Putting Rumors to Rest

In recent months, two prominent adventurers in Cothon-Gadeed--one a citizen, one a barbarian--have been beset by the circling of evil rumors, rumors like the circling of giriku over carrion: Durham and his Ringing Anvil said to be harboring ambitions against the Mother of Cities in her hour of darkness, and Sesel, iqtadar of the North Shore and subject to the envy of others of his class ...

Festering like boils, these rumors were a painful irritation to each of these, one a denizen of Cothon, the other a citizen of Gadeed--and yet both stood forth boldly, and like a leech with his lance, needled the boiling rumors directly, rather than let them fester. Here are their responses; the Scribes note that the ambitions they set forth were sufficient, and no rolls are required for either party:

1) Durham of the Ringing Anvil
(written by Joel)

In order to deal with the protest outside the Ringing Anvil, Durham feels the best solution is to rally support to his side and hold a counter-protest to win the court of public opinion. He will do this by spending 250 dinars (gp) at the four Great Taverns (1000 gp total) buying drinks and meeting with the leadership of each.

A message of the current protest is "non-human connections are bad", in particular Durham's connection with the Wasgo tribe of renyu. Durham will try to persuade leadership and patrons at the four Great Taverns to join him in a counter-protest held at the end of the week (30 April), where he will give a speech to address the untrue accusation that he is disloyal to Cothan. He will tell all who listen that this non-human rhetoric is a danger to all of Cothan-Gadeed as all the great taverns have a non-human association and this rhetoric should be met now before it gains any more strength. 

Durham's speech :

Many of you gathered here are aware of the shadow that has been cast upon me and my loyalties, but I am here to cast the light of truth on the situation. 

It is absolutely true that I have bonds of friendship with the Wasgo tribe and Hanse. But having these bonds does not make me disloyal to Cothan. I have always loved the diversity of Cothan, this city has been welcoming to foreigners like me and embraces others of different race and creed. Are not the four great taverns better with their non-human counterparts, is Cothan not greater for its non-human citizens…then why judge my friendship with the Wasgo so harshly?

Do you really believe I would turn my back on the city that has allowed my business to thrive? –points to the spinning arms of the windmill– People of Cothan search your hearts and you'll know the truth. My connection to the Wasgo is no danger to this city!

2) Sesel, Voice of the Survivors and Iqtadar al Saahil al Shamaliy
(written by Jacob)

As a burgeoning member of the Eyes of the Souffets, Sesel feels it is his duty to aid these Iqtas that have been ravaged by the Red Cloud. While he prepares his own forces to more directly aid in these assaults, he sends a letter to Souffet Khusra:

“I am disheartened by the destruction wrought by the Red Cloud across the Southern Iqtas, and feel it is my duty, as a member of your eyes, to provide what aid I can to these unfortunate souls. Being an adventurer I have some reasonable wealth accumulated, and with your leave I shall hire up a sizable mercenary force to march down to these Iqtas and provide them with some relief. Or, if it be more amenable, I could simply provide the dinars to the Poor Brothers (or other existing organization) that they might already have such a force they could gather and send relief. And, naturally the force will be either disbanded once the threat has passed or otherwise turned over to the control of Gadeed.”

As the Souffets accept this proposal, Sesel hires this force:

45 archers

45 heavy footmen

55 light footmen

1 captain, one Tanahhl al Shams

He pays a total of 1000 dinars, including the 750 dinars to raise the force, and 250 dinars in bonuses to raise it quickly--”The sooner it can depart, the better.” ~Sesel

The intent here is to send it as an aid to move amongst the various affected Iqtas. They are hired for 1 month, from 1 May.

Sesel publicly makes statements as to the support and well being of the affected Iqtas and their citizens and residents. He never addresses the rumors, for surely any such things are but idle gossip; but that he hears the sliver of truth in these rumors, that the Southern Iqtas are in dire need of support, and he is answering the call, however indirect it may come.

While the force is assembled, Zaida [Sesel's wife ~the Scribes] will use her contacts with her family [Banu al Rashid] to begin countering some of the rumors with comments about “I wonder why the Barcidae don’t send some of their forces to support the Southern Iqtas? Surely they have more wealth and power than some newly minted citizen.” and “It is unfortunate these Southern Iqtas felt they had no allies amongst the other Iqta owners or Great Houses such that they have weathered so long on their own. Seems like they barely had to ask and Sesel rose up to help. What are others even doing but cowering behind their forts and drawing a line in their sand?”

A Scream and Leap to Arms!

-- The Kzinti Are Coming --

[written by Phil, player of Bartholomew Pettibone, calling adventurers in the city to be ware the Red Cloud's coming ...]

This is a call for players available to join in a game against the Kzinti before 26 May.

News has been trickling in to Cothon-Gadeed about groups of K'Zin bandits coalescing and terrorizing the hinterlands. A red-tailed comet burns in the night sky. And the rise of a self-styled “mighty K'Zin warlord” has been a conversational topic throughout the Dual Cities – especially on those lips of K'Zin origin! This warlord calls himself the Red Cloud, after that same comet, and has been hinted at as the instigator of several wilderness skirmishes. While he has not (as yet) claimed responsibility for those sorties, it is known that he is calling for K'Zin (and human!) tribal groups to answer his call – to build an army of extraordinary magnitude for liberation and conquest! Furthermore, over recent years, it has been noted that the K'Zin have been infiltrating and desecrating the catacombs of the Necropolis, in search of ancient artifacts of war, buried with powerful historical figures, and often forgotten or neglected over centuries of time.

While these rumors and discussions have led to heated debates within the Dual Cities, little has been done to quell the concerns of the citizens. Political power struggles have stymied any potential actions to thwart Red Cloud. However, it appears that the powder kegs of politics and war are about to ignite and burst forth upon the land, whether the people want that or not! It has been confirmed that in recent months at least two small iqta's have been razed and pillaged. And more recently, the outpost fort in the Tukayyat hills was infiltrated, its Captain brutally murdered, a protected artifact stolen, and its library burned to ashes. Word has it that K'Zin appear to be responsible for all of these attacks.

In confirmation of these woeful tidings, a rag-tag group of four refugees (bloodied, beaten, and bruised) have stumbled to the gates of the Iqta' al Saahil al Shamaliy, pressing the newly minted citizen, Sesel of the Survivors, to provide them a safe haven. They report that their caravan, traveling to Cothon-Gadeed, was set upon by a large band of 40 – 50 bandits, only a few hours march east from Sesel's iqta'! They relate the horrors of being taken by surprise the night previous, ambushed and overrun in the dark by both K'Zin and human warriors. Even though it was dark, and the chaos and confusion were overwhelming, they are certain that these bandits were being led by K'Zin, and they report hearing the human warriors extolling that “Red Cloud has blessed us this night – we can only be victorious!” The wagons of the caravan were broken up and burned, easily carried valuables were stolen, food-stuffs were carried away or scattered to the wind, a good number of their fellows were savagely murdered, and several were taken prisoner (ostensibly to serve as slaves). One of the prisoners taken by the bandits (along with her goods) was one Ilasha – a respected traveling merchant dabbling in gems and jewels (who came to Cothon last year)

These caravan survivors appeal specifically to iqtadar Sesel, but also to any and all citizens and barbarians alike, to avenge them! They fear the worst for their fellows who were taken as slaves, and believe that if nothing is done, the Red Cloud will continue to rampage across the land, and perhaps this iqta' will be next – being that is so close to where the caravan was ambushed!

Who will heed their call and appeal for justice? Who will come to the aid of those taken prisoner? Who will lend their strength and arms to fight for freedom against the tyranny of the Red Cloud and their oppressive K'Zinti regime of horror and genocide? The doom is growing. The machinations of a mad-Cat is at full throttle! Action is needed!

What's Happened in the Interim? A Downtime Update

As readers of this chronicle know, there was a gap of coverage/activity from much of January of this year to much of March of this year--and February was completely devoid of updates. At the same time, the pace of expeditions slowed markedly, even as the pace of life within the Dual-Cities likewise slowed.

There are a variety of reasons for this; mainly, the Scribes were busy with projects mandated them by the Souffets; but also, the Cities of Cothon-Gadeed have been set upon more viciously by the Kzin warlord the Red Cloud than previously expected; and not only the trouble of the Kzinti, but also some dread danger comes marching out of the ruins of Tsur al Qadim of nights (set loose, as some say, by the meddling barbarian adventurers of Cothon ...).

All of which is to say, the Scribes beg forbearance!

But as was perhaps mentioned in an earlier plea, life did not stop in Cothon-Gadeed during that time, and likewise the populace continued pursuing their own lives. Just so the barbarians! And so here is related the means by which barbarian-adventurers can set to record the works they pursued during those three months:

Any player-character who did not specifically set aside time for downtime activities during the months January, February and/or March, may avail themselves of either 1) generic downtime OR 2) special downtime for each free month.

The Scribes know in particular that Bartholomew Pettibone scheduled out his downtime pretty particularly for much of these months (or perhaps all). By way of example, let us assume he scheduled all of January and part of February. In that case, he would be free to use option (1) or (2) for March only. Having scheduled through January into February makes him ineligible for either of those months. Contrariwise, if Revna didn't schedule any downtime in the same set of months, she may elect option (1) or (2) for each of those three months.

1) Generic Downtime

Unlike the normal course of downtime, a character may spend one of the stipulated months automatically advancing a generic clock, rather than rolling. This automatic advancement applies only to specific activities, and only to a certain extent. The stricture that a player-character describe how they're advancing the clock with at least a sentence of detail still applies. The allowed activities (and maximum advancement) are noted hence:

• Non-magical research (limit 1 success)*
• Spiritual Exercises (limit negotiated with referee, according to goal)
• Martial Training (limit 3 successes)
• Alchemical Pursuits (limit negotiated with referee)
• Cultivating a Relationship (limit 3 successes)
• Magical Research (limit 1 success)*
• Professional Pursuits (limit 3 successes, only gp may be earned)--dinars according to one's skill:
  Plebeian -- earn 60 dinars (gp) per month selected
  Skilled -- earn 120 dinars per month selected
  Noble -- earn 225 dinars per month selected

2) Special Downtime

Instead of using a month for a generic downtime, a character may instead elect to have spent time involved in the "life" of the cities in that particular month.

For, though the game has been in a bit of a stall, the life of the cities has continued apace, with new developments, some noted (the Red Cloud), some hinted at (the strange goings-on in Tsur al Qadim). Characters who choose to involve themselves thus in the life of the city during any one of these months selects the month and rolls a d6 against the table below:

Special Downtimes

Month	Roll (d6)	Effect
	1-2	Hoarder – gain d6x250 dinars, -2 on reactions in Cothon for a year
January	3-5	Friend in Need – spend d6x100 dinars, +1 on reactions for a year
	6	Too Generous! – earn 1 xp per 1 gp donated; cannot increase in level
	1-2	Haunted – hair whitens, and lose 1d10 years of life
February	3-5	I will not fear – +1 on saves v. undead/fear for a year
	6	Fearless – cannot be paralyzed by undead, permanently
	1-2	Panicked – roll at -1 on reaction rolls in Cothon-Gadeed for a year
March	3-5	Held fast – AC at -1 bonus when facing Kzinti for a year
	6	Kzin-killer – +1 to hit when rolling against Kzinti, permanently

During the month of January, rumors of danger began to circulate through the Dual-Cities (and the Ten Cities' League at large). The Red Cloud and his Kzinti were at that point threatening, and though they had not yet done anything specifically, the air was thick with tension. And too, winter is on its way, long months of cold that will cause fields to lay long fallow, and supplies of grain and foodstuffs to grow thin.
Given this, characters with their "ears to the ground" may elect to have spent January preparing against the rumors of danger circulating in January, either by speculating and hoarding supplies, to be sold at profit; or by securing supplies to be donated to friends or associates. 

During the month of February, something of the true danger in Tsur al Qadim was revealed: shadows and spirits were seen to walk through the Cities at night, and Poor Brothers of the Dead who defend the Pallbearers' Way to the Necropolis reported constant skirmishes with restless corpses marching out of the Old Ruins. A terrible fear crept through the Cities, a palpable terror ...
Some stayed in their houses and apartments during this terror, but others chose to rise and meet it. Those who were unafraid, or who wished to master their fear, volunteered to assist the Poor Brothers, or to assist those who patrolled the streets at night in Cothon or Gadeed, to ward back the shadows with extra torch- and lantern-light. Even some of these could not meet their fear without blanching, and more than a few volunteers returned with whited hair and faces lined with terror and premature age.

During the month of March, the Red Cloud showed his hand. The Iqta' al Zaytun was plundered and burned, and Kzinti and their tribal human auxiliaries raided the hinterlands hither and yon. Not long ago, a band of Kzinti even attacked and burned the hillfort in the Tukayyat Hills, on the headland between Cothon and Ittiyqa!
Too late, much too late, the Souffets called for patrols to go forth from the Dual-Cities, to attempt to stave off these brazen attacks. Men-at-arms of various families and bands from the various Fighting Societies went forth, and volunteers who wished to test their mettle went with them (not a few having learned courage the month before) ...

Of Coffled Slaves and Pirate Woes

 Not yet has the Hanseatic captain, Telman of Tsipa, returned to Cothon and his masters at the Kantor Kabljuahof--not yet, but word of his successes in his campaign against the Luwian Pirates precede his return! Running before a batch of foul weather blowing in from the east, Dirac's Wanderer, a single-masted dak, has come into the harbor of Cothon. Her captain, Lews Telaron, has come with a hold full of prisoner-pirates to be sold at auction in the souks of Cothon, and with news that Telman has driven the Luwians out of the greatest of their island strongholds.

Though ocean storms and bad weather--portending the coming winter--have stayed the campaign, preventing Telman's final victory, still, much has been accomplished. Unlike previous campaigns, Telman has invested the Luwians' islands with garrisons of the Hanse's men, preventing their being retaken by the Luwians (as has so often happened before). As the long winter descends, fraught with storms and bad weather that will prevent further campaigning until the next solar year, Telman has opted to return to Cothon for a time, to see directly to his own affairs in the Dual-Cities. According to Lews and his crew, Telman's galley should arrive by the end of the month, and with them will come a fleet of others like Lews and his Wanderer, ships and captains carrying holds of captured pirates to be sold off as slaves, the sales of which will back the war bonds offered by the Hanse at the start of the campaign.

Lews himself came early, hoping to make himself a tidy profit before the souks are glutted. The holds of the Wanderer hold not only war captives, but also a variety of other goods for sale:

(as with all such merchants, please comment on the blog below with any purchases, as these goods are first-come-first-served, and comments make an easy way to track such things)

Lews Telaron's Merchandise

Price	Item
40 dinars ea.	40 pirate-slaves, billed for hard labor
100 dinars ea.	8 prisoners billed as "household-worthy" slaves
25 dinars ea.	9 gilt or jeweled seax-knives (d6 damage)
300 dinars per case, OR 30 dinars per bottle	4 cases of sujamma liquor (12 bottles per case)
200 dinars ea.	7 pristinely white gadhar pelts, beautifully preserved
500 dinars ea.	3 polyjuice potions, allowing the imbiber to assume another's guise
2500 dinars	Ring of the Five Fingers of Pai

War Bonds Payouts

As Telman and his prisoner-bearing fleet return toward Cothon, and news of Telman's successes against the Luwians filter through the Dual-Cities, the Hanse begins to pay out to those who invested in war bonds back at the beginning of the campaign.

Per the records of the Scribes, Bartholomew Pettibone has been the only player-character who bought any such bonds, and he paid 1000 dinars (gp) into the coffers of the Kantor by way of this investment. When he receives word of the payouts, he also hears that the Hanse is returning investors' money, plus 25% of what was invested. This remarkable increase is based on the near-constant successes of Telman and his fleets against the pirates, the many captives taken and sold or to-be-sold in slave auctions, and the great amounts of booty recovered from the pirate isles. For, despite an early success by the Luwians (recounted here, as might be remembered, by Koway of the Weatherlight), every other engagement has been a success under Telman's sure hand on the steering-oar of leadership.

Which is to say, if Bart wishes to claim his money back, he would receive 1250 dinars. As this is based on the current success of the campaign, it is unlikely to change in the near future.

If Bart prefers, he can let the Hanse know that they can retain his investment for the upcoming renewal of the campaign in the spring (it'll be more than a few months), and their records will be updated to note that Bart's war bonds are now worth 1250 dinars, to increase or decrease the further campaigns play out.

Anyone wishing to may invest now in new war bonds, which will likewise pay out according to the future successes (or failures?) of the campaign against the Luwians--for the war is not over! Telman intends to return to the fray as soon as the evil winter weather recedes and allows it.

Session #75: Return to the Library

 [write-up by Max, who ran the session, a couple weeks back--thanks, Max!]

A group once again gathers in the library of Cothon-Under-Star with a hmela in tow.

Sesel, fighter 7

• Raoden magic-user 5

Bart, magic-user

• Gan fighter

Najm, magic-user 5

• Alianor Drake, fighter 1

Heijo, magic-user 6

Revna, magic-user 5

The group returns once again from the library sans hmela. They seem in good spirits but otherwise say little of what they are up to in the library. Patrons continue to talk about a mysterious door with seemingly no way to open it.

The Lucre

• 120g

• 600s

• Dice, bone (40g)

• 7 Books
  Ciamar a mharbhadh torc
  Essays on Gambling
  Shipping Documents
  ᴁ (Claimed by Revna)
  Дракула
  Tave Jidai Tvarka
  The Blessed Light, a spellbook: I. Light, II. Bless, III. Continual Light
  

• 5 Flasks of Ink
  Black (100g)
  Red (200g)
  Blue (200g)
  Green (200g)
  Infernal (500g)

• Strange Crossbow like metal tube

• Stinger, trapdoor spider (Claimed by Revna)

The Learning

• 1440 xp from treasure

• 125 xp from Trapdoor spider

The Cut

• 313 xp to each player-character
  157 xp to Raoden, Gan, and Alianor

• 18 dinars (gp) and 92 dirhams (sp) to each player-character
  10 dinars and 47 dirhams to Raoden, Gan, and Alianor

• Dice, bone (40g)

• 7 Books
  Ciamar a mharbhadh torc
  Essays on Gambling
  Shipping Documents
  ᴁ (Claimed by Revna)
  Дракула
  Tave Jidai Tvarka
  The Blessed Light, a spellbook: I. Light, II. Bless, III. Continual Light 

• 5 Flasks of Ink
  Black
  Red
  Blue
  Green
  Infernal

• Strange Crossbow like metal tube

• Trapdoor Spider stinger (Revna)

It is up to the company to decide whether to sell the various strange inks claimed from the so-called Infinite Library, or to keep them. Those in the company who wish to claim something may pony up the dinars from their personal hoards to "buy out" the item, the money thence to be divided by the remainder of the company.

As always, write-ups or art will earn a character 100 xp per level ... the scribes doubt that any map of the Library would prove useful, other than as a piece of art ...