People of Pavis report - Plusius Last updated: 1997-08-11 ?? day, ?? week, Fire season?, 7/?? Note 1 Glorious Yelm shines fiercely here in Prax. Peloria gets hot enough in the summer, but there you always have shading tree alleys and ponds at the intersection of irrigation channels. I guess you can go swim in the Zola Fel, but the river is filthy near the city of Pavis. Our civilized ways have not yet reached the waste handling here. Anyway, I have to adapt to the heat and go bare chested beneath my vest. It looks barbaric, but it's a lot cooler than wearing tunic and toga and I fit in better on the streets. This morning I was present during a gathering of all the important Imperial people in the city. What an honour! I even got to say a few words. I think that the governor [Lewis Jardine] took it seriously when I warned about crime and the murderer who is on the loose. His brother [David Hall] however was only interested in who writes graffiti. He can be a problem for my studies if he insists on me investigating such unimportant matters. Note 2 My superior, the honourable judge Hetaera Thessen [Tanja Woronowicz] is a busy person. She has given me very free hands in the investigation of the cannibal murders. She listened distractedly when I explained the importance of my studies. Now, where should I begin the investigation? Note 3 The constable, Jorjar the Quick [Johan Lindholm] is a shifty little man. I don't trust him, and that's not only because of his dealings with the dark people. The judge told him the importance of cooperation between his office and ours. He agreed, but was busy leering at her. I'm sure she can handle that and his lusting after her can perhaps be used to our advantage. I did get my curfew pass without problems though. Note 4 I have now exhumed the body of the last victim of the murderer. It was a poor fellow, buried in the sand outside Badside. In the desert grave the body was desiccated rather than decomposed, thank the goddess. The teeth marks were too small to come from a dark troll. Could be a trollkin or an ogre. Why would a trollkin leave any remains? I left the corpse in an unused shack to pursue an idea. What if I could find a spirit master, a shaman to summon the spirit of the dead man? Note 5 I have been approached by Banaryos [Neil Robinson] the commander of the Silver Shields peltasts. He wants me to find out what happened to his father who was also a soldier. Apparently the father disappeared around twenty-five years ago. Banaryos seems like a good honest man, he offered to pay me, and helping an officer of the Empire is a service to the goddess so I will help him when I get the time. Note 6 Lord Bor-Eel keeps pestering me about finding the punk who writes graffiti. I have no time for that. I hope he was satisfied with my very non-comittal answer. Note 7 The Pavis temple knows about the murder and they are worried about it. Lady Broosta [Martina Poeser], Daughter of Pavis and associate of the Temple of Knowledge, talked with the judge and I about it. I hope that rumours don't start spreading. If the murderer is an ogre he will go into hiding if too many people know that a serial killer is loose. Note 8 Why isn't the curfew enforced? Lots of people walk about in the night and the watch doesn't seem to care. The constable's guard sergeant [Paolo Guccione] or whatever his title might be is even less trustworthy than the constable. He's a whining troll out to line his own pocket. How could the governor appoint such people? Note 9 I was supposed to meet the constable tonight for the investigation. He didn't show up. I waited for two hours and then went home to the judge to tell her. She was worried that he had gotten into something over his head but didn't say what. She knows something that she won't tell. Probably political. ?? day, ?? week, Fire season?, 7/?? Note 1 Damn! It seems impossible to find a shaman in the vicinity. They are all down in the desert somewhere. Banaryos approached me again and asked what I had found out about his father. I hadn't done anything yet, rather embarrassingly. So I went to the army archives and started digging. Seems the father disappeared during a battle in the Redlands. Note 2 Not a clue on the murderer, but no more killings. Lord Bor-Eel asked about the graffiti again. Note 3 The newtling river priest [Robert Haasdijk] came to me and offered to sell a magic gem and an ancient statuette. I can't understand how people can eat newtling tails. These are good people! The statuette was of limited value, perhaps interesting for a collector of Ferodan things, but my magic analysis showed the gem to be hot stuff, a must for a river trader. Note 4 I think we have a good deal here. Pharnastes the Etyries priest [Erik Sieurin] is very interested in the magic gem. He will set up something with the river priest and I will get the statuette. And my temple will get to analyze the gem closely. Perhaps it can be reproduced? Note 5 Strange things happen here, I'm confused. Chooga, the nasty troll guard approached me and wanted to sell information. He said he was in trouble for some shady deal he had made before. I don't want to be involved in that but he told a strange story. It seems that Hucipites [Michael O'Brien], the commander of the Marble Phalanx killed a man in cold blood on the street, exposing the hapless man to the wrath of Yelm. He has not been arrested or anything and the troll thinks that the constable got caught up in this mess and is now missing because he got involved in this weird affair. The troll doesn't talk straight out about anything, but I used magic to verify his words, so at least he thought he was truthful himself. Note 6 Nobody can get a shaman here and I have to rebury the body. Too bad. Note 7 The sable rider chiefs [Dan Barker and Simon Bray] want a favour. I don't know what to make of them. They are barbaric, but they are upholders of the way of the goddess. They need someone to copy a sex-manual for them. If they can't do it themselves because they can't read, what do they need a book for? Anyway, the book is found in the temple of Uleria and they paid for a huge supply of papyrus, so I'll oblige them. ?? day, ?? week, Fire season?, 7/?? Note 1 A strenuous night, but one I'll remember for sure. I had to give some lame excuse to the judge for rising so late. The sable riders were pleased. They also knew something about Banaryos' father. Their unit fought in the same battle. I don't know the story, they told it directly to Banaryos. He just told me to stop that investigation and paid me. Note 2 Foul Eddy [Timo Euler], the overseer of the salt mines, asked me whether he could buy prisoners to use as slaves. Turns out that non-citizens are allowed to do that. He will get new slaves when there are prisoners to take. Poor souls. Note 3 I get ever more confused. No clues for the murders, intrigues running wild it seems. I have put up wanted posters and been asked by the judge to look out for a dangerous river captain [Apostolov Blagoj]. What's going on? Nobody knows who is constable at the moment. Jorjar's replacement, some local [Jens Hartlep], was exceedingly incompetent and removed, but then he was back again. For a while a simple caravan guard seemed to take the post, then the sable chiefs ran around arresting people, forcing confessions and trying to execute people. Note 4 I may be promoted! Since Jotoran's [Jussy Hyvönen] disappearance, the judge has also been administrator. The priest of the Seven Mothers, Karnickelis Brokath [Nick Brooke] asked if I wanted to be the new judge, because lady Hetaera didn't have time to fill both positions. I protested first since we already had a judge, but the priest explained the situation. I also said I can't take that position, I'm not yet a priest! But he said that could be arranged. My head spins, is this what I wanted? Note 5 The governor and the other important people are making big plans and negotiating with the Pavis people. There's anticipation in the air, everyone seems to be waiting to see what's going on, but us little people know nothing. Still no clues on the murderer. The troll queen [Gwendolin ?something] knows nothing, but thinks it's not a troll, "because we eat everything, leaving no remains." Back! Send email to nilsw@ibm.net