Joseph receives a reply from the clerk,
"You'll need to fill out form 34(a) Requisition of Information, and subparts (d),(g), and it goes without saying (k). Additionally, you'll have to sign the ledger here and initial here. Finally, though I can give you the list, you'll have two weeks after receiving the list to get either the Mayor's approval, or the Captain of the Guard's approval, or not the approval of the Head Scribe, but rather a waiver of approval from the Head Scribe. Failure to follow this final requirement will result in denial of further requests for information until and unless it is met."
He hands you the forms and fills them out with you. You are required to list your full name, marital status, date of birth, next of kin, person to contact in the event of an emergency, hair and eye color, as well as a variety of other personal information. Moreover, you are required to state in writing what you are requesting the information for and what you intend to do with it as well as any possible grudges you may hold against public officials.
If you fill out the forms, then it appears you get the list. Do you? (P.S. You're lucky this is the only immediate delay from the bureaucracy.).
The rest of you follow a far too calm monk back to the temple's gated entrance Hall, which he goes through in short, simply unrushed fashion, through the grand meditative space, to the garden and by the spring pool. The entire temple features polished wooden surfaces over the occasional stone floor, that is also impressively and inexplicably polished as well. The entire temple is a fairly large affair and has a faint smell of incense. A sense of gravity and intention seems to pervade the place as a natural seeming part of it. The effect is oddly calming.
An elderly white robed monk kneels with his eyes closed facing the spring pool. From what you can see, he has not moved in a rather long time and this does not phase him. The younger monk explains the situation and why he has brought you here. Eyes still closed, the elder monk addresses you,
"Seven were seen separately leaving over last year. No more; no less.
Others may have, but were not seen. No merchants, no travelers came.
No goblin eyes have fallen upon the village in that year either.
Food for six months is stored; after that, hunger? Starvation? Death?
No people; no goblins; both missing? Where?
Several Tribes; no goblin king since my youth. No royalty or unity.
They were here before us and may be after us. Find them; find us."
The old monk's calm and closed eyes seem to rest upon you, looking through closed lids. He seems to study you without seeing you. With a gesture, his hand motions towards a cabinet. The younger monk opens it; within are several sturdy leather backpacks, the younger monk gives you each one. The older monk says,
"Ask any thing."
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Topic: You are a Bronze Age Peasant 5/5 (Read 8223 times)