Jorune: Strange Allies game (Prologue and Seq 1.1)

Jates watches you leave, nervously chewing on a fingernail in his anxiety about Luce. "I'll be here, if you need to contact me again!"

Barragar leads the way to Sharben, across the face of the hill. It's more of a residential neighborhood, with more homes than any other type of building. The flow of traffic is hardly lesser, though. Once in the neighborhood, Barragar's steps slow uncertainly, and Miniri takes over leading the group to Krune Tassasatra's home. Like most homes in Burdoth, it is composed of white-washed and plastered adobe brick. Windows looking over the Bay are open, letting in the sea breeze which helps keep the house cool in the heat of the day. It is late forenoon.

Krune Tassasatra opens the door at your call (knocking is considered very rude and peremptory on Jorune). Though old, he remains alert and recognizes both Miniri and Barragar. He invites you all in, sets you up with tea, small cakes of nut bread, and small plates of creshi (a pickled fish) for the carnivores. He seems delighted to have visitors and is a good host.



After the requisite small talk, he asks: "What can Krune do to help you? Usually you seek Krune only when you want something. What is it?"

(We can do this by role-playing it, or we can do a abridged version based on SOCIAL checks...or other skills you think you'd like to apply)

Krune smiles. "Rorch-ko is a challenge... S'good - I like challenges! Not seen much Rorch-ko since d'War, when dharsage has me translate spy messages!"

The old man takes the letter and peruses the page, murmuring over it as he reads.

After reading through it, he says: "This is a spy document, from d'War?"
He turns the page over in his hands.
"Paper is new...this is a copy of spy note from d'War?"
He peers at you and then shrugs.

"No matter, I translate. Short note!" He laughs jovially, though none of you are sure why he's laughing.

His wizened hands clear a space for the paper on the table, and he sets it out so you can see it. Then he points at different lines as he tells you about them.

"Rorch-ko very formal language; ramian very controlled, precise people. Right way to do everything. Written, Rorch-ko usually in five-line paragraphs. Form requires first paragraph to be introduction and praise, complimenting d'person the letter was for."
His finger stabs down at the paper.
"Not so here. Only one paragraph! Hee-hee! Spies write shorter messages, very, very rude - no compliments. No names! Only places. First line, here - very scandalous:

'shipment preparation' or 'ready for package'

Author is writing to person, expecting a delivery. What is it? See the second line:

'bring shirm-eh...' - with these ramian, it's usually shirm-eh - uh, where was I? Oh, yes:
'bring shirm-eh to T'Suha'

T'Suha is a person, or a place? Usually can tell with Rorch-ko, but this is missing formal articles and gender; could be either. Definitely a name; this symbol always precedes a name.

Next line:
'paid for Mo-an Darf-ter Kaigon...'
The name symbol shows that those are three names; Kaigon is the town..."

Barragar nods. Kaigon is a large settlement to the west, in southern Gauss just past the Glounda Forest, two days' ride by thombo from Ardoth.

"Fourth line and fifth line:
'Gratitude and prayers
Clear head and eyes'
...these are excerpts of formal Rorch-ko letters, which always end with compliments and well-wishes for d'reader. No higher value for a ramian than self-control; what is meant by 'clear head and eyes.' The author couldn't break tradition totally, and had to complete d'five lines."

Krune cackles a wheezing laugh again and pours more tea.
"So...some time during d'War, some spy was working with ramian to get them their medicine, and arranged for a shipment out of Gauss." He sips his tea and looks shrewdly at Miniri. "You working on a history book? History of d'War? I could tell you a lot about d'War..."

Everyone make a geography check, or just tell me if you are Experienced/Rank 12 or higher in that skill.

Being tauther and thus travelers, all four of you (Barragar, Gythaar, Miniri and Marik) recognize that "T'Suha" is the name of a port city on the island of Reet. The city is more commonly known in Burdoth as Telmin. Reet is not part of Burdoth or any larger nation; it is in independent island state, and as such it is a haven for pirates, vagabonds, raiders and refugees of various stripes (see the maps thread; Reet is included on the map of Burdoth/Heridoth).

I would also welcome checks against either Current Events or Traveler.

Edit: Reminder: if you haven't already, please note your current foci for this sequence in Ardoth.

You all also realize that the normal way to get to Reet is by ship from Ardoth. Traveling overland from Kaigon would take at least twice as long and be much more dangerous.

You all know talmaron; they're the native Jorune creatures that fly on giant bat wings, using their tra sense to navigate using isho. They are less common as riding beasts than either thombo or bochigon, but you'd be able to procure the use of them easily in Ardoth (particularly with the keshtia's resources).