Caravan

Recap

To summarize our to-do list, as it's been a while:

• Diomarche's Quest: Diomarche encounters Ekarna, a fellow centaur from his Herd, who is in town to sell leatherwork due to poor crop yields caused by a drought. The Maharani hasn’t been helping with the drought, and Diomarche is advised to visit his mother back at the Herd.
• Gale's Quest: Gale is approached by Dubrek, who seeks assistance in flying through the mountains to find the Phoenix’s Nest to obtain feathers. Dubrek consulted a Mage in the Golden Tower, known for her scrying abilities, for guidance on this quest.
• Scout's Quest: Scout is approached by Messalani, a high elf merchant, who requests his shamanic skills to help fix the Tree Network, a transportation network run by elves that is not functioning properly. The network, which has a divine component, is crucial for maintaining trade and communication.
• Nesh's Quest: Nesh is confronted by Virga, an officer of the law, who is investigating why a group of centaurs had a magic item pointing to Nesh. Nesh speculates that the Oasis might want him. Virga casts investigative spells on Nesh, suggesting there’s more to Nesh’s connection to the Oasis.
• Stella's Quest: Stella meets Hama Aliki, a priest of the Goddess, who discusses the organization of the Merchant Varna. Hama suggests that Stella should consider aligning more closely with the religious practices of the land, as the Lady of Lore is interested in developing the Merchant Varna.
• Managaratha's Quest: Managaratha discusses with Vikarna Vesta about disturbances in Feelings magic, indicating something is off with how emotions are being affected by magic. The disturbances are subtle but noticeable, suggesting a potential larger issue.
• Vidan's Quest: Vidan is informed by Suvatra about an imminent attempt to remove the Maharani from power, possibly involving violence. Suvatra suspects the Life faction might be involved, though she lacks definitive proof. Vidan is tasked with investigating and preventing this potential coup.

A Day in Habani

Loric Assan introduces Alasfal, who will help us with packing. We will be leaving (tomorrow morning) at dawn. Alasfal starts packing our stuff.

Nesh checks with Virga - is there anything else he needs to do? Well, he does still want to investigate why the cataurs are hunting him, but he can't bring Nesh in for questioning now that the Maharani has summoned him.

Diomarche checks with Ekarna about details about the drought. It's mostly north of the Queen's River, and mostly in the east. No Blue Mage hired to fix it.

Gale uses her pirate tael to get everyone (including Managaratha and Scout) court clothes, with advice from Alasfal. (Gale thinks she can add one of the Lady Necklaces for her costume.) We also arrange to sell the other spare boat for 1.5 loot.

She also meets up with Dubrek again to say we won't be here in a week but will come back.

Nobody gets kidnapped before morning.

Day One

We join the caravan in the morning. Lissa Terra and Suvatra are both in the caravan. (Loric Assan is in charge of it.) It looks like it's two army units - infantry and centaurs. Technically, the army unit is the Maharani's guards, and the merchant caravan has joined up with it to travel, as long as they can keep up.

Hama speaks in Stella's head. That matter she had told Stella about - there are a number of merchants traveling with the group. The four going to make presentations and support to Her Majesty:

• Marindal Lamon - jeweler
• Dalin Jaseer - horse merchant
• Quartz (a dwarf) - weaponsmith
• Fasanta Dimar - selling papers and ink

If Stella can help and make sure they go well, that would be appreciated.

There are also some other named people, mostly in the merchant group:

• Mingdar is the supply sergeant
• Talinda, a seller of hunting birds (hawks and falcons)
• Jabril, a cloth merchant
• Lissa Terra
• Suvatra

Stella starts chatting with the merchants, and gets a better sense of the Merchant Varna. There are no guilds here - it's not legal to have groups of merchants operating together in that way.

Gale also chats with people - there are monsters out here too, not just bandits. The Roc is the scariest of the monsters. Also unreality effects. The random Yellow effects seem more frequent here than in the other countries so far.

Vidan talks to Lissa Terra and Suvatra.

Stella casts Camp, which is super comfy. Alasfel is a little fretful that she isn't doing her job.

(That night, Nesh spots Talinda sneaking into someone else's tent. (Dalin Jaseer)

Day Two

Day two, Stella talks more to the four merchants she should be helping. Quartz is glad to talk to someone who knows about forges. Fasanta is the most interested in the political ramifications of the change that Hama wants. Quartz is on personal business. Dalin just seems too young to be talking to the Maharani. Marindal is taking advantage of the Varna structure and restructuring if need be.

Talinda and Jabril also have things to present - Jabril has cloth, Talinda has birds - hawks, falcons.

Diomarche talks to Mingdar.

Nesh looks for people paying particular attention to him - there don't seem to be any. He thinks there's probably some illusions here and there, but not the way the city was.

Gale puts together a card game - most of the merchants are interested. The game is Gale, Nesh, Marindal, Dalin, Fasanta, Talinda, and Jabril.

Nesh does best. Dalin is close behind. Marindal, Fasanta, and Jabril are even, Gale loses a little, and Talinda gets crushed.

Gale notes that both Dalin and Jabril are up for flirting - Jabril is older and would know it for a pleasant game. She flirts with Dalin, on the theory that he has more of a plot she might learn about, but not enough to learn his secrets.

Day Three

We are starting to realize that we are missing the plot. Stella asks the Goddess what needs fixing, and gets seventeen successes. Good heavens.

Stella was asked to fix: "Make sure they have solid presentations to give to Her Majesty." With the exception of Marindal, they mostly don't.

• Dalin is just going to get nervous and flub it.
• Quartz will give her good weapons but will not move the agenda.
• Fasanta has the right skills but the Queen doesn't care about stationery. (Needs to spin it in the war-relevant way.)

In addition - it's not that DI is specifically shielding something, but something that Stella would think needs fixing is something another priest of the Goddess is actively working on. So her successes have crushed any actual resistance, but not the general NDA that it's a Goddess priest's plan. The Goddess gives Stella a hint, though:

• Vidan has been presented with a thing that he's supposed to be fixing...

Wait, the assassin is coming with us? Nesh is the only one who's noticed anyone, and reminds us Talinda has been sneaking around.

Vidan asks Alasfel to get him a cloak.

Stella and Diomarche talk to the supply sergeant. He hasn't even heard of a supply chain, so they can see how the ability to order 200 swords at once rather than knowing twenty smiths in different cities would be useful. He thinks durable high quality paper is good, not fancy ink. Stella realizes that "have a supply chain" is the change Hama is talking about and it would actually be helpful in the war against the Slith, not just politically useful for merchants. So now maybe we have an opinion on the plot. (Perhaps we should also figure out the reasons against it to be fully informed.)

Vidan watches Talinda. She invisibly sneaks into Quartz's tent and then back into her own. Oh - the reason Nesh noticed her is because she's invisible, and he didn't realize that.

Perhaps we will give up for the moment and have Scout follow her tomorrow.

Loot

• 1.5 loot for selling the other spare ship
• 8 EPS
• 10 Skill Points
• Court Clothes for Everyone