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[King Zultan]

Welp, time to look through this neat old book that we kinda gave up all our money for! A few secrets will do us good.

+1

I wonder whether we can get bonuses for finding certain areas if we ask guards or Zhang for directions.  We're just not having much luck with these rolls.

+1

[IronyOwl]

Welp, time to look through this neat old book that we kinda gave up all our money for! A few secrets will do us good.

+1

Even if we find some training, we don't have a way to pay for it.

...come to think of it, this will complicate our efforts to make more money too, since we don't have any money to invest or wager.

[ZBridges]

I don't think we necessarily need money to get training.  Some organizations will probably offer it in return for agreeing to use the learned skills to benefit the organization, or for other services rendered.

[Devastator]

You begin reading the book, taking it back to your home and placing it on your desk.  You blow off the dust of years, which lies quite thickly upon it.

Opening it up, you try to follow the narrative.  The archaic writing makes it difficult to decipher, along with the strange blocky calligraphy, but you eventually get tired of trying to read the writing, and begin transcribing some of it onto other sheets of paper, so you can debate over which character is which.

As you can follow it, you can tell whatever it is it isn't the diary of an adventurer as it seems.  It is the diary of what seems to be a spirit, writing as if it was an adventurer.  Maybe it was possessing a person's body, and going about?

In any way, it seems to have went on some voyages to the jungle countries far to the south, where it encountered numerous creatures, went up various rivers, talked to lots of people..  and, what convinces you it was a spirit, list many more spirits it talked to instead of people.

You figure that when you finish it you'll be able to have a solid idea of what the spirit world is like, how spirits relate to each other, and probably detailed information on many secret locations in the southern jungles.  You can't see anything that immediately jumps out at you, and a lot of it is out of date, but there's towns, villages, temples, dungeons, and a couple locations of what seems to be magical significance pointed out, but you don't have the vocabulary to figure out exactly what it means.  There are also some descriptions of various magical rituals, but you're even more in the dark about those, neither having the vocabulary or concepts to begin understanding them.

That said, as you start reading one passage describing some sort of binding ritual, you get entirely engrossed in it, and you find yourself unconsciously repeating some of the steps in the process, visualizing them in your mind.  It goes to the point where you even get out some charcoal and draw a circle on the floor, beginning to walk around it, repeating a chant.  At the time where you get to the point where you are supposed to provide both a form and energy to your manifestation, you feel a mild headache and stop moving.  A moment later your mind fills with fire, and you feel freed of the compulsion you didn't know you were suffering under.

..Huh.  Well, that's something.  There's a lot more to study here, but maybe the book itself isn't quite mundane?

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Week 2.  Action 4/5.

Assets and Abilities:
Prestige = 0
Broke!
Concealable fighting dagger
Adventurer's diary (partially studied)
->Information on southern jungle nations
->Secret locations in southern jungle.
->Information on spiritual beings, spiritual being society, spiritual being outlook.
->Information on animal life of the southern jungle
->Information on magical beings of the southern jungle
->Instruction on spirit-related magical rituals.
->Instruction on an unknown magical field.
->Instruction on wilderness survival methods
->Instruction on what seems to be the language of the southern jungle nations.
->Instruction on an unknown language.

Skills:
Charming, +1

Allies:
Huan Zhang, diplomat, 2 prestige, 1 favor
Upscale Weapon Shop.

[ZBridges]

I would expect Zhang, as a diplomat, to be a learned man familiar with the political realities of the city, specifically the various organizations and institutions within it that compete for power and influence.

Perhaps we can ask him what specific groups or entities in the city might offer us the sort of training that we're looking for.  Don't call in a favor.

I'd like to give this another try, but I'm open to voting for something better, such as going for another pleasant stroll.

I suspect that learning more about this world will help us determine the correct course of action.

[IronyOwl]

Well that's fascinating.

...not quite sure what to do with our magic ritual book, though.

[King Zultan]

I would expect Zhang, as a diplomat, to be a learned man familiar with the political realities of the city, specifically the various organizations and institutions within it that compete for power and influence.

Perhaps we can ask him what specific groups or entities in the city might offer us the sort of training that we're looking for.  Don't call in a favor.

I'd like to give this another try, but I'm open to voting for something better, such as going for another pleasant stroll.

I suspect that learning more about this world will help us determine the correct course of action.

+1

I feel we should go back to looking at the book later.

[Devastator]

You decide to get some assistance from Zhang in your efforts to find a good dojo.  You discuss the matter for a bit, and the first name that comes up is for the Wind school, which is a well known group from Horse province far to the north.  Now, you know they're around, it's one of the more common groups in this part of the world, and you're fairly familiar with them.

From what you do know, they favor a fairly strict philosophy of self-defense, and have a mixture of grapples and strikes.  You also remember their uniforms.  It does cross your mind that Zhang may be recommending them as their traditional uniforms are.. somewhat revealing.

You do now have the location of a dojo for them, but they don't offer training for free.. it'll cost you at least a couple silver per week.  And you don't have any.  Zhang does say that he'd float you a loan if you want one, however.

[ZBridges]

Rather than a loan, let's see if we can get another job to start bringing in some income.  Zhang probably has connections that can land us a decent job, and getting a new job will allow us to make some more contacts and potential allies.  Ask him to do so, ussng a favor.

[Devastator]

This week has fairly gloomy weather, with the overcast skies proceeding towards off and on light rain.  It's more of a good background for those gritty novels about hard-bitten crime fighters than the sunny weather more suitable for heroic adventures.

In the news, some idiot ran a spice ship aground, tearing up one of the docks and spilling great quantities of cloves all over the place.  You don't hear about it in time to stock up, but there are tons available on the market for quite cheap, for some reason. Enough for you to stock up on.

Perhaps more importantly, Zhang has news for you, and he actually sends you a message, which is quite the experience, as you've never had someone run a message to you like your some kind of noble before.  It seems another colleague of his, a Li Yue, wants to hire a new servant who will also act as a hidden bodyguard.  If you're interested, you should look her up this week.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Week 3.  Action 1/5

Assets and Abilities:
Prestige = 0
Broke!
Concealable fighting dagger
Adventurer's diary (partially studied)
->Information on southern jungle nations
->Secret locations in southern jungle.
->Information on spiritual beings, spiritual being society, spiritual being outlook.
->Information on animal life of the southern jungle
->Information on magical beings of the southern jungle
->Instruction on spirit-related magical rituals.
->Instruction on an unknown magical field.
->Instruction on wilderness survival methods
->Instruction on what seems to be the language of the southern jungle nations.
->Instruction on an unknown language.

Skills:
Charming, +1

Allies:
Huan Zhang, diplomat, 2 prestige, 1 favor
Upscale Weapon Shop.

[Devastator]

That happened as part of the post turn events, so you got it for free rather than having to spend an action on it.

[ZBridges]

My inclination is to accept the loan and begin training at the Wind school.  That will give us a leg up on getting the bodyguard job, as we can truthfully say that we are studying a martial art.  Hopefully the earnings will be sufficient to pay back the loan fairly quickly.

[Naturegirl1999]

Accept work as the bodyguard

[ZBridges]

Accept work as the bodyguard

I doubt she will hire us if we have no combat training.  Beginning to build up our skills at a dojo would likely increase our chances of getting the job.  I'm not too worried about the loan, as Zhang is apparently sweet on us and is therefore likely to be lenient.

[King Zultan]

My inclination is to accept the loan and begin training at the Wind school.  That will give us a leg up on getting the bodyguard job, as we can truthfully say that we are studying a martial art.  Hopefully the earnings will be sufficient to pay back the loan fairly quickly.

+1 Training then get the job.