Seven(?) against the Convergence

[Alberich]

Anfisa took Desiree by the hand. "Let's find a nice quiet place to pass the time," she said. A plan for later announcing their intention not to return, in a way that would draw the least possible suspicion, was already forming in her mind. (Since Amalric, to her disappointment, had not denounced her as a dangerous streaker and put her off the ship.)

Tim asked Rose, "What is this Rinkaiel like? Wild and dangerous like Port Lorrel?"

[Jack Rothwell]

Despite the exhilaration of the previous night's breakthrough (which had certainly been present in the morning) Tamina had been uncharacteristically quiet after the landing of the airship. She stayed at the back of the group as they prepared to depart the vessel. Any glances in her direction would've noted her apparent interest in the horizon rather than any desire to engage in conversation.

What, or rather who she was watching... that was another matter.

[Graybeard]

"What is this Rinkaiel like? Wild and dangerous like Port Lorrel?"

Sister Rose shrugged. "I've never been here, and all I know about it is from what I've read." (Admittedly, the reading materials available to Special Ops officers were not always in the public domain.) "Another port city, but less -- I guess I'd say 'unruly' than Lorrel. The mob -- excuse me, 'guild,' that's the polite term -- that controls the waterfront is called the Seeadler, and they keep things more tightly buttoned down there than the Eisenfaust does in Lorrel. They also supply most of what passes for the Farrel navy. We don't have much dealing with them, since they're on the wrong side of the country, but the city has become more of a destination for people from Tsuiraku in recent years." She squeezed Argus' hand. "They're going to build a warp gate here. There's even a fairly good sized Tsuiraku-town district..."

She broke off at that point with a startled grunt and reached into the folds of her robe. The figurine from Therese had started to heat up again, just as she described the Tsuirakuan influence. Now it was vibrating distinctly in her hand.

"Well, that was interesting," she said as she put the small token away. "I think I know where we're going to be looking for Therese..."

[Alberich]

"Well, that was interesting," she said as she put the small token away. "I think I know where we're going to be looking for Therese..."

"Then we should wait for you in a nice, safe Tsuirakuan inn," said Anfisa, "so you won't have to be worried about us while you see if she's in danger." She gave a sly look at Tim as she said this, but was restrained enough not to tease him more openly about his protective ways. "Is that one over there?" She pointed to some inviting lights. It made sense that the Tsuirakuans, the world leaders in airship travel, would have an inviting island of their native culture so close to the airship port.

Tim heartily agreed with her assessment, though he didn't say so aloud. He hadn't been there when Therese and Mordan had made their sudden jump into the rocket-fast underground conveyance, in fact knew nothing of Mordan at all, but he knew the red-haired mage was a puissant adventurer with a taste for danger and some ruthless, powerful enemies. The fewer innocents they had with them while they learned her situation, the better; and he himself could handle any healing they needed.

He didn't say this aloud because he was worried Desiree would take it as a challenge of some kind, and insist on walking into grave peril just to prove he couldn't stop her. But he hoped the others would understand and agree with this unexpected bit of Gorielian wisdom.

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose was perplexed at Anfisa's question. "What?" she said. "The Tsuirakuan inns are going to be in Tsuiraku-town. That's what it's for. It's also where we're going."

[Alberich]

"And are those lights" -- she pointed again -- "an inn at the edge of Tsuiraku-town?" For it was her fast intent to split away from this group as soon as she could.

Kitaura hadn't actually told them where to meet him, but there could only be so many Tsuirakuan inns open at this hour, and a discreet question or two plus the card Desiree carried should get them to the right place. On the other hand, if they stayed with this group as it sought Therese and whatever trouble she was in, that would introduce complications - the kind of complications that would force them to stay together with these people, or at least make it suspicious when they wanted to leave. Especially if that Therese started leching at Desiree again...

The beauty of this was, since they'd mentioned Therese, Rose would write her eagerness to split off as fear of danger plus jealousy of the other woman. Thus, if they left now, there'd be nothing suspicious about it.

[Graybeard]

"I ... don't think so," Sister Rose answered, becoming increasingly unsure of herself. "Now is not the time to go wandering off and hoping that places are harmless. You know what kind of trouble has resulted from that before."

Fact is, however, she didn't know much more about the layout of Rinkaiel than Anfisa and Desiree did -- a little more, since she'd both read up on it back in the old days and observed the lights of the city as the airship came in to land, but not much. She knew they had landed south to southwest of the main part of the city, and the Tsuiraku-town district (in which, of course, her Special Ops reading had taken a ... special interest) was somewhere northwest of them, while the Seeadler's zone of control was around to the east, on the far side of the harbor. There was also an elven ruin out there somewhere to the north. But what was in front of them now? She had no idea, although she was pretty sure she didn't want Anfisa and Desiree to go there (and was puzzled as to why Anfisa did).

"Excuse me, ladies, but I heard you talking," a male voice interrupted. "That's our vineyard." A young family (well, not that young, Rose guessed; the wife had to be in her twenties, and the baby was less than a year old, but the husband, who had spoken, was probably older than Rose herself) had joined them in front of the terminal building, which was otherwise almost completely unoccupied apart from a sleepy-looking Farrelian cop.

[OOC: And thus do the two threads intersect. Incidentally, more of the layout of Rinkaiel can be found by following the link embedded in that one.]

[Alberich]

Anfisa had simply reasoned that Tsuirakuan inns (and brothels) were the likeliest places to be showing a light near an airship terminal at this hour of the morning -- so that Tsuirakuans who'd been traveling for a while could get a taste of home.

[OOC: There's a "Big Boy" restaurant near the Detroit airport that's brilliantly placed for similar effect, for Americans returning from abroad. Or there was a few years ago.]

Why vineyards would be showing a light in the wee hours was quite beyond her. But then, Goriel was not known for its viniculture, and Anfisa had not spent much time out on the land anyway.

"Thank you kindly," she said sweetly to the stranger. "It's so good to meet someone who knows the area well at this hour. Could I prevail upon you...do you know if there's an inn around that's open, someplace that'd be safe to pass a few hours in comfort?" She'd prefer a Tsuirakuan establishment but did not choose to say that aloud.

It didn't occur to her that Rose would be suspicious at her desire to get herself and Desiree away from this group right away. The group was walking into danger and Therese. And Anfisa didn't care to deal with either one. Her additional motive could hide very neatly behind those two.

[Jack Rothwell]

"Somewhere with swoggles and steaks?" Tamina added, appearing from behind Anfisa's shoulder with a hopeful smile on her face and then, to her companions. "We can eat 'fore we go, right?"

OOC Are there any kobolds at all in Rinkaiel? I don't there's ever been a mention of them in any of the threads we've done. Just curious./OOC

[Graybeard]

[OOC:

OOC Are there any kobolds at all in Rinkaiel? I don't there's ever been a mention of them in any of the threads we've done. Just curious./OOC

I wouldn't expect there to be. It's a long way from the Southern Continent, with little or no reason for kobolds to go there. Note that Layla and Ace, who have just met the group at the airport, wouldn't be fazed at meeting Tamina. Ace has roamed most of the known world flying his boss (of whom important stuff will follow) around, and would be familiar with the Southern Continent, and Layla, having spent years in Kiyoka, would either know exactly what she is, or simply accept that she's another weird Tsuirakuan familiar, just as some others who've met Tamina have. As for others at the vineyard ... there might be some reactions. And when the group makes it to Tsuiraku-town... well, let's see what happens. So to get on with it:]

Sister Rose frowned at Anfisa's line of questioning. "I -- really don't think it would be a good idea to split up again," she said patiently. "We're not going to be here all that long, and we have something important to do." I think. No, I'm pretty sure ... and I still have no idea how. Meanwhile, something about this young mother is ringing a bell with me ... but I don't know the reason for that, either. She turned to Tamina. "We're not going to have time for steak and, ah, swoggles either, whatever a swoggle is. Besides, it's the middle of the night. Not many places will be open, and the ones that will be are probably best stayed out of."

Layla nodded sympathetically, and a look passed between her and Ace. "Long day traveling, eh? We might be able to suggest a --" Then she paused and stared at Rose. I know her, she thought. Nun at the temple in Kiyoka. She handled all the arrangements when we sold them sacramental wine. Which means she may recognize me ...

"I mean, we probably have a couple of rooms at the vineyard," she corrected herself. "We'd been thinking of opening it as an inn." That was semi-true, at least. "Maybe we could put you up there for a little while to get your feet back under you after the trip."

And that way, it'll be easy for me to kill you if I decide it's necessary to preserve my cover; Mom is a whiz with poisons, after all, she thought but did not say.