Recent Posts

"The Dragon's Jaws has one of the best taverns in the city. It has amazing ales on tap, and it only recently added a wing with a restaurant and rooms to become an inn. Several famous people have stayed at the Jaws when they visit the city."

   A member of the Purple Dragons assigned to guide them to the inn where they would be staying courtesy of the Royal Court of Cormyr was happily chatting with them as he led them along the curved Promenade. They passed the spot where the body of the fallen red dragon lay.

   "I have never heard of the place," Jayce said, "can you tell me more? Where did it get its name?"

   The soldier talked of a spellbattle that had once happened between some drunk men and an attractive woman whom they were harassing who turned out to have been a metallic dragon in disguise. It did not go well for those men or for the structure of the tavern's walls. On the bright side, it motivated the owner to finally add the addition that he had always wanted.

   Jayce seemed delighted to learn a new story and immediately began pondering how he might put the tale to music.

   They were led to a complex of large buildings on the corner. A street sign read "Street of Staves". The northwestern corner of the roof of the nearest stone addition of the complex was collapsed.

   "Here we are," said the Purple Dragon, making no comment about the likely dragon damage. He paused and held his arm to the doorway of the larger, wooden structure adjacent to and sharing a wall with the damaged stone one.

   They entered the inn. Belvin and Leokas once again refrained from entering the building and rested outside on some benches.

   Inside, they found a large open room 45 feet by 25 feet, with a second-story balcony. It had four long tables and four tables for two spread about and a bar with stools on the western side. There was a staircase going up to the balcony, a bench, and several doors to guest rooms on the southern wall, and a large fireplace on the eastern wall.

   All the tables were empty except for one of the smaller ones when they entered. At this table sat a noble woman, who ignored them and sipped at her beverage. (When Solisar tried to bow at her, she looked away and snobbishly raised her nose.) Only two others were in the room, the bartender, a dwarf with a cook's hat, and a young boy, who was sitting by the fire.

   The Purple Dragon entered behind them and approached the dwarf at the bar to inform him of their arrangements.

   The boy became very excited upon seeing guests enter. He hopped up from his stool and approached them. "Sirs and Ladies, can I interest you in placing an order for dinner from the Puffing Jester. We have a special arrangement with the Jaws, because a dragon burned the kitchen down. Only one golden dragon per person. Would you like to see a menu, please?"

   "Is that one gold piece per person?" asked Szordrin. "That is pricey, is it not?"

   "They are decent-sized meals," said the youth.

   "Suzail is rumored to have some of the best restaurants," said Jayce.

   "It is no rumor," said the boy.

   "Have you ever eaten in another city?" asked Oma.

   "No, but I know that the food is not as good anywhere else. It cannot be!"

   "That is a kind offer, young cutter, but I do not have any money for food," said Sofi.

   "What did you do with all the money from the sale of the metal eggs?" asked Oma.

   "I donated most of it to the Pantheist Temple of Tyr," said Sofi, as if this were a normal way to spend adventurers' loot. "Hakam has convinced me, at least, of the worthiness of Tyr's cause."

   "That is most generous of you, Sofi," said Hakam. "I shall pay for your meal."

   "That is very kind of you, Hakam," said Sofi. "Thank you." Then, to the boy, she said, "Do you have any food without meat?"

   "Why would anyone eat food with no meat?" says the boy.

   Jayce had already taken the menu from the boy by now and was skimming the Puffing Jester's offerings. "No, but the roast gammon pie looks good!" he exclaimed. "I shall have that."

   The boy took their orders, and he hurried off into the street. They took seats at one of the large tables. Jayce sat next to Sofi and asked if she wanted to hear more of the story that he had last been sharing with her.

   "I would enjoy that," she said.

   Szordrin sat next to her on the other side and said, "Why do you not share it with me too?"

   Kytharrah also sat down — as best he could — in a chair for storytime as well.

   Hakam walked over to the bartender, who greeted him cheerfully. "My name is Milo. Milo Dudley! You all look like you are in desperate need of some beverages to pour into those stomachs. What can I bring out for all of you? I am told that you are guests of the queen mother, so all drinks are on the house."

   "Where I come from," Szordrin whispered to Sofi back at the table, "a milo is a kind of drink."

   "I have never tasted that," said Sofi, but she half-giggled anyway.

   "Whatever you would recommend," answered Hakam.

   "Well, the most popular — and for good reason — drink on tap is Suzale," said Milo Dudley. "I trust you get the joke? But it is indeed a fine ale, with nutty undertones. It was first brewed here as a gift for King Azoun, and it is also the official ale of the Purple Dragons. I also have several wines from the Dalelands tonight, which are a special treat for this tenday."

   Suzale seemed satisfactory to everyone, except for Sofi, who only had water. Milo brought pewter pints to everyone, filled with the namesake ale. "I am told that you will also be needing rooms. Some of our rooms upstairs are not quite ready for you yet, but are currently being cleaned. There are three rooms here downstairs that are already available. Feel free to take your pick. They tend to be a bit noisier than the rooms upstairs, however, so you may want to wait. The stone of silence does not protect them as well from the sound from the tavern, but it still does some good. It depends on how light a sleeper you are.

   "The tavern, which is connected through that passage there, does not open until dusk, and that is when this dining area officially closes. With the kitchen closed, I truly do not mind however long you wish to relax in here, but I will be moving over there to start serving to the guests of the tavern wing."

   The youth, aided with a couple friends, returned with their delivered food as they were nearly finishing their first pint of ale. The advertised roast gammon pie was a roast ham pie with apricot, honey, pecans, and vegetables, and it was indeed quite tasty. Several of them offered Sofi bits of their crust, but she refused, "just in case it came into contact with the meat." Milo, however, without being asked, brought her out an assortment of dried fruit and vegetables from the storehouse in the back of the kitchen, and she happily accepted these.

   Hakam asked the red-bearded dwarf, "It looks like you do not have many customers. Have the dragon attacks affected your business?"

   "It is true," said Milo. "We used to be known for our restaurant food, but the restaurant is shut down until the kitchen can be repaired. We have had to make an arrangement with the Puffing Jester, who used to be a competitor. Tourism is also down these days. The bar will probably be full tonight though. Alcohol is a good way to forgot one's anxieties, and there are the ever popular competitions. I cannot recall which event is on the schedule for tonight, but they are always fun."

   They began to finish off their meals. Jayce still had more to go, as he was so busy storytelling and making Sofi laugh. As it grew closer to dusk, the noblewoman got up and moved to the other wing of the complex, leaving them the only guests in the room.

   They heard loud meowing outside the door, and Milo opened it, as if it was a common occurrence to open the door to meowing cats. A black cat pranced in, and they saw that it was Panther. He came and hopped up onto Oma's lap and began to meow and purr. "Thank you, Panther," she said. Then she said to the others at the table, "I invited Nargroth to join us after his shift is over. It is almost dusk; I am going to go into the tavern and wait for him."

   One by one, they followed after her. (Leokas and Belvin had joined them for dinner at the table, but now they escaped outside again.) The tavern wing was half the size of the dining area, but it was already filling up with customers, most of them middle-class or aspiring nobles. They gathered around another long table with ten chairs by a smaller fireplace on the western wall, near a set of stairs that likely went up to the inn's upper-level rooms. Most of the locals were either at the bar stools on the back wall or at small, square tables at the north wall at the front. Milo soon came over from the restaurant side and went to work behind the counter at the back, leaving table serving to two women. One of them came up to their new table, once they had settled.

   "Heya! My name is Rustreene," said the pleasantly plump and cheerful waitress in a tight bodice and poofy skirt. "Would you like to order any drinks?"

   "Water for me," says Sofi.

   "What do you have to offer?" asks Jayce.

   "For someone has handsome as you, anything you want?" She squeezed his cheek.

   Those who still felt like imbibing ordered more Suzale, and she went back behind to the bar counter to fill their orders. Nargroth came in through the door, and Oma called out to him. "There you are! I saved a seat for you."

   "Great! Where's the beer?"

   They were all served and began to enjoy themselves. Those less prone to drunkenness in the party glanced around the room and took in more of the patrons. At the bar were a couple notable individuals. At the very end was a bald mad with a sleeveless shirt whose muscles bulged from his arms. At the opposite end, on the stool against the wall, sat an obese man who appeared to be dressed in an off-white bathing robe with pale blue trim. His black hair was in a sort of top bun, though the front of his head seemed to be bald. He was certainly Kara-Turan of some variety. The fat man was stroking a cat that was curled up next to his pint.

   This animal and Panther were not the only cats in the room. Milo had set a bowl of milk on the bar counter, and two additional cats were currently drinking from it. Panther grew excited and asked Oma with a meow if he could go socialize with the other cats and drink some milk, and she allowed him.

   After a while, from the restaurant section of the establishment, a gnome entered the room. He walked with a limp and cane but otherwise seemed as fit as a youth.

   "Oloré, Amara!" he called out to one of the female patrons. To another, "How farest thee, Fredrik?" Indeed, he greeted every patron in the bar by name, and they all greeted him back like a long-lost family member. Then he game to the adventurers' table. "Last but not least, we have newcomers this night! Are ye new to the town or only to this, my tavern?"

   "We arrived in Suzail this morning," said Hakam. "We are waiting for an audience with the dowager queen on the morrow."

   "Impressive! You must all be some important people to have a meeting with the queen mother. Name is Gnorm. That is Gnorm with a G. Are you staying up until the halfling-throwing bout? First place wins a kiss from Molly Sara and a platinum coin." He eyed Kytharrah. "Now you definitely want to play this game; I can tell."

   "Play?"

   "What are the rules?" asked Solisar, a bit concerned for the well being of the mentioned halfling.

   "No offense, my elven friend, but halflings probably weigh more than you can throw."

   "I am asking for my minotaur friend."

   "Well, well, then. Mostly, it is exactly what it sounds like. Here's how it works. We have halflings who have volunteered to — with the help of a little alcohol — be the tossee on a rotating schedule. Next door is an extra-long barn that I have converted into a gaming hall for feats of strength and agility, and tonight, halfling-tossing is on the schedule. Basically, whoever can toss the halfling the farthest wins. The rules are: no magic, just your own natural strength. You get three tosses per person. Every round, that is, every toss — all players toss in a round — you win three points for farthest throw, two for the second farthest, and one for third. Highest score after three rounds wins. If there is ever a tie in a single round, the tied players for that round toss again."

   "What if there is injury to the halfling?" asked Szordrin.

   "Oh, we have a few clerics and magic potions on stock for that sort of thing, but we dump gallons of water onto the ground to make it into a mud pit so that it is safe for the tossees. No one has gotten terribly hurt yet — bruises, definitely, but the local halfling population sees it as a sign of manliness to volunteer. I honestly did not come up with the idea; one of the halflings did. But it sure is fun to watch!"

   "This sounds like the best tavern ever!" said Nargroth, who had already downed his first drink.

   Gnorm left his guests and walked to the sliding wall on the opposite side from the fireplace. To loud cheers from the crowd, he slid the wall back, revealing an opening into the adjacent barn.

   The bald and muscular man at the end of the bar counter slammed his stein down with a shout, causing the cats to jump and scatter temporarily. "Yeah, it's time!" He hurried from his tool to the barn.

   Then the obese man at the other end stood up and untied his kimono slowly. The crowd in the bar began cheering loudly, "Maru! Maru! Maru!" He removed the robe and set it gently on his stool. At first, he appeared naked, but he was, in fact, wearing a thick and padded loincloth. Out of his clothes, it was clear that he was not only fat; he was also powerfully built.

   This Maru slowly made his way into the barn, and Nargroth grabbed Kytharrah by the arm. "Come on, buddy, let's do this!"

   The barn was 35 feet wide and 120 feet long. It was about two and a half stories tall and dimly lit by torches. The northern end, where the contestants and audience were gathering was hardwood-floored for the first 20 feet. Beyond that was mud, all the way to the back wall. Four workers were standing in it, spread out along its length, and bore small flags of various colors for marking distances.

   The halfling "tossee" was standing at the edge of the floor, talking to Gnorm and looking quite excited. He was dressed in a loincloth and looked to be a typical hin specimen, probably weighing about 35 pounds.

   "This is going to be awesome," said Nargroth.

   "Do not hurt yourself," said Oma.

   "What? How would I hurt myself?"

   "Are you going to compete?" Szordrin asked Sofi. "You are very strong, are you not?"

   "No, not particularly," she said. "I just know how to make the most of the strength that I do have. I could never toss a halfling. Thanks for asking though." She smiled.

   They watched as a couple of nobles removed their shirts and then went over to try to pick the halfling up. The halfling protested when they each struggled to lift him with ease. Apparently, he had to approve of any tossers. In the end, the only contestants were Kytharrah, Nargroth, Maru, and the bald-headed man. Straws were drawn, and Nargroth pulled the longest straw, so he would be the first to throw.

   The crowd pressed themselves against the wall to give the half-orc room, as he stood in a circle marked out on the floor at the edge of the mud.

   "Are you ready?" asked the halfling.

   "Are you sure that you are okay with this, little guy?" asked Nargroth.

   "I was born ready!" said the halfling. He lay face down at the edge of the mud and raised his feet up, crossed together for Nargroth to grab. The half-orc lifted him off the ground by his ankles, and the tossee dangled, his hands barely brushing the floor. The halfling was laughing, so Nargroth began to spin. The halfling rose into the air as Nargroth spun around one, two, three times and then released his grip, lobbing the halfling into the air.

   The hin flew in an arc 50 feet through the air, shouting in glee the whole time, and then landed in the mud with a loud splat. The crowd cheered. Immediately, the nearest worker moved as quickly as he could through the mud to reach the halfling and help him to his feet. Once they wiped the mud from his face, he turned to the crowd and gave a big grin. They cheered again. A flag was placed off near the wall to mark the distance. Then it was the minotaur's turn.

   "That was amazing!" said Oma, when Nargroth stepped aside.

   "I know! Wasn't it?" he said.

   Kytharrah took up more space, so the crowd had to rearrange a bit for him to safely spin. Once that was accomplished, he lifted the halfling effortlessly off the ground by his feet. Then, he began his rotation — around and around and release. The halfling soared through the air. Splat! "75 feet!" called Gnorm. The crowd cheered.

   "Well done making me look bad!" said Nargroth to Kytharrah, but he punched him in the arm in a friendly way and was smiling.

   Next up was the Kara-Turan giant of a man. He seemed to have a routine of some sort. He did a squat with his hands together as if in prayer and made some grunts and performed some stretches and breathing exercises before even picking up the halfling. When he finally released the halfling into the air, it was with a loud, grunting yell. The halfling dropped into the mud barely four feet past Kytharrah's marker. Maru raised his bulky arms to the air to a roaring cheer. "Maru! Maru! Maru!"

   One of the drunk patrons standing next to Jayce leaned over and said to him, "This is great! We haven't had any real competition for Maru in ages. I haven't seen him toss a hin more than 60 feet since the time that a friendly ogre was in town."

   The halfling was limping a little as he made his way back, covered utterly in thick mud, but he was still smiling enough for his teeth to show. "Urogalan's toe, that was great!"

   Finally, it was the bald man's turn. He cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath. He raised the halfling off the ground and began his spin. His rotation was the fastest of the four tossers, but he released too early. The halfling flew sideways and smacked into the side wall of the barn.

   "Ow!" shouted the halfling, followed by what were presumably curses in the hin tongue.

   "Here, drink this," said the nearest worker, giving him a tincture of something in a vial.

   Gnorm addressed the group of onlookers. "That ends round one. The score is currently: three points for Maru, two points for Kytharrah the minotaur, and one point for Nargroth the half-orc."

   There was another round of cheering.

   Nargroth then readied himself for his second toss. This time, he got more into the throw, adding an extra rotation and a wild, Uthgardt battle yell.

   It worked. The halfling flew as far as Maru's last throw, 80 feet. "Yeah! Ilmater be praised!" shouted Nargroth.

   The crowd went wild with excitement, exchanging many a "Did you see that?" Oma began chanting, "Nargroth! Nargroth! Nargroth!" and the rest of the patrons soon joined her.

   It was several minutes before they all calmed down and gave Kytharrah the needed room for his second throw.

   "You can do it, Kytharrah!" called Sofi.

   The minotaur grinned. He also believed that he could do it. While not the brightest, he knew how to mirror others well, and he had observed the technique that Maru had used. He lifted the halfling off the ground. "Make me fly!" encouraged the tossee.

   So, Kytharrah made him fly. "Weeeee!" shouted the halfling as he careened through the barn. There was a collective gasp, followed by a gentle thud. The halfling's head barely struck the back door of the barn. "100 feet!" announced Gnorm the gnome. "Unbelievable!"

   Patrons were spilling beer and slapping their hands together over their heads in excitement.

   Kytharrah, however, stomped into the deep mud to run over to the little demihuman to see if he was alright. The halfling assured Kytharrah that he was fine. He had hit the mud first and slid into the door at the back of the barn, not slammed into it directly. "Besides, that was amazing; I've never flown so far in my life. Can you do it again?"

   Maru appeared distraught and confused as he stepped up for his second throw. He did not seem angry, rather simply in genuine shock. He was so emotionally distracted by the turn of events that he made a severe mistake in technique. The halfling only traveled 25 feet, dropping into the mud with a plop. There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and Maru buried his face in his hands, ashamed. "Such dishonor," he muttered to himself as he cleared the throwing circle.

   The fourth contestant only made a distance of ten feet on his second throw, but at least he sent the halfling straight instead of into the wall.

   "I scored points! I've never scored points before."

   "I hate to tell you," said Gnorm, "but you still didn't score points. That was only ten feet. Maru was fifteen feet farther."

   "Hrast," said the man, and his shoulders sagged.

   Gnorm announced the results. "The scores for round two are Kytharrah at first for three points, Nargroth second for two points, and Maru third with one point. The cumulative scores are Kytharrah in first place with five points total, Maru in second place with four points, and Nargroth in third with three points. One more round to go!"

   The barwenches passed among the onlookers to take more orders. Then Nargroth readied himself for his final throw. He lifted the drunk and happy halfling off the ground and tried to concentrate. He began to rotate.

   Jayce slapped the shoulder of one of the drunk patrons nearby. "Watch this." Then he shouted out, "Hey, Nargroth, I slept with Oma last night!"

   "What? I did...!" but Jayce covered Oma's mouth.

   "What?" roared Nargroth, full of rage.

   "Sugoi!" exclaimed Maru, when Nargroth released.

   The halfling once again reached the back wall. "Oh, my head! My poor, curly-haired head!" A potion vial later, however, and the halfling was beaming.

   "100 feet, twice in the same night!" exclaimed Gnorm. "This is a first for the Dragon's Jaws."

   Nargroth, fuming, was struggling to catch his breath. The bald-headed man came over to him and patted him on the back. "It is alright, man, calm down. It is just a game. What a throw!"

   Kytharrah threw well, but not as amazingly as in round two. The tossee landed in the mud at 75 feet.

   Maru seemed to have better control of himself this time. He appeared peaceful and took a solid minute almost in a trance before even picking up the halfling. Then, with a rush of motion faster than anyone would expect for a man of his weight, he spun around and heaved the halfling hands first through the air. Another thud against the back doors.

   "Incredible!" said Gnorm. "We have a tie for this round between Nargroth and Maru."

   "I ain't had my throw yet," said the bald man. "I can hit the back wall too!"

   They gave the man his chance, and, to be fair, he had a personal record of 35 feet. His friends were excited by this and encouraged him. Then, he cleared the way for Nargroth.

   Nargroth, however, looked exhausted from his previous throw. He gave it his best, and the halfling sailed into the mud. A flag was marked at 50 feet. The crowd sighed.

   Again, Maru gave his full concentration to the task at hand, even holding his arm out and pointing at a distant spot and squinting, as if performing an artillery calculation in his head. With a final two spins, he let fly the little humanoid, sending him to land just ten feet beyond Nargroth's throw. He had played it safe. He then turned and bowed at the crowd, who cheered wildly.

   Gnorm gave the final results. "Round three: Maru wins the tie-breaker throw and earns three points; Nargroth earns two points, and Kytharrah comes in with one point. That gives us five points total for Nargroth, six for Kytharrah, and seven total points for Maru. Maru is the halfling-toss champion!" His announcement was followed once again by loud cheering. Then Gnorm announced, "Come back tomorrow night for the axe throwing and see if you can depose yours truly as champion. Now, have a safe night and journey home."

After Dauneth left them, they had little to do but sit or stand around in the large court chamber and wait.

   Szordrin decided to have a little fun with the zone of truth enchantment in the room, and tried as hard as he could to tell Kytharrah how intelligent he was acting today, but he simply could not get the words to come out of his mouth. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. It was the strangest thing.

   Curious, he tried other variations. Kytharrah seemed confused why Szordrin kept facing him and opening his mouth as if to speak and yet not saying anything. At last, Szordrin said something, "Kytharrah, you are as intelligent today as you have ever been!"

   Szordrin sounded quite impressed with him, and this made Kytharrah feel proud. He bobbed his head happily. "Play?"

   Szrodrin had another idea. "Come with me," he said. He walked to the doorway, and the minotaur followed. Szordrin opened the door and poked his head out. The guard standing there eyed him strangely. "We have run out of water," he said, "could more be sent, please?" The guard nodded and stepped off to inform one of the stewards. Szordrin then stepped fully through the door and turned back to Kytharrah. "Indeed, your intelligence today knows no bounds!" he bluffed, with no difficulty.

   Kytharrah was shocked to have received two compliments from his bearded friend in one day. Ferry seemed to make funny noises and snorts, his laugh.

   A steward did bring more water, and then a scholarly woman eventually entered the room. She was carrying a stack of books and scrolls and looked like she might tumble over with them. Jayce rushed forward to help her set the books on the marble desk, and she thanked him.

   "Greetings, I am Shandri Binder, court scholar. I was told that there were people here looking for information or records from Wa and our foreign ministry there. I may be of some help to you, but do understand that we no longer have an active embassy in Wa at this time, so the information I can provide may be out of date or inaccurate."

   Shandri looked too young to have been active at the same time as Yunoko, but she certainly had carried a lot of resources with her.

   "What questions were you hoping to have answered?"

   Solisar began, "One of your former ambassadors to Wa, Yunoko, was the wife of someone very important to one of the members of our party. We know that she was murdered, and we are trying to track down her murderer. We have limited knowledge, but we do have a few clues." Solisar quietly discussed with his companions whether they should share one or both of Yunoko's letters. Hakam was in favor of this, and Szordrin agreed.

   Shandri read over both of the letters carefully. Then she picked up the first letter again and seemed to be intrigued by words written on the third page. "This is intriguing. Indeed, Yunoko Blacksilver was the second ambassador to Wa from Cormyr. She was the daughter of Davin Blacksilver. I do not know too much about the history of the events written about here, but it is interesting that she mentions the Harpers." At this last phrase, she strongly emphasized the words, in that way that people often do to pass on a subtle hint while failing to be in any way subtle. She continued. "One thing I can certainly help with, however, is this emperor that she named, Goshukara Kando. I have here in my pile of scrolls an imperial succession list of Wa." She handed to Hakam a heavy and thick scroll from the desk. "This was recorded by the first ambassador from Cormyr to Wa. He translated it from a document that he received from their Ministry of History."

   Hakam loosened the cord, and the scroll unrolled and poured all the way to the stone floor at his feet. Its entire length nearly matched his height. Beginning with the First Emperor Kochi, Master of the Peach Tree in the the First Year of Chisho, it listed every emperor of Wa in order, from pre-historical and mythological times until Wa Year 1754, which was 1311 in the Cormyrreckoning.

   Hakam first scrolled through the list, trying to find the name of Goshukara Eichiro. "Goshukara Eichiro, the son, is not listed, but the father is, the fourth from the end, 'The 1680th Year, Goshukara Kando.'"

   "That would be the year 1262 in the Dalereckoning," explained Shandri for their benefit. "The document was created in first year of Azoun IV as well as the first year of Shogun Matasuuri Nagahide in the Year of the Highmantle, 1336 Dalereckoning. Davin Blacksilver became our first ambassador in 1271 Cormyrreckoning, so...." She did some math in her head. "...1296 Dalereckoning."

   "1336 in the Dalereckoning is also when Yunoko wrote that first letter," said Solisar. "The Year of the Dark Dragon, which she called it, is but another name for the Year of the Highmantle."

   "Is that not also the year that she and Onran were married?" asked Hakam. He removed the portrait of Yunoko and looked at it again. "No, it was 1335. She died in 1338."

   "So, you have found the rakshasa on the list then?" said Jayce. "But what does that mean for us exactly?"

   "We also believe that this Kando, this rakshasa imposter, is the murderer of Ambassador Yunoko," Hakam explained to the visiting sage, and she nodded but had nothing more to add at present.

   "And we suspect you to be the grandson of Eichiro," said Hakam to Szordrin, "the great-grandson of Kando."

   Sofi asked, "Szordrin, did not someone in the group mention a prophecy about emperors that related to you?"

   "Yes, 'The ninth emperor of the seventh dynasty is in' my past," he replied.

   "Goshukara is the dynasty name, yes?" asked Hakam.

   "Yes," said the Wa scholar. "In most of the lands of Kara-Tur, the surname is given first."

   "The ninth emperor of the seventh dynasty," repeated Szordrin.

   "That cannot be," said Shandri. "There have only been three dynasties in Wa. You can see it right there."

   "Perhaps the prophecy counts a change in dynasty each time that the capital moves," suggested Szordrin, who had picked up the tail end of the scroll and was pointing at the places in the line of emperors where such changes were noted. "See, here, 'The 1580th Year, Goshukara Iiso, who moved the capital to the city of the same name.'"

   "Or could it be that there were secret usurpers throughout this history," said Hakam. "There is also an empress here. Could a female break the line?"

   "It is possible," said Shandri. "Women are certainly not viewed in a favorable light in Wa, from what I understand."

   "There is only one empress on the entire list," noted Solisar, who was holding onto the top of the scroll now, "Empress Bishkammon, who ruled in Wa Year 669."

   "Is Chisho the first dynasty?" asked Hakam.

   "No," said Shandri, "Chisho is the era, the epoch. They name the pre-historical eras. The first dynasty included a single emperor, said to have reigned for 412 years."

   "Then Kochi is the first dynasty," said Szordrin, "and Kasada is the second."

   "Yes, the second emperor was Kasada."

   "And I see that that dynasty carries through two eras," said Hakam.

   "Yes, the Kasada dynasty died out with Kasada Kogakusha in the 581st Year of the Kuni era, which followed the Koyo era, when the first Kasada ruled."

   "Oh," said Szordrin, continuing to scroll through the list, "there is a large gap between Wa Year 222 and 669. See here."

   "An occupation?" asked Hakam. "The Shou Lung Traitorum?"

   "Yes, exactly," said Shandri. "During that time period, Shou Lung invaded Wa, and the empire fell apart."

   "How many dynasties ruled during that time?" asked Szordrin.

   "Governors from Shou Lung were appointed, but the Goshukara took control again afterward, with the nation's only Empress in power, as you can see noted, until her son came of age."

   "What if we assume that Kando is the ninth emperor and count backwards?" asked Hakam. "Where does that take us? To Hikari in 1529. There is nothing noted here to suggest anything significant happening then."

   Shandri shrugged.

   "Perhaps there were multiple rakshasa usurpers, and the prophecy is telling us when the first was," suggested Hakam. "Perhaps the deceit goes back much further than we had thought."

   "You think that they kept an artificial line going for three or four hundred years?" asked Szordrin. "Do you think that the same rakshasa kept on changing forms?"

   "It is possible," said Hakam. "They are shapeshifters."

   "And they reincarnate," reminded Jayce.

   "I wonder if this Shou Lung Traitorum counts as a change in dynasty," said Hakam.

   "The ninth Goshukara was the first Goshukara to reign after that occupation," noted Solisar.

   "Oh," said Hakam, "there is also the fact that two entries below that, 'Goshukara Sukui... is slain by Nitta Kyozetsu, who briefly reigns as Emperor.' That would add two gaps. That would give us seven."

   "How so?" asked Szordrin.

   "You have the first and second dynasty, then the Goshukara, as third. Then comes the Shou Lung Interregnum, counting as four. Then the restoration of the Empress and her son for five. Next, there is Nitta Kyozetsu as the sole member of the 'sixth dynasty' and finally the Goshukara again."

   "...As the seventh," said Szordrin. "Oh, I see. So then, is Yami the first of the seventh?"

   "Yami would be one, yes," said Hakam. He and Szordrin counted together. "Two, three, four..., Bohatei."

   "That is still hundreds and hundreds of years ago," said Szordrin.

   Shandri seemed confused by all this. "Wait, so, you have a prophecy that an emperor from Wa Year 901 is related to you somehow?"

   "Barmy!" said Sofi. "Who would have ever tumbled to that?"

   "We may have to think about this further," said Hakam.

   Hakam and Solisar asked permission of Shandri and began to furiously copy down as much of the information on the five-foot scroll as they could.

   Hakam then spoke again with Shandri. "Do you know anything more about the murder of ambassador Yunoko?"

   "According to the records here," she said, as she opened one of the booklets on the desk, "the ambassador was murdered in Wa, while on assignment. However, she spent most of her time there anyhow. She and her husband lived in Wa primarily and came to Cormyr to report. It says here that she was survived also by her mother, who was a citizen of Wa. All we ever received from Wa was a notification that our ambassador had been murdered."

   "So, she could have been anywhere in Wa when she was murdered?"

   "Yes, I am sorry that we have nothing more precise than that."

   "Are any of her relatives, on her father's side, still living here in Cormyr?" asked Hakam.

   "Yes, the Blacksilvers are a noble family. There are many of them living in Cormyr that you might be able to talk to. I have no means to contact them, and they are a noble family, so you cannot very well just go and knock on their door to chat. Their holdings are not in Suzail either, and I do not know where they are; I only know of the name."

   Just then, the door opened, and another woman entered. She was clearly a mage, wearing a rich, green dress. She carried a wizard's staff, and there was an arcanabula, a spellbook, attached to the belt at her hip. Shandri Binder noticed and immediately bowed to the newcomer and cleared her throat loudly. The adventurers bowed (or curtsied) as well.

   "Lady Eveningspire," said Shandri, "What a pleasant sur.... I was not expect.... How good to see you. I present to you.... I do not believe that I learned any of your names."

   They all introduced themselves in turn. Jayce, after giving his name, humbly apologized and begged the lady's forgiveness for not bowing sooner.

   The noble woman waved her hand to dismiss his apology. Lady Eveningspire held herself in an elegant manner, but her mouth showed lines of age. She had a pair of crystal spectacles that floated magically over her sharp nose, and her graying hair was braided and fell over her green velvet cape.

   "Thank you, Sage Binder; you may be dismissed." Shandri went to gather up her books and scrolls. "No, you may leave your books here. You can gather them when I am finished speaking with our guests." Shandri departed. Lady Eveningspire waved her hand, and the door closed on its own.

   Now she spoke to the group, looking down and eyeing them over her floating spectacles as if to scold them. "Adventurers should not walk into the Royal Court of Cormyr and openly talk about the Harpers."

   Kytharrah sniffed the air. He smelled the green lady's perfume, but he also smelled someone else's perfume. It was not Oma, who always wore strong perfume, and it was not Sofi, who never wore any perfume at all. The smell was moving, and it came from that tapestry over there....

   "I apologize, milady," said Hakam, "but it was not we who made any mention of the Harpers but rather your sage who read the word aloud from a private letter."

   Szordrin heard a woman's voice speaking arcane syllables, and recognized that someone, presumably invisible, was attempting to dispel magic. He drew a wand and called out, "Invisible friend, what are you dispelling?"

   A woman popped into vision among them, her spell completed. Solisar felt his ring of counterspelling activating. Hakam saw the aura of chaos that always surrounded Oma and Jayce fade away and then gradually return.

   "Adventurers should not try to use divination magics when War Wizards are present," said the new woman.

   She stood at only about five feet three inches and had light brown skin. She was dressed in leather trousers and a white tunic with a thick red coat crosslaced in the front. Her leather boots went up past her knees. A thick red and white layered cape hung from her back, and there were armored pauldrons of a gold color at her shoulders. She wore a red hat with an attached headscarf that covered her neck and the sides of her face. From her thick belt hung a scabbard for a longsword that glowed with a magical aura to Solisar's eyes. In her hand was a magical staff that was taller than she was. Additionally, Solisar noticed that her rings, brooch, boots, and armored bracers also radiated magic, as did her person. She seemed to be older than thirty years.

   Her darker skin and strange manner of dress stood out from that of other Cormytes, and her accent reminded some of them of Rimardo and Diero, two of the sailors on the Frihet. (Rimardo often helmed the wheel when Loreene or Ombert were not on their shifts.)

   "My divine vision is a gift from my god, to execute my role as his justiciar, not a spell of my own weaving," answered Hakam.

   The newcomer nodded cautiously at his reply, but said nothing more. The woman in green chuckled a little and said, "Please forgive us for the precautions, but you must understand that we act to protect our kingdom."

   She continued, "I am Lady Laspeera Inthré of Eveningspire. Some call me the 'Mother' of the War Wizards. This is Caladnei, Royal Mage of the Court of Azoun V and leader of the War Wizards. As you can see, your questions have roused the interest of our national defense. You speak of information of the death of one of our ambassadors and also of the role of the Harpers. Tell me more."

   Hakam once more repeated the details of the story and shared again the letters as evidence.

   The two women read the letters and quickly grew more trusting as time went on. (The presence of the truth enchantment helped in this regard.) They asked a few clarifying questions of the group and others regarding where they were from and why they would care about a Cormyrean Ambassador.

   "The Dowager Queen may wish to speak with them," said Caladnei to Lady Laspeera. "She may have known this Yunoko." Laspeera nodded.

   Then Caladnei addressed the group. "Unlike many of the nobles of this country, the regent and I see the benefit of adventures acting on behalf of the crown. Since your quest involves matters of state, we may be able to offer you a special charter and access to resources that could be of great help to you, but we shall let the Queen Mother decide."

   "That would me most helpful to our course," said Szordrin. "We thank you."

   "If our interests do align," said Hakam, "then perhaps we can work together, but know that we are on a quest from the gods that may diverge from your nation's interests."

   "My master's wife was your ambassador," said Szordrin, "and I desire to avenge her death and his."

   "A fair quest," said Caladnei.

   "Would you be willing to spend the night in Suzail?" asked Lady Laspeera. "The Queen, Filfaeril, is very busy, but I suspect that we could fit you into her schedule tomorrow morning, early afternoon at the latest."

   Caladnei said, "As you must know, the matter of the dragons currently has our military and court occupied."

   Hakam agreed to stay until they had acquired the information that they needed. "Do you have defense against the dragons? That is, would it be safe for us to spend the night here?"

   "The dragonrage affects the whole world," said Caladnei, "but I would warrant that Suzail is one of the safest places in Toril to stay with all of the War Wizards and knights present, not to mention a number of adventuring groups such as yourselves. I cannot promise that the roof will not come caving in, of course, but if it does, be assured that their will be a swarm of wizards there to slay the dragon posthaste."

   "We shall even pay for your stay," said the older woman. "You will be considered guests of the court. We shall have a Purple Dragon escort you to an establishment called the Dragon's Jaws."

   "Play?" said Kytharrah.

   Caladnei gave him a strange look.

   "Now is not the time, Kytharrah," said Hakam. "I apologize; he is simple like a child."

   Laspeera laughed, and then the two War Wizards stepped behind the tapestry and departed.