Sean Shamsara's account of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives: Urupa Edition
Score: 423 | 9/17/19 |
Sean Shamshara's Journal.
11th Veltom, 1517
The great city of Urupa makes itself known well before our caravan comes to the gates. One would think that being flanked on one side by great cliffs, with the bustling bay on the other would be enough, but no. A great spout of eternal fire makes a great pillar visible for miles. Delmuth tells us of an elementalist long ago that traped a fire spirit inside the pit the flame comes from, and then was trapped there himself, unable to send it back. Interesting as this is, we resolve to run the other way should anybody ask us to "help out" again..... The earth goats were enough, who knows what would come from such a flaming portal! Delmuth is instructing us on the city ahead, it's 9 quarters, with traders, markets, and many more. We are discussing his plans to stay at least 4 days when suddenly from nowhere an arrow strikes Annabelle almost from her mount! Confusion reigns for a moment, before we rush toward the city and the guards we can already see. Another arrow comes, Valteri notes that this one is from directly above, where the cliff hugs the road. We see a Troll with a huge bow, too far away for us to reach him, even with arrows, but far too close for his arrows to reach us. Delmuth reaches the city guard first, and a detachment of troops heads back south on the road. The Rolling Stones follow them, but are thwarted by the shear cliff. We show the guards exactly where the troll was, but without better climbing gear we cannot follow them. Valteri could just fly up, but rather than split up we decide to see to Annabelle.
Inside the gate the bustling city is almost overwhelming. Annabelle is being tended too by one of the guards. She's bandaged and alert, almost antsy to leave and more annoyed then concerned about what must have been a directed attempt on her life. She asks W'ranan to give their master Eric a message for her, "I have arrived intact". Before we can determine what this means, or ask her what business is so urgent, she heads off into the city. Strange woman, for sure. Delmuth also takes his leave with the rest of the caravan, promising to look us up in 4 days time if we are still in Urupa. As we are waiting, what could only be a Beastmaster takes an interest in Boris's goat. She lets us know that she would love to care for it, but Boris makes it clear he wishes to ride it some day. Clef Rancid (?), an animal trainer nearby might be able to teach it to carry a rider. We consult among ourselves a bit, between the different things we might need to do. We settle on traveling to the docks via the visitors quarter, to find W'ranan's master Eric. On the way, we also pass near the embassies of the different powers. The Throal embasy is wonderful and strange to look upon. Perhaps as is right, the Theran embasy is huge, but seems almost deserted. What else could be expected for a great world power that just lost a war.
After some searching on the docks we find Eric's colleague, Jansen FarReacher. He lets us know that we have just missed Eric, but will try to pass along Annabelle's message if he can find an airship heading to Tara'var. He seems to know Annabelle well, and is somewhat concerned to hear about all the troubles that have befallen her in the last few days. The loss of her mount seems like an especially grevious blow. He hopes to see her, and is glad to know she's in town. We decide to find lodging for the night, Jansen says he will be getting drinks at the Captains Roost soon, but that we might prefer to stay the night at the Bored Chair, or the Passions Respite. "Passions respite" sounds way too close to the type of establishment that would dishonor the Shamshara name, and we don't exactly feel like being "bored". The Captains Roost turns out to be anything but "boring". Dirty? Seedy? Downright shanky? Sure! The room is cheap at best, with far to many drunks for us to stay the night. We may have stayed for a courtesy drink, but the prospect of being shanked for our trouble made us think better of it. Boris with his mass, and Valteri flying out the window worked well, while years of practice at not being seen paid off in a way it never did back in the Kaer!
The "Bored Chair" also turned out to be anything but boring! The name actually was a challenge by the owner, sit for an hour without being entertained, win 10 silver. Sit for 10 hours straight and get not only 100 silver, but a mysterious magical item from the owner. The fun was infectious, the lights were bright, the music was played with skill and verve. The room also cost 500 times more, but who's counting. As we prepared for the night, W'ranan and I get on the subject of our mission for Kaer Ungada, and the trust placed in us. We are discussing the time to travel to Tara'var if needed, 8 days on horseback but much less via airship, as Eric his master had gone. The Kaer would only be two to four days, depending on if we could procure horses for the journey. We get on the subject of specifically where the Kaer is, when I make an ominous discovery. The map the Elder Meshra had entrusted to me, showing the area around the Kaer as it was hundreds of years before, was missing. It and it's ornately jeweled case were both gone from my pack. The sentimental value was something, but much more was the information about an unopened Kaer. While its still inhabited, it's people have been weakened by disease and unready to face the outside world unannounced. The traps we made it through on the way out wouldn't stand long against a determined attack.
The group takes in this new information, fearful for our family and friends back home. W'ranan talks about the different ways that Kaer's are exploited by people on the outside world. While we have little hope of finding the map itself, our questions move quickly to Annabelle. She's been at the center of too many troubles to count, from our first rescue to this last arrow in broad daylight. Her actions running off, especially at such a time, seem all the more ominous. We resolve to go at once to try and pick up her trail from the main gate where the gate guards bandaged her. It's a long shot, but we need to find her. All searching as a team, against hope we find the faintest signs of her passage there, tiny specs of the blood from her bandages, marks in the dust. The tracking skills honed underground work again. Her foot prints start at those faint signs, tracing in faintly glowing blue her steps through the city. Any fears of following a long and meandering path are gone, as the track leads in as perfect a line as possible. It ends directly to the Throal embassy, with no tracks leading out. What we will find inside only time will tell.
Sean Shamshara.
- for author (Sean) - 100
- for participants mentioned (Rolling Stones)- 50