The Ringing Anvil Expands!

(written by Joel, with slight edits by the scribes, concerning recent developments and expansions of the Ringing Anvil, the smithy/armory/engineering institution created by his player-character Durham)

The Ringing Anvil becomes a Major Institution

Scaffolding begins to surround the Ringing Anvil. The clang of metal working is replaced by the clapping of hammer and nails. Durham can be seen supervising the builders, making sure the work is done to exact specifications. After several days a few things become clear: a large forge is being built and some sort of large tower is being erected as well.

Many gather wondering what exactly is being planned, and rumors begin to swirl around:

"I hear the tower will be so tall, Durham will be able to lasso wind nymphs to use as bellows for the forge."

"I was told Durham trained a dzor to use a forge, and that is why the forge is so large."

"As I understand, Durham hired a Klackon wizard, who can wave the four arms around to complete their work in half the time!"

While rumors fly about what is happening at the Ringing Anvil, Pako, the ever faithful renyu servant of Durham, looks at his master's blueprints and says, "Master builds strange machines."

"Yes, I suppose a windmill is strange if you haven't seen one before. I studied how to make them when I became an architect."

Durham shows Pako the schematics for the windmill, explaining how the arms catch the wind and, through a series of gears and shafts, delivers power to various new tools being made for the Ringing Anvil.

"But why master?" asked Pako.

Durham replied, "Commissions! My dear friend commissions! That's where the Anvil makes its money. Once we complete these tools powered by the windmill, we should be able to complete commissions in half the time as normal, making the Anvil the go-to place for any custom work."

“And with the drawings of the forge from the Sixth House we will be better to work the zortrium and perhaps be able to forge the legendary metal ourselves one day.

"I also plan to hire an alchemist to expand the scope of our work here. For I have many ideas that require expertise outside of my own."

After a month the work was finished and Durham rolled out the six amphorae of beer he had kept to celebrate the new renovations. Rounds were poured for all the builders, employees and even a few strangers as a toast went out for the bright future of the ringing anvil.

Durham's list of items when drafting these expansions to the Ringing Anvil:

• I wanted to make anvil a bit of an icon on the city hence the windmill

  • I wanted the windmill tower to add to the city skyline.

• The windmill

  • Since Cothan-Gadeed is a port city I figured there is enough wind power to make the windmill useful

  • The windmill is used to power the automatic hammer, drill press, saw and bellows, allowing the rough shaping of items to be done faster, cutting down the overall time to process a commission but final shaping and detailed work still needs to be done by hand.

  • Also has a fan tail which adjusts the windmill into the direction the wind is blowing

• The forge

  • Definitely would help work the zortrium better

  • May need to do some non-magical research to achieve maximum performance

• Alchemist

  • Wanted to expand items that could be made like smoke bombs, grenades of various types. And other things that would require some knowledge of chemistry.

In expanding his institution, and especially in seeking the retainer of an alchemist, Durham drew the attention of the Guild of Alchemists, who frown upon the idea of mixing protected professions under the roof of a single institution. Fortunately for Durham, he is no citizen of Cothon-Gadeed, and so retains a certain kind of social freedom unfettered by the strictures of citizen-society--yet nevertheless, the Alchemists' Guild sent over agents to examine the Ringing Anvil, and to assess a variety of taxes and legal fees to the ultimate tune of 1200 dinars in order for Durham to be afforded the privilege of retaining on his staff members of both the Guild of Armorers and the Guild of Alchemists.

Session #45: The Charm Against the Iniquitous Nshe

Having purchased from the merchant Han a scroll said to contain a charm against the watery nshe, Arngeir went about attempting to recruit fellow adventurers to accompany him back into the sea caves where he claimed there was a pirate-hoard protected by a nshe in a black pool. As many of the barbarians in the city were engaged in their own business (Durham with his business, the Survivors with their interests), only Dehuhada and Persephone answered Arngeir's call.

They agreed on a bold plan--to take Arngeir's panga into the mouth of the Ocean's Throat itself, hopefully to find the pirates' lair, and attempt to lie their way in under the guise of "lost fishermen". To that end they purchased old ragged clothes from some bemused fishermen, as well as hiring Tanit al Jamila from the Arwah al Safina (hoping that she might be able to charm a guard, by magic or otherwise, and thence assist their plan).

And so around midnight, with the Fortress Moon huge in the sky, the company shoved off from the beach by the Fischmarkt and began rowing north ...

• Dehuhada (fighting-man 2)
  
• Arngeir (fighting-man 2)
• Persephone (fighting-woman 4)
  accompanied by Finbar (renyu) and Tanit al Jamila (magic-user 1)

When the panga crunched up onto the beach the next morning, the great sun's red light shone over a small crew increased by one addition: a man in tattered seaman's trews that did nothing to hide the horrible red acid-burns and boils covering his legs. While Arngeir called for assistance to carry the injured man to the healers at the Confraternity of 'Issa, Persephone and Finbar, Dehuhada and Tanit all offloaded several chests whcih they hauled to the Herm & Stone, where Arngeir leased his private quarters.

At the infirmary of the Confraternity, the man--Galim, as he called himself--begged Arngeir, "Don't forget me and my cut!" to which Arngeir responded, "We saved your life didn't we? But we'll see, once we've counted everything." He proceeded to tell the healers that the man was a lost seaman whom the party had collected during their boat-outing, but who had been attacked by a terrible jellyfish creature that had wrapped its tentacles around Galim's legs. Only Persephone's quick thinking to pour lantern oil over the wounds had washed away the lingering acid and prevented further injury.

Meanwhile, back at the Herm & Stone, Arngeir returned to find his comrades well into counting their haul of coin, and Tanit at the bar flirting with Akin the Beautiful, telling how with her wiles, she charmed the guards and allowed the party to sneak into a pirate-fortress built into the caves. After dealing with the guards in a rather less charming method, the rest of the party went up a secret stair and into a chamber with a great black pool, which rose up in a strange shape and moved as if to attack. But Arngeir produced a scroll for Tanit to read, and the spell thus cast prevented the thing--Arngeir called it a "nshe"--from coming too close.

"And all that treasure is what it was guarding!" Tanit declared, ending her story with a sweeping gesture at the chests of gold, silver, and platinum the party had returned with. And once everything was counted out and she received her share, Tanit took her cut and suggested to Akin that the two go find a more interesting place to drink ...

The Lucre

• 5000 silver dirhams (sp) and 4000 gold dinars (gp)--these coins are of legal Decapolitan mint
• 1000 platinum mithqals (pp); of these, 1 mithqal = 10 dinars, but unfortunately, the mint is foreign, and it will require the services of a money-changer to change these 1000 mithqals into useable coin, at the price of 10% of the total value
• 1175 gp from 19 gems (5@25, 6@50, 2@75, 6@100)

The Learning

• 15675 xp from treasure
• 414 xp from pirates x7 (100 + hp ea.)
• 544 xp from the nshe (500 + hp)
• 167 xp from the "acid jellyfish" (150 + hp)

The Cut

• 1478 gp, 1434 sp to each player-character
  739 gp, 717 sp to Tanit al Jamila
• 5600 xp per player-character
  2800 xp to Tanit al Jamila
• concerning the platinum mithqals, the characters can either split them now, to be changed (or not) by each individual according to their whim, or changed en masse and the gold value then divided out, which would increase every individual cut of gold; either way, a downtime is necessary to seek out and secure the services of a money-changer

As always, play reports, art, etc. concerning the events of the expedition and provided to me to be published to the blog are worth 100 xp to the corresponding player-character.

Expedition #44: The Undiscovered Country

(this expedition, consisting of multiple sessions, is thus labeled differently; and this entry in the chronicles, rather than a recap per se, is rather somewhat more of an item of news)

Last week, following the violence and subsequent put-down of the rioters by various fighting-societies loyal to the Souffets and various great Houses, the Survivors of the Tel prepared to embark on a new expedition.

First, a bit of context: though Sesel and Avin had returned to the Dual-Cities to see to their business there, many of the Survivors have remained at a secret camp on the coast north-north-west of Cothon after an expedition some couple months ago. Gan ad-Din, "Bearer of All Things" and retainer of Bartholomew Pettibone has also made an appearance now and again in the harbor, acquiring supplies for his master and comrades (and also checking in with his girlfriend Istrid at the Kantor Kabljauhof).

Whatever the particular nature of this camp, Sesel--as the Voice of the Survivors--has recently been engaged with the Bani al Rashid in an attempt to negotiate their assistance in creating and securing a new 'iqta-holding which the Survivors could then hold (in alliance with the al Rashids, of course); though these negotiations have yet to bear any fruit, nevertheless they suggest that the Survivors have discovered something interesting, and wish to establish themselves there somewhat permanently.

So it was that last week, Avin and Razo both departed Cothon for the encampment, leaving Sesel to see to any business of the Survivors in Cothon-Gadeed. Not long after their departure, Gan ad-Din, and Vlana the Bard made an appearance in Cothon, and set about purchasing large stores of rations, as well as amphorae of wine and beer. These purchases were in line with the kind of laying-in of stores that might presage a voyage, by galley or by caravan--and though they were chary with the details, both Gan and Vlana admitted to something of the case while making the rounds in the souk.

Indeed, it seems the Survivors have not only secured an encampment for themselves, but apparently also come into possession of a galley. The way Gan and Vlana mention it, having been taken from unworthy possessors, suggests that perhaps the Survivors came upon a Luwian pirate-vessel, and liberated it from the buccaneers. And now, being possessed of a ship, it seems they intend to sail out for the Denyan Islands after some treasure rumored to lie within the nuraghe-ruins that dot the islands.

At the end of their purchasing-spree, Gan invited Vlana to the Kantor Kabljauhof, there to enjoy several rounds with Istrid and her dancing-girl friends. A bout of carousing ensued, and Gan's extended farewell to Istrid was indeed consonant with the tenor of one about to go on a long voyage, with assurances that he would return and shower her with gifts to make up for his absence. In his cups, Gan hinted that perhaps he could even offer Istrid an especially fine gem--but no, no, surely Bart has better uses for it ...

And so the next morning Gan (squinting against the red dawn and his own headache) and Vlana departed from Cothon with their carts heavily-laden, returning to the company of the Survivors and their coastal camp, including these members:

• Raoden (magic-user 3)
• Avin (magic-user 6)
  leading Vlana the Bard  (magic-user 3)
• Razo (magic-user 2)
• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user 5)
  accompanied by Gan ad-Din (fighting-man 4)
• Ravna (magic-user 6)

And so these magnificent seven have presumably departed on the decks of their galley, seeking glory and riches on unknown shores. Whatever the results of this expedition, it will no doubt be some time before word of their success returns to the Dual-Cities--and if doom be their destination, no doubt it will be longer yet until it is discovered, if ever to be known at all!

Session #43: The Bounty Hunters

Meeting at Fahra's Hole-in-the-Wall, a small tavern that escaped the worst of the violence following the Procession of Locor, adventurer-barbarians Lars Fangripper and Dehuhada agreed that their current most pressing interest was the acquisition of a little extra cash. To that end, they reviewed the bounties offered by various interests in Cothon-Gadeed; agreeing that the rogue alchemist seemed the interest of their associate Persephone, who wasn't present; and that Lars had his own call to deal with the river-ghars (more to follow on that later--a Call to Adventure!); they agreed that anyway, hunting Sakkra would be the easiest adventure to make some moeny.

While Lars went to the Heroic Companions of Hrrl-ra to purchase from them their map of the sea caves of Ocean's Throat (maybe he wasn't so much in need of money, as of incoming revenue?), Dehuhada saw to gathering a party to assist in the hunt, and was able to secure the participation of Chad "Meathead", as well as a couple members of the new hireling-association, the Arwah al Safina.

Thus prepared, the six agreed to test the legal results of the recent "court case" in the Coreguyi Arena, and so left by way of the Fishermen's Gate to walk the beach beneath the Migdol of the Dyers and Fish-Fermenters, as it is the most direct route to the Ocean's Throat. And lo! they went unmolested by any agents of the Barcidae, and so descended into the sea caves without paying any toll ...

• Lars Fangripper (magic-user 3)
  accompanied by Slith Sly (Sakkra 1)
• Dehuhada (fighting-man 2)
  accompanied by Vudot Vodot (magic-user 1)
• Chad "Meathead" (fighting-man 1)
  accompanied by Hasan ibn Hama (footman)

After a comparatively short time, the same company returned, carrying a bloody bag, a waterskin and a flask filled with dark red blood, and also a ninnenyelu-skin harness set with silver and gems. The Fangripper looked rather worse-for-wear, his skin ashen with pain underneath the painted runes upon his breast and arms, for he had clearly been pierced and bloodied by javelins.

First seeking the agent of the Souffets assigned to handle the bounties, the party collected their fifty dinars per Sakkra, of which they provided seven bloodied heads. As he was counting out the coin, he was heard to comment that he wished that every one of the creatures in the sea caves could be eliminated, given their predations on the settlements of al Agadrein.

Taking the blood to the Kantor Kabljauhof, meanwhile, the group got quite a different reception, with the alchemist who accepted the blood admitting that he was glad that it was at least not wasted, but that he hated that Sakkra should be hunted at all--"It would be better to resettle the raiders; for the real reason they strike out is because of population pressure inside the Sakkra-colony."

Vudot Vodot, political exile

Reconvening at the Hole-in-the-Wall to split their pay, the group then discharged their hirelings, and both Vudot and Slith immediately set about spending their cut on a round of drinks. Slith Sly recounted how his skills as a tracker assisted the Fangripper in seeking out the hidden Sakkra-colony deep in the caves of Ocean's Throat. He identifies them as the Takhissa tribe, "barbarians" compared to other Sakkra such as the Shen who ply the seas in great ships, or the Hisst who dwell in ancient forest-holdings.

Vudot Vodot, meanwhile, comments on the Fangripper's bravery--which almost cost him his life! For, trusting in his ancestral magic, he strode into the nest of Sakkra alone and ahead of the rest of the party, and was met with a hail of javelins that nearly ended his life. If not for a potion of Sakkra-blood he carried in his pack, he would indeed have lain dead in the caves, and the expedition would have ended differently. But as it is, it was the Fangripper who also helped end the fight with a judicious casting of his web-spell.

The Lucre

• 350 gold from 7 Sakkra heads
• 650 gold from sale of the Sakkra-leader's harness
• 150 gold from sale of Sakkra-blood to the Kantor

The Learning

• 1150 xp from treasure
• 888 xp from Sakkra x8 (100 +hp ea.)
• 200 xp to each player-character for discovering the Sakkra Warrens in Ocean's Throat

The Cut

• 370 gp, 3 sp, 3 cp to each player-character
  163 gp to Slith Sly and Vudot Vodot
  37 gp to Hasan
• 877 xp to each player-character
  439 xp to Slith Sly and Vudot Vodot

As always, written reports, art, etc. concerning this expedition sent to the scribes to be posted here will earn the corresponding player-character 100 xp per level.

Session #42: The Sixth House Cleansed

Even as the preparations for the Procession of Locor were in full swing, the Great Spire of the Klackons--on the northern slopes of the Tel al Safina--was filled with the noise and excitement of some great festival of the insect-folk that dwell there. The men of Cothon wondered briefly at the distant tumult, shrugged, and went back to their own business and preparations; for who really understands the Klackons and their religion, or why the ant-men should suddenly take to feasting?

Only a day before, a party mostly of barbarian-adventurers--composed of members of the Survivors of the Tel, but also including Durham of the Ringing Anvil, and the the noble citizen Zaida, scion of the Bani al Rashid--had gathered at their tavern headquarters, Cothon-Under-Star, to plan an expedition into the very Spire. Snatches of conversation that could be gleaned indicated that the intended goal was to return to the "haunted" Sixth House and finally put an end to the infestation that had taken root there (as had been promised to the Attine princesses some time ago).

So they set out, by way of the Gate of Mourners, thence to swing around the Tel north and west:

• Avin (magic-user 6)
• Durham (fighting-man 6)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu)
• Ravna (magic-user 5)
• Bartholomew (magic-user 5)
  accompanied by Gan ad-Din (fighting-man 4)
• Sesel (fighting-man 6)
  accompanied by Raoden (magic-user 3?)
• Zaida al Rashid (fighting-woman 3)
  accompanied by her liege-man Rand al Marashi (footman)

The party returned to the city of Cothon through the Gate of Mourners leading carts heavily laden with collections of strange and wondrous things--and most evidently, Rand al Marashi, fighting-liegeman of Zaida, straddled a strange Klackon throne of greenish metal atop the lead cart, borne in honor. Unable to bear the dishonor of her servant being borne above her while she walked, Zaida was perched more unceremoniously upon a pile of zortrium ingots on the second cart.

This company made their way through the streets back to their tavern headquarters, there to divide their plunder. But though the treasure was of keen interest to many an onlooker, more interesting was the tale that Gan ad-Din, "Bearer of All Things" and his fighting-comrade Rand together spun as they drank the health of the company at the bar:

Returning to the Spire to cleanse the Sixth House at last, we descended through the sealed trap at the top. After securing everything of the upper levels, we rappelled down the broken stair to discover a dozen or more of the creatures infesting the Spire in the court of the House. The battle was on! The creatures were a mix of Klackons infected with terrible worms that replaced their heads, worms that sprayed burning acid, while at their feet skittered pallid beetle-things with stings that caused muscles to lock up in paralysis. But between strong sword arms and fire--much fire!--our foes were vanquished, burned away. And thus with sword, oil, and fire, the Sixth House was cleansed at last. And well did the Princesses of the other five Houses feast us when they heard of our deeds, and saw that the House was indeed cleansed of evil.

Gan in particular mentions how he fell in with the Klackon warrioress Katax, who promised that if he was indeed the warrior he claimed to be, that perhaps she could teach him something of the Klackon martial-arts. Sesel, meanwhile, as the Voice of the Survivors, claims to have been taken aside by the Klackon interpreter Txach'achit and assured that the Princess of the Ndorl--the Fifth House--has declared that there is always a place at her table for him and his comrades.

The Lucre

• 4 zortrium ingots
• the zortrium Klackon-throne
• a workshop's-worth of alchemical tools and exotic ingredients (worth some 5000 gold)
• four particularly interesting texts:
  1) a codex of Tulket ibn al-Rahm describing certain demons of the Fortress Moon
  2) a Klackon-khipu about "Experiments Toward the Creation of Ancient Warriors"
  3) a periplus-account promising the location of the Glorious Cloak of Eyes
  4) a spellbook ...
• a collection of Klackon khipu-texts, to be translated
• 4 gems meant to be set into a Klackon carapace (1030 gp; 3@10 and 1@1000)
• one especial carapace-gem, glowing dim red, clearly magical

The Learning

• 6030 from treasure
• 330 xp from underground worm (300 +hp)
• 223 xp from new worms x4 (50 + hp ea.)
• 1177 xp from "newborns" x19 (150 + hp ea.)
• 543 xp from scribs x9 (100 +hp ea.)
• 330 xp from "queen" (300 +hp)
• 200 xp to each character for exploring into the Deep Tunnels

The Cut

• 169 gp to each player-character
  83 gp to Raoden and Gan ad-Din
  17 gp to Rand
  (Zaida takes no cut of gold, but hopes perhaps to claim one of the ingots for her House)
• 1931 xp to each player-character
  966 xp to Zaida, Raoden, and Gan ad-Din
• four zortrium ingots
• the demon-codex
• the experiment-khipu
• a "map" to the Glorious Cloak of Eyes
• the spellbook
• the magical gem

Plus, these certain items require further attention:

• the zortrium throne could be sold to "the right buyer", or retained for some other project
• the alchemical tools and ingredients have been claimed by the Survivors, unless the scribes are mistaken--and if so, please let them know!
• as before, the Klackon khipu-collection must needs be translated before its true value can be known

Session #41: Pirates are the Good Guys?!

(written by Jacob, who ran this session into the Under-City catacombs under the harbor of Cothon)

Having seen an extremely successful haul in his previous adventure in the Under City Najm collected another of the barbarian-adventurers of Cothon on another foray into the stink infested rubble of the Under City.

Najm was seen early in the week speaking with his previous Renyu hireling al Rabb, discussing the goings on in the Under City and what places of interest they may be able to locate. While it is uncertain what specifically Najm learned, it would seem he learned enough to point him in some direction, as he met with Lord Althis of the Craig and the pair collected their hirelings before setting forth into the Under City.

Najm (Magic User 3)

al Rabb (Free Renyu)

Althis (Magic User 3)

Riit Rakir (Kzin 2)

Returning to the proper city of Cothon a few hours later the group was obviously laiden with treasures, laughing about something Riit had done shortly before making their way out. During some rather loud carousing afterward, Riit reveals some additional details.

Silly, smelly, loud humans! You all are so easy to distract. We made our way to a camp, and Althis, being smarter than others of his species, granted me leave to do whatever it took to distract the members of the encampment. A simple dash through the encampment, swiping wildly, was enough to cause them all to abandon their posts and chase, me of all people! How could these weak two-leggers ever think they could keep up with me in a chase! I ran them in circles like a Renyu chasing their own tail for as long as I could keep their attention. Good thing too, it was my hard work that secured our treasure!

(Further questioning reveals that Lord Althis and Najm had brokered some kind of deal with certain "former-pirates" who have holed up in one section of the catacombs, which led thence to the encounter with this other group of "smelly" human malcontents dwelling below the city ...)

The Lucre

• 30 pp + a bag of 100 pp (total 1300 gp value)

• 16 gp + a bag of 100 gp (116 gp)

• A notebook written in an unknown script

• A small box of strange red and white pellets (52 total)

• A lockbox of jewelry containing

  • An ornate belt/sash made of an extremely fine cloth. While not magical, the material is not something seen on the streets of Cothon. There are intricate designs laid into the outward facing of the sash depicting scenes of demons descending from the Fortress Moon and granting their strength to humans. The central design depicts the Fortress Moon as a crescent moon and several star-shaped designs to represent the visible lights. Due to the symbology, Najm mentions that this is not an item that can be sold on the open market, in order to be sold one must ‘find the right buyer’.

  • Buried amongst the sash is a necklace of fairly common make (500gp)

  • A pair of earrings with small inset gems to make them sparkle (100 gp)

• A pack-full of several other fairly mundane jewelry (Total value of 13,400 gp)

• A strange green-metal band similar to a collar or thin armband, but too wide, shaped like a hand cupping a large bowl. There don’t seem to be any symbols or other markings on the device.

• An odd glass tube with steel bracing outlining it. At one end the metal extends out about the length of pinky-finger and ends in a sharp point. At the other is a similarly long metal rod that ends in a couple loops. Inside the glass an odd reddish liquid is visible.

• The most detailed glass eye (for it is smooth and glassy, not slimy) that you have ever seen, including visible blood vessels and striations one might see if closely inspecting a normal human eye. Most-notably though, the pupil dilates in darkness and contracts in the light. The iris is also an odd, dark green color.

Experience Earned

• 25,416 xp from treasure

• 23 xp from killing some bandits (5+hp ea)

• 100 xp to each character for exploring previously unvisited districts

The Cut

• 8,572 xp per character

  • Note: XP is capped at 1 less than your next-next level. For example, a level 1 Magic User is capped at 4,999 XP (1 XP below level 3)

  • 4,236 xp to Riit

• 65pp, 5,622 gp and 2sp to both player-characters.

  • 770 gp and 8sp to both al Rabb

  • 800 gp and 8sp to Riit (greater for having pulled so many of the smelly humans from their camp)

Finding the right buyer for certain items will increase the gold and/or the experience shares of characters involved in this expedition (i.e. selling the sash, already accounted for in xp, would only increase gold shares; whereas deciding to seek a buyer for pellets or other items without listed value would conceivably increase values for both gold and xp).

And as always, any written report, art, etc. provided from a character perspective will earn that player-character 100 xp per level and be posted to the blog.

The Procession of Locor

(rules presented below the Procession-image; all player-characters in the city of Cothon must roll on the second table; participating in this Procession does not preclude pursuing one's own downtime during this same week, ending 7/3, so one can both participate and also pursue your own goals)

In gilded Gadeed, Mother of Cities, the auspices for the Procession of Locor have been consulted, and this week has been set for that great festival, according to the signs of the Fortress Moon. Preparations for the Procession have been underway for some weeks as anticipation built in both of the Dual-Cities, as Cothon's harbor will of course receive the idol of the Hero, to be washed there in the purifying waters of Dirac's Sea.

On the day of the Procession, the women of Banu Turan-Aqsu, the house that provides priests and priestesses for the Heroön, will veil the idol behind dark shrouds, take the robes of the last year from the idol, and place both idol and robes into his ship, by which he will be carried over the streets. In the predawn, those groups most closely associated with Locor--certain houses, families, and Guilds, but also including an escort from the Confraternity of 'Issa the Baptist--will gather in the temenos of heroes. At dawn, a call from a high tower in the temenos will announce the start of the procession, and with clash of timbrels to announce their coming, the various groups will escort the idol in its ship, carried by the arms of strong slaves, unto the Processional Way between the Long Walls, and thence through Cothon to the harbor.

All along the way, onlookers will scatter the grey tetel flowers that are beloved by Locor, while those escorting the idol will sprinkle seawater along the road before the idol, seawater that is replenished by runners--young men of promise, proving their vigor by hauling empty pithoi down to the harbor to refill them, and thence carrying the filled and sloshing jars back to the procession to replenish their seawater. The streets and buildings of the Way, in both Gadeed and Cothon, will all also be hung with banners of blue, silver, and grey, the favored colors of the Hero.

Once the procession has reached the harbor--in an area already designated and set aside for the washing and the following sacrifices--the idol will be carried out into the waters of the harbor and bathed there by the same Turan-Aqsu women. The new robes too, dedicated by noble houses of vested interest, will also be purified in the salt-sea; and as the great red sun tilts west, and all is purified, then will the priests of Locor burn the vestments of the past year as kindling for the bonfire of the sacrifice. Hmela will be led into the makeshift temenos at the harbor, slaughtered there, and roasted in a public liturgy and feast, their meat given out to the worshippers present, while wine is poured into the sea for Locor, and drunk in abundance by all present.

Those in the city may wish to partake directly in this festival. As with previous such affairs, the easiest way to participate is by spending a bit of coin to dress appropriately, and then joining the Procession as it enters Cothon (the city of Gadeed, of course, being barred to the entry of non-citizens and barbarians without invite!).

The following table indicates different levels of spending and participation in which one may indulge (but the options are not limited to those on the table; so long as one spends gold and describes its expenditure in consonance with the tenor of the festival, it will be considered well-spent, i.e. feel free to develop other ways to participate):

Gold Spent ...	… preparing for the Procession
10 dinars (gp)	purchase bundle of tetel flowers to scatter along the road
25 dinars	this is the price for those who wish to carry seawater for the procession
50 dinars	have a handsome blue (Locor's color)  cloak of fine cotton tailored
100 dinars	buy a helm or headdress in the form of a murex-shell, the eyed-prow  of a galley, a crested dolphin, etc. to go with your cloak
200 dinars	procure a cloak embroidered with tetel flowers and waves, and clasped  with silver fish-hooks, as well as providing a hmela for the liturgy

Money spent on preparations affects the character's roll on the next table (below)--spending at least 25 gold and up to 150 gold will provide a +1 bonus to the second roll, while spending beyond that will provide a +2 bonus to the second roll.

This second table? Unfortunately, early apprehensions about the atmosphere around the Procession have proven true, and even as the sacrifices had been completed and the feasting was well under way, a large group of veiled men (and women?) began moving through the streets around the harbor, intimidating, beating, and robbing drunk festival-goers and bystanders alike, lighting fires in the smaller taverns along the quays. In the violence it was noted that many of them wielded boathooks like those the Guild of Longshoremen use to help guide ships to their berths along the quays, leading to initial consternation that the Longshoremen were acting out against certain of the families among the festival with ties to the businesses attempting to send "scab" laborers to collect their goods directly without paying the middlemen of the Guild ... (near the bottom of this post is the first rumor of the Longshoremen's discontent)

But in the confusion and violence of the riots lasting through the night--until finally quelled by quickly-summoned retinues of soldiers from Long Walls and elsewhere--the great warehouses of the harbor, where the goods and freight broken down by the Longshoremen are stored, were also found to have been burned and looted, casting even more confusion over the violence of the night.

Who really attacked whom? And was the arson and looting motivated, or oppurtunistic?

While such questions are fodder for the great houses and tribes, the Four Taverns, the guilds, and other such political actors, on a more personal side, every player-character in the city of Cothon must roll on the table below, regardless of whether they took part in the Procession, in order to see how they were affected by the riots. Remember that spending gold up to the thresholds noted above will grant certain bonuses to this roll of 2d4:

2d4 Result	In the riot, your character was ...
2	not attending the festival, and surprised by the outbreak of violence;  in the confusion the character either lost or was robbed of 1d6 x 50 gold
3	roughed up or otherwise injured, whether by someone, or in the crush  of the crowd; the character starts their next expedition minus 2-7 hp  (but this injury can't bring them below 1 hp)
4	caught up in a brawl or at the scene of arson or looting; the character  starts their next expedition minus 1-6 hp, and must save v. petrification  or be suspected of participation (perhaps truthfully?)
5	able to escape the violence in a panga with others, and watched the  fires and riot from the harbor-waters, no worse for wear
6	accompanied by friends, and there is strength in numbers--in a scuffle  with rioters the character either (your choice) (1) defeated 1d6 ruffians,  worth 50 xp each, OR (2) gained the respect of an acquaintance they were  with, creating a new relationship
7	wary of the tension in the air, and able to sneak out of the harbor  early, plus a bottle of wine worth 25 gp (or other sweet-meat of like value)
8+	in the company of someone of some rank, and so earned their regard  by the character's assistance; either (1) increase your relationship with  someone already known, OR (2) roll to see the new acquaintance's rank  (on a d6, 1-3 is a citizen, 4-5 is a minor noble, 6 is someone of a major  house or tribe

By way of example, the referee's (surviving) character, Najm, who is associated with the Confraternity of 'Issa, and therefore looking forward to finally seeing the great Procession, decides to spend 125 gold, both to have a cloak tailored for him to wear in the Procession, and additionally for the honor of carrying the refilled pithoi of seawater to the Processors. For the cloak, he takes the golden sahulen-plumes he purchased from Han the merchant, and has them sewn on as trim to a handsome blue cotton cloak, clasped at his shoulder with a silver brooch shaped as a snakelike ninnenyelu fish.

Rolling on the second table to see what happened to him when the rioting broke out, I rolled a 4 and 4, +1, for an 8+ result. Najm was in the company of Bassil, a merchant with whom he has a little acquaintance. Najm assisted Bassil and the crew and/or friends with the merchant in escaping quickly out to the merchant's ship, where Bassil no-doubt poured some wine to regale his friends with far-fetched tales of his own heroism, at which certain eyes rolled. Nevertheless, the experience of the night has strengthened their bond, and the two are now more than mere acquaintances.

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Below is a list of the names of characters known currently to be in Cothon. Please reply to this post, or email me, or send me a message to let me know how your character spends their gold, if any, and what the result of the "riot roll" is. I'll cross names off as I receive the info:

Najm
Avin
Sesel
Lars
Durham
Dehuhada
June
Arngeir
Stavros
Meathead
Persephone
Heijo
Razo
Gan (the original, not the "bearer")
Torkol