There are, of course, being more ways to get dead in Pavis, New and Old, than even an old timer like my good self dast to try and count. I am losing count of the number of adventuring parties that I am seeing come into my fair city only to be vanishing into the rubble and never being heard of again.
Still, such stories are my fare, so I am never making the mistake of getting too hung up on these things or else, for one of my acute moral sensibilities, I am in danger of becoming sentimental. Now it is a truth that I am swearing to that sentimental will get you killed as easy as adventuring in Pavis. However, I digress.
Since the Lunars are arriving some three years ago, and beating the merry hell out of the nomads, law and order has been coming to our little town and law and order in no small measure. Now the Law is always being here in some shape or form, being either enforced at the end of a spear by the Sun Towners, or on the end of a poisoned dagger or cosh by the Riversiders, or by either, paid for by those types who are living on Rich Hill. In addition we are having the Pavis Temple and the Town Watch, and even the Pavis Royal Guard are occasionally being trusted enough to put aside self interest for long enough to be administering some passable semblance of justice – I am thinking that it is being right to be telling you at this point that I am being a storyteller by trade and these opinions are merely being those that are being passed on by others or that I am overhearing and are in no way being mine own, for I am being scrupulously neutral in all matters that are having anything to do with things sharp, or in fact blunt, pointed or any combination of said three.
But, these Lunars are meaning business on the law and order front and that is why this morning I am looking up at the Old Gate and offering a prayer or two for these three unfortunates who hang high above, nailed to the old Death rune itself and being busy dying before the very eyes of everyone in the city.
Now the Lunars are not doing this too often, and the rumours are flying around the city faster than even I can be keeping up with them. Now I am being counted among the truly canny when it comes to being wised up about what is being happening in and around town, and along with everyone else I am figuring that it is being something to do with Balastor’s Axe.
This rumour is sweeping the city some weeks before and the whole place is going adventure crazy, as only Pavis can be. We are hearing rumours of heroes coming from far and wide, and the adventurers’ taverns such as Gimpys and even Lilina’s are being fiiled with rumour and gossip that is being so single minded in its subject matter that it is becoming a little tedious, since we are all wondering who is going to be stopping all the gabbing about it and being actually doing something about it. Not that I am pretending to be one to be talking about such craziness and I am being damned if I am being the one intending upon doing the doing, if you are following.
Still, the location of Balastor’s Barracks is suddenly being made public knowledge, and after all these years it is apparently turning out to be somewhere in the vicinity of Griffin Gate. This is not being any great shakes in itself, but it seems to be causing the Lunars many issues, for they are seeming intent on closing down the Rubble for some unspecified reason, which I am finding out from Troz the Fermented, who is being a contact of mine in the Pavis Royal Guard and is often letting such things slip whilst being under the influence of the dark aspect of the grain goddesses, is turning out to be some sort of interest in some tombs in the Furner Fields. Well, I can be telling you that amongst some of the more powerful and experienced adventuring types that this news is going down deeper and faster than that Zorak Zoran Death Lord who was betting he could be swimming the Zola Fel in full armour after getting hammered on powzie two dark seasons ago.
Now the Lunars are giving it all the large about being a beneficial force for good and freedom and all that other jargon that is being used by governments to be justifying why they are taking all our money, and it is for this reason that they are relenting on this occasion, for they are understanding that Pavis will just not be so attractive to the gullible adventurer-types that bring so much of the tourist trade to the city if they are taking the monopoly on all the decent hauls that are waiting to be had in The Rubble.
But anyways, we are getting away from the reasons why these poor souls are breathing their last up there and as we are approaching fire season and the Sun is high in the sky and my mouth is as dry as a nomad’s sandal, I had better be going on with the story.
So Pavis is being up in arms, or at least the adventurers are being up in arms, and then things are getting really interesting, for what should be appearing on the horizon but a deep red glow. Now the last time this is being happening is about a year ago, and it is heralding some crazy times in Pavis. There is being less panic this time, for the last time we are thinking that this glow on the horizon is being a sure sign that the Crimson Bat is being on its way to devour the entire city. In fact I am making a fair killing by betting against this for I am thinking that the Lunars are only conquering the place a few years ago and why are they going to be wasting their greatest weapon for such a small meal as Pavis is making what with it being in the middle of nowhere and all.
But anyways, sure enough the glow is merely being heralding the arrival of another Lunar moonboat which is proving to be less of an event to the event-hardened citizens of New Pavis, but those who arrive on the boat are certainly something to behold. They are wearing blue robes and long blue cloaks that are hiding their faces which appear also to be blue. Now some are being saying that these are normal types of humans called ‘Veldang’ and are perfectly normal, but there are others that are saying that these are Lunars through and through and that they are worshipping none other than the Blue Moon. Now I am seeing only one moon in the sky and that is being red, but I have seen a few Agimori in my time and this is leading me to be favouring the Veldang approach for it is seeming to me that if a man can be as black as an Agimori then why can’t he be being blue?
Over the next few days our short, fat governor is being seen by several reliable witnesses as to be seeming thinner of body and thinner of hair and some are saying that the Red Emperor himself has been sending these blue-faced ones to oversee the recovery of Balastor’s Axe.
Now who should be showing up in Pavis at this time than one Aransar McGae, who is looking a little older and a little grander than I am being seeing him before. He is being accompanied by one Callum Blax, a local lad if I am remembering correctly, whom I am vaguely remembering from a year ago and all that monster business in Corflu as well as all the shenanigans in the Air Temple about who was the rightful High Storm Voice in Pavis that was causing Faltikus so much embarrassment. They are with a bunch of others and if I am remembering correctly they are last being seen in the employ of Duke Raus of Rone further downriver. I am hearing from my other sources that they are being seen hereabouts on occasion, trekking into The Rubble and asking questions here and there, but otherwise they are vanishing from all sight whilst they are doing whatever they are doing for this Duke.
Now after all this time and still being alive I am figuring that Aransar and Callum must be knowing a thing or two about surviving the adventuring game, and I am thinking that those that travel with them are looking a bit switched on also. I am seeing them heading into Gimpys and they are looking like being men on missions if ever I am seeing such a thing.
Now I am being no snitch, and I am being the very definition of discreet, but it is being my profession to be knowing things, and in this sense I am being a regular Lhankor Mhy, and if this kind of activity is being good enough for a god, then who am I to be doubting its value or its honour. And thus do I find myself taking a seat near to where these adventurer types are gathering. It is seeming that they are doing nothing at all, and I am about to be leaving when who do I see but none other than old Krogar Wolfhelm himself give a sly and subtle nod to Aransar which wouldn’t be telling anyone anything about whatever, were I not being so skilled in my trade. I am figuring that they will be hooking up in no short time, but I am certainly not one to go poking around in the business of Krogar Wolfhelm, not unless he is expressly inviting me, and I am not expecting any such thing anytime soon.
I am keeping a low profile for several days after this, waiting for more information to be coming my way, and nothing do I see or hear until one day, when I am having the Trickster’s Luck and no mistake and am down at the Peoples’ Gate playing dice with a few nomads when I hear a loud banging at the gate and the guards are opening it. I see a Lunar hoplite who has been roughed up enough that his face is being covered in dry blood but also who is being healed enough to give a report to the guard commander that is setting him off at a run toward the administration offices. I am realising that this is clearly the place to be and so I am placing my rear end on the deck and keeping a sharp look out, but I am not speaking enough of the Lunar tongue to be gathering any information through the old ears.
Well, the Lunars are running to and fro and other Lunar hoplites are coming down to the gates from the barracks and even Hucipites, who is being one of the Lunar commanders, comes on down to take charge. It is almost an hour before who should turn up at the gate but a bunch of young adventurers who are plainly escorting a Lunar sable and waving a piece of paper and shouting something about being licensed adventurers. Their protests are being taken into account all the way to the stockade and there is ending what anyone is knowing about whatever incident is occurring. And here is being little old me, stood in the shade of the Old Gate, looking up at these poor unfortunate guys who are coming into the city from The Rubble just this last evening, and now where are they? Hanging crucified in public and stinking up the joint that is being none too agreeable with the nostrils at most times of the year anyways?
Well, as I am telling any and all who will be listening – Pavis is harsh and is happy to be charging a hefty toll on any and all who are crossing its threshold. Now I am not knowing what these guys have been doing, but I am knowing that from the time I am seeing them in Gimpys I am not seeing that Aransar and Callum and their crew in Pavis for some long while afterwards, and not only this but no-one, not least of all my good self, is seeing them leave the city either, although the Lunars lock down the city for an entire week whilst they are searching for the criminals who are making mincemeat of their patrol and if I am any kind of tale-teller then you can mark my words that they were being in the Rubble and causing trouble again, and I am further thinking that somehow and some way, these poor dupes spilling their blood up on the walls this very morning were somehow involved…