't want Huff's Market to acquire a reputation like
Pimper's Block, Huff. But yes, that would seem to be the right place
to bring them. And fine them, and release them."
<Gamemaster> "Good. We bring them there then. And collect our reward
in goods or coin for those who wish..."
<NoBison> With most of the fine going to the baboon!
<Gamemaster> "Who do we bring humans to? Will it be you Varjeela
or will there be someone else?"
<NoBison> (BTW does NoBison know anything of Pimper's Block?)
<Gamemaster> Yes, he would've heard of it no doubt.
<Varjeela> "We'll have to negotiate just what the reward is, how
much they get fined, and so on. But having such a border guard should help
our Avianari friends considerably, with or without a trading post."
<Gamemaster> The leader looks quite pleased. You have a deal!
<Varjeela> "I suspect I may have to spend quite a bit of my time
in Corflu itself in the future. We will have to find someone suitable to
maintain the trading post."
<Gamemaster> Fine tuning and further discussions eat up another
hour or so but eventually all the little questions are answered and the
group is in a position to leave.
<Varjeela> (With, I hope, the Ducks agreeing to pay the reward to
the baboons for each trespasser)
<Gamemaster> The Ducks want the reward to be handled at 'Huff's
Market' and because they don't deal with money as much as goods they think
the reward should be that each Baboon gets to choose 1 item from the personal
belongings of the person intercepted.
<Varjeela> Sounds fair to me. Does Huff agree?
<Gamemaster> Huff is happy with that arrangement.