Certain Negotiations and Tying up Loose Threads

The so-called Survivors of the Tel, some of them returned from the hunt for the Denyan akho, found themselves called to an audience in the city of Gadeed. One Tlokel 'Abdalrashid and an entourage of fellow-servants came to the common room of Cothon-Under-Star seeking the "Survivors" and spoke with Sesel, Avin, and Ravna, summoning them to the Mother of Cities to speak with Tlokel's mistress, Zendaya al Rashid.

This was a week ago; the Survivors returned from their audience then, all agog but unwilling to spread what was spoken of amongst their compatriots before hashing the fallout for themselves. Having worked out their response to whatever was offered by House al Rashid, now Sesel, claiming to himself the title Voice of the Survivors and accompanied by Torkol make their way, summoned again by Tlokel, to House al Rashid in the city of Gadeed. Returning thence again, Sesel and Torkol bear the signs and tokens of the al Rashids, which may allow them and their associates to pass between the cities of Cothon and Gadeed freely, where before the way to Gadeed was barred ... The nature of their agreement is left to the Survivors to more fully relay ...

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Meanwhile, a ferment of research and other activity has occurred since the last "update" of these chronicles ...

Torkol
Torkol has been involved with various negotiations with the 'keepers of Cothon-Under-Star to lessen the monthly "upkeep" costs, while at the same time developing the constitution or charter of a new organization. Over the last couple of weeks, it seems a breakthrough has been reached, perhaps with the further aid of the House al Rashid, details to be revealed later ...

Gan
Another of the Survivors, Gan has looked into certain items recovered previously; in particular, he has found that a certain "harness" of bandoliers and buckle, when activated, create a field of "protection" around the wearer, such that missiles are shrugged off, while slower melee attacks are sometimes effective. Also, he is able to translate the runic markings of the shield recovered during the akho-hunt as "I, Hlewgast, slew the warrior who bore this [shield]"--a shield +1 of a specific southern design that was clearly borne of old against the Tower of Gromollr across the north of Dirac's Sea, captured by the Gromollras warriors (and marked by them), and then reclaimed and regifted to the Duke of Uruskop (and then finally lost to the akho!).

Avin
Meanwhile, returning from the same hunt, Avin looked into certain metallic spheres recovered from one of the galleys. Certain identifying marks were obvious on both, but the more useful were the inscriptions on one of the two:  𐤀𐤂𐤏𐤋𐤀𐤋𐤎𐤉𐤐𐤌𐤇𐤉𐤁𐤀𐤍  which, with help from some of the more linguistically gifted sailors, Avin puzzled out to mean something like, "[I make] <the sword> (kingly)"--more useful! At least there was an inscription ... The studs on both spheres are depressible, and the pair of markings on the non-inscribed sphere changed when the stud were depressed, but, nothing otherwise occurred; perhaps in part because they were not directed at any object or person?
The inscription is old, and uses an ancient form of Old Misranite, which is distantly related to the current script of the Ten Cities' trade tongue spoken along the southern coast of Dirac's Sea. The object was found aboard the wreck of the Peregrine Kyni; perhaps someone familiar with its voyages might know something of the object? Or perhaps something similar might appear in texts in the libraries of one of the Taverns.
(the research result was "shaky", and the question as to the object's nature obviously remains open)

Razo
Through a combined interest in their research into the Codex of Hamdi and mutual curiosity about the strange objects being brought forth from the Tel al Safina, Razo has formed a strong working relationship with the Alkari scholar-adventurer Hry-Haya Yehat. Having translated a first section of the codex, which book appears to be a periplus-account of (at least one of) Hamdi's Voyages, the two embark on an attempt to discern the contents of the next section.
Following his feting by Bren Grewind in her secret island fastness, Hamdi the Voyager and his crew continued on in the blue-painted Zourqa'. Passing another number of identifiable coastal and geographical features, the galley came to the island of the Sakkan Kukun, a kind of sea-king who had recently consolidated his victories and whose harbor-market was rich with lucre and spoils. In the mountains of the main island was said to be a strange temple, the Bey-Kor, or "House of the Mountain" in the local tongue. According to local beliefs, the gods dwelt there, and Kukun sent much of his new wealth into the temple in gratitude for his victories.
Hamdi was allowed to visit the temple, and even to enter the outer-sanctuary, a strange cave opening into the mountain's face, its opening flanked by curious metal pillars, with a "holy of holies" in the center into which only the highest priests were allowed. At the back of the cavern was a fissure in the rock, through which a yellow-orange glow glimmered; Hamdi was told that hermits of extreme belief sometimes entered there to commune with the gods, and emerged sickened, withered in body and denuded of hair, unable to eat until finally dying.
Unwilling to confirm this strange rumor, Hamdi returned to his ship, traded well in the market-harbor, and continued thence on his travels.
(there remain, of course, several more such entries to be researched in the codex)

Ravna
Ravna, alchemist, looked into both the strange clear vials recovered from the sunken ship, and the acidic fronds of the akho's underbelly. Her experiments with the vials indicated a strange drug that made men compliant to commands given them, but only under circumstances of calm. That is, for instance, a person given a dose in a goblet of wine in otherwise peaceful conditions would be rendered into a strange trancelike condition, receptible to others' commands; but a person bound and afraid for his life would seem immune to the same effects.
Meanwhile, the fronds of the akho retained their acidic nature; contained as they are in flasks or vials, it is conceivable that they could be hurled as missiles, the acids inside thus free on breaking to eat at whatever the target may. Otherwise, perhaps they have some more mundane use? Dissolving alchemical components, for instance? Ultimately, the use or value of the few such vials remains up to the company to determine.

Durham
Fellow of the hunt, Durham returns with somewhat of a rapport with Telman of Tsipa, captain-general of the hunt for the akho. He claims to have heard from Telman directly the reasoning for the hunt, even as he admits that Telman is not someone ready to befool himself by singing sea-shanties along with his crew. Telman refuses to confirm one way or the other that Zaytar set him up to hunt the Denyan akho in order to fail; as far as Telman is concerned, he was offered a hunt to get rid of a monster, he took it up honestly, and has now returned successful. Rumors of the older captain-general's jealousy and envy toward the younger man's successes nevertheless linger about the Kantor Kabljauhof.
Upon returning to the Dual-Cities and considering his new-won wealth, Durham ultimately set about purchasing a small dilapidated warehouse in the harbor-district with good frontage and plenty of room inside for various workbenches, and a yard for a forge. Attracting the service of one 'Annaz al Tashkili, an armorer, and his apprentices Badr and Kyrilos, Durham thus establishes his (as yet inconsequential) institution, The Ringing Anvil. Those wishing to commission weapons and armor are invited to begin putting in orders!

Persephone
Finally, Persephone did her best to research and/or ask around about the strange creatures that she and her companions encountered during a recent expedition--the Zok-Fot-Piq, as they called themselves. Alas, there was little evidence of such creatures anywhere in the library of the Kantor where Persephone began her search--nothing but a few cryptic references in old accounts of dealings with the metallurgists of the Barcidae, or the Miners and Prospectors of the old Herm & Stone. Led by that scrap, she returned to the tavern and was able to find Akin the Beautiful in his usual haunt; he proved as reticent with information as before until confronted with Persephone's "eyewitness" account, whereupon he opened up somewhat:
"So you have seen them! Strange that they would make an appearance so near the surface--aye, they're spirits of the deep world, kobolds who sometimes help prospectors they like--those who offer them the right sacrifices!--while they'll lead those they dislike into the depths to be lost forever. Some say that Lost Vrialta was lost that way, though I doubt such a warrior could be so deceived. The word is that they're partial to garum, if you can believe that. ... Anyway, sure, you could rent time in the library here at the Herm & Stone, but if you want easier access, I could rummage something up--all I ask in return is a bit of your intelligence on the Weirding Caverns, or a chance to join one of your expeditions."
(this is the result of a shaky success; the main avenues to further discovery are laid out by Akin, but other means to learn more are possible)

Bartholomew Pettibone and Heijo
Noted together at the moment merely for convenience, as they have mutually engaged in sharing of arcane and magical understandings, even as Bartholomew helped fellow-adventurer Torkol to understand the mysteries of sleep a week before. Bartholomew in particular has been noted by others for his keen interest in expanding his understanding of the mysterious forces of magic that pervade the world.