����������� Book Five, Chapter Three �The Return of Balatar the Fish.�

����������� 03/02/2001

Well here we are the first game of the new millennium and things are looking up. The Erana Sir Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo flirted with Sula - the love of his life, Aruth of the War Wagon and Zytsi the Mason went home early and Daniel the Bard came home after breakfast. So all we have to do is kill the man who heads Sir Martyn�s revenge list to get the book we need. Everything has been set up to do it. It�s now the 25th of Ilvin and it�s off to Shiran ... but will we go shopping first?

Oh dear we�ve lost the herb list, better get that up on the web site if only from a reconstructed copy.

The target is Zachariah Redstone, the second main man in the Temple of Agrik in Shiran. Of The Fighting Order of the Demon Pameshlu the Insatiable in fact. (Sula is a member of the Cohorts of Gashang.) He may be second in command, but he is the one who wields the power. Has been known to fight in the arena. Lives in the temple attached to the games arena. Outwardly a man of meagre needs, but very rich, with possible and unproven links with the Thieves Guild.

A quick run through the last few weeks drug taking for Sir Martyn and Daniel. It�s impossible to give up under these rules. OK then we had a long discussion about war games rules, nothing to do with Harn. But Daniel cornered the Golotha Mirena Berry market anyway.

Shiran has a population of just under 4,000 (3,900 to be more exact) and is the smallest city on Harn. All Temples allowed, even Naveh (but its still illegal), though there are tensions between the good and evil temples. The Temple of Halea is the biggest one, the woman in charge of the city is a follower. It�s the pleasure capital of Harn and is rich, exporting perfumes, dyes and erotic slaves and so on.

And here is the weather report - it�s raining and misty, but not too bad otherwise. Are we going by barge or not? Whose going to the merchant so we can sneak into the town without being recognised? We�ve come to get some perfume from the perfume capital of Harn. So Aruth is registered as a merchant called Markus Spencer, 3000d bribe does that. As Aruth has no cash again (he didn�t get any of the dodgy gold coins) its 1000d from each of the others. His guards will be under alias: Sir Martyn will be Edward Silverhand but he wears plate mail so he�ll have to be a jobbing knight hired out as a guard, Daniel will be Will (William Herbert) Smith, and Zytsi will be Don Quarry.

More money laundering, as we�ll be buying 5000d worth of wool. We take the road to Coranan and then barge to Shiran, or take the barge all the way. Not forgetting the 12 homing pigeons, don�t get Familiar with them Sir Martyn. Oh God he�s really going to do it.

We are going to barge it all the way from Golotha to Shiran (smallest city on Harn) via Coranan (biggest city on Harn). Leave on the 1st of Navek. We get to Coranan on the 3rd evening and pay tax of 100d on carting our goods (that�ll be the wool then). We stay at the Capstan and Hawk, run by a woman with her three brothers as bouncers. No fights and no rumours unless we start either of them. Apothecaries to the number three, and all expensive, but Daniel gets a dose of Yulpris. (Gets 10 gold coins changed at Zornas). Spend a day here.

Three days to Shiran, arriving on the 7th Navek. Pay tax of 100d.

The Red Face - expensive, the Rafters Inn - lower class riffraff prostitutes are available, Moon and Flagon - mainly middle class and busiest, Green Wyvern - upper class. So we stayed at the Moon and Flagon, mainly busy and mainly middle class. No great amounts of information to be gleaned from an evening spent in the pub. Apart from Aruth (sorry Markus) doesn�t get pissed, he gets inebriated �cos it�s posh.

Next day (the 8th Navek) Sir Martyn goes to his Temple, who recognise him of course. They�ve got a new champion at last and hopes Sir Martyn isn�t staying long. After all Sir Martyn did kill their last one in the arena. He asks about the Agrik Temple festivals that high priests of both the two Agrik Temples would attend. Well they have a minor one on the 8th of every month, and that�s about it for time being. 8th of Agrazhar (a few months ago) would be the biggest one. The two Temples would share the holy days, held at the Octagonal Pit Temple (Order of The Demon Pameshlu, the most important one in the city). And why do you want this information? Duck, weave. Will you be staying long, he says hopefully? I�ll try not to.

The Rafters Inn is the best one for covering both the Agrik Temples with the range on the pigeon Familiar. 650 feet is the range. So from the Moon and Flagon he gets all of one, and most of the other. But the Rafters Inn gets both by miles.

We sell the wool at a loss of 15% of the cost (less tax). So we get 4,450d. This is while Sir Martyn is talking to his Priest at the Temple. Sir Martyn retires to inn and sends the pigeon out. If it goes out outside of 650 feet of Sir Martyn then it�s off to Sula. A quick survey of the Octagonal Pit Temple by Familiar pigeon. The pigeon can�t get to the Council Chamber, and doesn�t see the guy we want. That will be because he is in his private residence nearby. Two guards on duty, and two hanging around to spell them. There is a large glass skylight that doesn�t open, made up of large pieces of leaded stained glass in the shield of his Order. This is above an 18 foot high bathroom with a large sunken bath (multi-person, not the done thing in Harn), and another bath for one person. Under floor heating vents out into the alley. Obviously not as austere as he is supposed to be.

Here is the weather it�s cold and very cloudy, but not actually raining. So we�ve got a bloke with a white beard and a flying wagon, we could put branches on the horses and dress in red suits. Then we wouldn�t be noticed as we fly over the city. Anyway the horses can�t hover. Turning Aruth�s staff into a bear and dropping it through the stain glass was also discussed. As were a two ton stone block, a fake meteor, a charmed trained bear, rappelling down ropes (lack of rappelling skill being a problem). Sir Martyn says this isn�t very honourable. Well neither is a Paladin of Larani assassinating a high ranking member of a Temple of Agrik on the instructions of a rival Temple of Agrik. Full moon on the 15th of the month.

He takes a bath at four o�clock in the afternoon, and then goes out to the Temple of Halea, which is directly south of the other Temple of Agrik. He doesn�t go the main door, he goes into the back door. Travels incognito, but with four guards along main roads. Can�t see what he gets up to in there. Probably not the same four guards as before. Comes back at about midnight.

Sir Martyn goes to see his priest to see if there is any reason why Zachariah Redstone shouldn�t die. Things deteriorate and Sir Martyn is ordered not to kill him, though they would love to see him dead. It could unite the two factions and make the Temple of Larani�s position in the city very difficult. Mike goes for more cigarettes from the offie.

So Daniel hits the bars, gets 3d in the middle class pubs. Don�t sing about the Temples of Agrik and Halea. This is the chief Temple of Halea in Harn, and the magistrate was her appointment, probably. 10 to 20% of city funds diverted to the Temple, and run the place.

Aruth has a bloke pointed out as someone to avoid. Deals with Zachariah Redstone, always has money, enemies vanish that sort of thing.

So we spend several days doing the pubs and things while Sir Martyn looks through a pigeons eyes. The Governor of the city is a weak willed fop, and is run by the Magistrate and Primate of Halea. The other Temple of Agrik were really pissed off at his appointment, as they had been bribing for some one else. The other Agrik Temple is run by Merlea Grandmaster of the Cohorts of Gashang, ruthless even for even her Order. The Octagonal Pit top Priest is under the thumb of Redstone.

We�re back to the bear through the stained glass window option.

We spend a week watching him. He baths alone between 4 and 6 each days. On two occasions he uses the big bath with guests. Once with just women and once with men and women. The women look like they are from the Temple of Halea. He spends every evening out visiting people and so on. After a few days he has six guards not four for the whole town.

Two days before the big fight in the games on the 15th. Zachariah will fight in the arena against a non-entity, Balatar the Fish. Trumped up charges, of course.

So we buy 4450d of perfumes and dyes. Then Daniel goes to the Rafters Inn where Balatar the Fish is staying with his guards. 173% poetic improvisation and 245% singing a song abut rescuing friends. When he passes the hat round he gets 12d, and a note �I need to speak to Martyn�.

So a pigeon goes to him with a note saying speak to the pigeon. Balatar was trying out where Zachariah�s brothers� iron and silver mines are for the local Thieves Guild when Zachariah provoked him into saying something rash before he could get the information across. Balatar talks to the pigeon buts still want to talk Sir Martyn as wants to know how we plan to get him free. So the pigeon come back with a note �If Zachariah is dead you go free. Eat this note�. Balatar eats the note. Bit of a problem, as the parties involved want him dead, the arena bit is a message to the Thieves Guild. So we need to rescue him on the way out. Balatar isn�t stupid, even if he is talking to a pigeon, and knows who we are. (In Book One from chapter two and leaves in Book Two chapter one.) So he doesn�t know about the wagon or the goat and halibut incidents.

So we rescue Balatar then kill Zachariah, it�s a plan. Daniel gets some Agrik incense (sulphur) and incense burner for Sir Martyn. Its now eleven o�clock at night so we�re off to rescue Balatar. �This is our best planed fiasco so far� quote Sir Martyn. When Zytsi found out that he would have to go on the wooden pylons outside the inn the rescue Balatar we gave him the submarine. And promises of air sea rescue if he falls in.

Sir Martyn goes to the Temple of Larani and says, �I�ll be leaving shortly.�

�Goodbye. Will this be happening before or after your challenge in the arena.�

�I�ve taken your advice and won�t be doing it.�

Boy will he be pissed when he reads the papers in the morning.

Aruth and Zytsi leave town with the wagon.

So when Zachariah gets into the bath watched by the pigeon Sir Martyn lights a lantern and Aruth does projected light to signal Zytsi at the other end of the back of the inn. It happens and Sir Martyn and Zytsi sneak up on the guards outside Balatar�s window. Zytsi sneaks up completely unseen, but two of the three guards see Sir Martyn. They die in one round. Window opens, rope comes down and then Balatar comes out. Hear comes the two darkness globes, OK Balatar don�t worry just get into the wagon in the darkness. Everyone jumps into the wagon alright.

Just a couple of things each. We are going to kill Zachariah and Balatar want some things from Zachariah�s house. Silenced the wagon before we land and Balatar goes in first. After ten minutes Zachariah summons a servant, either for towels or more water. The servant leaves and Sir Martyn and Zytsi jumps through the window. Well Sir Martyn goes straight through and Zytsi�s bit creaks and then breaks. He does a Sudden Light that affects no one. Woodwall goes up and blocks the door off. Daniel shoots him with a blowpipe dart. Sir Martyn hits him hard and does 3 points of damage. Zytsi misses on the first attack but next three didn�t. But he�s still standing. Then he vanishes. Oh that fucks the plan, but he�s not popped out and we hear a thump. Trying to find him is a problem, but we put up another Woodwall anyway. Sir Martyn thought he�s in the sunken bath, no water in it. Sir Martyn misses but Zytsi came so close be had to parry which broke his Invisibility. Zytsi Lightning Bolted him as he did another Sudden Light. Zachariah goes down on damage.

Check he is unconscious, get ring (that�ll will be his Bladeturn source), retrieve dart, Aruth comes down. Staff in to bear to mangle the unconscious bad guy. Another Woodwall goes up. He dies, bear rips head off. Burn the sulphur. We get out. Balatar still isn�t here. We hang around and wait for the bastard. They get through the last Woodwall, we wait and we wait and the last minute comes and he doesn�t and we leave. Zytsi makes a perception roll and sees a hand go for the rope.

Back for Balatar, on to the rope, and up it to the wagon. So the city will see a man climbing a rope into a couple of sphere�s of darkness. He was looking for the ring, does Bladeturn, Unseen and boosts his armour type. He gets it back.

Balatar knew that the plan was to set up Sir Martyn to fight Zachariah in the arena. He was picked up the same time as the guards were upped to six from four. Well they�ll blame the Temple of Larani on general principles, but the bear claws and the sulphur give a distraction. Now how did they know Sir Martyn was here and after him? The Priest of Larani, mutters Sir Martyn. Someone outside the city suggests Daniel.

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6,000eps each

Oh bugger a week behind on the drug rolls, starting again at day one.