Session 20230202 Resting in Kajeth
General Summary
Day one, Calendar
Lyris, Bertrum Blumenthal and Nightshade decided they would rather sleep in a decent inn (with a bath if possible). Once they found one Lyris negotiated with Duskflower Ghresis, the host, for lodging in exchange for performing. The latter promised space in the common room, or better accomodation if the performance went well.
Lyris played lute music, alternating with displays of knife juggling with Nightshade. After a good warmup Lyris cut loose with one of the finest performances ever seen not only in the inn but the city. mechanics
Nightshade climbed out of an upper window to find her way out through the crowd and after a brief discussion with a local headed to the rangers' barracks as there is an apothecary who sells to the military there. Nightshade paid the asking price for Heroes Respite Potion for Lyris after first being offered some blood staunching compresses. While the apothecary did have medical supplies there weren't any that would be better than what the Manifold Tinkerer already has and still be portable. The seller was polite but distant enough that the Lynxfolk hunter noticed. They both walked back to the performance, where the crowd parted to let Nightshade and her companion in, for no reason she could determine.
After realising that the music made working in the common room impossible Betrum went out looking for raw materials as he owes several people his newly invented loud hailers and he wants to manufacture a portable forge. His guide took him to a place that had the first rate materials he desired but after some negotiation he decided they were beyond his means and bought cheaper alternatives. mechanics
Given the success of the performance Ghresis gives the three the inn's finest suite, with multiple bedrooms, its own bath and marble and metal fittings.
Day Two
After a late morning and a leisurely breakfast (Nightshade decides she likes butter spread on chicken) the three made their way to the meeting. Fruitful Scrupulence announced that he would be staying in the city at least a week for trading and to plan his next trip. Everyone was welcome to join the next leg, can continue to stay in the barracks and he or Straight Cedar will check for messages at least daily if anyone needs to contact them.
Bertrum refined the plans for his loud hailers for the new materials and went over them with Yamak.mechanics
Nightshade and Lyris climbed up into the upper city and found a library where they researched the possibility of restoring the soul-eaten ex-prisoners. They learned that their souls are believed to be intact, they will typically pass on through Lethe and into reincarnation as normal. A more common term is dream-eaten, and it results in a complete loss of sense of self and independence. It is (almost) completely unknown for people to recover by themselves, some Exalted are believed to be capable of heal victims.
Day Three
The Tinkerer constructed another two loud hailers of comparable quality. mechanics
Lyris and Nightshade went looking for a place to sell at least one of the loud hailers. First they tried the horse traders as they seemed the most expensive. They saw large stables with each trader having a silk pavilion they wait in for supplicants who wish to buy their horses. Seemed very much a sellers market, with outsiders more likely to be turned away without result. The courses used to demonstrate the horses' abilities include obstacles and mazes highlighting the unusual intelligence of the animals. Nightshade started to suspect that they had poor information about the rights of intelligent animals (that they might be closer to slaves than, as Big Nose had informed them, citizens). However some people she talked with suggested that talking animals are more commonly found deeper inside Halta's borders, though there would be some in the city. Deciding the horse traders would have no use for the loud hailers they kept looking, and Nightshade's superior hearing led them to an open market where a serious of confusing auctions at loud volumes were being used to buy and sell staple products. Lyris convinced one of the factors to allow him to work there for the day running auctions using the loud speaker (not that he ever understood the process). The people in the market were impressed by the loud and clear sounds Lyris made.
Day Four
Lyris returns to the market and sells a single loud hailer (stressing its unique nature) for a considerable sum. mechanics
The party have now spent enough time in and travelling through the city to estimate its population at several hundred thousand, which strikes them as implausible given (among other factors) that it is surrounded by forest rather than farm land and is not directly on a river.
Bertrum's Journal
Dear Journal, Today was a busy day, filled with excitement and adventure. After our battle with the Fae, Lyris, Nightshade and I decided to take a break from the caravan and look for an inn. Lyris charmed the innkeeper with his music and convinced him to give us rooms in exchange for a live performance. I took the opportunity to go shopping for spell ingredients and materials to make my loud hailers. Although I wasn't able to afford the ingredients for the spells, I was able to purchase the materials I needed, including glass offcuts. I returned to the inn and began working on my designs for the loud hailers. Lyris borrowed my Skyborn Flute and his performance was so captivating that it drew a massive crowd.The next day, we met with the caravan leader, Fruitful Scrupulence, who informed us that we would be in town for the week. I asked him to acquire the spell components I needed in exchange for two of my loud hailers, and he agreed. I spent the rest of the day working on my loud hailers, while Lyris and Nightshade went to the library to find a way to help the soul-ravaged people. The day after, Lyris was feeling restless, so I suggested that he use his performance skills to sell one of my loud hailers and give us some operating cash. Lyris agreed and found a commodities market where he used the loudhailer to assist with transactions, drawing a lot of attention. He then auctioned off the loudhailer and it fetched a great price.
I stayed at the inn, continuing to build more loud hailers and instructing my apprentice, Yamak. It's been a productive and fulfilling day and I look forward to what the future holds. Sincerely,
Bertrum