IC 2137 BC – The Maw of Apophis

  • mercy

    Member
    February 28, 2019 at 11:44 am

    Sian
    Late Afternoon, October 1st, 2137 BC; Sar’s Villa, Thebes

    Sian does her best to keep her master’s plates full as the meal progresses. She leaves the conversation to her social betters, instead spending time observing the attitudes of the house servants.

    62

  • jack_spade

    Member
    February 28, 2019 at 2:18 pm

    The behavior of the slaves confirms Kaleb’s suspicions: While Sar is treated with respect and to some degree adoration, his wife command respect and fear from her servants.
    Looking into the astral, Kaleb realizes immediately what is wrong: The woman is dual natured and seems to have some mental influence on Sar. It seems like some kind of spirit resides within her, lending her power…

  • obidancer

    Moderator
    February 28, 2019 at 11:48 pm

    Kaleb waved a hand to Sian to have her stop feeding him. As she leaned in to take the plate, he whispered in her ear:
    She’s marked with the curse of Dahāg. Possessed by evil. Thread carefully around her. He wasn’t expecting her to know about the Mesopotamian evil entity, and was sure Egypt had its share of evil gods too. The lack of Mana would make summoning spirits pretty difficult and hinder their abilities, but such possession was still possible via a strong Ritual. His suspicion went straight to the Shadowmen. He had to determine if the Lady of the House was one of them, or simply aiding them, but the heavy make-up and garment suggested she was also sensitive to the sunlight… He looked at Sian with wonders.

    He felt tonight’s dinner was more likely going to be a trap… but then the best way to know was to usually spring the trap.

  • aria

    Organizer
    March 1, 2019 at 8:22 am

    Ryl
    Late-Afternoon, October 1st, 2137 BC; Sar’s Villa, Thebes

    Ryl’s acute hearing had picked up Kaleb’s whispered conversation with his slave…interesting. So this one was the threat here, or the being that possessed her. She had fought such before but with the mana as low as it was she hadn’t anticipated finding a spirit in residence, it spoke of its power that it was able to sustain itself.

    At the meal she had taken her position at Sar’s side as the premier of his honoured guests, displacing his wife to her left. Whilst Ryl was careful to ingratiate herself with their host it was to Lady Sar that she addressed herself.

    “It is rare in this age to find a Lady with as much influence as yourself. It is a refreshing change to engage with someone with more subtlety than the males seem capable of possessing…”

    #21

  • jack_spade

    Member
    March 2, 2019 at 2:56 am

    The answer of the lady Isa was quite cool, but not unfriendly: “I find that it is always just a matter of will and determination that distinguishes the successful from the unsuccessful. It’s all just a question of… applying pressure at the right points and not to relent until you reach your desires.”
    For some reason, Sian felt a shiver run down her spine at those words. They echoed exactly one of her fugitive companions from long ago

    Isa continued: “I hope to see you tonight. If you’ll excuse me, there are quite a lot of things to prepare and only so much time…”

  • mercy

    Member
    March 2, 2019 at 11:05 pm

    Sian
    Late Afternoon, October 1st, 2137 BC; Sar’s Villa, Thebes

    Sian carefully keeps her composure, even though it is very difficult to do so. She has personally killed two of the traitorous Vecni, leaving only one. Then again, one of her brother warriors had been turned to the darkness that blights the soul, making it two that she still sought. Too, neither of the pair of enemies had shown any care in creating more of their kind from the people around them and what she has heard could simply be from the teachings of one of them. Still, Kaleb’s warning seemed to imply that a being of great power was controlling the woman’s body, giving Sian hope that she was close to completing part of her mission here on this plane.

    She turns her head slightly to watch as Sar’s wife leaves the room, looking for any sort of recognition from the woman.

    63

  • jack_spade

    Member
    March 3, 2019 at 4:55 am

    Isa departed without sparing Sian another glance – either she didn’t recognize her or was quite adept at not showing it.

    Sar on the other hand was quite oblivious to the elevated tension and continued his previous thread: “Now, since we have sated our thirst for wine, how about I sate your curiosity about my contor. Follow me if you will.”

  • mercy

    Member
    March 12, 2019 at 1:51 am

    Sian
    Late Afternoon, October 1st, 2137 BC; Sar’s Villa, Thebes

    Sian rises and assists her master to rise in turn, slipping into her place behind him as prescribed by custom. Once in place, she waits for him to move and follows behind.

    64

  • obidancer

    Moderator
    March 19, 2019 at 11:34 pm

    Lord Sar, it would be a pleasure to see the many riches that make your home so special. I am particularly fond of ancient texts and writing. Would you happen to have some? Said Kaleb as he stood up, Sian always behind him.

    He approached Ryl and whispered in her ear. Dinner is likely a trap. Isa is amongst the Shadowmen, possibly even their leader here. We lose the advantage of sunlight if we don’t act, but we can gain precious information if we stay till later. And Sar is being manipulated. If anything he’s innocent.

    Kaleb didn’t own anything to noone and could likely act on his own accord. But Ryl was the young rich class and the protocol wanted she would make the call, hopefully because she was also very smart, an certainly to decide to keep face and stature in front of the powerful Merchant House.

    As he joined Sar’s side, he discreetly watched the actions and positioning of the guards.

  • mercy

    Member
    March 20, 2019 at 12:32 am

    Sian
    Late Afternoon, October 1st, 2137 BC; Sar’s Villa, Thebes

    Sian picks up on the quiet concern of her new master and takes care to stand just behind him and to the left, as appropriate. This does take away from her ability to freely look around, but does allow her to guard his back should something go wrong.

    65

  • aria

    Organizer
    March 20, 2019 at 9:10 am

    Ryl
    Late-Afternoon, October 1st, 2137 BC; Sar’s Villa, Thebes

    Ryl nodded to Kaleb’s whisper “There is an old adage about a trap not being a trap if you know it is there! Information is more important than any small benefit the sun may grant us, and I think Lady Sar will be surprised if she thinks to find us easy pickings. We will watch our backs and see what unfurls…”

    Moving forward she took Sar by the arm and allowed him to escort her through his demesne… “Tell me of these shadow men, it is all most exciting…!”

    #22

  • jack_spade

    Member
    March 20, 2019 at 3:56 pm

    Sar was delighted to find Ryl at his side, but answered Kaleb first: “A story collector. You are in luck, I myself have a sizable collection of scrolls and tablets. Maybe after dinner we can have a closer look.
    As to you, my dear Lady: As we established, they are likely charlatans. But in case they are not, I already had my servants do a very impressive sacrifice at the of Osiris and asked the priests to sanctify my walls. Whatever else they can do, they can’t do it here. Sooner or later they will be found and they will face justice for what they have done. Their profanities won’t go unanswered.”

    The group had followed a path through the gardens and arrived at a door at the back side of the large building. Inside lay a large room with many desks and as many scribes, busily coyping down numbers after using counting boards with dizzing speed.
    “The secret of my success: Thanks to Isa, I now have the best and most accurate clerks you can think of. With them I can practically forsee the future – allowing me to decide if a business will be profitable and how much I can undercut my competition and still make a profit.”

    As Sian looked around, she noticed that quite a few of those clerks showed weak signs of having been touched by magic…

  • obidancer

    Moderator
    March 22, 2019 at 12:23 am

    Fascinating! said Kaleb as he watched with interest the various scribes working on their boards. Are they actually all using Sumerian algebra? I’m intrigued… Tell me how it is used to predict the future and how is Lady Isa responsible for this? What a lucky man you are, Lord Sar.

  • jack_spade

    Member
    March 22, 2019 at 11:52 am

    “Yes, it is based on Sumeria, but Isa improved on it – not that I understand it myself, but she tells me it’s like having a second person checking your work, because if you do it wrong you see that the numbers don’t fit.
    As for predicting the future: She gives numbers to the likelyhood of anything happening and then somehow arrives at a chance that something is going to happen at all. If the odds are in favor I do take the chance. It’s like bookmakers odds – only a lot more far reaching and reliable.”
    Sar replied with evident pride.

  • mercy

    Member
    April 7, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    Sian
    Late Afternoon, October 1st, 2137 BC; Sar’s Villa, Thebes

    As Sian follows docilely behind Kaleb, her ears perk up a bit when the merchant talks about the Sumerian language. She has a familiarity with the language and may get some insight into the workings of the merchant’s wife if she could get a look at what the workers were writing.

    66

  • jack_spade

    Member
    April 7, 2019 at 1:51 pm

    Getting a look at the workers writings is no problem at all: Indeed they are tallying goods and their value on one side of a ledger and where the money is from on the other side. Each ledger seems to be an account and the scribes are exchanging notes with each other all the time to transfer funds and goods. It is amazing just how much goods Sar seems to be moving, but then it seems his margins are comparatively low.

  • mercy

    Member
    April 10, 2019 at 3:19 pm

    Sian
    Late Afternoon, October 1st, 2137 BC; Sar’s Villa, Thebes

    Sian considers what she has heard and seen and it seems to her that the wily merchant is underselling his competition to drive up their losses. Still, it would take some buying power to purchase products in the quantity he is moving. It could work for a while, but it would only take one or two unexpected disasters to send the man into possible financial ruin. She ruminates on this as she walks behind her master. She will talk to him at the earliest possible time.

    67/4

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