The Eye of Anubis: Book Three

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan shook his head and smiled a little at the theological discussion he'd managed to start, but didn't really get a chance to reply.

Some woman came out running and scraping at the ground. Kuzan frowned, forcibly not making an expression of unease. She looked like an untouchable. He edged his horse away a little bit. While she was technically outside the caste system, he didn't want to risk an impurity.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia hesitates. 'This looks bad,' she notes to herself. 'Child death ... Wait, would -?' Anyone looking directly at Lia can see her first stiffen, then tremble with rage as one name blazes through her head: 'Cavendish!'

Lia edges her cart a little closer to the grieving couple. "My condolences with your loss," she says, looking at the two Rashemani. "If it is not too insensitive that I ask ... What happened to your Mehmun?"

[yalenusveler]

Andre wasn't a mind reader. Oh, certainly he had heard of such spells, and even considered trying to learn them. But it didn't take one with the mentalist's gift to read Lia's expression. Or to read that Andre was coming to the very same conclusion, and liking it approximately as much as Lia did, if not less so.

[NeoTiamat]

Siruc, Western Elazig District, Hazlan
May 12th, 761, 8:49 PM; Day 56 of the Menetnashte Expedition
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"I am Beysim Avras, Salime is my brother's wife, my lords," The man held Salime close. "And I shall start at the beginning."

"Mehmun was a good lad, a strong youth of fourteen, but a few days ago.... we found him no more." Beysim took a breath. "He is not the first, nor even the third young one taken from us this past year. It is the wanderers, the wretched thieves, who take our children leave nothing."

"Mehmun..." The woman cried out, burying her head in Beysim's shoulder. The Rashemani patted her awkwardly, trying to calm her.

"You're wrong, Beysim Avras, and you are wrong to blame all your woes on the gypsies." A new voice called out, a cultured, bored voice. It was the Lawgiver priest. "Rishad Nisanci shall take care of the wolf infestation, and maybe then peasants will stop getting themselves killed by flea-bitten mongrels."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Wanderers ...?" Lia repeats, glancing to and fro between the Rashemani and the Mulan cleric. "What 'wanderers' are these?"

[yalenusveler]

"Vistani is my guess." Andre said, finding this situation growing more...unpleasantly odd by the moment. And after dealing with Cavendish and his macabre sense of humor, his unpleasantly odd threshold was not something to be tested.

"Am I correct?" He directed to the Mulan priest, his tone respectful. One can only make an enemy of a certain number of oppressive clergy before it becomes an odious personal habit, after all.

[The Whistler]

"He is not the first, nor even the third young one taken from us this past year. It is the wanderers, the wretched thieves, who take our children leave nothing."

[Vaasi] "How long has this been going on." It's barely a question; spoken quietly, a bit halting.

The arrival of the priest seems to break Otto out of his focus, or at least shift it abruptly to a less sympathetic target. His posture and facial expression stiffen as he attends to this unwelcome interruption, his mouth twitching downward at the corners.

[Nathan of the FoS]

"You're wrong, Beysim Avras, and you are wrong to blame all your woes on the gypsies." A new voice called out, a cultured, bored voice. It was the Lawgiver priest. "Rishad Nisanci shall take care of the wolf infestation, and maybe then peasants will stop getting themselves killed by flea-bitten mongrels."

Seeing that they're going to be detained here for a while, Charles swings down from his horse and bows to the Lawgiver clergyman. Vaasi "Good morning, honored one" he says politely. "I am Charles Martel, a nobleman of Dementlieu; my companions and I form an archaeological expedition backed by the Dementlieuse government in transit to the Amber Wastes. We are here to spend the night with one of your fellows, a friend to our caravan-leader. Has there been trouble with brigands in these parts recently??"

Bluff 20 (in your inbox, NT) to convey that we are Persons Of Importance and that answering questions will be worth his while.

[NeoTiamat]

Siruc, Western Elazig District, Hazlan
May 12th, 761, 8:49 PM; Day 56 of the Menetnashte Expedition
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seeing that they're going to be detained here for a while, Charles swings down from his horse and bows to the Lawgiver clergyman. "Good morning, honored one" he says politely. "I am Charles Martel, a nobleman of Dementlieu; my companions and I form an archaeological expedition backed by the Dementlieuse government in transit to the Amber Wastes. We are here to spend the night with one of your fellows, a friend to our caravan-leader. Has there been trouble with brigands in these parts recently??"

"Ah yes... you would be the academics the Rishad mentioned. Would you rather continue in Mordentish?" The priest was not necessarily impressed, but seemed to be willing to take the Expedition members as equals, at least on a probationary level. "We are educated here, you know, regardless of what you westerners tend to think. I am Biskop Turasan Kadri, the ranking cleric for this part of the District."

"There haven't been any bandits in the area, just a group of Vistani as your comrade surmised. A few other local troubles, but that is normal enough, and none of your concern, really. Wolves really, are the worst problem, but they're no danger to a group this large."

Biskop Kadri continued, more or less utterly ignoring the Rashemani drama in the streets. "I dwell at the Nisanci estate, where I believe you are bound. Would you care to accompany me?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Vaasi] "How long has this been going on." It's barely a question; spoken quietly, a bit halting.

Vaasi
"It has been going on.... too long, my lord." Beysim nodded his head respectfully at the Lamordian. "Mehmun was the fifth child in a week. It happens in waves, for years nothing, then a dozen are lost in a scant turning of the moon."

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan hung back a little bit while the rambling in Vaasi went on. He didn't understand anyway, so better to let those who did deal with it. That and the untouchables were still hanging nearby. He knew he had no way to tell if these peasants actually qualified for untouchability, but he squirmed a little regardless. He made a mental note to do a purifying ritual later that evening to cleanse his dharma, and do a blessing for the Expedition at large.

In the meantime, he muttered a quiet prayer in Sri Rajian. "Gods forgive my transgression, and theirs. I beg you to overlook this karmic misstep and guide us on the path to Heaven."

And then Turasan began speaking Mordentish. Kuzan breathed a faint sigh of relief. Despite the untouchables babbling nearby and the priest claiming everything was fine, he was a bit curious what the fuss was all about.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly to the nearest expedition member.

[Nathan of the FoS]

"We are educated here, you know, regardless of what you westerners tend to think. I am Biskop Turasan Kadri, the ranking cleric for this part of the District."

"Ah, Biskop Kadri, I well know your education is the equal of ours," Charles says in Mordentish, nodding; his smiling demeanor has been replaced by the gravity more appreciated in the East. "Or at least I should hope so, as I was educated here myself. I lived for several years in Toyalis, and my chances to speak Vaasi are so limited that I do my best to avail myself of every opportunity."

Biskop Kadri continued, more or less utterly ignoring the Rashemani drama in the streets. "I dwell at the Nisanci estate, where I believe you are bound. Would you care to accompany me?"

"Of course, Biskop," Charles replies. Switching to Vaasi and speaking in a slightly lower voice, he says, "My companions are soft-hearted folk and would like to speak to the Rashemi about the missing chlidren; your patience, I pray, while they make inquiries."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Turasan began speaking Mordentish. Kuzan breathed a faint sigh of relief. Despite the untouchables babbling nearby and the priest claiming everything was fine, he was a bit curious what the fuss was all about.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly to the nearest expedition member.

"The woman's child, a boy named Mehmun, has gone missing," Lia replies, equally quietly so as not to betray that she understands Vaasi to the natives. "He is the fifth in a week, they say. They also say that the disappearance of children is a phenomenon that occurs in waves. For years nothing, then a dozen or more within a single month. Poor woman. The man with her blames the Vistani, of all things, the overdressed priest seems to believe it is all the result of wolf attacks ... Those wolves would have to be very hungry, however."

Lia glances at the exchange between Charles and Turasan. Behind her mask, her lip curls in derision. 'Odious little maggot. Doesn't seem to care a whit for the people supposedly under his care. Tsss ... And if Charles' behaviour is anything to go by, he is a powerful man in these parts. Best step cautiously and not address him unless it is absolutely necessary.'

[The Whistler]

Otto's body language grew progressively stiffer--more strained?--during the conversation between Charles and Kadri, his eyes darting from the grieving family, to the priest, to the mathematician, then back to the family, then...

"My companions are soft-hearted folk and would like to speak to the Rashemi about the missing chlidren; your patience, I pray, while they make inquiries."

A look of profound relief washed over the gunsmith's face, though one still mingled with a certain amount of discomfort. To Charles and the priest [Vaasi]"Yes--er...thank you..."

Taking a few steps toward Beysim and Salime, the foreign syllables coming in a torrent--"A thousand condolences for your loss, Mr. Avras, good madam, I--"

He stopped, drew in a breath. Then, slower, more measured: "...I have interest in your plight. Forgive me...if it is not too difficult to say in this tragic time: was there any...commonality between these missing children? Some characteristic linking the various disappearances, I mean."

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan raised an eyebrow. Despite apparent caste differences, he was a nice guy. But at the same time, he didn't want to tick off the powers that be in this strange world. He figured that being a foreign priest, he was already treading on thin ice as it was.

"I see," he murmured, "Is it worth messing with the Vistani, though?"

[DocBeard]

Tomas is a little confused, largely because the Vaasi people are speaking Mordentish and his own posse are speaking Vaasi.

Still, three things stand out to him: The slight flinch Kuzan just showed, strange, the whole 'abducting child' thing...and, more disturbingly, the local priest blaming wolves. Tomas spares Otto a quick glance, before unmounting and proceding to put a hand on the grieving woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry about your son."

He looks up at the Rishad, then. "Wolf attacks? I have been hearing that Kartikan wolves...or werewolves...sometimes venture into other nations. Do you mean something like that, sir?"