����������� Book Five, Chapter Five �Teamsters and Jesters�

����������� 22/09/2001

So it's the 11th of Morgat. It�s not dark and nobody is wearing sunglasses. We are in Telen, the provincial capital, where we intend to get on a barge to Golotha. There we need to see Sula (the love of Sir Martyn�s life) and (hopefully) she will give us the book we need to get Midgaad.

We are Markus Spencer the merchant, Will Smith, Don Quarry and Edward Silverhand, men-at-arms, and Harry Butt. But we might be Aruth, Daniel, Zytsi, Sir Martyn and Balatar the Fish. Oh dear Sir Martyn�s hand and foot is about to need charging up again. It runs out the beginning of next year, about three weeks then. Bit of a bugger really. I bet you can�t get that done in Golotha.

It�s in the deep mid-winter. Five days walk to Coranan, three days by barge, so it�s by barge then. Then walk to Golotha, which will take about eight days. So we arrive in Golotha eleven days later, on the 22nd of Morgat. We arrive in our secret identities and stay in the �Bridge Tower�. The arrival of a Khuzdul in town will be noted. Send an urchin to Sula to say that �the Gentleman has arrived�. The next day (23rd Morgat) an armed knight turns up. Takes off helmet and (loudly) gives Sir Martyn (by name) the invitation to a formal dinner with Sula.

So we buy some posh clothes, again. We launder more gold, discretely. The 7:30 carriage arrives to take us to Sula. Rather two sedan chairs, the first for Sir Martyn and the second for the rest of us. Off to the Temple of the Eight Demons. Shown into a reception room, comfy chairs, drinks and nibbles. We have to hand in our weapons (and lute) except those that are peace bonded. After about ten minutes we are shown into the dinning room. There are three other women, who we have met before. Sula is dressed in an almost transparent gown.

We have dinner. Then the three other women leave and we discus things with Sula. She has good enough intelligence on what happened, but she didn�t know where the bear came from. She wants us to do something else done first. She knows we intend to go to Coranan, Tashal and then Melderyn to get Sir Martyn�s limbs recharged.

In Coranan at the Palace of Pentacles, there is a man call Mizar, who is friend of Sula. He is head of the merchants, and he is up for re-election shortly. Unfortunately there is now a Union, the Teamsters Brotherhood, who are bribing and lobbying for recognition. This would not be good for Mizar. We have to discourage them, to break it up. She would take it as a personal favour if we were to do this. Mizar has the book, which we get anyway. Apparently the Union are worried about stories of a flying wagon with a Khuzdul. Could put them out of business. Currently her team is suppressing this story but they may stop. We get basic expenses.

We seem to fairly well known, so Sir Martyn was recognised in town. She doesn�t know about the two cities episode, but does seem to about most of the rest. So we agree to do it. We�ll be in Coranan for six weeks anyway waiting for the wagon train. We have to go to the Palace of Pentangles, but publicly going up to the front door and asking for him would not be a good idea.

The women return and the evening progresses. At about 11 three sedan chairs arrive. Daniel and lady, Aruth and lady, Zytsi back to the inn. Sir Martyn is the house guest. Back to the inn for breakfast.

Quick bout of shopping, some hides that would make up a suit of armour. Paid for out of Daniel�s dodgy gold.

Leave on the 25th Morgat. Eight days to Coranan. We get there on the 2nd of Nuzyael (1st month of 726).

�Scroll and Quill� a sedate and relaxed inn is recommended by a bribed city gate guard. Check in as two separate groups. The merchant Markus Spencer and his men, Will Smith and Harry Butt. The other is Sir Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo and legendary mason Zytsi of Orinane, who promptly go to the local Temple of Larani to pay their respects. Get the local political update, which is a bit dull. Not really interested in the up and coming merchant position election. The elitist Red Guard is currently leaderless and has been for sometime. Can anyone re-charge Sir Martyn�s hand - Makala is the man, or at least the best option for such a thing. Sir Martyn tells him about the Temple of Naveh episode in Golotha. No doubt missing out on the embarrassing bits, and the bits that shouldn�t be known.

Forgil, top quality apothecary. Whoosh, buy the drugs. Bought out the apothecary drug supply as we lost our herb pack. So Daniel paid for it with the last of his dodgy gold (the last 125 gp), so that�ll stop Sir Martyn whinging about all the money he spent on upgrading the bard.

Sir Martyn goes to see Makala, who can re-charge Sir Martyn�s limb for a month.

The bucket of whitewash incident. (Yes that�s right someone put a bucket of whitewash above the door to Sir Martyn�s room.) There are three Temples of Save-K�nor, one of which is the Arin of The Rydequelyn, which stresses the god jester aspect. (Come on you Save-K�nor worshippers.)

Aruth sets up meeting with Mizar at 9 o�clock the next morning (3rd of Nuzyael) at the Palace of Pentacles. Nasty piece of work, doesn�t like the Potters and Metal Smiths. Guild Master of the Litigants. Head of the Manguy, and really doesn�t like the Teamsters Brotherhood. Been in charge for a long time.

Aruth and Daniel go to see Mizar. Posh place with conference rooms. In first one we discus the book. He wont give book to us has to be given to Sir Martyn in person. Start to talk about election and then move to another conference room.

There is a woman, Smemlen, who seems to behind the Teamsters. Runs an Inn and out of town visitors vanish to be seen in Golotha games. Suspected of selling customers into slavery, drug running and smuggling. Prove of illegal activities would be best, take her would be acceptable. Having someone captured and sold into slavery is a plan.

Daniel refuses, and Balatar sort of volunteered. Sir Martyn can find someone within 14 miles. Oh really, well if he is willing it will work. Sort of Channelling like telephone ring for Open Channelling. Universe is not happy with the concept of the spell being abused. But we come to an agreement about it. Balatar insists that Sir Martyn look after his ring, and if he dies it goes to his son in Burzyn. We will need to get a highly reliable witness, a high ranking cleric will do.

Sir Martyn goes to see Mizar to get the book. Says who he is and gets in quickly. Can you prove who you are? Champion�s sword, Champion�s shield, metal hand. Go to see the half blind activist and get the book. On the way back Sir Martyn gets jostled and has a picture of a donkey stuck on his back. (Come on you Save-K�nor worshippers.)

Planning. Daniel had a secret and moderately irrelevant plan, which might work or it might not - but he doesn�t tell anyone what he does. Aruth has a plan and hires a floor in building near to ground zero so we can observe the inn while Balatar is in it. It turns out to be next to a secret Temple of Agrik, the Order of the Herpa the Mace, a covert order involved in a secret war with the Order of Eight Demons. Smemlen runs the inn where she lives. Sir Martyn sneaks in and starts surveillance. Works out who she is and rough lay out of some of the inn. This is done via pigeon surveillance, Sir Martyn�s current familiar in case you�d forgotten. People in it all day, but all low life, from 6 in the morning until 2 at night. Poor fishermen, poor market traders, and the like.

Daniel finds out that the Teamster�s Brotherhood meet in the number 99, which is not far away from the Palace of Pentacles. Sir Martyn takes off armour and dresses down. Goes to the target inn and identified daughter of Smemlen, that�s the drug addicted prostitute, hm nice. Aruth decides to join the Teamsters. Down to the docks with empty wagon to get work. Gets invited to go the next meeting, in two days time (6th of Nuzyael). Joins up and goes to the meeting. They are trying to organise the waggoners, dockers, labourers and so on. They meet once a week. Gets friendly with one in particular, Ned.

Sir Martyn wants Daniel to go with and get information out of the drug addicted prostitute. Not impressed. Sir Martyn will think less of him if he doesn�t. �How can you think any less of me?�

A couple of days later Aruth is accosted in the street by a five year girl looking for daddy. She lives where Aruth said he lived to the Teamster�s Brotherhood. Aruth doesn�t believe the connection but everyone else does.

So drugs, anyone here, what�s going on. Engage in a conspiracy to run away. Get some recreational drugs.

Know the drug she�s addicted to, it�s a hallucinogenic. Basement - people get taken there somebody taken there recently. Entire inn seems to be involved. Tries to get her into a conspiracy

Aruth goes to work and Ned looks flustered, and vanishes mid-morning. Sir Martyn sees him go into the inn. Get changed into Daniel�s clothes that he wore to go to the inn and goes in. He�s not in immediate sight so he settles down in the bar. Ned staggers out possibly with a broken arm. Sir Martyn out the front of the inn.

Meanwhile a cleric of Save-K�nor knocks on the door of the house. Gives Daniel a bag of money (25d) and whispers �Congratulations on a job well-done�. This rather surprised him but, hey 25d is 25d. Thanks guys.

Sir Martyn goes for a long walk round the arena in ill fitting clothes, with a Charmed Ned. He attracts a small crowd that follows him. One addresses him by name. (Come on you Save-K�nor worshippers - I do hope you�re keeping up here.) Arrives back and starts questioning Ned, don�t really get much. Beyond the basics. She seems to have information on some of the Teamsters and someone in the Metal smiths. She�s using them as a front to gain power. There is a tunnel from the inn to the arena.

He gets a Forgetting Song and let loose. Daniel follows him, he goes to the doctors, then to work (gets some yob off the street) and finally home. He nearly spots Daniel, but doesn�t. Back to the house and we are all together.

Send in the Fish. Nothing much will happen the first night. A Cleric of Peoni is with us. Pigeon on watch. 2 in the morning when he is asleep and is drugged and kidnapped. Party plus cleric goes to end of tunnel. There it is locked (on the inside and hidden) and Zytsi picks the lock. Down the old sewer, to the secret door that may well be the way into the basement. It�s dark down here. Trip wire traps, spot two trip wire and then the tunnel the inside. Pick the lock and push the door. Something the other side, and makes a noise. Sir Martyn and Zytsi smash through the barrel/door and into the room fairly spectacular way. They are combat ready and they are called upon to surrender, but Sir Martyn hits one anyway and takes one out. They hit back fairly ineffectually, Sir Martyn stuns his other two. Next round Daniel downs his, Aruth puts his on a countdown, Zytsi and Sir Martyn down theirs. Sir Martyn questioned the one remaining awake one, all down. Then up to the women�s door, smash it open fairly slowly but silently due a Bardic song. Then to the woman, who gets the captured. Sir Martyn Suggests that she confesses to her crimes. It�s a fair cop but society is to blame and confesses everything, all crimes. The Teamster�s Brotherhood are drug addicts. Illegal drugs from outside the city at that. Wants to control the Teamsters for the power and the money.

She denies everything at the trial and the fix was in so she gets off!!! Everyone is shocked. (Come on you Save-K�nor worshippers take the piss out of that then. Bitch!)

Daniel�s secret and moderately irrelevant plan probably didn�t work, but the originally desired effect happened anyway. Probably due to other reasons, but he wishes it didn�t. (This is obscure.)

Sir Martyn wants training from the Temple of Halea and we all know what that is. Invent new skill, Romancing Em/In/Sd Seduction of a willing victim. 25 ranks and 20 ranks herb lore aphrodisiacs only. But he doesn�t enjoy it, honest.

Zytsi makes a statue outside the Mint, 327%. And also buys lots of clothes.

Daniel writes a popular song about a woman innkeeper who was selling guests into slavery in the arena, no names mentioned. Poetic Improvisation 192%. Takes it round the inns and teaches to the local bards. Gets 50d from Save-K�nor! Then he tries to go cold turkey but someone slips him some Mirena berry just before the end. Well I wonder who that was.

Caravan leaves on 15th Peonu.