After business we get a spa afternoon, it’s quite the luxury, but it feels unsettling as well. We are helped everywhere we go by these sort of humanoid.. things, they almost seem like golems of some kinds, but I’m unable to make out what they are, but unsettling they are for sure. When we go out of the spa it turns out Redemption is all dressed up nicely, courtesy of Aljazani. Apparently she has made some kind of deal with him, to go on date?
After the dinner I decide to hit the town together with Ricardo. My intent? Where there is slavery there is some kind of resistance, nobody likes to be kept under lock and key. And from what I have gathered, here my biggest change is the red tide. Abd people who know most are the locals. We go to a bar, and I invite myself to the local band, under the name “moonwhisper”. Yeah I know, I know, translating your elven name Is often seen a demeaning, but it works ok. At the same time Ricardo strikes up a conversation with a local gnome, and the reminisce about the real alcohol from the material plane, he even offers Ricardo a deal, but he refuses. It takes some time but I’m able ot get myself in the good favor of the and, and they lead us around the city to their favorite bars, where eventually we and up in a bar with some fellows dressed in red. Some subtle and some less subtle comments later I get myself at their table and in their good graces. However, they are slow to trust and, as only someone of the male persuasion no matter their race would suggest, ask us to fight with them in arena to proof that we are on the same side.
They lead us to a place where they have arena battles every night, custom stages custom stages etc. Ricardo, always a good sport joins the number 2 of the red tide and they enter. The game of the night? Aboleth deadball! No weapons, until the timer ends or the other team is indisposed. Watching over it all is “princes bloebbloeb” a slug like creature who is apparently the organizer of this all.
The arena is an area divided in 4 pieces, each corresponding to an element, with goals in opposite sides and a ball in the middle. Ricardo is made for this. As soon as the start signal goes off, he shoots off scoring before the other team has even moved! There is some trouble as the Cecaelian takes up position in the middle of stage grappling anyone who gets close, but nothing that could hold Ricardo back for very long. Even a giant sea monsters doesn’t get in the way to much. In the end the contest ends when time is up, 14 to 3. A resounding success and Ricardo is immediately brought up to princess bloebbloeb for the afterparty.
While the contest rages I am able to convince a troll to join the red tide for a pittance and some guidance. I can get a drow, an old, it’s family, the arborkar, gone for 2 to 3 thousand years already, to consider maybe taking up a purpose, taking on challenge, and fighting for a reason.
I head to an inn to stay, trusting that Ricardo will find his own way home.
The next day I contact Redemption, apparently, she has had quite the time as well. We exchange stories as we head towards the temple district to get some information.
She has gone to a party, as the arm candy of Aljazani to a giant party. 70% marid and the rest of them mainly arm candy for all of them. Redemption tells she got in a conversation with a triton, a general for the local maploek army, and he has a quest available for some capable people.
In order to impress the guest of honor, a Marid prince, Redemption challenges the lady of the hour for a dance off. She performed well enough to get an audience with the prince. He was also impressed with Redemption her performances and if she ever gets to Evershale (the capital) we just have to give the name of prince habib and we should be able to get audience with the Kalif. Maybe even more importantly he knows something of the timeless, or well, he doesn’t and that means something in and of itself. If he hasn’t heard of such a creature it certainly is not a slave owned by any of the Marid, if we want to find it we will have to start looking where a timless would go.
Redemption also gives a short account that apparently Jolie and Garritas went back to Soro with Alzjazera! Like what?! He could plane shift? They didn’t tell the rest of us? What the hell! And apparently that was not all, they lost Garritas! They had to make a stop on the chaos plane, limbo? And got attacked by force dragons who took the poor halfling off to who knows where! A month has gone by in Soro, meaning that time must flow different in these places. Things have shaken up politically as well, Dummas is back to the Athor (old continent), while Davons has stepped down from his position, leaving his second in command to take his place in the council. Francious dubois is apparently having a field day. If only we could get some time to go back and make sure things are in order.. or you know.. maybe life a less dangerous life, a place where.. life.. could florish. Anyway, Redemption skipped over what Jolie was doing there in the first place. Something for later..