A Table At Sunaeco and Yasmina's Wedding Reception
Jess, Quaenas and Tsai Ying happen to be sitting at a table together.
Sunaeco strolls over accompanied by a Janni gentleman. "Hullo Jess. Having fun I hope? I think it's all gone just brilliantly. I can't thank Yasmina's folks enough, I never imagined my wedding would be so spectacular. Speaking of which, may I introduce Sufyan al-Amara. He's Yas' older cousin."
The Janni bows deeply. "I am honoured to make your acquaintance. Sunaeco tells me you have been his friends and boon companions for some years now. May I sit with you?"
Sunaeco: "Sufyan has a proposition for us, I mean we who own the Imp. Oh I know you're not a part of that Tsai Ying and Quaenas but I don't think there's any harm in you sticking around. Maybe you could fill Jess in, Sufyan, while I go to fetch Fenelda. I'll see if I can let Cerys know we're having a gathering too."
Sufyan settles on a cushion, addressing Jess. "So you are part owner of this marvelous magical water vehicle then, a great silvery fish that consumes gems I am told, along with my new cousin-in law and his radiant matchmaker? And you did battle against Azi-Dahaka at the Golden Palace of Za-Hadrash? I must offer you the utmost respect for your deeds of martial courage. As for myself, I am not unaccomplished with the falchion and bow but first and foremost I am a man of business. I have had a most fortunate opportunity to spend a while in conversation with another of the co-owners of this silver vessel of yours, Cerys Landry of the golden hair and exquisite charms. Who appears to be a squid, at the moment, but no matter. We were talking of trade, for she explained that she herself established a trading house called the Crystal Griffon and was justly proud of its success though she now plays less of a direct role in managing things. I too am involved in trade, buying that which is surplus in one place and selling where it is scarce in another.
"You may not be aware of how my people travel from world to world. We are able to shift between planes, but only where we have already been, and with a good deal of imprecision. It is a process fraught with risk except when we shift between certain reliable anchor points. These are our sacred oases, each visited some say by the prophet and first genie Sulymon as he roamed the material plane, though that is a tale not all agree upon. Whatever the reason, certain watering-holes act as reliable destinations for the plane shifting powers of my tribesmen and I.
"Most recently, the powers of Elysium in a trade with our Amir for a valley of diamond, made a decree that the Waters of Elysium would flow in our sacred oases. These waters have properties of refreshment and healing, curing all ills though they do not persist long when removed from the oases.
At that moment, Fenelda arrives. "Hi. Sunaeco said I should sit in on this conversation?"
Sufyan rises once more and bows to show his respects. "You must be the lovely Fenelda. A healer, I am told. And part owner of the marvellous magical silver fish. Please, be seated. I was in the process of explaining myself, for I have a proposition for your group."
The Janni continues.
"In fact there is one such oasis in your world of Oerth. It is not frequently used, a minor merchant family go there occasionally I believe to do trade in a nearby human city but I must tell you your world is considered quite risky. A great Devastation once swept the land where that oasis lies and the Janni there present all lost their lives."
Oerth-dwellers will realise he is most likely talking about the Twin Cataclysms that occurred around 1000 years ago.
"I understand Mishari Al-Khalifa once took a risk to visit your world by that route when Sunaeco pursued his unsuccessful courtship of her, though ultimately to his benefit as he ended up marrying my delightful cousin Yasmina. Anyway, the erstwhile Rashid Al-Suliman, Vizier to the Amir, has been doing a little experimenting, and has learned two things, which have great potential. The first, is that the Waters of Elysium retain their properties for longer when intermingled with water from the Elemental Plane of Water. The limiting factor then seems to be how long the elemental waters last when removed from their plane of origin rather than the brevity of the Elysian waters' usual span of persistence. The second thing, is that the decree of the Powers of Elysium has had an apparent, unexpected consequence. They decreed that where our sacred oases lay, the waters of Elysium would flow. It now appears that where the Waters of Elysium flow, that is a sacred oasis for us. This opens new vistas of possibility for us.
"The Vizier has made the blessed decision that our family will be the first to explore these possibilities, and my new cousin Sunaeco has agreed to help but, being a most considerate soul he wished to consult with the other stakeholders in the silvery water vehicle.
"Have you heard aught of a place called The City Of Glass? It is by all accounts a very beautiful, glittering jewel of a city in the deeps of the Elemental Plane of Water. Not inhospitable to land dwellers who can reach the place, I have heard, for a mighty dome of glass as strong as steel holds the waters at bay. It is a centre for civilisation, trade and the arts of those dwellers of that plane of existence.
"If our family is able to establish trading links with that wondrous city, we will be the envy of other Janni. Now, even if one of us had visited the place before, our arrival point on the plane could be hundreds of miles away. The vicinity of the city is not without its dangers. Anything from gangs of Genasi pirates, to zones of immense pressure fluctuation or sudden dangerous cross currents, to leviathans greater than seen on most prime material worlds."
Sufyan rises to bow as Cerys strolls up to the table arm in arm with Reynardia, both of them wet through from their watery frolics.
"And here she is at last. You are an ever greater delight to my eyes each time I see you, Oh Lady Landry. And I must also compliment your lovely...companion...on her grace and evident puissance. I do not think I have had the pleasure...?"
Cerys: "May I introduce Reynardia, Great Druidess of the Sheldomar Valley and my very good friend. Many are those of the Old Faith in our world who pay their respects to her."
Reynardia gestures. "Please, be seated again."
Sufyan continues. "I am truly fortunate to find myself in such illustrious company. My lady Cerys, I was speaking of the City of Glass."
"Oh yes of course. I know the way there from Oerth. When my friends and I were trapped in the Abyss on one occasion, we found ourselves stuck in a place called Harbinger House. There were some Titans living there. It was quite a labyrinth. We were trying to find our way home and we went to see a Titan called Geo. His obsession was making maps. We did a trade - one of us volunteered to stay behind with him and assist him in making maps of Oerth. Well, when I say 'assist', he was stretched on a frame and the Titan could somehow read him and extract the map information from him of the world he'd come from."
Tsai Ying might feel a touch of poignancy at this tale - as the brave volunteer Wei Peng was her close friend and fellow devotee of the Temple of Lei Kung.
"Anyway in exchange for this sacrifice Geo's minions examined their charts and provided us with several alternative routes back to Oerth. One of those routes was via the City of Glass, which could be reached from Oerth via a thing called the 'Triton Trade Stream'. Which terminates, or goes past at least, a Triton city on Oerth called Liris Plushali.
"In the end, we didn't go home that way. I always thought this City of Glass place sounded intriguing. I meant to maybe go there one day. Then more recently some people were on a job for me in a place called the Demiplane of Coil, a very snakey place. From there they went somewhere else that was a bit unstable, searching for some black tablet or other I forget the details. Some kind of planar 'quake' deposited a poor Triton girl into their laps. They brought her home and I said I would help return her to her people."
Sunaeco speaks. "Not far from Luthian's Tears there is a triton settlement. So we took her there."
"That's right" Cerys says, "and I asked them about Liris Plushali. They told me it is in the Vohuon Ocean, south of the Densac Gulf. There is a permanent naturally occurring rift deep in the ocean there that opens to the elemental plane of water. They have marked a map for us so we have an idea where to find it. When we are closer my Gate Compass will help us find the place."
Sufyan: "My aim, my friends, is, with your aid, to travel to the City of Glass in your marvelous silver fish, and thereby establish a safe trade route. Explore the city's possibilities and try to establish a foothold for my family to do business there. And even, if it is possible, to establish an artificial 'sacred oasis' by mingling Elysian waters with those native to that plane in an environment where they will persist indefinitely and retain their powers, though success is uncertain. The Vizier has promised his aid if I can first establish myself in the city and see if it is worthwhile."
Cerys: "Jess, it occurred to me that the place mentioned in your 'Sunken Utopias' is more or less on the way to this triton city, so maybe we can pay that a visit. I want to come on the voyage though I must warn you I may have to duck in and out depending on things. I have duties to fulfil now and then. A Viscountess' work is never done. Rey, would you like to come?"
Reynardia: "For you...I'll come along part of the way at least though I also am very busy and I can't say for sure how long I will be able to stay. But my trusty agent Quaenas here will surely be able to remain for the duration of the voyage and lend his bow-arm should it be needed. You said you wanted to explore new environments didn't you, Q?"
Cerys: "Sufyan has agreed to work in partnership with The Crystal Griffon on this venture. So I am planning to ask Dray to get involved. Going to a planar metropolis to establish trade should be right up his alley."
Sunaeco: "After tonight, Yas and I will be spending a week in a place called The Havens of Harmony on the world of Iadrathea. It is a coastal place not far from one of the Janni oases."
Sufyan: "Ah, yes my father arranged this for you, you will love it, it is a very beautiful world Iadrathea and the Havens of Harmony, the most beautiful place therein. We like to go there to relax."
Sunaeco: "After that, well I talked to Yasmina and she's happy to make it a sort of 'working extended honeymoon', should be a nice cruise in the silver fish."
Sufyan: "And you need not worry about fuel costs, my family will provide the gems."
Sunaeco: "Well, anyway as quarter owner of the Imp, my votes a yes."
Cerys: "I'm a yes too."
Fenelda: "I guess I'm a yes. I could do with a little excitement."
Sunaeco: "So that's three votes out of four already. Jess, Quaenas, and Tsai Ying too if you want to tag along - are you up for the
?
No comments:
Post a Comment