Session #66: Behind the Zortrium Wall

It has been several weeks now since this expedition actually set forth and returned (the Scribes apologize! but they have been busy), and as the Dual-Cities were both coming down from the excitements of the Feasts of Investiture and preparing for the Long Peace beginning this new lunar year, the expedition was little remarked when it set out.

What may be recalled is that a crew was gathered, somewhat at the behest of Bartholomew Pettibone, and that their stated goal lay somewhere in the Tel al Safina, perhaps especially under the Great Spire of the Klackons. And yet the mode of travel there was strange if that were the goal, for it was onto Arngeir of the Green Gleam's sailing ship the Saint Koloman which they boarded, and thence sailed north along the coast as if toward Sesel's Iqta al Saahil al Shamaliy.

Thus was the crew:

• Avin (magic-user 6)
• Lord Althis (magic-user 5)
• Durham (fighting-man 7)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu)
• Heijo (magic-user 5)
• Arngeir of the Green Gleam (fighting-man 5)
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user 7)
  accompanied by Gan ad-Din (fighting-man 5)
• Dehuhada (fighting-man 4)
  accompanied by Seven-Toes (renyu)

They returned the way they had come, disembarking from Arngeir's vessel at its berth in the commercial harbor. It was later seen that they bore an assortment of strange things, including at least one other suit of strange cut and unusual materials. Though it may be recalled that they were all rather excited by whatever they had discovered, they remained rather secretive of their business.

The only thing for certain that was heard was a chance rumor--"No mere vein indeed! The Sixth House would have been rich beyond their wildest imaginings, if they hadn't been destroyed. Poor Kilik! ..."

The Lucre

• three suits of unusual cut and material, including boots and gloves; coloured grey, trimmed in red; similar to suits found elsewhere and thought to provide protection from "poison light"
• two toolboxes containing a bewildering assortment of tools of excellent steel (valued around ~600 dinars each, just for the material; the "right buyer" might pay more for the tools as-they-are)
• a small tin containing 7 white tablets of uncertain nature
• a spool of wonderfully thin copper wire (~700 dinars)
• two "potions" bearing labels that include a symbol for "poison light"
• a box marked with a red crescent and containing rolls of gauze, small foil packets, and a large sheet of foil
• a ru'un power-core
• the dismembered body of a "golden man"
  
• a dozen "chlen-hide" ingots of zortrium
• an odd handheld device, taken from the Klackon warrior Kilik of the Sixth House, wielded threateningly by her as if it might be some kind of weapon, and yet quite unlike any sword or other such thing

The Learning

• 1900 xp from treasure
• 548 xp from a ru'un (500 + hp)
• 604 xp from a "golden man" (550 + hp)
• 218 xp from Kilik, Klackon warrior (200 + hp)
• 400 xp to each character for exploring "behind the zortrium wall"

The Cut

• 0 dinars, unless items are sold to "the right buyers"
• 867 xp per player-character
  434 xp to Gan ad-Din
• three suits, assumed to afford protection from "poison light"
• two toolboxes and tools
• a tin of 7 tablets
• a spool of copper wire
• 2 "potions"
• a box containing gauze, foil packets, &c.
• the power-core (in Avin's magic bag)
• dismembered golden body-parts (also in Avin's bag)
• the dozen zortrium ingots (held at Sesel's iqta' for convenience)
• Kilik's strange device (held by Bart at the end of the session--claimed by him?)

As always, items without explicit value may be divvied by the company however is deemed fair, or may attempt to be sold "to the right buyer" with the use of downtime to increase shares of treasure (and xp). Explicitly valued items may be "bought out" at their gp-value by any player-character especially desiring them. And reports, drawings, etc. provided by player-characters to be published to this chronicle will earn the corresponding character 100 xp per level.

The Tsamri-Hane Games

The blare of trumpets breaks the morning air!

Timbrels clash, and chants are raised in all corners of the Dual-Cities, paeans to heroes of old and warsongs for the fighting-men and -women who come forth armed for conflict in the great Coreguyi Arena.

Just as the Long Peace echoed last year's public mourning of the Long Wake, so this year's Tsamri-Hane Games are like the resounding notes of the great Coreguyi Games. But their place in the public memory of the state-cult are their own; for the Tsamri-Hane Games commemorate a negotiated peace during the Twelfth of the Man-Kzin Wars, the so-called Peace of Nagib. And though that peace was broken (by Kzin treachery!), still its negotiation is remembered as moment of strength for Gadeed and its (then small) military cothon-harbor, and a presaging of the current age of general peace between Men and Kzinti and Mrrshans. (the history of this Peace and its importance are sketched here)

So the trumpets blare, and drums roll, and the members of the fighting-societies raise their voices in song anticipating the Games! This will be a week of athletic contests and gladiatorial contests, of the spectacle of beasts and gore in arenas both great and small, and wine and sweetmeats overflowing from all the taverns of the cities in a great exuberance of festival.

Carousing the Games

Those player-characters who wish may spend downtime this week (ending 1/15) to carouse the taverns and arenas during this week's games, and may thus spend up to 100 gp per level, earning the same amount as xp, and then also rolling 2d6 on the table published along with the Coreguyi Games (here). 

• A character who spends at least 150 gp rolls on the table at +1
• A character who spends at least 500 gp rolls on the table at a further +1
• Providing a narrative description of at least part of how the money is being spent (as a comment here, or in the downtime thread of the Discord server) will also earn a player-character a +1 on their roll on the table
• (these are cumulative and so altogether a maximum of +3 can thus be earned)

Betting at the Arena

In the Coreguyi Arena, meanwhile, fresh sand is spread out in preparation for the week of gladiatorial matches and athletic competitions. The howls and snarls of animals can be heard from the pits and cages below the arena (linked to Medina al Taht, perhaps, and adventurer might muse?). And by the gates, placards are erected detailing the list of major matches between the more skilled and (in)famous gladiators, while bookmakers take up their chalk and slate and wet their lips in anticipation of the sheer volume of dirhams and dinars that will flow 'round through their books.

Player-characters may bet even if they don't spend any time carousing, and betting does not require any kind of downtime. As mentioned elsewhere (bottom of this post), the bookmakers of the Arena will not take bets over 1000 dinars (gp), as such extravagances are better suited to the private affairs of the extremely wealthy. Personal bets can be arranged however the bettors agree, completely ignoring official odds; the terms are up to the individuals staking money.

Barshan

The roster of major fights is as follows:

1. Drago of the Heroic Companions of Hrrl-ra vs. Barshan the Strong
   odds 4/5 favoring Drago, who recently helped win against a Bulrathi in another duel
2. Idrig the Denyan vs. Charna of Arnhe
   odds 1/2 favoring Idrig

   

   Idrig

3. Theriax the Peltast vs. the Sakkra javelineer Korbassh
   odds 3/2 favoring the Sakkra over Theriax
4. Elam al Kir vs. the Kzin Hlri-Manhunter
   odds 2/1 favoring the Kzin, despite Elam's ultimate victory during the Coreguyi Games
   
   

5. 

   Charna

   Mortu the Black vs. Shalla the Aridani
   odds 1/3 favoring Mortu and his "Blade of Death", ricasso notched with every killing-victory

Interspersed among these combats will also be a series of fights between deadly and
exotic beasts, namely:

1. a triad of hunting gadhars harassing an angry chlen draft-beast
   odds 1/2 favoring the gadhars

   

   Mortu

2. a many-legged yeki dueling a poison-whipped qaqtla-serpent
   odds 3/2 favoring the qaqtla
3. the dreadful leaping zrne hemmed in by a group of club-wielding chnelh ape-creatures
   odds 1/3 favoring the zrne

Shalla

Payouts will work thusly: assuming a bet of 100 dinars on Theriax (3/2), and a victory by him, the bettor would win back his 100 dinars, plus 150 more for 250 altogether.
Assuming the same bet of 100 dinars, but for Korbassh (2/3) and assuming he wins, the bettor would then receive back his 100 dinars, plus 66 more and 6 dirhams for a total of 166.6 dinars.

All bets must be placed by Sunday evening (1/16), either as a comment here or in the downtime section of the Discord server; thereafter the Scribes will addend to the chronicle regarding the outcomes of the various duels, and any payouts due. It should be noted that, in accordance with the Peace which these games are celebrating, it is in even worse than usual bad taste for gladiators to kill their opponents in the Arena; the fights are supposed to be exhibitions of skill and showy swordsmanship, with just enough blood to satisfy the crowds. A death during these Games is considered an omen of evil for the coming year, and so one can imagine the handlers of Mortu the Black stressing again and again that he is to maim his opponents at worst ...

(Though the beasts are of course expected to slaughter each other).

And, as with all of these public games and the violence and drunkenness and orgies that they entail, the Confraternity of 'Issa will be out "in force" over the next week, proselytizing about the evils of all this violence and the slavery that underpins it, and the cruelty to the animals relegated to the Arena; and though most will scoff at them, and shake the dust of their cloaks off on these zealots and their ridiculous beliefs, some few among the crowds may listen to and heed their arguments. But there will always be fools.

The Long Peace

or

The Peace of Nagib al Nasser

During this, the beginning of the third lunar year of the solar cycle of the Year of Khusra-Fadhlan, the annual Feasts of Investiture are followed by the rest period commemorating a lasting peace in the old Man-Kzin Wars that make up so much of the state mythology of Cothon-Gadeed.

Just as last year's Long Wake commemorated all the heroic dead of the many wars in a weeks-long period of public mourning, now the Long Peace commemorates the time of an especially binding peace in a weeks-long period of public rest from works. Or rather, has commemorated, as the Long Peace ends tonight!--and was little remarked on by the industrious barbarians up to their own business in the neighborhoods of Cothon and in the depths of the Tel al Safina.

Are the Scribes who have failed to update this chronicle for the past few weeks using this Long Peace as a convenient excuse for their lack of industry? Perhaps! But such is the excuse of the inhabitants of both of the Dual-Cities for the past few weeks, and quiet has reigned in the streets and neighborhoods; the souks have been silent of the hawking of wares, the arenas empty of games or honor-duels, the harbors quiet, for thought the winds of trade never cease, at least the Guild of Longshoremen have the courtesy to keep their work quiet during this time of peace.

And the barbarian-adventurers? The Survivors of the Tel, Durham of the Ringing Anvil, Lord Althis of the Crag Keep, et al.? Surely they have noticed the quiet of the city, but many of them have affairs of their own to run outside the city, and so to them the Peace was little remarked, and has passed by essentially unnoticed. If their industry during this time of public rest caused any scandal, well, it is somewhat to be expected--even the citizen among them, Sesel, is of barbarian ancestry!--and so their ignorance of custom can be looked past, for now.

All of which is to say, the Long Peace has no effect on or for player-characters (... this year). It is noted here rather for historical interest, and as a reminder of the passing of the seasons (and maybe a bit of an excuse!).

What will probably be of more interest to such player-characters are the public Games that will follow this conclusion of the Long Peace.

A Bit of History

During the Twelfth War there was a famous campaign on which a company of Kzin Heroes embarked on an attempt at naval conquest against the more distant holdings of Gadeed. The threat was great, as even then Gadeed relied so much on her maritime trade to feed her citizens and populace--the hinterlands could never produce enough grain!--and so the response from the (at the time) small military cothon at the head of the Garden River to cut off the Kzin adventurers was swift.

After a campaign of sail and counter-sail, the Heroes were finally caught on a smaller island, and the fleet from Gadeed put fire to the Kzin ships, leaving the Heroes and their auxiliaries and slaves stranded, cut off from supplies. Rather than starving Gadeed, the Heroes found themselves starving ... and in an unprecedented move, many of them surrendered as prisoners to Gadeed rather than die the humiliating death of hunger (though only after eating most of their slaves, and realizing that recourse would not last forever ...).

This capture of a company of Kzinti seemed as if fortune were finally smiling on Gadeed; alas, fortune is a fickle mistress, and later that cycle, a host of men were captured in a major land battle elsewhere in the war. However, the Souffet Nagib made the most of the captive Heroes--he sent word to the Kzinti that he was willing to negotiate some kind of a peace for a prisoner exchange, rather than allow his entire army to be enslaved or devoured.

The overture couldn't have come at a better time, for in the ranks of the Kzinti at the time a movement desiring a different way of life had just come into the ascendant. This so-called Hané, or "Pride", had a different vision for Kzin-life than the endless nomadic cycles of the traditional Heroic bands, and because their voices had become ascendant in the councils of the Kzinti, they actually listened to Nagib's pleas for peace--and after long negotiations, agreed to a great truce (several solar cycles!) and a prisoner exchange.

Though this Peace of Nagib was doomed to be broken early, it is still commemorated as a time of hope for the end of the Man-Kzin Wars--and indeed with the ascension of the Hane, it presaged the ultimate development of the stable landed polities of the Mrrshan to the south, the growth of which did finally end the otherwise constant Wars.

This Peace was actually negotiated by the lords of the Bani Tsamr, a once potent clan that is now long since extinct; but their name lives on in the modern Tsamri-Hane Games which will commence with the ending of the so-called Long Peace ...