Lankhmar - The Scroll.

Date: Day of the Hare. The month of the Murderer's Moon in the summer season of the Year of the Feathered Death in the Era of Heat: 

Late Evening in the House of Mellor, Defoe, Gideon, Jacktar and Blab present

• Waiting for Peak at the House of Mellor when in match eight soldiers with an officer and a scribe who announces to all that the scribe Peak has been killed.  The officer says ‘by men in priest’s garb’ and immediately settles his eye on Blab in his priestly disguise which stands out from the scribes more monkish look.
• The officer takes him and Defoe aside to interrogate but latter emerges red faced after discovering that they had a good alibi backed up by the Scholar Teasin.
• After some argument and then debate Gideon discovers that Peak had been viscously bitten and torn and found in the vicinity of Clear Water Court.  Also that Peak had been engaged through the House to discover, and when the whereabouts discovered as in the East, to travel and recover an object called The Frenzy Bone. 
• Gideon fails at this time to get any money and Blab convinces him that the box is worth more than he'd get anyway.
• The Four retire to a nearby bar to discuss their options.
• They discuss recent events, noting the 'coincidence' of Peaks death place and the place they were to meet Hal'adziir Ral Brra'habin. Also that the tortured prisoner from the ambush had described his employer (bearing in mind he only knew what his boss had told him) as an Easterner by the name Brad'in. 

·  Blab also shows everyone the scroll:

It seems to show in pictograms and runes a history and/or mythology.  The runes are unknown but the pictures are:

1.       A very thin toothless shark like creature with fish swimming around it.

2.       The sharkish thing is thinner still, but this time talking to a great cuttlefish like thing.

3.       The sharkish goes into the oceans depths.

4.       It meets a big vicious looking whale-like creature that seems to be asleep.

5.       It takes or steals an object from the whale's temple just in front of its water spout.

6.       The Shark is now a proper shark and in a feeding frenzy eating all the creatures it meets.

A second set of pictures show:

1.       A great horseshoe shaped arena facing out to sea.

2.       A figure shaped or dressed with a sharks fin and head-dress holding an object in a ceremony.

3.       The object is placed on a plinth.

4.       This drops into the water while sharks and on shore shark shaped/dressed people go into a feeding frenzy behind it.

• Gideon puts forward the idea that they have been tricked by Ral and that he was after the object all along, setting up the ambush and that he has now retrieved it and done away with Peak.
• He then puts forward three options
• Forget everything and destroy the scroll
• See what the scroll is worth to the House of Mellor
• Visit Ral as if nothing had happened and collect whatever extra reward he has for them.
• Defoe suggests a combination of the 2nd and 3rd options. Jacktar is worried that events described in the scroll may now come to pass if they did nothing.  Gideon has other concerns, profit highest among them.
• They try the House again but it is now very late and the building locked. 
• Blab seems the worse for wear and tries to lay down and sleep in the street but the threat of having something thrown over him gets him going again.
• They go to Clear Water Court
• Entering, Gideon notes that water is being brought into what is suppose to be a well known excellent quality well court.
• Blab goes off to find Ral and hires a boy (Toc) to tell him if he has been seen and Toc points him out across the court in an eating establishment.
• Jacktar speaks to another boy and is told that the wells water has salted up and also hears of the floods in the lower parts of the city.
• They do not approach Ral but place themselves to cut off any escape while Gideon puts himself where he can be seen.  Ral recognises him and treats him like an old friend buying food and drink for them all and suggesting they meet up next day to both sort out their extra reward and to safely sell the papers already in Gideon's possession. 
• He also tells Jacktar when asked that the man he was suppose to meet has not turned up after leaving a message at Three Bridges that they would meet here.  He also when asked gives the name of the seller Pettious Peak.  Jacktar feigns ignorance and offers aid in finding him.
• General conversation through the night reveal that there has been flooding for a few days now in some lower parts of the central city and a drunk says he was chased by eels coming out of one of the flooded areas.  Clear Water is not the only well that has been salted.
• Blab feeds the boy and hires him to follow and watch the Easterner tonight and tomorrow.
• Unable to get any money they eat and drink well and return to Pecan's Livery Stables to spend the night.

 
Date: Day of the Minnow. The month of the Murderer's Moon in the summer season of the Year of the Feathered Death in the Era of Heat: 

Morning in Lankhmar, Defoe, Gideon, Jacktar and Blab present

• It is wet, hot and heavy storms can be heard in the distance but getting closer.
• The party return to the House of Mellor to try and sell the scroll.
• They again meet Scholar Teasin and are shown into a meeting room.
• After some ado they discover that the document is written in an ancient sea speech and that the rites, invoking a rabid-like feeding frenzy that would increase until cannibalism ensued, would if carried out be quit deadly especially in a crowded place like the city. 
• Blab suggests only half laughingly that leaving the city might be the best option.
• When asked if the scroll was needed to carry out the rites he said no, only knowledge of their content, the Frenzy Bone and salt/sea water.  He calls the sharkmen 'Homalin' and says that a alter that drops below water level as in the pictures may help.
• They also find out that Peaks patron went by the name Krasspin Sscreeh and fitted the description of the pursuers of the night before.  When asked if they smelt of fish he said Sscreeh wore a whale skill cloak and never showed his face, not to mention the strange hissy speech.
• He then completes the purchase for the scroll at a better than fair price for Gideon although Gideon stipulates the free includes access to the scroll whenever he requires it.
• They also discover, in talking that the flooding in the lower part of the city has indeed lead to eels entering the streets and yes indeed a number of wells have salted up in a line heading back in that direction, Jacktar looks worried.
• Outside Gideon has changed his opinion of Ral’s compliance in the proceedings especially when Blab reminds him that the sand sharks where after Ral. The new culprits are almost certainly Sharkmen.
• At mid-morning they move on to Clear Water Court to meet up with Ral.
• Toc says that Ral has spent all morning in that same eatery as before and that the girl had been shopping in a local cloths bazaar.
• It is hot, and the approaching storm beginning to feel oppressive.  They feel hungry.

Tomorrow is the Eel Festival a carnival lead by a great eel puppet (similar to a Chinese street dragon) and ends in a great sea food feast after a ritual eel catch in the North Harbour. This will be the main topic of conversation in the bars and streets, that, and the rabid eels now infesting the flooded areas of the city and heading toward the harbour.

Most of the crew have family in the city and that its mercantile well-being is what pays your way.