A Kindling of Interests

(this should indicate outstanding downtime activities through week-ending 12/12)

While the professional mourning-societies of Cothon-Gadeed ply their trade during these weeks of the Long Wake, keening the mourning songs in the public squares, carrying offerings to the Necropolis in the Colossian Temenos of the Tel al Safina, and while the warrior-mourners of the Poor Brothers of the Dead protect all prospective mourners along the Pallbearers' Way--while all of this is under way in the Mother of Cities!--other interests are also being pursued.

Under the Mother Whelk of Cothon-Under-Star, the Alkari hunter-of-secrets Hry-Haya Yehat joins Razo of the Survivors in attempting to break the cypher of an ancient codex of yellowed pages recovered from one of the sea caves north of the Dual-Cities; meanwhile, the physician Gan is intent on understanding the properties of the strange sword recovered on a different expedition into the Spire of the Klackons on the north slope of the Tel.

And in yet another portion of the alchemical workshops behind the public room of the tavern, Ravna the apprentice alchemist attempts to dissect the tentacular-and-ganglion remnants of a strange creature she encountered with others in the crypts beneath the Heroön of Dalan.

But this is not the last of the intellectual exercises now underway throughout the Mother of Cities, for at the same time Durham is engaged in attempting to understand the strange object he recovered on yet another expedition outside the city. The object, as previously described, is a strange hiltlike thing, and yet without any blade projecting forth; rather a screen of black is attached to a ball where the crossguard should be, with a variety of studs and dials arrayed around its face.

Others of the various newcomers to Cothon-Gadeed pursue different interests. Avin and Peresphone each seek 'round for buyers of a certain alchemical product they've "come by", and each find their own kind of success. Sesel returns to the encampment of the Free Klackons outside the city walls to continue training with Doj the weaponmaster, but finds himself incapable of retaining any of what he is taught because of the fugue left over in his mind from the hallucinations of the "cosmic drink" and psychedelic fungus he ingested not long ago while in the company of Barabajagal the psychic wunderman.